We all have someone we never speak of. Someone who meant so much, that even breathing their name makes your soul tremble with memories and pain. -Nikita Gill

He had no idea who she was. He'd seen her stumbling around a park in nothing but a flimsy hospital gown, mumbling to herself. He could smell the sweet aroma of her blood from two meters away, and she looked like easy prey. His intention had been to grab her and return to his loft to feed on her. That had changed when he'd grabbed her. A spark of electricity jolted through him, leaving him frozen in shock. She had turned to face him, eyes wide. He barely caught sight of mental clarity before it completely disappeared. Her startling blue eyes glazed over, and she seemed to be in a completely different world.

He quickly learned it wasn't another world she was in; just another time period, living another person's life; His. She muttered to herself, sometimes incoherently. Other times, he knew exactly what she was speaking of. He didn't know how, but she seemed to be living through his life. She spoke of his curse, of vampires and his suffering. She knew things even his own siblings didn't know, including his hand in his mother's death.

He had full intention of killing her then and there, but something changed. Her crazy mumblings and random screaming ended, and she was looking up at him with a sadness in her eyes that mirrored his own. She began to cry, and she reached her free hand up, placing it softly against his cheek. It had been a long time since someone had purposely touched him so kindly.

"It's okay," She whispered to him, her voice calm like gentle ocean waves. "You won't be lonely forever, Niklaus." He had no response to that. He merely continued to stare into her eyes; they were like the windows to her soul. He knew at that moment, that she had seen everything about him, had felt everything he had ever felt. And yet, she still looked at him with care and understanding.

It only took a split second for the moment to end, and for madness to take hold of her again. She ripped away from him, and began to rage. That was also his; his anger, his hatred. He made an abrupt decision, moving towards her. She turned to face him, and he caught her eyes, compelling her to sleep. Her eyes immediately rolled into the back of her head, and she fell over. He caught her before she hit the ground.

He carried her all the way over to his loft. Greta and Maddox both waited in the loft, standing when he entered. Neither blinked an eye at the sight of the girl in his eyes, though he suspected both thought she was just a meal. He ignored them, heading into his bedroom. He gently placed her on his bed and pulled the covers over her. He sat down beside her, staring at her curiously.

Who was she? More importantly, how did she know him? Was she a witch? He'd never seen a witch be overwhelmed by visions like that before though. She was an enigma, that was for sure. She also looked like she'd walked right out of the looney bin. She was wearing a plain hospital gown and no shoes. Her hair was a mess, flying up and sticking out in random directions. Though she was tan, her skin looked sunken and unhealthy; she was clearly malnourished. What was worse was how young she was; she couldn't have been older than seventeen. Still a child in the eyes of today's world.

He stood, leaving the room. "Greta darling, fetch the girl something to wear and then get her cleaned up." He dismissed the young witch. He looked to Maddox. "Is she a witch?" He asked. Maddox was hesitant, feeling out her energy, and then he shook his head. "What is she then?" He asked. He headed into the kitchen, looking through the cupboards, his eyes landing on a bottle of bourbon. He grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink.

"Her energy is...strange. Powerful, but chaotic. It's all over the place. Who is she?" He asked. Klaus glanced at him from the corner of his eye; Maddox knew better than to question him. He must be very curious.

"I don't know." He murmured in answer. "Find out what she is." Maddox said no more, and merely left into the bedroom to do as Klaus bid. Greta returned soon after, pair of clothes in hand.

An hour later, the girl had been cleaned up and dressed, but Maddox was no closer to discovering what she was. He called in Klaus' other members of inner circle witches to perform a spell. Now, five witches surrounded the unconscious girl, chanting. Henry, one of his witches, kept in contact with the girl's hand, with the purpose of making a mental connection. Seconds later, Henry gasped, his head thrown back as he linked minds with the girl.

It was silent after that. The minutes ticked on, everyone waiting with bated breath. After what felt like hours, Henry screamed. His body began to shake, incoherent words beginning to pass his lips. He was going as crazy as the girl. Maddox acted quickly after that, breaking the connection between the two of them. Henry continued to shake, almost as if having a seizure.

