A/N: I know it's been ages, but chapter five is finally here! I've been busy with school, but now I can finally write more :)
I was AMAZED and really humbled by the number of reviews and support. I never expected this fic to amount to much so thank you! I want you to know I take every suggestion into consideration and try to improve.
Before I say anything else, I'd like to clarify an issue I've seen popping up in many of your reviews.
So, about the elephant in the room: I think there's been some confusion. I am not stating or implying in any way that Caroline is better than Bonnie or vice versa (I love them both to pieces). Those were Klaus' thoughts. And right now, at this particular moment of his development as a character, he does not see Bonnie romantically; he does not entertain feelings for her. He is attracted to her and is very much drawn to her, but nothing substantial yet. I don't think he'd change overnight. It would be unrealistic if he got over Caroline instantly. It's an entire process. So yes, he'd think of Bonnie (for now) as second best. But that's just his perspective. And it will definitely change. Hope I've cleared up some things.
Shoutouts to all the lovely people who reviewed: diehardromantic, vampluv3r, cubangirl (yes they would!), Guest, brynnbrigham, LeilaniStar (yeah, they never seem to win, but they go up in flames together :)), babyshan211, Cinders and Brimstone, Wolfninja23 (it's good to know the tone can shift from sweet to manic so fast :)), SteVie'SGirl, Ice Moon 14, Brittany, Guest (very good points, Bonnie is stronger than Klaus, but Klaus has many cards up his sleeve and he is a master of manipulation and if there's a vampire powerful enough to challenge her, it's him), ninakennett, michelle3737, Stacie, Guest, Guest, Guest, leni18, Chaosinchains91 (hah, nice pun. I know what you mean, I got into TVD because of them basically), Dannya1980, jules (God, that was so incredibly stupid, I couldn't believe it lol).
As for the Originals pilot that aired recently, I'm not a fan. I enjoyed some parts of it, but the entire premise felt wrong to me. Klaus running away to New Orleans because of a witch? What about the one who kept him locked up in a living room for three days? She doesn't count as a threat?
It just left me kind of empty.
Oh and Daddy!Klaus is just about the lamest thing they could've possibly done with his character.
But that's just me. Let me know what you thought, I'm curious to read your opinions.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
I'm not the same.
It was the only thing going through her head she walked down the sunny-filled streets of Mystic Falls at that early hour, aware that she was not part of the scenery anymore. The picturesque morning, the picturesque old houses, the town square, all that history, all those dead people - she did not belong.
Maybe it was only a feeling, maybe it was just Klaus getting to her.
Maybe sometimes she really did want to leave this place.
The coat hung heavy on her shoulders.
I'm not the same.
She was inextricably different from the person she had been hours ago. It wasn't just the Expression. It wasn't just Silas. It was...something else. A craving. An awakening.
She had even fewer answers than before, but at least - at least she knew the truth.
Bonnie sneaked into her house by the backdoor, something she hadn't done since she was fourteen. She was hoping her dad wouldn't notice her prolonged absence.
Thankfully, he was away.
"You're a sight for sore eyes."
But he wasn't.
Silas was sitting on the living room couch. He had taken Shane's form again.
"You."
"Me... have you forgotten already?"
"How could I?"
"Where have you been all night?" he asked, eyebrows knitting into a frown.
"Away," she replied curtly. "Couldn't sleep in this house."
"Why?"
"I needed a break from this depressing place."
"I never knew you found it so depressing..."
Bonnie had nothing to say to that. She was tired, sleep-deprived, hungry and really not in the mood.
"Well, it's been that way recently."
"Anything I can do to cheer it up?"
She almost wanted to laugh. He thought she hadn't figured him out yet.
"I don't suppose you can undo the past 18 years and bring my parents back together, or give my mother the cure...?"
Silas grimaced. "I'm afraid not."
"I thought as much."
Believing she might fall from exhaustion, she sat sat down in the opposite chair, pulling the coat under her legs. But Silas could see the contour of her legs and he realized she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You're bare-legged."
