A/N: Hi! It has been a while, so I'll keep this brief. Huge thank you to everyone who has left comments, your ongoing interest in my story has kept me moving forward, however slow, I appreciate you all!
As always inspiration playlist is below for those who enjoy that!

Mother by Florence + The Machine
Twinkle Lightly by Talain Rayne
Big Girls Cry by Sia
Mess Around by Cage The Elephant
Live For The Night by Krewella

I own nothing but my OC Clover and any other OC that might pop up along the way.

Enjoy!


3 Months Earlier

I have never been to New Orleans in this life, well that I can remember, I was born here, but after I was out of the oven, and everyone was at a place where they could travel, my family relocated to Mystic Falls. I'd always wanted to go back, and get a feel for the place I had been born, but for some reason there was a strange avoidance of the topic when it came up, so I eventually buried that curiosity. My curiosity was never based heavily in the fact New Orleans was my birth place for life forty-three, but the fact that my parents were so heavily vague about it, which was an extreme, out of character trait for either to exude. So, I decided that a summer road trip was a perfect cover for stopping in to try and figure out.

My phone goes off, and I answer to hear the confused voice of Maria, who has for the greater part of the trip been my travelling companion. "Clover! You know you went the wrong way!?"

"Yeah,no! Its all good I know where I'm going!" I laughed. "I just have to make a pit stop on my own, but I'll catch up with you guys at the hotel." I'm lying through my teeth about the knowing where I'm going part, sort of. I've been having dreams over these past few weeks that have been images of the path I've now started down.

"Okay! Just making sure, I'll see you in a bit."

I hung up, pulling in a deep breath, as the road made a gradual turn from paved, and two lane, to a shoddy dirt path. The road lead me deeper and deeper until I came across what I was looking for, to my right was a yellow gate, rusted and chained shut. A rickety station wagon with fading blue paint, and real, imitation wood panels running down the sides parked just on the other side. I pulled up to the gate, threw the van in to park, and climbed out. I walked up to the gate, and looked to see a slightly overgrown trail ahead.

"Great." I sigh, heaving my body to climb over the rusty gate. I go to the station wagon, and place a hand on the hood, it's still warm, so that means I'm not alone, this puts me on alert as I press forward.

I've been walking for ten minutes, the deep earthy musk of the environment invades my nostrils. I'm beginning to feel as if I'll never find the end of this road, until I spot something familiar, a tree with a rope twisted around the trunk, attached with nails all the way up to the first branch which is about a foot above my head. The sight gives me chills, those dreams have so far proven to be accurate down to the last detail, as I notice that the ends of the rope are stained red, and I'm pretty sure that its not paint.

When I pass the tree, a feeling of being dunked in ice cold water rushes my body, as I hear whispers in the wind amongst the wilderness surrounding me, and then I see it sitting tall and proud just as it had in my dream. Two stories tall, dingy white paint stained from age, large windows running along the front, and a faded yellow door that matched the gate from before.

I carry on to the house, up the front steps, which creak in protest as I step on them. The yellow door is adorned with a heavy meatal door knocker in the shape of what seems to me a phoenix. I lift the handle and tap it down three times, after the third knock resonates, I hear the handle click, and the hinges screech as the door swings open. I step over the threshold and the door gently shuts behind me.

The inside of the house puts the outside to shame. Grand hand carved details and furnishings, every door and archway in sight is decorated with intricate carvings that match the phoenix on the door knocker. The floors are wood, they've been shined to brilliance, the walls are painted ivory, and each of the windows are situated with thick red velvet curtains, that are being held back by thick, golden braided chords with tassels on the ends. There were also modern conveniences in the home, as the contents of the room to the right of the front door revealed a large flat screen television sitting on the mantle, and an Ipod laying on the coffee table in the center attached to a big pair of over the ear headphones.

Coming from deeper within the house I hear muffled sound of metal clanging together, followed by water running, and then the sounds of Elvis started filling my ear space. I feel a soft brush against my ankles, and am startled slightly. Looking down I see a cat with long black fur, and yellow eyes staring up at me.

