Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Eight

AJ had walked outside in need of some fresh air. Back inside the warehouse, the atmosphere was filled with anger and gloom, and it easily became frustrating to be around. With the vampires' heightened emotions, it was even more annoying than usual. Stefan had returned to reflecting back on his memories, and Klaus and Rebekah had continued quarrelling.

Just by being outside, AJ felt some of the tension lift off her shoulders. The streetlamps were sparse in this area, and she strolled towards one, taking in deep breaths. The city didn't smell the same as the country, she realized. There was a mixture of smells within the air, and none of them were of nature. Suddenly, she thought that it was nice to be somewhere new for a change. She just wished that she, too, could be new. She wished that she could be someone else, somewhere else, with different problems.

Sighing, she looked back up at the starless sky. The moon was waning but provided enough light to cast her surroundings into diverse shades of grey. Her eyes stung bitterly with lack of sleep, and every so often they simply wanted to close of their own will. She wished she could let them. Sleep wasn't something the others had to worry about, so it seemed they didn't worry over her trivial human needs either. She frowned, looking out over the dark landscape. It seemed Klaus had forgotten about his worries of the Lemurė, or maybe she was just stupid to have left the safety of the warehouse. Probably both, if she guessed correctly. However, some strange feeling told her she hadn't.

She wondered what was going on with her friends right now. The new school year—senior year—would be starting soon, and she wouldn't be with him. The thought made her feel forlorn. Since when did all these things spin so far out of control, she couldn't even take comfort in the fact that she had friends to back her up? Maybe that was just it—she didn't have her friends to back her up anymore. It wasn't that she was so far away from them. It was the fact that, during the time she'd been falling in love with Elijah, she'd prioritized him over them completely. She'd never called Caroline just to catch up or went to Elena just to hang out. No, she'd been a lousy friend when they'd needed her most. Her sorrows for it now were the price she was paying. She just prayed that, should she be able to go back to Mystic Falls, they would accept her apology.

"You know," Klaus said, sounding grim. "You shouldn't be out here alone. It's not very wise."

AJ nearly jumped out of her skin. Her head swiveled to face Klaus, eyes wide. She'd been so consumed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard him approach. Maybe he'd done that on purpose. "Not cool," she snapped, and immediately felt guilty for losing her temper so easily. Closing her eyes, she said gentler, "I hate being snuck up on."

"Didn't mean to scare you, love," he said quietly. Walking up to the streetlamp she stood near, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against it. When she said nothing, he sighed softly. "Although I can't really blame you for leaving, I suggest telling me next time."

One of her eyebrows cocked up, grimly amused. "Should I? Because it seemed that you were a little busy screaming at your little sister, who, by the way, thinks I'm the next part of her three-course meal. I see the way she looks at me." AJ shivered, reflecting on Rebekah's predatory stares. It'd felt like the Original had been draining her blood just by looking at her.

"She won't touch you," Klaus assured her. "She's smarter than that. Besides, she doesn't know who you are, yet. She can be very curious."

"And very hungry," AJ muttered. "She looks hungrier than anything else. God, it was like she was undressing me with her eyes, except the undressing part was replacing with draining. That's just wrong. I feel violated."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "You look very tired," he noted. "Perhaps you should—"

"I am not sleeping in the truck," AJ said firmly. "You try sleeping in there. Oh—wait. You don't need to sleep. Well, then I'll tell you how it is. It sucks. Simple as that. I'd much rather just stay awake, thank you."

He frowned at her, but she kept her eyes on the dark sky. "I can find you other accommodations. We may be here for a while longer."

AJ shrugged, growing weary once more. "Do what you like. I'm not trying to bother you, though. Whatever mastermind plan you have going on, you're obviously quite busy with it."

Staring at her for several long moments, he could spot what seemed off with her. "You're tense. Has something happened, other than my sister's aggravating forgetfulness?"

"Nothing's happened," she said listlessly. "I'm only tired."

