Chapter 55

My cozy life

I looked at the woman I had first met over 500 years ago, she still looked exactly the same, although she was now wearing jeans and a blue sweater and her hair was different, it wasn't curly anymore. For some reason she seemed surprised, she was looking at me and Damon alternatively. I instinctively backed away, the last time our paths had crossed; she had compelled someone to stab me.

"What… Damon?"

"It seems that she knows you…Katherine," he said calmly.

Wait, she was Katherine? The woman who Damon loved? For a moment she looked confused.

"Why did you take the blindfold off?" she asked tensely.

"Oh come on, we're not some savages, are we? Just because she happens to be the wife of the devil, doesn't mean that we should be cruel to her."

Katerina or Katherine looked tense.

"No, of course not, but I thought we agreed to stick with the plan."

"We are, and she's going to help us to get Stefan back. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

I looked at them both cautiously, trying to understand what they were talking about. Why did they want to have Stefan back and how did they even know him… Then the realization hit me; Stefan was Damon's brother. The soulless, sadistic monster… That sounded about right. I started to understand what this was about but I couldn't understand what kept Stefan from coming back if he wanted to.

"And I think the little wifelet here can tell us a thing or two about Klaus. He must have some weaknesses."

I glared at him and signed that he could go to hell, although I knew that he couldn't understand me.

"Maybe we should get her a pen and some paper," Katherine muttered. I found her behavior very strange; it was almost like she would have felt guilty for keeping me here.

"She won't need them, not yet," Damon replied. "I'll have a little chat with her later, a very special chat. Now, can you behave nicely or do I have to tie you up again?"

I backed away shaking my head, I definitely didn't want to be tied up or tortured; I just wanted to go home. I felt a tear rolling down my cheek.

"Stop it, you're scaring her," Katherine said.

"Don't let her appearance to fool you," Damon snorted. "I don't buy that crap about her being innocent, if that's true, then what the hell is she doing with Klaus?"

"Maybe he's keeping her against her will, just like he's keeping Stefan."

What? Klaus definitely hadn't forced Stefan to stay with us, at least not back in the 20's. Why would he force him now? Damon turned to look at me.

"So, is it true, is he keeping you against your will?"

I shook my head angrily before I could think about it and placed my hands above my heart. They both stared at me disbelievingly.

"You…love him?" Katherine asked.

I nodded.

"How can you, he's a monster?"

I shook my head, they didn't know him.

"See, there's no reason to feel sorry for her," Damon snorted.

I really couldn't understand why he was acting like this, he was angry at me but still he had kissed me. What was his problem?

"We should leave her to settle down," he said and turned to me. "Maybe you can have something to eat later."

I touched my neck, trying to ask about my locket. It was very important to me; Klaus had given it to me as an anniversary present back in the 30's.

"You mean your necklace? I threw that bauble in a trashcan," he said coldly.

No… I glared at him and turned my back before he could see my tears, there was no way I would give him that satisfaction. If I could only understand what had I done to upset him so much…. Clearly he hated Klaus but why was he acting like this towards me? I was just about to turn around when the door closed. I was alone now in this small room. Although I knew how pathetic I was, I allowed myself to cry in order to calm down.

Maybe he had been right about one thing, I hadn't get used to something like this, at least not lately. The room itself didn't matter to me, it was the fear and uncertainty about what was going to happen to me. I had to admit that I had got used to my nice safe life, my books, my dog, the respect that other people showed me, although they might do that out of fear. Maybe my life had been too easy, but I still didn't think that I deserved this. I couldn't even remember the last time I would have felt pain so the thought of being tortured was terrifying. I curled up on the bed and tried to think about something else, Klaus, Daisy, Vincent… I promised to myself that if I could go back home to them, I would never complain about anything again.

...

"Good morning, sunshine," Rebekah said when Stefan opened his eyes.

"What…" he muttered. "Where are we?"

"Take a wild guess," Klaus replied callously. He didn't care about the speed limits when he drove through Mystic Falls, heading towards the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan rubbed his neck and got up to a sitting position.

"Why are we here?"

"I think you know damn well," Klaus snapped. "And just so you know, our agreement about me sparing your brother's life ended in the second he touched my Anna."

"Wait, you think Damon took her? How could he, he doesn't even know that she exists!"

"Apparently he does, who else would be stupid enough to steal from me?"

Stefan bit his lip.

"Klaus, please, let me talk to him, if he has Anna, I promise to get her back to you…"

"Thanks mate, but I think I can manage."

Klaus was already thinking about ways to make the bastard suffer, no one touched his Anna. If she had been hurt in any way, he would burn this whole damn town to ashes, there would be no survivors. These people had tested his patience more than enough already; who did they think they were dealing with? He was the original hybrid, he couldn't be killed!

It was time to teach them all some respect, just like the good old times. He enjoyed being feared, there was no point denying that. The only person who never had to be afraid of him was Anna. She was his light, she always had been, his very own piece of paradise. She was the only reminder of something that was almost completely lost; his humanity. If he would lose her… No, that wasn't even an option.

He could still remember the emptiness he had felt when he had thought that she would never wake up again. Nothing had mattered anymore; he had given in to the darkness, done horrible things without mercy or regret. Sometimes he had wondered if that was the real him, who he would be without her. Probably. These people had no idea what they were toying with. They called him a monster now, but they didn't know the meaning of the word. Very soon they might learn. Klaus stopped the car in front of the boarding house and stepped out.

"Klaus…" Stefan started but Rebekah kept him in place.

"Ah, ah, we'll wait here."

Klaus marched to the door and kicked it open. Surprisingly he could enter the house, how careless. No spells? Unfortunately he soon noticed why, there was no one in the boarding house. Where the hell had he taken Anna? Klaus lost his temper and broke every furniture and ornament on his way out. Someone in this damn town had to know something and he would sure as hell make them speak.