Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Six

Klaus looked over at AJ, who was now lounging on top of a table across from him and Gloria, staring sullenly ahead. His eyebrows were pulled together, and he was trying to connect the single word she'd just said to everything else. Jenkins.

"The vampire who hurt you," Klaus said slowly, "That is who you're talking about, yes?"

AJ straightened up and rolled her eyes. "No," she mocked, "I'm talking about my chauffeur. It's a common name for chauffeurs, you know, because—"

"AJ," Klaus gave her a level look, "I am trying to understand. You believe that he had some part in this Lemurė lot? Why?"

"Because," she stressed the word, "He moved the way they did. And he kept saying things to me—that you said he could have his way with me or play with me or whatever. Did you say that?" She raised an eyebrow, preparing a death-glare.

Klaus beat her to it. "No, I did not. You know I wouldn't allow such a thing to happen. But how do you think this ties him into the occult?"

She groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Like I just said! He moved like them! And he wanted to 'have his way with me'! Does that not scream 'evil occultist-turned-vampire' to you, or what? If it doesn't, I'm seriously going to start worrying about your intelligence."

Klaus's mouth hardened into a thin line. "I was simply confirming it. But do you really think that I would associate myself with such a creature? Besides, Jenkins had existed for several centuries even before I found him. How could it possibly even be a coincidence that I'd come across him? Come to trust him?"

"Well, where did you say the Lemurė go back to, Gloria? Rome? Maybe Jenkins came from there, or whoever turned him came from there or whatever. Who knows? I only know that—"AJ stopped the moment she saw some kind of flame flare up behind Klaus's eyes. "What is it?" she asked cautiously.

Klaus clenched his teeth together. "I've overlooked the fact that he was, indeed, from Rome. But to deceive me—"he stopped, closing his eyes as he breathed in and out angrily. AJ frowned. She hopped off the table and went to stand in front of Klaus. It was almost like she was disconnected from her body: she watched as her hand went out and rested on the side of his face momentarily, having a strange similitude to a caress, getting him to open his eyes. A spark went through their skin, something wild and arcane. She quickly pulled her hand back, but stood still in front of him, holding his gaze.

"Klaus," she said quietly, both Gloria and Stefan forgotten, "Remember, you can trust me. It doesn't matter what he did. Just trust me, okay?"

His jaw was still tight, but the look in his eyes softened slightly. "Except that is does matter what he did. Do you realize that he could have taken you? That he actually did taste your blood?"

"What does my blood have to do with anything?" She looked down at him, baffled.

His eyes flicked to Gloria before reluctantly returning to her. "Your blood is the very life-force that would allow the souls to be sustained corporally, without having to be completely connected to nature. That's what they need—life-force. I'm now certain that that's why they harmed you—to test that you had the blood of a Warrior. Once we'd left, it would have been very easy to have access to your blood. It only makes sense."

AJ cringed outwardly. The feeling of the attack came back to her against her own volition. A caustic, burning feeling blossomed in the middle of her torso, white-hot like someone was holding a burning metal to it. Hands wrapped around her neck pressed harder and harder, cutting off her oxygen, strangling her. Blood boiled hot in her throat, spurting out her mouth in uncontrollable coughing spasms. She'd coughed it up onto the detritus that was the forest floor; the crimson red color of it was a bleak contrast against the green of the leaves. An image flashed in her head. It was of some figure clad in all black—the only sort of thing she associated with occults—bent over the forgotten blood, lifting a finger with the rich red crimson on it to its mouth to test it. She felt terribly sick to her stomach. That was wrong in so many ways.

"So," she said quietly, pushing those ugly thoughts away. "Do you think they know, then? That I'm the Warrior?"

Gloria looked very grim. "You should assume that they do. But there are ways to protect yourself," she began, looking significantly at Klaus again. "I don't see why you don't just—"

Klaus had opened his mouth to speak, but AJ cut both of them off, raising a conclusive hand in the air. "Stop," she said wearily, "Just stop. I don't want to hear any more about this stuff—it's messed up. Can we just talk about it later?"

