Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Harry Potter

"What the hell was that?"

Rei breathed in shakily, ignoring the venomous hiss from the back seat.

A warm, heavy hand suddenly grasped her right knee, demanding Rei's attention.

Emerald shot up.

"Want to tell me what that was about, love?" Klaus' words might have sounded like a question but the emotion dominating dark, blue-grey orbs told her a different story.

"Sorry," Grimacing at the feel of the apology on her tongue, Rei pushed back her hair from her face. "Lost control."

"Lost control?!" Rebekah barked out a laugh. "You almost caused an accident."

Biting the inside of her cheek harshly, struggling with her ire, Rei's voice was soft when she eventually spoke. "If you hadn't assaulted me, it wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"I di-!"

"Enough, Rebekah," Klaus ordered sharply, slowly withdrawing his hand from her knee.

Swallowing, Rei lifted her eyes only to meet his waiting gaze.

"…What happened?"

"I had to feed you my blood," Klaus explained, sharing a glance with his sister in the rearview mirror. "Your head took the full brunt of the injury when you collided with the mirror."

And, suddenly, the lethargy in her limbs made sense. She'd felt the same sort of exhaustion the night she'd ingested Damon's blood. Though not to this level. An Original's blood was far more potent than an average vampires'; one thousand years of power.

"Right," She murmured, nodding her understanding.

"That's it?" Rebekah drawled, moving so that her arms were now resting along the back of her seat. "My brother saves your life, allows you to drink his blood, and all you have to say is, 'right'?"

Smiling bitterly, Rei swivelled around in her seat to face the blonde. "Your brother didn't save my life."

Cornflower blue eyes gleamed.

"Didn't he? Sure sounds like he did."

Dragging in a long breath, Rei let her eyes dart over to a suspiciously silent Klaus only to catch the hybrid watching the proceedings with amused interest. As if they were putting on a show for him.

And Merlin, if that smug, smirking expression didn't irritate her.

Turning back towards his sister, Rei let a beautiful sunny smile spread across her face, shocking the blonde.

"I think we got off to a bad start," She suddenly announced, extending her hand. "I'm Rei Potter, a wand-wielding witch, who knows that your brother did not save her life due to the absence of any life-debt. Pleasure to meet you."

And Rei knew exactly what to do when she saw the shock drain from cornflower blue eyes, anger sparking and beginning to burn in its place.

She flicked a quick, subtle glance at her brother. The brother that was her elder. The brother that put her in a coffin. The brother that clearly wasn't explaining everything to her fast enough for Rebekah's liking.

And the blonde understood instantly.

Collusion sprang instantly between the two women.

Grasping Rei's outstretched hand, the blonde raised an elegant eyebrow, "Rebekah Mikealson."

Soft chuckles of amusement floated through the cold night air, tightening the skin around both women's mouths.

"Something you want add, Nik?" His sister spat, glaring.

Raising his hands in surrender, Klaus smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it, Bekah." Blue-grey eyes flicked to Rei. "Would you mind putting the glass back where it belongs, love? We've still got about eight hours until we reach Mystic Falls, and I don't plan on stopping."

At his words, Rei's eyes immediately darted towards the clock sitting on the car dashboard, reading the time.

2:16am.

"Where's Gloria?" She snapped, emerald narrowing with anger as she remembered her last moments of consciousness.

"Dead," Klaus answered sharply, watching her reaction closely.

The air rushed out of her lungs with a whoosh, betraying her surprise. "I thought that you needed her to make contact with the Original witch?" Her words were slow, cautious.

"No," The unexpected answer from behind her had Rei quickly swivelling round in her seat, mentally fuming and rebuking herself for letting Klaus distract her to the point that she'd turned her back on the dangerous blonde. "He needs my necklace. Any witch with skill and power will do."

"…And Stefan?"

"I'm afraid our resident ripper is currently enjoying a time-out," Klaus stated flatly.

"What does that mean?"

Grinning, he reached back towards a lump crammed into the small space behind her seat, opposite Rebekah's legs. Eyes widening, Rei pushed her body up, ignoring the restraining seatbelt, to peer over the back of her chair just as Klaus ripped a ratty blanket off the lump to reveal Stefan's clearly unconscious body.

