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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 24
"for the cure, the twins would do it all. for Damon, they would do more."

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— WHEN SKYLER WALKED INTO THE SALVATORE HOUSE, it was the next day, and to the screams of her eldest brother, "Get off me!" He screamed at Stefan.

"You're not doing this." Stefan argued sternly.

"Just did. You know what happened to Rose, Stefan." Damon told his brother stubbornly as Skyler set her keys down before she walked into the room with furrowed brows.

"What's going on?" Skyler asked confused.

She gasped when Stefan used her appearance as his distraction, using his strength and speed to throw Damon forcefully into the cellar causing the eldest Salvatore to let out a groan, "I don't care you're not dying today." He snapped, not yet acknowledging Skyler as he closed the cellar door on Damon, locking it. He then looked at him through the bars in the door, his eyes narrowed.

In the cellar, Damon was still on the ground but turned to look at him, "What's the plan superman?"

"I'm gonna find a way out of this." Stefan said softly, determined — it wasn't a hope, it was a promise.

"Oh right. A miracle cure. Good luck with that one." He responded sarcastically, sounding defeated already.

"I got Bonnie looking for something," Stefan told him, "anything."

Damon scoffed in response, "Always the hero, Stefan."

Skyler stepped up, still confused as ever, "What's going on?"

Damon looked at her as she met his eyes through the bars on the cellar door, "I got bit by Tyler Lockwood. So just tell me goodbye now, get it over with." Unable to hold it back anymore, he began coughing. Rolling onto his stomach, he coughed into his hand. Blood, Skyler could smell it immediately. So could Stefan.

"Lie still. Conserve your strength." He advised before he walked away.

Skyler stole a glance back at Damon before she followed her twin. Grabbing onto his arm after they got upstairs, she stopped him, "Tell me what happened." He glanced at her uncertainly, and she snapped, "Now."

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       INSIDE the eery old witch house which practically screamed 'haunted,' Bonnie Bennet lit candles on the floor with a match, glancing at Stefan and Skyler who stood nearby, she admitted, "I'm not sure this is going to work."

"You've done a seance before, right?" Stefan asked, "Contacted Emily Bennet." Skyler looked over at him, catching on. "One of the witches might know how to save Damon." Skyler continued, he nodded in agreement.

"Let's just hope they want to." Bonnie responded nervously. She cast the spell causing the candles in the room to start burning, voices of people that weren't there whispered around them.

Skyler's eyes widened as she turned in a circle, the voices shocked her and almost scared her as she looked for the invisible source of them. It wasn't common for a vampire to join a witch in a seance, but she had in the past... it had never been like this. "Bonnie? Bonnie?" Stefan called worriedly.

Bonnie's eyes flew open suddenly, "Emily." She whispered when suddenly her voice shifted and changed, turning into a voice that Skyler hadn't heard in over a hundred years; a voice that belonged to none other than Emily Bennett, "Why have you come here, Salvatores?"

Skyler turned, standing beside Stefan as a unified front as he responded, "We need your help. We need to know if there's a spell that can heal a werewolf bite."

"No. Nature ensures a balance to everything." Emily told him sternly.

Skyler's eyes narrowed skeptically, "Is that true... or are you just saying no because it's Damon?" She questioned sternly, her arms crossed as she studied the witch in front of her.

She shrugged noncommittally, "Perhaps it is his time to die."

Skyler shook her head in denial, "No."

"That's not balance," Stefan cut in, "That's punishment."

"I will not give you what you want." Emily said through Bonnie.

The witch left no room for argument. Unless you were a Salvatore. "So you're saying that there's an answer to give?" Stefan questioned, "Please, if you know something just tell me." Skyler pleaded with the girl she once knew, "You knew me, Emily, before all of this, you knew us." Emily's eyes flickered to her, strangely unfamiliar, she continued, "I'd like to think we were friends once. But if that was true, it means you cared for me once. So please, if you did, help me save my brother."

Suddenly, Bonnie grasped her ears roughly as she screamed in pain, falling to the floor, "Bonnie." Stefan called in shock.

"They don't want us here. They think I'm abusing my power." Bonnie told them, sounding almost breathless.

"They know something." Skyler stated, "There's an answer. There's a way to save Damon." She looked at Stefan, "They just don't want to tell us."

"I heard them say a name." She admitted uncertainly.

"What was it?" Stefan asked, desperate to find a way to save his big brother.

"Klaus."

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       "HELLO, Katherine." Stefan greeted tensely as he and Skyler walked into what was once Alaric's apartment but was now known to be Klaus's. Alaric hadn't returned since he was possessed by the hybrid, and it had since been taken over, used for evil plans and orgies.

