Misunderstandings seem to shape the world more than the truth ever could. It turns the kind into pariahs, the scarred into villains. It casts shadows where there was once light, and silence where there was once a voice.

Sometimes, the villains aren't cruel by nature, it wasn't something they were created with. Rather, a reflex to a wound being pressed down on. In some cases they are not sadistic, simply tired. Shackled by time and memory. Immortality, after all, is not a gift, it is a prison with no walls and no end, where even the softest hearts can grow cold. Those who once longed to be seen now turn away, resigned to be misread, misjudged, mistaken.

And then, there are those who smile as they take. Who dress themselves in warmth and promise, all while quietly bleeding you dry. It is a dangerous thing to trust someone simply because they claim to care. But trust is its own kind of blindness. The greatest betrayals are not born from hatred, but from affection used as a weapon.

At times the hands that guide you are the same ones pulling the strings, steering you where they want you to go, not where you need to be.

In the end, misunderstandings aren't just mistakes. They're illusions we cling to, lies we tell ourselves to make the world easier to understand. But eventually, illusions shatter. And when they do, you're left with only one question...

What could've been different if we had simply seen the truth?

~~~~

Mia descended down the stairs with a stomp, her face set in a permanent scowl. Sleep had been elusive and not for any exciting reason, like spending the night daydreaming about an infatuation. Or because of a nightmare, no mysterious threats keeping her on edge.

Instead it was just noise. Inescapable, relentless noise from the room down the hall. No wall no matter how thick would've been enough to drown out the sounds of Damon and Rebekah's indiscretions.

She had tried to block it out, burying herself under pillows, forcing her headphones so deep into her ears they were in danger of becoming a permanent part of the canal. The Petrova even contemplated taking respite in the woods. But she had stayed. Suffered.

And was now scarred.

As she reached the living room she came across the culprits. Rebekah, looking far too pleased with herself, standing across from Damon who was leant against the wall, his shirt nowhere to be seen, his shame in a similar condition. Neither of them appeared to care in the slightest about the disruption they had caused.

What Mia didn't know, however, was that Rebekah found the whole situation amusing. The irony wasn't lost on her. Back in the twenties, she had been the one forced to endure the sounds of Mia and Klaus, so in her mind the tables had finally turned.

Not wanting to give them the satisfaction of her annoyance, which was amplified because she had been rooting for the Original with Bonnie, Mia simply grabbed her jacket then walked past them but she couldn't help herself. "Sluts." She muttered, covering it up with a cough before opening the front door and stepping outside.

The brunette strolled down the porch, swinging her purse on her fingers, when movement on the pathway caught her eye. Elena was approaching with a determined stride and expression set with purpose.

Instincts kicked in immediately.
Distract.
Redirect.
Prevent trauma.
Reward yourself with muffins.

"Morning!" She beamed, stepping in front of the doppelganger. "Cute scarf." Elena replied with a quick thanks and moved to walk ahead but was blocked once again by her ancestor. "You know what we should do, go for breakfast. Have some quality time like normal people."

The Gilbert girl blinked in confusion at Mia's mood, knowing that she usually wasn't a morning person but she was too preoccupied to investigate. "Another time, I need to see Damon."

Mia forced a light hearted smile, as if that would somehow change her mind. "No one ever really needs to see Damon, trust me." She then linked her arm with Elena's, "Come on, coffee, pancakes, me. A much better alternative."

But Elena wasn't easily swayed, her brows furrowed and patience thinned. "Mia, what are you doing?" She questioned, unattaching their arms. "Why are you stopping me from going inside?"

For a moment, Mia debated pushing harder, trying another distraction, another excuse, but she could see it was futile. "Fine....fine." With that she grabbed her descendant's hand, pulling her towards the entrance while muttering, "Fuck it, get traumatised then, I don't give a shit."

Then, with a flourish she swung open the front door, revealing the sight behind it. Rebekah and Damon, their appearances tousled. Elena froze. The expression that crossed her face was one Mia had seen before, though rarely this sharp, this sudden. Shock. Hurt.

The blonde Original, on the other hand, seemed absolutely delighted by this reaction. A satisfied smirk played on her lips and she made no effort to hide her amusement, simply deciding to leave. As she passed by Mia, she shot her a wink before strutting out the door, leaving the trio trapped with the tension.

Elena turned towards Damon, her head tilted with outrage. Mia, however, had no interest in sticking around for whatever argument was about to unfold. She simply patted the Salvatore on his shoulder, her voice calm but patronising, "Silly, silly man." Then with a shake of her head she walked out, escaping from the mess.

The heavy oak closed behind her with a thud as she stepped out onto the porch, the morning air still cool against her skin. From inside, muffled voices sounded, Elena's pointed tones rising in frustration. The Petrova didn't even glance back, it was far too early, and she hadn't had enough sleep to be able to deal with that dynamic.

"Mia, wait up." A voice called out to her, she turned her head to see Stefan descending from the top of the drive. He was sporting a dark hoodie, unzipped just enough to reveal a white tank top underneath. The sight of the fabric hugging his skin, his defined chest and arms, had caught her eye for a moment longer than she intended.

Mia blinked, tearing her gaze away with practised indifference. "You just come from a hunt?" She asked, her tone casual, masking any trace of captivation.

"Yeah." Stefan nodded as he reached her, zipping up his hoodie slightly, much to Mia's hidden disappointment. "Figured I'd get out early." The gravel of the driveway crunched softly beneath their footsteps. "You left early last night, from the ball."

Mia exhaled, pressing her lips upwards, "It's considered very lame to be the last one to leave a party, Damon just gave me the perfect opportunity to get out of there."

The Salvatore offered her a small smile, but there was something pensive in his eyes. "We didn't get to catch up after everything." He said, hoping he wasn't prying too much. "You looked...well, I saw you looking angry. Tense. I was going to come ask you but..." He hesitated, just slightly, the smallest pause as his eyes flickered to hers, "...you had a lot of fans."

Mia didn't pick up on the hesitation, instead she just let out a humourless chuckle, "That?" She started, shaking her head, "That was just Klaus proving, once again, that he can always find new depths of insanity to dive into. No biggie." Stefan couldn't help but pick up on the exhaustion that was always present in her tone whenever the hybrid was the topic of conversation.

He didn't respond right away but was watching her, noticing not just her words but how her expression was drawn a little tighter than usual, how her arms crossed more in armor than in comfort. At the ball, she'd looked otherworldly, draped in elegance, he found himself sneaking glances more often than he'd like to admit.

But here, in the aftermath, with the pretense gone, there was a different kind of beauty. A raw one, and strangely more mesmerising than any fancy gown could be.

"Can I walk with you?" He asked, voice softer now, almost tentative.

The Petrova paused, meeting his gaze once again. For a second, neither said anything, simply just looked at each other. Then she nodded, "Sure."

And they began to walk, the silence stretching comfortably between them, filled with everything that hadn't been said.

But was slowly drowning them.

~~~~

The glow of the mid morning sun shone inside the window of the grand Mikaelson mansion, however the heavenly lighting would've done nothing to mask the incoming tension in the room. Elijah stood near said window, his posture composed, hands clasped behind his back, though his eyes were distant, lost in contemplation. Across the room Kol lounged lazily on the couch, one leg draped over the armrest, a glass of whisper dangling precariously between his fingers.

The tranquility was shattered the moment Klaus stormed in, his presence alone was enough to shift the energy, but the look in his eyes, the storm brewing beneath the surface, was what made Kol raise a curious brow.

Without hesitation the hybrid strode directly to Elijah, his voice sharp, seething. "You can't help yourself, can you?"

Elijah remained composed, barely turning his head, "You'll have to elaborate, Niklaus. I'm feeling rather indisposed to....guessing games."

"Oh, don't play coy." Klaus snapped, "I'm talking about your bloody saviour act with Mia last night. You just had to interfere, didn't you? Couldn't just stay out of it. Had to insert yourself like the self righteous twat you are."

Kol let out an amused hum from the couch, swirling his drink. "From what I've been told, Elijah did the darling thing a favour. I hear you had her teetering on the edge of madness, brother. Close to complete and utter insanity."

Klaus shot his younger brother a glare, "Shut up." Kol, however, merely smirked, completely unfazed. Turning back to Elijah, the hybrid's expression darkened further, "It's clear my first warning to you wasn't enough, I won't hesitate to do it again, stay away from her." He sneered, voice low, "I mean it...It's pathetic really, you didn't even bother to hide your intentions."

"And what of your intentions brother." Elijah finally faced him fully, meeting his brother's anger with nothing but cool indifference. "I know."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, "Know what?"

Elijah tilted his chin upwards, studying him, "About you and Amelia. Your past. Rebekah was kind enough to enlighten me." As Klaus's face dropped a ghost of a smirk touched Elijah's lips, though there was no amusement in it. "So what is this, Niklaus? A pathetic attempt to recreate history?"

Before Klaus had the opportunity to spit out a spiteful retort Kol let out a keen laugh, sitting up properly now, intrigued. "Ah, so that's why you and Bekah are so bloody obsessed with her." He mused, shaking his head in mock realisation, "It all makes sense now."

However, instead of showing shame at this reveal, the hybrid's jaw tightened, his body going rigid. "That makes it worse." He ground out with barely restrained fury, "You knew about our history and yet you flaunt her in front of me. Take her home....take advantage."

At that accusation, Elijah's expression finally shifted, a flicker of something colder beneath his refined exterior. "You may want to refrain from broaching the subject of taking advantage." He said, smoothly, stepping closer. "When in fact you are the one hoarding Amelia's memories, of her past, of how she transitioned to a vampire. A question that, if you were truly considerate of her best interests, you would know she's been asking herself for decades."

For the first time in this conversation, Klaus hesitated. He hadn't really dwelled on the thought of Mia being haunted by the unknown, not enough for her to have spoken about it to others. Although he had compelled Katherine to lie and say she was the cause of it, he didn't account for the many years when Mia had no explanation at all.

His nostrils flared and hand clenched, yearning to hold a dagger but before he could respond a voice cut through, "Except...the girl is not just a typical vampire." Esther announced as she stepped into the room.

Three sets of eyes turned towards her, confusion flashing across their features. Even Kol, who had gone back to slouching comfortably in his seat had straightened up once more. "What do you mean?" Elijah asked, his voice edged with skepticism.

Their mother made her way towards the bookcase, picking one at random and flipping through to feign indifference before flickering her gaze between them, lingering on Klaus. "Mia....Amelia, has descended from the Regalo bloodline."

Silence stretched through the room, broken by a clink of Kol's glass being set down, "Regalo?" He blinked, his usual smirk wavering in surprise, "You mean the witches with the special-"

"Blood." Klaus finished, his voice barely a murmur, expression unreadable. His mind was already racing, the weight of the revelation sinking in too fast for him to grasp, his brows furrowed, "She never told me..."

The sounds of heels clicking echoed through the hall before Rebekah strode in, still draped in yesterday's gown, her hair disheveled, Kol's grin returned instantly at the sight of her. "She didn't know." The blonde Original intervened, her gaze landing on Klaus, "Not until recently. When all the dead of Mystic Falls were brought back, Mia met her father, only then did she learn of her lineage."

A moment passed then her lips curled slightly in amusement, though her eyes held something more spiteful. "And she never even told you her real last name back in Chicago, so if she did know, I doubt she would've confided in you"

Klaus' fingers curled into fists at his sides, his patience with Rebekah already thinning due to her telling Elijah the truth but to mock him further, he was furious.

Kol let out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait a second," He drawled, eyes darting between them all, barely able to suppress his laughter, "So you mean to tell me that Nik's girl, if we can even call her that, would have been a rare witch if he hadn't come into her life?" He let out a laugh, raucous and taunting, "Talk about stealing a gift....Literally."

