Klaus week fic; Leverage
Title: Leverage
Characters/Pairings; Klaus, Isobel, Katherine, mentions of Klaus/Stefan.
Word Count; 790
Warnings; Mentions of violence
Katherine watches from a shadowed corner of the speakeasy as Klaus compels Stefan to forget that he ever knew the originals, her interest is piqued as she listens to the genuine regret and gratitude in Klaus’ voice, takes in his words. Klaus considers Stefan a brother. She grins, this is an important slip of information and she intends to use it. Not now though, no she will wait for when the time is right.
***
2010
“The guards have reported someone sneaking around on the edge of the grounds,” Maddox informs him.
Klaus frowns in displeasure; he takes pride in how reclusive his estate is and someone stumbling upon the place doesn’t bode well.
“Find the person and bring them to me,” he orders, grin back in place at the thought of having some fun torturing information out of the loiterer.
***
Late that evening there’s a knock on his door, accompanied by the words, “the intruder sir.”
“Come in,” he replies and the door opens.
Klaus calmly strides up to the dark haired woman who is thrown into his room; a baby vampire, intriguing. He takes her chin in his hand and, holding her still in his firm grip, asks in a lilting voice:
“Who are you?”
“Isobel Flemming,” she says, her words slipping out in monotone.
Klaus is slightly disgusted that someone without the forethought to take Vervain had managed to find him.
“Why are you here?” he inquires, sedately tightening his grip.
“I’m a researcher, I wanted to find you, I wanted to meet you, I’m also here on behalf of my friend,” she answers.
It was clear to Klaus that the vampire was referring to her ‘friend’ as a very deliberate attempt to avoid the compulsion, “who is your friend?”
“Katherine.”
Klaus was uncertain whether he wished to bark with laughter or throw something. On one hand, he was amused that he managed to still plague Katerina all these centuries later, less amusing was the way she still managed to plague him. He knew he must play carefully, the doppelganger being the tricky vixen she was.
“And what does Katherine want?”
“She wants me to strike a bargain with you for the new doppelganger.”
Klaus smiles, so this is the reason the woman isn’t on Vervain; all part of making the ruse convincing, “Love, I don’t know what lies Katerina has told you, but there is no new doppelganger. She should know by now I don’t fall for such deceptions.”
“She didn’t have to tell me anything, the doppelganger is my daughter.”
Well, that makes very little sense. Klaus looks at the woman curiously; it couldn’t be true, could it? He hasn’t thought of breaking the curse in an age; long ago accepted it would not be possible, doesn’t know how he feels; trying to cease the irrational hope.
“And why would you come here to sell out your daughter?”
“For Katherine,” Isobel states, and he begins to doubt that she’s compelled at all.
“What game are you playing?” He demands, ripping into her chest as a cautionary measure.
There’s no Vervein in her blood but that doesn’t halt his violence, he still needs to be sure she isn’t wearing any. He watches her writhe angrily as his hands tear into her stomach, peeling flesh away, but her eyes remain in their half-dazed state. The tone of baby vampire’s next repeated words confirms that she’s genuinely under his compulsion.
“I’ve come to strike a deal with you for the new doppelganger.”
“Where is this new doppelganger you speak of?”
“Mystic Falls, Virginia,” the reply comes, scowled out reluctantly.
“In which case I have little need for Katerina,” he lilts darkly.
“She wanted me to give you a letter,” Isobel replies, shaking fingers bringing out a crisp envelope, quickly crumpled within her grip.
***
He sits alone, staring at the letter again without seeing the words, hot rage flowing through him. The fury covers well the tendrils of fear running through him after reading the climax of the letter.
I have your precious Stefan Salvatore trapped in a tomb, if you don’t play nice I won’t hesitate to rip his heart out.
It’s the only part that matters, any joy at finding the doppelganger long gone. He doesn’t think long on making a deal with Katherine for the human doppelganger. Breaking the curse wasn’t something he cared much for anymore, he had moved on. But he couldn’t let Stefan die, even if Katerina was unlikely to go through with her threat, idly hanging around the doppelganger was a dangerous business and he would have to put a stop to it. Not to mention make clear to everyone how little Stefan mattered to him, lest he put Stefan in danger.