Klaus looked at her silently for a minute, clearly debating. Then he nodded briskly. "Of course. But there is truly nothing to worry about—Jenkins has been dead, and they can't get to you now."

AJ didn't say anything in reply. Hopping back on the table once more, she shut her eyes, blocking out the world. She focused on her breathing and remaining calm. If only Elijah had been there. Upon thinking that, she found herself frowning. Would Elijah have even told her about the Lemurė or would he have kept it a secret, like the family he took her from? Where was he now? Was he thinking of her? Her shoulders drooped. She had no answers. Not yet.

Klaus's eyes roamed over AJ's features with a tinge of concern. It was obvious something was wrong, but she'd already made it known that she didn't want to talk right now. He turned back to Gloria, settling his hands on the table. There was a tiny scowl on her face, and she rolled her eyes.

"So what am I doing wrong? With the hybrids, I mean." His gaze flicked over to AJ once more, but she wasn't paying attention. Frustrated with himself, he forced his attention to remain on the witch in front of him.

"Well obviously you're doing something wrong," Gloria said pointedly, with just a tinge of mockery.

Klaus breathed out impatiently, growing annoyed in an instant. Gloria set aside her reluctance to help the hybrid in an effort to think about his question. "Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old… we'd have to contact the witch who created it."

"Well that would be the Original witch," Klaus said, attempting to keep a hold on his temper. "She's very dead."

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah."

Klaus's annoyance was reaching a peak. "Rebekah," he said, neither angrily nor very happily, "Rebekah is a bit… preoccupied."

Gloria was unfazed, even as his barely maintained temper nearly emanated off of him. "She has what I need. Bring her to me."

Klaus was about to voice another objection, but Stefan caught his attention.

"What is this?" Stefan asked from behind the bar, puzzled. There was a photograph in his hand, and a crease formed between his eyebrows.

"Well I told you, Stefan," Klaus said as he stood up, "Chicago is a magical place."

Upon registering the odd tone in Klaus's voice, AJ opened her eyes. She glanced over at Stefan, who seemed to be growing more confused.

"But this is me," he said, looking down at the photograph strangely. Then he looked back up at Klaus, his gaze hardening. "With you."

AJ's eyes widened immediately, and she gaped at Stefan. In an instant, she'd hopped off the table and made her way down to him, intensely curious to see the picture. Stefan was tense, but he shifted it for her to see.

It was a black and white square photo, the kind that reminded her of the ones that, after taking a picture with an old, bulky camera, would slid right out and process immediately. She peered down at it, and her eyebrows shot up as she took in the two men in it. It was clearly Stefan and Klaus, and Stefan had slung an arm over Klaus's shoulders, the way brothers interacted. They both had devious grins on their faces and were wearing dark tuxedos. Just as strange, they were sitting at the very bar that stood before her in that moment. She almost didn't believe it. Turning to Klaus, she gave him a questioning look.

Klaus was smirking. Without another word to Stefan, he turned back to Gloria. "I'll bring you Rebekah," he said shortly, "But you'd better figure it out." Then he turned and headed out the door. Stefan was fast to trail after Klaus. AJ remained still for a moment before setting the picture back on the bar. She exchanged looks with Gloria, who seemed oddly relieved, and headed out after the vampires.

As it turned out, both Klaus and Stefan were nearly out of sight when AJ stepped outside. They were clearly headed back to the warehouse Klaus was keeping everything in, and so she quickened her pace to a brisk walk to try and catch up with them. When she was shoving through the single door leading into the sizeable warehouse, she heard Stefan speaking.

"This doesn't make any sense—why don't I remember you?" He was still trailing behind Klaus, who was walking purposefully towards the coffins that held his family within. AJ shivered for a moment, but quickly followed.

"You said it yourself," Klaus said, now a little uninterested as his eyes roamed over the coffins, "that time had a lot of dark holes."

Stefan was agitated. "But if you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?"

"I'm a little busy right now," he said, picking up his pace. "Memory lane will have to wait."

Stefan had reached out so quickly, AJ could barely follow the movement. He grabbed a hold of Klaus's arm, spinning Klaus around to face him. "What the hell is going on?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Answer me."

