Heart at War

A/N: Hello! So this is the beginning of my sequel to The Darkness Within. I'm spending more time on chapters (and a tooon on my own original work, so I'm sorry if this interferes), so please enjoy, and leave a review!

One

The Tennessee night was hot and humidy, filled with the sounds of cooing owls and restless dogs. Crickets chirped rhythmically in unison, precluding any silence from stretching out for too long. The smell of fresh, country air was almost liberating, but the sight of a waxing gibbous overhead made AJ feel chained down once more. She knew why they were here. With a sense of dread, she leaned against the dark SUV, closing her eyes. If she could pretend she was outside and just enjoying the night for a little while, she would. Her mind needed that kind of escape from her nightmarish reality.

A screen door creaked open and closed. Footsteps padded softly on the worn wood of the front porch, illuminated in the bright yellow lights fastened to the grey siding. AJ snapped open her eyes worriedly and peeked around the corner of the large vehicle. It was shrouded by the dense brush on the other side of a country house, hidden perfectly.

"Rudy!" a girl called out, and her voice echoed in the air. She brought two fingers to her lips and whistled loudly as she hopped off the porch. "Rudy? Come on! It's too hot to make me come looking for you," she said wearily as she bent to pick up the dog's leash. It jingled in her hands as she turned around, and then she started. Holding a hand to her heart, she regarded the stranger before her warily.

"I am so sorry," Klaus said in his best Northerner accent, "I didn't mean to scare you."

She looked at him cautiously. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," he said with a kind smile, "My car ran out of gas a few miles back. I feel like I've been walking forever—your house is the first I've come to, so I was just hoping I could use your phone."

"Don't you have a cell phone?" she asked pointedly. She looked young, as young as the other girls or guys had been. Not again, AJ thought, pressing her lips together. Please Klaus. Not again.

"Yeah," Klaus answered sheepishly, pulling his cell phone out of his back pocket and waving it in the air. "Battery died."

The girl looked at him guardedly, pursing her lips.

"Look," Klaus said, "I promise I'm not a serial killer, I just want to use your phone."

She looked at him dubiously again, and then sighed lightly. "Sure," she said, turning around towards the house.

"So," Klaus smiled, trailing after her, "I can come in?"

She stopped before the porch steps. "No, I'll get the phone and bring it out to you."

Klaus glowered at this. "And I thought you country folk were supposed to be more trusting," he said in his native accent.

The young girl smirked. "I'm from Florida."

"Oh, that explains it." Klaus rushed at her, gripping her by the throat.

AJ steadied a hand on the car, but she couldn't look away. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't. It was her rule. If she couldn't stop it, then she didn't deserve to be any less tormented than they were. And yet, she could never truly feel their pain. The nightmares might be vivid, but they weren't real. They weren't truly pain.

"Now," Klaus said darkly, catching the young girl's eyes with his, "Show me a little southern hospitality, sweet pea."

AJ frowned as the girl led him into the house, and they disappeared from sight. She was too young, she thought wretchedly. She was too young to have to go through this. That poor girl didn't deserve it. Her heart was sore from all the grief she'd felt in the past several months. It was almost overbearing, and yet somehow it never overcame her wholly and completely like she'd expect it to. She wondered if it was her Warrior blood that kept her strong. She despised that blood. Anything that even remotely related to Klaus in some way she despised.

Leaning back against the truck again, she scanned the surroundings for anything that could serve as a distraction. There wasn't another house for miles, and the rest of the land was covered in darkness broken only by patches of moonlight here and there. Creatures of the night moved in the shadows, stalking prey as natural instinct guided them to. But AJ would never have to worry about those kinds of creatures like some humans did. They were like puppies compared to the creatures of the night she had to fret over. She thought if she squinted, she could see some kind of big creature out in the distance. But it wasn't moving. A deer grazing, maybe? She supposed it didn't matter. Nothing really did.

Off to her right, at least ten feet away, stood Stefan. He was as stiff as a statue as usual, unblinking and impassive. He had barely spoken two words to her in months, and she knew now wouldn't be the time to strike up a conversation. Not when Klaus had him put to work. But what could she really say to him, anyway? She stared at him sadly, wishing for the entire world that things could go back to the way they used to be. Back to the days when Stefan and Elena had been together, and their only problem had really been Damon. Heck, she'd even take all the trouble Katherine had given them over this new form of Hell. Even if that meant she would have never met Elijah. At least he'd be all right somewhere. But she didn't know how he was, or what he was doing. It was because of her failure at the sacrifice, and she knew it. He was alive, but she couldn't be with him. The price she had to pay for her failure.

