❝Damn, is this bitch a crackhead vampire? She stays up all night. In the morning you're looking at her like, did you ever go to sleep?❞
—Sister Souljah

Completely got the birthday from just doing the math and guesstimating, so yeah. If it's wrong, I'm sorry, because I couldn't find anything about Nik's bday.

⊳⊳|⊲⊲

Roxanne lay on the wood of the hotel room floor, staring up at the ceiling as she relaxed in the air conditioning. It had been two days since Niklaus had visited, but there was no word from any vampires. Her thoughts were filled to the brim with old memories. That same sadness engulfed her as it had a thousand times before over the millenium. Old, faded images traversed her brain. Soft laughter, warm hands, breathy kisses. 

She rolled, grabbing the file from under the couch of all the vampires she needed to know about in Mystic Falls. The file was a pale yellow and worn down from her handling it so much in the past week since Luke gave her the mission. The papers inside were nearly falling out and the handwriting was slightly smudged.

The first three pages were devoted entirely to Niklaus and his family, photos, names, aliases, birthdays, temperaments. She read through the hybrid's, which wasn't necessary, she had known Niklaus for a thousand years, a file didn't have to tell her anything about him.

Her lips twisted into a smile as she studied his birthday date. March 25th . . . memories came to mind of past birthdays. His eyes lighting up as she handed him a gift. Blood pooling on the floors. His smile, his laugh, his dark, menacing scowls. 

The next two pages after the Mikaelsons was devoted to the two Salvatore brothers. Young vampires with a history of falling head over heels for doppelgangers. Stefan was the more interesting of the two. Where he seemed calm on the surface, a blood-thirsty ripper slept beneath, awaiting the day he could rise. His victim's list was long and impressive. Damon, on the other hand, was just manipulative. Manipulative and dangerous, but like a kitten compared to the Mikaelsons. Death followed him on black wings, but not the same way it followed Stefan. 

Damon had more control over his bloodlust but was known to be impulsive for the ones he loved, he didn't always think before he acted and it often ended in people dead. Stefan was just homicidal. 

They were both handsome and their bodies had definitely molded to make them seem alive. Roxanne spotted the few telling details of vampires. Their skin was unblemished, no acne scars or actual scars, completely perfect. The second detail was that their faces seemed so alive, color in their cheeks and skin, arched eyebrows and smiling lips. The third detail was the eyes. A vampire's eyes looked almost stone cold and dead, which highly contrasted with everything else, that was, at least, when they were trying to look cool and calculative.

When vampires turned, their bodies made them seem more human, but with that their beauties were enhanced, giving them a slightly deified appearance. High cheekbones become more prominent, sharp jaw lines were sharper, a curvy body was curvier, etc. Their hair gained a shine and they always seemed like something from another world.

Rox had met thousands of vampires during her years on this Earth, including, at multiple points, the Mikaelsons. But, they wouldn't ever be able to remember her. She had made sure of that, each and every time that their lives overlapped. 

With this train of thought the blonde stood and decided to head to the library. She was bored, and what was better than a good book? As Natalie always said, nothing.

⊳⊳|⊲⊲

The second eldest Mikaelson sat in the back of a library, pouring over old manuscripts when he heard the thump of heavy boots. He looked up as a certain blonde walked past him, her hips swaying as she approached one of the bookshelves and began to look through it. 

She was dressed more casually than she had been the other day. Now she wore ripped shorts and a gray tank top with her familiar Docs. Her hair was loose and thick and her tank top stuck to her spine in the sweltering heat. 

As Elijah silently spied from his spot he noted that the girl held herself with an eloquence he had only seen from vampires that had been around royalty hundreds of years ago, no humans he had met knew to stand like that. Not with that posture, that grace, and the silence of the way she moved and walked. She moved like a cat, calculating her every move. Intelligence seeped from her, but if so, why antagonize Niklaus like that?

He closed the book and placed it on the table before standing and approaching the girl. "Roxanne St. Claire?" The words were carefully placed yet questioning all the same, he already knew it was her, but it would be nice to hear a confirmation from her own lips. 

The blonde whirled, her blue eyes cold and calculating as she narrowed them at him. Her lips were pursed as she looked him up and down, a haughty look clear on her face. 

"Rich boy number three? Oh, good god, this is turning out to be a boy band of Mikaelsons," the girl sighed and rolled her eyes as she spoke but he could see the mischief present that was always in Niklaus's and the tug on her lips alerting him to a tiny smile. She reminded him so much of his brother. 

How perplexing was she? This girl that was so utterly similar to someone immortal yet from what he could smell and sense, she was no vampire. How could one act so much like a thousand year old immortal and only be, at most, twenty one? She acted and spoke and moved like someone as old as he. She wasn't a vampire, or a witch, from what he smelled. Werewolves weren't immortal, at least not the ones he knew. But more than her immortality, it was her that confused him. She had many of the same qualities of Niklaus, she spoke like him and moved like him. Arrogance clear in her face, and he sensed a dangerous anger just beneath the surface. 

