𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓
﹙ 𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐, 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐 ﹚
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
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For the better part of the evening, Rory remains thoroughly entertained by Kai's drunken antics. Turns out, being a vampire doesn't exactly give you a super high tolerance for alcohol right away. He's drunk off a few shots of vodka and was currently making a fool out of himself whilst trying to flirt with a girl who he keeps calling Bonnie. Rory would think it was cute, if not downright pathetic considering Bonnie was the one that got him into the situation he's in right now—stuck in New Orleans with no way of returning to Mystic Falls in fear of Damon Salvatore.
"I can't believe she rejected me," Kai pouts as he clambers onto the chair beside Rory. He's replaced his shots for a Long Island Iced Tea, the straw placed on his bottom lip. The girl—whose name was Beverly, not Bonnie—had scurried off in a huff.
"To be fair, you look like you're going to throw up at any minute and you kept calling her the wrong name," Rory points out.
"What did I call her?"
"Bonnie,"
"Was her name not Bonnie?"
"It was Beverly, Kai,"
"Easy mistake," Kai sniffs, slurping at his drink.
"You're so pathetic. I feel bad," Rory juts her bottom lip out as she ruffles Kai's hair. Scowling, the heretic slaps her hand away. Rory shifts her gaze towards Klaus, who seems to be deep in conversation with an art critic. At least, that's what Rory assumes the man is judging by the scarf and beret he's sporting.
She's about to get off her seat to join him, when the male from earlier intercepts her. Lucien, she remembers. That's his name.
"Hello again," Lucien greets. Rory sinks back into her seat, not wanting to be rude. She gives him a pleasant smile as Kai shifts behind her, placing his elbow against the bar top as he eavesdrops on the conversation. "Rory, isn't it? Lucien, if it wasn't clear."
Before Rory can reply, Kai interjects. "I'm Kai," he slurs, holding his arm out. "Kai Parker. Nice to meet you, Lucifer."
"Lucien," the vampire corrects, but he reaches forward to shake Kai's hand—albeit, in an iffy fashion, like Kai is below him. Kai's too drunk to notice, but Rory does, and it puts Lucien in her bad books. Lucien averts his gaze towards her, placing his chin against his knuckles. "I'm sorry if this sounds too forward, but I have to tell you; you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Rory blinks, a little taken aback at his blatant flirting. Was he not Klaus' friend?
"You're right. That is a little too forward. And a little unbelievable," Rory isn't swayed by Lucien's seemingly charming demeanour; she doesn't trust him.
"My apologies," Lucien places his hand over his chest, lowering his head. His lips quirk into a side-smile. "So, where did you say you were from again?"
"I didn't," Rory states. She tucks a hair behind her ear as she takes a sip of her drink. Her eyes drift to Klaus again, who stands alone. His eyes are dead set on her and Lucien, his lips pursed. He looks unhappy. He looks jealous. Rory shifts her gaze towards Lucien. "Just a small town from Virginia."
"Ah, American girl, hm?" Lucien chuckles. "I come from France."
"I've never been,"
"Really? What a shame. I'd take you myself if you weren't already spoken for,"
"Woah!" Kai interjects as he pushes himself into a standing position, wobbling on his feet. "Is it me or is this guy flirting with you, Roro? Like, hardcore! Does he know that you have a boyfriend?" Kai pats Lucien's shoulder. "She has a boyfriend, my guy. And trust me—you do not want to get in all of that business. Her boyfriend? Yeah, he isn't just a normal guy. He's a werewolf! And a vampire. He's a..." Kai drops his voice into a whisper. "Were-pire."
"Thank you, Malachai," Klaus takes this chance to intervene as Lucien visibly starts getting irritated, pulling him aside. He turns to face Lucien once more, exhaling. "And thank you for showing such interest in my girl and where she's been."
"Ah, I was just merely pointing out what a pity it is she hasn't travelled, Nik!" Lucien cheers jovially as if he wasn't making a move on his friend's girlfriend. He turns to face Rory once more. "You know, he's always had a thing for travel. Couldn't keep him in one place for long."
It's a clear nudge to how Klaus had spent centuries running from his father, and the underlying aggression under Lucien's words do not escape Klaus. Klaus bristles in annoyance, his fist clenching at his side. Rory lifts a hand to place against his elbow, squeezing at his arm softly.
"It's getting late. I think I need to get Kai home," Rory slips off her chair, grabbing her purse. "It was... nice to meet you, Lucien," she smiles at him in a friendly manner, turning to face Klaus. "All of this is great, babe. I'm proud of you."