Bonnie stared at him sheepishly. She'd almost forgotten about that.
"Are you entirely naked?" he asked, alarmed.
Well, no point in hiding it now.
She reclined on the back of the chair and smiled awkwardly. "No, not entirely."
"What have you done?"
Here goes nothing.
"I think I just convinced an Original I'm on his side."
Silas did not at first understand what she meant, and it took him a while to fully piece together the puzzle, but when he did, he appraised her with a different look in his eye.
"I did not think you capable of intrigue."
"Qetsyiah's descendant, right?" she joked, innocently.
She knew he wasn't easily fooled, but if anyone could do it, it was her. Playing them both, that's the best I can do right now. Make one believe he's fooled the other. Make them believe I'm theirs.
"How...?"
"He came to me. Last night. He thought he could talk to me about you."
Silas leaned forward, completely alert.
"And?"
"And ...he invited me over. I was not going to go at first because I didn't want to hear him out. You know I'm not exactly fond of him. But then I realized ...he could be useful. So I went. And now he thinks I'm going to help him. He thinks he can use my powers."
"But you are using him?" Silas finished for her.
"He used me all the time and never even bothered to thank me," she said, knowing full well the accusation did not only apply to the Original.
"Yes, he seems very arrogant and self-assured for someone who's only lived a fraction of what I have."
Bonnie refrained from rolling her eyes. Men. No matter time or place, they all felt the need to compete.
"Be careful, Bonnie," Silas suddenly said, reaching out for her hands. "This is a dangerous game you're playing."
"Duly noted."
Silas inspected her features carefully. She was avoiding his eyes.
"You're different somehow."
"I'm just tired."
Silas squeezed her hand. "Expression manifests itself in odd ways. It can consume you from within, it can make you forget yourself. You might act like a complete stranger and you won't even know it. This kind of magic makes you...impulsive, irrational."
Bonnie had heard it all before. But she wasn't going to stop, was she? She was too far gone.
"You are governed by flesh and instinct. And that is weakness."
That drew her attention.
"Flesh and instinct are a weakness?" No wonder he was the oldest immortal. Very outdated conceptions.
"Magic exacerbates them."
"So what you're saying is, Expression makes you weak," she concluded.
"No, haven't I told you countless times?! It's not the magic, it's the way you use it! You know this very well! Without control and training -"
"I'm sorry, I'm just extremely tired. Could we postpone this for later?" she interrupted apologetically.
Silas surveyed her with a shrewd look. He felt he was losing her. She had never been very docile, but she listened to him, she feared him, she trusted him to bring Jeremy back.
Now, something had shifted. Not by much, but Klaus had obviously done something to her.
Maybe it was time to pay that foolish Mikaelson a visit.
"Of course. Whenever you're ready," he spoke, a touch gentler.
"Klaus. I think it's time you paid a visit."
"I don't know, Stefan, last time we talked you let the doppelgänger and her dead brother kill my own."
The Salvatore went quiet for a moment.
Good, Klaus thought, I certainly won't make this easy for him.
"...I never agreed to it, Klaus."
"You didn't have to, old friend. You sat by and did nothing. That is just as good."
Stefan sighed, shifting the phone to the other ear.
"Look, if anyone's to blame in this entire mess, it's Silas. None of this would have happened -"
"No, Stefan, none of this would have happened, had you and your brother given up on the idea of a cure. That's what it's all about, isn't it?"
"Your sister was ready to wake Silas for it too, you know."
"My little sister may be daft and romantic, but she is a survivor. She is practical when needs be. That Gilbert minx, however... she's got you all wrapped around her little finger."
"Really? Pot calling the kettle black, Klaus."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, if Caroline had needed the cure, you would have done the same."
Klaus paused. "Now what fresh nonsense is that?"
"Come on, we both know you care about her."
"Not enough to be so utterly blind as not to see what's at stake."
