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chapter twenty-three ━ a shiny glass cup of trust
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❝ why isn't life easy? ❞
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SHE SUPPOSED THAT she really was seeing the world like she wanted to. Chicago was their next stop. Melody couldn't help but gaze around, remembering when she was taken to New York in search of Gold's son, Baelfire. The tall buildings and streets bustling with people were what gave it away. But she was disappointed when Stefan mentioned that nearly every major city was like that.
Klaus was different toward her, almost kinder, but still a bit cold. Melody figured it was because he wasn't used to anyone being there for him, so he was waiting for when she just up and left. The kindness he showed her (manners and such) did not shorten. And after what happened, Melody was a bit less sarcastic to him and actually gave him answers if he asked her something. For example, while Stefan went to go get "something" to eat, Klaus had asked Melody what her hobbies were. She replied saying that she enjoyed archery and drawing, though she wasn't the best at it.
He shocked her by explaining that he painted. But Melody told him she couldn't stand painting, it was too difficult and tedious. If you messed up once, the whole canvas was ruined and you'd have to throw it out. At least with sketching, you could erase. Klaus found that amusing.
They went to a bar shortly after they arrived. Klaus had told them that if anyone could find out about his hybrid problem, it was her. The bar was dim, quiet, and surprisingly enough, empty. So it was revealed that the bar must've not been open. Stefan was gazing around in wonder, while Melody just shrugged to herself, seeing nothing special about the place.
"You got to be kidding me," someone said.
They turned to see an older, dark-skinned woman. Her eyes were wide in surprise as she stared at Stefan, then she caught sight of Melody and Klaus who stood side by side. Melody saw the way a smirk flickered on her lips, then disappeared. It didn't strike the fairytale woman shocking that the witch knew who she was.
"So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender-"
Melody put a hand up. "No, stop. Don't embarrass yourself."
Gloria laughed while Klaus smirked at her. "Just as humorous as the book said you were."
She shrugged her shoulders playfully. Stefan pointed at the witch once he realized who she was. "You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be—"
"Old and dead?" the witch guessed. Her hands went to her hips. "Now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?"
Klaus leaned over to Stefan and Melody. "Gloria's a very powerful witch."
Melody faked a gasp. "No. Really?" Her wit always made Klaus smile, but it did piss him off sometimes. She knew when her sarcasm was needed and when it wasn't. This was a good time for it, considering that the situation they were in called for some humor.
"I can slow the aging down some," Gloria told them. "Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."
Klaus looked over at Stefan. "Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar?" The vampire nodded and went over to the bar. "You look ravishing, by the way."
Melody gave him a pointed look. He told her they were destined to be together. They were soulmates. Which meant that Klaus was her true love. After years of wondering if she'd be alone for the rest of her life, she finally was assured that she wouldn't. Jealousy was something that Klaus showed a few things. Melody didn't know if she was jealous, there was no reason to be.
"Don't, you got your girl. You don't need to be losing that, now," Gloria reminded. Klaus didn't reply. "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels."
Klaus was annoyed. "So what am I doing wrong? I broke the curse."
"So did Emma," Melody chimed in with a sing-song tone.
When Klaus gave her a look, she smirked at him flirtatiously and waved her hand mockingly. He shook his head smiling and then looked back over at Gloria who was watching the two. "Obviously you did something wrong. Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old...We'd have to contact the witch who created it."
"Well, that would be the original witch. She's very dead," Klaus told her.
Gloria nodded. "I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah."
Melody could tell right off the bat that Rebekah must've been Klaus's sister. Which meant that if Rebekah wasn't here with them, she was probably daggered just like Elijah. Klaus pretended to think. "Rebekah. Rebekah is a bit preoccupied."
"She has what I need. Bring her to me."
All of a sudden, Stefan spoke up from the bar. "What is this?"
Stefan came over as Klaus replied, "Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place."
"But this is me. With you."
Melody's eyes widened when she saw Stefan with Klaus. They both wore tuxes and from the looks of it, it had to have been taken in the 1920s.
———
Her theory had been proven right when Klaus explained to them how Rebekah was his sister, and how Stefan was involved with her. During this time, his humanity was off. They had traveled back to the warehouse where all of the coffins were. One of them had Rebekah in it.
Klaus opened the coffin and then removed the dagger that was protruding from her chest. "Time to wake up, little sister. Any day now, Rebekah." The grey veins didn't disappear and she remained unmoving. Klaus looked at them. "She's being dramatic."
"What'd you do to piss her off?" Melody asked.
He didn't answer and she took it that whatever he did was bad. Klaus didn't want to wait much longer and went over to the guardsman on the way out. "When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's Bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die."
The guardsman nodded. Klaus started off and Stefan and Melody followed. Stefan questioned his motives. "Where are you going?"
"You think I'm lying, Stefan. You and I knew each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets and now I'm going to prove it to you."
"How?"
Klaus took his time to reply, "We're going to your old apartment."
The two bonded over how they knew each other, leaving Melody in the dust. She didn't care, but she was awfully bored. Things began to pick back up after they left Stefan's old apartment. Stefan's "thing" he did back when he was a ripper was writing down the victim's names. If Melody didn't have "villains" in her family, she would've been disgusted. However, the news did not faze her.
So they went back to the bar to find that it was now open. Klaus bonded even more with Stefan, leaving her in the dark once more. She learned a few things about Stefan and Klaus's past, nothing too interesting besides the fact that Klaus compelled Stefan to forget him and Rebekah.
Melody was getting more bored so she jumped down from her chair, drawing Klaus's attention. "I'm going to get some air."