"Hello." I lean down and reach out to pet the cat. Before I can touch the animal's black fur it runs just out of reach, looks at me, and then lets out a short high pitched meow. I step forward, and the cat runs ahead again, sliding around a corner in to a room. As soon as the cat disappears from sight a woman steps in to view. She is almost as tall as I am, lacking just an inch or two, long slender limbs, straight orange hair, and murky green eyes. The slight showing of laugh lines around her mouth as she smiled at me led me to guess she was in her late thirties to early forties. "I. Uh. I'm sorry, but the door let me in. The door was open- unlocked." I stuttered at her in attempt to make myself seem like not an intruder.

"Margot Adele Caro." She introduces herself, sticking a hand out for me to grab.

"Clover." I said grabbing her hand and giving it a quick shake.

Her eyes brightened, as I introduced myself. "Such a lovely name. Would you like some watermelon? I just sliced one up fresh from the farmers market!"

"Oh, my lady! You have found one of my true loves!" I exclaimed dramatically pressing the back of my hand to my forehead with a dreamy sigh. I'm a bit wary, she is so open. Her body language is showing no tick of stress. In fact, she looked enthused that I had walked in to her home. Guard up, I follow Margot in to the kitchen which mirrors the rest of the house aside from the appliances, which were all sleek, modern, and adorned with a stainless steel finish.

Suddenly I hear shattering glass, and look over to see Margot crumpled in the floor. There is a deadly amount of blood oozing out of her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. "What the-"Crouching down I check for a pulse, but there isn't one. It has to be magic. I begin to head to my van, but before I hit the front door I hear a high pitched meow from behind me. The cat is in the hall, tail twitching as it slowly moves to the back of the house. Taking a chance I follow, the cat's trail leads me in to a sunroom that seems to lead to the back yard. An explosion erupts from where I had just been, and I take a queue and book it out of there. Hoping that circling around back to where I'm parked will be an easy maneuver.


Present Day

"Let me guess." Jeremy says, exhaling a cloud of heavy smoke. "You get to your van and get out of town. Well, in to town. Did you?"

"Dude, shut up and let her finish the story!" Matt tells him slightly punching Jeremy on the arm.

"To answer your question no. Now back to the story!" The two guys lean in slightly as Clover falls back in to telling her


I'm almost back to my van when I hear voices, there are two of them, both female. I duck in to some brush and listen.

"LIZA! Don't walk away from me!"

"We have to find whoever has The Dream Caster before they leave. They can't have gone-"

"Liza, listen to yourself! Your only living relative is dead and you're only worried about this so called Dream Caster?"

"Well well, look who came to visit her estranged sister. I thought you vowed to stay away from Margot when she left the coven." A cool male voice joined in.

"Just following an order."

"Now what is this Dream Caster I heard you talking about right before I spoiled the punchline?"

"Something powerful. I was told to find it and channel the power until to point of its destruction."

"So it's a thing? Dark object? You gotta give me more than that, or were gonna have problems, Liza. Tell me everything you know, or I can assure you a living hell will be waiting for you when you make it back to The Quarter."

"I don't know Marcel! That's why I was coming to Margot, she's been researching The Dream Caster for 16 years now, but now she's dead. And there is a barrier, it would sooner explode the house into tiny bits than let me enter. So, be careful if you try to go in." Liza says.

"If you can't get in how did you know that Margot was dead?"

"She was my sister, Marcel. How could I not know?"

"Oh, come on! Enough with the sob story. I'd sooner believe that you killed her." Marcel scoffed. The statement that was followed by a pregnant silence. ."Unless. Oh, Liza, you know better than to lie to me."

And then I sneeze. It wasn't loud, but I froze. I didn't realize it but my sneeze had been covered up by the brutal sound of breaking bone.

"Margot was always the smart one of the family."

"Go tell your coven what happened, and I will have my guys pick off every single ear that heard anything about this Dream Caster. Got it?" Then, hurried footsteps, and a revving engine.

"Well, well, who are you?" I hear as I am pulled up by a superpower grip.

"Not, a vampire." I answer.

"Or a witch, or so it may seem." He eyes inspecting me why are you lurking out here by yourself?" He asks.

"Do you want the truth?"

"Yes, but introductions first? The names Marcel" He lets go of my arm.

