•Loyal• Matt Donovan

||13||

Two hours later, Brooklyn found herself in the kitchen, surrounded by dirty pots and pans. Damon had tried to come in to help, but Brooklyn eventually threw him out, yelling at how he wasn't doing anything. Damon had then disappeared into his room, mumbling about moody women and their whims.

"Need any help?" Nik asked.

Brooklyn raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Are you sure? I mean you heard what happened when Damon tried to help."

"I'll take my chances." Nik smirked.

Brooklyn pointed him over to the desserts. "I know you know how, but seriously Nik. Use the recipe cards. My mother may have been a terrible person, but she still made amazing pies." She said sternly. Nik nodded and took over.

"So... the human seems to have taken an extra special liking to you." Klaus said nonchalantly as he stirred some concoction in a bowl.

"Matt?! No. He's engaged." Brooklyn denied.

"So?" Klaus asked. "He could have made a mistake." Nik offered.

And while that thought made Brooklyn's heart flutter, she still denied it. "No. I think it's just hard for him. I mean, all of his friends are witches and vampires. Of course the guy is gonna have trust issues." Brooklyn defended. "Besides, look at all our kind have put him through- look at what my brother  put him through. There's no way there's any kind of anything there."

"You didn't see the look in his eyes when you hugged me." Nik stated.

"Yeah, well you didn't witness his break down yesterday." Brooklyn snapped.

"Very well, if you wish to deny feelings, do it. But I'm warning you, Brooklyn, as your dearest of friends, that denying it will only make it stronger." Nik said finally.

Brooklyn didn't respond to that, but instead kept her focus on the selection of seasonings she was choosing from.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Someone called as the door opened.

"In here!" Brooklyn responded cheerfully.

A tall man who looked to be in his mid-thirties walked carefully around the corner. Brooklyn gasped when the man pulled out a crossbow and aimed it at Nik, then a pistol and aimed it at her.

"Ah. Mr. Saltzman." Klaus greeted slyly.

"Klaus." The man- Mr. Saltzman- replied tersely. "What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"Well, as you very well may know, it is very hard to resist the charms of a pretty woman." Klaus responded. Brooklyn let out a small giggle, which drew Mr. Saltzman's attention to her.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Where are my manners? Nik, stop laughing, it's not funny. You were raised better than this." Brooklyn elbowed Nik's shaking form. "I'm Brooklyn." She smiled and held a hand out to him.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Saltzman asked.

"Well, I'm making dinner. Oh! You're the Mr. Saltzman? Alaric Saltzman? My brother has told me so much about you! He may not say so, but he holds you among his closest friends. Only Elena and I are closer to him."

"Well Brooklyn, you just ruined the dinner surprise." Damon announced his presence sarcastically.

"I'm surprised you have the gall to step foot in my  kitchen afterwhat happened earlier. You trust me too much." Brooklyn replied,stirring something in a bowl.

"Well I figured you spent so much of your life trying to keep me alive, you wouldn't just change your mind so suddenly. It'd have been a waste of your time." Damon shrugged.