"I don't buy that. Even with all that's happened before, you hardly ever looked so… gloomy. Not in this way." There was some sort of odd restlessness superimposed in her plaintive and exhausted state. A spark in her eye, maybe, was the source. It looked as if she'd had some sort of revelation, yet one that'd been heartrending. "Elijah," he said suddenly, hissing the name with nearly insensible loathing. He stepped away from the streetlamp, going rigid with his gaze fixed on her. "It was Elijah, wasn't it?"

AJ shifted on her feet uncomfortably, swallowing hard and painfully. A solid lump had formed in her throat as she tried fending off tears for the hundredth time that night. She didn't dare look at Klaus, or her eyes would tell all. "I don't know what you're—"

"Don't," Klaus said sourly, his anger misdirected at her. "Don't lie to me. You said you'd trust me, so trust me. What happened? Did he try taking you with him? Does he know that you know?"

Looking down at her boots, she pressed her lips together. "Klaus, both you and I have had a long day. Maybe you should just let it go for now."

"I will not," he said, enunciating each word separately. "Am I the only one who remembers what giving you that knowledge did to you?" Suddenly outraged with another idea, he spat, "I swear if he's been able to compel you to forget about it again, I will not show him mercy. He will suffer."

Casting a sidelong look at Klaus, she bit her lip, uneasy. "What's gotten into you? Why are you so angry about it?"

At these words, Klaus tried relaxing his taut shoulders. It did little good. "My brother deserves punishment for what he did, AJ. You should have told me the moment you saw him. I would have gladly taken it upon myself to see to it that he gets just that."

AJ frowned at Klaus's incensed expression. She knew she'd only make it worse. "Klaus," she said quietly, flinching when his hard eyes became rapt on her. "If you don't calm down now, you'll only become angrier."

"And why might that be?" He asked mordantly, setting his jaw and squaring his shoulders. Rage rolled off of him in waves, and she could even see he was shaking ever so slightly with it.

Her gaze dropped. She prepared herself for the worse. "Because I listened to what he had to say about it." In the corner of her eye, she could see him go completely stiff. The absolute stillness of his body was unnerving.

Several silent moments passed over them, packed with anxiety and trepidation. Klaus finally chose to speak, his voice dark yet contained. "You are the only creature I know that would do such a thing," he said simply, but the comment made her cringe.

"That's because I know better than anyone when I say that we all make mistakes, Klaus. And we all deserve a chance at forgiveness." Her voice was quiet, but held conviction. Slowly, her eyes rose to his. Meeting his caustic gaze, she wished she hadn't.

"So you've forgiven him, then? After all he's done to you, you've granted him forgiveness." Klaus shook his head, a deep frown setting in on his face. "I should have figured you would, of course. When it comes to Elijah, you're such a pitiful pushover that you'll do anything for him, no matter how he's hurt you. It sounds like a trend, what with you once being with that scum, Lucas."

AJ sucked in a small gasp, her eyes widening. Klaus sighed ruefully. "I didn't mean that," he said, his voice quiet. The anger remained in his stance, but had dissipated from his expression. He looked weary and disappointed. "I just mean that you deserve better than to be treated like that."

"You're one to talk about treating people poorly," she said pointedly, her eyes set in a hard glare. "And no one tells me what I do or don't deserve, Klaus. I decide on my own."

He paused, and in that instant his shoulders fell, something so atypical of his character. "Perhaps you can't see things on your own. Maybe you aren't seeing them the way you should."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow sardonically. "And tell me, who could show me the way I should be seeing things? How exactly am I getting them wrong?"

Klaus grew frustrated. "AJ, I know I'm not saying it correctly, but you must understand—I'm not used to this. I don't get it the way you do."

"Apparently you get it much better than I do," she continued on, mordant. "Since you basically just implied that you do. You're sounding dangerously close to wanting to talk about certain things, Klaus. Things you didn't want to talk about earlier. Do you think now is the best time for that?"

