CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
WINDY CITY

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     Rowan jerked awake, her temple banging against the hard glass of the car window. The car was no longer speeding down a road, which was the last thing she could remember before her head had fallen onto Stefan's shoulder, her exhaustion dragging her under. Grumbling under her breath, she rubbed lightly at her aching temple and pushed the car door open, squinting her eyes at the bright lights above her head. They were parked inside a large warehouse, hundreds of crates piled onto shelves. She could see compelled minions wheeling the coffins out of the truck. Turning her head, the first person she saw was Henrik. He was leaning against the side of his own car, his eyes once again glued to his phone. Rowan was half-tempted to yank it out of his hands, just to see what he would do, but decided her life was infinitely more important. Instead, she chose ask something short and sweet.

"Where are we?" she demanded, walking toward him. Henrik didn't even bother glancing up from his phone. A sucker, no doubt taken from Rowan's own personal stash, was in his mouth, the white stick poking out of the corner of his mouth. She usually ate them when she was feeling particularly hungry and didn't want to harm anyone, or when she needed to control herself before she made things worse. She scowled at the sight of it.

"Chicago," Henrik mumbled around the lollipop, his lips stained pink. Rowan let out a huff and glanced around the warehouse again. That was when she spotted Stefan and Klaus, standing at the entrance of the warehouse itself, staring out at the city. She had no idea where she was in Chicago, but that wouldn't have necessarily mattered. She had never been to Chicago in her life. The only thing she knew about it was that it was nicknamed Windy City. "And before you ask why we're here, I think Nik wants another witch's opinion."

"Then why are you still here?" she demanded, and though she sounded confrontational, she was genuinely curious. Henrik didn't have any real reason to still be with them. He'd been following behind Klaus's car; he could have turned down a random highway anytime he wanted. Klaus wouldn't have even noticed, yet here he still was, even though he was clearly annoyed by it.

"Because," Henrik said shortly. His tone of voice normally would have sent Rowan into a panicked haste to get away, especially considering how he'd lashed out at Klaus the day before, but now she didn't feel threatened at all. Maybe it was because of the candy in his mouth. She planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him.

"What, suddenly you don't want to talk?" she challenged. Henrik didn't take the bait, typing away at his phone again. Rowan sighed long and hard. She was bored, and she had no desire to go and join Stefan and Klaus at the entrance to the warehouse. She was sure Klaus was being insufferable. "Who are you texting? Is it what's-his-name? Francis?" She knew it was a risk to say his name—clearly, it was a sensitive subject—but much to her surprise, Henrik didn't react to it with cold anger. He just rolled his eyes, lowered his phone, and removed the lollipop from his mouth.

"Look," he sighed, "I'm really not in the mood to play around with you right now. Maybe in a few minutes, but not right now. I'm busy. Nik and Steffy are over there." He took the lollipop, sucked down so low that the stick was showing through the candy, and used it to wave her away. "Shoo." Rowan scowled at him, opened her mouth to say anything at all to that, then scowled even more and turned to walk away.

"The one time I want him to get on my nerves and he doesn't," she muttered to herself as she, rather reluctantly, made her way over to Klaus and Stefan. She could tell they were having some sort of moment, because Klaus was being touchy-feely with him again, his arm slung around Stefan's shoulder as he gestured with his free hand toward the city. She could tell from the slope of Stefan's shoulders that he wasn't tense, either, so it must be a good day for him. Sometimes she thought Stefan actually liked Klaus's attention, and she couldn't even blame him for that. Sometimes she liked his attention, too, because sometimes Klaus was...not kind, but okay. Friendly instead of invasive, in a good mood instead of a cruel one. Clearly, today, he was in a good mood, and thank god for that. Rowan didn't have the patience for a cruel Klaus at the moment, especially since she had banged her head against the car window when she had woken up and Henrik had stolen one of her lollipops.

"...how much you loved it here," Klaus was saying as Rowan stopped on his other side. She wanted to look over the city, but she found herself turning to lean her back against the large warehouse door, crossing her arms over her chest as she took them both in. Klaus was, indeed, in a good mood, smiling pleasantly. Stefan, on the other hand, was frowning in thought. Despite his body being relaxed under Klaus's arm, his mind was clearly somewhere else. Klaus glanced over at him, smirking in a way that made Rowan think she was missing something important. She learned what that missing piece was only a moment later. "Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?" Rowan blinked in surprise.

"Good old ripper days?" she repeated, glancing over the city with new eyes. "Chicago used to be an old hunting ground?" Stefan nodded, his lips pressed together in a displeased frown. He didn't usually show how upset his past made him in front of Klaus, so Rowan felt a flash of concern go through her. Stefan quickly covered it up, though, adding something else to the vague story that made his displeased frown make more sense.

