The Original Diaries

Revelations

"How can you be so cavalier about this? " Damon demanded furiously, a bottle of scotch in his hand. Despite his best attempts to hide it, his hand was shaking slightly. His shirt was littered with two large holes, and he was covered in blood.

" I'm sorry brother, but I'm having a tough time finding sympathy that you hurt yourself trying to stalk Elena." Stefan retorted dryly. He was seated in a nearby chair, trying to keep satisfaction from Damon's predicament out his voice. His sharp eyes noticed the shaking hands, the frazzled twitch in his eyes. For the first time in a very long time, His brother was afraid.

"So, you aren't the slightest bit worried about a strange vampire in town? One with some weird ability to compel other vampires?" Damon snarled before downing the rest of the bottle. The burn of the alcohol soothed his nerves, and he felt more in control.

"Not particularly." Stefan said calmly. This was not entirely true; he had his own reservations about the new vampire. There was something…familiar about him. A scratching in the edges of his mind that he couldn't quite place. Still, as far as he could tell he wasn't killing anyone and had done something to keep Elena safe. That alone bought him some good will. "And we don't know if it was compulsion… could be a spell, or a magical artifact. Compelling another vampire is impossible Damon. Not even Katherine could do it. "

Damon growled, tempted to rage and toss his smug little brother through the nearest window.

He had been furious after the debacle at the dinner party and attempted to influence Elena's dreams again. However, a few seconds after he perched outside her window, felt an uncontrollable urge begin to take him over and before he knew it, he was ripping off a branch of the tree he was in and stabbing it through his stomach. He howled in confusion and pain and fell forward, landing with a loud crunch on the ground down below. Unfortunately for him, this pushed him closer to the house, and he was forced to look on in horror as he removed the branch and stabbed himself again. He groaned in pain and vamped sped away, feeling his control of his body return the further away he got from Elena..

He would not stand for this...humiliation. Be it in special skill or magical item, Klaus had gotten the better of him, and this could not stand. A sound at the door gave him an idea, and he forced a confident smile.

"What do you think of the newcomer, dear nephew?" he asked playfully, enjoying the way his relative squirmed in his presence. Stefan may have been foolish enough to consider every descendent of theirs family, but he was under no such delusion. Still, terrorizing the man had its charms.

"I don't have an opinion, except at least he's not dropping bodies" Zach said cautiously, clearly trying to avoid antagonizing anyone.

"Is that a shot?" Damon remarked sarcastically. "I'm hurt nephew. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you didn't want me here." He stalked towards the man slowly, allowing his fear to wash over him. It made him feel good, feel powerful.

"I don't." Zach said as firmly as he could. "You and Uncle Stefan don't belong here. Not anymore. maybe you should just…" he was cut off but a strong hand grasping his throat and hoisting him in the air. He batted futilely at the hand holding him, trying to escape, to catch a breath. Damon merely gave him a mocking smile.

"I've had enough of your whining. Now be a good little boy and tell your dear sweet uncle where you keep that Vervain you've been taking" Zach looked shocked. "Surprised I know? How else could you have resisted my compulsion. Now give it to me or I'll tear off your head."

"That's enough Damon." Stefan yelled. he moved to try to intercept and free Zach from his brother's clutches, but Damon backhanded him and sent him flying into a nearby wall.

"That's enough from the peanut gallery. You lost all right to an opinion when you turned yourself into this pathetic husk. Now nephew…I am losing my patience..." he let up his grip just enough so that Zach could mutter a garbled "basement" before snapping the man's neck and sending his corpse sliding to the floor.

"Now that felt good. Excuse me Stefan… I have a poisonous plant to ingest. Please clean up this mess, if you leave him too long, he'll start to smell. "

He left with a wave, and all Stefan could do is stare in horror. He groaned in pain, lamenting the depths of Damon's cruelty, even to those who shared their blood.

And more than that. He felt ashamed of his own weakness.

...

If there was one key to staying a few steps ahead of a murderous vampire hunter, particularly one that had raised you, it was prudent planning, mixed with a touch of redundancy. Now that he was determined to remain in mystic falls for the foreseeable future, it was important that he take his usual steps in making sure his home base was as secure as possible.

