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crimsonrae · 3 years

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Disintegration

Chapter Three

Summary: He witnessed the worst night of her life, he just never expected for her to become the love of his life.

KlausxCami

Warnings: Mentions of Domestic Abuse.

Rating: Mature

A/N: Something of a slow burn between Camille and Klaus. There is quite of bit of ground to cover. In the next chapter or two, there will be limited interactions between them if any. I'll explain more about why Marnie Taylor is important and what exactly Klaus is up to as we go on. Please read, comment, and enjoy. I really do appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you!

Chapter Three

"Mr. O'Connell -"

"This family has supported this university for decades -"

"Mr. O'Connell!" Dean Shaln interjected with exasperated force.

Camille couldn't fault his ire as he barely refrained from glaring at her red-faced father. Callan O'Connell was not handling the news of her expulsion well and had been on a steady rant for almost five minutes. He spoke over the harried dean with a single-minded determination that she would have found impressive if she hadn't been wishing she was anywhere else.

She hadn't been surprised by Dean Shaln's decree. She had attacked Scott in a public area on campus with hundreds of witnesses. It was the school's responsibility to keep its students safe and Camille had destroyed that sense of safety with one quick swipe of a beer bottle. She was now termed a risk to the student body and must therefore be removed. It was a shame that they hadn't deemed Scott the same risk.

If only they had seen the purple bruises and bloodied clothes of her roommate. If only, Scott had been dumb enough to hit her in the presence of another person. If only Marnie had said something...

To make matters worse, Camille had received a handful of anonymous notes, thanking her for her aggressive actions. One wishing she had done more to the predatory asshole. Tears had crawled down her cheeks as she had read each carefully penned word. In true horror, she hadn't realized the extent to which Scott had been getting away with his abuse. There had been at least three other women who had suffered silently at his hands.

"Your family's support is not in question. Your daughter's actions are." Shaln huffed with an indignant calm, "I understand she was acting in defense of her roommate but considering Ms. Taylor has yet to come forward to corroborate Camille's side, there is little I can do. There is a zero-tolerance policy on violence which your daughter was aware of when she signed the admittance paperwork. I'm sorry, but her expulsion stands."

"This is ridiculous!" Callan growled.

Cami could see him gathering air as he prepared to launch his next attack. She barely smothered a sigh. Instead, her focus turned toward the worry that gnawed at her gut like an incessant pest. Marnie hadn't been seen since Thursday night. Camille hadn't known the hospital had released her friend mere minutes after she had left her side. Her calls had gone unanswered, as had countless texts. She didn't think that Scott had managed to do anything to his girlfriend in the few short hours that Camille had been away from either... but she couldn't shake her sense of dread.

She silently prayed that Marnie had decided to lay low in hopes of making a clean break from Scott.

"Callan."

Camille stiffened at the sound of her mouther's voice. She had nearly forgotten the older woman was there...nearly.

Vivian O'Connell hadn't spoken beyond the standard pleasantries at the start of the meeting. She had sat calm, cool, and collected with near regal poise as she listened to both men and, to a certain extent Cami, as she answered questions and defended her actions. Even now, her voice was no more than a low murmur, but it effectively cut through and silenced her irate husband.

Callan turned his jade gaze – so similar to Cami's unto his wife in quiet askance.

Vivian smiled politely, "I think we've heard enough. I've arranged a meeting with the school board later this week. We will be withdrawing our funding, as will the Travis, Beaufort, and Bendecott families."

Dean Shaln paled as she listed the top three financial providers for the university. He had forgotten that Vivian O'Connell belonged to the Beaufort family and had strong ties with the other two, "Mrs. O'Conell, I hardly think that necessary."

"I do." Vivian stated stalwartly, "You talk of the safety of the students, but you have failed to address the issue of Scott Nebroski. According to campus police, the accusations that Camille has levied against him have not been the first. There have been others and yet, he remained here. Preying on the young women of this campus. This entire situation could have been avoided if you had simply expelled the so-called victim of this fiasco when he had initially been brought to your attention."

"There had been no substantive evidence of Mr. Nebroski's wrongdoing. I cannot expel a student on hearsay." Shaln defended quietly, but even Camille could hear the feebleness of his response.

Vivian snorted and Cami arched a brow at the unusually crass action, "And what would be substantive evidence, Mr. Shaln? Does a young girl need to be bleeding out in front of you? Does she need to be lying in a hospital bed or perhaps dead before you take action? It's clear that the needs and safety of the women here are not taken into proper consideration."