Katherine stood, approaching them swiftly with narrowed eyes, "Two days, I've been waiting. I'm supposed to be free of Klaus' compulsions by now. He's supposed to be dead!"

Skyler and Stefan glanced at each other before looking back at Katherine, "We ran into complications." He told her.

"Complications?" She questioned incredulously.

"Doesn't really matter. I just need to find him." Stefan said, glancing around the apartment, he asked, "Do you have any idea where he might be?" In response, Katherine pushed him against the wall and motioned for him to be quiet just as Klaus and Elijah walked through the door, immediately noticing Skyler who had been forgotten in Katherine's savior attempt. Her eyes widened, her plan would not be ruined by this little—

"Well hello there." Klaus greeted with a smirk, in a desperate attempt to get him to catch on, she mimicked fear as her eyes flickered to Stefan, he followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing coldly, "You just keep popping up, don't you?"

"We need your help..." Skyler admitted tensely, his eyes snapped to her, "for our brother."

Klaus glanced at Elijah once before responding, "Well whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait a tick." He told them, turning to his brother, "You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention."

Elijah looked to Stefan then, "You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here." He looked at Skyler as he continued, "My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own."

"And so I shall." Klaus replied with a slight smirk before he stabbed a dagger into his brother's heart, essentially (temporarily) killing him. Without giving them any time to recover from this surprise, he pushed Stefan against the wall and swiftly pushed a stake through Stefan causing Skyler to gasp as Stefan groaned from the pain, buckling forward however Klaus held him up, his eyes narrowed mercilessly, "Do you feel that?" He questioned, "It's scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement and you're dead.'

"Klaus, please..." Skyler pleaded, searching in her best friend's eyes for a sign that he was still the man she knew, overly complicated and dangerous but good at heart. She knew he had no plans for mercy when it came to her brothers, but this — the killing of her twin was not a part of any plan. "He's just trying to help his brother." Katherine protested weakly.

"The witches said you had a curse." Stefan called, desperate to help his brother even while so close to death, "Make me a deal. Just give me the cure and I'll do whatever you want." Skyler stepped up, never taking her gaze off her twin, "We both will."

She glanced away from Stefan and to Klaus finally as he removed the stake from Stefan abruptly causing the man to fall to the floor. Skyler rushed to his side, helping him up, she supported him. He winced, leaning into her to stay on his feet while Klaus walked over to the counter where he placed the dagger and poured a glass of blood for himself. Without a glance at the pain he's caused, he spoke, "Trouble is, I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless."

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      SKYLER held onto her twin desperately as Klaus approached with a glass of blood in his hand, he studied the twins before he spoke, "I heard about this one vampire. Crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent." He told them, "1917, he went into Monterey and wiped out an entire migrant village... a true ripper." He looked at Stefan, smirking, "Sound familiar." Before Stefan could respond, he continued, "In 1904, on the other side of the world, there was another spree killer, another ripper, that was wanted for decades before she turned "good" and disappeared. A shame too, she had so much potential.
They would have been great, and perhaps they still could with a push."

Stefan glanced at Skyler in surprise before seemingly remembering where he was. He masked his emotions as he looked back at Klaus sternly, "I haven't been that way in a very long time. Neither of us has."

"Well, those are the vampires I can make a deal with. That is the kind of the talent that I can use when I leave this town." He told them while pointing at them.

"Katerina, come here." He called over his shoulder. Katherine obeyed, coming closer, Klaus took her arm and his face changed, his eyes turning yellow before he bit her. Katherine lets out screams and gasps of pain and surprise, desperation mixed with barely concealed anger. Before she could strike out with this anger, Klaus bit his own wrist and made her drink his blood. Instantly her wound began to heal. He looked over at the twins, "You want your cure? There it is."

"Your blood is the cure." Stefan realized aloud, Skyler took a step forward as Klaus approached Stefan.

Klaus only smirked, "Gotta love Mother Nature." He said, putting his hand on Stefan's shoulder without a glance in Skyler's direction, "Now, let's talk."

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        KLAUS squeezed a blade of a knife tightly in his palm as blood poured off his hand and into a vial while the twins watched closely, "There it is." He told them, looking over, "You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade-long bender? And I have big plans for you two little wonder twins when we leave this town."

"I'm not like that anymore." Stefan argued however Skyler kept silent. She wasn't a ripper anymore, but she would be if she needed to. She didn't have the same moral obligations or hero complex that her twin had, she didn't care if people died so long as they weren't the people she cared about. Still, she hadn't gone on a major killing spree like that since she'd met Kol. At first, he'd encouraged her ripper side however the soulmate bond had other plans, bringing her emotions in without giving her any choice. Kol could have been angry when the ripper he found fun had suddenly flipped that little switch back on, but instead, he fell in love with the woman behind the ripper.