Usually this was done by identifying the key players in both the local government, in particular its law enforcement, and making sure they were either bribed or compelled to conceal his presence and any bodies he happened to drop.

It was here he ran into his first snag, as he soon discovered that the mayor was on Vervain. Unusual, as that meant that there were at least a few people in the town aware of the supernatural. Fortunately, he was no stranger to research, and while the man was immune to compulsion, he had no such resistance against the promised support of a new wealthy patron. After all, politicians were the same no matter the century. The man was only too happy to share what he knew about the history of the town, and even gave him access to the Lockwood mansion, telling him about the upcoming founders party and his hope that he would be in attendance.

Klaus readily agreed, absently wondering what kind of dress Caroline would prefer for the occasion. She would look stunning in blue, and if he remembered right, he had a few suitable ones in Rebekah's wing of the mansion. Perhaps a few pieces of jewelry to tie the look together. She'd look like a queen.

He shook his head. There would be plenty of time to indulge with his little blonde distraction, but for now there was research to do. And what a treasure trove of information it was. Mysterious fires, witches, and a quite fetching picture of Katerina Petrova.

So, a mysterious tomb filled with Vampires, and yet he knew for a fact that Katerina was not one of them. His last reports had her somewhere in the vicinity of St Louis, however such information was rarely accurate for long, especially with dealing with someone as slippery as Katerina. It would not be the first time she had managed to fool his agents. If she wasn't such a pain in the ass, he would almost admire her willingness to do anything to survive.

"Maddox." he said once the witch answered the phone. "I want an update on Katerina Petrovas location. Visual verification required."

"Yes sir. Do we need to alter our plans?"

"No. I want you and Greta in mystic falls immediately. As soon as we have a location on the moonstone, I want us ready to perform the ritual. "

"We will be there within the week." He hesitated. "It could be nothing. But we have lost contact with a quite few of our informants recently. Normally it wouldn't be a concern, but two of them were nearly five centuries old, it's unlikely a regular hunter or wolf were able to best them"

"Most likely they had a run in with my dear brother. It's of no consequence. Let him throw all the tantrums he wishes; it will not change anything." He hung up without waiting for a response.

Elijah. His sainted brother was starting to eclipse Kol, as his most annoying sibling. Truth be told he could no longer recall what started the spat that led him to claim he had buried his siblings at the bottom of the ocean. He still remembered the look of pained betrayal on Elijah's face. If he was honest, he will still hurt that his brother believed him capable of such a heinous act. As if he had not worked tirelessly to keep them ALL safe for centuries. No matter. Once his werewolf side was unlocked, not even Elijah would be a threat to him anymore.

He was on his way to the Grill when he felt a presence, and with superhuman speed he whirled around and grabbed the person following him by the neck and slammed them against the nearby brick wall.

"Ah, it's you Stefan." He said conversationally, as if he wasn't squeezing all the air out of the younger vampire's body. Stefan tried briefly to escape his iron grasp, but the tightening of his grip made him relent " To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need your help" Stefan gasped. "With Damon."

"I see. And what has the Elder Salvatore done this time?"

"He killed our nephew… and he's determined to find a way to hurt Elena. He needs to be stopped."

Klaus considered him for a moment before scowling and letting him drop to the ground. He leaned down to whisper in the now gasping vampire's ear. "So, stop him then…. Ripper. "

Stefan looked horrified and ashamed "How did you?"

"Oh, I have my ways. Surely you didn't think that your deeds as the Ripper of Monterey had been forgotten so easily. You should be more than capable of handling your brother on your own."

"I'm not that person anymore. Haven't been for a long time. I'm trying to be..."

"Human." Klaus interjected with disgust. "You have allowed yourself to become this pathetic shell out of some misguided attempt to redeem yourself. It's quite a shame really, you had such talent. "

"I was a monster, Klaus. "

"And now you are nothing. Just another helpless bystander. Unable to even safeguard the woman you claim to love. "

"I do love her. That's why I have to be the man she deserves..."

"And yet you come crawling to me for help. Seems like I'm the man she needs. To keep her safe. To protect that fragile humanity that pulses like a beacon to all things that go bump in the night." he smirked at the jealous scowl on Stefan's face. "Fortunately for you Ripper, I have little desire to mettle with your pathetic relationship. I will keep Elena safe from Damon. You have my word."

