Coming Home (A Klaus Mikaelson Story)

16. The Truth Will Kill Me

"Damon Salvatore!"

My first instinct was of course that Klaus was lying. But as my eyes flew from Caroline to Elena... whereas 30 seconds ago all eyes were on me, now no one would even look in my direction. My body turned itself towards Damon,

"He's lying right? He's the bad guy, this is what he does, right?"

Damon took a step to me, his hand raising as if to touch me, "Jennifer... I'm so sorry... I was angry and..."

I started backing up, shaking my head. No no no... They knew, they had all known and they hid it from me. I was right in the beginning.

Caroline was suddenly standing in front of me, she held my hand. I was looking at her hand like it was poison as she spoke, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Jennifer, you have to understand. What happened was a mistake, a terrible horrible mista...."

Her voice cut off as I pulled my hand out of hers, I kept backing up as I spoke, "A mistake? You think murdering my parents was a mistake?" my voice was strangely calm considering my insides felt like they were suffocating.

I couldn't... I couldn't be here. I turned and ran, I made it to the driveway before my legs gave out. I fell to my knees and then fell forward, my hands went out to stop me hitting the ground with my face. I could feel the gravel cut into my hands and knees but I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. I heard several pairs of feet on the gravel behind me and someone was kneeling in front of me. I raised my head, Klaus looked at me with concern on his face. I reached forward with my right hand and grabbed him,

"Get me out of here!"

Without hesitating Klaus lifted me to his chest. I held onto him tightly and shut my eyes. I could feel the wind hitting me as he ran, then just as quickly it stopped and Klaus was walking at a human pace. I opened my eyes. We were in a very large living room. I pulled myself out of his grasp and stood there.

There was three people in the room with us. Elena had told me that Klaus had his hybrids living at his house, part of me recognised them as the servers from my... Oh god. I looked down at my trembling hands. I also realised I was barefoot. Huh, guess I left my shoes... no, I wouldn't think about that.

Then I remembered the shirt I was wearing.

I started pulling at it, "Get it off me... I need... I can't..." I continued ripping it off until I stood there in just my bra and jeans. What had I done? The monster who murdered my parents and I slept with him. I felt like I was going to throw... yep, I was.

I once again fell forward onto my hands and knees as I threw up all over the marble floor. When there was nothing left in me, both physically and emotionally, I managed to stand. The three hybrids were gone, I hadn't heard Klaus tell them to leave. Ah, Klaus.

He was standing about five feet from me. For the first time, uncertainty covered his face.

"Is this what you wanted?" I asked him, with absolutely no emotion in my voice. I was standing there half naked, with vomit splattered on my jeans and barefoot. I must have looked a pathetic sight, but I kept my head high.

"Jennifer, I..."

I narrowed my eyes at him, silencing him. "What, Klaus? They told me about you, so you wanted to tell on them, is that it?"

I turned my back on him and walked out. He had the good sense not to follow me. Once outside I realised that I had no way back to town. My car was at the Salvatore boarding house, or so I thought. As I stood there debating what to do, my car pulled up in front of me, a hybrid at the wheel. A hybrid I did not want to see right now.

Tyler jumped out of my car, looking at me nervously. "Hey Jenni, are you ok? I got a call from Klaus telling me to get your car from Stefan's. When I got there the place was empty. What's going on? Are you hurt?"

He quickly took in the way I was dressed, or my lack of dress I suppose. My voice was empty as I answered him, "I know Damon killed my parents Tyler. I also know everyone helped cover it up. It seems I can no longer trust anyone in this town."

I climbed into my car and started to close the door when Tyler stopped me, "That can't be right Jennifer. It was a random vampire attack, Caroline told me. Damon wouldn't..." his voice trailed off as he realised the truth.

I was slightly surprised for a second. Could it be that Tyler truly didn't know about any of this? Then I remembered what Elena had said about Tyler and his sire bond to Klaus. Maybe they were afraid to tell him in case Klaus found out and used it against them, which he did. I just gave him a sad look then pulled the door closed. I started the engine and without looking back at Tyler I sped out of there.

It was several hours later when I pulled up outside my cabin. I had gone home to pack a few things, make a few calls, have a shower and get redressed, this time in my own clothes. I was going to stay here at the cabin for a while. Only one vampire could get in here, which was better than home where pretty much all the vampires could.

I sat in the car for a moment, there sitting on my porch was Damon. He jumped up at my arrival. Without even thinking about what I was doing I reached into my handbag. I never took my eyes of him as I made sure I had what I needed. Throwing my bag over my shoulder I turned off the engine and slowly climbed out of my car. I started walking over to Damon who was so focused in what ever he was trying to say to me that he didn't notice as I pulled my right hand from behind my back. He quickly did notice however as I raised the gun I was holding and pulled on the trigger.

The first shot hit him in the chest and sent him flying backwards where he hit the ground with a loud thump. At this stage I was standing over him and still looking him in the eye I fired twice more into his chest.

Damon was writhing in quiet agony as the wooden tipped bulled tore through him. He was waiting for the shot to his heart, but it didn't come. As he lay there I pulled out my cell phone and dialled Caroline.

"Oh thank god, Jenni where are you? Did Klaus hurt you?" her voice came rushing over the phone.

"Are you serious Caroline? In what way do you think Nik hurt me, by killing my parents? Covering up their murder? Allowing me to leave and hook up with the person that killed them? Are they the ways he could hurt me?" I could feel the anger building again. Ever since I got back to this god forsaken town I seemed to be always either angry or sad. I was kinda getting sick of it. I continued with my rant,

"You know, since I got back to Mystic Falls Nik helped me with mom and dads' funeral party. He made sure I couldn't be compelled. He saved my life when a goddamn vampire ripped into my neck, and of course Nik also told me the truth about what goes on here. And while NIK was doing all this, what were my so called friends doing?"

I was practically hissing the words down the phone, I also wasn't aware that I was calling him Nik again, and not Klaus. I sighed as Caroline completely missed the point of what I was saying.

"When did Klaus save you?" she asked me tentatively.

"The night I was attacked here at the cabin, it was Nik that saved me. He ripped out the vampires heart and... look, none of that matters right now. I rang you about Damon. You might want to come get him. He was here at the cabin and I shot him. I don't know how long it takes to..."

My voice drifted off as I looked down at Damon, or more accurately, the blood stained spot were Damon had been. I started spinning on the spot but I couldn't see him anywhere. Dropping the phone I could hear Caroline shouting down it as I quickly pulled my keys from my bag. Still holding the gun in my right hand aimed in front I made my way to the door of the cabin. I used my left hand to unlock it... and dropped the key.

As I bent to pick it up my mind immediately went to all the times I had laughed at the chicks in the horror movies that always got killed because they dropped their keys under the car or something. As I stood up I reminded myself that this was real life, not some stupid horror movie. The gun was ripped from my hand just as I got the door unlocked and I was staring into a pair of crazed hungry eyes.

Yeah... real life, where vampires, werewolves and witches were real. I felt two hands at my neck for a brief second and then.......