Bloodlines
Chapter 20: Reigning Pain in New Orleans
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.
"What a night for a dinner party," Giuliana sighed as she descended the steps to the Abattoir courtyard. A long table was placed in the middle of the yard with Marcel, his vampires, Hayley and Klaus seated around it. At least Hayley was present, so she'd have another woman to talk to. Klaus had decided to host a celebratory dinner in his honor since he had taken New Orleans back from Marcel. She'd heard one of Marcel's men bitching and complaining about it when she was out in the Quarter earlier in the evening. She glided gracefully across the floor to the table, foregoing Klaus's open hand and Marcel's gaze on her figure. She took her seat which was next to Klaus and she grimaced at the thought of being near him for the entire dinner. Thankfully Hayley was sitting next to her at the corner of the table.
The table was set elegantly with trays of food being set down by passing waiters and waitresses, one of which Giuliana flagged down for a glass of...
"A scotch, please." It was a strong drink for her and not to mention a masculine one. She normally drank fine wines and champagnes, but lately she craved something stronger.
"Looks like I'm rubbing off on you," Hayley whispered to her and the girl smiled.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Giuliana winked at her. Idle chatter was passed between Marcel and his vampire lackeys, but they were shushed when Klaus tapped his fork against the rim of his glass.
"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine." He then gestured to a group of nicely dressed waiters and waitresses who joined them at the table. Each member of the wait staff stood by a vampire.
"Insatiable need, exquisite pain..." Klaus continued and each of the servants took up a sharp knife from the table, slitting their wrists and filling cups with blood for the vampires. Giuliana scrunched up her nose and held onto her glass tightly. "Our victories and our defeats." He looked over at Marcel who held his gaze. "To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow."
Marcel raised his own glass. "And the party never end!"
"To New Orleans." Diego followed Marcel.
Klaus grinned widely. "To New Orleans!"
Everyone else at the table raised their glasses to drink. "New Orleans." Giuliana drank and happened to catch Marcel looking at her over the rim of his glass. She downed her entire drink, wishing to be anyplace else and Marcel shared the same thought. His entire city was taken away from him one night and he had no hopes of getting it back.
Klaus grabbed everyone's attention again by moving from his spot at the table to leisurely walk past his guests. "I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires."
"What about her?" Diego spoke up and pointed at Hayley who was nursing a glass of water. "The wolf."
"No need to be rude," Giuliana spat, glaring at the nightwalker who growled lowly in his chest.
"No need to be a bitch," he countered and she launched her knife at him. It flew past his ear, barely nicking the skin and embedding itself into the back of his chair. Every vampire at the table was silent, in shock that a human had managed to wield a knife with such skill. She tilted her head at Diego, smirking confidently and he stood up, taking his own knife from his place setting and making to throw it at her.
"Children, children!" Klaus bellowed and Diego halted his movements. "I had hoped that we could maintain a sense of decorum for one night."
"Not with this crowd." Giuliana reclined back in her chair, holding Diego's deadly stare.
"Had you'd let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." Klaus walked to stand behind Hayley and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not."
Hayley smirked sarcastically and muttered "Father of the year." No one chuckled or even batted an eye at the remark except for Giuliana who laughed into her hand and Hayley grinned back at her.
"It appears I will have to earn your trust." Klaus spoke and the vampires seated at the table nodded. They knew that Giuliana had come to New Orleans with the Originals, but being seated at the same table with them made them uneasy and uncomfortable. "Very well, we'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how I can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the bayou to turn?"
Both girls suddenly whipped their heads in his direction, knowing what he was going to suggest. "What?" Hayley hissed.
"Klaus, no!" Giuliana growled.
"So, eat, drink and be merry." Klaus cheered, ignoring the two girls. "And tomorrow, I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt. Go ahead, have fun. Kill them all!" The vampires all grinned, clearly happy with the idea of going on a wolf hunt. Hayley jumped up and ran from the courtyard and Giuliana got up after her, but Klaus gripped her arm.
"Have a seat, darling." He told her.
"No! You can't do this to her, Klaus. Those wolves in the bayou are her family." She fought. "They're the only family she has left and if you kill them-"
"Giuliana, you fail to recognize that I do not care about a pack of rogue wolves. Now, sit down." He compelled and her body obeyed his command. Ever since Klaus had taken over the Quarter, he made sure that vervain was made very scarce. She glared daggers at him, wishing that she had put up more of a fight when he moved her from the plantation house and into the Quarter.
"Damn vampires and this stupid town," Giuliana huffed as she stuffed items into a duffel bag. She was finished with New Orleans and wanted nothing more than to leave everything behind and start over someplace new without vampires or werewolves or witches. She just wanted a normal life with normal people in it. She zipped up the bag and slung it over her shoulder, making her way to the window. She quietly opened it and climbed out onto the balcony. Peering over the edge, she saw the distance was too far to jump, but she gripped the trellis on the side of the house just by the window. If she could keep quiet, she'd be golden and her escape plan would be a success. She very slowly and carefully shimmied herself down the shaky trellis and thanked the heavens as soon as her feet touched the ground.