"My brother's been breaking his neck every time he starts coming around," Rebekah informed her, inspecting her nails. "He's going to have one hell of a crick in his neck once he actually wakes up."

Shaking her head helplessly, Rei sunk back into her seat.

"Now that your questions have been answered," Klaus brushed a few shards of glass off his jean-clad leg. "Would you mind fixing my car? I'd like to be on our way."

Elena had the necklace.

Staring out the hole that used to be the car windshield, Rei bit her lip, mind working a mile a minute.

Elena had the necklace that Niklaus needed to contact this illusive witch, to find out what was stopping him from successfully turning his hybrids.

And they were eight hours away.

"I need food," The announcement was sudden and loud in the impatient silence, as was the immediate weight of Klaus' stare on her turned-away face.

"Excuse me?" Rebekah hissed nastily.

"Food." Eyes snapping up, Rei's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "I can't exactly cast any magic when my body is so exhausted, now can I?"

What she didn't say was that the magic needed to cast a simple repairo like spell was virtually insignificant. Even drained as she was. What she needed was time to think, to plan, and she was determined to get it.

"…You wouldn't happen to be trying to stall me, sweetheart, would you?" The words were soft, almost a croon, but underneath was steel.

Turning sharply in her seat, Rei smiled thinly. "Don't tell me that you don't need petrol, Niklaus? You said it yourself, it's a long drive."

Studying her, it was a long minute before Klaus spoke. "…Fine," He agreed. "But seeing as how I'm doing you a favour, I'll also want you to do something for me, love."

"She's different," Rebekah admitted quietly to her brother, watching as the petrol station's glass door closed automatically behind the witch.

Fixing the pump into the car's nozzle, Nik lent back smoothly against the vehicle.

"What is she doing here? In America?"

Eyes trained on the black-haired girl's movements inside the store, when he answered, his tone was thoughtful. "I'm still figuring that out."

"She's strong," Rebekah told him. "Blowing out the car windows just because I startled her? That doesn't concern you?"

"Should it?"

Pursing her lips, she turned her neck to look up at her brother's stubble-filled face. "It was wandless magic, Nik. You know how rare that is."

"I do," He admitted, eyes narrowed.

"And you still can't tell me anything about her? Even after she told me herself what she is?" She pressed.

"I told you already," Shifting against the car, his irritation was obvious. "My hands are tied. Anything you learn about her is either going to come from Rei herself, or whatever that extensive contact web you've amassed over the years discovers."

"I've been in a coffin for ninety years, Nik," Glaring heatedly, Rebekah rocked back on her heels. "Most of my contacts are long dead."

He shrugged; unconcerned. "I have faith in your inability to tolerate being kept out of the loop, sister," He grinned. "At least you now know where to start looking."

"Yes, I do." Glancing across the lot, cornflower blue eyes narrowed on the beautiful young woman plucking chips from a high shelf. "Be careful, Niklaus," She cautioned. "Anyone that can wrangle an Unbreakable Vow from you is not someone to be underestimated."

Blue-grey orbs snapped down, dark.

"…You make it sound as if she has some sort of…hold over me, sister." Klaus' voice was rough, angry, and Rebekah grimaced; knowing that she'd misstepped.

Her brother loathed the concept of control.

The idea that someone could temper him, moderate his behaviour, cause him to rethink his actions. Despised any association, imagined or otherwise, that would begin to taint him with the hated concept.

And it wasn't just him.

All of the Mikealson siblings shared that inability to tolerate authority. It was impossible to grow up with their parents and not feel stifled by any degree of judgement. Of censure.

He'd taken what she'd said in the worst possible way.

"I meant only what I said, Nik," Rebekah let her eyes connect with his, let him see the sincerity and gentleness in her gaze, trying to placate him. "You're better than any of us at getting what you want. That has never been in dispute. The fact that this girl managed to put you in a position that I know you never would have agreed to voluntarily, is worrisome…You can't tell me anything about her, Nik!"

Her brother held her concerned stare for a long moment, searching for hidden meanings, but he found none.

"A lot was going on at the time, Rebekah," Relaxing, he shot her a half smile. "Breaking the curse; you know what was involved for that to happen."

She nodded, a wry grin on her lips.

