AN: listen ignore the fact that this chapter does not really stick to the show in terms of the flashback, I didn't feel like religiously following the wiki

Klaus and Tessa were left sitting in the room, in a not uncomfortable silence. Or at least it was until she realized that Klaus was staring at her.

"What?" She snapped, glaring at him. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Nothing." There was still a look on his face and Tessa stared him down. He huffed and resettled in his chair. "Fine. I was wondering what you were doing down in the south Tess."

"Oh." She ran a hand through her long hair, fingers getting stuck in a snarl."I was just waiting. I had no one to stay with, you were annoying the hell out of me, Elijah acts too much like my parent and Rebekah and Kol were daggered."

"You were annoyed with me?" Klaus stood, his blue eyes fixing on her. His mouth had changed to a hard line.

"Yes, you weren't any fun anymore. Everything was focused on your damn doppelganger." That would be the thing he was most interested in. Tessa could have sworn that she saw a flash of yellow in his eyes.

"That doppelganger was the key to everything." He rose out of his chair, pacing in the small room. This wasn't the first time they had had this argument.

"For you." Tessa shrugged. "You're my friend Niklaus and have been for a thousand years but most that time has been spent on your problems and needs. I was annoyed with you and wanted some time to spend on myself. It isn't a crime."

"Are you calling me selfish?" His voice dipped low, went darker. It made Tessa pause. This was a different Nik than she had ever encountered. It must be the wolf in him.

"At times yes but no more so than the rest of us. Your problems just happened to be bigger." Grey met blue as Tessa stared him down. "Much bigger."

"My problems are not over, does this mean that you're leaving?" At that she threw her hands in the air.

"Does it look like I'm leaving? I'm sitting here, waiting for your witch aren't I? Or has your change done you more harm than good?" Her smart tongue wasn't helping her any but she was fed up. This conversation was bordering on ridiculous. The wolf temper was showing itself in full force.

Luckily Klaus only made a noise and returned to his chair.

The scent of humans was becoming almost overpowering. It had been a scant four hundred years since her transition and Tessa still hadn't adjusted completely to all of her overpowered senses. A woman in a long silk dress brushed against her and Tessa could her her heart thumping in her chest. It had been a bad idea to attend this ball without feeding first. Kol came from the shadows and rested his hand on her arm.

"Calm my darling Tessie. You needn't look so unhappy." His dark hair was falling into his eyes and he brushed it away, revealing a spot of blood on his thumb. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"This whole event is ridiculous." She growled. "I thought we were meant to be finding the doppelganger." All of the humans surrounding her had the wrong face, a face that she hated.

"Apparently they have found her." Kol tutted at her, his finger brushing her nose in a condescending manner. Tessa glared at him, biting at the finger.

"How come we don't have her chained in the basement?" Her grey eyes narrowed. This wasn't very common of Klaus who rarely left anything up to chance.

"Now that Tessie is something that I don't know." Kol turned back to the crowd of humans. "Hopefully this means that we will all be rid of Nik's foul mood." Tessa looped her arm more fully through Kol's. He looked down at her, surprised.

"Why don't we go find out?" His answering smile was more than enough for her.

The two made their way through the crowd, pushing past nobles and other important citizens. There was only one thing that she was focused on though. That damn doppelganger. Finally the right face had appeared next to one of Klaus' lackeys.

"Tatia." She whispered, jaw dropping slightly. Next to her, Kol had come to a stop also. "That is uncanny."

"It's magic. It's my mother's magic." Kol responded, fingers tightening on his arm.

"She still walks amongst us four hundred years later." She was unsure who she was talking about, Tatia or Esther. Over the hum of voices, Tessa heard the introduction of the human accompanied by the thump of her heart beat.

"Katerina Petrova." The human extended her hand and Klaus lifted it to his lips.

"A pleasure." He purred and a blush bloomed across her cheeks.

"Katerina." The blonde rolled her name around in her mouth. Somehow it felt the same as Tatia, she didn't know if it was the face.

"Do you think history shall repeat itself again?" Kol was staring at Elijah whose glance was lingering too long on the human.

"I guess we shall see." And with those vague words, Tessa led Kol over to the small group.

"I don't believe you've met my brother, Kol." Klaus waved a hand at his brother but his gaze was trained on Tessa. She smiled back at him, keeping it there even as his eyes drifted down to Kol's arm looped through hers.

