All I Need (Vampire Diaries/Captain America Fanfic)

22: In The Face Of The Enemy

I could hear Jenna from where I was sitting on the sofa. She was in pain, the transition was taking its toll on her. Klaus had sent Rebekah out to find a human, whose blood would help her complete the transition. For a human to turn, they have to die with vampire blood in their system, before drinking human blood once they awaken.

I was lounging on the sofa, contemplating the rest of my existence. Or, as Klaus put it, keeping him company.

"Why now?" I asked. "Elena was born in like, '92. Couldn't we have done this years ago?"

"We could have," he agreed. "If I'd known that she existed. Following Stefan led me to her."

I swung around on the sofa, so that I was upside down, my feet hanging off the back of the sofa and my head nearly touching the floor.

"Why were you... Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Why are you so calm?" he asked me. "I told you I was going to kill you."

"I told Stefan I was leaving forever back in 1967. Things change." Or rather, I was holding on to the hope that Bonnie would find us a way out of this. Somehow. "Plus, you're not as scary as you try to be."

"Excuse me?" he asked, a playful smile on his lips.

"You're the Original Hybrid. For most people, that would be enough. The fact that you want to be a witch too shows your insecurity," I said. "Deep down, you're worried that you're still not safe. You want to be covered."

He didn't say anything, looking out of the window. I was pleased that my observations were getting to him.

"It's OK to be insecure," I said. "Just don't let your insecurities show in the face of the enemy."

"And who do you think is my enemy?" he asked, the smile back on his face. "I'm immortal."

"Anyone who has the ability to leave you."

His face fell just as the door opened. Rebekah was back, with Matt in tow.

"This one was all I could find," she said.

"No way," I said. "There are so many other humans in Mystic Falls."

"He has the nicest eyes," Rebekah said simply, pouting.

"If I send Rebekah out to get someone new, Ms. Sommers may die. And then I'll have to find someone else."

"Aren't you killing her anyway?" I asked.

"During the ritual," he told me. "If any of you die before then, it won't work."

The blood was beginning to rush to my head, I could hear it pounding in my ears. "Don't let her kill him. Just give her enough to turn."

Matt didn't say a word, I assumed he'd been compelled. As Rebekah led him away, I noticed Klaus's mocking face.

"What?" I asked him.

"It seems I'm not the only insecure one," he said. "You want everyone kept happy so that they never leave you."

He was right of course, the only reason I'd come back to Mystic Falls was because I didn't want to be alone.

"Everybody needs somebody," I said.

There was a polite double-knock at the door. Klaus stood up from his seat, going to the door and opening it immediately.

"Elijah, you've come to join the party!" he welcomed the person. I couldn't tell how tall he was from my upside-down state, but he looked like he was around Klaus's height, with darker hair. He was wearing a suit, which made him look more professional and polished than Klaus's jacket, T-shirt and jeans combo. I sensed that he was a vampire.