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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 25
"oh trust me, I've always been
the craziest of us all."

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        — "RUDY!" A woman called out loudly as she walked outside her home from the side door. She let out a loud whistle, "Rudy, come on! It's too hot to make me come looking for you." She huffed before she bent down to pick up a toy that was on the ground and when she turned around, Klaus and Skyler were standing there, she gasped in shock.

"Beau, you scared her." Skyler scolded in a scolding tone.

"I'm so sorry," Klaus apologized as he put on an American accent, which frankly sounded creepy, Skyler repressed a full-body shiver at the sound as he continued, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Can I help you two?" The woman asked uneasily.

"Our car ran out of gas a couple of miles back because this big dummy," Skyler nudged Klaus who gave her a sheepish smile, "drove right on past the gas station."

Klaus looked at the woman, immediately catching onto his sister-in-law's plan, "I feel like we've been walking forever, yours is the first house we came to so I was just hoping I could use your phone?"

"Don't one of you have a cell phone?" She asked suspiciously.

Skyler shook her head, "Mine's buried in the suitcase in the back of our trunk, probably dead by now." She told her, "We're on a road trip to see his family."

The woman still seemed suspicious, looking at Klaus, "And yours?"

"Heh yeah," He pulled a phone out from his pocket, "Battery died. Look, I promise we're not serial killers. I just wanna use your phone."

The woman sighed reluctantly, "Sure."

"Sooo, can I come in?" Klaus asked.

"No," The woman denied, "I'll get the phone and I'll bring it to you."

Klaus was getting annoyed, dropping the American accent abruptly, "I thought you country folks were supposed to be more trusting."

"I'm from Florida."

"Well, that explains it." Skyler mused.

Klaus grabbed her throat, compelling her, "Show us a little southern hospitality. Sweet pea."

"I bet you a hundred dollars that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning." Another woman said as she walked over to the counter in the kitchen with a frying pan. Just then, she turned around to find the first woman entering the kitchen with Klaus and Skyler.

He held her by the neck with one hand as the woman sobbed. Skyler rolled her eyes, annoyed already, she snapped, "Oh stop crying."

"What's going on?" The woman asked tensely.

"Please don't be alarmed. I was told Ray Sutton lives here." Klaus told her nonchalantly.

"He's almost never here. He's on the road mainly." She replied shifting on her feet.

"But I expect he makes it home, oh maybe once a month?" Skyler questioned with a raised brow and an easygoing smile, "Yeah, that's what I thought." She responded, eyeing the woman up and down like she was going to be her next meal.

"Where is he now?" Klaus questioned, she didn't answer. "If I have to make you tell me, it's going to be infinitely more painful for you. Hmm." He smiled at her threateningly.

The other woman ran out of the kitchen, getting to the front door only to find Stefan standing there, waiting. She screamed in terror. Skyler walked up behind her calmly beside Klaus who was still dragging the first woman with him. "I love it when they run." He commented, Skyler hummed in agreement. Running meant a challenge. She loved challenges. She grinned manically.

The other woman, filled with fear, gave up fighting, gave up protecting Ray, "He's in Toll. It's near the border. A bar called Southern Comfort. It's on Highway 41."

"Thank you, my love." Klaus said appreciatively as he touched the first woman's hair, "Now, may my friend come in?"

"Yes." The woman cried.

The other woman looked terrified as Stefan walked in. Klaus pushed the first woman to Stefan, "Kill this one quickly." He said before looking at the second, "And make that one suffer. We'll be in the car." Without another word, Klaus and Skyler walked side by side out of the house as screams began to fill it.

As they walked, he took out the same phone from earlier as it began to ring. He groaned upon seeing the caller ID and handed it over to Skyler, "It's for you, sweet pea." He said mockingly.

She scoffed as she grabbed the phone, glancing at the caller ID. Her face lit up. Kol. She pressed the answer button as she walked over to the car. "Brother, where is my wife?" Kol questioned, anger spilling through his words like poison.

Leaning against the car, she greeted the man on the other side of the phone, "Hello mon couer."

Kol's voice softened immediately, shifting from anger to worry in a split second, "Skygem."

"That's me." She smiled gently.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you, darling." Kol said to her worriedly.

"I decided to go on a last-minute road trip with your brother to save mine." She told him looking over at Klaus who stood a few feet away with his eyes on the house, "I didn't really have time to grab my phone."

"Where are you?" He questioned sternly, ready to come down there and knock some sense into his brother for kidnapping his wife.

"Tennessee."

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        "I'M going to kill him." Kol seethed as he approached his wife outside the Southern Comfort bar. He wrapped his hands around her, pulling her into his arms.