"Still got it." She muttered proudly to herself and began to tiptoe around the backyard of the Abattoir, but the sound of someone approaching made her freeze and duck in a side alley. She drew a stake from the front pocket in her bag, she came prepared in case she was met with a vampire who would try to stop her, but the steps grew closer and she found herself questioning if it was a vampire or not. Once the person got close enough, Giuliana jumped out of her hiding spot to see that it was just Hayley.
"Giuliana?"
"Hayley?"
"What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I asked you first." Giuliana pocketed her stake back into her bag and adjusted it higher on her shoulder.
Hayley let out a dramatic sigh and placed a hand over her belly. "I have to protect my family. Klaus can't slaughter them."
"It's a power move, but he's doing it to gain everyone's trust." She said.
"I was hoping to ask Elijah for help." The wolf added.
"Oh, come on. Elijah doesn't care about us." The ex-hunter grumbled.
"He cares about family, Giuliana. And I can't have Klaus hurt mine. They're all I have left." She admitted sadly and nodded to Giuliana's bag. "Going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I want out of New Orleans. I don't want to be here anymore."
"So, you're just leaving?" Hayley raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "What about me? What about Elijah?"
"Don't guilt trip me, please. I've been nothing but miserable since I got here." The brunette argued. "Not to mention I've been jujued by a teenage witch, pursued by Marcel, shot at like a wild animal and locked in a shack with an Original vampire who was suffering from a werewolf bite. Yeah, not my idea of a getaway. And don't bring Elijah into this!"
"Why? Because you know that I'm right?" Hayley added.
"Hey!" Diego appeared in front of them and they casually inched away from him. "Klaus won't be too happy to hear that you two snuck out."
"Well, maybe if he had better security detail." Giuliana said. "By the way, I don't recall that you worked for Klaus. I thought Marcel was your main guy."
Diego gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "I don't work for Klaus. He may have control over the Quarter, but my allegiance will always be to Marcel."
"But yet you're being Klaus's bitch by looking after us and making sure that we don't get into trouble." She countered and Hayley looked imploringly at her.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"You know, I don't know why Marcel has a thing for you. You've got too much of a smart mouth for your own good." He growled, advancing on her.
"It's part of my charm." She chuckled as her hand started to move for her stake which was still concealed inside her bag.
"You two are coming with me." He demanded when a shadowy blur threw Diego into the wall, his neck breaking with a sickening crack. Elijah clapped his hands together, dusting them off and adjusting his sleeves.
"Good evening, ladies." He greeted cordially.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Giuliana questioned.
"One would think that after saving your lives, I would get a little more gratitude," he tutted.
Giuliana scrunched up her nose and showed him her stake. "I could have handled him."
Elijah's dark brown eyes took in the stake which was pretty well whittled and smiled. "Oh, how I've missed your humor." She gave him a huff, shoved the stake back in her bag, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Elijah, you shouldn't be here. Klaus has his guys watching us." Hayley said.
"I wouldn't worry about them." The Original shook his head and Rebekah came along, kicking down two other vampires who were hiding around the corner. He took Giuliana's hand, gently tugging her to come with him. "Come, we mustn't linger. We'll get you both someplace safe."
Hayley stood her ground. "No, you don't have to worry about us. We're fine."
Giuliana nodded and removed her hand from his. "Yeah, we've been deemed under protection by your snake of a brother."
"It's the werewolves who need help. He ordered a wolf hunt as some jacked-up peace offering to Marcel's crew. You have to help them." Hayley mentioned.
Rebekah passed a glance to her brother. "Out in the bayou? Do we look like a bloody vampire-rescue squad? I think you should be grateful we came to save you!"
"Listen, Rebekah. All my life, I've wanted to know who my real family was, and just as I find out that they're out there in the bayou, Klaus orders them killed. You wanna help me? Help my people. Please." The wolf begged and both Originals knew that they had to help her. They both understood the importance of family and wanted Hayley's to be safe.
"Let's get you both back inside." Elijah motioned for Rebekah to take Hayley and he started to walk with Giuliana.
"I can walk myself back to my room," she said coldly, but Elijah continued to follow her. "I'm serious, Elijah."
"I know you can, but it's my responsibility to keep you safe."
"Not anymore it's not," she grumbled. "You made it perfectly a very clear a few days ago that you want nothing to do with me."
Elijah halted in his steps. "That is not true."
"Whatever, just leave me alone." She began climbing up the trellis, making sure her hands and feet were properly grounded before moving higher. She had almost gotten to her room when she heard a noise from below her. She angrily turned over her shoulder, thinking that Elijah was still babysitting her. "I told you to just-"
But he wasn't there. He'd left her alone just like she asked him too and she frowned deeply that her harsh words had sent him away. Ever since he made himself clear at the plantation house, she felt that she needed to build her already high walls even higher to keep people out. She naturally had her guard up, but it had been up more than normal. Turning back to the trellis with a pout, she let go of a bar and reached upward to grab another one, but the wood creaked dangerously. She froze, but knew that she had to keep going. She was almost there. Reaching even higher, the wood groaned again, louder this time and suddenly, it snapped and fell from underneath her footing.
