Business or Pleasure:
"Elizabeth...Elizabeth, sweetheart. We're almost there." Klaus tried to excite her. He knew that something had upset her when she didn't talk the whole way to the airport, so he let her have some times, but he didn't want her to miss seeing Italy at it's finest, at dusk.
She was busy pouring over the map in the car as they drove to, where the sword should be in Briano, at the church. Beth saw Klaus grinning at her which made her smile. "What is it?" She asked laughingly as she sat up slightly.
"Come take a look, love." She leaned over him to look out the window of the car and gasped at the sight she saw. It was Italy as the sun was going down. It was beautiful. She had never seen a place like this, other than England. Klaus smiled seeing her happy face. This was another reason he wanted to take her, to show her what she's been missing out on. "We'll be there soon. Perhaps, while they're are digging we can take a look around?"
She smiled back at him. "Maybe. This is amazing, Klaus. I mean we're really here." They both got out of the car as they arrived on the site. The construction workers, who she assumed were compelled that had followed them already started to set up to dig, getting their tools ready.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it, I'll have to bring you back under better circumstances.' He said , placing a hand on her lower back, leading her over to a desk he set up for her. To his surprise, she let him, she seemed to be mostly on autopilot. He'd question her about it later. The last thing he wanted was to make her even more upset. She placed the map down. "Now, I believe that my sister buried the sword with her past lover somewhere in this area."
Beth nodded, looking over the map, playing with the ring around her neck. "That's fine. I can use the essence of the hunter, a supernatural, to find him and he should be close to the sword." She smiled at Klaus, he met her smile with one of his own, before letting his eyes linger a bit too long on her lips. She looked back down. "I'll need a couple of minutes, though."
At that moment, his phone rang. "Take all the time you need, love." He said stepping over to the side to answer the phone call from Stefan. Beth sighed as she took off her jacket. Her own phone began to rang but seeing it was Kol, she didn't answer and began the spell. Hopefully, her time here would keep her mind off of Kol.
Not long after she had finished the spell, Klaus came back over to her side. "My apologies, love. There have been some trouble with the hunter, but Stefan is working on it." Klaus walked back to her side. She was already done.
"No problem. I finished I told them where they could find it. I pinpointed it down to this area," She pointed to a small area, where they were now digging. Klaus grinned seeing it. "It should only take a couple hours, hopefully."
"Excellent. I knew you could do it, love." He smiled at her. She blushed slightly at his praise. He chuckled looking around. "Not much to do right now, except wait. I need to oversee this lot until we have a more direct location, but maybe afterward, I could show you around." He could see the hesitation on her face. "You're only here for one night, if all goes well and you should see at least a little more than an excavation site. Take a chance, love, I dare you."
Beth couldn't help but smile up at him. She could definitely use the distraction. "Yeah, sure. Let's do that. You can show me something." He smiled back at her, victoriously. "But only one thing. This is going to take well into the night."
He nodded, keeping his smile. "Anything you want, love."
xxxxx
After finally finding where the sword was, all they needed was to dig it out. Klaus thought that this would be a good as time as any to show Elizabeth around. "This is, by far the best gelato I've ever tasted." Beth laughed as she and Klaus walked down the streets of Italy. "I didn't even know they served it so late."
"Italy is a very different country than I think the one's you're use to. It really is fantastic, especially when it was first being built." He took a bite of his own delicious frozen dessert. She smiled at him. It sometimes took her a while to remember, not only had he lived through history, he'd seen things she couldn't possibly imagine.
"I hope I can come back one day. If I ever actually finish high school." She looked down kicking a rock as she walked.
"Will you, love? Even if you do not want to return back to the high school in Mystic Falls there are other options, I'm sure you could consider." He smiled brushing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, making her blush. "You're very intelligent, and there is so much that this world could offer you."
"I don't know about that."
"Well, I do." He told her seriously. Beth couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from his blue ones. "You could always get your diploma, start looking for universities somewhere that you fancy."
"I suppose that's a possibilities. I don't know. I kind of want to focus on making it out of Mystic Falls alive." She said truthfully as they walked through the park.
"You will. I'll see to it and I don't think that Kol is going to let you anywhere near anything remotely dangerous." He added, waiting for her reaction. Beth scoffed. "Am I wrong?"
"Apparently, he doesn't even trust me. I doubt that he'll care what happens to me." She muttered looking down. It was awkward talking about her relationship with Klaus, but he was her friend. And when he wasn't focused on his evil plans, he was good to talk to.
"You know that's not true. My little brother may be thick sometimes, but he does care about you, love. Anyone could see that." He said pulling them to another street as he casually looked at the buildings. She smiled at his attempt to make her feel better.
"Yeah, maybe. I just don't see how you can't trust someone you love."
Klaus shrugged. "That's why I don't bother with it. Love's a weakness, sweetheart. I'd rather not get involved with it. That's why I have my hybrids. Loyalty is more lasting than a fleeting relationship filled with passion." He noticed.
