thirteen. i spent forever trying not to crawl back to you

Smoky Mountains

You had been quiet since you left the bar last night. Ray had all but drawn you a map to his pack before Klaus fed him his blood and snapped his neck. He was now unconscious on Stefan's back as you trekked up the mountain. Being here reminded you of another trek you'd taken on another mountain, back before you went to New Orleans. You remembered Klaus being mesmerized by a hummingbird. It had been the only time since you'd turned that he'd told you he considered what it would be to be human again. You had thought about it frequently, especially then. Becoming a vampire had given you an everlasting life with your love, but it had taken something from you too. You loved Klaus and that was enough for you, but you knew it would only ever be the two of you. Once, when you were human, you had imagined the children you would have with Klaus, with your hair and his blue eyes. You knew it was impossible for you now.

But you hadn't thought Klaus would ever feel that longing. He was more than content the way you were, just the two of you and his siblings, traveling the world, being forever young and powerful. Until that moment. When he told you his thoughts, you had confessed your own dark weakness, and he understood. He had hugged you tightly, reminding you that he didn't need children from you. He didn't need anything but you.

And now, the distance between you as you trekked up the Smoky Mountains spoke volumes to how far you'd come. You could feel his turning his gaze to you periodically, but you ignored him. Your neck has healed easily enough but the feeling remained. You had always known he was capable of cruelty, but you had never, never expected it towards you.

"You okay?" Klaus said, and you looked up, thinking he was talking to you, but his eyes were on Stefan, a smirk on his face. "Is Ray getting heavy?"

"I'm fine," Stefan rolled his eyes.

"You sure about that?" Klaus asked. "You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit down."

"You know, I get that we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chitchat, it'd be great," Stefan said. "Why don't you focus on trying to grovel to Y/N for whatever you did to piss her off this time?"

Klaus looked at you briefly before looking back at Stefan. "She's just having a bit of a tantrum. She'll get over it."

"You wish," you scoffed.

"I uh I guess she's not over it yet," Stefan said.

Klaus glared at him. "You don't understand how relationships like ours work, Stefan."

"You don't understand how relationships work, period," you rolled your eyes.

"When you've spent a millennium with someone, anger comes and goes," Klaus ignored you. "Of course there will be the occasional spats. You can't spend that long with someone with complete harmony at all times."

"Spat?" you scoffed. "And this is why my anger will never stop. Because you think this is a spat."

"No, I think this is a tantrum," he said nonchalantly.

You growled in anger before speeding at him, punching him in the face, causing his head to turn to the side as he stepped back from your hit. He smirked at you as he turned his face back to you.

"I've missed that fire. Do you feel better now, love?" he asked, smirking.

"Groveling didn't work so you're gonna make her angry?" Stefan rolled his eyes. "That seems like a terrible plan, but to each their own, I guess."

"I've been treating her like a child, coddling her out of her anger," Klaus said. "Perhaps further anger is the better means to my end. After all, they say there's a thin line between love and hate. She'll remember eventually."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," you said. He just smirked at you again in response.

"Is it going to be like this the rest of the decade because if so, just kill me now," Stefan said. "Better yet, let's just walk in silence."

"So much brooding. Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend," Klaus said.

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves while watching your pathetic attempts to woo Y/N," Stefan said. "We've been at it all summer."

"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack. As for Y/N," Klaus said, turning to look at you. "You'll be mine again, eventually. I'm willing to wait. I have ten years to change your mind."

"You're gonna need longer than that," you said. You didn't like the way he was looking at you. Because it was the way he used to look at you, as if there was no one else in the room, as if he couldn't imagine his life without you. That look still sent shivers down your spine. But you wouldn't be that weak. Especially not after last night.

"We'll see," Klaus said before stopping. "There."

You were relieved as you saw the pack's camp ahead of you, eager for Klaus to shift his attention from you. Stefan walked into the camp, the werewolves stopping what they were doing to look at him. He dumped Ray on the ground.

