Bound By Fate

Chapter Fourteen

Once we’re inside, we mingle with others around us until his mother shows up on the stairs and taps on her champagne glass.

Esther: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass.[Klaus takes two off a tray and hands one to me.] It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I’d like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers.”

All: “Cheers.”

Klaus smiles as he takes a sip and watches me sip mine. I can’t help but blush at his gaze.

Klaus: “Follow me.”

We set our glasses down, and I follow him to another room in the house.

Allison: “So, what did you want to show me?”

Klaus: “One of my passions.”

We stop in front of a painting.

Allison: “Oh. Impressive. I take it the curators at the Louvre aren’t on vervain?”

Klaus: “Yeah, well, that’s their mistake.”

Allison: “And what about the bracelet? Where did you steal this from?”

Klaus: “That’s a long story. Rest assured it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you.”

I bite my lip as I turn away from him, trying not to smile or blush at the compliment. Looking at the papers before me, I realize these are original works.

Allison: “Wait, did you do these?”

Klaus: “Yeah. Um, actually, one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?”

Allison: “I’ve never been anywhere until you took me away from here.”

Klaus: “I’ll take you wherever you want. Rome, Paris, Tokyo?”

I giggle.

Allison: “Wow. Must be really nice to just snap your fingers and get whatever you want.[He sighs.] Is that why you collect hybrids? A little servant army to do whatever you command?”

Klaus: “You’re making assumptions.”

Allison: “Then why do you need Tyler? Stop controlling him. Give him his life back.”

Klaus: “Why do you care about him?”

Allison: “He’s my sister’s boyfriend.”

Klaus: “So this is a request for your sister?”

Allison: “Yes. I hate seeing her unhappy.”

He maintains eye contact with me.

Klaus: “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.”

I nod, trying to hold back any and all reactions. I leave him in his gallery, rejoining the party with him hot on my trail. He pulls me back by my arm.

Klaus: “Allison, please don’t hate me.”

Allison: “It would make my life so much easier if I did, but I could never hate you, Klaus.”

I kiss his cheek and leave his side. I end up going home with my sister. I feel so guilty that I couldn’t get Klaus to free Tyler for Caroline. After parting ways with my sister, I sit on my couch, trying to process everything that happened tonight. My thoughts are interrupted by a knock at my front door.

I open it to find a jewelry box, but when I open the box, I find a piece of parchment. Unrolling it, it’s a sketch of me with a horse and a little message below it. ‘Thank you for not hating me. -Klaus.’

I got a call from Elena, asking me to come over with Bonnie and Caroline. Of course, I said yes, and now I’m sitting on the window seat in Elena’s room, listening to her current issues. Bonnie is on the bed, attempting to perform a privacy spell and Caroline is in the hallway to tell us when it starts working.

Elena: “He was gloating, like actual gloat. Like he was proud of himself for sleeping with her.”

Allison: “Is it working?”

Caroline opens the door.

Caroline: “It’s not working. I can hear every word Elena is saying about Damon the vampire gigolo.”

Elena looks at Bonnie.

Bonnie: “I don’t know. It’s a tricky spell.”

Elena: “When Esther did it, she kept the sage burning. There was a lot more smoke.”

Bonnie: “All right. Try it again.[Caroline sighs before leaving the room again.] Speaking of Esther, you should know she came to see me and Abby this morning.”

Elena: “And all this time you let me vent about Damon?”

Allison: “Why would she do that?”

Bonnie: “I don’t want you to worry. She wanted to introduce herself. Abby and I helped bring her back. She’s channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power. I think she thought she was being polite.”

Elena: “Okay, well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?”

Bonnie: “Even if there was, why would I want that?”

Elena: “I just keep thinking, before the Sun and Moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive. And now, I’m in the exact same position, and I’m just gonna let him die? It just doesn’t feel right.”

Caroline comes back into the room.

Caroline: “Okay, first of all, this privacy spell is totally not working. Second, Elena, you are not doing this. Esther is doing this.”

Bonnie: “There’s no time to change your mind, Elena. He’ll be dead by the end of the night.”

