Hello! It's been quite a while. There have been a lot of changes in my personal life that needed my complete attention, but I have brought forth a new chapter. I hope you all will enjoy it.

Now, let me respond to your awesome reviews:

-Isobel Bauch: Thank you so much for the support!

-xenocanaan: You have no idea how much I appreciate the support! Also, take care!

-brigitm28: Yes, I wanted to add a nice little memory of the two. I mean, they did spend her entire life together, so I need to provide some flashbacks to give you guys a view of how they were before and as she grew up. And yes, a trip to Disney would be AMAZING for the bank account. Well, June is a favorite and I like writing her, so she is never going to be gone for too long. Also, I like to write my story by trying to look for the logic in the show, 'cause it sometimes didn't really make any sense, especially taking into consideration the motivation of certain characters. It helps to try and avoid the confusion I sometimes had when watching the show. And Klaus and Gwen's relationship is a lot of push and pull. Like you said, they both have their reasons. Thank you for the review!

-Guest: Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Vampire Diaries and claim no ownership over anything about it. I only own my characters.

it all depends on you

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Packing was always a hassle for Gwen. Well, it used to be in the beginning. Klaus saw it fit to move them around more when she left behind her toddler years. He was never satisfied being in a place for too long, growing anxious the more he stayed in one place for too long. He disliked leaving behind any marks or tracks that Mikael would catch up on and use to find him. So, packing and moving became easier as the years went by. She had also become used to never being attached to places, knowing that soon she would leave it behind to go to a new place. It came to be that all she knew that she would find in every new place they moved to was only four walls, a roof, and a bed. It was no real home, but she never really had one. Her home truly was the people she was with, regardless of the place.

Still, Gwen wasn't ready to go back into her gilded cage. She wanted to see the world and everything life had to offer. If Klaus wasn't going to allow it, then she would just have to take matters into her own hands, which she already did. She would have preferred to have Klaus' blessing, but she knew better, and she wasn't going to waste yet another breath on someone who was perfectly happy locking her up, even if she was wasting away.

For the day ahead, Gwen wore light denim overalls that had rips at the knee, cuffed hem, straight leg, a straight neckline, and a racerback. She paired the overalls with a light pink tee that had short sleeves and a V-shaped neckline. She also wore a pair of white sneakers. Her hair was in two low pigtails that were in a loose hold with her bangs framing her face.

Gwen glanced at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath as she looked down at the bracelet that Klaus had given her so long ago. She was so tempted to leave it behind, but she was not capable of severing ties just like that. Regardless of whatever Klaus did, he was still her family and the only father she had ever known. She will always love him, even when they would no longer be by each other's side.

Taking a deep breath, Gwen left her room after having packed her bags, glad that there wasn't much to sort through. She descended to the first floor in search of Klaus to see if he had any knowledge of Rebekah's whereabouts, given that she hadn't returned the night before, so she was a bit worried that something might have happened to her.

Gwen was not at all surprised to find Klaus in the living room working on an abstract painting on an easel. She knew him well enough to know that he was using the activity to vent his frustrations. Still, with the threat of Esther and the white oak stakes gone, the anxiety and paranoia should be leaving his body.

Clearing her throat, Gwen asked, "Any word from Bekah?"

"Not yet," Klaus answered, keeping his attention solely on his work.

"She should have been back by now," added Gwen.

"I know," Klaus sighed."

Before Gwen could push him further, she turned around when she felt a presence behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rebekah standing near the entrance of the room. "Bekah," Gwen greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Weny," Esther greeted the halfling with a small smile, opting to keep her interactions as short as possible until she could return to her own body.

"What took you so long?" Klaus asked, still only looking at his painting.

"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake," Esther explained before revealing her hand that she had been hiding behind her to show the hybrids the white oak stake. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer," she said as she approached her son.

Klaus turned to Rebekah with a satisfied grin. "That's it?"

"The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us," Esther said as she offered Klaus the stake, gesturing to the lit fireplace with it. "Do you want to do the honors or shall I?"

Placing the paintbrush down, Klaus grabbed the stake before throwing it into the flames of the fireplace, watching the fire flare up as it slowly consumed the white oak. Finally, he could breathe a bit easier as the remaining threat to himself and what was left of his family was no more. He would wait for a while until he was sure that the stake was nothing more than ashes. Even then, he would burn those over and over just to be safe.