Rory stands on her tippy toes to give Klaus a quick kiss, but his arm encircles her waist to keep her pressed against him. She's a little surprised at the blatant display of affection, but she allows it, only because Klaus had never been one for PDA. She lets him deepen the kiss, his thumb stroking over the bare skin of her back. When he pulls away, he seems satisfied and in love—just the way she wants him to be.
"See you at home," Klaus murmurs softly.
"Bye," Rory whispers, a little giddy.
She turns to face Kai, wrapping her arm around his middle. He's falling asleep against the top of the bar at this point, which looks both deathly endearing and embarrassing.
"Five more minutes," Kai mumbles against Rory's shoulder, the vampire helping him into a standing position. "I said five more minutes, mom!"
"I'm not your mom, you idiot," Rory hisses against his ear.
Kai sniffs. "Sounds like something my mom would say,"
Rory's heart falls a little sadly. She always forgets how badly Kai's home life was because of how happy he behaves sometimes—how strong he likes to make himself seem. Rory sighs, patting his back as she drags him out of St. James Infirmary.
"Okay buddy," Rory says quietly. "Let's just get you home."
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ
When Rory returns back to the compound, she finds that it isn't empty as she expects it to be. She's greeted by the sight of Freya, Elijah, and surprisingly... Jackson. She doesn't expect to see the werewolf, only because Elijah has made it a habit of bringing Hope to Hayley and him to visit once every month.
"What's going on?" Rory frowns as she lays Kai on the couch. The heretic immediately kicks his shoes off his feet, slinging an arm over his eyes.
"Hayley is missing," Elijah responds as he passes Hope into Rory's arms. It's then that she notices Jackson is chained by his wrists and legs. "Something's wrong—we tried performing a locator spell, but she's nowhere to be found."
"Where's Klaus? Have you called him?" Rory inquires.
"I'm here," Klaus' voice sounds from the doorway as he jogs into the courtyard. He's frowning in concern that Rory knows he genuinely feels—despite Hayley and him having a rocky relationship, Hayley is still Hope's mother. There's a reason that he used the curse on her instead of just killing her like he knew Dahlia would've wanted. He stops in front of Hope and Rory, kissing both their foreheads. "She hasn't been found yet?"
"No, and we don't—" Freya's sentence gets cut off as Jackson begins writhing in agony, his arms and legs pulling at the chains that incapacitate him. His bones begin breaking as he starts to transform into a werewolf.
"Freya, please!" Jackson pleads. "Please do the spell again! I can't go a month without—" Jackson can't even manage to finish his sentence as the shift begins to take place, every single one of his limbs breaking under his skin.
"What the hell is going on?" Kai groans from the couch, sitting up. "You know, some people are trying to sleep."
Suddenly, Jackson's screaming stops. He looks down at his hands, frowning in confusion.
"Thank you," Kai snootily says as he huffs, returning back to his laying position on the couch.
"I... don't know what the hell just happened," Rory says, blinking in slight confusion.
"Neither do I," Klaus exhales. "Could you put Hope to bed? I need to make a phone call."
"Yeah, okay," Rory spares Jackson a slightly pitiful glance as she makes her way up the stairs towards Hope's nursery.
She places the baby in her crib, handing her a soft toy to clutch in her tiny hands. Hope looks half asleep already, suckling on her pacifier. Rory smiles, running thumb over the skin of Hope's cheek.
Cute, Rory thinks. Babies are so cute.
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ
Rory didn't even realise that she had fallen asleep until she's woken up. She sits up in the chair that she's slumped over, a confused frown on her face as she hears a few crashes and bangs coming from downstairs. And then she hears shouting—profanities and hurtful words, all sounding like it was from... Hayley.
She checks on Hope—who is thankfully, still asleep—and walks out of the nursery. She narrowly avoids the leg of a chair that Hayley flings towards Klaus, who stands across the hall from her. Rory places a hand on her chest in surprise as Hayley rushes towards the Original hybrid, pushing and shoving at his chest.
Rory doesn't know what the hell happened to Hayley, but she's covered in blood and she looks furious.
"My parents left me! Yours turned their backs on you! Look at us now, Klaus!" Hayley screams, pounding her fists against his chest. Klaus simply stands there and takes the hits. He doesn't fight back, but Rory can see the horror in his face—realisation has sunken in; realisation of what he's done.
"Niklaus!" Rory doesn't know why Elijah calls out for his brother, because Klaus isn't doing much hitting.