She was dangerous, and she knew his family. He felt that she knew them personally, but he couldn't remember ever meeting her before. She was painfully familiar, though. 

Elijah paused, unsure how to precede with his conversation, but decided that for the first time a lie was the best way to go. "Yes, well, I thought that perhaps it would be nice to welcome you to our small town." His brown eyes flitted across her dainty features, taking note of the slight bump on her nose, her long, dark lashes that obscured the blue of her eyes and the way her lips were thin on the top lip but plumper on the bottom one. She was stunning, truly, especially for a mortal. Her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip before she spoke. 

Cocking a hip, the blonde scratched her scalp with one manicured finger. "Look, Elijah, I really shouldn't have to stress this any further but, I don't want to spend time with the Mikaelsons, I'm sorry."

Elijah frowned, his eyebrows tugging together. She was very honest. He also had no idea how she knew his name.

"Vampires, werewolves and witches aren't the only ones that know about the Original family, Mr. Mikaelson, and personally, I don't want to spend any time with immortal assholes." Her lips pursed into a slight smile, eyes glittering with mischief. 

Blinking, the second eldest Mikaelson stared at her in disbelief. She knew who they were and she held no fear. She still challenged them. Roxanne kissed her tongue against the back of her teeth in a soft 'tsk', her big blue eyes studying the shocked vampire.

"Good day, Elijah."

With that the Original watched the girl turn and glide out of the library, with her mysterious silent footsteps and graceful movements.

Elijah left the library quickly after her. Rather then following her as Niklaus would do, he slid into his car, intent on telling his family what the girl had told him. She was dangerous. She was a threat, and he still had no bloody clue who she was or how they knew her. But they definitely knew her. 

⊳⊳|⊲⊲

The sun warmed the hybrid's face as he lounged on a chaise in the living room, a sketchbook propped on his lap. He drew casually, sketching Marie Antoinette from his memory. He'd spent some time with her, courted one of her handmaids for a few months, too.

Elijah walked into the room, the rest of the family flooded in behind him. The second eldest Mikaelson caught Klaus's curious, yet annoyed gaze. He was quiet for a moment, seizing the impatient attention of all his siblings.

"Get on with it, 'Lijah," Klaus sighed, sitting up straighter as he cast a scowl at his brother.

Elijah rolled his eyes at Niklaus, his gaze moving between the rest of the family. "She knows about us."

"What?" Kol erupted, standing up with confusion and fury clear across his face. "How?"

Elijah shook his head, looking at Niklaus who appeared relaxed, yet was incredibly intrigued. He'd guessed at this, and wasn't surprised. But, it annoyed him.

"I'm not sure," the Noble Stag remarked, crossing the room and standing at the window. He stared out over their lands. Their yard that rolled out towards the woods. "She knows about vampires, witches and werewolves. I ran into her in the library and she told me without hesitation."

Klaus tilted his head, eyeing his brother and then looked over at Kol who was perplexed.

"She knows and still chooses to antagonize us? Is she stupid?" Rebekah remarked, her eyebrows shooting up. "She sounds absolutely daft."

The hybrid shook his head, turning his gave back to his sketch. "She's extremely intelligent, I could see that clear as day. She must just be brave, or arrogant."

Elijah hummed in agreement, his brows furrowed as he thought. Finn was the only one who had yet to speak. He was sitting in the armchair, surveying the family in silence.

"I'd like to meet this mortal," Finn remarked casually, his green eyes watching Elijah.

Elijah licked his lips and turned, his arms behind his back. "That's the thing, I'm not even certain she's mortal."

Klaus rolled his eyes and stood, popping his shoulders as he rolled them back. "She's no vampire. If she's not a vampire, she's mortal. I'm sick of this talk. Come along, Kol. Let's go get a drink."

Kol grabbed his coat, smirking. "I'm craving brunet."

⊳⊳|⊲⊲

Roxanne relaxed in a booth in the corner of the Mystic Grill, her long legs stretching out under the table as she read and ate her burger. Her thoughts were elsewhere, away from the book and her meal. She felt two shadows drop on her and looked up, eyeing the two younger Mikaelson men.

"Is this seat taken, love?" Niklaus smiled with ease, leaning back on his heels and smiling down at Roxanne who studied him with a cool air about her. She felt her fingers twitch at his familiar accent, causing her to push the feelings into a small box inside her mind. Brief memories of lounging naked in bed, toying with each other's fingers as she they laughed and talked in hushed voices flooded her mind. She attempted to banish them before her cheeks could flush red. 

 Her heart plummeted and skipped a beat or two, inching its way closer to a heart attack and she remembered briefly she was supposed to answer after a moment of awkward silence.