"Don't." Skyler muttered, holding onto him tightly, she pressed her face into his chest.

"Give me one good reason." He responded halfheartedly. He wasn't in the mood to try and kill his brother, not now that she was back safe and sound in his arms.

"He has a dagger, you don't." She responded bluntly before she pulled back and looked up at him, "Besides, he got me out of Mystic Falls, you know what that means?"

"Hmm?" He hummed, his arms tightly wound around her waist, and his eyes narrowed as though he was waiting for a threat or perhaps his brother to jump out from the shadows and try to take her away.

Skyler looked into his eyes, her enchanting dark brown eyes finding his blue ones as she whispered, "No more hiding."

Taking a breath, he met her gaze steadily and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. When they pulled away breathily, he whispered like an oath, "No more hiding."

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       "FINALLY done?" Skyler asked nonchalantly as Klaus climbed into the front seat of the car.

He looked back with a scoff to where Kol and Skyler were sat closely in the backseat, their legs wound together and his arm over her shoulder. "Are you two done ruining the car?" He questioned sarcastically.

Skyler rolled her eyes but pointedly didn't answer, "Where's my brother?" She asked.

As if on cue, Stefan got into the passenger seat, looking back he was shocked to see Skyler was not alone in the backseat. "Who's this?" He asked confused, glancing between Klaus and Skyler for answers.

Kol stretched his hand out for him with an easygoing smile, "Kol Mikaelson, nice to meet you, brother."

Stefan didn't shake his hand, too thrown off by two things, "You're a Mikaelson?" He asked confused, glancing at Klaus before his brows furrowed in deep confusion, "Wait... brother?"

"Ah yes, I believe you know my wife..." he turned to Skyler, taking her hand which proudly displayed their wedding rings, "Skyler Mikaelson."

She smirked, looking at her twin who stared at the married pair in shock, his eyes wide. She resisted the urge to laugh in his face, or do jazz hands for dramatic effect. She didn't think he would appreciate either, however, she couldn't help the sarcastic lilt to her voice as she responded, "Surprise."

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        "I don't get why we had to come here or why Kol couldn't come." Skyler complained with a grimace as the trio trekked through the Smoky Mountains to find Klaus his wolves, "My shoes are so ruined after this." She grumbled.

"I'll buy you ten new pairs after we're done here." Klaus told her, glaring at her which made Stefan huff, hiding a laugh as he carried Ray unconscious on his shoulders, "You okay? Is Ray getting heavy?" He asked mockingly.

"I'm fine." Stefan responded curtly.

"You sure about that?" He continued conversationally, "You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit-down...

"Yes please." Skyler chimed helpfully. Stefan sighed, "You know I get that we're uh... we're stuck together, but if we could maybe skip the chitchat, it'd be great."

"So much brooding." Klaus commented teasingly.

"Your self-loathing is suffocating, brother." Skyler added.

Stefan looked at her, biting back his comment until he looked at Klaus and seemingly couldn't hold it in anymore, he frowned, "Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves with my brother-in-law." He snarked, giving a pointed look to Skyler as if saying 'yeah, still not over that,' "We've been at it all summer."

"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack. There." Klaus said nodding as they stopped. Sure enough, in front of them was a camp full of werewolves, Skyler cringed as the smell of wet dogs hit her nose.

Stefan entered the camp first, everyone looked at him he was out of place amongst the wolves. He dropped Ray on the ground, and almost immediately a woman rushed over to him, crying out, "Ray! Oh my god, what's going on? Who are you?"

Taking that as their cue, Klaus and Skyler stepped out, heads held high. Their entrance had eyes going to them, it seemed everyone in the camp could sense they were powerful. Good. "The important question is who am I." Klaus told them smugly, "Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

The pack of werewolves took a sharp inhale, their eyes widening. Nobody dared to speak as they stared at the group before them, however, it wasn't long before one of them pointed out the obvious, "You're the hybrid." A woman pointed out in horror.

He smirked egotistically, "You've heard of me. Fantastic."

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       "IT'S fascinating, actually." Klaus narrated as he and the Salvatore twins sat in the camp while the wolves stood all around them, staring openly, "A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid."

Skyler tilted her head slightly as Ray began to wake up, "Looks like our play toy's awake." She called.

"Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic." Klaus told the man.

Ray looked around confused, "What's happening to me?"

"Stefan?" He gestured for him to explain.

Stefan stood up obediently, "Are any of you human?" He asked the wolves, "Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."

