act three, chapter four: the end of the affair

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"Welcome to Chicago, Sweetheart." Klaus spoke when the driver finally arrived at the location had told him to go to. He offered his hand to his mate as he made his way out of the vehicle, and Buffy didn't really know why, but she accepted it - with a scoff and let go as soon as her feet were touching safe grounds again. "And you" Klaus pointed over to Stefan. "Welcome back."

"What are we doing here?" Stefan questioned, having a look around the room, just to be disappointed by the fact that it was just a storage place.

Klaus waved the two over as he opened a door. "I know how much you loved it here." He nodded his head at the tall building, to which Buffy was looking up at with adoring eyes. She had to admit, she always had wanted to come to Chicago, she just never really had the chance to do so. "Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?" Klaus asked the other vampire, as he slipped his hand on his mate's lower back, but the girl was still too busy looking around to even notice the small, but loving gesture.

"Blacked out most of them. A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur." Stefan admitted, placing both his hands on his hips with a sigh.

"Well, that is a crying shame. The details are what made it legendary." Klaus spoke with a smirk. "Word was the ripper of Monterrey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was Prohibition. Everything was off limits then, which made everything so much fun. Chicago was magical." Klaus finished with a short sigh. The Roaring Twenties really had been a good period while it lasted.

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't remember most of it." Stefan replied as he stopped leaning against the doorframe and walked away from the sight which bore the skyline off the beautiful city.

"Going to get down to business, then?" Klaus questioned, closing the door, and taking his hand off Buffy's back even though he did not want to stop feeling that small touch of his mate.

"Why are we still with you? We had our fun, your hybrids failed. I mean, don't you want to move on?" The Salvatore asked, arms crossed.

"We're going to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her." Klaus spoke, passing by the two, who shared a look with each other, finding it weird that Klaus had put so much of his faith on one person just to find the solution that Stefan and Buffy already knew the answer to.

Stefan got into the car, and Buffy took one last look at the door Klaus had just closed. "A penny for your thoughts, love?"

"I have to go shopping here." Buffy uttered as she followed Stefan into the car again.

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The bar they walked into was dimly lit, a few rays of sunshine shining through the shutters, making the small place feel a little bit more homely. Buffy looked around, but except for the three of them, not a person was in sight, making it quiet, giving the Sommers-Saltzman girl a tiny moment of peace.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asked Stefan, who was just like Buffy, searching around the place. The only difference between the best friends was that Stefan knew where they were. After all, he had spent so much of his time in this bar. He just didn't remember how much exactly or with who.

"I can't believe this place is still here." Stefan admitted with a short chuckle.

"You've got to be kidding me!" An elderly woman appeared into the room when she heard the voices she remembered so well.

Klaus smiled when he saw her and that indication wasn't missed by the the girl in between him and Stefan. "A hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender..." He cut himself off so that the woman could finish his joke, but she wasn't mildly as amused by him as he was with himself.

"You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny." Gloria spoke as she walked over to the three visiting her bar.

"I have to agree with that statement!" Buffy sheepishly smiled at the woman in front of her, before turning her head around to wink at Klaus.

Gloria returned Buffy's smile before she glanced at Stefan. "I remember you."

The Salvatore nodded at her in confusion. "Yeah." He confirmed her thoughts. "You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be-" He spoke, bewildered on how she was still alive after all this time and still looked so young for the age she should be this day.

"Old and dead?" The witch finished his sentence. "Now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?"

"Gloria is a very powerful witch." Klaus explained to the two.

"I can slow the aging down some. Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day." Gloria reassured the youngest vampire, who just nodded in return.

"Stefan,' Klaus turned to his sidekick. "Why don't you go and fix up a little something from the bar?" He asked and Stefan just nodded again, mentally rolling his eyes at Klaus' request.

"Oh, can I have a red wine, Stef?" The girl asked as she sat down by one of the tables at the centre of the bar, where she could keep full track of everything that was happening in the room.

"Sure." Stefan spoke, giving her a soft smile while grabbing for the bottle of red wine.

"Is it not a bit too early to be drinking, love?" Klaus spoke, his hand finding its way to his mate's back again. If she was a vampire, he wouldn't have had a problem with that, but she was still human, and would become drunk much sooner. And he had seen her drunk with Katherine before.

Buffy's eyebrow raised as she looked up at the Mikaelson hybrid. "Too early? Coming from the guy whose idea of a balanced breakfast probably involves blood and whiskey?"

Stefan, overhearing, let out a quiet laugh as he poured her wine into a glass. Klaus, however, seemed entirely unbothered, his signature smirk firmly in place.

