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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 28
"being a villain is more fun."

┗━━━————————━━━┛

— SKYLER WAS RELAXING in the Mikaelson house with her husband and a cup of coffee when her phone began to ring. She grabbed it off the coffee table to see Klaus's name. She sighed and pressed it to her ear, "Hello?"

It had been almost two days since the whole Hadrian thing and she had decided to camp out here to avoid any other ghost haunting. It seemed the world had other plans for her though not of the literal ghost kind. "Did you know?" Klaus growled.

Kol, who was sitting beside her on the couch with his cup of coffee frowned in confusion, wondering what Skyler had done to earn his brother's anger. She was wondering the same thing. "Know what, Nik? You're going to have to be more specific, I know a lot of things." She told him, setting her cup of coffee down.

"Don't play dumb with me." He snapped, "Your brothers have Mikael." Skyler's eyes found Kol on the couch, he had frozen immediately upon hearing his father's name.

She tensed, her jaw clenching. She wouldn't let her brothers do this, she wouldn't let them terrify her husband, her family. She knew she couldn't do much. They didn't even know she was married. They had no reason to not want to kill all the Mikaelsons and Mikael was a great way to do that. That didn't mean Skyler wouldn't do everything she could to smack some sense into them.

"I'll handle it."

ೃ⁀➷

"WHAT the hell is going on?!" Skyler snapped as she entered her brothers' house, the door slammed shut behind her as she glared at her brothers who stood in front of her, "Why is Klaus calling me, telling me you have Mikael?" She questioned, "He threatened me because he thinks I'm part of your idiotic plans!"

"We have a plan." Stefan told her calmly as he stood in front of her with Damon.

"A plan?" She snarled, "You have a plan? Are you insane?"

"We're trying to save you." Damon told her, "And Stefan too."

She blinked in confusion as she stared at her brother, "What?"

"Klaus has you both under his control, we have a plan to stop him." Skyler was too shocked to respond. Under his control? They think Klaus is what? Compelling her? Maybe they did go insane, she mused.

She narrowed her eyes, "I already told you, Damon, I don't need saving."

ೃ⁀➷

"WHY do I have to do this?" Skyler grumbled as she flattened her hands against the dress she had on for the homecoming dance they were forcing her to go to.

"Because your brothers have a plan." Rebekah mocked.

She huffed as she looked in the antique standing mirror in her room, "Klaus will kill them." She told her.

"Perhaps." Rebekah shrugged.

"Getting a head start huh?" Elena asked as she walked into the room.

Rebekah looked over at her while Skyler ignored her entirely, "Embarrassing truth? This is my first high school dance." She admitted.

"Ever?" Elena asked surprised.

"I never really had time for high school before." She explained, "Nik and I were always moving around, running." She trailed off, "Anyway- I didn't want to leave anything to chance."

"Well, you're not alone there. I never went to a high school dance either." Skyler admitted, looking at herself in the mirror, "They didn't do school dances back then..." she paused before adding, "Not in our family at least." Truthfully, she wasn't sure if they did high school dances when she was human, aside from the daddy-daughter dance Damon took her to, or the Founding Family dances, she had never been to any until after she was turned and met Kol. If there had been any, she wouldn't have been allowed to go. The Salvatores had appearances to keep, after all.

"Have you heard any more from him?" Rebekah asked.

"No. But I'm sure that when he does return, he'll do it with flair." Elena responded.

Skyler scoffed as she turned, "Well obviously. He is a Mikaelson." She walked over to her vanity table where she grabbed a pair of small gold hoop earrings that matched her long silk dark green dress perfectly.

"And Damon and my father-" Skyler glanced over, her intrigue perking up upon hearing word of Mikael, they had all been hush-hush about the plan itself with her, "are all set with their plan?"

Elena glanced cautiously at Skyler as she answered, "Yes."

"Don't tell me. I don't want to know." Rebekah told her, "I just-- I want to go to the dance and leave the rest to Mikael."

"I know it's really hard." Elena began carefully, "So thank you for helping us get Klaus back into town."

"Just be careful." She warned, "I've been running for a thousand years for a reason. Mikael is not a good person and he definitely can't be trusted." Rebekah glanced at Skyler as she added, "No one in my family can." Ouch, should Skyler be offended? She looked away.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked noticing tears in the blonde's eyes.

