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𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 33
"I'm going back one last time.
someone's gotta save those idiots."

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BUZZ BUZZ

BUZZZZ

— SKYLER GROANED as she rolled onto her side and reached her hand out blindly for her phone, "Turn that bloody thing off." Kol grumbled, his head buried in the pillows.

"I'm trying." She responded tiredly and finally found it. She opened her eyes reluctantly, going to decline it no matter who it was when she saw Klaus's name on the caller ID. "What the..." She groaned and answered the call before she finished her sentence.

She pressed the phone to her ear as she sat up with furrowed brows, "Finally you answer." Her best friend -- her dead best friend -- said to her in form of a greeting.

"Nik." Skyler said in surprise, "You're alive." She pointed out in surprise, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as Kol sat up, looking at her confused.

"Yes, yes. I'm alive. Catch up, love." He responded, no doubt while he rolled his eyes.

"Right, you called for a reason besides telling me you're alive." She narrowed her eyes, she was not ready to deal with this at this wretched time otherwise known as... Skyler glanced at the clock and winced, 2 PM. "What do you want?" She asked Klaus instead of focusing on how she and Kol managed to sleep in so late, though she was not complaining.

"I need you to come back to Mystic Falls."

She shook her head without hesitation, "No. No way. I'm done with Mystic Falls, Nik."

Now let's be clear, Klaus Mikaelson did not beg. He simply... asked nicely and very persuasively used his friend's emotions against her, "Come on, come back one last time. For me."

She glanced at Kol in exasperation as if to say this bitch, your brother. He shrugged and went to get breakfast.

"You're going back." Kol pointed out as he stepped into the room after getting his breakfast; a nice blonde mate who got a little too handsy with Skyler the night before.

She sighed and looked up from the small bag she was packing, "I have to, Kol."

He frowned, his lips forming a natural and not-at-all-exaggerated pout, "I thought we were finally leaving that town behind." He told her pointedly.

He made it clear he wasn't happy about her going back, but she knew he wouldn't stop her either. She sighed, "We were. We are." She corrected herself, "I'm just going back one last time. Someone's gotta save those idiots."

"And after that?" He asked.

She smiled and stepped away from the bed, she went to him. Reaching for it, she held his hand in hers and met his gaze as it softened, "After that, we leave together. For good."

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        "SKYLER! You're here." Rebekah grinned as her sister-in-law walked into the Mikaelson home in Mystic Falls.

"Well, I'd say it's good to be back, but..." Skyler smirked and brought Rebekah into a hug. "You guys are really lucky I love you."

"Time away has made you soft." Rebekah responded with a smirk of her own. "How was... Paris, was it?"

"London." Skyler corrected, "It was good, the trip wasn't long enough I'm afraid."

"That would be my fault." Klaus called as he walked down the stairs to greet her, "Skyler." He said as he stepped down the last stair and came face to face with his best friend.

She smiled upon seeing her best friend, back from the dead. "Nik." She greeted him, she brought him into a hug whether he liked it or not.

He stood there awkwardly for a moment before he hugged her back, "Hello love, nice to have you back." Klaus told her as they pulled away only to have Skyler punch him in the arm, "Ouch. That tickled." He pouted.

"You didn't have the decency to tell me you came back from the dead." Skyler deadpanned, "I watched you burn, Nik. You're lucky I haven't staked you yet."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Klaus shrugged only to be punched again this time harder, "Oh come on, you know nothing can keep us Mikaelson's down. You really should have known."

"Oh I'm sorry next time I see you turn to ashes in front of me, I'll check to make sure you aren't coming back." Skyler responded sarcastically, her eyes narrowed she turned to acknowledge both siblings, "So why did you two feel the need to ruin my vacation?"

By the way Rebekah and Klaus glanced at each other, one confused and one hesitant, Skyler already knew she would regret ever agreeing. She crossed her arms in anticipation before he finally admitted, "I need your help."

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         "YOU came." Stefan called as he stood, relieved for the first time to see Klaus Mikaelson standing in his home.

"I did and I brought a friend." Klaus told him, he gestured behind him as Skyler stepped into the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan gaped at his twin in shock while Klaus continued, "And for future reference, one voicemail is just as effective as nine."

"Skyler, I--" Stefan began, pausing as Elena groaned. His full attention was immediately given to the doppelganger previously forgotten.

"What's wrong love?" Klaus asked looking at Elena.

"She has werewolf venom in her system." Stefan explained before he looked at Klaus pleadingly, "You know you're the only one that can heal her, Klaus. Please."

"And what would you have done if I were no longer here? Hm?" Klaus questioned the younger vampire curiously, "If you and your friends had succeeded in ridding the world of me? Let's play that game for a moment, shall we?"

