We followed Rebekah to a red convertible Mercedes. She got into the drivers' side and started the car, waiting for me.
"I don't understand," Steve said. "Do you know this girl?"
"Uh, woman thank you very much!" Rebekah said, leaning out of the window and making no secret of the fact that she was listening intently to our conversation.
"No, I don't know her," I said, then "It's complicated. I know her brother. Kind of. Used to."
"And just like that, you're leaving?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said apologetically. "I wish this had come at another time, any other time."
"Stay," he said. "You don't have to leave just because she tells you to. Serena, I like having you here."
"I like being here," I said honestly. "But Steve, you don't understand. I really do have to go."
"To find Klaus," he said, a slight bitterness in his voice. "Is he an ex-boyfriend or something?"
I smiled. "Am I detecting a hint of jealously?" I stood on my tiptoes, put my arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Just, find him quickly," he whispered against my lips. I nodded, kissing him again.
"Come on!" Rebekah said, beeping the horn. "I don't have all day!"
"I'll see you soon," I promised, getting into the car. He waved as we pulled away.
"He's cute," she said, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
"He's taken," I reminded her, sinking into the leather upholstery. "Stay away from him."
"Wow, aggressive much?"
"Where are we going anyway, where's Klaus?" I asked, changing the subject. I would never let the Mikaelson's get their hands on Steve.
"You really have to ask?" she asked. "The one place where he can find a vampire, a witch, a werewolf and a doppelganger within 3 feet of each other."
"Mystic Falls," I answered, my heart racing nervously.
"Where else?"
...
Before I knew it, Rebekah was parking in front of the Salvatore house. Seeing it reminded me of Harper, of what I'd done. But I couldn't avoid it forever.
As I walked towards the door, it opened with a flourish and someone stepped out.
"Klaus," I breathed. Seeing him brought back the memory much stronger than it had been before. I remembered the way that the early-morning sunlight had made his hair look golden, or that everything he said had a wry smile attached, as if he wasn't being serious even though I knew he was.
I remembered how scared I was of him. How his presence overshadowed everything else in the entire world. When you had his attention, he had yours, and there was nothing you could do about it.
"You found me," he said. He smiled a smile that I couldn't quite place.
"You wanted me to," I said.
He gestured to the front door. I stood by it, taking a deep breath.
"By all means, stand out here all day. Not like I've got anything better to do," Rebekah said sarcastically.
"Oh bite me!" I said. That girl's voice was really beginning to bug me. To my amusement, Klaus looked down, trying to conceal a laugh, or maybe just another wry smile. I caught his eye and the smile stayed put.
I pushed the door open and walked into the living room. Immediately Stefan was standing in front of me, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Please don't disappear like that again," he said.
"I thought it would be better off that way."
"The last time you left, I didn't see you for 50 years. I definitely wasn't better off," he said with a smile. I mirrored his smile, not wanting to admit that I hadn't been planning to return.
As soon as he let me go, I was then grabbed by Elena.
"I'm sorry about before," I said.
"I'm sorry," she replied. "I was being an idiot. If I do decide to make that choice, it won't be on a whim or a last minute decision. It'll be because I've fully thought out every possible option."
She let me go and I saw Damon sitting in a chair, looking indifferent.
"Damon," I said dismissively.
"Psycho-Salvatore," he acknowledged, equally as dismissively.
"Serena, thanks for joining us," Klaus said from behind me. "It's been a while."
"You guys know each other?" Stefan asked, looking from Klaus to me and back again.
"It's a long story," I said. "Up until today, I had no idea who he was. That's what he wanted."
"OK, great, Serena's here. Would you mind telling us who you are and what you want?" Damon said. I could practically see the anger surrounding him.
"My name is Klaus Mikaelson, I come from a family of original vampires. The first vampires in existence. I myself am a Hybrid."
I sat down. In a world of vampires, werewolves, witches, doppelgangers and superheroes, another supernatural being shouldn't have surprised me. But Originals and Hybrids... that was a whole new battle.
"A hybrid?" I asked.
"Part vampire, part werewolf," he clarified. I wanted to ask how this was possible but held my tongue.
"What are you doing here?" Elena asked. "What do you want with us?"
"He wants to break a curse," I said.
"You remember," Klaus said. I rolled my eyes. Of course I remembered, he wanted me to. "To cut a long story short, I am a vampire and a werewolf. I'd like to be a vampire, werewolf, and witch."
"Not possible," I said. "Vampires and witches are polar opposites, light and dark, heaven and hell. You can't be both." Thank you Aunt Emily for the history lesson!
"Oh Serena, it is very much possible," he said. "I just need a few things. Ingredients, if you will."
"What things?" Stefan asked.
"A vampire, a werewolf, a witch to do the spell, your doppelganger there," Stefan wrapped an arm protectively around Elena's shoulders. "And the blood of a direct descendant of the witch who casted the spell."
"Emily Bennett," I said, immediately understanding why I was so important to his plan. I was the only direct relative of Emily.
"Right," he said.
"That's what this whole thing was about?" Rebekah asked, suddenly making her presence known.
"I thought I told you to wait outside," he said in a low voice.
"I thought you told me that you were going to help all of us? You said you were going to take the daggers out of the others!"
"Rebekah Mikaelson everyone," I said to the others in a whisper.
"What are you going to do?" Elena asked. "When you have all the 'ingredients', what will you do to us?"
He turned to her, the wry smile back on his face. "The ritual to break the curse is very specific," he said slowly. "I'm going to kill you Elena." He looked at me. "All of you."
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Thanks for reading this chapter!
So we've finally met Klaus! What do you think of him? Should Serena help him break the curse?
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