A/N: I originally meant to have this chapter be flashbacks, plus the next episode, but the flashbacks ended up being longer than I thought, so the chapter covering the events of 'Crying Wolf' will be next chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Elijah shook his head, bitterly. "A common tactic. Klaus often uses loved ones as leverage."
"What?" Jonas yelled angrily. "I can't believe this! You lied to me! You brought this on our family."
Thea closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in. "I know. I made a mistake. I'm sorry."
Jonas' expression softened slightly at his daughter's obvious distress.
"Why would you work for him, Thea?" he asked. "Knowing what he is? His intentions?"
Thea sighed. "You don't understand. It's not like he walked up to me one day and said 'Hi, I'm an evil vampire who wants to become an evil hybrid so I can spawn other evil hybrids like myself, want to work for me?'," she said sarcastically. "I didn't even know it was him at first..."
June 2008, University of Texas-Austin
Thea frowned, looking at the computer screen, window open to the records section of the coven.
"You've had Cassandra's talisman for a month," said Thea, looking up at the young witch, Sarah. "The coven wants it for the celebration next week."
"I know," said Sarah, biting her lip nervously. "My roommate and I were trying to help her cousin... she's having trouble having a baby."
Thea shook her head. "That talisman won't help you."
"My roommate said she heard Cassandra's talisman was really powerful," said Sarah, frowning.
"It is," nodded Thea. "But she spelled it for defensive purposes. It's really useful for boundary spells, protection spells. For a fertility spell, it's pretty much a paperweight."
"Oh," said Sarah, blushing a little.
Thea smiled warmly. Sarah was a freshmen and was a fairly new witch. Her mother was non-practicing, but had sent her daughter to the university so she could get a background on her heritage.
"It's okay," said Thea. "It's a common mistake." She turned around and plucked another talisman off the shelf. "This will be more useful."
Sarah nodded. "Thanks, Thea."
"No problem," said Thea. "Being the coven's archivist has its perks. You'll need to sign for it though."
Sarah leaned down and scratched her signature on the check-out card. Then she handed Cassandra's talisman to Thea.
Sarah said good-bye to Thea and retreated from the archive room.
Thea got up and went into the rows of shelves, putting Cassandra's talisman back where it belonged. She frowned when she saw a grimoire out of place, taking it and putting it back on the right shelf.
She made her way back to the front desk and was startled to see a man there she'd never seen before. The coven's archive room was spelled so only witches could enter, just in case a lost student accidently tried to come in, and Thea knew all the coven members, as well as all the student witches and professors that attended the university.
"Can I help you?" asked Thea. "These archives are reserved for the local coven and those that attend the university. Guests need pre-approval from the coven's elders."
"I'm not interested in your collection," said the man. "I'm here to speak with you... You are Thea Martin, right? The coven's archivist?"
Thea nodded. "Yes. And you are?"
The man smiled. "My name is Maddox Harris. I represent a company that could use someone of your expertise."
"What kind of company?" asked Thea.
Maddox smiled. "Let's just say, compared to the collection here, it's quite the challenge for an archivist like yourself."
Thea was intrigued, to say the least. Jonas had not been the most loving father, he was often emotionally and physically distant, but he had instilled in Thea a love of learning, particularly of their magical history.
Some of the best times that Thea could remember had been sitting in her father's lap, listening to him describe the spells in the grimoire he was studying, fingering the worn pages with her child-sized hands. It was like she could literally feel the Spirits when she touched the pages.
When she had come to the University of Texas for school, she'd been in awe of their magical collection, that included not only grimoires, but an assortment of magical objects, either donated from the local coven, which supported the many witch extracurriculars at the school, or from alumni.
The next week, she met Maddox at an old estate just outside the Austin city limits. The estate may have been old, but the security was state-of-the-art. Thea had to show her I.D. twice in order to gain entrance into the house.
"Hello, Thea," said Maddox, striding toward the foyer where Thea stood, having been asked to wait there by one of the security staff. "Glad you could make it."
"Yeah," said Thea, smiling nervously. "I'm surprised I didn't have to consent to a strip search."
