anne

21 | Blood in, blood out

Anne's Timeline

• ____________ •

Klaus struck a match and the fireplace roared to life. Anne glanced over from the window to see him feeding the flames more kindling, then peered back through the blinds to monitor the forest. 

"We could've taken them at the parking lot, you know."

Anne moved her hand from the blinds and began to rummage through various drawers for stakes and vervain bombs. "Too messy. This cabin is a couple of miles out of reach from anyone; better to be safe here than sorry there. Besides, I still don't know what their deal is, they might've been wanting me to lead them to Charles, I just don't know."

"Who?"

"He's a client," She replied, shoving a stake in her back pocket and tossing Klaus one as well. "I texted him on the way to make sure he's safe. but we're gonna meet with him after this to go over a security plan."

Klaus stood up, brushing off the wood chips and dust on his pants from the fireplace. He teased, "You know, if you'd let me bring my crew in, we'd have this matter solved in a matter of seconds."

Anne sat down on an armchair and shook her head, "You just want me to owe you."

He winked and she scoffed a laugh away, "I don't know enough about what's going on with this case to blindly agree to mass murder—as tempting as that might be."

Klaus smiled, sitting on the armchair opposite Anne and grabbing his phone out to call someone. After a few rings, they answered.

"Hello there, Diego. If you would be so kind as to direct a few of my men in Seattle to be on standby for the rest of the night, that would be very much appreciated."

"Why are you still there? Elijah's getting suspicious, I can't keep lying to him."

Anne tensed, holding her breath as if Elijah himself were on the phone. Klaus sensed this and smiled reassuringly at Anne.

"Keep lying. Dodge it, avoid the question. I'll deal with him when I get home." 

Diego sighed, "When will you be back? Things are getting messy over here without you to keep everyone in line, Elijah's trying to take the reins."

"Let him, I'm preoccupied. I'll be here till I'm done. Just keep feeding Elijah the same line until I get back."

He hung up, reached over to the stack of logs beside the fireplace, and tossed one into the flames. 

"He doesn't know you're here?"

"You told me you didn't want him knowing about you."

Anne stared at him, "I don't, I just..." She didn't know where to take the sentence. Having Klaus and Rebekah back in her life recently brought the lingering presence of Elijah with them—if not the guarantee of meeting him again sometime in the future. So, even if she wanted to keep her existence quiet from Elijah, all her privacy and distance were coming to an end, and she had no choice but to embrace it.

Klaus was about to say something, but a rustle in the trees interrupted them.

"They're here," Anne declared, standing up with Klaus following suit. She opened the door without a second thought, walking down the short steps of the cabin with Klaus by her side. Martin walked out from the trees, and with him emerged a larger group of Vampires. Too many for Anne to bother counting, but Klaus counted about thirty of them.

"I'm-"

"I know who you are," Anne cut Martin off.

He smiled through his whiskey moustache, "I figured."