(Another long chapter bc I disappeared for a month)

"So?" Caroline sat next to Mia on the couch, wriggling her eyebrows. It felt like a lifetime since she'd seen her friend. The Petrova spent the previous day with Damon until the evening. "How'd your date with Dana go?"

After their interaction at the party Mia decided to make the first move and ask the girl out, part of her was worried she'd read into the signs too much and misconstrued them but was pleased, and a tad caught off guard when Dana immediately agreed.

"It was good." Mia shrugged, taking a sip of bourbon from her glass, completely ignoring the fact it hadn't even hit noon yet. "No big deal."

"Did you kiss?" Caroline edged closer in anticipation. The Petrova's tongue poked the inside of her cheek as she tried to stop the smile that was close to showing. "Wait...are you wearing her sweater?!" The blonde covered her mouth with both hands, failing to hide her excitement, "Oh my god, did you guys..."

"Yes, okay, yes we did!" Mia spoke loudly to put her friend's curiosity at ease, "Fucking hell Care, you really know how to push for answers. I was trying to build up suspense."

"Well.." Caroline bobbed her head side to side, "Was it good?"

"It was amazing." The brunette grinned until she remembered a detail that stuck out to her, "But she was acting... strange."

"Strange how?" Caroline quizzed, now wishing that she'd done more research on Dana to avoid her friend from being hurt. She felt as though it was her responsibility to make sure everyone that wanted to date Mia was suitable, and there was quite a queue. "Was it her first time?"

"No, not that kind of strange...she said it wasn't anyways. I asked before we even did anything." Mia pushed her hair back, moving it to the side of her neck. "She kept saying she wanted to take care of me, like constantly repeating it."

Caroline stayed quiet for a few moments as she took time to think until she came to a conclusion, "Maybe it's her kink, taking care of people. That's a thing right?"

"Not that anyone asked me, because you two always talk like you're the only ones in the room." Damon spoke up, startling the pair who hadn't realised he was sitting across them the entire time. "But... just go along with it, Pierce. Trust me, caregivers are the best."

Mia and Caroline both looked at each other in disgust, wondering where Damon got the audacity to include himself in their conversation. "Ew." The brunette mouthed silently.

"You're right." Caroline nodded, making the man smile, "No one asked you." 

Without giving him time to come up with a comeback the blonde turned to Mia in alarm as she suddenly recalled something, "Oh my god, I completely forgot to tell you, my dad got run over."

Mia pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughs, she quickly pulled herself together so she could act concerned, but couldn't bring her heart to care. "I mean, he kinda deserves it after what he did to you."

Bill Forbes had kept Caroline captive on the night of Elena's birthday, he'd tortured her repeatedly all because she was a vampire. It was his way of making her normal but in Mia's mind that was, as she phrased it, complete and utter bullshit. The urge to kill him on the spot was strong but Liz stopped her, not that she would've been discouraged if she truly wanted to do it.

"I know." Caroline sighed, playing with the hem of her shirt, "But he's still my dad, I kinda feel obligated to forgive him."

"You have every right not to though, and anyone who tells you otherwise is an insensitive prick and I'll kick their ass." She leaned forward and pinched the Forbes' cheek, speaking with a low growl, "I shall bring hell to the doorstep of those who harm you."

"My own bodyguard." Caroline smiled, moving Mia's hand away from her face so she could hold it. "He's okay though, only a broken arm."

"Did they catch who did it?" Damon chimed in.

"Nope, it was a hit and run." The blonde told them, reaching into her bag to get her lip gloss.

Whilst she was distracted, Mia and Damon made eye contact, smirks creeping onto both their lips. The antics they'd gotten up to the day prior would always stay between them, Caroline never needed to find out. 

If anyone asked, the Salvatore spent the afternoon giving Mia driving lessons and there's a small possibility they hit a few bumps in the road. Bumps shaped as a fully grown man who'd hurt their friend. Mia was furious with Caroline's father and wanted to take action and Damon... well he would never miss the opportunity to take part in chaos.

His phone began to ring so he answered it, "You're interrupting my drinking." His eyes practically rolled to the back of his head once the other person spoke.

"Who is it?" Mia asked, the main people he'd usually respond to in that way were sat right in front of him, excluding Matt... and Tyler, Jeremy, Elijah, Elena on some occasions, the mailman, Caroline's neighbour's dog that would always growl at the vampire, actually the list was quite lengthy.

He placed a hand over the speaker of his phone and scowled, "It's Katherine."

"Ew." Caroline and Mia spoke in unison. Their disdain for the woman had grown, as it rightfully should. There were several valid reasons for them not to be her biggest fan, since she showed up in town all she did was cause chaos. She used Caroline against her friends on several different instances, was one of the main reasons Mason Lockwood was dead. And also let Mia down in an insensitive way, but that last point was mostly because of Klaus, however the younger Petrova wasn't aware of that.

Damon carried on with his conversation, smiling triumphantly after getting the information he wanted. Although he found the doppelganger heinous, she did have some uses, stalking and giving intel being two of them. "Hey, Mia." The blue-eyed vampire held the phone out to her, "Any messages for your ancestor."

"Yeah." She took the device from him and cleared her throat. "Fuck off."

Caroline felt rather left out so she grabbed the phone from Mia's hands, eager to give her piece too, "I hope the hybrid finds and dismembers you."

Finally, Damon snatched it back off her, knowing they still had a lot more to say, "You have yourself a nice day, Katherine." His tone laced with sarcasm before ending the call. "Get dressed." 

"Where are you going?" Mia questioned as he made his way to the front door, "What did she say?"

"I'm going to get Elena and then.." Damon opened the door and turned around with a smirk, "We're going to Chicago to get Stefan." He left the house, feeling rather proud of himself for finally finding something out.

"Wait, didn't Stefan tell you to stop them looking?" Caroline glanced at Mia with alarm.

"Yup, but there's no way I can." Mia sighed, rubbing her temples, "I'll just slow them down instead. You coming with?"

"Can't." The Forbes responded, she checked her phone and smiled once she'd seen her boyfriend texted, "I have a date with Tyler tonight."

"I'm really happy for you." Mia beamed, holding the girl's hand. "You both deserve something good."