Stefan stepped forward angrily, "Whatever you want from me..."

"I don't want anything from you." Klaus cut off. Skyler stepped in front of him protectively despite knowing Klaus was stronger than she and Stefan combined. Klaus looked at Skyler once before he walked over to Elena and sat down on the bed beside her, "Her, on the other hand..."

He paused, for the suspense of course, "If you had told me a few hours ago, I wouldn't have cared a lick about her dying. But, as it turns out..." He bit into his wrist as he looked down at Elena, "You may be of use to me after all." Klaus placed his wrist into her mouth and allowed Elena to drink his blood, "Yes. There we go."

"Looks like we're done here." Klaus told them as he stood up after they made sure Elena was alright. "Are you coming?" He asked Skyler by the door.

She glanced at Stefan, hesitating, "Give me a minute?" She replied, Klaus nodded and left, if she listened closely she could tell he didn't leave the home though, instead he waited in the parlor for her.

"You came back." Stefan pointed out once they were left alone, he frowned, "Rebekah told us you weren't going to."

"This place has a way of bringing us back every time we escape." Skyler responded bitterly, her eyes narrowed.

"Skyler..." Stefan called softly, hesitation in his voice. She looked over at him and for a moment, she thought, maybe, just maybe, he would apologize for before... and maybe he would even tell her that it didn't matter who she was married to, that she was still and always would be his sister.

Of course...

"Why did you come back?"

That didn't happen. And she felt so... stupid, so naive for thinking it would.

Skyler looked at him in a new light and scoffed, "Is that all you care about? Do you hate me so much that you truly want me to leave forever?"

"I didn't say that." Stefan shook his head calmly.

"So you don't want that then?" She questioned, her eyes narrowed and when he could only sigh and look away... she knew.

"That's what I thought." Skyler responded as she tensed, putting her guard up because she knew he was no longer her family, he made that clear without ever having to say it. "Goodbye, Stefan."

She left the room without another word and met Klaus down in the parlor. He was waiting patiently for her and looked at her as soon as she came in. He didn't show any signs of having heard the conversation however she knew he had been listening. He didn't say anything about it though which she was grateful for, he only asked one thing, "Are you ready to go?"

Skyler glanced around the Salvatore house, hoping silently that it would be the last time she would see it, before she looked at him and nodded, "Yeah. I'm more than ready."

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        "DAMON." Stefan called from where he stood, waiting for his brother to come home.

Damon, confused, set his keys down and looked at his brother with an annoyed look, "What do you want Stefan? Gonna lecture me for killing humans and not bunnies?" He rolled his eyes and made his way to the bar to get something to drink.

"Skyler's back."

He paused and then turned to look at him. He openly stared at his younger brother, "What? Why?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me." Stefan shook his head, thinking back to his sister's reaction, "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Hang on," Damon started and stared incredulously at Stefan, "She's not the bad guy. She's our sister."

Stefan narrowed his eyes, "She's a Mikaelson."

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        "YOU'RE trying too hard." Skyler sang as she sat down beside Rebekah who had just given Ratty Matty a brand new truck for killing his girlfriend. Klaus meanwhile was over at the bar, the blonde glanced at the two before she promptly looked away.

"Last I heard you were both leaving town forever." Rebekah said, her words pointed at Klaus.

"Well, I was." Klaus began and walked toward her, "But then I thought to myself how can I when my sister, clearly so desperate for love and affection, is left here bribing the help."

Skyler raised her hand like a kid in a classroom, "I am still leaving as soon as I can." She pursed her lips and she grabbed the drink from Klaus's hand. She took a sip and swirled the cup around as she mused, "Sooner if my brothers have anything to do with it."

"What do you two want?" Rebekah asked, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Skyler for answers.

"This is all Nik, actually." Skyler responded and pointed to Klaus with a smirk.

Klaus glared at Skyler while Rebekah grew more annoyed, "What do you want, Nik? I thought I was dead to you."

"Things change Rebekah." He told her, "I've stumbled upon something that I think might be of interest to you."

"Doubt that." Rebekah scoffed.

"No? Well, what if I told you the brotherhood of The Five still existed." Klaus responded with a raised brow.

"What?"

"You see, and like that bygones." Klaus smirked, "Come on love, work to do."

Rebekah scowled indignantly, "We don't have anything to do. There is no we. I don't care about The Five and I don't care about you."

Klaus hummed, "As you wish." He said before he stood and left, leaving Rebekah and Skyler still sitting there.

Skyler downed the last of her drink and ordered another from the bartender before she turned in her seat to look at Rebekah, "So, what is this mysterious Five?"