"Touché." He drawled, his hand lingering at her back. "Though I'd argue that my habits are far more refined than that."

Buffy snorted, taking the glass of wine from Stefan with a nod of thanks. "Right. 'Refined.' We'll add that to the list of things you think you are, along with charming and irresistible."

"I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels." The witch spoke after a while.

"So what am I doing wrong? I broke the curse." Klaus stated as he asked his old friend the question he had wanted to ask her the moment he walked through the door of her bar.

"Obviously you did something wrong. Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old...We'd have to contact the witch who created it." The woman spoke as she sat down together with Klaus .

"Well, that would be the original witch." Klaus spoke. "She's very dead." He added.

"I know." The witch nodded. "And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me, Rebekah."

"You're sister Rebekah?" Buffy questioned, looking sideways at the hybrid.

"Yes, Rebekah." Klaus sighed. "Rebekah is a bit preoccupied."

"She has what I need. Bring her to me." Gloria spoke, leaving no room for discussion.

"What is this?" Stefan suddenly spoke up from behind the bar, making the two people, who were busing with their conversation, and the blonde who had been sipping on her wine, look up.

"Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place." Klaus replied but he didn't exactly answer the Salvatore's question.

"But this is me. With you." Stefan said as he showed Klaus the picture.

And instead of Klaus being interested in the photo, Buffy quite literally almost flew from her chair to the bar to take a look at the picture. "Oh, my God! You're Hero hair was even more hero-haired back than!" Buffy gasped, as she used a nickname of Damon's for Stefan's hair.

Klaus frowned a bit as his mate didn't give him any compliments.

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"This doesn't make any sense. Why don't I remember you?" Stefan was still complaining about the picture when the three of them walked into a warehouse. Buffy figured that Klaus had stashed his sister's coffin around here with the rest of his family. With Elijah's coffin. The girl quickly set the idea of Elijah, with grey veins all over his face out of her mind.

"You said it yourself. That time had a lot of dark holes." Klaus simply shrugged.

"No, if you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?" Stefan asked as he kept following the hybrid. So did Buffy, but that was just because she was curious as to what Rebekah looked like.

"I'm a little busy right now. Klaus replied. "Memory lane will have to wait."

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan questioned, his voice slightly higher than usual as he pulled Klaus by his arm to make them stand face to face.

"Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you." Klaus spoke as he removed Stefan's hand from his arm. He quickly told them the story of how he and Stefan had met.

"Your sister. So I knew another Original vampire." Stefan spoke as Klaus continued walking again.

"If you can't handle it, don't ask." Klaus simply replied as he made his way over to a number of coffins, which Buffy could only assume was the rest of his family. Klaus opened the one furthest away.

Stefan and Buffy came to a stop next to Klaus, who softly smiled at the sight of his sister.

"I don't recognize her." Stefan spoke, looking down on Rebekah's daggered body.

"Don't tell her that. Rebekah's temper is worse than mine."

"Boy!" Buffy muttered to Stefan. "How blacked out were you during those days? My God! If I had dated someone who looked like her, I would never shut my mouth."

"Buffy," Stefan started, making the blonde look at him. "you already never stop talking."

"I hardly see how that's relevant to what I just said." Buffy huffed as she turned back to look at Rebekah as Klaus pulls the dagger out of her chest. "Time to wake up little sister."

After ten minutes, the girl in the box still hadn't moved a finger. "Any day now, Rebekah. She's being dramatic."

"Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right?" Stefan crossed his arms.

"Well, you have many useful talents."

"Do I?"

"In fact, I learned some of my favourite tricks from you." Klaus admitted. "I was your number one fan." He spoke as he grabbed his mate by her hand and pulled her with him and Stefan to the exit of the warehouse.

"Why should I believe any of this?" Stefan asked.

Klaus stopped in front of a guardsman. "When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die." He compelled the man, who nodded without any emotion.

"Where are you going?" Stefan queried like he was interrogating the original to get as many details and answers on his questions.

"We're going to your old apartment." Klaus responded.

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"What a charming little homestead." Klaus spoke as they were standing in front of Stefan's old apartment. Buffy reached out to twist the doorknob, but Klaus pulled his mate's hand back.

"Do you feel that?" He asked Stefan as they entered. "Is anybody here?" He spoke louder, looking through the room for anybody who shouldn't be here.

"It's been vacant for decades." Stefan spoke up, but he couldn't help but feel like something would go wrong here. "Why'd you bring us here?"

"Your friend, Liam Grant, the one who drank his wife's blood. I never could figure out why you wanted his name. And then you told me your little secret. It was all part of your special little ritual."