"Good riddance to that!" a new voice chuckled, causing everyone to turn their heads to find a smirking Kol leaning against an archway of the living room with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. "Missed me anyone?" he asked rhetorically as his eyes strayed to Gwen's figure.

"What are you doing back in town?" Klaus asked as he narrowed his eyes, disliking having to deal with his annoying little brother.

"Come on, Nik," Kol began as he pushed himself away from the archway to stand beside Gwen, but he kept his gaze on his siblings. "You sent me to the dull city of Denver to keep watch of an even duller teenager. Not only that, but you also didn't answer my calls or texts." He shrugged with a grin. "Forgive me for wanting to make sure that nothing went awry."

"I was a bit busy," said Klaus. "Besides, you've wasted the trip. We're leaving."

Esther's eyes widened as she glanced at Klaus. "Today?"

"Why not?" Klaus asked Rebekah. "Nothing is keeping us here."

"But tonight's the Decade Dance," argued Esther. With Kol in town, she would have three of her children in the same place. She wouldn't waste the opportunity.

Klaus shrugged. "So?"

"So, I'm head of the committee," Esther pushed harder. "We have to go."

"And I want to go," said Gwen.

"Decade Dance?" Kol wondered out loud as he glanced at Gwen for guidance.

"It's an event held at schools that have a theme. It's a themed dance," Gwen explained, unable to look Kol straight in the eye. He made her nervous enough by being in the same room. "Bekah planned this dance with a twenties theme."

"Oh, good!" Kol smiled as he gave Klaus a pointed look. "A decade I missed out on."

Klaus groaned. "You should really start letting that one go."

Kol hummed, "Not anytime soon."

"Please, I have big plans for tonight," Esther pleaded, forcing herself to make what was her daughter's cute pout that she always used to get what she wanted. She felt uncomfortable doing such a thing with her daughter's face. "Just go for me. If not, at least for Weny."

"If it helps, you're not in the best position with anyone to make demands," Gwen said as she raised a hand.

"It's not helpful," said Klaus.

"Will you look at that," Kol chuckled as he grinned at Klaus. "You've been outvoted."

Klaus looked over everyone's faces and debated his options. He could remain firm and force them all to pack their things and leave, but that wouldn't be the best decision. Kol was with them, and he was never one to take orders of any kind or from anyone, least of all from him. His younger brother would simply rally his sister and ward against him to find a way to go to the dance. There was also the other option of agreeing to go to the dance and earn a few good points with both Gwen and Rebekah. With Gwen, he was looking to ease the tension between them, even though it wouldn't be much. With Rebekah, he would be helping her fulfill what he believed to be an unnecessary desire to live like other teenagers, but it would help him get on her good side.

"What shall it be, Nik?" asked Kol.

"Okay, fine," he sighed with a roll of his eyes, eliciting happy grins from his siblings and ward. "One last hurrah," he said with a grin.

"One last hurrah, Nik," said Esther before taking a deep breath. "So, now that we're all in agreement, you won't be seeing me for the rest of the day. I have too much to prepare for tonight."

"Do you need help?" asked Gwen.

Esther shook her head, finding herself struggling to remain in control when she suddenly felt Rebekah trying to fight her. "No need, sweet thing. I have enough lazy teenagers that I can force to do some volunteer work to set everything up for tonight's dance." She went to leave the room, but she turned around to leave one last instruction. "Tonight's theme is the Roaring Twenties, so dress accordingly."

Esther then quickly left, concluding that it was time to neutralize her daughter and return to her own body. Her daughter was much stronger than she had anticipated. Not only that, while she was in a vampire's body, she couldn't use magic. Then again, she couldn't use the strengths of a vampire. Now, while she inhabited Rebekah's body, her status was in limbo, which was why she was able to enter the cave where no vampire was able to enter. There was much to do in so little time. To finish her task of creating the ultimate weapon and the ultimate hunter, she needed her body and to tap into magic she thought she'd never have to use it ever again.

Back in the living room, Klaus went back to painting as Kol bothered him a bit by asking him all sorts of questions that ranged from what plans Klaus had after leaving Mystic Falls and if it was any fun, but the Original hybrid only bit back a few remarks or ignored him. Gwen took the opportunity to take her leave, but not before she shared a look with Kol.

Gwen ascended the grand staircase and went out onto the balcony, rubbing her hands together as she looked out at the view she had. Soon, she would be saying goodbye to the small town that she had somehow grown fond of. Ignoring the hostile residents and unfortunate events, the town was quite cozy. She took a deep breath of the chilly air and turned around, only to shriek in surprise when she saw Kol standing right there with a wide grin decorating his lips.