She plummeted toward the ground at an alarming speed; at the height she'd fallen from, the fall would kill her or she'd be lucky enough to only break every bone in her body. The air whooshed around her and her limbs flailed to try and catch something, anything to hold onto, but she knew that she was a goner. She didn't even scream; she already knew that she'd die like this and that there was no way she'd survive the fall. The balcony on her building became smaller and smaller as she got closer to the ground and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the hard impact and the immeasurable pain she was about to endure.
She did hit something hard, but cushiony at the same time and the pain of her body hitting the concrete never came. She stopped falling, but her feet never touched the ground. In fact, she felt weightless, like she was floating. She cracked her eyes open to see Elijah staring down at her and she suddenly realized that she'd fallen right into his arms.
How cliché.
"You...you came back." She stammered in his hold, not even realizing that she was holding him around his neck, like she knew that he'd catch her.
"Of course I did. I wouldn't want you to be a little splatter on the concrete." He told her in a matter of fact tone. In a blur of movement, they were up in her room again and he gently set her down on her feet along with her bag that he managed to grab as well. "Planning on running away?" He sifted through the contents of her bag.
Giuliana snatched it away from him and kicked it under her bed. "What's it to you?" Those walls were back up again.
"I think it's my concern when the woman who came to New Orleans with me wants to leave. You were the one who begged to come with me." Elijah ran his hand over her mahogany dresser which held many pieces of jewelry on the shiny surface.
"Yeah, well, I don't want to be here anymore." She said over her shoulder as she busied herself around the room.
"Because of me?" His question made her shoulders slump and she sighed wearily.
"Elijah, don't." She turned to face him and gasped seeing that he was right there.
"I pushed you away because I couldn't bear the thought of you sharing the same fate as Celeste." His voice was low and shaking with anger. "But don't let that indicate that I don't care about you because I do."
Giuliana's eyes watered and she turned her head away, unable to take the pain of his rejection again, but his large hands grasped the sides of her face, angling her gaze back to meet his. Their chests were pressed tightly to one another's and their noses were slightly touching. Her skin felt hot under his intense gaze and his tender touch. His thumbs brushed away a tear or two that stained her cheeks and he trailed a thumb under her bottom lip. Eyes met in a heated stare and Elijah had to stop himself from claiming her lips in a kiss.
"Please don't leave New Orleans," he pleaded with her.
"Why?" She murmured.
"Because I made a promise to you that I would keep you safe, Giuliana and I can't do that if you're not here. I never break my promises." His soothing voice cascaded over her and for a few moments, she had completely forgotten where she was. The drama and tension in the Quarter fell away; it was just the two of them and nothing else.
"Elijah," her warm breath tickled his lips. The Original's fingers ran over her cheek when he suddenly craned his head slightly toward the door, hearing someone approaching. He vanished from the room and out the open window just as Hayley let herself in.
"Hey, you alright?" She asked seeing her dazed friend.
"I'm fine." She mumbled, nodding her head and gathering her duffle bag back from under the bed.
Hayley frowned deeply. "Still plan on leaving."
"No," she started unpacking the bag and placing things back in her drawers. "I'm staying."
"Huh, and did Elijah have anything to do with that?" She asked with a grin.
Giuliana lobbed a shirt at Hayley who caught it deftly. "Stop eavesdropping."
"I don't have to eavesdrop when I can clearly see that you and Elijah have it bad for each other." She joked. The girls shared a few giggles and Hayley helped her friend unpack, happy that she was here to stay.
"Can I get you another?" The bartender asked politely and Giuliana nodded.
"Sure. Thanks." She had been waiting at the bar in the Abattoir to see how Klaus' and Marcel's meeting went with the Mayor, the Sheriff, and Father Kieran. Needless to say, the latter party was concerned that Marcel was no longer taking over leadership in the Quarter and they were curious to meet his replacement. They also wanted to enforce the rules that were previously followed when Marcel was in charge. Knowing Klaus, she figured that the meeting didn't go well and that he planned on exercising his power a little too much. Either that, or he just killed them all. She was also anxious from not hearing back from Rebekah and Elijah yet. The two Originals had promised Hayley to stop Klaus' wolf hunt from happening. She had faith in the siblings, of course, but she hoped that they were safe.
She thanked the bartender for her drink and caught a young vampire staring at her from the other end of the bar. He'd been watching her ever since she decided to leave her room and she was quickly growing irritated with his incessant roaming eyes. Marcel's friends all did their fair share of looking her up and down when she entered a room because they probably wondered what she tasted like, but this guy was taking it a little too far. She whipped around, meeting his gaze, which startled him and he turned away.
"Look, pal! Keep your eyes in your sockets, got it? I'm not in the mood." She hissed and the young man blushed uncomfortably.
"Uhm, I'm sorry, I just..." He stammered nervously. "I like your boots. Gucci, right?"
Well, that certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear.
"Huh?" She looked down at her black booties which had her dark wash skinny jeans tucked into them. He was right, they were Gucci boots that she'd bought using Klaus' credit card when she and Hayley went on a shopping spree for baby essentials a few days ago. "Yeah. Yeah, they are."
