Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Harry Potter

AN: Hi guys, I know that I've been gone for a while, but there's a reason for that. I'm on holidays at the moment and I've finally decided to take the plunge and try to write my own book. I've had this idea for a story for about two years now but I haven't had the time to dedicate to starting it, I mean really starting it, until now. So I'm completely focused on that right now. I will still be writing for this story, but not with the same frequency as before.

I'm really hoping to hear from everyone and see what they thought of this chapter, though. Hope you're all still with me and reading ;D

Gloria's head snapped up with surprise as a body suddenly came sailing through the air, crashing straight into the tables and chairs scattered around the bar.

"What the hel-?!"

"The doppelgänger is alive," Klaus growled lowly, cutting off her exclamation as he stalked into the bar, his face like thunder. "She survived."

"What are you talking about?" She gasped out, barely able to keep up as her eyes kept flicking over to the unconscious ripper splayed out across her dusty floor.

He was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her forearm and swinging her around to face him.

"The Petrova doppelgänger!" Klaus snarled, rage blazing from mesmerising blue-grey orbs. "She is still alive! That's why my hybrids failed!"

"W-wait!" Shaking free of his tight grasp, Gloria stumbled back, hands outstretched. "Just hold on a second, I have to wrap my head around th-"

"She's alive!" He roared, sweeping his arm out violently, he knocked all of the glasses she'd been cleaning off the counter and onto the floor. The glass shattering loudly on impact.

"Enough!" She screamed, her own temper flaring at the blatant destruction of her property. "Enough, Klaus!"

"I want to know," His voice was soft, deadly. "The doppelgänger being alive is obviously what is keeping me from making more hybrids, but I won't make a mistake with this. I want to know, Gloria. Does Elena have to die? Is it her death that is needed for my hybrids to work?!"

"I don't know!"

The desperate confession left her lips before she could stop herself and Gloria felt her face drain of colour as she watched the hybrid's handsome features slacken.

The hot fury in his eyes seemed to drain away in seconds, transforming into something much more terrifying.

Cold rage.

"…What do you mean you don't know?" The words were so soft, almost a whisper, yet they echoed through the suddenly silent bar with force.

"I-I just meant that I can't be sure, Klaus," She rushed to explain, stumbling over her words in her panic to somehow correct some of the damage her thoughtless, scared confession had wrought. "I told you before, I need Rebekah. She has what I need in order to contact the Original witch. Only by figuring out the specifics of the curse can I even hope to answer your question."

Blue-grey eyes pierced her, sweeping aside defence after defence as she tried desperately to mask her fear. Her lie.

She knew she was playing with fire. Seeking to deceive a man such as Klaus wasn't smart, Gloria knew that. But he was out of his mind if he actually thought that she would help him! Actually assist him in finding a way to make his abominations! She could barely stand to keep the disgust from her face in his presence, let alone be the mechanism he used to further his half-breed specifies! He was out of his mind!

But she hadn't lived as long as she had, become as powerful as she was, without learning a few tricks. And she recognised a priceless opportunity when she heard one.

The herbs and elixirs she used to slow her ageing wouldn't last forever, she'd already noticed the slightest weakening of her magic in the last five years. His arrival in her bar had changed everything. She'd recognised the power in his sister's necklace the first time they'd walked into her bar in the twenties. The waves of energy that surrounded the medallion had caught her immediate interest.

And in that moment, from that moment…she'd wanted its power for herself.

To possess the talisman of the Original witch…the magic that would be opened up to her!

"Once I have what I need, I can make contact with the witch that cursed you, Klaus," Gloria struggled to keep her voice steady, to inject the honesty she needed into her eyes. "I can find out everything you want to know."

Blue-grey orbs flashed over to the still unconscious Stefan, narrowing dangerously.

"…Fine."

The breath left her lungs in a rush, the sheer relief she felt hard to describe.

Gloria wasn't an idiot. She knew that she was beyond lucky that he hadn't caught her. And she knew that it was only the degree of rage and fury storming through him right now that had saved her. That had distracted him just enough to miss her lie.

But she had to act fast.

"Good," She breathed, straightening her shoulders. "So Rebekah is on her way?"

"She'll be here, Gloria," Klaus stated lowly, his tone short. "Get everything set up. I'll be beck soon." Turning to stalk out of the bar, the cloud of anger around him not diminished in the least with her reassurances, he suddenly paused, turning his neck to glance at her over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on Mr Salvatore for me, would you, Gloria?" The order in his words was absolute. "I'd hate to return and find he'd somehow given you the slip."

Swallowing, she blinked down at vampire laying across her floor, his neck bent at an awkward angle.

"…Of course."

Blue-grey flashed warningly. "See that you do."

"I have nothing to say to you," Rebekah spat furiously from her crouched position in the shadows.

"Would you knock it off!" Rei demanded heatedly. "I get it! You're angry and you're hurt to have spent the last ninety years in a box! But, guess what? I'm not to blame for that!"

"…Ninety years?" The soft, horrified echo made her swing round, her stomach dropping at the truly devastated look on the blonde's face.

Rei cringed. "Merlin, I did not mean to blurt it out like that," She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"It's been ninety years?"

Breathing out loudly, she nodded. Withholding the truth now certainly wasn't going to help anyone.

"My brother kept me daggered for ninety years?!" Rebekah suddenly screamed, her arm sweeping out in a violent motion, pulverising the probably priceless artefacts that lay scattered around her.

"…Well, this is awkward," Rei whistled, rocking back and forth on her heels as she avoided the Originals' furious eyes. "You know what?" Clapping her hands together, giving no mind to the snarling growl that Rebekah shot her way, Rei pasted a bright smile on her face. "I know what will make you feel better-"

"Ripping your heart from your chest?" Rebekah interrupted, lips twisted in a vicious grin.

"Shopping," Rei stated, ignoring the blonde's threat easily. "I mean, I'll be doing the shopping, obviously, now that your nifty little day-light ring is in pieces, but I've got great taste in clothes." Letting her eyes dance over the Originals' figure, mentally noting her dimensions and probable size, she grimaced. "After all, the fashions have changed quite a bit since you were last out and about, and you simply aren't going to get away with walking the streets in…that."

The hateful look in Rebekah's cornflower blue eyes suddenly flared, becoming truly murderous.

"You think you can just walk out of here after you destroyed the only thing that allows me to walk in the sun?!" Venom dripped from her words. "I don't know what game you're playing with this so called 'innocent' act, but I don't buy it for a second!"

Rolling her eyes, Rei walked backwards towards the open door. "Don't be so paranoid," She tsked disapprovingly. "Your brother should be back soon, you can moan to him about how terrible I am. I'm sure he'll have nothing but agreement for you. But, while you're doing that, just know that I am all over your pressing need for modern clothes. Alright?" She chirped cheerfully, patting her pocket to make sure she still had her bank card on her.

"Don't you dare leave me here alone-!" Rebekah growled, instinctively moving forward to stop her, only to flinch back with a hiss of pain when the sun's rays burned her exposed skin.

"You'll be fine!" Rei called over her shoulder, giving her a small wave before stepping past the destroyed metal door and out into the bright sunlight.

Smiling, she walked briskly down the street, turning at the first corner she came to.

"Excuse me!" Deliberately stepping into the path of the middle-aged woman walking against her, Rei grinned charmingly. "You wouldn't happen to know the direction of the nearest clothing stores, would you?"

"It's, er," Looking back behind her, the grey-haired lady suddenly ducked her head, laughing to herself. "It's about a thirty minute walk down this road. You do know that you're in the industrial part of the city?" She teased.

"Yeah," Brushing black curls over her shoulder, Rei shrugged sheepishly. "I sort of got lost."

"Just walk that way until you start seeing mannequins in shop-windows, then you'll know that you're in the right place."

...

Gliding down the busy Chicago streets, hands balled into white-knuckled fists at his sides, Klaus tried to swallow back the lethal rage swirling inside of him, determined to push it aside.

He didn't need this.

Not now.

Not when he was about to come face to face with his volatile sister for the first time in ninety years.

A rumbling growl suddenly clawed its way up through his chest, startling the young man keeping pace beside him. And, suddenly, it didn't matter.

Blue-grey orbs flashed gold, sharp fangs descending from his gums with deadly intent as the dangerous rage of his two halves expanded and then broke at exactly the same moment, overcoming his reason.

Surrounded by humans on all sides, the noonday sun beating down on them, it didn't matter that it wasn't the time, nor the place to deal with his anger; all that mattered was quenching his thirst.

Snarling, he grabbed the startled man walking beside him, blurring into the darkened alley just off the side of the street he was storming down. Nothing but a sudden gust of wind remained of their two figures, the rushed pedestrians far too involved with their own lives, their own problems, to give even a seconds thought to the suddenly absent young men.

Klaus threw the human against the brick wall, smothering his cries with an iron hand over his mouth. Dark veins pulsing beneath his eyes, he forced the man's head to turn, exposing his neck.

He didn't hesitate.

Glistening white fangs sank deeply into the human's vulnerable throat, piercing the carotid.

Blood exploded over his senses, leashing the overwhelming rage that pounded at his temples. The more he drank, the easier it was to push his anger aside. The more reason returned to him.

The weakening heartbeat of his meal suddenly stuttered before abruptly stopping.

Klaus drew back.

Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, the body sliding to the alley floor, he slowly raised a hand to wipe the excess blood from his lips.

"Sorry, mate," He murmured to the corpse at his feet. "Wrong place, wrong time."

Turning on his heel, body much more relaxed, Klaus exited the alley and slid fluidly into the crowd, resuming his path towards the warehouse.

...

"Damon!" Alaric shouted, throwing the heavy door closed behind him. "Damon! Get down here!"

Hand clutching the letter he'd found, as if loosening his grip might somehow erase the information it contained, Rick rushed into the cavernous library, hoping to find the dark-haired vampire there, sipping bourbon.

"Damn it!" He cursed, seeing the empty room. "Damon!" Rick called urgently. "The one time I need him, and the prick's nowhere to be found!" Spinning around on his boot; prepared to launch himself up the stairs in his determination to locate the elder Salvatore, he suddenly stumbled back with shock.

"Alright there, Rick?" Damon smirked, ice-blue eyes glinting with sadistic humour.

Glowering, knowing without having to ask that the vampire had deliberately not said anything but waited until he swung around to exit the room to see him standing there, Rick shook himself.

"Here!" Holding out the letter, he shook the parchment loudly when all Damon did was raise an eyebrow and cross his arms. "Take it!"

Rolling his eyes, the elder Salvatore ripped the paper from his hands, clearly only humouring him.

"Seriously, Rick, if you're so starved for my company you needn't bother conjuring a reaso…" His teasing words quickly trailed off as ice-blue darted across the page, reading the words scattered across the parchment. "…What is this?" He demanded.

Running an anxious hand through his hair, Alaric breathed in deeply, trying unsuccessfully to steady his heart. He'd driven straight over here, breaking every speed limit between Rei's place and the Boarding House, his mind flying with revelations and panic.

"I found it in Rei's bedroom-"

"What were you doing in Rei's bedroom?" Damon immediately cut him off, voice sharp.

Brown eyes blinked. "…What does that matter?!" He yelled, pointing at the letter the vampire was holding in his hands. "This is why Klaus took Rei, Damon! She was a witch! Is a witch, I mean." When the vampire said nothing, his eyes merely dropping back to letter he was holding tightly in two hands, he breathed out angrily. "Damon! This is big! I mean, it was always in the back of my mind, the question of why Klaus would bother to take Rei with him when he left, but now we know!"

"Sure," Damon barked out a laugh. "Now, we know. And how the hell is this important, Rick? So we know for sure that Rei has skills that Klaus could use, that's not going to get her back."

"It helps to have all of the information, Damon!" Alaric glared, bewildered that the vampire was taking this so calmly. This was a huge deal! "Anything that helps us understand Klaus' motivations helps us get into his head. And anything that helps us get into his head has the potential of helping us find them!"

Ice-blue orbs regarded him in silence for a long moment before finally looking away.

Damon sighed heavily. "I won't help, Rick," He admitted weakly.

"What are you talking about? Of course, knowing everything that we possibly can will help. I mean, I'm a little ticked off that Rei never told me, but that doesn't matter right now-"

"No," Damon cut him off sharply. "I mean, it won't help because I already knew."

I already knew…

The words seemed to echoed through the suddenly quiet room.

"…What?"

"It's a long story, Rick, but suffice it to say, there's nothing about Rei having magic that is helping us track them. If she's doing magic, Klaus is keeping it on the down-low because there are zero rumours out there of a witch travelling with vampires."

"No," Holding up a hand, Alaric breathed out through a weak laugh. "Not that…You knew? You knew Rei had magic?"

"Yeah," Damon shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "It's not that big a deal."

Shaking his head, Rick forcefully pushed aside the hurt that rose in him at the realisation that Rei trusted Damon with her secret, but not him. "Fine," He shrugged, his tone unconvincing if the sympathetic look Damon shot his way was anything to go by. Tilting his chin towards the letter the vampire was still holding at his side, he cleared his throat. "Then maybe you could explain a couple of things that I read in that letter, because they made absolutely no sense to me."

"What are talking about?" Damon frowned.

"Well, for one, this 'Ron' guy was talking about Rei fixing her magic. About how she moved here to be in a magic-free environment," He glared at the letter. "Now, I don't know about you, but considering just how magical this town can be, especially in the last year, I would consider Mystic Falls the least magic-free town on the planet."

"It said that?" Damon scoffed, lifting the page up to his eyes to read beyond the first few words he had when Alaric had originally given it to him. "…Owl? What the hell?!" Grabbing the letter more securely, his brow drawing down, Damon read the words quickly, his eyes becoming more and more wide as he continued reading. "What the hell is this?!" He demanded, scowling. "Half the things in here don't make sense!"

Watching Damon's reaction to the letter, witnessing his disbelieving shock, a trickle of relief started bubbling up inside of him.

The more of the letter Rick had read, the deeper his confusion had become. Nothing that this 'Ron' guy had written resonated with what he knew of the supernatural world, and he liked to think of himself as being remarkably well-informed for an ordinary human being.

"That's what I thought," He said gruffly, leaning back against the couch as he watched Damon's frustration grow as he continued to read, ice-blue eyes furious.

"…Thought about what?" A small, feminine voice asked from the top of the stairs, attracting both men's immediate attention.

"Elena…"

Twisting her body, Rebekah suddenly let out a soft hiss as a ray of sun caught the skin of her exposed calf, burning her.

"Bitch," She breathed heavily, trailing a finger over the already healed skin.

Cornflower blue eyes darted towards the shattered remains of her daylight ring, the blue lapis stone cracked in two against the grey concrete. Without permission, she felt the tell-tale prick of tears before water blurred the image of the destroyed jewellery.

She'd never taken it off. Not once in a thousand years. Not since her mother had discovered a method for her newly turned children to walk in the sun again.

…It was one of the only things that she'd managed to hold onto all these years.

And now it was in pieces.

Destroyed at the whim of a thoughtless witch.

Biting her lip against the dual mix of anger and horrible hurt in her heart, Rebekah forced the tears back, bringing her hand up to her throat to clutch at her mother's necklace for comfort.

Gently searching fingers found nothing but warm skin, freezing Rebekah where she sat.

Eyes wide with horror, she glanced down at her chest, her hand now feeling around her neck with panicked urgency.

"No…" Standing, she fixed her gaze on the open coffin laying in the centre of the warehouse, drenched in sunlight.

Maybe it just fell off while she'd slept? The hopeful thought came quickly, making her shift on her small, dancing heels. Desperate to close the space to check, but she couldn't.

Before her panic or distress could rise to a point that she simply didn't care how much damage the sun would do to her, clear, confident footsteps from outside caught her immediate attention.

Cornflower blue eyes snapped towards the destroyed exit, narrowing with fury.

The steps outside paused, having obviously caught sight of the bent metal door, before the sound of displaced air filled the warehouse.

Rebekah hissed as her half-brother's familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of her, the impatient worry in blue-grey orbs suddenly pushed aside as a flicker of honest affection darted across his face.

"Nik," She breathed, hands fisting at her sides.

"Bekah," The soft sound of her pet name did nothing to cool the inferno rising inside of her.

Without looking, her body moving with all the grace and speed her Original vampire status afforded her, Rebekah bent down to scoop up the edge of a terracotta pot she'd broken in her earlier scuffle with the witch. Acting fast, she launched the orange shard from her hand, watching as it sank deeply into her brother's chest with satisfaction.

The grunt of pain that left his lips was like music to her ears, provoking a vicious grin.

"I see your temper hasn't changed, Rebekah," Klaus snarled, ripping the deeply imbedded terracotta from his chest. "However, I realise that you have a right to be angry with me, so I'm going to let that go. Just this once," He warned.

"You had no right to dagger me!" She screamed, making no effort to try to control her fury, letting it fly free. "Ninety years, Nik! Ninety years!" The tears ran down her pale cheeks unencumbered.

An unexpected flash of regret passed through her brother's eyes, making her pause, but all he did was shake his head.

"What are doing hiding in the shadows?" He asked instead, his tone clipped as he returned to business.

Beyond frustrated, feeling like she was hitting her head against a brick wall, she threw him a lethal glare. "Your witch somehow shattered my daylight ring," She growled, looking directly at the remains of the jewellery behind him.

Frowning, he turned quickly to look at the space she had indicated to, eyes widening with surprise before darting over to the empty foldout table on the other side of the warehouse.

"Rei…"

Whirling around, Rebekah blinked with surprise as her big brother swiftly closed the space separating them, tugging off a similar blue lapis ring from his own finger.

"Here," Holding the jewellery out to her, cornflower blue eyes darted up to pierce her handsome half-sibling with shock.

"W-what?"

"Take it, Rebekah."

"B-but that's your-mother made that ring for you," She struggled to get out, the generousity of such a gesture flummoxing her.

"I broke the curse, sister. I have no need for such tools anymore. I can walk in the sun without it."

Shock paralysed her for but a moment before she took the offered jewellery with trembling hands, sliding the large band around her thumb.

She knew how much this ring meant to her brother. Despite the dark memories from their human years, the betrayal that had forever tainted the memory of their mother in Nik's eyes, he had never sought to replace the ring. Never asked or forced another witch to provide him with another piece of daylight jewellery.

"Now, what happened here? Where's Rei?" Klaus asked shortly, impatience and…something else blazing brightly in his eyes.

"Is that her name?" Rebekah sneered, twisting the borrowed ring around her thumb thoughtfully.

She knew the gesture didn't in any way make up for what her brother had done to her, locking her away in a coffin for ninety years, but she knew Niklaus. Giving her his ring, when it meant as much to him as hers did to her, despite what he said, Rebekah couldn't help feeling her heart soften.

Did he always have to be so contrary?!

"The witch took umbridge at my plan to make a meal out of her," She waved her hand. "You'd think being in your company would have cured her of any romantic expectations of safety."

Instead of amusement, or even appreciation, as she'd expected, Niklaus' lips thinned, his eyes glancing towards the door as if replaying in his mind what had happened.

"Damn," He murmured, running his hands angrily through his hair. "So she left?"

"After destroying the ring mother made me!" Rebekah shot back, confused by the sense of urgency that seemed to be surrounding her brother like a cloak. "Is something wrong, Nik?"

Blue-grey eyes snapped down, locking with hers.

"…I'll explain later," He finally said, glaring at the bent door blocking the entrance. "While I understand your anger at me, Rebekah, your actions have unfortunately cost dearly." A humourless grin spread across Klaus's lips, the anger that had been pushed aside at her appearance returning with a vengeance. "While you were busy reawakening, I discovered some information that my travelling companions have been keeping from me. And you," His jaw clenched tightly, "gave Rei the perfect opportunity to slip away."

How dare he?!

"Don't you dare try to lay blame on me, Nik!" Storming forward, she went to press her index finger against his chest only for a lightning quick hand to stop her. A slow, twisted smile pulled at Rebekah's lips. "You really have broken the curse, haven't you?" She said bitterly, ripped her hand from his tight grasp; the added strength behind his actions evidence enough of his success. "While I and the rest of our siblings lay forgotten in boxes, Niklaus finally achieved what he's wanted to for over a millennium."

Her brother's eyes thinned before abruptly dropping to her neck, blue-grey widening with shock. "Where is your necklace?" The tone of his voice was low, soft, but she didn't hear it.

The reminder of what she had lost was the only thing on her mind and Rebekah was beside her empty coffin within a blink of an eye, ripping the satin lining apart in her desperation to find the missing necklace.

"It's not here," She whispered to herself, chest heaving. "It's not here Nik!"

Strong hands grasped her arms, spinning her around.

"You lost it?!" The look in familiar blue-grey orbs was mind-boggling. Intense. "Rebekah! Think!" He shook her. "Where could it be?!"

"I-it must have slipped off when we were escaping the bar, it must have!"

Blue-grey orbs blazed with untold fury; bitter frustration only making the loss in his eyes worse.

"Stay here," Klaus growled, turning his back on her.

"Where are you going?!" Rebekah called.

"Where do you think, sister?" Whirling around, her brother spread his arms wide, a mocking half-grin pulling up the left side of his mouth. "I'm off to clean up your mess, as per usual."

A threatening growl rumbled through her chest. "This isn't my fault, Nik!"

"Really? So, it was someone else who threatened Rei? Provided her with the first real opportunity to do whatever the hell she wants in weeks?"

The mention of the witch threw her, not having expected it. They were discussing her necklace! Their mother's necklace! Why was he bringing up the raven-haired girl?! Again!

"What do you care about some random witch?!" Rebekah screamed, glaring heatedly at her brother. "You left her here, alone, knowing that I was going to wake up. Knowing that I was going to be mad. And what? You're upset with me because I tried to take a bite out of the conveniently well placed human?! Grow up, Nik!"

The coldness of the look he shot her way at that moment actually froze the angry words in her throat.

"I left the random witch, as you call her, here in the warehouse, because I knew that Rei could look after herself. What I never expected was for a seventeen year old girl to outsmart and outmanoeuvre my own sister to the extent that she just turned around and walked right out of here, unencumbered."

"She threw me into the scaffolding, Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed, throwing her arm behind her in mimicry of the action. "This is your fault, not mine! I didn't know she was a witch, I didn't know that it was so god-damn all-important to keep her here, and I sure a hell didn't care at the time what you wanted!"

"Which is why, dear sister," He smirked darkly, no humour in the expression. "You're staying here."

Rebekah glared furiously at her brother's quickly disappearing figure, hating how small he'd made her feel, how foolish. "I don't know why it's so important that you find her right this bloody second, Niklaus!" She cried loudly. "We have more important issues to resolve! We need to find my necklace!" But he didn't stop moving, giving no indication that he'd heard her. "For god's sake, Nik! All she said was that she was going shopping to buy me appropriate modern clothing!…Why do you care so much?!"

