A.N.- I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Please read, enjoy, and review. Thanks :)

Songs:

Plumb - Don't Deserve You

Ed Sheeran - Bloodstream

Out of every thought that had run through her head that day, the one that managed to make its way into her dreams was one that brought her a confusing mixture of feelings.

New York - 1922

"You too, Nik." Belle's entire face lit up when her lips curled into a small, genuine smile.

Klaus returned his attention to the group of unruly, drunken men. "Gentlemen, give us some privacy. We have a lot of catching up to do."

She suspected that Klaus had compelled them to obey him because they stood up without so much as a weak complaint and went to occupy an empty corner of the room. She didn't say anything on the subject. She just raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him before taking a seat.

It had been nearly a year since they had seen one another, but to a vampire, that was nothing. However, she still had missed him, maybe more than she was willing to admit. She missed talking with him more than anything, so that's just what they did. They exchanged stories, some old, some new, for hours while they admittedly had a little too much to drink. By the time the clock struck midnight they were both fairly drunk and Belle was doubled over laughing for no particular reason.

Klaus looked at her in amusement. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, trying to suppress his own laughter.

"I don't know!" Tears were rolling down her face by that point. She took a few seconds to pull herself together, wiping away the tear streaks with her gloved fingers before they smudged her makeup. She turned to Klaus with wide eyes. "Come dance with me." She jutted out her bottom lip.

He remained where he sat, obstinate as usual. "You can go if you want." He took a long drink from his bourbon.

A long sigh escaped her ruby lips. She set her arms on the table and laid her chin on them, glaring at him from the corner of her eye. "Please, Nik? I'm bored." She tilted her head so she could look at him directly. "Please?"

He exhaled deeply before finishing his drink. He reluctantly made his way to the end of the booth where he stood and offered her his hand. "Come on."

She grinned widely before getting up and taking his extended hand as he led her over to the dance floor.

They danced in perfect timing with the lively jazz music that filled the room with a vibrant exuberance until they were both out of breath. The tempo suddenly slowed to a gentle lull as a slower song began. Accordingly, each couple switched to a slower dance.

The pair gently swayed back and forth. Belle had lost count of the number of times they had danced together throughout the centuries, but something was different that night. Maybe it was the liquor that pumped through their veins. Or the smooth alto of the saxophone that filled their ears. Or the sensation of romance that surrounded them. Or maybe a combination of the three. She hadn't realized what she was doing until it was already done. Her lips met with his for fraction of a second before she quickly pulled away, embarrassed and baffled. Without a word, she freed herself from his grasp and walked away, pushing past anyone who stood in her way.

She grabbed a glass of champagne from a small silver tray and went to the back of the room. She leaned against the wall, focusing on the tiny lights that were mirrored in the golden liquid.

What had she been thinking? How could she be so reckless? Admittedly, she had always wondered what it'd be like to kiss him, to finally learn the taste and feeling of his lips. But she had always told herself that if she gave in to the temptation it would be the undoing of years upon years of friendship. There had always been a sort of silent agreement between them to not get romantically involved, and she had breached that agreement in one impulsive act.

Interrupting her train of thought, Klaus approached her, striding headstrong across the room with a look of sheer determination that perplexed her. He was all of a step away from her when he plucked the glass from her slender fingers and downed it in one fluid motion. He sat it down on a table next to them. Her eyebrows knit together. Before she could speak his lips pressed against hers, eager and fearless. She didn't fight it, ignoring her rational side and giving in. The forbidden fruit that was Klaus Mikaelson was just too sweet for her to resist any longer.

She didn't have the slightest idea how long it had been - minutes, hours, years, she could care less. Eventually they managed to part. She saw the undeniable look of longing that burned in his eyes that was undoubtedly blazing in her own. They both grinned from ear-to-ear. She saw that her red lipstick was smudged on his lips, so she wiped it away with her thumb, chuckling under her breath. Her hands cupped his face as she lightly stroked the blonde stubble along his jaw.

His eyes flickered to the exit before he looked back at her. "Come with me." His voice was quiet and husky. A small shiver went up her spine. She nodded. He took her hand and they left quickly. She held on tightly to his hand as she trailed behind him through the masses of people.