"You do too. If this Dana thing doesn't work out I'm dedicating all my time to making sure you get your happy ever after, even if that means I have to break up Stefan and Elena."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Mia laughed, picking up the shopping bag next to her. "Shall I wear this, I can't decide if I love or hate it." She took out the clothes and scrutinised them, "Maybe I'll leave the necklaces, they're kinda cluttery."

~~~~

"Pierce, you have 5 minutes or we're leaving without you." Damon yelled through the house, "It's been 2 hours."

"What's taking her so long?" Elena complained from the car. She was in a hurry to get to Chicago, eager to find Stefan, despite the many warnings he'd given them not to.

"I have no idea." Damon turned to her, his back facing the front door. "Mia!"

"What?" Mia spoke from behind him, causing him to flinch. "Keep your boobs on, Chicago isn't going anywhere."

Damon paused, looking at her up and down. "We're not going to Upper East Side, Blair Waldorf. What are you wearing?"

"Hey, I don't judge when you wear the same black shirt every day, so leave me alone." She opened the car door, taking a seat in the back. Her eyes scanned over her outfit, all of a sudden becoming self-conscious and managing to find flaws everywhere, she wondered if she could run inside quickly and change into something more casual.

"You look beautiful." Elena turned in her seat to say, she noticed the frown slowly appearing on Mia's face and wanted to reassure her. "Worth the two-hour wait."

"Thanks." Mia murmured quietly, in all honestly she was ready over an hour ago but was being slow on purpose hoping they would postpone the trip. Stefan had told her not to let them find him but Mia didn't see how that would be possible, considering they were two of the most stubborn people she knew.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road bitches." Mia leaned forward to play the music, slapping Damon's hand away when he tried to stop her.

After a while of driving in complete silence Damon spoke up, "Sure hope we find him, 'cause it would suck if the last memento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace." He looked at Mia through the mirror, his words had a double meaning. 

Mia glanced down at the necklace Stefan had bought her, she knew he was talking about the one Elena had but could also tell that Damon was aware of where hers had come from. She'd just been keeping it secret in case they tried to track where the package was dispatched from.

"Hey, Pierce. There's something there if you feel like reading." He reached back and took the book from the seat and handed it to Elena. "Read this. Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago." However that book was completely filtered only filled with the experiences of Stefan without his memories, the true one remained at his apartment in the city.

"I don't think we should go through that." Mia chimed in, the younger Salvatore's journals were tremendously important to him, it felt wrong to invade his private thoughts.

"Are you sure, I think there's something about you in here." Damon rose a brow, attempting to pique her interest but her expression remained unimpressed. He took the book from Elena and flicked to a random page. The blue-eyed vampire spoke in a low tone to mock Stefan, he was pretending to read but in reality was making things up as he went along.

"I went by cheerleading practice today to be a creep and stare at the girls. They all looked hot, especially Mia. I couldn't take my eyes off her in that short skirt, all I wanted to do was bend her over the bleachers and f-"

"Do you enjoy being an ass?!" Mia snapped, she kicked his seat and leaned back, part of her wondering what was actually in the book.

"Maybe, but this tells me that Stefan loves yours." He looked over at Elena, who was glaring at him, "Oh, don't feel left out. I'm sure he has some R-rated things written about you too. I just need to go over it first, make sure it's appropriate for you to see. The last thing we need is to find out about one of his secret kinks."

"What do you think he'd be into?" Both Petrovas didn't answer which only made him want to annoy them even more. "Come on, if you looked at Stefan, what could you see his kink being? Bondage? Knife play? Blood play?" He added with a smirk, "Ooh, what about being a caregiver? Just imagine, getting all hot and heavy with Stefan in the bedroom when all of a sudden he stops, leans down and says I want to take care of you." He gazed at the Petrova vampire, awaiting her reaction, "I could see it happening."

Mia's cheeks flushed, he was obviously making fun of her whole Dana situation. She smelt the faint scent of blood, her breath subtly hitched once she'd seen the crescent-shaped cuts along her palm, clearly a result of her unintentionally digging her nails deeply into the skin. It was a habit she'd grown out of since she returned to town, something she'd forgotten all about...until now.

Damon's smirk was visible through the mirror, Mia resisted the urge to push the wheel to make them crash into the nearest wall. Instead, she decided to take the low, almost cruel route, "Maybe compelling, you know forcing someone not be afraid. Using them as a blood bag for months and ignoring everyone when they said to let them go which could lead to the little human getting killed." Mia mimicked the expression that had now dropped from the Salvatore's face, she felt guilty for bringing Andie up but he deserved it. "I could see it happening."

"Give it a rest, both of you." Elena scolded, feeling suffocated by the tension that had just consumed the car. She decided to change the topic before one of them ended up throwing the other out of the vehicle. "Have you heard from Elijah?"

"Nope, haven't spoken to him since I told him we had nothing left to talk about... he took it way too literally." Mia was yet to tell anyone about his offer to leave town, she didn't see a reason to since she'd already declined it.

However sometimes when things in Mystic Falls became excessively hectic the thoughts of being abroad, away from the town would pass through her mind. She'd be with Elijah but was unsure as to what that would lead to. Them dating? Mia didn't really see the Original as the dating type and wasn't entirely sure if she was even attracted to him in that way.

Of course, he was good-looking, maybe in dire need of a haircut but still handsome nonetheless. They'd grown close during their time in Cordoba but hadn't had time for it to develop into something more. If either of them really wanted it to anyway. That was something she was still trying to figure out, whether or not she desired it to, or even if he did. 

The person she truly wanted was off limits, not only because of his girlfriend but also the hybrid that had him on a leash, exploring other options would've been perfectly reasonable but Mia couldn't think of anyone who would make her feel the same way the younger Salvatore did.

However all of that didn't stop her from feeling guilty about her last conversation with Elijah, everything he'd done was to get his family back but it'd cost them Stefan. On the other hand, if the Original had killed Klaus before he transitioned to a hybrid then Damon would be dead. Either way, someone would've been taken from them, the brunette was submerged with shame for secretly wishing it was the latter. 

If it came down to saving Stefan or Damon, she knew exactly what she would do. There wasn't much of a debate about it, the man she had intense feelings for or the one who killed her best friend, even though they were now friends she would never truly forgive him.

The GPS alerted them their destination was close, which meant Mia had already failed her job to delay them, that was until she saw a gas station. "I'm hungry."

"You can wait." Damon deadpanned, earning his chair a dose of kicking. Mia's boots bashed against the seat repeatedly to get his attention. The daydreams of strangling her with the seatbelt were the only thing quelling his anger.

"Damon, Damon." She spoke his name with each kick, "I'm not stopping until you pull up." Elena laughed quietly at the situation, it was amusing to see someone press the Salvatore's buttons, especially when he would always give in.

"I said no!" Damon snapped, "We are not stopping this car!"

~~~~

"Five minutes, in and out."  He got out of the car, closing the door with a slam once the girls had exited. He looked at Mia, annoyance visible on his face, "You're a brat."

"And you're whipped." She flashed an innocent smile and linked her arms with Elena's as the two walked into the store, her eyes scanned the shelves but they were practically bare so she wouldn't be able to waste time pretending to decide what to pick.

"What can I get for you ladies?" The ridiculously good-looking man at the till asked, both Petrovas glanced at each other with a smirk. The name Scott was stitched on his shirt, causing Mia to hold back laughter. The last man she met with that name had to limp to the hospital after their...activities. She had considered healing him with her blood but he was already far too traumatised to be compelled.

You. Which is what she truly meant but instead she settled for, "Does the slush machine work?" Elena wandered off to the bathroom, not wanting to be in the way of Mia's flirting.

"Nope, it's honestly just there for decoration at this point." The man sighed, feeling heated under Mia's gaze, he found it difficult to make direct eye contact with her as though he would get hooked at first glance. "But um.... we've got some money coming in soon so this place is getting a makeover."

"You win the lottery or somethin'?" She tugged her skirt slightly, acting as though she was fixing it. As expected his eyes travelled down her body, it was refreshing to meet someone other than a trucker.

"I wish but no." He knelt behind the counter, coming back up with a guitar case. "I'm in a band, we've got a shit ton of gigs coming up."

And just like that...he's automatically hotter. Mia had forgotten how much she loved people with a creative talent, that was something Mystic Falls lacked, apart from football, cheerleading, and murdering, no one had talents. Tyler could draw well but wouldn't do it as often as he used to. "That's so cool."

"Do you play?" Scott asked the girl who was practically giddy at the sight of the instrument, "Come here, I'll teach you." He held her hand and lead her around the counter, placing the guitar in front of her. She couldn't help but think about the last time she'd held one.

"Prepare to be amazed," Mia announced to Stefan, he sat across her in anticipation. Elena had broken up with him, their relationship had become too dangerous with Katherine in town. She'd compelled Jenna to stab herself which added to Mia's list on why she despised the doppelganger. 

"I'm prepared." Stefan leaned back in his seat and watched in amusement as she tried to readjust the guitar strap on her shoulder. "It's twisted." He reached forward to fix it, smoothening it back down so the bumps wouldn't irritate her. "Go ahead."

"What you're about to witness will be life-changing but please ... try to stay conscious." She cleared her throat and shuffled in her seat, closing her eyes to prepare. Her hand drifted the pick down along the strings once as she strummed a single chord. Mia glanced back up at the Salvatore, beaming.

