I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE CHARACTERS.
Music Credit: "Invasion" – Eisley

~*.*~
'The colorless words are burning our heels, as the bright lights of the city fade.
Taking the chase and to curb our fear, as the bloodless moon shows its face.
Something's not right – I can feel it inside.
Something's not right.

And you, you would take the breath from my throat.
And you, you would take the cherished people that I hold.'
~*.*~

Chapter Two:

I couldn't shake the anxious feeling I felt, riding in the car with Niklaus. Against every logical brain cell I have, my gut instinct is to trust him – and I do. I probably shouldn't, but I do. He seems like a man that has a lot going on beneath the surface. I don't want to pry just yet.

Maybe 'anxious' isn't the right word. I feel nervous, scared, excited, worried, relieved and dare I say safe? Anxious, yes, but also everything else. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to busy my hands.

"Bonnie, are you alright?" Niklaus asked. I looked over at him, surprised by the noise. I opened my mouth and closed it.

"I'm better than I was this morning. I'm not sure if 'alright' is the right word." I admitted.

"Would you like to listen to some music?" He asked.

"If you'd like to hear it, you can turn it on. It won't bother me." I assured him. I glanced over at him again and saw him studying me. We locked eyes. After what felt like an eternity, he relented and flipped on some music. A harsh melody soon filled the car. I closed my eyes and listened to it, welcoming the distraction. "How long will we be traveling tonight?" I asked him. We've already been driving for well over an hour.

"It'll be at least another six, sweetheart. We're going to New Orleans." He revealed.

"Is that where you're from Niklaus?" I asked him. He smirked.

"Sweetheart, Niklaus is so formal. Please, call me Klaus." He corrected me. I blushed.

"Klaus," I echoed. He smiled. "I've never been to New Orleans. I've never been to Louisiana, actually." I admitted.

"You'll love it there. I've lived many places – it's the only place I keep coming back to." He assured me. I nodded. "Why don't you try to sleep, love? You must be exhausted." He asked. I shrugged.

"I'm on alert. It's hard to turn it off. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather sleep whenever we get to wherever we're going." I told him.

"Of course," he agreed.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My hand flew to my pocket and grabbed my taser. "Bonnie," someone said, quietly. I forced my eyes to focus. It's just Klaus. "We're here. Are you alright?" He asked me. I didn't say anything. I must have fallen asleep. I didn't mean to. I nodded. He looked relieved.

"Where is here?" I finally asked.

"We're at the Mikaelson estate. We'll get you settled in and you can rest. We'll sort out the rest later." He told me.

"Oh, okay." I agreed. He got out of the car and came around to my side and opened my door. I accepted his hand as he helped me to my feet. He grabbed my bags, despite my protests.

"I made a few calls while you were sleeping. I have a few people looking into the murder they framed you for. A lawyer will be by tonight to talk with you." He revealed. I nodded. This is really happening. I feel like I haven't been able to catch my breath through all of this. It's crazy. I knew he said that he would get things taken care of, but damn, he's moving quickly. "My siblings are out right now, but I'm sure you'll meet them later on. My mother is away on business, until tonight. She's looking forward to meeting you."

"You live with your family?" I asked him. He nodded.

"I have property all around the world, but we tend to stay together." He answered.

"It must be nice." I commented. I followed him inside the house. He led me upstairs to an empty bedroom. I'm not sure 'bedroom' is accurate. I'm pretty sure you could fit a small apartment into this room. There's a bed, a desk, a couch, a TV, a massive bathroom, and a balcony. I'm afraid to touch anything. It's beautiful. "Wow," I breathed. He smiled.

"You like it, I take it?" He asked. I nodded.

"Are you sure it's alright that I stay here?" I asked him, still in shock.

"Sweetheart, I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't okay with it." He assured me. I nodded. He placed my things down. "You should rest." He suggested.

"I'm not sure I could sleep."I told him, honestly. He sat down on the bed and looked at me.

"I could draw you a bath, love." He offered. I stiffened. He must have noticed because his brows furrowed. "I'll leave as soon as it's full. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, sweetheart." He explained. I nodded, feeling stupid. My guard's always up, but it helps keep me alive. I just wish it was such a pain in the ass.

"As soon as everything is cleared up, I want to help contribute. I'm not going to stay here and not help." I told him.

"I don't want you money, love. I have more money than I know what to do with."

"Then I'll find some way to contribute." I didn't budge. "I need to."

"Alright," he relented. "Bath time?" He asked. I nodded, slowly. He smirked and went into the bathroom. I slipped off my shoes and followed him. The bathtub is gigantic and I can't wait to soak in it. I can't even remember the last time I had a bath. Trust me; you don't want to take a bath in a cheap motel room. Some of the places I stayed at, I didn't even want to shower in.

Klaus turned on the hot water and put the stopper in the tub. He sprinkled bath salt on the bottom. He held up some lavender oil, questioningly. I nodded. He added it to the steaming water. He poured a generous amount of bubble bath in and laid out a robe and slippers for me. I saw clean towels folded on the bathroom counter. A girl could get used to this.

"Thank you." I told him, softly. He smiled.