A woman ran up to him. "Ray! Oh my God. What's going on? Who are you?"

Klaus walked up to Stefan, a smirk on his face. "The important question is who am I. Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

You felt the tension rise in the camp at the mention of his name. You weren't surprised. Klaus hadn't exactly been quiet about his new status since the summer began.

"You're the hybrid," the woman stepped back.

"You've heard of me," Klaus smiled. "Fantastic. That'll make this much easier."

"What do you want?" The woman asked, the wariness evident in her face.

He sat down on a log. "I just want to talk," he said. "You see, my friends and I traveled a long way to find you all. And lucky for me, we found ourselves a whole pack."

You leaned against a tree as Stefan sat on the other side of the log.

"It's fascinating, actually...A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid," Klaus said. Suddenly Ray gasped, waking up again. "Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic."

The other werewolves looked at him in fear. "What's happening to me?" he choked out.

"Love?" Klaus said. "Why don't you explain? You had such a gentle touch with him before."

You rolled your eyes. "You're in transition," you told him.

"What?" the woman looked at you in horror.

"Stefan?" Klaus said.

"Are any of you human?" Stefan stood up. "Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."

"Doesn't take much, just a sip. Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend, along for the ride?" Klaus said, walking over to the woman. His eyes met the man standing beside her, who was edging closer to her. You had seen it from the start. She was a werewolf, and he was human, but still he wanted to protect her. "You."

He sped forward and grabbed the man's arm, biting it and throwing him to Stefan who threw him on the ground.

"No!" The woman screamed, rushing forward but Klaus grabbed her, his hand wrapping around her neck.

"Ah, ah, the show's not over yet," he said, smirking.

"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will," Stefan said, his face transforming. "Problem is I don't know how to stop."

You couldn't stop staring at the man, at the look on his face. Because his eyes weren't on Stefan, or even on Ray. He could have easily assumed he was about to die. But he didn't even seem to care. He was staring at his girlfriend, shaking his head, as if telling her not to try to risk herself to save him. You saw the concern in his eyes and you knew it wasn't for himself. It was for her. You knew that look. You'd seen it a million times. You'd had it a million more.

"It's the new order, sweetheart," Klaus smirked at the woman. "You join us, or you die."

"I'd rather die than be a vampire," the woman said.

"Wrong choice," Klaus said before he bit his own wrist and forced her to drink it. You watched as the man closed his eyes when Klaus twisted her neck, dropping her to the ground. He didn't even react when Ray drank from his arm.

"She'll thank me for that later," Klaus said. He looked around the camp, his eyes yellow and fangs out. "Okay. Who's next?"

• • •

You crouched down over the human, biting your wrist and holding it to his mouth. Around you, the werewolves were all dead. Not dead...in transition. Something you were sure no one had ever expected.

"There," Klaus came up behind you as the man healed from your blood. "Good as new. Now you relax, mate. We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up."

You looked sympathetically at the man as his eyes immediately darted to his girlfriend who was laying dead a few feet away. "She'll be okay," you told him.

"You don't know that," he spat at you.

"No, I guess I don't," you said. "But I hope she is."

You didn't realize Klaus was watching you until you looked up and met his eyes. He had a curious look on his face though you weren't sure why.

Near the rocks, Ray was shivering, rocking back and forth. "They're dead. They're all dead," he was mumbling.

"Ah, he's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon," Klaus said.

"So is this your master plan? Build an army of hybrid slaves?" Stefan asked.

"No, not slaves," Klaus said. "Soldiers, comrades."

"For what war, might I ask?" Stefan asked, looking at you as if you'd know. You looked away. Because you did know. You knew what hunted him, and you didn't think even these hybrids would be enough.

"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that no one ever dares pick a fight," Klaus said.

"What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?" Stefan asked.

"Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team," Klaus smirked. "That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder."

"That's why you're, uh...you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?" Stefan laughed. "Because it seems like Y/N was on your uh 'winning team' and she left."