Maddox's smile faltered a little. "You'll have to forgive all the security. As you'll see the collection here is priceless. And many of the objects and grimoires contain... dark magic. It's best it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
Thea nodded. "I understand. There are a few objects only the coven's elders are allowed to handle. They're kept in a special safe that only they can open."
"Well, you won't find any locked safes here," said Maddox. "You're not allowed to take anything out of the house, I'm afraid, but everything is fair game. That's why you're here, of course. Follow me."
Maddox gestured to the right and soon he and Thea were walking down a long corridor.
"Just how big is this collection?" asked Thea.
"The company has been collecting objects and grimoires for a while now," said Maddox.
Maddox paused before a door and opened it.
Thea's eyes bugged out when she stepped into the room. It was clear the room was originally intended as a library, but it was huge. At least four or five times bigger than the coven's archives and every shelf, every surface was covered with all manner of magical objects: grimoires stacked haphazardly, weapons and talismans, crowded into overflowing bins.
"This... is incredible," said Thea, her voice full of awe. "What company is this?"
Maddox shrugged. "It's more of an estate. An old, magical family of collectors. The son just recently inherited the collection and he's looking for someone to organize it. Catalog everything."
Thea just nodded, her eyes flitting about. Everywhere she looked she saw something amazing.
"Oh my god," she exclaimed, going over to a nearby table. "Is that... a Hand of Glory?"
Maddox smiled. "Yep."
"Wow," said Thea, impressed. "I've read about these... they open any doorway, right?"
Maddox nodded. "There are a few in this collection. If you wanted to use one, I could maybe ask..."
Thea was surprised. "Really? I mean, I'm fine. There's no one I want to talk to that I can't just pick up the phone... But wow."
She spotted another object nearby and was itching to look at it, but forced herself to turn to Maddox.
"This place is amazing!"
Maddox just nodded. "I'll relay your comments to our benefactor, when I report on your progress after you start."
Thea nodded. "When will I get to meet this benefactor?"
Maddox tensed a little. "He's out of town at the moment. Maybe when he returns."
Thea frowned a little, but didn't comment on Maddox's evasiveness.
"Okay, where should I get started?"
Maddox shrugged. "Wherever you like." He pointed at a few old, yellowing books. "Someone attempted to catalogue some things back in the seventies. Those are their records."
Thea nodded, moving to pick up those books, while Maddox walked back toward the door.
"One more thing, Thea," said Maddox, pausing at the threshold of the door. "You're not allowed to tell anyone what you're doing here. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you're just a part-time member of Mr. Smith's staff. It's for security purposes, due to the value of this collection. I'm sure you understand?"
Thea felt her gut clench in suspicion. There was something strange going on here, but the wonderful objects surrounding her called to her. Maybe she was imagining things. She couldn't blame this 'Mr. Smith' if he wanted to keep this collection a secret.
"Of course, Maddox," said Thea. "I understand..."
"And you didn't think anything was odd about that?" demanded Jonas.
"Of course I thought it was odd," said Thea. "I just..." She shrugged. "He had objects there that I thought were myths. No restrictions, as much access as I wanted..."
"He used your thirst for knowledge against you," said Elijah.
"That's what he does," said Thea, sighing. "He finds out what you want and figures out a way to use it to manipulate you."
"And what did this 'Maddox' want?" asked Jonas.
"His daughter was sick," explained Thea. "She had this rare form of leukemia. Something no magic or vampire blood could cure. Klaus got her the best treatment, the best doctors, flown in from all over the world, no expense spared. When I left, she was a happy, healthy 8-year-old who was looking forward to a long life. And all it took was a lifetime of loyalty from Maddox."
"Son of a bitch," said Jonas, shaking his head, clearly feeling for Maddox's plight.
"Well, I didn't know it then," said Thea. "For all I knew this 'benefactor' was just oddly disfigured or some sort of crazy Howard Hughes-type person. I didn't know he was the oldest, evilest vampire."
"But eventually he revealed himself," said Elijah, wanting to move the conversation forward. "Is that when you dissolved your relationship?"
Thea sighed. "I wish I could say it was..."
September 2008, Austin
It had been nearly three months that Thea had been working for the mysterious Mr. Smith. She came to the old house a few days a week, staying for as long as she could, exploring and cataloging all the mysterious objects and grimoires in the collection.
