ELEVEN:
Thursday, November 22nd
8:25 PM
Jackson sighed, walking into the kitchen. I smiled in amusement, "She asleep?"
"Yeah, finally. She was a little fussy," he answered.
"Well, the dishes are just about done," I told him, washing the second to last plate. "You're a surprisingly good cook. Thank you for dinner. It was way better than drinking bourbon in Marcel's condo."
Jackson chuckled, "Thanks for showing up unannounced and uninvited."
"Hurtful," I gasped. Jackson rolled his eyes, grabbing the bottle of wine off the counter and refilling both of our glasses. I placed the plate into the drying rack while Jackson leaned against the counter beside me, sipping his wine.
"Thanks for cleaning up," he said.
"You cooked, it's only fair I clean," I shrugged. "Oh, and I put Hayley's plate in the microwave. Did she ever call you back?"
Jackson scoffed, "Nope."
I winced, awkward. She missed dinner. We waited an hour for her to show up, expecting her just to be late. But Hope was hungry, Jackson was hungry and I never finished more than a few bites at the Mikaelson's. I was starving. Jackson called her at least five times before saying we should eat without the momma. And we did.
Once I was done with the dishes, I cut the water off. I looked around, "do you have any paper towels?"
Jackson raised a brow. I went to question him but he stepped next to me and reached an arm around me. I looked over my shoulder, spotting the roll. Oh. They were right behind me.
"Thanks," I mumbled, glancing back at him. I gulped as I realized how close he was to reach them. His face was a few inches away from mine. I licked my lips, our dark eyes meeting.
"Yeah," he murmured, holding the paper towels up between us. I ripped off a couple sheets for myself, drying my hands. Jackson's lips quirked up a bit as he reached around me again to place the roll back. This time when he pulled his arm away, it was slow and he brushed his hand across my lower back. "Your dress is what, silk? Satin?" He smirked down at me.
I narrowed my eyes, trying not to smile, "it's something like that."
He chuckled lowly, taking a step closer to me. "It looks good on you."
"Whatever," I laughed, pushing him away. My face burning with a blush now. Calm down, Danielle. Don't make it weird.
"So, what, you need a ride home? I can take you once Hayley gets back so she can watch Hope."
"That'd be great," I said, following him to the living room where we plopped down on the couch. I frowned when I spotted a duffel bag in front of the entertainment center. "What's that? That wasn't there earlier."
Jackson scratched the back of his neck, "that's mine. I packed a bag of my stuff, after I got Hope to bed. Once Hayley is home, I'm going out to the bayou."
I frowned, "Jackson."
"What?" He sighed.
"You're not going to leave her."
He shrugged, "I just want to get out of here. Be with people who want to be around me." I didn't have words for that one. He had a fair point. Besides, it wasn't my business. "You know, I thought when we got married, she'd make a more serious commitment to me. She can't stay away from that place... away from Elijah."
I cringed, keeping my mouth shut. I gulped down a couple more sips of wine. Luckily, I didn't have to say anything cause the front door swung open. "Jack?" Hayley called, rushing into the room to find us on the couch. Shit. I needed to go. I slowly stood up, not wanting to signal anything was wrong. I didn't want to make anything more awkward. "Dani? Uh, hi."
Jackson sighed deeply, standing up. "She came by to see you, but you were gone. So she stayed for dinner," he told his wife.
"Jack, I am so sorry. I thought I would be back in time," she said before looking between the two of us. "Is Hope still up?"
"Hope's asleep. She cried a little bit before she finally went down," Jackson answered.
"Um, I should go," I mumbled. "I made you a plate, it's in the microwave ready to eat, just press start."
Hayley sighed, moving to give me a side hug briefly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Thanks for helping out around here."
"No problem," I shrugged, hurrying through the living room and leaving my half empty wine glass on the counter.
"Dani, wait. I'm giving you a ride, remember?" Jackson spoke up.
I cringed, looking over my shoulder at him. "I can wait outside or... by your car," I suggested.
Jackson reached into his pockets, throwing me his car keys. I caught them and then quickly grabbed my purse and heels I nearly forgot about. I then slipped out the apartment. I leaned against the wall outside, slipping on my heels before I walked anywhere else.
"The family needed my help," I could still hear Hayley through the door.
"I asked you for one thing today—just leave it be. Don't make it a fight. That's all I wanted," Jackson emphasized, his gruff voice raising in frustration.
"And I wanted to give that to you, but—"
"But nothing," he cut her off. I felt guilty for eavesdropping but it was an accident at first. Now? My shoes were on. I had no excuse besides my own nosiness for still standing here. "I should know this by now. No matter what Klaus does to you, to me, to the pack... Whenever the Mikaelsons come calling, you will always be there to answer."
"Where are you going?" She asked, louder.
Fuck! I hurried to the stairs, carefully running downstairs as quick as I could. I gave it up as I made it outside the apartment building. Mainly because I had no idea where he was parked? Somewhere on these crowded streets or in the parking garage?
"Aren't you cold?" Jackson asked as he walked outside to see me awkwardly standing there.
"No," I answered, looking him over. His duffel bag was on his shoulder. He was really heading to the bayou then. Part of me wanted to say I'll find another way home later and check in on how Hayley's doing.
Jackson tossed his arm loosely around my neck, "Let's go, amigo." I forced a smile. So much for staying behind. Jackson led the way to his pick up that was parked down the block from us. He walked around to my side to open my door. I slipped trying to climb in, my dress ripping in the front. Luckily, Jackson was there to catch me, holding onto my hips. "Oh!"
"Stupid dress," I groaned
"I gotcha," he said, giving me a lift.
Once I was in, I sat in my seat, turning to Jackson as I pulled on my seatbelt, "Thanks." He nodded, shutting the door and then opening the back door to toss in his bag. He then walked around the front of the truck before climbing in beside me. He buckled up and then started his truck. "I didn't know I was such a clutz," I joked.
