chapter thirteen
season three, episode four
disturbing behavior

Arabella Mikealson didn't know what she had expected to happen when Stefan's memories of hers returned. She'd known he wouldn't fall back into her arms, smother her face in kisses. She knew it wouldn't happen.

So why was she so upset when he only walked away?

The blonde let out a heavy breath, putting a hand to her mouth as Stefan left. The shelves around them started to shake as Arabella's despair only grew.

Rebekah jumped back into her protect-Arabella role immediately, stepping forward to hug Arabella. "It's okay, Bella, it's okay," Rebekah soothed, rubbing her back. "He needs time to adjust."

"Damn you, Klaus," Arabella only hissed out, anger quickly replacing her sadness as she stepped back to glare at her older brother. "Why can't you ever just let any of us be happy? Why must you ruin our lives every chance you get?" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I wish Kol made that dagger and we were rid of you instead of him."

Arabella watched as hurt flashed over Klaus's face for a second before he settled onto his usual coldness. Ara didn't even wait for a reply, only storming out of the building in the direction Stefan had left in.

"Stefan?" Ara spoke softly, finding him sitting on the roof of Gloria's bar. Hesitantly, she walked up, standing behind him. "Can I sit?"

"Go ahead," Stefan replied, not even turning to look at her. The blonde sighed as she sat beside him, staring out at the city. She always thought Chicago was beautiful, especially at night. "You knew? The entire time?"

"Yeah," Arabella replied, keeping her gaze ahead. "I knew. Originals can't really get their memories erased, you know."

"So when you returned to Mystic Falls, it wasn't to get away from the Mikealson name," Stefan realized. "It was to see me again."

"I owe you a long explanation," Was Arabella's only response.

Stefan scoffed. "Yeah, you really do, Ara." He frowned at the nickname that passed his lips. "The Arabella Mikealson that I supposedly loved in the nineteen hundreds is nothing like the Arabella Mikealson I've heard in the stories."

Stefan had moved his gaze from the city to watch her intently. "I faked my death to get away from Niklaus and Elijah. Losing you broke something inside of me. I didn't want Elijah to see this part of me, the part I try to keep locked away. I went on a murder spree; vampires, humans, werewolves, nobody was safe. So while half the supernatural community believed I was dead,"

"The other half shuddered at your name," Stefan finished, making Arabella nod. For awhile, possibly even now, her name made more shudder than Klaus's. That fact ate her up daily.

"Eventually, I caught wind my siblings bodies were thrown to the sea. I got control of myself and started planning to get them back," Ara spoke. "I had no idea where you were. But last year, my brothers ex called me to tell me you were here. I immediately came under the fake name Arianna, to watch out for you. Our relationship wasn't exactly a secret in the supernatural community and I'm not exactly beloved. I needed to protect you. And a selfish part of me wanted to see how you were doing."

"And when you saw I was with Elena?" Stefan questioned.

"I kept my distance," Arabella explained.

"Oh my God," Stefan spoke, as if he just had some great big discovery. His eyes widened, and Arabella looked around in alarm, thinking they were under attack. "I was in love with Klaus's baby sister."

Arabella threw her head back with a laugh, shaking her head. "Shut up," She giggled.

"You always do that," Stefan observed, eyes still on Arabella's face.

For the first time in a century, Arabella felt bashful as looked at him. "Do what?" She asked, confused to what he was referring to.

"You always throw your head back when you laugh," Stefan explained. "That's how I always knew it was truly funny to you, your head would go back and you'd laugh like it was the funniest thing in the universe."

"You're the only one that could ever make me laugh like that," Arabella admitted. The pair lapsed into silence. The blonde noticed Stefan's eyes were examining all of her, as if trying to see what had changed since he last truly saw her.

"So what do we do now?" Arabella whispered softly. Her eyes met Stefan's as she stared at him. He knew he had loved her. He knew everything that had happened.

He knew every trace of her again.

"I still love Elena," Stefan told her, making Arabella's eyes go down. "But Arabella, the way I loved you in Chicago, I've never felt anything like that in my life."

Arabella's eyes went back up as she felt hope again. "Neither have I," Arabella admitted. She bit her lip as she connected her eyes to him. "I have lived an entire millennium, and I have never, ever, loved anybody the way I have loved you, Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan smiled lightly at her. "I need time, Arabella," He told her. "You have to understand this is a lot for me to process, I need time."

