-Four-
It's been three weeks. I have two more months til graduation and yet I'm sitting her in detention with Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Jeremy in Mr. Saltzman's room. After what seemed like forever, sitting in silence, Mr. Saltzman walks into the room followed by Damon. He closes the door and locks it, turning to look at all of us. What the hell was going on?
"Adelina, my name is Alaric and you are not in detention."He says softly, walking toward me and sitting behind Jeremy. Damon walks toward me and leans against the wall next to Elena, just in front of me.
"Then what the Hell am I doing in here?"I ask, standing. Damon puts a hand on my shoulder and motions for me to sit back down.
"You're here so we can fill in the blanks about all of this."Alaric explains. "For example, I'm a hunter. I have been since Damon killed my wife."He says with much more ease than I expected, glancing up at him with friendly hazel eyes.
"Are Jeremy, Matt and I the only humans?"I groan, putting my head down on the desk. Alaric breathes sharply in denial, drawing my head up again.
"Jeremy wears a ring a lot like mine that brings him back to life if he dies, so he's still technically supernatural, but no you and Matt aren't the only humans left."He says, pointing to the ring on Jeremy's hand.
"Now tell us about your dreams."Stefan interjects sternly, turning the desk he sat in toward me. I sigh harshly and run a hand through my hair, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back into my chair.
"Well, I plan to go to college to be a pediatric nurse, maybe meet a nice boy there and..."I say sarcastically, though is really did plan on going to college to be a pediatric nurse, until Damon clears his throat in annoyance. I roll my eyes and shift slightly.
"I'm guessing you're talking about specifically about this Klaus guy?"I ask, eyeing each person around me. Bonnie slides a drawing of mine from the other day of the man who ripped my throat out.
"Actually, who is this?"She asks softly, sliding it in front of me. I look at the eyes and swallow hard, feeling the pressure on my neck again.
'He'll never touch you again.'Nik whispers softly in my mind to calm my nerves. I blink away the tears at the memory and sit up.
"I have no idea. He attacked me in a nightmare I had."I answer honestly, glancing up at them. Each person's eyes mirrored the same reaction. Sorrow, fear, concern and anger. Caroline leans forward and and covers my hands with hers, rubbing her thumb soothingly over my skin.
"His name is Kol Mikaelson. Younger brother to Niklaus and Elijiah, and older brother to Rebekah Mikaelson."She says softly. I look at the man's vampirish features and clear my throat nervously, realizing exactly where he seemed familiar from. He was related to Nik. But then it registers what she said.
"Rebekah? Rebekah as in Matt's Rebekah or..."I ask, looking at him. He blushes and averts his eyes. Oh my God, it was true. He was real. I pull away and jump out of my desk, stepping toward the door until Damon pushes me back gently. I growl through gritted teeth and hated tears as I turn to pace the room.
"Tell us about him. About your dreams and how you know him. He's very dangerous, Ad. This is important."Elena says softly as if it was that easy to obtain protection. I had wanted him to be real so badly and now that he truly is to not just me, I'm terrified.
"I first met Nik when I was five years old. I had seen him in a dream before then, but never actually met him until he was sitting on my bed in my bedroom in the orphanage the day I was moved in."I start softly, averting my eyes to the floor boards as I pace.
"He used to hum lullabies to me and hold me when I couldn't sleep, though he only ever appeared when I cried until I was adopted."I say, remembering the soft smile that grew on his face as he held me the night before Zach came for me.
"The older I got the more often he'd appear in my dreams. He just recently told me his name, though he knew mine from the first day."I say, not quite understanding how that was.
"As I got older, not only did he appear more frequently in my dreams, but I started seeing him and hearing him in public. No one else seemed to see him or acknowledge his presence so I figured I was the only one who could see him and when I was 16 I slept as much as I could to see him, feeling better about my mental state if I stayed asleep to see him instead of having to ignore him in public."I explain, breathing shortly as my heart raced. I knew they were judging me as they listened.
"What about when you found out about vampires?"Alaric asks softly, stopping me in my tracks. I nod and swallow, eyes wide and panicking but averting all help.
"He was there. He was behind me in the hall while you takes about how I knew about him and what needed to be done before I left. He was with me in my hotel room as I drew the man that attacked me and he told me everything. Even showed me his fangs."I say absentmindedly, stoping in front of Alaric's desk in shock.
"He was the man that saved me. He carried me home and told me that you had better take care of me."I say breathlessly, looking up at Damon and Stefan. Rage welled within Damon as concern coated Stefan. Caroline urges me to go on with my story and offers an apologetic smile as her eyes shine with interest.
"What did he tell you?"Jeremy asks softly, his booming voice alarming me more than it really should have.
"Everything, I guess. He told me how our town is over run by vampires, werewolves and witches, what they're allergic to, what vampires can do with their powers, how happy he is that Zach basically drugged me to keep me out of harms way and at the dance he told me that he's an 1000 year old original vampire that's actually a hybrid and that's why his eyes are black instead of bloodied."I finish, looking up at them from under my hair. Damon growls and flashes to my side, gripping my arms tight and pinning me against the chalk board.
"He was at the dance!"He growls first, shaking me faintly. His grip was surely going to leave bruises.
"You knew he was dangerous and yet you don't tell him to leave you alone?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"He yells, blue eyes flaring even as Stefan and Elena manage to pull him away from me.
"I thought he was a figment of my imagination and his vampirism was due to shock from my brothers being vampires!"I yell, tears streaming down my face. Caroline hits Damon and hugs me as Bonnie comes over to check my arms. He looks at me and sighs, softening as he walks toward me.
"He's very real, Buggie. They're all dangerous and not to be taken lightly."He says, cupping my face. Matt clears his throat and Damon rolls his eyes.
"Shut it, busboy. She's stupid."He barks, talking about Rebekah. I didn't think so. I thought she was beautiful and possibly too defensive but she wasn't stupid.
"Promise me you'll tell him to leave you alone."He says softly.
"Damon he's been with her for almost 14 years. They're attached. You can't do that to her. If he wanted her dead she would be."Alaric says calmly, eyes flickering between the two of us.
"The hell she can't. I won't let him hurt her."He growls, storming out of the room. Elena groans and rubs my shoulder before vanishing as well. I'm assuming to go after him.
Soon enough it's just Bonnie, Alaric and I in his room sitting up against the wall under his chalk board. I pull my knees into my chest and sigh. Alaric was right. Nik is a big part of me and if he truly wanted to hurt me then he would have.
"The originals must be able to by pass the amounts of vervain Zach was giving you. That must be how klaus is manipulating your sight and getting into your dreams. The question is, if only he knows about you and has met you then why is Kol suddenly in your nightmares?"Bonnie asks, thinking everything through verbally. I shrug and stare off into space. He was good to me. Sweet and loving, but he's dangerous. The thought brought back his words in the softest of lullabies.
"I may be dangerous but I'll never hurt you."I whisper absentmindedly, turning toward Bonnie.
"I believed him."I say, standing up and walking out.
I ran. I ran out of the school, out of the parking lot and all the way home. I didn't stop running, pushing myself with everything I had, until I was safely in my room. Damon's face was masked with betrayal and dismay as he drank his bourbon near the fire place. He is what gave me the last burst of energy to run to my room without falling to the floor with exhaustion. Though as soon as the lock clicks into place on my door, my legs give out and I fall to my knees. At least I would have if it wasn't for my not-so-imaginary-friend.
"What's the matter,love?"Nik whispers, carrying me to my window seat. He opens my opens and moves the white drapes, letting the sun relax my tense muscles as he cradles me. Tears cloud my vision again as Damon's rejection and hatred for my actions burn in my memory.
"They know who you are. They all do. I know you're real, Nik. Damon wants me to make you leave me alone, but I...I.."I cry, hiding my face in his chest. That scent. Dear God how it drove me wild. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his lap, rocking back and forth.
"I told you I was, love. I wouldn't lie to you."He purrs, smoothing my hair.
"Damon Salvatore can't make me do anything. I'll only leave you if you ask me to."He adds, humming the familiar lullaby.
"I don't want to die, Nik. I don't want Kol to kill me."I whimper, the fear consuming my mind at the feel of his fangs. He pulls away and looks at me with wonder and concern, eyes hardening slowly as he understands. He growls under his breathe and looks up at the door.
"Salvatore."He hisses. I follow his gaze and see Damon standing in the door way with Stefan and Zach behind him in the hall, both with frightful expressions.
"Mikaelson."Damon snaps, dropping a wooden stake from his sleeve. In a flash, I'm sitting alone on the window seat and Damon and Nik were glaring at each other. Damon lunges and shoves Nik into the wall near the window, raising his stake.
