𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝗺𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

iii. the end of the affair

Stefan furrowed his brows at the exchange. It was the first time Madelyn had seemed truly frightened of Klaus.

"Well," Klaus turned to Stefan, "hop in."

~

The three of them walked into the former speakeasy now turned bar. It was a lot dimmer than Madelyn remembered, but she couldn't complain.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asked Stefan.

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan said. 

"I can. Gloria makes a mean cocktail and the music is to die for," Madelyn said, taking a deep breath much like she did when they first arrived.

"You got to be kidding me."

The three of them turned to see none other than Gloria herself.

"So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender—"

"Stop," she said. "You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny."

Madelyn snickered. "And that, my friend, is exactly why I love witches. Beautiful, powerful, not afraid to stand up to Klaus."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you might be talking about yourself," Gloria said.

"Maybe in a different life." Madelyn shrugged.

Gloria looked to Stefan, who seemed to finally remember something from the 20s. "I remember you."

"Yeah," Stefan agreed. "You're Gloria."

"Bravo! He finally remembers something," Madelyn teased. "Shall we give him a cookie?"

Stefan glared at her before ignoring her. "Shouldn't you be..."

"Old and dead?" Gloria asked. "Now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?"

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," Klaus said. 

"I can slow the aging down some," she said. "Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar," Klaus said.

"Yeah, Stefan." Madelyn smirked.

"You go with him," Klaus added.

Madelyn's jaw dropped before turning into a pout accompanied by a glare. "Fine."

She stomped her way over to the bar, Stefan in tow.

"I swear, I'm going to spit in his drink," she mumbled, making Stefan chuckle.

"Now that probably wouldn't be the smartest thing," he said.

Madelyn glanced at him before grabbing a few different kinds of alcohol to make drinks. "And why do you care what happens if I do?"

"Because I can see straight through you."

"Oh, yeah?" Madelyn remained stoic. "And what exactly do you see?"

"I see a girl who's not as mean as she tries to be. A girl so desperate for the family and the love she's lost that she'll stick with the worst person she knows to get it back," Stefan said.

"I won't deny that Nik isn't the nicest person in the world, but he's kept me around this long and he's part of the only family I know," she said. "Besides, if I chose to side with anyone else but him... Well, I don't want to think of how he'd kill me."

"You know you're a lot more tolerable when you're not being a bitch for Klaus's sake," Stefan said.

Madelyn managed a chuckle. "Don't tempt me, Little Salvatore. I could possibly be your only chance to get away from Mr. Big Bad over there and back to your doppelganger at home."