"Do you have a phone?" He asked me.

"Just a prepaid one for emergencies," I told him. He nodded.

"That's something we'll take care of tomorrow. There's a phone on your nightstand. There's a room directory next to it. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." He told me. I nodded. He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. I had to force myself to relax into his hug. I'm not used to physical affection, anymore. He kissed my forehead. "I'm going to shower and sleep a while. I'll come wake you later. Try to rest." He gave me a gently squeeze before letting go and leaving my room. My room. That just sounds weird.

I grabbed an oversized sweater out of my bag and a clean pair of underwear. I fished out a sports bra and some socks. I left a pair of sweatpants and my necklace on my nightstand. I went into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I stripped out of my clothes and put them in a hamper. I sighed and settled into the water. This is nice already. I closed my eyes and felt the hot water relax my body.

I opened my eyes and blinked. I jerked and ran my fingers through my hair. I must have fallen asleep in the tub. I didn't realize how tired I was. The water is almost cold. I gripped the sides of the tub and climbed out. I pulled the stopper and watched the water drain. I wrapped a towel around my torso before walking over to the separate shower. I turned on the water and left my towel on the floor. I rinsed off all of the suds from my body and washed my hair. I turned off the water and toweled off.

I pulled on my undergarments and socks. I decided I should at least sleep in the sweater if he's coming to wake me up later. I put my necklace back on and laid down in the plush bed and closed my eyes.

"Sweetheart, wake up." I heard someone whisper. My eyes shot open. I gripped the wrist of the hand rubbing my face. Klaus didn't look surprised this time.

"You're a light sleeper." He commented. I shrugged.

"I didn't use to be." I admitted. He just nodded.

"Are you hungry?" He asked me.

"Not really, but I should probably eat something."

"Dinner's is going to be prepared downstairs soon – Mother is talking with the lawyer downstairs." He told me. I nodded. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I felt his eyes on my body. I forced myself to meet his gaze. He didn't smirk, like I expected him to. Instead, he studied me. I don't know if I should be flattered or bothered by his constant need to memorize my body and my mannerisms. I pulled a pair of jeans out of my bag and pulled them on. They're much looser than they were when I left home. I must've lost weight. I slipped on a pair of boots and pulled my hair back. "You look lovely." He commented. I laughed.

"I'm sure." I replied, sarcastically. My clothes are too big, I just woke up and I'm sure my hair is a mess.

"You underestimate yourself."

"What kind of questions is the lawyer going to ask?" I deflected. He sighed.

"He's going to want to know all of the intimate details of your relationship with Mr. Salvatore. He's going to want to know why you left – why you suspect Damon framed you. If you have medical records or photographs of his abuse, those would probably be helpful."

"I have both." I whispered. I keep seeing flashes of Damon's merciless behavior. I shivered and grabbed my bag. I pulled out a small, locked case. It the medical records I stole from his doctor's office and date-stamped pictures of his handiwork. It also has a flash-drive with all the angry voicemails he left on my old phone. I don't even know how Jeremy was able to do that. My fingers traced the key on the end of my necklace. It unlocks my case – I rarely take it off.

"Are you ready?" He asked. I nodded.

"Let's get this over with." I followed him downstairs to the study. There's a pretty blonde woman sitting next to a kind-looking lawyer. That must be his mother. She barely looks old enough to have children. She's beautiful.

"I'd like you to meet someone." Klaus gestured to me. His mother's eyes lit up. She stood up and walked over to us.

"You must be Bonnie." She took my hand and held it. "I'm Ester. Niklaus has explained the situation to me. I've very sorry to hear what you've been going through."

"It's nice to meet you." I told her. His family is strange to me. For being so revered, they're strangely… nice.

"This is Anthony Rupert. He's one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country. We have a few more lawyers looking over your case. Mr. Rupert is going to ask you some questions and record your testimony." She explained. I nodded.

"You really think that you can clear my name?" I asked. Mr. Rupert looked over and smiled.

"I have no doubt that we can not only clear your name, but incarcerate Mr. Salvatore for framing you."

After two hours of questioning, we were finally finished. Klaus has people looking into the murder. According to Mr. Rupert, the evidence against me isn't very strong. The hairs they found on the body were all on the guy's shirt. They could have obviously been placed there postmortem. My bracelet was feet away from the body. It was sloppy. There were prints found on the body, none of which were mine. They're being tested. They've found other little things that can tie other people to the murder. I'm not sure what Damon did that made them jump the gun and only go after me.

It worries me that there are so many crooked people in the justice system. With the way that things seem to be going, feels like the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons are starting a pissing contest with power. I only hope that the Mikaelsons win.

"Let's get some food, sweetheart." Klaus placed a hand on my lower back and guided me to the dining room. I sat down at the table. I feel exhausted. There's no way that I can tell that I've slept the day away. My brain feels so drained. Every conversation I've ever had with Damon seems to be running through my mind. I hate it. I don't think that I'll ever get to escape from him – not completely. He still controls me. When will it end?

"You did well today." Ester smiled, gently. I gave her a small smile in return.

"It just feels like a giant mess that I don't know how to clean up." I told her.