Preventing himself from lashing out with more words, he turned swiftly to stare up at the warehouse, breathing roughly. "AJ," he said at last, tentative. "Tell me what you want to hear, what apology is apt for you, right now. Just tell me already. Yes, I'm angry about Elijah. Yes, I'm angry that you forgave him so easily. But can't you understand why? I'm not trying to make you upset."

AJ looked down. Upon seeing the sun pendant, her anger dispersed. "It wasn't easy to forgive him—it was complicated. I don't really know how to describe it. I was angry at him. I felt betrayed. But then I heard why he did it, and I couldn't find it in me to be angry anymore. I just couldn't. He gave me back my memories, too. He's trying to make up for it."

"I wish he couldn't make up for it," Klaus said quietly, surprising himself. His mouth settled into a hard line, and he let his gaze travel down the street, away from her.

Slowly stepping in front of him, AJ breathed out shakily. "I know you don't like Elijah, but he's your brother, Klaus. Can't you just set aside whatever it is that's come between the two of you however many years ago and accept that?"

She looked up at him, her eyes sad and pleading. His gaze remained fixed on something else, his thoughts unreadable in his guarded eyes. A minute of silence passed, and then another. AJ looked down again, resting her hand against the sun pendant she wore. How could she get through to Klaus if he wouldn't let her? Was it simply impossible? She considered just giving up, if only for the night. When she was about to turn away, he spoke up.

"It isn't that I don't like Elijah," he said quietly, his eyes still averted from her. In his eyes, she could see something. Some kind of internal battle. When he gaze finally rested on her, she found herself entranced. He looked so open. "I've nearly forgotten all the reasons I've been angry with him for the past couple centuries."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "Then why not make amends with him? I don't get it. If you've nearly forgotten your fallout, then surely you can—"

"No," Klaus stopped her, his voice gentle but with a tinge of roughness, like some novel emotion. "Those things that he did before have been overshadowed by things that have occurred more recently. That is what I mean."

AJ struggled to follow along. "I don't get it. What has he done more recently that was worse? I mean, I know he took me and all, but what else? Was it that he tried to kill you at the sacrifice?"

Sighing lightly, he shook his head. "No, not that he tried to kill me. It's… well, it's what he did to you." His gaze dropped immediately, and he looked completely out of place.

AJ's eyes widened slightly, and she took an involuntary step back. "Me? How could you be angrier at what he did to me?" Even as she asked the question, she could see all the pieces settle in their places. Things that'd never truly made sense to her—Klaus's strange gentleness that was only directed at her, the way he'd keep her safe, the honesty he'd displayed about what Elijah did when he could have easily used it to his own advantage, and so much more. She'd only ever chalked those things up to him finding someone to relate to, someone that didn't make him feel quite so alone.

"Because," he said in a low voice as he looked at her openly, his uncertainty bare, "you're the reason I will not forgive him. What he did—it infuriates me. I can't stand the mere thought of him hurting you, whether it is emotionally or physically. However noble he may be, AJ, that doesn't mean he's incapable of inflicting harm, even to you. After what the human, Lucas, did, it's… unbearable to think it'll happen again. To see you hurt, again."

She almost didn't believe what she was hearing—the tenderness in his voice, the soft, unguarded look in his eyes… It seemed surreal, somehow. "Klaus—"she struggled to find words. "What is it that you're saying, exactly?"

Klaus searched her eyes. For what, she wasn't sure. A moment later, he looked disappointed, desolate again. He didn't put his guard back up to hide it. In a whisper, he said, "I'm only admitting that I care, and I won't let anything hurt you. That I will no longer deny it to you. I just thought you deserved to know that much." He moved to step around her, to head back to the warehouse, but she stopped him by blocking his way.

Her eyes were still wide and her mind was processing his words, repeating them over and over in her head. She had the feeling he hadn't said all there was to say. "Klaus," she said slowly. "I… I'm not entirely sure what to think, right now." She bit her lip. That was a small lie. "But… I care, too." When the words left her mouth, she knew she meant it. She'd known it for a long time, but she never cared to let him know it. What could this possibly mean, though? Did it change things? Was he going to be the Klaus that was kind and gentle all the time? No, she realized, he couldn't possibly be. And she wasn't going to ask him to. She wouldn't ask him to change. But was he willing to? Did she want him to? Her head swarmed with profound thoughts, and her heart began beating rapidly. She was certain she didn't yet understand the lasting consequences of what she'd just admitted to him.