Stefan made no comment to that. He didn't want to press the matter, lest Klaus figured out he was using his attachment to Caroline as leverage.
"Well, it's too late to undo the damage. Your real problem right now is Silas. Our problem is Silas. We should be on the same team."
"I suppose I can agree to that. Doesn't mean we have to work together."
"We do, if he's in Mystic Falls."
"Not if, Stefan."
"Wait, do you know something?"
Klaus sat back in his chair. "I know someone."
"And who might that be?"
"A certain witch who, not long ago, was under his control."
"Bonnie."
"You catch on fast."
"Where is she? What have you done to her?"
Klaus smiled, reminiscing the previous night. "Nothing too unpleasant, I assure you."
"You won't get to Silas by harming Bonnie Bennett."
"Harm her? You obviously don't know what she's capable of. I wouldn't be able to touch a hair on her head." Unless she wanted me to, Klaus thought, smirking.
Stefan seemed surprised by Klaus' sudden acknowledgement of the witch's powers.
"But, having her on my side... that's a different tale altogether. She'll lead me straight to Silas. And once that happens, we'll get rid of him together. No need for your input."
Stefan was dumbstruck.
"Since when does she -"
"Well you lot don't seem to appreciate her. So I've taken her under my wing. Call it fate; two kindred spirits being brought together."
"Kindred spirits? You do know that she might end up killing you. The Expression is uncontrollable."
"Oh, I'll manage. Besides, where would the thrill be otherwise?"
Bonnie fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow. She didn't bother to take a shower or put on any clothes. She just clambered naked into bed and pulled the covers over her, hoping to have one restful, dreamless sleep.
She had a lot of thinking to do when she woke up.
But as soon as she fell into unconsciousness, she entered the world of dreams and she never looked back.
"Will you come with me?"
It wasn't an order this time around. It wasn't a certainty, or a fact. It was a request.
He was asking her, not telling her, and his voice was not so sure. He no longer sounded very confident.
In fact, he sounded...afraid. Afraid of what she might answer.
She saw him in that vast expanse of darkness; one tiny bright dot, all alone.
Maybe he was afraid he'd have to face it by himself; he'd already been there for so long, he didn't think he could stand another thousand years.
And for one moment, she did pity him.
"I...can't."
"Why not?"
Oh, there were many reasons. If she had been awake, she could have conjured all of them. If she had been awake, there would've been no "why not?"
He was Klaus. And the only thing she could bring herself to feel for him was pity.
"You're immortal and I'm not," she answered instead.
"You are no mere mortal."
"But I am, aren't I? I will die like the rest."
She gasped.
His hands were suddenly around her waist. Her back collided with his chest.
"It doesn't have to be that way..."
"What are you saying?"
"You could live forever," he whispered into her hair.
"No spell could keep me alive."
"Not a spell."
The possibility hadn't even crossed her mind. She had always been a witch, always would be a witch. The alteration of that state - she could not bear it.
"No!"
She wrenched herself away from him, frightened and angry.
"Never! I don't want to be a...a monster!"
"You already are a monster, love."
And then, instead of Klaus, Silas was standing before her.
"It's time you accepted that," he told her, placing a small vial in her palm.
The cure.
"Bring back what they have cast away and redeem yourself. Open the gates. Open the gates of the dead."
She awoke with a start.
Bonnie was drenched in cold sweat. The covers were thrown on the floor. She was feeling sick to her stomach.
She rushed to the bathroom and stood over the sink, ready to empty the contents of her stomach.
She stared at the reflection in the mirror.
The girl looking back at her was nothing like Bonnie Bennett. Gone was the carefree spirit. She looked angry, bitter, fed up with everyone. But she looked wiser too, as if experience had taught her to trust no one.
Out of two evils, she had to pick the lesser one.
And, she already knew whom she was choosing.
If it came down to the oldest immortal in the world who could influence her magic in dangerous ways and the Original on whose survival depended the very existence of her mother and friends, then the choice was easy.
Besides, Klaus she could control.