"Thank you." Stefan said earnestly, moving to shake the elder vampire's hand. Klaus ignored it.

"If you want your brother to keep his head, I suggest you try and get him to back off. He won't receive another warning. "

"I'll do what I can, but it's been decades since Damon and I saw eye to eye. " Stefan sighed. "His determination to ruin my life is all he seems to live for these days."

"I care not for your family squabbles ripper. I have enough of my own. "

"Right…" Klaus moved to leave but paused before he got out of sight.

"When you are miserable, you need something that is even more miserable than you to feel good about yourself. Your brother will never be the man he once was. Let him go Stefan. Or be dragged down to hell with him." Without wading for a response, he vanished, leaving a contemplative Stefan in his wake.

...

Intricate plots had never been his thing. Not that he was incapable of multi-step planning, but he found there was nothing more terrifying than spontaneity. Especially for control freaks like Stefan. His hypocrite of a brother strived to control every aspect of his existence because he knew he was unable to control himself where it mattered. Stefan Salvatore: "The Ripper." Frankly he thought it had a nice ring to it. If he hadn't sworn to make his brothers eternity a living hell, he'd even be proud of his notoriety.

Better to be a remorseless serial killer than this pathetic victim he was now. Still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying their current power disparity. Watching his little brother's frustration at his helplessness was nearly as sweet as the needling itself, and now that he was making puppy dog eyes at Elena, the opportunities to metaphorically rip his heart out were endless. Once Katherine was freed, he would have to make sure something interesting happened to her look alike. Preferably while Stefan was watching.

But first he needed that cursed necklace. He knew where it was, but he needed an invitation to get in, and a distraction to retrieve it without anyone noticing. There were too many uncertainties in the town to risk a more direct approach., Not only was there the issue of the strange vampire hovering around, but he could not forget how the tomb vampires had been captured in the first place.

There were those with the knowledge and tools to fight the supernatural and he could not be sure they did not still exist in some form or another. Not to mention Stefan himself was likely plotting to taking him down after the unpleasant end of their descendant. No. better to rely on secrecy for now. He was too close to risk any more setbacks.

Which meant he needed a patsy. A way into the upcoming party and a controllable accomplice who could retrieve what he needed while all eyes were on him. When his eyes caught the flash of blonde hair entering the Grill, he grinned.

He would have preferred to use Elena, there was a certain symmetry in that considering her resemblance to Katherine, and the despair on Stefan's face would have been delicious.

But the magic Klaus had placed on him made approaching Elena currently impossible. Fortunately, there was a second choice. He had not missed the way Klaus and the cheerleader had looked at each other. The sheer amount of desire and affection would have nauseated him if it did not leave a prime opportunity to recover the necklace and have his revenge on Klaus at the same time.

He followed her into the grill, noticing with a smirk that it was nearly empty outside of the bartender. The lunch crowd must have recently cleared out as the man looked busy cleaning up half empty plates and glasses. Caroline appeared to be waiting for someone as she glanced around looking for them, before making her way to a nearby table. He'd have to move quickly then.

He approached lazily, allowing himself time to admire her form and the cautious look that appeared in her eyes when she noticed him approaching. Even he could admit she looked good. Purple dress that clung tightly to her curves. She had paired them with black boots with a pronounced heel, giving the already tall girl an extra inch or so. His keen senses noted a thin bead of sweat making its way enticingly down her neck as he sat confidently at her table.

"Damon." She said politely. Half stating, half questioned. She obviously uncomfortable with his close proximity and he leaned in closer, allowing his presence to crowd her. "Is there something I can do for you?"

" Yes, as a matter of fact there is." He said seductively, allowing his voice to deepen in a way he knew drove both sexes crazy. He allowed his fingers to trace up the hand sitting on the table, barely restraining a grin as she shifted to avoid his touch. He did so enjoy the hunt, and he would rectify her reluctance soon enough.

"I hear there is going to be a big party at the Lockwood mansion, I was hoping you would accompany me." He gave her his most predatory smile. "You do clean up well in a dress. It'll be fun. "

"I'm flattered. But not interested." She moved to leave but a firm hand stopped her. she gave him a wary look, but he merely smiled at her.