Maddox often came to check on her progress, answer any questions she had, and asking some of his own.
"Do you know what this is?" asked Maddox, holding up a white stone.
"Of course," answered Thea. "It's a moonstone. Fairly rare. Useful for binding spells meant to endure. Its most famous use was for the Sun and Moon curse."
"What do you know about that curse?"
"Is this another test?" asked Thea, laughing.
"What do you mean?" asked Maddox, frowning.
"You think I haven't noticed?" asked Thea, tilting her head. "You come in here. Asking questions about spells and objects. Questions I know that you already know the answers to. So what gives?"
Maddox shrugged. "Nothing. Just want to make sure you're being challenged."
Thea rolled her eyes. "Please don't insult my intelligence. What's going on?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," said Maddox, face turning a bit sour.
Thea crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid... There's some mysterious benefactor who's always out or at a meeting when I'm here. I'm not allowed to tell anybody what I'm doing for security reasons, despite the fact that you have the best security money can buy, both standard and magical.
'You've been asking me questions about curses and binding spells ever since I got here, and now, you're asking about the Sun and the Moon curse. It doesn't take a genius to figure out this is about more than just me cataloging some old family's collection of magical relics. So tell me, really, why am I here?"
Maddox stared at her unblinking for a second. "He said he thought you were smart."
"Who did?" asked Thea, frowning.
"Just a second," said Maddox. "I'll be right back. Hopefully with some answers."
Thea sighed, but just stood there, watching Maddox retreated behind the door. She waited for nearly an hour, impatiently paging through a grimoire.
She heard the door open behind her.
"Took you long enough," she said, getting up and turning around. "You'd better have an..."
She trailed off when she saw it wasn't Maddox who had come through the door. It was man, a few years older than her, with dark blond hair, curled slightly, and piercing blue eyes.
"Hello, Thea," he said, his accented voice echoing slightly off the shelves.
Thea tried for a smile. "Hello... Are you the mysterious benefactor or just another underling?"
"This collection is mine," he said, looking around the room and walking towards her.
The move brought him closer to Thea and she tried to suppress her gasp when she sensed his vampirism. It was a little trick her father had taught her when she was young.
"Who are you?" she asked, taking a cautious step back.
"Before I answer that," he said. "Please know that I mean you no harm."
Thea scoffed. "You lied to get me here. You lied about what you are and what I'm doing here. You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."
Thea blinked and all of a sudden he was standing inches from her. She acted without thinking and sent him flying back, pinning him against a nearby shelf with her magic.
He just smiled and make no move to resist her magic. "You're in my house, love. Surrounded by my people. You have been for months now. If I'd wanted to harm you, surely you realize I'd have done so by now."
Thea looked at him with narrowed eyes, but lowered her hand, releasing him from her magic. His words were true.
"Who are you?" asked Thea.
He flashed in front of her again and she did her best not to flinch.
"My name is Klaus."
Thea took an involuntary step backward. "Klaus? As in... the Klaus? The Original Vampire? I thought..."
"I was a myth?" supplied Klaus, smirking. "I've done my best to encourage such tales."
Thea tilted her head, trying to decide if she believed him.
"Don't believe me, love?" asked Klaus.
He picked up a nearby chair, broke off a leg and shoved it into his heart.
"Oh my god!" exclaimed Thea, eyes widening in shock.
She looked for the tell-tale greying of skin that showed when a vampire had been killed, but there was nothing.
"You're telling the truth," said Thea, voice barely above a whisper.
Klaus smirked and removed the chair leg.
"Yes," he said, dropping the leg on the floor.
Thea looked up at him. "What do you want with me?"
"That depends," said Klaus, scrutinizing her. "Are you still in my employ? Now that you know who exactly you've been working for?"
Thea crossed her arms. "It depends on what you want. I'm not one of those witches who thinks all vampires are evil. But your reputation..."
"Is well-deserved," finished Klaus. "For the most part. But I asked you here for a specific purpose. Because you possess a very specific set of skills."
Thea frowned. "You really just want me to organize your collection?"
