Poison & Wine ~ Chapter XIX

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Tennessee

"Ugh, where's Rudy?" Sarah groaned as she put food down for him.

"I don't know, I've not seen him in a little while," I replied, crossing my arms in the doorway of the kitchen. I had on shorts and a tank top, as well as some of my sweat from training on my body. With my past few months spent between Florida and Tennessee, I had gotten adjusted to this hot weather.

"Will you go get him, Sarah?" Alicia, who was cooking, looked over at her friend.

Sarah sighed. "I suppose." She left the kitchen and I turned toward Alicia.

"Thank you for inviting me here," I said finally. "This has been very… refreshing."

"Oh, no problem," She glanced over at me with a smile. "How's your training going?"

"Good, I think I'm making real progress," I nodded. "Plus, being taught by werewolves how to successfully fight a vampire in a human body helps tremendously."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet. So what do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?"

"Ugh, don't remind me!" I rubbed my eyes. "I just want to train, and nothing else. No party, no presents. Nada."

"Aw, come on! It's your eighteenth birthday! We've gotta do something!" She protested, reminding me strongly of Caroline. I had a ping of longing for home.

"I'm serious, nothing. And now, I think I'm going to go jump in the shower. It's been a long day of training with Zach," I said, heading out of the kitchen.

"Alright," She said in defeat.

For the past month and a half, I've been staying and training with various packs of werewolves that Tyler had recommended me for here in Tennessee. I had gone down to Florida for a while, but they didn't like me much, so I came here. Surprisingly and fortunately, they were all very accepting of me and immediately threw me into training with them. At first, I struggled because I didn't have any muscle built up, so I was the laughingstock of them. But after the first few weeks, I began keeping up with them. Now, I was getting closer to my goal of actually being able to defend myself against a vampire. I wasn't going to go out and hunt them, but it was a good skill to have.

The reasons I begun training was because the whole thing that went down with Klaus' sacrifice and my aunt Jenna losing her life in the process as well as my biological father John, and then the other reason was Elena. She was so whiny about Stefan running off with Klaus to save Damon's life, and obsessing over finding him. It was tiring to be around her, especially because I'd sworn to never think or speak of Klaus again, as well as I had sworn to loathe him for the rest of my life. But, unfortunately for me, I was the doppelgänger of his past love, as well as his brother's past love, Anastasia, so I didn't think he'd forget me so easily, but then again, I'd not seen a sign of him since. To contradict that, I thought his brother Elijah wouldn't forget me so easily but it appears he has. I once had shared something special with Elijah, but he let Klaus live instead of killing him at the sacrifice just so he could get the rest of their family back from Klaus, who carried them around, daggered, in coffins.

Anything that Elijah and I might have had, was gone now since he saved the man that killed my twin sister – she resurrected, though, thanks to our biological father – and my aunt. The only thing I was somewhat grateful for him was that his blood saved Damon from the werewolf bite that should have killed him.

My twin sister, Elena, was also a doppelgänger. The doppelgänger of the sister of Anastasia. Though, I didn't know that sister's name, she was sacrificed in a ritual to turn the Originals into vampires and her blood was used for the spell to repress the werewolf side of Klaus.

Being here, even though it was refreshing, I still missed my brother and sister, even more so since I first left. I missed my friends, and even Damon. We had become friends, though it was slightly odd to be around one another with such ease again. I also still missed Elijah secretly, despite what he did. He had a huge impact on me. I hadn't seen nor heard from him, and no one back in Mystic Falls had either. But, I wasn't my sister and I wasn't going to obsess over finding him.

Hearing something crash from downstairs, I sat up from my bed. Did someone break in? Surely not. I grabbed one of my books just in case and cautiously walked out of my room despite my gut screaming no. This was a perfect set up to a horror movie. I moved down the hall and headed down the stairs. I decided not to call out Sarah or Alicia's name, because, if someone was in here, it would alert them where I'm at.

I stopped mid-ways down the stairs, realizing how ridiculous I was thinking. Alicia probably saw a bug and flipped. Dropping my defensive stance, I continued, and called out, "Hey, Alicia? Bo says he's pulling up, and I'm going to go greet him—"

As soon as I hit the bottom of the stairs, I bumped straight into what felt like a brick wall. I almost fell, but hands caught me. I looked up, not expecting what I saw.

Those blue eyes.

"What a small world," He said, his blue eyes twinkling with something unreadable.

"No!" I shoved him off of me. I started to run for the door, but he anticipated my movements and blocked my path.