"Besides," Hearing the strange lilt in his voice, Rebekah glanced up. "Something tells me Miss Potter isn't the self-serving type. In fact, Rei seems to have gained even the hard won approval of our big brother. And you know how…picky, Elijah is about those he respects."

It was instinctive.

With a movement barely perceptible to the human eye, her body flinched, drawing back from the sight of the cold glow that suddenly surrounded her brother's handsome features.

"Nothing too untoward is tolerated by our Elijah's vaulted morals," Nik laughed harshly.

Rebekah swallowed dryly, turning her gaze to the ground below her.

Niklaus had told her of Elijah's betrayal. Of his attempt on his life.

On the one hand, she understood completely where her eldest brother was coming from. Niklaus was difficult. He was hard, unyielding, arrogant, and too intelligent for his own good. He made it so hard to love him sometimes. So hard.

But they all did.

They all loved him. Because while it was inordinately difficult to love their half brother, it was impossible not to.

He was a force of nature. Alive. You couldn't not get caught up in his world.

And Elijah should have known what his betrayal would do to Nik. How much it would hurt him…Even if he didn't show it.

Niklaus let so few people in…Yes, it was hard. It was infuriating and unfair and so far beyond unreasonable it approached insanity! But it was also the way their brother was.

Elijah should have known that.

Rebekah's lips twisted unhappily, eyes prickling.

He should have known Klaus never stopped loving those small few he let into his heart.

Grabbing the packet of chips off the high shelf, Rei ran her eyes down the aisle, looking for chocolate.

Spotting the elusive product, her steps were quick as she approached the rows of choices, sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth as she mentally discarded options. Plucking bar after bar from their resting place, the grin on her face grew, happy with the impressive selection.

Dropping the eight chocolate bars into the basket she was carrying, Rei headed towards the refrigerators at the end of the store, already knowing what she was going to get.

"Apple…Pear…Guava…Orange!" Landing on the juice type she wanted, she wasted no time in yanking open the refrigerator door and pulling two cartons out of their slots, placing them securely in the basket on her arm.

Spinning slowly, emerald eyes narrowed thoughtfully on the junk food smorgasbord laid out in front of her, knowing that she was missing something.

Something important.

"Think you have enough?" The sarcastic drawl whispered over her shoulder, causing a scowl to darken her face.

"Am I heading to the counter?" She shot back, refusing to turn around as her eyes continued leaping over the aisles, determined to figure out what she was forgetting.

"Four packets of chips, chocolate, two biscuit packages, three magazines and orange juice; love, this is more food than you've consumed all week," Klaus stated, moving around her until he was blocking her line of sight.

Huffing, Rei glared up at the expectant look on the hybrid's infuriating face.

"Remind me again how long it's been since you were human?" She smiled sweetly, before rudely pushing past him.

"A while," The deep chuckle shot through her like a chill, murdering her junk-food induced good mood.

"Is there any reason you're hovering over me?" Rei sniped, striding purposefully towards the counter.

"Not anymore."

Craning her neck to look behind her, she growled furiously in the back of her throat when she caught sight of the self-satisfied expression painted across his amused face as he pulled his leather wallet from the back pocket of his jeans.

Ignoring her glower, Niklaus slid his credit-card forward. "Number three," He told the middle-aged man behind the plastic security screen before turning to look down at Rei. "And the young lady's food."

Slamming the basket onto the counter, she promptly upended her hoard.

Klaus laughed, but obligingly slid the mountain of purchases forward. "You're such a charming little thing," He grinned crookedly.

Fighting against the growing urge to drive the heel of her boot into his foot, intellectually knowing that it wouldn't hurt him in the slightest, Rei was just about to let the acidic comment on the tip of her tongue fly when green eyes suddenly caught on a flash of bright yellow behind the Original.

"Jellies!" Her triumphant cry and subsequent lunge towards the packets of lollies had the man behind the counter jumping in shock, his thick moustache twitching.

Blue-grey eyes merely watched her as she collected five of the bags in her arms; unfazed.

She knew she was forgetting something!

Cheered by her selection, Rei turned to dump the addictive lollies on the counter only to meet Klaus' mildly amused figure; his elbow resting casually against the bench beside him.

"…What?" She snapped.

Raising a brow, all he did was shake his head and take the packages from her, handing them over to the man behind the screen without comment.