The moment felt fragile, the way she'd never felt something before, somehow not even with Elijah, and butterflies surged through her stomach. The way he was looking at her was different than usual, but the same altogether. He seemed relieved, or maybe just happy. She'd never known what he looked like being simply happy. If this was it, then she could surely get used to it.

Their gaze broke when he glanced up at the warehouse again, and the strange emotion in him faded. Then he looked down the street, towards Gloria's. "Gloria keeps rooms above the bar," he said, his eyes finding her once more. "We can take your things there for the night, if that sounds fine."

AJ stared at him a moment longer. "Yes," she said, careful to sound composed. "That sounds perfectly fine."

He nodded, seemingly pleased. "I'll go get your things, then. But I'd like for you to follow me inside. It isn't safe for you out here."

Gloria had a number of rooms above the bar, most of which were vacant for visitors and future renting. Her view of Klaus hadn't affected her consent to allow AJ to use one for the night. Truly, she'd been more than welcoming to AJ, showing her up to one of the more luxuriously furnished rooms. The carpeting and walls were different shades of classic sandy beige, and the furniture consisted of dark wood and equally light colors.

Now, as AJ watched the door pull close behind Gloria, she caught the glare the older witch was sending at Klaus, who was settling AJ's backpack on an antique-looking winged armchair in the corner of the room, beside a window. Her eyebrows shot up.

"What does she have against you?" AJ asked suddenly, curious.

Klaus looked blank for a moment before his features creased with amusement. "You mean Gloria? Let's just say we'd gotten along fine until her bar got caught in the crossfire of some particularly nasty business. She hasn't forgiven me for it since."

She thought this over a minute. "I guess I just thought that being as old as she is, she wouldn't hold much of a grudge over things. At least not with people she knew way back when. But I guess she's a little…"

"Feisty?" Klaus supplied, grinning. He walked over to the bed and stretched out on it, folding his arms behind his head lazily. "She isn't the only one, darling."

AJ glowered at him petulantly. "Don't call me that. And get off my bed."

"Don't call you darling or feisty?" Klaus asked, not making any move to do as she said. "They're both very true."

Rolling her eyes, she went over to her backpack and pulled out a t-shirt and shorts, as well as some toiletries she'd need. "Don't call me feisty," she said on her way to the bathroom. At the idea of a hot shower, she grew excited. It'd been a while since they stayed in just one place for more than a day, and she could take a shower longer than three minutes finally. Before entering the bathroom, she gave Klaus a pointed look. He was still lounging back, smirking. "You know, you could at least take off your shoes. It'd be much appreciated." Then she stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

The first thing she noticed in the wide gilt-bordered mirror was how exhausted she really looked. Dark shadows had taken up residence below her eyes and the pallor of her skin was lighter than usual. She was thankful that she didn't wear makeup, or it'd have been smudged and greasy by now. Sighing, she started up the shower as hot as she could handle it, and then began pulling off her clothes.

Steam filled the bathroom almost immediately, fogging up the mirror. She set her clean clothes on the countertop and folded the others in a neat pile on the floor before she stepped into the shower. She nearly moaned in pleasure when the hot water hit her skin. The feeling had always been euphoric to her. Her shoulders finally relaxed from the long day, and she felt more at ease. Going through the normal routine slowly, she'd showered in ten minutes. Stepping out, she quickly dried off and dressed, feeling paranoid about Klaus walking in on her just for kicks. Although it was pretty low to think he'd do it, part of her knew he probably would. Nothing was there to stop him except his own decisions, which she came to doubt by now. The whole bit about them admitting their attentions to one another made her doubt a lot of things, and sent a flutter of butterflies through her stomach for the second time that night.

