Thank you for the reviews, favs and alters :) As you can tell by this chapter, the story won't follow TVD storyline. Just wanted to make that clear in case you are wondering what's happening here :)

It's a beautiful lie
It's the perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me

It's time to forget about the past
To wash away what happened last
Hide behind an empty face
Don't ask too much, just say
'Cause this is just a game

30 Seconds To Mars – A Beautiful Lie

Chapter 55

Ignorance is bliss

Klaus took a careless look around on the porch while waiting someone to open the door. The doppelganger was here, thanks to dear Katerina, he knew that among several other useful things. He couldn't wait to see her with his own eyes. Well, technically not with his own eyes. He placed a polite smile on his face when the door finally opened. Damon Salvatore, pathetically in love with the doppelganger, a friend of this human.

"Hi, Damon…" Klaus started.

"What the hell, Ric?" the young vampire snapped. "Are you suicidal, didn't you get my message?"

"A message?"

"Elena's people to protect list is now people to hunt down list and you're on it. Elena!"

Klaus' smile grew wider when the doppelganger appeared next to Damon. She was a flawless copy of Tatia, just like Katerina.

"Come in, Ric," she said quietly, it seemed that she had been crying. Apparently she was the only one who could invite people, vampires and all kinds of creatures in this house, thanks to the spell the Bennett witch had cast. According to Katerina, this witch was definitely a threat to Klaus' plans and he was certainly planning to get rid of her. He had time; there was still five days till the full moon. This time he wouldn't take any chances. This time he wouldn't fail.

"Are you waiting for a red carpet?" Damon snapped and yanked him inside. Klaus' eyebrows furrowed for a second before he remembered that he wasn't in his own body. No one would have dared to talk to him like this if he would have been.

"Ladies," he greeted the Bennett witch and the doppelganger's blonde friend who were standing few steps behind Damon. "What's going on? What is this hunt down list?"

"Elijah," Damon replied gloomily. "He's on the loose."

Great, had these idiots actually let someone to pull the dagger out? Klaus had planned to do that himself after the ritual. It didn't really matter, he could handle Elijah.

"Hi, Ric," a familiar voice said.

"Stefan," he replied, trying his best to hide his amusement. Apparently the ruthless ripper was a bunny eater these days. Who would have ever known. He was definitely planning to change that after the ritual. Everything would be different after that. He would finally become the invincible hybrid. Then he would fix things with Elijah, assuming his brother would give back what he had stolen from him. Eva.

Klaus felt a nasty sting when he thought about her. Elijah had dared to take her from him and kept her hidden for so many years. Yes, he had done mistakes and he regretted most of the things that had happened in Chicago, especially making Elijah to believe that Rebekah and Finn were gone for good, but Elijah had no right to take her, she didn't belong to him like she belonged to Klaus. Soon she would be by his side again, as she should have been the whole time.

"You weren't at school today, so I just wanted to make sure that everything's alright," he said, looking at the doppelganger.

She sighed and shook her head.

"Not really, no. But I'm so glad you're here, I had to tell Jenna everything and she didn't take it well. Could you talk to her?"

Jenna…? Ah yes, the doppelganger's aunt, this human's girlfriend. How wonderful.

"Of course I can. Where is my lovely Jenna?"

"In the living room. I would come with you, but she really doesn't want to see me right now."

"No need to worry," he said and tapped the doppelganger's shoulder. "Leave this to me."

"Thanks, Ric."

"No problem."

Dealing with some hysterical female was the last thing Klaus would have wanted to do, but he needed to play his part until he would be ready. The Bennett witch needed to die first. He suppressed a snort before entering the living room. The human woman was sitting on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap. At least she didn't seem very hysterical; she was just staring in front of her.

"Hi, honey…"

"Did you know?" she interrupted him, her voice held no emotion. "Of course you did, I was the only one who didn't, right?"

She let out a bitter laugh.

"Why should I know that my niece is dating a vampire and another vampire wants to kill her? No biggie, I'm just her guardian."

Klaus tried to interpret what kind of answer she was hoping to get when she looked up.