"You'll know why I'm keeping you around when I've decided that I want you to know," Klaus said. "And while Y/N and I may be at odds at the moment, she still knows better than to bet against me, don't you love?"

You rolled your eyes as Ray started coughing up blood.

"Something's wrong," you said.

"That shouldn't be happening, should it?" Stefan asked.

"Well, obviously," Klaus growled. Ray's eyes started bleeding and you looked over at Stefan. Klaus' ability to turn the hybrids wasn't working, and you had a feeling you both knew why.

"You said it was gonna feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" Ray cried.

"Some master race," Stefan scoffed.

"Lose the attitude," Klaus glared at him.

"That's going to happen to her too, isn't it?" The man asked you.

You looked over at his girlfriend as she suddenly gasped and woke up. "Yes," you said simply. There was no point in lying about it.

"Derek, come feed your girlfriend," Klaus said. The man stood up and walked over to her. Ray, in the meantime, snarled before jumping up and trying to run off.

"Go get him," Klaus said to Stefan.

Stefan jumped on Ray, trying to contain him by pushing him on the ground. The werewolf bit him in the battle and you sped over, throwing him off of Stefan. He growled at you before running off into the woods. You offered Stefan your hand and helped him up, but you both froze as you heard something. Was that...that was Damon, wasn't it? Damon and Elena...and Alaric? You felt Stefan's hand grip yours tighter before he let go and quickly walked towards Klaus, drawing his attention from the woods.

"Where did he go?" Klaus asked.

"He uh he got away," Stefan said. "Forget him, let's go."

Klaus hummed before grabbing Stefan's arm, examining the new bite. "A fatal werewolf bite. Ouch," he said.

"Heal him," you said. "I'm ready to be done with this place."

"Well, tell you what," Klaus smirked. "You find Ray and then I'll heal you."

You rolled your eyes at him as Stefan scoffed. "You can't be serious."

"You better hurry, that bite looks nasty," Klaus said.

"I'll help you," you said. "We'll find him."

"No, actually, I don't think you will," Klaus said. "You'll remain here, Y/N, leave Stefan to his own little field trip."

You and Stefan exchanged a look and he discreetly nodded at you before walking off. You knew one of you needed to get to Damon, to get them away from here before Klaus found out about Elena. Around you, the werewolves started waking up, and Derek began feeding them all. You saw his girlfriend's eyes were bleeding now. Like Ray, she was rejecting the transition.

"We should kill them now," you told him. "Before they transition like Ray."

"Ray could have been a fluke," he said, not willing to give up his hope yet.

You groaned and looked at him. "Klaus, I know why you want this army, but they're dangerous."

"Once my army is complete, they will be dangerous to only those I order them to be," Klaus dismissed you.

"I know you're not that naive," you laughed. "Ray escaped despite your 'orders'. And this lot? They're not even going to make it through the transition."

He growled. "It will work."

"Maybe it will eventually, but not like this, not with these werewolves," you said. "Look at them, they're rejecting it. They will die anyway."

He looked over at you, a contemplative look on his face. "Is that what you want? You know why I want this, you know why I need it. And yet, you still stand against me. You want this to fail, as revenge for my actions against you."

"Trust me, sweetheart, my revenge won't be this subtle," you said.

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes hard on you before a smirk came to his lips. "Ah well, the sooner your revenge, the sooner we can then kiss and make up."

You rolled your eyes at him. "Keep dreaming," you said.

"Oh but I do," he sped to you, standing so close you could feel his breath on your face. "I dream of you every night, Y/N. Don't you dream of me?"

"I would call them more nightmares actually," you breathed out.

"You wound me," he said dramatically, stepping back. "That's alright, love, I did tell you I would be patient." He looked around at the werewolves, each still taking turns drinking from the human. "But you have to admit, this is everything we ever wanted."

"Your hybrids?" You scoffed. "I don't remember them being part of our master plan."

