01. The Birthday

Tennessee

"Rudy" a blonde haired girl called out, stepping out of her house, she let out a whistle, "Rudy! Come on, it's too hot to make you come looking for you", the girl bent down to grab her dog's ball, once she stood back up, she let out a shocked gasp seeing Klaus and Lily standing infront of her.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Klaus said, in his fake american accent, making Lily give him an are you okay look.

"Can I help you?".

"Yeah, our car ran out of gas a couple miles back, me and my girlfriend here feel like we've been walking forever" Klaus explained, "Yours is the first house we've come to, so we were just hoping we could use your phone".

"Don't either of you a have a cell phone?" the skeptic girl asked, not sure about giving her phone to two total strangers.

"Nope" Lily said, while glaring at the back of Klaus's head for calling her his girlfriend.

Klaus pulled his phone out of his back pocket, "Battery died" he informed, feeling Lily's glare but deciding to ignore it for now, "Look, I promise we're not serial killers, we just wanna use your phone".

The girl let out a sigh, "Sure" she finally agreed.

"So, we can come in?" Klaus asked.

"No, I'll get the phone and bring it out to you".

Klaus's smile suddenly fell and was replaced with an angry expression, "I thought you country folk were supposed to be more trusting" he said in his normal voice.

"I'm for Florida".

"Well, that explains it" Klaus said, he suddenly speeded over to the girl and grabbed her by her neck and started compelling her, "Now, show me a little Southern hospitality, sweet pea".

As Klaus walked inside the house with the frightened girl, Lily went to follow when suddenly she heard barking, turning to the noise a small smile formed on her face seeing a golden retriever standing there, knowing Klaus and Stefan had it in there, Lily walked over to the golden retriever.

***

After getting the information he needed from the two women who lived in the house and then ordering Stefan to kill both of them, Klaus walked out the house and immediately he was met with the scene of Lily rubbing her nose against the golden retriever's nose and laughing.

"You are so adorable" Lily cooed, rubbing behind the dog's ear.

Klaus stood back and admired Lily for a moment, he liked seeing that smile on her face, it was the exact smile he has been unknowingly craving her since he forced Lily to come on this road trip with him, he knew he was at fault but he just couldn't leave Lily in Mystic Falls after knowing what she meant to him.

"I can feel you staring" Lily suddenly said, bringing Klaus out of his thoughts.

"You realise you can't keep that, right?" Klaus asked, walking over to Lily.

"It's not a that, he's name is Rudy" Lily corrected, as Klaus kneeled next to her, "And I know I can't keep him, but since you killed his owners, you are going to drop him to a animal shelter".

"And why exactly am I doing that?" an amused Klaus asked, looking at Lily.

Lily looked at Klaus, "Did you not hear me?" she asked, "You killed his owners Klaus".

"Technically Stefan killed them" Klaus said.

"On your order" Lily retorted, "So it's your job to make sure Rudy here gets to a safe place to stay till he finds a new home".

"I don't have a choice in this matter, do I?" an amused Klaus asked.

"No, you don't" Lily replied, standing up, "Oh and for my sanity, don't ever do a american accent again, that was creepy, and I'm not your girlfriend".

"How long are you planning to stay mad at me?" Klaus asked, also standing up.

Lily shrugged, "Don't know, haven't decided yet, but since you're immortal, it might take a few years".

Klaus chuckled, he took a step towards Lily, "I think you're bluffing Lily, I think deep down, you're grateful that I took you away from that town, a town we both know, you never belonged in".

Lily glared at Klaus, "You don't know me Klaus, stop pretending like you do" she snapped.

Lily turned to leave but Klaus grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, "I know you a lot better then you think Lily".

"No, you don't" a stubborn Lily stated.

"And what happens if I prove to you that I do know you?" Klaus asked, "Will you stop being angry with me?".

Lily shook her head, "You don't know me" she repeated, refusing to believe Klaus knew her.

"But I do" Klaus whispered.

After killing the two girls in the house, Stefan stepped out of the house only to see Klaus and Lily standing face to face, Lily's wrist in Klaus's hand, the two werewolves were to busy staring at each other to notice him.

"Lily" Stefan called, immediately breaking the trance Lily was in as soon as she allowed herself to look into Klaus's eyes.

