Author Disclaimer: I own nothing except my Original Character and this story idea. Everything else belongs to its respective creator. Additional credit to the writers of TVD episode "Rose" for use of dialogue.

"I can't read her

She hides behind a smile

Does she think about it

In the back of her mind

And when she cries

Does she try to find

The piece of her

That went missing

Over time"

-Manicanparty "It's In Her Eyes"

The tension that was held inside that small room was so palpable it was bordering on stifling and Alix wasn't sure if they would choke on it or if a small spark would ignite the room. Rose, who was leaning against the door frame, hadn't said a single word since they entered. She just...stared at Alix. If this had been a different kind of situation, Alix would've told her to go outside and wait, but seeing as she wasn't in a position to be making demands of any kind, she just dealt with it.

Alix hoped that Rose would also see that she lacked any kind of ulterior motive nor did she have a weapon...much to Alix's dismay.

'Note to self: the next time we see Damon Salvatore, we tell him to fuck right the hell off.'

"How high are my chances of getting bitch-slapped for aksing what is going to happen with Elena and myself?" Alix broached as she reached for the jeans Rose had set on the edge of the bed.

Rose gnawed on her lower lip as she thought. There was a part of her that urged her to lie, however, this was Alixiah asking...even if she couldn't remember or believe it. With that fact, along with their history, drove Rose to tell her the truth.

"The original plan was to use the doppelganger to barter our freedom from Elijah," Rose admitted as she moved to lean against the wooden dresser. "Not much has changed from the original plan, except now that we have you, you'll be the one to guarantee our freedom."

Alix seemed either blissfully unaware or chose to ignore the heavy emphasis being placed on the part she had to play. She responded with a curt nod while Rose handed her the white lace tank top and black jacket.

"Hold up, do you mean to say that you need us lowly humans in order to free yourself? You...a badass vampire with a powerful bitch-slap?" Alix asked incredulously as she finished dressing. It was meant to be taken as a smartass remark, but Alix was really curious about the answer because it honestly sounded utterly ridiculous.

"I think we both know you are not human." Rose mused. "If you really must know, one of us had a lapse in judgment, the consequences of that error has led us to be on the run for the last five hundred years. This person seemed to believe it was a smart choice to associate ourselves with the likes of Katerina Petrova or Katherine Pierce as she's taken to calling herself now." Rose explained, her tone holding nothing back of her utter contempt towards Katherine.

"Katherine was running from Elijah and his brother when Trevor found her in the woods and he couldn't resist her tears. When Elijah came looking, he hid her and swore he'd find her and return her...he clearly had no intentions of honoring that promise." Rose rolled her eyes. "He was so blinded with his infatuation of her and her false promises that he refused to acknowledge that we were nothing more than pawns in her scheme until it was too late."

"I'm going to assume you're talking about Trevor; that boy is not exactly the brightest tool in the shed." Alix mused as she turned to Rose. "So, Elijah, the guy you're hoping to get your freedom from, he isn't the same one you and your idiotic friend are convinced I'm 'married' to, right?"

That question seemed to really bother Rose. She could never fathom in a million years hearing her friend ask her that. "You don't remember him at all?"

Before she could stop herself, she burst out into a fit of humorless laughter. "That defeats the purpose of this entire situation. Did you lose your hearing for a moment when I earlier stated that I was not this fucking 'Alixiah Mikaelson'?!" Alix paused to take in a deep, calming breath. "Look, I'm not usually this bitchy. I've had a few shitty days and sleepless nights and it's all coming to a head. I just don't understand how I'm expected to remember someone I've never met before. I know you think I'm full of shit, but I really don't know you and according to you, we were the Lucy and Ethel of the Middle Ages."

"Seeing as you've held up your end of the bargain, I feel I need to do the same. Fully disclosure, it's becoming increasingly difficult to mute the voice inside my head that is saying I should know you."

