Chapter 4

After bidding goodbye to her newest friend in town, Natasha's attention was snatched away as she supported a faltering Christie while she ordered Mike to buck up and head towards the cab.

When they had reached the cab, Natasha, with great difficulty got Christie in and was now in the process of pushing Mike in, who was muttering something unintelligible.

"Why do you people do this... I asked you to not get wasted... look at you now..." she mumbled, irritated.

She left Mike to himself for a moment and proceeded to give the cab driver the address to the building where Christie and Mike had their apartments. 'Thank Heavens they stay in the same building' thought Natasha.

Instinctive as she was, the moment Natasha looked at the cabbie, she sensed something wasn't right. She had a very strong nagging feeling that the man sitting there, with a worn out bowler cap and drab tiny eyes could harm her friends. She stood there a moment with scrunched up eyebrows, mulling what to do.
She decided she'd accompany the two and wouldn't leave them alone in their present condition. She turned around to announce that she was tagging along too, when Mike, standing leaning against the car lost his balance as he moved forward and caught his foot in something. Natasha rushed to his side and tried to help him to his feet, but an unstable, tall and rather well built guy was proving to be too difficult for the tiny girl to support. She was struggling when she suddenly felt Mike being steadied; she looked up in surprise and saw Klaus helping the guy to his feet almost effortlessly.

"There you go love", he said with his trademark smile when Natasha noticed him

"Thanks..." Natasha said sincerely. "Nik, I'll catch you later okay, I gotta drop these two to their place. I don't want them to be alone with..." she said, glancing back ever so slightly at the driver when she muttered the last part.

"You're scared for their safety, now that's such a noble friend..." Klaus said, in jest.

"That's a normal friend." She replied as a matter of fact.

Klaus laughed at her response. Natasha was more than eager to say something at his cynicism, but she had more pressing matters on her mind, so she let go with a frown, and turned to get into the waiting car.

Klaus had been alive a millennium, and despite the ever stretching extent of his life, he could count on one hand the people, who felt as friends. As commanding, menacing and diabolical as he was, he had been essentially lonely for a thousand years.
Although he had indeed been the primary reason behind his solitude as Cami had pointed out too, he would never ever accept that fact; but then, even accepting his follies wouldn't change the truth, the truth, that he was on his own, now, more than ever. He was particularly miffed with his family of late, and he truly wanted, for a while, to be with someone who didn't look at him with loathsome eyes, someone who wasn't scared of him, someone who didn't deem him a complete monstrosity, and right now, Natasha was the only one he knew who was sans these attributes.

Hence watching the girl leave made him jerk into action all of a sudden. He held the door of the cab and beckoned to Natasha.

"Wait... wait a moment. I can help", he said.

"What? How? What?..." Natasha was left stuttering as Klaus made his way to the cabbie and began speaking to him in a hushed tone. All Natasha could figure out of their conversation was Klaus looking him straight in the eye, intensely and saying, "You will take them straight home and keep them safe as if your life depended on it."

Natasha watched with a look of curiosity and irritation, as the cabbie looked transfixed for a moment and then nodded an acceptance robotically. She couldn't understand what Klaus was trying to do.

"There, problem solved... Your friends couldn't be safer. You don't have to worry anymore love, you can have the rest of your night to yourself" Klaus said with a proud smile.

"You just spoke to him... and you reckon the problem's solved?" Natasha said incredulously.

"More like ordered him... and believe you me, he will obey that order come what may" Klaus replied feeling rather proud.

"What nonsense... It's getting late, Goodbye" said a miffed Natasha as she moved back towards the rear passenger door.

"Natasha, wait. I promise you they'll be okay..." Klaus said as he held her by the arm and turned her to face him.

"How ? Just because you say so ?" spat Natasha and squirmed to free her arm.

"Let's just say I know how to pull the right strings." He said

Natasha didn't look too convinced and continued freeing her arm, at which point, losing his patience, Klaus held both her shoulders and said to her profoundly, "Trust me...please".