Leaving her hair to dry on its own, she decided she wanted to get her sketchbook out before going to sleep. Normally, she'd sketch any person they'd meet, or any sight she didn't want to forget. The last couple days had been so hectic; she hadn't retrieved her book at all. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she fully expected the room to be empty. Although she'd showered in ten minutes, she'd taken her time indulging in feeling refreshed. She was surprised to find Klaus still lounging on the bed, his eyes closed, and his shoes on the floor at the foot of the bed. She stopped for a moment, her gaze on his features. His chest rose up and down rhythmically, and his face was set in such a way that it was breathtaking. He looked so peaceful like this, so at ease. She'd never seen him look completely relaxed before.

"You're staring," he said, opening his eyes to meet hers, directly. "I suppose I don't really mind. It's a compliment."

AJ rolled her eyes. "You're so funny," she said sarcastically, and returned to her backpack. Her face heated up when she realized just how short her shorts were. There was definitely a descent amount of skin exposure. Brushing this thought off, she grabbed her sketchbook and pencil. There was another winged armchair across the room, and she went to settle into it.

"I always knew you thought so." His eyes followed her movements. "I thought you were going to sleep? Aren't you tired?"

"I am," she said, flipping open to a new page. "I just wanted to do something first." She pondered what she could draw, and immediately thought of Rebekah. The Original was beautiful, but definitely puzzling. As she began her sketch, she felt the weight of his stare on her. She blushed again, but tried to ignore it.

"You've been drawing all summer," Klaus noted. "How is it that you haven't filled that book up, yet?"

AJ shrugged as she began working on Rebekah's soft facial features. "I'm not sure. How is it that we only came across one pack of wolves?" Her eyes flicked up to him. He was giving her a hard stare. "Kidding," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm just kidding." A smirk appeared on her face as she returned to the drawing.

Klaus was silent for several minutes. When she looked up, she met his rapt gaze. "Why are you still staring at me?"

He shrugged. "I've never seen your hair like that. It suits you."

Fighting a smile, AJ raised an eyebrow. "You mean wet? Gee, thanks. It's nice to know you find my hair being wet suiting. It doesn't imply any suggestive things at all, I'm sure."

Klaus smiled deviously, sending flutters through her stomach. "Really? I thought it did."

Averting her gaze back down to her drawing, she tried pushing those thoughts away. "So when are you leaving? I'll go to bed soon, but not until after you've left."

Klaus paused, and within that pause, an odd feeling filled the room . "I'm not leaving you alone," he said slowly. "Gloria's not going to stay up all night to make sure nothing happens to you. Even if she did, I doubt she'd be able to stop it herself. And like I said before, that necklace isn't enough. It only keeps the spirits from possessing you."

A shiver went down her spine. Unbidden images rose up in her mind, searing and painful. "What would happen if they did?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Klaus sat up, his expression solemn. "They won't. They can't get to you, AJ. I promise."

She nodded, however dubiously, and looked down at her nearly finished drawing. All she had left to do was Rebekah's old dress. She set the sketchbook aside with a sigh, rubbing at her eyes wearily. It could be finished later on. "I don't get what they'd want me for anyway. I mean, who's still around that they can get retribution from? Everyone from that time is either dead or a vampire."

Settling back once more, Klaus tossed this over in his head. "Well, maybe they're so set to see it through that they don't have any true plan behind it. Or maybe it really is a vampire they're after. It wouldn't be very odd, I suppose."

AJ scoffed. "It wouldn't be odd at all. Vampires are notorious for doing terrible things. In fact," she said facetiously, "I can think of quite a few, at the moment. Mainly one in particular, though." She stood, hiding her smile, and picked up the sketchbook to put back in her bag.

Klaus was giving her a reproachful look. "Sometimes terrible things are necessary to make change," he reasoned. "Like war, for example. Do you not think war is terrible?"

"Klaus," AJ groaned. "I'm not going to get into the whole Guns versus Butter thing with you. I'm too tired and I don't like politics."