Klaus had that dark gleam in his eyes—the one AJ knew nothing good could come from. He removed Stefan's hand, but met his gaze raptly. "Let's just say that we didn't get off to a brilliant start."

AJ snorted suddenly, grimly amused. "Big shocker there," she muttered, and then clamped her mouth shut. Pissing off two vampires who were already royally pissed probably wasn't a good idea.

"To be honest," Klaus continued, ignoring AJ's comment, "I hated you."

AJ listened from a distance as Klaus recounted the nineteen-twenties. She supposed she wasn't too surprised to find out that Stefan had been a haughty ripper back then, although it seemed that he and Damon had much more in common than she originally realized. If two brothers like Stefan and Damon could somehow be so similar, and yet become twisted up polar opposites at some point, it could be the same for two brothers like Elijah and Klaus, couldn't it? But as far as she knew, Elijah had never truly been a ripper vampire—he'd actually loved before. He'd loved Katherine. Klaus had always been the way he was, it seemed. Except that now, with the way things had twisted up, it was almost like Klaus was better. He didn't lie to her—he'd been the one to tell her about what Elijah did. But she still didn't know why Elijah even did it in the first place. The conflicting thoughts and theories racing through her mind started giving her a headache. Did she really consider Klaus to be the better brother? She blinked, returning her focus to Klaus once more as he revealed the vampire Rebekah as his sister. Her eyes widened. Another Original?

"Your sister," Stefan said, sounding none too happy about it. "So I knew another Original vampire."

Klaus only smiled, but it was that devious smile that only seemed to suit him. His gaze flicked to AJ, deep and unreadable, before he turned on his heel and headed towards the coffins once more, only this time he wasn't impeded. Then he said, "If you can't handle it, then don't ask."

Stefan slowly followed Klaus, and AJ was right behind him. The coffins were all set up in a semi-circle. A forlorn, empty feeling emanated off them, filling the room with a sense of dread and death. AJ could never stand to see these things—to imagine that Elijah might one day be in one of them, because of her. Intent, she watched as Klaus approached the one at the end. Goosebumps rose on her skin, but she wasn't sure why. Her feet took her closer to Klaus as his hands found two long, steel bars. He lifted them up, exposing a grey corpse within.

Standing close to Klaus, AJ could feel the heat from his body warm her. But as soon as the coffin had opened, a coldness numbed her body. The corpse was a woman—Rebekah, she had to presume. One of the special daggers—the only kind that could kill an Original vampire—was protruding grotesquely from her chest. But even in this death state, AJ could see how beautiful Rebekah was. She was still in a dress from the nineteen-twenties, with her fair hair curled elegantly. A frown appeared on AJ's lips.

Klaus was looking down at his sister fondly, seemingly oblivious to AJ's presence. He carefully reached out and stroked the side of Rebekah's ashen face. Her skin looked papery to the touch, but he didn't appear bothered.

Stefan looked over AJ's shoulder, his eyes peering down at the strange Original. "I don't recognize her," he said, his voice coming out as a whisper.

"Don't tell her that," Klaus said as his fingers wrapped around the dagger. "Rebekah's temper's worse than mine." He yanked the dagger out, suddenly, making AJ flinch. "Time to wake up, little sister."

AJ bit her lip, growing more anxious. She looked from Klaus to his sister. The grey, ashen color of her face prevailed, even as several silent minutes passed by. Stefan began pacing, probably feeling the same anxiety that AJ was. Except, she thought grimly, that this was basically his girlfriend from nearly ninety years ago. That had to be worse. A lot worse.

Klaus was much more patient and relaxed. "Anybody home, Rebekah?" he asked loudly. Then he smirked, and said in a whisper, "She's being dramatic."

AJ looked at him incredulously, and Stefan had become either consumed by impatience or anxiousness. "Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on," he said, crossing his arms as he regarded Klaus. "I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right?"

"Well you have many useful talents," Klaus said. Then he spun around to face Stefan, as if he'd just remembered something. "In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you."