"Clover, and I wasn't lurking, more like hiding." From there I tell him my story up to the point of me taking cover behind some shrubbery. From there we go to the house, to clean up Margot's body, and give her a respectful burial.


Then, I agreed to pick up Margot's research on The Dream Caster. And that is what I've been doing during my free time since, now.

"Any luck about this Caster thing?" Matt asks.

"Yes!" I say with a clap of my hands jumping up from the couch. "After weeks of constant decryption I was able to uncover most of the data Margot had. It was all very compact and well-guarded." I said pulling a tiny lime green flash drive from my jacket pocket. "The Dream Caster is not a thing, but a person."

"Do you know who it might be? Did Margot's notes say anything about that?" Jeremy said.

"No, but I feel like that answer is in the last bit of data I have yet to unravel. Sadly its some coding I've never encountered before and I need some help." I plopped back on the couch next to Matt. "Wanna go eat the backup cake?"

"Yes!" The two guys say in unison.

Mid-cake Caroline kidnapped me, scolded me for eating the backup cake/getting the guys to eat it too, and then forced me to karaoke, in that order. After that I went home, double checked all of my luggage for my flight in the morning, and then slept a dreamless sleep.


London

"So I assume you've cracked the code, otherwise you wouldn't have blown up my phone during the ceremony, so what's up buttercup?"

"Clover you need to be here to see it, it's not urgent, but."

"But what? Dax? But what?"

"Just get back soon."

"I'll be back as soon as the first dance is over."

I left the wedding during the best man speech. The wedding crowd had me thinking about my possible future, and I need to keep my mind on present matters, love needed to be the last thing on my mind right now, at least until we find The Caster, because whoever this person is in obvious danger if not found by a non-hostile party first. After a quick wardrobe change at my hotel I went back to Dax's lair to see what she had uncovered. I walked in to the darkened flat, and was immediately pulled into the depth and forced to sit in front of one of the many monitors that served as the only source of light in the room. On the screen before me was a paused video, ready for me to hit play.

Right away I noticed the intricate decoration of Margot's home, before a young version of the woman herself sat in front of the camera. She looked as if she had been crying, but she seemed to be bursting with joy.

"I've been waiting to do this until I found out what gender you are to physically be deemed, so I would know what name to call you. Clover. Gosh that is so weird to say, but exciting. All I can say right now is that I can't wait to meet you Clover."

The next clip indicated it was a new day. "Today I got to speak to your daddy, he is over the moon about having a little girl to spoil, and teach music to. I'm hoping that he gets to come home before you're born, but I suppose that is sometimes the life of a military wife. I can't wait for us to be together as a family." Most clips were about goings on during her pregnancy, she suffered some mild morning sickness, but it seemed as if in general her term had been normal. She had been so excited to be a mother, so why did her home seem so lonely when I went there. What had happened to Margot's Clover?

According to the time stamps on the video she stopped recording about eight weeks from her due date.

"This last clip is the one I thought you should see." Dax piped up from a folding chair in the corner of the room."

"Okay." I said.

Once more Margot's face showed on the screen, but this time the video was only a few months old. "To whoever is able decrypt this please take all of this info with a grain of salt. If you understand what I'm talking about I urge you to take action, if not please take this to Marcel Gerard in New Orleans, he'll know what to do. First off, if you have found this information it means that I am dead. A few weeks ago I started having vivid dreams and flashes of memories that have been missing from my mind for a long time now."

To paraphrase the deets, weeks before Margot had her baby her husband returned, but he had been changed, well, turned. They tried to work out how to live as a family given his new status as a blood craving vampire, but it wore on them both. Margot had even called in Marcel for help, but as the due date crawled closer her husband began to show ripper tendencies, so as a last desperate act to keep Margot and the baby safe he compelled away her memories of him as a vampire. His death had been proven by the return of Margot's long altered memories. When the baby was born she turned to adoption, but she never said why. And then she revealed that all information about the baby, and her adoptive parents were locked away in a room in her home, followed by a key code for the lock.

I look back to Dax. "I need to go." I said snatching up my backpack from the front door.

"Wait, Clover!" She said, stopping me. "Here." Dax handed me a plane ticket. "I rounded this up as soon as I saw what was on the drive. I hope you figure this out."

