Peeks in:

I'm still in the midst of some crazy writers block but I wanted to post this chapter. Real life has been crazy and then I completely lost my mojo. I get snippets of ideas once in awhile but nothing like it used to be. It does not help when TO and TVD have completely deviated from this ship.

Anywhoo, I'm not sure when I'll update again. I don't want to abandon the story at all. I do have a handful of chapter prewritten but I'm hanging onto them in case of future changes.

For this chapter, I made my flashback a little longer just because it has taken me forever and a day to post an update.

There is some violence in this chapter. Be warned, it's a bit gory.

[Flashback]

There was no objection, so their relaxing dinner became a working one, everybody more than eager to continue. Aria went over what they had learned so far with Elijah and added Caroline's theory that Klaus was supposed to have been the one falling for Hayley.

Despite the fact that they were talking about one of his worst indiscretions, Klaus couldn't help but feel almost a sense of pride as he watched Caroline take notes. He could tell just how serious she was when she wrote furiously into one notebook before transferring the information into the other using a system of colored pens and highlighters. He knew she was an intelligent young woman, but he also knew the motley group of friends back at Mystic Falls sometimes neglected to see that she was more than just a pretty face.

"The only thing I can think of as a reason is to divide and conquer," Bonnie replied and gave the Original siblings an apologetic smile. "Only because we attempted to do that before with you. This is obviously more complex and was most likely supposed to cause ripples in your family."

"But what is the purpose for —" Klaus began.

"No!" Caroline gasped as she looked at her notes again. Her pen went from the word 'enemy' to 'divide and conquer' and finally to 'family' before she looked back up to the table. "I think the purpose would be to destroy you all." She pointed to each of the words again. "This is a huge distraction on your family right? If you all went your separate ways because of it, you're left more vulnerable, making it easier to destroy you and in doing so—"

"In doing so, destroy our kind," Rebekah finished the thought.

The room was silent as they took in the news. Each one of them knew, whoever this X person was, they were dangerous.

"So if this is actually one person or one faction, they have the means to destroy witches and now vampires," Klaus began quietly a moment later. "I was certain it was Marcel but I'm not so sure."

"If it had been Marcel and he had been ruling New Orleans for so long, he wouldn't have wanted you back though, right?" Caroline asked. "I don't think he's entirely innocent but I don't think he's X."

"I think she has a point," Rebekah replied. "X is evil and manipulative. I think he probably has Marcel in his pocket, using him as a pawn. It wouldn't make sense to have you remain in New Orleans, knowing Elijah and I weren't far behind. The witch, Sophie has tied her life to the baby, right? And if you're supposed to be in love and busy playing baby daddy, you'd never have an excuse not to leave New Orleans, at least, in the immediate future. That idea alone is enough to cause Marcel grief."

Klaus thought about what both Caroline and his sister have said so far and it made sense. If Marcel didn't want the threat of being overthrown, there wouldn't be a reason for having the witch bind herself to the baby. Or even better, there was no need to bring him to New Orleans to know about the baby.

"Katerina left me a note about something happening in New Orleans. Was she a part of the scheme too?" He wanted to go find where she was buried and just tear her bones apart, scattering them in different areas around the globe.

"This is the same Katerina that your brother was involved with? The doppelganger?" Aria asked and Klaus nodded. "It sounds like she was talked into being nothing more than a pawn."

"What we didn't tell you was for all the centuries she was alive, Katerina ran from my brother," Rebekah explained. "She was to have been the sacrifice he needed to break his hybrid curse, but before the witch he recruited could do the spell, she had turned to a vampire. Since Nik's search for Katerina was never something he hid, it probably wouldn't have taken much to talk her into agreeing with the plan."

"I'm sure it didn't take much to convince her. Just the idea she could distract or even destroy me would have been incentive enough."

Caroline suddenly got up and took her notebooks before walking into the living room. Bonnie noticed the tense look in her friend's face and continued to take notes of her own on her laptop. She noticed Klaus was about to say something so she held her hand up. "She's trying to concentrate," she whispered. "Usually she'll do this when she's got an idea brewing in her head but she's not able to put it into words yet. This is her way of creating the space she needs."