"No," he said. "You, me, and the deterrent against anything that may harm us standing before us."

You knew exactly what he was referring to. There was only one thing that could harm him, especially now. You looked over at him. "You are the most powerful creature on this planet and you're still afraid of him," you said quietly.

His eyes met yours, and you saw something in them you couldn't quite explain. "He has been dessicated," he said casually.

"What?" you gasped.

"Has been for some time," he said. "He got on the wrong side of the wrong witch, I suppose."

You were shocked. You hadn't heard of Mikael being dessicated, but you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. He who had hunted you all down for centuries, who had taken something so precious from you, who had forced his wife to play with forces he didn't understand, had met his doom at the hands of the servants of nature.

"Good," you said. "I hope it hurt, for Marcellus."

"Marcellus," Klaus said wistfully. "You know, we never really had a chance to grieve him."

"Who's fault is that?" you glared at him.

"Do you still think of him?" He asked, ignoring your question.

You looked down at the ground. "Of course I do. He was my son," you said softly. "He was our son. I knew I could never give you children, but having him, it felt like I hadn't failed you in that regard entirely."

He sped over to you, his finger hooking on your chin to pull your face towards him. His eyes were fierce as they met yours. "You never failed me," he said.

You pulled away from him. "It doesn't matter anymore," you said. You turned back to look at the werewolves. "If he's not a threat anymore, why do you need this deterrent?"

He looked at you with a look you could not read again in response before walking over to the human. "Bad news, my friend. End of the road for you," he said. The human did not resist as Klaus bit his neck, drinking him dry.

You watched as his girlfriend growled and rushed at Klaus, but he put his hand up. "Careful, love. There's only one Alpha here."

She glared at him before bending down next to the human, holding his dead body in her hands. The other werewolves were bleeding now too, staggering around the campsite. You looked on in concern, knowing what was about to come. One of them suddenly looked at you, a cold and hungry look on his face. You braced yourself for the attack as he rushed you, but as he approached, Klaus suddenly sped at him, tearing his heart out.

"Bloody hell," he growled as the others began to attack.

"I'm not one to say I told you so," you said as you ducked under a werewolf to escape his teeth. You flipped around him him and pulled his heart out. "Actually, I am. I told you so."

He glared at you as the two of you began making your way through the rest.

• • •

You were using a cloth you'd found by the tent to wipe off the blood from your hands when Stefan returned, a dead Ray over his shoulder. He dropped him on the floor and looked around at the dead bodies. You met his eyes with relief when he nodded at you. He had gotten Damon out.

"They went rabid," Klaus said. "Some of them, we killed. The others just...bled out. In the end, they're all dead."

"Just to remind the class, who said this would happen?" you threw the cloth away in disgust. You smelled like werewolf now and desperately needed a shower.

Klaus screamed and threw the bottle in his hand. "I did everything I was told!" He took a deep breath and looked back at the two of you. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelgänger."

You avoided looking at Stefan. So that was why this hadn't worked. You had suspected, but you weren't sure. Elena's survival had to be the key. You felt an odd sense of satisfaction in knowing Klaus wouldn't get what he wanted.

Klaus looked over at Stefan. "You look like hell."

"Last I checked, I'm dying...and you don't want to heal me," Stefan shrugged. "I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice. I failed you, I'm sorry. Do what you have to do."

Klaus didn't even seem to hear him as he looked at the dead werewolf. "It should have worked," he said.

He sighed and picked up an empty bottle off the ground, biting his hand and draining the blood into the bottle. "Bottoms up," he said, holding the bottle out to Stefan. "It appears you two are the only comrades I have left."

You and Stefan exchanged a look.

• • •

Chicago

You had been tense since you'd seen the Welcome to Illinois sign. Klaus had ordered you both into the car before driving in silence. You hadn't been to Chicago in decades, and for good reason. You'd made the streets of Chicago run red for most of the 90s. But there was also the fact that you knew where he was probably headed. It was the same place you'd once gone when you felt you had no other choice. Chicago had a very powerful witch.

