It's Been a Long, Long Time (tvd)

Chapter 10: He was just being kind.

After talking for about another hour, we go back inside the Lockwood mansion, arms linked. "I'm just gonna text Jenna," I tell him while sitting down.

"Alright. And Aspen?" he asks.

"Yes? And please call me Penny, Pen, or P."

"Alright Penny, thank you."

I look up at him with furrowed brows. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't gotten to talk to someone about my family like that in a long time. Thank you," he says without looking away from my eyes.

"Of course. I know my friends have done some pretty shitty things, but I don't see why we can't be friends," I tell him with a smile.

I pull out my phone and click on Jenna's contact. "Hey, I don't quite know what happened, but your demon best friend is here when you need me," I type and hit send.

She responds quickly. "I figured out about the supernatural. I don't get why everyone lied."

I sigh and write a response. "I'm sorry they lied. Technically I told you some, but they still should've told you since you are Jeremy and Elena's guardian."

"Honestly, you're the only person I'm not mad at right now," she texts.

"I appreciate you, Jenna :) I'm here if you ever need anything."

Just then, Elena walks through the front door and walks over to Elijah. "Welcome back," he greets.

"Tell me," she demands. "What is Klaus' curse?"

"Please," Elijah motions to the couch across from me before taking the seat to my right. "My family was quite close, but Klaus and my father did not get on too well. When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret. Klaus is from a different bloodline. Of course, when my father discovered this, he hunted down and killed my mother's lover," he gets up and walks around the room, "and his entire family." When he reaches me, I take his hand in mine in a place Elena's vision is blocked from. He gives my hand a squeeze. "Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between species that rages until this day."

"A war between the species?" Elena queries.

"The vampires..." he trails off.

"And the werewolves," I finish.

"So Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline?" Elena looks up at Elijah. "What does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire?"

"He's both," Elijah states. "A hybrid will be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become dormant. That's the curse Klaus wants to break. He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race endangering not just vampires, but everyone."

Imagine having a part of who you are taken away from you, I think. It's easier to realize why he might want to break it other than for power. And imagine having to be alone in the struggle.

⇢⇢⇢⇢

Elena, Elijah, and I walk into the boarding house and to the study. I see Damon and Stefan fighting and go over to them, slapping them both in the face. They knock it off and turn to see Elena and Elijah.

"You invited him in?" Damon asks.

"Elijah and I have renewed the terms of our deal," she states.

"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands," Elijah explains. "I only ask for one thing in return. An apology."