One moment Stefan had been standing perfectly still, and the next he'd vanished. He had to go to fulfill his obligation to Klaus, she presumed. AJ often pondered if some part of Stefan actually enjoyed it. Once, she'd seen his action first-hand. The way the body fell apart as if it were a puzzle piece instead of something that'd once been alive and human had been the most grotesque thing she'd ever witnessed. And that'd been the first time she ever felt true fear. Not just fear for someone else, but fear for herself.

Here she was, standing half-alive because part of her soul was somewhere else when it truly belonged right by her side, and she was surrounded by a ripper vampire and another one hell-bent on creating more of himself. There was no one looking out for her. There was no one to turn to. As far as she knew, her life itself had ended the night Klaus had taken her from Mystic Falls, against her own volition. She'd never felt right, since then. The only thing that did feel right was knowing that her friends were alive; that her love was alive. That was just enough to get through the dreadful days.

With a tiny frown she rubbed absently at the two round scars on her neck from when Klaus's vampire Jenkins had viscously bit her. Although Klaus had healed her when she'd been far from able to ward him off, the scars stayed pale and bleak. Bleak like the way life was now. Constant reminders like that could be spotted in the smallest things.

She briefly wondered if this was what depression felt like: wanting so badly to be free of these dark feelings, to feel something other than this, but too broken beyond repair to grasp at her old self and hold on for all she was worth. Optimistic, loving, and determined AJ seemed dead and gone, locked away somewhere she didn't have a key to. In her place was one full of hopeless desperation to stop the pain constantly inflicted upon others by the two monsters that wouldn't let her out of their grasp; a feeling of wanting to feel that pain that was so intense, it engulfed her thoughts and made her hands shake. Because she knew in the truest of truths, all of this was really her fault. She was the Warrior—she had been meant to stop Klaus—and she had failed.

Speak of the devil, and he will appear. Perhaps it worked for thinking, as well. AJ peeked around the side of the SUV once more just as Klaus stepped out the front door alone. He pulled it shut behind him, and there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. The gravel crunched under his shoes as he made his way back to the SUV. AJ spun back around and faced towards the small patch of forest again, crossing her arms over her chest. He rounded the side of the SUV and stopped, leaning with one arm against it.

"You were welcome to join us, you know," he said, smiling crookedly.

AJ wanted to scratch that stupid look off his face. She glowered at him. "Really? There's something you'd let me do other than stand around pointlessly, watching as you play with every victim before they're inevitably torn apart by Stefan? I'm shocked. You're fake accent sucks, by the way. It needs some major work."

Klaus's smile diminished. "You don't have to be so intolerable. I let you try it your way once, if you choose to remember."

AJ cringed, looking away. Images were drudged up in her mind's eye, austere and ugly. "And it still ended with Stefan ripping them apart. Why let me try if you were only planning on doing the same to them?"

He shrugged, glancing up at the moon. "You asked. I thought it could work, and it did. But you forget that we can't leave anyone behind. They'd only hinder us in the future."

AJ shook her head from side to side, clenching her fists. "There is no 'us', Klaus. I'm not helping you. And you could have left them behind—you could have compelled them to forget! Why won't you do that? Why leave bodies behind—signs that we were here?"

Klaus sighed lightly, looking at her sideways. "I gave you the choice to leave or stay. You chose to stay. If not to help me, then why would you stay?"

AJ's mouth tightened into a hard line. "You ignored my question," she pointed out irritably.

"Just as you're ignoring mine," he said simply. "It seems we have some things in common, you and me."

AJ's teeth ground together. She met his eyes with intense hatred. "There is nothing even remotely similar about us," she spat. Suddenly she flinched as a blood-curling scream rang off from the house, echoed by another from a different person. She closed her eyes miserably. So there wasn't just the one girl. She knew how creative Stefan could get when there was more than one.

Klaus was unbothered. "You can tell yourself that, if you like. You can try to force yourself to believe it. But as usual, you deny what is so very clear."

"Nothing is clear anymore," AJ said quietly. She kept her eyes shut, praying that their screaming would end; that they would no longer be in pain. "I don't understand things I once knew perfectly."

