All I Need (Vampire Diaries/Captain America Fanfic)

25. You're The Crazy Dysfunctional Original Hybrid

A peanut shell hit my back. I rolled my eyes, downing my current drink and ignoring the annoying Hybrid behind me. Then I felt a collection of peanut shells being caught in my hair.

"Grow up!" I said, raking a hand through my hair to dismember the hollow shells. Klaus came up to the bar and sat next to me.

"Haven't you left the miserable stage yet?" he asked, exasperated.

"No," I said harshly, before changing the subject. "Remind me again why we had to come all the way to New Orleans to go bar-hopping? The bars in Virginia aren't good enough for you?"

He smirked that Klaus-like smirk. "I have a vested interest in New Orleans. I helped build it, after all."

"I'm sensing a story there. I'd ask you to elaborate but I really don't give a shit," I said. He chuckled, sizing me up with his eyes. "Anyway, where are Rebekah and Elijah? Don't they follow you around like puppies with their tongues hanging out?"

"They'll be here," he said. "Or they won't. I don't plan on spending a lot of time here."

"So what do you plan on doing?" I asked. "Because you say you built it, but the only part of the city that we've seen so far is the inside of this bar."

"I'm meeting up with an old friend," he said, a glint in his eyes.

"An old girlfriend?" I asked. He gestured to the bartender for a drink, downing it before he spoke.

"Would that make you jealous?"

I burst out laughing. "Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow. "Even if I didn't have a-" boyfriend was definitely the wrong word. "Steve situation," I finished lamely. "You're the crazy dysfunctional Original Hybrid, remember?" Then, because curiosity got the better of me: "Is it an ex-girlfriend?"

"Note my use of the word 'friend'" he said.

"OK," I said. "A male friend?"

He looked me up and down. "He'd suit you better than that guy you're dating," he said, before scoffing.

"I hope you're using the term 'dating' very loosely. Because every time we get close to anything, my brothers, or my own mind, or a freaky Original family show up and ruin everything."

"I'm sorry that the ritual was more important than the advancement of your love life Serena. I'll be sure to take that into account next time," he said sarcastically.

"Why are you Brits so sarcastic?" I asked. "And for the record, I wasn't blaming you. Steve's made it clear how he feels. A part of me feels like if I really wanted to be with him... I just would."

"So what's the problem?" he asked. I glanced up to see if he was mocking me, but he genuinely seemed interested.

"Well, from the outside looking in, Steve Rogers seems like the most unproblematic guy. But in this world, in our town, being human and unproblematic, kind of makes you the most problematic."

"You don't want to have to protect him from everything?" he asked.

"When I was with James, I had to leave my family to make sure that he didn't get caught up in all of this. And Steve, he's already kind of in it. And if I keep seeing him, he'll be so in it that I'll have to tell him the truth."

"And that's a bad thing?" he asked.

"Um," I started. I couldn't tell Klaus my real fear - that if Steve knew about us, him and his team of Avengers would make it their mission to destroy us. Right now, keeping Steve Rogers and Captain America completely separate was in my best interest. "What if he finds out, and then rejects me?" My second worst fear.

Klaus looked at me seriously, before standing up and heading towards the door. "Then he's an idiot," he said, before gesturing for me to follow him, which I did with no hesitation. What else did I have to lose?

...

It was early morning when Klaus stopped driving. The sun was beginning to shine and people were starting to prepare for the day ahead.

"Where are we going?" I asked. "To meet your friend?"

"In a while," he said. "We have a stop to make first. Come along."

We walked together through the town, watching the people turn the signs in their shop windows from 'closed' to 'open'. I sensed we were waiting for something, something that would tell me why Klaus had bothered to bring me to New Orleans. But so far, nothing looked remotely supernatural.

We walked the length of the street before turning around and walking back. Nothing.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked him, noting that frustration had caused tension in his jaw.

"I'll know it when it happens."

Getting to the end of the street, we turned again.

"I'm getting a cramp," I said.

"You should exercise more," he responded. "I've heard Pilates does wonders for your posture."

"Asshole," I responded. Then I heard it, and I knew that he heard it too. A sharp intake of breath that came from a store to the left of us.

"There," he pointed, grabbing my arm. We stumbled into the store (well, I stumbled. He glided, almost effortlessly. Was that an Original thing? Or a Klaus thing?) and stood, waiting for the woman behind the till to notice us. Or rather, to stop pretending that she didn't know we were waiting. There was a weird feeling in the store. While it was a relatively warm day outside, my insides became cold all over. It felt like a warning.

"Hello love," Klaus said grabbing her attention. "I need your help."

"I can't help you," she said to him, before turning to me. "Either of you."

"What did I do?" I asked incredulously.

"A friend of Klaus Mikaelson is no friend of ours," she said angrily.

"Right well, I'm not here for chit chat, I need your help finding a witch. Jane-Anne Deveraux to be precise."

She visibly reacted to the name, before her facial expression changed back to one of dismissal. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Really?" he asked. "Because I heard your reaction to Serena the minute you noticed her."

"I thought she was-" she paused. "But she can't be. I made a mistake."

"Oh no, you were very right in thinking that she's Emily Bennett's niece," he said, looking at me. Before I knew it, he was standing behind me, his arm around my neck, pressing down on my windpipe.

"Klaus!" I choked out in shock.

"Tell me where Ms. Deveraux is or I'll tear her head off!" he said. My fight or flight response was kicking in, but I resisted the urge to get out of his grip. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, not really. "Do you want to be responsible for the death of the last witch with a direct link to Emily Bennett?"

"I can't tell you!" she said frantically. "The Vampire Marcel has rules! We have to follow his rules!"

He released his grip and I pushed him away from me angrily, shooting him daggers before turning to the, now frightened, woman.

"And where can we find Marcel?"

**************************************************

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Next chapter we'll be introduced to Marcel! How do you think Serena will react to him?

Vote and comment if you like the story so far! xx