"Let's try that again. You will take me as your date to this party." He stated calmly, letting his voice fill with compulsion. She looked at him furiously, but to his surprise her eyes did not glass over under the strength of his compulsion, and instead she raised her unobstructed hand and slapped him.

"Listen here asshole. I'm not interested. I have a boyfriend and I am not going to mess that up for a creepy pretty boy and his stupid necklace. "

He growled furiously, pure malice contorting any sense of attractiveness from his features. "You are the only stupid thing here, Caroline. You are useless. And Shallow. I don't know what Klaus sees in you."

"I would be happy to tell you" Said, a deceptively calm voice from behind him.

...

The day had started so well. Klaus surprised her with coffee and pastries and insisted on accompanying her to the early morning cheer practice. He left her floating with a deep kiss and a promise of dinner later that day. Practice went well, she aced her Chemistry test, and even managed to coerce Elena and Bonnie to join her after school for some shopping. New dress, some sexy underwear she was sure Klaus would enjoy ripping off her, and she left her friends in good spirts.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt… content. It had been only a few weeks, but dating Klaus was so unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Despite being only a few years older, he carried himself with an air of sophistication and confidence. Mostly, it was the way he looked at her, as if she was the answer to a question he had never known he needed the answer to.

He delighted in her presence, her stories, listening in a way that no one, not even her parents had before. Their lovemaking was intense, sometimes overwhelmingly so, as their hunger sometimes burned relentlessly, and yet afterward he was always tender, reverent, almost sad. Sometimes he held her tightly as if he was afraid she would disappear, and sometimes he stayed up late, managing to capture images of her on his canvas that she still struggled to believe was how he saw her.

Things were great, and she was riding high on that when she entered the Grill and looked around fitfully for him. She was slightly disappointed he wasn't there, but a quick check to her watch revealed that she had arrived twenty minutes early. Deciding to knock out what little homework she had remaining, she found a spot and got to work, before being interrupted by Damon.

If they had met before her thing with Klaus, she could admit she would have found him intriguing. He was fit, handsome, and on the surface charming in that wordly bad boy way. However, there was a darkness, that lingered behind those eyes, and instead of attraction, she found herself feeling alarmed in his presence. Still. She had long ago mastered how to be polite with people she disliked, and she gave him her best polite greeting in the hopes he would state what he needed and leave.

She wasn't expecting to be asked out, especially since she didn't see attraction or interest in his smug gaze, but derision. She was firm in her rebuttal, and she felt a shiver of fear course through her when he seemed determined to refuse her refusal. His hateful words hurt a bit, but before she could dwell on them, she heard a familiar voice interrupt them.

Klaus was furious. She had never seen his normally serene and playful features twisted with such rage, and yet she found herself unable to look away as he lifted Damon in the air by his throat.

"I warned your brother to keep you in line, clearly he has failed, so I'll send him your head instead. "

"Here to fight for your woman's honor?" Damon rasped, trying desperately to catch his breath through Klaus's ironclad grip of his neck.

"You mistake my intentions. I haven't come here to fight you. Not at all. This is to be an execution. Tell me, how exactly would you like to die?"

He's completely serious. She can see the resolution in his eyes, the determination to make it as painful as possible. It was clearly not his first time threatening the life of another, he said it so casually, as if taking life were no more difficult than taking out the trash. She should be terrified of the rage that colors his every movement, but it's not fear that grips her, in fact she cannot recall when she ever felt safer. She's entranced by the contrasts of the man before her. Oozing darkness and ill intent and yet his eyes still softened when he glanced over to assess her reaction.

She should stop him, deescalate the situation, and yet no words come out, not even a scream as Klaus whispers something in Damon's ear, pausing only to savor the look of misery on his face before reaching into his chest…. and ripping out his heart.

Blood spurts everywhere, the metallic smell of it sets her teeth on edge and she can feel the shock of the past ten minutes begin to set in. Klaus studies her briefly and evidently seeing something in her posture, pulls her into his arms and speed away.

Neither noticed the calculating look on the bartender's face.

...