He glanced around, expecting some form of amusement, but no one spared him so much as a glance. Kol sighed, "Oh come on. That was a good one, because Regalo means..."

"Enough, Kol." Esther cut in, her tone firm. Her interruption wasn't just from annoyance, there was something else beneath it, another reason why she knew this information about Mia. Elijah, ever perceptive, caught the flicker of darkness in her gaze before it smoothed over into something more practised. "Although she is a vampire." The Original matriarch continued, "There's every chance her blood still contains those magical properties...Fascinating isn't it?" A quietness settled over the room, Elijah's gaze still stuck on his mother, scrutinising her.

There was something else at play here. Something that the rest of his siblings were too preoccupied to notice, a pit of unease formed in his stomach. However, Esther's expression softened, a warmth returning like a mask sliding back into place, "Have you all commenced with your morning meal?"

Kol scoffed, leaning his head back over the edge of the couch to look at his sister, "Bekah looks like she's had her fill."

Rebekah's expression twisted into one of disdain, "Behave Kol." He merely grinned, pleased with himself, while Klaus stood motionless, his mind already flailing with what he had just learned.

~~~~

Low hums of conversation filled the Mystic Grill, the clinking of glasses and footsteps of waiters blending into the familiar background noise. Mia stood behind the counter, donning the employee uniform, blue t-shirt and black jeans, as she absentmindedly wiped down the surface.

When she had gotten there, the Donovan boy thought that it was a joke, that her offer the previous day was insincere but seeing how eager she was to get to work he gave her a chance.

Matt approached her, rubbing a tired hand over his face before resting his forearms against the bar, "Mia you gotta stop giving all the women drinks on the house." He muttered, eyes narrowing at the tab she'd been running.

The Petrova barely looked up, smirking as she side eyed the raven haired woman sitting at a booth near the window, "It's for a good reason."

Matt followed her gaze, "Yeah? And what's her story?"

"She got a divorce." Mia replied, with a small pout, before returning to wiping the counter.

The human let out a small sigh then tilted his head toward a redhead at the far end of the bar, "What about her? The one you keep giving free cocktails to."

"Lost a promotion to a man."

Matt's brow lifted in reluctant amusement. He scanned the room again, stopping on a blonde sitting at a high top table, sipping on a beer, he pointed subtly, "And her?"

Mia paused, then leaned on the counter with a smirk, "I just liked her eyes."

He exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head, "You do realise we actually have to make money, right?"

"I am investing in our customers, Matt." The brunette proclaimed dramatically as she wiped an invisible speck from a glass. "Creating a loyal customer base, you should be thanking me."

"We're not gonna have a customer base when the place gets shut down because there's no cash in the register." He retorted, keeping his tone light so that she wouldn't think he was mad at her, an offended Mia Pierce was not something that was easy to deal with.

Before Mia could respond Matt had walked away to serve more customers, she began to clean the glasses until the sound of boots against the hardwood floor caught her attention, she looked up to see the older Salvatore sauntering up to the bar. Damon leaned against the counter, his sharp blue eyes flicking over her uniform before settling on her face with a bemused smirk, "What the heck are you doing?"

Mia didn't spare him a glance, putting a glass on the shelf beneath the bar, "Manual labour roleplay with Matty, it really gets him going." She paused before adding dryly, "I'm working, Damon."

"Working?" Damon's smirk widened, though his brows pulled together slightly in curiosity. "Why do you need a job, last I checked you didn't pay rent."

Mia sighed, setting a bottle down and finally meeting his gaze. "Because I need a purpose. I need something to do other than just be." She gestured vaguely around her by waving her hands, "We're here to get the human experience, but I cheat at school. I can't drive and I just get whatever I want because we compel money. I want something real."

"A vampire with an existential crisis." The blue eyed vampire scoffed, "Any other cliches you want to play out?"

"Yep, I thought I'd brush my hands against Ben's later and start a workplace romance, that could be real." Mia chuckled, accidentally catching the eye of the manager to which she immediately looked away with a grimace, the man was far too sleazy for her to even joke about dating.

"Real's overrated." Damon cocked his head toward Matt, who was currently fumbling with an overflowing tray of drinks. "Look at Busboy. There's a guy who could use some compelled money."

The Petrova followed his gaze, watching as Matt sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead before rushing to clean up a spilled beverage. Her expression softened slightly, ignoring the fact she probably should've gone to help him. "I've offered him cash. He wants to earn it." She turned back to Damon, her voice quieter but light. "There's no pleasure without work."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Well if you need something to do, find a toy boy, Could be Donovan. Then he can earn."

Mia gave him an unimpressed look, arching a brow. "I wouldn't dare to taint poor Matty...and other than that...there's a serious lack of decent dating material in this town."

The Salvatore's smirk returned, more smug than before, "I gave you a perfectly good offer last night and you denied it."

She let out a short, incredulous laugh. "And it took you less than twenty minutes to offer it to someone else." The brunette leaned in slightly, voice laced with mock offence, "Forgive me for not feeling special."

Damon clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Oh, don't give me that." His smile faltered just slightly before he narrowed his eyes as if reading her. "You're too much of a romantic to settle for a casual thing." His voice was light, teasing but there was something knowing behind his words.

Mia scoffed, turning away for a moment, hoping he wouldn't notice he'd touched a nerve until she faced him again, "Speaking of casual things..." She tilted her head, with pursed lips. "Rebekah....How'd that happen?"

The older vampire looked up at her, his brows furrowing at her expression, "You know, Elena gets that judgy little look from you. You two might be closer related than you think."

"Wow." Mia let out a quiet laugh, nodding in a patronising manner. "Impressive. You haven't even started your story yet and you still managed to bring up Elena."

"Funny." Damon deadpanned before shrugging. "She was just....there, Rebekah."

Mia raised a brow, "What and you just tripped and fell into bed with her?" She tsked, shaking her head in disappointment. "Did you say Elena's name while you were fucking her too?"

Damon let out a low chuckle, before downing his drink. "You're never gonna let me forget that, huh?"

"Not a chance." She grinned, "It stuck with me, I can still hear it."

Leaning in slightly, the Salvatore lowered his voice just enough to make it suggestive. "Glad to know I rocked your world hard enough to leave an impact."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at her lips, "And on that note..." Mia reached under the counter, grabbing her purse before calling out over her shoulder, "Matty, I'm taking my break!"

Matt didn't even look away from the customer he was talking to, simply waved his hand in acknowledgement. The Petrova threw Damon one last look, half amused, half exasperated, before slipping out the bar and leaving him watching as she left, eyes travelling down her form.

"Stop looking at me perv." She scolded in a slight sing song voice as she walked out the door.

~~~~

The streets of Mystic falls were stirring into life when Mia found herself wandering alone, her steps unhurried, as much as she hated to admit it working was much more difficult than she thought it would be but she didn't want to give Matt the satisfaction of telling him so.

Her heeled boots clicked gently against the pavement, echoing louder as she turned into one of the narrow alleyways that cut between the buildings like old veins through stone. It was halfway down the corridor of brick and shadow that she saw him. A man stood at the far end, dressed with an old world refinement that felt too polished for the grit of the alley. His posture was straight, composed.

The quiet severity of someone born in another century, millennium. "Finn." Mia greeted, her voice even yet cautious, wondering what he was doing.

He turned at the sound of his name, his gaze cool, "Amelia, is it?"

Mia nodded slowly, though something inside her twitched at the use of her full name from a tongue other than Elijah's. "Yeah...you know we didn't really get to meet yesterday." Then her brow furrowed, a sliver of suspicion threading through her tone, "Are you okay? You're just....standing here."

Finn gave a slightly tilt of his head, "I suppose one could say I am reacquainting myself with the world. A great deal changes while you're entombed in a coffin." There was a strange stillness to him, a melancholy almost. Different than Elijah's elegance or Klaus's fury. Colder. Tired. Detached. "I must admit I have heard a great deal about you, Amelia. You've made quite the impact on my family."

The Petrova's jaw tightened and she sighed deeply, "If that's code for 'you've come between my siblings', then I'm gonna have to stop you right there, that's no-"

"Have you not?" The older Mikaelson asked calmly, eyes locked onto hers, "Niklaus's obsession, Rebekah's possessiveness and Elijah's....concern. You have become a wedge, regardless of your intentions"

She scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't know what narrative you've been fed but I haven't come between anyone. From what I hear your family's always been fractured, way before I came into the picture...not that I'm in the picture...I'm not in anything, I don't have anything to do with it."

Finn took a step closer, not exactly threatening but deliberate. "They have been misguided, distracted...However it would be unfair to place all the fault upon them. You are..."He nodded slowly, "You are...intriguing

Mia's stomach turned slightly, she glanced behind her, the alleyway narrowing, her exit seemed somehow further away, "Look, whatever this is-"

"We have use for you." Finn interrupted, his voice firm. "You may not understand it just yet...But you will." Before she could respond, he placed his hands on either sides of her head and flicked, her neck snapping in an instant.

