It was almost three in the morning when Cameron Thomas entered the abandoned Front Royal Hotel. It had taken him a while to comfort his wife after his stepsons consultation and even longer to feel comfortable enough himself to leave her alone. He'd made the lame excuse of needing to get some air but no one disappeared outside hospitals except in the movies; he guessed it would have to do, compulsion from an original vampire wouldn't really satisfy the local police.

The door scrapped off the peeling floral wall paper as he forced it rotating round and round push after push until his efforts were finally rewarded leaving him standing once again in the open lobby. The familiar musty smell of the furniture dating back from the 60s filled his nostrils; the smell was dry and thick no scent of blood. His dead heart beat fast in his chest; he didn't have the will to turn his emotions off but now he wished he had.

He made his way up the curling stairs that wound up and down either side of the circular lobby. He knew he wouldn't be coming down again. He breathed in and out. His hand searched around the bronze door knob once he reached the top. It was too late now, he would have heard him.

'Come in.' a coaxing voice invited.

Physical pulling himself through the door way and leaning on the wood behind him he stood in horrific expectation dreading what was to come.

'Mr Thomas,' the voice sounded pleased. It was almost worse this way to see your murderer welcome you in. It made the experience seem like an illusion as if the whole thing was a terrible accident. He knew was going to die and he wanted to die quickly.

'Sit down.' The voice commanded.

He obeyed sitting on a wooden chair in the centre of the room. It was the only furniture in the apartment the only exception being a brown leather couch that sat directly in front. His host was relaxing on it his legs stretched out in front and his arms folded across his chest. It wasn't until he sat down that he noticed the other two people in the room. A woman, tall and dark with brown hair curled into ringlets that slithered down her back was stood on the right hand side of the couch and coming out of the shadows a man pale in his complexion with a concentrated look of disgust that made him seem like he didn't want to be there.

'Stefan come, meet our guest.'

As if in reply the man bowed his head and strode forward. The man on the couch stood up now. He contrasting from the other two. They seemed strained in their expressions however his face was creased with a smile. For Klaus his smile almost always meant for the certainty of a good time, for him that was. For Cameron, he knew this was an act.

'How have you been? Good I hope.' He stood up unexpectedly and began to walk in a waltz like fashion about the chair. His head whipped round with a sudden look of rage.

'Answer!' he commanded his eyes reaching into the depths of Cameron's soul.

'Yes Klaus.' He looked straight ahead.

'Good. And you son, Max is it?'

'My stepson, Morgan.'

'Ahh yes. How is he?'

'Sick.'

'But you laced the new protocol with your blood?'

'I did.'

'Well then don't look so terrified. He will be fine eventually. Your blood will cure him.'

'I know' Cameron replied.

'I'm glad you know. I hope that means you know what I have to do today as well. The terms of our agreement have expired.'

Being compelled to stay still all he could so was cry with pain as klaus produced a knife from his jean pocket and slit his writs.

'You understand then that my blood was merely a lone?'

Cameron wondered if he was trying to prove a point by doing this or whether it was only for his enjoyment.

'Wait no' Cameron cried struggling in his invisible bonds his eyes glowing yellow the vines in his hands darkening. Appearing not to have notice klaus sat back down still with the smug look on his face that made him seem proud of what he had done and was about to do.

Stefan who had been standing to the side his hands folded expectantly behind his back produced a wooden spear from behind his back and tossed it to Klaus. He lazily performed tricks with it circling it around and balancing it from hand to hand taunting Cameron with his own death.

'And why is it that I must wait?' He glared expectantly. 'We have come to the end of out deal have we not?'

'My wife is pregnant'

Klaus' pretence dropped in that moment from a cocky smirk to a wrathful scowl.

'What did you say' voice hoarse.

'My wife is pregnant'

Klaus strode forward scraping Cameron's shirt in his hand and pulling him out of the chair. Cameron could almost smell the desperation to learn the truth in his breath.

His voice was now cold his eyes narrow staring into his. 'Tell me the truth now, is this baby yours?'

'Yes klaus'

'Was it conceived while you were living as my guinea pig while my blood flowed though your veins?'

'Yes Klaus' his voice shook.

Klaus' hand extended and Cameron flew across the room smacking against the was unearthing pockets of dust.

Through the grey mist klaus' scowling face emerged. He was angry.

'You think this changes anything?' He roared 'You think this releases you from our agreement?'

'No but...'

Klaus intervened crouching down next his face. 'Then I intend to carry out the terms of the deal.' he whispered.

And with that he flipped the wood in his hand so that the point was facing Cameron and without a second though plunged the spear into his heart. Cameron's look of surprised was encrusted into his face as his veins seized up and he became white. His last feeling was as if his whole body had been squeezed like a cloth in a wrack but it was all over so quickly that he barely had time to react to what was happening.

Klaus stood up and retreated to the couch sitting down and sighing heavily. Killing was strenuous work. He paused for thought and then gestured his hand to the corpse. Stefan immediately responded and slung the body over his shoulder and left the room. The girl moved towards klaus cautiously and knelt down in front of him. She placed her warm hands on his cold and squeezed them.

'Do you think he was telling the truth?' She asked looking up at him with her large brown eyes.

'Yes Greta, he was compelled.'

'Then the baby is'

'A werewolf'

'It could be a vampire as well, your blood is both'

'It couldn't be, vampires can't procreate'

'But hybrids can'

The couple stood up. Greta slipped her hands up and down his arms breathing in his scent. 'What would you have me do?'

'The stepson, I want you to turn him.'

'How?' She replied still resting on his chest.

Klaus gently pulled her off him keeping his hands around her at arms distance still so that she could hear him whisper.

'I want you to spell an old friend of ours' klaus pulled her close once again this time kissing her head and feeling his hand through her hair. He looked determinedly ahead. Staring into nothingness

'Damon Salvatore.'