Chapter 36

Klaus and Cassie stood there looking at each other after the others had left. Both shaking with anger and rage.

"Who do you think you are" Cassie growled.

" I am the most powerful hybrid in the world and right now I am protecting you from Mikael, love" Klaus said.

"I don't need your protection, and you told me to grow Jeremy's mark, while you take of Mikael" Cassie said "that is what I'm trying to do"

"Not the very same night Mikael attacked us" Klaus growled.

"Why not?" Cassie countered, "This is the last thing he would expect"

"I'm not taking that chance," Klaus said "not with you"

"Well to bad, you don't get to make that call " Cassie replied "I understand that you need me to help Jeremy grow his mark, if you want the chance for you hybrid army back, you have to let me do this"

"I don't have to do anything, love" Klaus said, "that's the perk of being me I get to do whatever I want"

Cassie rolled her eyes and turned around starting her way to the door.

Klaus blurred in front of her, putting himself in between the door and her. "You're not going anywhere sweetheart," he said coolly.

"Move" Cassie gritted out.

"No" Klaus said

"Move" Cassie said again. "I'm done playing this game with you Nik sooner or later your going to realize that you cant dictate what I do and right now I have to go and make sure that my brother is ok"

"Hate to disappoint sweetheart, but your not going anywhere" Klaus said, "I'll make sure my sister watches over Jeremy"

Cassie looked up in Klaus's eyes. "What about Rebecca? What if Mikael goes after her."

"Rebecca is perfectly capable of taking care of herself," he said

Why aren't you as concerned about your sister as you are me?" she asked, "I'm just here to make sure your hunter stay safe,"

Here was the moment Klaus thought to himself, he had two options

Klaus put a hand through Cassie's hair.

"Because I care about you Cassandra Gilbert," he whispered.

"Nik, I" she started but was cut off by Klaus's lips crashing against hers.

She returned the gesture with equal passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Klaus wrapped his arm around her waist and pushed her up against the wall.

They broke for air.

Cassie was breathing heavily while looking into Klaus's lust filled eyes.

There was a snapping sound, and reality crashed down around Klaus.

"Hello" Cassie called snapping her fingers in front of his face "I asked you a question."

Option two I guess Klaus thought to himself.

Klaus growled and grabbed her hand.

"I am not all that convinced that you can actually handle yourself if Mikael did find you" He seethed.

Cassie wrenched her hand our of Klaus's grasp. "I can handle myself just fine," she said biting out every syllable.

"Your just a human" Klaus said

Cassie slapped her hand across his face.

Klaus snapped. He grabbed Cassie and shoved her into the wall, pinning her arms above her head.

Cassie brought up her knee only to have it shoved back down.

Klaus then used his body to prevent her body from moving by pressing himself against her. "Now tell me again how you can handle yourself in situations," he growled.

Cassie's chest was heaving as she took angry breaths. All she could think about was how Klaus was pressed up against her and she could feel his muscles and that Klaus really didn't think that she could handle herself.

"All vampires are stronger then you" Klaus bit out. " They are faster and stronger and they can control your mind."

"So what now?" Cassie said, "you don't want me to help with Mikael, you don't want me to leave with Jeremy."

Klaus laughed "I'm glad that you see how out matched you are."

"I am not some helpless little girl" she spat out.

"But you are" Klaus said, "you may be smarter and able to think a little bit faster but your still a human, your still weak."

"I'm not weak," she yelled trying to get free from Klaus's hold.

"Yes, you are, your mind and your body are weak, which is why I am going to compel you" he told her, his anger rising as she continued to fight him.

"Compel me?" Cassie asked "to do what?"

"Well for starters, maybe to get you to stop fighting, although I must admit I am quite enjoying you squirming underneath me." he smirked.

Cassie's breath caught, as she took in the words Klaus was saying. She couldn't help it when she imagined the feeling of his body pressed against her if they were to ever kiss.

"You're an ass" she finally spat out having her thoughts cleared from the sexual fantasy that is Nicklaus Michaelson. "And I hate to disappoint but you can't compel me"

"It's not like your wearing vervain" Klaus said "now, stop fighting" he compelled

"I can't believe you were actually going to do that" she yelled she trying to break free of him.

Klaus tilted his head "I know you didn't drink vervain, so this should work"

"Stop fighting" he compelled her again

"No" she yelled back managing to stomp on his foot.

Klaus snapped, his anger at her was just too much.

"WHY ISNT THIS WORKING" he yelled.

"BECAUSE YOU CAN'T COMPEL ME," she yelled right back.

"WHY NOT?" he countered.

"BECAUSE I AM ONE OF THE FIVE," she screamed.

Klaus froze in shock. No, there was no way, his Cassie couldn't be on of them, and there was no way he fell for one of the five. "You're lying," he whispered taking a step away from Cassie, releasing her from his grip.

"I'm not" she whispered right back.

"You can't be" he said, his voice still soft.

"I am" was all she replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked

"Because if you knew I was both one of the five and a doppelganger, it kills two birds with one stone, and Jeremy would be left without protection."

"Was this your plan all along?" he asked, his voice louder then before.

"My plan?" Cassie asked confused.

"To come here and play nice so my family would trust you, so that the moment you had the cure you could kill us all" he asked

"What? No? Nik…. I" she said.

"Save it" he spat out. "I don't want to hear any more of your lies"

"I'm not lying," she screamed out. "I didn't come here to hurt your family"

"Lies" he growled "all of it. I bet your working with Mikael from the start. Helping him kill me at last, all he needed was someone on the inside and here you come. Beautiful and bright, looking just like Anita. Didn't take you long to worm your way into everything."

"I'm not working with Mikael, Nik, I have no interest in hurting your family" she said softy.

"I am tired of hearing your lies Cassandra," he growled.

"But I'm not" she said.

"From now on, I want you to stay away from my family." Klaus warned cutting her off "I wont kill you because I don't want to deal with the hunters curse again, but I swear if you come near my family again I can and will make you feel so much pain that you will beg for death." And just like that, Klaus turned around and left. Leaving behind the girl who had started to make him feel again.

The image of her as he spit out his warning haunting him.

Her bright eyes close to tears as she struggled to find the words to tell him the truth. Some of her hair had fallen from her bun and they hung in curls around her face.

Part of Klaus wanted to kiss her like he had imagined before and another part wanted to squeeze the life out of her with his bare hands for making him feel like a fool for trusting her.

Cassie watched him leaving. She struggled to find something to say, anything to make him turn around one last time but she couldn't find them. She had been trained in everything but this. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes as she squeezed them shut. Trying to wake up from this nightmare.

But it didn't work.

She opened her eyes, she was alone a feeling she had grown used to the past year. Alone kept you fast. Alone kept you from caring. However, Cassie had grown used to having people care about her these past couple of months and she forgot one thing.

Alone was lonely

Cassie left the boarding house, numb to the cold and decided to walk home, to give her time to clear her head. How did everything get so screwed up? How did her telling Nik that she was a hunter end up with she was working with Mikael?

"Please tell me it isn't true" Rebecca's voice broke her from the silence.

Cassie stared at her in confusion. "Becca what are you doing here you are suppose to be with Jeremy?"

"Nik called and told me the truth, so we all decided that it would be best to call it a night. Now answer my question" Rebecca said pleading with Cassie.

"Its true" Cassie whispered, tears coming back to her eyes as she watched Rebecca's heart broken expression.

"So you being my friend was just a ploy to get close to my family" Rebecca said

Cassie shook her head "no, Becca I have no interest in hurting your family, I came here for mine"

"Then why, why did you lie, to me, to Elijah, to Nik" she yelled.

"Because if you guys only thought there was one hunter, my brother would be protected." Cassie said, "If all of the sudden there were two,"

"Nik thinks your working with Mikael" Rebecca said

"I know" Cassie replied meekly "we just had that discussion"

"This wasn't suppose to happen" Rebecca yelled "your were suppose to fall in love with Nik because he was falling for you and he would finally be happy"

"I know" Cassie whispered.

"I'm going to ask once, and try not to lie anymore, are you working with Mikael?" Rebecca asked

"No" Cassie replied looking Rebecca into her eyes.

Rebecca took two seconds to look into Cassie's eyes to find if she was telling the truth or not.

"I don't believe you," she growled, her fangs sliding out of her mouth as she attacked Cassie.

Cassie groaned, waking up, she tried to remember what happened.

Rebecca attacked her.

