[ HER PREVIOUS FIT ABOVE! ]

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CHAPTER 11. ❝SAVING PEOPLE
I SHOULDN'T!❞

[3.09| PART TWO]

    KLAUS COULD'VE SWORN SHE WANDERED UP THIS WAY SECONDS AGO.

After quickly chatting with Stefan about the fact that this entire party was a wake for his (supposed) dead father, he ventured around the mansion, looking for the mystery girl once more. The one that captured his attention in the crowds. The one he was anxious to see again.

It was odd for him; being this interested in a woman he saw from afar. But something deep within himself had to know who she was. A pull—more so an attraction cast on his being, impatient to catch sight of her again.

His imminent search leads him inside the mansion, where he saw a glimpse of her figure walk upstairs. He shuffles through the crowd eagerly as he stepped up those same stairs.

Using his heightened senses, Klaus detects what he assumed was her scent. It was sweet, yet held this addictive element that made his eyes close, almost to savor it.

He halts in the middle of the hallway to hear her steps, standing there for a second, but it was as if she was barely inaudible.

Suddenly, from the corner of his vision, Klaus notices a figure that resembled her, wandering into a room to the far left of him. He used his speed to enter, but the room seemed to be clear, empty even, like no one had even touched a single thing inside.

Klaus turned to his left, noticing another door, but suddenly, the door behind him closes shut. But as he spun around, the Mikaelson was quickly stopped as someone seizes hold of his neck and pushed him into a wall.

He yelps in surprise. However, when confronted by the person of this doing, Klaus couldn't help but grin at the sight of them.

"Hello, there," Lorelei greeted, lowly.

His grin expands at her intimidating figure. "Why hello to you too, love," he greets back, his eyes drifting down to find that she had a pocket knife to his heart. The hybrid can't help himself a chuckle because of it. "I really hope you don't think that souvenir of yours will kill me, darling."

She fabricates a smile at him. "I wasn't, but it was a great addition to my plan, don't you think? I was gonna go for your neck initially, but why not make the situation more...tense?"

Such words leaving her lips sent his grin and heart to swell. Crazy attracts crazy, right?

"But all jokes and small talk aside...what are you even doing here in trying to find me?" she booted with suspicion.

His brow quirks up. "There could've been many other reasons for my presence up here. Why assume I came here for you?" Klaus countered with a question.

Lorelei lets her gaze stiffen at his challenging one. "You know, for what I expected of the great and almighty Klaus Mikaelson, I don't think lying looks that good on you."

"Others would disagree," he muttered, offended, before bringing up the question he'd been meaning to ask, "Besides love, how is it that you know my name, yet I don't of yours?"

For seconds in time, she keeps him with silence, which to Klaus, wasn't usually this agonizing, all until now.

"It's Lorelei," she reveals, drawing the knife away from Klaus and swiftly placing it back into her pocket. "Lorelei Lorenzo."

And even with her hand around his neck, Klaus' face lightens up, finding this out. "Ah..." he trails off, a smitten smile appearing on his lips, "The lovely Lorelei I've heard much about. I've been meaning to meet you in person, dearest Lorelei, to see what little thing my dear sister has as a friend."

There were various ways Lorelei could've replied to this. But the way she did was one that Klaus certainly didn't quite anticipate. "Are you seriously calling me little when I'm only a few inches shorter than you?" she questioned, practically glaring at him for his tone.

Leave it to Lorelei Lorenzo to defend your best-friend's honor, even from someone like a powerful, greedy Original hybrid.

She pursued more into their prevailing conversation, "And for the record, your sister is an amazing friend, so don't push it."

"Wasn't going to, darling," he smirked.

Lorelei scoffs as her chocolate eyes shut, not wanting to endure looking at him much longer. Eventually, she tears her hand away from his neck, letting Klaus breathing freely, for the first time in what felt like ages.