And he could never turn her. His hybrids no longer survived without Elena's human blood.
He was a king without a kingdom.
He had fallen. She was falling too.
Might as well fall together.
Abby Bennett stood by the clearing in the forest and watched her sisters with envy. They were still witches. They were still whole. What was she, but a shipwreck?
That is why she was doing this. She owed it to her daughter to prevent her from becoming a monster as well.
Bonnie had promised she would listen, she had promised to give her a second chance.
That is all she needed.
She was sure that, with the help of her sisters, she could expel the evil out of her.
Normally, she wouldn't have been allowed to attend the circle of witches, but her daughter had insisted on the phone that she wouldn't go through with this unless she were there.
Aja glared at her from time to time.
"You know I respect your knowledge and experience, Abby, but you shouldn't be here."
Abby shook her head stubbornly.
"My daughter needs me."
"Your daughters needs -"
"I am not abandoning her."
"You will disrupt the forces."
"Twelve witches will be able to handle it, I assume," she replied icily.
Aja sighed, but made no further comments.
Moments later, Bonnie finally arrived. She walked into the clearing, head held high.
Despite the brave stand she was making, her eyes told a different story. She looked like she would rather turn back and forget the whole affair.
Abby rushed to her.
"Oh, baby, there's nothing to fear," she said, pulling her into a hug.
Bonnie closed her eyes and let herself be held. This would be the last time her mother would be so affectionate. She wouldn't appreciate what she was about to do tonight.
I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry I can't be who you want me to be.
Aja broke their embrace.
"It's time, Bonnie Bennett."
Bonnie nodded her head. "I'm ready. But I want my mom standing next to me. All throughout."
Aja wrinkled her nose.
"That's not going to happen."
"Then you can say goodbye to your sorry attempt to...exorcise me. And don't think of holding me down by force because you know I am stronger."
"Not stronger than twelve witches."
"Try me," Bonnie replied coolly.
Something in the tone of her voice made Aja waver.
"My mother or no intervention."
"Aja, please, I know I can help somehow," Abby said, yearning to be part of their circle once more.
"A vampire in the midst of a coven... Fine, have it your way. But you put yourself and your mother in danger."
The other witches began assembling in the clearing, forming the circle of power they had grown accustomed to. None of them felt comfortable with the new arrangement, but Aja's warning looks settled the matter.
Bonnie lay down in the circle drawn by the witches and Abby knelt next to her, eyes swimming in tears.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."
Bonnie felt a twinge in her heart. Maybe it wasn't too late to let things run their course. Maybe it wasn't too late to ...fix everything.
"Soon you'll be free of this sickness," her mother added, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
Bonnie swallowed bitterly.
No, nothing could be fixed. Because she wasn't broken. This wasn't a disease. This was a gift. And she would not let them take it from her.
But she would not let Silas use it, either.
Klaus was right. You know, you're quite the devious little thing.
She wouldn't be afraid of herself anymore.
"Soon," she agreed, smiling.
Aja stepped in the middle of the circle and crouched over Bonnie.
"Call out to the spirits, Bonnie. Let them in."
Bonnie closed her eyes and started reciting the familiar spell. "Phesmatos tribum -"
She cringed in pain as a powerful stab of magic shot through her. The coven was now linked and channeling their power at her. It was hell.
Expression was fighting back. And it was taking a strain on her body.
She grit her teeth and tried to bear it as best as she could, but her treacherous lips let out a groan of pain.
She gripped her mother's hand. Abby was holding it tight.
"Be brave, sweetheart. Be brave."
Bonnie hissed as another wave of magic left her yelling in pain. Abby pressed a cold hand to her forehead.
Bonnie felt her eyes roll in her head. This was not going well.
But she knew she had to wait until the link was at its peak so that it could be broken entirely.
From the corner of her eye, she could see other people gathering in the clearing. She heard familiar voices.
"She's working for Silas! You have to stop this! It's a trap!"
Stefan.
"Please, listen to him! Don't hurt her!"
