Role Reversal

Chapter 10: The Human Factor, Part Two

An uncomfortable silence followed Cami's unexpected revelation. She watched for some clue as to what he was feeling, but his face didn't change. Klaus slowly turned away from her and he finally spoke. "I'm afraid you're delusional, Cami. I am the bastard of New Orleans. I am the monster that terrorizes anyone that gets in my way. What you feel for me cannot possibly be love." His voice was low and had an ever so slight twinge of pain to it, but each word held an obvious disgust for the creature he perceived himself to be.

Cami, feeling emboldened, walked around to face him once again. "You know what? You're right! I'm so delusional that I thought you might actually feel something for me! That's what scares me, Klaus. You are who you are and I would never want to change you, but you are a master manipulator and maybe you've just been using me this whole time."

Her words obviously stung him as he quickly replied, "Cami, I can assure you that I have not been manipulating..."

She held up her hand to stop him. "No, you need to hear me out. You are also a killer and what you have done will never go away. I don't even know if you could ever truly love me, at least the way I want to be loved. Even despite all of this, I still think you're worth it. God! What is wrong with me? Maybe believing in you makes me a fool. Well, so be it. I'm the biggest fool ever to waste my time on a monster such as yourself." A toxic mix of anger, embarrassment, and heartbreak raced through Cami's system as she looked away, finding it difficult to look him in the eye as a few tears slid down her cheeks.

He reached out to wipe her tears away, but she stepped back, holding up her hand, indicating that she wanted distance from him. "Now that I've completely lost my mind, I need to get ready for work." She started to walk away, but Klaus grabbed her arm.

"You are not leaving this apartment," he commanded.

"Oh, yes, I am! I have bills to pay, Klaus. In order to pay those bills, I have to work."

"I'll give you whatever you need..."

"I don't want your money!"

"You will not be safe out there!" His voice raised in anger.

"I think I've done a pretty good job so far taking care of myself! I live in a city full of supernatural beings and I've managed to keep myself alive."

He appeared to be getting frustrated as he ran his hands through his hair. "You're chances of survival would be much better if you were one of us!"

Cami's eyes grew wide. "What did you just say to me?"

"If you were like my sister, Rebekah, or like Hayley – if you had powers, I wouldn't need to be so concerned about you!"

She was stunned into a brief silence. "Well, don't bother worrying about me, Klaus. This fragile, powerless human being is definitely leaving to go to work, so have a nice evening!" Storming past him to her bedroom, Cami slammed the door and changed her clothes. She called Marcel and told him that he was needed for guard duty again. When she came out, he was standing near her doorway, waiting for her. She tried to ignore him, but he stopped her as she tried to move past. "Look, Marcel is going to stay with you while I'm gone." Her eyes could not meet his.

"I don't care about Marcel right now. I want you to look at me." Klaus's voice had taken a more soothing tone as he gently lifted her chin, forcing their eyes to meet as he spoke tenderly to her. "You are right, Camille. I cannot give you the love that you want from me." He stroked her hair, then stroked her cheek in a loving manner. "Once this threat to my family is dealt with, perhaps I could one day..."

"I know you too well, Klaus. There will always be a threat to your family."

The two looked at each other in a brief moment of loss. "Cami, surely you have some inkling as to how I feel?"