"Blacked out most of them," he explained, his voice quiet. Rowan could tell why he was frowning so hard now. He was trying to remember the details of a past he had probably blocked out of his memory. It made Rowan wonder what, exactly, had happened in Chicago that was so bad. Surely it couldn't have been worse than what they had been doing all summer, or even his Monterrey massacre. She knew Stefan remembered what happened in Monterrey in vivid detail, and that was always something he'd been the most ashamed of. Stefan shook his head to clear it and glanced over at Rowan, offering her a small smile. "A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur. Pretty sure I was drunk the majority of the time."

"Well, that is a crying shame," Klaus muttered, letting his arm slide off Stefan's shoulders, just for his hand to settle on Stefan's shoulder instead. Rowan eyed it with a raised eyebrow, then raised both of them and looked away. "The details are what make it legend. Word was the Ripper of Monterrey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was Prohibition. Everything was off limits then, which made everything so much fun. Chicago was magical." Rowan was suddenly so amused that she had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from cooing at Klaus and Stefan both.

"Okay, we get it, you have a crush on Stefan," she ended up saying anyway, though thankfully, the mocking lilt to her voice was long gone. She was sure Klaus wouldn't have reacted well to it. The second she mentioned Klaus possibly having a crush, Stefan and Klaus moved away from each other, and it only served to make her even more amused. She ended up huffing out a knowing laugh. "Mind telling us why we're in Chicago at all? Henrik mentioned a witch." Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but stopped and glared when Stefan spoke first.

"Speaking of which, why are we still with you?" Stefan demanded, rounding on Klaus. "We had our fun, your hybrids failed. I mean, don't you want to move on?" Klaus's jaw clenched. Rowan shot Stefan a warning look over Klaus's shoulder, since Klaus had turned fully toward Stefan by that point, but Stefan didn't see it. He was too busy glaring at Klaus.

"The both of you promised me a decade-long bender," Klaus said in a low, dangerous voice. His tone was a warning in of itself, and Rowan grimaced. His good mood was nice while it lasted. She held in a sigh as they continued their stare-off, idly wondering if her teasing had caused the sudden shift. Maybe it had. Klaus's voice was rather soft in comparison when he added, "Or have you forgotten?" Stefan narrowed his eyes. Klaus, fed up with him for a moment, decided to turn and address Rowan instead. "And to answer your question, yes, we're here to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her?"

Rowan raised her eyebrows and shot a look behind Klaus, in Henrik's direction. He was still by his car, but Rowan knew he heard it, because he actually managed to raise his eyes from his phone. Rowan saw his cheek twitch in annoyance, and then had the pleasure of watching Henrik smooth his face into a cold mask once he realized she was watching him. She smiled prettily at him, knowing that her catching him feeling a genuine emotion must have annoyed him greatly, and then held in a sigh when the smile made his push himself off his car. She glanced back at Klaus.

"I thought Henrik was your favorite," she said honestly, because she genuinely had. She knew, by that point, how important being a hybrid was to Klaus. It was rather obvious, so she had correctly assumed he had trusted the ritual itself to a witch he had trusted as much as he was capable of. That witch had been Henrik.

"Henrik is a special case," Klaus dismissed, waving his hand in the air. Rowan just blinked at him, unimpressed.

"You're contradicting yourself," she pointed out. "Is he your favorite or not?"

"I better be," Henrik said, annoyance clear in his voice, "all things considered." He leaned back against the warehouse door beside Rowan, his phone hidden from sight somewhere in his jeans pocket. "Are you going to Gloria's, or are you two going to hope down memory lane for a bit?" Klaus turned his head to study Stefan in a way that made Rowan frown in confusion. She couldn't see how they could hop down memory lane if they hadn't even known each other when Stefan was last a ripper.

Unless they had known each other. The theory alone gave Rowan a headache.

"I think Stefan and I have some things to discuss before we get to the good bit, don't you?" Klaus said. It wasn't much of an answer—they could easily talk while they went to Gloria's—but Henrik took it as answer anyway. He hummed thoughtfully, then flashed Rowan a grin. He was back to normal, it seemed.

"Well, in that case, come on, sweetheart." He tilted his head at Rowan before stepping past her. It was only then that she noticed another car out in the gravel lot in front of the warehouse. Rowan followed, a little relieved that she wouldn't have to be a third-wheel with Klaus and Stefan for the day. She'd had enough of that in three months alone to last her two lifetimes. Henrik spoke to her over his shoulder as they walked. "Let's spend some quality time together while those two go on their date." Rowan snorted in amusement, while Klaus huffed out an annoyed breath and Stefan seemed to choke on air.

"Our what?" Stefan snapped.

"You heard me," Henrik said lightly, not even bothering to raise his voice. "Anyway, we're not taking that car fully into the city. Just far enough, and then we're ditching it, because Chicago traffic is a nightmare." Rowan didn't bother arguing. She just collapsed into the passenger seat and prayed that Stefan would be able to stay calm while with Klaus for an entire day.