Klaus studied her features scrupulously. There were dark circles under her eyes as usual, only they were even darker than the day before. "And these things being?" he inquired.

She opened her eyes slowly, letting him see her misery bare and unmasked. He deserved to know what he did to her. He deserved so much worse than that, and yet that was all she could do at the time. She had no weapon, nothing to physically harm him. But she could get under his skin as much as he could get under hers. "Me," she said finally. "I don't understand me. I don't understand you. And I sure as hell don't understand what you've made Stefan into. That's not him in there—that's you compelling him, isn't it?"

Klaus was expressionless. "He is not compelled, I can assure you. It's of his own will to go and do as Itell him. He could stop if he wanted to, but I don't think he does. That's something you must accept, AJ. The Stefan you knew and the Stefan he really is are two completely different things."

She shook her head defiantly. "That's not Stefan. That's not who he really is. But it's the way he has to be, to pay the price for saving Damon. You've forced him to be that way, whether you compelled him or not."

Klaus shifted, looking down at her. Even in her brown boots, she was at least a foot shorter than him. "You will understand things someday," he said quietly. "When you choose to accept the reality instead of escape inside that head of yours, you will understand."

AJ laughed flatly. "That's what you said to me the night you took me from Mystic Falls. It's been months, Klaus. How long will 'someday' take, do you think?"

"How long are you going to mope and dwell upon the fact that Elijah isn't coming for you?" Klaus countered harshly. "He can't rescue you, since it seems you don't want rescue. But he can't come anywhere near me, and you know that. Why stay here and torment yourself when you could be with him, somewhere?"

AJ gaped at him, blinking. A thousand tiny knives jabbed at her heart in that moment, and it felt so overwhelmed that she really thought it would explode. Elijah's face imprinted inside her head; his warm liquid brown eyes, his beautiful smile, the noble way with which he did everything. It had been a barrier she built up over the course of several weeks after she'd been in Klaus's company, and one that he had not attempted to besiege until now. Not once had Elijah's name been uttered; the danger of it had been very clear. She couldn't stand being away from him. She couldn't stand the fact that that was the way things had to be. AJ was treading icy ground, and it was beginning to shatter under her; crack and split open with an inexorable force. The sides of her vision faded into black, in and out, and she felt dizzy and surreal. She swayed on her feet.

"AJ," Klaus said quietly. He reached out to keep her on her feet, but she jerked away from him and stumbled against the truck.

"Do not," she whispered, "Do not ever touch me. How could you bring that up? How dare you?" She breathed in and out, her chest heaving, but she felt like she couldn't get enough air. The walls she'd built up were now turning on her, compressing her lungs and making her feel numb. She pinched her eyes shut and focused on pushing it all back down. Think of Elena. Think of Damon, or Bonnie, or Caroline. Focus on them, she thought. And she did, picturing all of them perfectly in her head, happy and alive without a worry. She tucked her mental picture of Elijah in the back of her mind, safe where it always was. She reconstructed the barrier and made it steel and impervious. No one could get to that part of her.

She opened her eyes now, breathing in and out slowly. Klaus had not moved from his position. His eyes, as usual, looked black in the night. They were glued to her, but completely emotionless.

"You're a heartless bastard," she said quietly.

"And you are so ignorant that it's pitiful."

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. "Then please," she snapped, "give me whatever knowledge you think I need to have. Apparently no one else can. It's not like I ever get to see anyone else, anyway."

Klaus shook his head. "I gave you a choice. You chose to stay. Why? Why stay if you are this unhappy? If you do not think you can see anyone?"

"Because," she said angrily, "Do you think I can see anyone? Do you really think I'm stupid enough to go and try to find Elijah? Because I know what'll happen the moment I do. I know what you'll do to him. So being away from him is the only way I can make sure that he's safe, one-hundred percent. I don't care if I'm miserable. I just want to know that he's alive."

Klaus's eyes darkened. "And what makes you think I'd kill him? Oh—because you stupidly brought him back when he was perfectly dead? You have no idea what you did, AJ. Not a clue. And stop with the high-and-mighty 'being away from him is the only way I can make sure he's safe'. Do you want to know something? He doesn't care about you. He doesn't love you. And yet, you continue to believe the illusion he created for you. You're pitiful."