"She deserves something better than what we had, and all I have ever wanted for her is something better!" Hayley's palm connects with his cheek roughly, her nail forming a tear on Klaus' skin. At Klaus' stoic self, Hayley's frustration grows. "Fight back!" she screams, shoving against his chest. "FIGHT BACK!"
It's when Rory feels something brush against her leg that she looks down. Her heart falls as she sees Hope standing behind her legs, looking towards Hayley and Klaus in a confused manner.
"Hayley," Rory says. When she doesn't receive a response, Rory repeats. "Hayley."
Hayley stops in her actions. Klaus' eyes drift from the hybrid in front of him to the little girl standing by Rory's legs. Hayley turns around, and Rory can see her entire face fall. Hayley's stricken with grief and anger, but the sight of her daughter nearly overwhelms her.
"Oh," Hayley breathes out as Rory places a hand against Hope's back to steady her. "She's walking. When did she start walking?" the wondrous gleam in Hayley's eyes breaks Rory's heart—this was the first time she's seen her daughter walk, and she wasn't even there for the milestone in person. Hayley picks Hope up, the baby girl cooing as Hayley begins to cry. "I missed it. I missed everything."
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ
The next morning, Rory finds Klaus staring out the window. She knows what he's looking so tensely at—Hayley's new apartment, where she chooses to reside with Jackson and Hope. It's weird for Rory to not check in with the littlest Mikaelson first thing in the morning, but she supposes it's to be expected—she wouldn't want to live under the same roof as Klaus either if he did what he did to Hayley, to her.
"Are you going to stand there like a creep the entire time?" Rory breaks the silence as she crosses her arms over her chest. Klaus simply brings the rim of his cup against his lips, downing the alcoholic contents. Rory sighs, sitting on the desk of his study. "Klaus, get away from the window."
"I don't trust him," Klaus responds. "Jackson, I mean. I don't trust him whatsoever. Not with Hope."
"You don't trust anybody with Hope,"
"Untrue. I trust you,"
"Well, I think we've established I'm not just anybody," Rory says, a pointed edge in her voice. Klaus sighs, pushing away from the window as he makes his way towards Rory. He sets the glass on the table beside her, resting his hands on either side of Rory's thighs. "You put a curse on her and her pack, Klaus. I don't think it's something that can just be forgiven overnight."
"She should be thanking me. Dahlia would've had me kill her—"
"—Klaus, no," Rory interjects. "No, she shouldn't be thanking you. She has a right to be upset."
"She ran away with our daughter!"
"She was scared!" Rory exclaims. "Do you know how intense your family is, Nik? When one of you is upset, it doesn't just stop at temper tantrums. Somebody dies! Hayley was up against a thousand-year old witch hellbent on taking her baby away so she can use her for power! She was operating on fear. It was impulsive, and it was stupid, but you can't fault a mother for trying to protect her child."
"I could've protected her. I could've protected both of them," Klaus argues.
"Do you know how terrifying you were that day?" Rory asks, frowning. "You were working against your own family. I understand that you did what you had to do, but it was scary to see you like that. When you bit me, I didn't know..." Rory trails off. "Even I didn't know what to expect. I was scared of you. I think... I think you forget that you're one of the world's first vampires. I think all of you forget how much power you have over people."
Klaus lifts his head to connect his gaze with hers. He knows exactly what Rory is talking about at this point, and it isn't just about him. It's about Elijah. His brother and Rory haven't spoken to each other properly in months—when they have, it's a few broken off words here and there.
"Rory..." Klaus trails off.
"I'm not... I'm not angry at you. But I understand why Hayley would be," Rory sighs. "Hayley and I are around the same age. We're young, Klaus. And you guys... you guys have been doing this for a thousand years. It might be the norm for Marcel, or whoever it is that's stuck around with you guys for centuries, but for people like Hayley and I, we get reminded how powerless we are the hard way. And it's a really, really harsh wakeup call."
"Okay," Klaus says quietly. "Okay," he lifts his hand to cup Rory's face. He presses his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry."
"Just give her time," Rory wraps a hand around his wrist, running her thumb over his knuckles. "Give her time and let her heal. It's difficult for her too."
"I love you,"
Rory smiles, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against his lips. "I love you, too."
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ
The following afternoon is followed by a discovery of a prophecy; one that states that the Mikaelson family might fall by the hands of family, foe, or a friend. All in all, Rory is pretty much over it already, and it hadn't even begun. So whilst Klaus and Elijah go off to interrogate Klaus' new-returning old friend Lucien, she takes time for herself to sit at an outdoor café and breathe in fresh air.
That is, until someone interrupts her.
