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chapter twenty-four ━ broken hearts, shattered trust

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❝ should he be trusted? ❞

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KLAUS SHOULD'VE SEEN it coming honestly. He didn't even know how he didn't. Taking both of their personalities, he should've known that as soon as Rebekah met Melody that the two would instantly become best friends. It was exactly what happened. Both females bonded over their mutual dislike for him. Rebekah adored Melody. She loved her sarcasm and fell in love with her life. And as soon as Melody told her how she was the daughter of Peter Pan, had magic, and lived in a town with fairytale characters, Rebekah was a bit confused at first until she explained. Then after that, the only female original was in awe. Long story short,  Klaus's sister had stolen Melody from him and he wasn't happy about it.

Rebekah complained about not being in the proper attire so Melody pulled her into the first store in sight. Klaus compelled everyone to leave and for the woman working the counter to give them everything for no charge. The fairytale woman wasn't really into clothes that much but it seemed like her new found best friend was; which didn't make sense because Rebekah hadn't been alive since the 1920s.

She had grabbed a dress even though Melody protested. Rebekah was just doing it to see Klaus's reaction to the outfit she picked out. Because being the good sister she was, right off the bat, the blonde could sense something between the two. She did admire the fact that the woman was easy going and never went all out. And she could tell that Klaus liked that as well. Melody was a simple yet complicated woman.

"Are you having trouble?" Rebekah asked, calling out from outside of the dressing room.

Melody scowled at herself in the mirror. The dress hugged her body and it looked extremely nice on her. This was why she glared at herself. In the years she had lived, never had she quite liked dresses or anything fancy. But wearing this outfit made her feel powerful. Was she powerful?

She stepped out of the dressing room, all eyes going to her. Rebekah was smirking when she saw Klaus practically gaping. Stefan smiled, sipping his champagne. Melody made a face. "I guess it's alright." She turned around so they saw her side. The female smiled at Klaus. "What do you think, Klaus?"

He slowly smirked, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not too sure if you want to hear what I have to say. But yes, I think that dress looks marvelous on you."

Rebekah put her hand on her chin and winked at her. She had already gotten a dress that — in Melody's opinion — wasn't exactly her style so then the vampire changed and now wore another one. 

Stefan got up, setting his drink down. "I'm going to go and get some fresh air."

He left and Klaus poured himself some more champagne. Rebekah's eyebrow rose up. "Is he always so boring? He never used to be."

Melody grabbed Klaus's glass before he could drink from it and downed it in one. "You can thank your brother for that."

Klaus pretended to be offended. "That's a bit harsh, love. Don't you think?"

She shrugged and gave him the glass back. "Harsh is being killed by your own brother."

———

After she had released that bit of information, Klaus thought about it long and hard, coming to the conclusion that Melody's curse was that her brother was to kill her. The question that stayed in his mind was how she was alive now. Waiting a few more minutes, they left the store and headed back to Gloria's.

They entered and Rebekah and Gloria had done their little reunion thing before the witch began the spell to find Rebekah's necklace which was what Klaus needed to find out why his hybrids failed. He was determined and that made the thought of Gloria failing all the more worrisome. Melody had witnessed how far his anger stretched, it was not pretty.

Stefan walked in not long after. "Sorry guys. Retail therapy was making my head explode." He slid into the seat next to Melody, making Klaus glare at him. "What's she doing?" Stefan gestured to Gloria.

"Failing," Klaus told him.

Gloria rolled her eyes as did Melody. "It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on."

Melody looked to Rebekah. "Didn't you wear it for a thousand years?"

Rebekah got up from where she sat on top of one of the tables. She nodded. "Indeed I did."

The witch looked skeptical. "Oh so now you offer a solution?"

It was true enough. None of them offered a help and simply just watched as Gloria struggled. Melody had been thinking of the solution the entire time yet didn't say anything just to piss Klaus off. He was getting antsy and that alone made her smirk victoriously when he gave her a look after she finally spoke her idea. Finally realizing that she had the plan in her head all along, Klaus grabbed her arm to which she burned him.

Rebekah put her palm in Gloria's hand and the witch began the spell once more. Everything was silent until she said, "I can sense something." Suddenly, she gasped, dropping Rebekah's hand. "I found it."

"So where is it?" Rebekah demanded.