The man snapped his fingers triumphantly. "Yes! I've still got it."
Giuliana chuckled at his enthusiasm and realized she had him pegged all wrong. A straight man would never know a designer boot even if they were kicked in the face with one. "I'm sorry that I blew up at you before. I thought that you were...you know."
"Oh, no, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been staring." He apologized. "I don't swing that way if you catch my drift, but I'll admit, you have a rocking body. You could turn me."
"Now you're just trying to flatter me." She smirked and moved closer to him. "I'm Giuliana."
"Josh. Nice to meet you." He shook her hand.
"I've heard about you from Klaus." So, this was the young gay vampire that Klaus had spoken so much of.
"Yeah, I'm a newbie. Still getting used to it, you know?"
"Well, I don't know. I'm human." She told him.
"I know. I mean, I can smell your blood." Josh made a face and shook his head. "Aw, damn, that came out wrong."
"It's okay. I, uh, get that a lot." She joked and took a sip from her drink.
Josh and Giuliana became fast friends as they gossiped and talked over drinks. He was a nice kid who had unfortunately gotten wrapped up with the wrong people and ended up becoming turned into a vampire. She honestly felt bad for his dilemma, but he was making as light of his situation as possible. He was a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the stuck up vampires in the Quarter. They spent some time together, but when Klaus and Marcel returned, he quickly made himself scarce, promising not to be stranger and darted off into the night.
Marcel looked worse for wear while Klaus as smug as ever. The former leader of the Quarter sulked at a table by himself, so Giuliana decided to keep him company. He barely lifted his gaze when she came to the table and stood beside him.
"Care for some company?" She wondered and he finally looked up at her, giving a slight nod. Giuliana took her seat and passed him a drink she'd gotten from the bar. He took it with a small smile, but didn't drink it.
"Your silence is telling me that the meeting didn't go well."
"That's an understatement." His fingers drummed around his glass.
"Well, you and I both know that you can't take Klaus anywhere. You should have just left him in the car with the windows cracked open." That joke managed to bring Marcel's mood around and he gave an amused laugh.
"Thanks for that." He grinned and gulped down his drink.
"Anytime." She matched his smile as Klaus sauntered over to them. Marcel's cheery expression faded as his sire approached the table.
"Klaus."
"Marcellus." The two men greeted each other with tense stares.
"Awkward." Giuliana hummed uncomfortably.
"What you did today; it was out of line." Marcel ground his teeth.
"You're disappointed by my lack of diplomacy. You out of all people should need no reminder of the human capacity for cruelty." Klaus growled lowly. Marcel continued to remain quiet, perhaps knowing that his sire was right, but he only knew that Klaus' attitude would get him in trouble with the humans. The Original hybrid's phone buzzed from inside his pocket and he went off to answer it. It was the Sheriff that he and Marcel had met with earlier in the day.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mikaelson. I just wanted to let you know that the faction's considered your terms. We've reached a decision."
"Have you?" He smirked triumphantly, thinking that the Sheriff and the Mayor were going to bow down easily.
Something over Giuliana's shoulder made Marcel's gaze snap up and zero in on the sight. Normally he'd disregard it, but this time he was lucky he didn't because the sight was enough to make him sick. He held his breath seeing a man armed in the window with an automatic rifle aimed right at Giuliana's back. He knew that the Sheriff had reached a decision, but it wouldn't be one that Klaus would be pleased with. The man cocked his rifle and the vampire saw multiple men copy his movements.
In seconds, a huge explosion surged through the Abattoir compound, shaking the walls and shattering the windows inward. Glass and drywall were propelled into the air and many vampires ducked down to shield themselves from the intense heat that came from the explosion. The sounds of automatic gunfire pierced the air as the men outside fired and many vampires were struck by bullets. Screams echoed over the gunshots and the smell of spilled blood was lingering in the air.
One moment Giuliana was looking down at her drink and in the next she was being thrown by the force of the explosion. She vaguely felt someone's hands gripping her upper arms tightly, but her brain was so rattled that she could hardly focus. Machine gun fire deafened her ears and her skin burned from being cut with pieces of glass and the extreme heat. She raised her hand to her head, shaking it around to clear her vision and realized that she had ended up behind the bar somehow. Burning and bleeding vampires were running scared, fear gripping their souls as they tried to duck for cover. She crawled on her hands and knees, making sure to stay low to avoid being shot and tried to look for anyone who had made it out alive. Bodies littered the ground, blood pooling around them and Giuliana screamed when she saw a familiar body lying not far from her.
"Marcel!" He wasn't moving at all and as she got closer to him, she could see that his body was pumped full of bullets. The skin on his hands and face were burned and he was barely breathing. He was the touch she felt when the explosion hit. He was the one who got her out of the way and he put his life on the line for her. Wanting to move him out of harm's way, she dragged him back behind the bar and propped his head in his lap.
