♤ [2] An Everlasting Nightmare

ı 22 ı Monster Within

Once they leave it's just James and I. He sits on the stool while I begin washing dishes. He gets up and for a second I think he's going to help, but instead he turns the water off.

"Do you want to go to the Grill and get some real food?" he asks with a smile.

I let out a laugh and nod. "Sounds good."

∆  ∆  ∆

We get to the grill and take a booth, quickly scanning the menu before ordering. "Have you heard from any originals today?" I ask.

"Fortunately no. I think I've had enough drama to last me a lifetime," he jokes, referencing about last night's encounters.

I smile, but I can't help but think about what Esther said last night, about how James and Elijah wasted their lives hunting Klaus. "Hey," I say, placing a hand on his arm. "What Esther said isn't true. Hunting Klaus down all those years isn't pathetic, it's necessary, especially after what he did to you- to us, to all of us really. I think we all deserve a chance at killing the bastard," I admit.

He smiles and is about to say something when Elena appears. "May I sit?" she asks.

I'm about to deny, but James answers for me, knowing what I was about to say. "Sure," he says.

She smiles in appreciation before sitting beside him, across from me. "I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life," she says.

"You're welcome. Just for the record, I wasn't doing it for you. I was doing it for my brothers. It was originally their plan to turn Bonnie's mom, but I did it so you didn't have to hate one over the other. You already hate me, so it's a win-win," I explain with a shrug.

"I don't hate you, Blair," Elena sighs.

"I think we all know that's not true," I murmur.

"How's Alaric? We heard he is suspected of these murders," James asks, changing the topic.

"Still in prison. Sheriff Forbes won't let him go. He suffered a stab wound and a gunshot from his crazy doctor girlfriend, but they believe the stab wound was self inflicted," Elena explains.

"Well that makes absolutely no sense," I say.

"No kidding. Anyways, I'm gonna head down to the station to see what's going on. See you guys later," Elena says before getting up and leaving.

"Is there any particular reason you brought me to the Grill?" I ask once our food arrives.

"Figured you could use something more familiar and normal considering everything that's happened lately," James says.

"Amen to that," I say, taking a bite of my salad.

After we finish our meals, there's an empty silence and I find myself choking on it, unable to bare it any longer. "Is there something you want to talk to me about? Perhaps about last night? You've been acting strange- all of you," I finally say.

James sighs. "We just want to make sure you're okay."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" I ask.

"Maybe because you just killed an innocent person, and turned them into a vampire without choice," James remarks, making me raise a brow. "I'm sorry," he apologizes for his tone. "It's just I care about you Blair, and I've never seen you kill someone so... instinctually," he says.

"I didn't use to before Klaus," I mutter.

"Do you feel guilty? About killing?" he asks with genuine concern.