"No!"I call out, jumping up and grabbing Damon. He turns, face demented and deadly, and throws me into the small space of exposed wall next to my dresser. My arm slams into the dresser and not only cracks the mirror in the lower left corner but smashes the picture of Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, Matt and I. I whimper in pain as Stefan and Zach hurry toward me. Nik looks down at me, Damon's hand around his throat, and snaps Damon's neck with ease. The sickening sound broke my heart, but as his body falls to the floor I knew he'd come back.
"Stay away from her."Stefan growls. Nik steps up and picks Stefan up by his throat.
"She doesn't need your bunny blood, boy."He snaps, face distorting again as he lets him go. He picks me up and sits me back on the window seat as blood drips from my hand, covering the gash on my arm.
"You may want to get your uncle out of here, Zach. Damon made her bleed."Nik taunts without looking back at Stefan's pained expression. Zach nods to me, eyes echoing his worry, and ushers Stefan out of the room. Nik looks up at me, kneeling in front of me with one hand cupping my left elbow and the other touching my other wrist, and nods that it's okay to pull my hand away. I do so and gasp at the blood. The glass had ripped my sleeve and embedded pieces in my muscle. I couldn't move my arm. Nik reaches up and rips my sleeve open completely, giving him room to work.
"Don't touch her."Damon groans from the floor as he slowly rises.
"Don't you're it, you idiot? You did this to her."Nik retort without turning away from me. I meet Damon's eyes with sad, pleading eyes.
"Go."I say softly. He steps forward as if to offer assistance, but stops as his eyes rest on the blood dripping from my hand.
"I'm sorry, Adelina."He whispers before walking out. I bite my lip as tears fall again. Nik hums as he works to quickly pull the glass out. I flinch, but try my best not to move.
"You're doing great,love."He says sweetly, smiling faintly as he leans forward and kisses my forehead. After the glass is out he shifts to grab a towel and pricks his thumb on one of his teeth.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you, my Queen."He sings softly as he turns my arm so the wound is facing him and runs his cut thumb over it. He wraps the towel around my arm and holds it there for a moment. My skin tingles with an odd sensation until he pulls the towel away again, wiping the blood from my arm. It was healed. Perfectly undamaged. I smiles and wrap my arms around his neck.
"I'll buy you a new shirt."He chuckles, pulling it over my head. I give in and let him slip it off, leaving me in a black spaghetti strap tank and faded blue skinny jeans. He moves, unfairly using his vampiric speed, and climbs in behind me on the window seat. He pats his chest with a smile and chuckles as I move obediently between his legs and red my head on his chest. He leans against the wall and wraps an arm around me, tugging the small sheet from the cushion and lying it across my hip as I face the windows.
"I don't want to hide you anymore. I don't want to feel crazy when I smile for you or I feel you touch me in a room full of people and yet you're not there."I whisper. He grips my chin gently and tilts my head up to him.
"Then I won't stay in your mind. I'm right here. Only you can banish me,my dear."He says softly with a slight smirk. I sit up and look at him.
"I'll never want you to leave."I say, leaning into him. He tucks a hand under my hair and around the back of my neck, pulling me towards him.
"As you wish,my Queen."He whispers against my lips, making me shiver and smile. For a moment, his eyes flash with not only the same lust I saw in the hotel but with hunger. The sun shines in his eyes, brightening the slowly appearing gold, but fades just as quickly once he kisses me. His lips pressed to mine like a gentle breeze on a frail individual. I smile against his lips and shift closer, deepening the kiss. I wasn't frail or fragile in any means. I was his. The thought made my entire body tingle like I was shocked back to life. His hands pulls me up into his lap, gripping my sides in an attempt to show his craving for me in a gentle way. His tongue traces my bottom lip as his fangs tug on it ever so gently. I gasp and grip his shirt, my heart racing in my ears. His hands move quickly up to my face, cupping either sides of my jaw as he sits up. He moves and kisses me harder, pressing himself against me. I moan softly, my fingers tugging at his hair, as he picks me up. He pulls away from the kiss and smile a devilish grin, flashing his fangs as he carries me to my bed.
"No matter what they think, I'll never hurt you."He whispers, climbing into bed next to me like a familiar lover.
"I'll always protect you, even if you banish me from your sight."He adds, lying down behind me with an arm around my waist and kissing my neck.
"I couldn't dream of a world without you in it."I whispers, eyes closing faster than I would've liked. He chuckles and wraps the blanket around me.
"Rest,love. I'm not going anywhere."He whispers just as I fall asleep. It was a dreamless sleep. A sleep I hadn't felt in a long time though part of me missed the dreams filled with Nik. Until I remembered he was holding me.