As Klaus began recounting another part of that strange night long ago, AJ wondered if it was more annoying that he kept telling stories of the past, or that this Rebekah woman wouldn't wake up. Her nerves were bursting and popping like fireworks, and she wasn't certain how much more she could handle.

As she listened to the story, she'd had to pinch her eyes shut when Klaus described the way Stefan forced a man to drink his own wife's blood—a human man. As much as she wished she couldn't imagine what drinking blood was like, she could. It wasn't that the memories were tainted—the ones of Elijah offering his blood, because he'd been the only one at the time that could truly help her, or when Klaus had kissed her, but bit his own lip so that she wouldn't have to walk back to Elijah with a bruised face. Even back in the Smoky Mountains, when she'd have died if Klaus hadn't offered her his blood—that wasn't so terrible to think about. But now she wondered what it made her like. Who was she to drink a vampire's blood? Was that really any different than what they did? Of course, she didn't kill them. But still, what did that make her? A voice in the back of her head answered, and she shivered all over. It wasn't a long-forgotten voice, though she wished she could forget it entirely. It was the darker part of her. The part that seemed to be merged with the other side, but now she had her doubts.

Klaus finished the story sickly, making AJ cringe. She couldn't even imagine Stefan being that way, and she'd seen him rip people apart with his own two hands.

"That," Klaus said, "was my old friend." He looked back down at Rebekah with a frown. "She's not going to be waking up anytime soon." He turned on his heel to head down another part of the warehouse that led outside. AJ and Stefan exchanged glances before following him.

"Why should I believe any of this?" Stefan asked, and he sounded like he thought it was just some elaborate story. Klaus had stopped, and was facing a man wearing a guard uniform. AJ didn't think she'd noticed him before. He stood with his back to where they'd just come from, his hands clasped down in front of him. Although he was young and hardly much built, AJ knew that people could be surprising. Maybe he could hold his own in a fight, just not one against vampires, of course.

Klaus captured his gaze. "When she wakes up," he said, pointing back towards the coffins, "tell her to meet us up at Gloria's bar, then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die." The guard nodded, successfully compelled.

AJ's eyes widened. Klaus began walking away again, but she called after him. "Klaus, are you serious? He's barely in his twenties, I bet."

Klaus stopped, regarding her frankly. "So are you saying that I should find someone, say, older? Someone who's lived longer?"

"Well—no, but—"

"Darling," he said firmly yet gently. "You must understand that it's the way it has to be. She's been dead for ninety years—she'll need all of his blood, and probably another person's as well. It's the way it has to be."

She held her head defiantly. "If you're so quick to just say it's the way it has to be, then why not give her my blood? What would you say to that?"

He obviously wasn't happy with her now. "I'd say don't be ridiculously stupid. Come, now." He turned and started walking again. Stefan's gaze landed on AJ for a moment before he started after Klaus once more. AJ ground her teeth together—it felt like she'd take two steps forward and one step back with Klaus, every day. She folded her arms over her chest and looked between the guard and a receding Klaus, then heaved a heavy sigh. This wasn't fair. Swiveling around, she started to head back towards Rebekah. Immediately, she walked right into Klaus.

Stumbling back, she looked up at his angry features, her own holding similitude to his. "AJ," he said, careful to stay patient. "I know that you heard me. So why, pray tell, are you headed back to my sister?"

AJ recrossed her arms. "Because I'm sick of vampires just volunteering any random person for donation without even taking into account the lives they're taking away. Does that sound like a good enough reason for you?"

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. "Quite frankly, love, Rebekah is my baby sister, but that doesn't make her my favorite sibling. She's really not very worthy of your blood."

AJ stared at him incredulously for a moment. "Are you serious? That's your refute?" She held a hand to her head, shaking it slowly. "Oh my God. I'm surrounded by insane vampires."

"AJ, look at me," he said in a tone that caught her attention. She pulled her hand away from her head and looked up at him, meeting his blue gaze. "Will you just trust me? You may be shocked to find that yes, I did think for a brief moment that Rebekah doesn't deserve such a pleasantry, or to kill such a young human, but in reality it must happen. So may we leave now?"