She rolled her gray eyes, closing her book and placing it in her lap as she moved to go. "I was just about to leave, do as you wish," Rox snapped and went to stand up, but Kol blocked her way from the booth, his dark eyes gleaming. His brown hair fell into chocolate eyes, lips curled into a sinister smile. She felt suddenly uncomfortable.

"No, stay for a chat, why don't you, darling?" He looked almost menacing, blocking her path from the booth and forcing the blonde to consider alternate options of exiting the Grill. Once upon a time the boy before her had been the closest thing she had to a best friend, yet here he stood like a cat that trapped the mouse. She looked around, searching for an alternate route to leave. However, both boys had her caught.

Roxanne rolled her eyes before sliding farther into the booth, letting the vampires block her in. Not her smartest move, but if needed, she had other escape plans.

Klaus waited for the waiter, Matt Donovan, to come up before he ordered three bourbons and a burger. Kol stayed quiet, smirking at the blonde who sat between him and his brother. Her blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders and her brows were furrowed slightly as she opened her book and began to read again.

She didn't seem uncomfortable or disgusted, just sat there with her shoulders back and her chin up, she was calm and collected, graceful almost, as she ate and continued to read, utterly ignoring the Mikaelsons.

"So, Roxanne, we heard you know our secret," Kol started, studying the girl for any sign of fear. None, she just continued to read, still engrossed and ignoring him. Her gray eyes moving back and forth across the page, not even looking up at him once.

Matt returned, the drinks in hand and he placed one in-front of each person at the table. His blue-green eyes watched Roxanne with pity. She grabbed the drink and swished it around before taking a small sip.

Raising a brow, the blonde glanced towards Klaus. "No poison, I'm flabbergasted," taunting, she tilted her head and made a face. Her faux accent was stretched and lilting, a clear mock of both of the boys'. 

Niklaus paused, unsure how to react to the tone she had, obviously making fun of him and his brother. His blue eyes searched hers briefly, looking for any sign of kindness in their depths. There was none. She was as cold as steel on a winter's morning. She met his gaze with a slightly raised eyebrow, her lips twisted into a frown.

"Poison? Why would we poison you, love?" Kol started from behind her but the blonde continued to pretend he wasn't there, which she knew frustrated him further. She didn't care, she didn't give him the time of day.

"Do you really think so little of us to poison you?" Niklaus queried, catching up to the girl's game in ignoring Kol. She rolled her eyes, finally closing her book again and finishing the last of her burger.

"Yes, I do, who wouldn't?" She looked around the booth and sighed. "Now, do you have important things to discuss or can I leave?" Her hand moved slightly, waving to how they surrounded her on both sides. "You're not helping the whole creep factor thing you got going."

"No leaving, sweetheart, we have a lot to speak about." He ignored her comment, still studying her. She scowled back at him.

Rox considered this, tilting her head to the side as if truly thinking about what they were saying. "Well, that doesn't really fit my schedule, sorry not sorry, so, good bye, Mikaelson boys."

The brothers shared a confused glance. The girl was trapped, she couldn't leave and neither of them were standing up. "Where do you think you're going, darling?" Kol chuckled.

Rox finally acknowledged him, a tiny smile played on her lips. "I'm leaving."

With that, the blonde stood up on the booth, she placed one combat boot on the table before the other and walked across it, jumping down and leaving the Grill with her book under one arm.

Everyone in the restaurant watched with widened eyes, confusion and disgust evident across multiple faces, yet the brothers who had occupied the table with her stared at the door she had disappeared through in awe.

⊳⊳|⊲⊲

"You mean this girl walked on a table to get away from you?" Rebekah snorted, covering her mouth with one hand as she eyed her brothers who were rambling about what had just happened. She really needed to meet this girl. "Oh, I wish I'd gone with you, she sounds like fun." Rebekah lounged in the armchair, laughing at her brothers.

"I daresay that walking across a table is a bold move, even to get away from you, Niklaus," Elijah agreed from where he sat. 

The hybrid sighed, tilting his head as he stared at his sister and then at his closed sketchbook on the coffee table. "She is intriguing. Worrisome, though. All that confidence, those brazen acts and she's not scared of us. It makes me wonder what she has up her sleeve." He moved over to the coffee table and picked up his pencil.

Rebekah watched him, her green eyes following his movements. "What are you going to do about it?"

He turned, fiddling with the pencil before throwing it at the wall. It embedded itself in the wood panel. "I'm not willing to find out what her secrets are. Not if there's a chance she's a threat to this family. I plan on extinguishing that threat long before it can surface."

Elijah frowned, and the hybrid glanced at him for his opinion. "The safety of the family comes before all, I agree, but your use of violence should not always be the first option." 

"My mind is made, I'm killing her."  

Rebekah sighed, pouting. She was going to lose a good friend before she could even meet her. 

Edited

May 27th, 2020

Rewritten

March 21st, 2023