I do not own TVD or TO. I couldn't remember much about Gloria so I took some liberties with her character; I thought she'd be very fun and flirty in the '20s.
1923
Chicago
Maybe it had been the twenty years in New York City that had beaten out the last of her fear. If she could face down the mob and their state of the art weapons without flinching she could certainly handle Gloria.
Gloria was only one witch. She was strong yes, but Lexa was confident she could stand her own with ease; it would have been different if Gloria had the backing of her coven, but the witch held a soft spot for vampires that made her a pariah amongst her own people.
It was her interest in vampires that made the woman so interesting to Lexa. If anyone could help her and provide the information she sought it was Gloria.
She adjusted the jaunty, powder blue, beret over her tight blond curls and slid her hands into her pockets. The cloth bag slid down her arm and hooked on her wrist; she didn't bother to fix it since that was typically where ridicules were carried anyway. Her white wool polaire fell open when she stopped at the table and daintily dropped into the chair.
"Would I be correct in assuming that you are Gloria?" Lexa pulled off her gloves and rolled her shoulders back.
"That's me, doll," Gloria took a drag from her cigarette and blew the smoke in Lexa's face.
She lifted her finger and the smoke dispersed on either side of her head without touching her clothes.
"That's a rather dangerous habit," Lexa nodded to the silver case, "if you're not careful it might lead you straight to the grave." Sometimes she knew things and she knew that smoking was one of the leading causes of lung diseases.
"I'll keep that in mind," Gloria stubbed out the cigarette and straightened in her booth. "You're a witch then," a slow smirk lifted the edges of her lips, "not many talk to me these days. I'm a little too close with the vampires."
"They'll come around," Lexa promised. "I've met a few witches who have been more than…" she chewed over her words, "… friendly with vampires; nine times out of ten they are welcomed back into the fold."
Gloria made a show of looking Lexa over. Her eyes roamed from the soft beret to the blue oxford shoes.
Lexa resisted the urge to turn away from the blatant staring and instead set her bag on the table and pulled off her gloves and jacket to reveal the white dress.
"I've been out of touch for a while," Gloria took a sip from her drink, "but would I be correct in assuming you're new in town?"
"I am," Lexa nodded. "My name is Lexa."
"Well then," Gloria flagged down a waiter, "let me buy you a drink to welcome you to my fair city."
"Fair city," Lexa tasted the name as a French 75 was placed in front of her, "I have to admit that is a much better name than the mud city."
"Mmhmm," Gloria sipped her gin Rickey, "although windy is far more accurate."
"Indeed," Lexa's lips puckered when she swallowed, "that's quite sour."
"That'll be the lemon juice, doll," Gloria smirked. She leaned back and crossed her legs under the table. "So what can I do for you?"
Lexa shivered when she felt the foot trail up her calve. She placed her glass on the table and leaned a little closer to meet the young witches glittering brown eyes; she knew the light well. This was hardly the first time someone had directed their gaze in her direction.
"I'm looking for a vampire," Lexa hooked her finger under the chain holding the jade pendant. She didn't miss the way Gloria's eyes darted from her moving lips to her plunging neckline.
"Male or female," Gloria laid her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her hands.
"I'm not picky," Lexa arched a brow. There were brothers and a sister; it didn't matter which one she found first.
"No preference at all, doll?" Gloria tilted her head and slid her foot back up Lexa's leg. "Does it have to be a vampire?"
"I'm afraid so," Lexa lifted her glass and took another sip. "The oldest one you know of would be best."
"The oldest, hmm?" She leaned back and swirled the liquid in her glass. "There're two old ones in town," Gloria ventured after a pause: "a brother and sister. They usually come in every night if you want to stick around. Although I think you might have trouble with the girl," she wiggled her eyebrows, "poor things in love you see."
Lexa smiled and took examined the yellow liquid in her glass. She considered telling Gloria she had no interest in either of them the way she was thinking, but she couldn't bring herself to voice the words. There was a chance, however slim, that the brother was the one she saw in her dreams every night.
"Why do you say poor thing?" Lexa ran her finger around the rim of the glass.
"Her brother is… protective…" Gloria hummed, "he doesn't like the fact that she's got a young beau… although he seems to like the beau."
Lexa closed her eyes and let the smooth jazz wash over her body. It was soft and comforting enough that she scolded herself and forced her eyes open again. She couldn't let herself get too comfortable; that had been her downfall in New York.