He then drew a step towards the Lorenzo, bringing himself to hover over her figure.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lorelei asked of him upfront, having grown a bit miffed.

She awaits his response, expecting nothing but a snarl or a remark, but now it was his turn to leave her with a moment with his eery, and agonizing silence.

Every millisecond passed like the wind, as Lory and Klaus's eyes blazed into one another's and kindled a fire. Clearly, there was this attraction, this tug to one another that neither could assimilate. And for that moment of pure silence wrapped around them, they couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were feeling in staring into the fire of each other's gaze.

"You really are quite something, aren't you?" he spoke in a haunting whisper, his hand trailing up the sides of Lorelei's left shoulder, to her face, caressing her serene and refined cheek.

She held her gaze at him, but the air in Lory's lungs seized, almost losing her breath at his touch.

Klaus's eyes shot down at the ground. "Such a feisty spirit living in you...I like that," he adds, glancing up at her, his hand falling to his side.

She chuckles out a meager breath. "You certainly aren't the first man...or woman out there who's said similar things like that." Klaus's brows pulsed up impressively. "So, sorry if you thought that was smart and original of you to say truly."

He smirks again. "Well, I must imagine so, seeing your exquisite beauty," Klaus said, leaving Lory's head to drift down, trying not to show the fact that he of all people, was leaving her to become a visible mess. But he knew. "And I must say, evermore lovely when you're flustered, love."

Her eyes sealed away as more tension and feelings surged through her face. Truly, no matter how much Lorelei Lorenzo was trying to stop from letting more of these unwanted feelings affect her, she couldn't help it.

"You must also know that I'm too intelligent to even be seduced by you of all people, Klaus Mikaelson," she sneered, not wanting to let him get to her head. Because if anything, that was the last thing she'd ever do. "So, in the meantime, why don't you go find someone else to sweet talk to, would you?" she adds, cocking a brow with a playful grin adding to her features.

And with that, she's striding away from the sight, leaving the Original Hybrid tongue-tied in the words she said, and most notably, the mark she left him.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

     ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES PASSED since her interaction with Klaus, which Lorelei was still loomingly thinking about as she was wandering around the big mansion.

Pondering about it felt so peculiar in Lory's trail of thoughts. Part of it was still surprising too. Meeting him; the big-bad wolf of the supernatural world, let alone find him wanting to seek her like she was some prize. All of it drove her head crazy, even while she was on the phone with her mom.

"Can you believe it, mother? I just met the Klaus freakin Mikaelson. Like, face to face, up close and personal, and all that weird crap," Lorelei speedily rambled through the line.

"Yes, I can believe it, and honestly, I don't think you needed to emphasize the face-to-face and up close and personal too," Aaralyn annoyingly affirmed in her reply.

Lory lets out a small sigh as she cruised around more, back into the crowd in the backyard. "I know, but—it was kinda surreal."

From the other side of the line, Aara already raised a brow. "How?"

She stops her steps then to think. "I don't know..." Lory trails off, trying to wade through her feelings and pinpoint her emotions, "I don't know why, but he kind of went after me, like—he wanted to find me again."

Hearing those kinds of words, Aara mentally face palmed. "Lorelei Inej Lorenzo, I swear to god, if you're insinuating to me that you've somehow already gotten the Original Hybrid on a whip, then-"

"Ew! Mom, no that not what I'm saying!" the daughter spat out. "Because even if that were the case, he'd be a lost cause. Because truth be told, mother, I will never—like Klaus Mikaelson back." She adds while taking in a breath, "He already showed me he's the egotistical, but charming asshole I've always known him for. I doubt he'll be able to get under my skin."

Aaralyn shook her head. "Whatever you say."

Lory rolled her eyes, knowing her mother was sarcastic with her reply. "Anyway, I guess I'm still worried about Rebekah too now that I'm thinking back to it."

The mother frowned. "She still hasn't come or answered your texts or calls yet?"