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Henrik had been right. Traffic in Chicago was a complete nightmare, but he had failed to mention just how nightmarish the sidewalks were, as well. Perhaps it was worse for her, because she was a vampire and everything was heightened, but she still would have liked a little warning. Especially since she could hear dozens of heartbeats, smell dozens of different types of blood, and her head started to swim before they had walked even a block. Her gums started to ache after a few minutes, her jaw joining as she fought the urge to let her fangs out and attack the nearest human to her. But after a very long summer of indulging in her worst desires where blood was concerned, it was much harder to control herself, and it wasn't long until veins started sprouting beneath her eyes and her mouth started watering.

Klaus would have let her attack if she had wanted to. He would've taken care of any witnesses, too. She had expected for Henrik to be the same way, so she was surprised when Henrik snapped his fingers and, somehow, her vampire visage was completely gone, receding by the force of something out of Rowan's control. The hunger was still there, but she couldn't quite get her fangs out. Not until the worst of her hunger subsided and Henrik dropped his hand. It was only after he freed her that she felt the sudden stabbing pain in her jaw and gums. She groaned, reaching up to rub at the joints of her jaw as Henrik spoke.

"Focus on me, if you need to," he said quietly, going so far as to wrap his arm around her shoulders and bringing her into his side. She was so startled by it that she couldn't even manage to push him away. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, swollen. She must have bitten it when he had used his magic to get her under control. "Can't have you vamping out in the middle of a crowded street."

"What kind of witch are you?" she muttered, still rubbing at her jaw. She shot him a dark look, though there was no true anger behind it. In truth, she was grateful he had stopped her, grateful that he was keeping her in check when she couldn't do it herself. She thought for a moment, then asked quietly, "Why did you help me?" Henrik took a few minutes to answer, and as he thought it over, Rowan focused on regulating her breathing and trying not to think of all the food walking around her. Which was hard, because Chicago was crowded, and everyone was food. Even the witch who was currently pressing her to his side. He was restraining her more than anything by that point.

"Because I like you, believe it or not, and I much prefer your company over trailing behind Nik and hearing him wax poetry about Stefan's glory days." Rowan couldn't see his face, but she had the distinct feeling that Henrik was rolling his eyes. It made her grin.

"They knew each other, didn't they?" she asked after a moment. "Back in the 20s? And Stefan doesn't remember."

"Obviously," Henrik confirmed, in a tone that suggested she should have realized that earlier. Maybe she should have. Klaus did know an alarming amount about Stefan, she had noticed that before, and he clearly preferred his company to Rowan anyway. "Why do you think he wanted Stefan so badly? Why he still does? You're just a fun bonus, because he likes you too. Not in the same way, of course, but he likes you nonetheless. Klaus compelled him to forget, that's why his memory is blacked out, but he'll remember before the day ends. I'm sure of it." That was certainly a lot of new information to process in such a short amount of time, but Henrik didn't even give her a chance to respond to it. He physically brightened and dropped his arm from her shoulders. "Here we are!"

Rowan blinked, pulling away from his side and glancing up at the building he had stopped in front of. It was a bar called Gloria's, but the sign spelling out the name was switched off and there was a sign hanging on the door that clearly said it was closed. Henrik didn't seem to care. He tugged on it, found that it was locked, then used his magic to unlock it anyway. He walked inside without a second thought, the bell above the door signaling their arrival. Rowan, knowing this was most likely the witch they had been talking about earlier, warily tested the doorway with her foot, having no desire whatsoever to walk into a barrier again. It seemed to hurt worse the more it happened. Thankfully, her foot went over the threshold without any problem, and she walked into the bar with a sigh of relief. It was dimly lit, the only real light coming from the sunlight streaming through the windows. She caught up to Henrik quickly as a woman's voice floated through the air.

"We're closed!" she snapped, sounding rightfully annoyed. There was the sound of clinking glasses, and then footsteps coming toward them. Rowan rounded a corner and stopped at Henrik's side. The bar was far bigger than the Grill back home, and a stage was across the room, a band tuning their instruments on top of it. A few other staff members were walking about, some washing down tables, others cleaning glasses behind the bar. The same woman from earlier was coming out from behind the bar, eyes trained on her staff. She spoke to them without even looking at them. "Unless you're here for a job, leave." Henrik laughed, and that seemed to be the only sound the woman needed to hear. She froze the second she heard it, her entire body tensing up.

"Now, Gloria," Henrik drawled, tone of voice changing drastically from a mere minute prior, "is that any way to treat an old friend?" Rowan felt a little uncomfortable as she stood there and watched Gloria decide how she should react. It was clear by the way she had frozen that Henrik wasn't exactly a welcome surprise, but he wasn't an unpleasant one, either. She imagined that would be how she would feel about Henrik and Klaus, in the future. Both pleased and absolutely filled with dread. Eventually, Gloria's joy seemed to win out over her own dread, because she was grinning from ear to ear a second later and walking toward them.

