Chapter Twenty Three: Echoes of Silence

"Talk to me baby, tell me what you're feeling,

You say you don't need to go, don't pretend you didn't know,

How all of this would end up, girl I saw it in your eyes

And baby I can read your mind…

So baby don't go home, I don't wanna spend tonight alone

Baby please, would you end your night with me…"

Ooo0ooO

(Charlie's POV)

I was going to kill him.

I ran through the trees, fury and adrenaline fuelling me every step of the way. I snarled under my breath quietly.

When I burst out the woods in front of the mansion, I shifted back.

"Klaus!"

"Hello mate." I turned quickly and saw Klaus standing behind me, arms folded behind his back.

"What did you do?" I demanded, storming up to him. Klaus raised a brow.

"I don't know what you mean," he replied.

In a flash, his head snapped back when my fist connected with his nose. Blood trickled down out of the corner of his mouth and nose slowly. Klaus turned his gaze back to me and it was deadly.

"You know exactly what I mean, you son of a bitch. Did you hurt her after you compelled her?" I snarled, flashing my wolf eyes. Klaus opened his mouth to reply but he found himself on the forest floor, with a cut from my knuckles healing on his cheek.

"I would never hurt her," Klaus snarled quietly. I bared my teeth and kicked him in the ribs, sending him crashing into a tree. He fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Yeah, well after your little talk she ended up in the hospital," I spat. Klaus's gaze snapped back to me and he seemed to pale a little.

"What?"

"Don't you fucking act all innocent," I snapped. "What did you make her forget?"

"Nothing," Klaus hissed.

Howling, I shifted and lunged for the Hybrid. I tackled him to the ground and set my teeth in his shoulder. He ripped me off and shifted and snarled furiously at me.

Snarling back at the large gray wolf, I leapt forward and tore at his shoulder, going for his neck. We ended up in a tangle of snarling teeth and blood.

Klaus's teeth shredded my ear and I yelped before slashing my fangs down the side of his face, right under his eye. We finally sprang apart and glared at each other, teeth bared, muzzles streaked with each other's blood.

I shifted back, fists still clenched, wounds healing. He followed suit and watched me with flat eyes.

"I want to go see her," he said. My eyes narrowed.

"Over my dead body," I said harshly. Klaus flashed so he was in my face.

"That could be arranged."

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

I slept dreamlessly in my hospital bed, warmed by the gentle morning sun. A nurse had turned on the radio and out it on low and I felt my lips curve when I slowly woke up.

The song changed and Ed Sheeran quietly filled the room.

"I've moved far away from you and I want to see you here

Beside me, dear, but things aren't clear

When we never even tried, we never even talked

We never thought in the long run

Whenever it was painful, whenever I was away

I'd miss you and I miss you…"

I sighed and began to quietly singing along.

"She was mine, and I was hers and all that's in between

When she would cry, I would shelter her and keep her

From the darkness that will be…

Don't drop me in, it's not my time

If you cut deep then I might learn

That you'd scar and leave me like a sunburn…"

A lone tear trickled down my cheek, glistening in the soft light.

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

I stared into Charlie's eyes –Annabelle's eyes—and watched the man have the audacity to smirk.

"If you kill me, she will never forgive you," he said quietly. His eyes stayed steady on me.

I stepped away from the older werewolf. I regarded him coolly, feeling the ache in my dead heart were his point had hit.

No, he was right. If I killed Charlie, Annabelle would undoubtedly loathe me for the rest of her life.

If she didn't already.

I nodded at Charlie, who still watched me with a furious glint in his eyes.

"I apologize about compelling your sister," I told him. "But it was necessary."

The gold in Charlie's eyes flamed back to life briefly. "Compulsion is never necessary. You just like being a control freak."

"That's rather harsh judgment coming from the man who barely knows me," I murmured.

"No, I don't know you," he agreed. "But I do know my sister. And right now, thanks to you, she's lying in a hospital bed. You're breaking her, Klaus. I sure as hell won't let you break her anymore than you already have."

His ice-cold words hit me and my lips thinned in pain.

"I didn't mean-,"

"I know. It still happened."

Again, I nodded. "I better be off then."

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

I opened my eyes and stared out the window. A little robin with a bright red belly sat on the tree outside, perched in its little nest made of twigs.

