Chapter 2: Note by a Stranger

The night of the Homecoming

Klaus was more than relieved. He felt free. He felt like the burden on his shoulder that he had carried for more than a thousand years is finally being lifted. Mikael is finally dead.

With his father dead, he didn't have to worry about the truth coming out. That he was the one that killed their mother. None of his siblings would know, especially his baby sister. But it was already too late. That single knowledge of him killing their mother had pushed Rebekah to plot his murder with his enemies.

Klaus downed his drink and refilled it, he would have to deal with Rebekah another day. Tonight, he was just going to enjoy his freedom from their monstrous father. He would stay at Tyler's for a couple of days not that his first successful hybrid had a say in it. Besides, the Lockwood mansion is huge enough for Klaus to have his own space. He had thought about building a home at this small town.

After all, they were born here.

Klaus made his way to his bedroom with an expensive bottle of champagne when he smelled blood.

"I told them to clean their mess up," Klaus growled under his breath as he headed that way. He didn't have to but his feet had brought him to the source of the sweet smelling crimson liquid. He opened the door to the bathroom when he saw her.

She was a fragile thing.

She was pale and there were a long and deep cut each on her forearm and she laid there, almost dead. Her brown curls were pulled into a beautiful braided bun and her black dress was pulled up to her thighs. Klaus saw little red lines on her upper thigh and he didn't even realize when he had been beside her, giving her his blood.

His act was spontaneous. He didn't know who the human was at first but then he remembered her. She had been the one he met at the high school, shooting Stefan in the head with a wooden bullet when he had compelled Stefan to drink from the doppelganger's neck. She had been the girl with the cuts on her wrist. She had been the girl that put up a fight with him.

How can she be that high spirited girl and be this half-dead girl in front of him?

He watched as the deep cuts healed and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The girl was fine. He checked her heartbeat; her heart was thumping softly, at peace. He grabbed the paper towel and wetted them, and cleaned the blood that had smeared her arms and thigh. He then had called Tyler, demanding him to tell him if he knew the girl and where her house was.

Evelyn Fell.

That was her name.

A pretty name for a girl that is haunted by demons.

He drove her to her house and carried her little, fragile body to the doorway and rang the bell. At the fifth time, he finally heard footsteps scurried down the stairs and he waited…patiently. When had he become so patient?

"Who-oh dear-I'm so sorry, did she trouble you? You didn't have to. It's two o'clock in the morning, thanks for bringing her home. She's so irresponsible with her drinking and all," The woman he deemed as her mother babbled. "Come in," she invited him and he crossed the threshold without any problems.

"No ma'am, she was…unconscious when I found her," Klaus said politely.

"Like I said, irresponsible," her mother huffed. "You can place her on the couch."

"Your daughter tried to take her own life," Klaus cut her off, almost in anger. How can a mother be so…nonchalant of her own daughter?

"Again? She's always been so dramatic," the mother said and Klaus clenched his jaw.

"Where's her room? Tell me," he compelled, having none of it. He would have to compel the woman to be kinder to her daughter, he thought.

Since when did he care?

A flash of Mikael whipping him down with his sword played in his head and he became more tensed. He would not let someone else feel the way he felt.

"Upstairs, first room to the left," she answered robotically.

"You'd go back to sleep and change your attitude towards your daughter," he compelled and she repeated his command in monotone. Once settled with that, Klaus brought the girl to her room. It was a simple yet decorative room, black and white. The frames on the wall showed of a little girl in front of an Eiffel Tower and another at Big Ben. There were many more and her dressing table was a mess, probably from getting ready to go to Homecoming.

He laid her down on her bed and removed her shoes before contemplating to change her clothes or not. It would be inappropriate and despite having the hobbies of taking people lives and torturing them, Klaus considered himself to be a gentleman, at most times. It wasn't the first time he had saved a damsel in distress. He had saved many women before, usually from being harassed at a bar and tavern, when he deemed the women being treated cruelly and also from being raped by bad men. Klaus despite his monstrosity, had his moment of benevolence.

There was a book on her bedside table, 'My Sister's Keeper', and a frame of her and her father on top of a mountain. He opened the drawer and saw many pocket knives and throwing knives and wooden stakes.

"No doubt, a hunter. A fierce one at that. But how can you do this to yourself?" he wondered.

He found a paper and searched for a pen at her dressing table. There, he found bandages, betadine and steri-strips to heal a cut. He shook his head and grabbed a pen.

You are way too young to die, love.

There's a whole world out there, waiting for you.

People for you to meet, culture for you to explore,

food for you to taste, and peace for you to find.

Fight your demons.

He tore the paper and placed it below the novel. Then he pulled the cover over her body and stroked her hair. He didn't know why he cared so much for a human girl that he didn't even know. Perhaps it was because tonight, he had faced his demons and defeated them. He had been reminded of all moments of pain and darkness that he had faced in his life and he had trumped over them.

And he wanted this girl to feel that way too.

"Why did you save me then?" Evelyn asked Klaus and Klaus just stared into her brown eyes.

"Was I supposed to let you die?" he asked her and she scoffed.

"You've killed people without a blink of an eye. Why did you have to go through all the trouble to make sure that I didn't die?" Evelyn questioned and Klaus didn't know what to reply. Yes, she was right. Human lives meant nothing to him. He was merciless and ruthless, so why would he care about this human girl in front of him.

"I supposed if you want to know my reasons, you'll have to stick around," Klaus said with a grin that showed his dimples, outsmarting the girl. She stared into his blue eyes in unsure how to respond and to his surprise, she laughed. And it was beautiful.

"Nicely done," she praised and smiled. "I don't know why you saved me, but thank you," she finally said. She looked up into his blue eyes and gave him another sweet smile. And at that moment, she didn't see him as a monster. She saw him as her savior. And Klaus…liked that feeling.

"Look, sweetheart, I know a thing or two about the demons in our head. And I also know how to fight this kind of battle," he said and watched her expression. She seemed surprised. Perhaps she thought he wouldn't understand.

How could the big bad hybrid who is invincible knows about the demons and the voices?

"You're stronger than you believe, and I can teach you a thing or two, if you'd like," he said. Then he felt like slapping himself in the head. Why the hell was he offering this human girl-

"Thank you. Maybe I'll stick around for a lesson or two," she said and winked playfully at him before turning her heels on him.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, flashing in front of her.

"Home?"

"I may be ruthless, but I can be a gentleman for a couple of minutes," he said and she laughed.

"Well if you insist," she said and he grinned.

"See? Would you be able to walk side by side with the Big Bad Hybrid had I not saved you?" Klaus said and she laughed.

"Yeah, life gets better, I supposed," she said and he smiled.

"It does," Klaus agreed, thinking of his dead father. He is free from his demons and he will free this girl from hers as well.