"This is the Lady Tessa, my wife." Kol interjected and Tessa froze. Kol's sense of humor was, at the worst, dangerous. She knew that this was his attempt to poke the bear that was Klaus. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she dipped in greeting at the doppelganger. There would be plenty of time to exact her revenge against Kol.

"Lord and Lady," The words sounded slightly biting,"This is Katerina Petrova, she will be our honored guest for the next few weeks." The night could only continue to get worst. She would have to live with this dreadful human. The only positive would be that she could share her annoyance with Rebekah.

"How delightful." She sent another smile at the human though she wanted to bare her fangs. Kol seemed to sense her discomfort and excused them from the conversation.

The silence was finally broken by the ringing of Klaus's phone.

"Yes?" Klaus spat, obviously his poor mood hadn't dissipated during the wait.

"You could drop the attitude." Rebekah's voice filtered through the phone and Klaus let out a huff. "I have important news. Stefan has come back to the warehouse."

"That's not good." Tessa murmured, standing from her seat. Klaus did the same, sending her a look that said he agreed with her.

"I suppose we should go see what our friend is up to."

The two decided just to walk down the warehouse as it was only a few blocks away.

"I know that Stefan is both of our friends but we aren't his priority. Whatever you took him away from is." Tessa said, catching Klaus's arm.

"Don't you think I know that? I killed the girl he loves. I'm not on the Christmas card list." At that she had to crack a smile.

"I don't know if we are on any Christmas card lists." The previous foul mood disappeared. "There aren't many friends we have left and definitely none that send cards."

"It's hard to keep friendships when you're part of the Mikaelson family." And with that, they arrived at the front of the warehouse.

Voices carried through the warehouse and they headed towards them, Rebekah's high voice clear.

"Something's not right Nik, he mentioned Mikael." That was all it took before Klaus descended on Stefan and snapped his neck. Even the mention of Mikael had frozen Tessa in her steps. It brought back a flood of memories that she didn't want to relive. Rebekah grabbed her hand, sharing her fears.

"How does Stefan know about Mikael? He's gone." There was some shaking in her voice and Tessa strengthened her resolve.

"Something isn't right. Stefan's brother came to me all the way from Mystic Falls, wanted to replace him. I think it's time to take a road trip. Tessa, I need a moving truck." With a nod, Tessa pulled out her phone.

Sitting within the cab of the moving truck, the three vampires sat in silence.

"What on earth is going on Nik? You wouldn't undagger me without some sort of drama." Rebekah, who sat in the back, crossed her arms. Tessa decided to keep her mouth shut and stay out of the family drama.

"You already know about finally completely the ritual. I want to create more of me, more hybrids." Klaus's fingers drummed against the steering wheel, eyes staring straight out the windshield. He didn't even twitch when Rebekah began to splutter in the back.

"You really think you can create more hybrids? Even more oddities of nature?" Rebekah jabbed and he growled at her. The barb had no real venom though.

"It's possible." Tessa said, turning to face the two. "You just have to subject werewolves to the same thing that Nik went through."

"And where are these hybrids?" Rebekah asked, brow furrowing.

"It hasn't worked." Klaus explained. "I'm missing something and I can't figure out what. Gloria was supposed to help us but I'm convinced that she is useless."

"So why are we heading to Mystic Falls then? Do we truly believe that your mystery ingredient is there?" The blonde leaned forward, filling the space between the seats.

"I don't know. Either way, I want to find out why on earth Stefan is acting so strange." The drumming resumed, revealing the stress that Klaus was hiding.

"I've said it before. It's been almost one hundred years since his time with you two. We were never close enough." Tessa paused, biting her lip. "It must be something with his brother or that girl he loved."

"Why do you say that?" Klaus asked, taking his eyes of the road.

"Those are the two things that he values. It's the only reason he would be sneaking around behind our back." Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror but was met with nothing but the trailer behind the truck.

"Well I guess we'll find out." Rebekah piped up and all eyes went to the 'Entering Mystic Falls' sign.

AN again: Almost 1800 words not bad considering writers block is a bitch. Quick question, how do we feel about flashback chapters? Personally I love writing them even if it doesn't fit in the episode but I want to know your opinion.