Slowly, Henry began to calm. Tiny, breathless gasps began to come from his mouth. He clutched at his heart, and sat up. Once he was able to speak, he looked to Klaus, and then to the other witches. He glances at Klaus again, and Klaus gets his silent request. "Everyone leave." Klaus ordered. The others filed out of the room slowly, leaving only Klaus and Henry, along with the sleeping girl. Henry stood, facing Klaus.

"The girl is a Druid." He answered calmly. Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"A druid?" He asked. Henry nodded.

"Yes. She had no power at birth though. From what I could gather from her muddled mind, there was an accident. She died, but she was revived by paramedics. Because of old Druid sacrifices, she returned to the living with power that was passed down through her family, waiting to be awakened." He informed Klaus.

"Why is she mad?" He asked, glancing at the girl. Greta had done a good job cleaning her up; she was now dressed in a simple white cami and navy sweatpants. She had brushed through her hair, and now her chocolate waves rested around her shoulders. She was actually quite pretty now, though still sickly looking. He'd need to make sure he fed her.

"Witches are born with magic. Our bodies have time to adjust. All that power was thrust upon her quite suddenly at a young age. It's unstable and her body and mind are unable to control it. She probably will never be able to control it." He informed him. There was pity in Henry's voice; though most of his time in her head had been painful and terrifying, he had seen some aspects of her life; it wasn't pleasant.

"Thank you, Henry." He said dismissively. Henry left the room immediately, shutting the door behind him. Klaus took a seat beside her body. He couldn't even understand why he cared. He should just kill her; she knew too much about him. But, he couldn't forget the look she had given him. It was more than pity; she had truly felt his pain. She understood him, he could see it.

He sighed, leaning over and placing a hand against her cheek. He caressed her skin softly, secretly hoping she would open her eyes. He wanted her to look at him like that again; like he wasn't a monster.

"What is your name, lovely?" He murmured.

She wore a simple white dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, and hugged at her waist, and then flowed out, flowing just above the ground gently. She wore her hair down and wild, the only thing taming it a silverleaf circlet. She wore silver and sapphire and diamonds, along with the topaz pendant she never took off. She looked like an elven princess. She stared at him with an unwavering gaze, waiting for his response. Diego swallowed heavily.

"You look beautiful." He told her simply. She nodded and smiled.

"Thank you. You look handsome." She responded, and then offered her arm. He took it and the two entered the building. The place was fully decorated for the night, with people all around decked out in their most beautiful dresses and suits. She stared around with a sense of wonder, excitement shining in her eyes.

Diego found the look surprising. He didn't know she could look anything other than intimidating. She looked over towards him with the same excitement, and grabbed his hand in hers. She grinned up at him. "Let's dance!" He was so surprised he let her drag him out onto the dance floor. He was stiff as she placed his hands on her hips and placed her hands on his biceps. He glanced around nervously for Klaus.

Lily sighed in annoyance. She reached up, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "You're very nervous. I'm not going to rip your head off." She tells him testily. He forces his body to relax, and lets out a small laugh.

"Sorry." He responds. Her eyes narrow. She pulls away from him, crossing her arms.

"I'm getting a drink." She muttered, and stalked past him.

Lily felt agitation well inside of her as she made her way through the crowds of people. Diego had invited her here, but he didn't seem to have any interest in being around her. She stopped a waiter, grabbing a glass of red wine off of the tray. She took a sip of the sweet liquid, and glanced around the room. Lily didn't really know anyone here. She did recognize Camille though, a bartender at Rousseau's. Curiously, Lily headed to meet her.

"Cami!" She called, capturing her attention. Cami turned, smiling when she saw Lily. Both women were dressed in white, though Cami had taken up to wearing angel wings. "What are you doing here?" She asked. Cami shrugged.

"Oh, I was invited by a friend of mine. How about you?" She asked. Lily motioned behind her, though Diego no longer stood where she had left him.

"Diego invited me, but he doesn't really seem all that interested in me." She muttered. Cami gave her a sympathetic look.

"Well perhaps you could hang out with me and Marcel. He just went to get me a drink." Lily narrowed her eyes at the name. Marcel was here? The same Marcel she met not long ago? She immediately felt suspicious. Cami noticed her look. "Oh, don't worry. He comes off as arrogant, but he's a gentlemen." Cami promised. Lily raised a disbelieving eyebrow. She doubted that.