I heard its quiet chirping through the glass and I absently brushed the tear away from my cheek.

A knock came from the door. I turned and saw Dr. Fell standing in the doorway, with a gentle smile on her lips.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Better, I guess," I replied. She walked over and looked at my charts at the end of the bed.

"Do you want something to eat?" I almost rolled my eyes; I knew that was a test.

"Yes," I said, barely keeping the sarcasm out of my voice. Dr. Fell shot me a slated look, which probably meant I wasn't successful.

"I'll have a nurse send you in some breakfast," she said. I nodded and she walked out of the room and slid the door shut behind her.

I looked back out the window and saw the robin was gone. I frowned a little. I turned on my side and felt something slide along my neck.

Reaching up, my fingers met cool metal resting between my breasts. I blinked. It was Klaus's necklace. I pulled it out from my hospital gown and looked down at it.

"Another story for another time." I flinched at the sound of Klaus's voice echoing in my head. The silver necklace flashed in the sunlight.

I remembered the morning I had put it on and the pleasant feeling I got when he hadn't protested.

"It suits you," he had said. I clenched my fist around it.

When did things change?

When did we go from being strangers to a couple? Did it all really happen in a matter of days?

"Annabelle, girlfriend of the strongest creature in the world."

When did he start opening up to me? Why was it so easy for us?

When did things get so complicated?

These questions buzzed around in my head like confused bees. I saw Klaus smiling at me in my mind, lying next to me in bed.

Klaus, cooking me breakfast. Spraying me with the sink hose.

Klaus laughing.

I closed my eyes against the memories. I took a deep breath.

"If it's meant to be, it will work out," I murmured to myself. I remember my mom telling me that once, when I was little.

I wondered what she would have said about all of this if she was still alive. I could still picture her, tall with curly red hair and gray eyes. My dad, standing next to her, with his messy brown hair and green eyes that always seemed to be smiling.

I whimpered and curled into a ball.

After all this time, it still hurt.

God, I missed them.

Ooo0ooO

(Charlie's POV)

I went back to the hospital to check on Anna. I found her lying in bed, on her side. I spotted drying tears on her pale cheek.

"Anna?" I asked gently. She turned at the sound of my voice and gave me a weak smile.

"Hey," she said. I walked over and sat down on the bed and took her hand.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Her eyes met mine, giving me her answer.

"I was just thinking of Mom and Dad," she murmured. Her gaze looked back towards the window. "I miss them, Charlie."

I laid down next to her and put my arm around her thin shoulders. She sighed and leaned against me.

"Me too," I said.

"What do you miss most?" she asked quietly. I thought about it.

I remembered how much time we use to spend with each other. We would go on camping trips, we would have family movie nights, and we would go on spontaneous ice cream runs when we were kids.

"There was this one night," I started. "Where we were all in the living room, watching a movie together. You were sitting on the floor while Mom was braiding your hair and playing cards with Dad and I. I remember us laughing and how…"

"Happy we were," Annabelle finished. "We were watching Liar Liar and playing Uno."

I smiled. "You were in high school, dating that Zack kid." Anna laughed.

"The one you threatened to beat up if he broke my heart," she mused.

"I kept to my word, didn't I?" I teased. She jabbed her elbow in my ribs.

"Even after I told you to stop threatening my boyfriends."

"It's my brotherly duty," I said simply. Anna leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I know," she sighed. "Did… Did you…with Klaus?"

"Yes," I said darkly. "I kicked his ass and he got in a few licks." Anna gasped.

"What?" she breathed. I shrugged.

"I'm fine," I said flatly.

"Charlie," Annabelle scolded. "Why did you even go looking for a fight with him in the first place?" I paused. I didn't want to tell her about Klaus compelling her, but it felt wrong to lie to her.

"I had my reasons. I'm sure he'll 'fess up sometime soon," I replied. I saw Anna purse her lips and nod a little.

A nurse entered the room with a tray of food. She shot me a dirty look.

"Annabelle needs to eat, doctor's orders," she said primly. I took the hint and slid out of the bed and into the chair next to it. The nurse, whose label read "Joy", set the food in front of Anna then left the room without saying another word.

Annabelle shot me a bemused look. "She seemed quite…joyful," she said dryly. I grinned.