"No!" Lorelei groaned out, her mood abruptly shifting with the topic, "And now I'm fairly that something did happen to her, mom. I can feel it!"

From the line, she hears her mother sigh. "Look, I know you don't want to hear it from me, and you're probably going to keep saying otherwise, but I think maybe she did abandoned you, Lorelei...I'm sorry but you know it's a possibility."

Lory clenched her teeth at the thought of it. However, she couldn't deny that her mother was right. It was a possibility that was becoming more right by the second, and god did she hate it.

"Maybe," Lorelei sighed, hesitant with her breath, like she didn't want to admit defeat. "Well, I guess curse me for having faith in an Original vampire, huh?"

Meanwhile, nearby, Klaus and his first hybrid protégé, Tyler, were strolling around the backyard too, close by the stage area.

"My mom would seriously freak if she saw all these people here," Tyler commented.

"Your mother won't be a problem. I compelled her to go to church and pray for your friends," Klaus assured, giving his shoulder a fond pat.

Tyler spits out a perplexed chuckle. "What are you talking about?"

The Original hybrid steps in front of him as he requested, "I want you to look around."

The younger boy mindlessly obliges and lets his gaze trail around his surroundings.

"There is Bonnie," Klaus says, his gaze pierced at the witch, "There is Elena and Matt," swaying to the two, then the blonde vampire "Your pretty little girlfriend Caroline." Then, like a magnet, his sights flicks to Lorelei, who was on the phone still, "And your new stunning friend, Lorelei...Their big dance was wrecked tonight and who came through with the party? You did." Tyler turned back to his alpha. "What a pal. But who are all these other people here?"

Tyler takes a moment to evaluate. "I have no idea. I've never seen half these people in my life."

"That's because I've invited a few dozen friends of my own." Klaus spun around and glanced behind him. "That's my friend Mindy...picked her up along the way in Kansas. Did you know that there's an entire bloodline of werewolves in the heartland?" His eyes flash to his left, "That's Tony from North Dakota and let's not forget the Seattle contingent-"

"Hold on-" Tyler cuts him off, a sudden realization striking him from Klaus' rambling, "Are those people all hybrids?"

"And they also love a good party. And they, like you, were sired by me. They wish to serve their master. So if anyone should so much as make a move against me, they may feel obligated to retaliate." Klaus sends him a viscous kind of smile as he pats Tyler's shoulder again. "You're free to warn your friends," he insisted, before walking away from him then.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

HAVING ENOUGH OF the party, Lorelei found herself walking to her car, having just finished giving Rebekah one last exhausted—rage-filled voicemail.

She aggressively ends the call then and opened the door to her car and sat in the driver's seat. She lets herself sit in silence for a while, taking in everything that happened from tonight.

Rebekah freakin Mikaelson had just abandoned her, at the party they were so excited to go to. And as well, she meet the Original Hybrid, that made her feel things; weird things for the matter.

But she couldn't ever like him. He was utter madness in a person, even if arguably, Lorelei herself was just as chaotic as him. She couldn't think—or even see herself liking him at all.

Well, at least for now.

Back at the Lockwood mansion, Klaus was playing Beer Pong, grabbing one ball into his grasp. He's about to throw it, before suddenly Mindy walks to his side. "You have a visitor," she reveals smoothly.

"Well, tell my visitor I'm on the brink of victory here," he replied, still gaily riding on pride.

But truth be told, that pride would seize from his grasp as she includes, "He said his name is Mikael."

Already, Klaus' teeth clutched together, his expression slightly faltering. Only that name, in the vast amount of life he's lived, was one that could drain him of any kind of mood. Especially this one.

He emotionlessly throws the ball into a cup before advising, "Then we mustn't keep him waiting. Move everyone out back. I'm gonna have a little chat with my dad." His gaze veers to the man to his left as he walks past him. "Tony, you know what to do."

He makes his way to the front door, finding his father standing there, very much alive and breathing, to his demise and surprise.