"Henrik," she said warmly, reaching to grab both his hands. He let her. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," he agreed, tilting his head down to kiss her warmly on both cheeks. She let him with a pleased hum, and Rowan only grew even more confused. Once that was done, Henrik took a step back and looked over Gloria. He grinned. "As beautiful as always." Gloria laughed and pulled her hands free of him, choosing instead to plant them on her hips.

"A little too late to be flirting, don't you think?" she asked. Henrik raised his eyebrows like he disagreed, and Gloria only laughed louder. Her eyes flickered to Rowan then, finally seeming to notice her presence beside Henrik. Almost immediately, her laughter died down. She looked Rowan up and down much the same way Henrik had done to her. She didn't ask who Rowan was, or even bother to introduce herself. She immediately just turned to Henrik and asked, "Oh, don't tell me you and pretty boy called it quits?" Rowan's eyes widened in mortification, while Henrik's narrowed.

"I'm gay," Rowan blurted out, panicked just at the thought of someone thinking she and Henrik had that sort of relationship. Henrik didn't seem nearly as bothered by it as he was the mention of his significant other.

"And you should know better than to bring him up," Henrik said coldly, not sounding friendly at all anymore. Gloria's smile dropped as she realized she made a mistake, and Rowan let out a slow breath. She was suddenly very aware how lucky she was to have mentioned Francis and come out of it unscathed. Henrik hadn't even glared at her; he had just rolled his eyes. Gloria stayed frozen for a moment, and then she frowned.

"You can't keep him from this mess forever, you know," she said softly. Henrik only tilted his head.

"I can certainly try," was all he said, and then he was changing the subject completely, eyes going over the bar. "Anyway, Rowan is beautiful, but she's not my type, simply because I'm not hers. I've saved her from Klaus's theatrics for the day, as she's his latest ripper project. Rowan, this is Gloria, an old friend of mine." Henrik was back to smiling now, and Gloria was slowly relaxing the more he spoke. "We met in the twenties." Rowan opened her mouth to greet Gloria herself, and then those last five words actually registered in her brain. She stopped, closed her mouth, then turned her entire body toward Henrik and opened it again.

"The twenties?" she repeated. "Like, the 1920s?" Henrik and Gloria both nodded, like that was a normal thing to mention. Like Gloria didn't look like she was in her early forties at the least, and Henrik didn't look like he wasn't a few years older than Rowan herself. She glanced between the two of them quickly, then simply let out a single, "How?"

"Magic," Henrik responded, like that was an actual explanation for anything, ever. He shrugged at her disbelieving expression and motioned toward Gloria. "Spells and herbs can slow anyone's aging, if the witch is powerful enough." Gloria nodded.

"It'll catch up to me one day," was all she said, though that certainly didn't explain Henrik. Rowan stared hard and long at the side of his face, willing him to explain further, to explain how he looked as young as he did when he was surely over a hundred at this point. He didn't even glance over at her, and she was forced to put her gaze back on Gloria. "Klaus's latest ripper project, huh? Klaus is here?"

"Stefan, too," Henrik revealed, and that changed Gloria's entire demeanor completely. Her face hardened.

"Well," she said flatly, "that duo certainly isn't something I ever wanted to experience again. Them, combined with you being here..." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You came here without them for a reason. What exactly do you need from me, Henrik? What do you want?"

"I merely want you to remember that you owe me, yeah?" Henrik said sweetly, offering her a wide smile. Gloria pressed her lips together. Henrik didn't elaborate further, not in regards to Gloria owing him, and part of Rowan was grateful despite her curiosity. She had a feeling the less she knew about Henrik's side deals and debts, the better. Especially since she realized, to her growing dread, that she now owed him, too. He was keeping Elena's survival a secret, and even if Klaus found out one day, that didn't erase the fact that he had kept it in even when Klaus was threatening someone he cared deeply for. "Klaus is going to come to you for help with his botched hybrids. Obviously, you won't be able to help him, but still—if you come across any new information, even the smallest thing, I want you to tell me first. Is that understood?" Gloria's jaw clenched.

"Yes," she said stiffly, all fake friendliness gone. Henrik grinned wide.

"Fantastic! It was good to see you, Gloria, really," he said, turning to leave, and the craziest thing about it was that Rowan actually thought he was being genuine. Rowan cast one sympathetic glance at Gloria over her shoulder, then turned to follow Henrik out of the bar. It wasn't until they were back out on the sidewalk that Henrik spoke again. "Hey, are you hungry? There's an amazing bar down the street..."

"Um," Rowan said, blinking a few times. "Um, yeah, sure." Henrik glanced over at her when he heard the nervous tint to her voice, frowning a little. Rowan kept her gaze straight ahead, clearing her throat in discomfort.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked, sounding a little disappointed. She cleared her throat again.