"Like the sun," I said. Anna snorted and took the lid off the plate. The scent of eggs and bacon filled the room. I snagged a slice and Anna slapped at my hand.

"I need to eat more than you do," she scolded. I bit into the bacon and gave her a sly smile.

Anna ate all of her food and Nurse Joy took her tray away and left the room in stony silence.

"You know," I said after she closed the door. "I think I prefer the annoying one from Pokémon." Anna burst out laughing.

"How old are you again?" she teased. I gave her an innocent look.

"Still a kid at heart," I replied. She shook her head at me with a smile.

"Dork."

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

Putting Annabelle in the back of my mind, I commenced the business I had to attend to. Kol was being a bloody nuisance and I was elected to babysit the eldest Salvatore brother from my brother's compulsion.

Spending the day down in the Salvatore cellar proved to be not entirely dull, Damon was always entertaining in his own way.

Except right now, it was turning into a more personal conversation and it was making me uncomfortable.

Damon's bright blue eyes fixed on my shrewdly when I asked him how he made Elena forget about all of the terrible things he had done in his lifetime.

"I think this has to do with a certain brunette werewolf," he said. I felt my jaw clench.

"I think you murdered Carol Lockwood and all those people and I think you're worried Annabelle is never going to forgive you." I stiffened at his words.

"You've done worse," I retorted.

"Debatable. See I don't mind being the bad guy, because somebody has to fill that role and get things done. You do bad things for no reason. You do them to be a dick."

"Debatable," I said quietly.

Damon shrugged. "If you're going to be bad, be bad with purpose. Otherwise you're just not worth forgiving."

I considered his words for a moment. "Do you truly believe I'm worth forgiving?" I frowned at my own words, still slightly uneasy with the course of this conversation.

Damon looked at me from the cot. "Do you?" he shot back, raising a black brow.

"Debatable," I repeated solemnly.

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

Charlie left later to go get some sleep, so I decided to turn on the hospital television to fill the silence.

I closed my eyes and let myself relax while the news was set on low volume.

I pictured the river, the trees I had come to love. I drifted lightly, dozing.

I could feel the warmth from the sun against my skin; I could hear the birds singing in the trees. I felt the cold water rush over my hand when I placed it in the river.

I fell into the dream on a sigh.

I laid down in the grass and looked up at the sky, which was bright, bold blue. Clouds spotted the sky and I saw them form pictures.

There was a bunny, a cat and even a dragon.

Amused with myself, I smiled.

"Enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, sweetheart?" A shadow fell over me, blocking out the sun. Klaus looked down at me with a smile.

"Always," I said. He sat down beside me and looked out over the river. The wind tousled his blonde hair.

"I miss you," I whispered. Klaus turned his dark blue eyes to me and he reached over and stroked my cheek.

"I miss you too," he replied softly.

A sharp pain hurtled me out of the dream and I gasped as my eyes snapped open.

A deep, burning sensation sizzled through my body and I screamed out in shock. It felt like my skin was on fire, and pain echoed through my veins.

I cried out again when the fire coursing along my skin honed in on my wrist. I saw the blue lines from the soul bond ignite along my flesh, glowing vividly.

Dr. Fell and a nurse came rushing in.

"Annabelle?" Dr. Fell asked, concerned coloring her tone. "What's wrong? What happened?" Her eyes landed on my wrist and widened.

"What-?" I gasped loudly when another wave of pain surged through me.

"I don't know!" I yelped. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to focus on controlling the agony.

Pain. Oh God, so much pain. It was twisted and dark, consuming every fiber of my being.

Klaus? I opened my eyes and looked at Dr. Fell.

"I need to leave. Now."

Ooo0ooO

(Charlie's POV)

I was sitting back in my hotel room when my phone rang. I looked at the caller I.D. and answered immediately.

"Anna?" I asked, confused.

"Charlie. I'm out of the hospital."

"Wh-,"

"There's no time. It's Klaus. Something's wrong. Really wrong. I'll call you when I find him."

"Anna-,"

"Just trust me, please."

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone in shock, and then sighed.

"Be safe," I murmured.

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

To ease myself out of the discomfort I was feeling, I began taunting Damon with the memory of how Stefan resisted my compulsion due to his love for Elena.

"Now that's love," I finished.

