you can't start what never ended

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING?"

"No,"

"Wait, seriously?' Iris stopped them, and Athena looked up at her, frowning at her disbelief.

"Of course I don't know where we're going, Zeus dropped us in the middle of a city that's at least three times bigger than Mystic Falls with absolutely no clue as to where Stefan is. I'm the goddess of wisdom, not Google Maps."

Hermes rolled his eyes, slightly glaring at Athena. "So not only did we just rob a mall for new clothes, but we're also wandering aimlessly around Chicago with absolutely no clue where your stupid friends are?"

"Okay," Athena held up a finger, scoffing defensively. "First of all, the stealing thing doesn't matter because the employees at the store were paid maybe half a cent compared to what the CEOs of those stores make in a month. If anything, we were sticking it to capitalism–"

"Athena,"

"Second of all!" She pointedly held up a second finger, glaring at him before quickly faltering. "No, the second part you're right about. I have no idea where Stefan or Damon are."

He throws his arms up, a noise of frustration leaving him. "Well, what the hell, Athena?! We can't just run around all day!"

"Okay, okay!" She held her hands up, brows furrowed on her forehead. "Look, if I can find some way to charge my phone, I can find Damon,"

"How are you going to do that?"

Athena glanced at Future, sighing. "A while back, I got kidnapped by a vampire and afterward, Damon made me get this stupid GPS tracker in my phone just in case something happened again. He can see where I am, and vice versa. If I can charge my phone, I'll just find out where he is and it'll be fine."

Hermes sighed, his jaw clenching before he forced the irritation out of him. "Okay. Where are we gonna find a place to charge your phone?"

Athena looked around at the bustling streets of Chicago, her face scrunching into a frown. "There has to be like a coffee shop or something that I could find a charger in,"

"What, more stealing?"

Athena made an irritated noise as she started down the sidewalk, eyes scanning every building on the strip closely. "If I have to, yes," Glancing over her shoulder at the three immortal beings, she sighed. "Look, I don't need a lesson in ethics and morals from people who don't understand how my world works. You might be used to how it is with Zeus in power, but that's not what it's like here."

Athena shakes her head, almost violently pressing a crosswalk button as they await traffic to slow down. Her eyes drifted up to the building across the street and she curiously bit the inside of her cheek as she read the large sign that said Gloria's. It looked so familiar, but it was distant, like a memory she couldn't quite reach or some odd shade of deja vu.

"If you guys want to go off and do your own thing, that's fine," She looked at the three of them again, making sure they were listening. "I'm not going to force you guys to stick around, especially with the chaos I'm undoubtedly going to walk into. You're free now, you don't have to wait around for orders anymore."

The four of them all stood for a moment, the bustling traffic of Chicago moving swiftly around them, and Athena raised a brow as they all shared a collective look that communicated something she didn't seem to get.

Heaving a sigh, Hermes turned his attention back to her. "We're not leaving. We're better together, and like you said, you're probably walking into a shit show and you'll need all the help you can get."

Though she tried to fight it, a small smile twitched at the corners of her lips, and she felt a previously unknown anxiety settle in her at the reassuring words. Nodding slightly, they all moved in unison across the crosswalk and Athena rolled her shoulders back, eyes once again focused on the signs above her eye level.

She managed to push through the people walking the opposite way down the sidewalk but was admittedly at a disadvantage as she had only taken a pair of white sneakers at Iris' insistence. Rolling her eyes as she pushed through another hoard of people standing around taking pictures, she grunted, her irritation and impatience steadily rising once more.

A firm, stiff body rammed into her side, knocking her off of her determined path and she let out a noise that was somewhere between a groan and a yell. Steady hands wrap around her arms, keeping her from falling and her face twists into a vitriolic glare. "What the f– watch it, speed bump!"

There's a brief moment where Athena's rage-filled gaze drops from the buildings, and they meet forest green hues that drain her anger immediately. Heart plummeting to her stomach, her breath hitches and she tilts her head back, blinking rapidly to clear her gaze of the visage she was so sure she was seeing.

"Stefan?"

"Athena?"