"Hello, I don't think I've had the pleasure." A feminine voice with a british accent said from behind Lily. Lily turned, finding a beautiful blonde women who couldn't be much younger than her. She was dressed in dark colors, and looked immaculate. Something about her was familiar to Lily, but she knew for a fact they'd never met. Odd.

"I'm Lily. You are?" Lily asked politely. The woman smiled.

"I'm Rebekah." She answered. She then glanced around the party. "What brings you here?" She asked. Lily huffed in annoyance.

"Well, I had a date." Lily muttered. Rebekah gave her an understanding look. "What about you?" She asked conversationally.

"Well, my brother and I were invited by a family friend." She had answered cryptically. "Unfortunately, my brother tends to be bad company. I'm bored. Sit and talk with me, so I may be entertained." Lily frowned for a moment at Rebekah's brash demand. Then, she smiled. Though strange, a person who spoke honestly was a nice change. Lily liked people far more when they were honest, even when she might not like what they had to say.

"Okay." Lily agreed. The two found a table and took a seat opposite each other, Rebekah ordering the nearest waiter to bring them some drinks. "What do you want to talk about?" She asked. Rebekah watched Lily keenly for a moment, and then smiled.

"How long have you lived in New Orleans?" She asked. Lily shrugged.

"Not long. I just moved here, actually. You?" Lily responded.

"Just moved back." The way Rebekah spoke made it sound like that wasn't the whole story, but Lily decided not to pry. She decided she liked and respected Rebekah, and she tried not to invade the minds of those she liked. "What brought you to such a dangerous city?" She continued, stirring her finger in her drink once the waiter returned. Lily took her offered drink graciously, taking a long draw from the glass.

"Maybe I like danger," Lily joked. "Honestly, I just finished my Bachelor's up at Georgetown. I run a blog that's more like a journalist column. New Orleans was interesting." She explained nonchalantly. "Plus, I do enjoy the Nightlife." She admitted. Rebekah nodded in agreement.

"New Orleans is a fun little town. I am curious, what made you go into Journalism?" She continued, propping her head up on her hand, watching Lily intently. Lily found her scrutiny more amusing than intimidating, though did briefly wonder why she was so curious. She chalked it off to her being a people person.

"Well, I wasn't sure at first. I never really had the chance to find out what I wanted to do with my life, so I spent most of my time getting my associates trying to figure it out. But, I found I was good at getting the truth from people, and I liked it too. I...enjoy understanding. It genuinely bugs me that I don't know the secrets of the universe." Lily admitted, to Rebekah's amusement. The blonde laughed aloud.

"I bet you're a Sherlock Holmes fan aren't you?" Lily grinned in response to Rebekah's question.

"I've read all the books." She explained with a laugh. The two continued to chat about menial topics, merely getting to know each other. Lily found she liked Rebekah more and more, and not just because she let her talk about herself; she just had the kind of personality Lily got along with. She was smart and witty and brutally honest. Lily was the same; she didn't beat around the bush. She tended to walk right through it. Soon though, Rebekah had to go and Lily wasn't interested in staying much longer either. Diego had seemed to disappear also and she didn't want to spend more time with him anyway.

She moved with the intention of leaving, when a strong magical disturbance caused Lily to stagger. The ripples of power surrounded her, and she was forced to grab hold of a stranger's shoulder to stop herself from falling. Whoever was releasing this magic was angry and desperate. Lily gasped as another wave hit her, and she grabbed at her chest. Her heart beat painfully hard against her ribs. She needed to leave, now, before she caused any more of a scene.

Tossing a quick apology at the person she'd held onto, Lily stumbled out of the building, clutching brick beneath her fingers to keep herself upright. She worked her way towards the source of power, when it stopped abruptly. She immediately sucked in a deep breath of air, feeling the weight lift from her heart. She didn't know what had happened, but she was glad it was over. As Lily began to regain her breath, she started to think over what had happened though; someone must have been channeling spirits from the other side for this magic to have such an effect on her.

Magic rarely affected Lily. She didn't have magic of her own, and she had no magical ancestors, and so Lily wasn't really tied to it. Lily was psychic, not magical. There was a difference, as she had picked up on over the years. So, for magic to affect her, it made the gears turn in her head. She'd learned from her research that many of the witches in New Orleans practiced Ancestral magic. Interesting, but bad news for her. Her direct bond to the dead and spiritual realm was a weakness for Lily, despite the fact it was where her power came from.

