SHE PROMISED ( the originals )

0064. AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT SURE WHO TO TRUST

SHE PROMISED
( part two, chapter sixty-four )

WHEN WALKING BACK TO the compound, Elle had received a phone call from a very distressed Hayley, basically saying that Dahlia had found them and she was freaking out. So the witch practically rushed over to St. James, nearly tripping over her shoes as she pushed past people on the way there. Did she break a few laws by trespassing on people's property and jaywalking? Maybe, maybe not, but it was totally worth it as she finally stepped into the jazz club. Almost immediately, she could feel something being sucked out of her body and she grit her teeth. She had to remember that a spell had been placed on the property, preventing anyone from using magic.

"Oh, God, I hate this feeling," she shuddered, taking another step further into the building. Looking in front of her, she spots Hayley and Elijah already talking. Elle walked closer to them, wrapping Hayley in a one-armed hug. "Hey, I'm here, totally not late."

Elijah looked over at Elle, then back to Hayley. "You called her?" he asked the hybrid, brow raised. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I did try calling you, Elijah!" Hayley snapped. "But since Dahlia was able to take down both Klaus and Mikael, I'm guessing that a cell phone tower was a piece of cake. I'm just lucky the bitch brought it back after she left so I could call Elle." She gave the witch a little squeeze as she too hugged her with one arm. The two had a strange bond, but it was one that they were both thankful for.

"And where were the wolves who stood guard?"

"Getting their asses handed to them by Dahlia, just like Klaus did."

At the sound of his name, Klaus suddenly stormed into the room, eyes locked on Hayley. "That's it 一 you're coming with me."

"Where Dahlia sent Josephine this morning?" Hayley asked incredulously. "No way! We'd be sitting ducks, just like we will be here as soon as that spell breaks." She sighed, and Elle reached over to rub her back soothingly. "Which is why we have to go."

At that, Elle's hand froze on Hayley's back and her eyes widened. Go? Go where? She looked over at Klaus and Elijah, both of whom were equally surprised, then back to Hayley who continued. "Jackson is out getting supplies, and then we're taking the wolves and we're headed to the bayou."

"The swamp?" Klaus said. "So my child can be protected by the very wolves Dahlia so easily defeated? Absolutely not!"

Hayley stormed over to Klaus, getting close to his face as she yelled. "You know, I am so over taking advice from you, Klaus. All it has done so far is put Hope in danger. From now on, I am going to do what I want to do. We're leaving." She pushed past the Original tribrid, only to be roughly shoved.

Elle bit her lip roughly as she watched the situation, fist shaking at her side.

"You're not going anywhere unless I tell you to." Klaus pointed a finger at Hayley's face.

"I am not your prisoner, Klaus!"

"Guys, please, just stop!" Elle shouted, forcing her way between the two. She held up both hands, one in Hayley's direction and the other in Klaus'. If she had her magic, she'd have shoved both of them away but was basically a normal human right now. She flicked her gaze back and forth between the two. "If you keep arguing, we are going to just play right into Dahlia's hands! And 一"

"Not doing as I say plays into her hands!" Klaus shouted, and Elle flinched. She dropped both her hands. "While you three have been kow-towing to Freya and devising ways to flee with your tail between your legs, I've been forging a new path. I know what Freya was planning and I know how to kill Dahlia. Freya objected to us making a single weapon because it spoiled her plan."

Elle pressed a hand to her forehead, rubbing it gently. Was this what it was like to work with Klaus for a thousand years 一 always staying in the dark? Honestly, this was quite irritating to her. She wanted to be able to trust her older brother, but it wasn't easy considering that he wasn't sharing any of the details. He knew how to beat Dahlia? Great, fantastic! Was he going to tell them? Maybe, maybe not, the world may never know!

"KLAUS!" Someone screamed furiously into the jazz club, making Elle jump and drop both of her hands back to her sides. "KLAUS!"

With wide eyes, she saw it was Jackson. She hadn't seen him recently but was glad to see that he was okay, but what was shocking and upsetting to her was the body he carried over his shoulder. She and the others followed him to the next room, where she saw him place the body gently down on the table. Upon further inspection, Elle realized it was the werewolf from Hayley and Jackson's wedding she'd met. The one where she and Davina happily gave up their spots so he could sit next to Josh. She'd never known his name, but she thought he was rather sweet-looking. But now here he was, dead with blood marring his body.

"What happened?" Hayley asked.

"Klaus made Aiden spy on us," Jackson explained. "Instead he told me everything," he suddenly turned to Klaus, "so you killed him!"

He did what? No, no, there was no way Klaus did this. Elle understood that Klaus did kill people 一 it wasn't very surprising at this point 一 but he didn't do it without good enough reason. Sure, Aiden had told Jackson the truth but would Klaus really kill him for that?

"You killed one of the wolves sworn to protect our daughter?" Hayley barked.

For a moment, there's something Elle can't recognize in her brother's stare, but it quickly vanishes. "So what if I did?" He pointed at Aiden's body. "This is what happened to anyone who dares cross me!"

The witch took a step backwards, a hand hovering over her mouth. She felt like she was going to be sick. Distantly, she heard someone say something but she couldn't register what it was on account that she realized her brother killed him. This... this couldn't be real, right? It couldn't... but there was blood surrounding the center of Aiden's shirt, his heart missing and scratches on his face, and Klaus didn't look guilty. In fact, he looked 一 damn it, he really did look 一 pleased.

When Jackson punches Klaus in the face, Elle was suddenly snapped back into reality. She watched as Klaus suddenly pushed Jackson back into the group of werewolves that had come into the room, then punched Hayley in the stomach when she jumped in. Elle took another step back, hands shaking. God, this rage, no, it was too much like him...

No, no, he's dead, and he isn't coming back, Elle thought as she gripped her hair. He's gone, he's gone, he's gone! When she looked back up and saw the blood on Klaus' knuckles, she saw a flash of something in her mind. It was quick but she remembered what it was like to see her own blood on Joseph's fist. Her breath quickened and she took another step back until she realized her spine had hit the wall. She knew she was safe, she knew that he was gone, but her hands still shook and her breathing still came out raggedly.

Joseph had made such promises, swearing to always protect her and Cordelia and love them, but he had lied. How had it been so easy for him to lie? Why was it so easy for him to do so? And why had Klaus done so so easily? No, no, Klaus and Joseph were not the same person, she had to remind herself. Klaus is her brother, her loving and incredibly overprotective older brother that she loves with all her heart. Joseph was a man who had hurt her so terribly that she had the scars, both mental and physical, to prove it. They were not the same person. And yet there was a nagging thought in the back of her head, one that reminded her just how similar the two could be.

HE'S GOING TO HURT YOU, the cruel voice whispered, and Elle shook her head. She angrily fisted her hair. When she looked up at Klaus, the devilish smirk on his face, Elle bit her lip. She loved her brother, there was no question about it, but once upon a time, she had loved Joseph and look where she ended up. Once again, a thought was pulling at her mind, being repeated over and over again in her mind.

WILL KLAUS END UP LIKE JOSEPH?

A/N: my poor baby elle is
so troubled and sad