Gloria sighed. "It doesn't work like that, doll. I get images. There's a girl with her friends—"

"Well that certainly narrows it down, doesn't it?" Melody snapped.

Ever since the spell ended, her magic was burning. It hadn't been long since it last happened which only led her to believe that something was going on with this witch. There was another motive, Gloria was lying but why.

"I'll have to dive back in to get the details."

Klaus made a gesture with his hands. "So dive."

She had replied saying that she needed more time. It didn't seem like Klaus was convinced because he leaned toward her with a threatening glare. The witch then said, "And space. You're harshing my ju-ju."

Melody stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "We have all the time in the world."

"I'm sure you do. But that's not what I asked."

The woman narrowed her eyes. Klaus noticed the way her shoulders were tense and recognized it as her keeping her magic bottled up. He had seen it a few times during their road trip when he pissed her off so much that she nearly flung him across the room. On several occasions, she had and it resulted in him getting a broken neck.

"Hey," Stefan spoke up. "Hey, you know, why don't we just come back later. I'm hungry anyway." He looked at Klaus. "I'll let you pick who we eat."

Eventually, they began to walk away and on the trip back to the warehouse, Melody's phone that Klaus got her rang. She stopped, making them stop as well. "I'll meet up with you guys in a bit."

Rebekah looked skeptical despite her befriending the fairytale woman. But when Klaus nodded, her eyes widened in surprise. "Alright, meet us at the warehouse when you finish."

They left and Melody answered her phone. "Hello?"

A string of relieved sighs. "Thank goodness," Regina said. "We were so worried."

Melody went over to an alleyway and leaned against the wall. She rubbed her forehead. "Yes because you guys still don't think I can take care of myself."

"We were just worried that's all," Pan told her. "You okay? Just say the word and we'll find a way to kill—"

"Don't bother." Melody looked out at the people walking by. "He could've killed you guys but he didn't. We made a deal and I'm not going back on it now. Besides, Klaus isn't that bad."

There was a long line of silence before Mary Margaret's voice came through. "Does someone have a crush?"

Melody laughed. "No Snow. I don't have a crush on Klaus."

"Well, the two of you are destined to be together..."

She shook her head. "Just because us being together is prophecied, it doesn't mean it's going to happen. I hardly know him anyway."

"But you said before you were getting to know him," David pointed out.

Melody didn't know why defending Klaus felt so important to her. Perhaps it was because for years she felt completely alone and meeting the hybrid made her feel like she meant something. But it didn't feel right though; being destined to fall in love with someone unexpected wasn't something she ever wanted. Why couldn't she fall in love on her own accord? Being trapped in a prophecy was not so great.

"And I am," she finally replied. "We're gaining each other's trust. That's what people do."

"How are you really feeling?" Pan questioned.

She licked her lips, tears springing in her eyes. "I don't know it's... it's a lot to take in you know. I feel like my whole life is based on a lie. My life has been fake up until this moment and I just don't know what to believe anymore. Klaus is my soulmate, what kind of messed up fate is that? I'm not ready for a relationship, let alone with the most powerful being on the planet."

"Feel better now?" Emma asked.

Melody nodded though they couldn't see it. "Yeah. Sorry for ranting." They told her not to worry about it. "I gotta go, Klaus is probably waiting for me."

They told her that they loved her and said goodbye. She hung up, letting out a sigh in the cold night before walking towards the warehouse. Melody hadn't been walking for very long before Klaus appeared in her line of sight. He was walking towards her. She gave him a tired look. "What did you think I was going to run?"

He intertwined their arms and led her in the opposite direction she was going in. "No, I was going to see how Gloria is progressing. I'm glad I caught you though." She rolled her eyes. "Earlier, you seemed on edge. Why?"

"Oh please, you're telling me you didn't catch her lie?" He looked puzzled. "She was lying to us, Klaus. Gloria saw something and I think we need to confront her about it."

Klaus was intrigued. "Hmm. Well, then I'm happy I have you to point out the thing I don't catch."

"Ah yes, what would you do without me?"

She laughed, making him smile. They continued arm-in-arm to the bar. Gloria's was closed for the night and when they entered, there wasn't a trace of the witch. Klaus let go of Melody and stormed inside, throwing a table at the wall with an enraged yell. He spun to her suddenly, stalking toward her. "You knew she was gone?"

Melody looked confused. "What?"

