I hope this version of the story is somewhat intriguing. I'm not the best at creating drama and suspense. I will try my best!
For the rest of Rowan's high school career, she spent every full moon, with Sheila, at the SWH. They would connect with the witches and charge their moonstones. The younger witch had debated telling Bennett the truth but decided against it. The woman had a lot of prejudice against vampires and still held the idealistic theory, of maintaining balance. Rowan remained alone on her quest.
After Rowan's graduation, she got into contact with Elijah and requested a private conversation with Klaus. Suits decided to give her his brother's number; as it so happened, that Niklaus wasn't with him, at the time of her phone call. So Rowan ended up contacting the hybrid directly. She had become more brave and confident over time but she still maintained the fear of being caught too soon. Rowan sent Klaus a message first, introducing herself.
'Dear Mr Mikaelson, I am Someone. Your brother Elijah has given me your phone number; so that I can have a private chat with you.' She wrote and waited for a response. It took five minutes for him to call her. She cleared her throat and prepared the voice changer.
"Mr Mikaelson," she greeted, monotonously.
"So, you're Someone. I must thank you for uniting my family and sending my brother to retrieve such a wonderful gift, for me," responded the hybrid. His tone was unfriendly and he was clearly agitated with her. Perhaps due to his lack of knowledge of her identity.
"There is no need to thank me Mr Mikaelson, I do what I'm told," she replied.
"Who gives you, your orders then?" asked Klaus.
"I am not at liberty to say. May I say my piece now?" she said, hoping to end the conversation quickly.
"Very well," he replied.
"The truth of the past must be revealed. Lies are poison Mr Mikaelson. Your family must be honest with each other." Rowan had known that the truth always came at the most inopportune time. The only way to avoid the consequences was to admit the truth yourself. Klaus had stopped speaking, likely surprised and disagreeing with the advice. So the witch pushed a little harder. "I offer nothing but advice and information. You may ignore them but heed my words, the truth always comes out and it is always better to admit it yourself." She ended the call after that and turned off her phone. She had no idea if the hybrid would go through with it but she gave it her all.
A month before Rowan headed to college, she sat her parents down. "I know I'm adopted," she said and Miranda burst into tears.
"How long have you known?" asked Grayson.
"Since I found out I was a witch," admitted the daughter. The parents gasped and Miranda went to hug her daughter.
"Oh, sweetheart, you've kept it all in? This whole time?" she asked the teen.
"I wasn't ready to hear the truth and honestly, it made no difference to me. You're still my parents, no matter what," said Rowan. The parents told her the entire story. She was Elena's half-sister. Isobel got pregnant at 15, by a one-night stand. She kept the baby and wished to raise it. Her parents weren't supportive but they didn't disown her.
As Fate would have it, Isobel got pregnant again at 17, this time by her long-time boyfriend, John. Elena was born just two weeks after Rowan's second birthday. Grayson was the doctor, he and Miranda offered to adopt the baby. Isobel and John weren't ready for a child, while the other couple was desperate for one. John and Isobel agreed, on the condition that Rowan joins her sister. Miranda and Grayson were ecstatic to have two daughters after craving a child for years.
Rowan listened intently, she thanked her parents for their decision and suggested they reveal the truth to Elena and Jeremy soon. Because it was better for them, to hear it from the parents rather than someone else. Grayson and Miranda said they'd think about it. It didn't give Rowan much hope but she was going to keep pestering them about it. One more thing on her mind now was her father's identity. She clearly got the witch powers from him. For now, she decided to focus on her current tasks.
The minute Rowan got settled into her dorm she went looking for Gloria's bar. She had applied to different universities but her main choice was Chicago University. The witch wished to be taught by Gloria. In the show, the bar owner was powerful and old. She had knowledge that Rowan craved. It took the teen days to find the bar. When she found it she headed inside and asked for a job.
She shook Gloria's hand and both witches gasped. The power surge Rowan got from the older was incredible. Gloria was truly powerful. The two smiled knowingly at each other and Rowan received the job on the spot. They started chatting and getting to know each other, while Rowan was trained. It was a very quick friendship. Gloria even agreed to train Rowan in magic, during their free time.
