I have no excuse. I've had these chapters written for months and I haven't uploaded them. I apologize. I kindly accept any form of punishment you may choose to bestow upon me (but not flames please).

She moaned into his mouth, loving the feeling of his luscious lips and his soft hands on her body. He grabbed a hold of her thigh and pulled it up around his hip. Her hands wound behind his neck, pulling him closer, which he did not mind. Suddenly, she was being pressed into a fluffy bed and pillows. Her fingers dug into his skin; it was her way of saying she wouldn't let him go and knowing that made him more desperate for her, more passionate. They hadn't been able to be together before. The two entangled on the bed were the only things that mattered. The whole world around them disappeared. He pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. Blue eyes on blue, they both smiled.

"I've wanted you for so long."

"You can have me."

"I love you."

Her normally guarded expression was loving and vulnerable as she reached up to stroke his cheek and run her fingers through his hair. "I love you too, Niklaus."

She sat up so fast that her head was reeling. She couldn't be dreaming about Klaus. No, she just couldn't. She was with Elijah and Klaus was going to kill her, for Pete's sake! She couldn't think about him. Klaus was evil, thickheaded, vile, despicable, and he is definitely not an honorable man . . . at least that is what she'd like to think he was . . .

No, she thought, he is bad, right? Right?

"Are you alright, Araya? Was it another bad dream?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You could say that. What time is it?"

"Six-thirty. I am here. You can talk to me." Elijah reached out to comfort her, but she pulled away. Araya couldn't let him touch her after she had just dreamt about his brother.

"I know. I know I can talk to you, but . . . I'm fine, really. I don't think I'll be able to sleep again though."

"Was it about Klaus? Your nightmare?"

Araya froze completely. She couldn't understand how he could now. It wasn't as if Elijah could read minds. "How did you know?"

"He's killing Elena, and claims you're going to be in the sacrifice."

"Oh." She climbed out of bed shakily. "I want to go for a drive. I need to clear my head."

"Araya—"

"I'll be fine. What could go wrong?"

Klaus sighed as he poured himself another scotch. Tomorrow was Araya's birthday . . . Tyler was her friend . . . Who was the other wolf in town? Jules? Jules would work fine. The vampire . . . Blondie? She had said some pretty harsh things to Araya. She could work, but someone more meaningful would work best. He had everything planned out, but then Raya made everything difficult and ruined his plan. Now he was scrambling last minute to determine who exactly to use. Elena, of course, Jules, and who else? Damon Salvatore could work, but the symmetry of three women . . . He was also quite enjoying Katerina's doing everything he said, though she was on vervain. Klaus could go and turn anyone he wanted.

He turned when he heard the door open. "Yes, Salvatore?"

"I fed her my blood."

"Elena?" Klaus asked in a bored tone.

"Araya," said Damon.

That sparked Klaus' attention. "You're an idiot."

"You can't use her now. You don't know what the effects of the blood will be. It might alter something in her blood."

"I swear if she gets into trouble by the time of the sacrifice . . ."

"You're not going to use her."

"And why not? If she's a werewolf, I see no problem." But, in all truth, he did see a problem. How could Salvatore push such a fate on Araya? She wouldn't want that.

"Why did you concentrate on her?"

"She was the only wolf in town when I arrived."

Lies.

"And when Tyler and Jules came back?"

"Shame she can't remember it."

"What?"

"You'll find out after she does."

It was still storming outside and it didn't look like it was going to stop. Araya was thinking about the sacrifice. She would die, but she would wake up later. When she woke up she would be in transition, which meant that she would need human blood. Raya wasn't going to drink blood. She would only be a vampire if it was forced down her throat, even then . . . Panic flooded her mind. What if she did end up drinking blood? What if she flipped the switch?

And that's when she hydroplaned right of off Wickery Bridge.