Jackson looked at me, giving me a confused look, "Why are you being weird?"
"Because this is insanely awkward!" I blurted out.
Jackson gave me a hearty laugh, "No it's not. Look, I'm going out to the bayou to join the pack around a bonfire, have a beer, eat again and have a good time. I'm fine."
I pursed my lips, unsure, "I mean, that sounds fine. But drinking doesn't solve your problems."
"What am I supposed to do?" He asked, looking at me with a raised brow.
"I don't know," I sighed. "Who am I to talk?"
"Exactly," he replied. I shot him a dirty look. "I'm sorry. Hey, how about this? You come with me and have a few beers yourself. Let loose. Klaus has put you through hell. Don't you want to go out and have a little fun?"
That's all I've wanted for months! I bit my lip and nodded my head hesitantly, "I'm in."
***
Thursday, November 22nd
11:00 PM
I was grinning as the man I was dancing with, spun me around and let me go. "Whoa," a new voice came, an arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me into a hard chest.
"Hey there," I smiled at Jackson, my new dance partner, before taking a sip out of the beer can in my left hand.
"Hi, Miss Tipsy."
I giggled, wrapping my free hand around his neck. "I'm having fun. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yes," he smiled.
"Are you having any fun?"
"Well, I still have to drive you home so I'm sober."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm having a good time," he said, twirling me suddenly and then I ended up with my back pressed to his chest. "I like hanging out with you," he told me, his mouth brushing against my ear.
"Jackson," I whispered, blushing. His mouth and his stubble tickled. I was spun back around, both his hands on my hips, holding me arms length away. "I like hanging out with you too."
Jackson grinned, "So when are we going to do it again? On purpose? We're always hanging out, just the two of us, by accident."
"This was on purpose," I pointed out. "You invited me to come. I said yes. And I'm really friggin glad I did. Everyone has been so nice. And your grandmother's pie? So damn good."
"Right?" He laughed. "Maybe she'll give you the recipe."
"I'd burn it," I replied and he laughed harder.
He sighed in content after composing himself. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to mine. "Then maybe we could bake it together."
All of a sudden I felt nervous, my dancing coming to a halt. "I don't know if that'd be a good idea," I pointed out to him.
"Why not?" He whispered, pulling back again, and letting his eyes roam over me. I gulped. My dress wasn't exactly modest. Half of my boobs were on display, nipple and over covered. But from my neck down to my ribs was open. And suddenly, I was feeling hot.
"Because I can think of a few people who would be upset by it," I replied slowly.
"Would you be upset about it?" He retorted.
I licked my dry lips, lost for words. He pulled me closer by my hips, our chests brushing. "Okay, you need to stop," I said, giving him a carefree smile. I don't know if it was the two beers I had, making me read into this. But my nipples were hardening and he was looking at me like... like... he wasn't married and I was just some pretty girl he could make a move on.
"Stop what?"
"Whatever it is you're doing."
"Why?"
"Because someone might think you're flirting with me," I laughed lightly.
He smirked, "wouldn't want that, now would we?"
I shook my head. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "No, because you're married," I reminded him.
"I think we both know that I'm not the man she wants to be with," he said lowly.
"Jackson," I said warningly. "You're fighting with your wife. You're not thinking clearly. You're upset. I get it. But she's my friend and nothing you say—"
I trailed off when he brought a hand to cup my face. I was frozen as he leaned in, gently kissing my lips for a total of two seconds. He pulled back to see my reaction. I'm not sure I had one. I'm not sure I registered what was happening between us. "You're not this guy. And I'm not... not this girl. Hayley's my friend," I repeated, placing a hand on his chest, ready to push him away or myself back. But instead I got caught up in how firm it was. "And you don't want me, Jackson."
"I think I know what I want," he replied in his gruff voice, slipping a hand down to grope my ass. My jaw dropped and my knees stared to wobble. He moved his hand back up, but I was still distracted. "So what do you want, Dani? To keep chasing Klaus, to share him? I'm sick of feeling unappreciated and like second place. Aren't you?"
"Yes, but—"
"But nothing. I'm here, right here and right now, saying I want you, Danielle."
"Yeah, maybe in this exact moment you want me because you're fighting with Hayley. Not because you want to be with me," I argued.
I got it. I did. There was a lot about Jackson, and the type of man he was that I liked. I didn't think it was fair for him to be second in his own marriage. I admired a lot of his good traits, and wished like hell Klaus had some of them. But he didn't. And that was something I had to live with because he was my choice. The man I chose to be with.
"Maybe that's true. But, Dani, give me a break. Call it a moment of weakness. I don't care. If you're not into this, that's fine. But don't deny both of us for the sake of my relationship. I've crossed the line already. So... the decision is yours."
I could feel my moral compass shaking. I knew it was wrong. I knew it was a bad idea. But his strong arm, holding me and my turned on body were coaxing me into giving in. He was sexy as hell, and I was hornier than ever. I didn't have any words at the moment. I could barely wrap my head around what he was suggesting.
"If you were single or with anyone else, maybe," I said, wincing. "But I can't do this to Hayley—"
"Like she did to you?"
I gave him a pointed look, "that's old news."
"It's still true," he smirked, both his hands lowering to squeeze my ass and push me further into him. "I know you want me."
"Not like this," I whined.
His mouth was on mine again. And this time I didn't fight it. My eyes closed, my hands fisted his shirt and my lips moved against his. It felt like the longest kiss ever as his tongue delved into my mouth. I could feel my desire grow with every second. Jackson's hands were sliding up and down my body.
"This is wrong," I panted when we pulled away.
"What's wrong is the way Klaus treats you," he retorted, one hand caressing my cheek, the other on my back, holding me against him. "You're a woman any man would be lucky to have. The type of woman, I want. One who won't take me for granted. One who wants me as much as I want her."