The young, blonde vampire was beginning to pace around the room as she tried to find some clarity in her thoughts. Something seemed to be missing with the story and at the moment, she wasn't sure what it was other than it had to do with... the baby. She stopped and turned back towards the table. "Why is the baby so important? I mean, it wouldn't have taken much to do some sort of love potion spell would it? There's something about the baby even though it isn't his." She slowly walked back to the table and sat down, rubbing her temples as if it could help her make sense of it all.

"This may sound like a complete Greek tragedy but what if the child grows up and ends up killing the father or his siblings?" Aria asked.

"Oh, that's good," Caroline whispered and wrote that down before realizing what she said. She looked up and started blushing profusely when she realized all eyes were on her. "Oh, I mean, it's a good theory." She looked back down, trying not to react especially having seen Klaus smirking at her. "Who would want their child to destroy their own father like that though?"

Klaus' smirk fell immediately and he slowly rose from the table. He leaned over and looked at Aria intently. "Can this mysterious X be someone supernatural or even better, can they be dead?"

"Apep was known as a god so he'd be able to travel through all worlds. Do you have an idea?"

Klaus said nothing as he turned and walked out to the nearest balcony. Once he was outside, he was drawing in the cold night air as though he was lacking oxygen. Could it be? Just when his siblings thought they were safe?

He stood there, grabbing a hold of the metal railing as he stared up at the sky. He didn't want to believe who was possibly behind it. He could be wrong and by all the gods, he hoped he was wrong. Klaus took one more breath before pushing himself off the railing and headed back to the group huddled around the dining table. He felt their eyes on him as he sat down, not yet facing them.

He slowly looked up and whispered one word, "Mikael."

Silence

The entire table was stunned after Klaus uttered the name. He looked around in agitation and noticed all eyes were avoiding his. Caroline's pen had stopped midair and she was staring blankly at her notebook. The former witch looked equally shocked as she sat frozen in front of her laptop. Even his own sister didn't appear to take the news well as she kept shaking her head and mouthing out the word 'no.' The only one in the room that wasn't as distraught was the young witch and Klaus knew it was because she had only been given very brief information regarding the Mikaelson family history.

A minute passed and Klaus' breathing grew heavy as it felt as though the air thickened and the walls were starting to shrink around him. The idea that he still couldn't avoid Mikael, after seeing him set aflame after being staked by the white, oak stake was starting to become overwhelming. A low growl began in his chest and his fingers ached to tear into flesh, to destroy something.

He got up from his chair, his hands braced against the table as he fought to keep the control he was holding onto by a fine thread. Luckily for him, Rebekah recovered from her stupor and noticed his erratic behavior.

"Keys are on the mini-bar. Go!" She ordered and he left in a flash, without argument.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked as she noticed the Original siblings' brief interaction. Klaus' revelation was definitely a shock and she had been mulling over just how plausible it could be. She looked around and noticed Aria looking around in confusion, clearly not knowing the enormity of the news. Caroline was still looking at her notebook with a scowl on her face. Rebekah looked like she was trying to pull herself together so Bonnie just stayed quiet to give the Original vampire a chance to regroup.

Caroline didn't expect that name to come out of Klaus' mouth when he returned from the balcony. What could this mean? The young vampire thought as she continued staring at her notes. She noticed how agitated Klaus was after he returned and how he just left them. She wasn't really sure what was going on and worse, she wasn't sure what to say. It was obvious the siblings were shocked. She knew she would be if her father figure had chased them for ages only to haunt them after his death. It took a few minutes before she was able to look up at the group and waited to see what Rebekah wanted to do tonight. Should they leave to give her some privacy? She was just about to suggest it when Rebekah stood up and addressed the table.

"My brother needs some fresh air but we can continue if you'd like," Rebekah announced and looked over at Aria. "Since you probably need to know the background on our family situation, I can fill you in as we walk to get the tiramisu over at your flat." While she sounded carefree like before, it wasn't hard to notice the look of worry in her eyes.

Aria nodded and gave the Original vampire a smile of appreciation. "Sure, we can do that. We'll be back shortly. Rebekah asked me to store some dessert from the restaurant she visited today."

Bonnie nodded and watched as the two left the room. Once they were alone, she moved her chair closer to Caroline's and patted her friend's hand. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just trying to imagine what those two were feeling. I mean, talk about a bombshell for them." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I guess now we need to see if it makes sense that he's 'X', right?"