"What do you know about love?" Damon asked sarcastically. I deliberately ignored him.

"I know that you're in love with Elena, but I think you're afraid of what might happen when we find the cure at the end of the rainbow. Personally, I don't see a fairy tale ending for you. All I see is Stefan and Elena. I think you see the same thing."

My phone rang and I took it out of my coat pocket. "Well if it isn't the happy homicidal maniac," I answered.

"Do you know that your darling formal blood bag and her brother are trying to kill me?" Kol demanded.

"What?" I asked angrily.

"Don't pretend like you're not in on it. Your obsession to find the cure clearly triumphs any sibling loyalty you once felt," Kol spat.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm and kill Elena just for sport. Then I'm coming for you."

Then he hung up. I looked over at Damon and saw his eyes widen before I snatched him by the throat.

Slamming him against the wall, I snarled, "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know," he wheezed.

"What are Stefan and Elena planning?" I asked slowly.

"I don't know. I've been stuck in the penalty box here since yesterday. Stefan won't talk to me and Elena won't come and see me. So maybe you're right. Maybe she's written me off."

"Tell me what you know," I said, compelling him.

"I don't know anything about a plan," he said tonelessly. I gritted my teeth.

"Stay here until I return," I ordered before storming away.

Damon winced.

"I'll stay here until you return…or not."

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

I shifted after hanging up on my brother.

I ran through the dark woods, sprinting faster than I ever have before.

Something was wrong. To say I felt in my gut was an understatement.

Pain and fear ran through me simultaneously and I felt my heart thudding hard against my ribs.

I heard Klaus screaming in my mind and I whimpered while I ran. He was incoherent but his fury was leaving a sour taste on my tongue.

Despite everything, he needed me.

I'm coming, Klaus.

Just hold on.

Ooo0ooO

(Klaus's POV)

I arrived at Elena Gilbert's house in time to hear my brother's screams.

I saw Jeremy Gilbert shove the white oak stake through his heart, and Kol burst into flames, still screaming and writhing in agony.

I stood rooted to the ground.

Something deep within me snapped. A disgusting mixture of black fury and agony consumed me and when I saw Elena and Jeremy try to run out of the house, I stood in their way.

Elena's eyes widened in terror and I stared at her, fingers twitching to rip her apart.

"What did you do?" I demanded icily.

"We didn't have a choice! He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!" Elena explained desperately. I curled my lip at her.

"Lies! He never would have gotten inside if you hadn't set a trap for him!"

"You said you were going to put him down too!" she cried.

"I was going to make him suffer, on my terms! I'm going to burn this house to the ground," I threatened. "And then when you try to leave your lives I'll kill you without blinking."

"You kill us you'll never get to the cure! You'll never be able to make any more Hybrids. " Jeremy shouted.

"You really think I care for an instant about my bloody Hybrids? I want the cure so I can destroy it. I would have killed you all the second we dug it up but now I'm just going to watch you burn instead!" I snapped.

A blinding pain seared through my skull and I hollered in pain, crumbling to my knees. Another burning pain came from my wrist and I saw the gray lines appear, glowing in the dim light.

Bonnie charged by me, darting into the house. She looked at Jeremy wildly.

"Invite him in! Do it!" Jeremy hesitated.

"Come in."

I lunged forward but then smacked into an invisible wall. I growled like an animal, focusing on the Gilbert siblings.

"Living room, go!" Bonnie ordered. They ran into the kitchen and I chased them but ran into another wall. Snarling, I slammed my fist into it repeatedly.

I then saw Jeremy take out the white oak stake from Kol's heart before they dashed for the door. Bonnie walked up to me, her green eyes flashing with challenge.

"Witch. You can't do this to me," I hissed. Bonnie's chin tilted up in defiance.

"You have no idea what I can do now." I looked at the lot of them, baring my teeth.

"I will hunt all of you to your end!" They all fled into the night.

"Do you hear me! Do you!"

Ooo0ooO

(Annabelle's POV)

My instinct brought me to Elena Gilbert's house.

I slammed to halt when I saw Elena, Jeremy and Bonnie running out of the house. I heard Klaus screaming after them.

"I will hunt all of you to your end! Do you hear me? Do you?"

I snarled and they spotted me, sliding to a stop. I bared my teeth menacingly, growling.