"Nothing," she said shortly, "I'm just not used to people treating their friends that way." Henrik blinked, then laughed, grinning so wide that the dimple jumped out in his cheek.

"I said she was an old friend," Henrik pointed out. "Past tense. We may be friendly, but we're not friends, not anymore. I'm just calling in a debt." Rowan tilted her head in curiosity, though she had tried to fight the urge off. Henrik saw and grinned. "Her bar used to be a speakeasy. I helped her hide it from law enforcement a few times. Nothing big, but she still owes me regardless." Henrik stopped in front of another building, then pulled the door open and motioned Rowan forward. "After you." Rowan rolled her eyes and went inside.

They didn't speak for a while after they slid into a secluded booth in the corner. They were too busy deciding what to eat. Regular food wasn't necessarily what Rowan was starving for, but she knew a burger and fries would help with her cravings, so that's exactly what she ordered. Henrik ordered a salad, and they spent the time waiting for their food in silence. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. Just heavy. Rowan had a lot of questions, and Henrik knew she had a lot of questions. He was just waiting for her to get enough nerve to ask them. It wasn't until their food was in front of them and Rowan was delicately picking the pickles off her burger that she actually did.

"So," she said conversationally, putting the pickles on the edge of her plate, "you're over a hundred years old." Henrik, who was mixing his salad together with a fork, immediately started fighting off a grin. Rowan narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you older than that? Younger?"

"Give or take," he said, voice practically vibrating with laughter he was forcing back. He saw her frustration and a few—of all things—giggles escaped his mouth. It made Rowan sigh and flop back against her seat. He rolled his eyes at her dramatics and looked back at his salad. "Okay, fine, fine. I'm older than that. Happy?"

"Hardly," Rowan said flatly. "So Gloria is younger than you, yet she looks older physically. Why is that?" Henrik shrugged.

"Gloria's not as powerful as I am," he said simply. "Don't bother trying to understand the mechanics of witchcraft and the witch community, Ro Ro. It even confuses me sometimes, and I'm probably the most powerful witch alive." Rowan's eyebrows shot up.

"Rather arrogant of you, Rikkie," she said mockingly, though it didn't have the desired effect. He actually seemed delighted that she called him by a nickname, eyes brightening visibly. A huge part of Rowan found that she was extremely annoyed that she actually liked Henrik. That a part of her found him extremely endearing, even when she was scared of him or even irritated, like now. She didn't have any real anger, hatred, or resentment toward Henrik, not like all the negative feelings she harbored for Klaus. Her relationship and feelings toward Henrik were probably just as complex as her feelings toward Klaus, but at least Henrik didn't go out of his way to make her miserable.

"It's not arrogance," Henrik said simply. "It's the truth." He placed his elbow on the table and cupped his chin in his hand, his other one fiddling with his fork. "You know, my family calls me Rikkie. I think you'd like her. My sister, I mean. Rebekah." He stabbed at his lettuce and took a bite, while Rowan had to wrap her head around the fact that Henrik actually had a family. He didn't seem like someone who actually existed outside her own ripper bubble. Something was nagging at the back of her brain, trying to tell her something, trying to connect dots that were clearly there. It was only when he chewed in a certain way and his dimple popped out again that the dots became clear. Her eyes widened.

"Wait," she stuttered, thinking out loud. Henrik glanced up from his salad, but Rowan barely noticed. She was going through every interaction she'd seen Henrik have with both Klaus and Elijah, in the short time before he'd been daggered. The dog joke he'd thrown Klaus's way, the fondness Klaus had afterward, the shock on Elijah's face when he'd seen Henrik. His fondness for Katherine, like he had known her since Katherine had met Klaus. That one night when Klaus had rambled about his siblings, specifically his sister, and how he had even said that she would like Rowan, too. How he had rambled about his baby brother afterward, drunkenly slurring out the name Rikkie. She hadn't even realized the nickname had stuck inside of her head until then. It all clicked into place within seconds. Henrik and Klaus having close to the same accent, the same dimples, the same way of phrasing certain things. "Wait, no, that's not—you can't be—you're not, no, you're not even a—you're not Klaus's brother, you're not, that's impossible—"

Considering the way Henrik was suddenly smiling, though, it wasn't impossible at all.

"And I was starting to think you weren't as smart as I thought," he said thoughtfully, still cupping his chin in his hand, still smiling. Rowan opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then scowled even harder than she had that entire day.

"You're annoying," she said flatly, because that was familiar to her. That was territory she knew how to deal with. A witch that was also somehow an Original was not familiar territory, and she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around it. "You annoy me." Henrik's eyes widened, though they were glittering in delight. He actually seemed to be proud of her, proud that she had figured it out with so little information.

"Do you mean that?" he asked lightly, sounding touched. Rowan threw her hands up in the air.

"It wasn't a compliment!" she exclaimed, so loudly that she gained the attention of a few customers nearby. Henrik ignored them, but Rowan sank lower in the booth, embarrassed as well as shocked.