"I've waited a century," Arabella spoke, although she felt something in her crack. "I can wait a little longer."

Stefan smiled at her, and they waited in silence before Arabella stood up. "I had better go check on Rebekah and Theodore, make sure Klaus hasn't attacked either one of them."

Stefan nodded as his ex-girlfriend walked off the roof and back to where she had left her older siblings. She returned to find the garage a mess, Rebekah's coffin flipped upside down and several shelves knocked over as Rebekah's chest heaved, mouth in a scowl. Her sister's temper was back.

Theodore seemed disturbed as he watched Klaus pace back and forth, deciding what to do. "What happened?" Ara whispered to him. Her effort was futile, due to all of them having vampire hearing, but she didn't want to induce her siblings rage.

"Rebekah's necklace is gone," Theodore explained. When he noticed Arabella's quizzical look, he sighed. "The necklace that was your mother's. The only way to contact the original witch."

Arabella's eyes widened as she and Theodore shared a knowing look. Elena Gilbert had that necklace now. But Rebekah couldn't know that, Rebekah would kill her.

"We need to find the necklace," Arabella spoke, stating the obvious. She eyed her older sister, or more specifically the clothes she was wearing. "But not with you dressed like that."

•••

Arabella's eyes raised as Klaus and Stefan took another drink. Rebekah was currently trying on clothes, and it wasn't the most thrilling experience. "There has to be more to this dress," Rebekah called from inside the dressing room.

Arabella forgot Rebekah hadn't been awake for the clothing switch. Women now didn't have to cover every inch of skin. "There's not," Klaus informed her.

Rebekah walked out in a black dress, and Theodore let out a wolf-whistle. He had done that for every outfit so far. "So women in the twenty first century dress like prostitutes now?" Rebekah asked. "You know, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers."

Arabella smiled at the fond memory of their time in New Orleans. It hadn't been Ara's favorite time, but they had been an actual family then. The only time that beat it in Ara's opinion was in France, staying with the DeMartels. That was the last time the six siblings had all been together.

"You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing," Klaus replied, staring at his little sister with a smirk.

"And what is this music?" Rebekah questioned, continuing her complaints with her gaze on the ceiling. "It sounds like a cable car accident."

"It's dance music," Stefan explained. Arabella's eyes tore to him. They hadn't properly talked since the roof last night. Ara would do anything to know what he was thinking.

"People dance to this?" Rebekah pulled a disgusted look.

"Are we done?" Klaus interrupted, nodding his head towards his younger sister.

"And why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah questioned, waltzing up to her older brother.

"I needed one thing from you," Klaus responded, sitting his drink down. "For my witch to find out why my hybrids are dying, one thing. Your necklace, and you lost it."

Arabella's eyes went to Stefan as he made a face. "I did not lose it," Rebekah retorted. "It's just been missing for ninety years."

"If you didn't stick a dagger in her chest, it wouldn't be gone," Arabella added, making Klaus scowl at her.

"You know, I am getting real tired of your attitude, Arabella," He told her, still glaring at her.

"Bite me," Arabella retorted, glaring at brother. The only real threat he had with her was the stupid handcuffs, but Ara would see it coming this time.

"Okay!" Theodore interrupted. "Rebekah, your dress is very pretty, you should get it."

Rebekah beamed at her boyfriend, smiling fondly. "Thank you, Theo!" She grinned, turning back into the dressing room to change.

"Alright," Stefan spoke, clearing his throat and standing up. "Let me get some fresh air."

Arabella watched her ex-boyfriend exit the bar before she snatched the bottle Klaus was using to fill his glass, emptying the rest into her mouth.

"Charming," Klaus commented dryly.

"You caused it," Theodore sung, sending a smirk at Klaus.

Klaus didn't seem to find it amusing as he sent a glare to the boy. "I may not be able to harm you, but I can make you suffer."

"Enough with the threats, Niklaus!" Rebekah shouted in frustration, walking out of the dressing room and crossing her arms over her chest.

Klaus flew to his feet, opening his mouth to presumably shout out some threat, before being interrupted by Theodore, the self imposed peacekeeper. "Okay, how about we go to Gloria's bar and find the damn necklace before things spiral?"

"Excellent idea, Theodore," Niklaus praised, making the sisters share a look before rolling their eyes. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

Arabella resisted the urge to roll her eyes again as they paid for Rebekah's new wardrobe before Klaus led the way back to Gloria's bar.