"Hey, Marcel. Wake up. Come on, you have to wake up." She tapped his singed cheeks and he stirred, but it wasn't enough. He needed blood and he needed it quickly to heal. Her green orbs darted around her safe haven and she grasped a large chunk of glass that was from the windows. She took it up in her hand and pressed the sharp side against her wrist. The skin throbbed as she sliced it open and she angled the bloody cut to Marcel's lips. He was hesitant to drink at first, but he was soon gripping her arm and feeding from her like his life depended on it. His eyes finally opened and she sighed in relief that he was alright. He sat up with her help and she leaned him against the bar. Her fist nudged his shoulder hard and he roared in pain.
"Ah! What was that for?!" He groaned and held his shoulder.
"You could have died doing what you did! Are you crazy?!" She scolded.
Marcel didn't answer her; instead, he gave her a charming smile and tried to stand up. Everything around them had settled and all threats from outside the Abattoir were gone. His heart dropped at the sight of his fallen friends, many of them were shot and struggling to remove the bullets from each other. The Abattoir was in shambles; tables and chairs overturned, blood spattered along the walls, glass covering the floor. They bent down to help some vampires back on their feet while Klaus was wrenching a bullet from his chest. He fumed angrily, gritting his teeth and promising that what had happened tonight would never happen again.
The Abattoir had been cleared out and a cleaning crew started to sweep away everything. The vampires that made it out alive were recovering and feeding on blood to get their strength back up, but not all of them were so lucky. Klaus, Marcel, and Giuliana remained in the compound and they had to step around the charred skeletons of bodies that had been burned to a crisp. The Sheriff had done exactly what he wanted to do and in turn, many suffered and even died in the process.
Giuliana helped to throw away some broken bottles from behind the bar and dusted her hands off over the garbage pail. She had a few visible cuts and bruises, but for the most part she came out of tonight unscathed. She could have died tonight and she was sure that the Sheriff wouldn't be attending her funeral. She was startled by Marcel cursing and angrily flipping over the only standing table that was left and he whipped around to face Klaus.
"This is on you!" He pointed a finger at his sire. "Now that you're in charge, these are your guys laying dead. Your guys. You're gonna run this city, that better mean something to you, otherwise no one worth a damn is gonna follow you. No one!"
Klaus showed a wry smile when Marcel turned his back and began to walk towards him. "I was beginning to worry about you. I don't think I could've taken any more of this differential nonsense. I mean clearly I underestimated the faction, that won't happen again." He stated and Marcel faced him. "But, tell me: Now that we've arrived to this point, now that they have come into our home, visited this upon our people...How would you counsel me to respond?" Both men were practically foaming at the mouth just thinking about how to respond to the threat that was placed on them, but Klaus wanted to hear Marcel say it for himself.
"Let's go kill them all," he shouted loudly and Klaus smirked widely.
"What? No, you can't kill them." Giuliana fought.
"We can and we will." Klaus proclaimed. "The humans threatened us and now we have to retaliate."
"Marcel, you're not really going along with this, are you?"
"Klaus is right. They have to pay for what they've done." He agreed with his sire.
Giuliana ran a hand through her hair, sighing exasperatedly. "You two idiots are going to get yourselves killed!"
"Hardly." Klaus waved her off. "You forget, darling, I can't be killed and I would be sure to make sure that Marcel walks out of this unharmed. But, you are a little more of a liability."
"What-hey!" She was suddenly thrown over Klaus' shoulder and he bounded up the steps. "Put me down, you brute!"
"Sorry, Giuliana, but I know you better than anyone. As soon as Marcel and I leave, you'll make an excuse to run and tell Elijah of our plan." He told her.
Giuliana beat on his back with her fists, but it hurt her more than it did him. "Where are you taking me? Going to lock me up in the dungeon?"
"Don't tempt me." He growled and reached her room.
"Klaus, do you really think this is necessary?" Marcel asked from behind him.
"Yeah! What he said!" She wriggled around on Klaus' shoulder, desperately trying to get down. Klaus opened the door and tossed her into the room. Her body flopped on the bed and she rushed for the door, but it was slammed her face even before she got off the bed. She banged on the door and shouted at the two of them, but they ignored her. She tried the doorknob, but they had already locked it.
"If she escapes, she'll get herself into trouble. There's no telling what the Sheriff has planned and I want her out of it." Klaus told Marcel and placed the key to her door in his pocket.
"Let me out! Klaus! Marcel! Let me out of here!" She screamed, punching the door with all of her might. "Stupid vampires!" She threw in a couple of kicks as well, but the door only jiggled. "Josh? Hayley? Anybody?"
Giuliana finally gave up her tantrum when she realized that no one was coming for her. She would have used the window to escape, but the trellis hadn't been repaired. She paced nervously in her room, knowing the Klaus and Marcel taking their revenge on the humans would not go well, but she was trapped in her room with nowhere to go. She then got an idea to call Elijah because he could help her. She fished her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts when her vision started to blur. Letters and names were mulled together and she blinked multiple times to clear her vision, but it only got worse.