Scowling, AJ said, "That was a sucky apology, and you know it. But… I suppose I see why you're doing this. I just don't like it. Not one bit."

"I know you don't," he said earnestly, putting a hand on either side of her arms. "You said you weren't going to try to change me. Do you take that back?"

His hands were warm, as he always seemed to be. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bit her lip. "I meant it when I said it, and I still mean it. I just wish…"she trailed off, sighing.

"You wish I was more like Elijah, I'm willing to bet." He kept any amount of emotion out of his voice, simply staring down at her.

"No," she said, surprising herself. She looked up at him, searching his eyes. "No, actually, I don't. We can go now, I guess." Swallowing hard, she backed away so that he was no longer touching her, and gestured for him to continue. He stood silently for a moment before passing by her, quickening his pace yet again. He wanted to make good time, tonight.

Stefan had been observing from afar. When AJ's eyes met his, he raised an eyebrow. She pressed her lips together and followed Klaus, averting her gaze. Stefan's shoulders became taut once more as he, too, started after them. "Where are you going?" he asked Klaus, curious.

"You think I'm lying, Stefan, that you and I knew each other," he said, not slowing his pace for a second. "You trusted me with one of your secrets, and now I'm going to prove it to you."

Stefan was unconvinced. "How?"

"We're going to your old apartment." Klaus smirked, then, hearing the vampire come to a stop far behind him.

AJ glanced up at Klaus from where she was trailing behind Klaus. She thought that Rebekah wasn't the only one who was a little dramatic.

It was dark out when they arrived at a small apartment complex, which much to AJ's surprise, was still standing. It wasn't that it was in such a terrible condition or anything, than it was just very old. Klaus wasted no time heading straight to Stefan's apartment. She wondered for a moment as they headed up the stairs if someone would be living there, now. It was Chicago—the city had to be filled with people, and maybe not enough space for them to live. She wasn't super up to date with the realty around here.

"Welcome home, Stefan," Klaus said as he came to a narrow hallway on the third floor. He headed straight to a dark wooded door, but stopped immediately. She peered around him to see what made him tense. Her eyes widened. The doorknob was busted off.

Without another moment's hesitation, he pushed the door open. It creaked as it opened the entire way, revealing a dark and seemingly empty apartment. The dirty window on the far left side indicated that either no one was living here, or they weren't exactly neat-freaks. Beside the window was a bed, and around the room were a number of things that could be found in any apartment, really. Everything in here just looked so much older. Klaus stepped in, his heavy shoes clanking on the worn out wooden floor. He held a hand up. "Do you feel that?" His face became very grim, and he turned to an uneasy Stefan. "Is anybody here?"

Stefan stepped in slowly and quietly, and the floor creaked under him. He looked around with a distant sort of interest. "It's been vacant for decades. People must break in all the time."

AJ wasn't certain, but it seemed like something was just a little off with him. She entered the old apartment cautiously.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Stefan asked, and there was an underlying demand in his voice.

Klaus was glancing around the room with familiarity. "Your friend, Liam Grant—the one who drank his wife's blood—I never could figure out why you wanted his name. And then you told me your little secret." A dark gleam appeared in his eyes, natural to him. Even in the lack of lighting, AJ could recognize it. She shivered at the reminder of the man who drank blood. "It was all part of your special little ritual."

Stefan ran a hand over a dusty, leather bound journal. AJ was now certain that something was off, but Klaus didn't seem to notice, somehow. Maybe the Stefan he knew back in the twenties and this Stefan were too entirely different for him to detect any discrepancies.

Pausing for a moment, Stefan's eyebrows pulled together. "To write it down," he whispered to himself.

"And relive the kill," Klaus said darkly. "Over and over again." He smiled deviously, and then turned around, roughing placing a hand on the end of a shelf built into the wall. AJ was surprised when he was able to pull it back. Stefan had a hidden room. "Do you believe me now?"