Skyler looked back and stepped forward, approaching the blonde. Rebekah waved her off, "I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure." She told Elena, "I never thought that I'd be the one to help drive a stake through his heart." A stake? Skyler's eyes widened. They plan to kill Nik? "No tears-- I don't want to ruin my makeup." She turned toward the mirror Skyler had been using moments before as she asked, "How do I look?"

"Hot." Skyler answered rather matter-of-factly. She had never been one to lie about silly things.

"You look amazing!" Elena complimented, "But you're missing one thing." She took a necklace out of her pocket, one Rebekah recognized with ease, "My mother's necklace." Rebekah spoke gently.

"You should wear it tonight." Elena told her softly, "May I?"

She turned, looking in the mirror she nodded back at Elena who put the necklace around her neck carefully. "Thank you." Rebekah said as she looked at the necklace in the mirror with a smile.

"Perfect." Skyler commented with a smile as she admired her best friend.

Suddenly, Elena drove a stake through Rebekah's back straight through her heart causing Skyler to gasp, her hand flew to her open mouth, and her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry." Elena apologized both to her and Rebekah, "I can't leave anything to chance either."

ೃ⁀➷

"IN the back! Harsh!" Damon exclaimed as he covered Rebekah's body with a blanket while Elena sat on Skyler's bed and Skyler sat at her vanity, shoulders tense as she did her makeup while glancing cautiously back at the two every once in a while.

She felt as though she couldn't trust anyone. They had just stabbed Rebekah in the back after all. "It had to be done." Elena responded, "Rebekah was never gonna be completely on our side." Little did they know, neither would Skyler. She said nothing, staring at herself in the mirror numbly.

"Hey, I'm not judging you. It's very "Katherine" of you." Damon commented.

"Not the way to make me feel better about myself, Damon." She told him.

"Can you just get her out of my room please?" Skyler snapped coldly.

She sighed, "Stefan's right. Someone's gonna let their humanity get in the way and screw this whole thing up. It's probably gonna be me."

"Well, you are the human." Skyler pointed out, "Unless that's changed?"

Elena looked at her, glaring before Damon spoke which got her attention back to him, "Elena, you just daggered someone. You will be fine."

"Yeah, but I feel bad about it. I care too much, that's the problem, Damon. I'm the weak link." She complained.

"Yes, you are." Skyler snapped, "Can you get out of my room now?"

"If it makes you feel any better, she's not really dead." He responded.

"Do you trust him? Mikael?" Elena asked curiously.

"No." Damon answered without hesitation. "What about Stefan? And Skyler?" She asked.

"Who's right here." Skyler pointed out. Elena didn't seem to care.

"No. Not as long as they're under his control." He said as he stole a glance back at his sister.

Skyler gestured wildly in disbelief, "Again, right here."

"Then we need a better plan." She said sternly. "I know what to do. You're just not gonna like it." Damon told her.

"Why not?" Elena questioned.

"Because when this all goes down, I don't want you having any part of it." He responded. "What does that mean?" She asked further. Damon looked at her, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." He said.

"Okay, that's it." Skyler said, standing abruptly as she pushed her chair back on the hardwood floor causing it to squeak against the impact, "Both of you get the hell out of my room and take her with you." Damon glanced at her sister, quickly picking up Rebekah and removing her from the room as Elena followed.

Finally, Skyler was alone. She fell back onto her vanity chair, her face falling into her hands as she groaned, tears barely held back. Mikael was back. Rebekah was down. Her brothers were trying to kill Klaus. Skyler couldn't help but wonder how long before they found out the truth and tried to take her down too.

This mission she was on, was becoming more and more dangerous every day. But she couldn't go back. Not now. She was in too deep and she feared she wouldn't be able to get herself out, even once this ended.

ೃ⁀➷

"QUITE the homecoming." Skyler commented as she walked with Stefan and Klaus in Tyler Lockwood's backyard.

"I've been planning my father's funeral for a thousand years. Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea." Klaus told them looking around at the crowd of high school students.

"So what now? Stop running?" Stefan asked.

He hummed, "Now, I reunite my family."

"Your family." He commented, "You mean the people you cart around in caskets?"

"None of that matters anymore." He brushed off, "Mikael is gone." Skyler glanced at her friend nervously. It was hard enough lying to her brothers but Nik? "Bygones will be bygones." Klaus noticed the Homecoming Queen walking about and looked at Skyler, "Seems the Homecoming Queen still walks among the living, which leads me to believe Rebekah isn't here... where is she?"