"How'd you figure it out?" Henrik asked suddenly, straightening from his slouch. He was frowning now, his head tilted to the side. "We usually keep me a secret, for personal reasons I'm not going to get into. Did he slip up while drunk? Do we look alike? I always thought I looked more like Kol. Nik and I don't share the same fathers, after all."

"He called his baby brother Rikkie one night while drunk," Rowan confirmed quietly, "but it wasn't just that. It's mainly how you two act around each other. The way you acted around Elijah, too. If it weren't for those reactions, I don't think I would've put the pieces together." Henrik slowly set his fork down, leaving his salad abandoned for the moment. He studied her for a long time, looking oddly serious. So long that she grew uncomfortable and shifted in the booth. When he spoke, his voice was soft.

"Klaus is wasting his time with you," he murmured, and for some odd reason, that hurt a place in Rowan that she couldn't even begin to understand. She immediately straightened in the booth, but couldn't bring herself to interrupt. Not yet. "He's wasting his time with Stefan, too, because this whole ripper thing is ridiculous, but you..." He shook his head, almost sadly. "I don't see how he ever thought he could turn you into an emotionless killing machine. You're too empathetic. Too young. Too human. I mean, maybe in seventy years or so when everyone you love is gone or going and you're only left with other vampires, but now? It's just a waste. You must be exhausted at this point, with all those pesky human emotions." He blinked slowly, then smiled again. "How do you do it?"

Rowan clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth together. She didn't like how he had seen right through her at all, and the only way she could think of defending herself was to flip it right back onto him. If he was going to let her know just how see-through she was, then she was going to make it clear that she saw right through him, too.

"How do you?" she challenged, and had the satisfaction of watching him pause. He hadn't expected her to flip it back onto him. She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. "Do you think I haven't noticed how different you act when Klaus isn't around? Klaus is your brother, but he's not very nice to you, is he? This whole cold, erratic persona you have going on, that's for him, isn't it? Because you're just like me and Stefan. You're afraid to let Klaus see just how much you actually feel, so you bury it under other things and hope he doesn't notice. I think I know why." A muscle in Henrik's cheek jumped, his jaw clenching. That was the only sign that he was getting angry, but she found that she didn't actually care.

"Enlighten me," he said flatly, in a tone of voice she had never heard before. It made her grin, made her feel a little reckless.

"If you act like Klaus wants you to act, then there's no reason for him to carry out his threats," Rowan said slowly, "and you want Francis away from this mess, don't you?" The worst part of Rowan was ecstatic when she got nothing but stone-cold silence as a response. Finally, she had actually won something for the first time since Klaus had taken her. But the good part of her, the one she'd had to silence the past few months the majority of the time, screamed at her that she had gone too far. That nothing Henrik had said about her had warranted digging her claws into opens wounds and making them hurt worse.

Feeling like someone could see right through her had hurt her somewhere very deep, in a place she didn't like and couldn't place. It left her open and vulnerable. She had wanted to make him feel that way. Perhaps she had done that a little too well.

And then Henrik's next words made Rowan feel ridiculous for feeling bad at all.

"Well, you clearly don't like being psychoanalyzed," Henrik said with a scoff, face twisting into an amused smile. "My mistake." Rowan had already concluded that most of his reactions were fake, but she couldn't help rolling her eyes and slumping back into the booth. She knew she had hit a nerve in him, but he seemed to have realized that he had hit a nerve first. Hopefully that made them even, because Rowan certainly didn't want him as an enemy. Especially not now that she knew who he really was. He picked his fork back up and pointed at her plate. "Now eat up. How in the world do you not like pickles? The hell is wrong with you?"

Just like that, the tension surrounding them both was completely gone. Rowan, with another roll of her eyes, twisted her plate around and offered Henrik the discarded pickles on the side. He took them happily, and Rowan's annoyance melted away. Thankfully, they were able to enjoy the rest of their dinner in peace.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The sun had already set by the time they were making their way back to Gloria's. Henrik was back on his phone, relying on Rowan's white top to see where he was going through his peripheral. Rowan knew that, because many times, he had bumped into her shoulder because he hadn't been paying attention. Rowan wanted to snap at him to get off his phone for once, but she figured she wouldn't push her look after what she had said during dinner. Eventually, she settled for reaching behind her and securing a hand around his wrist, steering him like she would a drunk friend on the way home. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed happy about it, humming under his breath. At any moment, Rowan almost expected for him to hold her hand properly and start swinging them through the air. He seemed like the type.