I hugged her. "Thank you."

The flight wasn't set to leave until tomorrow afternoon, so to get a jump start on things I sent Marcel the key code, and had him go in search of Margot's final secret, and walked back to the inn I was staying at. When I walked in the chime on the door went off. I notice the silence of the front lobby, and then the steely gaze cast on me by the man at the front desk. He isn't supposed to be there. I begin to analyze the situation and all of the outcomes it could lead to. I come to the solid conclusion that I am in danger. I can either make a run for it, or I can continue forward as if I don't have a sense of terrible foreboding pressing on me.

I bust in to my room, and shove all of my belongings in my bag with haste. I drop my key at the desk, and dash out in to the streets of London. If I am in danger, I would rather be able to flee than be stuck in a corner. This could all be paranoia, but these past few months have reminded me that it isn't a bad thing.

An hour later I'm still roaming around the city streets, and nowhere feels safe. I finally cave in and call the one person I've been actively avoiding even thinking about, to ask for help, but when he does not answer I call his brother.

Nik picks up after the third ring. "Hello, love! Are you enjoying your holiday?"

"You sound very chipper."

"And you sound exhausted." To which I respond with silence. "Clover?"

"Yes! I've been walking around London for over an hour now. And before that discovered vital information about something I'm researching. I'm more emotionally drained than anything, and-" I take a beat to consider my next move, asking Klaus for help would put me in debt, and I don't know if that is a risk I'm willing to take. "I think someone is after me, and I need your help. I need to get out of London now, but my flight does not leave until tomorrow morning."

"Well, if you are asking for help from me it must be serious. Do you have a destination in mind?"

"No. I just, need to get out."

"I'll see what I can do, and forward you instructions, until then make your way to the airport."

"Okay. Thank you, Nik."

"No problem, but I must say that I am surprised that you didn't call to Elijah for help before me." I could hear the snark in his voice from across the ocean.

I sigh. "I did. He didn't…look it hardly matters. I await instructions, and thank you again." I disconnected the call.

Five minutes later I have my flight info in my phone, and it looks like I am going to Chicago after all.

I only feel a fraction less threatened when the plane lifts off.


3,945 miles later-Chicago

"Nik! I certainly did not expect a personal entourage to be gathering me!" I say bringing him in for a hug. "Hey, Stefan. It's been a wild ride I'm guessing?"

"Stefan has been having the time of his life, love. He is just a bit grumpy, we've been driving for a while. I'm glad to see you made it in one piece." He said, snatching my bag and leading the way out of the airport. "A quick stop and then, Clover we'll make sure you are fed, and I can imagine after such an emotional strenuous day that you would fancy a shower."

"Yes and yes! I've only had plane snacks since London." I confirmed.

When we hit the main road I noticed an unmarked moving van trailing behind us. Odd. Well as odd as anything that has happened to me, ever. The sun was setting, and I was stoked to see the glitter of the Chicago skyline again. I remember that I should turn my phone back on just in case Marcel, or Caroline are trying to contact me, when it boots up I am worried at the amount of missed calls and messages I have received from Tyler, all asking if I had heard from Caroline. He was freaking out which led me to follow suit. But I'll keep my cool until I am alone, or at least not surrounded by beings with supernatural hearing.

After about twenty minutes, the vehicle pulls in to a warehouse setup, and parks, we all exit.

"Chicago was magical." Klaus says looking across the city lights.

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it, like I said, I don't remember most of it." Stefan says.

"Down to business then." Klaus's expression changes from a reminiscent one to, well his normal face.

"Why am I still with you? We had our fun, you hybrids failed. I mean don't you want to move on."

Wait what? "You attempted to transition hybrids and it failed?" I asked stepping in front of Stefan to look Nik straight in the face. "What?"

"Darling, I'm sure that scientific mind of yours is reeling, and I will give you all the details you desire, once I find out why it didn't work. Now, we're going to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help up with our hybrid problem. It's her."

Not too long later we walk in to a bar. I can tell this place has some memories seeped into the wood. Which is confirmed as I listen to the happening conversation between the vampires.