"Hello, Niklaus," Mikael greeted casually.

Klaus tries his best to keep a coldhearted stare at him. "Hello, Mikael. Why don't you come in?...Oh, that's right. I forgot you can't."

Unamused, Mikael urges instead, "Or you can come outside if you want."

"Or I could watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb."

From behind the father, Klaus' hybrids gather together, ready to do whatever they needed to do. Even if it was to die trying.

Of course, Mikael can't help but chortle, knowing, "They can't kill me."

"True. But it'll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce," Klaus replied, drawing his hand up, and his fingers close to snapping.

Still, Mikael wasn't scared, nor daunted by his threats. "The big bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You only forget. They may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me."

In worsening Klaus' plan, Mindy abruptly walks up behind Mikael and pushes Elena to Mikael, revealing he had her in his grasp.

While back to Lorelei's car, after letting her sulk for a minute, she exhales and tries to start her car, but it doesn't start like it always does. Her brows furrowed, and her face twists. "What the-" she hissed, already baffled by this inconvenience.

But, in the midst of the silence she was surrounded by, Lorelei starts to hear it again.

The voices. The whispers.

It starts off just like it did in her dreams. In vague, almost eerie whispers she can barely manage out the words to. Then it escalates into feeling like it was caving in on her, crawling close to her figure.

"This is not real, this is not real, stop it," Lorelei repeats in a growing dread, shaking her head. This could not be happening, especially now.

But the voices prevailed and continued haunting her, and soon, it's crystal clear on what they were saying—or advising to her.

"Save him. Save him. Save the hybrid."

Lory clenched her eyes closed, her hands flashing to her head, horrified by this until she breaks. "I said stop!" she screams, louder than she intended to. She watches as, with her words, her car started to shake, all until the ringing of her words stopped.

Her jaw quivers after, but she's quick to only notice that the whispers had stopped. However, now came another feeling. Something inside of her, telling her to go back to the mansion. Something inside her, wanting to listen to those voices, even if part of her thought she was merely crazy.

Little did she know; her eyes—were glowing purple again, just like the night at the bridge.

"Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies," Mikael instructed, increasing the grip he had on the doppelganger.

Still, Klaus wasn't breaking. "Go ahead. Kill her," he suggested.

"No, Klaus. He'll do it," Elena pleaded mercifully.

Mikael noted, "If she dies, this lot will be last of your abominations."

But he wasn't going to get into Klaus' head just yet. "I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you," Klaus argued, half truthful of his words.

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one."

By now, the hybrid had grown frustrated tears of his own, seeking to keep his composure. "I'm calling your bluff, father. Kill her."

"Come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't have to."

"My whole life, you've underestimated me. If you kill her, you lose your leverage. So go ahead. Go on. Kill her. Come on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!"

Mikael can't help but laugh, staring back at his abomination of a son. In his eyes, he still was the same person he's always thought of him as. "Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great," he states, before he finally stabs Elena.

Immediately, she slips to the floor, sending Mikael into a laughing fit, and shock to plaster all around Klaus' face. But before the hybrid could take in what had just happened, Damon abruptly speeds up behind him, twisting Klaus around, stabbing the White Oak stake into his stomach.

While on the other side of the door, Elena stands up from the floor, causing Mikael to realize then, "Katherine..."

She turns around, snatching wolfsbane bombs from her pockets and clicks the detonator. "Kaboom," she smirks before throwing it out to the herd of hybrids in-front of her.

Back inside, Danon is ready to stake Klaus again, this time in the heart. But in foiling his plans, he's suddenly yanked from behind, and before he could react, he's stabbed in the stomach by something sliver.

A low groan escapes his lips as he glanced up to see who it was; Lorelei Lorenzo herself.

She sends him a phony grin before admitting, "I've been wanting to do this since I met you, Salvatore." And with that, Lorelei pulls the knife out of him, leaving Damon to collapse to his knees. "No hard feelings."