Stefan furrowed his brows, awaiting the rest of the song that would never come. "Carry on."

"That's it." The truth was she didn't even properly attempt to learn a song, boredom overtook her after the first minute so she played music on the radio instead and gave her room a private concert, certain that if she wasn't a vampire she'd be giving Britney Spears a run for her money but then arrived at the conclusion that they'd be better working together than competing. "Did you like it?"

"Um.. yeah." Stefan chuckled quietly, realising that it was a bad idea to leave her alone if she was trying to do something new but he went to find Katherine only to come back empty-handed. Still, Mia managed to make him forget about his troubles. She was the one person he knew wouldn't judge him and vice versa. "It's my new favourite song."

"Thank you, I wrote it just for you." She told him, grinning. "It's called Bunny Muncher because it's short...like the lives of the rabbits you devour."

"I take that back, I hate it." Stefan deadpanned, "Let me show you." He edged closer to sit behind her, holding one of her hands to the neck of the instrument. "Put one finger here and the other one here." He gazed at her, watching the concentration contort her expression. "Okay, now try."

Just as before she flicked the pick, causing a tune to sound through the air. "Good." He nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear so he could see her completely. "Then move them...here." His grip remained on her hand as he placed it upwards on the guitar. "Try these two chords." A smile immediately made its way to both their faces once she began playing, although it was a very basic melody he could've sworn it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard.

Or perhaps the thing he truly found stunning was the way Mia had reacted once she'd achieved it.

The Petrova looked back at the man, their eye contact fixed for several moments, neither of them saying a word until a faint noise came from across the house, more specifically a moan. Damon clearly had company over and forgot to warn them.

The two vampires grimaced simultaneously before breaking out into hysterical laughter. Mia paused for a second to appreciate the Salvatore's smile, he hadn't been doing much of that since Elena had broken up with him, she wished he'd do it less sporadically, to her it was beautiful, he was.

"Actually, I think I prefer it when you play." Mia noted, handing him the instrument. "You can drown out all their noise." She sat in the chair across the couch, resting her chin upon her palm as she admired him creating a peaceful atmosphere with his song.

"Hey, are you okay?" Scott spoke up, snapping her back to reality. "You kinda got lost for a second there."

"I'm fine." Mia said quickly, feeling embarrassed for letting the daydreams submerge her, it was most likely the excitement that they would finally see Stefan again.

"I thought you didn't know how to play, that was really good." He lifted the guitar that was hung on her shoulders and placed it behind him, taking a step back to make sure the draw was closed properly. 

This meant when he turned back around he came face to face with the brunette, their bodies flushed together against the counter. "You're a good teacher." Mia smirked as the blood rushed to his face tainting it red.

"Those bathrooms are surprisingly clean." Elena interrupted once she entered the room again, her eyes widened slightly when she realised what she'd done. "Sorry, they're just... really clean."

Before Scott could respond Damon swung the door open, "I must be going out of my mind because I'm pretty sure I specifically said 5 minutes but according to my watch it's been 6. So either I've gone insane or you two don't know how to follow simple instructions." 

"This your brother?" Scott asked, looking past Damon and focussing on the car parked behind him.

"Nope, he's our hooker." Mia spoke in such a convincing tone that he believed her straight away. "He gets a little needy when we leave him alone for a while. Go wait in the car Disco Dick we'll be there soon." That was the only thing that came to mind.

"Disco what?" Scott quizzed, now examining the vampire.

"That's his hooker name." Elena chimed in, placing her snacks on the counter. "You know, Disco Dick, Disco Bal-"

"You're done." Damon snapped, grabbing both their wrists but Mia immediately moved away. "Get in the car before I drag you."

"Don't overestimate yourself." Mia scoffed, walking down the aisle, "I still haven't bought anything, I'll be quick."

"Two minutes or we're leaving without you." He pointed then went to the car with Elena.

I'm kinda hoping this will take more than 2 minutes. Mia faced Scott, who was already staring at her. "Clean bathrooms, right?" She smirked when he strolled to the door turning the sign so it now said Closed. Mia made her way to the back with Scott right behind her, she pulled on his arm so their bodies collided, lips connecting before they shut the door and locked it.

After half an hour Mia walked out the bathroom, smoothening down her skirt and hair that'd become dishevelled but still, she looked better than Scott did. She wiped her thumb across the small drop of blood that rested at the corner of her mouth and licked it off, he just happened to have her favourite type.

"That was...amazing." Scott sighed, stumbling out the room. Looking back, Mia realised she may have been a tad too rough with him but she did heal his bite marks and compel him, the rest was to be expected if you slept with the brunette.

"You okay?" Mia giggled as she watched him trying to regain composure, she picked up a water bottle from the nearest shelf and handed it to him. "I gotta go but I'll call you." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, sauntering away.

"Sure, wait you never gave me your-" His words were cut off by the door closing, disappointment consumed him as did the fact it was unlikely they'd ever meet again. "Fuck."

Once Mia had gone outside she saw that Damon's car wasn't where she'd last seen it, a part of her believing that he actually left without her. However those thoughts were proved wrong when she saw a glimpse of the car that was parked around the corner. They just wanted her to think they'd gone.

They're my bitches, both of them. Mia smiled triumphantly, she strutted to the car and got inside. "I thought you were leaving."