"Still, do you understand my point? I don't do terrible things just out of whim." AJ gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay," he mended. "Sometimes I do. You're missing the point, though."

AJ walked over to the other side of the large bed, looking between the open space left and Klaus. "I'm not missing the point. I'm just sleepy. So if you're going to stay the entire night… where exactly are you going to, you know, stay?"

Giving her a devious look again, Klaus made a point to look comfortable. "What's wrong with right here?"

She crossed her arms and gave him a hard look. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe that I'd actually like to get some sleep?"

A dark gleam in his eyes made her heart pound against her ribs. "What are you suggesting would keep you from sleeping?"

Rolling her eyes, she huffed. "I swear, talking to you is like talking to a hormonal teenage boy. You're all about innuendo."

Klaus pouted. "You don't mean that. Well, I'm sure you do, but I don't mind."

When it became apparent that he wasn't moving, AJ simply got into bed. She ignored him as best as she could, but the only light remaining on sat upon the nightstand on his side. Frowning, she said, "Turn off the light."

He grinned. "So your preference is darkness? Terrific. I could never really stand a girl who liked—"

"Don't even finish that sentence," she said, turning on her side to face the wall. A moment later, the light flicked off. It took several minutes for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. An insidious feeling settled over her. What if Klaus was wrong? What if he couldn't protect her? No, she thought firmly. He could. He promised. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax.

"Sweet dreams," she heard Klaus say quietly. With her eyes closed, she smiled. Yes. Everything would be just fine.

In the dream, the place reminded her of a movie set in the old, ancient times. The ground was merely dirt with sparse growth of grass peeking up here and there. Tall trees rose high into the sky, lush and green with life. The sky itself, though not cloudy, had a dreary cast to it. Several wooden structures were erected around a central tree, the tallest. People were walking back and forth, clad in old, handmade clothes that looked to be leather or animal hides.

A young fair haired girl—Rebekah—had set out in a sprint, giggling as a little boy followed behind her. "Come on Henrick!" she shouted giddily. "Our brothers are fighting again." They dashed over to where the clashing of swords could be heard. Many of the working men hauling food and tools from place to place cast them wary looks, but said nothing of it.

Rebekah and Henrick arrived just as a man with dark, longer hair struck a blow to another with lighter hair. Elijah and Klaus. Klaus parried the attack, as well as the others that quickly followed. Elijah moved quickly, but Klaus kept up.

Stepping back and breathing heavily, Elijah smiled as he took note of Rebekah. He walked around Klaus, and they stepped carefully in a circle. "Oh look," Elijah said, the accent in his voice more prominent, "Sister's arrived. To watch my fast approaching victory."

Klaus grinned, brandishing his sword. "On the contrary, Elijah." He grunted as he slewed the sword towards Elijah, who met the attack with ease. They continued to fight quickly, their footwork expert, their jabs towards one another met until Klaus slashed the sword towards the belt at Elijah's waist, slicing it. "They've come to laugh at you," Klaus said, victorious. Rebekah and Henrick laughed; Elijah, with his light temper, accepted the defeat.

Only a few paces away, a couple had come to a stop. There was a woman with light, alabaster skin and loose golden hair, holding a wooden bucket. Beside her stood a man with silvery blonde hair just reaching his shoulders; he was trying to reign in his temper.

"Relax, Mikael," the woman said gently. She appeared uneasy as she looked between Klaus and Mikael. "Nicklaus means well."

Mikael didn't look comforted by her words. "That is precisely the problem." He stepped towards Elijah and Klaus slowly, his anger growing.

The smile on Rebekah's face faded as she watched Mikael. The tension surged throughout the group, and even Klaus looked troubled. He looked to the woman, but she only stepped away, averting her eyes.

Mikael approached Elijah, reaching out for his sword. With reluctance, Elijah gave it up, his face falling into a frown.