Skyler averted eye contact as she guiltily responded, "I don't know."

"I thought she was coming with Matt." Stefan admitted.

"Oh be honest now. Where is my sister?" Klaus questioned.

"I said I don't know." She responded coldly, steeling herself.

"How would you like me to take you to your father?" He asked suddenly, changing the topic.

"Well, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honor, would it?" Klaus asked rhetorically, "Bring him to me."

"All right. Perhaps there's something in it for me...?" Stefan trailed off glancing at his sister, "Mine and Skyler's freedom from your compulsion?"

"Oh, you want your freedom." Klaus spoke, "Well once he is dead and his weapon is destroyed, you'll have your freedom. It'll be my pleasure to give it back."

"And Skyler?" Stefan asked warily.

He pursed his lips as he looked at Skyler, wondering, then he replied, "Yes, of course."

ೃ⁀➷

"OOOH," Skyler called, "damn, tough luck." She said as she played beer pong with Klaus, she was winning of course but then one of his hybrids came up.

"You have a visitor."

"Well tell my visitor I'm on the brink of victory here." Klaus said smirking at Skyler who scoffed.

"He said his name is Mikael." The hybrid said causing Skyler to freeze.

Klaus harshly threw a ping pong ball into a cup, "Then we mustn't keep him waiting." He said, "Move everyone out back. I'm gonna have a little chat with my dad. Tony, you know what to do." He walked away as she watched solemnly.

This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't. Glancing at the hybrids, Skyler followed after Klaus slowly.

"They can't kill me." Mikael was saying when Skyler approached behind Klaus, staying out of the way enough however she was still able to watch as hybrids surrounded Mikael.

"True. But it'll make it a hell of a party game." He responded smugly, "All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce."

"The big bad wolf." Mikael commented, "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You only forget. They may be sired by you, but they're still part vampires. And they can be compelled by me." One of the hybrids walked up behind Mikael, pushing Elena to him, "Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies."

He tilted his head, curious, "Go ahead. Kill her."

"No, Klaus. He'll do it." She begged, always desperate to save herself.

"If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations." Skyler tensed at the last word spat out like venom, she could see the underlying fear of his father Klaus tried to hide in the same way Damon used to when protecting her and Stefan. That's all Klaus was doing now, protecting his family.

"I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you." He spat out, his eyes narrowed coldly.

"To what end, Niklaus?" Mikael questioned, "So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one." Skyler shook her head, her hands balled into fists. That was a lie. Klaus wasn't alone, she wouldn't let him be so long as she was a Mikaelson.

Klaus's eyes filled with tears as he stared at his father, "I'm calling your bluff, father. Kill her."

"Come outside and face me, you little coward." He snapped, "And I won't have to."

"My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her you lose your leverage." He told his father, "So go ahead. Go on. Kill her." He urged, "Come on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!"

Mikael only laughed, "Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great." He stabbed Elena with a dagger, pulling it back out swiftly as she fell to the ground. He laughed as Klaus looked on in shock allowing Damon to run up behind Klaus without even Skyler noticing.

This was it, she realized as she took a step forward. Too late.

This was it, she thought as Damon twisted Klaus around, stabbing the white oak dagger into his chest as Katherine stood up.

"Katherine." Mikael said in realization.

She smiled at the man wickedly as she spoke, "Kaboom." While Skyler was still in shock, Katherine threw two wolfsbane grenades at the hybrids.

Meanwhile, Damon was about to stake Klaus, killing the original hybrid once and for all. Skyler met the hybrid's gaze, he gave a subtle shake of his head as she moved forward, her eyes narrowed when suddenly Stefan knocked him off Klaus and held him down, the stake falling onto the floor.

"What are you doing?!" Damon exclaimed in anger. Klaus picked the stake up and jumped at Mikael, driving it through his heart as tears of relief ran down Skyler's face. She watched on happily as Mikael burst into flames, dying immediately.

Skyler can't help but smile at the scene as Klaus stands triumphant over what remained of his father. This wasn't a win for her, this was a win for him - for all the Mikaelsons that were raised by the man who was now finally gone. "What the hell did you do?" Damon questioned snapping her out of it.

"He's earned his freedom." Klaus answered. Stefan let go of Damon and stood up, facing Klaus as Skyler came out of the shadows to stand by her brother's side. "Thank you, my friend. You no longer have to do as I say." He told him, "You're free."