"Looks familiar doesn't it?"

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

"You've got to be kidding me." I hear a female voice. I can only assume that this is the witch we came to see.

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

"Nik, stop!" I roll my eyes at the lameness that just flew out of his mouth.

"You may be invincible, but that doesn't' make you funny." The woman approaches me first. "The names Gloria, sweetie."

"Clover." I introduce myself with a solid handshake. "You've got a nice place going here."

"Manners, that's good." She then turns to Stefan. "I remember you."

"Gloria? Shouldn't you be?"

I zoned out when my phone started to continuously ring. I excused myself and stepped out to take the call from a frantic Tyler.

"Clover! I've been trying to get a hold of you forever!"

"Tyler, take a deep breath and tell me what the situation is, and I'll help as best as I can from here."

"I haven't seen or heard from her since that party. No one else knows where she might be either, and I'm freaking out."

"Have you talked to Miss Liz?"

"And what tell her that….she would kill me, Clover, please."

"I'll call Liz, and you just keep looking. Mystic falls is full of dark nooks, she can't be too far gone. Make sure you call me the second you find out more, and I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Okay, Clover."

I flip around and burst back in to the bar. "Gloria, I know that we just met, but I need a favor from a witch as well, it concerns a missing friend of mine."

"What do I get out of this deal, sweetie?"

"I don't know, what do you want?"

"That's a bold offer, this friend must be very important to you, or more than just a friend. Hmm?"

"Caroline, is more like a sister than a friend yes." I sigh, I don't feel like this conversation is going anywhere. My phone started ringing again. "What!?"

"Okay, you sound stressed, but I have some info from Margot's stash. Do the names Andrew and Cassidy Meeks mean anything to you? They are the ones who adopted Margot's daughter." Upon hearing that string of words my body was wracked with the same icy sensation that I felt while in New Orleans. "Marci, I'll call you back." I hang up on Marcel, turning around I burst back in to Gloria's place. "Do you have a computer and a printer?"

"Yeah, behind that door." she pointed to the other side of the bar.

Without asking for permission I walked in to the room, pulled up a map of Mystic Falls, and printed it out. I slapped down the map, then taking a handful of dirt from the potted plant next to the desk piling it neatly in the center of the map.

"You can just bust in here like that!" I hear Gloria scolding me. " I admire that spirit though, and your loyalty to your friend, so I'll let it slide Clover."

"Thanks?"

I needed one more thing. Oh! I reached into my pocket pulling out my keys arranging them on the map. I began to chant, hoping that my hunch was right. This has to work, and it did, better than I had expected.

"Klaus, now you had a witch on your team already. Why did you need my help, if you have this powerful little thing traveling with you?"

"I can hear you! And I'll explain after I'm sure Caroline is okay. Okay?"

"Sure thing love, while you do that, Stefan and I are going to run an errand or two. I'm sure you'll be fine here."

"See ya." I said to them, as I dialed up Liz. Upon hearing the line connect I instantaneously told her where the tracking spell led me. "The old jail."

"Got it. Thank you Clover."

We both hung up without saying goodbye.


Hours later

Klaus, Stefan, and Rebekah strolled into Gloria's place together, each full of obvious but varied emotions.

"Where is Clover?" Klaus asks the witch.

She makes a shushing motion, and nods over to a booth. Klaus walks over with intentions of waking the sleeping red head, but Gloria stops him. "Leave her for a moment. She told me her story, well at least the past few months of it. It must be tough searching for answers to find out that it's been you all along."

"A little less cryptic please?"

Gloria rolls her eyes at the oblivious hybrid, and his confused companions. "Ever heard of a magical phenomenon call 'The Dream Caster'?"

"Of course, its pure speculation, of a dark object that gives the user the ability to infiltrate people dreams and influence their minds, capable of creating illusions so real that you don't realize until the vision dissapears. It's considered highly powerful and dangerous magic in careless hands. If I'm correct it's also an heirloom piece said to, hmmm, what was it, ah, said to be a gift bestowed to only those with truly pure intentions. What does that have anything…"

"You should ask her. Its not my business to tell. And do try to be delicate, she didn't say anything specific, but-" She stops and hand Klaus her phone that is playing a recording of Clover playing music at the bar before they returned.