"Shut up." Damon groaned, glaring at her through the mirror as he drove off.

~~~~

"George, you need to calm down." Gloria scolded the man who was stood behind the bar, "If you keep sassing Klaus there's a high chance he's gonna retaliate."

"Frankly, I couldn't give a single fuck. I'm not that pushover kid from 90 years ago." George shrugged as he wiped the glasses dry. "He's still a baby-faced pric-."

"Oh lord, well look what the wind blew in." Gloria murmured, her vision fixed on the brunette that'd just walked in. Due to Mia's interruptions, they'd arrived in Chicago a lot later than planned. "George look."

"What?" He glanced up. his jaw dropping slightly at the sight of the girl. "There's no way."

"Now, what are the chances she's in town the same time Klaus is, you think she remembers?" Klaus had returned to Chicago in 1924, 2 years after leaving but no one knew where Mia was, he didn't have time to search the entire city so he went back to their home and took all the belongings she left behind, his heart-wrenching when he'd seen the blue ribbon laying on the floor and all the gifts he'd brought her still in her room. 

What he didn't know was George had already collected half of her things and left the boxes outside of her and Jesse's new house, which was on the opposite side of the city, without a note to keep the anonymity. Gloria had warned him to stay away from the girl, knowing he would most likely tell her everything, and here she was 90 years later back in the bar they'd spend every day in.

"That's an infant." George gawked at the brunette who was busy getting nudged by a dark-haired vampire he'd never seen before. "Was she always that little?"

"It's almost been a century you fool, we've gotten older." However even Gloria was taken aback by the girl's appearance, she hadn't aged a day but her aura seemed different.

"Damon, I swear to God if you poke me one more time I'm gonna snap your fucking finger." Mia fumed, pushing him away harshly. They'd left Elena at Stefan's old apartment and gone to the only place where the supernatural was well known, Gloria's bar. "Stop!"

The eyes of the two witches broadened once hearing the Petrova curse, "Looks like we're not the only ones who've changed." George smirked as Gloria made her way over to the vampires.

"Would you look who it is, Damon Salvatore, last I heard you hated this place?" She may have been speaking to him but she couldn't look away from Mia. "Who's your friend?"

"She's my hooker." Damon remarked, wincing when Mia elbowed him in the stomach. He leered at the older woman, "Damn, if I knew you were going to age like this, I would've stuck around."

He's such a slut. Mia rolled her eyes and made her way to the bar, George tried to control his heartbeat, afraid that he would let something slip. "Can I have a water please?"

"You sure you don't need something stronger, that guy seems like a headache." George joked, sliding the glass across the counter.

"Trust me, he is but I kinda need to stay sober to deal with this bullshit." She downed the water in one go, thanking him when he refilled it immediately. "But the guy we're avoiding is way worse."

"Worse than him?" He rose a brow, taking a sip from his own glass. "I'm guessing you're talking about the hybrid."

"Yup, Klaus Mikaelson." Mia spoke his name with distaste. "He's a grade-A asshole with anger issues, like a stain we can't get rid of... he's an evil bastard."

George began a coughing fit as he choked on the gin he'd just taken a sip of, "Not a fan, huh?" He asked with steamed eyes, catching the attention of both Gloria and Damon. He thought back to the younger version of him that would be dancing at the thought of Mia hating Klaus.

"Of course not, he came to Mystic Falls a few months ago, tryna break some curse on him." She pulled out her phone to read the message Caroline had sent, the blonde needed her opinion on a dress she'd just bought. "Now he's kidnapped our friend, using him as a little sidekick. Plus his accent is really annoying, makes everything sound like a fucking Shakespeare sonnet."

This is not the same girl. George fought hard against the laughs he wanted to release, he was now completely satisfied that karma existed, it may have been 90 years too late but it'd still given him justice. Some may say it was petty but he was glad Klaus had finally gotten what he deserved.

"Let's just change the subject." Mia sighed, running a hand through her hair, it was still faintly messy. "So...how long you been working here?"

"Too many years to count, but on other days I work.." He too grabbed his phone and scrolled, looking for pictures, "I work, well I own Kentigern House, the orphanage." He held out the device to her showing photos of him with the children he'd now grown to love as his own.

"So cute!" Mia cooed, smiling at the man. If only she knew that she was the one who'd told him to go for the job in the first place, "That's honestly amazing."

The bartender smiled back, it was a bittersweet moment. He would've paid anything for her to call him Georgie again.

"Pierce." Damon beckoned, causing both Gloria and George to be confused, she'd told everyone back then that her last name was Peterson. "Go get us some coffee, we're all road trippy and gross."

"And how the fuck do you expect me to know where the store is?" Mia huffed, kind of annoyed that he hadn't even apologised for their dispute in the car.

"Didn't you used to live here?" Damon spoke in a mocking tone which George picked up on immediately and glared. "Or did you forget that too?"

"Yes I did, dick." The Petrova hit back, "But I lived on the other side, we never came down here." The two witches gave each other a look to appreciate the humour of the situation but they also felt pride that Mia had begun to stick up for herself, Klaus never gave her the opportunity to, he'd always kill anyone who crossed her.

"It's just down the street, honey." Gloria piped up, "Has a huge sign outside, you can't miss it."

"Fine." Mia slid off the stool and held her palm out, Damon simply looked at her blankly, "Give me your card." The vampire sighed, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his wallet and handed it to her. "Thank you Disco Di-"

"Shut up and go." Damon snapped, he held her by the shoulders and lead her to the front door. Once they'd gotten outside he turned to whisper, "I'm gonna check on Elena, Gloria told me Stefan will be here tonight."

"But if Stefan's there that means Klaus will be too." Mia noted, looking around to make sure no one was listening, "How do we stop him from seeing Elena?"

"I'll distract him, give Elena enough time to persuade Stef." He took off walking back to the apartment, "All you have to do is stay out of trouble."

"I always do!" Mia shouted back, her phone vibrated in her pocket, catching her attention. She began strolling down the pavement, her eyes glued to the screen until she heard a familiar voice.

"I couldn't care less if he's struggling Stefan, if I ask you to keep him restrained I expect you to do so without complaints." She glanced up in alarm, spotting none other than Klaus Mikaelson sat outside a café by himself. 

Lonely motherfucker. She watched as he put the phone on the table, picking up a small notepad as he drifted a pencil across it. His brows furrowed lightly as he concentrated on the drawing, being back in Chicago had affected him more than he'd care to admit, there were memories everywhere he looked.

"Hey baby." A car drove past Mia, the passenger rolled down the window and whistled at her, the noise alerting the hybrid but when he looked up no one was there.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Mia whispered repeatedly as she backed into the alleyway outside the bar. "Stupid, motherfucking prick... fuck." A never-ending stream of curses left her mouth as she continued walking backwards, deeper down the back street. "Why did that bitch have to whistle?"

All of a sudden her back came into contact with something, her breath hitched and she chastised herself for already getting into a difficult situation when it'd only been a minute. A hand brushed against her thigh before resting on her hip and a voice spoke lowly, "Hiding, are we?"

Kill me now. A fragment of her debated running right there, but he was an Original, it wouldn't be a fair race. Klaus had seen her as soon as the man catcalled, he could be in a crowd of thousands and would still find her immediately. 

Mia turned around slowly, coming face to face with the hybrid. "Hi Klaus." She said sweetly, plastering on a fake smile. "How are you?"

Just when he thought his mind had strayed away from her she appeared in front of him, back in the place they met, the city where they'd fallen in love, more specifically the very same alleyway where they'd escape to when people in the bar became too overbearing. As much as he tried he couldn't stop the past images of her flashing through his head, the feeling of their bodies pressed together against the wall, the sound of her calling his name, the soft sighs she let out when they kissed. "What are you doing here?"

Mia paused to think, "Would you believe me if I said I came here for you?" She saw a small gleam of hope shine in his eyes, making her heart immediately twinge with guilt however once she'd reminded herself of the things he'd done that feeling soon faded. "That I was laying in bed all alone and the only thing I could think about was... maybe you're not the sadistic, homicidal, hybrid prick that we all think you are."

His facial expression hardened as he realised she was mocking him, causing her to smirk. "No, not convincing enough? Okay, then let's go with this. None of my friends have been ruthlessly murdered in like a month so I got bored and I heard Chicago was really nice this time of year." 

She swayed on the spot, attempting to look innocent, "I just came for a day trip and now I'm buying souvenirs for my friends. You know, the usual like snow globes, fridge magnets... green-eyed vampires with addiction issues."