Stefan stared into the room, completely perplexed. He walked towards it, shoulders taut and his steps wary. AJ watched him for a moment, before turning her attention to Klaus. He'd walked back to the leather bound journal, examining it. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she approached him. It was cold in the room, and it obviously hadn't been heated in a very long time. Her hand absently found the sun necklace of Klaus's resting at the base of her throat. She ran a finger over it pensively. Klaus glanced up at her, his eyes flicking from the necklace to her.

"You seem to rather fancy that necklace," he said pointedly, and she didn't miss the smugness in his tone. She didn't like what being in this place did to him—it made him seem more like the old Klaus. But she said nothing of it. Instead, she shrugged.

"The magic in it," she said, although earlier she'd swore she'd never admit it to him. "I think it's… calming. Is that why you held onto it for so long?"

Klaus looked at her strangely, but there was still haughtiness in his demeanor. "It never really brought me any peace. Perhaps it isn't the magic of the necklace that's calming, but the... giver."

AJ froze, and her heart started beating hard against her chest. She averted her gaze, choosing to look at the strange wallpaper in the room. "Think what you want," she said detachedly.

"Yes," he said, unfazed, "And deny what you want."

Her gaze flicked back to him, and she saw some kind of intensity in it. It sent crazy shivers down her spine. She pressed her lips together.

"Are you still angry about the boy at the warehouse?" From his tone, she could tell he was being serious.

"I'm not angry," she said quietly, running her fingers over dusty old books. "I'm just tired, Klaus. You have to admit it's been a long day."

He paused. "Have you been thinking about the Lemurė? I assure you, there's nothing to worry about."

"Isn't there, though? Because it seems like when one terrible thing ends, another begins. There's just so much going on right now, I don't know what to worry about. I mean, I can't even stop thinking about my parents." AJ stared sullenly at the floor, biting her lip. Klaus slowly crossed the room to her, the haughtiness gone completely.

"Specifically which parents?" he asked carefully, standing only a foot away from her.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "The one's I don't know. Is it so terrible of me to feel completely alienated from the people who raised me? I mean, shouldn't I still feel like they're my family? I still think of Ben as my brother. But Robert and Laura, those parents… it just doesn't seem right. It never really seemed quite right." Suddenly, she flushed. She'd never once said that to anyone, not even Elijah. Was it silly of her to think that Klaus would even care? "You know, it doesn't even matter. Not really, I guess."

"Of course it does," he said in a low voice. "You've only just found out that they aren't your true parents, and that you have others somewhere else."

Her eyes lifted to his, a crease between her eyebrows. "Why are you being so… understanding?"

Something came up in his eyes, guarding them, distancing her from him, though not physically. He looked away. "You aren't the only one that's found out that a parent wasn't exactly their blood relation."

AJ sucked in a quiet gasp. She felt like hitting herself on the forehead for being so stupid. "I'm sorry Klaus—it completely slipped my mind. Your father—"

"My father," he said, keeping a hold on his temper, "is not exactly a subject I'm fond of. Anyway, I'm certain Gloria has a computer we can use when we go back, later. You can try looking up your parents if you like."

Her eyes still held the sympathy she felt for him, but they widened slightly. "I don't know if that's such a great idea. They probably think I'm dead by now, and I wouldn't want to cause them any more pain."

Klaus shrugged. "Perhaps not pain, but something else. Anyway, it is what you choose. The option will remain there."

AJ cocked her head slightly. This was the Klaus she liked, that she could relate to. Where did he go when he wasn't this way? She opened her mouth to say something, but Stefan spoke up first.

"Look what I found," he said from the hidden room. AJ and Klaus turned at the same time, and she could see him gazing into the far corner. She was still getting a strange vibe from him. Klaus's once gentle look darkened substantially. Did he find a person who'd broken in, like Klaus had suspected?

Then he turned and pulled out a bottle of wine, holding it up for Klaus and AJ to see. "Nineteen-eighteen. Silver Moon."

Klaus smiled. "My favorite." He took it from Stefan's hands, heading towards the door. "Let's go and find someone to pair it with."

"Klaus," AJ said reprovingly.

He smiled innocently at her. "Although I'm certain you would taste just wonderful with it, I was joking. Lighten up, darling."