An older witch had spotted her nearly twenty years after meeting her the first time. It hadn't taken long for the whispers to begin, but she had been so comfortable it was not until her apartment building had burnt to the ground that she had realized her error.
She highly doubted anyone would try to kill her here, but she was still alert; it was a by-product of nearly being burnt alive for the second time in her life.
"Are you dead set on a vampire, doll?"
Lexa turned her attention back to Gloria. She was unafraid of the woman and it was kind of flattering to be seen in such a light; it was nice enough that she almost felt bad rejecting her.
"I'm afraid so," Lexa smiled softly. "I kind of have my heart set on it."
"You couldn't be persuaded to go for a witch?" Gloria teased. She heaved a dramatic sigh when the petite blonde shook her head. "In that case I should tell you," she nodded towards a narrow hall, "that one of your vampires just walked in."
Lexa followed her gaze to the slim blond striding towards the powder room.
"That's Rebekah Mikaelson," Gloria explained in a whisper as she nodded to a man checking both coats, "and that's her lover: Stefan Salvatore."
"Not her brother then?" Lexa finished her drink and picked up her hand bag. "Thank you for your help… and your company."
Gloria watched her depart from the table and murmured so quietly only a vampire would have heard.
"Good luck, doll."
Lexa froze when she stepped into the powder room and saw the ancient vampire sifting through her bag. She saw her pull out a tube of red lipstick before approaching the mirror and cursing.
She had mulled over what she would say on the short walk that had taken an eternity. Everything had seemed so ridiculous to her own ears: 'hi, I know you don't know me, but 221 years ago I had an affair with your brother that somehow resulted in me becoming semi-immortal'. It didn't exactly flow off the tongue, but she was struck with an idea when she saw Rebekah struggle with the red stain on her cheek.
"I've got something that'll lift that right off," Lexa opened her handbag and pulled out a blue vial.
She held out her hand and took the handkerchief from Rebekah. Lexa added a little water to the soft potion and lifted it to gently swipe at the vampire's cheek. The bright red lifted easily to reveal her pale skin; Lexa took the time to steal glances at the woman. This close she could see the resemblance to Kol that she had missed earlier.
"There," she folded the handkerchief and passed it back to Rebekah, "all gone."
"That is amazing," Rebekah reapplied her lipstick. "What is that?"
"Magic," Lexa smirked. She dropped the vial back into her bag. "I made it a while back when I had trouble getting my makeup off. I like the colours," she pulled out her own lipstick, "but I dislike having to scrub it off."
"You're a witch," Rebekah closed her beaded handbag and adjusted her pearl necklace.
"And you're a vampire," Lexa nodded. She got the sense that like her brother she would not have chosen the path her life had taken.
"Yes," Rebekah nodded. She opened her mouth as if to say something more when a knock sounded on the door.
Lexa caught a glimpse of the man in the mirror when Rebekah opened the door to address him.
"I'll be right out." Rebekah returned to the sink and quickly adjusted her beaded headband. "I would love to stay and chat, but my brother wants a word." She picked up her handbag and smiled at Lexa in the mirror. "Thank you for your help; perhaps we could talk later."
"I'd like that," Lexa nodded. That will give me time to figure out what to say.
She remained in the powder room for several minutes and was about to rejoin the main room when she heard voices drifting through the wall from the men's room; one was that of Rebekah, the other was a voice that had haunted her nightmares for several decades.
"You can't control my life forever, Nik. I will love who I want when I want. You do not have a say in that."
"I think you'll find I do."
"What are you going to do?"
Lexa could hear the contempt in her voice.
"Are you going to shove a dagger in my heart like you did with Kol, just because I've finally found a voice of my own? Are you going to cart me around in a mahogany box and only wake me when it's convenient for you?"
"If I have to."
"I thought you liked Stefan."
"I do like him, Rebekah, but he is not good enough for you."
"You never think anyone is good enough for me. Perhaps you should let me be the judge of that."
"You're a terrible judge of character, love."
Lexa lost track of their conversation as the facts she had been seeking for centuries were finally laid bare before her. The dagger that had been shoved in his heart was merely incapacitating. If Rebekah spoke the truth, and there was no reason to believe she wasn't as it was a private conversation, then Kol could be awakened and returned to her.