"Off so soon, love?" Klaus asked, giving me a smirk.

"Back off!" I went to punch him, but he was too quick and caught my fist.

"Let's play nice—" He said and I elbowed him in the gut and ran for the kitchen, only to bump into another person.

I stared up at the person in complete shock. "Stefan," I managed out. Why was I so shocked? It made sense, Klaus was here. Before I could dwell any longer, I was yanked around and turned toward Klaus.

"A very strong hit for a human," He said, moving the strains of hair from my face. I slapped his hand away, and glared at him.

"Don't touch me," I growled. "You have no right after what you've done."

He stared at me a moment before looking up at Stefan. "You take care of the other two. I'll take care of this lively one," He pulled me out of the house before I could protest.

"Let go of me, you murderer! Alicia! Sarah!" I screamed out, and he yanked me roughly down off the porch, and leaned close to my face, his blue orbs peering into my brown ones.

"Now, Andy, don't seem so bitter," He grinned at me, his dimples appearing. "You were the only thing I regretted leaving behind in that one pony town."

I stepped back from him, hearing screams from inside the house, but he still had a grip on my arm. "Let go of me, Klaus!" What was Stefan doing in there to them? "Don't hurt my friends! Please!"

Instead, he pulled me toward the car. "Sorry, love, I am going to have to bring you along with us. Can't have you running off and telling the other Salvatore you saw Stefan."

I scoffed as he pulled me along behind him. "Seriously? You're going to kidnap me? Again?! Over something so pathetic!"

He opened the door to the passenger seat for me, and I just stood there. "Well?" He motioned for me to get in.

"I'm not so supposed to get in a car with a psychotic, murderous, Original Hybrids," I said dryly.

He rolled my eyes and picked me up by my waist and sitting me down in the car. "You don't have any say in the matter, love."

"Screw you," I muttered, turning my back toward him. There was no point to try and run; Klaus was a Hybrid. He would easily catch me. The door closed and then the driver's seat opened before he climbed in. We sat in an uncomfortable silence and I picked up my book that I still held and tried to ignore his piercing stare that would always find its way to me every few seconds.

Why was he so interested in me? Especially since I treat him so coldly! He shouldn't even have let me live this long, given his reputation. Right then, the passenger door opened and Stefan climbed in.

"Ready?" Klaus asked with a smirk.

"Let's just go," Stefan looked back at me in the mirror, and we held our gazes for a moment longer before we broke them once Klaus started the car.

"Where's my friends?" I asked finally, though I knew it wasn't going to be good especially with the blood I saw on Stefan's shirt. I didn't even put up a good fight when I heard them scream, I just let Klaus take me. Was it because I knew Klaus would make me stay away and still place me in the car? Yeah, that had to be it.

"Don't ask a question you don't want to know the answer to," was Stefan's response. I swallowed the bile in my throat and turned toward the window as silent tears began building in me. Sarah and Alicia were dead. Because of me. Why else had Klaus shown up there? If I had never come to Tennessee they would be alive right now.

I started thinking about Elena… Since Klaus sacrificed her, he believed her to be dead, but she wasn't. Our biological father gave up his life so that she could live. Klaus hadn't suspected otherwise I assumed, so we didn't speak of it whatsoever. Stefan knew Elena was alive, but something told me he wouldn't be telling Klaus anytime soon, if he even did at all.

Why where they even in Tennessee? Why did they choose that house?

My eyes bored from my book to Klaus, and I caught him watching. I let him see how upset I was before I glared at him. Finally I turned my complete attention toward my book despite being unable to truly focus on it.

This would be a long trip.

I followed my companions silently into the bar that had a sign which read Southern Comfort, distantly remembering Alicia mentioning that was where Ray Sutton, a werewolf friend of mine, was currently. I went to sit at the bar while I heard Klaus tell Stefan to compel everyone in the bar. I pulled out my book and started reading again, while Klaus came and took a seat beside me.

He looked at my book. "Do you enjoy books, Andy?" He asked.

"No, I hate them. That's why I'm reading," I muttered. I really didn't want to talk to him.

"Do you read a lot of...? Jane Austen?" He seemed to find that funny.

I glanced up at him, pursing my lips. "I prefer it to interacting with sociopaths who kill everyone I love and everyone I come in contact with." Klaus didn't respond to that.

Once we had drove off from Alicia and Sarah's, I had read almost the entire time. Eventually, I attempted to get some sleep, but couldn't being in the same car as Klaus. Plus, I was pretty sure Stefan had just killed my friends, so I didn't feel exactly safe with them. And the best thing? When the sun rose, I realized it was my eighteenth birthday.

