"I just received an interesting message…hand-delivered personally by one of Klaus' witches. He heard I was in town and wants us to meet at the Grill in two hours." Sage said as she walked inside the Boarding house to meet with Damon and Rachel.

"That's good…right?" Damon asked.

"Of course it is! Let's go!" Rachel replied.

"You're not coming Rachel!" Sage and Damon said together.

"It's not like he's going to try anything while in a public place!" Rachel protested.

"I don't want you in danger…" Damon protested weakly as his daughter gave him 'the look'.

"Rachel come on… it could be dangerous…" Sage protested, just as weakly as Damon.

They argued for a few more minutes before they agreed to have Sage come in first and if Klaus behaved himself, Rachel would be able to join them. Damon would stay at the bar but wouldn't get involved in the conversation to ensure that he wouldn't loose his temper.

They knew that Stefan was with Elena and Elijah, working on their plan to kill Klaus and Rachel really wasn't comfortable with this idea… She didn't understand why she wanted Klaus to survive when she didn't know him but she did.

.

A little earlier than the agreed time, Sage entered the Grill and scanned it quickly. She could see the usual customers there, most of them on daily vervain so she knew that Klaus wasn't controlling them. Then, sitting alone at a table with two cups of coffee in front of him, was Klaus. Sage took in a big breath and when she saw that he was watching her, she walked towards him, knowing that Rachel was sitting herself next to her father at the bar.

"Klaus…" She greeted him.

"Sage, please take a seat. I ordered you a cup of coffee too, I hope you don't mind." He said pleasantly.

"Not at all, thank you." She replied politely.

"I guess we should get down to business then…"

"Yes, we probably should." She agreed.

"Why are you in town, really? Is it really for some human that has nothing to do with my doppelganger?" he asked her.

"Yes. Rachel is…family I guess. She's important to me."

"Is she the one I saw you with in New York in front of the witches' house?" he asked her curiously.

"So you really were there… Yes, she's the one."

"The one sitting at the bar near the eldest Salvatore brother…"

"How… yes. She wanted to meet you but I wanted to make sure you wouldn't hurt her before she joined us." Sage explained.

"I won't hurt her if you don't try to hurt me." Klaus said.

"Can I have your word on this?" She asked, knowing how he liked to stick to his word.

"Yes, you can." Klaus nodded.

Sage turned around to see that Rachel was already making her way to them. Damon must have told her what was being said.

"Rachel honey, this is Niklaus. Klaus, this is Rachel." Sage introduced.

"It's very nice to meet you sweet Rachel. I want to apologise for what that Frederick did to you supposedly on my behalf. He will pay by being the one killed in the ritual." Klaus said politely.

"Oh, thank you. That's very nice of you. We wanted to give you Katherine at first but she managed to get a witch to help her escape." Rachel replied.

"Yeah well, the witch paid with her life for it so I guess it's okay." Sage said.

"Katerina will get what is coming to her some day. She won't be able to run forever." Klaus said as he drank from his coffee.

"I'd like to be here to see it when it comes." Rachel said, making her father smirk from his spot at the bar.

"I'd be happy to contact you when that day comes…If everything goes well and we're still on good terms after…everything." Klaus replied with a sincere smile.

He was intrigued by this human who knew everything about him and yet didn't run away and didn't seem to be afraid…

"Why don't we get back to the reason we're here for?" Sage said.

"You're right, sorry." Rachel told Sage before she turned toward Klaus and added "First of all you need to know that we have absolutly nothing to do with Elijah's plans."

"Ah yes my brother… I've heard he was trying to find a way to kill me…working with the doppelganger and everything… Let's hope for everyone that he won't fall in love with that one." Klaus replied.

"We will stay out of your business and maybe even help you as long as you give me Finn back." Sage said.

"You want Finn back? That's what you want to trade for your help?" Klaus asked.

He really didn't like the idea of freeing his brother…He didn't even really need Sage's help anyway… the only problem was that he didn't want her working against him. If Sage teamed up with Elijah he would end up dead, he was sure of it. He would probably be able to convince her to stay out of it if he threatened to hurt Rachel…

"Please Klaus… I want to get to know Finn and Sage deserves some happiness don't you think? I know that no matter what people say you're not the ultimate villain in the story that is life. You have to believe in Love, somewhere in you is someone that wants to believe… Please free Finn and make both him and Sage happy, prove to everyone that you can be fair… Maybe Elijah will even stop working against you when he finds out that you freed Finn…" Rachel pleaded, interrupting his thoughts.

How could he have been thinking of threatening her? Why was she making him so confused and who was she really? Could she possibly be only a normal human?

"Klaus, I understand that you're afraid of being betrayed, especially after everything you've been through in your long life but you have to learn to trust your family. If you do something good, life will give it back to you ten folds." Rachel insisted.

"You have good arguments Rachel… Okay, I agree. I give Finn to you and you don't try to stop the ritual. I give Finn and you stay out of it." Klaus agreed.

"That's great! I knew you were better than what people said." Rachel said, clapping her hands excitedly and making Klaus and Sage chuckle.

Klaus took out his phone and called his witch.

"Yes, I need you to undagger Finnik and to drop him off at the Salvatore Boarding house. Give him only to either Sage or Damon Salvatore. Don't give him to Elijah or Stefan." Klaus said before he hung up.

"Thank you Klaus. I won't forget it!" Sage said before she stood up.

"Goodbye Klaus. I hope we'll meet again soon. Good luck with your curse." Rachel said gently before she followed Sage and her father out of the Grill.

.

Once they arrived at the Boarding house, Damon and Rachel went upstairs to look for more recent clothes to give Finn and put them in sage's bedroom before they joined her downstairs. When the witch dropped Finn's body off, it was just starting to get better.

"Klaus asked me to give you this. It's the dagger he used against Finn. This way you'll know he'll keep his word." The witch said before he left the place.

"Thank you." Sage told the witch before she carried her love inside and to her bedroom.

They all waited together and when Finn finally opened his eyes, Damon and Rachel left the room.

"We'll leave the house for a while Sage, to give you two some time to catch up and be brought up to date. There will be time for introductions later." Damon suggested.

"Thank you." Sage replied, turning her head to smile at then.

Before she left the room Rachel hugged Sage close and told her how happy she was for them.

.

While Damon went to spend some time with Alaric, Rachel told him she was going to see Tyler to find out how he was copping with the changes he was going through. On the way, she crossed Elijah.

"Elijah… Still planning on killing your brother?" Rachel asked him.

"Yes Rachel… He's evil. You don't know how…" Elijah started.

"You should know that he gave Finn back to Sage today…"

"What? It's impossible!" Elijah exclaimed.

"It's true… I will convince Sage to let you see Finn if you give me your word that you won't try to kill Klaus."

"I… I give you my word. I won't try to kill Klaus." Elijah said, thinking that it wasn't a lie if he didn't try but succeed.

"Once the curse is broken, you can come by the Boarding house then… Finn will be waiting for you." Rachel told him.

"Klaus still has the rest of them daggered you know. He's not that innocent." Elijah shouted to her.

"He still deserves a chance!" Rachel told him before she left, not knowing that Klaus was nearby and had heard everything, wondering why this human girl was doing so much for him without knowing him.

So, what do you think?

Will everything go well during the ritual or will someone die?

Don't forget to review! The more you do the faster you'll find out if Elena survives.

Lorelei Candice Black