"Welcome back to Chicago," Klaus said as you drove passed the city sign.

You stared out the window, dread filling you. You could feel Klaus staring at you from the corner of his eye, as if he knew. He had acted surprised when you told him you'd turned it off. You hadn't even contemplated that he knew, that he'd heard of what you'd done here. Did he know what this place meant to you?

"What are we doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I know how much you loved it here," he told him. "Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?"

"Blacked out most of them," Stefan said. "A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur."

"Well, that is a crying shame," Klaus said. "The details are what make it legend. The 20s Chicago was a beautiful time. Word was the ripper of Monterrey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was Prohibition. Everything was off limits then, which made everything so much fun."

You looked over at him, comprehension dawning on you. Gloria told you back then that she had met Klaus in the 20s, during Prohibition. It was right after he had compelled you away. He must have known Stefan then.

"I heard the 90s were quite a different story though," Klaus continued, looking over at you. You kept your face as neutral as possible as you looked back out the window. "Hm. I suppose Chicago has always been magical."

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it," Stefan said. "Like I said. I don't remember most of it."

"I'm sure you will in time," Klaus said cryptically.

"Why am I still with you?" Stefan asked. "We had our fun, your hybrids failed. You haven't gotten anywhere with Y/N. She seems to hate you more now. I mean, don't you want to move on?"

"We're going to see my favorite witch," Klaus said. "If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her. Besides, I think there's something else I want to ask her."

You tensed again when you felt his gaze on you again. He must have suspected it was Gloria who broke his compulsion. There weren't that many witches who would have had the power to do it outside of New Orleans. You had promised Gloria he would never find out it was her. You had a sinking feeling you were about to break that promise.

• • •

You walked into the empty and familiar bar behind them. It had been decades since you'd last been here. You remembered it well, the pain of breaking the compulsion didn't compare to the pain that came after. You were standing right outside this bar when you decided to turn it off, when you decided the void of emotions was better than feeling your heart breaking with every breath.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asked. You looked at him sharply, thinking he was talking to you, but he was looking over at Stefan.

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan said.

Gloria walked in, his eyes darting between you and Klaus. You discreetly shook your head at her, trying to let her know he didn't know. "You got to be kidding me."

"So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender," Klaus smiled at her.

"Stop," she put her hand up. "You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny." She looked over at Stefan. "I remember you."

"Yeah," Stefan said warily. "You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be..."

"Old and dead?" She laughed. "Now if I die, who's going to run this place?"

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," Klaus explained, his eyes moving to you.

"I can slow the aging down some," Gloria said cautiously. "Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."

"That's not all you can do, is it though, Gloria?" Klaus said.

"I know you're not walking up in my bar with that attitude, hybrid or not," the witch said.

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar?" Klaus said without taking his eyes off the witch.

"Yeah, sure thing," Stefan rolled his eyes before walking to the bar.

"Gloria," Klaus smirked. "You do look ravishing, by the way."

"Don't," she said. "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels fast."

"So what am I doing wrong?" He asked, sitting down across from her. "I broke the curse."

"Obviously you did something wrong. Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old," she said. "We'd have to contact the witch who created it."

"Well, that would be the original witch," Klaus said. "She's very dead."

You tensed, exchanging a look with Klaus. You knew where she was, where you hoped she'd always be. You remembered the night Klaus told you what he'd done. You'd kept his secret all these years, even from his siblings. You knew he feared her return almost as much as he feared Mikael, and truthfully, you did too. Esther had turned her back on him, punished him for her shame, and though she had always been kind to you, you would never forgive her for what she had done.

"I know," Gloria said. "And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah."

"Rebekah is a bit preoccupied," Klaus said.

"She has what I need," Gloria said. "Bring her to me." She looked over at you. "I guess you ran back to him eventually. I actually thought you were smarter than that."

You looked at her in shock. She had just given herself away, though she had once been fearful of what he would do if he found out she helped you. She rolled her eyes at your expression.

"He already knows, look at him," Gloria said, looking back at him. "Yeah, it was me."

"That wasn't your decision to make," Klaus said through gritted teeth.

"The poor girl was suffering," Gloria said. "I wasn't just gonna let her drive herself even more crazy. Though, I guess she did anyway. Couldn't wait to go on your killing spree until you got out of Chicago, huh?"

"I'm sorry," you said. And you were. You had been hurt, drowning in the pain. You hadn't been a saint before, but what you did in Chicago when you turned it off...it was still a deep regret for you.

"Yeah well, I'm keeping the ring," Gloria said.

You saw Klaus bristle at her words. He looked over at you, anger swirling in his eyes. "What ring?"

You didn't think it was a good idea to answer him. You remembered him giving you that ring all those years ago. He told you he'd had it spelled by witches Kol knew so that it would never weather, never rust, never break, much like his love for you. Even when he'd compelled your memories away, you kept it on a chain around your neck. You didn't remember the significance of it, but you knew it was important. Giving it to Gloria when she broke your compulsion was like breaking your tie to him. You knew he'd be furious, but you hadn't cared.

Stefan walked back over saving you from answering, a confused and angry look on his face. He held up a picture, a picture of him and Klaus. "What is this?"

"Well, I told you, Stefan," Klaus said, his eyes still on you. "Chicago is a magical place."

"But this is me," Stefan said. "With you."

"Very astute," he said, standing. "But your answers are going to have to wait. We have a little errand to run."

• • •

You walked into the warehouse, Stefan still looking at the photo. Klaus had been dangerously quiet since you'd left the bar, and you were just waiting for his wrath.

"This doesn't make any sense," Stefan said. "Why don't I remember you?"

"You said it yourself, that time had a lot of dark holes," Klaus said.

"If you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?" Stefan asked.

"I'm a little busy right now," Klaus said. "Memory Lane will have to wait."

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan demanded.

"Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you," Klaus said, walking over to a coffin. Rebekah's coffin. "I have a feeling I'm really going to regret this." He opened the lid, and you saw Rebekah laying there with a dagger in her chest, skin cold and gray. She was wearing a flapper dress, a string of pearls around her neck.

"When did you..." You asked.

"When we had to leave Chicago," Klaus answered, knowing what you meant to ask. "You remember how my sister was when she didn't get her way."

Stefan peered at her. "Your sister. So I knew another Original vampire. I don't recognize her."

Klaus gently touched her face. "Well, don't tell her that."

"Rebekah's temper is worse than his," you told Stefan as Klaus pulled the dagger out of her chest.

"Time to wake up, little sister," Klaus said.

You gripped the edge of her coffin. You were eager to see her again. For so long since you'd gotten your memories back, you'd been angry at her. You had always been her strongest ally against Niklaus. And when he sent you away, you thought she'd followed him. She'd left you alone. Now, because of Elijah, you knew that Klaus had lied to his siblings about your fate. She thought you left her. You wanted to make peace with your sister.

"Any day now, Rebekah," Klaus said. "She's being dramatic."

"Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on?" Stefan asked impatiently. "I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right? We all know why you want Y/N here, but I can't uh help you with that as I've said."

"Well, you have many other useful talents," Klaus said.

"Do I?" Stefan said.

"In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you," Klaus said. You barely listened as Klaus regaled him with a story of someone named Liam Grant.

"I told you, I'm not like that anymore," Stefan shook his head. "Who I was in Chicago is not me anymore."

"I don't know," Klaus smirked, walking towards the exit. "A few more years of this and we may have to come up with new tricks."

"Why should I believe any of this?" Stefan asked.

Klaus grabbed a guardsman and compelled him. "When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die."

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked as Klaus began walking towards the exit.

"You think I'm lying, Stefan," Klaus didn't turn around. "You and I knew each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets and now I'm going to prove it to you."

"How?"

"We're going to your old apartment," Klaus said.

You rolled your eyes. "As much as I'd love to see ripper Stefan's domain of self torture, I'm gonna pass on the field trip. I'll meet you at Gloria's."

• • •

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Damon was sitting at the bar with a glass in front of him when you walked in. Your eyes widened in surprise before you sped over to him, hugging him tightly. "I knew you always had a thing for me."

You pulled back and smacked his arm. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too, Y/N," he rolled his eyes.

"Damon, I'm serious," you said, sitting down beside him. "If Klaus sees you..."

"Then we'll make sure you're psycho boyfriend doesn't see me," Damon said.

Gloria walked over and put a glass of scotch in front of you. "You look like you could use this," she said.

"This and about fifty more," you smiled at her gratefully.

"Alcohol I can supply," Gloria said. "Common sense to stay hidden from an invincible hybrid that's obsessed with you, that even my magic can't do."

"Yeah well, you can blame this one for that," you nodded towards Damon.

"Hey, if you'd told me the cure would mean your psycho boyfriend would take you and push my brother off the deep end, I would have told you to let me die," Damon said.

"Yeah well, no take backs now," you said, chugging your drink. Gloria poured you another. "Thanks." You chugged that one too.

"I'll just leave the bottle here," she rolled her eyes before walking away.

You poured yourself another glass. "You gonna share or just drink yourself to death on your own?" Damon asked.

"When you get a psycho ex that is slowly killing your sanity, you can drink as much as you want," you grumbled.

"Katherine is still part of the land of the living so I think that warrants a few drinks," he grabbed the bottle and topped off his glass. He was silent for a moment. "So that bad, huh?"

You sighed. "It's fine," you said. "You got the cure. I can handle him for a few years."

"Y/N...I'm sorry," he said.

You looked over at him. "No, I'm sorry," you said. "You were a good friend to me. You saved me when I was at my lowest. And I repaid you with lies."

"Yeah well, I'm sure I lied to you at some point too," he smirked at you. The smirk fell from his face quickly as his expression turned serious. "Do you remember when we had that bonfire? It was Christmas, and we went into the woods and you made us write those little wishes?"

You nodded. "When you turned it back on."

"You wrote down that you wanted to get back whatever you lost, and I wrote that I wished you got back whatever you lost too," he continued.

"I bet you regret that now," you joked.

"Oh a thousand percent," he said. "I should have written I wished the bees stung you."

"Then I would have had to hurt you," you reminded him.

"Whatever, like you could ever hurt me," he smirked. "I told you that I turned it back on because I remembered what it felt like to have a friend."

"I remember," you said softly.

"I meant it," he said. "And whatever it takes, I'm gonna get you and my brother out of this."

"Damon, I'm going to get Stefan through this," you said. "Please trust that. I am not going to let him ruin your brother. But Klaus can't see you here or he'll kill you and there will be no saving Stefan from that. You need to leave before he comes."

"Relax, Y/N," Damon smirked, downing the rest of his drink. "You know me, I have a plan."

You rolled your eyes as he got up and walked towards the exit. "This is going to end badly," you said to Gloria as she walked back over.

"Honey, that's why we have the alcohol," she said, pouring herself a drink too.

You sighed and looked down at the rest of your drink. Suddenly, getting drunk tonight seemed like a very bad idea because you had a feeling you were going to have to stop Damon from getting killed by whatever idiotic plan he had concocted. This was going to be fun.

• • •

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'd love to hear thoughts!

Rebekah's about to join the fray! I'm excited to get them back to Mystic Falls to continue the drama. Hope to have a new chapter out soon! I thought I could write them faster but they're longer than my chapters in other stories so it's taking a bit longer. Also low key been reading Druig fanfics again post Saltburn and Barry Keoghan hype. But I'll try to get the updates out as soon as I can!