Caroline.
They shouldn't be here.
Bonnie felt Abby moving next to her. She was going to get up to make sure her friends wouldn't disrupt the ritual.
It's now or never then, Bonnie realized.
With her free hand she grabbed the sharp necklace around her neck, the one Silas had given her, and stabbed her mother's palm with it.
Abby yelped in pain and tried to pull away, but Bonnie quickly pressed her lips to her mother's wound and started drinking.
She started drinking vampire blood.
One by one, the witches started screaming in horror.
The coven was tainted.
There was a great crack in the link that made half of them fall on their knees, overwhelmed by the sudden rupture.
Aja growled in agony.
"The wench! She tricked us!"
Abby managed to tear herself away from her daughter.
"Bonnie, why would you -" her mother began desperately.
Bonnie looked up at her mother, grinning while she licked the blood off her lips. Her eyes weren't smiling, but there was a steely determination about them that made Abby's skin crawl.
This wasn't her daughter.
"If she doesn't want to be cured, let her die!" one of the witches shouted angrily.
"Kill her and kill the Expression with it!" another one yelled in consent.
Aja was already in front of Bonnie. The sisters were chanting her death. Stefan and Caroline were struggling to fight off five witches who were attacking them.
"You go or Expression goes," she said, her voice a vicious snarl.
Abby tried to put herself between them, but three of the witches immobilized her and she fell down submissively.
"Stop it! She's just a child! Stop it!"
"Kill her mother too. She's half to blame," Aja spat, glaring at Bonnie.
"No! Don't you dare touch her!" Bonnie yelled.
She was already very weakened by the coven, but she figured now that they weren't linked, they would be less dangerous.
Aja threw a powerful spell and Bonnie felt the insides of her head split.
Damn, I underestimated her.
"You forget, I am not your average witch, Bonnie Bennett," Aja bellowed, eyes spitting fire.
"That's what they all say before they die," a voice spoke behind her.
Before she knew what was happening, Klaus had already broken her neck.
Aja fell down like a lifeless doll.
The Original stepped into the clearing, a humorous expression on his face.
"Suppose I wasn't invited to the party."
Bonnie felt her shoulders sag in relief. He had come. Just as planned. A little bit late, but better than never.
"That's my kin you're torturing, darling," he snarled at the witches standing over Abby. "Not very polite of you."
In a heartbeat he was at their side and his teeth had already sunk into one of their throats.
Bonnie rose and gathered her strength in order to finish what she had started.
A violent rage overtook her when she saw Stefan and Caroline fighting for their lives against the witches. They had to be put down.
She placed her hands on the cold earth and summoned all the hatred that was locked up in the magic of Expression.
Violent winds started to shake the very ground. A blaze of fire burst around the witches.
The magic was palpable in the air. It was a living being. It rose like a shadow in the shape of a daemon. It looked like her and it attacked the witches, submerging them in a vortex of dark magic.
But it wasn't death that Bonnie was subjecting them to.
No, she was feeding off their magic. Their powers were feeding the Expression, depleting them. Until there would be no magic left. Until they would no longer be witches. Until they would be as helpless as she used to be.
"Bonnie, stop!" Caroline shouted in the distance.
"Stay out of this," she spoke calmly, her face disfigured with rage.
Klaus had already drained two witches and left one barely breathing. He was going for another, when he realized what was happening.
Bonnie was losing control of her magic, but not because it was taking over her. She was...feeding it. It was growing inside of her.
And she stood tall and proud in the midst of chaos.
A dark, twisted laugh erupted from her lips.
Klaus felt his blood pounding in his ears. She was glorious. She was a queen. And he had never been more drawn to her. Here was the faithful mirror to his image.
Caroline and Stefan were trying, foolishly, to talk sense into her.
"Bonnie, if you don't stop now, it will end up killing you!" Stefan was shouting, struggling to reach her.
"Nothing will kill me now," Bonnie replied coldly, her eyes pitch black.