"You are pitiful. You just don't believe in love. It's sad, Klaus, to know that you'll never feel what love is like. So go ahead and say whatever you like to make my faith in Elijah break, but it never will."

Klaus opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself. He tensed slightly, and AJ realized why.

Stefan had returned. The screaming had ceased. Even the crickets, which had been so perfect in harmony, had quit chirping.

Stefan looked between AJ and Klaus, his brow furrowed slightly. "Has something happened?"

Klaus didn't acknowledge him. His eyes stayed on AJ, who was staring back at him.

"No," AJ said emotionlessly. "Nothing's happened." She flicked her gaze over to Stefan, realizing that that had been the first time in over a month he'd said anything to her, even if it hadn't been directly meant for her. His dark clothes seemed void of any blood, although she couldn't be sure. She often wondered how he managed to stay so neat, and then knew not to dwell on that any further. The steps Stefan took to stay neat and tidy while his prey was ripped apart limb by limb was not pleasant imagery.

"I see," Stefan said slowly. His eyes met AJ's, and then quickly averted to Klaus. "They're taken care of. I did exactly as you asked."

Klaus didn't move. "Good," he said, "It seems we will be finding our pack of wolves very soon, then."

"They gave you a place?" Stefan inquired. He looked dubiously between Klaus and AJ once more.

Klaus nodded briskly, tearing his gaze away from AJ to regard Stefan. "He's in Georgia."

Stefan nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Now."

SOUTHERN COMFORT. Really, the sharp square angles of the building and the bareness of the surroundings made AJ feel anything but comfortable. But hey, some people liked the emptiness. Emptiness left room for things to fill it with, whatever things they might be.

She stared sullenly out the window. Her hand was propped up on her chin, and her eyes didn't hold much interest as they took in the sign that stretched across the top of the lone building they were parked at. There was a guitar situated in between the two words, making her raise an eyebrow. She really did miss her guitar. But other things had taken its place, at Klaus's expense. With all their driving around, she'd had to find something to fill her time with. That way it wouldn't be so empty. Although seeing Klaus in a Michael's art store had been a very interesting sight.

AJ focused on what was going on. In the two front seats, Klaus and Stefan were shoving open their car doors. She sighed wearily and moved to join them outside. There were actually several other cars in the parking lot, evidence that it wasn't the lonely bar she made it out to be in her head. The prospect of seeing other people that wouldn't die horrifically was enough to make her want to go in, rather than wait in the car. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over one shoulder, and then followed the two vampires to the doors in silence.

It was loud. There were people everywhere; sitting in booths or high top tables, up at the bar, playing darts or pool. Eclectically framed pictures hung on the majority of the walls, filling up every gap with some remembrance of someone's life. There was a small stage set up on the far end, complete with acoustic guitars, acoustic-electrics, microphones, and several amps. It looked like a live performance was getting ready to play. AJ eyed it with curiosity, but her attention returned to Klaus just as quickly.

His eyes scanned the room quickly until they stopped; landing on a man who'd just approached the bar. Several people had stopped him on his way, speaking amicably to him. That must be Ray, she thought. The name had become familiar to her once she'd heard it several dozen times as Klaus interrogated person after person for his whereabouts. It seemed all the time they'd spent looking finally paid off.

Klaus turned to Stefan. "You know what to do," he said, and then headed off towards the bar. Stefan immediately turned and began talking to the other patrons of the bar. Neither one of them had spared a glance back at her, so she followed Klaus. As she did, she realized Stefan wasn't only speaking to the other people at the bar—he was compelling them. She saw the way he caught their eyes and directed them. What little spirit she had instantly fell. Maybe they weren't dying horrific deaths, but it wasn't fair that they had to be manipulated.

Before Klaus reached presumed Ray, AJ made a last minute decision to keep her distance. She settled herself on a bar stood and propped her backpack up on another, staring at them attentively. If she could help it, she wouldn't be associated with Klaus. His intentions weren't exactly clear to her, and she knew that his actions could run the gamut of basically anything.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she prayed that no blood would be spilled. No more pain and agony. No games, no torture. Please let Ray be wise and cooperative, for his own sake. Or really, please let this person actually be Ray.

"Hey Walton," Ray said, placing a hand on the bar, "Can I get a beer?"

Walton, the bartender shining up some glasses with a cloth, nodded. As he turned to grab Ray's drink, Klaus approached the bar slickly, bracing his arm on it.