He watched in silence, wondering why a sad girl singing, a sad song had anything to do with the Caster topic.

"The girl is hurting, heartbroken even, Nik." Rebekah chimes in looking over her brother's shoulder.

"And so much more. Your sister was always more in tune with emotions than you."

"She's a good actress with an internet following its all for show." Klaus scoffs tossing the phone on the bar.

"She doesn't sing like that because she aims to impress, you idiot!" Says Rebekah from across the room. She looks down at the sleeping human to see makeup that may have once been smudged has run in streaks down her face, most likely from crying. Slightly leaning down she touches Clover's temple with her index finger, when she begins to see the expected flashes of memories, Rebekah finds more than she bargained for, love, loss, heartbreak, happiness, and death-900 years' worth. "Who is she exactly?"

"That is the making of a long standing research, the missing key." Klaus said, as he looked over at the sleeping girl with an eerily placed pride. "And thanks to our dear older brother I am this much closer to truly knowing the final secret of the most alien grimoire I've ever obtained. She'll soon realize the extent of her power, becoming the most useful tool I have in my arsenal."

"You must be out of your mind if you think she'll let you use her." Gloria cut him off before he could continue his monologue. "I don't know what you have going on, hybrid, but I can tell by that nasty attitude that you are underestimating her greatly."

"Oh no, you are mistaken." Klaus flashes a charming smile at the witch. "Come on, Gloria. Why do you think I'm being so kind to her? No guesses?"

"I have a few." A tired voice responds.

Every one turns around to see a wakening Clover leaning at the far end of the bar, arms crossed, with a fierce look of determination cemented across her soft features. "But that is a conversation that can only be had amongst less people." She said firmly glancing at Gloria and Stefan. "Only you, and your sister." Her eyes flick to Rebekah. The Original sister realizes in that one glance that the girl knows she had been rooting around in her mind, and she is not happy about it.

"I'm gonna grab a bite. I'll be back." Stefan says leaving, the bar.

"I've got some papers to tend to. Try not to drink my bar dry, alright." Gloria warns, retreating into the recesses of the building.

Klaus and Rebekah join Clover at the bar, taking drinks as the redhead offers them, finally pouring one for herself. They watch as the unreadable woman gulps down the honey colored liquid in her glass, with a cold shouldered silence. When she finished off her glass, she pulls out a piece of aged paper, and begins to read.

"Dearest Clover,

I haven't received any letters from you in weeks, and I must admit that it has me worried. Have you moved on, or has the business of life led you to forget such a simple thing? Regardless, I am always thinking of you. I have yet to be able to conclude the things I've been aiming to do since I left you. It is frustrating, and has led me to believe that maybe leaving you behind was the worst choice I've made in a while. I say this knowing that I will receive no pity from you concerning my feelings on that idiotic decision.

My love, besides missing you, I have other reasons for writing. I fear that this may be my last chance to tell you the truth of my family, about me. I should have done such from the start. I'll try not to stall any longer, I just hope that you won't finish this letter hating me for lying to you, because for that I am sorry, you deserve much more trust from me than you've been given.

My family is for the most part alive and well. You know that I am a vampire, but alas I am not just, but one of The Originals. I know your secret, and I know you need no explanation as to what that means…"

Clover takes a beat to down another drink. "The rest of this letter is pertaining to our relationship, which I am choosing to withhold because it is none of your business."

"How did you even find this letter?" Klaus asked.

"Well…"


Hours Earlier

"Hey Gloria, if Nik shows up before I get back, can you let him know that I'm getting my things from the car. I have some work to do and my computer is still there."

"Sure, doll." Gloria replied as I walked out of the bar.

As I walked back to the warehouse I popped on my headphones, so I could reason through everything I've discovered today. I still haven't heard back from Caroline, but Miss Liz assures me that she is just fine, but I will be worried about her until I make it back home, I have so much to tell her. I discover that my I was adopted by the ones who raised me, given up for adoption, but for seemingly no specific reason. But at least now I can change my youtube bio to include the title of witch. Maybe not.