They soon arrived in front of the hotel where he was staying and rushed up the stairs, racing each other. Soon they arrived at the top floor where Klaus unlocked the door to his suite, which was, as per usual, more extravagant than what was really necessary. She didn't really get a good look at it before he pinned her to a couch that was almost ten feet from the front door. The suddenness of his actions caused her to gasp in delight. Their lips locked once more and stayed that way for nearly the rest of the night.

The sun rose above the city skyline the next morning, casting a series of shadows onto the bedspread. Belle's eyes blinked open, taking in the surroundings. She smiled to herself, clutching the covers closer to her chest.

She turned onto her other side, facing the rest of the bed - her face fell when she saw that it was empty. She reached out and touched the empty spot next to her where Klaus should have been. It was cold.

She frowned and sat up, wrapping a cream-colored sheet around herself as she stood up. The suite was silent, aside from the creaking of the bed, which worried her deeply.

Cautiously, she padded over to the door and opened it; she didn't hear or see anyone. His scent had even faded away. She checked the rest of the place only to come up empty. He was long gone.

Her head and heart filled with disappointment, anger, betrayal, and, most of all, hurt. He had deserted her like she was just another one of his meaningless flings. A part of her thought that, maybe in his eyes, she was.

Present

Once she realized how late it was, Belle shot up out of bed, changed her clothes, and was out the door in record timing. It was already nighttime, so she needed to get a move on before Charlotte chose to move again.

The full moon illuminated puddles in the streets, giving the illusion that there were many small moons scattered across the pavement - she paid little attention to them, beautiful as they may be. She had to keep her focus on the task at hand. After walking around 10 more blocks she found it, the place where Josh had so kindly told her Charlotte was hiding out. With determination, she slid the heavy metal doors open with ease and stepped inside. She knew he hadn't been lying; Charlotte's stench was everywhere. She remembered it clearly.

"Come on out, Charlotte. Let's finish what we started," she called as she walked between rows of old, broken down boats that where housed there. Charlotte always had a knack for staying in run-down places.

There was a sound about a hundred yards away that caught her attention. She flashed to its source in a matter of seconds. To her shock and despair, she hadn't found Charlotte, or any other vampire for that matter. She was face-to-face with two hulking werewolves, masses of fur and muscle. She exhaled deeply. "You wanna play games, Charlotte? Fine by me." Her voice echoing through the building.

Belle looked into the eyes of the first wolf, grinning wickedly at it. It bared its razor-sharp teeth at her, a wicked grin of its own. Without hesitation, she lunged forward, snapping its neck before it could make a move.

With her back turned to it, the other werewolf took the opportunity to attack. It lurched forward and tackled her to the ground, snapping it jaws. She held it back and struggled as she tried to force it off. Before she could stop it, or even register what was happening, the wolf viciously tore into her neck. She summoned all her strength to push it off of her, not that it did her any good. She slammed herself into its side, crushing its ribs before she managed to break its neck. Without a moment's hesitation, she ran away from the savage scene to try to find Charlotte.

Her scent was fresh, but Belle realized that she was no longer there. She had fled like the coward she was.

Defeated, Belle crumbled to the floor. She slammed her fist on the concrete beneath her until it cracked. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before pulling out her phone, which was miraculously undamaged, and dialed Max's number. It rang a few times before he picked up. "What is it?"

"Max, I need help."

He had picked her up at the docks and taken her back home. A few hours had passed as he tried repeatedly to call Klaus, but kept getting his voicemail. "Why can't we just go over there? I know Klaus is pissed at you, but he has to help you." Max groaned as he set his phone down on the coffee table. He picked up a cool washcloth from a bowl of water and put it on her forehead.

She swatted his hand away and put the cloth down. "He doesn't have to do anything. And he's more than pissed at me. I betrayed his trust - that's not something he takes lightly." She pulled herself up from the couch and began pacing back and forth. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead from the fever. When that werewolf bit her, it bit her hard. Feeling the venom burning like a wildfire in her veins, she knew she had twelve hours left, at best, before she would be beyond Klaus's help. She fanned herself with her hand before tugging her long-sleeved shirt over her head, leaving her in a charcoal grey tank-top. "God, I'm hot," she groaned. "I haven't had a fever since I was nine."

Max frowned. "Don't worry, we'll get Klaus to cure you." Her brother was being such an optimist.

She, on the other hand, was a realist. "Yeah, you and what army? He's stubborn. He wont budge. If he hasn't answered you by now he probably won't." She looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke. "The hallucinations should set in soon, so that should be fun."