The teen maintained the facade of a cheerful and naive girl. She would ask Gloria about her adventures and what she experienced over the decades. The bar owner, for her part, was surprisingly friendly and open. She told Rowan about the Originals, almost immediately. She warned the younger on getting involved with them. Rowan agreed to stay far away, as long as possible. According to Gloria, it was inevitable that Rowan would meet then. They were always on the hunt for the best witches.
For months, the routine of going to college, then heading to work at the bar and receiving tutelage on magic, was constant. Gloria had allowed the younger witch, access to her lavish library. The place had books from Grimoires, to ones on herbs, stones, potions, history and languages. It was the perfect research plain for a witch. Rowan burrowed books as often as possible and devoured their content.
The young witch had also asked Gloria for a good spiritual site. The woman suggested a burial site, not too far from the college campus. Rowan went there and introduced herself and just as with the SW, she was welcomed with open arms. The young witch went there every month and continued her ritual of energising the moonstone. She was very happy and excited about her new lessons.
Unfortunately, her happiness didn't last, as she knew what was coming. It was already April. Meaning Grayson and Miranda were gonna die soon, or at least they were supposed to. Rowan had come up with a plan to try and prevent their death. However, there was no guarantee of it succeeding. She knew it could mess with the timeline and she had no clue if she could actually save anyone, who was meant to die. Despite that, Rowan wished to try and save as many as she could.
When the week of the incident arrived, she felt anxious and sick. Rowan spent the nights thinking and rethinking. It got very overwhelming and on the day of the party, her whole body was on edge. Around 08:00 pm she called Miranda. The mother had just gotten off the phone with Elena and explained to Rowan that they were heading to pick her sister up.
"No, don't do that! She isn't a child mum. If she doesn't want to be at that party she can find a way back. She can either get a cab or get a ride," Rowan rambled desperately. "You can't pamper her forever," she continued. To her surprise, it worked. They accepted it and Miranda said they'd call Elena. Sure enough, a few minutes later the doppelganger called.
"What the hell? I had to get a cab because of you!" She yelled through the phone. Rowan smiled with tears in my eyes.
"I'm sorry Ellie. You can't depend on them forever," she replied, her voice shaking.
"R-Row, are you okay?" Elena asked with concern.
"Yeah I'm sorry, I just miss you all so much. I can't wait to come home for the summer," responded Rowan. Elena felt bad and told her sister how much she missed her too. That they'll go to the Lake House during the summer and it will be like Rowan never left. When they hung up the phone, the witch laid on her bed and sighed in relief.
That was until a terrifying thought occurred to her. What if Elena still gets into a car accident and gets thrown off the bridge? What if Stefan couldn't save her? At the thought, the older sibling dialled again. To her horror, the phone wasn't in service. The witch paced her room and continued to dial. Half an hour later she received a call from Grayson, "Rowan, come home quickly please!"
"Dad? What happened?" Rowan asked, feeling scared.
"It's Elena baby, she got into an accident but she's okay so don't worry," he explained. Rowan dropped to the floor in relief. She changed quickly and made her way to Mystic Falls. She drove for two days, calling and getting updates. Thankfully Elena was perfectly fine. In fact, the car only skidded and crashed into the side of the bridge. Neither the driver nor she was too injured. Apparently, someone reported it but they were never found. Which meant Stefan had found them. Everything was in motion now.
Rowan arrived early the next morning and went straight home. She had bought flowers and chocolates for Elena. She went to her sister's room and hugged her tightly. Yes, they weren't close but they still loved and cared for each other, Rowan felt especially responsible for her sister. The witch was extremely happy and decided to stay for a couple of days. Not only to check on her sister but this was an ample opportunity to meet the Ripper.
In the last two years, Rowan had experimented with her magic and cast two permanent spells on herself. One was for fast regeneration of the cells, accelerating her healing. The other was unique; it helped her detect supernaturals nearby, she was also able to sense where and what they were. During her stay back home, she knew Stefan was observing them.
A day before her departure back to Chicago, she used the time to meet him privately. He was observing them as they had their lunch. When they were done, Rowan excused herself and headed to the house's back garden, which was attached to the nearby woods.
"I know you're there, please come out. It's quite creepy to be stalking my sister," she called loudly. She hoped it would be enough to get his attention and luckily it was. He appeared right behind her like some cliche TV drama. Rowan smile intently and turned to face him. She pretended to be surprised by his presence. "Stefan Salvatore?" She asked. The Ripper backed off a little.