"Gloria," Klaus called, waltzing inside with his two siblings and Theodore in tow. Stefan still wasn't back. "We have a bit of a problem."

"What is it?" Gloria questioned before her eyes landed on Rebekah, a fond smile coming onto her face. "Rebekah, good to see you again dear."

"It's good to see you as well, Gloria," Rebekah smiled warmly.

"Rebekah seems to have misplaced the necklace," Klaus explained to Gloria, interrupting the reunion. "Is there anyway you can locate it?"

Gloria sighed as she looked at Arabella. "Your powers will help. Come locate it with me, dear."

Arabella followed Gloria to a table, watching as the woman lit the candles before sitting down, holding her hands out to Arabella. Ara frowned slightly. It had been a long time since she allowed any witch to siphon her.

She gave in, taking Gloria's hand and closing her eyes as the two witches held their hands over the map, trying to locate the lost necklace.

After a minute, she heard Rebekah speak up in a disapproving tone. "You left us," She said.

"Yeah, sorry," Stefan responded. Ara resisted the urge to open her eyes. If she did, it would mess the whole spell up. "Retail therapy was making my head explode."

"Tell me about it," Klaus spoke up from other spot in the bar. It sounded closer to Rebekah.

"What are they doing?" Stefan asked, most likely about Gloria and the youngest Mikealson.

"They're failing," Klaus replied, making Arabella scowl.

"It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on," Gloria retorted before Arabella could comment.

"Excuse me," Rebekah spoke, sounding like she was moving. "I only wore it for a thousand years."

"See, now, this one offers a solution," Gloria spoke, nodding to Rebekah. She slipped one hand out of Arabella's, taking Rebekah's hand instead. "Alright, give us your hands sweetheart."

"She's uh, she's looking for the necklace, huh?" Stefan realized. Ara knew he was worried about Elena. She herself was worried about Elena.

"I can sense something," Gloria spoke, causing a small frown to tug on Arabella's lips. Gloria and Arabella mumbled the spell under their breaths, trying to pin the location. "I found it."

Arabella's eyes opened as Gloria pulled her hand away. The blonde exchanged a look of panic with Stefan. "So where is it?" Rebekah questioned.

"It doesn't work like that, doll," Gloria responded, while Arabella let out a small breath of relief. "I get images, there's a girl with her friends,"

"Yes, a dead girl with dead friends if I don't get my necklace back," Rebekah interrupted. A small part of Ara didn't blame Rebekah. The necklace was the only thing they had left from their mother, Rebekah was probably scared they'd never find it.

"Well, I have to dive back in to get the details," Gloria responded.

"So dive," Klaus spoke, stating the obvious. Ara's eyes moved around the room, realizing Theodore had been oddly silent. He was stood beside Stefan, arms over his chest.

"I need more time," Gloria told Klaus. Klaus leaned next to the witches, putting his hands on the table. "And space. You're harshing my juju,"

"We can wait," Klaus chuckled, not moving backwards.

"I'm sure you can," Gloria said coldly. "But that's not what I asked."

Arabella sent a look to Stefan, silently begged him to get Klaus away from her. Stefan understood the look on her face immediately. "Hey," The Salvatore spoke, stepping forward and patting Klaus's back. "You know, why don't we just uh, why don't we just come back later? I'm hungry anyway."

Stefan patted his back again, walking away while the other two Mikealson's and Theodore followed. Gloria waited a minute before pulling her hand away, giving Arabella a look. "You know where it is."

Arabella bit her lip. Gloria had always watched out for her and protected her like she was her daughter. Ara trusted her. "Yes. Klaus can not get it."

Gloria sighed as she looked at Arabella carefully. "What do you want me to do here, Bells?" She questioned. "Klaus is growing impatient."

"I don't know, okay?" Arabella sighed. She bit her lip as she thought about it. "Just tell Klaus. I will stop my siblings from losing their temper too badly. I hope."

Gloria smiled sadly at her. "You deserve better than that family, Arabella. You deserve to be happy with that Stefan boy."

"Do I?" Arabella challenged, raising her head slightly. She was as bad as Niklaus. She went on sprees worse than Klaus and Kol's combined. The only thing that stopped them was being with her siblings or being with Stefan.

Gloria only smiled sadly at her. "Don't be too hard on yourself. Anybody else would have crumbled under the things you have been put through."