She stumbled back over to the couch, losing her balance. Before she fell, Max caught her and helped her down. At the exact moment he touched her, the first wave of hallucinations hit her like a train. In her weakened state, the wall to her thoughts was down, leaving her vulnerable. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he had seen her thoughts. He was terrified.

It hadn't been very clear, just flashes of light, faces, and blood. So much blood. The faces were those of their mother, father, and siblings. The blood was also theirs. It stained her hands and her face.

Max backed away with wide, hardened eyes. "Is it true?" His voice was cold, yet fragile, like an icicle.

"Max, just let me explain." She stood up and walked toward him, trying to calm him down.

He pulled away and gave her an icy glare. "Is it true?"

She hesitated, trying to figure out the right thing to say. "Yes. It was an accident, I swear. Just please let me explain." Her wide eyes begged him to listen.

He seemed to ignore the look of misery in her eyes and instead focused solely on the guilt. He shook his head. "I don't want to hear it." He turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door shut and leaving her alone and utterly dejected.

She laid back down on the couch and covered her eyes with her hands as she sobbed hopelessly. Tears poured down the sides of her face and spilled onto the cushion below her head.

She had forced away the only person she felt actually still cared about her, not on purpose of course. It was like the universe wanted her to be alone; every person she ever loved ended up leaving one way of another. She and Max had managed to stay together over the years since they had turned because they were the only family each other had. Now that he knew she was the reason, she knew he would never forgive her.

Not that it would matter, she'd be dead before too long.

Hours passed by and she could feel herself growing weaker and weaker as the venom coursed through her. Sunlight was starting to pour into the room. She was still curled up on the couch when something caught her eye, a little girl. The girl wore a white dress and had long black hair that was perfectly straight. Her skin was like alabaster and her dark brown eyes were set into a delicate heart-shaped face. Belle recognized her immediately. "Lilith."

The girl smiled. "Come play with me, mother." She giggled before turning around and walking through the front door, literally.

She gathered what strength she had left and rushed after her. Deep down she knew it was all in her head, but she couldn't think straight. She walked down the winding staircase, trying to see where Lilith went. Once she got downstairs, Belle caught a glimpse of her walking out the front door that stood open. She continued to follow her through the crowded streets until she was led into a small store that was nearly empty.

Suddenly, the ghostly figure of her daughter disappeared into thin air. She looked around frantically, trying to find her, but she was gone. Belle quickly stumbled upon another familiar face, her mother's, followed by those of her father, her other brother, and her sisters. They were all wearing the clothes they had worn on the night she had turned, when she had slaughtered them. "You're, you're all dead. You're not real. None of this is real." Her voice quivered with fear.

Her mother reached out and stroked her cheek. Belle swore that she could feel it. "And why are we dead?

A tear slipped down her cheek before she whispered, "Because I killed you." Belle looked up into her mother's eyes that were identical to her own.

Her face hardened and she pulled her hand away. "That's right."

"We should have know you would be the undoing of our family." Her father stared at her with cold, dead eyes.

She shook her head. "You're not real. You're dead. Go away!" A chorus of laughter erupted from them. "Go away!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She lunged at them, ripping out their throats and draining the blood from their bodies, just like she had done years before.

She stood back and blinked rapidly as the hallucination subsided. She let out a sigh in relief. It was over. But, when she looked down at her hands they were still covered in blood. Her eyes moved to a trail of blood on the white tile floor. It led to a small pile of bodies, four to be exact. In her sickened haze, she had mistaken those innocent people for her dead family members.

Defeated, she fell to the floor and cried. That's all she could do.

She lost track of time as the fire in her veins spread further and further through her body. Her breathing became ragged and her vision started to blur. "This is the end." She closed her eyes, preparing to let the darkness take over, when she heard something. The front door opened and someone walked in. She knew it was just her fever-brain playing tricks on her, but she saw Max. Not as he was earlier that day, but as he was when they were human. "I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean to do it. Please forgive me." Tears rolled down her pale cheeks, streaking the blood around her mouth. She shivered violently, as though a cold wind had swept through the room. "I'm sorry. I failed."

Whoever it really was remained silent. They picked her up and carried her away. She clung to them and shut her eyes. Maybe she was dead and the person was her angel, taking her away to whatever peace there was to be found, if there was any.