He was right. Currently, I did want him. I wanted to run my hands through his luscious locks, peel this flannel off of him and see those amazing abs. I wanted to break the tension in my body. To do something bad, to lose all my inner inhibitions. I wanted to give in and have this moment, live in the moment without out worrying about the consequences. That's what I wanted, that didn't mean it was the right choice.
"We shouldn't," I said weakly.
"We shouldn't," he agreed, his lips brushing mine. He then moved his head down to place kisses on my very exposed neck.
"Okay, okay," I panted, closing my eyes. "I want you."
Jackson pulled away from me, grabbing me by the hand and tugging me from the small remaining crowd. I hurried behind him, following him back to his truck. I went to say something but he pinned me to it, with his body and his lips crashing down on mine.
That was enough to shut me up. I dove my hands into his long, dark hair. He groaned as I tugged. His arms caging me in on either side of my body, while his hands were on my back, fiddling with my zipper. I pushed off from the truck so he could get it down, where it stopped right above my ass. His lips left mine then and he stared at me with a star struck look as I slipped my arms from my sleeves, revealing my whole upper body to him.
"God," he breathed. "You are... so gorgeous."
I blushed, gulping. It's been forever since anyone but Klaus has seen me naked. Jackson didn't waste any time, reaching out to grasp one of my small perky boobs in his very large hand. "Don't just stare. That's weird," I mumbled, self conscious.
"You're fucking sexy, it's not weird," he quipped quickly.
"Shut up," I said, both of my hands slipping behind his neck to bring his lips back to mine. I didn't want to allow myself a second to think about what was happening.
Jackson twisted my nipple in his one hand, making my breath hitch. His other hand slipped in the front of my dress, hanging off me. I moaned as he cupped my sex through my lace thong. He pulled away, lowering his head to take my nipple into his mouth. I smacked the back of my head against the truck, but didn't feel any pain. Nothing but pleasure was registering in my brain as Jackson managed to push my panties to the side and start massaging my clit.
Sounds poured out of me, finally getting everything I've been deprived of for months. "Fuck, Jackson," I cried out, pushing his hand away only so I could step out of my dress and panties. I stood naked in the woods, against the side of a pick up, and I didn't care.
"Please tell me I have a condom," he said, checking his pocket and then pulling out his wallet. I was back on birth control. But I didn't want to take any chances. That would be my karma. I make one bad decision and it would bite me in the worst way. "Fuck."
"You don't have one?" I groaned.
"Let me check my truck," he said, pulling me to him so he could open the passenger seat to look inside.
I cringed, okay, little awkward standing naked now when he wasn't touching me. I opened the door to the back seat, climbing in. "Hurry up," I told him.
"I don't have one," he said.
I facepalmed, "okay, just... get back here."
Jackson joined me in the backseat, climbing on top of me. I nearly started to rip the buttons off his shirt. I wasn't leaving here empty handed. We had come this far. We crossed enough lines. I wanted to black out from pleasure.
Jackson threw his shirt in the front seat and I ran my hands down his creamy white skin. "Oh, you're really fucking hot," I stated. "Jesus."
He kissed me again, passionately. One of his hands under me, groping my ass. I dragged my nails down his back and he moaned my name. So hot. "Switch spots with me," I said.
Jackson raised an eyebrow and the two of us maneuvered so he was laying down with me straddling him. I started undoing his belt, unbuttoning, and unzipping his pants. I tugged them down along with his boxers to reveal a very hard cock while he kicked off his boots, leaving him naked too.
"Dani," he hissed as I grabbed hold of his member.
My hand moved up and down while I leaned my body down so I could kiss him again. He was a really good kisser and he tasted like beer and cinnamon. Like an apple cider kinda deal. Jackson's hand went to the back of my head, pulling my hair out of its low bun.
I slid up, lowering myself onto his hard member. "Oh... Oh, my god," I cried.
"Shit," he groaned.
I rocked my hips, feeling him slide even further. Oh, my god. He was huge and he felt... amazing. I pulled myself up slowly before lowering back down on him. I threw my head back and started bouncing up and down on his hard dick like a pro.
"Don't stop!" Jackson pleaded, his hands grabbing hold of my hips. I leaned down to kiss him. It didn't last long as my body continued to jolt forward over his head. That worked perfectly for Jackson to grab onto my breasts, with his hands and mouth.
My eyes closed as I put in work, wanting to take my time to make this worth it. But at the same time, I was desperate to reach a high. Jackson must've read my mind as he mumbled something about being close in my ear. So he flipped us around, kissing down my chest and stomach until he dived his face between my legs.
"Ah... aaaaahh," I uttered, my mouth in a wide O. My eyes rolled back as he changed his tongue to sucking on my clit instead of swiping side to side. "Jackson! Oh, fuck! Ah!"
I could feel his tongue everywhere, my legs quaking in pleasure. Jackson's arms looped around my thighs, spreading them open and lifting me more firmly into his talented mouth. I couldn't stop the groans, even as I tugged on his hair and pressed my lips together.
Before I knew it, I had climaxed, my hips moving up and down uncontrollably. Jackson lingered before kissing and licking his way up my torso, biting each of my nipples before he gently slid his his cock between my legs, moving slow but hard. "Jackson," I moaned as his lips attacked my neck.
"I don't know how the hell anyone could let you go," he said, "I never want this to end."
I was flattered. I was also spent, I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on while trying to find energy to meet him for each thrust. Eventually he pulled out and I cringed at the warm wetness against my thigh and stomach.
Jackson then just kind of collapsed on top of me. I sighed softly, wiping the sweat off his forehead and he tilted his head up to look at me. "Wow," he said.
I laughed quietly, closing my eyes again. "Mhmm," I hummed in agreement. "Wow."
"I don't know how any man could let you go," he said, wrapping his arm around my waist. "That was... that might have been—"
"Don't say it," I cut him off, laughing. "You play too much, Jackson Kenner."