Folding her arms, Rei pressed her lips together as the transaction behind her took place, green eyes inadvertently coming to rest on the beautiful blonde standing beside their car outside.

Rebekah was watching her through narrowed eyes, posture tense.

Curiousity pricked.

The blonde vampire's entire focus was on Rei right now. Rei and her brother. And it wasn't simple animosity she could read in the veritable storm of emotions clouding cornflower blue eyes. Nothing so ordinary.

The realisation was abrupt.

She was analysing her.

Rei's spine instinctively straightened, immediately cautious.

One thousand years was a long time to live. A long time to learn. Just how much was Rebekah seeing of her right now? What conclusions had she come to as she'd watched her in the last five minutes? Minutes she hadn't known she was being analysed?

"Thanks for the help, mate." Ripping her from her thoughts, the familiar sound of Klaus' accented tones made her turn, breaking Rebekah's gaze.

Holding multiple plastic bags in one hand, his other returning his wallet to the back pocket of his jeans, Niklaus raised an inviting arm forward; silently telling her to go ahead of him.

Frowning, Rei stepped forward, ignoring the instruction. "Here, pass," She ordered, holding out her hands towards the bags in explanation.

The Original's free hand was suddenly pressing against the small of her back, pushing her forward.

"What are you doi-?!"

"For the sake of expediency I'm going to go ahead and tell you that you lose this one, love."

Stumbling, Rei found herself being herded out the door despite her protests; the gentle pressure against her back might as well have been steel for all the success she had fighting it.

"Took you long enough," Rebekah snapped impatiently as they approached.

"Was that Stefan that I heard rouse while inside?" Ignoring his sister's comment, Klaus asked his own question.

Cornflower blue eyes locked on the hand her brother had pressed against Rei's back, narrowing.

"…Yes."

Raising an eyebrow at the dark look shot her way, Rei stepped back from the pair as soon as they came to a stop beside the car.

"Don't worry," Waving her brother's unvoiced question aside, Rebekah continued on without prompt. "I re-snapped his neck myself."

"Didn't you used to sleep with him?" Rei couldn't help but ask, sending the blonde a look.

"How do you-?!" Rebekah froze, cutting herself off, before spinning around to pierce her brother with a furious glare. "You told her?!"

"I didn't know that it was a secret, Bekah," Klaus said pointedly, opening the driver's side door.

Visibly pulling herself together, the blonde turned superior eyes on Rei, sniffing delicately at the air. "Fine," She stated, sliding smoothly into the backseat without another word.

Meeting Niklaus' gaze over the hood of the car, Rei suppressed the laugh bubbling up her throat, knowing without having to be told that the female Original wouldn't take kindly to her amusement.

"Come on," The hybrid grinned, mirth dancing gaily in his eyes. "We've got a long ride ahead of us."

Emerald rolled, but without argument she slid into her own seat in the front.

Driving out of the petrol station, Klaus didn't even make it back onto the highway before he was pulling off into a cluster of trees on the side of the dirt road, turning towards her expectantly.

"Seriously?" Rei deadpanned. "I haven't even eaten any of the food yet."

"No one's stopping you, love," Niklaus pointed out, smirking.

Speechless, honestly shocked, she could only blink at him in that moment; blown away.

She's told him that she was exhausted. Yes, she had exaggerated that exhaustion, true, but he sure as hell didn't know that! His impatient demands, lacking any tolerance or interest in her condition, merely wanting results, staggered her.

What if she had been in the position that she had suggested?! What then?!

Disbelief quickly gave way to defensive anger.

"Magic needs time to recover; not the definition of a split second," Rei hissed, glaring. "The windows are going to have to wait."

Leaning back in his seat, Klaus met her gaze with unamused eyes.

It was like arguing with a brick wall!

Scoffing loudly, Rei reached down to one of the numerous plastic bags at her feet, unceremoniously ripping it open. Packages spilled out onto the car-mat, making a mess, but she didn't care. Clenching her teeth together tightly, her hand searched wildly through the food, grabbing the first large bar of chocolate she found.

Tearing the wrapper, Rei broke off a huge slab, shoving it into her mouth without a single glance in the infuriating man's direction; frustration pouring off her.

"That's lovely," Rebekah's disgusted sneer drifted to her ears from the backseat. "Were you born in a barn?"