"Doesn't take much," Skyler called, "just a sip." She told them menacingly, all three vampires, or hybrid in Klaus' case, knew that once Ray started... it wouldn't be a sip. But the wolf pack didn't need to know that.

Klaus looked around, studying the group, "Anyone? A boyfriend, girlfriend, along for the ride?" He asked, looking at a man, "You!" He ran up to the man, biting his forearm before any of the wolves could dare stop him. Stefan grabbed the human next, throwing him on the ground in front of Ray as the woman from before protested however Skyler stopped her before she could do anything, strangling her with her bare hands. What? She needed some action too. Couldn't leave all the fun to the boys.

"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will. Problem is, I don't know how to stop." Stefan told the man.

Klaus looked at the girl, "It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us, or you die."

"I'd rather die than be a vampire." She spat out at him.

"Wrong choice." He responded coldly before he gave her his blood while Ray drank from the man. "She'll thank me for that later." He smirked as he twisted her head, killing her instantly. "Okay, who's next?" Klaus called to the pack of wolves, his eyes were yellow, his fangs on display as he smiled at them boldly.

Skyler was kinda proud. Klaus was crazy, but he was her crazy. She just prayed for whatever poor woman actually fell for him one day. Or man, we don't discriminate here.

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       "THERE. Good as new." Klaus spoke after he gave his blood to the human, compelling him, "Now you relax, okay, mate? We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up."

Ray sat on a rock nearby, grabbing his shivering body, he held himself close, "They're dead. They're all dead."

"Great observational skills there, Sherlock." Skyler responded with a roll of her eyes.

"He's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon." Klaus told them.

Stefan looked over at Klaus while Skyler sat on the stump of a tree the wolves must've chopped down, casually filing her nails, "So is this your master plan? Build an army of hybrid slaves?"

Klaus scowled, "No, not slaves. Soldiers. Comrades."

Stefan nodded, stepping forward, "For what war, might I ask?

"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that no one ever dares to pick a fight." Klaus told him, Skyler rolled her eyes beside him.

"And on that lovely note, I'm gonna go give my husband a call." She told them, hopping off the trunk she walked a distance away.

"No phone sex!" Klaus called after her.

Stefan sighed, turning to Klaus as his sister walked away. He still couldn't get used to the idea that his sister was a Mikaelson, even without his humanity and no version of him wanted to hear about her sex life, he cringed. "What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal anyway?" He asked.

By the trees, she pulled out the phone Klaus had grabbed for her on their way to the mountains so Kol would stop calling him to speak with her. She dialed Kol's number, pressing it to her ear as Klaus answered Stefan, "Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team."

"Hello love." Kol greeted as he picked up:

A smile appeared on her face with natural ease, "Kol," She replied warmly.

"Lately I've been calling you." He told her with a questioning tone.

She sighed as she combed a hand through her hair, "Klaus is driving me crazy with war talk, I needed a break from his paranoia."

"Yes, I am very familiar with my brother's paranoia." He responded in a dark tone before he lightly continued, "In that case, I'm happy to oblige." They talked for a few moments before Skyler looked over at the camp and frowned, "That shouldn't be happening, should it?" She called out to the boys, pointing at Ray as blood spilled from his eyes.

"Obviously." Klaus snapped.

"What's going on now?" Kol asked over the phone.

"Uh nothing, I'll call you later Koala. Love you." She said, hanging up just as he managed to get an, "I love you too," out.

"You said it was gonna feel better." Ray cried as Skyler walked back over. His whole body shook as his eyes bled, "Why doesn't it feel better?"

"Some master race." Stefan commented. Klaus looked at him, glaring, "Lose the attitude." A leaf crunched behind them, the woman from earlier was awake. "Derek, come feed your girlfriend." Klaus called to the boy who obediently stood just as Ray let out a snarl, jumping around like a madman before he ran into the woods.

"That definitely isn't supposed to happen." Skyler pointed out.

Klaus looked over at Stefan with narrowed eyes, his frustration clear, "Go get him." He glanced over at Skyler, "And you go with him, keep him in line." He demanded after Stefan left, she rolled her eyes at his tone but nodded nonetheless, following after her brother.

In the woods, Stefan jumped on to Ray, pushing him to the ground however Ray only bit him before he ran again. He was about to go after him when the twins pick up on Elena and Damon's voices. Skyler looked over at Stefan in shock, "Is that...?"

"It better not be." He grumbled dangerously as he looked around for the source.

The twins spotted them walking a good distance away however before they could do anything, Klaus arrived behind him. Stefan turned, approaching him while simultaneously blocking the view, protecting them even with no humanity. She tilted her head in thought, deciding to go along with Stefan for now. "Where did he go?" Klaus questioned expectantly.