The reason she hated ghosts? It was because they nudged open the doors between worlds to contact her. It was horrible, really. Lily remembered all too well when those doors had been flung wide open to her. She'd been delirious, no sense of time or reality. She was constantly surrounded by the spirits of the dead, and her abilities had been exponentially more powerful, at the cost of her sanity. The thought had her tugging at her pendant; a blue stone necklace that she never took off. She didn't remember how or where she got it, but she did know that it was only when she had begun wearing it that she suddenly had control over herself again. She never took it off for that very reason.

"Love? Are you alright?" A vaguely familiar voice spoke, pulling Lily from her thoughts. She looked up, spotting a sandy-haired man in a leather jacket. He was so familiar to Lily, but she couldn't figure out how or why. He also stared at her with a strange look, one Lily didn't get from most people. It was gentle, concerned, perhaps even...loving? It was such a strange thought. No one loved Lily, or at least, no one that was alive. Her parents had abandoned her, her brother was dead, and though she had made friends at school, none of them had loved her. She was alone. So, she found herself wholly confused as to why a stranger would look at her like that.

"I…" She trailed off unsurely. She found her cold exterior melting under the worry in his gaze. "I'm fine." She replied softly. He held her eyes for a second longer, before approaching, crouching down in front of her. He placed the back of his hand on her cheek. The coolness of his skin caused her to flinch.

"You're running a fever." He murmured. Confused, Lily reached a hand up to touch her forehead, finding her skin clammy and heated. She was running a fever. Perhaps the power used tonight had affected her more than she originally thought. The world started to turn slightly.

"It's the magic." She muttered, her voice slurred. She sounded almost as if she were drunk, and she certainly felt that way. Her head began to pound and she whined, clutching at her head. Yes, definitely affected. "I...it...it's…" She breathed in deep, trying to speak clearly. She looked up to meet his gaze again. She almost got lost in the blue. "The doors." She finally spoke clearly.

"The doors?" He repeated in confusion, that wonderful accent wrapping around her wonderfully. She had to take a moment to rearrange her thoughts. She nodded her agreement.

"The ancestors...magic...the doors open when witches…" Black dots started to cloud her vision. Realization seemed to hit him, his eyes widening in understanding.

"The witches in the quarter use ancestral magic. Somehow that affects you, little druid." He whispered, speaking to himself. He opened his mouth to speak again, but it was at that moment she lost consciousness.

Once again, he found himself protecting her, saving her from herself even. He would never do this for anyone, besides maybe his dear sister. And yet, here he was, carrying her off to his home, placing her in the comfort of a guest room so that she may rest off her illness. In fairness, he did feel a bit guilty. Afterall, it was his plan that drove Katie to using powerful magic. He hadn't known that such magic could harm her though. He knew in some way she was connected to the other side, but he thought the necklace he'd had charmed for her would protect her from such things. Apparently, not all things though.

He would have to be more careful from now on in using the witches, until he could find a way to stop the magic from affecting her in such a way. He tucked her in gently beneath the covers of the guest bed, and then stood to leave. Rebekah stood waiting at the doorway, arms crossed as she regarded him coolly.

"Who is she, Nik?" She asked calmly. Klaus wasn't at all inclined to answer her. He moved to push past her, but Rebekah refused to budge. She grabbed hold of his arm, keeping him in place. "I spoke with her tonight. She's an interesting girl. Funny, clever, and feisty, but I don't understand what she has to do with you." She asked. Klaus scowled, sending Rebekah a particularly nasty look.

"We met several years back. You could say she left an impression on me, and she's extremely powerful. That's all you need to know for now, sister." He shoved his way past her. Rebekah stood in the doorway, and gazed over at the human girl. She sighed. Niklaus always had his secrets, but she hadn't been expecting this one.

Niklaus didn't care for anyone but himself. So, who was this girl, and what had she done to earn Klaus' protection?

...

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry this took so long! I don't know if I mentioned this earlier, but currently my other story 'Two Souls' is my focus, so this won't get updated as often. I would like to get it updated a lot sooner than this chapter though, haha. Luckily, I have the next chapter about halfway done. Please review and let me know what you think! Much love!