He chuckled, "who said I was playing?"
I blushed, "we just did something... terrible... and here we are laughing about it. We're going to hell."
Jackson snorted, "totally worth it."
"Shut up," I grumbled, trying not to smile.
"I could sleep here. You're comfy."
"Oh, my god," I gasped. "My dress is outside."
"Shit," Jackson groaned. "Uh, don't move."
I laid still as he reached in the front seat, using his shirt to clean up the mess he made on me. Then he climbed out of the truck, tossing in my dress and panties. And he grabbed his jeans and boots from inside the truck to pull them on while he was outside.
Once we were both dressed, we got into the front seats. And we just sat there for a moment, keeping silent. It wasn't awkward though. Just kind of speechless. We were friends, who just had sex. Not to mention he was married and I was friends with his wife, who about two years ago slept with my boyfriend, who I recently just dumped again. Two wrongs don't make a right. But I couldn't bring myself to say I regretted it. Jackson was hot, he was a good man, and we were both in the same boat—being unappreciated by our significant others. It helped that lately he and I have hung out and admittedly, we had chemistry. Maybe that stemmed because of our similar relationships.
Eventually he drove me home. We didn't speak until he parked outside of Marcel's building. "Look, I'm staying out in the bayou for a couple days probably. But when I come home, I will tell Hayley," he said.
I nodded, slowly. "She definitely deserves the truth," I said before sighing deeply. "But she's going to hate us both... oh, my god, I'm never going to see Hope again. Oh, my god! I didn't think this through—"
"Hey, hey," he said, reaching over and placing a hand on my thigh but I slapped it away. That's what just got us into this mess. "Do you want me to not tell her?" He asked me. "I don't have to tell her it was with you. But, I have to let her know I fucked up. And that I did it because our marriage is shit."
I winced, "don't explain it like that."
"Seriously, you gotta let me know what you want to do."
"I can't be friends with her if I have to lie to her about something this huge. I did something wrong, I have to deal with the consequences," I sighed. "Besides... I don't know what's going to happen between Klaus and I... But if we're going to work it out, he has to know about this."
Jackson chuckled, "now he's going to kill me."
"No, he's not," I assured, reaching over to rub his arm.
"Well... uh, I had a good time."
I snorted, "you're ridiculous. Good night."
"It's not weird between us?" He asked as I opened the door. I shook my head. "Awesome. Good night, Dani."
"Bye, bro," I smirked, waving him off as I walked away and heading into Marcel's building. I made my way up to the condo, slipping inside to find Marcel and Josh on the couch having a drink.
"Someone's coming in late," Marcel smirked. "You and Klaus make up?"
"No," I mumbled, blushing and hurrying to the bedroom while the two boys made immature 'oooo'-ing sounds. I was sure those nosey bastards would find out eventually but I wasn't telling them. At least not right now. No, right now I needed a shower and to live my next few hours or days of peace before my life exploded just because I slept with Jackson.
***
Friday, November 23rd
3:30 PM
I rubbed my eyes, walking into the living room to find Marcel getting of the phone with someone. "Hey," I greeted groggily.
He spun around to look at me, "you're up late."
I shrugged, "I was tired."
"Yeah, well everyone is. I've been up all night practically sending guys out to look for Cami."
I snorted, rolling my eyes and heading to the fridge. "I wasn't aware she was missing. Thought Lucien had her. Figured Klaus would've saved her by now," I said.
"Klaus went yesterday to Lucien's penthouse, she wasn't there... They think Aurora has her."
My brows raised, "so she's in danger cause of Klaus' obsession with her? I have no empathy. Frankly I'm jealous of Aurora."
"Dani," Marcel scolded.
"Yeah, I'm going back to bed," I said after grabbing myself a bottle of water. "I don't really see a problem. Klaus will save his girlfriend from his other girlfriend. In the meantime, Cami gets what? Tortured for awhile? Then Klaus kills Aurora. Sounds like the answer to my prayers honestly."
"Trouble in Crescent City?" Someone questioned, letting themselves in. Marcel and I both turned to see Aya waltzing through like she owned the place.
"Nothing I can't handle," Marcel smirked at her.
"Such hubris," she replied. "Surprising, given your lack of accomplishment."
"Tell that to your boy Mohinder," he quipped. "Oh, that's right, you can't! He's dead. Your boss killed him, right after I made him look like a chump."
"Is that how you recall it?" Aya practically laughed in his face. I rolled my eyes. These two made me sick. They were clearly into each other and I think both of them knew it wasn't a good thing.
"Yeah. That's pretty much how it went down."
"You are a skilled revisionist. Why not tell me your version of another tale? About the witch Regent who was shunned by her own people?"
My brows raised, looking at Marcel. Davina was the witch Regent. Shit. What happened to her? Why would she be shunned? "I don't know that one. Witch politics isn't my thing," Marcel said.
He was lying. I could read his poker face. Besides I knew how much that girl meant to him. He kept tabs on her. He knew something. "You were once guardian to Davina Claire, and just as she's about to be recruited by a consortium of the most powerful vampires in the world, her status as Regent is revoked, making her all but useless. You have to admit, that's quite a coincidence," Aya said, getting us to the real problem. The Strix wanted Davina.
Marcel scoffed, "The covens hate me. You really think that I got them to impeach their Regent?"
"It would be foolish of you to defy the very organization that had so recently granted you membership. After all, you and your menagerie of downtrodden vampires have only just begun to reap the benefits we provide," Aya rambled on. "The Strix have no tolerance for insubordination."
"Oh. Well, I guess I better pay my dues," Marcel joked.
"Funny you should mention that. We do have a favor we require," Aya said.
I took a seat on the couch, "of course you want something. For a faction so capable, you sure do ask for help a lot. Kind of pathetic."