Gloria stood up before Arabella could respond. But her words hit home. Ara had been through unimaginable things. She had lost three children, lost the chance to be a mother. She could be a lot worse than she truly was.

"There you are," Gloria spoke, making Arabella's eyes raise up to find Stefan strutting back into the bar.

"Thought you were resting," Stefan commented, walking down the stairs and towards where Gloria stood.

"Well, now we all have a secret," The witch said, causing Stefan to look back at Arabella. The blonde sent a weak smile, a hand laid on her stomach. Stefan frowned, knowing what she was thinking about.

"What did you see?" Stefan asked Gloria.

The woman scoffed lightly. "It's what I heard that's interesting," Gloria said as Stefan poured himself a drink. "You know, the girls with the necklace, they were talking about you."

"And you didn't tell Klaus?" Stefan responded. "Why?"

"Because I wouldn't help that hybrid half-breed with anything," Gloria told Stefan bluntly, making Arabella snort. "The only Mikealson I'd ever help is Miss Arabella,"

The blonde smiled at the woman. Ara may not be loved by most witches, but Gloria always protected her. "The necklace is a talisman from the Original witch herself,"

"Arabella's mother," Stefan interrupted. Arabella's eyebrows creased. It was weird having Stefan know everything again, things Ara has never told another soul.

"I want the talisman," Gloria interrupted. Arabella frowned. She would not allow Gloria to keep the necklace. It was the only thing Ara had left from her mother.

"Well, I'm sorry," Stefan responded, looking back to Ara to see the frown on her face. "I can't help you."

"Don't be difficult," Gloria warned. "You know, I'd hate to have to tell Klaus what a liar his sidekick is."

Arabella frowned at Gloria's threat. She couldn't be serious. Stefan frowned, vamping over to her only to be stopped by a spell. "Guess I have to do this the hard way, huh?"

Arabella watched as Stefan collapsed before Gloria looked over at her. Arabella barely had time to react before Gloria used magic to make Ara's head snap.

The blonde's eyes opened to find her head felt like a million pounds. She struggled to raise it, moving her eyes down to find a pair of handcuffs on her wrists. The handcuffs.

She raised her eyes as she heard a loud groan of pain. Stefan. Gloria was doing something to Stefan. Ara tried to bring her legs up, but nothing happened. It was like her brain wasn't connected to her limbs. She could only move her head.

"I wouldn't try that, dear," Gloria chuckled softly as she looked over at Arabella. "I put a rather large amount of vervain in your system too."

Arabella opened her mouth to cry out for her siblings but no sound left. She could only watch as Gloria entered Stefan's mind, and pieced together everything the ex-lovers had tried to hide.

Her body. Why wasn't her body working? Even with the vervain, she should be able to move her legs? Ara's eyes narrowed, focusing on trying to move her fingers or anything. What was wrong with her?

"Well, this is creepy," A voice Arabella recongized as Katerina Petrova spoke. Gloria had barely raised up before Katherine stuck a knife in her neck.

"Maybe you do need my help after all," Katherine smirked down at Stefan. Stefan didn't respond as Katherine undid the ropes.

Stefan didn't even say a word to Katherine. He jumped off the table, immediately going to Arabella's side. "Ara?" He spoke, the nickname slipping out again. Ara's head, the only limb she could move, looked over to him. "Hey, hey, are you okay?"

Arabella opened her mouth again, but no noise came out. "What's wrong with her?" Katherine questioned, walking up to them.

Being stuck in her mind, unable to do magic or even move was terrifying to Arabella. She hadn't been this vulnerable in a millennium.

"I have no clue," Stefan spoke, hand still on Arabella's shoulder as he tried to get her to speak. Ara finally pieced together that the handcuffs that left her unable to do magic also kept her body from siphoning itself. Which meant Gloria had used a paralyzing spell on her.

She needed to figure out how to get this message to Katherine and Stefan. She moved her eyes down to the handcuffs and then back up to Stefan. She repeated this a couple times before Katherine noticed.

"She keeps looking down at the handcuffs," She informed the youngest Salvatore. "Is that why she can't move?"

"They keep her from doing magic, they don't paralyze her," Stefan scoffed, thinking back to the month Arabella was stuck in the chains.

"No, Stefan, I'm serious," Katherine argued. "Watch her eyes."

Arabella repeated the motion as Stefan watched carefully. "Is that it, Ara? Do the chains need removed and you can move again?" Stefan questioned.