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        "HEY, April. Can I get you some more water?" Matt asked as he came over to the booth a young April Young was sitting in.

"I'm good. I'm not just sitting here alone, like the loser, new girl. I'm with my friends, they just..."

"Sorry, family drama." Rebekah told April as she sat back down across from April, followed closely by Skyler.

Matt looked between the group, "You guys are friends?"

Rebekah scowled, "Is it so hard to believe I would have one?"

"Yeah, we're super nice." Skyler said with a smirk.

"It is. And I'm keeping the truck." He told Rebekah before he walked away.

She watched him leave. "Rude." Skyler scoffed, "You deserve so much better than Ratty Matty."

Rebekah turned to Skyler in shock and let out a choked laugh, "Ratty Matty?"

"It fits, doesn't it?" She smirked. Rebekah and April laughed, pushing her to laugh too.

Of course, Stefan had to ruin the moment by walking up and sitting down next to April. "You won't remember any of this." He compelled before he turned to face the two vampires, "Klaus wants me to fake peace with you, so you'll talk about The Five."

"Nice to see you too, brother, I've been good, how are you." Skyler scoffed and shook her head, going ignored by Stefan who was more focused on Rebekah.

"Yeah, I bet, but don't help him, he'll just betray you." Rebekah warned bitterly, "It's what he does."

"Alright, well, forget him." Stefan responded, "Help me instead."

She looked at him in disbelief, "Why? You hate me more than he does."

"Because I want to figure out what he's up to and plus I can give you the one thing he won't." Stefan told her as he actively avoided so much as glancing at his sister.

Rebekah adjusted in her seat, fixing Stefan a curious look however it wasn't her who spoke up first to question Stefan's words, it was Skyler who was tired of him ignoring her, "And what's that?"

Stefan stole a glance at her before he went back to Rebekah making Skyler scoff. Oh, how things had changed between the so-called wonder twins since he found out the truth about her. "A clean slate." He offered Rebekah, "I'm not saying that I'm willing to forgive you for what you did to Elena, but I'm willing to set it aside and start over."

"Why would you do that?" Rebekah questioned, "And what about Skyler? Are you going to give her a clean slate too?"

Stefan glanced at Skyler, "She's not part of the deal." Stefan said, shaking his head as he got back on topic, "And because, you're obviously not leaving town anytime soon and I'm just looking for a way we can all get along." He told her, Skyler scoffed as she crossed her arms, leaning back into the booth, "Plus you can't be too happy wandering around school with no friends."

"Well, what if I don't care what you or anyone else thinks?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you care what Matt over there thinks." Stefan pointed out, "So, maybe I can talk to him about a clean slate too."

"Everyone gets a clean slate besides me then?" Skyler interrupted, arching a brow at her twin. "She literally killed your girlfriend and you're willing to forget that, I married someone without your knowledge and you can't even look at me."

He frowned, and finally met her gaze, "It's different."

"How?" She questioned incredulously.

"You married a Mikaelson." He pointed out simply.

"She is a Mikaelson." Skyler said, gesturing to Rebekah, her eyes widened in disbelief and aggravation.

"Okay fine, the truth?" He asked and didn't wait for a response. "You lied to us, Skyler. You lied about everything." Stefan snapped coldly.

"Like you've never lied before?" She responded, "You know what, forget it. I get it, me marrying the man I love, my literal soulmate, is unforgivable. But just remember, Stefan, you haven't even seen my bad side." She growled out sounding more like a wolf than a vampire.

She stood and promptly left without ever glancing over her shoulder. She was done with not just Mystic Falls, but her brothers.

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        "I want out of this cursed town, Kol." Skyler told her husband as she sat in their empty room. He was still god knows where getting up to no good.

"I know, darling." He comforted over the phone as he snapped someone's neck, "What's happened now?"

She pursed her lips, annoyed, "Well, my brother's forgiven Rebekah for killing Elena but can't forgive me for marrying you."

"To be fair, love, you did lie about it for a year." Kol pointed out. Skyler rolled her eyes. She knew that, she had expected that and she was even okay with it... but Stefan seemed less concerned by the betrayal he felt, and more concerned with the fact his sister was now a Mikaelson -- it felt as though the simple change of the last name made the difference between being his sister and being his enemy.

She never wanted to be her brother's enemy, however, if he wanted her to be... she would show him a real enemy. She shook her head, "Not the point, Kol."

"Right, sorry darling." He responded, "What would you like me to do? Snap his neck for you? Dagger him? Kill his little girlfriend, maybe?'

"No." Skyler told him sternly, "It's time I handle my brothers myself. Now tell me, what do you have planned?"

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𝟐,𝟖𝟎𝟎 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