I arrive at the warehouse to see the giant moving truck still parked outside the bay door, but now the lock on the door was undone. My curiosity kicked in and I used all of my strength to life the door, to see multiple coffins stored within, stacked in rigging two high with room for one more. Hoisting myself up I, stood in the middle of the coffins, I examined each one, noticing specifics in the design of each, however slight. When I face a specific one however I would feel the ice cold tingling sensation that I had felt while in the wilds of New Orleans months earlier. I hesitantly opened the lid-"


Present

Klaus and Rebekah had leaned in ever so slightly, as the ever steady Clover told her tale. "and I'll be damned if my ex' isn't laying there with a dagger nestled in his chest! As for the letter it was in one of his pockets."

When Clover finished up her story Klaus noticed the look on her face. Hey now glassy eyes flicking in various directions, fingers drumming on the underside of the bar, quickened heartbeat. "So tell me, do you know about how long before you daggered your brother did he write this?" She slid the first page of the letter to him pointing at the date at the top.

"I have yet to see why this is relevant to the reason you are on this long tangent to begin with? Can we get on with it please?" Klaus says.

"Oh, it's not relevant to that at all." Clover replied, taking another swig, this time from the bottle. "But I have realized that my manners have gotten away from me." She turns to Rebekah. "We have yet to be properly introduced." She offers a hand to the original sister. "My name is Clover."

Rebekah took her hand. "Rebekah, charmed I'm sure."

"Oh, I'm sure." Clover flashed the woman a sly smile, she could feel the alcohol in her system melting her usual demeanor to a shallow puddle.

"Are you hitting on my sister?" Klaus asked amused at the officially drunken Clover.

She rolled her eyes. "Me flirting with a gorgeous woman? Never! Besides, I highly doubt I'm her type anyway."

"Not exactly, but I'm flattered either way." Rebekah cut in, raising her glass toasting the redhead.

"See, Nik, no worries, your ship is safe, for now." She said as she strolled around the bar to sit on the stool next to Rebekah.

"His ship? I'm confused." Rebekah ponders.

"Oh, it's like a couple pairing, usually romantic in nature. A prominent term when referring to fictional couples in stories, well at least these days. I'm pretty sure that regardless of his own gain-"she leans in close to the woman next to her. "He totally ships Elijah and myself."

"But he didn't do so with Kol?" She questioned glad to be delving into drama that was for once not her own.

"He didn't know about Kol and me."

"Wait, the brother that wrote that was Kol?" Now Klaus was confused. "Are you sure? It seems very out of character for him to be so sentimental, and caring toward a human."

She trained her eyes on the hybrid "Hmm, interesting. Why would you assume that I was talking about Elijah? You know, what? Doesn't matter! I've been invited to a party of sorts, do either of you want to come with?"


I'm soup-d up enough that my nerves have stopped, well that's it, I'm gliding across the pavement like I owned the world. I can also see that Klaus is just buzzed enough to trust me to lead him to a seemingly seedy warehouse.

"With a location like this it can't be much of a party." Rebekah crooned in disapproval as we stood in front of the rusty yellow door.

"Don't judge a book, or in this case a building, by its cover Rebekah! I can guarantee that this will be the most unique party you've been to in one hundred years!" I turned to face her. "Come on where's that girl? That adventurous, go getter of a person I've heard about?"

"She was locked in a box for the past ninety years. Betrayed by her own brother." She directs a glare a Nik.

I stepped in front Rebekah, blocking the view of her bother. "Exactly! You've been in a coffin for almost 100 years! Don't let what this jerk did to you stop you from moving forward, and adapting, because you my friend have a lot of catching up to do!" I rest my hands on her shoulders, getting her to make eye contact with me. "Are you in?"


Rebekah had never seen anything like this. Beyond the metal door was a giant room, she was met with flashing lights, loud "dance music" as Clover explained. The massive amount of dancing people seemed to be moving as one to the erratic music, everyone covered in just as many lights as the ceiling.

It only took a moment for Clover to lead her toward the bar. She snatched two florescent blue drinks from the company of a couple who were less than interested in what they had ordered. "So is this how you get free drinks today? You just steal them and run?"

"Not usually." Clover replies as she hands the blonde the second drink in her grasp. They both down the delicious fruity flavored concoction in their glasses.