Her body crumpled to the cold, damp ground. Finn stood over her and watched her for a moment. He sighed quietly, then bent down, lifting her into his arms and speeding away.

~~~~

Mia stirred, her brows creasing first then her fingers twitching. Her body felt leaden, she rapidly blinked against the ache that pulsed behind her eyes. Looking around her she saw her surroundings, what looked like a warehouse. The space bore the remnants of old industry, rusted beams, shattered windows.

When her vision sharpened, she found herself staring at a tall figure standing a few feet away, arms clasped behind his back, fixed with an unsettling calm. Finn.

Using her hands to steady her, she rose from the ground and yelled, her voice hoarse. "Let me the fuck out of here, you pansy ass mama's boy!"

Finn did not react with anger. Instead, he tilted his head slightly as though observing a curious animal, "I assure you." He said coolly, "It is in your best interest to remain calm and not attempt escape. My siblings may divulge your insolence. I, however, am not so forgiving."

"Good thing I didn't ask for your forgiveness." Mia shot back, dark veins appearing beneath her eyes. It was a fight she would never win, she knew that of course.

A new but familiar voice echoed through the room, smooth and disturbingly maternal, overly feigned. "There is no need for alarm, Amelia." Esther put forth, emerging into the faint light with a grace that seemed to distort the air around her. Her presence was simultaneously serene and chilling, "We simply require a favour."

Mia's face contorted with outrage, "What kind of fucking favour calls for kidnapping?!"

The Mikaelson matriarch's smile didn't reach her eyes, "You see, I returned to this realm with one intention, to reunite my family. But it appears...they no longer exist...not as I remember them."

She stepped closer, her voice softening like a lullaby laced with arsenic. "These beasts they have become...These predators who feed on the innocent and call it survival...Those are not my children. They are a plague, And it is a plague I intend to rid the Earth of....tonight."

Mia's blood ran cold, "You're going to kill them, your own kids?" Her thoughts instantly flickered to her friends, Rebekah...Elijah. The thought of losing them caused her insides to ache. Her voice cracked as she turned to Finn. "And you're okay with this? You're just going along with your mother's murder plan?"

Esther placed a hand on her son's shoulder, whether it was a calming one or a reminder of where his loyalty should lie is unknown. "Finn understands the truth in a way the others cannot. This is not cruelty, Amelia. It is mercy. For them. And for humanity."

With narrowed eyes, Mia's voice cut through the stale air like a blade, "Oh, why thank you Mother Teresa, truly, for this enlightenment. But none of that explains....why you need me. I'm not a witch."

The older woman's expression shifted ever so slightly, like the faint tremor of wind before a storm. "No, but you are descended from a bloodline far older than you realise. A line of witches both sacred and powerful. Your very existence is stepped in ancient magic."

Mia's heart stuttered. "What do you know about my family?"

Esther's eyes glinted with something indecipherable, "You forget, Amelia...I walked the Earth a millennium ago, when magic first kissed the soil of this world. My knowledge of witchcraft eclipses anything the modern practitioners could ever hope to grasp. I know of the Regalo line."

The Petrova took a step back, feeling the walls close in around her. "Tonight is the full moon." Esther continued, matter of factly. "A celestial alignment of great magnitude. I shall draw upon the strength of the Bennett line..." Panic instilled in Mia at the mention of Bonnie's family. "...both living and dead. The connect is powerful but fragile...Which is why I require you....

...an amplifier."

Mia's heart dropped, her breath caught and muscles tensed and without a second thought she launched into motion, darting herself towards the only visible door.

But Finn was faster.

He was there before her, blocking her escape with an intimidating poise. "I would advise against that," The Original warned, she glanced around searching for another way out but it was futile.

"You, child, are a rare gift." Esther began, stepping forward to reason. "The blood in your veins is woven with threads of ancient magic, a conduit to power that even you do not understand." Upon seeing that the Petrova still had no intention of becoming compliant, Esther's eyes darkened slightly. "Bring her here."

Finn moved with swift purpose, hooking his arms around her front but Mia's hands swung at him, nails catching flesh to tear but he was unmoved. He seized her effortlessly and lifted her into the air as if she was a ragdoll, ignoring her flailing limbs and guttural shriek. "Let go of me! Let go, you sick bastard!"

But there was no mercy, due to her persistent fighting he slammed her down against the altar like table in the center of the warehouse. The wind rushed from her lungs in a choking gasp, she tried to rise once again, her limbs coiling to fight, but Esther's fingers moved in a delicate flick and suddenly...

Mia froze.

Her body became a prison of flesh, locked from within. She could breathe, see, but move she could not. With eyes widened in horror she wheezed, "What are you doing to me?"

Esther approached, her composure regal, smile soft and terrible. "Seeing as you cannot be trusted to remain still and rendering you unconscious would chill the blood I require...this shall have to suffice." She extended her hand and with a whisper of incantation her magic stirred. Mia felt the hem of her t shirt lift, tugged by invisible fingers, and hover just above her stomach.

Then with a long, pale finger, Esther traced a line through the air. Simultaneously, a burning agony lanced across Mia's abdomen, she choked on a scream. It was not the sting of a blade, rather as if searing iron had been pressed directly into her flesh, branding her from within.

Then another cut. Another gash. And another slash.

Each one like fire unfurling across her skin. Large red cuts bloomed across her stomach, her arms, even her thighs causing the jeans to dampen and soak through. Mia cried out, "Stop it! Please stop!" It was no ordinary spell, the witch made sure to make it as painful as possible.

Then the blood began to flow, not in gushes but in slow, deliberate streams, as if summoned by the air itself. Thin rivulets trailed along her limbs, dropping into iron buckets placed at the bottom of the table. Her pain fractured into levels, no longer an agony but torture, refined and methodical. As if sharp stones were fighting their way out, scraping their way through her veins.

Her skull throbbed as though thousands of needles were piercing it from within and her eyes felt as though they were being pried open, as if they would burst beneath the pressure. And then they did, blood trickled from their corners like crimson tears.

Still Esther watched, unshaken, as if it was a normal sight to behold. She hummed with satisfaction then turned to Finn and spoke calmly, "It may take some time. I must commune with the Bennetts, stay here and deliver the blood to me once it is complete."

She then moved towards Mia, who screamed now, not in rage but in agony so primal it echoed with a tint of every loss she'd ever suffered in her life. The witch paused beside the table, her hand brushing Mia's hair back in a grotesque mimicry of kindness. "Tonight, we shall bring peace to the spirits of Nature we serve. And for that, I thank you."

With a nod towards her son, she left, the sounds of her heels clicking on the ground in rhythm with the sound of each drop of blood landing into the bucket.

The sound of Mia's sobs filled the air, as much as she tried to hold them back nothing could dim the helplessness she felt. Her tears stung as they travelled down her face, kissing the blood as they mixed, innocence drowning in sin.

Finn remained where he stood, arms crossed until another one of her cries rang through his ears, his jaw clenched, "It will hurt less if you cease fighting it." He advised tonelessly.

"Fuck you!" Mia spat, her voice cracking under the strain. "You backstabbing piece of shit! What kind of brother are you, why are you helping her, you fu-" Her rants broke off in a bawl, the pain intensified, coursing through her veins like lava, tearing at the very seams of her body. Her body convulsed, or it would have, if it could.

In that moment she envied that dead, more than she usually did. "It hurts!" She sobbed, "Please....it hurts!" Finn turned his back, as if shielding himself from the sight but her scream lingered, raw and it pierced something in him. Something long left buried

Slowly, he walked to her side, causing Mia to stare up at him in terror, her eyes wide, wet with blood. Her mind instantly went to the unspeakable, even in a world full of supernatural dangers she had yet to come across a creature as petrifying as man.

As if reading the darkness her thoughts conjured, Finn said softly but firmly, "Close your eyes." But she didn't, if he was going to harm her, she wanted to watch exactly what he did, to feel the burn of her glare as he did so. Again he repeated, this time quieter, "Close your eyes, Amelia."

Still her gaze remained glued on him, despite the blood tinting her vision a crimson hue. It was then he reached out, placing his hand over her eyes, darkness claimed her sight and suddenly she felt lighter.

Although she had never closed her eyes, she now found them shut, upon opening them she discovered the world around her had changed. The warehouse, cold metal table, and overwhelming scent of her blood, it had all gone. In its place was a forest bathed in soft light, the shadows and sunlight interlacing like threads.

She recognised the ambiance and the winding path, having just walked along it the same morning, it was the Salvatore land but not as it was now. The trees were younger, narrower at the base. The ground was soft with grass, not coated in brittle orange leaves like it would be this time of year.

Mia turned her head to see Finn standing beside her, "What are we doing here?" She asked, her voice low with confusion.

The Mikaelson didn't look at her at first, instead he watched the breeze sweep gently through the trees, "It is the first place your mind thought of."

The Petrova narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are you in my head?"

"The pain." He said simply, "Can you still feel it?"

It was only then she realised, her limbs were free, the throbbing that had pounded her head was no longer there. The anguish that has consumed her only moments ago had vanished, like a nightmare receding with the morning sun. "No....It's gone." She whispered, "But..."

Just as she was about to say more, a rustle came from the bushes ahead and a small darted through the underbrush, curly hair bouncing as he turned and laughed over his shoulder. "Come on, Millie!"

Mia stilled. Another child appeared, this one a girl, no older than six, trailing behind him with tiny legs kicking up dust as she ran. "You're too speedy!" She giggled, breathless as she tried to catch up.

"That's...." She murmured, staring at the children with a twinge of melancholy. "....me. And Jesse." The boy laughed again, vanishing into the green, the younger version of herself chased after him. Mia stared frozen, "My best friend....He's um...he's dead right now but...he's right there."

Finn's gaze was gentle, but his tone was distant. "You were in pain. Your mind sought sanctuary, memories of comfort, innocence. This is where it brought you."

The children's laughter rang through the trees like chimes in the wind, a fleeting, untainted joy. Mia turned to the Original, her voice tinged with suspicion, "Why are you doing this? Why not just leave me in pain?"

He looked at her now, properly, his eyes neither cruel nor soft, simply honest, "It may come as a shock to you, Amelia but I am not the brute you perceive me to be."

She scoffed faintly, "Coming from the guy that just helped kidnap and torture me."

He inclined his head slightly, "To help my mother. That is my loyalty. A millennium erodes many things, names, memories, even...love. But my devotion to her has never faltered."

Mia's brows furrowed, her voice dropping to fury filled whisper, "And what about your siblings, where's your loyalty to them?"

Finn, however, did not respond to that, Something flickered in his gaze, whether it was guilt or perhaps merely reflection, Mia could not tell but he said nothing. The silence stretched until unexpectedly he asked, "Do you dance?"

"What?" And before she could say more, the world tilted then within a blink they were no longer in the mindscape forest. Instead, she stood in the heart of an opulent grand hall, the air was scented with beeswax, spiced wine and roses. Candlelight was the only thing sourcing light in the room and there was plenty of it.

Minstrels played a bright, melodic tune from a raised dais, their lutes and viols crafting a sound both strange and beautiful. Mia's breath hitched when she looked down at herself, her work clothes gone, replaced by a flowing gown of amethyst purple, delicate embroidery winding along the hems and sleeves. Her hair was longer, ticker with curls and pinned back with delicate clasps. Feeling a presence beside her, she faced Finn.

His hair was longer, loosely tied back and he wore robes of deep forest green, the cut and tailoring distinctly medieval. She blinked, caught between awe and uncertainty, "Where are we?"

Finn looked around, the smallest smile brushing his lips. "Southern France." He answered, "The year is 1002, only a short time after we were turned. This is the castle of Count de Martel. My siblings and I took respite here for a short while, fleeing our father."

Mia's gaze wandered across the hall, people danced in rhythmic joy, not the stiff formal waltzes of European courts or silly hand waves of present day Mystic Falls, it was something more alive, uninhibited. Women's gowns billowed like the petals of flowers and men worse jewel toned tunics, the air bubbled with laughter.

It was an entirely different world, unfamiliar even to a vampire like Mia. Then the Mikaelson turned to her and offered his hand, "May I?" He asked, voice gentle but tinged with formality. Mia hesitated but then slowly, with the smallest glint of amusement, she placed her hand in his.

The dance was lively. Not refined, instead communal and warm, with partners changing often and patterns evolving through the rhythm. Finn guided her easily, the steps a second nature. Mia found herself smiling despite everything, swaying and skipping with instinct. She laughed as she was spun from his grip and into the arms of another dancer.

Then....

"Now, what would your name be?" The voice wiped the smile from her face, laced with a velvet tone she knew all too well. And when she lifted her eyes, brown met blue.

Not even having a chance to react further, everything vanished once again, the warm hold against her waist replaced with a chill morning air. Now stood in another forest, though sparser than the one before. The trees were fewer yet sturdier. Their trunks bore the thick skin of untouched wilderness.

The ground was uneven underneath Mia's shoes, no longer heeled or elegant but worn leather, her clothes also changed to fit the time. She took a hesitant step forward, then another, the forest thick with silence until...

Clang.