The trip to the Mansion was relatively silent. She held onto him as he sped there, saying nothing but casting her eyes curiously over him. No doubt once she regained her bearings, she would have a veritable list of questions for him. But for now, she seemed content to burrow herself into his chest.

He ignored the surge of relief that her seemingly instinctive actions brought him. Rebekah would have a field day if she could see him, the mighty Klaus Mikaelson, smiling like an idiot because a pretty girl found comfort in his presence.

He scowled. This dalliance with Caroline was making him soft. He could ill afford another weakness, his family being troublesome enough, and yet when he saw Damon corner her in the Grill, heard the vile words he dared to spew at her, he felt a surge of rage he had not felt in centuries.

No one touched what was his. And that's what she was, for better or worse. She was his, and no one, not even his siblings were allowed to interfere with that. He steadfastly ignored the errant thought that wondered if he had somehow become hers as well.

" So.." she said finally, once they had reached the house. " I suppose you have been 17 quite a while huh.? Either that or I owe Fred turner a big apology for mocking his government experiment theory back in middle school" he gave her a baffled look, and she barely held back a smile.,

" Super speed, super strength. No matter how you shake it, you aren't a regular human…. Spill."

" Vampire." He said, a bit dumbfounded at the loud squeal she let out. Perhaps the evenings events had been harder on her than he realized. "Are you okay sweetheart? Perhaps you need to sit down."

"My boyfriend is a vampire, of course I'm excited. I have so many questions… starting with …How are you out in the sunlight, don't you like sparkle or something?'"

"Why on earth would we… no, sweetheart. Most vampires burn in the sunlight. I happen to be a special case."

"Special how? Are there a lot of you? How old are you?"

This was certainly not what he expected. Instead of fear and revulsion he was met with curiosity, and yet he could not help but feel she did not fully understand. What he was. What he was capable of.

"I am over 1,000 years old. I am one of the Original Vampires. It is from us that all vampires were born. There are quite a few vampire in exisitence, I couldn't tell you how many but tens of thousands at least. As for what makes me special…that's complicated. "

"You look pretty spry for a senior citizen, " she teased before sticking her tongue out when he growled at her.

"Eternal youth and strength are some of the perks. If you can ignore the insatiable desire for blood and the inevitable death of anyone you get close to that is" he said dryly. This made her pause, the events of the evening clearly catching up to her.

"Right. have you ever killed anyone? Besides Damon I mean." He allowed his fangs to drop, baring them at her with a menacing growl. He stalked over to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I've killed countless people over the centuries, sweetheart. Damon was not the first, and certainly will not be the last."

...

He was trying to scare her.

She had been tempted to ask if he enjoyed killing, if beneath the debonair looks and charm there was an immoral monster waiting to be unleashed. His casual execution of Damon certainly hinted that he was no stranger to bloodshed, and yet as she saw his vampire features for the first time, felt the goosebumps down her skin as her instincts recognized she was in the presence of a predator, she could not help but wonder who he thought he was fooling.

The menace in his voice did not match the look of uncertainty in his eyes. His posture more hesitant and defensive than intimidating. He may be a vampire. He may be older than dirt and responsible for more deaths than she was ready to process right now, but all she could see was a man who was afraid. Afraid of her, of her potential rejection of who and what he was. She knew the look well, having seen it in the mirror nearly every day before she met him.

It was a humbling feeling, having such power over someone so strong. What she did next would determine everything. She could leave and he would not stop her, and yet something inside her recoiled at the idea of rejecting him. In fact, the forlorn look he was trying so desperately to hide sent a surge of protective feelings through her and she found herself embracing him, her heart quivering when she felt the tension in his body evaporate and he leaned into her touch.

"I've lived in the darkness a long time, Caroline. Over the years my eyes adjusted until the dark became my world and I could see, I could thrive. Make no mistake, sweetheart, I am a monster. I embrace it proudly." She merely nodded and gave him a light squeeze of acknowledgement.

She had no doubt he was telling the truth. He was an admitted killer, the blood of countless people on his hands. And yet all she could think about at the moment, was that she was pretty sure she was in love with him.

I apologize for the long wait everyone. This chapter just refused to come together, and couple that with a busy work schedule, and you get long delays. I'm working on the next chapter of this and Hollow Victory and as always I look forward to your comments .