She told Nik that she was one of the five.

Rebecca attacked her because she lied to her.

She lied to Nik.

Rebecca is hurt.

Nik.

Cassie tried to move and see the damage.

Nothing broken as far as she could tell, her hands were bound to some form of shackle and she was currently hanging from the ceiling.

Cassie pulled of the shackles seeing how much weight they could hold. Maybe she could pick the lock with the knife she had hid in her shoe.

"Good, your up" Rebecca said.

Cassie looked up into Rebecca eye's not saying anything.

"Now, I have been tasked to find out what Mikael is planning. Nik wanted me to play nice" Rebecca said walking over to a table with a bunch of knifes on it, "but let's face it," she said picking up a knife and walking over to Cassie. "I'm not nice" she finished as Rebecca slowly brought the knife down the length of her arm blood following the knife as it traveled down.

Still Cassie said nothing. She deserved this she thought to herself, for lying. And torture she could get through, she had been trained for this. She could survive.

Klaus was pacing back and forth in his study, how could he be so stupid, the signs were all there staring it in his face from the first time the met her.

He stopped and stared at the painting he was working on.

It was Cassie; she was smiling and looked happy.

Anger and pain boiled into him as he grabbed the painting and threw it into the fire with a yell. He watched as the flames captured the painting.

He knew that caring about someone made you weak, and this was just an ugly reminder that we was right, he made the decision to be alone a long time ago. After all if you didn't have anybody, you didn't have a weakness.

He heard Rebecca start her work and decided to leave, as much as he hated himself for it. He still cared for her and didn't think he could bear to hear her screams.

Stefan and Alaric were sitting in the loft.

"What do you mean she told them?" Alaric yelled.

"I mean, Cassie and Klaus got in an argument and in a moment of anger she yelled it out." Stefan said.

"Where is she?" Alaric asked.

Stefan shook his head. "She left her car at the boarding house, Caroline and Tyler are searching the woods and Bonnie and Jeremy are searching the town."

"Where are Elena and Damon?" Alaric asked.

Stefan didn't say anything.

"Well cant you use my blood to track her, like you did before." Alaric asked, desperation was seeping into his tone. "I can't lose her Stefan"

"You're not going to have to" Stefan said "because I know where she is"

"Where" Alaric asked standing up and grabbing his coat.

"Rebecca was the first person Klaus told about Cassie being a hunter, she and Cassie were friends, you were there when she hurt Damon for playing her." Stefan said not finishing the sentence, because Alaric already knew where this was going.

"Lets go" Alaric said grabbing the keys.

"We are going to break into the Originals mansion and take Cassie right from underneath their noses" Stefan said.

"If you don't want to come the don't" Alaric spat

"Oh no, I'm coming, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page" Stefan said following Alaric out of the loft.

Stefan's phone beeped.

"Hold on" he said.

"Stefan we cant wait" Alaric began.

Stefan held up the text to Alaric. "Klaus is at the Grill"

"Lets go" Alaric said.

Alaric and Stefan sat on either side of Klaus at the bar.

"Gents, what do I owe this pleasure" Klaus said after he took a drink form his drink.

"Where is she" Alaric seethed.

"Who?" Klaus asked.

"Klaus, lets not play this game," Stefan asked.

"Why not?" Klaus asked, "Games seem to be Cassandra's specialty"

Alaric growled and his hand slowly formed a fist.

Klaus saw this and laughed, "Easy their tiger, never fear your daughter is with Rebecca,"

Klaus's phone rang.

"Excuse Me," he said answering it why he walked away from them.

"I'm going to kill him," Alaric said as soon as Klaus was away from them.

"I'll help, but we need to get Cassie first" Stefan said

Alaric nodded as Klaus walked back over there.

"I'll get Cassie and make she isn't harmed, don't worry" Klaus said grabbing his jacket.

"Wait" Alaric called, but it was to late, Klaus was gone.

"What just happened" Alaric asked turning to Stefan.

"I think the more important question is who was that on the phone." Stefan replied.

Klaus walked into the room where Rebecca was holding Cassie.

"What are you doing Nik?" Rebecca asked.

"Leave sister" Klaus commanded.

Rebecca left leaving the two of them alone.

All of Cassie's hair had fallen down and it now hung in her face as she was hanging her head.