He released Stefan from the compulsion, he looked over at Skyler, "And her?"

The hybrid looked her over once before his gaze returned to Stefan, "She has always been free."

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER ran out of the Lockwood home and ran home, to Kol. When she got to the Mikaelson house, he was sitting on the couch, drinking a glass of fresh blood. Hearing her enter, he looked up with a tense smirk, "Hello darling."

She stopped in front of him in the living room with a glee-filled smile, "He's dead, Kol. Mikael is dead."

"He's dead?" He questioned, his eyes wide, "He's dead." A smile broke out on his face. He set down his glass and pulled his wife into his arms, leaning down to press his lips onto hers, "I'm free." He whispered when he pulled away, she smiled up at him as he smiled back.

Finally, Kol Mikaelson and his family were free of their father. He pulled her back in for another kiss, holding her close — knowing nobody could take her from him.

                               
"You're late." Stefan told Damon as Skyler walked into the Salvatore boarding house the day after Mikael's death.

She closed the front door behind her causing Damon and Stefan to pause, looking at her, "I leave for a day. One day. And you two take Klaus's family?" She questioned incredulously with a frown.

"We can't let him wander around, he'll kill Elena." Stefan told her sternly.

Her eyes lit with fire, Elena. Of course. "And he'll kill you and me if I have anything to do with it."

"You don't." Damon told her curtly. Skyler looked at him confused, "What?"

"You don't have anything to do with it and you won't." He said sternly.

"And why not?" She asked, whether she liked it or not she needed to be in on their plans if she were to stop them from the inside.

They glanced between each other in silent question before Stefan admitted uncertainly, "We're... not sure we can trust you."

"Yeah. You willingly followed the big bag hybrid." Damon continued, "Doesn't exactly sound like someone we should let on our side."

"He was going to kill Stefan!" Skyler exclaimed, gesturing to Stefan, because yes she willingly followed Klaus, and more than they knew, she was friends with him, however, that wasn't why she followed Klaus that day. It would have been smarter if she had stayed in Mystic Falls, and kept an eye on the doppelgänger, but if she had there was no guarantee that without her there, Klaus wouldn't kill Stefan.

"We have to go." He said shortly, "We're supposed to meet Bonnie in ten minutes."

She huffed, "So you're just gonna leave? After all that?"

"We'll talk later." He told her before he looked at Damon, "Would you hurry up? We have work to do."

"Be with you in a minute." He responded, waving him off. Stefan rolled his eyes and left without him leaving him and Skyler alone in the house. "Skyler..." Damon called softly.

She looked at him, her eyes narrowed coldly, "What?" She snapped.

"For what it's worth... I trust you." He told her, glancing away, he continued, "I just don't trust Klaus." She looked away, staying silent. Damon sighed and left, following Stefan.

ೃ⁀➷

"WHY do I need to be here?" Skyler questioned later as Damon dragged her to a party at the Founders Hall.

"Because Stefan says we need to keep an eye on you." He responded with a smirk.

"I don't care what Stefan says. He's the one who's lost his marbles." She responded.

Damon went to respond when he noticed Alaric standing by a model of the Wickery Bridge, "Well would you look at that?" he muttered, "That's the bridge where Elena and Jeremy's parents died in the car accident." He pointed out to Alaric.

"Something is up with her." Alaric told him, "Elena. Something more than usual. You know what it is?"

"Well I'm sure it starts with a "Stef" and ends with an "an."" She mocked. Damon glanced at her snorting in amusement.

"I'm gonna get a drink, write a check, and then we're out?" He nodded in confirmation. Damon walked away to get a drink. Skyler followed after him, hoping to sneak something stronger into hers.

Minutes later, she was sipping her drink alongside Damon when he saw something up ahead. He nudged his sister, nodding to where Klaus and Carol Lockwood were talking. He walked over to them. "I mean you are just delightful. What color are your eyes?" Klaus asked Carol.

"They're blue."

"Oh yes, they are."

"Look at what the cat dragged in." Damon smirked as he and Skyler walked up, "Nice vest." She commented.

"Thank you very much," Klaus smirked, "Good to see you both, Damon, Skyler. Carol and I were discussing about whether you would be the other big benefactor."

"What do you say, Damon? Klaus has made a very generous pledge." Carol said to him with a smile, "You know how we're chomping at the bit to begin the renovation."