"To write it down." Stefan realised what Klaus was speaking about.

"To relive the kill. Over and over again." He said before walking over to the cardboard and pulling it out, revealing that it was actually a hidden door. "You believe me now?"

Stefan entered the pantry while Buffy walked over to the window. "He could have lived anywhere in this town, and he chose for a place with practically just a view on the garbage."

"There used to be an all-girls high school around the corner." Klaus explained to her.

"Oh."

"Look what I found." Stefan caught their attention. He held up a bottle of old wine. "1918. Single Malt." But he didn't move away from the doorway of the secret room. It was like he was shielding something from the inside.

"My favourite." Klaus smirked as he took the bottle of wine. "Let's go and find someone to pair it with."

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The bar was way more busy this time of night, which was actually pretty logical since they had left here around noon. They sat by the bar, waiting for Klaus' sister to make an appearance, and they clearly weren't the only ones.

"Where's Rebekah?" Gloria asked as she handed a beer to Stefan and a Whiskey bottle Klaus and another red wine to Buffy. She had never ever consumed so much alcohol as this summer.

"She'll be here. I can't just conjure her on demand." Klaus replied, taking a drink as he looked over at Stefan as Gloria walked away. "What's with you? I thought Chicago was your playground." The hybrid spoke with an innocent voice.

"So this is why you asked me to be your wingman? Because you like the way that I tortured innocent people?" Stefan sat down his beer.

"well, that's certainly half of it." Klaus replied as he filled two shot glasses.

"What's the other half?"

"The other half, Stefan, is that you used to want to by my wingman." Klaus slid one of the shot glasses to Stefan along the counter, before raising his own. "To friendship."

Stefan picked up his own, clinking it against Klaus'. "So I'm confused. If we were such great friends. Then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an alter of fire? Huh?"

"All good things must come to an end." Klaus spoke as he explained how Stefan didn't remember him or Rebekah at all. "It was time for Rebekah and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate." Klaus drained his glass.

"But why? You shouldn't have to cover your tracks unless you're running from someone." Stefan spoke and when he saw the look on Klaus' face he knew he was right. Klaus was indeed running from someone.

"Storytime is over." Klaus simply said, making an end to the conversation.

Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw Damon standing by the door, he waved at her with a smirk on his face, making Buffy roll her eyes at him. He just hadn't realised how stupid it was to come here. The girl leaned back, giving Stefan a look to where Damon stood behind Klaus' back. It didn't take the Salvatore long to notice his older brother of course.

"I need another drink. A real one." Stefan announced as he walked away from the bar, over to the exit.

"Looks like it's just the two of us now, love." He said smoothly, his eyes glinting with amusement as he leaned in ever so slightly.

Buffy raised her glass of wine to her lips, taking a slow sip as she met Klaus' gaze. "Guess it is," she replied, her tone nonchalant, though her mind raced. Being left alone with Klaus was never simple—he always had a way of making every interaction feel like a chess game, even if she wasn't sure what pieces they were playing with.

Klaus studied her for a moment, his blue eyes sharp but almost amused. "You're quiet tonight," he observed, swirling his drink in his hand. "I'd have thought you'd be brimming with questions like Stefan, about me, about this... charming city."

Buffy shrugged, leaning back in her seat. "I figure you'll tell me what you want me to know when you're ready. No point in asking if you're just going to dance around the truth."

He leaned closer, resting his elbow on the bar. "Though, I must admit, I do enjoy our little conversations. There's something refreshing about you, Buffy. You're not afraid to speak your mind."

She arched a brow at him, setting her glass down. "Don't mistake honesty for trust, Klaus. I'm here because I have to be, not because I want to be."

His smile didn't falter, but there was a flicker of something unreadable in his expression. "Oh, love, I know that. But sometimes, being where you have to be leads to far more interesting opportunities than you'd expect."

Buffy crossed her arms, not taking the bait. "And what opportunities do you think I'm looking for? Because I'm pretty sure whatever you have in mind isn't on my list."

Klaus smirked, leaning back as if he was enjoying a private joke. "That remains to be seen."

"Looks like you two became quite the friends over the summer." Damon announced himself as he sat down next to Klaus

Klaus barely glanced at her, his smirk widening as he eyed Damon. "I see they've opened the doors to the riff-raff now."

Damon leaned back looking unfazed. "Oh, honey, I've been called worse."

Buffy frowned, sensing where this was going. She set her glass down and leaned slightly closer, whispering harshly, "What are you doing? Don't provoke him."

Damon didn't even blink. "Relax, B, I've got this."

