As He Could No Longer Run (Klaus Mikaelson x OC)

.04

The dance had gone well. Things had only gotten better since in Jude's opinion. She thought it was good that Elena pulled the dagger from Elijah - sure she wouldn't have minded a warning first since she was the one to last dagger him - but now they knew a lot more than they did twenty-four hours ago.

Damon disagreed. She knew this because he was ranting to her at this very moment. It was bad enough that he'd pulled her outside where the others couldn't hear them.

'We were doing just fine before.'

'Were we though?' she hopped up onto the wall and Damon came to rest beside her on it. 'Got a bit desperate at the dance and that was only Klaus's first move.'

'Sure, he caught us by surprise but we turned it to our advantage.'

'He's got a thousand years on us. That's a lot of time to plan and prepare,' she pointed out.

'Then maybe he's the desperate one.'

That sounded like wishful thinking. She gave him a look that said as much.

'Look,' she sighed, feeling sympathetic to him, 'it's Elena's choice. No matter the lengths you go to for her, you'll never get her if you take that away.'

The words seemed to sink in, somewhat resentfully from the frown on his face, so she jumped down from the wall and headed back inside alone. Stefan passed her along the way and caught her hand.

'Thank you for trying.'

She squeezed his hand, 'Now it's your turn.'

Jude was headed for the kitchen to satisfy her stomach, thoughts still on what Damon had said when an unmistakable yell for help shot down the home's hallway. Her shoulders sank at the sound but she turned around and headed towards it anyway.

It was Alaric in the entryway, hands up in surrender towards Jenna who held a crossbow directed at him. Or was it Klaus? How could they tell?

'Stay away from me!' she warned him.

Jude stopped some distance away, letting everyone else who'd also rushed to help get in close. It was often best to let others go first, she found.

'What's going on?' Elena asked.

'It's me, Elena, I swear, okay? He let me go. Klaus let me go.'

There wasn't that devious glint to his eye or that cruel smile Jude remembered. Then again, there hadn't been before the dance either.

'I'm going to need proof,' Jude called out.

'Ok, uh,' Alaric glanced around to each person before settling on Jenna. 'First night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right when I was about to--'

'It's him,' Jenna was quick to confirm.

Jude raised her brows in interest, sharing the look with her uncles.

'Why did he let you go?'

'He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight.'

Jude immediately looked to Damon, wary of his reaction but it seemed like neither he nor anyone else knew how to respond. It was starting to feel a lot like Klaus was going to sacrifice Elena and she wasn't going to come back from it.

She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, 'Let's take this into the living room.'

A mix of nods and mumbles answered her as everyone except Damon filtered to said room. She didn't bother to call him back knowing it wouldn't make a difference. It did mean that he was probably going to do something rash the more he distanced himself. Elijah watched Damon walk away beside her like he was thinking the same thing.