"Carol, don't take this the wrong way, but do you realize that you've been kissing the ass of an immortal hybrid who ruined your son's life?" He asked incredulously.

"Oh come now." Klaus waved off, "Some would say that I saved it from all that nasty full moon business. I've never had to go through it myself more than twice, to be honest, but still, I'm very sympathetic." She scoffed.

"Klaus has promised to protect Tyler. And our town." Carol told them sternly.

"From who?" He questioned, "His hybrids are the ones the town needs protection from. "

"Well, I'd have no use for them if your brother would kindly return my family." Klaus responded pointedly.

He shook his head, "Not gonna happen."

"That's what I thought, which is why I've come to an agreement with the mayor." He told them, "You and the council stay out of my hair, I stay out of yours. Your town gets protected, my hybrids get left alone and everybody will be happy." He looked at Damon, his eyes narrowed with a smile laced with poison, "All you have to do is to get Stefan to stop decapitating my friends."

"Please, Damon." She cut in, "Just get your brother under control or the council will be forced to take action against him."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" He exclaimed aggravated.

"Oh come on, mate. Give peace a chance." He urged with a sadistic grin. He was enjoying this, that much was obvious.

Skyler shook her head in disbelief, she downed her glass and spoke absentmindedly, "I need something stronger."

ೃ⁀➷

"NO dead hybrids at the Founders' party!" Damon scolded Stefan as Skyler walked up behind them. "Uh oh. Repeating history brother?" She asked with a smirk.

"I told Klaus to get his hybrids out of town, he didn't listen, so I'm gonna say it louder." He replied stubbornly.

"He didn't listen because you took his family." She pointed out incredulously.

"Besides you don't think there's ten more where that came from? And if you kill them, Klaus won't make twenty more?" Damon questioned, "Have you forgotten about Elena's part in all of this? Or do you not care if she is a human blood bag for the rest of her life?"

Stefan only shrugged, "Protecting Elena is your problem now. See, I'm not compelled by Klaus to do that anymore."

"We get it, idiot, you flipped the switch." She rolled her eyes. "You can't just flip your switch! Your switch is fried, Stefan, just like your brain!" He exclaimed in exasperation, "You wanna take Klaus? You wanna beat the villain? You've gotta be smarter."

"To beat the villain, Damon," he said dangerously, taking a step forward, "You have to be the better villain." He clapped him on the shoulder walking away.

"He's lost his mind." Damon told her in disbelief.

She shrugged, "Being a villain is more fun."

ೃ⁀➷

"HELLO, Damon, she's a little busy right now." Stefan greeted nonchalantly.

Skyler stood by Damon, watching the scene play out quietly. "Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?" He questioned.

"I'm making my next move." He responded, "Let me ask you something... what will Klaus do if he can't make any more hybrids?"

"WHAT?" Elena shouted in the background.

"Stefan, leave her out of this." Damon demanded sternly, worry seeping through. There were a few bangs and crashes on the other side before the line went dead.

"Elena!" He called, before throwing the phone across the room. He turned to her, his eyes narrowed, "We need to stop Stefan."

Skyler crossed her arms and questioned, "How?"

ೃ⁀➷

"WHAT now?" Klaus questioned as he walked into an empty room at the Founders' Hall with Damon and Skyler. "You just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the Town Square."

"Stefan just grabbed Elena." He told Klaus cautiously.

"Well, he's getting desperate." He mused.

Skyler chuckled, stifling her laughter as Damon gave her a pointed look. "He's gonna try and use her against you." He continued looking at Klaus, "Do what he says, get rid of your hybrids."

"Or what?" He questioned with a lighthearted smirk, not taking it seriously, "Stefan would never dream of killing her."

"You sure about that?" She stepped in looking at Klaus seriously, her eyes narrowed, "He just tried to behead one of your minions in the middle of a Council party." Damon glanced between the odd pair and added, "He's operating on crazy right now."

"Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies." Klaus brushed off, "He's bluffing."

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't but if you don't want to believe him, believe me." He glanced at his sister, continuing, "Believe us. We know our brother better than anyone and right now, neither of us has a clue how far he is willing to take this." He told him who looked at Skyler as if for confirmation. She gave a small nod to Klaus, telling him she agreed.

Damon continued sternly, dragging Klaus's attention back to him, "So if he says blink, I suggest you blink."

ೃ⁀➷

𝟒,𝟑𝟔𝟖 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