for Leila

FOURTEEN

Finally reaching the wolf campsite Klaus slowed.

The others began to stir, groaning and rolling on the ground.

With a smile Klaus walked amongst them watching them stand, Veronica stayed near the entrance of the campsite watching the wolves and Klaus nervously.

Oh Stefan do hurry back

-

"Stefan!" A bloodied Veronica called her brother over to where she and Klaus were, he sat with a scowl on his face and a beer in his hand.

Dropping Ray off his shoulder Stefan took his time standing back up.

"They went rabid" Klaus told Stefan, his voice was coarse as he fixed Ray with a serious gaze.

"Some of them we killed, the others just bled out" standing Klaus walked toward Stefan.

"In the end, they're all dead"

Angrily Klaus threw his beer bottle with a shout, there was something in that shout a pain behind it. Veronica watched Klaus' eyes the anger was nothing but a shield for the pain.

Shouting rent the air as Klaus turned to face Stefan, "I did everything I was told!"

"I should be able to turn them" he rambled like a mad man.

"I broke the curse; I killed a werewolf, I killed a vampire, I killed the doppelgänger"

In those few rambling moments Klaus pulled himself together, with a determined stare he looked directly at Stefan.

"You look like hell"

"Last I check I'm dying" Stefan told Klaus seriously.

"And don't wanna heal me" Klaus' eyes drifted over to Ray on the floor.

"I had to take him out, I didn't have a choice" looking back up at Stefan, Klaus watched him in silence.

"I failed you, I'm sorry" Stefan walked up to Klaus.

"Do what you have to do"

"It should've worked"

Klaus walked away from Stefan, grabbing a nearby empty beer bottle he turned to face Stefan again.

He bit into his hand, allowing his blood to gush into the beer bottle, and handed it over to Stefan once there was enough in it to heal him.

"Bottoms up"

Stefan took the bottle, "were leaving"

Klaus stopped to take one last look at the carnage around the trio.

"It appears you're the only comrades I have left"

With conflicted thoughts Klaus took Veronica's hand into his lager one and pulled her with him.

Tucking herself into his side, Klaus rubbed her back soothingly, grateful for her affection.

Taking his hand she planted a sweet kiss on his healing palm, looking down at her through glassy eyes he cracked a small smile for her.

-

"I was wrong"

"Are you drunk?" Elena asked the older dark-haired twin.

"No" he scoffed with scrunched up face.

"I thought Stefan was gone, I thought my sister was gone, but I was wrong"

"You saw them out there?" Elena dropped the towel she had been carrying.

"Damon, are they okay?"