"That is the sweetest thing I've tasted in years!" Rebekah vocalized over the loud music, flashing the woman next to her a smile.

"Funnily enough a drink like this has more of a kick than what we had at Gloria's. Like a 3-in-1 sort of thing."

"Well, I guess people in this new age do know how to party."

"Let's dance!" Clover yells, grabbing the vampire's hand, and dragging her in to the sea of dancing people.

Klaus has been hanging back, mind still reeling about what he will do concerning the hybrid situation. He watched the two women he arrived with as they make way to the dance floor. It a funny sight to see Clover trying to get Rebekah to dance to this music which she is obviously not accustomed to dance to, but surprisingly after some time the witch gets the vampire to dance. And once again he is surprised about how easy it is for Clover to gain the trust of others around her. She inspires such loyalty in people she barely knows, which Nik realizes, funnily enough, one of the main things she and Elijah have in common,although their techniques vastly different, oh what a power couple they'd make.

Klaus takes a moment to check his phone, nothing. When he looks back up to scan the room for his companions, they are nowhere to be seen. Being that Clover had just recently fled London in fear of being followed, he went in to high gear, hoping to find both girls soon, and in one piece, or someone would pay.

After 30 or so minutes of searching the area, and compelling information out of anyone who might have seen them Klaus attempts to call Clover multiple times. It rings twice before being sent to voicemail. "That little, she is screening my calls!" He is furious. Moments later he receives a message from that contains a photo of the redhead and his sister sitting on what looks like a bus, while sipping on very large convenience store slushies.

The text underneath the photo reads "Catch us if you can! 1.2.3. GO!"

For the next three hours Klaus followed all of the hints Clover would send him. Always showing up mere moments too late. The final clue she sent was an image of a sign indicating the name of a park, with the message of "bring the car." So he did.

When he arrived at the specified location, it only took a moment to find both ladies parked on a bench beneath a street lamp. They were having a quiet conversation amongst themselves. Klaus paused to listen in.

"But why would he just assume that you had stopped writing him?" Rebekah asked.

"I don't know, I never did stop, I wrote until the day I died." Clover answered.

"Could someone have been intercepting your letters?"

"Maybe." Clover let go of a dark chuckle. "It would end up being something as simple as that, wouldn't it?"

"You don't think it was?"

"Eh." Clover shrugs her shoulders. "He made his choice, and moved on. Even if he never stopped being in love with me it hardly matters, he was unable to be a key element in breaking the spell the moment he crossed that intimate line with the other woman, whoever she was."

"My brother is a twat."

"Preach!"

Klaus finally made himself known, playing the outraged chaperone. "Well, I hope you ladies had fun making me chase you around the city while you were out gallivanting!" He started pacing in front of them hands on his hips. "I was worried that-"

"You?" Clover giggles, side glancing at Rebekah.

"Worried?" The Original sister finished, with a sly smile. "You're so full of it Nik! I wanted to see the city, and Clover here happily obliged." She slung an arm around the witch next to her. "And, yes, we had a grand time, thank you for asking, brother."

"Can we leave now?" Clover mutters behind a yawn.

"Sure. Rebekah you go ahead, I'll grab this one." He says, scooping up Clover who in the past few moments has managed to nearly doze off on his sister's shoulder. Nik lays the young woman in the backseat, takes his jacket and hands it to her. She then promptly folds the it and places it under her head, making herself comfortable.

When the car begins to move, Clover is momentarily startled back to full consciousness. "Hey, Nik?" She whispers, tapping his shoulder.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"Thank you for playing along."

"I aim to please, now get some rest."

Clover wordlessly responds by flashing a thumbs up in the rear view mirror. Less than three minutes later she is motionless, slow steady heartbeat indicating to the two Original siblings that she is officially asleep.

Klaus and Rebekah sit in silence for most of the drive, listening to the low hums of the radio. They are not far from Gloria's when they hear Clover muttering what seemed like incoherent nonsense in her sleep. Suddenly an icy jolt flows through their veins, a momentary pressure creeps in to their skulls, and then clarity rolls in, dispersing the unknown fog that had been hiding a memory they didn't even realize had been lost.