A piercing sound sliced through the quiet like lightning. Then voices. "Come on, Henrik, our brothers are fighting again!" A girl ran past them with flaxen hair braided neatly over her shoulder, her tunic stitched from furs and dyed linen. Rebekah.

She was followed closely by a small boy with dark hair and wide eyes gleaming with excitement. Mia's eyes followed them, then paused to make their way to Finn instead, who stood completely still, his gaze fixed on the boy. His expression had gone glassy, mournful.

"Who is that?" Mia asked softly.

Finn didn't look at her as he replied, "Our younger brother Henrik." He then turned to her to see confusion painted in her expression, "Rebekah has not told you? Nor Elijah?" She simply shook her head, wondering for a moment why they had not. "We lost him when he was quite young."

Something inside her twinged, a sorrow she knew intimately. She glanced once more towards the boy, so full of life, of laughter and felt that pain curl deeply in her chest. The loss of a sibling was a wound that never truly healed, it was something they had all felt.

More laughter echoed through the trees, sounds of metal clashing, and stomps pounding the ground. Walking forward to the sound Finn gestured, "Come." They walked further into the clearing, the meadow widening around them until the sky opened up in a burst of pale blue.

Mia slowed as her eyes landed on two figures locked in a spirited duel. Klaus and Elijah. Not distinctly younger than she saw them now to be but the joy on their faces gave the glow of youth. They were smiling. Happy.

Human

Klaus moved with instinctual flair, his blonde hair loose and tousled, eyes burning with competitive fire. Elijah was more measured however even in play, but clearly enjoying the movement.

Then suddenly, Klaus faltered, his eyes strayed to the side and landed on her. He slowed, staring at Mia as if something about her presence had stolen the breath from his chest. For a moment, time stretched.

That brief moment was enough. Elijah lunged and with a clean strike, cut the belt clean from Klaus's waist. The leather strap fell to the ground, causing him to smirk, "Is your focus so easily lost, brother?"

Klaus laughed, "Of course not." He quipped, "I was merely wondering how you'll redeem yourself in the eyes of the fair maiden once she witnesses your impending defeat."

Mia's lips parted in surprise. A faint smile curled at the corner of her mouth. Klaus, there was a boyishness to him now that wasn't present in the version she knew now, a softness that had been buried beneath centuries of agony. He was unburdened.

Pure. That was the only word that came to her.

She turned to Finn, brows raised, "I thought they couldn't see us."

Finn merely shrugged with a ghost of a smirk, the expression felt almost unnatural to him. "Where is the fun in that?"

Then with a bright smile Rebekah approached her, her eyes wide and curious. "What is your name?"

Before Mia could answer, another voice broke in. "Don't be foolish Rebekah." Kol interrupted. "She won't have one. They never do when you buy them."

The fuck. The Petrova stiffened, "When you what?"

Kol blinked in surprise, shocked that she could understand then he walked towards her, examining her as though she were livestock. "Father brought you back from his travels, didn't he? Are you to be a bride for one of us? A gift from a noble?"

Finn gave a soft chuckle, even though he was controlling everything that was happening, it was merely from the memories of what he remembered his siblings to be. He watched Mia's bristling reaction and she shot him an unimpressed look, though a smile twitched at her lips despite herself.

Suddenly, the mood shifted. From the shadows, another figure emerged. Tall, imposing. The clearing silenced at once, as if the air itself recoiled from his presence.

Mikael.

Mia's body tensed instinctively, the last time she had seen this man, he had nearly killed her and Elena, well who she thought was Elena. He seized Elijah's sword without waiting for permission, turning his gaze to Klaus. "So...why don't you teach me your tricks, young warrior?"

Klaus lowered his blade slightly, fear spreading across his feature, "Father, we were just having fun."

But Mikael didn't wait. He swung, fast and deliberate. Klaus stumbled back, barely blocking in time.

"We fight for our survival!" He barked, his strikes brutal and precise. "And you find time for fun?! I want to have fun! Teach me, come on!"

His son struggled to keep up with the onslaught, barely managing to deflect the blows. "Father, it was nothing.."

Mia winced, stepping forward, but Finn placed a hand gently on her arm. "You cannot interfere," he said quietly.

The Original patriarch's blade knocked the sword from Klaus' hands, disarming him before shoving him to the ground with brute force. Klaus hit the earth hard, winded and gasping as his father pressed the tip of the blade against his throat. "You are foolish and impulsive, my boy." He hissed, finding deep satisfaction in the dimming of his son's joy. "What? No more laughter?!"

"You've made your point Mikael." Esther spoke suddenly but sternly, Mia hadn't even realised she was even there but it was clear her words had an impact when Mikael rose from the ground, the Petrova couldn't help but wonder why she didn't speak up earlier.

With a huff, Mikael drove the sword into the dirt besides Klaus' head and stepped back. Henrik, now trembling, pressed himself against Rebekah's side for comfort. She wrapped an arm around him protectively, her face tight with fear. "Some days.." The Original's father spat at his son on the floor, "It's a miracle you're still alive"

And just like that, he turned and stormed away, Esther following suit, leaving silence and shame in their wake. All eyes moved to Klaus, still on the ground as he did not want to insult his father further by recovering so rapidly so there he stayed, trying to keep his breathing steady.

Suddenly with no hesitation, the words escaped Mia's lips, "What a fucking prick."

The silence shattered. All the Mikaelson children, facing her, eyes wide with shock, mouths slightly agape. Henrik let out a stifled laugh, quickly slapping a hand over his mouth. Rebekah, however, giggled openly, even Kol smirked, amused.

Then Esther's voice, calm yet commanding, cut through the moment. "Rebekah. Henrik. It's time to come inside." With obedient nods and soft laughter, the two youngest Mikaelsons padded back towards the huts, the innocence in their gait unfazed by the storm that had just passed.

Elijah stood quietly, casting a lingering glance towards Klaus's seated form, Kol opened his mouth to ask how his brother was but Elijah held his arm out, wordlessly instructing him to leave their brother be, knowing the questions would only make him feel worse. Without another word, the elder Mikaelson gave Klaus a last look then made his way towards the trees, Kol trailing behind him.

Mia hadn't even realised her legs were moving until she was already approaching him, kneeling down onto the grass. Upon seeing her, Klaus sat up, bringing his knees up and resting his arms upon them. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

He wiped the tear that had carved a trail down his cheek then cleared his throat, trying to mask the hurt with dignity, however it lingered in the subtle tremble of his lip, in the way his eyes avoided hers. "Yes." Klaus lied, with an attempt at bravado.

"He was way too harsh with you.." She continued, settling herself on the grass. "You weren't even doing anything wrong, you were just...having fun...and he..." Her voice trailed off, the weight of it all settling on her as she looked down at him.

Klaus. The hybrid who had tormented, manipulated, bled the people she cared for, now just a boy, eyes red from unshed tears, heart full of silent ache. There was something unbearably tender in the realisation. Her mind filled with hypotheticals, that if only he had received the love from his father that his younger self craved, he might've found himself a completely different man than the one she knew now.

"He frightens me." Klaus admitted, looking up at her, the vulnerability in his eyes had only been seen by her once before. The night of the homecoming dance, when his same tormenter had ridiculed him, right before Klaus drove a stake in his heart killing him.

She kept that image in her head, "Maybe one day there'll be a time where you scare him...When you're his worst nightmare." He stared at her, caught in the meaning behind her words. A glint of something flickered in his eyes, hope, or maybe hunger for power, or just the simple need to survive. And then... he smiled.

But as quickly as it appeared, his image faded.

The colour bled out of the sky above them, brightness vanishing like ink sinking into paper. In the blink of an eye, night fell fast. Cold wind cutting through the trees, the clearing no longer golden but a silver blue, ghostly. Mia stood quickly, alarmed, "What's happening?"

Finn, beside her once again, wore no expression, his voice flat and impassive. "It is nightfall."

Mia rolled her eyes, "Thank you, Shitlock Holmes." Still the sudden cold unsettled her, she folded her arms and slowly lowered herself onto the grass. It was soft beneath her palms, still warm from the memory of sunlight now stolen. "I knew Mikael was bad but...seeing it just..." She sighed deeply, the sight of all their despair playing over and over in her head. "You were all so young. Human. And he just..."

Words failed her, so she sank deeper into the grass, legs drawn closed, arms curled around her knees. Finn took a seat across her, "My father's cruelty was not a whisper nor a shadow...it was an unrelenting storm. Inexorable, But no one bore the weight of it as much as Niklaus."

The Petrova's voice was softer now, contemplative. "You all seemed so much happier here. Freer."

At this, Finn smiled. It wasn't a triumphant smile, nor was it one of amusement. It was the relief of being understood. "And that, is why I aid our mother. That is why I stand by her side, why I endure your accusations and my siblings' taunts.

He gestured to the clearing as though it were proof laid bare. "They are my family. The beast you know now...they are not who we once were. Merely shells, fractured reflections of the children you just met...Tell me, Amelia, what if it was your sister...if she became something you could scarcely recognise. If she would harm you without thought...If love no longer reached her."

His words, edged with an ache, settled into her chest. Mia looked down, tracing the grass with her fingers, brows furrowed. His logic made sense. The burden of a millennium, the pull of blood and memory, the stinging desire to save something already lost.

She whispered, almost against her will, as though saying the words was a betrayal in itself. "I guess you're right. I mean...I understand your point." Then her eyes rode to meet his. "But killing them?" Her voice didn't shake but it didn't accuse either. It was a quiet, tortured question.

Just as the sentence had passed her lips, the world shifted once more. A golden haze of morning broke across the clearing, slicing through the darkness. Birds were beginning to stir when the stillness was pierced by a sudden heart wrenching scream.

"Mother!" Mia's head snapped in the direction of the voice. Klaus.

Her body stilled, alarm pulsing in her veins. It was the most terrified she'd ever heard him be. There, not far ahead, was Klaus, hunched over something crumpled in the grass. His shoulders trembled, his hands stained with blood. Shouts and sobs came from him and then she saw it.

Henrik.

The Petrova's breath caught in her throat at the sight. The young boy's body lay limp in his brother's arms, his skin deathly pale, his small chest soaked in deep crimson. The gash was brutal, torn clean across him. However it wasn't from a blade, it was ragged. Ripped. Clawed.

Mia's knees buckled beneath as she stood frozen, her lips parted as her eyes filled with tears, blurring the edges of the scene into a cruel painting. Klaus rocked Henrik's body in his arms, despair carved into every angle of his face. "No, no...I told him not to come... I told him.." His voice cracked as he choked on the words, "He begged he....it's my fault."

Stumbling towards them, Esther dropped beside her sons with a cry that could've shattered the heavens. "No! Please, not my dear boy.!" She gathered Henrik's small frame to her chest, letting out an agonized scream.

Tears now streaming freely down her face, Mia flinched then looked to the others. Elijah, stoic and steady, no longer. He crumpled beside his mother, pressing a shaking hand to Henrik's forehead. Rebekah sobbed openly, her shoulders shaking violently as Kol tried, and failed, to hold back his own tears. It was the most vulnerable they'd ever been.

The sound of her own cries that echoed in her bedroom as a teenager mourning her own baby rang in her ears.

"Werewolves." Finn spoke up softly, his voice barely above a whisper. A single tear slid down his cheek. He didn't wipe it away until it reached his chin, his jaw clenched with grief. "Henrik and Niklaus....despite it being forbidden by our parents, would steal away to see the men turn to beasts, to witness the curse unfold with their own eyes." He exhaled through his nose, a slow, shaky breath.

Mia, swallowing hard, reached out and placed her hand gently on his arm. "I'm so sorry...I didn't know." Esther's grief echoed across the valley again, a sound so raw, so devastating that the Petrova turned her face away from it and shut her eyes as if to block it out. "I didn't know.." She repeated, softer now. Guilt of an unknown source sat heavy on her chest.

Finn's gaze lingered on the broken family before them. "This was the beginning of the end of peace. The wolves became our enemies. Our parents, terrified that they'd lose another child, sought to change us." His voice grew firmer, tinged with bitterness. "To fight. To be superior. Where they could bite, we had to bite with more force. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility, strength, senses..."

The Petrova still dazed, murmured, "Vampires."

He nodded slowly, "It was a decision made in haste, born of grief, of fear. And my mother...she regretted it every day since. All she desires now is to fix what we became. To undo it."

Mia wanted to argue, to object it but no words came. How could she argue with this? With Henrik's lifeless body? With Klaus's and her friends' grief? With the echo of Esther's wailing in her ears? There was no debating what she had seen.

Suddenly, the world softened again. Gone were the tears and the blood, replaced by a gentle breeze and the sway of wildflowers in an open meadow. The grass was tall and golden, sprinkled with white and violet blooms. A field untouched by time.

The younger vampire blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected serenity. "The buckets are filled." Finn informed her, "We have all we need."

She looked at him, caught between memories and truth, from her present and his past that he had shared. "Maybe I can show you times you haven't seen." She offered, when Rebekah had told her exactly how long Finn had been daggered for, the first thing the Petrova had felt was sympathy, he was a millennium old vampire yet had barely lived a tenth of it.

Finn's expression softened, just for a moment. A small, curious smile curved his lips. He could see why his siblings, for all their cynicism, were so taken with her. "Perhaps another time." He responded, a faint gleam of warmth in his otherwise stoic gaze. "But for now...there is something I must do." Just as those words were spoken a darkness took over Mia's vision once more.