Characters/Pairings; Klaus, Isobel, Katherine, mentions of Klaus/Stefan.
Word Count; 790
Warnings; Mentions of violence
Katherine watches from a shadowed corner of the speakeasy as Klaus compels Stefan to forget that he ever knew the originals, her interest is piqued as she listens to the genuine regret and gratitude in Klaus’ voice, takes in his words. Klaus considers Stefan a brother. She grins, this is an important slip of information and she intends to use it. Not now though, no she will wait for when the time is right.
***
2010
“The guards have reported someone sneaking around on the edge of the grounds,” Maddox informs him.
Klaus frowns in displeasure; he takes pride in how reclusive his estate is and someone stumbling upon the place doesn’t bode well.
“Find the person and bring them to me,” he orders, grin back in place at the thought of having some fun torturing information out of the loiterer.
***
Late that evening there’s a knock on his door, accompanied by the words, “the intruder sir.”
“Come in,” he replies and the door opens.
Klaus calmly strides up to the dark haired woman who is thrown into his room; a baby vampire, intriguing. He takes her chin in his hand and, holding her still in his firm grip, asks in a lilting voice:
“Who are you?”
“Isobel Flemming,” she says, her words slipping out in monotone.
Klaus is slightly disgusted that someone without the forethought to take Vervain had managed to find him.
“Why are you here?” he inquires, sedately tightening his grip.
“I’m a researcher, I wanted to find you, I wanted to meet you, I’m also here on behalf of my friend,” she answers.
It was clear to Klaus that the vampire was referring to her ‘friend’ as a very deliberate attempt to avoid the compulsion, “who is your friend?”
“Katherine.”
Klaus was uncertain whether he wished to bark with laughter or throw something. On one hand, he was amused that he managed to still plague Katerina all these centuries later, less amusing was the way she still managed to plague him. He knew he must play carefully, the doppelganger being the tricky vixen she was.
“And what does Katherine want?”
“She wants me to strike a bargain with you for the new doppelganger.”
Klaus smiles, so this is the reason the woman isn’t on Vervain; all part of making the ruse convincing, “Love, I don’t know what lies Katerina has told you, but there is no new doppelganger. She should know by now I don’t fall for such deceptions.”
“She didn’t have to tell me anything, the doppelganger is my daughter.”
Well, that makes very little sense. Klaus looks at the woman curiously; it couldn’t be true, could it? He hasn’t thought of breaking the curse in an age; long ago accepted it would not be possible, doesn’t know how he feels; trying to cease the irrational hope.
“And why would you come here to sell out your daughter?”
“For Katherine,” Isobel states, and he begins to doubt that she’s compelled at all.
“What game are you playing?” He demands, ripping into her chest as a cautionary measure.
There’s no Vervein in her blood but that doesn’t halt his violence, he still needs to be sure she isn’t wearing any. He watches her writhe angrily as his hands tear into her stomach, peeling flesh away, but her eyes remain in their half-dazed state. The tone of baby vampire’s next repeated words confirms that she’s genuinely under his compulsion.
“I’ve come to strike a deal with you for the new doppelganger.”
“Where is this new doppelganger you speak of?”
“Mystic Falls, Virginia,” the reply comes, scowled out reluctantly.
“In which case I have little need for Katerina,” he lilts darkly.
“She wanted me to give you a letter,” Isobel replies, shaking fingers bringing out a crisp envelope, quickly crumpled within her grip.
***
He sits alone, staring at the letter again without seeing the words, hot rage flowing through him. The fury covers well the tendrils of fear running through him after reading the climax of the letter.
I have your precious Stefan Salvatore trapped in a tomb, if you don’t play nice I won’t hesitate to rip his heart out.
It’s the only part that matters, any joy at finding the doppelganger long gone. He doesn’t think long on making a deal with Katherine for the human doppelganger. Breaking the curse wasn’t something he cared much for anymore, he had moved on. But he couldn’t let Stefan die, even if Katerina was unlikely to go through with her threat, idly hanging around the doppelganger was a dangerous business and he would have to put a stop to it. Not to mention make clear to everyone how little Stefan mattered to him, lest he put Stefan in danger.