Merciful - TVD [2]

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    That evening, Klaus stood in Damon's cell alongside Mallory, watching over him.

"You know, none of this would be an issue if you'd have just done your job properly," Klaus spoke up, beginning to taunt Damon as he turned to face him, "I was perfectly willing to let you train Jeremy."

"No, you weren't," Damon argued, letting out a large scoff, "Are you kidding? You got there on day two. Do you know how hard it is to get these X-Box brains to focus?"

"And then when I turned a room full of barflies into vampires for him to slaughter, you let Kol kill them," Klaus continued on as he paced the room.

"That was me as well, if we're getting technical," Mallory awkwardly spoke up as she raised her hand.

"Your sibling problem, not mine, buddy," Damon complained to Klaus, "I can't control what Mal does. No one can."

"And whose bright idea was it to saddle Jeremy with a conscience, hmm?" Klaus continued on and Mallory smiled slightly, knowing he had a point.

"Well, we couldn't have him trying to stake Elena in her sleep, now, could we?" Damon argued, giving Klaus a weird look.

"Ah, yes, for the love of Elena," Klaus replied in a taunting tone, "How is it that she manages to overlook every horrific thing you've done? Is it willful ignorance or perhaps something more pathological?"

"Some people are just more capable of forgiveness than others," Damon retorted with an attitude, "Bet you score about a negative five-hundred in that realm."

"Everyone is capable of forgiveness," Mallory muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

"Come on. There must be a secret. It can't just be the sire bond. What is it?" Klaus continued to ask and Mallory begin to realize that Klaus was genuinely curious, "Compulsion? Manipulation?" He paused, his face falling as it became consumed with genuine concern and softness, "What is it you say to her?"

Damon froze. He turned to look at Klaus, who briefly glanced at Mallory before back at him. He smiled in amusement, immediately sitting up from his lying position. "I think this has something to do with a certain sister of mine," He commented, referring to Mallory as if she were not standing right there, "I think you murdered Carol Lockwood, and I think you're worried that Mallory's never going to forgive you. What do you think, Mal?"

"You've done worse," Klaus complained, giving Damon an annoyed look.

"Debatable," Damon argued in a cold tone, "See, I don't mind being the bad guy, because somebody has to fill that role and get things done. Mallory used to join me in being the bad guy, too. You do bad things for no reason. You do them to be a dick. Your brother Kol does too and he seems to be roping Mal into it too. She is no longer bad for a purpose. She's doing it to be an evil bitch."

"Debatable," Mallory argued, shooting Damon a glare.

"If you're gonna be bad, be bad with a purpose. Otherwise, you're just not worth forgiving," Damon explained before he laid back down.

Klaus turned to Mallory, exchanging a look with her before Mallory looked away.

______

   Later that night, Klaus tried to call Stefan, only to sigh in frustration when he didn't answer. "Your brother's lack of communication is infuriating," Klaus complained in an annoyed tone.

"It's one of his trademarks, like his brooding and his hair," Damon replied calmly as he leaned her head against his hand.

"I don't understand what's taking so long," Klaus confessed, clearly becoming impatient, "I mean, how hard is it to steal a dagger?"