"Who is that?" Bonnie asked Elena, her green eyes latched on me. I snarled viciously and approached them slowly, bristling.

"Jeremy, run," Elena said, shoving at Jeremy's arm. I saw the bloody stake in his hand and focused on him.

Shifting back, I glared at the younger boy. "What did you do?"

Elena flinched. "Annabelle?"

I snarled at the vampire, flashing my fangs. "Shut up," I snapped. "I asked you a question, Jeremy."

"He deserved that and a whole lot more," the teenager replied coldly. I was in his face in a second.

"Have a care," I said just as coldly. "Or else you're going to find yourself six feet under."

Elena's eyes narrowed and blackish veins spread briefly. I snapped my teeth at her in warning.

"Back off," I warned. She eyes me then grabbed Jeremy, taking off with the witch. I let them go and bounded up the stairs into the house.

I burst through the doorway and saw Klaus standing there with a terrifying expression on his face.

"Klaus?" His eyes snapped up and met mine.

All that anger fled and all was left behind was hurt. He collapsed and I flashed forward to catch him.

"Hey, hey," I said, stroking his hair, his back. He slumped against me, silent sobs wracking his body.

"Klaus," I murmured. "Niklaus, I'm here."

Then his arms were around me, crushing me to him. I gasped but kept stroking.

"Shh, it's okay," I said soothingly.

"Annabelle," he whispered in a broken voice. "They killed him. They killed Kol."

He pulled away, his eyes dark and burning.

"They murdered him. And I couldn't stop them. He's dead." I looked past him and saw Kol's burnt body lying in the kitchen, with a gaping hole in his chest.

I wrapped my arms around his middle, holding him close. "Baby I'm so sorry," I said quietly. "So sorry."

"You're here," he said, his voice full of quiet shock. I pulled back just enough to rest my hand against his cheek.

"I'm here," I confirmed. I flexed my wrist, still tattooed with the dark blue lines. He touched my wrist and I saw his was lined too.

Klaus closed his eyes then and put his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lowered his forehead against mine.

"Don't go," he whispered. I rubbed his neck.

"I won't," I promised. Klaus lifted me up carefully and carried me to the couch. He placed me down and sat down, before burying his face in the curve of my neck.

"Klaus, we have to bury him," I said gently. He shuddered. His cheek slid down so his ear was right above my heart. He released a shaky breath.

"I know." I pressed a kiss to his head, squeezing my eyes shut, willing for his pain to lessen. I pushed to send waves of comfort to him and my wrist tingled. Klaus shivered.

"Thank you," he said in a quiet voice.

"Of course," I replied simply.

I closed my eyes and began quietly singing to him.

"I always needed time on my own

I never thought I'd need you there when I cried

And the days feel like years when I'm alone

And the bed where you lied, is made up on your side.

"When you walk away, I count the steps that you take

Till you see how much I need you right now,

When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you

When you're gone, the face I came to know is missing too

When you're gone the words I need to hear

To always get my through the day, and make it okay

I miss you…"

Klaus's eyes lifted, dark with another kind of emotion. Electric sparks snapped down my spine while our gazes stayed locked in this frozen moment.

"I've never felt this way before,

Everything that I do, reminds me of you

And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor

And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do…"

His breathing slowed.

"I miss you,

We were made for each other, out here forever

I know we were…

All I ever wanted was for you to know,

Everything I do I give my heart and soul

I can hardly breathe; I need to feel you here with me…"

I cupped his cheek and he leaned into my touch.

"The words I need to hear will always get me through the day

And make it okay… I miss you…"

Klaus pushed his forehead against mine and released a deep breath.

I wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay. I wanted to beg him not to kill Elena, Jeremy or Bonnie. I wanted him to run away from this.

I looked into his eyes, that midnight blue hue that broke my heart, and wished i could take away all the torment he had suffered.

Instead, I stared back at him, lost for words.

One thought circled my head again and again while time ticked by.

I love you. I love you.

I love you so much, Niklaus.

Ooo0ooO

Author's Note: What an intense episode! Sorry it took a while to update, it was a tough chapter to write! I hope you guy enjoyed it!

Let me know what you thought of it!

P.S. This chapter included Ed Sheeran's "Sunburn" as well as Avril Lavigne's "When You're Gone"!