"Why, Ric? Why didn't you tell me? It's my responsibility to protect those children, not the other way around. What kind of guardian am I if they think they have to protect me?"

Her eyes were filling with tears; Klaus forced himself to walk over to the sofa and sat down beside her.

"There, there…" he muttered and wrapped his arms around her.

"No," she snapped and pushed him away. "How am I supposed to trust you? Any of you?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know I should have told you."

"Why didn't you then?"

"Because sometimes ignorance is bliss. A cliché, yes, but it's true."

"Don't give me that," she snorted. "I love you and I thought I can trust you."

"You can."

He cupped her face and looked into her eyes.

"I love you my sweet Ev…Jenna."

That had been damn close; he needed to stop thinking about her in order to concentrate.

"You know I do."

She closed her eyes and sighed before leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I feel like such a fool," she muttered. "Could you please just hold me?"

"Of course, honey," he hummed and stroked her hair.

This had been surprisingly easy; he was very pleased with himself. Eva… He needed to stop thinking about her. Her scent… He could have sworn that he smelled it. That couldn't be possible; there was no chance Elijah would have brought her here. Klaus knew his brother; Elijah would never involve Eva to this, he had left her somewhere safe. He would find her, no matter what it would take.

2 days later

Elijah looked at the night sky and crossed his arms. The moon was almost full, he needed to finish this. He was standing on the side of the road, waiting patiently. It was time to get Eva back, then he could concentrate on Niklaus. Poor Rebekah hadn't done anything to deserve such a horrible fate, but soon she would finally have her vengeance, just like he had promised all those years ago. Finn would also have his vengeance.

Elijah has had his differences with him, but they had been family. Niklaus deserved to pay for what he had done to them. Poor Eva didn't know that Rebekah was gone; Elijah hadn't had the heart to tell her. She thought that Rebekah was somewhere living happily with her boyfriend. Of course she had hoped to see Rebekah along the years, but Elijah had made her believe that they needed to leave Rebekah alone in order to protect her from Niklaus. She had finally found the happiness she had always wanted.

The thought made Elijah bitter; he wanted nothing more than to believe his own lies. The vengeance had become his obsession; he had even neglect Eva because of it. He certainly wasn't proud of that, but soon this would all be over. He looked up when he heard a car approaching. It was an expensive looking silver sports car. Somehow he wasn't surprised. The car stopped in front of him, he couldn't help but smile. Despite of what had happened the last time they had met, Elijah had missed his little brother. The door opened and Kol stepped outside, he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark green v-neck.

"Elijah," his brother greeted him. "It has been a while."

"Yes."

They were both quiet for a brief moment before Elijah walked over to Kol and hugged him.

"It's good to see you, brother."

"You too," Kol replied. "Hopefully you're not planning to break my nose again. That was a hell of a punch."

"If I recall, you had that one coming."

Kol didn't comment on that and Elijah didn't feel the need to talk about it any more. Kol had most certainly crossed the line with Eva and Elijah had done what any father would do. Perhaps throwing Kol out had been too much, but he had been too angry to think clearly. All he had seen was someone touching his child inappropriately. Then Kol had made the whole thing worse by saying that he loved her, she was his soul mate and so on. He had assured that he wouldn't have done anything inappropriate with her, but that hadn't been how Elijah had seen it. The reason why Kol had left was another lie he had told Eva. For her own good.

"In any case, thank you for coming," Elijah said.

"Of course. Just show me the people who took Eva and I'll bring you their heads."

Elijah smiled; Kol had never been much of a planner.

"Do you have something for me?"

"Yes," Kol huffed. "I picked up the souvenir you asked."

"Did you have any problems finding her?"

Kol rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, you're insulting me. The woman was visiting her sister, just like you said."

"Alright, let's take a look."

Elijah stepped closer when Kol opened the trunk; the familiar woman was glaring at them furiously. She had been gagged and tied up.

"This is her, right?" Kol asked.

Elijah nodded.

"Yes. Well done, brother. We'll have Eva back very soon; all it will take is one phone call."