But before she could give a taste of her punch, Damon uses the last of his strength to grab her fist, stopping her. And in using his speed, he gets up and grabs her body and flies it behind him, letting her back hit the wall first before falling to the ground, landing on her face.

Klaus weakly tries to go for the stake once more, but Damon steps on his hand before he could do so, driving a pained yelp to leave his lips. The Salvatore grabs the stake with a hard grip again, about to go in for the kill before his plans are spoiled another time. Only now, by his own brother, who aggressively flies towards him, knocking him down.

The stake drops out of his grip, and already it's sliding its way towards Lorelei.

As on the other hand, Damon becomes vehement being stuck under his younger brothers hold. "What are you doing?!" he mumbled in anger.

Limply, Lorelei gets up from Damon's damaged to her, and notices the stake rolling to her. She hastily grabs it, before looking at Klaus, who was still on the floor. Her breathing flounders, and before she could even think or process what she was about to do, she yells, "Klaus!"

His sights darts to hers, seeing the dagger in her hand. He finds himself petrified, watching her hold such a weapon in her fragile human hands.

But she doesn't try to bring his end. Instead Lorelei nods at him before throwing it his way, which he instantly snatches mid air.

And finally, with the stake in hand, he jumps at Mikael and drives it through his heart; watching him start burst into flames and die. The sight he honestly never thought he'd had the pleasure to watch in-front of him, after all these years later.

Lorelei, still limping, comes to by the doorway, observing this, her gaze piercing into the sight of the flames of Mikael's body. She did it. She listened to the voices, even whilst questioning herself with every second she spent coming to this moment on why she did. Questioning her reasonings, and why it felt like she needed to it.

And truth be told, Lorelei still didn't know either, but what was done—was done, and there was no turning back on her actions now. Even if it meant her whole world was going to be more upside down than it was before.

But as Klaus turned to go back to the mansion, thinking he'd see her, Lorelei Lorenzo was gone like the wind, leaving him evermore conflicted by her doings.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

THE DEAD OF NIGHT arrived sooner than later. And by then, Lorelei had driven herself home and was now laying in bed, struggling to take her mind off the madness today had given to her.

It seemed like her hopes and dreams of a normal day in Mystic Falls were all ruined now, but Lory knew she was merely foolish for hoping such an impossible thing.

Because by now, Lorelei learned her lesson. Mystic Falls was anything but normal. There was no way in hell normality would ever come from a place filled with supernaturals after all. One would be stupid to think so—and Lory knew she was one of them.

"Lory," Aara spoke as she opened the door to her daughter's room. Lorelei peered at her mother's gaze. "Feeling even the slightest bit better?" she asks, still concerned.

Obviously, the mother was also devastated to hear what occurred at the homecoming party, infuriated at Damon Salvatore of all people, for throwing her daughter across a room in the Lockwood mansion, leaving Lorelei bruised. It made her so sick inside.

Lory turns her looming eyes away, trying to fix her gaze before meeting her mothers again. "I-uhm-" she starts off, "I don't really know what to say besides that—now I don't have any friends here," she shrugged, "Since the only one I had is nowhere to be found."

Such words leaves Aara to frown, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame of Lory's room. "I'm so sorry, honey," was all the mother could say, sorrow-filled with her tone.

She shook her head. "You shouldn't be sorry for something that you weren't even in control of, mom," Lorelei assured. "I'm the one that should apologize to the others for pushing Damon away from Klaus before he could kill him."

She knew that the so-called "Mystic Falls Gang" would most likely never trust her again. But it wasn't the fact that Lory strained their trust that made her conflicted. It was more her not understanding her own logic in throwing the stake over to Klaus for him to kill Mikael.

Aara goes over towards Lory's bed whilst she was in her thoughts, accompanying her side. "Well, for one, I never trusted them in the first place," she admits.

Lorelei manages out a laugh, as her eyes flickered. "I didn't really either, but—now I'm all alone—again."