"Bonnie, please!" Caroline pleaded, her eyes prickling with tears.
The witch ignored her. She had to do this. She had to finish this. And once these were done, others would follow. Not only these witches. Every witch that had ever lived.
She would get the power of one hundred witches back.
She could already feel it in her bones. The knot was tightening in her belly. Pleasure or dread, she didn't know.
It was neither. A pair of strong arms had encircled her waist.
For a moment, she thought she was back in her dream.
The same familiar voice whispered in her ear.
"You did it, love. The coven is broken. The witches scattered." His mouth hovered over her neck. "There will be no third massacre. Silas is defeated."
Bonnie leant into his touch.
"Now, let's stop wasting time here. Let's go finish him."
Her mind was suddenly clear. Crystal clear.
Of course, they weren't done. This wouldn't be the end. Her vengeance had just started. Her mouth curled up in a smile.
"Let's," she whispered back and the witches in her hold dropped to the ground, shaking and panting, frightened and out of breath.
Bonnie turned away and let herself fall into him, her head on his shoulder.
Caroline and Stefan ran to her, but Klaus warned them off.
"She's coming with me."
"Take your hands off of her," Stefan demanded angrily.
"The witch is mine, Stefan. Or have you not learned that yet?" Klaus glowered, smirking.
"This is your work. You've done this to her."
Klaus sniggered in disdain. "I thought Silas was our real problem."
"I was wrong."
"Well, that's your mistake, isn't it? And as much as I would like to take credit, it was not my work. It was ours," he replied, grip tightening around Bonnie's waist. She murmured into the hollow of his neck.
"Klaus!" Caroline cried and her beautiful, bright eyes were staring straight at him, pleading and desperate.
Caroline. His weakness. The girl he couldn't have.
For a brief moment, he felt a twinge in his heart. Not regret, not remorse. It was something more poisonous; the knowledge that this was the moment he would lose her forever.
Choose between light and darkness.
Would he give up the queen for the girl?
What did he truly want?
I want to be king, he realized. I want to be king.
His choice was clear.
"Leave, little vampire," he told her, his voice turning cold and indifferent. "I have no use for you anymore."
The blonde vampire gasped, shocked by the cruelty of his words. She had never lost hope that, deep down, she could control him. That, deep down, he loved her.
She thought she was the only one who could make him change his mind. She thought she had power over him.
"So this is who you really are -"
"I said leave before I make you."
"No!"
He bared his teeth at her threateningly. "Don't push me. I can stop your heart in the blink of an eye."
"You won't."
Klaus smiled. His eyes bore into hers.
"Come to me, then, and find out," he said softly. Stefan realized he was trying to compel her.
He grabbed Caroline and pulled her to him.
"Stefan, we can't -"
"He's not going to kill Bonnie. He needs her. But he could kill you."
"But he can't take her!"
"Watch me," Klaus replied and in the next moment, he was gone.
Bonnie realized she had exerted herself a little too much tonight. It hadn't been as painful or as consuming as in the past. Once she had accepted who she was and what she wanted, it was easier to let Expression out of its cage. Still, it took a toll on her.
She leant against the window pane to cool off her burning forehead.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
Window pane. Window.
A thousand lights were reflected in her eyes.
Buildings as tall as the sky were glittering in the dark. Crowded streets shimmered down below and tiny cars chased each other in flashes of red and blue.
She couldn't even see the people, they were invisible.
Where was she?
She looked around her.
She was in a room of some sorts. A gigantic, opulent, very expensive-looking bedroom, judging by the bed in the middle.
She could probably fit her entire house in it.
Nothing in the room was left to the imagination. The ceiling was absurdly high, the decor was extravagant but sparse at the same time. Tasteful.
The furniture was marble and African blackwood. The covers on the bed were Swiss Voile.
She realized she was sitting in an elegant sofa by a tall window that went up to the ceiling. And that's when she noticed; there were windows everywhere. There were no real walls.
She clambered to her feet shakily and looked down at the world underneath her.
She was on the second floor of what looked like a small villa. There was a terrace on the ground floor. A terrace on the roof of another building. She almost felt like throwing up. Her imagination was playing tricks on her.
Bonnie stepped out of the room carefully. She wasn't sure what she would find.
She looked around her in awe. The same luxurious rooms, only now glowing in a pool of light.
More and more windows, everywhere. She was surrounded by windows and she could see there were no other apartments.
And that's when she realized this was a -
"The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite."
She felt his presence even before he spoke.
Bonnie whirled around and there he was, dressed in an impeccable suit, standing by a glass door.
"The most expensive penthouse in Manhattan, naturally."
Bonnie's eyes widened.
"We're in New York?"
"What gave it away?" he grinned.
"Why are we here?" she asked, feeling a chill run down her arm.
"Nowhere else was good enough. Only the best would do for the most powerful witch in the world."
Bonnie shook her head.
"Is this your way of winning me over?"
"Haven't I already won you over?" he asked, staring at her suggestively.
Bonnie felt naked. He always made her feel like she'd just come out of bed.
"Whatever this is, I'm not coming with you, Klaus. You're not going to convince me. And don't think this impresses me," she said, gesturing at the lavish rooms around her.
"I didn't expect it would. A queen is never impressed by her castle."
Bonnie felt a jolt of pleasure she quickly tried to suppress. Her heartbeat sped up.
"I'm not a queen. I'm a witch."
"No, you are my queen and my witch."
Bonnie scoffed.
"How many times do I have to say this? I. Don't. Belong. To. You."
"Yes, we've had this conversation before, darling. But I remember you writhing under my touch at the end of it."
Bonnie glared daggers at him.
He was pushed right through the glass door. It was a miracle he didn't break it.
Klaus laughed, lifting himself up.
"I suppose you need more coercing. Very well."
Bonnie walked up to him.
"You picked the wrong location." All the windows around them started vibrating dangerously.
Klaus stood his ground, waiting for her to come to him.
"On the contrary. I knew you'd enjoy...throwing a little tantrum."
Bonnie growled and five upper windows shattered instantly.
Klaus grinned, licking his lips.
"Oh, you can do better than that."
Bonnie smirked and raised the fallen shards of glass, aiming them at his body. Three other windows smashed into smithereens behind her.
The beautiful chandelier hanging over the study room fell from above and burst into a thousand little sparks, blinding him momentarily.
She threw Klaus in the pool of broken glass on the floor and dug the sharp shards into his skin, enjoying his aches and groans.
His suit was in a miserable state by now.
She straddled him and pushed him down when he tried to get up. His skull was crushed into glass. He screamed as a sliver of glass entered the base of his neck.
Bonnie watched with barely concealed glee. She was enjoying this far too much.
"Let's see who's throwing a tantrum now."
Klaus chuckled, coughing up blood.
"You can't kill me, love. You know you can't. Not without killing others. Too much - too many are at stake."
"I know that."
"You can't make me go away, either. You, of all people, should know that," he said, looking up at her with wicked eyes.
Bonnie clenched her fists on his shirt.
"Once I'm in your life, I'm here to stay."
"That was not our deal," she spat.
"No, our deal was, I leave Mystic Falls and take you with me. And seeing as we're not in Mystic Falls..."
"Silas is in Mystic Falls! You just left the town to the oldest immortal in the world!"
"Silas has no interest there without you. I'm tired of chasing him. Let him come to us."
"And if he doesn't?"
"He will."
And suddenly she was the one pinned to the ground and she felt the sting of a thousand blades on her skin. She tasted glass on her tongue. Her own medicine.
Klaus towered over her, grinning.
"But we shouldn't wait for Silas to die in order to enjoy what the world has to offer. Wouldn't you agree?"
She scowled at him, even as she felt her skin healing from the deep cuts. Expression had its many perks.
"And I'm a bit hurt you're acting so cold. After all, I came for you tonight, didn't I?"