Aya narrowed her eyes on me, "if Tristan didn't label you untouchable, I'd cut your sharp tongue out."
"No you wouldn't," I snorted. "Klaus Mikaelson is my ex boyfriend who still wants to be with me. Alive and with my tongue intact. If you risked him on your ass for revenge. Fine. But Elijah? Marcel? Freya? A lot of people really like and care for me. I know you can't relate, but think before you speak."
"Does she have to be here?" Aya questioned, giving Marcel an annoyed look.
"Look just tell me what you want from me," Marcel replied, moving to fix himself a drink.
"I want you to break in to the Mikaelson compound, put down Elijah so we can break Tristan out of there."
I leaned forward in my seat, raising my eyebrows. I was waiting for her to say more but nothing came. "You want to go to war with the Mikaelsons?" Marcel asked her.
"The Mikaelsons declared war when they took Tristan captive. I'm calling on you as a Strix to come to the aid of your brethren."
"By going on a suicide mission?" I chuckled.
Aya rolled her eyes at me, "I assure you both, I have no suicidal tendencies." She then reached into the large purse over her shoulder to pull out a stake. It was large and had a kind of design on it. "What I do have is a weapon, one that can take down even an Original. It won't kill them, but it will subdue them indefinitely," she said, walking closer to Marcel to show him. "I used one much like it on your darling Rebekah."
"Oh shit," I commented.
"That thing can take down an Original?" Marcel asked.
"You'll take this, go into the Mikaelsons' home under the guise of friendship, and then you will drive this stake into Elijah's heart. We will free Tristan and imprison the head of our sireline, all in an entire evening," she replied instead. "Do this, and you will have proven your loyalty to The Strix. Fail, and we will revoke your membership... and your life along with it."
"So is there one for Klaus? Or is it like the daggers sort of thing? Works on the rest of the lot only?" I questioned her about the stake.
She gave me a dirty look, not answering, and instead, making her way through the exit. "Call me and let me know the plan and the time," she told Marcel before finally leaving.
I stood up, "what are you going to do?"
"I have to go through with it," he answered.
"You attack Elijah, you'll end up dead. Are you insane or stupid?" I scoffed in disbelief. "Marcellus, really?"
"I'll see if Elijah will play along. If he can let me get Tristan than I can keep up appearances with the Strix. I don't really have to put him down."
"Won't Aya be there?" I quipped.
He sighed, "well help me come up with a plan."
"Elijah's never going to agree to let Tristan go. He's not scared of you or Aya."
"Again, then help me with a plan."
I sighed, "you're either going to have find a way to get the upper hand in a fight to snap his nexk... or you're gonna have use that stake on him to get him out of communion. Then you go save Tristan while I get... un... H-Hayley for backup. I'll warn Freya when we get there. And after you guys are gone, we'll pull the stake out of Elijah if it's been used."
Marcel raised his brows, "that's not a bad plan."
I rolled my eyes, "I dated Klaus. I'm just telling you what I think he would do. He's the type to ask for forgiveness after rather than get permission. And well, he has stabbed everyone in the back before..."
"I'm going to try to Elijah. If he doesn't listen... we're going with your plan."
"Okay," I sighed. "Guess I should get dressed." Marcel chuckled at my lack of enthusiasm as I made my way back to our bedroom. It was going to be a struggle to find a cute outfit to watch vampires fight. But mainly because I couldn't focus on that. All I could think was how I was going to ask Hayley for help as if I didn't have sex with her husband the night before.
If I was going to fake confidence, I should dress the part. Leather pants? Check. Kick ass hunter green utility jacket over a black halter top, paired with leather heeled booties. Hair? Ugh. A mess. After sex hair became matted after a shower and bed head. Ugh. This is what happens when you sleep with someone's husband. You look like shit cause you feel like shit.
Suck it up, Danielle! Fake it till you make it.
***
Friday, November 23rd
4:50 PM
"What was it, Tristan? Hmm? What is Cepheus?" We heard Elijah gently asking Tristan who looked barely conscious in the chair he was tied to.
"What's next? Charades? While you guys host the world's most messed-up game night, you got bigger problems," Marcel told both Elijah and Freya.
Elijah glanced at his sister, "Freya, would you mind dealing with this situation, please?"
"Oh, no offense to your lovely sister, but you and I need to talk," Marcel informed him. Elijah gave him an 'excuse me' look. He was clearly very busy and his face was growing more threatening by the second. "I'm here on behalf of The Strix, and I'm not leaving without Tristan," Marcel continued.
Tristan chuckled weakly, looking relieved. Elijah gave Marcel the coldest look before pointing to outside of the room. Once both men left, I turned to Freya. "Hey, can I have a word with you," I asked.
Freya and I stepped outside the study into the nearest room. She flicked her wrist, saying no one outside could hear us now. "Look, the Strix are on their way. Marcel is being forced to do this. If he doesn't, they'll kill him. There's a stake that can take down an Original. He's supposed to use it on Elijah. If he does, you can take it out and examine it for what it is. Aya said she used one on Rebekah," I said.
"Why are you telling me this? They can't take Tristan. When Aurora took Rebekah, she hid her from herself as well. Aurora has the latitude and Tristan has the longitude of her location," Freya said.
"They'll kill Marcel if they don't get Tristan."
"Then I just have to get the answer out of him before they get here," Freya retorted, rushing out the room with a new look of determination.
I really hope that was enough. I hurried to catch up to Marcel and Elijah. My friend was still trying to convince the Original to go along with his plan, to do this the easy way. When have the Mikaelsons ever made anything easier? They were too stubborn and egotistical.
"Elijah, look, the way I see it, you don't have a choice," Marcel was telling him.
"Is that so?" Elijah retorted.
Marcel looked exasperated. "How long before The Strix decide to come get their guy? And if they destroy half the Quarter in the process—"
"I can handle The Strix," Elijah interrupted him, blocking Marcel from walking bay further and leaving them cornered near a small stairwell.