"So," Mikael said loudly, now in possession of the weapon. He turned around to face Klaus, his features austere. Klaus met his eyes apprehensively. "Why don't you teach me that trick, young warrior." Mikael's tone left no room for argument. Quickly, he raised the sword, and Klaus prepared to ward it off just as quickly. Mikael sent one hard blow at Klaus, making him grunt.

"Father," Klaus was imploring. "We were just having fun."

"We fight for our survival," Mikael seethed angrily. "And you find time for fun? I want to have fun!" he shouted in rage. "Teach me! Come on, boy!"

"Father," Klaus tried to reason. "It was nothing."

With an angry cry, Mikael raised the sword again. He hit Klaus with blow after blow, before knocking Klaus's own weapon from his hands. Removing one hand from his own sword, Mikael shoved Klaus's chest and then kicked him, sending Klaus flying to the ground. Klaus landed, gasping for air when Mikael stood over him, crying out once more as he held the sword ready to plunge into Klaus's neck. The tip of it pressed into Klaus's skin, and he held back, breathing in shortly.

"You are foolish and impulsive, my boy," Mikael said through clenched teeth. When Klaus said nothing, Mikael continued. "What? No more laughter?"

The woman stood beside Elijah now, and both looked unsettled. "You've made your point, Mikael," she said, ill at ease.

Mikael stared down at Klaus; his eyes a burning inferno of disgust and fury. In one sharp movement, he plunged the sword down. Klaus closed his eyes, preparing for the pain.

AJ gasped, sitting up straight in an instant, her heart pounding against her ribs with a relentless force. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, and she felt moisture dripping down her face. A strange feeling cut through her heart, like someone had tried yanking it from her chest.

"AJ?" Klaus was beside her, placing a hand on her cheek to catch her attention. The light was on behind him, and through the window, she could see it was still dark out. The room was cold, but Klaus was warm, fending the cold air away from her. "AJ, what's wrong? Were you attacked again? I didn't see anything, but—"

"No," she said breathlessly, closing her eyes. "No—just a dream. It was just a dream."

Klaus searched her face. Tears were dripping off her chin and her entire body was trembling. He gently brushed the tears away, and then placed his hand over hers. "It doesn't look like it was just a dream."

She opened her eyes again and looked up at him, stunned. It had been a dream, hadn't it? How could her mind have made up something so strange? "Klaus," she said seriously. "Don't think I'm crazy, okay?"

He nodded. "What is it?"

Looking out at the window again, the entire scene played out in her head. It sent chills from the top of her spine to the tips of her toes. "Who's Mikael?" she asked, her eyebrows pulling together. "I had this crazy dream—it was so real, though. This man, Mikael, was attacking you. You'd been fighting Elijah—sword fighting—and he was mad about it. So he just blew up on you, and before I woke up, it looked like… like he was going to kill you. That's crazy, isn't it?" She looked back up to him, searching his eyes. A feeling of dread pitted in her stomach when she saw how grave he became.

"Mikael," he said slowly. "You're sure his name was Mikael?"

"Yes," she said, positive. "And there was a woman there—his wife, I think. I saw Rebekah, too, and a little boy named… Henrick?" She felt like a babbling fool. How could this mean anything to him? But it seemed like it did. He was tense.

Blinking down at AJ, Klaus shook his head slowly. "That's not possible," he murmured to himself. "It's simply not possible… unless—"he stopped, his eyes growing wide.

"Unless what?" AJ asked in a tiny voice.

"When you saw Elijah—AJ, did he try to compel you at all? Do you remember?"

"Why?" she asked, dubious. "Why does it matter?"

"It matters," he said quickly, his demeanor fervent. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Did he compel you to… do anything? To forget, or something else?"

AJ cast her gaze down, biting her lip. "I asked him to make me remember what he took away," she said quietly. "He'd taken away my memories, and—"she stopped short, her eyes wide. "And he said that he took something else away. He made me suppress it."

"Yes," Klaus said. "So it's true. You did have an ability. You do."