On hearing this request, Natasha calmed slightly and gazed at Nik for a few moments, the way he looked at her made her feel strange and slightly moved, and again slightly edgy of him. But he sounded uncannily confident so despite her mind's thumping protests, she took an instinctive decision and muttered "Al-Alright"

Klaus smiled a tiny happy smile.

Natasha turned to her friends and pleaded earnestly, "Mike take care okay... take care of both of you... and call me as soon as you reach, otherwise I'm going to tear you apart tomorrow I swear... please... be safe..."

Mike smiled and said in a slightly slurred speech, "I will Tashie... you're so nice... and so so beautiful..." saying so he touched her face gently and tucked a stray hair strand in place.

Conscious of Klaus's stare boring into her back, Natasha quickly bade them goodbye and muttered a small prayer as the yellow cab pulled away.

"He fancies you", Klaus said suggestively with a mischievous smirk, and though he meant it lightheartedly, his territorial nature had inadvertently started pulling at the ends of his psyche and he felt the tiniest bit of resentment towards Mike, envious of the fluid exchanges and the proximity he and Natasha had just shared.

"He's a friend" Natasha dismissed, albeit turning slightly red, as she started walking in the direction to her residence.

"May I?" Klaus asked motioning if he could join her on her walk

"Do whatever you want..." she huffed.

"By the way, I believe you sort of fancy someone too" she retaliated again, looking pointedly towards the bar they had exited a few minutes ago.

Klaus laughed. "She's a friend" mimicking Natasha. "And I'm afraid she doesn't like me too much right now. She's cross..." he finished solemnly, looking that way.

Natasha gave a small laugh... "Why does everyone you talk to me about, dislike you? Your Corleone family, Cami... Do I see a pattern here?" she said sarcastically.

Klaus felt the sting of her comment and gave an ironic smile, "Maybe..."

"But it isn't everybody... you don't dislike me..." he added after a pause.

Natasha who was a few paces ahead of him, turned to face him on hearing this, and said with an amused expression, "And...What makes you think so?"

"I felt so... Do you?" Klaus said slowly.

"I don't know... I really don't know... but yeah... if my friends aren't safe tonight... I swear I'll hate you with all my heart." Natasha said caustically.

Klaus was a tiny bit dejected, as unbeknownst to his proud original hybrid self, a tiny part of him hoped Natasha would say spontaneously, that she didn't dislike him.
Yet he kept up his façade and said, "They'll be okay... trust me."

"Are you always this scared of cabbies? He teased.

Natasha glared at him.

"Okay, another question, are you always so scared for all your buddies, or are these friends special?" He asked, stressing on 'these friends' suggestively.

She glared again, "I'm not scared of cabbies... or anyone..." she said defensively, slightly offended that he thought of her as meek.

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, when Natasha realised probably she was perhaps being a bit too rude... after a few moments she continued.

"It's just that... I had a... gut feeling... I didn't like that driver. So..." she added glancing down at her feet, almost as if confessing guilt.

"An instinctive girl...how charming", Klaus said with a laugh.

"Shut up..." Natasha mumbled.

Klaus laughed and matched steps with her. He sensed he had ruffled up the girl a little bit.

Natasha's phone rang after a few moments, and it was Mike on the line, who had remembered calling her to inform they were safe and sound.

Klaus could hear their conversation, a bit jealous at the easy camaraderie between the two of them.

Natasha hung up and gave a sigh of relief, glancing towards the sky in a gesture of gratitude to God.

Klaus saw her gesture and smiled at it.

"Told you..." he told her, smug.

"Well... yeah... you can indeed pull strings eh ?!" Natasha joked, but turned serious after a few moments.

"Still...I'm a bad friend...a bad bad friend...how could I leave them be... what's wrong with me..." she kept mumbling under her breath, not knowing she was still within vampiric hearing range. She was genuinely upset with herself and felt at fault...

"Don't feel guilty there now...It's okay" Klaus offered to make her feel better.

"It's not...today I let them be on their own just because you asked me to, when I don't even know you.. whereas I've known Mike and Christie for 3 years now... they're my friends" she kept ranting.