Swallowing the enormous mouthful of chocolate, she broke off another huge section of the bar with a snap. "Out of the two of us, Rebekah, I'd say you're the far more likely candidate for that birth place." Looking over her shoulder, Rei smirked at the blonde. "After all, aren't you like…older than dirt?"

Rebekah's eyes flared angrily, taking offence.

"Not quite," Klaus interrupted smoothly.

Rei raised her eyebrows at him rudely, shoving another row of chocolate into her mouth.

Conversation was low, a bare hum within the small, expensive restaurant.

Lights were dim.

Crystal twinkled.

Silver cutlery clanged softly against fine china plates.

It was all…very opulent.

"I was thinking," Exotic blue eyes glinted hopefully over the intimate dinner spread out between them. "Maybe we could go to Geneva this weekend…Just the two of us. My parents own a Chateau up in the mountains, and the scenery is spectacular this time of year."

Dark eyes, almost black, stared back at her mutely.

"I mean, we've been together for almost a month now," Beautiful tanned skin flushed subtly under the faint lighting, only enhancing her undeniable appeal. "I'd love to show you the forests there. I think you'd like them."

Nothing.

Here was an intelligent, kind, sexy woman, asking him to go away with her for the weekend…and he felt nothing.

No excitement.

No pleasure.

…Nothing.

She'd ruined him.

Blaise breathed out slowly, raising a hand to loosen the stiff white collar of his suit.

"You don't want to?" His date whispered softly, mortification rising quickly in her features.

"Gabrielle…" The low, dark tones of his voice seemed to daze the young, Spanish woman for a second; blue eyes clouding over with lust. "I just don't think it's the right time."

He couldn't even muster the interest necessary to fabricate a believable lie.

He just didn't care.

Biting her lip, she nodded jerkily, clearly upset.

Sighing, Blaise rose elegantly from his seat, catching the eye of a waiter standing attentively in a darkened corner of the restaurant.

"Can I help you with anything, sir?" Appearing as if from thin air, the crisp, professional words had a bitter smile pulling at his lips.

She'd always hated people who hovered.

Sliding into his black suit jacket, Blaise nodded once at the beautiful woman staring up at him with worried confusion.

"Please make sure that anything Miss Amnell chooses to order after I leave is added to my tab," He instructed clearly; sending a small, apologetic glance in Gabrielle's direction when her brows abruptly drew together. "Do not feel as if you have to leave behind your lovely meal simply because I must leave, Gabrielle."

As his intentions became clear, his date's growing disbelief was only echoed by their male waiter's wide eyes.

"Y-you're leaving?" She gasped. "Now?!"

Blaise felt his eyes close for a brief moment, knowing he was being unbearably rude, but not able to tolerate the situation for a minute longer.

"I'm sorry," He told her genuinely, his feet itching to make their way towards the door. "This is my fault, I know-"

"If my invitation to go away together was too soon, please, I-!"

"Don't," Holding up a hand, he couldn't stop the wince of self-recrimination from pulling at his mouth. "You did nothing wrong, Gabrielle," He tried to assure her, but the look in watery blue eyes told him that she didn't believe him.

And it grated.

Not because she wasn't entitled to be upset with him walking out on her, leaving her alone at the restaurant. No. It was because somewhere in his mind he couldn't help judging her for her tears. A small voice that sneered and said that she should be furious at his rude behaviour, not on the verge of tears.

The same voice that called to mind irate emerald eyes. Eyes so green, so rare, so fiery, he'd never seen the like of them before or since.

Eyes that would have had him in a death grip if he'd dared pull the same stunt on her.

"Order whatever you like," Blaise stated crisply before abruptly turning on his heel and stalking across the small restaurant.

It wasn't until the polished mahogany door closed behind him and the soft, cool air hit his face that the tension left his body.

And another one bites the dust.

Scoffing derisively under his breath, Blaise moved gracefully towards the nearest apparation point, just wanting this day to be over.

Twisting sharply in place, the familiar sensation of constricted air surrounded him before he disappeared with a pop, reappearing beneath tall, ostentatious arches.

"…Thirty minutes," A cultured drawl drifted through the air. "At least you're improving."

