The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark...

   
    .Niklaus.

     I'm startled awake by the repeated buzzing of my phone. Stretching out my hand to find it on my bedside table, I attempt getting in a few more minutes of sleep. When my hand makes contact with it, my eyes are forced open and I take in the darkness seeping in from my transparent window. It was like in the middle of the freaking night.

      My hand swipes to accept the call, not taking a glance at the called ID.

       "Klaus?" A panicked Raven suddenly comes up from the other side.

       I immediately bolt upright hearing the inconvenience in her voice. "Raven? Where are you? Why aren't you..."

        "Klaus, I'm hurt and I have absolutely no idea where I am. It's so fucking dark and I just..." Her voice breaks off when she sniffs and I can tell she's been crying.

        "Calm down. Can you just try to find any sign? I need to figure out a way to get to you." I ask, slipping on sweatpants and a white shirt. I stuff my feet into the first footing I find which happens to be my Nikes palms.

         I hear shuffling in the background as I dash out of my room and head straight out the front door.

        "I can't find anything..." Her voice sounds choked now. "The last thing I remember was stopping by Isabelle's apartment..."

        "Can you send me her address?" I ask, getting into my Jeep. I ignite the engine to life and drive off, not minding the fact that I could be bothering the others.

        "O–Fuck!" I hear her scream and that has my heart thudding against my chest.

         "Raven?!" I yell and look to my screen, just to come to the realization that the call had come to an end.

        Anger and frustration courses through my veins as I hit against my steering wheel. This could not be happening. She was fine. She had to be. I needed her to be. Grabbing my phone, I try tracking down her location and I'm satisfied when I have no trouble with that.

      The entire drive, I find myself reeling with anger at the thought of what could actually be wrong with her. She had to have been drinking again. Something bad always happens when she does. The closer I get to her location, the more my rage heightens.

      I finally find myself parked in the middle of an almost empty neighborhood. One which gave me the chills again. Also, one that seemed way too familiar.

        "What do you think Jack? Have a little fun with her?" I hear a rough voice say, just at the same time I hear coughing and gagging. I trail into the closest alleyway and come to the sight of Raven being held up by her neck by some hobo wearing dirty ripped jeans and an even dirtier what I assume to be a white shirt. He has an accomplice, a younger guy with a crooked smile, watching as Raven struggles to get out of the man's grip.

     Their attention shifts to me when I come into sight and the younger guy eyes widen. "Nick?" He pronounces my name in the most American way possible.

         "Put her down." I growl, my fists clenching at my side as I give the younger guy no attention.

        "Or what?" The older guy spits out a toothpick. "You're going to beat me up Nicholas?"

      My brows furrow as I wonder how these individuals seem to be so familiar with me.

         "If it comes to that, I will." I reply, jaw clenching.

        His grip on Raven's neck loosens and she harshly drops to the ground, coughing and gagging. I attempt running over to her, only to get pulled back by the hobo who just dropped her.

         "You got a girl?"

     I flinch out of his group, dusting off my shirt. "Don't fucking touch me."

        "What do you mean I shouldn't touch you boy? You forgotten how much fun we used to have around here?" He asks, a dirty smile coming on as he latches his hands to his sagging trousers.

       "I have no idea who you are." I hiss, stalking towards Raven again.

       "Bullshit!" The younger boy spits, pulling at me. My fist makes contact with his cheekbone and that sends him jerking backwards. He charges towards me once again, shoving me backwards with so much force. I'm struggling to gain my balance when he gives in to another shove which sends me crashing body with the ground.

          "Klaus!" I hear Raven scream as the boy gets over me throwing punches.

     My anger is pushed to the limit and with adrenaline coursing through my veins, I shove him off with a hard push, switching up the roles. I grab onto his already bloody collar and give his face repeated punches.

        "That's what I'm talking about!" The hobo whoops with excitement. "Show me the Klaus Larson I know."

        The guy underneath me coughs up blood now and while I'm ninety percent certain I'd kill him if I go on. I'm unable to stop as all I see is red and my anger is in complete charge.

        "You're fucking going to kill him!" Raven's voice rings in my ear as she pulls on my shoulder.

          "So let me!" I scream throwing one more punch.

          "Klaus!!" She shrieks, pulling me away from the guy.

         I stagger when I'm on my feet again. My forehead remains moist with sweat even during the cold night. Raven grabs on to me, pushing herself to my side.

         "Come around again Kiddo." The hobo says, putting in another toothpick between his lips. "Tell Elsie John says hi."

          He whistles beckoning on the half dead guy to get up. "C'mon Jack, we ain't got all night."

        "Klaus?" Raven calls out to me and I turn to see her pressing on her side. It takes a moment for me to figure out she's bleeding and has been trying to keep the pressure on the shit this whole time while I lost control like some fucking moron. She collapses into my hands and a gasp leaves my lips as I watch her unconscious body.

   .Ravenna.

      My eyes flutter open to the scenery of a white room with flowers on half the side of it. Klaus lays asleep on the flexible chair beside the bed I'm laid on and it doesn't take rocket science to figure out I'm in a fucking hospital.

       I glance at Klaus once again, noticing his busted lip. The event of the night before comes in clips to me but I get it anyway.

        "You're fucking going to kill him!" I had yell, actually becoming worried about the guy beneath Klaus. As much as I got into fights, I had never gone as far as killing someone in one of them.

      "So let me!" He screamed back at me, putting in one more hard punch at the almost unconscious individual. When I tugged on his shoulder and had him look at me, all I saw was rage, he was beyond livid. I saw a side of Klaus I had never seen before. I saw a beast in what I thought to be a gentleman. I saw someone to fear in someone I loved–liked.

     I reach across the bed, ignoring the sharp pain in my abdomen as I touch his bottom lip. His brows furrow at the contact but I don't retreat. My thumb swipes across his cheekbone and when I'm finally ready to let go, he grabs on to my hand, giving me a sight of his busted knuckles.

        "Klaus?" I mumble and watch as one of his eyes pop open. He shifts on the seat and pivots his body towards me. My hand trails to the small cut I just observed over his left eyebrow. A small hiss escapes his lips when my skin makes contact with it.

       "How do you feel?"

      "Like I just lost a lot of blood." I plainly reply and he bops his head in understanding.

       "How about you?" I lift a brow. "How do you feel?"

       "Raven, if you're asking how I feel after I beat up that guy's arse last night, then...I'm pretty damn fine." He snorts and his composure surprises me. It's like he's back to his normal Klaus Larson self.

      "You're fine?" My voice croaks out the question.

       "You're fine. I'm fine." He smiles, revealing those damned dimples of his.

       "Am I interrupting something?" Elsie asks, walking in with a hand on her eyes and a bouquet in the other hand.

         "No." I giggle. I understood her entrance considering how she'd walk in on me and her brother almost doing it.

         "Got you these," She pouts, dropping the bouquet next to the other ones I've gotten from God knows who. "How are you feeling?"

       "Like she just lost a lot of blood," Klaus coldly replies, getting off his seat. "I'm going to go get cleaned up. I'll be back, okay?"

      I nod my head and watch as he stalks towards the door.

        "Do you have a problem with me Nik?" Elsie blurts out before he's out the door. "I didn't do shit to your girlfriend so why the hell are you giving me a God damned attitude?"

      His eyes trail between Elsie and I as he grips the door handle. "John says hi." And with that, he's out the door, leaving me with a very pale Elsie.