"How do you know who I am?" He asked. His expression was of intrigue and anxiousness.
"Please, don't freak out. I work for Gloria, she showed me your picture," explained Rowan. Stefan shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows in question. "Gloria...you frequented her bar in the 20s?" said Rowan with fake confusion. "Apparently you had quite the reputation, Mr Ripper of Monterey." Stefan cringed at the nickname.
"I'm not like that anymore," he defended.
"From the looks of it you're not but the stalking isn't giving off a good impression either," teased the witch. Stefan sighed.
"I'm sorry," he said although his tone wasn't apologetic.
"Sorry for doing it or for being caught?" Asked the witch with a smirk, making Stefan raise his eyebrow. "Hey, I know my sister is pretty and I wouldn't mind a vampire dating her since she seeks adventure."
"How'd you know I was here? I kept out of sight," asked the man, approaching her. Rowan stood her ground and kept her smirk.
"I'm a witch," she replied. Stefan paused in his approach and seemed to think.
"That still doesn't explain how you detected me," he said, now curious.
"True. I cast a few spells on myself and one of them helps me detect any supernatural in the area and I can also sense what species they are," explained the witch.
"Interesting. So you're okay with me pursuing your sister but not watching her from afar?" Inquired the Ripper with a sceptical look.
"Oh, I didn't say that. I said I didn't mind if a vampire dated her. No offence to you but your reputation isn't very humane, there is no way I'm letting you near my sister without testing your control," admitted Rowan and stepped towards him. "So Mr no longer Ripper, how in control are you?" Stefan stepped back and tensed at her interrogation.
"I don't feed on humans, I only drink animal blood," he said through gritted teeth and an unconfident expression.
"Well that's stupid and doesn't answer my question," mocked Rowan. The older took offence to her insult and his expression hardened.
"How is that stupid?"
"Simple really, it's physiology. You lack control; as someone with an unhealthy relationship with food does. You can't cut it off completely because it will hurt you and if you do get a taste again, you will go insane with the craving," explained the witch. "The right way to gain control is by either; decreasing the intake slowly or cutting it off and introducing it slowly once more, under supervision." The Ripper was surprised by the solution. He and Lexi had never tried that approach because of the fear of him never gaining control.
"You're saying if I start to intake the blood in small quantities, that I'll be able to control myself?" He said.
"To be honest the main issue would be psychological. You'll need to seek therapy but introducing human blood slowly would help desensitise your body to it," explained Rowan. She was happy that Stefan had an open mind and wasn't afraid to talk about his issues with her. She was a stranger and he's still taking her advice seriously. "I can help you if you want. I'm heading to Chicago because of college. You can join me until you feel confident in your control," she suggested with a grin.
"You'd really do that?" Asked Stefan now with a hopeful expression.
"As I've said. I'd rather have an in-control vampire around my sister." Stefan chuckled at that and agreed to join her. The two, headed to her campus and Stefan was able to compel the staff to have the room next to Rowan's. They started the training immediately the next day.
The witch gave Stefan a timetable and tasks list. Every morning for the first week of training, Stefan would consume an ounce of human blood. He would then fill up on animal blood and human food. After that, he'd join Rowan in her morning jog around campus to be exposed to humans at the height of his bloodlust. If he slips, she can give him an aneurysm and pretend he was having a bad headache around bystanders. He stayed with Rowan during her classes and lock himself up when she went to work.
The witch told him that Gloria disliked him and it would be bad to visit her at the bar. Thankfully the Ripper was far too exhausted at the end of their training and didn't seem to care enough for Gloria. Rowan was grateful to the universe for making Stefan gullible. The next week was a little harder, as Stefan's consumption increased to 2 ounces and he was forced to talk about his life to Rowan three times a week. The Ripper withheld Katherine's resemblance to Elena from Rowan and only spoke of her as his beautiful, manipulative ex-girlfriend.
A few days following Rowan's 19th birthday, while she was heading back to her dorm, she felt a supernatural presence that wasn't Stefan. After spending over two weeks with the Ripper, she grew accustomed to his supernatural aura. The witch glanced around searching for the source. A few moments later, she spotted him in all his glory, painting away. Klaus Mikaelson. Rowan gulped and felt her heart race.