~~~~

The floor was cold beneath her cheek when Mia stirred. Her lashes fluttered, lids heavy with sleep, or something else, a strain she couldn't quite place. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the library, the faint scent of old paper and dust curled in her nose. She shifted slightly, groaning underneath her breath and noticed empty bottles scattered on the floor by her. Some rolled with a soft clink as her hand grazed them.

Her brows knitted. She had come there to drink. Yes..She stole the bottles from the Grill and snuck into the library and drank until she passed out. Hadn't she? Was she wearing these jeans this morning?

She sat up slowly, head spinning, not from alcohol, but from something else entirely. There was a hollowness in her memory, an odd fuzziness. She remembered walking here, vaguely. But she couldn't remember why. Not really. Only that she'd felt, off. Distant. Like her thoughts had been stitched together wrong.

Mia shook her head and rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath. "Stupid," she said to no one, brushing a lock of hair from her face. But there was no time to linger on the thought. Through the high windows, the sky outside had begun to dim, sunset bleeding across the horizon, gilding the edges of the oak shelves and making the shadows long. It was getting late. Much later than she thought.

With an annoyed whine, she stood, brushing dust from her jeans and pulling her t-shirt, that was stained with a crimson pearl but far too small to catch her eye. When she stepped into the evening air, the temperature kissed her skin with a chill, and as she rounded the corner of the building, her steps faltered. Because he was there.

Stefan.

He was walking slowly along the sidewalk, his posture tense, the curve of his jaw locked in a line of worry. His eyes scanned the street, about to turn back when he saw her. The moment he did, relief surged visibly through his entire body, softening his expression, dropping his shoulders. "Hey." He breathed out, his voice gentle.

Mia blinked, her brows pinching together in confusion at his worry before they both met in the middle. And then he was there, arms wrapping around her, pulling her close, Mia melted into him as if her bones had been waiting for something steady to collapse into.

"Where were you?" Stefan murmured against her hair, his hand at the back of her head, rubbing softly. "I found your bag in an alley. I was..." He faltered, "We were all worried."

She didn't lift her head, just tucked it closer to his chest, the fabric of his shirt smooth against her cheek. "I just needed a me day." Her voice muffled.

The Salvatore pulled back enough to look at her. His eyes scanned her face, the slight flush to her cheeks, the way her balance swayed as she stood. Her eyes were glassy. Her movements, slow. She looked... drunk. But there was no scent of alcohol. None. "You okay?"

"Of course I am..why w-" Mia took a step, only to falter. Her ankle gave a subtle twist and she staggered. Stefan caught her easily, slipping an arm around her waist before she could fall.

"Alright," he said, his voice gentler now. "Come on."

Without waiting for her protest, he bent down and swept her up into his arms. She leaned into his chest, fingers curling around the lapel of his jacket. His stride was smooth and steady, carrying her toward the car parked just down the block.

As he walked, Mia tilted her head against him, her voice soft. "Remember the last time you carried me...well when Philip carried me...and you..he..." She began to chuckle softly, recalling how he had smacked her behind.

A flush of guilt crept up Stefan's neck as he too replayed the event in his head. He let out a breath. "I'm sorry... about all that. Everything I did. Everything I said."

Mia didn't respond right away, instead looked up at him through her lashes and gave a soft, sleepy laugh, "It wasn't all bad." She murmured, her tone absentminded, as though she was barely away she'd said it out loud.

Stefan glanced down at her, caught off guard by the answer. Yet he couldn't stop the smirk threatening at the edge of his lips because in that moment, holding Mia in his arms, hearing her heartbeat steadying again against his chest, Stefan Salvatore felt something shift.

The flush of warmth that rose in his chest didn't go unnoticed.

~~~~

The doors of the Salvatore boarding house creaked open as Stefan guided Mia inside, his arm wrapped firmly around her waist. She leaned against him, her steps uneven, her movements still languid with the ghost of intoxication that clung to her like fog

Mia exhaled softly, her eyes half lidded, her hand brushing lightly against Stefan's chest as he steadied her, both of them enjoying the tranquility of the intimate moment.

Until from the far side of the room, Damon's voice rang out sharply, "Good to see you remembered where you lived." He stood by the fireplace, a glass of bourbon in his hand, raising a brow as he took in Mia's disheveled appearance, "Where the hell have you been all day?"

A small pout appeared on the Petrova's lips, annoyed at the implication she had gone missing, "I was taking a me day."

Damon scoffed, setting his drink down on the mantel. "A me day, huh? Good for you. Ever heard of checking in during one of those?"

Stefan cast a sharp look toward his brother, the warning clear in his eyes. Now wasn't the time to confront her for the truth. Damon received the look and smirked faintly as the proactiveness to protect Mia's feelings.

After helping her to the couch and gently settling her down, Stefan gave Mia a small squeeze around the shoulders, "I'll be right back." She nodded sluggishly and he disappeared up the staircase, his mind overflowing with thoughts that would plague him until he had journalled them.

Once Stefan was gone, Damon stepped closer, eyeing Mia with a flicker of irritation but also something less dignified. She was slouched back on the sofa, legs curled under her, hair slightly messy and expression dreamy. "We need to talk." He said bluntly, dropping onto the couch cushion beside her, "About the Mikaelsons."

Mia groaned loudly, placing a pillow on her face as if to suffocate herself. "What, I thought they were your favourite subject." Damon quipped, snatching the furnishing from her, "We're planning to steal the daggers tonight. Use them as leverage."

The Petrova blinked slowly, her mind trying to piece together the reason for the conversation. "And you're bothering me with this because...?"

"Because we need you to distract them," Damon replied without hesitation. "Keep at least one of them busy. Klaus, if you can manage it."

Once again Mia professed her annoyance vocally, this time turning over and burying her face into the couch. Then with a muffled whine she said, "The last time I was on distraction duty, I almost got murdered."

"Yes, and you didn't die." Damon countered dryly, "Look, Pierce, we've got a shot at this. And think of it this way, with the daggers in our possession Klaus can't dagger your precious little friends."

Mia nodded slowly as she thought over the benefits of it. And beneath it all, a quieter truth lingered, she was the only one who could do it. The only one Klaus would listen to, even if just for a moment. She exhaled through her nose, eyes flicking up to meet Damon's. "Fine, I'll do it."

Damon smirked, lifting his glass again in a mock toast. "You're a doll." But what she didn't know, what the Salvatore was actively keeping from her, was that they were all aware of Esther's plan to exterminate her children and that telling Mia about it would make her not only less inclined to help, but she wouldn't hesitate to warn Rebekah or Elijah.

~~~~

"You want some?" Bonnie offered, holding out a tube of lipgloss to Mia. Her makeup bag lay open beside her as she carefully applied her eyeshadow. Behind her, now putting on the lipgloss, Mia leaned against the tiled wall of the Mystic Grill's restroom.

Her expression was hesitant, thoughtful, then she shifted slightly, "What happened with you and Rebekah?" She asked, carefully omitting any mention of what she knew, heard and seen between the Original and Damon. That was a conversation for a different time, when it was less raw.

Bonnie paused mid-motion, her hand stilled, the brush hovering just above her eye. She met Mia's gaze in the mirror, her eyes flaring with disappointment. "She told Kol to attack Matt last night at the ball." The witch shared, each word clipped. "She knew Matt's my friend but she didn't care."

Mia's lips parted slightly, a flicker of surprise in her expression. "Kol?" she echoed, handing the lipgloss back to her friend. "Are you sure?"

Bonnie capped the gloss and turned to face her directly, arms crossing over her chest. "Matt could've died, Mia. That's who they are. That's who she is. I can't..." she exhaled harshly, shaking her head. "I can't have that kind of drama in my life."

With a lowered gaze, Mia lightly chewed the inside of her cheek. As much as she wanted to defend Rebekah, the truth was too stubborn. "That sucks.." She murmured, voice tinged with a faint sadness. "I liked the idea of you two...you fit."

"Fit." The Bennett let out a dry, humourless chuckle, turning back to the mirror, "Maybe in another universe. One where she isn't a thousand year old diva with a vendetta against humanity."

Mia smiled faintly, though it didn't reach her eyes. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, just contemplative. Bonnie snapped her compact shut and tucked it back into her bag, she saw a text from her mother that Esther required them back at the Old Witches House for the spell, then turned to Mia and nodded toward the door. "Come on. If we stay in here any longer, people will think we're restroom attendants."

The music in the Mystic Grill was pulsing at a low but steady rhythm and the chatter of the customers layered over it like a veil. Mia stepped out the bathroom, just a second behind Bonnie, the door swinging shut with a soft click behind her. Bonnie glanced back. "I'll see you later," she gave her friend a small smile before weaving into the crowd.

She didn't mention Esther's plan, never thought to. After all, Mia was the Salvatores' confidante. Surely, she already knew. But she didn't.

Mia watched Bonnie go but then her gaze was drawn elsewhere. Across the room, Kol Mikaelson leaned against the far end of the pool table, one arm resting lazily on the polished wood, a half smile already pulling at the corner of his mouth. He was watching her.

She met his eyes. For a moment, neither of them looked away. Then she smiled, sweet, deliberate but detached. Then she glanced around subtly, scanning the room for any of her friends, anyone who might pull her aside, someone she could use as an excuse to avoid what she knew she had to do. Unfortunately there was no one, just Kol and the pressuring weight of Damon's orders.

Distract the Mikaelsons. Kol was here. Kol was a Mikaelson. That made him her assignment.

Mia exhaled softly, smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and strode toward the pool table, "You alone?" She asked, her voice lifting slightly with false cheer. "Are you liking it here? Mystic Falls, I mean....Small towns take some getting used to but...It has its charms."

Kol tilted his head, his smile spreading, amused and unbothered, "Please darling." He drawled, taking a step closer, "Don't insult me by pretending to be civil. It's much more fun when we're on the same level."

Thank fuck. The Petrova's structured smile dropped, letting her shoulders fall into something more natural. "Suit yourself." She murmured, reaching for a pool cue from the rack.

Kol watched her, his eyes dancing around her body. Oh, how he loved the advances of fashion, especially jeans. "Do you play?"

"Do you?" She countered, arching a brow without making eye contact with him, "Did these even exist a millennium ago?"

He grinned at that, "I was only daggered in 1914, when you were no more than a girl, barely in your teenage years I'm guessing. However, it was billiards that was favoured back then, far more elegant, less neon beer signs." The Mikaelson grabbed a stick, lightly tapping Mia's arm with it, "A match, then? Loser buys the winner a drink."

Mia smirked as she leaned over to break, "It's my bar, so I'm already drinking for free." What she didn't catch sight of was a baffled Matt, who was passing by with a plate and just heard that statement, she'd worked there one morning and was already claiming ownership. He held back a laugh, stopping himself from reminding her she should've actually been working at this time.

The crack of the break echoed sharply as the balls scattered, she then stepped to the side, still leant over as she lined up her next shot. A shadow loomed over the pool table as Kol moved in behind her.

"Your grip's too tight." He whispered, leaning in. One hand lightly touched hers, the other at her elbow, guiding her arm. His breath brushed the side of her neck, the heat of him, the proximity, more importantly the audacity astounded Mia but she didn't react.

Not until she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

Klaus.

The hybrid stood at the far side of the bar, half in shadow, drink in hand. But his posture had shifted, jaw tight and eyes, those annoyingly enticing blue eyes, were fixed on her and his brother with a stare so piercing as if he was a witch it would've been enough to melt them.

Mia held his gaze for half a second longer than necessary, before looking back at Kol and leaning closer. "I don't usually let people touch me on the first game, not until they've proved themselves a winner."