She blinked back into the present as Klaus spoke, "Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman," He eyed Skyler, continuing, "Like your sister here." Without another word, he started to pour the blood down the sink. "Wait." Stefan called, desperate. His hand froze, he smirked and pulled the blood away, "Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink. Both of you."

He threw the twins a single blood bag each, Skyler took hers without hesitance and Stefan followed more hesitantly. Klaus watched, drinking his glass while Stefan took a sip from the blood bag and Skyler downed hers. "Finish it. All of it." He ordered Stefan, "You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal."

Defeated and desperate, Stefan drank the rest of the blood bag. Klaus threw another one at him without a moment to waste, "Again." He demanded. Stefan obeyed.

For the cure, the twins would do it all.

For Damon, they would do more.

       Stefan sat on the floor finishing another bag of blood, four empty bags surrounded him as he let out a grunt and looked up at the hybrid who stood nearby, watching with a look of sadistic amusement, "You're very cooperative. It's almost as if you're enjoying it." Klaus commented smugly before he threw another blood bag on the floor next to him.

"What about Skyler? Why aren't you making her do any of this?" Stefan questioned.

Klaus glanced at the girl who was sipping lightly on a glass of blood, "She doesn't need a push over the line between good and evil. She's already standing on it." He looked back at Stefan, "Now drink."

He shook his head, "No more." He refused, "Not until you give me the cure."

"Not until we make a deal." Klaus chided, "It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here, living your life in Mystic Falls or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life. I know what your sister's chosen, what will you decide?" He crouched down, grabbed the blood bag, he offered it to Stefan who snatched it up and drank it vigorously as though he was a starved man. "That's the spirit."

He picked up the vial with his blood and looked over at Katherine, "Sweetheart," He called, compelling her when she met his gaze, "Take this over to Damon and come right back."

"You want me to leave?" Katherine asked in shock.

"Yes and if I were you..." he trailed off and she took the hint, taking the vial before she rushed out the door at super speed as Skyler watched from the kitchen counter amused, "I'd hurry."

He sat down in a chair as Stefan spoke up, "She'll never take it to him." He looked at him, cocking his head indifferently. Stefan looked down and whispered, "She'll never take it to him." Skyler's heart pounded in her chest, hoping that just this once, they might be able to trust Katherine to save her brothers.

Just once.

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        "I suppose, brother, you've been reunited with our family." Klaus said, looking down at where Elijah lay in a coffin in a warehouse filled with wooden crates. Without another word, he closed the coffin and looked at two men standing nearby, "Put him with the others. We're leaving town tonight."

Stefan and Skyler stood nearby, merely watching when Stefan received a message from Elena, Skyler read it over his shoulder, releasing a sigh of relief at the words, "So... did Katerina make it in time?" Klaus asked curiously.

Stefan turned off his phone, "You won't be seeing her again, you know."

"Thank god." Skyler muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms.

"Because she's on vervain?" Klaus questioned with a knowing smirk, "I've been around a long time, Stefan. I rarely get played for a fool. Besides, she won't get far. You two will help me see to that."

Stefan walked up to him with narrowed eyes, Skyler followed, "What is it you really want from us?" He questioned.

"All will be explained in time. Once we leave this tragic little town." Klaus responded, "Finally." Skyler commented, unable to hide her excitement at the idea of leaving this town.

"Then are we done here?" Stefan asked, "Can we go?"

"Not quite. You see, I have a gift for you." Klaus said, calling over his shoulder, "Come here sweetheart, don't be afraid." At his call, a girl approached from behind a crate, he looked at Stefan, "See I wanna make sure you honor our deal... that you'll be of use to me."

"What about me?" Skyler questioned, taking a step forward, "Don't I get a snack?"

"In time." Klaus responded dutifully before he bit into the girl's neck, drinking her blood and allowing it to drip down her neck, "I could have compelled her to behave but a real ripper enjoys the hunt." Skyler zeroed in on the girl as Klaus released her. The girl ran away, screaming, Stefan ran after her as his eyes turned dark.

Skyler went to follow until Klaus held her back, "Let him have his fun, you can have yours later." She glared at him as Stefan stopped the girl, draining her blood until she was dead. He smirked as he looked at Stefan, "Now we can go."

Skyler was finally leaving Mystic Falls, though this wasn't exactly how she imagined it going. Still, she knew this wasn't the end. It was never that easy.

There was more to come, there always would be.

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2,858 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

— realized while editing this that Skyler is so quiet during this chapter 😭😭
let's just say she's going through some inner turmoil deciding between keeping up the act and throwing caution to the wind to save both her brothers. or maybe she's just an unbothered queen, idk 🤷‍♂️