A genuine smile spread over her lips. She was close now; she could feel it. Somehow she knew that Rebekah would be willing to help her when she knew the truth. The knowledge that there was finally someone she could tell the truth to make her heart flutter with happiness.
Lexa was halfway across the floor with the full intention of approaching Rebekah and the brother who she now recognized as the one who had driven the blade through his chest. He was one half of the duo that had broken her heart into a million pieces and left her to clean up the mess.
She struggled to stifle her simmering rage. It would not do her any good to harm him now; in fact she was certain it would alienate Rebekah. Lexa swore that she would refrain from inflicting any pain until Kol was physically in her presence again, and getting him back would go a lot smoother with his sister's assistance.
She was an arm's length from the back of his head when the whistle blew and a round of bullets flew through the open door.
Lexa grunted and choked on blood when three bullets embedded themselves in her abdomen. She rocked forward and coughed. A wooden bullet landed in her hand.
Over the sound of her own hacking and choking she heard the loud screams as men and women ran in countless directions. When she was finally able to lift her head the police were starting to enter the bar.
Rolling her eyes she dropped onto her side and forced her body to lie limply on the glass strewn floor. Playing dead didn't seem to work though.
She knew it was irrational at this point in her life to fear a single vampire, but when Mikael hoisted her to her feet and set her beside Stefan Salvatore it curled down her spine.
Lexa blinked in surprise when Stefan was unable to answer the questions being asked of him. She seemed to realize when Mikael did that the memories were no longer there.
"How about you?" His eyes widened marginally when he finally turned to look at her. He caught her chin and peered into her emerald green eyes. The brief memory of a trembling woman in a cotton shift flooded his mind's eye.
There was no possible way that this was the same woman. He could tell by the blood on her clothes that she was a human being. Mikael assumed she was a witch; what other explanation was there for her being healed so quickly. She was either a witch or she had been healed by one of his children; that would have explained why he could smell Rebekah and Kol clinging to her skin.
"Does your family hail from Spain, by any chance?"
Lexa's eyes grew round as she nodded. "Along the coast," she whispered quietly. It wasn't hard to follow his train of thought. Logic told him that she couldn't be the same woman and therefore had to be a descendant of herself.
Mikael shook his head to dispel the memory and moved on to his interrogation.
Just like the last time Lexa found she was able to lie to him, and to ignore his compulsion. And just like last time he left everyone in the bar alive. She might have feared Kol's father, but she had to admire his restraint. Lexa figured his brothers must have many enemies, but it was unlikely that Mikael had made any lasting ones in his years hunting his children; aside from his own children of course.
Never before in her life had she felt such a strong desire to break something as she did when her locator spell failed. It should have been easy with the necklace of Rebekah's that had been left on the floor of the bar, but it wasn't.
She had tried three locator spells of increasing strength to no avail. She feared what it meant that she was unable to find her.
There were a few possibilities each more sinister than the last.
A strong witch was cloaking her.
Her brother had shoved a dagger through her heart.
Her father had found her and killed her.
She raked her fingers through her hair and exhaled slowly to disperse her anger. It worked somewhat in that only ten glasses shattered behind the bar and made Gloria jump.
Lexa smiled apologetically before grabbing her hand bag and running towards the exit. She was halfway down the street when she caught up with him at the entrance to an alley.
"Stefan?" Lexa paused to catch her breath and pressed the necklace into his hand. "This means more to you than it does to me… even if you don't remember why."
"I don't understand," he frowned at the locket. He lifted his gaze to her glistening eyes. "Have we met before?"
"No," Lexa shook her head. "We haven't, and for my own sake I'm going to need you to forget meeting me now." She laid a hand on his chest and pushed him back into the alley.
It had been two hundred and twenty one years since she had used the spell on Emiliano, but she remembered the process vividly. Had she not learned how to telekinetically broken Stefan's neck before beginning she might have found it difficult, but he was in no position to argue with her when he was unconscious in the alley.
When Stefan woke he remembered finding a silver locket and then attacking a girl in the alley. He could only assume Gloria had found him and broken his neck before he could hurt the girl.
Drop me a review and let me know what you thought. I'm thinking the next chapter will be her second encounter with Claire. that one will be followed by the start of the dreams that led her to New Orleans before she spends some time with the Halliwells.