"Finally" Lily said, taking a step back from Klaus as soon as she saw Stefan, "Let's go, we have a animal shelter to get to".

As Lily took Rudy to the car, an annoyed Klaus turned to Stefan, "You just had to come now, didn't you?".

Stefan shook his head at Klaus and followed Lily to the car and after a moment an annoyed Klaus also walked over to the car.

***

After dropping Rudy off at an animal shelter, the trio made their way over to the Southern Comfort bar where Klaus was informed he would find the werewolf he has been trying so hard to find.

Currently, Lily sat on the bar drinking her beer while waiting for Ray Sutton to show his face.

"What's up, Ray?" a customer called out, gaining Lily's attention, she looked towards the entrance and saw a young man walking towards the bar.

"Hey, Red, let me get a beer" Ray told the bartender, while sitting next to Lily, his gaze turned to Lily, and a smirk formed on his face, "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?".

"I'm asking myself that exact same thing" Lily replied.

"Ray? Ray Sutton?" Klaus asked, walking to the other side of Ray.

"Who wants to know?" Ray asked.

"I've been looking everywhere for you" Klaus informed, "We started in Florida, Pensacola, I met a young chap there who you worked with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely young women, and they led me here, to you".

"I think I'll be going" a slightly creeped out Ray said, but Klaus quickly blocked his way, "Not so fast mate, you only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by".

Ray turned to the other side, but Lily stood up from her chair and blocked his way.

"Now, now" Lily said, shoving Ray back to his chair, just as Stefan walked behind her, "Let's not do anything stupid".

Ray looked behind Lily, at Stefan, "Vampires" he realised.

"You're swifty-swift, Ray" Klaus mocked, "Yes, my friend here is a vampire, he's compelled everyone in the bar, so don't look to them for any help".

"I would like to inform that I'm not a vampire" Lily said, sitting back in her seat, "I'm a werewolf, please never call me a vampire, it's offensive, no offense to you Stefan".

"None taken" an amused Stefan assured.

"Yes, while Stefan is a vampire and Lily is a werewolf, I am something else" Klaus informed, "A different kind of monster, I've got some vampire, I've got some wolf".

"You what?" a shocked Ray asked, wondering how was that possible.

"He's both" Lily informed.

"A hybrid, Ray" Klaus added, "You see, I want to create more of me, now, other then Lily, you are the first werewolf I've come across in many a moon--pun intended, Ray--I need you to direct me to your pack, so where can I find them, Ray?".

Ray shook his head, "You can't compel me, it won't work" he reminded.

"They never make it easy for themselves" Lily mumbled, as Klaus and Stefan exchanged a look.

Stefan turned to the bartender, "Can I get a Scotch on the rocks, please?" he ordered, while pulling out a small pouch from his back pocket, "Tell you what Ray, we're gonna play a little drinking game, something I like to call truth or wolfsbane".

"Oh, this is gonna be fun, Ray" Klaus teased.

"For him" Lily said, gesturing towards Klaus, "But for you Ray, it's going to be extremely painful".

***

Stefan chained Ray infront of a dart board and both him and Lily started throwing darts dipped into wolfsbane scotch at him.

Ray let out a yelled as Lily hit the dart right at his neck.

"I think I might have a problem" Lily admitted to Stefan.

"What problem?" Stefan asked, throwing a dart at Ray.

"This is kind of fun for me" Lily replied.

"What is?" Stefan asked, "Playing darts or hearing Ray's screaming?".

"Throwing darts at Ray" Lily clarified.

Stefan shrugged, "We all have our dark side, nothing to be shamed of" he said, walking closer to Ray and hitting him with another dart in his neck, "Ray, you can end this right now, just tell us where your pack gathers for the full moon".

"I can't" Ray cried in pain.

"I know, I know" Stefan said, "You live by a code and all that, but see, he's not gonna let me stop until you tell me, and I do whatever he says".

"And I do what seems the most fun" Lily said, across Klaus on the table.

"That's the way it goes around here" Stefan continued.

"Here" Klaus said, sliding two shots over to Lily.

"Why are you giving this to me?" a confused Lily asked, downing a shot.

"To prove to you that I do know you" Klaus said, "You hate beer, the only reason you were drinking beer before was to check if you like it this time, but you didn't, your favorite drink is tequila".