She narrowed her eyes. "Right. It wasn't me you were talking about," she muttered. As he headed out the door, she turned back to Stefan. There was a strange expression on his face as he returned the shelf to its position in the wall, hiding the hidden room once more. He walked past her, shrugging when she gave him a questioning look. Glancing back at the hidden room once more, she decided it was nothing. She joined the vampires as they closed the door to the apartment and began the walk back to Gloria's.

It wasn't long before they arrived. On the way, AJ had been awed by the nightlife that was Chicago. Big cities weren't the norm for her, and the glittering lights of the city were truly magnificent to take in.

As they stepped back into Gloria's once more, they found the place full of people. Klaus and Stefan had immediately taken the wine up to the bar, and although Klaus had offered her a few drinks, she politely declined. Taking her time getting to the bar, she glanced around at all the people. It must be nice to just be normal and not have to worry about anything supernatural, like freaky vampire-slash-occult members seeking you out to have ancient troubled spirits possess your body, or to be entirely human, or really, just to be able to know who your parents are. Yes, she thought as she looked around, it would be really nice.

Approaching the bar, she arrived just when Gloria was presenting them with two beers. AJ made a face as she took a seat on the other side of Klaus. How could they drink that stuff?

"Where's Rebekah?" Gloria asked, none too happy.

"She'll be here," Klaus said, picking up the bottle lazily. "I can't just conjure her on demand." He took a swig of his beer and looked over at Stefan, who also wasn't looking very cheery at the moment. "What's with you? I thought Chicago was your playground."

"So this is why you asked me to be your wingman," Stefan said, standing. "Because you liked the way I tortured innocent people."

Aware of AJ's presence, he said carefully, "Well that's certainly half of it."

"What's the other half?" Stefan watched as Klaus grabbed the bottle from his apartment and poured it into two glasses.

"The other half, Stefan, is that you used to want to be my wingman." He smirked.

AJ groaned. She could tell there was about to be another walk down memory lane in about three seconds. Grabbing the other glass before Klaus slid it over to Stefan, she downed the whole thing. Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You might want to go easy on the alcohol, sweetheart."

She rolled her eyes and held her glass out for him to fill up once more. He complied, and then started his story. Apparently he and Stefan had sat at this very place ninety years ago, discussing Klaus's hybrid state. She was surprised to find out that he once regarded himself as an 'abomination.' Maybe Klaus hadn't always been this way, this dark and smug? But didn't his history and whatever had happened to his family say otherwise?

AJ was relieved to find out that this story was significantly shorter than the others. She watched as Klaus held his glass up to Stefan, saying, "To friendship." Stefan stared down at Klaus for a moment, uncertain, before raising his own glass. They both downed their drinks, and AJ followed suit. A warm feeling was already settling over her, so she pushed the glass away. She knew her limits, and it probably wasn't wise to get drunk with Klaus around. Who knew what she'd say, or do even? Although she knew that vampires couldn't really get drunk, or at least not totally, she did think that by the time Stefan and Klaus had gotten through the entire bottle, it was a little excessive.

"So I'm confused," Stefan was saying, and he appeared to be a little tipsy as he waved his drink around. Maybe he was just being dramatic. Vampires. "If we were such great friends, then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an altar?"

"All good things must come to an end," Klaus said simply, but AJ could recognize the tone in his voice by now.

"No," she groaned, pouting. "Not another story. I am begging you."

"Oh hush," he said, "This is the last one, I promise."

"Fine," she huffed. She eyed the glass she'd placed off to the side a while ago, and considered getting another drink, but thought better of it. Drinking wasn't something she usually took part in, although she could remember a while back, maybe freshman year, when she and Elena had started a drinking game with a bottle they'd found in her parent's liquor cabinet. The memory was more than a little spotty.

Quickly, she tuned back into whatever Klaus was saying. She became more attentive when she realized that it was about why Stefan couldn't remember him or Rebekah—Klaus had compelled him to forget. But why? If they'd really been such good friends, why would he do that?

"You compelled me to forget," Stefan said, and he seemed like he finally believed everything Klaus had told him.

Klaus was staring down at his empty glass, his lips pulled into a frown. "It was time for Rebekah and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate."