Aara pursed her lips. "That's not true," she replied. "Because you know, no matter what you do in life, I'm always staying by your side, Lorelei Lorenzo...always." She kisses her head. "Because I love you."

Weakly, Lory found an emotional smile on her features then. "And I love you too, mom."

Aaralyn brings her girl into a side hug then, wrapping her arms around her daughter, pulling her close. It drives Lorelei to soften under her touch, and her eyes to close.

It didn't take long before the waterworks came once again, forming and blurring her vision. And when she blinks, those tears cascade down bitterly, leaving a small trail on her cheeks.

But abruptly, to contaminate the mood and vibe they once had, they hear this sudden loud knock on the front door downstairs.

Lorelei was too numb to even question who it was, while Aaralyn was confused on who would be at the door so late at night.

"You'll be alright?" the mother sought over to Lory, waiting for her response.

The younger Lorenzo nodded while in her mother's grasp. "Yeah, go and see who it is, mom," she whispered.

Aara removed her arms away from her fragile daughter and got up from the bed to walk downstairs, whilst Lory was left with her doomed thoughts again.

As she opens the door open, she finds that it's a random man there. Aara questions him on the spot, "What is it that you have come to my front doorstep, stranger?" letting one hand fall to her right hip, and the other on the doorknob.

He draws a step towards her. "Well, a little birdy told me that this was the Lorenzo's residence. Would you be so kind to tell me they were right?" the man inquired.

Already, her eyes narrowed at him. "Who wants to know?"

"I, of course," he replied, drawing a hand to his chest. "But judging by your responses, I'm to assume I'm right where I want to be."

She challenges him slightly, "It wouldn't matter anyway...I wouldn't be stupid enough to let a stranger into my house."

He smiles at her choice of words and tone. "You'd be surprised at how many people lack that sort of common sense," he replied.

To stray him from joking any longer, Aaralyn scowls, "Well thank god I learned well from my parents. Now tell me who the hell you are."

His smile widens, only a tiny bit. "I'm Klaus, Klaus Mikaelson," he reveals in a breath.

Of course, Klaus expected more fright from her, but he didn't. She only tilted her head at his words. "Huh—how lovely, seeing the Original Hybrid himself is showing up on my doorstep."

Obviously, Klaus is amused by this."It seems my reputation perceives me."

"It does more than perceives, actually. Now state what's your business here, wolf."

He sighs and wrapped his hands around his back, explaining, "Well, as you may know, your daughter; Lorelei, saved me from getting killed by Damon Salvatore. Whom which, from what I remember, was the one that threw her across the room to stop him from killing me."

Her stare grows stone cold at him. "Thanks for the reminder I didn't need," she spat out, "So how about you skip to the reason why I shouldn't slam this door of mine closed, would you?"

An amused hum leaves his lips. "So feisty...just like your daughter," Klaus observed, driving her stare to worsen at him. "But if you must question my reason for being here, then here is my explanation; I just want to know and see if Lorelei is okay, fine, for the matter."

Saying that Aaralyn Lorenzo was surprised by Klaus's motives than in there, would be a total understatement. Heck, Aara was internally confused, yet her face showed to be the opposite.

"You, the Original Hybrid himself, the big bad wolf, self-proclaimed devil, want to come inside my house and check up on my human daughter?" she recapped.

"Unexpected for me, isn't it?" Klaus replied. "But certainly, I don't have precious time to waste so, would you be so kind to let me in?"

She shoots him a look. "You really think that you can just ask your way into my house?"

"Was I not being polite enough?"

"Oh—hardly," Aara retorted, forming a pompous smile on her lips. But the longer she takes to stare at him, the more she realizes something. "But huh—you really want me to invite you into my house, don't you?" He nods, a little sheepishly in reply. "Well then, promise me the same thing that your sister, Rebekah, promised."

His brows furrowed at her gaze. "And what exactly would that be?"