Klaus chuckled darkly, swirling his drink. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Give me my brother back." Damon said simply, meeting Klaus's gaze. "You'll never have to see me again."

Klaus tilted his head, feigning contemplation. "Well, I am torn. You see, I promised Stefan I wouldn't let you die. But how many freebies did I really sign up for? And clearly, you want to die. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

Buffy's stomach churned as Klaus's casual tone shifted. "Klaus—" she started, her voice low, but he ignored her.

"What can I say?" Damon said with a short shrug. "I'm a thrill-seeker."

Before Buffy could react, Klaus's hand shot out, grabbing Damon by the throat and hoisting him off the floor with shocking ease. The hybrid's grip was unmoving.

"Stop it, Klaus!" She spoke, her voice tired as she looked up at her best friend hanging in the air.

Klaus barely glanced at her, his attention fixed on Damon. "Oh, dear, what was that?" he mused mockingly. "I'm a little boozy, so you'll forgive me if I miss your heart the first few tries." Without warning, he grabbed a toothpick from the bar and stabbed Damon in the stomach. Klaus smirked, twisting the toothpick slightly. "No, that's not it." He stabbed him again, and Damon groaned, blood beginning to stain his shirt.

"You've made your point, Klaus. Let him go." Buffy spoke, her hand on Klaus' arm.

Klaus's grip on Damon didn't waver, though he tilted his head to look at her. "Why, love? He came here begging for death. I'm merely obliging him." He threw the Salvatore to the other side of the room, breaking a chair in the process.

But luckily for Damon, Gloria intervened. The makeshift stake Klaus had grabbed from the broken chair suddenly burst into flames, forcing him to toss it aside with a grunt. "Really?"

"Not in my bar." Gloria said firmly, her voice calm but filled with authority. "You take it outside."

Klaus let out a low growl, but the warning in Gloria's tone was clear. Klaus crouched over him, gripping Damon's shirt as he leaned in close. "You don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom. When I'm done with him, he won't want to go back." And with that, Klaus stood and walked back to the bar. "What the hell were you thinking?" She hissed, slapping the back of his head as he stood up.

"Just being my usual self, B." Damon replied before leaving Gloria's bar.

Klaus sighed, his attention shifting back to Buffy. He stood up from his chair and took a step closer, his expression morphing into one of calculated expectation. "Come on, love. Let's go get Rebekah." He said smoothly, his tone leaving little room for negotiation.

"Fine, but we're stopping on the way for food!"

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The warehouse was quiet as Klaus stepped inside, he had told Buffy to wait outside, telling her that he would come to get her when it was safe to come in. His eyes scanned the room filled with his family's coffins. The sight of Rebekah's empty coffin and the lifeless guard sprawled on the floor made his jaw tighten. His voice echoed through the space. "Rebekah... It's your big brother. Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Before he could take another step, Rebekah rushed out of the shadows, a dagger in her hand. She plunged it into his chest with a forceful thrust. "Go to hell, Nik!" She spat, her eyes blazing with fury, but she didn't understand why she kept feeling like she had to go towards the door of the warehouse. Like someone was waiting there for her.

Klaus stumbled slightly but quickly regained his composure, pulling the dagger out of his chest with a casual ease that made her anger burn hotter.

"Don't pout." He said smoothly, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "You knew it wouldn't kill me."

Rebekah crossed her arms. "Yeah, but I was hoping it would hurt more."

Klaus sighed, his tone softening slightly. "I understand that you're upset with me, Rebekah... So I'm going to let that go. Just this once." He turned toward the door, gesturing with a hand. "Brought you a little peace offering. You can come in."

The door creaked open, and Stefan stepped into the room. His expression was blank, devoid of recognition as he stood still looking at the girl, he did not remember.

Rebekah's eyes widened in disbelief. "Stefan..." she murmured, taking a step forward.

Klaus moved closer to him. "Now you remember."

Stefan's body tensed as the memories flooded back, his eyes widening as the pieces clicked into place. His gaze shifted to Rebekah, a spark of recognition lighting up his face.

"Rebekah." he said.

Klaus's voice cut through the moment. "Stefan."

Stefan stopped abruptly, turning to face him. Their eyes locked, and Stefan nodded faintly. "I remember you. We were friends."

Klaus's smirk returned, softer this time. "We are friends." He corrected him, glancing at Rebekah. "And now." Klaus continued, his tone shifting to one of business, "The reason you're here. Gloria tells me you know how to contact the original witch."

Rebekah frowned, her confusion evident. "The original witch?"

"What do you have that Gloria needs?" Klaus pressed.

Rebekah's hand instinctively went to her neck, her fingers brushing against bare skin. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Where's my necklace? What did you do with it? I never take it off!"