"Ray," he said without preamble, "Ray Sutton?"

Ray stared warily at Klaus. When his drink came, he grabbed it and took a swig. "Who wants to know?"

Klaus smiled disarmingly at him. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he said as he grabbed a stool and took a seat. Ray looked dubious. "We started in Florida—Pensacola—I met a young chap there who you worked for before you moved to Memphis. Now he directed me to two lovely young women, and they led me here. To you."

Ray frowned. He fished his wallet out of his back pocket and set a couple of bills on the bar. "I think I'll be going," he said and began walking past Klaus.

Klaus stood quickly, putting a hand on Ray's chest and pushing him back. "Not so fast, mate," he said. "You just got here. Now your type is very hard to come by."

Ray scowled at Klaus. He turned on his heel to get away, but Stefan appeared in front of him. He pushed Ray back to the bar.

"I wouldn't do that," Stefan said, giving Ray a hard look.

Ray looked between the two, suddenly nervous. "Vampires," he stated, knowing now that it was true.

Klaus leered at him. "You're very swift Ray." Klaus reached over and picked up Ray's discarded beer, claiming it as his own. "Yes, my friend here is a vampire, and he's compelled everyone in the bar, so don't look to them for any help."

AJ bit her lip nervously. Ray furtively glanced around, and caught her eye. He raised an eyebrow. Klaus glimpsed to where Ray was looking and sighed exaggeratedly. "Yes, the girl is not compelled. But I wouldn't look to her for any help, either. You aren't exactly . . . her type. Anyway, I am something else. A different kind of monster. I've got some vampire. I've got some wolf."

"You what?" Ray asked incredulously.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "A hybrid, Ray. I'm both. You see," Klaus said, getting into Ray's face, "I want to create more of me. Now you being the first werewolf I've come across in many a moon, pun intended Ray," Klaus chuckled darkly, "I need you to direct me to your pack."

Rays mouth tightened, and he was uneasy. He glanced between Stefan and Klaus fearfully.

"So," Klaus drew out the word, "Where can I find them, Ray?"

Ray clenched his teeth together, but moisture began to gather on his brow. He met Klaus's eyes. "You can't compel me. It won't work."

Stefan gave Klaus a pointed look, raising his eyebrows. Klaus sat back on a stool, lounging, as Stefan turned to the bartender. "I need a scotch over rocks, please," he said, and then turned back to Ray. Clearing his throat, he pulled out a small leather pouch and undid it. "Tell you what, Ray. We're going to play a little drinking game." He poured some of the substance out into his hand, holding it up in the air. "I like to call it truth, or wolfsbane."

Ray looked at Stefan's hand with uncertainty. Klaus smiled wickedly. "Well, this is going to be fun, Ray."

It wasn't long before screams of aguish filled the bar. Stefan had Ray literally pinned to the wall that had the dartboard. Darts stuck out of him in various places, the tips saturated with the wolfsbane. Blood dripped from his wounds, and some had already dried. A dart sticking out of his forehead was particularly doing damage, and the blood wouldn't stop trickling down the side of his face. Ray twisted and howled in pain as Stefan dipped another dart into the mix of scotch and wolfsbane, spinning it around. Klaus was lounging back in a chair with a small smile playing at his lips as he watched Ray struggle.

AJ had never felt sicker to her stomach. She'd had to take her sketchbook out of her bag to keep her thoughts preoccupied, but her rules kept her from leaving the place altogether. Seeing this side of both Stefan and Klaus was unnerving, and she couldn't stop glancing up at them furtively. Maybe that was the inspiration for her newest drawing.

Stefan brought the dart out of the glass and walked around a table. Lifting his hand, he threw the dart with perfect precision so that it stuck into Ray's neck. Ray howled again with pain, writhing back and forth.

"Ray," Stefan said, and much to AJ's disturbance, he sounded more like Damon at the time. He stepped up to Ray, plucking the dart out of his neck, enticing another howl of pain. "You can end this right now. Just tell me where your pack gathers for the full moon."

Ray panted, his breathing raggedly, as he clenched his teeth together. "I can't."

"I know, I know, you live by a code and all that," Stefan said peevishly, "But, see he's not going to let me stop. Not until you tell me. And I do whatever he says; that's the way it goes around here."