"Yeah, we'll probably see if there is a plausible theory in each of the scenarios we have come up with." She got up and walked over the sideboard.

Caroline stood up and walked over to the water pitcher to top off her glass before walking over to the main area of the room. She looked at the balcony and motioned for Bonnie to follow her outside.

"Nice view," Bonnie commented as she fastened her jacket to protect her from the cold night air. "Aria has a similar one but several floors up." She looked over at her friend noting she wasn't even fazed by the weather. "Are you okay?"

Caroline nodded. "I was just thinking how messed up this whole thing is. Remember the story Elena told us about Rebekah and her family? I just couldn't imagine how I'd feel for either of them. I'd probably include Elijah too, but from what she said, he's not aware of anything that isn't about Hayley and the baby right now." She looked over at her friend and nodded towards the door. "Come on, they'll probably be here soon and we can see if this theory even makes sense."

"As much as I'm hoping it isn't true, a part of me has a feeling that won't be the case. Care, before they come back, can we go over our notes? I want to make sure we're both on the same page."

~ A few floors above~

Rebekah had known the witch was troubled after she gave a condensed version of the family dynamics to her on their way to her condo even though Aria remained fairly silent. She remembered the look of horror when she believed Elena Gilbert was a friend and she confided her story, then winced when she remembered how her so-called friend stabbed her in the back, literally. She didn't believe Aria would deceive her like that but she was going to be careful, nonetheless. With Nik running about to get his aggressions out, she was on her own.

"I'll be right back," Aria said once she unlocked the door to her family condo. She raced over to the kitchen and grabbed the box of tiramisu from the refrigerator and handed it to Rebekah who was waiting outside. "Let me freshen up before we head back."

The Original vampire nodded as she leaned her back against the wall across from Aria's door. She wondered if Caroline and Bonnie were going to be there when they returned. It wouldn't surprise her if they left now that there was the looming possibility Mikael was back. She kept her usual expression of indifference as she waited for the witch to return.

As soon as she returned into her condo, Aria headed to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She couldn't believe some of the stories Rebekah shared with her on the way up. The stories were during their human lives and she just about heard enough of Mikael's cruelties to his sons, namely Klaus. She was going to ask why they never sought help before realizing 'abuse' was most likely unheard of over a millennia ago. She wiped the cool water from her face and took a deep breath before returning to the front door and leaving, not wanting to appear rude to the Original vampire.

"Sorry about that," Aria whispered as she locked up her condo. "Everything you've told me so far, I couldn't imagine having to have lived through that."

"We didn't know any better back then," Rebekah whispered back to avoid the possibility of anyone overhearing their conversation. "We saw other village children get disciplined but never as much as my brothers. Like I said, Nik bore the brunt of the punishments and it became worse when we became vampires." Rebekah held open the elevator so Aria could get in.

"He said his wolf gene was triggered soon after, right?"

Rebekah nodded. "That was how Esther's indiscretion was discovered. His wolf gene was suppressed until he broke the curse."

"I just don't understand why he would chase you all for so long. What was the purpose?"

"He became a vampire hunter and since we were the first ones, he wanted to eliminate us. Of course Nik was the bane of his existence so it went without saying, killing him would have been his greatest achievement. Because we were with Nik, my brothers and I were probably considered accomplices in Mikael's eyes."

They entered the lobby of the private residences and Aria waved at one of the guards before they headed back to the hotel section. Once they were in the elevator, Rebekah told Aria how her brother managed to kill Mikael. "I wasn't there, I had been daggered just hours before the dance and only heard about it after the fact."

Aria shook her head as the Original inserted the keycard to her suite and was pleasantly surprised to see that Bonnie and Caroline were still in the dining area, sitting together and comparing notes. She put on a smile and placed the boxed dessert in the center of the table.

~Somewhere outside Buckhead~

As soon as Klaus left the suite, he headed straight for the elevators. He was thankful nobody else was in the car with him on the way down to the lobby. He paced around the metal enclosure as it descended to the ground floor. Once outside, he walked out of the lobby and into his rental car. It had taken nearly all of his control to remain as human as possible as he left the hotel. While he didn't really give a damn about the humans, he didn't want to draw attention upon himself or his sister. If it was indeed Mikael behind this grand scheme, he couldn't be careless—there was too much as stake. He screamed in outrage at the idea of Mikael finding a way to come after them.