"No," said Klaus. "I will tell you what I want from you, but you must promise me that you will hold true to your earlier oath of secrecy... I know you've kept your word so far."
Thea hesitated, looking around. Despite the revelation of his true identity, she had loved working here. Maddox was nice, the money was good and his collection was spectacular.
"You will, of course, continue to have full access to all the magical objects and grimoires that I have here," he said, as if reading her thoughts.
"Okay," she said, finally.
"Maddox spoke with you about a curse," Klaus began. "Bound with a moonstone."
Thea nodded. "The Sun and the Moon curse."
Klaus chuckled. "There is no such curse."
Thea stood wide-eyed while Klaus told her the truth. What he was, or had been, really, what the real curse was. And that he wanted her help to break it, without the doppelganger.
"Why would the Original witch do that?" asked Thea. "Suppress your werewolf side?"
"She considered me an abomination," said Klaus, his eyes betraying the tiniest hint of hurt at his words. "A crime against nature."
Thea raised an eyebrow. "Probably because it made you too powerful. Too strong. Even Original vampires have to have weaknesses... I'm guessing being a werewolf-vampire hybrid-type creature wouldn't have many."
"That's not why she did it!" snarled Klaus, his emotions clearly getting the better of him.
"Okay," said Thea, backing away a little, seeing she'd touched a nerve.
Klaus' eyes narrowed at Thea's wary expression.
"She locked part of me away," he said, seeming almost sad. "Severed the connection to my true self." He paused, looking her in the eye. "Have you known any werewolves, Thea?"
Thea nodded. "Yes. A few..." She closed her eyes, lost in a memory. "I remember they used to tell me how awful the transformation was, but when it was over and they were running under the full moon, they'd never felt freer. Like somehow, turning into a wolf was tapping into their true nature, if only for a few hours."
Klaus' face looked almost painful at her description, before he quickly hid it behind his neutral stare.
"So will you help me?" asked Klaus. "Attempt to release me from this curse?"
Thea bit her lip, knowing she really shouldn't. But honestly, she felt bad for him, and she didn't want to abandon the collection. Besides, she thought, what were the chances that she could find a way to break the curse without the original binding agent?
"Alright," said Thea. "I guess I can try."
"A few months later, I found out that he'd lied. That he wanted to break the curse to make more hybrids and create some type of hybrid super-army," sighed Thea.
She didn't want to get into the whole story of her and Klaus' falling out. What did it matter? The point was she had decided to stop working for him and he'd decided to take Greta instead.
"Please tell me you left his inner circle then," said Jonas, sighing.
Thea nodded. "Yeah."
"And Greta?" asked Elijah.
"It wasn't long after I'd stopped working for Klaus," said Thea. "Maddox kept bothering me, saying no one leaves Klaus' service, until one day he stopped calling, stopped coming around. A few days later, Greta told me she'd been approached by him. And this time, he didn't bother keeping his identity to himself."
February 2009, Austin
"Happy Valentine's Day!" gushed Greta, reaching over to hug Thea in greeting.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Thea returned, surprised. "Breaking your long tradition of boycotting?"
Greta shrugged, moving into Thea's apartment. "It's not all bad, I guess."
Thea laughed a little. "Okay, what's his name?"
"I don't know what you're talking about..." said Greta, making herself comfortable on Thea's couch.
"Oh come on," said Thea, sitting beside her sister. "You practically invented the Anti-Valentine's Day party. You once told me that the only good thing about Valentine's Day was the marked-down chocolate the day after."
Greta smiled shyly. "Maybe I met someone who changed my mind."
Thea smiled, Greta's enthusiasm infectious. Even though Thea had just broken up with her boyfriend, she was happy for Greta. Greta had not traditionally had a lot of luck in love. She always complained that the boys never noticed her.
"Who is this guy?" asked Thea. "Or girl?"
"It's not a guy, per say," said Greta. "I mean, he's technically my boss now. But I don't know... he gave me this as a Valentine's day gift."
She held up a delicate bracelet that encircled her wrist.
"It's pretty," said Thea. "Wait, boss? Did you get a new job?"
Greta nodded. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but he said I could tell you. He said he knows you're trustworthy."
Thea frowned. "Who is this guy?"