"Mrs. O'Connell -"

"Perhaps this will change your mind." Vivian continued as if she hadn't been interrupted and Camille watched bemused as her mother pulled a folded paper from her purse. It took her a moment to recognize the paper as one of the notes that had been left for her.

She blanched and opened her mouth in protest, "Mom!"

"Hush, Camille." Vivian reproached dismissively, "That was left for Camille. She has received several others. It's shameful that it took the actions of my daughter to put an end to this monster's reign and even that remains ambiguous. Someone here should have listened sooner."

Cami bit her tongue as she kept back an invective remark. She hadn't realized her mother had seen the notes on her desk. Unbridled anger and a hint of helplessness coursed through her veins as she watched the note slide into the Dean's hands. Those letters had been private – intimate. And while logically Camille knew that these tokens of gratitude had the potential to help her out of this mess, she hadn't wanted to spread these girls' secrets. Their pain wasn't hers to share.

The Dean merely gave the note a passing glance and Cami knew then he wouldn't read it. And if he did, he wouldn't understand.

Vivian seemed to sense the same as she arched a cold brow, "I believe we're done here. I'll be seeing you at the board meeting, Mr. Shaln."

No one missed the emphasis that she placed on the mister and Camille had no doubt that he would be out of the job by the end of the month. Her mother was many things, but ineffective had never been one.

In tense silence, the trio exited the Dean's office as he quietly followed. Shaln, by his grace, made no attempt at empty platitudes. The resignation in his façade said it all. Cami almost felt a shine of pity for the man.

"Dean Shaln, your one o'clock is here."

"Thank you, Ms. Lankam."

The quiet aside was summarily ignored by the O'Connell family. Camille could see that her father wanted to make one more cutting remark and she averted her gaze from the burgeoning spectacle. Feelings of embarrassment, and frustration were threatening to overwhelm her as it was... It was then that her gaze landed on Dean Shaln's next appointment.

A growingly familiar figure turned toward the office door and Camille found herself caught in the dully curious currents of an oceanic gaze.

Klaus.

She blinked, wondering dimly if she were imagining him. It couldn't be a coincidence that he was standing here.

"Camille." Klaus murmured with a crooked smile that danced somewhere between polite and lecherously charming, "A pleasure to see you so soon."

"Klaus - what?" She sputtered befuddled.

His smile widened slightly at her fumble, "We need to stop running into each other like this, lest I begin to think you're stalking me, love. Though I could think of worse stalkers to have."

Camille was considerably less amused. Any other time, she was sure that she would have found him charming and flirted back, but her morning had been fraught with tension, and her desire to maim or runaway – both equally appealing – roiled too close to the surface.

She refrained from rolling her eyes as she pursed her lips, "Considering I was here first, I believe that would make you the stalker, not me."

"Camille."

Cami winced, not needing to turn to picture her mother's face. The imperviously impassive mask that catered to an ice-cold stare as she studied Klaus. Vivian would have the appearance of civility with the bearing of a disdainful queen as she called her daughter to heel.

Reluctantly, she followed Klaus's curious gaze, barely noting the quiet words that her father was harshly imparting to the Dean.

No.

As for the hundredth time in the past five days her world was squandered by her mother's quiet disapproval. Disapproval which she had unwittingly extended to Klaus by simply participating in their little exchange, she was sure.

She was suddenly thankful she had his number. She would have to call and apologize to him later for whatever was about to occur.

Vivian dismissed Klaus with a flicker of her lashes, "It's time we leave. Say goodbye to your... friend."

It was insane how quickly Camille descended into her thirteen-year-old self at those words. A large part of her wanted to die from embarrassment from being ordered about like a child, another wanted to huff and start a fight, but by some strand of control, she did neither.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing dangerously as she missed the morbid interest in Klaus's near rapturous observation.

Cami turned back to him, forcing a smirk that looked more like a scowl. Humor gazed back at her and she was torn between making a biting remark at him and truly smiling. She didn't want to like his enjoyment of her discomfort, "Well, stalker, it looks like we'll have to pick this up some other time."

Klaus arched a brow, but inclined his head in agreement, "I look forward to it, love. Perhaps another round of question for a question. I remember you have quite a few."

"As if you don't." Cami murmured with a softer smile, "It is good seeing you, Klaus. I'll call you."