"What did you do out there anyway? You just spoke to the guy and I bought it... bah! Never thought I'd be so gullible to such placebo techniques... what was I even thinking" She kept muttering incredulously, again speaking to herself, she was angry, and was busy castigating herself.

"Placebo techniques, did I hear?"; "That's a little harsh love... you really think so? Klaus said

"You just spoke to the guy... just spoke to him... what else could it be, unless you're a hypnotist of profound skill...which theory I doubt" She replied instantly, still sounding peeved.

Klaus was amused at the similarities between her and Cami, and how they both analysed things.

"Well... Maybe I have more power over people than you fathom. Maybe I can indeed make them do what I want, when I want without needing hypnosis" he replied gravely.

Natasha stopped walking and looked at Nik, who now advanced a couple steps ahead of her.

There had been a more than one occasion in their brief 3 encounter old acquaintance, when Nik had hinted that he could be dangerous, sinister, powerful, and though he had done so each time in a manner of conversation and amusedly, Natasha had felt a chill each time, and couldn't help but think if his warnings and suggestions were truer than they appeared. She felt angrier at herself, that despite realising everything, here she was walking and talking with him, listening to everything he had to say.

Klaus noticed Natasha was left behind and turned to look back to see her standing, looking at him in a scrutinizing fashion, forehead crinkled in agitation.

"What's the matter love? Tired already?" he asked jovially.

"What are you?" she asked gravely.

For a moment Klaus wanted to tell her what he was, show her what he was capable of, the creature he was, tell her all about his long life... but he quickly brushed off the thought because he knew she would probably never see him again if she knew what he was, how he was. The girl who wasn't exactly afraid of him and didn't yet detest him would cower away once faced with the truth, and Klaus wanted to delay that for as long as he could.
So instead, he just smiled and said cheekily, "What do you think I am?"

"I don't know..." she replied honestly. "I'm trying to figure you out as we speak."

"Do tell me your conclusions, except of course likening me to any other character written by Mario Puzo" he bantered.

Natasha rolled her eyes and shook her head and walked ahead to join Nik, "so you know how to read..." she said

"So... how's the Corleone family doing? Could you guys reach a truce?" she quipped, to change the subject.

Klaus huffed, "Things are as they have always been... does that count as a truce ?" He said.

"How many Corleones are there? She asked.

"We Mikaelsons, were a family of 9." He said, stressing on his surname, to which Natasha snickered.

"My mother, Esther, My father Mikael. I loved my parents in the beginning, truth be told, but I doubt they ever loved me. My mother, who I looked upto, never showed me that she truly cared, and my father... a piece of work he was... I respected him when I was a child... always trying to win over his affection, but he was a monster... he hated me, detested me with such fervour..." He said bitterly, angry tears threatening to fill his eyes, as memories of Mikael belittling him, rushed to his mind. He composed himself for a moment though, and carried on, "And we were 7 siblings, my eldest brother died long before, as a child, he was very ill they'd said..."

Natasha grew a bit sombre and looked sideways at Klaus who was staring ahead and narrating, she felt sorry for his family's loss, and for his parent's attitude. She decided to be less snarky, at least for now.

Klaus continued, "He succumbed to the plague."

Natasha was quite surprised to hear of the cause of his brother's demise, from what she knew, plague wasn't as deadly anymore, as it used to be in the times of the Black Death or the Great Plague of London... plus he looked like he belonged to a well off family, they could afford treatment easily... so how plague ? She was perplexed, but refrained from making any comments.

"It seems like epochs have passed since that time." He said with a wry smile.

He continued after a while. "Then came my older brother Elijah, the noble son, the noble brother, who everyone adores instantly. He's here in New Orleans and I bet he'll charm you in a swish too, if he were to meet you." He said with a sweetness which was clearly imposed and intended to be sarcastic.

'Good old sibling rivalry' Natasha thought to herself as she listened on.

"After Elijah came Finn; who was even nobler and more moral than Elijah, if such a thing was even possible," he joked. "He hated us all for what we were though" said Klaus softly. "Ah good ol' Finn... the favourite son of my loving mother..." his sarcasm was back.