"Oh, you can't even handle Tristan! He's about to OD on wolf venom, and the only thing that you can get out of him is Cepheus, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean," Marcel scoffed. Elijah stayed silent, looking at home with an 'are you done?' look as if this situation was beneath him. "The guy has been around for a millennium. He can withstand all your vampire mind games. And if you end up killing him, we lose Rebekah for good," Marcel continued to argue.
"So what are you suggesting here, Marcel? I simply hand over this wretched fiend and stand idly by as you set him free?" Elijah questioned sarcastically.
"If I take Tristan, make it look like I busted him out, I get in tighter with him and The Strix. I can find out where Rebekah is and keep them from declaring war on the Quarter if you trust me."
Elijah shook his head, "I will not release that filth."
Then he walked away, dismissing the idea. I slipped past him, moving to Marcel to discuss what we needed to do now. We had to go through my plan. "Did you warn Freya?" He whispered to me.
"Yes," I answered. "So we need to move quick before she fills Elijah in and he kills us both."
Marcel pulled out his phone, sending a text. "The Strix are moving in. Aya said there's at least a dozen of them. You need to get Hayley over here. We have to kill them all if we want this to work."
I nodded, "understood."
He nodded for me to follow him. We had talked about this already. The safest place for me to be was in the study with Tristan. His people would be coming to save him, there would be no fight there. Tristan hopefully wouldn't let them attack me either.
"Elijah! I'm not finished," Marcel said, rushing to catch Elijah who made it across the courtyard already and was heading up the big staircases.
Elijah turned, "Why don't you run along to your little friends and remind them that any attack on me is a really bad idea."
"That's not gonna work. They're as stubborn as you are."
"So stay away from them, Marcel, before I interpret your behavior as an act of betrayal."
I hurried up the other side of stairs before this got ugly. I could see people moving in. "That's the thing, Elijah," Marcel said, reaching into his pocket for the stake. I hurried up and sent the text to Hayley. "See, I betrayed you before I even got here."
Every entrance had members of The Strix moving in now. I slipped into the study. "They're here," I nearly yelled at Freya.
She looked at me, nodding. She grabbed a small glass jar of powder and emptied it into her hand before blowing it out into the air. She chanted a few words and then I saw a flash of purple fill the doorway. "Protective shield for this room," she told me.
I sighed in relief, taking a seat on the couch. I could hear a lot of fighting going on. I was nervous. We had to kill all of the Strix. Elijah would hopefully do some damage, but Marcel still had to catch him off guard and use the stake on him. Hopefully, Hayley would get here after that happened so she didn't know. I kind of left that part out of the plan. I knew she wouldn't go for it either, not if it meant hurting Elijah. But we had no choice.
Aya suddenly appeared in the doorway, unable to get in. I smirked, walking up to the barrier. "Password?" I asked. Just to be annoying. Hopefully this shield held up and we could stall. Give Marcel more time to wipe out the rest of the vampires downstairs. And Freya could get the longitude out of Tristan.
"Whose side are you on?" Aya growled.
"No side. I'm here to help Marcel. But if I try to grab Tristan. The witch will kill me," I shrugged. Lie.
"Then kill her first," Aya quipped.
I rolled my eyes, "as if."
Aya rolled her eyes, leaving from the doorway. I walked over to look at Freya who had her hands pressed to Tristan's forehead. I came to stand by her, placing a hand on Tristan's forearm. I actually felt sorry for him. His eyes opened and he looked at me, "hey, gorgeous."
I raised a brow at him, "can't you just save yourself the trouble and tell her where Rebekah is?"
"No," he chuckled weakly, moving his arm so his hand could grab hold of mine. "I like trouble."
I rolled my eyes. I definitely attracted a type. Super stubborn. I turned when a loud bang came from behind me. I looked to see Aya was there with assumably a witch whose hand was held up to the barrier. "You're running out of time, Freya," I warned her, not that she didn't know.
"Enough," Aya growled and then suddenly two hands were shoving me, hard enough to send me flying a couple feet away into a wooden end table that crashed under impact and still slid back further.
"Ow!" I screamed, from the floor. I slowly sat up, whimpered as my hand flooded with an excruciating pain. I pulled my arm into my chest, sliding my sleeve up to my elbow to see a deep cut that was starting to bleed profusely. It was from just above my elbow, curling inwards on my forearm.
Freya collapsed beside me, breathless and bleeding from her stomach. Aya was untying Tristan from his seat, the spelled salt circle around him broken, allowing him to leave. "You weren't to harm her," Tristan coughed out.
"You said not to kill her. She's been a pain in my—" Aya was grumbling.
"I don't care!" Tristan cut her off. "Danielle?"
He fell of deaf ears as I pulled myself next to Freya, pushing her sweater up her stomach to put pressure on her wound. I missed it. She was stabbed. Suddenly, Marcel was in the room. He looked at us on the floor, eyes widening.
"Hey, you need to get him out of here," he told Aya.
"Are you giving me an order?" She barked back.
Marcel gestured to Tristan still slumped in his seat, almost untied. But he was going to have to be carried out. "Look, he's too weak to fight, and Elijah's cavalry just got here. Go! Now!" Marcel ordered.
Tristan nodded his head in agreement. Aya sighed, bending down and lifting Tristan. Then in a blink of an eye, they were gone. Marcel sighed in relief, revealing the stake meant for Elijah. "Your brother's gonna wake up mad at me," he said, putting the stake beside her body before biting his wrist. "When he does, be sure to remind him who his friends are."
He then feeds Freya his blood, which she was more happy to gulp down. Then she sat up, perfectly fine and all attention was on me. Marcel bit his other wrist, I shook my head. "I think something is broken," I told them, holding up my hand where my ring finger was bent in an awkward, supposedly impossible position.