Kol simply smirked, turning his face to talk directly in her ear, "Then consider me lucky...and honoured." The game continued, casual flirtation layered over precise, calculated movements. Mia let her laugh ring out at the right moments, brushed against him when she didn't have to. As long as it kept him distracted it didn't matter. Eventually, Kol straightened with a dramatic groan as the cue ball missed its target, "Well...I suppose that makes you the victor."

Mia gave a mock curtsy, resting her cue against the table, "I always am."

The Mikaelson stepped back, eyes trailing over her in a way that was as much curiosity as it was intent, "Then I owe our champion a drink." He purred before sauntering towards the bar without waiting for a reply, the grin still lingering on his lips.

She stayed behind, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the table, her heart beating with a strange rhythm, unsure if she felt triumphant or just heavy. But the job was underway and she was playing it well

Glancing over her shoulder again, her eyes scanned the room, that was when she noticed the pair of blue eyes trained on her. Klaus, still watching, still with that hefty expression carved across his face. Mia had only intended to handle one Mikaelson at a time but if Damon's plan was to work, if they were really going to get their hands on the daggers, Klaus couldn't be left unaccounted for.

He was too smart, too suspicious, which meant he needed to be occupied. She didn't turn to face him fully, instead just lowered her voice, just enough for him to listen, and he always was. "You just gonna sit there and stare?"

Klaus didn't answer immediately. He took a slow sip from his glass, letting the silence stretch, then he replied, his voice as smooth as ever, "I know better than to approach you, especially while you're holding something that can be used as a weapon."

Mia let out a quiet, amused hum, "Yeah...but there are a lot of people here. It's be stupid to attack you with so many witnesses. So...maybe instead you could com-" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt the rush of wind and suddenly he was in front of her. "..here." She finished, rolling her eyes with a chuckle, the hybrid happy he made her laugh, far too pleased with himself.

It was then, Kol returned with two drinks in hand, he slowed his steps when he saw Klaus standing there, his brow lifting with curiosity and mild irritation. "Extending the party, are we?" He asked, handing Mia her drink.

The Petrova gave a coy little shrug, accepting the glass with one hand, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear with the other. "He looked bored..Someone had to rescue him from his brooding." She raised her glass but didn't drink, swirling the drink at the bottom.

Klaus couldn't take his eyes off her, tilting his head when she grabbed a bottle of bourbon from a display shelf behind them, hanging her jacket on her shoulders. "Where are you off to?"

"It's getting a bit stuffy in here." She replied over her shoulder as she took a few steps away. Then she paused halfway, looking back at the pair, her gaze didn't falter, holding them both with a playful sort of dare in her eyes, "You coming?"

Kol grinned as he glanced at his brother, "I see how she's managed to get you all hooked." He chuckled before moving after her with no hesitation.

The hybrid however remained still for a moment longer, his lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze narrowed ever so slightly as he watched Kol close the distance between himself and Mia, it was then he recalled a taunt from his ex lover back in the 20s, "If you must know...The main reason I'd like to meet them is so I can check if I chose the right brother."

But it was her laugh that broke him from his thoughts, he couldn't help but answer the siren call, even it meant she would drown him. So be it, as long as it was him she was dedicated on ruining, no one else. As long as her focus was on him. And only him.

~~~~

A lamp above the back exit of the Mystic Grill cast a golden hue over the tipsy trio. Mia sat higher up on the stone staircase, perched comfortably two steps above Kol, who was seated at her shoulder level, mid story, his drink swirling loosely in his hand. Klaus sat a step below his brother, closer to Mia's legs, his own glass untouched for several minutes, eyes narrowed but attentive.

"And I swear to you..." Kol was saying with a boyish grin, "..the moment father turned his back, Nik burst into tears because Rebekah chipped the beak off his wooden owl. He carried that damn thing around for weeks like it was a real pet...called it Erik."

Mia burst into laughter, the alcohol coaxing it out of her despite it not being that amusing, she rested one hand against her collarbone and looked down at Klaus, "That's adorable." The hybrid's jaw ticked, he brought the glass to his lips and took a long, deliberate sip. Still laughing, the Petrova tilted her head to look at him, "What? It's cute."

Cute? She might as well have called him a bastard and ran a white oak stake right through him. Seeing Klaus wouldn't entertain the joke, Mia turned back to Kol, grinning, "I just....I can't picture him as a kid. There was a time he wasn't an insane prick?"

Kol barked a laugh, "Oh, you'd be surprised. Nik was the softest of us all growing up. Always off on his own, crushing fruits for his paint, humming to himself like some lost little poet. He had this ridiculous bird necklace he wore all the time. You couldn't pry the hideous thing from his fingers."

The Petrova pouted playfully, clearly endeared despite herself, "Awh..That's actually kind of sweet." She absentmindedly, brushed her hand across the back of Klaus's neck, to which he responded by tilting his head back further, leaning into her touch.

Klaus was watching her now, eyes unwavering. There was something in the way she looked, half illuminated by the streetlamp. Mia's laughter slowly faded into a thoughtful quiet. "You know when umm...when I was younger I was terrified of the dark like....completely afraid...but we uh..." She paused trying to catch her train of thought again, the bourbon causing her to overshare.

"We weren't allowed candles because the Fell didn't want to waste it on...us. But one night we stole one...just one and lit it in the bedroom." Her gaze was distant now, caught in memory. "But we fell asleep with it burning and it caught the curtain got burnt." Klaus straightened slightly, listening, Mia however gave a small laugh as if it was hilarious.

"God, we were terrified, I ran out into the forest and stayed there for hours...two..maybe three. When they found me they beat me until I passed out." She giggled again, "Didn't touch another candle for seven years."

Kol gave a quiet exhale, clearly a little rattled, "Bloody hell, love..."

Klaus, on the other hand, didn't laugh. He didn't even move, his eyes locked on her face and his glass hung forgotten in his fingers. The thought of her terrified, hiding in the woods, punished for being a child, in his eyes the entire Fell line should've been slaughtered simply for being associated with the brutes that treated her that way.

In an attempt to change the subject, Kol recovered with a charming smirk, "You know..." He leaned in slightly, his elbow resting on the step, "If I'd known getting you drunk would make you even more irresistible, I would've swapped the lemonade Nik gave you last night for bourbon."

However Mia hadn't even registered his words after irresistible, Klaus gave Kol a sharp warning look, his younger brother's smirk simply deepened, lifting the bottle only to frown at the weight, or lack thereof, "Ah.." He held it up with a mock frown, "We're out."

In an instant, Mia brought her fingertip to the tip of her nose, "Not it." Then with a giggle she turned her head towards Klaus and lifted an eyebrow. The hybrid stared at her for a beat, refusing to comply but her smile, giddy and smug, was impossible to resist. With an exasperated sigh, he lifted his own finger and mirrored the motion. Grinning even wider, Mia looked back to Kol with mock sympathy. "Oh no. What a shame. Looks like you're it."

Kol chuckled, dark eyes flicking over Mia's triumphant smirk, "Minx." He spoke under his breath, then rose to his feet, brushing invisible dust from his jacket as he made his way back to the Grill. His brother watched him go, then slowly turned his gaze back to Mia, who looked altogether too pleased with herself.

She tilted her head back, eyes drifting towards the stars peeking between the thin clouds and her lips parted with a soft exhale. Klaus did not speak, simply sat motionless, not wanting to say the wrong thing and break the peace. She was softer in this moment, less guarded.

Until she spoke suddenly with a hum, "He's funny, Kol. Makes me laugh."

Klaus scoffed lightly. "Kol's always had a warped sense of humour. The sort that causes more trouble than its worth."

Mia shifted her gaze to him, her brows furrowed, "Yours isn't much better...just more dagger in the heart and kill everyone you love. You can tell you two are brothers, you have that...thing."

"Thing.." Klaus chuckled, "We are nothing if not consistent." Then there was a pause, not uncomfortable, just full of something unsaid. "Listen, about yesterday.."

"Don't." She cut him off, but not harshly, more tired. "We're having fun. For once I just..." Her eyes dropped to the worn stone of the steps beneath her. "I want to avoid drama for one night.....Please."

Klaus considered her for a moment. The tension in her shoulders. The soft slur still lingering in her voice. He gave a slow nod, casting his eyes forward toward the quiet street beyond the alley. "Whatever you want." he murmured, his words applying to more than just this conversation.

Then he stiffened.

The glass slipped from his grip, hitting the stone step with a sharp crack as it rolled away. One hand pressed against his chest, his heart, as if something had pierced through him without warning.

Mia blinked, startled by the sound, then turned sharply. "Klaus?" He didn't answer. His jaw clenched, and he sucked in a breath, gaze narrowing like he was trying to see something far away. The Petrova reached out instinctively, fingers brushing his arm. "What's wrong?"

His gaze lifted slowly, hazy at first, then narrowing with sudden, horrible clarity. His lips parted slightly. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking beyond her. Through her. Something had shifted. "Kol..." he breathed, his voice low but edged with dread.

And then he was gone, blurring into vampiric speed as he vanished inside, the sound of the back door slamming behind him echoing into the night. Mia sat there in confusion, until the door swung open once again, but it wasn't the blonde with blue eyes she was expecting it to be.

"Dude...seriously?" Matt looked at the bottles surrounding her, "You want this job or not?"

~~~~

"Enjoy." Mia beamed, sliding over a glass to the customer, seeing as it was a man she accepted the money, walking over to the register to put it in.

It was then that a presence shifted the atmosphere entirely. She felt it was him before seeing him. Klaus appeared at the end of the bar, his expression dark, stormy. Mia glanced up, pouting mockingly, "Well, that's not a happy face."

However Klaus didn't smile. He didn't so much as blink, simply began speaking with a scowl. "You're angry with me. I get that," he said coldly, stepping closer. "Then shout at me, call me names, tell me how terrible I am. I welcome it. But going behind my back again..." His voice hardened, voice rich with restrained fury. "I would have thought you'd at least take Elijah and Rebekah into account with all your constant drawling on about how much friendship means to you."

"Oh please." Mia rolled her eyes, assuming he was talking about the daggers, "I did it for them. Look at it this way, now you can actually try having a conversation with them instead of daggering them the second you get mad."

"Well you...." Klaus began with instant defensiveness until he had actually registered her words, his brows furrowed, genuine confusion crossing his face, "What? What are you talking about?"

"The daggers..."Mia straightened, now mirroring his expression. "What are you talking about?"

His stare hardened, not allowing himself to be swayed by her coyness, after all she had proven her ability to masquerade in the past. "You're going to play it that way? That you didn't know...you didn't know that my mother tried to kill my siblings and me tonight. That she'd been planning it since that wretched ball. And that your blood was used for her spell." He tilted his head, lips curling into something resembling a sneer. "But please, do tell me more about how I'm the problem here."

Mia's face went slack with shock. "What?" Her voice was barely audible, her heartbeat picking up.

The hybrid narrowed his eyes, scanning her face and watching her reaction shift from confusion to outright disbelief. It was genuine and it caused a small pit of guilt to appear in his chest. "You didn't know....Y-"

"This doesn't make any sense." Mia cut in, shaking her head. "I...I didn't see Esther and I'm not exactly a regular volunteer at the blood drive, so how....how?"

Klaus inhaled sharply as the realisation hit him at once, his voice darkened, "You were compelled.." Mia's breath caught in her throat, unease filling her body. "Finn made you forget.." The hybrid added, his eyes landed on her neck, narrowing as he saw the absence of what he was looking for, "Where's your necklace?"

Mia blinked, still reeling from the recent revelation, "What?"

"The necklace I gave you." His voice was demanding now, "Why aren't you wearing it?"

Her lips parted in disbelief at the sheer gall of the question and sarcasm laced her tone, "Well, it didn't really go with my outfit," she said coolly. "I only wear this one." The Mikaelson's lips pressed into a thin line, but his gaze dropped lower, catching sight of the chain was wearing instead. His expression darkened upon seeing it. But it wasn't the design that offended him.