Bonnie snorted.
"You were late. And you weren't supposed to kill three witches."
"Well, you weren't supposed to torture five. I suppose we're even."
"Not even close."
"Still, I did come up with the plan to use Abby. And I secured half its execution."
Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Please. You weren't even there for half of it."
"But I kept my word. Expression hasn't been taken from you, your mother is safe and the third massacre will never happen. So... I'd say I am entitled to a reward."
His hand glided up her warm, bloody legs. His fingers pushed in small shards that were stuck to her skin.
She hissed in pain.
His thumb traced her already soaked panties and enjoyed her sharp intake of breath.
"I told you you'd be writhing under my touch again."
Bonnie eyed him with mischief. He knew the battle was almost over.
"All right, let me give you your reward."
He was pushed back by a strong wave of magic and collapsed into several shelves of books.
Well, maybe not entirely over.
"Careful, love. Forty thousand a night," he managed to say before she aimed two large armchairs at him.
He ducked in time, but didn't make it very far, because his head burst into a thousand aneurysms.
He was pushed out onto the terrace through one of the already broken windows.
Bonnie watched calmly from afar.
"Couldn't we do this little foreplay in the bedroom?" Klaus asked, grimacing in pain. "The terrace is rather uncomfortable."
Bonnie was about to respond with an increased dosage of aneurysms, but quite suddenly, she felt a quake in her magic. The exhaustion she had felt before was finally shutting her down. It was clouding her senses. She had forgotten how much she had exerted herself.
Klaus noticed a change in her instantly.
He smiled, licking his lips.
Just as expected. He knew she would tire, not before long.
The study room was completely wrecked. He expected she would do the same to the other rooms. He imagined having her in every single one of them.
Klaus chuckled. She was definitely worth the aneurysms.
Bonnie rubbed her forehead, trying to pull herself together. She wasn't nearly finished with him.
She saw her next target; a beautiful piano standing on a dais right above the broken windows. It would be her last bit of magic for the night.
But before she could act, Klaus had already pushed her down roughly on its smooth, black surface.
"Now, now. Leave it alone. I'd like to play for you later."
"Of course you play the piano, you're a cliché -"
But she had to swallow her words, because he had pulled down her panties from her dress and his fingers and mouth were already on her wet sex. He was tired of waiting and he gave her no warnings.
Even though she was beyond exhausted, she couldn't help the instant spark of electricity that ran through.
Her feet clumsily opened up for him on the hard surface.
They seemed to have a thing for those.
Her dress was now over her breasts and she pulled it off completely.
A strong gust of wind turned her flesh into goosebumps. She shouldn't have broken so many windows. The cool night air was making her shiver.
Klaus wrenched her bra free with one hand, keeping his head and mouth occupied. She wondered how he managed to do that.
His fingers splayed over her breast, kneading and playing cruelly, not waiting for her to get comfortable or relax.
This wasn't about that. This was about control.
She tried to move, but he was more powerful than her now. The same hand pinned her down and trailed fire across her nipples, scratching and teasing.
His tongue and teeth bit and licked mercilessly at her folds and she felt more pain than pleasure, which made her all the more aroused.
Her toes landed ungracefully on the piano keys. She heard a stream of cacophonic sounds. She realized one of them was her own voice.
"Or...maybe you'll play for me," Klaus spoke, lips hovering over her mound.
He delved back in, spreading her legs further, making her body twist into a painful position.
"K-Klaus!" she screamed as his fingers wrenched the pleasure out of her. His tongue felt like a shard of glass.
"Nik," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her thigh. "Call me Nik."
She wondered if she had heard wrong.
Niklaus. That was his name.
She pretended she hadn't heard.
It wasn't hard. His mouth was back where it belonged. And she screamed again and again.
A/N: Yes, the Ty Warner Penthouse exists in real life. And yes, there's a piano in the Suite:)
Sorry to leave it there, but next chapter will probably be one huge lemon and a bit of plot. Until then :)