"Well, you're bleeding. Drink. And you might have hit your head. Let's avoid a concussion. Drink. And then I'll take you to the hospital for that finger... unless you want me to snap it back into place."
I shook my head, it hurt to talk. Everything hurt. I wanted to scream. My hand was swelling. My finger hurt like hell. Marcel pressed his wrist to my mouth and I forced myself to drink it. The cut on my arm closed up immediately but it didn't do anything for my hand. Maybe lessened some swelling. But the pain still made my eyes water.
"Let's go," Marcel said, helping me to my feet.
"Call me. Let me know you're okay," Freya said.
"Where's Klaus?" I asked, sniffling. I wanted him. He would make me feel better. Besides I didn't want to sit in the hospital alone. Marcel couldn't stay indefinitely. I knew that much. He had The Strix to deal with. They were probably waiting at his home. I hope Tristan gives Aya hell.
Freya grimaced, "he's been out with Lucien all day, they're tracking down Aurora because she has Cami."
I closed my eyes. Always Cami. I sighed shakily, nodding my head and then begging Marcel to get me to a hospital quickly. He flashed us down to his car, and drove us to the nearest ER.
***
Friday, November 23rd
10:35 PM
I sighed, pouting and looking around the hospital room. I was finally being seen. So far I've been given Tylenol to help with the pain and swelling. It kicked in and now my pain was slightly dull. I just finished getting an x-ray a few minutes ago, so I was just waiting to hear back from my doctor.
Marcel did have to leave as expected. Aya called him back and said they were waiting for him at his condo, like I assumed. He gave her an earful before he promised he'd be back for me. But he had to go save Tristan, and give him Klaus' blood for his werewolf bite. Then he was going to try to get info about Rebekah's whereabouts.
Of course, I waved him off. There was nothing he or I could do. Freya texted me to check in every hour. She said she left Klaus a message that I was here because of course he didn't answer the phone. Out of boredom, I reached out to Ethan who sat on the phone with me for about an hour. I filled him in on almost everything. I was too ashamed to tell him about hooking up with Jackson. I spent all day, keeping busy to avoid thinking about it as if I could pretend it never happened. It was idiotic and we weren't thinking. Sleeping together did not make me feel better about my situation, not that I thought it would. But doing something, anything was better than my prior self pity and feelings of helplessness. Now I felt guilt, shame, and self hatred. I made myself a complete hypocrite. I only further damaged my situationship with Klaus. Probably ruined my friendship with Hayley and therefore Jackson if they stay together after he tells her. Yet, at the end of the day. I didn't regret doing it.
Having sex with someone else, just solidified the fact that Klaus and I had serious problems. If we didn't, I wouldn't have ever slept with another man. Especially not someone who would make my life so much messier and complicated. My dad would describe my bad judgement as an act of rebellion. And maybe it was. Maybe it was rebellion against these hypocritical rules Klaus set up for me. He could do whatever he wanted and he could treat me as a mere possession. It felt good to not be his. To allow myself to relish in affection from another man who I was sure in our night together, wasn't wishing I was anyone else. It felt good to feel wanted. It felt good to have someone understand where I was coming from. It felt good to be vulnerable and make that mistake... hell, it just felt good. Literally.
My doctor came into the room with news that I fractured my ring finger. And so he got me a cast that went around my whole right hand except for my thumb and index finger. I had to wear it for three weeks, then I could come back here to reevaluate. My doctor let me choose what color I wanted over my cast. I picked blue and he let me keep the other colors to change it in case I got bored. He was treating me like I was 6 but I wasn't too offended. Mainly because I needed some babying. I'm sure my doctor felt a little bad I was here alone, crying silently half the time. It really did hurt. It was bent almost completely sideways, perpendicular to my pinky. And the knuckle was swollen beyond belief. I had never broken anything before. Honestly, when I first got here I wanted my dad. I would've called him but I didn't have a good kid for how this happened. I resisted the urge to try Klaus myself. I didn't like sitting here alone, but I did it and now it was finally over.
I was heading back to the waiting room, using my phone to try to call an Uber cause I was stranded here. Once one was on its way, I sat down by the front emergency room doors. My ride was 15 minutes away. I was looking at everything and everyone out of boredom when someone rushing in, towards the front desk caught my attention. "Klaus?" I called out, almost unsure.
He spun around and his blues darted around before he spotted me. He hurried over, yanking me out of my seat before I could stand and hugging me tightly. One arm around my waist and the other hooking around my shoulder, his hand holding the back of my head, pushing my face into his neck. "You're okay," he sighed in relief.
I smiled softly, hugging him back with my good arm. I turned my head to try to get a peak at his handsome face. This felt so nice. "I'm okay," I assured, softly.
"What happened?" He asked, letting me go.
I held up my hand, "I broke my ring finger."
Klaus chuckled, hugging me again. I closed my eyes, trying to enjoy this moment. But every part of me was itching with guilt. I slept with someone else. He was going to kill me for sure. "Freya said you were at the hospital and I... I thought the worst. I was terrified, Danielle. I'm so sorry, I should've been here sooner."
"You got her message?" I assumed, pulling away from him and trying to keep my face from showing anything was wrong. I needed to tell him the truth. But I didn't want to. Not at this exact moment.
"No," Klaus answered. "When I got home, she told me. I never checked my phone so I didn't see the message or listen to her voicemails. I was at Marcel's gym. I tracked Aurora there and she had Camille. It was a whole thing. But after I got her to the compound, Freya told me you went to the ER after a fight and I took off. I didn't even know what had happened."
I nodded slowly. And just like that, guilt out the window. He was playing hero for Cami. Per usual. She wouldn't have been kidnapped by Aurora if Klaus didn't have feelings for her. And he could've been there to keep me from getting hurt or at the least, been at the hospital I just spent hours in. It was ridiculous he couldn't ever answer or check his phone. Not to mention he just told me Camille was at the compound. So that whole drive, he didn't check for anyone calling him about any emergencies? Crazy, because everyone else was answering their phones before, during, and after a crisis to deal with another one. Everyone but Klaus. Every time he can't be reached, he's with another woman. He doesn't answer when I call. He's not there when I need him. That says enough. Why the hell should I feel guilty when I didn't cheat? What I did with Jackson is nothing compared to all the shit he's done.
"Well, I'm fine," I stated. "I called an Uber. So you can go. Marcel will take care of me if I need anything—"
"You can't be serious, love."
I stepped away, sitting in my seat again. Klaus sighed, taking the spot right next to me. "Seriously, you can go. Don't leave Camille stranded. She might break a nail in that dirty compound," I grumbled.
"You're always so jealous," he chuckled, leaning towards me in his seat. He grabbed hold of my good hand, kissing the back of it. "Baby girl, I'm here with you. I don't care about anything else but getting you home. With me. Where you belong," he said.
"That's not my home."
"Your home is with me."
"No, your home is with your siblings and now Cami who has taken up residence," I replied, snatching my hand from his. "I don't have a home yet. I'm crashing at Marcel's because I needed a roof over my head until I found somewhere more permanent to go."
Klaus frowned, "what does that mean? You want to go back to Wisconsin? Because... because... if you do... I'll go with you."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "what?"
"I'll follow you wherever you go. Because I'm not going to leave you alone until you take me back."
"If that were true, we'd have been back together weeks ago, Klaus," I scoffed. "Besides, no, I'm not going back to Wisconsin. I won't let you run me out of this city. No, I'm buying my own house."
"What?" He asked. "No, you're not? With what money?"
I rolled my eyes, "don't worry about it."
"Love, just come home with me."
"No," I snapped. "No. I want my own place. And you would never give me that satisfaction. So I'm doing it for myself. If you don't like it, then I guess we're done."
"We will never be done. Not until the day I die."
"Thank God I'll die sooner," I retorted sarcastically.
"You want a house? Fine. I'll buy you a house."
"I don't need or want your money."
"Danielle, please," he groaned. "I'm trying to give you what you want. I'll buy you a house so you can have your space whenever you want to get away—"
"Are you dense?" I questioned. "I don't want a house just for me. Or to have a place away from you or the compound with its terrible guests. I want a home I can live in for the rest of my life. Empty bedrooms I'll fill with my children—"
"Our children."
I gave him a deadpan look, "are you hearing me?"
"Yes, you want a house, I've heard you for months."
I stood up, shaking my head, "I want a house. You don't. I want to raise my children there. You want your children in an abandoned building. Again, we're done. We want different things. And I'm not settling for anything ever again. I want what I want, when I want it."
Klaus raised his eyebrows. I didn't let him speak, I walked right out the hospital, checking my phone for my ride-share. Almost here. Three minutes away. Of course Klaus followed me. "Okay, fine, Danielle. You win! You want a house? You'll get a house. I don't care how big or small or how much. I just want to live in it with you," he said loudly, his voice raised as if scolding a child.
Yes, he was agreeing to what I wanted. But I was feeling stubborn. And things have changed. Not to mention, who the hell was he to try to give me permission? I won? I wasn't playing a damn game. This was my life. My future at stake. A house was an investment. And I was buying one with or without him. I didn't need him. Would I like to live together? Yes, in an ideal world. But we are worlds away from ideal conditions. Cami is at his place now. That would never happen in our house. I slept with Jackson. Doubt he'll buy me a house when I tell him that. And he still, wasn't saying he wanted a house for us. He was suggesting buying one to placate me. I wasn't a child nor a woman who wanted to be manipulated—again.
"Bold of you to assume I want to live with you," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Danielle," he groaned. "Baby girl, it's over. I'm not playing along with Aurora anymore. We can be together again. I want to be together again. I don't want anyone else and if a house will prove that to you, we'll get one. We can move in as soon as tomorrow."
"That's not how it works," I said, rolling my eyes. "And besides, we're not, not together because of your Aurora and Tristan plan. We're not together because you're a liar. You're a deceiver. You're a bad boyfriend. And I'm looking for good husband and father material. Someone who wants a house with me because it's what's best for us and our family. So no, I don't want this bribe of yours because I'm not taking you back. Not even for my dream house."
"You have a dream house?" He questioned.
I could scream! Him and his selective hearing. Who cares if I have a dream house? I couldn't afford it without him, which made him asking all the more infuriating. But if he bought that house for us, thinking I would forgive all his recent crap, he was sadly mistaken. That nearly million dollar home wasn't going to fix us.
A car pulling up in front of us, caught my attention and I checked my phone to see if this was my Uber. It was. Thankfully. Now I could leave without even dignifying him with a response, other than, "Goodbye, Klaus."
~Picture: Dani on November 23rd 🧥
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MIND BLOWN!! Right?!
I couldn't wait any longer to share this chapter!!!!! She did it! Danielle slept with Jackson! Who would have thought? Anyone for or against this? I'm not sure if it's a one time deal or if their shared unhappiness will lead into a life of happiness. What do you think? Friends or couples up next?
And how do we think Hayley is going to react??? More importantly, Klaus?! Is Jackson going to make it? Or is someone going to kill him? And when will everyone find out?
Speaking of dying... Aya hurt Danielle. A finger, albeit but will that matter to Klaus Mikaelson? I highly doubt it. An eye for an eye. A finger for a finger? Well, that will have to wait as Klaus and Danielle are in yet another fight. This one led by Dani's guilt for sleeping with Jackson and Klaus' worry she could've been hurt worse. He said he'd go to Wisconsin if she did!!! Lol. I'm sorry I find Klaus' extremes funny. Let's date other people and also I'll do anything f to be with you.
If you liked this chapter leave some green emojis for Dani's kick ass jacket ♻️🪛🪀