"His name is Klaus," said Greta. "You know, like that Original Vampire we heard about as kids."
Thea felt her heart clench in her chest. "What?"
"He's really nice, though," said Greta. "I think he's just misunderstood, you know?"
"What does Klaus want with you?" asked Thea, though she was afraid she already knew the answer to that question.
Greta's voice dropped to a whisper. "You know how Dad was always making us read those old grimoires, creating our own spells from them? Well, Klaus has been cursed. He thinks maybe there's a way to break it without the original binding agent. He wants me to figure it out."
Thea frowned. "He's a vampire, Greta. He was probably cursed for a good reason."
Greta looked slightly angry. "You don't know him. This curse locked away part of who he is. He used to be a hybrid, part-werewolf and part-vampire. He just wants to unbind his werewolf side."
"That sounds dangerous, Greta..."
"What do you know about it?" demanded Greta. "You don't even know him."
Thea sighed. "Greta..."
"You're just jealous," said Greta.
Thea was taken aback. "What?"
Greta stood up. "You've always been picked over me. Dad always thought you were so brilliant and powerful and I was just the sad, younger sister."
Thea frowned, surprised how different Greta's perspective on their childhood was. "Greta, that's not true."
"And now someone powerful has picked me and you can't stand it," continued Greta, heading for the door.
"Greta, you have to listen to me," said Thea. "Klaus is dangerous. You can't trust him. You just met him."
Greta scoffed. "Klaus thinks I'm smart and powerful. He said he's been watching all the witches here and he picked me."
Thea sighed. Klaus truly did know what he was doing. Showering Greta with praise and little pieces of affection. Something their parents had never really given any of them.
"Greta, just think carefully about this," said Thea. "He's a vampire. You can't trust him."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't help him," said Greta. "You've helped vampires before. Don't tell me you're starting to buy the elders' 'vampires are the enemy' crap?"
Thea sighed. She wanted to tell Greta the truth. She really did. But she was ashamed. Ashamed she'd helped Klaus willingly for so long.
"That's what I thought," said Greta. "I have to go. Klaus and I are having dinner. He's going to tell me more about the curse."
"You mustn't blame yourself," said Elijah. "I doubt there is anything you could have done."
He looked pointedly at Jonas, as if daring the man to continue blaming Thea for Greta's choices. Jonas just looked deep in thought.
"Thanks, Elijah," said Thea, smiling at him. "I did try. And not just with Greta."
February 2009, Austin
"Where is he?" asked Thea, angrily pushing past the startled man who answered the door to Klaus' home.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith..."
"Klaus!" she shouted, striding towards his office. "Klaus!"
"Your shouting could wake the dead," said Klaus, appearing in front of her.
He sent a withering look towards the man who'd answered the door and he retreated quickly.
"Funny," said Thea, rolling her eyes.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Klaus in an unfriendly tone.
"What do you think?" spat Thea. "What the hell are you doing with my sister?"
Klaus shrugged. "I fail to see how that's any of your business."
"Of course it's my business," said Thea, angrily. "She's my sister. I don't want her working for you."
"How fortunate for me that's not your decision to make."
"Stay away from my sister, Klaus," Thea threatened. "Don't make me involve the coven."
Klaus zoomed to stand in front of her, vampiric features showing.
"Breathe a word to anyone of who and what I am and I will kill your sister in ways you cannot imagine," said Klaus.
Thea took a deep breath, trying to calm her fear.
"Why not just kill me?" asked Thea.
Klaus' gaze softened for a split second. "We were once friends, Thea. At least for my part. And believe what you will about me, but I do not kill my friends."
Thea raised an eyebrow. "More likely you're hoping I have a change of heart."
Klaus smirked. "There is always that... And in the meantime, keeping your sister close will ensure your silence... She may not have your mind or magical talent, but I've no doubt she'll be a loyal little witch. Quite besotted, she is."
Thea clenched her jaw in anger, but didn't have a response. She couldn't risk Greta's safety. She didn't doubt the sincerity of Klaus' threat and she wanted to respect her sister's choices. Growing up under the authoritarian thumb of Jonas had taught her to respect others' autonomy, even if she knew, deep in her heart, that this wouldn't end well.