Her body was covered in blood and dirt from Rebecca's treatment.

Her dress was torn and her shoes were off and across the room.

Klaus's heart tightened, Cassie wasn't moving. Please he begged in his mind, move or make a sound please still be alive. This sight reminded him too much of when he killed Anita.

Flashback

Once he was sated with Anita's blood he pulled back and stared at his love.

"Come on" he said "there is no need to play, love I know you still love me, you said you would always love me"

But there was so sign of life from Anita.

"No" Klaus said looking for a pulse "Anita, come on you cant leave me," he begged as he bit his wrist and forced blood down her throat. But it was to late.

"You said you would always be there," he cried holding on to her body, her lifeless eyes staring right back at him.

Pain was radiating through Klaus, his body was on fire.

Later he would realize that, the pain was from triggering his werewolf gene but all he felt was heartbreak as the one girl who could make him smile wouldn't be there with him anymore.

And it was his fault.

His mother tried to warn him of the bloodlust but he had to see her, to tell her that he loved her, not her sister, her.

"I'm so sorry" he cried into her hair "please come back to me. I need you here with me"

He remained like that for hours until Elijah and Rebecca found him.

They helped him bury her.

End flashback

No, Klaus thought to him, I'm not going to let this happen again.

Klaus walked in front of Cassie. He put his pointer finger underneath her chin and lifted her head.

"Is it your turn" she managed to gasp out.

Klaus just shook his head and took one of his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice still quiet.

"Sshh" Klaus whispered. "I'm so sorry love"

Klaus took his other hand and undid the restraints; Cassie fell forward and leaned on him, thankful he was so close to her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again as he picked her up bridal style.

Cassie didn't say anything; she closed her eyes and turned her head into Klaus's body.

Klaus carried her up the stairs and into his room.

He laid her on the bed.

"Here" he said softly bringing his wrist up to his mouth so he could bite it.

Cassie sat up with the help of Klaus's other arm and drank from him.

She leaned into Klaus who sat next to her and supported her.

Once she had, had enough Klaus pulled his arm away and picked her up again.

"I don't understand" she whispered, still tired and barely consciousness.

"I know," he said as he brought her into the bathroom. Klaus sat her on the end of the tub and slowly slipped her dress off. He filled the tub with warm water and sat her in it.

"Nik" she said softly "I don't understand"

"Sleep sweetheart, I'll explain in the morning." He said softly.

Cassie closed her eyes and Klaus slowly and as gently as he could, wash the blood and grime off of her. "I should have listened to you little one" he said to himself, "I'm so sorry, you were right"

All Cassie replied was the deep even breath of her sleeping.

Once he was done, he drained the tub and dried her trying not to wake her; he dressed her back in one of his shirts and some sweatpants. Tucking her into his bed, he kissed the top of her head and walked out of the room.

Guilt and shame were coursing through him as he walked into the living room where Rebecca was sitting.

"What the bloody hell was that about" she asked him "I didn't get anything from her."

"And you weren't going to" Klaus said, "Because we were wrong. I was wrong, she wasn't working with Mikael"

Silence was in the room as Klaus's words sunk in.

"No" Rebecca whispered, "If she was telling the truth, then we, I just"

"Just tortured the only person to treat us decent in along time." Klaus finished off for her.

"How is she ever going to forgive us?" Rebecca asked us, tears know falling from her eyes.

Klaus kept walking out to the living room and stopped right next to door.

"She wont" he replied and he opened the door and kept walking.

Klaus kept walking into the woods until he came across the clearing where Cassie and the boys practice.

"Well you have screwed everything up haven't you?" came a voice behind him.

"Not now" Klaus replied.

"She told you Nik, she told you the truth, why didn't you believe her?" the voice asked again.

"Because she lied to me in the first place" Klaus told the voice.

"Did you ever ask her if she was one of the five?" the voice countered.

Klaus turned around to face the voice. "Why do you even care?" he asked.

"I owe Cassie" the voice replied. "And when I heard from Kol that you thought she was working for Klaus I knew I needed to find the proof that she was telling you the truth."

"Thank you" Klaus said, "For telling me before I did something even more incredible stupid."

"Anytime brother, we are family," the voice replied. "I have to go, goodbye Nik"

Klaus held out his hand to his big brother, "goodbye Robert"