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "An ability? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the abilities that most Warriors have had. Some are supernatural, some are some form of psychic or mediumship—it can vary. I always thought that you're ability was to have to separate sides, completely opposite of one another. But that's not it."

"Then... what is it?" she asked slowly, unsure she wanted an answer.

He shook his head, his mouth hardening into thin line. His excitement wore away quickly. "I'm not certain. Some sort of knowing, or being able to connect to another person. That dream you had? That was real. That happened, very long ago. And I think you had it because in some way, you connected to my memories"

AJ pulled out of his grasp. She brought her knees up to her chest, lacing her fingers together at her shins. She grew cold once more since she didn't have his body heat to keep her warm. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, trying to remain composed. When she'd become calmer, she asked, "What happened, then? Did he… hurt you? This Mikael?"

Klaus was silent for several moments. "Not then, he didn't."

Her eyes snapped back open, hearing the detached tone in his voice. That was unusual. "Then when? Who was he?"

He turned away from her, his interest from the previous moments dissipated. "AJ, please drop this. You should go back to sleep."

"And what? Have more dreams about your past? No. It's too… scary."

He stole a sidelong look at her, frowning. "Why were you crying?" he asked suddenly. "What else did you see?"

Pressing her lips together, she tried to think of something reasonable to cry about. Dead kittens? Natural disasters? None of those had happened, and he wasn't stupid. She thought back to when she'd admitted to caring about him. "I… I think I was crying because I thought he was about to kill you."

Turning back to face her, he caught her hands gently. The look in his eyes was heartrending. "Is that true?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yes. You know I care about you."

Klaus stared at her a moment longer before he pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair softly. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry you were frightened."

Somehow, something felt right about the way he held her. Her taut muscles relaxed instantly, and she was comforted by the warmth that emanated from his body. The moment was peaceful and comforting, altogether something polarized from what she'd come to expect. She could close her eyes for a moment, just a moment, and feel at ease. Even as images of Elijah, her true love, projected in her head, she couldn't find it in her to pull away from Klaus. Not now. Besides, it wasn't as if they were doing something wrong. It was an innocent hug. "It's not your fault," she said quietly. "But… who was Mikael?" She stiffened when she went through the dream again, and her mouth gaped open. She pulled away from Klaus, from his comfort and warmth, dropping her hands to her lap. "Oh my gosh. You called him 'Father.' He's—Mikael's your father."

He hushed her immediately, his eyes holding some obscure emotion. "AJ—you mustn't speak his name. Not ever."

"Why not? Isn't he… well, isn't he in one of those caskets back at the warehouse?" She was hesitant to bring up anything pertaining to his family's mostly cadaverous state, especially since it always reminded her of what could happen to Elijah, but wasn't it true?

"No," he said, looking down at his hands. "AJ, this isn't something I'd like to talk about."

Biting her lip, she searched his downcast eyes dubiously. "Why not? You know you can talk to me. I mean, after earlier… You know you can."

He nodded, almost to himself. "Yes, I know I can. Just not now, not tonight."

AJ felt an odd emotion slither through her veins; something cold and ambiguous. Something wasn't right, she knew, but she couldn't press him to admit it or confide in her. He had to do that of his own volition, his own choice. An anxious feeling tightened in her chest. Would he ever choose to confide in her? Looking at him, then, being so close to him, feeling the warmth of his body, she thought that it was a possibility. As long as something was a possibility, she could have hope for it.

With hidden trepidation, she put a hand to his chest, willing him to lie back down without words. He complied, settling his arms behind his head once more, his blue eyes glued to the ceiling almost sullenly. As she looked down at him, a flutter of butterflies surged through her stomach. It wasn't the darkness within that controlled her, that urged her on. No, it was of her own true will, her desire. Finally, she rested her head on his chest and settled in close to him, closing her eyes. He tensed immediately with surprise, but relaxed as he looked down to her. Without tearing his gaze away, he reached over and turned off the light. AJ was already asleep.

So, what are your thoughts on this chapter? I personally liked it, but I'm not certain. Let me know! (-: