Peace

convalescence

"How long have you let my girl sleep, Stefan?" Klaus asked from somewhere in the distance.

"As long as Elena wanted, you took too much blood and she was exhausted. She's still a human Klaus, you can't just take that much blood and expect to hope back good as new after," Elena could hear the barely hidden range of Stefan's tone.

There was a sudden burst of light causing Elena to wince and her eyes to open, disoriented by what was happening.

"Morning sweetheart," Klaus said, walking over to Elena's bedside. "I think it's time for you to get out of bed Elena," he said, pulling the cover off her.

"Klaus, stop it," Stefan growled from his spot in the room.

Klaus rolled his eyes at Stefan and grabbed Elena by her wrists forcing her to stand up. "Tell Stefan you're fine, Elena," Klaus said. She could practically hear the fact Klaus was finding this all funny. Her life was a joke to him, Stefan's life was a joke. Whatever semblances of respect Elena bad thought Klaus had for her and her use in making hybrids was evaporating in front of her.

"Look at her Klaus, she's pale and shaking like a leaf," Stefan said, taking a step closer to Elena.

"Elena needs to go get some fresh air and eat. She's not a toddler who needs to be coddled by you Stefan. Right Elena? You're a big girl, aren't you?" It was clear Klaus didn't really want an answer to his question, he was just trying to prove whatever point he wanted to Stefan. It wasn't about her or maybe it was and she was too muddled in her mind to realize it at that moment.

Elena stumbled to the balcony as Klaus walked her outside and sat her on the patio chair. She felt dizzy and nauseated as she looked at the food. The cool fall air felt colder on her skin as she sat in Stefan's shirt she'd borrowed that morning, the foggy part of her brain prayed Klaus wouldn't notice her attire or not think much of it.

"Now you're going to sit out here and eat, then you're going to go downstairs and relax." Klaus ordered closing the door locking Stefan out of their conversation.

"I'm really not hungry," Elena said, shaking her head.

"Now refusing to eat isn't really cooperating Elena, you don't get to pout like an indignant child every time we take your blood otherwise this will be a long time for you," Klaus said, "I'm assuming Stefan informed you my dear sister is at Mystic Falls in case you get difficult?" Klaus asked.

"You're not going to hurt my friends because I'm not feeling good after you took four bags of blood out of my body," Elena said incredulously.

"You need to build up a tolerance Love, the more I take the less often we have to do it. So the sooner you bounce back this time the more I can take next time. You sitting here refusing to eat is doing no one any good," Klaus said as if it were simple mathematics. "Now eat up Elena."

Elena took a spoonful of soup and ate it, the warm liquid tasted good. Elena sat silently and ate the food in front of her ignoring Klaus's smug stare as she ate. Once she finished Klaus stroked Elena's hair, "good girl," he said. "Now how about you go downstairs and set yourself up on the couch or something," he suggested.

Elena stood on shaking legs and looked up at Klaus newly found anger at the man clear on her face.

"Why are you doing this to Stefan?" Elena asked, crossing her arms even though she knew she probably needed something to keep her steady.

"You're going to need to be more specific on that Love," Klaus said, smirking down at her.

Elena shook her head in frustration, "what you're doing to Stefan, being a dick to me to get under his skin."

Klaus gave her a look of mock confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about sweetheart. Nothing about my treatment of Stefan has anything to do with you and my treatment of you has nothing to do with him. Are you not satisfied with my care? You have everything you need here, I even let you stay per your request and left you with your beloved," he said as if that were the entire truth of the situation and not a sugar coating of reality.

Elena glared at Klaus, "he told me what you're planning." She said flatly wondering which detail Klaus would assume she was talking about.

"How I plan to find you a perfectly normal human mate and let you have a nearly perfect human life with him, have children, and grow old. Isn't that what people want?"

Elena hated how he was manipulating the story to make it seem like he was doing her a favor. As if he was offering her an ideal world that she'd be lucky to get. When in reality Elena didn't want that at least not in the way Klaus was describing.

"It's the twenty-first century, not every woman wants a family and kids," Elena said instead of admitting the life he talked about was one she had wanted with Stefan.

"I'm aware of that sweetheart, I'm assuming the life I described was one you pictured with your dear Stefan." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact.

Elena let the air hang between them, she could feel her heart racing, her body shaking more than it had been earlier. This time it wasn't from the cold weather or her exhaustion. Did he know about the past week with Stefan? It's not as if they did anything against his rules, all Stefan had done was take care of her and make sure she was happy and healthy, one could argue he was just overachieving on the matter.

"I hate to break it to you Princess but you're mine, I decide who you love, who gets your body, who you love,who you fuck, who you see, what you eat, what you drink, when you sleep. Now I've been nothing but kind to you these past few months but if you push me things will get a lot worse for you. Most girls would enjoy the golden cage I've put you in, don't make me take it away. Now be a good little blood bag and go downstairs like I asked you." Klaus said before stroking her cheek with his hand.

Elena flinched at his touch then walked into her room then down the stairs not daring to look at Stefan, not daring to see if he was listening to the conversation that had just happened.