It was the origin.

It wasn't his.

It was Stefan's.

Always in the way.

Then as if the sight of it offended him, Klaus snapped his eyes away from it, his jaw clenched as he muttered, "Of course it is."

Then his gaze returned to her face, "Next time you feel gaps in your memory call m-" He paused for a moment, realising something, "Give me your phone."

Mia recoiled slightly, brows raised, "What?"

"Your phone." He repeated, holding his hand out, "Give it to me."

Who the fuck does this prick think he is? The Petrova looked at him as if he'd asked for a vital organ, "No."

Klaus tilted his head, trying to stay patient in an inevitably losing game, "I don't have your number."

"Yeah, that wasn't an accident."

His brow furrowed, "Excuse me?"

"Look, I can barely deal with you in person." Mia crossed her arms, and replied coolly. "I'm not about to invite the opportunity for more interaction with you. You'll never leave me alone."

Klaus rolled his eyes, exhaling like he was speaking to a particularly stubborn child. He retrieved his phone from the inside pocket of his coat and held it out to her. "Fine. Put my number into yours. And when something like this happens again, you call me."

The brunette hesitated, her fingers curling around the device reluctantly. As much as she loathed the idea of him having space in something that she owed, a part of her knew he was right to ask. In a town like Mystic Falls, with threats appearing every other week, the protection of a hybrid wasn't a bad asset to have.

Mia looked at his screen, copying his number into her contact list. The Original Prick🐶 She then handed the phone back in silence.

He slipped it back into his coat, unaware of the name she had given him. Then his eyes darted to her uniform, "Tell me Trouble, why are you toiling away like some common mortal? You know, I could give you anything you desire...All you have to do is let me."

She glanced down at the polished counter beneath her hand, his offers were given so often their impact had become diluted. "Not everything is about having things. I just....I wanted to do something. Something normal." After pouring half a glass of bourbon, she placed it on the bar.

Klaus took a seat at the bar, across from her, "There's not exactly a shortage of hobbies in the world. Take up one of them."

Mia suppressed an eye roll, at the implication of her having not already thought of that, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but it wasn't amusing, it was biting. "You're right...a genius actually. Maybe I should bake or...sew or....taxidermy. She placed her palms on the counter, leaning forward with feigned innocence, "I was thinking the boring house could use a little sprucing up. How about a wolf head over the fireplace?" Her smile turned razor sharp, "Know anything?"

The hybrid pressed his tongue against his cheek nodding slowly, he then tilted his head, loading up the perfect comeback. "Was that a request to begin my hunt for the Lockwood boy?"

The brunette's eyes darkened instantly. The humour bleeding out of her features like smoke escaping a flame, she reached out and took the glass from in front of him. "Get out." But he didn't move.

"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone," Mia continued, her voice icy, "And unfortunately we do have a strict no animals policy." She smiled but there was no warmth behind it, "Especially rabid mutts." Much to annoyance Klaus sat there, utterly unbothered, causing her voice to snap like a whip, "Hello? Get the fuck out!"

Klaus expression shifted, weariness mixing with a familiar smolder of annoyance. He stood abruptly, pushing back the stool with the scrape of wood on wood. Then with no further words, or smirk, he left, closing the door with a slam.

Matt, having witnessed most of the exchange from the other end of the bar, wandered over as Mia set the glass down with a tad too much force. "You know you can't talk to customers like that, right?"

Mia spun to face him, incredulous, "Are you high?! Did you not see who that was? Hello, Klaus Mikaelson, evil hybrid, ancient prick and terroriser of, everyone we know."

The human simply shrugged, his tone maddeningly calm, "Yeah well...behind the bar, we don't judge who a person is. People come in here, they tell you all kinds of messed up stuff. Our job is to give them their damn drinks and listen."

He's officially lost it. Mia stared at him exasperated before muttering, "Then I need to amend my contract and add a strictly no Klaus clause."

Matt looked at her for a moment then smirked slightly, "You haven't signed a contract yet. You're on probation."

That was the final straw. Her face dropped, "What?!" She spoke with almost a shriek, "I'm not even a proper employee yet? Why the fuck am I even here then?!"

"Because..." The boy picked up a tray of food that had just come from the kitchen, "You said you needed something normal." Then with a shrug he walked away, leaving her in outrage.

She huffed softly and muttered under her breath, "I hate when people use my own words against me." After untying her half apron she tossed it behind the bar, "Not wasting my time here then, can't even get a job." Despite this, she still stayed, seeing how busy it had suddenly got and how overworked Matt would've been.

~~~~

Once her shift had ended, Matt offered to drive her home but she declined. The night air, cool and crisp, felt like a balm on her overstimulated mind. She adjusted her jacket and began walking, the soles of her boots tapping softly against the pavement. Then as she turned the corner near the square, she saw him.

Not Stefan or Klaus. The other him.

Elijah.

He stood beneath a flickering lamp post, his posture an attempt at casual yet unmistakably elegant, one shoulder resting against the wrought iron frame, his hands folded in front of him. His head was slightly bowed but the moment her steps neared, he looked up, dark eyes finding hers. "So...the rumours are true. You've taken up employment."

Mia's brows rose as a smirk tugged at her lips, "Cons of a small town..." She replied, brushing a strand of her behind her ear, "There's really nothing else for people to talk about."

Elijah gave a quiet hum of agreement, a faint smile lingering on his lips. "There's no shame in it. Eternal life can become... monotonous. Many of our kind spend decades, even centuries, searching for a purpose. Something to tether us to the world. Even if some believe we should not exist in it at all." His words carried an extra meaning, referring to the events of the day.

The aftermath of betrayal. Mia's chest tightened, "Elijah..."She began quietly, earnestly. "You need to know...I had nothing to do with what Esther planned. I didn't know anything, I swear. You have to believe me."

He looked at her now, the desperation in her eyes, his opinion of her truly mattered in her eyes.

"I know." Elijah replied gently, "You're capable of many things, Amelia...A lot more than you realise at times. Strength, sacrifice, even cruelty when cornered. But betrayal?" He paused, shaking his head, "That isn't in your nature. Your heart....wouldn't allow it."

Mia let out a breath of relief, "Oh God..."A smile now spreading on her face, "I was worried you'd hate me."

The Original stared at her for a few moments, his eyes lingering on how her dimples deepened, he then recalled the statement she had made to him when he was first undaggered. "I could never hate you, Amelia. If there is one thing I trust in this town, it is your heart."

The words washed over her like sunlight through stained glass, warm, bright, glowing. Every time she thought he had said something beautiful, he would exceed himself with a compliment of greater magnitude. His words would always find a way in soothing her self esteem.

It was almost addicting, the feeling of being appreciated. Her eyes softened, lips parting just slightly, as if she was on the verge of saying something but unsure how to phrase it. "I feel like...." She began, her voice almost a whisper, "I should be listening to my heart more. To what it needs."

A silence settled between them. Not uncomfortable, just thick with something unspoken, They stood there, looking in each other's eyes as if no time was passing at all. To be seen by her in such a way, to feel her gaze linger. It sent something thrilling down his spine. Every second stretched tighter, tugging him towards her with a force he had not permitted himself to acknowledge until now. And just when the air between them crackled with potential.

He turned his head.

Mia blinked, caught off guard. The shift was subtle, but it was enough. Her stomach sank with a sudden, inexplicable sense of shame. She bit the inside of her cheek, gaze falling to the ground as her arms crossed instinctively over her chest.

Elijah remained still, jaw tense. There was a war behind his eyes, a duel between desire and duty and duty, as always, was winning.

A day ago, he would've given anything to have her look at him the way she just had. The time in the car, in the dim halls of the Salvatore mansion, on the Roman Bridge, moments had hung in the air between them, waiting to be seized. But he hadn't. And now everything had changed.

He knew who she was now. Not just Amelia, not just the woman who's strength and biting humour drew him in. She was her. Klaus's past, his obsession. The woman he'd spent their time in Germany brooding over. The foundation of countless of the hybrid's infatuations since then. The object of his humanity that Elijah had never seen until it was staring back at him.

Elijah decided, he could not, would not, repeat the past. No matter how deeply he wanted her. And oh how he wanted her.

His voice, when it came again, was calm, restrained but softer than before. "May I escort you home?"

She hesitated but then shook her head slightly, "No I...I was actually going to walk it. It's far but....I like walking."

The Original smiled, a small wistful curve of his lips that didn't quiet read his eyes, "Yes." He said, almost to himself, "Yes, I know." Now looking at her downcast expression, he found himself unable to do what he had come to do.

Mia looked up at him then, studying his face for something she couldn't name. And after a moment, she said quietly, "Goodnight, Elijah." She turned, beginning her walk into the darkness of the trees beyond the square. Elijah remained under the streetlamp, watching her go, the ache in his chest sharper than it had been before.

And still, he didn't move

~~~~

Mia entered the Salvatore house with fire in her eyes, the kind of fire that had simmered too long beneath the surface and now, was finally beginning to burn. She had spent her entire walk from the Grill trying to keep her breathing even, her hands from trembling, her thoughts from spiralling. But after one phone call with Bonnie, the truth had been laid bare and with it, the betrayal. Once again, she was filled with guilt for not being there for a friend that lost a parent, well half lost.

She turned the corner into the study and saw them, Elena sitting tensely on the armrest of the couch and Damon standing near the fireplace once again, sipping from a crystal tumbler. Upon seeing her ancestor's expression the doppelganger stood immediately, "Mia, what wrong?"

Mia didn't answer her, she was just looking at Damon. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, fury barely veiled in her expression. "You're a twisted bastard, you know that."

Damon raised a brow, nonchalant. "Me?"

"How did you put me in this position twice?!" she snapped, stepping forward. "Twice you manipulated me into helping you while you played games with people's lives."

Elena blinked, caught off guard. "What happened?"

"He lied to me." Mia continued, her voice rising, the disbelief etched in every syllable. "Told me to distract the Mikaelsons because you were going to steal the daggers. That was it. That was the plan, steal the daggers." Her eyes flicked briefly to Elena. "I didn't know anything about Esther. About her plan to kill them. About Abby..."

It was then Elena's face fell."You said you told her!" she turned on Damon, her voice cutting with outrage.

Damon shrugged, lifting his glass again. "Yeah, I lied. Shocking, I know. But let's not pretend it's the first time she's gone running to the Originals. I didn't think it'd be hard to convince her to play along." Mia stared at him, her chest rising and falling with the effort it took to stay composed.

"What is wrong with you?" Elena scowled in disbelief before looking at the Petrova. "Mia, I promise, we thought you knew. I never would've let you get involved if I thought otherwise."

Mia didn't respond. Her attention was locked on Damon, who now wore his usual smirk, amused, unbothered, smug. He always did know how to twist the knife deeper. "It's not as if you needed an excuse to cosy up to the Mikaelsons," he muttered, eyes gleaming with insult. "Or are you just bummed they hate you for betraying them and you won't have your toys to play with anymore."

And with that, before anyone could blink, Mia stormed forward and smacked him across the face, hard. The crack of skin on skin reverberated through the room like a gunshot. Damon stumbled slightly, catching himself on the arm of the couch, one hand now pressed firmly against the side of his face.

Mia's voice was ice. "I mean this sincerely," she said coldly, her gaze unwavering. "Fuck you. You're the piece of shit that has to compel people to love him. You are not my friend...you have never been my friend. All you care about is getting what you want and I'm done." She turned without another word and strode out of the living room, her back straight, her jaw set.

Elena watched her go, then turned slowly to Damon, her expression thunderous. He looked at her, still holding his face, waiting, hoping, for some kind of support, some small comfort.