Unfortunately for her, her strong gaze had alerted him and he glanced around for the source. Everything became intense when they made eye contact. Rowan's brain was in overdrive, thinking about how to react. If she ran he would chase her, knowing something was wrong. If she froze he might approach and could hurt her. If she approached him, she might say something stupid and get killed. In any case scenario, Rowan was gonna get harmed. So the witch opted for the awkward smile and nod. He raised an eyebrow but luckily he turned back to his painting.
Guessing that he chalked it up to the girl being impressed by his talent, Rowan ran to her dorm. She entered and started breathing heavily. Finally feeling safe. Once she regained her composure, the witch called Stefan to cancel for the day, afraid of leaving her dorm to meet him. However, Rowan still had to go to work, so when the time came, she changed and carefully headed for the bar. Once she started her shift, her mind became occupied and her thoughts left Klaus.
However, her luck wasn't great that day as two hours in, he entered the bar. Rowan spotted him immediately and turned her back to him, trying to avoid meeting him. But of course, Gloria just had to call on Rowan to point him out. "Look what the cat dragged in," the owner said.
The younger witch had to turn around to respond to what her boss indicated. Her eyes met the hybrid's again and to her surprise and horror, he seemed to recognise her. "You," he said. Gloria looked at Roman and gestured for the teen to come closer. Rowan hesitated but slowly walked towards them, lowering her gaze and clutching her apron, in anxiety.
"You met each other?" Gloria asked her, the younger looked up at her boss and shook her head.
"Not exactly, I spotted him outside my dorm today. I was shocked to see him and after what you told me, my only logical response was to get away," explained Rowan and glanced at Klaus, in fear of offending him.
The man looked both intrigued and offended. "What have you been telling people about me, Gloria? I thought we were friends," he drawled, gazing heatedly at the young employee. Rowan bit her lip to suppress a visible shudder. She felt trapped by his gaze and her legs were rooted to the floor. Her hand came up and clutched at Gloria's shirt.
The older witched noticed Rowan's discomfort and glared at the hybrid. "I simply told her the truth, that you're an old, murderous vampire and she should stay away," she told the man. "Now quit scaring my apprentice. Got back to work Rowan," she spoke the last part softly.
"Excuse me," the other witch said and left them to tend to the customers. For two hours Rowan worked uninterrupted. Until Klaus suddenly came face to face with her. The young witch dodged him the best she could, by talking to different customers. However, he eventually caught her and held her in place by the arm.
"You've been avoiding me, Love" he whispered, his smile was flirtatious and his hold was strong but unaggressive. Rowan tensed and blushed deeply at his closeness. He was more handsome in person and especially that near. The woman usually hated forceful touches by men, especially if they were tall, muscular ones. Those who she was unsure she could takedown. However, Klaus's touch wasn't painful like theirs, he was very careful with his strength; an ability he probably gained over the centuries.
"Um, I'm sorry. It's just you-you um, scare me a little," Rowan stuttered in reply. He frowned and let her go. She bit the inside of her cheek, worrying that she offended him. "It's just...Gloria told me stories. I'm sorry I don't mean to offend you," the witch quickly supplied, hoping to appease him. Thankfully it worked and his flirtatious smile was back in place.
"Well, I hope to change your mind. May I buy you a drink?" He asked, his gaze confident that he'll receive a 'yes'.
"Well I'm working now, so maybe tomorrow morning for coffee?" suggested the witch with a sheepish shrug. "I actually don't drink," she explained and gained a chuckle from him.
"Yet here you are, working at a bar," he teased mockingly. Rowan huffed out a laugh and nodded her head.
"I'm aware of the irony. Believe it or not, I needed a job and Gloria happened to be a witch. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to stay with my own," said Rowan proudly. It was partly true. The reincarnated woman hoped to avoid lying to Klaus, as much as possible. He hated liars and considered them traitors. If she wished to be in his good graces for the plan, then she'll have to be as honest with him as possible.
He smiled, "I do believe you. Well then, coffee it is," he said and pulled out his phone. "Are you free tomorrow for breakfast?"
"I'm free around 08:00 if that's okay?" she responded. She'd have to postpone her jog with Stefan till after her 3 o'clock lecture.
"That sounds nice, I'll pick you up at your campus," said Klaus and they exchanged phone numbers.
It was now June 14th 2009
Hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think!