"Lots of things seemed to have happened while we were gone," Henrik said suddenly, once they had entered Gloria's property through the back, their shoes echoing through the small enclosed parking space. "Stefan and Nik went on their memory-date-tour thing and he knows they knew each other, just like I said, and..." Henrik's phone buzzed, and his expression lit up. "Oh! Damon is here, according to Gloria." His eyes flickered up to meet hers, glittering. "Which probably means your girlfriend is here, too. Such a lovely thing. She is very devoted to you, you know. It's sweet." Rowan pursed her lips, and briefly thought about breaking Henrik's wrist. She chose to drop it instead.

"Can you not be an asshole for two seconds?" she snapped. His eyes widened.

"I was being serious," he argued, having the nerve to look hurt. Rowan scoffed.

"If you were being serious, you wouldn't have sounded like that."

"Like what?"

"You know how you sound like!"

"I don't even know what I'm doing half the time!"

"Rowan?" Rowan's mouth snapped shut, her entire body going rigid in surprise. Even Henrik froze for a split second, head whipping to the side, his own mouth snapping shut as well. They'd been so focused on arguing with each other as they walked across the parking lot that they hadn't noticed the extra presence hiding behind a car, not until she walked out into the open and the streetlamp reflected off her dark hair. Elena was dressed up this time, wearing a pretty purple dress, her hair straight. Her eyes were wide as she took the two of them in. She wasn't surprised to see Rowan—she was precisely who Elena had been waiting in the shadows to talk to—but she was surprised to see Henrik, recognizing him the sacrifice ritual months ago. All she could get out was a small, "Oh."

"Oh, indeed." Henrik smiled at her, and Rowan was surprised to see that it had nothing off about it. It seemed genuine. Maybe he had meant it, when he had said that Elena's devotion to Rowan was sweet. "Hello, Elena. It's nice to see you again."

"I...I thought you were dea—"

"Ah, ah," Henrik cut in, bringing a finger up to his mouth playfully, shushing her without actually have to make a shushing sound. Elena's mouth snapped shut immediately, and he grinned behind his finger. Rowan scowled and smacked him on the side with the back of her hand. He didn't seem to feel it, though he did drop his finger. "You two have very little time. Let's not waste it on me." With that, he walked away, leaving Rowan and Elena alone, for the most part. Rowan let out a trembling breath and approached her. She hadn't stopped replaying the day they had run into each other in the woods since it had happened. She wished she had handled it differently, had treated Elena a little more gently. She couldn't take that back now, but she could be gentle now.

Rowan didn't really know who moved first. It could have been her, moving at a speed Elena couldn't, but suddenly her arms were around Elena's neck, and Elena's were wrapping around Rowan's waist, and for the first time in three long months, Rowan could breathe. She could finally breathe again, and she used that to take in a deep breath and close her eyes, to press her face into the crook of Elena's neck and just stay there for a minute. She could feel Elena bending her head down, could feel her lips pressing against Rowan's shoulder, and suddenly she was crying, tears streaming from her eyes and falling onto Elena's neck. She hated that she was crying. They didn't have a lot of time already; she couldn't waste it on tears. She choked them back and spoke softly, her words muffled by Elena's neck.

"You shouldn't be here," was all she could manage, because Elena was playing with her hair now, and it was so familiar that Rowan had to choke back another sob.

"You shouldn't be here, either," Elena argued, and while she was technically right, it was also incredibly frustrating. She didn't understand. She didn't know how high the risk was.

"The hybrids are failing," Rowan choked out, and the reveal left Elena quiet. Rowan used that as an opportunity to pull her face from Elena's neck, though they kept hold of each other, not willing to let go just yet. "He tried to make hybrids and they failed. He's trying to figure out what went wrong. He's so close to figuring out that you've still alive. Elena, you can't be here."

"I'm not worried about me," Elena said stubbornly, just like Rowan knew she would. It almost made her groan out loud. Almost. "I'm worried about you and Stefan. You can come with us, you know. You can get into Damon's car and we can drive home tonight."

"And he'll find us tomorrow," Rowan whispered, pulling a little farther away. She could hear fighting inside the bar now, hear Damon grunting and Klaus having his fun. Damon wouldn't be able to keep him distracted for long. She squeezed Elena once more before pulling away completely. Her heart jerked in her chest when Elena reached for her again and she had to take a step back. If she fell into Elena's arms again, she wasn't sure she'd be strong enough to let go of her a second time. "Stefan and I are okay. We're going to be okay. As long as you and Damon are safe, we'll be okay, because then we'll know that this was worth it. So, please, stop risking your lives to come after us." Elena was shaking her head. Rowan's voice cracked. "I want you to be safe. I need you to be safe. Elena, please." Elena was still shaking her head, and somehow, she managed to get to Rowan before Rowan could get away. Her hands cupped Rowan's face a second later. Rowan's breath hitched when Elena leaned forward, their foreheads pressed together, their noses brushing.

"Come home," Elena whispered, and Rowan almost broke. She almost said yes. She would have, if she hadn't heard Damon yelling out in pain inside the bar. She was glad he broke her out of it, because their lips were brushing, and that just wouldn't do. Kissing Elena would have been so easy, and that was precisely why Rowan didn't do it. Kissing her would have made it so much harder for Rowan to say no.