"Will you?" His question was teasing but his eyes were daring her to stand by her words.

"Mr. Mikaelson?"

Again, the duo was broken from their bubble. This time Klaus was the one to grit his teeth as he acknowledged the Dean's summons.

"It seems we really must part ways." Klaus muttered before he stepped forward and placed a kiss to her cheek, "I look forward to that phone call."

Just as the last time, Camille felt a blush rise to her face as his bold actions. She barely blinked, only to find that he was no longer before her, but stepping into the office she had just vacated.

"I thought you were dating that other boy."

Cami barely suppressed a sigh, "Ian, mother. His name is Ian. And Klaus is merely a … well, Klaus."

Terming him a friend hardly seemed appropriate, but she would say he was more than an acquaintance. He was an enigma, a nice distraction from the foibles of her current situation. A distraction that she couldn't afford to fall headlong into, she acknowledged quietly... because as nice as it was to flirt and forget with him, Klaus came with the added danger of being trouble. Her attraction wasn't one-sided, and temptation could make her disloyal. She had no desire to betray her boyfriend in that manner.

With that thought in mind, Cami made the decision to not call Klaus. He would be no more than a passing guy in a bar that had engaged her interest for a short while.

Unaware of her daughter's meandering thoughts or disappointed resolve, Vivian merely hummed knowingly. She was not blind to the sparks the couple emitted in their short conversation, but truly Camille's taste in paramours was the least of her concerns, "Well, I'm sure Ivan is waiting for you at the dorm. We best get you packed."

Cami bit her tongue for what felt like the hundredth time. Her mother knew full well that Ivan was not his name, but these little slights were Vivian's way of reinforcing her dislike for Ian. She had done it with every single one of Camille's boyfriends. As infuriating as it was, the familiar rebuke also brought her a strange sense of comfort. Her mother passive-aggressively dismissing and critiquing her life was normal... Cami needed normal.

"Where's dad?" Cami asked as she noticed that he was no longer residing in the front office. Only Ms. Lankam remained as she diligently ignored the women from behind her computer.

"Oh, he stormed off in a huff. You know how he is and that famous Irish temper of his." Vivian murmured quietly a weary gleam entering her grey gaze, "Something that you've inherited."

Cami sighed, "Mom... I know you're not happy with me."

Her mother raised her hand to forestall any further defense and gestured for her to follow her out the building, "I didn't raise you to be a violent woman, but I will not rebuke you for what you did to that... well, I won't even dignify calling him a man. I simply wish you had been more aware of your surroundings when you acted. Could have saved us the headache."

Cami blinked "What...?"

Something resembling a smirk crossed Vivian's lips, "I saw the photos the police took of Mr. Nebroski. You may have your father's temper, but you certainly have my vicious streak. He deserved everything you gave him. Like I said I simply wished you had been smarter about when and how you acted."

Icy shock shook Camille to her core as she finally noticed the pride that shined in Vivian's gaze, and while part of her felt warmed by her mother's support, a larger part of her felt vaguely sick. Why had it taken this act for her to receive that glance from her mother?

"Right...sorry." She murmured, unsure how to progress their conversation or even if she wanted to...

"Honestly, Camille, you would think that you wanted me to be upset with you." Vivian chided.

Camille swallowed another sigh... she really couldn't win.

____________________________

In truth, Klaus had not engineered this latest run-in with Camille. It had been an accident he was more than happy to cultivate.

He arrived at Dean Shaln's office midway through Callan O'Connell's tirade. He hadn't even needed his enhanced hearing to hear most of the meeting inside and to say he was displeased was like saying the Amazon was filled with trees. True, but did not convey the depth and breadth of such foliage. He respected Mr. O'Connell's passionate defense of his daughter, but his interest had peaked with the calmly calculated words of his wife.

Mrs. O'Connell could either be a strong ally or a formidable enemy it seemed. Shaln had stupidly made her the latter. Had made him the latter as well, and Klaus hadn't even met the man yet.

Yet, standing before him now, Shaln proved to be exactly the mediocre bureaucratic cowardly administrator that Klaus had expected. He supposed that he had Mrs. O'Connell to thank for the man's near mercenary kindness. The dean was currently extolling the virtues of the university ad nauseum, more than hungry for a new prolific donor as it seemed that three would be lost in short order.

Klaus let him ramble as he silently perused the contents of the other man's desk. There was the usual paperwork nonsense and drivel that seemed to clog any office, but under a few leaves, he spied the edge of a file containing Camille's name. Two more files resided underneath, and he would bet all the money in his coffers that those files belonged to Scott Nebroski and Marnie Taylor.

Humming slightly, Klaus leaned forward and locked his eyes with the administrator, compulsion dripped from his voice, "Dean Shaln, hand me the files pertaining to the woman that was just in your office. As well as the two pertaining to Marnie Taylor and Scott Nebroski."

The Dean's brow furrowed for a moment as he dug into the papers before him, "Of course, Mr. Mikaelson. I have those just here. As I was saying, the art department could use an updated facility -"

"I'm sure." Klaus murmured as he thumbed through the contents for a moment, mildly happy he had won that bet with himself. The other two files had indeed belonged to Nebroski and Taylor, "I'll be taking these with me, and you'll say nary a word about it. Now, what can you tell me about the whereabouts of Ms. Taylor?"

"Ms. Taylor has not been seen in several days." Shaln answered immediately, concerned peaked in his muddled orbs that had Klaus frowning in consternation, "Police are searching for her – she was declared a missing person yesterday evening. Though Detective Williams informed me that the police believe her to be a runaway. Likely taken in by an abuse shelter."

That news, while unsurprising, was thoroughly unhelpful, "Detective Williams, you say?"

"Yes. He's heading the investigation into her disappearance. Her father is very worried for her." Shaln elaborated almost congenially.

"Right..."

What a wild goose chase this was turning out to be? Klaus mused absently, he hadn't had so much trouble tracking down a girl since Katerina had become a vampire herself. Lurking fury simmered in his veins at the stray thought of the Petrova doppelgänger. Forcefully he banished the image of that insipid purveyor of bad fortune and refocused on the new lead to follow. After all, finding Marnie Taylor could potentially be the key he needed to fix the mess that Katerina had created. He would have Maddox speak with the detective and see what he could glean of his case.

"Wait...why am I -?"

Klaus blinked, realizing he had let his compulsion slip as his thoughts meander. Garnering the student files had taken less time than he anticipated – Camille's attack on Nebroski and her subsequent visit to the Dean's office had expedited the process.

He really wished that he had taken more time to speak with her in the lobby. Her weary countenance and thinly veiled frustration had been plain, and he dimly wished that he had been able to bring a true smile to her lips. He was sure he could have wrangled more than a phone call...

"...interested in Marnie Taylor?..."

One he wasn't sure he would receive. Mrs. O'Connell's tepid reminder of a boyfriend had struck a mark. Klaus had caught the fine glint of guilt in Camille's jade irises before he had entered Shaln's office. Despite their flirtations, Camille seemed an honorable person. He doubted that she would take the hint of infidelity well. And from the brittle tension between mother and daughter, he was sure that such an insinuation would have festered more bitingly.

Still...

"Apologies, my mind is elsewhere I shouldn't have let my compulsion slip." Klaus entreated with a sardonic smile.

Shaln frowned, "Compulsion? What?"

"Yes, I am a vampire. Luckily for you, I'm only interested in your information and not your life. Otherwise, you'd be a mere husk on the ground right now, it helps that I need you for a few errands still."

Shaln's eyes grew wide, uncertain if the man across from him was insane or joking. By the almost maniacal glee in Klaus's cerulean gaze, he was leaning toward the former.

"You won't remember this encounter, except that it was simply with a potential benefactor of the university. You'll be developing a new art department soon. Isn't that exciting?" The hybrid continued loftily before a more demur expression crossed his mien. If Shaln hadn't been trapped by compulsion he would have been shaking from fear as he sensed something dangerous in that look.

"Oh...and as for Camille O'Connell, you will take into consideration all you know to be true of her character and of Scott Nebroski's character and admit that the university has failed its female students by letting such a cretin walk its halls. Call another meeting with Mrs. O'Connell to see what amends can be made as you reinstate Camille as a student. You'll agree to any terms set forth... do you understand?"

"Yes." Dean Shaln murmured as Klaus smiled winningly.

"Fantastic. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Dean Shaln." Klaus said genially as he offered his hand.

The dean smiled, almost confusedly as he tried not to wince in pain from the handshake, "Yes...Yes, I quite look forward to the improvements to the art department, Mr. Mikaelson."

"As do I, as do I." Klaus murmured as he swiftly exited the office.

The dean would have to excuse his quick departure. He had files to read, a woman to woo, another to find, and a curse to break after all.

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