I couldn't leave with that last chapter. (It was boring, in my opinion.) So, here is chapter five of Battlefield! I hope you enjoy it! Please review!

"I can't decide."

"What are you talking about, you 'can't decide'?"

"Well, Caroline, I'm dy—" Araya broke off her sentence quickly, remembering that Caroline and Elena didn't know about her and how Klaus would be using her for the sacrifice. "I have stage fright."

"Araya, you so don't have stage fright," Elena commented, rolling her eyes. "You were 'Mrs. Lovett' from Sweeney Todd in last year's show."

"And the year before that she was 'Mary Hatch' in It's a Wonderful Life."

"Okay, okay. I don't have stage fright, I just can't do it. Not with everything."

Caroline and Elena stared Raya down. "We aren't putting our lives on hold because of Klaus."

My life isn't pausing; it's going to be ending completely.

She knew her friends wouldn't leave her alone about it. It was just their way. "It's Hair. There's a nude scene and I'm not comfortable with that. Plus, we all know I'm nothing other people want to see naked"

"Au contraire, my lovely."

The werewolf was the only one that didn't freeze or seem surprised by his presence at the Grille. It seemed that whenever she was out and about he would show up. That was fine as long as he didn't tell Elena and Caroline about her . . . condition? Gift?

"Klaus," Elena gasped, adding two and two together. Araya realized that this was the first time Caroline and Elena had seen Klaus in his real body. And what a nice body it was!

"Doppelganger. Baby vampire." He smirked as he put his hands on the last girl's shoulder's. "Araya, long time no see. Spending a lot of time with my brother?"

"I'm not going to act like I haven't been with him."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that." His long finger's moved her scarf gently out of the way, showing a simple bite mark. Her hair was nowhere near long enough to cover something like that up. Pixie cuts didn't cover anything up.

Ignoring her friend's gasps she stared straight forward. "Is there a problem with it? Should I not try to have some fun?"

"Being bitten is your idea of fun, dear Ara?"Araya stiffened in her seat. No one called her that anymore. That girl was long gone. "Something wrong?" he asked the girls with a smirk on his face.

Araya checked everyone's expressions and made mental notes because she knew that Elena and Caroline were going to ask questions.

Elena wore anger and worry, with a sprinkle of confusion. Most likely because Elijah—who she had killed—was here and so was Klaus, and also, she worried for her friend's safety. She couldn't understand why he would target her. Caroline was angry and confused. The Original's presence and the fact no one told her anything made her angry. It was understandable to Araya; she had felt that way when they had killed Elijah. It was more than being kept out of the loop, but she couldn't exactly choose the words on how she would describe that.

"Elena, Caroline, I'll go pay the bill and meet you at the store in a couple of minutes."

"Aray—"

With a serious and threatening glare, the werewolf growled out, "Go."

Caroline obeyed for once in her life, and Elena still hadn't. "I won't leave you with him. He only wants you because of me, Raya."

Klaus' amusement drained away. "You truly are a Petrova, for more than other obvious reasons. In love with both Salvatores, convinced everything revolves around you . . . Please get this straight, Miss Gilbert, this big world does not revolve around you. I'm sure that your poor friends must be getting tired of it too. 'Elena this' and 'Elena that' twenty-four-seven . . . Eugh. Boring. I mean, I know you're the doppelganger and such, but honestly, the world does not bleeding revolve around you."

Araya's eye widened. Did he really just say that to her? Even if she did slightly agree . . . Elena tried to think about other people . . . but in the end it was still about Elena because of Stefan, but that was something love entailed, right? Protecting each other? Trying to get Elena away from Klaus before she got herself into more trouble, Araya said, "Elena, just go. I'll meet you at the dress shop in a minute."

Elena glared and stalked off.

"I don't like that one. Blondie on the other hand, she could be pleasant. Possibly."

"None of us like you, so . . ." Araya looked to the task at hand: finding enough money to pay for their coffees. Klaus took note of her scrounging for cash. "God," she whispered to herself, "I need another job." Then her head snapped up. "Actually I guess I don't. I am dying in just a short time, aren't I?"

Klaus didn't respond.

"Heh. Don't worry; I'm not trying to get you to pity me."

"I'm simply wondering how you can afford to go dress shopping if you can't afford to pay for two coffees and water."

"There's a reason I don't often go to dances and fancy parties. I can't afford it. Sometimes I borrow a dress, but that's no fun."

"Then why do you go?"

She raised her brows and answered, "You care?" He shrugged in response. "If they knew . . . They would pity me and I would have brought it on myself. I killed, I changed, and I ran with whatever I could." Araya flagged down Matt who had just been promoted from busboy to waiter. Before Matt reached them Klaus had stood and pulled a ten dollar bill from his wallet.

"I'll bring back your change." Matt cast a worried glance at his tense friend. "You okay, Raya?"

"Absolutely . . ." She looked down at her hands as he walked away.

"Now, you go have fun dress shopping." He flicked a piece of shiny plastic her direction. At her questioning glance Klaus said, "Live it up in your last moments, sweetheart."

Araya tossed the remote on the bed and grabbed some popcorn. It was nine o'clock at night and Elijah told her he would be home at five. What did she plan when he told her? She cooked—burnt herself while at it—and donned the new lingerie she bought with Klaus' credit card. It was black and see-through and it made her uncomfortable. When it became apparent that Elijah would not be coming home anytime soon, she changed into shorts and a tank-top.

She didn't feel bad for using Klaus' credit card. He's rich and he gave it to her, besides, he was a dick and he's going to kill her. It seemed like fair game to her. Her hate fired the need to shop and there was that small piece of plastic calling out her name. How could she refuse that?

"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb."

"What a stupid lamb."

"What a sick, masochistic lion."

Araya threw the bowl of popcorn at the TV and stormed out of the room, her anger finally winning. She grabbed her phone and a set of car keys from the table next to the door way.

"Hello."

"Damon, can I spend the night with you?"

"Don't you have an apartment and Mr. Original's house?"

Araya's anger flared again. "Elijah stood me up, and I'm having a really trying not to black out in anger right now . . . plus, I know a way we can have some fun."

"Does it involve you, me, and a bed?"

"It involves you, me, a computer, and Klaus' credit card."