But the Gilbert said nothing. She simply shook her head in disappointment and followed Mia out, leaving Damon alone with nothing but the echo of Mia's words and the slow sting in his cheek. The parallel of the situation wasn't lost on him."

~~~~

The corridor of the Salvatore house was dimly lit, its usual quiet broken only by the soft tread of Elena's footsteps on the hardwood floor. Her arms were wrapped around herself, lost in thought. She had considered telling Mia about Rebekah's latest petty torment, the blonde Original had spent the day terrorising her, but something about Mia's expression earlier had stopped her. There was only so much anger a person could carry in one day.

Then came the crash.

It echoed violently through the hall, metal against wood, glass shattering. Elena's head snapped toward the sound, Mia's room. Another crash followed, louder this time. Without hesitation, Elena rushed down the hallway and flung open the door.

"Mia?" The room was in disarray, The dresser drawers had been pulled out and were now scattered across the floor, in heaps. The sheets had been ripped off the mattress. Mia was on her knees, half under the head, hands rummaging through boxes, shoes, anything she could move. "Mia." Elena called out, stepping inside, "What's going on?"

Mia didn't look up. Her movements were sharp, frantic. "It's gone," she hissed, breathless. "Where is it? Where is it?!"

"What's gone?"

"My necklace!" she snapped, standing up abruptly. Her hair was falling into her face, and her eyes were wide with panic. "The one Stefan gave me. It's not here. I can't find it."

Elena stepped closer, concern furrowing her brow. "Maybe... maybe you dropped it at the Grill? We'll look for it in the morning, okay."

"No! No, I had it after that. I just...I took it off before my shower and now it's just... gone." Mia ran a hand through her hair, gripping the roots as her other hand shoved aside bottles on the vanity. The events of the day had caused this inconvenience to feel that much more sensitive. "I can't fucking find it."

"We can get a new one," Elena offered gently, picking up the bedsheets from the ground.

"There's not one like it," Mia lashed out, not unkindly but with the desperation of someone unraveling. "It matched my earrings. I've had these for as long as I can remember. I've never found a necklace that matched until that one. That's all I care about ...I just need the set. I just need the set. That's what matters...I need the necklace."

The Gilbert girl watched her for a moment, trying to get through to her, "I'm sure Stefan could get you a better one." She said softly.

That seemed to have stung something in the Petrova, "It's not about Stefan!" She retorted, too quickly, her voice cracked at the end, "Why would it be about Stefan?"

Only it was. Of course it was. The fact that when Stefan was far away, with Klaus, wrapped in some convoluted scheme of morality, he still managed to find the time, the thought, to send Mia a birthday present that matched something that she had told him she held dear. It meant more to her than she dared to admit.

"I just need the fucking necklace." Mia repeated, her voice barely above a whisper now, "It's just about the necklace." She stalked to the vanity, grabbing it by its sides, and with a frustrated groan tipped it over, the contents clattering loudly against the hardwood floor. Then she stood still, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

Elena's heart sank as the pieces finally clicked into place, slowly, but undeniably. Of course. How could she have been so blind?

She saw it, truly saw it, not the wreckage of the room, but the emotion behind it. The fear in Mia's eyes wasn't about the loss of an object. No, it was the fear of losing what it represented. Love. Connection. Remembrance.

Her gaze softened as she stepped forward, quiet, reverent, as if approaching something fragile. "It's not about the necklace," she began gently. "It's who gave it to you."

Mia didn't answer. Her shoulders tensed, motionless. Elena's voice lowered, more certain now. "You don't want him to be upset....

....because you love him."

The Petrova raised her gaze then, and her eyes, wide and overwhelmed, locked with Elena's. They were filled with what the doppelganger could only describe as terror.

And just like that, Mia crumbled. A sharp, broken sob escaped her lips and she collapsed forward, burying her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she gasped, her voice fractured. "I'm so sorry."

Elena crossed the room without hesitation and gathered her into a fierce embrace. Mia clung to her like a lifeline, sobbing into her shoulder, her words tumbling out in between broken gasps. "I'm sorry, Elena. I'm really sorry. I tried, I tried not to. I didn't mean to feel this way. I ruined everything, I ruined us. I'm sorry. Please... don't forgive me."

The guilt weighed heavily in her voice, not just for falling for someone, but for who she'd fallen for. Stefan. Elena's past, her heartbreak, her first love. "You can't forgive me, please don't forgive me."

Elena held her tighter, guiding them gently down to sit on the edge of the bed. She cupped Mia's cheek in her palm, steadying her face to meet her gaze. "Listen to me," She began wiping away her tears. "Yes, I loved Stefan. And part of me always will... but I love you more."

Mia's breath hitched again as she shook her head, believing her descendant's words to be of sympathy. "Yes, Mia, yes." The doppelganger insisted, "You deserve someone who cares for you the way you care for the world, Someone kind, and passionate, and good. And that's Stefan. You deserve that kind of love. I want that for you."

The Petrova's shoulders were still trembling, her head now bowed. "I'm sorry." She whispered again, broken.

Elena pulled her close again, this time guiding Mia's head to rest against her shoulder, cradling her protectively. She smoothed her hand through the vampire's hair and whispered with unwavering conviction, "You have nothing to apologise for....

......You're my sister."

~~~~

The early hours still clung to the sky like a shroud. Shadows lingered on the walls and the only thing breaking the silence was the rhythmic ticking of the antique clock in the hallway. Mia stirred first. The soft rise and fall of Elena's breath beside her was comforting in the faint glow of the bedside lamp they'd forgotten to turn off.

After cleaning up the room together, they had talked for hours, long past the tears and apologies. And Elena had demanded that, like sisters, Mia share the details of her infatuation and to each word she listened with a warm smile.

But now, the warmth of the bed felt stifling to the Petrova. The lingering discomfort in her chest hadn't settled and something compelled her to move. She gently shifted from under the blanket, careful not to wake Elena, and stepped lightly onto the floor.

Mia left the room, moving down the hallway then descending the stairs with practiced silence, her hand lightly skimming the railing. The house remained still, cloaked in slumber. She was nearly at the kitchen when she heard a voice, calm, "I was unsure if you would be awake."

She froze.

Her breath caught as she turned slowly, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end. There, half shrouded in the moonlight streaming through the tall window, stood Finn Mikaelson. Tall, composed, and ever eerily still, as if he were carved from marble. His presence alone was enough to send a ripple of unease through her spine.

Her body moved before her mind could catch up, taking a step backward. "Stay the hell away from me," she snapped. "You compelled me!"

Finn's eyes remained calm, the deep set regret in them genuine, though unreadable. He didn't move. "That is what I am here to put right," he said softly. "I was simply... helping my mother in her objective. But I see now the pain it caused you, and for that I am truly sorry."

Mia's fingers curled into fists at her sides, her chest tight. Her voice came low and strained. "You had no right."

"No," he replied quietly, "I didn't." Then, a pause. "Would you like the memories back?"

The question landed heavily in the air. Mia's breath hitched as she looked at him, her body taut with fear and anger... but beneath it all, something else, a hollow, gnawing emptiness. She hated the idea that pieces of her own life, her own thoughts, had been taken. Even if they were terrible, even if they haunted her, they were hers.

She gave the faintest nod. Of course she wanted them back. The tampering with her mind had left her unsettled for hours. She could feel it, the empty corners, the unplaceable dread. Better to know the truth than to exist in ignorant submission. The moment she nodded, Finn stepped forward, cautiously, almost reverently, as though recognising the weight of what he was about to restore.

"Look into my eyes," Their eyes locked, and Mia felt the pull almost instantly, a subtle warmth pressing behind her eyes as her pupils dilated. Finn's voice was low, steady, with that strange, compelling cadence. "You will remember everything that happened today."

And then it hit her.

Like a wave crashing over a weakened shoreline, the memories returned all at once, sharp, vivid, and overwhelming. The moment she'd awoken in the warehouse, Esther standing there, Finn at her side. The sensation of blood leaving her veins. Her body weakening.

Mia remembered the dizzying fear, the unbearable pain. But then... she remembered something else. A quiet place. Finn entering her mind, showing her his era, the elegance, the rituals of the Old World. It had been surreal, almost gentle. He'd shown her a time before power corrupted them. He'd shown her the Mikaelsons as human.

And she remembered the boy. Their younger brother. She had seen what happened to him, the tragedy that had shaped all the rest. And it twisted something in her stomach, a sickened sympathy that felt strangely dissonant.

Mia lifted her eyes to Finn. She was pale, her breath uneven. He didn't speak right away. Instead, he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. It was sealed in wax, the edges elegant.

"Your memories were not the only thing left undone," Finn said, extending the letter toward her. "Elijah asked that I give you this."

The Petrova stared at it for a long moment, her hand trembling slightly as she took it from him. Silence stretched between them as Finn sped away, saying nothing more. He didn't need to. The damage had been done, and undone, and the truth now rested, once again, in her hands.

Unfortunately not all the truth.

Not yet

Taking a seat on the couch, Mia broke the seal of the letter, reading its contents.

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚊

𝙱𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝙸 𝚍𝚘, 𝙸 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑. 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢, 𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚞𝚗𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎.

𝙸 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙸 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝚒𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝, 𝚒𝚗 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕. 𝙴𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝙸 𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚔𝚊𝚑'𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐-𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚊. 𝙸 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚊𝚒𝚖𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑.

𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛'𝚜... 𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚞𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙼𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜. 𝙸𝚏 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚞𝚖𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝, 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎, 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎. 𝚂𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎, 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍, 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍.

𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚊, 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚑. 𝙼𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚒𝚗𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍, 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜.

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜, 𝚒𝚗 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝, 𝚝𝚘 𝙳𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑, 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚏-𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎.

𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎, 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗
𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍

 𝙴𝚕𝚒𝚓𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚘𝚗

As she finished reading the letter, Mia felt a dampness, a small tear escape from her eye, trailing down her face. She sighed after wiping it away, once again Elijah had proved he always knew how to make her feel appreciated. And in a perfect world, perhaps they could've found themselves as a pair.

However this world was far from perfect.

A/N: HELLO MY DARLINGS. I hope you enjoyed that chapter, I hate it but i promised you an update. 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE. Ghost readers are so rude, istg. Even if you dont want to comment a vote is a nice way to say thanks. So im gonna be lowkey mean (as i should) and say I'm not gonna update until this chapter hits 250 votes because my reads to vote ratio is so off.

Finn is my misunderstood shayla so ofc I had to write lots about him this chapter. Imagine your favourite sister gets kidnapped and then you're left with these little shits that constantly jump you and then youre seen as the bad one when you want to ground them.....literally. Also Mia and Finn were kinda serving Scrooge and the Christmas spirits💀

ALLURE readers: "The story is about Klaus and Mia."
"No, Stefan is her most important relationship."

Who the true connection and most important bond of the plot really is:
Two Petrovas using their humanities and love to stop each other from becoming their shared worst nightmare....Katherine Pierce.

This is a formal apology to my Mialijah shippers. I am very sorry but I fear Mia is just a girl, she doesn't want him and I'm sorry but she never has. She loves that he likes her, she craves that appreciation and the feeling she gets from his words but not him. (its twisted I know)

Also just a quick thing bc I've seen a lot of it. This is not a story about a love interest, its about Mia. This was clearly stated in the disclaimer.

So why would I change Mia just to appease ppl who only care about the love story. If you are here just for Klaus and Mia im sorry but thats not what the story is about. Mia would not be Mia if she just fell for him regardless of everything and especially as rushed.(like some of u wanted her to do at the ball) . If it does happen, it will be at a well planned time. I've had this planned out for ages. Yall want an OC to stand on business until its to a man you like. STAND TF UP

Anyways, next chapter will be especially juicy....

BYEEEEEE ❤️

GIF MADE BY ME (do not steal)

(there will be a time jump bc mid s3 is so boring so im skipping 3 episodes)

Published: 15th April 2025 (unedited)

 before u leave heres a magic trick. touch the grey star at the top to turn it orange