When she went to leave, Klaus grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. He whispered, "You better come back, love. Don't think I'll let you go that easily."
He let her go and Melody quickly left, not bothering to glance back at him. She was disturbed. Before, he said that she was going to leave anyway. Now he wasn't going to let her leave? Klaus was confusing and a complex person. But then, what did she expect?
Melody rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. The breath left her lungs when her eyes fell on a certain group of people. "Mom?"
Regina gasped and ran toward her. She embraced her daughter who hugged back. "Melody! Oh, my goodness. We were so worried—"
"Mom, calm down. I'm fine."
The rest of her family was there and they all greeted her with the same reaction. Hook's hug lasted longer than the other hugs. Melody pulled away and looked at them with concern. "You guys can't be here."
"We came to rescue you and Stefan," Mary Margaret told her. "Caroline told us how Klaus took you—"
"Took me?" Melody interrupted. "He didn't kidnap me. Look it's complicated but I promise, he's not a bad guy."
They all gasped when she said that. Emma was the first to say something. "He brainwashed her." Melody was offended. Did her family really think that Klaus was bad? Sure, he was. But they should know better than everyone. Mary Margaret and David both were the everyone-is-a-good-person type people.
"He didn't brainwash me!" she scoffed and took a step back. "Are you serious? Whatever happened to 'everyone has good in them' and 'no one is truly evil'? Klaus did not brainwash me, okay? He told me how he knew about me. Guys, his mom made the curse that was placed on me. She cursed him and then made him a soulmate which is me. I'm starting to get to know him, not the Klaus everyone else sees. He's not a bad guy."
Her family was quiet. David shook his head with worry. "It's worse than we thought."
Melody threw her hands up. "Did you guys not hear me? I'm fine. Just go back to StoryBrooke, please. If Klaus knew you guys were here—"
"I'd kill them all." They all spun to see Klaus standing behind Melody with a glare. "Come to save your daughter have you?"
Melody took a step toward him. "Please, Klaus. I wasn't going to leave. Just let them go. I'm not leaving."
Klaus switched his glare to her. "I told you the truth. And you told me you'd never leave. The second your family shows up you go and break that promise?"
She frowned. "Klaus, I'm not leaving. They're my family. They're all I have left, please don't hurt them." He moved toward the StoryBrooke gang and Melody ran in front of them, putting herself right in front of Klaus. "Please," she whispered. "If you want me to stay, you'd let them go. I'll do anything, I give you my word."
He stared at her. "You'd be willing to sacrifice anything?" Melody nodded, her family protesting. The fairytale woman hushed them. Klaus took the last step toward her, staring right into her eyes. "I'll take your word. But I'll have to think of something."
She sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Klaus didn't respond and then looked at her family. "She'll be in good care. I will allow her to keep communication with you as long as the lot of you stay away. Go back to your little town."
Pan approached him, his eyes shining with anger. "Like hell she's staying with you. Melody you're coming back with us now!" He grabbed her arm and she quickly removed it, seeing the hybrid getting angry.
"Dad no!" she yelled, moving back from him. "Stop. Listen to me. I'm fine okay? I can take care of myself, I have my magic so if he tries anything I'll snap his neck. I'm old enough to do things on my own. Trust me."
He stared at her. "I trust you. I don't trust him."
Melody nodded, sighing gently. "I know. But just for once, walk away and let me handle this on my own. I'm only a phone call away. Do you really think I would let him do anything to harm me?"
Pan took a deep breath, calming down a bit. He knew that she had a point but it didn't change the fact that he was worried about her. Because she was his daughter. He would always be worried. "Alright. But if he hurts you, I'll—"
"Try to kill me?" Klaus guessed with a smirk of amusement. "Good luck with that."
The immortal father scoffed and shook his head. "I won't just kill you. I die so I can torture you in Hell. And believe me, I won't be the only one."
Klaus seemed to take the threat because he clenched his jaw, staying quiet. Melody hugged her family one last time. "I'll be okay. I can take care of myself." She looked at her best friend for so many years and sighed. "Hang in there, Killy. You'll survive."
Hook smiled and then hugged her again. "Always do." They pulled away. He looked at Klaus. "You lay a hand on her and I promise Pan will be the least of your worries."
Klaus smirked forcefully, continuing to watch. Melody bid them farewell and then went over to Klaus, tears were in her eyes. Yet again, she didn't let any of them fall. "Let's go."
———
Melody had given him the silent treatment as they walked back to the warehouse. Klaus noticed and with each step he took, it was getting harder and harder to ignore. He didn't really understand why it bothered him all that much. Perhaps it was because he knew her sad demeanor was because of him.
He stopped and moved in front of her. "I'm..." She looked up at him. He couldn't say it so he changed his sentence. "You don't have to give up anything to me. I will allow you to call your family when you want, on one condition." She waited. "Tell me the truth. What you said about me being a good man, did you mean it?"
She nodded. "Yes." Klaus listened for a blip in her heartbeat but found none. "I meant every word. People assume you are nothing but a villain because they don't care to see the person underneath that mask. You aren't a villain."
"But I am."
"Not in my eyes." Melody sighed, looking at the ground for a second before looking back at him. "If you are a villain, then I'm a villain too. You asked me if I trusted you. And I'm willing to. I'm giving you one chance. You could've killed my family but you didn't. For that, you earned a bit of my trust. So don't screw it up."
She moved around him, continuing their journey to the warehouse. Klaus didn't follow her as he watched her. He smiled. He smiled because he was a step closer to not being alone anymore.
———
I don't have anything to say this chapter... whoops? I'm just curious about what you guys think about the last part there. I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!
( credit : @pepperronys )