Today, I was officially legal. I could vote and do other stuff, but instead I had to be stuck with Klaus. Awesome way to celebrate your eighteenth birthday, huh?

Right then, the person that they had come to this stupid bar evidently walked in, because I saw Klaus grin from the corner of my eye.

"Finally," He said. I kept my head down and continued reading. Stefan was standing by my side, looking down at me. I frowned up at him, and he did the same to me. I saw the regret in his eyes very briefly. The Stefan I knew was still in there somewhere but that didn't change the fact he had killed my friends.

"Ray? Ray Sutton?" I heard Klaus ask someone. I turned my head. Ray? Ray was who they were looking for?

"Who wants to know?" A new, familiar voice responded. Ray. I looked him over, seeing he looked exactly as I remembered. After all, I had been training with his pack.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. We started in Florida, Pensacola. I met a young chap who you used to work with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely women. And they led me here to you," Klaus explained, and I was anxious to see how this would play out. So Klaus and Stefan hadn't shown up at that house for me but for Ray. Still, I did feel like I held some responsibility for Sarah and Alicia's deaths. I should've fought for them harder.

"I think I'll be going now," Ray, was making his escape slightly too late. Klaus moved to block his way, not ready to let him go at this point.

"Not so fast mate," He said to Ray. "You only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by."

I saw Ray try to walk the other way, but Stefan moved in, blocking his way. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Stefan said, and pushed Ray back.

"Vampires," Ray realized.

"Swiftly swift Ray. Yes, my friend here is a vampire, he compelled everyone in the bar, so don't look to them for help. I, however, I'm something else, a different kind of monster—"

"I could've told you that one," I muttered, and I saw Klaus' lip twitch slightly, but he continued on.

"—I've got some vampire, I've got some wolf."

"You what?" Ray asked in shock.

"A hybrid, Ray, I'm both. You see, I want to create more of me, now you being the first werewolf that I've come across in many a moon, pun intended, Ray," Klaus, the idiot Hybrid he is, smiled at his own joke. "I need you to direct me to your pack. So, where can I find them, Ray?"

"You can't compel me," Ray said, a little relief evident in his face. I groaned inwardly for him. Couldn't he just tell them? Would we really have to go through this?

While I was thinking dreadful thoughts about this, Stefan had already told the bartender to get the darts and explained to Ray that they would be playing truth or wolfsbane, and had pulled out a packet of wolfsbane and started crushing it up.

Klaus smirked at Ray, and it made my stomach drop. "Oh, this is going to be fun, Ray."

About half an hour later, Ray was chained up to the wall where the dart mat was while Stefan was dipping the darts into wolfsbane before throwing it at Ray. It would hit him perfectly each time. He would groan in pain and each time I felt like that was happening to me. Ray had noticed me right as Stefan was chaining him to the wall, I apologized to him over and over with him assuring me it was going to be okay. What else was I supposed to say?

Klaus sat by me, and we watched in silence. I tried to pay more attention to my book, but it was hard to take my eyes off of what was going on.

"Can I get you a drink, love?" Klaus asked, leaning very close to me.

I leaned away from him, looking over at him. "I don't drink alcohol."

"Why not?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Is it really any of your business, love?" I mocked his accent hand looked back down at my book.

I saw him smiling from my peripheral, and he pressed on for more conversation. "May I ask what part you are at?"

"No, you may not."

"May I see your book?"

"No," I closed my book and turned my back to him. "I don't like for others to touch my things."

"Why is that?" He asked, leaning forward, a smile pulling at those pink lips of his that were pretty distracting. He was trying to get under my skin, for me to get comfortable around him. That would not be happening, now or ever.

"Because it's mine," I snapped as I stood up and gestured to Ray. "Why do you have to torture him? Why can't you just accept that he won't tell you? Just let him go!"

Klaus began to argue with me but was interrupted by a woman approaching.

"Hello, mister Klaus," The woman addressed him. I snorted. Mister Klaus? "I have some more information for you. You told me to tell you if I saw anything," At this point, Stefan had heard the woman and came over to us, eavesdropping just as I was. "I saw the guys spotted Damon." I looked at them over my now tensed shoulders. Damon? Did that idiot bring Elena with him? He promised me he wouldn't let her into this stuff.

"Well thank you Claudine, you'll tell your friends to keep up the good work or they're gonna watch her," Klaus said, and the woman left. His eyes moved to meet mine. He did not look happy whatsoever.

Stefan walked up to him. "My brother still on our trail?"