"You helped her escape, didn't you. That phone call was only a fake so you could get Gloria away so I wouldn't find a way to make my hybrids."

She put her hands up. "Slow down, Klaus. I promise you—"

Klaus pined her to the wall with his super strength and speed. "Do not lie to me! I've had enough!" He got dangerously close to her face. "Everything you said was a lie. How did I not see it before? Was it some magic trick, huh?"

Melody scoffed. "Wow. Now see, that is the problem with you, Klaus. I gave you my trust, I made a deal to protect my family and you accuse me of going behind your back? Why would I risk my family? And how, how can you say I lied when I've told you a million times that what I told you was true?" His grip did not loosen. Her eyes softened. "Have you really been hurt that much?"

His grip did loosen after she said that, but he did not let her go. "I have lived for over a thousand years. I've loved and I've put my trust in others only to be disappointed. Love is weakness. I should've killed you when I had the chance."

"Then why didn't you?" Melody saw the slight shimmer of tears in his eyes. "Because deep down you do want to love someone, you do want to trust someone. I may not know what happened to you in your life, but from what it sounds like, those people did not deserve your love or trust. I get it, your paranoia, your anger, your fear of being loved overrules you. I don't know how that feels. What I do know is that many people deserve love, some don't. And whoever hurt you in the past? Doesn't deserve love. You do."

She sighed. "I'm afraid of being loved and getting my heart broken. My entire family has found their true loves while I sit idly by, just watching. My curse was my brother hating me and then killing me. You think my life is perfect well then you're wrong. I have thought about that moment over and over in my head. And you know what, Klaus? I think to myself if I hadn't come back, would I be rid of all of this pain and loneliness? But I need my pain, I need my loneliness. You do too because it protects both of us from being hurt."

Klaus's grip loosened complete so there was no more pressure. Melody did not move. "You can accuse me all you want. But I'm telling you right now, I am willing to stand by your side, but I don't think I can deal with you not trusting me and you asking me to trust you. Trust goes both ways."

Melody pushed him back and then brushed past him. Klaus took a sharp intake of breath, closing his eyes as he realized what he had just done.

He had broken her trust

———

When they entered the warehouse to see Rebekah warily standing next to Stefan, Melody stopped. Klaus, however, kept going, his anger from their conversation still present. "Gloria's gone. She's cleared out. We need to find a new witch immediately." He stopped when he realized the same thing the fairytale woman did. "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong. He was asking about Mikael. He's not with us, Nik. I can sense it."

Melody's blood ran cold and she looked at Stefan with worry. He quickly went to defend himself but saw the Klaus was already furious. "She's wrong. Klaus—"

He snapped Stefan's neck in one flash and was at Melody in another. Klaus grabbed her, making her gasp. The Original stared into her eyes for a long time before he let her go. Melody let out a deep breath, closing her eyes just as Klaus did earlier.

The hybrid leaned into her ear. "Don't mistake my mercy on you for weakness. I do not need love. Love is weak."

Instead of fighting back, Melody kept her eyes closed until Klaus grabbed her arm again. She did not see Rebekah's frown as she witnessed her brother drag the female further into the warehouse. Klaus dragged her to the truck that held the coffins, keeping a firm grip on her arm. Once they got to the truck, he opened the back and shoved her inside. Melody turned around to see him put his hand on the handle.

"You were wrong. I am not a man, I am the thing men fear. So do not think that I am capable of love because I'm not. I'm not going to kill you because I want you to wake up every morning and realize that you are alone and that I never cared about you. I never will care about you. And I most certainly will never love you."

Melody fought the tears, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She spat at him. "Screw you, Klaus. Go to hell."

He smirked behind his pain of hurting her. "I've already been there."

Klaus shut the door with a loud bang, leaving her in darkness. The hybrid instantly dropped his smirk and forced himself to walk away, trying not to listen to Melody's small cries as she held the tears back. Because deep down he did care but his thirst for power overthrew his want for love. He was a monster, he would never be loved. Melody was too kind, too nice and he only feared he'd hurt her. Which was why he forced himself to let her go. Even though he hated that he had hurt her.

———

This chapter has got me crying and I just wanted to say sorry! Like I've said, their relationship isn't going to be easy. Just because they are destined to be together doesn't mean they'll be together right off the bat because that isn't realistic. And given Klaus's personality, he isn't going to let Melody in right after they meet. It will take time but that is the beauty of it.

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )