It's been a while, I'm sorry for that. I'm on a new medicine that makes me want to sleep all the time. Difficult to adjust... and to write. Hope you enjoy though. Love yall.

Chapter 10: Weaknesses

"Damon," Rebekah let out a hoarse whisper.

"What do you want…" Damon turned to the blonde vamp apathetically.

"What if no one comes for us?"

"Don't dwell on it too much, Blondie," Damon rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if Elena's already concocting some sort of plan with Stefan right now."

Rebekah glowered at the Salvatore. "That doesn't help me much does it?"

"Relax. I'm sure they'll let you out. After all," he cringed at the thought of Blaze taking him out, "we've got a common goal."

The sound of Caroline's muffled screaming interrupted their banter.

"What is this place?" Blaze stared around the vast cave in wonder.

"It's a cavern I found in between towns. I'm pretty sure it's always served the same purpose we're using it for now." Connor unbolted several doors, and they towed Caroline into the dimly lit cave.

Caroline spotted Tyler's lifeless figure and screamed.

"Shut her up." Connor turned to Blaze sternly.

Blaze ripped the tape from Caroline's mouth and stared at her wordlessly for several seconds. If she'd had any emotion left she would have felt sorry for the girl. "Listen to me," she uttered softly. "Tyler is alive… for now."

"What kind of game is this?" Caroline shrieked.

"It'll be game over like that," Blaze snapped her fingers quickly, "if you don't quiet down." Her eerie whisper had more effect than yelling, and Caroline immediately stopped crying.

"Besides," Connor lifted the vampire and chained her to a pillar along the others, "This is no game. As soon as your friends Stefan and Elena show up, there won't be a need to hold you as hostages."

"So you're just going to kill us all?" Caroline squeaked.

"You're vampires." Connor glared matter-of-factly. "What do you expect?"

"Oh come on," Damon tuned in and rolled his eyes weakly. "Did Daddy not love you enough as a child?"

Connor punched Damon in the face as an answer. Then he turned to Blaze, looking incensed. "Get me one of the Originals, or so help me, I will stake you myself."

As if he could. "Fine." Blaze stalked away stealthily until she made it back to town.

"I hate to be one to side with the likes of Damon Salvatore, but if we're to have peace in this town we had better get rid of those pesky loose ends staking my hybrids." Klaus grimaced toward his younger brother as they sat in his study the following evening.

Kol rolled his eyes. "All this talk, brother. That skank set me on fire, and I want to teach her a lesson," he grinned menacingly.

"Oh Relax, Kol. So we underestimated the girl. Mark my words, the moment we find out her weakness we'll have all we need to…" Klaus froze to listen suddenly, the edges of his lips turning upward with pleasure. "Foolish girl."

"Impatience," Kol leered with equal satisfaction, "so tragic a weakness, yet so common."

Blaze crept around the base of the staircase adjacent to the ballroom. She felt somewhat frantic, but unafraid, even though she knew that she'd probably end up dying in the next few minutes.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up at a house owned by vampires." Klaus's serene grin nearly caused her knees to buckle in fear as he appeared near the top of the stairs.

"You have nothing you can take from me that I haven't already lost." The numbness covered her like a shield.

"On the contrary," Klaus sped down to her level and leaned against the steps with ease. "I happen to know for a fact that your mother is currently sipping a cocktail at a pub in Scottsdale."

The pit of Blaze's stomach churned with shock and anger. Of course Klaus would have tried to find a weakness, but she didn't have any. "I have no room in my life for those who disappoint me."

Her answer greatly surprised Klaus. In that way alone the two of them were much alike. If she had been a vampire their compatibility would have been unquestionable.

But she wasn't a vampire; she was a means to an end. "It seems a pity you have so little to live for. After all we have so much in common. You could join us, you know. You could become a vampire."

This was the break Blaze needed, an opportunity to weaken Klaus's defenses. She gulped as though in fear. "My whole life has been consumed with killing vampires. Why would I throw everything away to become one?"

She knew Klaus was stalling. She heard Kol behind her across the room in her earpiece and braced for attack.

Suddenly Klaus smiled. "Forgive me, my dear. You're absolutely right. Becoming a vampire just isn't for you."

Taking that as her cue, Blaze swung around unexpectedly and shot Kol in the chest with a stake as he flew toward her. Then with her left hand she thrust a vervain stake into his heart.

A second later Klaus had her pinned to the ground. "Impressive reflexes, sweetheart. It's a shame I'll have to kill you, really."

Blaze couldn't move, and she inhaled deeply, preparing for death. Klaus's face darkened, and she closed her eyes calmly.

Out of nowhere the weight suddenly lifted from her body, and Klaus's body was hurled across the room. Blaze stared up in wonder at her rescuer, just to find herself face to face with Elijah. Her heart fluttered oddly, and she exhaled shakily, not understand the emotions that were flooding around her mind.

But she knew Klaus would only be out for seconds, and Connor would kill her if she failed again, so she ran across the room and syringed the Original hybrid with vervain. Then she turned to Elijah, growing fluttery all over again.

"Why?" Blaze whispered uncertainly.

Elijah looked as if he wasn't sure of the answer himself, but he quickly recovered. "I was merely repaying my debt to the girl who rescued me from a rather vicious mugging."

"Oh please…" Blaze rolled her eyes, but a pang of guilt quickly sifted in place of her sarcasm. "I'm taking Kol."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Elijah blocked her way confidently.

"Please," she begged in a whisper.

Elijah narrowed his gaze toward her. "Forgive me, but I find it a bit strange that you would face death from a vampire with so little fear, yet the thought of another human ending you seems to fill you with such dread." In a flash Elijah appeared before her. "Are you so afraid to die at the hands of your own kind?"

Blaze's heart stuttered. Elijah's eyes pierced into her own. She wanted to slap him, or stake him, or kiss him, or rip his shirt open or something… Why of all people, did he have to be the one to affect her so intensely? Ugh…

But finally she found the will to speak, "Anything less than what I've spent my life training for would be failure."

"I see," Elijah brought his hand to Blaze's hair and swept it carefully behind her ear.

She closed her eyes, letting a tear fall from her eye. The pain and anguish, the ecstasy and joy of Elijah touching her was unimaginable, but she had to make it stop or she would explode.

In one swift motion, Blaze brought up her arm and shot Elijah with a stake through the heart. "I'm so sorry," she paused and kissed the Original's forehead as she laid him carefully on the floor. Then she ran hastily to Kol's body, secured him with ropes, and carried him swiftly from the home.

From the other side of the room Klaus lay quietly with his eyes wide open and a mischievous grin growing on his lips. He'd found the huntress's weakness.

Yikes! What's Klaus going to do? Thanks for reading. Please review. Love you guys. :-) -Viola