"He uh..." Stefan stumbled for words, "He got away." Skyler told her friend, "Forget him. He wouldn't make a good hybrid anyway."

"Yeah, let's go." Stefan said in agreement when Klaus noticed his arm, grabbing it, "A fatal werewolf bite, ouch." He commented.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need your blood to heal me." Stefan told him, attempting for a casual tone.

Klaus hummed, "Well, I tell you what. You find Ray, and then I'll heal you."

"You can't be serious." He responded in disbelief.

"You better hurry 'cause that bite looks nasty." He told him, standing his ground.

Skyler rolled her eyes, stepping in, "I'll go with him, make sure he doesn't die." She told Klaus who looked at her once before he nodded, deciding to trust her. He walked back to the campsite where the wolves-turned-hybrids turned hybrids are waking up.

"Come on brother," she called, looking at her twin, "we have a lone wolf to find."

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       THE twins were tracking Ray down when by some turn of fate, the wolf ran them right into Damon. The wolf ran at their elder brother, the two struggled for a moment when Stefan and Skyler appeared.

With only a scowl to show her anger, she tore the man off Damon before Stefan ripped his heart right out of his chest, "Fancy meeting you two here." Damon commented nonchalantly.

"What part of "don't follow me anymore" got lost in translation, Damon?" Stefan questioned, glaring at his brother.

"Might want to take it up with your girlfriend." He responded, "You don't want her chasing you, I'd stop with the late-night phone calls."

Skyler looked over at Stefan, an eyebrow raised in question, "I didn't call her."

"Sure you did." Damon scoffed, "She's not gonna give up on you." He told him knowingly.

"She has to. Because I'm never coming back." Stefan responded stubbornly.

"Why don't you get your little girlfriend home? See if you can keep her there this time maybe." Skyler suggested, stepping in between her brothers.

"What are you even doing here?" Damon asked his sister, "I mean really, I expected Stefan to go crazy but you?" He shook his head, "You were supposed to be the sane one, Sky."

"Oh trust me," Skyler began a dangerous smirk on her face and a gleam of insanity in her eyes, "I've always been the craziest of us all."

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       WHEN Stefan and Skyler returned to the campsite, they found a bloody massacre, and at the center of it was Klaus.

Stefan dropped Ray on the floor as Skyler looked at her best friend in question, "They went rabid. Some of them, I killed. The others just... bled out. In the end... they're all dead." He told her, voice filled with barely concealed anger. Then, he let out a shout, throwing the bottle of beer in the sky before he lifted his head, screaming at that same sky. Screaming at the world. "I did everything I was told!" He shouted desperately.

Skyler made her way over to the crazed man, putting an arm over his shoulder confidently while Stefan eyed her like she was insane — rude, she thought absentmindedly, he should already know she was. "I know, Nik, I know." She told her friend softly, "We'll figure it out, okay?"

Klaus nodded without looking at her. He composed himself, "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse, I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelganger." Stefan shifted nervously on his feet as Klaus's gaze found him, "You look like hell."

"Last I checked, I'm dying... and you don't want to heal me." He responded as the hybrid looked down at Ray's body, "We had to take him out. The mutt went rabid on us." Skyler told him, her arm dropping from over his shoulder as she let it fall back to her side. "I didn't have a choice. I failed you. I'm sorry." Stefan apologized, sounding like an obedient little minion, Skyler found it hard not to be disappointed — Was she the only rebellious badass left in this family? She thought she had rubbed off on him more. "Do what you have to do." Clearly not, she frowned in disbelief.

"It should have worked." Klaus spoke as he turned around. He took an empty bottle of beer and bit his hand, making a fist. He let his blood drain into the bottle before he turned, holding the bottle out to Stefan, "Bottoms up. We're leaving." He took the bottle from him before he could think to change his mind, "It appears you two are the only comrades I have left." He told them bitterly, Skyler looked at him solemnly, moving closer without a thought.

Not daring to look at the hybrid, Stefan looked into the bottle before he drank the blood, throwing it aside as Skyler looked at him, "Let's get the hell out of here."

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𝟑,𝟔𝟑𝟐 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

— first chapter of act three! The stories a bit more than half way done and I can not wait because it means the start of the next book, Mikaelson Wife!!
For those who don't know, this is part of a three book series including this book, Mikaelson Wife focused on The Originals, and the final book Mikaelson Heir focused on Legacies.

Extra notes...
— I'm sorry but you can't tell me vampires who have been alive for over a thousand years care about the gender of who they bite or fall in love with