He quickly drove northward, leaving the city, until he found what looked to be open space. He wanted to tear into trees, rip flesh—whether it be human or animal, and just destroy.

Klaus killed the headlights as he maneuvered around the twisted, dirt road until he found a clearing and parked. As he walked into the woods, the last memory of Mikael assaulted him.

"The big bad wolf. You haven't changed," Mikael mocked. "Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward." Klaus growled in anger, punching into a tree as he remembered how he bragged about compelling his hybrids as he tried to goad him out of the Lockwood mansion. He remembered how his so-called father tried to use the doppelganger against him as he continued to rile him. Klaus had remained as calm as he could throughout the encounter. It wasn't until Mikael decided to really twist the proverbial knife in his back that he lost his calm demeanor. "So you can live forever with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!" It wasn't until he stabbed Mikael in the heart with the white oak stake that he managed to breathe a sigh of relief—that he, along with his siblings, no longer had to run because of him.

"I'll find a way to destroy you again," he vowed with a whisper as he made his way into a heavily forested area.

Klaus stopped when he heard what sounded like someone struggling. He quietly ran towards the noise and heard several people—men with taunting voices and what sounded like a female. He grinned to himself as he flexed his fingers. There would be blood spilled tonight and the thought of it made him practically salivate.

~Meanwhile, back at the Suite~

"All of you believe Nik's theory that Mikael is behind this scheme is a good one?" Rebekah asked after taking the last bite of her tiramisu. "My mother... Esther also had schemes of destroying the family afterall."

Bonnie nodded. "It's true but I… I heard things when I was on the Other Side."

The three young women stared at the former witch, silently urging her to continue.

Bonnie took the unspoken cue and nodded. "You see, I… there was talk about someone leaving to the After World for good," she began. "I personally never heard a name but I was told a blonde woman along with two others — a man and a woman."

"But that doesn't explain..." Rebekah interjected.

"It would have had to have been someone very powerful during their time here on Earth. Again, I never confirmed and Grams couldn't give me any names. Even after I came back and contacted her the few times, names were never given. It sounds, from what little I know of her, it sounds like something she'd do."

Rebekah thought for a moment, remembering how her mother tried to link all the siblings during the Mikaelson ball. "Finn… he could be the other one along with that woman, Sage." She thought again about Bonnie's theory. "It seems to fit and that was her ultimate goal was to find peace." Besides, it made sense that Finn would follow his mother and in turn, Sage would follow.

"If that's true, and the Other Side was chaotic at that very moment, it is plausible that an opening was created, allowing someone to pass through to the After World," Aria added. "We can imagine the Other Side as being Purgatory and then the world after that is one we all seek for peace."

"I think we should see if it fits our theories so far," Bonnie replied and looked around the room before going back to the original topic. "I think we all understand why Mikael would target you and your brothers, but I guess I'm lost when it comes to the witch angle, unless he just doesn't want them to ally with you."

"It could be that or it could be the whole idea of the baby," Aria added. "If witches were in on the scheme, losing their powers could prevent one of them from reversing the spell. By ridding them of their magic, he can probably go undetected."

The blonde Original vampire pondered the theories and nodded to show that she agreed with them. "He might also have a personal vendetta against witches since it was through magic that we became vampires."

"Wouldn't the werewolves be a part of his revenge too then?" Bonnie asked as she looked over her typed notes. Before Rebekah and Aria returned, she had gone over Caroline's notes and was relieved to see they were both in the same mindset.

"Holy shit, I just thought of something!" Caroline exclaimed. "What if the baby was meant to be looked at as family but in the end, it ends up killing you? Do you think that baby will become the reincarnation of Mikael?" Caroline shook her head. "It's crazy. Never–"

"Do you think that's possible?" Rebekah interrupted the younger vampire's thought and asked outloud.

"Right now, we don't know for sure," Aria replied. "I think given what Rebekah told me about Mikael, it makes the best sense that he's somehow behind this. That somewhere along the way, he struck a deal with Apep to wreak havoc and ultimately destroy the Mikaelson family," the witch explained. "I can't say for certain, whether or not this child will be the reincarnation of Mikael but I think we should accept it is very probable and therefore Caroline's theory, as wild as it might sound, shouldn't be overlooked. What I need to do is make a trip to New Orleans. I need to see if we can find this Davina girl and get a sense of the witches there. Like I said earlier, maman can examine Hayley to see if she is really pregnant or if it is some sort of dark magic."

