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"You loved me and I froze in time. Hungry for that flesh of mine, but I can't compete with the he-wolf who has brought me to my knees."

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BLAIR POV

"Why does Klaus want to talk to some stupid witch that defines all the principals of aging? I mean she should be as wrinkly as pug by now," I ask as Stefan and I sit at a bar filled with wasted people.

"Something to do with the fact that his hybrids aren't surviving," Stefan says, finishing his shot of tequila.

"Probably because you know who isn't dead. He's going to find out sooner or later you know," I say.

"Not my problem," Stefan says nonchalantly. I narrow my eyes at him, not convinced that he doesn't actually care.

"Well it should be, because that pug-faced cheat witch over there is going to figure it out," I say, glaring at Stefan. His lack of concern for Elena isn't surprising, but the fact that he doesn't acknowledge the situation is enough to concern me.

"Excuse me, but did someone say pug?" a young man asks in a British accent, sitting down beside me.

He sits awfully close, our shoulders touching as he glances between Stefan and I.

"I'm counting five empty seats in this bar. You better go take one, or I will rip your head off, and place it on the top shelf of the bar," I threaten, his presence putting me on edge.

"She doesn't mean it. She's too chicken to punch someone, never mind rip their head off," Stefan says sending me a cheeky smile.

I glare at Stefan before turning back to the young man. "You have five seconds," I warn.

"You see mate, I would but their blood is all intoxicated. I was hoping to find a fresh supply over here," the man says with a wink.

I furrow my brows at the man, putting the pieces together. I bare my fangs and snarl at him which only makes him smirk.

"I figured as much. I guess we'll just have to suffer together," he says taking a sip of my drink.

"Who are you?" I ask, squinting my eyes, examining his blue ones. 

"Just a young lad who would feel honoured to buy you a drink," he answers.

"Are you really hitting on my sister with her brother right beside her?" Stefan asks.

The man pauses for a minute. "Yeah. I think I am. Cheers!" he says as the bartender pours the three of us drinks.

"I'm flattered, but I'm going to have to pass," I say, watching his smirk disappear.

Stefan gets up to leave, motioning for me to do the same. I get up and quickly grab the shot of tequila he had ordered for us and chug it down. I turn and pat the gentleman on the shoulder as Stefan and I walk out of the bar leaving Klaus inside while he talks to the witch Gloria.

We stand outside the bar quietly, waiting for further instructions.

"I don't get you Stefan," I say while staring up at the stars.

He doesn't answer.

"For gods sake Steff, talk to me," I say, standing in front of him.

"I am," he says sarcastically.

"I mean really talk to me. Why do you care about a guy hitting on me, but not about Elena? You know Klaus is going to find her and kill her right? But for real this time," I snap.

He shrugs, which makes me angrier.

"Why don't you care Stefan?" I yell, holding him against the wall.

He shoves me off him sending me tumbling backwards.

"Because it's a weakness, Blair! Wake the hell up! This is our life now! We are Klaus's slaves, and in order to do whatever he says, we need to let our past life go," he yells.

"I don't even know who you are anymore," I whisper.

The door opens beside us as Klaus steps out, an amused grin on his face. Stefan and I have been getting in little arguments a lot lately, and I can tell that is exactly what Klaus wanted. He warned be about this. How he wanted Stefan to come so he would fall apart first, forcing me to change along with him.

"Let's go. We're going to meet an old friend," Klaus says.

• • •

"Has the truck arrived yet?" Klaus asks a compelled man in charge of this warehouse.

The man shakes his head.

"Odd," Klaus mutters. He turns to Stefan and I and motions for us to follow him.

We walk silently down the rows of shelves holding different materials until we make it down one isle stocked with coffins, all of which are open and empty except for two.

"Some would say keeping a collection of coffins is weird, but it it's your hobby, by all means embrace it," I mutter, running my finger along the shiny wood of the closed coffin.

"Blair, you attitude was once cute, but now its irritating. Kind of like the girl in the coffin you're leaning on," Klaus says.

I step away from the coffin as Klaus opens it, revealing a blonde, pretty girl dressed in an old white dress stained with dried blood coming from the dagger pierced through her heart.

Another original.

"Who is she?" Stefan asks.

"My sister, Rebekah," Klaus answers as he pulls out the dagger.

"So you dagger all your siblings?" I ask, watching intently at the grey veins covering her body. I remember from the night Elena and I pulled the dagger from Elijah that it will take a while until she wakes up.

Klaus glares at me as he walks to Stefan. "I want you to remember everything about Rebekah," Klaus compels him, taking away the compulsion he had apparently placed on Stefan years ago.

Stefan stumbles back, his eyes wide as he stares off in the distance. I can only imagine what it feels like to have memories flushing through your mind.

"What? Give my memories back!" I argue.

Klaus laughs. "For a whole month Blair I've asked you to do everything I've wanted. I will grant you one memory when you decide to follow through."

"What are you talking about? I've done everything you've asked!" I argue back.

"But Blair, you haven't. Did you really think I wouldn't notice when you secretly passed all your victims to Stefan so he would finish them off? I know you haven't killed yet Blair, so you haven't been doing all I ask," Klaus explains.

"That's not fair! I've done everything else!" I plead. It takes every ounce of strength in me not to bend down on one knee to beg for my memories back.

"Like I said, Stefan is the mirror of what you'll become. You two stay here until she wakes. I'll be back," Klaus says, walking away.

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, opening them a second later to Stefan who still leans against the wall, staring into space.

"What are you remembering?" I ask.

"I- I knew Klaus. I use to like Rebekah. We- we were partners in crime. It all went down in the bar down the street, until- until they had to leave," Stefan stutters out.

"Oh," I say, partly taken back by the fact he and Klaus's sister used to like each other. "Why did they have to leave?"

"They were being hunted," he answers.

"By who?"

"I don't know," he replies, shaking his head. "But Klaus and I, we were friends," Stefan says out of disbelief.

I sigh as I sit beside Stefan, waiting for the girl to wake. I don't know what's going through my brother's mind, but I can't bring myself to imagine that Stefan and Klaus were friends. Then again, James was supposedly friends with Klaus at one point, so anything is possible. Perhaps Ripper Stefan and Klaus were the ultimate duo.

Confused and tired, we sit there for a long time, dozing off and waking up hours later as my thoughts add up on top of each other.

During the whole month I've been with Klaus, my dreams have been filled with a combination of memories from the tomb and the victims I've witnessed Stefan kill. I can only imagine what he's feeling, but I force myself not to think any further. Too much thinking leads to plans that will never work out.

A sudden sound of movement catches my attention snapping me out of my thoughts as Stefan and I stand up.

"Stefan?" I ask, as we both stand up.

"Yup. I heard it too," he answers.

I walk over to the coffin, my stomach dropping as I find it empty.

"Stefan, she's not in the coffin," I say.

"I know."

"What?" I say, turning around noticing the girl standing a few feet from Stefan.

"Stefan? Is that really you?" the girl, Rebekah asks.

"Yes, sister, it's really him," Klaus says entering the warehouse making it a full house.

Rebekah on the other hand doesn't seem too thrilled to see Klaus, as she instantly speeds over to him, plunging the dagger into his heart. Klaus winces, but pushes Rebekah off of him, pulling the dagger out effortlessly.

"You knew that wouldn't kill me," Klaus growls.

"Yes. But I knew it would hurt," she replies, a grin on her face.

I hold in a laugh as the two continue to bicker, reminding me a lot of Damon and I.

"Sister darling, I have awaken you to ask you for something," Klaus says.

"Not because you miss me?" she asks, pretending to be offended.

Klaus rolls his eyes. "Your necklace. I need it to contact the original witch."

Rebekah rolls her eyes back at him while reaching to her neck, grabbing at nothing. She grabs for a ghost of a necklace, no longer on her neck.

"My necklace. Where is it Klaus?" she demands.

"Do not tell me you lost it," he growls.

Rebekah starts panicking which quickly turns to a full on freak out as she flips her coffin over, sending it to the ground.

"Well guess what we're doing tomorrow," Stefan sighs.

I shake my head in frustration, not looking forward to spending a day looking for some stupid necklace. I turn around and head towards the exit.

"Where do you think you're going Blair?" Klaus yells out.

"Getting a drink. If you need me, you come find me," I say.

• • •

I enter the bar I left a few hours before to find it hasn't calmed down one bit.

Out of boredom and curiosity, I spot the gentlemen Stefan and I saw earlier and take a seat beside him at the bar. Despite how much I want to be alone, I can't help but wonder who this vampire really is. It isn't everyday a kind like ours approaches us out of the kindness of their heart, but then again, I'm most likely wrong.

"Ah, so she returns. They always do," he smirks.

"Get over yourself Pug-Man. I'm only returning to the booze, not you," I say, reaching over the bar, grabbing a bottle of tequila when the bartender isn't looking. 

He laughs. "Long night?"

I don't answer as I press the bottle to my lips and tilt my head up letting the burning liquid slide down my throat. It burns like acid, but it's a feeling I don't mind. It's better than feeling real feelings, real emotions. It's not as good as Damon's bourbon from home, but it will do.

"Yeah, I think you should just keep a mini travel bottle of tequila with you when you're around Klaus," he says carefully, his voice empathizing on Klaus's name.

I slowly lower the bottle from my lips and turn to face him only to find his blue eyes are already staring into mine, a smirk on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" I growl, gathering his t-shirt in my fist violently.

"Didn't I tell you earlier?" he asks.

"No..," I say angrily.

"Then I guess it's none of your business," he snaps, his breath reeking of alcohol.

I growl and let go of him before I draw attention, although everyone else in the bar is too wasted to notice. "What do you know about Klaus?" I ask.

"I know everything from his secret hybrid army fail, the fake curse, his siblings in coffins to the size of his shirt and the amount of sugar he takes in his coffee," he replies.

"Klaus doesn't drink coffee," I say, narrowing my eyes.

"I know," he winks.

"How?" I ask.

"Because Blair, I use to be in the same position as you. Once upon a time I was someone Klaus considered useful, and worthy of serving him," he says.

"Who are you?" I ask again.

The man sighs, and laughs, knowing all to well that if he doesn't give me an answer we'll be here all night.

"My name is Joel. Joel Branson."

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[completed & edited: 08/13/2021]