"I'm so sorry," Rowan whispered, voice cracking again. She was gone a second later, leaving Elena holding empty air. She didn't go far, only far enough that she was hidden from Elena's sight, but it broke something inside of her regardless. She was crouching a moment later, hiding in the shadows of the parking lot behind a large truck, her palm pressed hard against her mouth. She stayed there like that, her eyes clenched shut and forcefully choking tears back, until she heard footsteps approaching from her left. She knew who it was without having to look up. Elena wouldn't have gone after her, not after that, because it would have left her incapacitated just like Rowan was. There was only one other person in the lot with them, and he had the means to find anyone.

"Did you enjoy that?" she rasped out, once she was sure she wouldn't start sobbing if she removed the palm from her mouth. Henrik rocked on his heels for a moment—she could see him do it, the outline of his combat boots in her peripheral—and then he was squatting down beside her, actually sitting down on the pavement. Rowan hadn't realized she had sat down, as well.

"Quite the opposite," Henrik said quietly, picking up a stray pebble and tossing it across the lot, just for something to do. Rowan watched it bounce until it hit a metal trashcan. "I'm not a monster, despite what you must think." Rowan didn't comment on that. She just stared at the trashcan. She had actually managed to forget, even for a short while, that she was with Klaus against her will. That she'd had an option to say no, to walk out the door and leave Stefan to fend for himself, and that Henrik had been a big reason why she hadn't. She was bonding with the people who had played huge roles in her predicament now, and that was something she couldn't even begin to process, much less accept. Henrik glanced at her, quiet, before he added, "You'll see her again, you know. I'm sure of it. The two of you just have to...fight through this small hiccup first."

"It's not a roadblock we can just go around," Rowan muttered, voice rough.

"Sure it is, if you view it as one," Henrik argued, and Rowan couldn't even manage to find an argument against it. Anything could be viewed as anything else. "This won't actually last ten years, Rowan. I know my brother. He'll get bored. He always does. Maybe not with Stefan, not so soon, but with you? It's already started. Maybe another year, tops, before he leaves you stranded in a five-star hotel somewhere and leave you to find your way back home. And Elena will be waiting. It won't be easy, but you'll both be fine in the end." Rowan glanced at him uncertainly. There was wisdom in his words, born from experience.

"You sound so sure," she muttered. He shrugged.

"The love you two share is very familiar to me," was all he said, and then he was getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. He then offered his hand down to her. Rowan took it, too exhausted to pull herself up, and sighed heavily once she was back on her feet. She started to walk forward, toward Gloria's, but stopped and stared at Henrik with a frown. Her next words came out unprovoked and unplanned, but she didn't regret them. Not even a little bit.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, frown deepening. "For bringing him up during dinner. I did it to make you upset and I shouldn't have. Especially since you've kept her from him all this time. I know you only did it so that I'll owe you one day, when you need it, but still. I'm sorry." Henrik didn't seem to know how to react to that. He couldn't even manage to come up with something annoying to say. He just stared, looking as shocked as Rowan had ever seen him before, and then he was glancing down at the phone in his hands. Avoiding her gaze, if she could wager a guess.

"Klaus wants us to meet up at the warehouse," he muttered, turning to leave. Rowan managed a small smile as she followed him. "He says he has a surprise."

"I'm not really looking forward to a Klaus surprise," she sighed, "but fine."

When they got to the warehouse, however, it wasn't to anything particularly bloody. There was just a lot of yelling. One of them was Klaus, but the other was a woman, one Rowan didn't recognize. She frowned when she heard, but Henrik—Henrik shot forward, leaving Rowan behind as he ran into the warehouse. By the time it occurred to her to speed up, Henrik was twirling whoever the woman was in his arms. Rowan raised her eyebrows and walked toward Stefan, who looked dazed.

"What the hell is going on?" Rowan demanded, and didn't get a single answer. Not from the people she knew, anyway. Instead, the woman pulled away from Henrik and chose to walk toward Rowan instead. Her hair was short and curled to her shoulders, and she was wearing a white flapper dress with matching pearls. The smile she gave Rowan was blinding, and it was only then Rowan remembered Henrik mentioning a sister.

"Rebekah," the woman said simply, her eyes taking in Rowan from head to toe a second later. Rowan couldn't quite place what type of look was on her face, but the way her next words came out in a soft sigh made her intentions very clear. "And who might you be?"

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

AUTHOR'S NOTE: How do y'all feel about longer chapters, like this?

Me, throwing hints of Klefan in every single one of my fics: Do you see the wasted potential? Do you see? Because I do! And I will not be silenced!

Also...Robekah, anyone? If Rebekah said that to me, I would fall to my knees in an instant. Like RIP to Rowan but I'm different.

Here's a ripper!Rowan edit just because.