"When are you going out there because I want to be there too," Bonnie replied. "You might need my help."

"I'm going too," Caroline blurted and looked directly at Rebekah. She had hoped Klaus would be here when she announced her plans to visit but she knew his sister would end up relaying the news regardless. "I want to help."

"Spring Break's coming, it could be a good excuse to be there. Do you two have any plans?" Aria asked. Both Bonnie and Caroline shook their heads. "Let's plan to be there then. It's two or three weeks from now, right?"

"Mid March, so roughly three weeks," Caroline replied.

"Okay," the Original vampire nodded. "In three weeks. I'm sure Nik will agree that you should stay together if at all possible. I can help find a place for you." Rebekah was certain her brother wouldn't mind and besides, he wasn't here at the moment. It was her chance to prove to her brother she could negotiate and strategize as well as they could, so she took the initiative. She was certain that he wouldn't object since she wasn't scheming against either of them and time was of the essence, or so it seemed.

"Put it in my name, we can coordinate the details later," Aria suggested and looked at Caroline before looking over at Rebekah. "I'll make sure you're invited in. I want to limit who is allowed though—maybe you and your brother. I don't know Elijah so—"

Rebekah waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about Elijah. He's not in the best frame of mind right now. I think you need to be close by so we could protect you but at the same time, give you the freedom so you could observe without anybody realizing what you're really doing."

"That's a good idea, right now our theories are just that. Until I can actually go into the French Quarter and assess things, we won't be able to come up with a good plan."

"Why can't we destroy this... this child?" the Original vampire asked. I'll do it if it saves my family. It's not like I'm not damned already, she added silently.

"The thing with spells, and this will most likely pertain to Apep's scheme as well, is there are failsafes built in. Which means if we make a wrong decision, it could spell disaster for us all. We must assume that going after the baby at this time will trigger something. It would be too simple of a plan for Apep not to have."

"Kind of like a chess game?" Caroline asked and the witch nodded.

"That's a good analogy, Caroline. We need to gather some intel before we formulate a plan. Rebekah, can you provide us with pictures of the Marcel vampire and maybe some other folks that you and your brother interact with?"

Rebekah nodded and began to put some ideas on compelling some tourists into taking pictures for her. "So should we adjourn until we are in New Orleans?"

"I think we can hold off planning the next phase or phases until we meet again. In the meantime, we can continue to refine our current theories and make sure we share them with each other." Bonnie looked over at Caroline. "Do you want to head back in the morning? I have some older grimoires still at Grams' house that might be useful. They're old so I never brought them to the dorm."

"We could do that and if we get back early enough, your car should be ready," the young vampire replied. "Are you sure you don't mind if we left early?"

Aria shook her head and proceeded to pack her scrolls away.

"There's a copy center a few floors down, I need to copy your notes," Rebekah announced.

Caroline looked over at the Original and wondered if she was trying to lure her away from her friends before deciding she was being paranoid. If she really wanted to, Rebekah had plenty of opportunities to put her in harm's way She grabbed her notebook and followed Rebekah towards the entrance. "I'll be back in a few, Bonnie."

The elevator ride was quiet, mostly because there was, what appeared to be, an amorous couple who were completely oblivious to the women sharing their space. The two practically ran out once the elevator stopped and the doors opened. When the couple disappeared, Caroline couldn't help but laugh over what she just saw.

"Oh my god, if your suite was any higher up in the building, they might have started getting naked!" Caroline exclaimed as she followed Rebekah to the business center.

"I honestly don't think they would have cared one way or another. I think they might have liked having an audience," the Original quipped as they entered the office area and headed to the copy machines.

They were the only ones in there and Caroline gave her the notebook and hopped onto the counter next to it.

Rebekah remained quiet as she photocopied the first three pages. When she got the next page aligned, she looked over to the younger vampire. "He's probably going to kill tonight," she blurted out but not loud enough for passersby to overhear. "Nik, he had that look about him when he left so suddenly."

Caroline had wondered where Klaus had gone running off to and now his sister basically confirmed it. "Isn't that, like a normal thing for him?" she scoffed and looked away, hoping she provided just enough hostility in her voice to deter the blonde from interrogating her about her feelings. She wasn't ready to talk to her about it since she just came to the realization not that long ago.

