Coming Home (A Klaus Mikaelson Story)

18. Let me Sleep

Jennifer's POV

My eyes fluttered awake, I couldn't remember ever being so tired. Also when did I fall asleep, although sleep did sound like a good idea. I felt myself starting to drift off but someone was shouting. I winced as someone roared. Wait... I knew that voice. 

I was lying on a couch, I grabbed the back and pulled myself into a sitting position. Why was I so weak? I looked around me, I had absolutely no idea where I was. I blinked a couple of times to focus my vision and then I saw them.

Tyler was sitting on the ground holding his neck and Nik... I couldn't help the smile on my lips when I saw him. The smile quickly became a frown, he was the one shouting. Tyler's eyes flew to my direction and his jaw fell open in shock. I looked behind me to find what had caused him to look like that but couldn't find whatever it was. Looking back at them I realised Nik had stopped talking... well shouting really. Now he too was staring with that same gobsmacked expression Tyler wore. I could feel my eyelids getting heavy again. Wishing I was in my own bed I fought to keep them open.

"Tyler... Nik... How did I get here?" with that question I lost the internal fight I was having and it went dark.

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 "Jennifer, can you hear me?"

Ugh, go away, I thought mentally turning and pulling the blanket higher. I was having a nice dream. But the voice persisted, "Jennifer, are you awake?"

"Just five more minutes sweetheart!" I mumbled. Wait a minute... that's not right. I was mixing my dream with whoever was trying to wake me. Sighing loudly in frustration I opened my eyes. It took a minute to fully wake up. That was when I noticed something. This wasn't my bedroom.

I sat up quickly... ok that was too quick. I took a deep breath. There... that was better, and looked around the room instinctively pulling the blanket closer to me. Elena and Caroline were sitting on the bed. Jeremy and Tyler were standing behind them, and that guy Nik was sitting on the window seat. They all wore a very weird look. It was like a mixture of sorrow and relief. Well, all of them except Nik. His expression was one of curiosity.

Before anyone had a chance to talk Nik spoke up from where he was sitting. "Sweetheart? Who..."

I felt my face scrunch up. Sweetheart? Oh yeah. I shrugged as I answered. "I was having a weird dream. I was on holidays... or something," My mind tried to remember the dream, "... I don't know where. I know something happened and there was this guy. He did something... I want to say nice or helpful..."

The dream was fading fast, the details slipping away like all dreams. I shrugged again. "I don't remember now, I just know it had a good ending." I could feel my lips curling up at the retreating memory and when I looked to the window it looked like Nik was trying to hide a smile as well

 "More importantly, what's going on? Where am I? How did I get here and what are you all doing here?" I asked turning to the others. Everyone was looking at each other uncomfortably. Caroline scooted closer to me on the bed. She took my hand and now I was getting a bit scared.

"Jennifer," she asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"

I focused on my memories. It was like trying to remember the dream. "Well," I began. "the last thing I remember clearly is..." I looked at the bracelet on my wrist. I held it up and smiled fondly at 'blonde guy'.

"Everybody was at my house after the funeral. Nik got his friends to help at it, then he and I went outside and he gave me this. It gets fuzzy after that."

I looked back at Caroline. Ok, she wasn't happy. I was getting annoyed. "Ok, clearly I'm missing some things. Can you please just fill me in?"

It was Jeremy that answered me, "Jen... that was a week ago!"

What? That wasn't possible... was it? I waited for him to continue but he was interrupted by two newcomers walking in. All eyes swung to them as did mine.

Have you ever had a camera flash in your eyes repeatedly? At the exact moment my eyes fell on the taller of the two that walked in it felt like that was happening, with each flash holding a piece of memory, throwing random memories of the last few days at me.

I could feel my expressions changing. While it felt like minutes since they walked in, it was actually mere seconds.

"Damon Salvatore!" I growled at him, I mean I actually growled. I shot of the bed and flung myself at him. His face was filled with regret and pain, but I knew one thing. This bastard had killed my parents and then slept with me. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to rip him apart.

As quickly as I had lunged at him Caroline was there holding me back. How could she have this much strength? That was when the rest of my memory of the last few days came flooding back. I went weak in Caroline's arms. She loosened her grip and I sunk to the floor.

"I remember." I choked out. I looked up at Damon. "You killed me!"

Of course that didn't make sense. If he killed me then how... what Elena had told me that night at the cabin came back to me, as did the journals I read.

"If you die with vampire blood in your system..." I wasn't aware I was talking out loud. I stood up and walked over to Nik. His eyes never left mine, it was as if he were searching mine for something, waiting for my reaction.

"I had your blood. The night you saved my life you healed me. You..." I couldn't finish the sentence. He just nodded. I placed my hand on his cheek. I could see the relief flow over him as he realized that I wasn't angry with him. I turned to face the others. They all looked both angry and hurt by my interaction with the original hybrid. Well, screw them. I cleared my throat, making sure I had all their attention.

"I want to go home, I would also like if Caroline and Jeremy would come with me, if they don't mind."

I could see the hurt on Elena's face, but she was dating Stefan and you could tell from the way she looked at Damon that there was some feelings there whether she realised it herself or not. Right now I didn't need a Salvatore groupie with me.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate her and I wasn't angry with her. She's my friend and I love her but I just needed a little bit of time to figure some things out.

Caroline and Jeremy told me they would of course come with me. I threw Nik a half smile and headed to door. As we left, what I now realised was Klaus' house, I felt myself stumble as a wave of dizziness crashed over me. Jeremy noticed and caught me in time. He lifted me and carried me to Caroline's car. After he and Caroline climbed in they turned at my giggling. They were thinking that I had gone slightly crazy. Maybe I was. They asked me if I was ok. Still smiling I answered them,

"If I decide not to complete this thing, if I choose to die I know what I want on my tombstone..."

They both looked uncomfortable but I earned an weary smile from them with my next sentence, "Here lies Jennifer. People carried her a lot!"