Klaus' eyes narrowed at the mention of Stefan which the brunette noticed, "Relax, I'm not here to abduct your little buddy, I'm just checking on him."

"Did he ask you to?" Klaus remarked flatly, hating that she'd travelled all that way for another man, however, what was edging his anger more was the scent of male cologne all over her, someone had been touching her and the urge to remove their hands was strong.

"Nope but that's what friends do for each other." She went to take a step forward but he blocked her way, to her that meant he was basically asking to be insulted. "You wouldn't know because you have to blackmail or... kidnap people into spending time with you."

The hybrid chuckled quietly, rubbing his temple, "You're still hung up on that?"

"No, because that would mean that I think about you and in all honestly..." Mia drew closer to him, bringing their faces to a flustering distance, "I haven't given you a single thought since you dragged your sorry ass out of Mystic Falls."

As much as the words burned, Klaus knew it was inevitable for her to be feeling that way about him. Unlike him she couldn't recall anything about being the love of each other's lives, being the only people who truly understood one another. She had no recollection of the long nights they'd spend engrossed in lust and adoration. He decided that it would be easier to play into the role she'd already given him than to cause confusion by trying to do otherwise. 

The hybrid leaned in closer to see how long she was willing to leave her cold composure up, the space between them small enough for their breaths to fan across each other. In that moment he was doing everything in his power to restrain him from closing the gap. Klaus' nose brushed against hers, his heart aching at the sadness of their situation but Mia's eyes remained hard, glaring at him with every ounce of hatred she could muster. Klaus sighed, wishing he could give her the memories back right there but it wouldn't be wise.

He realised she was probably finding all of this extremely strange but couldn't bring himself to move away. Being in the same space as her once again was intoxicating to him, the peace he needed all those years when he was away from his lover.

All of a sudden he felt a powerful sting at the bottom of his rib, causing him to stagger back. He leaned back against the wall, eyes widening with shock when he saw Mia holding out a small taser. "What the hell was that for?" He exclaimed.

"You were about to kiss me!" She retorted, pointing the weapon towards him as a warning to stay away.

"No, I wasn't." Klaus winced, he tugged on the grey Henley he was wearing, lifting it to expose his body. A red mark tainted his skin, laying just above one of his abs whilst Mia's gaze slowly dropped to it, he was in better shape than she expected. Klaus glanced up and smirked when he'd seen her staring, he thought it was best not to say anything, in case she decided to zap him again. 

"Whatever." The Petrova cleared her throat and looked away, pretending not to pay attention. "Just don't try anything like that again or next time I'm aiming a lot lower."

"Trust me, sweetheart..." He strode towards her, taking the taser from her hand and put it in his pocket. The hybrid hooked a finger under her chin, turning her face towards him, "When I do decide to kiss you, you won't be caught off guard. You'll be more than willing, eager even."

"I highly doubt that." Mia sassed, stepping away from his touch. "And don't call me sweetheart, prick." She began walking down the alleyway and as she expected was stopped by him when he sped in front of her. "What do you want?"

"Where's Damon?" Klaus asked, surveying their vicinity for the vampire.

"Why do you assume he came with me?" Mia crossed her arms, trying to think of a way to escape. She would've tasered him again but he'd taken it away from her, just like her old knife.

"Your friends know better than to let you out of their sight." The necklace resting on her chest caught his attention but he couldn't pinpoint where he recognised it for. His gawping made Mia slightly uncomfortable as she assumed he was staring at her breasts.

"And why's that?" She quizzed, placing her hands on either side of his head to tilt it upwards. The brunette was rather disgusted with his lack of decency and discretion in his leering, unaware that he was trying to figure out where he'd seen a diamond like the one on her jewellery.

He moved both her hands and held them in his, "From what I hear, you have a certain talent for getting yourself into...trouble."

"As if you know anything about me." Mia scoffed, yanking her arms back from him. "And don't flatter yourself, I have bigger issues than you." 

As if you know anything about me. Her words repeated in his mind as he silently listed the things she liked and disliked, but if he was to say them aloud she would most likely hit him and run away, wondering how he had known those details.

Mia could sense that he was distracted so she looked over his shoulder, faking a scared expression. This immediately alarmed Klaus, he turned around to see what it was that frightened her so, however all he could see was a streetlight and a building. He faced back again, sighing once he'd seen that the girl was gone.

"He's so stupid." Mia giggled as she walked down the street, the huge sign of the coffee shop finally coming into view. "Dumb prick."

"Who is?" Klaus mocked with feigned wonder as he strolled beside her. She hadn't gotten far and as he'd proven before, it was easy to spot her in a crowd.

"Go away, stalker." Mia huffed, edging away from him so she was now on the end of the sidewalk. "Leave me alone."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you the one sneaking through backstreets in the very same city you knew I was in." Klaus raised a brow, the smirk on his face irritating Mia in a way she couldn't explain. "Which I believe would make you the stalker."

"God, your ego is so fucking big." She rolled her eyes, ignoring the fact his point was valid. "Anyone would think you're compensating for something."

Once again visions of her beneath him played on his mind. Her nails digging into his shoulders as he would thrust deeper, endless whimpers and pleas leaving her lips, sounding through the room. This usually lead to Rebekah complaining the next day about all the ruckus, but to Klaus it was the most heavenly thing he had the blessing of hearing.

 The hybrid moved towards her, putting his arm over her shoulder as they walked, "I don't need to compensate for anything, sweetheart." Mia furrowed her brows at the use of the nickname she'd just told him to stop addressing her as, "Fine, what would you prefer I call you?"

"I'd prefer you don't speak to me at all." Mia replied cheekily, brushing his arm off her. She entered the coffee shop and stood in the queue. The shop was empty excluding one person behind the counter and 2 others in the line.

Klaus, on the other hand, held her by the wrist, pushed past all the people and went straight to the front. "We'd like to order please." The Petrova pressed a hand to her heart, acting astonished that he even knew what the word please was, this earned her a scoff from him.

"Hey, you can't do that." A man in the line objected, he grabbed onto Mia's shoulder and nudged her. 

Which, as expected caused rage to seethe in the hybrid. "Get your hand off her or you'll find yourself without either of them." 

The guy chuckled and gripped her even harder but before Klaus could pounce Mia had already taken matters into her own hands. She latched onto the man's arm and twisted it, the sound of bones snapping echoed through the store. He doubled over, kneeling down with pain however she didn't stop there. The brunette swung her leg back, bringing it back in with full speed and kicked him in the groin. 

The man lay on the ground, groaning in agony. Mia bent over, hovering above him, "When he said get off me, he meant right fucking now." She smiled mockingly then turned around to compelled the worker to ignore what she'd just seen and began to order. Klaus stared at her in complete awe, he always loved seeing her take control. 

But what he loved even more was protecting her himself. When her back was turned the man's friend charged towards her. Klaus sped between them, shielding her. His hand went straight for the unknown guy's throat and he lifted him off the ground. "That was rather stupid of you."

"Fuck you dude." The guy managed to strain out as the hybrid's hold grew tighter.

"Klaus, it's fine just let him go." Mia spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch still had the calming effect from 90 years prior. In spite of that, he didn't budge and continued to strangle the man whose face was now draining of colour. "Klaus, drop him!" The Petrova repeated louder, she couldn't see why he was so insistent on defending her.

"Fine." He deadpanned, launching him across the room which caused him to collide with several tables until finally hitting the wall. The hybrid faced Mia, the grin on his face showed no signs of leaving, this was a huge contrast to the unimpressed look that the brunette was wearing. "You told me to drop him."

"You know that's not what I meant." Mia scolded before going to the counter once more, as she was about to pay for her order Klaus interrupted. He pushed her hand away, refusing her the chance to give her own money. "What are you doing?" She tried resisting his hold but it was unlikely she would win, after all he was ten times her age.

"Sir, she has to pay." The barista said timidly, part of her wondering if she should call the police.

"If you take even a penny from her you'll end up over there with our dear friend." He glanced back at the unconscious man, who was laid motionless on the other side of the room. "Do I make myself clear?" 

"You're such an asshole." Mia snapped, attempting to move from him once again but instead he pulled on her, bringing her body right next to him. 