As her panic grew, Stefan's mind raced. His heart sank as he realized the truth—Elena had the necklace.

Klaus raised his hands defensively. "I don't know. I didn't touch it."

Rebekah's voice rose in anger. "We need to find it, Nik. Now! I want it back!"

Klaus's calm façade cracked slightly, frustration seeping into his voice. "Tell me that's not what she needs, Rebekah!"

Ignoring him, Rebekah stormed over to one of the coffins, tearing it open in a desperate search. When it yielded nothing, she shoved it violently, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Can I come in or do you need another minute for your psychotic breakdown, Klaus?" Buffy yelled sweetly from the other side of the door and in some way, Rebekah found that the girl's voice spoke to her.

Rebekah froze mid-step, her frustration momentarily dissipating as Buffy's voice echoed through her ears. Something about it felt... right. Familiar, even. Like a melody she didn't know she had been waiting to hear.

Klaus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Really, Buffy? Timing could use some work." He muttered before raising his voice. "Come in, love. The show's already started."

The door creaked open, and Buffy stepped inside with her usual air of nonchalance, clutching a takeaway bag in one hand. Her hazel-green eyes scanned the scene—the toppled coffin, the dagger in Klaus' hand and Rebekah's tense posture.

"Well," Buffy drawled, popping a fry into her mouth. "looks like I missed a party."

Rebekah's anger seemed to evaporate, replaced by an almost childlike curiosity. She turned to face Buffy fully, her blue eyes wide. "Elizabeth." She spoke, it would have been impossible for Rebekah not to recognize her mate. She had dreamed of the girl in front of her for over a thousand years, just like her brothers.

"Buffy." Klaus corrected. "Keep up sister."

"Don't be rude!" Buffy spoke. "Both you and Elijah had no idea that we changed my name, how is she supposed to?"

"I don't understand" Rebekah murmured, her voice trembling with emotion. "How? How is this possible?" Her hands curled at her sides, as if trying to keep herself grounded. "I've waited so long to finally meet you, after all those dreams, and now you're here. After all this time..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes flickered down to Buffy's outfit—a casual mini skirt and fitted top. Rebekah couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight, the corners of her lips curving upward despite herself. "Well, clearly things have changed. If a woman wore that a hundred years ago, half the town would've fainted on the spot."

Buffy grinned, catching Rebekah's glance at her outfit. "What can I say? Times change, Bekah." She emphasized the nickname with a teasing lilt, noticing how Rebekah's eyes lit up when she said it. "Although," Buffy added with a mock-serious tone, "I've gotta say, your twenties look is pretty killer. Literal vintage vibes."

Rebekah blinked, momentarily thrown by Buffy's casual demeanor. "You're joking about fashion when I just told you I've dreamed about you for a thousand years?"

Buffy smirked, stepping closer. "Well, yeah. What else am I supposed to say? 'Hi, soulmate, sorry I'm late, your brother was keeping me out?'"

Rebekah couldn't help but laugh—a genuine, melodic sound that filled the room. Klaus watched the exchange silently, his lips twitching into a faint smile despite himself.

"I'll explain everything in the car. Well as much as I can of course." Buffy said, her tone softening as she reached out and took Rebekah's hand. Her grip was warm and steady, grounding Rebekah in a way she hadn't felt in centuries. "For now, let's just get out of here before your brother says something snarky and ruins the moment."

Klaus raised an eyebrow but said nothing, merely gesturing toward the door with a flourish.

Buffy turned to leave, tugging Rebekah along with her. As they reached the threshold, Buffy paused and held up the bag of takeout she'd been carrying. "Fry?" She offered, tilting the bag toward Rebekah.

Rebekah blinked, caught off guard by the simple, almost absurd gesture. Slowly, a smile spread across her face—wide and genuine. "I'd love one." She said, reaching into the bag and plucking out a fry. She bit into it with a contented hum, her gaze never leaving Buffy's.

As they walked toward the car, hand in hand, Rebekah couldn't tear her eyes away from the girl beside her. There was an undeniable pull, a connection that went beyond words. Buffy, for her part, acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, chattering casually about the best fries in town and her insistence that Klaus should pay for her all her dinners. Rebekah listened intently, taking in every word, every movement, every fleeting smile of her mate. For the first time in centuries, she felt truly at peace—like a piece of her had finally fallen into place.

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Be sure to comment and vote if you want. I love reading them and your support keeps me so motivated!

Katherine x

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WORDS: 3100

POSTED: THURSDAY 23/01/2025

WRITTEN: THURSDAY 23/01/2025