Lips thinning, Blaise threw a hostile glare over his shoulder as he moved forward, determined to escape the blonde's unwelcome presence.

"So what was wrong with this one?" Draco asked, following lazily in his wake, unperturbed by his ill-mood. "Too short? Did she talk too much? Perhaps you didn't like the way she crossed her ankles when she sat down?"

"Shut-it, Draco," Blaise growled furiously, sweeping into his study.

"You're one of the most sought after bachelors in England, Blaise. Hell, Europe! I was forced to listen to enough of the female, and sometimes even male, gossip at Hogwarts to know that you've been fending off interested parties since you were thirteen." Snatching a crystal tumbler from the side-bar, a dangerous snarl stretched across Blaise's face as he registered the deep mocking in his friend's voice. "I simply wish to know what small, tiny trait irritated you enough to leave this one."

Pausing in his actions, Blaise turned his neck, sneering at the sight of the blonde wizard leaning back against his desk, mercury eyes hard.

"Don't you have someone else to bother, Draco?" He demanded coldly.

"This isn't healthy, Blaise," Instead of the fake brightness of before, nothing but steel existed in the pureblood's voice now. "You're not even giving yourself the opportunity to try moving on."

"I don't want to talk about this, Draco," He ordered dangerously, deliberately returning to his earlier task of pouring the amber liquid into the crystal tumbler.

"We don't even know where she is, Blaise! Let alone if she's coming b-!" The glare that he turned on his friend at that moment froze everything, including his words.

"I said," Blaise stated quietly, the grip around his glass impossibly tight, "I don't want to talk about it."

Mercury eyes hardened.

"You mean her," Draco corrected viciously; unrelenting.

Blazing green eyes flashed across his mind's eye, tightening his heart.

"You don't want to talk about her."

...

Rei gripped the phone in her hand tightly, glaring savagely at the black screen.

"I told you that I'd want you to do something for me," Klaus reminded her pointedly, totally unrepentant as he drove down the dark highway towards Mystic Falls.

"What's so special about this necklace?" Rei asked sharply, looking up at him. "I have no idea what the Original witch is, only that her title is ridiculous," She sniped, unable to help herself.

"Would you just do what Nik said!" Rebekah snapped, the rushing wind outside the car's repaired windows barely obscuring her voice.

Blue-grey eyes flashed towards her, connecting with green, before swiftly returning to the highway.

"The Original witch was the one who created us; created vampires," Niklaus explained. "She also happens to be the one who cursed me."

Rebekah's shock was palpable.

Breathing out slowly, Rei bit her lip harshly, thoughts racing.

Without another word, her fingers started moving across the screen, searching through contacts she hadn't seen in five weeks.

"…I can do you one better," She murmured quietly.

Pulling his eyes open, everything bleary, Tyler glared hatefully at the incessantly ringing phone buzzing around on his bed-side table. Hauling himself up, he stretched out his arm, feeling around blindly until he finally grasped the blasted thing.

"This had better be a fucking crisis, or I swear to God, I'm going to murder whoever it is calling me at two thirty in the fucking morning," He growled threateningly down the line.

"…Tyler…"

And just like that, he was awake.

Shooting up in bed, eyes wide, he swallowed painfully against the lump that had suddenly developed in his throat as he registered the achingly familiar accent.

"…Rei?" He breathed hopefully.

"Yeah, it's me," A small tinge of amusement coloured the otherwise serious tone. "Listen, are you alone?"

It made no sense whatsoever, Tyler already knew there was no-one in his bedroom except for him, yet, he still found himself searching the darkness anyway, not wanting to mess this up. Whatever it was!

"Yeah," He said gruffly, swiftly. "I'm alone."

A long, slow breath travelled down the line, making his already tensed muscles tighten further.

And he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Rei," Clenching his eyes shut, his hands trembled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Tyler," Rei told him firmly, voice stiff. "…I need you to do something for me." Her voice sounded odd, strange, and it had a dark scowl pulling down his brows in a split-second.

"Is he there?" Tyler growled dangerously, amber orbs flashing.

"Tyler!" Rei snapped, telling him without words not to go near that subject. "Focus!" He gritted his teeth together to stop the tumult of words from leaving his mouth, not so far gone in his anger to not have realised that she'd never disputed his question. "Do you know the necklace that Elena wear's everyday?"