His hand snuck under her jacket as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Must you make everything a struggle?" Klaus leaned down to whisper huskily. And just like that, she stopped fighting and stood still, after seeing the look on the worker's face she thought it would be best to comply. The hybrid rubbed her back and pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, "Good girl."

I need help. The brunette pressed her lips upwards, praying her blush wasn't evident. Like a full psychological evaluation. As much as she hated to admit it those words had an effect on her but it was mainly because she liked praise. Mia was certain that if it wasn't Klaus who spoke them then she would've enjoyed it a lot more.

"Have you eaten anything?" Klaus asked but she looked away and ignored him. The hybrid sighed at her stubbornness, although they were close physically, their minds were both in completely different places. "Could I get one of those?" He motioned to the muffins on the tray, once the barista had gotten their order ready, Klaus released Mia from his hold in order to get his money out.

However, when he turned back, the girl had disappeared once more. "This woman will be the end of me." The original huffed, leaving the store and the things he paid for behind. He caught sight of her walking on the opposite sidewalk. 

She stopped in her tracks when she spotted a little girl trip up on the pavement. Klaus quietly chuckled at the child's idiocy but Mia rushed over to help her up. He watched as she spoke to the kid, consoling and making sure she was okay. It was clear her maternal side hadn't faded after all those years, she was still a natural when it came to children. Mia would make a perfect mother.

Mia would've made a perfect mother.

Klaus made sure no one was looking and used his vampire speed to get to her, as expected she rolled her eyes at his presence. "You shouldn't help them up when they fall, they'll never learn that way."

"And you shouldn't laugh." Mia hit back, she knew she was guilty of the same thing on some occasions but obviously wouldn't bring that up. Just as Klaus opened his mouth to deny it she spoke again, "I could fucking hear you."

"You have to admit, it was quite amusing." Klaus attempted to convince her, he slipped his hand into her jacket pocket, putting something inside. Mia didn't think anything of it, he seemed to be touching her a lot so she overlooked it.  "There was nothing on the pavement, she tripped on air."

"You know sometimes, vampires not being able to procreate...it can be a blessing. You would be the worst dad ever." Mia sassed, strolling ahead once again. 

Klaus didn't think on her words too much, he had no desire to become a father, not that there was even a small possibility of it happening. The sun began to set, causing an orange and pink glow to tint their surroundings, Klaus gazed at Mia, taking time to appreciate how the radiance illuminated her skin. He allowed himself to drift into a daydream, a fantasy. 

One where he never left her when Mikael had tracked them down, where they'd spent almost a century together, their love for each other growing stronger with each minute that passed. They would've gotten married, of course and she'd be Mia Mikaelson, his wife.

 Perhaps they visited Chicago after being away for so long. Mia, being the excitable love of his life, would get distracted by the luminescence that came with that time of day. She would turn back and urge him to keep up, holding his hand to ensure she wouldn't lose him. They'd waste the day wandering around the city, maybe having a picnic in the old park they would visit in the 20s. 

People would watch them, overflowing with envy that they could never achieve what they had, finding their soulmate. They'd point and stare, the men would be killed on the spot for leering at the Petrova, Mia would then pull the hybrid away and attempt to calm him down.

And, because it was her, he would oblige and apologise for such violent acts. The apologies wouldn't be sincere, he knew that and so did she. They would lay on the grass after the sun set, Mia would gaze at the stars and talk about how beautiful they were. Klaus would agree, even though his eyes would be glued to her the entire time. 

He'd then sketch his wife, without needing to look up as he had every inch of her memorised, however that wouldn't stop him from peering over the notepad to sneak an extra glance. The brunette would force him up and spin around, they'd waltz theatrically in order to see who laughed first. Of course, they'd both break at the same time and slow dance in the pale moonlight.

Then once they'd returned home, the married couple would stand on the balcony. Klaus' arms wrapped around her body whilst she stared at him, her eyes making it impossible for him to break contact for even a second. Mia would hold his face in her hands and thank him for the perfect day, but also for making the last 90 years be filled with perfect days, she'd declare that her love for him was undying, he'd say the same. Then they would kiss, their lips connecting perfectly before he would lift her from the ground and carry her to their bed, continuing the cycle they had spent almost a century on.

And he'd wish for nothing more.

However, that's all it was. A daydream, a fantasy.

He stopped walking upon seeing the Petrova talking to a group of random men. They appeared to be selling lemonade but was more focussed on trying to convince Mia to accompany them to a party. 

"Sorry, I'm only here for a day." Mia smiled sympathetically, "Heading home in a bit."

"That's too bad." A man with auburn hair sighed, he reached back and grabbed a cup of lemonade from his friend, "Here, on the house." But that wasn't a normal glass of lemonade, Klaus had seen one of the man's acquaintances drop a small pill into the cup. They clearly didn't like the answer she gave them so sought to take matters into their own hands.

Which meant it would only be fair for Klaus to do the same thing. The hybrid stormed up to them, swiftly snapping all their necks in within a flash. "What the fuck are you doing?!" Mia exclaimed with wide eyes, ogling all the corpses that lay on the concrete.

"This is not the time to be arguing with me." He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her along the street, ignoring her objections and shouts.

"Let go!" Mia yanked on her arm but it was no use, his sudden outburst had alarmed her, even slightly frightened the brunette. "Klaus I'm not joking get off me." It was clear he was angry but there was something deeper than shone in his eyes, it wasn't an ordinary rage. She couldn't decipher it but knew that she never wanted to experience it again. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Nik, what's wrong? Just tell me what happened."

Klaus took them down a separate alleyway and backed her into the wall, his hand automatically finding its way to her back. "I'll tell you what's wrong.." His voice was harsh and snappy, the blonde snatched the cup from her hand and hurled it at the wall, the plastic broke from the impact, causing the contents to drip down the bricks.

"You never learn, you walk around thinking everyone has honourable intentions." He always felt guilty for scolding her but this time the Petrova's brows weren't furrowed like they used to be when he yelled, her lip wasn't jutted out, she simply wore a blank expression. 

"These men are not your friends, they don't want to get to know you. I've lost count of the amount of times I've explained this to you." Klaus cupped her cheek in his hand, although the gesture was gentle, his tone was anything but. "Have you forgotten what happened last time?!"

Confusion, was all Mia was feeling in that moment, "I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about." As soon as she spoke those words Klaus' mind came to a halt, he was still stuck in his daydreams without realising. Seeing those men trying to take advantage of Mia had sparked the anger he had the night of her attack, he wasn't there to protect her from Mariano nor did he have a chance to make the man pay for his actions. This meant when someone else was trying to do the same all he saw was red, his rage had limited his ability to see sense or reality.

"Sorry." He muttered quickly, turning away from her. Klaus faced the wall and ran a hand down his face, trying to cool his temper. His mind was going a thousand miles per minute, he found himself unable to concentrate on anything, that was until he heard her voice again. It immediately stopped the white noise that filled his senses.

"Are you okay?" Mia moved in front of him, a gleam of concern in her eyes. She was mostly baffled by what'd just happened but couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, having never seen him in this state before. "Do you need me to call someone?" She felt rather stupid for suggesting that considering that he didn't have anyone apart from Stefan. 

He remained motionless, his gaze stuck on the ground. If anything he was ashamed in himself for allowing the fantasy to overtake him and that he almost exposed everything to the girl. He was caught off guard when Mia held his face, tilting it to get his full attention. "Klaus...what's wrong?"

"You know you can confide in me, I'll listen to you."

"Nothing, I'm fine." Klaus murmured, finally making eye contact. A fragment of him wanted to keep it going if it meant she would care as much as she did right then. He placed his hand on hers and smirked, "You were worried about me?"

She blinked in disbelief, noting that she preferred him when he looked traumatised. "Not even." Mia scoffed, shoving him away. That was all the sympathy he deserved from her, she took off again, leaving him behind. He followed suit, growing to love this new cycle they'd created, it was far more entertaining when he had to fight for it.

He'd gotten closer to her as they walked, it was a natural instinct, he was drawn to her. Another benefit or constantly being in her space meant that the scent of whichever mongrel who touched her earlier that day had been washed out and overpowered by his own.