"We'll get everything sorted, slowly, but surely. It shouldn't be long now. We're going to try and resolve this without dragging you through a trial. They tend to get messy. From what I understand, it wouldn't be best for your health to be in the same room as Mr. Salvatore." She told me. I nodded. She moved her chair closer to mine. I became all too aware that we were alone in the room. I'm not sure where Klaus went off to.

"Klaus told me that he used to know Stefan."

"That's right."

"What happened between them, if you don't mind me asking?" I pried. I know it's not exactly my business, but if I'm going to be in the middle of this with them, I don't want to be walking around blind. I've both been there and done that. It didn't work for me.

"Niklaus and Stefan were schoolmates of sorts. They attended the same boarding school during their high school years. Damon attended the same university as both boys. Stefan and Niklaus got on well until Damon entered the equation. I'm sure you can imagine why. Damon has always been…" She struggled to find the right word. "Controlling." She finished. "There were traits about him that my son didn't much care for. Needless to say, the families haven't been friendly since. My late husband and their father had clashing personalities, as well. There's become somewhat of a feud between us." She revealed. I nodded.

"That's the reason that Klaus offered to help me." I guessed.

"It's part of the reason, I imagine. My daughter went through something similar to what you did a while ago. I wouldn't want any woman to have to endure that."

"I see." I said, quietly. It's a lot to take in.

"We aren't expecting payment in return." She said segueing to what I discussed with Klaus. I sighed.

"I'm not going to stay here and freeload off of you." I told her. She chuckled.

"My dear, you can work, but as I'm sure my son has already told you, we won't take your money. I'd feel better if we helped you get back on your feet and come out of this stronger. Damon can't keep going about things the way he is. Someone needs to teach him a lesson."

"And if it happens to be your family that does so, so much the better?"

"Precisely." She smiled. I felt almost comfortable with her. She's an enigma. I have a feeling that she is more powerful than she's letting on.

"When all of this gets cleared up, I'd like to have an honest job." I told her in the least offensive way I could think of.

"Of course," she agreed. "I can see why my son is so taken with you."

"Why is that?" She asked.

"You're headstrong and determined to be as independent as possible." She observed. A slight smile graced my lips.

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"It is." She retorted. Klaus came walking in chatting with another blonde woman. She must be his sister. They were followed by two brunet men.

"Sweetheart, I'd like you to meet the family." Klaus gestured to his siblings.

"I'm Rebekah." The blonde introduced herself, sitting next to me. "Don't listen to anything Nik has told you about me. I'm sure they're all lies."

"I wouldn't be so sure." The youngest bother sat down across from Rebekah. She glared at him.

"It'll be so nice to have another girl around. I have to put up with these idiots every day." She ignored him. He only smirked.

"I'm Kol. Don't listen to 'Bekah. She likes to paint herself as a saint. I assure you, she's no such thing." Kol kept smirking.

"She's not a new toy for you to fawn over." The older brother took a seat next to Kol. "I'm Elijah." He introduced.

"He's boring." Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"I'm Bonnie." Is all I could say to that. I was giggling.

"They're something – aren't they?" Klaus asked, sitting next to Kol.

Klaus came up to my room after dinner. We talked a little about our pasts. He has three more siblings, all of which have passed away. He told me a bit more about his father and the kind of man he was. Apparently, he left the family after Henrick died. He couldn't bear it any longer. When he did return, he was a different man. He blamed Klaus for his brother's death, even though it had been an accident. He was ruthless. Klaus didn't go into too many details, but the look on his face when he was recalling his memories was enough. It was hell for him.

I told him about my mom leaving and my absent father. I explained my Grams and the kind of woman she was and who she raised me to be. God, I miss her. I told him about Caroline and how amazing she is. I told him about Damon and how things were between us.

After we finished, we sat in a comfortable silence for a while. I stared at him, not wanting to move. It's been so long since I've been this comfortable around anyone. I'm not sure why he has this effect on me.

"I like your siblings." I told him, finally breaking the silence that surrounded us. He smiled.

"As do I, when I don't want to kill them." He joked.

"Did you enjoy growing up with such a big family?" I asked him. He nodded. "It must have been so much different than being an only child."

"I can imagine." He replied.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For going out of your way to help me," I told him, seriously. I placed a tentative hand over his.

"It's my pleasure, sweetheart." He whispered. "I've never wanted to do something like this for someone before, so adamantly. Not outside of my family, anyway..."

"Why am I different?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out, love."

~*.*~
'And they will try to make us forget ourselves.
One by one, one by one…
Call me crazy, but they are after us.
One by one, one by one…

You don't have to know the truth.
If you believe it, I believe it, too.
And you don't have to know the truth.
If you believe it, I believe it, too.

Something's not right – I can feel it inside.
Something's not right.
And you, you would take the breath from my throat.
And you, you would take the cherished people that I hold.'
~*.*~

A/N: Alright everyone, here's chapter two. Hopefully, you enjoyed it! I will try to have chapter three up soon-ish. If inspiration strikes, it'll be up for Christmas. If not, happy holidays, everyone! Reviews would be excellent.
-Anneryn