Hearing that from the person Rose had considered to be a sister was devasting. Rose soon realized that Alix wasn't acting...she genuinely had no idea who any of them were and while that thought made her physically ill, there was a small, pin-size ray of hope. Rose had a theory, but she just needed to dig a little deeper for proof. She pushed herself away from the dresser, slowly moving closer towards Alix.

"What do you mean by that?"

Alix looked away from Rose. "Back in the other room, something happened to me. I can't tell you what the hell it was...maybe a hallucination from the drugs but one minute everything is normal and the next BAM! Out of nowhere, you and I are in the corner of some corridor. You are losing your ever-loving mind and speaking really fast. I'm not 100% fluent in gibberish so I only got something about 'Klaus' and 'running'."

"I don't know what's fucking me up more, that nonsense or the fucking dream I've been having for the last year." Alix continued grumbly as she moved to lean against the wall next to the door. Rose eyed her with a questioning brow, silently coaxing her to continue. "Oh for Christ's sake, fine. I keep having a dream about a dancehall filled with people I don't know and it always ends with me meeting this ridiculously hot guy." Alix admitted hastily before giving a second thought to what she'd just said. She leaned her head back against the wall, running a hand down her face.

"A ridiculously hot guy, huh?" Rose teased with a knowing smile. "Care to tell me what he looks like?"

"I would rather sell my soul to the Devil himself, but you aren't going to let this go, are you?" Rose simply just nodded her smile widening. "He's really tall, carrying himself in such a way that you can plainly tell there's something unnatural about him...like he's much older than he appears. He has wavy brown hair, about shoulder length and a jawline that could cut glass. His eyes...oh boy, those brown eyes could either pick you apart in a matter of seconds or make you confess your dirtiest secrets depending on his mood."

When Alix finally looked at Rose, she was surprised at just how close Rose really was. Her personal bubble had been invaded again, so she pressed herself further into the wall just for some breathing room.

"You say you don't remember Elijah, however, your subconscious is saying something else entirely...seeing as you just described the first time you met." Rose sang in a 'know-it-all' tone. Alix couldn't breathe...this was all becoming way too much.

"So, yes, Elijah is both your husband and the one we're seeking our freedom from."

"So that means he's one of you...a vampire? I didn't know vampires were into owning other vampires."

With that, Rose sighed heavily. She really did have her work cut out for her; she was going to need to give Alix a crash course in vampire history. She stood before Alix, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You need to understand something, Elijah is not just a vampire...he's one of the oldest vampires of our kind. He and his family are Originals, they are the first of our kind, which makes them faster, stronger not to mention a helluva lot more deadly should they be wronged. Think of them as the Royal Family but for vampires."

Jesus Christ, the amount of information being thrown at Alix was beginning to give her a headache. It started at the base of her neck, letting her known it would probably turn into a migraine at some point. "Oh my God, what has my life turned into? So, how does that explain me being your golden ticket into the Wonka factory? If all of this is true, why can't I remember? I've never had memory issues before and I'm old as hell."

"That might've been Klaus's doing." Rose speculated. That statement was perfectly sound to Rose, but Alix, on the other hand, was left in the dark on its meaning. "Klaus and Elijah are brothers."

"And? I'm failing to see the significance of that." Alix retorted with a shrug before pinching the bridge of her nose to alleviate the building pressure inside her head.

"Alright, five hundred years ago, Elijah rebelled against his brother; he secretly married you. When Klaus caught wind of the whispers and speculations, he questioned Elijah, who admitted everything. He was beyond furious because he'd explicitly forbidden Elijah from becoming involved with you. Klaus saw you as nothing more than a distraction that would either drive a wedge between them or make Elijah weak. So, as punishment for his defiance, he took away the one thing Elijah loved as much as his own kin...you. We thought you to be dead."

"That explains the shocked looks." Alix smirked slightly. The smirk fell as the last lingering question still needed to be asked.

"What makes you so sure I'm her? I could simply just be like Elena...a doppelganger."

Rose closed what little distance remained between them to the point their noses gently touched. Rose stared directly into Alix's eyes. Alix wanted to look away but couldn't; it wasn't until Rose looked down at her necklace. Reaching out, Rose gripped the piece of jewelry tightly while Alix's eyes darted between the two, trying to figure out what she was doing. Rose snapped the delicate chain from around her neck.

"You see this ring? This ring you got at a pawn shop in New Orleans...it's the same one that Elijah gave you the night you married." Rose explained as she held the small object in the palm of her hand. "I know this for a fact because I was your witness. It was not merely chance that you came to possess this. And if that is not enough to convince you, the Alixiah I knew had a birthmark on her left shoulder in the shape of the North Star."

Rose did nothing to hide the satisfied smile she wore while watching as Alix frantically pushed aside the left portion of the jacket to reveal the exact mark in the exact location Rose had just talked about. Alix raised her head, eyeing Rose suspiciously. The rational side of Alix's brain deduced that Rose was just fucking with her, seeing as it was clearly visible while she was wearing that dress.

The moment Alix went to call her on this was also the same moment when Trevor flew into the room frantic as all get out.

"He's here!" The crazed vampire shouted. The sudden outburst startling both women. "This was a mistake."

Trevor began to pace back and forth in front of the open door. Out of the corner of her eye, Alix spotted a timid looking Elena peering around the doorway. Seeing that her partner was alive and well, Elena flashed her a relieved smile.

Rose recovered relatively quickly from the shock of Trevor's news. She now moved to regain control of the situation before it spiraled too far. She braced her hands on his shoulders to put an end to his incessant and annoying pacing.

"No, I told you I would get us out of this." She reminded him firmly. "You have to trust me."

"No." Trevor denied, shaking his head. "He wants me dead, Rose."

"He's going to want her more." Rose assured him, turning his head towards Alix.

At this revelation, Elena looked at Alix in confusion, to which Alix merely shrugged and acted as if she had no idea what they were talking about. There was a slight pang of guilt that hit her in the gut in response to lying to Elena, especially when it became a common habit amongst those in her circle as of late.

"I can't do this." Trevor sighed, sounding completely defeated. "You give her to him, he'll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here."

"Hey!" Rose snapped, breaking though Trevor's altered state. "What are we?"

"We're family." He answered, taking in a couple of deep breaths. "Forever."

The display between the two longtime friends had Alix reassessing her current familial situation. Her brother and Trevor were very much alike in certain ways; they had made a mistake doing what they thought was right at the time. She made a mental note to get ahold of Dean after this was all said and done and have a serious heart to heart.

In the distance, a loud knock echoed throughout the entire house. The seemingly innocent sound caused terror to flood Trevor's systems as it served only to remind him of who was responsible for the said noise.

"You're scared." Elena observed from the doorway. While it may have not been meant as an insult, there was very little she could do to stop the contemptuous glare Rose threw her way.

"Take her back to the room. Stay with her and don't make a sound." Rose instructed as she walked Trevor to the door towards Elena before turning to grab Alix's arm, dragging her along.

The walk to the front of the house was a silent one. Upon entering the foyer, an eerie creak rang out as the front door slowly swung open. With lightning reflexes, Rose quickly pushed Alix into the nearest open door, which so happened to be the kitchen. With a quick glance, Rose wordlessly pleaded with her to be silent and stay out of sight. Understanding the silent message loud and clear, Alix nodded as she turned to look around the ruins of the former kitchen for a lookout hole. She nearly fist-pumped the air at finding the small crack in the wall near the dismantled waiter door.

From here, Alix could not only see into the sitting room but if she angled her head just right...she could see the front door as well.

The man that waited patiently on the porch was so physically stunning that Alix's breath was stolen right from under hear. Her heart began to race when recognition set in; it was the very same man from her dreams. Granted, his appearance had definitely been molded with the changed years. His hair was now shorter, his bangs swept off to the side. He donned a clearly expensive, well-tailored black suit and button-up, a plaid tie used to add a titch of sophistication. To the untrained eye, he was the picturesque definition of a gentleman. However, Alix was gifted with the knowledge that this was the same man that easily struck pure fear into the heart of a five-hundred-year-old vampire with a simple knock.