~~~~

They stayed in complete silence, Klaus revelling in her company and Mia wondering why he kept following and touching her. As much as she believed she hated him, there was a part of her that was intrigued, Elijah had told her in detail about the abuse Klaus received from his father. 

Mia knew all too well what it was like to be in a family that didn't accept you, to be beaten for the smallest things because she wasn't their true blood. She didn't want to relate to the hybrid but it was inevitable, they'd gone through similar things, his were far more extreme, that she understood but in the end it was the treatment from these people that had shaped who they both grew up to become.

However there was also a lot of things that stopped her from voicing these opinions, everything he'd done since he arrived in Mystic Falls, kidnapping her, killing Bonnie, Elena and Jenna. And now as Mia thought about it she had a feeling he'd also done something to Elijah. In addition to these factors, there was something he said to her before he left Mystic Falls which bothered her.

"It wasn't my fault." Mia spoke quietly, Klaus looked at the girl with uncertainty, waiting for her to continue. "Jenna's death...that wasn't my fault."

Klaus' expression softened immediately, he had completely forgotten those words left his mouth. Guilt immediately seeped through him, all he could think about what her face after he said it. He made her cry, made her doubt her actions, hate herself almost. "I know it wasn't." The hybrid murmured, wanting nothing more than to embrace her and apologise, "I was angry."

"Why?" Mia asked, but he remained quiet. The reason he was furious was petty, it didn't warrant the remark he made. All because Mia rejected his offer to join them on the trip... actually it was mainly because Stefan was the one who told her to. The Petrova studied his face, wondering if the look of regret was genuine or part of some plan to get her guard down, "You just like saying hurtful things?"

"Not to you." Klaus shook his head. Never to you. 

"Why am I the exception?" What was he supposed to say, that the reason he despised upsetting only her was because they were in love, that she couldn't remember it because he compelled her not to. If he said that she'd laugh in his face and walk away in the opposite direction, at this point she didn't trust him enough to believe something as shocking as that. It would be better to wait until the ice between them had thawed.

As she waited for a response the brunette caught sight of Elena turning the corner of the opposite building. You stupid girl. She was obviously going to meet Stefan, Mia glanced at her watch and saw that it'd been almost an hour since she was supposed to join Damon in the apartment. If Klaus spotted the doppelganger then he would most likely kill her on the spot which meant that Mia had to distract him.

She wrapped her arm around his, holding onto him like some couples would be seen doing. "Do you wanna get a drink?" Mia looked up at him, beaming sweetly. In her mind there was a strong possibility he would snap her neck if he found out what she was doing, however in his mind all he could focus on was her touching him.

"I'd love to." Klaus smiled to himself, giddy at the fact they would appear to be in love to anyone watching, which in his eyes is how it should've been the entire time. She took the lead, guiding him in the opposite direction and hoped her rapid heartbeat wouldn't give them away.

~~~~

They both entered Gloria's bar, George rose a brow at the image ahead of him. He figured Klaus would find a way to sneak back into Mia's life but didn't expect her to give in so soon, especially with her newfound confidence and attitude. 

However, as soon as Mia was certain Elena wouldn't be caught she let go of Klaus' arm and sat at the bar. The Mikaelson man tried hard to hide his disappointment but George had already seen the frown that crept on his face at the loss of contact. "Did you find the coffee shop?"

"Nope, but I found a stray." Mia grinned, gesturing to the hybrid who'd just taken a seat next to her. Klaus scoffed at the comment which made her want to continue, "I don't wanna keep him though, he's too much trouble."

"You gotta take him to the pound then." George chuckled, handing her a glass of lemonade. Klaus glared at the man, finding it frustrating how Mia was friendly to the bartender even without her memories but was so insistent on insulting him. "They put down the dogs no one wants."

"We tried to put him down, it didn't work." Mia rested her chin on her palm, Klaus mirrored her actions and gazed at her lovingly, as though she wasn't just criticizing everything he's done. "He got out of it with lies and manipulation and most likely his favourite little chew toy that he uses on his siblings."

The hybrid blinked in surprise, no one had ever referred to his daggers as chew toys before. Frankly he thought it was demeaning to the power the blades truly held, the ability to control his siblings when they got out of hand. 

This just added another mark on his tally of why it wasn't the right time to give her the memories back, she'd be furious that he daggered Rebekah and Elijah. In the 20s one of his worries was that Elijah would fall for the girl if they ever met, and now the Petrova had a bond with his brother, whether or not she was romantically interested in him wasn't the main issue, It was that she hated Klaus but cared for Elijah, the tables had turned and it didn't seem fair.

George couldn't help but feel empathetic for Klaus, the love of his life was sat in front of him yet she had no recollection of their love and slandering him seemed to be her favourite pastime. "Maybe he's not that bad." The hybrid glanced at him, taken aback by the sentence, "All he needs is a sturdy leash."

"Hmm.." Mia faced Klaus, looking at him up and down. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel flustered under her stare, her eyes still had the power to distract him from the world and become fully submerged in her aura, her being. The Petrova noticed his cheeks tinting slightly as the blood rushed to them, she smirked as she tried to decide if it was endearing or yet another trick. "Maybe."

Maybe not being a bad person was a lot better than being the hybrid prick she'd referred him as previously, his goal was to ultimately become her favourite person once again.

"Pierce." A voice came from behind them, however no one was there when they checked. Mia sighed and fought the urge to whack her head against the countertop. It seemed Damon and Elena were determined to make her job more difficult, for a split second she contemplated letting Klaus kill both of them, but then she'd have no way of getting home.

"Where's Damon?" Klaus gritted out, if he'd grown to abhor anyone in Mystic Falls it was the raven-haired Salvatore. It was mostly due to the fact Damon had touched his girl, had been given the privilege of bedding her. If only Klaus was aware of how badly that ended, with both vampires calling out other individuals' names when they kissed, truly traumatic.

"Who's Damon?" George feigned cluelessness, from the reflection of the window he could see the Salvatore creeping up from the back door but didn't say anything, he too was more concerned on how the Petrova would leave Chicago.

"Why is Damon?" Mia let out a long exhale, wanting nothing more than to go home. She'd had enough excitement for one day.

"You summoned me?" Damon slid in next to them, putting his arm around the Petrova's shoulder and kissed her temple. At this point he was more or less requesting that Klaus rip his heart out, he could see the blonde had feelings for the girl, it didn't matter if they were serious or not, what mattered was annoying him with the fact Damon had something Klaus wouldn't get for a long time, her friendship.

Fucking moron. The brunette's heart skipped a beat upon Klaus' eyes flashing gold but before he could charge at Damon, Mia shoved him to the nearest wall. Her hand clasped around his neck, tight enough to leave a mark but still allowed him to breathe.

It was the second time that day she'd gotten a man into that position, the first being Scott.

"I know you have the power to absolutely destroy me right now but hear me out." She spoke confidently but was also scolding herself for doing something so incredibly reckless. "I need you to keep him alive, because I can't drive."

Like I said, all he needs is a strong leash and collar. George thought to himself, turning around to conceal his laughter. The Mia he used to know would be mortified at the thought of strangling Klaus, yet this one had done it without hesitation, he wished he had more time to get to know this version. 

"Well clearly he wants to die otherwise he wouldn't be here." Klaus remarked, causing the brunette to tighten her grip, the smile on Damon's face fuelled his rage even more, he couldn't wait to wipe it off. The hybrid suppressed the thoughts of pleasure that wanted to break through, never did he think he would enjoy being choked.

"You can beat him up, I'm not bothered about that, just don't kill him...please." As if saying please changes the fact you're choking him. Klaus groaned in exasperation and nodded, this didn't change his intentions to harm the vampire. "Okay, I'm going to let go of you now and walk away really quickly in case you stake me." She released the hybrid from her hold and took a step backwards warningly.

"Go to the car." Damon ordered, tossing the keys to her. "You don't need to see this.

Mia went to leave but paused, she placed a hand on Damon's shoulder and whispered, "You're gonna get your ass kicked, try to come back in one piece."

"No promises." Klaus spoke up, he watched as she left, wishing she decided to stay. If he wanted to see her again he'd need a good excuse to go back to Mystic Falls.

~~~~

Mia strolled down the street, the only light coming from the moon and a weak lamp post on the opposite side. She received a text from Damon saying he was okay and to meet him by Stefan's old apartment. Being back in Chicago had caused old memories of Jesse to surface, they lived in the city for years until moving to Georgia, coming back there without him seemed wrong. She felt as though there was something missing but wasn't sure if it was just Jesse's absence.

A whoosh sound echoed through the air, Mia whirled around but appeared to be the only one there. Suddenly she was pushed back against the metal fence, a body pressing up against hers. It all happened far too quickly for her to react, she tried to push away whoever it was but her efforts were futile.

It wasn't until she felt a pair of fangs graze her neck when she realised who it was, "Stefan?"

Stefan pulled away with wide eyes, the self-loathing he was already feeling increased tenfold. He'd just broken up with Elena, for him it was the right choice, something to dissuade her from following him. He needed a drink to soothe the vexation and grabbed the first person he came across. 

Fate worked in strange ways, out of all the people in the city he managed to find Mia. A small amount of blood trickled down the Petrova's neck, catching his attention. As much as he wanted to confide in her, his thoughts were fixated on the fact he'd cut her. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, looking away.

"I'm okay, you didn't hurt me." Mia took a step towards him but he moved back, if he didn't hesitate before he could've harmed her a lot more. He'd never forgive himself, not that he would for this anyways. 

"Hey, I'm fine." Mia reassured softly, she'd reached him, holding his face before he had a chance to object, "You didn't hurt me." He finally made eye contact, finding it onerous to keep up the charade of not caring. Stefan wrapped his arms around the girl's front, his body trembling as she hugged him back.

"You're okay." She spoke again, rubbing his back. A part of Stefan wished she wasn't so forgiving, in his eyes he deserved to feel guilty for causing even a small drop of her blood to spill, the Salvatore fought hard against the tears he'd been holding back for weeks. Her affection calmed him enough to let him drop his guard.

"I'm sorry." Stefan repeated, he kept his tone flat, almost emotionless however what he was feeling at that moment was anything but. Mia stroked the back of his head, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, it was the first time she'd done something like that to him but the moment felt right. 

They stayed like that for a while, the last thing he wanted was to let go and the last thing Mia wanted to do was leave him alone. When Stefan pulled away she held his hand, "Do you need me to stay?"

Yes. "It's okay, you can go home." Stefan responded, if she stayed Klaus would constantly flirt with her, and the Salvatore wasn't really interested in watching any of that. "Thank you though, for everything."

"You'd do the same for me." Mia smiled, finally letting go of his hand, "Call me if you need anything." He nodded, if he was in a better mood he would've noticed her wearing the necklace he bought, but he hadn't. He wouldn't know that Mia never took it off, that she threw a fit when she thought she'd lost it, only to find it under her pillow.

Mia leaned back against the fence and as he flashed out of sight, contemplating if she should ignore what he said and still join him. He couldn't exactly force her back home, Klaus would notice he was gone and find him, find Elena too.

"You're a hard girl to track down." Gloria put forth, standing next to Mia. "You left your bag at the bar." The witch tried to hide it but the fact Mia couldn't remember her as well hurt more than she could describe, one of her closest friends from the past. She was relieved that Mia seemed happy, however she wanted her old confidante back. 

The Petrova would've wanted to know that Gloria's marriage didn't work out, that she's spent 50 years alone without love, George being the only company in her life. And she desperately wanted to know about Mia's journey, her loves, losses, everything she's missed out on for almost a century.

Then it hit her, if she was feeling downcast about the whole situation... Lord knows how Rebekah is gonna deal with it.

"Okay, I'm going to say something and I just want you to listen." Gloria placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Trust your heart, don't think you have to do certain things just because people expect it." It was refreshing to see Mia stick up for herself but the way she overlooked certain things Damon did annoyed the witch. "You're a good person, and don't ask how I know...I can just tell."

Gloria had seen Mia with Stefan, she found it ironic how they'd grown to care for each other when in the past Mia claimed she couldn't stand the man. However even she could admit that the Salvatore seemed to be the better choice for the brunette, Klaus had done too much for them to go back to how it was, memories or not.

Mia stayed quiet, unsure as to how she was meant to reply. Gloria leaned forward, planting a kiss on her forehead, her youthful appearance took the witch back to the time when Mia was constantly at risk, of how naïve and vulnerable she once was. The last thing she needed was Klaus putting her in that position again.

Before she turned the corner, Gloria pivoted around, "Also...sometimes it's okay to put yourself first. You don't have to worry about whose feelings will be hurt. If you want something...go get it." And with that she left, leaving Mia bewildered. What she didn't know was that was the last time she would ever see the witch, a certain doppelganger was in the same city, about to take away her life.

Her whole experience in Chicago that day was full of peculiar moments however she thought it was best to ignore it. As Jesse used to tell her, In some cases it's better not to dig, obliviousness can be a blessing.

~~~~

"If you try to change the music one more time I'm breaking your arm." Mia kicked the back of Damon's seat, "Just let the song finish."

"It's eight minutes!" Damon exclaimed, holding his finger to the button but this time Elena slapped it away. "Ouch." He deadpanned, glaring at her.

The raven-haired vampire had been complaining about a certain Justin Timberlake song being far too long for his liking, however Mia stated that the only correct way to listen to it was to appreciate all 8 minutes. 

"Also, I have a bone to pick with you two." Damon reached back and pinched Mia's leg then did the same to Elena, "Disco Dick?!"

"Yeah, sparkly...like Edward." Mia giggled, "And Elena can be Bella."

"You can be Rosalie." Damon mocked. What the Petrova didn't pick up was why he chose that character for her. They were both similar in the way that neither of them could have kids, but it was something they both craved.

"She's the hottest one." Mia hummed, she went to put her hands in her pocket until she felt something in there. She pulled out a folded piece of paper, for a second she assumed it was the receipt for the coffee shop until she remembered they never actually bought anything. A soft gasp left her lips once she'd seen what it was.

A drawing, of her. The name Klaus was signed at the bottom of the paper. He snuck it into her jacket when she wasn't paying attention. The hybrid had been working on it in the café so believed it was fate when he looked up at saw her standing there.

Mia ran a hand through her hair upon catching herself smiling at the picture, it was wrong. This was Klaus, the hybrid she hated, or at least thought she hated. She began to think of what she would do if she had gone through the things he had, if she'd had a part of her suppressed. However, she was determined not to give into the side of her that wanted to know more about him

He's not a good person, he put your friends through hell. He killed Jenna. She thought to herself but other thoughts decided to chime in. 

Damon killed Lexi and you're sat in the car listening to Bruno Mars with him.

Mia pursed her lips, putting the drawing back into her pocket. She rested her head on the window, going over the events of that day. Touché brain, touché. 

Natalia Dyer as Dana Quinn

HELLO MY DARLINGSSS. I hope you enjoyed that chapter, I despise most of it but wanted to publish it. Please remember to vote. The chapter is long because I was gone for ages, appreciate it. This is unedited bc I'm a lazy fucker 😐✌️

Favourite part of the chapter?

Let's ignore the fact the journey to Chicago was almost longer than the actual time in the city, it's fine. 

My favourite thing to do is confuse myself on who I ship more, because you got Klaus and Mia beating people up in coffee shops and being chaotic. But then you also have Mia and Stefan being pure babies and it makes my heart hurt.

That's a wrap on George and Gloria. I didn't get to include them as much bc the chapter was too long. Gonna miss them 💔💔💔💔 FUCK KATHERINE FOR KILLING GLORIA

I'm skipping 3x4 and going straight to senior prank night, so Mr Rippah will be returning. Will that affect his relationship with Mia.... who knows?

REBEKAH IS COMING BACKKKKK, do y'all think Mia will hate her or will they become friends straight away? My heart won't be able to deal with Bexia angst so I'm hoping for the latter.

GIF AT THE BEGINNING MADE BY ME,DONT STEAL OR 🔪🔪🔪🔪

THANK YOU FOR 84K

LOVE YOUUUU

Published: 26th August 2022