Breathing out his name felt like it took all of her effort and she didn't waste another moment before lurching into his touch and wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck, a soft sob shaking her shoulders as he pulled her impossibly tighter against him.

"You're here," His voice shakes in her ears, but she just nods against him, her fingers digging into his skin so she can ground herself to this moment. "You're really here."

"I am," She whispers, pulling back to look up at him. "I'm here, I promise."

She pulls her arms back, cupping his face gently between her hands as she watches tears gather in his eyes. Shaking her head in disbelief, her lips parted in a grin. "I missed you so much, and I'm so sorry–"

"Don't," He cuts her off sternly, arms tightening around her waist. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one that messed everything up."

"No," She dragged her thumbs beneath his eyes, carefully brushing away the few tears that had spilled. "I'll explain everything, I promise. So much has happened, but I'm here now, and I'm not leaving again, I swear–"

"Stefan, what the hell?" A familiar voice cuts through her words and Athena snaps her gaze over, heart racing all over again at the sight of the raven-haired vampire standing just outside the entrance of the bar. "What are you doing, we need you in here!"

A noise of excitement spills from Athena's lips and Stefan instinctively breaks his hold, allowing Athena to turn and throw herself at Damon, who instinctively catches her before he recognizes who it is.

Hugging him close, Athena lets out a shuttered breath, not allowing herself to spill any more tears.

"Uh,"

Athena pulls back from Damon, glaring at him in a way that she can't hold for longer than a few seconds out of sheer relief. "Hey, idiot,"

Damon's eyes widen and Athena grins smugly at the sight of his rare speechlessness. "Holy shit,"

"I know,"

"You're back,"

She nods firmly. "I am,"

"You're alive,"

"That too,"

"Athena," Damon shakes his head, his hands clamping down on her shoulders. She braces herself for his happiness, but she's met with a stern frown that makes her brows furrow. "You are in so much trouble. I mean, seriously! You just walked out and disappeared for three months, and I couldn't even get a text?"

She huffs, glaring up at him more steadily than before. "I will explain everything, I promise, but first you guys need to explain a few things. Like why you're in Chicago, for one,"

Damon's blue eyes flicker over her shoulder to Stefan, who nods slightly. "We've been helping Klaus make his hybrids. Or trying to help him. There's been some, uh, issues,"

As Damon drops his hands, Athena turns, looking at the small group that has formed outside of the bar. Her eyes flicker to the door and she sighs, pushing Damon back towards the door. "Let's go inside and talk about this. I take it Klaus is with you guys?"

With Stefan and Damon in tow, Hermes, Iris, and the Fate all trailed behind them into the bar and Athena's eyes warily flickered to the woman behind the bar. Sharing a glance with Damon, who shrugged slightly, Athena offered the woman a nod in greeting.

"More of Klaus's minions?"

Athena's polite smile quickly fell into a glare and Damon pushed her back, giving her a silent warning look.

"No, no," Damon hurried to correct the witch, not willing to test Klaus's weakening threshold for hangups in the process of making his hybrids. "They're with us. They're friends from Mystic Falls... sort of."

The woman nodded, setting down a glass she'd been drying. "Would they know something about the necklace?"

Athena frowned, looking at Stefan and Damon. "What necklace?"

"Katherine's necklace," Damon huffed, rolling his eyes at the mention of the doppelgänger that had been conveniently missing all summer. "Turns out that evil bitch stole it from Klaus's mom and now we can't find it."

"You know, just when I thought she couldn't get any worse," Athena cleared her throat, smiling bitterly at the Petrova she'd just barely made amends with. "But, uh, didn't Elena take that necklace?"

Confusion fluttered in Damon's eyes before realization set in and he clapped a heavy hand down on Athena's shoulder, ignoring her slight groan as he practically shoved her. "See, this is why we needed you. I bet if you'd been here, we would've had a thousand hybrids by now."

Gloria stepped out from behind the bar, looking at Athena closely. "What do you know about the necklace?"

"Just that Katherine's doppelgänger took it a long time ago and we never got it back from her. I never saw her wearing it, but I assume she kept it. She was annoying like that."

"Was?"

"She's dead," Athena shrugged. "Klaus killed her for the ritual. I haven't been back to Mystic Falls– none of us have, but I assume that it's in her things somewhere."

Future, who had been wandering around the bar, taking in all of the deliciously human knick-knacks, stopped at Athena's words. Brows furrowing, they looked at the witch staring Athena down. "Have you come in contact with this necklace before?"

Gloria's attention snapped over to them, and their hackles rose further at the look shimmering in her eyes. "Once, in the 20s. This one was there," Gloria's finger points to Stefan, and Athena's gaze shifts to him curiously. "And Rebekah was the one wearing it."

"Who the hell is Rebekah?"

"Klaus's crazy sister," Damon whispers, not bothering to lower his voice. "Who's totally in love with Stefan."

Athena's eyes widen and her gaze shifts to the vampire in question, who grimaces at his brother's words. "Wow, I love her already," The sarcasm in her voice was palpable and Stefan lowered his gaze to the floor, making Athena take her piercing gaze from his profile. "Couldn't you just use Rebekah to find the necklace?"

Gloria raised a brow, cocking a hip. "If Rebekah was here, sure. But I don't see her. Do you?"

Athena clenched her jaw, her glare returning in full force. "Look, lady, I don't know what your apparent problem with me is, but I will–"

"You know what?" Damon cut her off, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I will call Klaus and tell him to bring his lovely sister here, and we will be out of your hair in no time, Gloria,"

"Damon, seriously–"

"Athena," The fate's voice comes and Athena turns, seeing them closer to Gloria than they had been. "Something's wrong."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Their pale hand wraps around Gloria's wrist and a gasp leaves their lips as Gloria forcibly tears her arm away. "What the–"

"Athena, she's going to kill them!"

Gloria swipes a hand out and Future is sent flying back into the stacked tables and chairs. Exclamations come from Stefan and Damon, but Athena rears her arm back and throws the dagger that had materialized in her hand the moment the gasp broke from Future's lips.

She watches as it lands in Gloria's throat, and the witch's defensive stance falls immediately. Flinching as a spatter of blood hits her cheek, she watches with an impassive glare as Gloria falls to the floor, choking around the blood flooding her lungs.

Hermes and Iris cross the bar quickly, hurrying to help the young Fate up and check them over for any injuries. Turning back to face the vampires, Athena glares at Damon. "I should've killed her when I walked into the bar. I knew something was wrong with her."

Damon looks at her incredulously. "Wh– Athena! That was Klaus's only lead! If he finds out we killed her, he'll kill us. I know it's been three months, but trust me, that is not enough time to bond with a complete psychopath."

"I would beg to differ," She mutters, wiping the speck of blood on her cheek away with the pad of her thumb. "I bonded with him in a few hours. You don't do sacrificial rituals with people you aren't friends with."

"And what, we're just supposed to trust what your weird, pale friend said?"

"Uh, yes. They can literally control the future, Damon,"

Anger seems to leave him in a moment and he is once again rendered speechless, which earns a laugh from Athena. "I should introduce the family. You're familiar with Hermes,"

"Josh," The blond boy lifted his fingers in a sarcastic salute that Damon rolled his eyes at. "We're on Earth now, there's no need for formalities,"

"Right," The goddess mutters. "Josh. That's Iris, she's just lovely, isn't she? She's another god of messages, like Josh. She's also the literal rainbow, and you can totally tell. Look at her smile,"

The goddess ducks her chin, dark eyes lifting to momentarily meet Damon's gaze, only to fall back when the vampire winks at her.

"And that's Future," Athena stops, pointing at the Fate. "You know, we should find you a good human name since you're gonna be sticking around. Unfortunately, I think Future draws too much attention."

The Fate perks up, eyes wide with a sudden glee. "How about Alex?"

"Alex?" Josh echoes confusedly. "Where'd you get Alex?"

"I saw it at a pizza place in the mall that we robbed,"

Athena grimaced at their casual mention of their activities before finding them and she slowly lifted her gaze, meeting Damon's incredulous one again. "We didn't rob them,"

"We did," Josh cuts in, smirking at the look of disbelief growing on Damon's face. "We definitely did, and it was all her idea."

"Athena,"

"Okay, you know what? It doesn't matter, you know I'm technically 18 now and–"

"That doesn't mean it's legal to steal, who taught you that?"

"It should mean that, though!"

"What the hell is going on here?"

All of the chaos stopped at the sound of the accented voice and Athena muttered a curse beneath her breath at the sight of Klaus standing before them with a glaring blonde she presumed was his sister, Rebekah.

Lifting her hand in a wave, Athena feigned nonchalance as the hybrid's surprised gaze dropped to her. "Hey, Klaus. Long time no see. You look great, have you been working out?"

"Athena," The hybrid steps down towards her, his smile tight at the corners as he greets her. "Though it is lovely to see your face after so long, and I do have high hopes that your return will help drag my friend from his infuriatingly useless pit of depression,"

A snort echoes from behind her, and she doesn't have to turn to see it's Josh laughing at Stefan's expense.

"I can't help but notice that my witch is dead, and your knife is in her throat. And as far as I can see, you're the only one with blood on their person."

"Right, about that," Athena nods, heaving a sigh. "She was going to kill Stefan and Damon, but don't worry– my lovely friend Alex can find out why your hybrids aren't working. I promise, I don't kill people without good reason,"

She stops, brows twitching. "Not all the time, at least,"

Future– Alex– steps forward, offering a small smile to Klaus who just glares in return. Their eyes dart to Rebekah, who raises a wary brow.

"Um," Alex cleared their throat, looking around nervously at the sight of the attention on them. "When– When I grabbed Gloria, I saw her looking for the necklace. But she was doing some sort of ritual on Stefan and Damon, saying something about someone not being dead. I– I didn't see much past that, but–"

"Wait," Damon cuts them off, dark brows furrowing. "Gloria said someone wasn't dead? Did she say who?"

Alex shook their head. "No, all I heard was, 'You know she's not dead, you're lying to Klaus,' and then I heard Stefan yell that he had no idea what she was talking about."

"No," Athena's eyes widened and she shared a look with Damon, who seemed to have come to the same realization that she had. "No, I swear to god,"

"What?" Klaus cut in, voice tense. "What is it, Athena?"

Swallowing roughly around the sudden blinding anger that had hit her, she looked at the Original before her. "We completed your ritual in May, and in order for you to do that, we had to kill Elena."

"I'm aware of what we did, and I was under the impression that the Bennett witch made sure everything worked."

"She did. Bonnie did everything right, I swear," Athena hurried to explain, but her fists clenched at her sides aimlessly. "But your hybrids aren't working, Klaus. They aren't working because the ritual isn't finished until Elena is dead."

Stefan shook his head, speaking up for the first time since they'd entered the bar. He'd barely even been able to look Athena in the eyes. "Elena is dead. Alaric said that they had a funeral and everything,"

"She might be dead," Damon clenched his jaw. "But that doesn't mean she's gone."

Realization seemed to dawn on Klaus finally and the hybrid's eyes flashed a dangerous yellow that had Alex taking a step back. "She's a vampire,"

Athena inhaled sharply but nodded nonetheless. Her eyes met Klaus's and they shared a look that communicated their silent understanding.

"We have to go back to Mystic Falls,"

Rolling her shoulders back at the hybrid's words, Athena let out a cold laugh. "I am going to kill Elena Gilbert for good this time, and no one is going to stop me."

────── 

author's note; you might be thinking "athena, stefan dumped u don't forgive him so easily" but lest you forget that athena simps for stefan, and also: soulmates. AND, stefan is going to beat himself up for a WHILE about it, so even if athena forgives him, he will never forgive himself bc it's stefan. duh.

also. rebekah and athena WILL be friends i promise, do not worry i will not have any petty rivalries between women just bc of a boy. but, when rebekah was first undaggered she was a mega bitch about stefan (see: stabbing him when he wanted to save elena) which means she's not gonna like athena for a hot minute, and stefan is athena's mf CINNAMON APPLE OK? she's possessive and she will die by that dick. so bear w me, i promise that rebekah will not be a pick me girl <3 (so real – liz from the future) 

reunion idea inspired by lqcrecva <3

originally published; 6.4.21.

edited: 12.5.23.

- liz