After 2:00 am everyone had left and Elijah had taken care of the caterers and cleaners for another hour. This morning he felt the full effects of the months lack of sleep piling up on him. He sat in the kitchen with a black coffee warming his cold, dead hands and hoped nothing would interrupt him for at least another hour.

"Good morning brother!" he heard from behind but he must be half asleep as the joyful and cheery tone could not have come from his previously brooding and moody younger brother. "Niklaus. Do not take this the wrong way but why are you so happy?" he never looked away from the dark liquid before him and only aided him brothers grin, "what? Can I not be happy brother, must I ask your permission? My happy days are so rare and in few numbers, enjoy it Elijah!" He all but shouted in the elders ears, who squirmed in return.

After leaving the mansion for a walk around he realised that she had been there. In his home, walking on the floor he walked everyday. She had been in his room. He felt like a teenager, all jumpy on the inside and he couldn't concentrate on where he was going and walked into many humans on his way down bourbon street.

When he finally reached the bar it felt completely empty other than Camille, especially compared to the crowded street. He ordered a scotch and sat in a booth far from the other patrons, hands almost shaking he lifted the glass to take a sip and ended up downing the whole drink in one, hardly feeling the burn of the liquid making its way down his throat.

As soon as he did he dropped the glass and heard a faint smash but it didn't register, not until Camille was standing beside him cleaning his mess up. He turned to her and placed his hand on her throat squeezing harshly. "Klaus please... sto-op" she managed to squeak out.

"Why is there vervain in my drink" he spat at her face. She closed her eyes as if remembering something "in sorry... it was new policy... by ... the ... counsel." She breathed, he let her fall to her feet and slowly moved to crouch next to her. Menacingly he whispered out "why" before moving so e was holding her neck again but less forcefully, now wary of those around him though they seemed more interested in their drinks.

She shook her head vigorously in answer, obviously she wasn't asking questions in the little group Elijah had created for "peace". Ha. He laughs at his brother's optimism for the many supernatural beings to get along, he once wished to do this and to rule as their leader, now he knows that there is always something to get in the way and would rather rule through fear.

He let the human go and walked out of the bar throwing some notes behind him at the waitress still gasping for breath on the floor.

XXXXXX

"Ok mister start talking!" Rebekah had only returned days ago and already she was annoying him.

"I am sorry sister but in order to answer a question there must be more information." he shot back, wishing to stew in his misery alone for a little longer.

"You are acting like a self centred prick again! I thought we were over this when we all got to New Orleans but you're back to what you were like in Mystic Falls! Why?!" So there it was, Klaus had wondered how long it would take for his darling sister to see his mood change. Truthfully, he had been thinking about the party and the blonde who's scent was all over his room, albeit very subtly and its not like you could smell it unless you knew what to look for, but it was there all the same and it killed him. Hence the misery and self centred attitude.

Here he was, thinking about the prospect of moving on and then she turns up and destroys every belief he had on himself of getting her out of his head. Not that he really wanted to, it would have only been temporary until she decided to come to him, but right now he needed to focus on New Orleans and keeping his title as king.

Even that seemed like a far off dream now, all he wants is to get her out of his head or have her near.

"Something happened" he finally answered after returning from his reminiscence. Rebekah, of course couldn't leave it at that and had to press on.

"What does that mean? what happened?"

"Nothing that concerns you" Klaus' teeth were crushed together and the anger was visible in his darkened look. Not that Rebekah cared or noticed.

"Why can't you just answer Nik!" She shouted exasperatedly, she was already annoyed from his childlike pouting and now he had to act all defensive.

"It was something that I didn't expect to happen. Now that it has I can't get it out of my head."

It may have been skirting the line but at least it was an answer. Rebekah huffed in annoyance and sat down next to him on their sofa, when Klaus looked over he saw her expression change to worry, "I'm just scared that something is happening to you and I want to help but you seem to want to fight alone." She sighed and rubbed her hands together on her lap, fidgeting when she was worried is something Klaus had long since found as a sign of her caring towards him. He put his hand on hers to reassure her, "I'm fine, it's just something I need to sort out on my own and I promise it is non lethal."

With that, Klaus stood up and left his sister in favour of liquor and art.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

3 days later and Klaus was becoming more productive, no longer moping around, he walked the streets of the French Quarter looking for a certain witch. The one who he had helped a few decades back when her daughter was captured, now she owes him and he will collect.

After finishing his seventh painting of her, he started to devise a plan on how to find the blonde plaguing his mind. Of course this took a lot of alcohol, mainly the reason for his recent good mood, but finally he had reached a feasible and not too crazy plan. It involved allowing the aforementioned witch into his memories so the vast amount of alcohol he had drank probably wouldn't help him keep his control over his own mind whilst she was rooting around in there.

Thankfully he could keep the image of a fully functioning, and not at all unstable, hybrid whilst he walked through the door to Selena's Voodoo shop.

She had been cleaning up the stock in the back room when she felt a dark and depressed aura enter her shop. It wasn't just his hybrid nature that had made Niklaus intriguing to Selena, it was his soul that spoke to her more than his words and threats. A soul that spoke of dark deeds that had corrupted him, but still she wasn't afraid.

"Let me guess, your here to collect the debt I am owed to you? Whatever it is out with it, I actually have to work for a living." She shouted through the door.

"I need a tracking spell-

She stopped him suddenly, "let me guess there's a catch."

"I don't have any objects of hers which means you'll have to use my memory" he winced slightly at how vulnerable he sounded.

"I can do that but it won't be easy and I'm not going to ask who this girl is you want to find so don't even try to tell me, the less I know the better for my sanity." Finally she walked into the main room to find him looking at some necklaces on the counter.

He smirked and finally looked up.

Klaus hadn't seen Selena since the 80's when she was 23, now she had crows feet under her eyes and laughter lines around her mouth, she walked with a slight limp and her hair was graying showing the 59 year old woman's age well. The last time he saw her, he had saved her and her daughter from a fire started by their local people when they found out about their witch neighbors, with Klaus on their side they had left the town and the angry mob and made a home for themselves in New Orleans, of course that had been the moment he made her swear on her daughters life that she would owe him and someday pay her debt.

She drew a circle with symbols around and told Klaus to sit inside while she got the herbs ready, when she was done and had coated her hands in the mixture Selena stood behind Klaus, put her hands on either side of his head and began chanting. "whoever she is I can tell you she is very smart, she's blocking my magic, almost like she doesn't want you to find her." Selena added with a hint of sarcasm and took her hands away from Klaus to get them cleaned. Once again she moved to the back room to continue her earlier work. "Don't worry I won't expect this to be the last time you ask me to do something for you" she called back to the, now standing, hybrid.

It seems if he wants Caroline he'll have to leave it up to her and the games she is no doubt going to play.

Thanks for reading :)

please review I'd love to hear what you think and what Caroline should do next.