"Knowing my favorite drink doesn't mean you know me" Lily said, downing the second shot.

"But it is a start" Klaus stated.

Before Lily could say anything back, a woman walked over to their table.

"Hello, Mr. Klaus, I have some more information for you, you told me to tell you if I saw anything, I saw that guy's brother Damon, at the farm house".

"Well, thank you, Claudine" Klaus said, "You just tell your friends to keep up the good work with the neighborhood watch, huh?".

As Claudine walked away, Lily looked towards Stefan, she raised her eyebrows at him, asking him how he was going to save Damon this time, in return Stefan just blinked his eyes, letting her know he had this.

"My brother's still on our trail?" Stefan asked Klaus.

"He's getting closer" Klaus informed, "I'm gonna have to deal with that".

"No, no, no, let me handle it" Stefan said, grabbing Klaus's arm and stopping him from walking away.

"Why should I let you leave?" Klaus asked.

"Because you know I'll come back" Stefan replied.

"Do I?" Klaus challenged.

"You saved my brother's life" Stefan reminded, "I'm in your service, and leaving Lily alone with you, is not something I'll ever do".

"Oh, it all sounds so tedious and indentured" Klaus complained, "Aren't you even having the least bit of fun?".

"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore" Stefan simply said, walking out the bar.

"If you can trust anyone to keep his work, then that's Stefan, you know that Klaus" Lily said, "He'll come back".

"So much faith on a person" Klaus said, "Why?".

Lily shrugged, "He's never given me a reason not to have faith in him".

"But I have, haven't I?" Klaus realised.

Lily looked at Klaus, "Yeah, you have given me many reason to not have faith in you" she whispered.

***

After much torture from both Klaus and Lily, Ray finally fessed up the location of his pack.

"Okay, it's a three-step process, Ray" Klaus informed, walking over to a bloody Ray who was laying on top of the pool table, "This is step one, I want you to drink from my wrist".

"I already told you where to find the pack, what more do you want from me?" a confused Ray asked.

"He wants to make you like him, Ray" Lily informed, downing another shot of tequila.

"Exactly" Klaus confirmed, "I have great plans for you", Klaus cut his wrist and forced his blood down Ray's throat, "He'll thank me for it later".

"Doubt that" Lily commented.

"There we go, attaboy" Klaus said, just as a devastated Stefan entered the bar again.

"What are you gonna do now?" a terrified Ray asked.

"It's time for step two, Ray" Klaus replied, snapping Ray's neck, officially killing him, he then turned to Stefan, "You're back".

"Did you doubt me?" Stefan asked, walking over to Klaus while Lily looked at him in concerned, though he was masking it now, Lily had seen the devastated expression on Stefan's face when he entered the bar, making her wonder what extent did he go to stop Damon from following them.

"Not for a second" Klaus replied, "I knew you'd pass the test, you still care for your brother, for your old life".

"No, I don't care about anything anymore" Stefan stated.

"You put on a good show, Stefan" Klaus said, "I almost believe you, let's hope, for your brother's sake, he does, you never stop caring about family, do you? But every time you feed, the blood makes it easier to let go".

Stefan didn't say anything, he simply stood up and rushed out the bar.

"Stefan!" a worried Lily called out, rushing after the younger Salvatore, while Klaus looked on, wondering if Lily was ever going to be that worried for him as well.

***

"Stefan, wait up!" Lily yelled, running after the devasted Salvatore.

Stefan stopped walking and looked at Lily with teary eyes, "I killed Andie" he whispered.

Lily sighed, she knew nothing she said will help Stefan's state, so she said nothing, instead she walked closer to him and hugged him.

"It's going to be okay" Lily whispered, "Maybe not now, but soon everything will be okay, I promise".

Stefan didn't say anything to Lily, he simply hugged her back and hid his face in her neck and silently cried, the guilt of killing Andie was killing but he was glad he was not alone, he wouldn't have survived if he had to go through all this alone, but he wasn't alone, he had his best friend right by his side.

***

Presenting 2x01 of Fire & Flame!

How was the chapter?

Thoughts on Lily still being angry at Klaus?

Thoughts on Klaus trying to prove to Lily that he knows her?

Thoughts on Lily comforting Stefan?