I’m stunned, I didn’t think their mother would kill them this soon. I don’t know how I should feel about this. My mind and heart are racing like crazy, but I’m trying to stay calm.

Elena: “What?”

Bonnie: “It’s a full moon. Esther needs to harness the energy of a celestial event. She asked me and Abby to join her.”

Allison: “Are we sure this is what we really want? What if it’s the wrong decision?”

Bonnie: “With Klaus and his siblings dead, we won’t have to worry about them coming after any of us ever again. It’s the best option we have.”

Elena looks just as unsure as I feel, but I know it’s for a different reason than me.

I go home, struggling to relax. I tried drinking tea, taking a bath, dancing, reading, and working, but nothing is working. I just can’t stop thinking that I might never get to see Klaus again. I don’t know if I should be happy or upset, and I feel like I need to go see him. I can’t tell him though; I’d be betraying everyone I care about.

I get out of the bath, blowing out my candles while wrapping a towel around myself just as my phone starts ringing. Picking it up, I find Damon’s name displayed on the screen and answer it.

A - What do you want, Damon?

D - Not much. I just need a little distraction for a certain hybrid that is in the Grill right now.

A - And why would I do that?

D - Because Rebekah has Elena, and they are going to kill her if we don’t do something. For our plan to work, we need you to distract Klaus while we help Elena.

A - Alright, fine. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

I hang up and get dressed before heading to the Grill.

I strut into the Grill with my sister and spot Klaus and Kol at the bar having some drinks. We stop at a table, pretending we don’t see Klaus watching us. I end up going to the bar to order some shots for us, stopping right next to Klaus.

Klaus: “Allison.”

Allison: “Klaus, what are you doing here?”

Klaus: “Just came to my local pub for a drink with my brother. Would you care to join us?”

Allison: “I’d rather drown myself, but thanks.”

I walk away and Caroline quickly gets up, leaving with me. She and I share a look as we cross the street and hear him coming after us.

Klaus: “Allison.”

Caroline turns to him.

Caroline: “Are you serious? Take a hint.”

Klaus: “I just want to talk to her.”

Allison: “It’s fine, Care. Just wait in the car for me.”

Caroline: “Alright.”

She walks away as I turn toward Klaus.

Klaus: “Don’t be angry, love. We had a little spat. I’m over it.”

Allison: “Good for you. I’m not.”

Klaus: “How can I acquit myself?”

I sigh as I try not to look at him.

Allison: “I don’t know if you can.”

Klaus: “Oh come on. Take a chance, Allison. [He sits on the bench in my line of sight] Talk to me.[He’s giving me his puppy dog eyes.] Come on, get to know me. [He gets a mischievous gleam in his eyes] I dare you.”

Allison: “Alright, fine. One chance. [I sit beside him.] What do you want to talk about?”

Klaus: “I want to talk about you. Your hopes. Your dreams. Everything you want in life.”

I chuckle while shaking my head.

Allison: “Just to be clear, you can’t seduce me like that.”

Klaus: “That’s why I like you. So much more than a pretty face.”

Allison: “You know if you had been this way before kidnapping me and terrorizing everyone I care about, I would’ve actually fallen head over heels for you with no regrets. [He tries to say something, but I stop him.] Nothing is more important to me than my family and friends. I would do anything to keep them safe, even if it means I will never get to have what I truly want. That’s why I can’t be with you, Klaus. I can’t trust that you won’t hurt them.”

I try to get up to leave, but he grabs my hand.

Klaus: “What if I could prove it to you? What if I could prove I would never hurt your family or friends again? If I protected them instead?”

Allison: “Then I wouldn’t feel so guilty for wanting what I want.”

He puts a hand on my cheek, maintaining eye contact with me as his face nears mine.

Klaus: “Which is?”

Our lips are a hair’s width apart before he suddenly separates from me, holding a hand to his chest as if in pain.

Allison: “What is it?”

He glares at me.

Klaus: “What did you do?”

Allison: “What do you mean? I’ve been here with you the whole time.”

He speeds away, leaving me completely alone, wondering what just happened.