She crosses her arms. "That you'll always protect my daughter, no matter what happens in hers or your lives."

Klaus pursed his lips at her request. "That's one big promise you're making me oblige by if I do say so myself. I hardly know your daughter, let alone, have spent enough time to ponder it."

"And yet you've been standing outside my house for the past four minutes in trying to convince me to let you see her," Aara remarked back.

That response alone made the almighty Klaus stay silent for once in his life, tongue-tied, knowing she wasn't exactly wrong for that logic.

Aaralyn broke the beaming silence between them once more. "Look, wolf—this town has already caused my daughter more scars than I anticipated. So if you truly have any sort of good intentions with her, then you have to prove it highly with me." She adds, "Because although you've might've just met my daughter today, you already have a hell of a lot to thank and repay of her."

In all aspects of her words, Klaus knew she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. At least out loud. Because for once in his life, Klaus suddenly felt this need to protect Lorelei, to get to know her, to figure out what the hell it was about her that caught his attention. And as of right now, he felt like he couldn't sleep without knowing, even seeing for himself that Lory was alright. It almost frightened him.

He glanced up at Aara, before finally saying, "I promise to protect your daughter...no matter what. From whatever dangers come her way."

Hearing such a statement from the big-bad hybrid himself, and in sensing he wasn't doing it just for an invitation in, she grins. Aara moved herself by the door, leading an opening inside of the house. "You may finally come in, Klaus Mikaelson."

He snorts out a laugh before he eventually walks inside.

Though, before Klaus could go down the hallway, Ary stops him mid-way, pushing him back. "Oh, but I must warn you...Try anything with my daughter, and I'll haunt your ass for eternity."

"Oh please dear, might as well get in line with all the other souls I've slaughtered," he joked.

From upstairs, Lorelei was still in bed, her inner thoughts making her too anxious to sleep and get tired. She hears a knock on the door again, prompting her to glance up at it. "Mom, it's already late. You don't need to come and check up on me again. I'm fine."

Though, as the door opens, she finds it wasn't her mother at the other side.

Rather instead, it was someone else.

"Klaus?" she says confusingly, watching him enter in. "Wha-why are you even here?"

He walks to her bed and sits next to her sat-up figure. "Of course you would instantly question my presence here," Klaus replied.

She pressed her brows together. "You act like I also can't also question who allowed you the authority to go into a girl's bedroom, but you don't see me yelling at you to leave—yet."

Klaus, in return, just grinned. "Well, if are just as much of a curious cat as your mother was to me, then you must know that the reason I came here was to see if you were alright."

More confusion rushes into Lory's system. "You really came all this way to see if little ole me was alright?...Well, I'm sure you have way more important things to do at this hour to come to check on a human girl anyways."

"I actually don't." Klaus admits immediately after. It leaves Lorelei's face to falter, and for her to gulp hard at the fast response she was given. "Besides, I had to thank you for your bravery today. Not that many people have the courage to go against vampires like you did. But it was almost as if you had no fear of them at all."

Lorelei's lips twist into a smirk. "Well, frankly, you're right—I am not afraid of them. Even if the whole world tells me I should be."

He ponders her statement for a moment. "You show a lot of pride, Lorelei," he admits, "Though, I'm afraid it might be the death of you one day."

She scoffs. "You're one to talk. Mr. Let me make myself one of the worst and feared creatures of the supernatural existence."

The hybrid's heart swells at her obnoxious response. Something he hadn't felt in a really long time, finding himself feeling regretful, but also aching for more.

They were left in silence for a beat before Lory spoke to break it. "I know what you're capable of, Klaus."

"And yet—you're not afraid of me."

Her eyes become fixed on his. "Do you want me to be afraid of you?"

Klaus shook his head. "No...I don't, Lorelei."

At the sound of her full first name again, Lory's eyes closed as she exhaled an annoyed breath. "Please...just call me Lory," she instructed, before clashing with his stare again.