Klaus became more attentive when a dark hair girl approached him. AJ glanced up from her drawing curiously.

"Hello, Mr. Klaus," the girl said robotically. She leaned in to talk to him, and AJ could no longer make out what she was saying. It seemed that Stefan was curious as well.

Stefan stepped up to Klaus, his attention rapt. "My brother's still on our trail?"

AJ's eyes widened at this. Since when had Damon been tracking their movements? Sure it probably wasn't hard to figure out where they've been, considering the body count, but she hadn't expected him to be stupid enough to interfere with Klaus. It was dangerous since Elena was alive. Wait—would Elijah be with him?

"He's been getting closer," Klaus said unhappily, "And I'm going to have to deal with that."

"No," Stefan said, catching Klaus before he moved past. "Let me handle it."

AJ's eyes widened even more, and she nearly dropped her pencil. Klaus raised an eyebrow, turning back to Stefan. "Why should I let you leave?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Because you know I'll come back," Stefan said, meeting his eyes.

Klaus was no longer amused. "Do I?"

"You saved my brother's life. I'm in your service."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "It all sounds so tedious and indentured. Aren't you having the least bit of fun?" he smiled, gesturing at Ray.

Stefan glanced at Ray, uninterested. "I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore," he said matter-of-factly. He moved to pass Klaus, but AJ spoke up.

"Wait," she said, closing the drawing book and setting it on the table as they both regarded her. She looked at Klaus. "Can I go with him?"

Klaus looked her over. Stefan met her eyes, and they held some kind of emotion in them. She couldn't understand what he wanted her to see, though.

"No," Klaus said, "You cannot. Do you think I'd actually send the two of you off, together? You will stay here, AJ."

AJ frowned. She wanted so badly to see Elijah. Just a glimpse of him would be enough. And then her friends; she really wanted to see her friends again. Not seeing Elena was driving her crazy. But if she couldn't go with Stefan, then how else was she supposed to make certain that he hadn't truly fallen off the wagon? Would he really hurt Damon, or kill him? The fact that she had serious doubts about the whole thing triggered fear to pit in her stomach. And the most pressing question was: was Elijah with Damon? Was he looking for her?

"Klaus—please? It's not like we're going to take off—we'll come right back," she said reasonably.

Klaus smirked. "And just why should you leave in the first place?"

"Because I need some peace of mind!" she argued, feeling the edge of her ability to keep herself together draw near. "I need to get a break, just for a little while. Klaus, I'm begging you."

Klaus frowned at this. He nodded at Stefan, allowing him to leave. Stefan gave AJ a look as he walked out, but it was one she couldn't read. She couldn't read anything off of him, being the way he was now. He vanished a second later.

She looked at Klaus miserably. "Screw you," she spat. She quickly grabbed her sketchbook and shoved it into her backpack, then threw it over her shoulder. Headed towards the doors leading outside, she clenched and unclenched her hands, breathing in and out.

Klaus stared after her a minute, and then went to Ray. "I'll be just a moment, chap," he said, patting the side of Ray's face roughly. "Be good and stay here, hmm? You even think about trying to get free, and I can promise that things will get much worse than what they've been." Ray trembled in fear, saying nothing.

Klaus spun on his heel and trailed after AJ, who'd already left the bar. He pushed through the main doors leading outside. Night had fallen, and in this part of the county, the stars were bright and plenty. Crickets chirped, steadying their music like a heartbeat. Two large light poles loomed up over the ground, casting harsh white light onto it. He spotted AJ walking purposefully on the dirt road, passing under one of the lights.

"AJ," he called after her as he walked that way, "AJ, stop."

AJ ignored him as her strides grew bigger. There wasn't much light far off in the distance, but she didn't care. The moon was plenty bright to help her find her way. Her mouth was pulled into a tight line and her eyes were hard and narrowed. The anger inside her grew every time he called her name.

She suddenly regretted not grabbing her jacket out of the truck. The night was cooler than it'd been the previous night, and her thin tank top let the faint chill pass right through it as goosebumps rose on her arms. Then warm hands wrapped around her waist, precluding her from taking another step.

Klaus was in front of her, holding her close to him. She shoved at his chest irritably, but only managed to make her backpack fall off her shoulders and to the dusty ground. "Klaus," she said levelly, narrowing her eyes at him, "You're seriously invading my bubble right now. I thought I made it pretty clear last night that you aren't to touch me. Not ever."