The question was so strange, so random, so far away from anything he'd expected her to say, Tyler was momentarily lost for words.

"She'd have started wearing it about a year ago? Stefan gave it to her?"

Shaking his head, he attempted to regain his equilibrium.

"Yeah, no, I remember it," He told her. "Why?"

She ignored his question. "I need you to get it for me, Ty. Please."

Growling, he shoved the covers from his body, getting to his feet.

"Why, Rei?" He demanded hotly, pacing furiously the length of his room.

She never had the chance to answer.

Without warning, a soft, outraged yelp of disagreement suddenly echoed down the line, fast flurries of movement freezing him where he stood.

"Hello, Tyler," Dark, lazy and cultured, this was a very different sounding voice. A male voice.

His breath caught.

"I apologise for waking you at such an hour, however, circumstances being what they are, did call for it," He hated how polite the accented tones sounded. Hated it, because even he could tell it was simple habit rather than genuineness. "I was wondering if you could tell me where one Miss Elena Gilbert might be this afternoon, mate?"

Oh no.

"You-"

"Are aware that she still breathes? Obviously, yes," Klaus cut him off, impatient. "How about that answer, Tyler?"

"I'm not going to make it easier for you to kill one of my oldest friends!" He hissed furiously into the receiver, desperately mindful of his very human mother asleep just down the hall.

"I see," Klaus chuckled darkly, sending shivers of dread down his spine. "So, you'll refrain from giving me an answer that I'll undoubtably discover within moments of reaching Mystic Falls in some ill-fated attempt to keep the doppelgänger safe, yet, you find no issue in angering me when the life of the young woman who helped you through the first months of your curse rests in my hands?"

The blow was staggering.

As if the hybrid himself had just wrapped his hand around Tyler's still-beating heart, everything stopped moving, becoming impossibly still.

"I-I didn't-! You can't-! I never m-meant-!" His choked, desperate pleas barely managed to form past the terror that was suddenly storming through him, gathering panicked momentum.

"My answer, mate?" When Klaus' flat, demanding question came that second time, Tyler answered without hesitation.

"The Boarding House. She'll be at the Boarding House." He'd warn them that Klaus was coming. He'd warn them.

"Good," His answer was short. "And I do hope that you'll considering Rei's request, Tyler. I'm not a very patient man." With that the call cut off.

Heart slamming painfully against his chest, Tyler let his hand drop from his ear.

Watching her brother throw the phone over his seat, done with the call, Rebekah's lips twisted with displeasure.

"Threatening to kill me?" Rei deadpanned. "What? Creative thought abandon you?"

"Not at all," Nik flashed the witch a debonair grin. "But this way, I'll get what I want much quicker."

"It's true," Rebekah spoke up, not liking how insular their little twosome felt. As if she were somehow intruding. Her! "Death threats normally makes things go much smoother."

"What a wonderful philosophy," The beautiful, raven-haired girl scoffed. "'Mortal peril for conveniences' sake!'"

"Don't be like that, love." Rebekah's stomach churned at the wink her brother shot Rei. "I didn't mean it."

Staring at Nik's profile, witnessing the way his lips twitched with amusement when the little witch fixed him with a poisonous glare, shocked disbelief slackened her jaw.

...He was telling the truth.

The threat to her life, he hadn't meant it.

He'd lied.

He didn't mean it.

"You do realise that the boy will tell them that you're coming now?" Her question was sharper than she'd intended, betraying her climbing unease.

Nik's eyes snapped up, catching hers in an unyielding grasp.

"It's your brother's own fault for never specifying that Tyler wasn't to say anything to anyone," Rei was quick to butt in, determined to make sure the werewolf didn't come to any harm.

Rebekah flashed Klaus a small, quick smile; silently telling him that she was fine.

Blue-grey eyes searched her own cornflower blue for a second longer, letting the witch's comment hang unanswered in the air, unknowingly appeasing some of Rebekah's worries with that choice alone.

"… Not so much fault than design, Rei," Nik corrected shortly, accelerating the car. "They'll know I'm coming, yes. But at least now they will all be in the right place at the right time…And that's all I wanted."

...

Hey! I'm really hoping you guys are still reading this story ;D What did you think? After so long, I'd ADORE the feedback!