"Actually, no," Rebekah replied as she continued to copy the notebook. "He still feeds off humans, that's a given but actually kill or the sake of killing? He hadn't done that in at least a month or so." She wasn't trying to be cruel or accuse the younger vampire of wrongdoing. She wanted to gauge her reaction since this was the vampire that her brother fancied and had somewhat of a reputation of great self-control. If she had the intention of changing her brother—to make him timid or meek, Caroline had to know there would be none of that.

Rebekah's revelation surprised Caroline. She knew Klaus had little regard to human life—they were nothing more than a means of sustenance. What was the Original vampire's angle? she wondered. As she tried to look bored and impassive, she wondered if this was a way to scare her off or lose interest in Klaus. She thought back at their conversation when he explained how he wanted to be good because of her. Was this his way of showing it—to not kill as often as she knew he was used to? She knew that if she was going to even entertain the idea of being with him, she had to accept him for who he was.

"Will he be okay?" she finally asked. "You know, knowing it could be Mikael behind it all? Are you okay?"

Rebekah shrugged and pressed the copy button. "I suppose after running from him for so long, one gets used to it, but it's the idea that there is something greater behind it that is unnerving," she admitted before adding. "Thank you for everything." She handed her the notebook and grabbed the loose papers off the copier. "Nik will want to know everything we talked about after he ran off. He'll be fine." Her last words sounded hollow but she said nothing else as the blonde followed her back to the suite. She wasn't sure if any of them would be fine, especially having to defeat Mikael once and for all.

Once they were in the suite, Caroline proceeded to pack her things back in her shopping bag as Bonnie exchanged everybody's numbers and emails.

"We'll see you in a few weeks," Bonnie said as she gave Aria a small hug before giving Rebekah a nod. She hadn't completely warmed up to Rebekah yet to give her a hug but wanted to give a friendly gesture nonetheless.

Caroline shook Aria's hand and smiled at Rebekah before heading out the door.

"You ready to actually sleep in our room?" Bonnie teased as they made their way back to the lobby.

"Yeah, I could probably snooze for a few hours before we head back out. You're not upset we're leaving earlier than planned, are you?"

"Nah, we got stuff done and had some fun as well. Besides, we're going to be in New Orleans in a few weeks. We'll stay for a week and I promise we'll have fun there. Look on the plus side, getting back early gives us a free day to ourselves before we go back to class on Monday."

~Back in the Woods~

Klaus' first intent was to rush into the woods and begin tearing the humans apart. When he was about half way there, he slowed down and decided savor each kill. His footfalls were more quiet as he approached the group. The stench of alcohol and unwashed bodies greeted him before he even saw the drunken men—all six of them in different stages of inebriation.

There were cans of beer strewn all over the forest floor and what looked like the remnants of a bonfire. There was a mass beside the dying fire and at first Klaus thought it was a body but then heard a faint heartbeat and shallow breaths coming from the body.

The men, not knowing he was witnessing their antics were staring and pointing to the unconscious figure as they joked about how they were going to "take care of him". Klaus realized immediately the high voice he heard earlier wasn't a woman's, but a young boy.

He had seen that look before on each of the mens' faces. It reminded him of the many times Mikael had beaten him and his siblings. Their menacing voices and threats to kick the boy caused something within Klaus to snap and he quickly flashed to the nearest human; reaching into his back and grabbing his heart out of it's body and letting it drop as he ran off and hid. The thud of the fallen man caught the attention of the rest of his comrades and they laughed when he fell face down onto the ground. They hadn't realized their friend was dead, his heart having just beat for the last time in Klaus' hand.

The Original Hybrid decided to have some fun and tossed the bloody heart close to the group causing the five of them to turn their attention to the noise.

"Shit, that's a… is that a heart?!" one of the men slurred out as a couple others peered out into the woods, near Klaus' direction.

This is too easy, he mused as he used his supernatural speed to get behind one of the other men and tore his throat out—taking several messy gulps of warm blood.

The man tried to warn the others but with his larynx violently removed and blood flowing out of his body, he was soon dead—his face frozen in a silent scream.

"What the fuck?" Another man turned around and spotted Klaus' latest victim. "Guys, Bobby's bloody and… and he looks dead!"