"He's getting closer, I'm gonna have to deal with that," Klaus said as he stood and started heading off, but Stefan grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No, no, no. Let me handle it."

"Why should I let you leave?" Klaus questioned with curiosity.

"Cause, you know I'll come back," Stefan replied.

"Do I?"

"You saved my brother's life; I'm at your service."

"Ah, you seem so tedious and indentured, aren't you having the least bit of fun?" Klaus asked as he pointed to Ray with a huge smile.

"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore," Stefan glanced over at me before he walked away. I sighed, squeezing my eyes closed. When I opened them again, Klaus stood in front of me, a beer held out towards me.

Shaking my head, I covered my mouth and looked away. As badly as I wanted it, I'd have to resist. "I. Don't. Drink." I managed through clenched teeth. Didn't I mention this to him minutes ago?

"One beer won't hurt."

I glared over at him. "You know nothing, Klaus, nothing about what I've been through."

"You were checked into rehab last summer for substance abuse after your parents' accident and also were given a therapist for… other problems," He said, as a matter factly tone plaguing his voice. "You know, I could give you a therapist who knows of the supernatural."

I shook my head, clenching my fists. "That's my own business, you shouldn't know that unless I told you! And after everything you've done, you don't deserve to be told!"

He rolled his eyes. "Andy, you are overreacting, love."

I scoffed, standing up from my seat. I got up in his face. "You killed my sister and my aunt, then just had my sister's boyfriend kill two of my friends! I'm overreacting? I'm overreacting? I thought my reaction was quite fitting, Klaus!"

"And you are overreacting even more. Do you go to anger management—?" I swung my fist at his face, but he easily caught it. I swung my other hand and he caught it by the wrist, pulling me closer to where we were very close to one another. "You are cute when you're angry. I can't imagine what you look like when you're tranquil," He told me, his dimples prominent on his face.

I yanked my arms away. "Ugh, you're a pig! An even bigger one than Damon, and that's saying a lot!" I couldn't help the tears that were building in my eyes.

He rolled his eyes and I turned away from him. We stood like that for several moment until he sighed, and spoke up. "I apologize, Andy. Do forgive my sloppiness,"

I turned toward him. "I can't forgive you, Klaus. Do you realize what I've been through these past few months? No, you haven't. You've not lost almost everyone you love. I hate you more than you could ever imagine." I held my head for a moment, my mind reeling with so many different emotions. "Just leave me alone."

I went towards the ladies restroom and instantly had to catch myself from falling onto the ground. Being around Klaus... it brought out all of those raw emotions and bitterness I had for him. I felt myself cracking at the seams from this. Why was this just now hitting me?

After collecting myself, I went back out to find Ray on a pool table, and his neck snapped. I walked over to him and closed his eyelids, closing my eyes and saying a prayer to whatever deity was out there. Opening my eyes, I turned my head to see Klaus and Stefan talking, catching the end of the conversation.

"…You put on a good show, Stefan. I almost believe you. Let's hope, for your brother's sake, he does. You never stop caring about family, do you? But, every time you feed, the blood makes it easier to let go," Klaus said to him.

Stefan just stared back with a hard face. "Let's just go," He turned and walked right past me, out of the bar. Klaus noticed me standing next to Ray's body.

"Ready, love?" He asked.

I stared at him a moment before nodding. He went over to Ray and picked him up. "Why did you kill him?" I demanded as I picked up my book.

"He's coming back a hybrid, he isn't dead," He pointed out. I scoffed and followed him out the door. We got into the car, Stefan in the back to be closest to Ray's body just in case he woke up during the ride. Klaus and I were in the front.

Before long on the road, my phone rang. It was Damon.

"If I don't answer, he'll know something is wrong," I told Klaus instantly, so he nodded. It was obvious, though, I was not to say a word about being with them. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, birthday girl," Damon greeted with and I saw Klaus look over at me, but ignored it. "How's the sweet eighteenth been?"

"Not much exciting... I just trained all day. Did you bring those flowers to Elena's grave like I asked?" I edged that in there.

Damon was silent for a long moment. "Yes, I brought them there. They were nice."

I nodded despite the fact he couldn't see me. "Thanks… Hey, I've gotta go, but I'll call Jeremy and you tomorrow, okay?" He reluctantly said goodbye, and I stared out the window.

"Your birthday was today?" Klaus asked softly.

I didn't answer for a moment, and when I did, it was in a small voice. "I turned eighteen."

The rest of the ride was silent.

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The End of Chapter XIX