Klaus returned her look. "And I thought I made it pretty clear that you aren't to leave. Just where do you think you're going? There's nothing around here for miles."

AJ huffed. The heat from his body being so close was slowly creeping through her clothes. The goosebumps were gone now. "'Nothing around for miles' seems to be a trend for you. Do you have some sort of sick thing for secluding people, Klaus? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to achieve just this," she said, nodding at how he was holding her. "And besides, I thought you'd made it pretty clear that I could leave. That's what you said last night."

His fingers pressed into her waist a little harder, but not painfully. "What's your plan?" he inquired cruelly. "Hitchhike somewhere with a stranger? Or just walk the road until something comes upon you, maybe has a little fun with you before it kills you—"

"Gee," she interrupted callously, "Sounds a little like you, doesn't it? Playing with things, and then killing them. Tell me, do you get off on it, or is it just natural instinct that makes you enjoy it oh-so-much?"

Klaus shook his head, and he looked down at her with irritation. "So you're still angry about what I said last night, are you? And you're angry enough to get yourself killed?"

AJ frowned at him. "Stop answering a question with a question."

"Then answer my question," he demanded.

She shoved at his chest once more, scowling. "Get away from me, then!"

Klaus sighed loudly. He took his hands off her and stepped back, crossing his arms. He gave her a look that said: happy?

AJ rolled her eyes. "I'm not getting myself killed," she began, rubbing her arms. She was cold again. "I'm getting myself away from you."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you chose to stay. I did let you choose. You can't deny that."

"I'm not," she said wearily, "I did choose to stay. And even though you somehow just changed the rules, now I'm choosing to leave."

Klaus stared at her for a few moments. Finally, "Why?"

"Why?" AJ asked incredulously, losing any and all patience she once held within. "You really have to ask me why? Why do you think? I can't take the torture anymore—the blood and pain! It's pushing me over the edge, Klaus! The very first time it happened, I prayed that it would be the last. But you kept making it happen, over and over again. So I made a promise to myself: if I could stay and prevent it, I would. So I stayed, despite everything else I wanted to do. Despite everyone I need to see. But the one time I thought I stopped anyone from getting killed, you proved me wrong. You had Stefan slaughter them. Those people didn't do anything to you! They didn't deserve to die that way! And yet you seem to get some kind of sick pleasure from it!" She shook her head back and forth, shutting her eyes. "That man in there—Ray—he's only trying to protect the people he cares about. Because he's doing that, you're having him tortured." She opened her eyes, and they stung with surfacing tears. With the back of her hand, she rubbed them away. "I can't live with myself for just standing on the side and letting it happen. I'm not that kind of person." She sucked in a deep breath, finally finished with her speech. Her eyes dropped to the ground as a silence came over them. She wasn't sure what exactly she said that probably pissed him off, but she knew something had.

When he didn't speak, she looked up at him again. He was looking at his hands strangely. The palms were up, and his eyes held some kind of barely-concealed emotion. Self-loathing? No, she thought. That couldn't possibly be it. Then what?

"Elijah," Klaus finally began, but the name bit at AJ. She closed her eyes and cringed, preparing for him to say something cruel. "He would tell you that everything's going to be all right. He'd comfort you," Klaus said seriously, looking up from his hands to her eyes. There were new tears forming in them, ones she didn't bother wipe away.

"Yes," she said quietly, "He would." And she wished so badly that he could.

Klaus shook his head in consternation, frowning at her. "He isn't coming back, AJ. He isn't who you think he is, and he isn't coming for you."

AJ's breath hitched in her throat, and she had to stifle a sob. "You keep saying that," she whispered, "But I have hope—he is who I know him to be. But you're probably right about one thing. He isn't coming for me. And that's for the better."

Klaus's eyebrows pulled together slightly, mystified. He looked up at the moon briefly, and then back at her. He could see that she was trying with great effort to hold back her tears, and she was shivering. He straightened up, masking his face once more.

"Are you leaving?" he asked quietly.

She raised her eyes to meet his. They didn't look black tonight; they were as deep a blue as if it were daytime. She glanced down at the dark road in front of her and sighed. "No," she said finally, "I'm not. But I do have a request."

What do you think? Review! (You can always shout some directions at me, if you wish. I don't promise to use them, but I always take them into deep consideration. (-: )