"What the..." A sharp pain gripped her head like a vice and she let out a whimper. She remembered feeling this kind of pain when Davina attacked her the night of the Masquerade Ball. She didn't know why Davina or any witch in New Orleans would be attacking her, but she pushed that aside as she tried to focus on calling Elijah. She managed to get to his name in her phone, but her head throbbed even harder. Her hand shook and the phone fell from her hands as the pain increased dramatically. She grasped her head, tugging at her hair roughly and fell to her knees. She curled into her body, hoping to disappear and make the pain go away, but it continued to escalate. She even tried to form words or to shout for help but she slipped into unconsciousness before she could even get a word out.
"Hey! Hey, c'mon, Giuliana. Wake up." Hayley shook her friend's shoulders frantically in hopes of getting her to awaken. She'd heard the commotion when Klaus and Marcel locked Giuliana in her room and she even knew not to go upstairs and defy Klaus' order. He even informed the nightwalkers that were left to not let Giuliana out no matter how much she screamed and begged.
Time had passed and Klaus and Marcel had come back from having a chat with the Mayor and Sheriff, but Hayley would hardly call it a chat. Their hands, mouths and clothes were stained with blood, but the two men were in high spirits. Klaus gave Hayley the key to unlock Giuliana's room and she did so with a dramatic roll of her eyes, not liking being told to do so by the father of her child.
She found Giuliana spread out on the floor, her hair around her head like a wild halo and her eyes closed. She immediately rushed to her side and tried to wake her up. She even called Josh and Davina inside to help. All three faces looked down upon Giuliana's seemingly sleeping form, but they all knew that something must have happened.
"She's out cold, but still breathing." Josh observed and took up her wrist. Her heartbeat thumped lazily under his fingertips. "Got a heartbeat. It's slow, but it's there."
Hayley's eyes found the cell phone not far from her body and she grasped it. She saw Elijah's name on the screen like she was going to make a call, but never got to it. "She was going to call Elijah. Was she in danger and no one knew it?"
"But she was locked in her room." The vampire noted. "No one could get in or out."
"Maybe a witch then?" Hayley peered up at Davina.
"I didn't do anything to her." The young witch clenched her fists angrily at the thought of being accused wrongly.
"I didn't mean you, Davina. I meant that you can sense when other witches are doing magic." The wolf corrected herself.
Davina shook her head. "I didn't feel anything. No witch activity whatsoever."
"So, we're back at nothing." Josh huffed just as Giuliana stirred on the floor. Her body shifted uncomfortably and her green eyes fluttered open. "Welcome back."
"Hmm?" She looked between the three faces who were staring down at her. "What happened?"
"You fainted or something." Hayley sat her up slowly. "Giuliana, did someone come in here?"
The brunette looked around the room and frowned, shaking her head. "No...I just remember having this horrible headache and it just kept getting worse."
"It had to be a witch." Josh concluded as he came back with a glass of water.
"But I didn't feel any energy from the witches in New Orleans." Davina fought.
"What if it was a witch from somewhere else?" The vampire wondered and Hayley looked to Davina for an answer.
"It's possible." She shrugged. "It could be a reason why I can't feel them."
"And people wondered why I wanted to leave here so badly." Giuliana grumbled. "I've combed more werewolves, vampires, and witches out of my hair then I know what to do with."
"I'm just glad you're okay." Hayley told her friend. "And for the record, you're not leaving."
Giuliana gave her a face. "Ha! And who do you think will stop me?"
"Do I have to answer that question?" The wolf wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, knowing that Elijah would drag Giuliana back to New Orleans whether she liked it or not.
"I think you and I know the answer to that." She grinned and helped Giuliana to her feet.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She stood on shaky feet and looked to Josh and Davina. "Thanks for helping me." The pair smiled warmly and dismissed themselves before Klaus or Marcel knew that they were missing and Hayley explained that Elijah and Rebekah saved her family.
The night air over the Quarter was thick with smooth jazz music from the performers parading down the streets. Some late night party goers were still bar hopping, but for the most part, the Quarter felt like a serene place to be. A light breeze blew through Giuliana's long hair, tousling it over her shoulders and some strands cascaded over her face. The night had calmed down, thankfully, and she was standing on the balcony outside her room. She didn't know what drew her to the window, but she suddenly felt the urge to look upon the city. For the first time since she came to New Orleans, she felt at peace. Being in a new city was tough adjusting to, but with some time and a lot of patience, she was questioning herself why she had wanted to leave in the first place. The reasons were still there, but she didn't want to listen to reason now. All she wanted to do was soak up the view and enjoy the moment. A sudden gust of wind swirled around her, but she knew it wasn't nature's doing.
"I can see now why you liked living here so much." She spoke as Elijah joined her on the balcony. He rested his hands on the railing, taking a moment to pause and look upon her profile. Locks of her hair swayed gracefully in the subtle wind and the faintest hint of a smile could be seen painted on her lips.
"It is amazing how much it has changed since my siblings and I left it." He mentioned. "But it still has the same appeal."
"I just I was alive to see the way it was back then. You know, being pretty much desiccated for almost all of history causes you to miss out on a lot of things." She sighed softly.
"I wish you could have seen it too." The Original agreed. "But you're getting to see the world now. One place at a time."
She flashed him a smile. "I like it here. I'm not so sure I'd leave."
"And yet you were so quick to pack your bags the other night." Elijah tutted and she turned to face him.
"Well, I've had a change of heart." She told him. The pair stood in silence for a few moments and just enjoyed each other's company. Elijah's hands ran along the railing as if reliving a distant memory that he suddenly remembered.
"New Orleans was the only place that felt like home to us. We ran from our father and once it seemed like we'd found a place to stay, we'd have to pick up everything and leave." He could still recall the lump in his throat whenever he was told that Mikael was on their trail. They could never settle in one place for too long without having to leave it again. "Being here felt like home. It was our home."
The jazz music died down as the musicians rounded the corner and they were left in silence once more. "Hayley's family is safe?" She was somewhat eager to change the subject seeing that Elijah grew tense when he spoke of Mikael.
He nodded, buttoning his suit jacket. "None of them came to harm. Except for Diego who had the great misfortune of getting in my way."
"You can gladly snap his neck as many times as you want. I've never liked him." She grinned widely.
"Eve also mentioned something about your blood." Elijah stated and Giuliana listened intently. "She said a witch might have had something to do with it."
"My mother was afraid of vampires, so she went to a healer and bought all kinds of herbs." She countered.
Elijah shook his head dauntingly. "She said that no kind of herb can alter the consistency of human blood. It had to be a witch."
Giuliana fell silent and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "I wish I knew."
"I know." He stepped forward and gently moved her hair off the side of her neck, exposing her olive skin. Her curious eyes met his, but they were focused on her neck. "How can it be that you can control how you blood affects vampires?"
The girl shrugged, wishing she knew the answer to that too. "I can prove it." She moved all of her hair over one shoulder, leaving one side of it bare and she closed the space between them. "I promise. I can control it."
He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't even be thinking about it, but it fascinated him that she was an anomaly when it came to her blood. In all his years as a vampire, he'd never come across someone like her. When he bit her the night he was infected, her blood physically burned his insides. He felt her trachea disintegrating and his skin sizzled where her blood spattered on him. He pulled her closer to him, a hand holding her waist and he could her heart beat just a little faster. Her skin looked so enticing under the dim lights in the Quarter and he could feel her hands fist his lapel, preparing for the bite. He ducked his head down in the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent, becoming intoxicated by it. His fangs grew to sharp points and Giuliana closed her eyes when she felt them brush against her neck. She held her breath and bit her lip as she felt the two twin daggers slice through her skin.
A whimper of pain passed her lips and she tightened her hold on Elijah's jacket. It did hurt quite a bit, but she trusted Elijah with her life. She let him feed from her neck and she counted the seconds for the pain to be over. She focused hard and reminded herself that Elijah was not here to harm her and she knew that her blood hadn't changed because he still continued to drink without stopping. He exercised such control while he fed. He didn't drink too quickly, he didn't bite harder when he felt her stiffen and he sipped her blood like he was drinking a fine wine; savoring each mouthful. Once the pain melted away, she found that she enjoyed this little bit of intimacy. Being this close to him and feeding him her blood willingly was such an odd, but warming sensation.
She tasted of liquid ecstasy; a mixture of sweet and savory. He couldn't put his finger on her taste, but it was heavenly. The rich blood flowed from her veins and down his throat with ease and he had to restrain himself from taking more than intended. He couldn't taste a hint of the blood that he took from her the other night and he was thankful for that because her acidic blood made everything else taste funny. Both arms wound around her waist and he lapped at the open wound, controlling the blood flow with his tongue. He could feel her initial stiffness relax as she grew more comfortable and he even heard the tiniest moan fall from her lips. He didn't want to stop, but he knew that he had taken quite a bit from her. Holding back a groan, he unsheathed his fangs from her neck and she made a noise of discomfort. He backed away, panting a little and she peered up at him.
"Told you." She smirked and he chuckled softly. He took a handkerchief from inside is jacket and pressed it against her bleeding neck.
"I never doubted you for a moment." Elijah said, dabbing away the blood. The bite wasn't deep at all, but it would take time to heal on its own without the help of vampire blood. Once the blood was dried, Elijah discarded of the handkerchief and tutted under his breath. "We can't have you walking around like that," he slid off his jacket and unbuttoned the bottom of his sleeve. He rolled the fabric up to his forearm, exposing his wrist to her and he bit down, creating a wound for her to drink from. "Drink."
Giuliana took up his wrist and brought it to her lips, suckling the blood that flowed from the bite. Normally she'd fight him about drinking vampire blood, but she trusted him to keep her safe so that she wouldn't die with it in her system. A sip or two was all she needed and she pulled away when she was finished. Elijah's wrist healed up in seconds and Giuliana's neck looked good as new. Elijah noticed a droplet of blood lingering on her bottom lip and instead of using the handkerchief, he brushed it away with his thumb. His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb trailed over her blood stained lips. Her gaze lingered on him and she felt such an unimaginable pull towards him. His other hand was at her waist and he moved closer, their breaths mingling together in the night air. He combed her wild waves back off her face and tucked some strands behind her ear as he looked down at her. Giuliana's eyes wouldn't leave his lips, wishing that he'd come to his senses, throw her down and kiss her till she had no breath left.
"I should go." He murmured and turned to leave.
"Yeah," she breathed, her green orbs never leaving his form. She blinked for a second and when she opened her eyes, a breeze of wind let her know that Elijah was gone. She sighed tiredly, leaning up against the brick wall and staring down at the Quarter again. Alone again, she thought to herself and decided to enjoy the night for a few moments longer before calling it a day.
But she wasn't alone.
On the ground below her, Elijah stood silently and looked upon the woman who managed to enchant him with every whim. He was hidden by some tall shrubs and bushes, concealing his hiding place so that he could gaze upon her in silence. He'd been so close to losing his composure; too close for his liking. He was never one to lose his head over anything. He always managed to keep himself in check during the most difficult situations, but Giuliana was testing every boundary. She was unaware of this, of course, but Elijah wondered if a part of her did know what she was doing. Every smile, every laugh, even every dagger filled stare made the Original falter on his normally steady moral plane. He didn't like feeling so out of control; he didn't like it one bit. At times he felt fine, but others he felt like he was falling headfirst with no way to stop it.
He wanted to scold himself for hiding and stealing longing looks, but it was the only way he could not make a fool out of himself. He'd seen this kind of scene in a play once. A beautiful girl standing idly on a balcony while her eager admirer stood below, concealed in the shadows of the night. As silly as it sounded, he felt like he was Romeo looking upon his Juliet. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand and he wished he could be touching her skin like he was before. Her blood still sang on his tongue and through his veins, making all of his thoughts of his siblings, Hayley's baby and the Quarter disintegrate and go back to her. He watched her frown and sigh before turning on her heel and going inside. He wanted to follow her and gaze upon her more, but the door to the balcony was closed with a soft click.
Now he was the one who was alone.
Honey, I'm hooooommmeee ;) I told you guys that I'd be back and I'm alive! I hope that all of you are doing well and I want to thank you for being so patient with my crazy, beautiful life! I should hear back about my certification in less than 20 days, so as soon as I know, you'll all know! Your messages and reviews have really given me a push to get all of my stuff done and to get back to writing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you so much again for being the rock-stars you are :) Please review xoxo
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grapejuice101: Yeeeaaahh, Cass was kidnapped! We'll have to see how she'll do with Dr. Wes. Thanks for reviewing!
Brucas-chair23: Thank you for reviewing! So glad you liked the update :)
annie: Thanks for reviewing :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
snmuenst: Hmm, I don't know about what will happen with Damon and Cassandra, but they will definitely have to work out their issues. Thank you for your review!
binks13: Thank you for reviewing, darling! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Damon really does care about Cassandra, but when he goes off the rails, it won't be pretty. We'll have to see what will happen next.
Sexytime321: Yeeeeaaahhh, Damon did a not so good thing :( Cassandra certainly will not take it well, and it will push their relationship a lot.
SomebodyWhoCares: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, Cass has been kidnapped and it will not turn out well. Plus, she and Damon will have to talk about what he did when it's all over.
Guest: I agree! Poor Cassandra :( She does have every right to be angry with Damon for what he did. I don't think it will go over easily with Cassandra at all because she is furious with him. Thanks for reviewing!
lovinurbuks: Thank you for reviewing! Damon leaves Mystic Falls? Wait, did I miss something? Not sure if he leaves, but he definitely does go off the deep end.
Karly: Thank you, darling! I'm glad that my stories can give you all the feels you desire, LOL!
VampirePrincess11: Thanks for reviewing! I do hope that Cassandra and Damon will work their issues out too as soon as they get free!
Bangbaby: Thank you so much! I am glad that you're enjoying my chapters! Hopefully I'll get some inspiration for the Klaus/OC story soon. The only thing I do not want is for the Klaus/OC to be too much like the Bloodlines TO chapters bc I feel like that isn't fair to my readers to read something over again.
twin of a sister: Thank you, Lindsey! You are so, so sweet! We'll have to stay tuned to see how Cassandra will do while being in the care of Dr. Wes. Plus, we'll have to see how Damon and Cassandra handle his secrets that he's been hiding. Always a lovely review and I'll talk to you soon!
Harshita: Stalk away, girl haha! I hope you enjoyed this update :)
Brucas-chair23: Thanks for understanding, girl! You will all be the first to know when I pass :)
xJenzaFreakx: Thank you for reviewing and for the good luck! I should hear back in less than 20 days, so the waiting is killing me. But you'll all know when I pass!
marlene: Thanks for understanding! I hope you enjoyed this chapter update :)
annie: Elijah and Giuliana are being stubborn when it comes to admitting their love for each other - they just need a little push. Maybe that will come soon ;) Hopefully Dr. Wes will have different plans for Cassandra's baby then people originally think. Hmm, we'll have to see in the next update.
DritneyForever: Thank you for reviewing! So happy to hear that you are enjoying my story :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Guest: Thanks for reviewing! Ooh, those are some beautiful names! I will take them under consideration :)