It's a male, dressed smartly in a tuxedo, reminding her suspiciously of a certain Mikaelson brother. He has brown hair and blue eyes and could be considered classically handsome. It still doesn't explain why he's blocking her sunlight.
Rory lowers her sunglasses over the bridge of her nose. "Yes?" she inquires.
He smiles at her. "Aurora Gilbert, is it?"
"Depends on who's asking,"
He lets out a soft chuckle. "My name is Tristan de Martel," he holds his hand out for her. Rory quirks an eyebrow as she grips her hand in his. Before she can pull away, he lifts her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you."
"I wish I can say the same for you. de Martel," Rory plucks her hand out of Tristan's grip, resting her hand in her lap as she snaps her book shut. "Fancy name."
Tristan lowers his head, a bashful smile on his face. "May I sit?"
"You may tell me how it is you know me,"
Tristan sits down across her anyway. Rory pushes her sunglasses up into her hair, sitting up in her chair. "I've heard much about you, Aurora—"
"—If we're going to have a conversation, I'd prefer it if you call me Rory," she interjects. "Everyone does."
Tristan's eyebrows raise. "But Aurora is a beautiful name,"
"Aurora was the name my ballet teacher used to call me. I don't like her very much," Rory responds.
"Really? For what reason?"
Rory exhales through her nose. "She used to beat me. Every time I hear the name Aurora, it's followed by a lecture. I don't like being beaten. And I don't like being lectured,"
"I'm so sorry," Tristan replies.
"Not your fault," Rory squints her eyes at him. "So, are you going to tell me where you've heard of me?"
Tristan chuckles quietly. "Well, I didn't hear of you directly, at first. You see, I run a very... tightknit organisation. And we tend to recruit a few members every few years. Now, I keep an eye on the news very often. And a few... interesting cases of mass animal attacks have occurred in Virginia—in a local club called Sinema."
Rory's grip on her coffee cup tightens. Every nerve in her body is screaming at her to leave now, because she was sure that nobody knew about what her, Kol and Rebekah had done besides Elena and Damon.
"Imagine my surprise when I found that it happened more than once!" Tristan chuckles as he leans against his chair. "And a few months ago, a mass attack in Rousseau's, just down the streets from here. See, the problem with these cases are... it's simply impossible for animal attacks to occur in such a big size."
"Maybe a pack of wolves dug into them," Rory swallows tensely.
Tristan's lips upturn into a smirk. "I don't know about that, Aurora," he replies. He reaches into his briefcase, pulling out a black file. He pulls out a few stacks of pictures, placing it on the table in front of him.
It's her. It's Rory. It's Rory and Kol and Rebekah, covered in blood. The next few is just her, feeding from random people. Her standing outside of Rousseau's a few months ago, body covered in blood, chin stained crimson.
"What... the fuck," Rory breathes as she lifts her eyes to meet Tristan's steely gaze. "You've been following me?"
"We keep track of all the people we're interested in recruiting," Tristan responds in a blasé fashion.
"Who the hell is we?"
"The organisation I run is called the Strix. We're comprised of the oldest vampires in the world... but of course, we can make a few exceptions," Tristan smiles at her. "You see, we've never had a true Ripper in our midst. A few vampires with uncontrollable bloodlust, but you are the first that I've seen. I'm positively intrigued."
"Why?"
"I find it fascinating," Tristan's eyes twinkle. "The way a vampire loses control to its one true weakness—blood. The way you move, Aurora. It's enthralling," Tristan leans forward as if telling her a secret. "My associates are inclined to agree. We find you captivating."
"I'm not some science experiment for you to study. If it's a ripper you want, why don't you call up my friend, Stefan Salvatore?"
"Messy. He's messy. The Ripper of Monterrey prickles no interest towards the Strix. When you feed, it makes you feel alive. You are exquisite; one of a kind," Tristan pulls out a black envelope, sliding it across the table. "The Strix can offer you everything beyond your imagination, Aurora. We have networks across the globe, we have power you can only envision. We would love to have you join us."
"I'm not interested in your little cult," Rory pushes the envelope back towards Tristan. "And it's Rory."
Tristan's lips upturn into a smirk. He places his hand over hers. "Think about it, Rory," he says softly. "I do hope you join us."
With that, Tristan picks up his briefcase. When he leaves, the only thing to prove he was there in the first place is the sealed black envelope that stares back at Rory.
A/N:
ripper!rory: booked and busy!
omg i hate this chapter so bad 3x01 and 3x02 was so hard to write bc it was different episodes but it was the same day so its like??? hhh im so sorry u guys....
despite the shitty ass chapter... can i maybe get 90 comments for the next update pls </3