He could smell the fear coming from the rest of the men as they staggered closer together. One of them had already soiled his clothes. The appointed leader pointed towards a clearing and tried, unsuccessfully to walk quietly towards it. Klaus snuck up to two of the slower men and plunged his hands into their chest cavities pulling their hearts and throwing it at the leader.

The dark haired, brawny, bearded man, having felt something warm and wet on his neck, reached up and felt the blood but didn't realize what it was until he brought it up to his face and sniffed. He froze causing his last, living companion to nearly crash into him.

The two were panicking now and having a hard time breathing. Klaus could hear their hearts beating faster and faster. He took a moment to enjoy the sounds of their impending death before he grabbed the smaller of the two's arm and pulled, immediately dislocating his shoulder. The red-headed man screamed out and fell to his knees as he tried to cradle his arm. He began to whimper as his friend tried to get him to stand up.

"Get up, asshole!" the bearded man screamed and reached over to pull the smaller man up by the shoulders, not realizing he had an injury. The redhead, in his drunken and pain-filled stupor, tried to retaliate by swinging his fist towards the bearded man.

Klaus stood there and watched as the two men were distracted from their fear. They shouted at each other and took aimless punches. He let them continue for another moment since his attention was now on the young boy who had been passed out before. He was slowly coming back to consciousness and since he was now closer, Klaus could see bruises on the boy's skin. He knew those weren't marks that came from being careless. He himself had been on the receiving end of a fist when he was about the lad's age.

The Original's eyes flashed gold as his anger rose once more. He had originally intended to leave nothing but corpses around, even the young boy wasn't going to be immune but he couldn't—not when it hit so close to him and he could, in theory, make a difference. He rolled his eyes as he realized what he was about to do and before he could overanalyze his impending action, he moved swiftly to the men and tore them apart.

Blood splattered everywhere as pieces of two bodies flew around their campsite. He even dismembered the rest of the corpses so they all resembled victims of a vicious and rabid animal attack. When he was done, the bodies were pretty much unidentifiable without a highly skilled forensics team. He grabbed a nearby tarp and the boy and ran out towards a suburban area he had seen before he parked his car.

They were still in the forested area and a police substation was about a hundred yards away. The young boy was starting to toss and turn, realizing he was not on the ground but in someone's arms. He started to struggle, kicking his legs and opening his mouth to try and scream.

"You will only talk when I ask you questions," Klaus whispered as he compelled the boy. He set the boy down, tearing the tarp in half and wrapped it around his body like a makeshift blanket. "What is your name and how did you get here?"

"I'm Josh and I'm ten. Are we in Tampa?"

"No, Josh, I'm afraid we're not in Tampa right now. Do you remember how you got here?"

The young boy nodded his head vigorously. "I was in bed and someone climbed in and tooked me. It was mama's boyfriend, Bobby and his friends. They were bad and smelly."

Ah yes, one of his first victims. The hybrid nodded and stared into Josh's eyes. "Josh, I want you to forget meeting and talking to me. The only thing you remembered was being in the woods and you ran when you heard animals. — scary animals" He pointed over to the police station. "Now, go straight there and tell them who you are. They'll help you find your mother."

Josh repeated, in a robotic manner, everything Klaus said and then wrapped the tarp around him tighter as he walked towards the lit building. Klaus stayed hidden in the trees and watched as a police officer noticed the young boy and picked him up, yelling for help.

Realizing the boy was safe, he went back to the rental car and lined the seat with what was left of the blue tarp. As he started the engine, he looked down at his blood drenched clothes and realized he couldn't just walk into the hotel unnoticed. He decided to stop by the Factory House and clean up, knowing his clothes from the night before as well as his painting supplies were still there.

He decided he'd also text Rebekah from there, once he decompressed. He wasn't quite in the mood to interact with anybody at the moment and relished the idea of having some peace and quiet to himself.

I hope you enjoyed that. Again, I apologize for having taken forever. One of the things I didn't want to do was post all the prewritten chapters and then feel as though I wrote myself into a hole. I can do some minor tweaking to the story when it comes back to me and it shouldn't (knock on wood) ruin it.

The flashback scene with Mikael taunting Klaus came from TVD. As always, I don't own the show or characters.

For those who are still reading and following along. Thank you!

XO ~sushi