Beth smiled weakly. It was sad that someone who had seen the world, couldn't even appreciate something like love. "Loyalty comes out of a certain type of love, Klaus. Maybe not like your hybrids, but with your family yes. That's why Rebekah had stayed by your side for so many years, she loves you."
Klaus scoffed. "I doubt that's the case. According to my dear sister I'm not capable of love. Perhaps she's right." He said looking down. Beth noticed the little bit of hurt in his voice.
"She's not, Klaus. I know you. I know that you can love." Klaus scoffed and Beth automatically grabbed his hand to stop him from walking. "I know you probably think it's stupid, but you can. It's a scary and sometimes it hurts, but it's worth it in the end."
"And what makes you think that a monster like me could love, Elizabeth?" He smiled weakly at her.
"Because you're not a monster, Klaus." She said facing him, seriously. He looked into her eyes. "You're not. Everyone else in Mystic Falls was no better than you at each time. They've made mistakes and hurt people and killed, but that doesn't mean that like them, you don't deserve love. You're not a monster, I believe that completely. And I know you, you could love if you wanted it."
Klaus let his eyes flicker down slightly looking at her lips. "You, Elizabeth, you honestly believe that I could love someone?"
Beth couldn't help but let her look into his eyes. "Yes, I do, Klaus."
Klaus leaned in slightly brushing his hand over her cheek, sending a shiver through her spine. "And that's why I like you." He said before leaning in a little more connecting their lips. Beth knew it was wrong, but she kissed him back anyways. Their lips moved together as he pulled her closer, keeping his hand on her waist as he hungrily attacked her lips, as though he had never kissed anyone before.
Slowly he pushed her into the tree his lips expertly kissing hers. She shivered and leaned into his touch as his hand trailed up her spine. She noticed that his kisses were different, not better or worst than Kol's just different and just as good. Thinking about Kol made her pull away as the guilt set in. "No! I...I'm sorry. I-I can't. Oh, God, Kol. I'm sorry, but I-I can't do this." She said quickly. Beth couldn't believe that she did that to him. She loved Kol, she knew that for a fact, but he would hate her once he knew what she did.
Klaus looked hurt but quickly changed emotions to indifference. "Um that's...that's quite alright."
"I...I need to get back. I'm sorry." She looked embarrassed as she tried to move past him, but to her surprise, he pulled her back, handing her his card. He knew that kissing her like this wouldn't work out in his favor, and he hoped that he didn't make things worst between them already. "What are you..."
"You can take an early flight back. Just...call me when you get there? I'm sorry." He apologized. She nodded, looking down. She could barely look him in the face without feeling guilty. "Elizabeth..."
"I have to go. Thank you." She quickly ran off before he could stop her, knowing that any more time spent with him there, wouldn't help her with Kol. She wanted to leave and go back home, where Kol was, even if she knew that he would hate her when she told him.
xxxxx
By the time she got home she was worried and more than anything scared. What would he say? What would he do? No matter what they fought about neither of them ever did that. She slowly opened the door to the apartment trying to keep quiet, but realized that wasn't the problem. Kol was still up, at three in the morning, in the kitchen. They saw each other and freezed, before he could apologize she ran into his arms. "I'm sorry, Kol. I'm so sorry."
He breathed her in, wrapping his arms around her. He was just glad that she wasn't upset with him. "I should be the one apologizing, love. It's my fault. I shouldn't have said that." He said keeping her close. With every word, she just felt the guilt way on her. She was so worried that she was now shaking in his arms.
"No, don't...I'm so sorry, Kol. I never should have gone." He kissed her on the head, which made her move away. She couldn't do this while he was being so sweet to her. "I-I have to tell you something, Kol." She said.
Kol was confused and searched her eyes. His heart dropping. "Something happened on the trip, didn't it?" She nodded.
"Klaus...Klaus and I..." She couldn't make herself get the words out, but she didn't need to. The heartbroken look on his face said it all. He knew that something had happened between the two of them. She hated herself more than anything, for being so stupid and for hurting him like this. "I'm sorry. We...we kissed. I wasn't thinking. I just...I'm so sorry." The silence that followed her confession made her heart race. She saw the anger, betrayal and hurt that flashed over Kol's face.
"I need to feed." He shortly told her, moving past her. She grabbed his hand abruptly and he shut his eyes. He wouldn't let himself get affected by her touch. All he could think about what his brother and her together, something that never should've happened, but Beth couldn't let him leave without apologizing again.
"Please, don't. I'm so sorry, Kol. I never wanted to hurt you. It was a mistake. Please, I know you can't forgive me now, but I'm so sorry." Kol was shaking in anger, but even now he hated how upset she was, but his anger over shadowed that.
"I need to leave, Elizabeth, before I say or do something I'll regret. Don't wait up. " He said gritting his teeth, before she could apologize again he rushed out, slamming the door behind him. Beth felt her heart shatter. She just screwed up the one thing that she loved. She couldn't feel anything but pain and guilt as she sunk to the ground and cried to herself.