"But why?" Stefan leaned in closer to Klaus, obviously suspicious about something. "You shouldn't have to cover your tracks." As his eyes narrowed, AJ could see that he'd put the pieces together. It clicked into place for her, too, and her eyes widened. "Unless you're running from someone," Stefan said, speaking the exact words AJ was thinking.

Klaus set his jaw firmly, his eyes hard. "Story times over."

Stefan looked tempted to say something else, but he didn't. Then he looked off towards the bar entrance, and something about his eyes made AJ turn and look. As much of a pro she used to be at keeping her emotions under check, her heart started beating like a maniac and her vision blurred. Damon. Damon was here. But in a breeze, he'd left the bar, nodding towards outside. He'd looked at both Stefan and AJ.

Stefan turned back to his nearly empty glass, and drained what was left of it. Between them, Klaus was staring sullenly down at his drink.

"I need a drink," Stefan said, setting his glass back on the bar. "A real one." Klaus said nothing. As Stefan pushed away from the bar, he gave AJ a pointed look. What she read from it was that he didn't want her to go outside. She glared at him, but then realized why it wouldn't be such a good idea in the first place. If they both left, Klaus would surely come looking. And that would mean he'd kill Damon.

The moment Stefan left, Klaus grabbed another bottle of liquor and poured himself a drink. AJ frowned. "Don't you think you've had enough for tonight?"

Klaus smirked. "Worried about me, are you?"

"You know," AJ said, her tone abrasive, "Maybe I'd actually give you an answer to that if you'd stop going from dark-Klaus to smug-Klaus to nice-Klaus within a freaking minute. Ever think about that?"

He frowned, looking over at her. When he opened his mouth to speak, she groaned in frustration. "You see? You're doing it again. Now you're going to play nice-Klaus."

"Would you rather I not, then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She huffed, looking down at her empty glass. "I don't get why you can't just be that way all the time," she said quietly. It was what she'd been thinking earlier, back at Stefan's old apartment.

"I think you do get it. You just don't want to."

Stealing a sidelong glance at him, she frowned. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying," He said wearily, "that no, I'm not always… nice. It's just not who I am. Besides, you've said more than once that you aren't going to try to change me. So you can't change that about me. Sorry, love."

She stared at him, long and hard, pursing her lips. "But I don't believe that. I'm not trying to change you, but I think maybe you are changing. I've seen it."

Klaus smirked. "Oh? Have you? So what is it exactly that you've seen?"

"For starters," she said, completely serious, "I've seen you trust me. When was the last time you trusted someone, Klaus?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "I've seen you care about me, too. You can't deny that. You told me the truth about my parents, and Elijah."

"Yes," he said sardonically. "And that really did you some good. You're very happy and chipper, I'm sure."

AJ's eyebrows pulled together. "I'm not, admittedly. But I am happy that you told me, or else I'd still be in the dark about everything. Don't you get it, though? You were… looking out for me, when you told me that. Because you care." She flashed back to when they were standing on the ridge in the Smoky Mountains, when she first tried getting through to Klaus so that he'd trust her. Where would they be right now if it weren't for that?

A muscle flexed in Klaus's jaw, and he still kept his eyes on his drink. "Why does it matter to you if I care or not, when you so often say you don't? Are you forgetting what you said earlier?"

"You mean about the necklace?" She put a hand to the sun pendant, confused. "You said that maybe magic didn't calm me, but… well, that you did. How could you not expect me to deny that?"

He shook his head slowly, a frown on his lips. "Never mind," he said impassively.

"No," she said firmly, "No 'never mind.' I want to talk about this."

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her finally, but was still impassive. "Do you? That's funny. I'm not really up for it at the moment."

AJ stared at him as a silence passed over them. What was wrong? Since when wasn't he trying to convince her that she had feelings for him? Not that she was admitting anything like that. But still, she could tell that something wasn't quite right. She just wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her or not.

So was the last chapter not well liked? I didn't get as many reviews as usual. If you don't like something, speak up! Constructive criticism is always welcome. What did you think of this chapter? Let me know. (-: