Chapter Two: Mystic Falls

《I walk this empty street on the
boulevard of broken dreams 》

Once they were inside the SUV everyone had fallen silent. Athena had leaned her head back against the seat and looked out the window as the winding streets of New Orleans were passing her by. The farther they got on the highway, the more she missed the place she had called home for the past six months. Klaus must have sensed her shift in mood because his eyes fell upon the rear view and she caught him looking back at her. There was a solemness to his gaze and even a hint of something akin to empathy. He could see in her wide, thick lashed eyes that she was holding it together on the outside, but on the inside he could sense her feelings, smell them even.

She was sad and tired. How much could a person run their entire life before they just got tired of it all? Not like she would ever give herself up to the wolves, but at some point all of this just got..exhausting. Elijah looked over at Klaus who was still pointedly looking at Athena. Elijah murmured his name and Klaus looked to Elijah as if he hadn't heard a word he had said, "Niklaus.." Elijah's melodic voice pulled Klaus back to the conversation they had been having before.

She looked away from his piercing gaze and turned back towards the window. At some point Athena leaned her head against the window and allowed her mind to close off Elijah and Klaus' conversation. Once the exhaustion set in, she let her body rest and the hum of the SUV's motor was the only thing she heard as it lulled it to her sleep. She didn't know who Klaus was taking her to, but her trust in Klaus was profound. It only made this all much harder for her as she was having to leave her safety net, people she had grown fond of...people that were like family.

A few times during their trip did they stop so that Athena could use the restroom. They were hurried stops and Klaus would rush her if she took too long. All she had to do was give him her signature death glare and he'd ease up. "The drive is over thirteen hours, Klaus. I googled it after we left. So, give me break." He rolled his eyes, "No time for breaks when you're being hunted, dear." This time she sighed and he gave her a smirk as they climbed back into the SUV. Once they were on their way again they passed a sign that gave her an idea of how long they were now from Mystic Falls, which was approximately five hours. Her phone reception was cutting in and out now that they were in a very woodsy area and she breathed out a deep annoyed breath, "No signal."

Elijah looked back to her and smirked, "We are in the middle of nowhere, Athena." She crossed her arms, pushing her phone back into the pocket of her black skinny jeans, "Tell me about Mystic Falls. If this is to be my new place of sanctuary, I want to know where I'm going.." Her words trailed off and Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look. She arched a brow at their silence, "Well?"

"Elijah is a much better storyteller than I. Go on." Klaus added with a smirk as Elijah sighed and started the story of Mystic Falls. He explained how the town came to be a place for vampires and other supernatural creatures, including witches and werewolves. Once Elijah had given her the rundown of the history, she was open mouthed staring at the two of them, her panic rising ever so slightly higher the closer they got to this place. "You're taking me to another breeding ground of the supernatural? Oh, perfect." Her sarcasm was not unnoticed by Klaus and he gave her a glowering gaze right back.

"I take you to a town full of humans and the wolves find you, we have a massacre on our hands and that is not something I really want to deal with, love. You need to be in a place where things get, well, how do I put it, swept under the rug. And trust me, Athena, there is no better place for that than Mystic Falls." He enunciated the 'mys' in mystic, sounding it out longer than he needed to. "Can't you just drop me off in a convent full of nuns or something? I highly doubt they will ever find me there." Athena looked up at Klaus as his eyes met hers in the rearview.

"I don't think they have enough holy water to hold the likes of you." Athena smirked at his comment before returning her thoughts to Mystic Falls, "You have bad blood in that town." Athena stated. It wasn't a question, rather a statement. She could just sense it and from what Elijah had said before they left, well he was famous among the supernaturals that did live here.

"No, I merely showed them what happens when they cross a Mikaelson. And I had my reasons, love." Elijah fell silent now as the SUV sped past another sign that drew them closer to this place called Mystic Falls. "You killed people." Athena pushed now, shoving some unruly blonde strands away from her eyes.

Klaus grinned from his place in the driver seat. It was a wide grin of a man that was borderline mad if you didn't know the real Klaus. Okay, well, he was mad sometimes, but not all the time. "Of course, Athena. I'm a monster, after all." Klaus' words were edgy and he emphasized the word monster. Athena remembered she had called Klaus a monster after the wolves attacked...and now she felt kind of bad about it. It was something to be said that Athena knew Klaus killed people. His whole family had lived a life where they could snap a neck on a dime and the world continued to turn for them. Not that they didn't show remorse for things, but if someone crossed them, they died. Simple as that.

Athena had grown up fast, so her emotions were a little more closed off. Things like this should have bothered her, should have made her think about how wrong it was that the Mikaelsons got away with everything that they had. But, none of it did. Klaus and his family had taken her in when she needed it and truth be told, she was more annoyed that he had killed people in this town than she was upset. It meant they weren't going to take Athena in willingly. If they saw Athena, they would see a friend of a Klaus'. And she would be guilty by association. Perfect.

There was silence the rest of the drive and once the sign of Mystic Falls came into view she perked up a little. It was now late morning and shifted in her seat, taking in the view. Mystic Falls was a stark contrast to New Orleans. Where the party-city was bustling with tourism and drunk people, Mystic Falls was quaint and small. It felt safe, however, Athena knew better.

It was in every aspect a small little town where town hall meetings were held, festivals and traditions were celebrated and everyone knew everyone. As they passed the high school she turned to Klaus and arched a brow, "Do I need to enroll?" Her tone was sarcastic and as a crowd of kids walked out she could smell each and every one of their scents.

Klaus stopped the SUV in front of the school, "If you care to partake in the withering studies of humans and booze filled parties with tasteless alcohol...then by all means, enroll." She rolled her eyes and watched as a group of cheerleaders made their way out to the parking lot, their smiles and laughter filled her with a sense of yearning. "I'm sure I'd look killer in a cheer outfit, hm?" She mused lightly and Elijah smirked while Klaus's smile widened, "As lovely as that sounds, I do believe you are above pointless cliques, hm?"

Athena rolled her eyes playfully, "Not really, I joined one the moment I walked through your front door." Elijah smiled at her and Klaus raised his brows as if she had a point. The Mikaelsons were akin to a clique. "Well, you know what they say, love, the family that kills together, stays together." Klaus added with a rather wicked grin and despite herself, Athena grinned back, a laugh escaping her lips.

"Ah, there it is." Klaus mused to himself as Athena finally laughed since the first time she had stepped in the SUV. Her fire and spunk were coming back. Klaus had always admired it about her. Klaus pulled away from the school and continued on into town. They passed a bar called the Mystic Grill and a few other spots in town before he turned down a road that led to a more deserted part of the little town. The road was winding and ended up leading to a rather large house. It looked very old in such a modern setting and Athena bristeled. Her upper lip raised. Involuntarily, she had growled, low and menacing.

"Athena, calm yourself." Elijah purred as she whipped her head around like a paranoid maniac. "Vampires." She seethed and Elijah tilted his head to the side, "Do they smell different?" He was genuinely curious and Athena looked to them both, nodding as she spoke. "Yes, very different. None of you smell this way. Your family is just..different. Especially you Klaus."

Klaus made a grand sweep of his hand, "That is because I am one of a kind." Elijah now looked to Klaus, his brows furrowing in concern as he was thinking, "Should we have her stay here?" Klaus looked back to Athena, arching a brow before turning towards the house, "No need to delay the inevitable, brother." Elijah nodded and they all stepped out, Klaus grabbing his black wool coat and pulling it on. The temperature difference was evidently different than Louisiana. It was mildly breezy, the end of August slowly turning into September and the leaves were starting to prepare for a change in colors. She could smell the nature around her, her head lifting up slightly to take in the smells of Mystic Falls.

Louisiana had been hot and humid and she had not experienced a cold spurt in her time there. She wrapped her arms around herself and Elijah offered his jacket to her as Klaus started to stroll up to the front door. She shook her head at Elijah and he put the coat back in the passenger seat. There was a rather fine looking Porsche parked outside the door under part of the roof that attached to the house.

"Expensive taste." Athena muttered, eyeing the vehicle as they walked past it. Her bright eyes narrowed as she could hear voices from inside the house, there were two guys and a girl. "Oh, that would be Stefan Salvatore. He always had a fascination for the classics. A more.." He paused for effort, his eyes casting up to the sky in thought, "...refined gentleman than his counterpart."

"Let me do all the talking, hm?" Klaus looked at Athena pointedly and both Klaus and Elijah moved so that they were blocking her small frame from whomever opened the door. Klaus didn't even need to knock, the door opened before his knuckles could hit the large heavy, framed door. As the door opened, Athena felt her stomach tighten from nervous anticipation at who Klaus could possibly be entrusting her care to in Mystic Falls.