Stopping at the bent metal door, blue-grey threw her a warning look. "I don't care, Rebekah. You should know that better than most."

"Then why are you practically running out of here in your haste to find her?" She demanded. "At first I thought that she was your most recent lover, what with how ridiculously confident she acted around me, but from what I could gather, the girl isn't exactly what you'd call your greatest fan."

In a blur of enhanced speed, Klaus turned fully to face her, his eyes lit with unfathomable emotion.

"Do me a favour, Rebekah," He said lowly. "Use this time to sift through some, if not all, of the mess that you and Rei made during your earlier squabble and see if you can locate mother's necklace. That would be helpful."

Fire blazing from cornflower blue orbs, Rebekah screamed with fury as her brother ducked out of the warehouse, face like stone. Not even caring what she might damage, she kicked the huge wooden box standing beside her with force, revelling in the loud destructive crash that echoed through the air.

"Damn him!"

"Do you have this in blue?" Rei asked, looking pointedly at the blushing male shop assistant.

"A-are you sure?" He stuttered nervously. At her confused look, he seemed to shake off some of his awkwardness and flashed her sheepish smile. "I just meant that I can't imagine you looking better in anything but the green."

"Oh," Breathing out through a laugh, Rei quickly smothered the amused smirk that was pulling at her lips, knowing that it would only embarrass the guy. "It's for someone else," She explained.

Scratching the back of his head, the good-looking, twenty-something-year-old nodded. "Right. That makes sense."

Unable to quell the urge to tease him, Rei raised a single, serious eyebrow. "How so?"

Looking very much like a deer caught in headlights, he stumbled over his words. "Well, your eyes, they're-" He went to raise a finger to her face, only to flush and quickly pull his arm back down to his side. "Er, see-"

"…I believe what the young man is attempting to say, is that choosing to wear a colour other than green, when you have such uniquely remarkable eyes, would be an awful waste, sweetheart."

Rei's spine stiffened.

"Why don't you wrap up the blue dress for us, mate?" The voice that filled the stunned hush was cool, cultured and dark.

"Um, yeah, sure," The male shop assistant stuttered, leaving quickly.

She turned slowly.

Leaning against the closest marble column in the boutique, arms folded, pristine white shirt rolled up to his elbows, the undeniably handsome man might have looked dishevelled if it weren't for the innate elegance that seemed to wrap around him like a cloak.

"You're lucky that I had such an easy time finding you, love," He murmured, keeping his voice low.

"I wasn't trying to hide," Her tone was sharp, quick.

"Evidently."

Ankles that had been crossed at an angle suddenly uncurled, pushing off from the column.

"I came across the most interesting piece of information today, Rei." He walked slowly towards her, face carefully blank. "Apparently, the doppelgänger survived the ritual."

Niklaus stopped barely three inches from her face, eyes like stone.

"And you knew."

I haven't lost everyone, have I?

p.s I was wondering if there were some American readers out there that may be able to help me? In Australia, when you go to a cafe or restaurant, and you get the bill, you pay the amount owed. Sometimes, you leave a tip, but only if you thought the food was especially good, or the service excellent-basically, you really only ever tip when there was a positive experience you want to award. And then, in a cafe where the bill might come up to $28, a $3 tip is perfectly acceptable because people consider it a bonus on top of the expected. In a restaurant, if you want to leave a tip, convention says it probably shouldn't be less than 10%.

Now, my question is: I'm looking at constructing an American character but having no idea how the tipping thing works in the US. The best sorts of ideas I have are based on shows like friends and Big Bang theory. And they seem to tip everything! Seriously, is it even possible to go anywhere if you have to tip everyone for everything like they seem to do?

Can anyone explain it to me? Please? I'm so lost.