A Wolf's Redemption

Klaus Mikaelson had been in Mystic Falls for about a week, following the newest doppelganger around. One of this vampires had stumbled across the small town not too long ago and had come across Elena Gilbert as well. Klaus couldn't believe his luck when he sound out. He thought the Petrova line ended with Katerina. He almost didn't believe it when he was told. He didn't fully believe it until he saw her for himself.

Klaus was, of course, filled with glee when he realized he had another shot at breaking his curse. Of course, he was still aways away from being able to perform the ritual. He still had to find Katerina, who had his moonstone, but until then, he would be keeping a very close on Elena Gilbert.

Klaus watched as the girl got in the car with her parents and drove off. He followed them on foot, going at vampire speed. It wasn't long, however, before the car ran off the road and off the bridge.

"Bloody Hell!" Klaus cursed before diving into the water. When he found the car, he immediately made a beeline for this doppelganger. He got the door open and pulled her out before swimming to the surface.

Klaus laid the girl out on the ground before checking her pulse. She had one, but it was faint, and he wasn't taking any chances. "I don't think so, love. You don't get to die yet," he said before biting into his wrist and shoving it against her mouth.

Elena's eyes popped open a moment later and she coughed a little. "What happened?"

"You were in a car accident, sweetheart," Klaus told her.

Elena suddenly flashed back to being in the care. She remembered her father losing control of the car and it heading towards the bridge. That was the last thing she remembered. She immediately tried to get up to find her parents. "Mom! Dad!

Klaus held the girl back as she tried to get up. "It's alright, love. Relax."

"No! My mom and dad!" Elena cried.

"It's too late. Look it at me, love," Klaus said gently and waited for her to look him in the eyes. "Sleep."

Elena's eyes slowly began to droop and close before everything went black.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Klaus walked through the hospital early the next morning to check on his doppelganger. He knew she was okay, since he gave her his blood, but he intended to keep a close eye on her, especially for the next few days. She had his blood in her system. If somehow she died now, she would turn. He couldn't let that happen. He walked into the girl's hospital room just as she was opening her eyes. "Hello, Elena."

"You're the guy the saved me. I saw you after the accident," Elena said.

"Yes. My name is Klaus," he told her.

"Are my parents dead?" Elena asked with a crack in her voice. She was almost certain they were. She could remember him telling her it was too late, but there was still a glimmer of hope in her heart.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry," Klaus said.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"I don't know what you mean, sweetheart," he said.

"Why did you save me?" Elena asked.

"You were young. You had more life to live than them. I had to make a decision. I couldn't save you all," Klaus said. Of course, that wasn't the reason, but he certainly wasn't going to tell her the real reason.

"My father was a doctor. He was much more important to the world than me. My mother was a wonderful woman. My brother and I will be lost without her," Elena cried. She wished she was dead right now. She wished Klaus had saved one of her parents instead of her.

"Do you think your parents would ever sacrifice you to save themselves?" Klaus asked.

"No," Elena said quietly after a moment. She knew they wouldn't. They would've gladly given up their lives to save hers. That didn't make her feel any better though. "I'm sorry. I should be thanking you. You saved my life."

"No need to apologize, love. It's natural to wish your loved ones were still with you," Klaus told her.

"You sound like you know from experience. Did you lose someone?" Elena asked.

Klaus stiffened a little. Henrik was the first person to come to mind. He didn't speak of Henrik to anyone, and he certainly had no interest in talking about him with this human, but he needed her trust. He intended to keep a close eye on her. He always had, but that was even more important now. This accident was a reminder of how easily humans could die. He wouldn't let that happen. He needed her close, and simply watching her from a distance wasn't going to be good enough. He needed her to want him around, and that meant opening up to her. "Yes, my younger brother, Henrik."

"What happened to him?" Elena asked. She instantly regretted the question. It wasn't her business, and she now knew how painful it must have been for him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's alright, love," Klaus said before pulling up a chair. "Henrik was mauled wolves. We were out in woods when we shouldn't have been, and they attacked him." It wasn't even a lie. That had been how Henrik had been killed. He only omitted the fact that they weren't regular wolves.

"I'm sorry. That sounds horrible. I can't imagine what that must have been like to watch," Elena said.

"Yes, it was. I still see it when I close my eyes sometimes," Klaus said. Again, he wasn't lying. He would never forget what happened to Henrik, or that it was his fault.

"All I see when I close my eyes is the car going over that bridge. Does it ever hurt any less?" Elena asked crying.

Klaus took her hand. "Yes, but it never goes away. You'll never stop missing your parents, but you will learn to live without them."

"I don't want to," Elena cried.

"I know, sweetheart, but you will. You should get some rest. You've been through a lot," Klaus said before letting go of her hand and standing up.

"Klaus, wait. You don't have to, but if you wanted, you could come back," Elena said. It was probably because he saved her, but she felt a connection to him. She'd like to talk to him again.

Klaus smiled. "I may take you up on that offer. Get some sleep, Elena," he told her before walking out of the room. He had a large grin on this face as he stood outside. Everything was going according to plan. The accident was unexpected, but it might just have worked in his favor. He was gaining Elena's trust, much like he had with Katerina centuries before, but it would be different this time. He would not allow what happened with Katerina to happen with Elena. When the time came, he would end his curse.

That was what Klaus told himself anyway. He should probably know by now that things rarely went the way he planned them.