Unconsciously Natasha formed a picture of the family in the Godfather, likening it to the Mikaelsons, and at the mention of Finn hating what his family was, imagined Michael Corleone as he was in the beginning of the story, when he wanted nothing to do with his family's Mafia business.

She snapped out of her amusing thoughts as Klaus continued.

"After Finn Niklaus was born..." he said with a dramatic flair making Natasha giggle a little

"Then it was Kol, the younger brother, feisty, stubborn, and naughty..." he said nostalgically with a hint of fondness.

After Kol, we had Rebekah, the only daughter, the princess... she has quite the snappy temper I tell you, yet she was loved by all of us, made her quite spoilt... a little too spoilt perhaps... you see she needs to be disciplined every now and then... she doesn't yet know what's right or wrong for her..." he said, as the real metaphors beneath his discipline were totally lost on Natasha. "She's here too..."

"Finally we had our youngest brother Henrik." Klaus said with some desolation.

Natasha was quite lost in his family history and wanted to hear more about his folks and his life, which he made sound extremely intriguing, but she glanced up to realize she had reached the cosy little studio flat she had rented in New Orleans. She hadn't realised they'd walked this far together,
and that wasn't great, because she hadn't planned on bringing Klaus around to where she lived; not anytime soon at least, what if was actually a gangster, an underworld dealer or into any other sort of shady profession, she wanted to keep her abode a trouble free haven... But her curiosity was raging... She really wanted him to continue his story... but with a lot of difficulty, she decided it would be better judgement to bid goodbyes for the day.

She broke into the zone Klaus seemed to have gone into while narrating his story, and cut in, "I'm afraid we'll have to continue with your memoirs another time... I'm near my home... gotta go"

Klaus looked at her fidgeting the tiniest bit, and realised she was a bit nervous, "And let me guess... that one out there is your house isn't it?" He said pointing towards the correct one...

Natasha looked at him incredulously and after a pause said, "H-how did you know?" "Hold on... have you... have you..." she struggled with her words trying to sound civil and yet figure out the truth.

"Have I been spying on you ?" Klaus completed.

She looked around slightly embarrassed to be having this conversation, yet remained on guard.

"No...I haven't... though I could do that very easily you know..." Klaus said cheekily.

"You looked at that very house for a fleeting moment earlier... I noticed..." he continued after a pause.

"Wow... your senses are rather sharp aren't they..." she said, impressed and awed.

Klaus laughed... "Yes they are love... sharper than you could imagine...and so is my mind you know... and it tells me you didn't want me to know or see where you lived..." he said sounding a little disappointed.

Natasha, now positively flustered, tried to quickly think of an excuse and steer the conversation into another direction, but couldn't.

"Well... yeah... and you can't blame me for that" she said putting her hands up in a manner of defence."

"I mean, I hardly know you... and yet I know for a fact that you can throw quite a drunken fit, you speak of yourself as a dangerous person, you claim to wield some strange power on people, you have a warring faction for a family... what else was I supposed to do..." she finished, biting her lips.

"I think I understand... and I believe it's good you're careful of me, Go on... we'll meet some other day... hopefully" he said normally, with a solemn smile and turned around, yet Natasha could detect a bit of disappointment in his manner, and as she saw his now retreating figure, she felt guilty...

The guy seemed upset, she could tell his story was hardly going to be a happily ever after tale... and she had just upset him some more... but she had reason didn't she... she was trying to look out for herself... any sensible person would do that...

But he seemed saddened...

Why the hell did she even care about him ?

That was a question she didn't have a proper answer to, but she knew she did care a bit...

She felt her instincts kicking in, clouding her better judgement, and she harshly chastised herself mentally, wondering really hard why she became so reckless and so impulsive whenever she was in the vicinity of this man...

What she was about to do next, was a total departure from her alert and careful self... and there was a fair chance she'd regret doing so... but... 'Oh shoot...' she thought, and throwing caution to wind, called out to him... "Wait, Nik..."