The girl in question struggled to nod as her head still felt like it was a thousand pounds, but it was enough for Stefan to notice. He hurried to take the chains off as Arabella watched.

It took a minute, but Arabella got control back of one hand. The second she was able to control it again, she moved her hand down to her leg, chest heaving as she siphoned the rest of the spell away. "Well, that was bloody awful."

Stefan let out a relieved laugh as he helped Arabella up. Ara staggered, still trying to fully adjust back. "I've been thinking about your diabolical plan," Katherine said to Stefan

Arabella frowned. She wasted no time. "I don't care," Stefan replied bluntly. "I'm in this alone, Katherine."

He bent down, picking Gloria's body up and hauling it over his shoulder. "I think that's your sign to leave, Katherine," Arabella cut in, making Katherine send a glare at her.

Katherine wouldn't fight an original, though. She sent one last glare at Arabella before she exited the bar.

Arabella slumped down into a chair, chest heaving as she thought about what just happened. Not once in the last millennium had anyone been able to get Arabella Mikealson down. Being paralyzed like that was a feeling Ara never wanted to experience again.

And for it to be Gloria that had done that. Gloria, the woman that had taken Arabella under her wing and treated her like a daughter. Ara realized with a start Gloria had only ever wanted her for her powers, for her mothers powers.

A switch flipped inside of her. From now on, Ara would only care for herself, Stefan, and her siblings. Anyone else was collateral damage to her.

"Bells," Klaus spoke in concern, crouching in front of her. "Arabella, what happened?"

For the first time in awhile, Ara felt a tear roll down her cheek as she looked at her brother in panic. "Gloria betrayed us. She spelled me, paralyzed me, made me unable to move or talk. Nobody has been able to do that in a thousand years, Niklaus, I was terrified."

Klaus looked genuinely sympathetic as he pulled Arabella into his arms, holding her as she tried not to cry. "I'm sorry that happened, Arabella."

The youngest Mikealson couldn't remember the last time Klaus had comforted her, or really when the last time he had showed any affection to her was.

Ara pulled away with a sniff, standing up. "Come on. Let's go get Stefan, Rebekah, and Theodore. I'll try and find the necklace myself."

Klaus nodded, heading with Arabella back to the garage. Arabella noticed that he was hovering close to her side, as if shielding her from danger. She supposed he wasn't as mad at her as he was this morning.

"Gloria's gone," Klaus said to the other three, storming into the garage with the slam of the door. "We have to find a new witch immediately." He paused, noticing the tension in the room between the three vampires. "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong," Rebekah told her brother. "He was asking about Mikeal."

Arabella shook her head. Mikeal was the only thing she had never told Stefan about. He was the one thing that haunted her to this day. "No,"

"He's not with us, Nik," Rebekah continued, making Arabella shake her head. Rebekah needed to stop, Klaus would kill Stefan if he thought he was going to wake Mikeal. "I can sense it."

"She's wrong," Stefan argued, shaking his head. Ara's eyes moved to her brother in panic. He was too quiet. "Klaus."

Arabella flinched as Klaus vamped forward, wrapping his hand around Stefan's throat. "Niklaus, no!" Arabella shouted in protest, "Let him go."

"He was asking about Mikeal, Arabella," Niklaus argued, anger and venom flying from his mouth. "He must die."

"I will never forgive you," Arabella spoke, walking up to the pair. Klaus turned to look at her, eyes softening slightly. "As long as I live Niklaus, I will loathe you if you harm him."

Klaus looked between the two before he sighed, only snapping Stefan's neck and letting the body drop to the ground. Arabella looked from him to Klaus, frowning. "I know where the necklace is."

Klaus and Rebekah's heads both flew to her, while Theodore gave her a panicked look. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"I didn't want to go back there," Arabella lied easily. "Too many memories."

"Well, get on with it," Rebekah told her younger sister. "Where is it?"

"It's in Mystic Falls."

Seven hours later, their truck finally arrived in Mystic Falls. Klaus kicked Stefan's side, making the Salvatore jump awake. "Just give me a chance to explain myself."

"No need," Klaus told him. "I'm not mad, just curious. Rebekah seems to think you're holding onto something, a piece of your old life. The thing is she's got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural. So, I thought I would check it out. See for myself what it is you've been hiding."

Klaus stood up, walking to the door of the truck and pulling it open to show the town center of Mystic Falls. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Stefan."