"I only saw him a few times after that," said Thea. "Always in Greta's presence."
"Did she know she was being used?" asked Jonas.
Thea shook her head. "I don't think she'd believe me. She chose to stay with him, even after he told her the real reason he wanted to break the curse. She kept going on about 'the new order' and how Klaus was going to change the supernatural world."
"And you didn't think to warn anyone?" demanded Jonas.
"I didn't think he would actually be able to break the curse," Thea said defensively. "He's been trying for a thousand years. What were the odds he'd get lucky during our lifetime?"
Jonas didn't have a response to that, just fell silent again.
"I believe you," said Elijah, looking at Thea. "I trust that you are not working for him. I think, perhaps, I finally understand your fervor for not wanting to see the curse broken."
Thea tilted her head. "But our deal is the same?"
"Yes," answered Elijah. He turned to Jonas. "And you? Will you honor our agreement?"
Jonas looked up, staring at Thea.
"Were they together? When she left, were they...?" Jonas trailed off, clearly not wanting to finish that awful question.
"I don't think so," said Thea. "Greta had feelings for him, but I don't know that he felt the same way."
"He just used her feelings to get what he wanted," snarled Jonas. "A loyal witch."
"Maybe," offered Thea. "I don't know. Greta and I fought about Klaus so many times. She stopped confiding in me."
Jonas was silent for a moment before he spoke up. "Our deal is still good, Elijah. This doesn't change anything. Now I just know how she was manipulated by him. Once he's gone, she'll come back to us."
Elijah tilted his head. "Then I wish you a good night." He paused, looking at Thea. "There is a... gathering of sorts tomorrow. In my honor."
Thea shrugged. "Okay... what do you want a witch bodyguard?"
Elijah smiled. "I'm trying to ascertain the location of the witch sacrifice site. Whatever our plan to stop Klaus will be, we need to find it. This gathering is being hosted by the Historical Society."
"You're hoping some of the members can help lead you to the site?" guessed Thea.
"I'm exploring all my options at the moment," said Elijah, looking into her eyes. "I would ask your father to accompany me, but I believe that may draw unnecessary attention in a small town such as this."
Thea smiled, chuckling a little. "I guess I can pretend to be your date."
"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Elijah, returning her smile before exiting Jonas' apartment swiftly.
Thea turned to Jonas. "So..."
Jonas shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me, Thea?"
"Because I didn't want to see the look on your face when you figured out this is all my fault!" She clenched her jaw. "I should have told him to go to hell the minute he told me his name."
"Yes, you should have," said Jonas in a hard voice. Then he sighed, looking exhausted. "But I know why you didn't."
Thea frowned, not expecting her father to be understanding at all.
"I remember when you were a little girl," said Jonas. "You would look at my grimoires for hours. Even before you could read English, let alone Latin or French or Arabic. You would just stare at the symbols, trace them with your hand. You told me you could feel the magic in the pages, the legacy the witches left behind."
Thea tilted her head, surprised to see the faintest hint of moisture in Jonas' eyes.
"I loved these grimoires," she said, looking at them. "I still do... The story of our ancestors is written in these pages. You taught me that."
"And that bastard used it against you," said Jonas, looking angry again.
"We'll stop him," said Thea. "We'll stop him and find Greta."
Jonas nodded, though he looked less sure of himself than he had earlier, when he had insisted that Greta was just being manipulated and once she was free of Klaus' influence, she'd come back to her family.
"We'll get her back," insisted Thea. "I don't care if she stopped calling of her own free will or if Klaus had something to do with it. Once he's gone, it won't matter."
Jonas nodded once more and got up, moving towards his bedroom.
"Thank you, Thea," he said, then closed the door behind him.
Thea sighed, still feeling the ache in her chest from when she'd overextended her magic earlier, subduing all the werewolves. She quickly made herself a cup of tea with the healing herbs and went to bed.
A/N: I wasn't sure if Klaus (pre-breaking-the-curse), would temporarily desiccate like the other Originals when staked. I'm pretty sure he doesn't after the curse was broken, but I don't know that they established what would happen before then. Given he was protected from the ash daggers by his werewolf side, I figured it wasn't a stretch that stakes wouldn't work either.