He nods. "Lory, it is."

She finally lets herself smile. "All the people I consider my friends call me Lory, anyway."

His blank gaze changes into an interested one. "Is this your way of calling me your friend?"

Lory shrugged. "Well, at first glance you seem like a psychotic maniac who kills for fun-" she halts midway as her lips pursed together as one, while Klaus shook his head, "But judging by my choice of friends, you don't shy away from their qualities. Besides, everyone either hates me or wants me dead, so your kind of the only person here who's neither."

He smirks. "Well, I guess that's one thing you and I have in common."

"Shut up," she retorted in a scoff, while fixing her posture in bed.

Klaus sighs before saying, "Well, I think you should know that your mom made me promise to protect you just for an invitation in."

Lory shook her head. "Of course she did that to you," she says under her breath.

He noted, "It seems like she really cares about you."

"She does," Lorelei assured, knowingly, "And she's also quite bold enough to ask for two Original vampires to protect her only daughter, which I think is quite a power move if you're asking me."

"She seems like a bold person in itself," Klaus says, before peering back at Lory, "Like you."

The Lorenzo shrugged. "It's in my genes, apparently. Though people use the term 'bitch' for a much easier way to explain it."

Klaus nodded and easily grinned. "Seems like that's what you and my sister have in common. Even though I like to think she invented the term."

Lory snorts a laugh. "You're so mean. Has anyone told you that?"

"I've been told worse," he said.

She smiled. "True."

Klaus brought up then, "You know if you want me to, I can call your best friend tomorrow to see why she bailed on you. It seems unlike my sister to do such a thing, and for what's its worth, I'm sorry that she did." He adds, "I can see that you really care about her, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual for her too."

Of course, Lory was still disappointed at that fact itself, but assured, "It's fine...really. You don't need to but," she stops to give him a weak smile, "Thanks."

He throws a peaceful one her way. "Get some sleep too, Lory" he advised, before standing up from her bed, facing her again.

"You should get some too...even if though you almost just got killed today," she insisted before lying down.

The hybrid assured, "I think that's the least of my problems now, Lorelei." Even if it wasn't. But he didn't want her to waste her precious time worrying about him, at-least about anything of his mess of a world.

"Well—still," she argues, "I'll see you, whenever I'll see you, Klaus."

Another smile formed on his lips. "Goodnight, Lorelei." Sweet dreams, Klaus wanted to add, but dared not to.

He watches her eyes close, and for awhile, Klaus just stays still, gaining some peace in watching her fall asleep, which felt odd to him then, because he knew this wasn't like Klaus himself. Or at least, this wasn't like the man that everyone else around him feared.

But then again, he was reminded of his reason in being here; to see her, and make sure she was alright from the damages of earlier that night.

And here Klaus was, watching her drift off to sleep, wherever her mind went to, hoping he can do this job on her behalf. To protect Lorelei from whatever dangers the world may want to do in harming her.

And though Klaus Mikaelson was infamous for breaking promises, he wasn't going to let himself break this one. No matter what it takes to keep Lorelei Inej Lorenzo alive.

lani's talking!

comment here all ur excitement for klarelei bc AHHHH ME TOO

anyways, i know i said i was gonna make this chapter fucking PERFECT, but i know some of y'all were very eager for this two chapter update so I'm putting out only my best.

i can just literally edit it later if I wanted to, but I'm contempt with this chapter, especially bc i finally get to show y'all the beginning of their relationship.

but—warning, it gets messy real quick, bc it's a klaus mikaelson fic? did you think any love story involving him will be all sunshine and rainbows? bc NAH

anyways, like I always say, thank you all sm for the love and support you've given this story throughout the years, as well as being patient with me too, bc updating this book has been hard but every time i write, especially for this story, I'm reminded of how much i just Lorelei.

she's my girl fr !!!

but yeah, again, thank you all sm for reading and i will see you guys later!

byeeee <333