"Why do you vampires always do that?" asked a scowling Gwen.

Kol shrugged. "We'll stop doing it when it stops being entertaining."

With a roll of her eyes, Gwen changed the topic and asked, "And what are you doing here?"

"You asked me to follow you up here with that cute look you gave me," Kol said with a tilt of his head, feigning confusion. He knew exactly what she was referring to, but he wanted to keep teasing her.

"I mean, why are you here in Mystic Falls?" she clarified herself.

With a shrug, Kol leaned his back against the balcony railing with his elbows resting on the handrail. "You're the one who called, little lamb." He smirked at her. "Glad that you accepted my offer."

"I know, but we were supposed to meet up wherever Nik decided to dump me," said Gwen.

"Too much of a hassle," Kol whined as he leaned his head back. "Besides, I thought I'd enjoy the look on Nik's face when you tell him what we're up to. His sweet, little ward running off with his devious brother."

Gwen's eyes widened as she stepped closer to Kol. "He can't find out. He could very well lock me in a tower and throw away the key."

"Oh, please," Kol huffed, a bit insulted that she thought Klaus was more powerful than him. Granted, his brother finally tapped into his werewolf side, but the strength was still the same with only a few minor perks that came with being a hybrid. "I think I can handle him."

"Well, I don't want to take any chances," argued Gwen. "Your being here changes things. I can't just leave with you." She chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't think that would be very appealing to him."

Kol was about to argue further but then a pleasing thought came to mind. "Well, I can keep my mouth shut," he paused when he had her undivided attention, "for a price."

Frowning, Gwen asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, "What do you want?"

"I will keep my pretty lips zipped shut and find a way for us to go on our merry way," he began as he pushed himself off the railing to stand in front of Gwen. He was only a breath away from her as he looked down at her, his chocolate eyes locked on her hazel-green ones. "I'll do that, but only if you go to this dance as my date," he said as he picked up her hand and left a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

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It was fitting that the place where her life had been cut short would become the place where many other souls were laid to rest. Esther was glad that she had such luck and that the spot was away from public places. Not many people visited such old graves. From what she knew, this cemetery in particular belonged to the Salvatore family and its extended family members. It was one of the few cemeteries of the Founding Families that were in good condition.

"Why are we here?" Esther's companion asked as they walked through the cemetery with him a few steps behind her just as the sun began to set.

"Long ago on this spot, my son tore my heart from my chest," Esther began to explain. While she was glad to be back in her body, she could feel how her own body recognized the place where it had died. "The violence of my death marked this ground for all time."

"What do we need to complete your spells?" asked Alaric.

"Not much this time," Esther answered. "While faerie blood would have been the perfect ingredient, I've found that Miss Gwen is too far out of my reach with Niklaus constantly guarding her. The last thing we need is to spook him." She exhaled heavily. "As paranoid as he is, it's what's helped him survive."

"Then, how do you plan to substitute fae blood for whatever it is you were going to use it for?" asked Alaric.

"You have nothing to worry yourself over," said Esther. "I know of a perfect solution."

The pair entered the Salvatore mausoleum, the gate creaking as it was opened. Once inside, Esther came to stand in front of a stone pillar with a square top that acted as a table that had a bowl and the last white oak stake on it. Alaric stood opposite Esther as he kept facing her, still guarded in case the witch tried anything against his life. Still, having the Original witch help him with his cause was the best opportunity that could have presented itself to him.

"I'll need your ring," Esther told Alaric.

Immediately, Alaric drew back with narrowed eyes. "Now, why would I give you the one thing that protects me from death?"

"I will give you all the protection you need. You'll need it, especially now that my wildest son is back in town," Esther began to explain, confident that he would see reason if she only spoke truthfully and in detail. "However, the stake will burn up in the body of its first victim. If you are to kill all of my children, I will need to bind the protective magic in your ring to the stake, thus rendering the white oak indestructible."

There wasn't much for Alaric to debate when Esther was right. If he were to kill the entire vampire species, then killing the Originals would be the fastest way to achieve his goal, but he needed the stake to survive its first staking of an Original. He looked down at the hand Esther had extended, it lit up under the light of the sun that managed to filter inside the mausoleum. He then took off the Gilbert ring that had protected him so many times and granted him the chance to act on his darkest desires before handing it over to the Original witch.

Once she had the ring, Esther proceeded to drop it inside the bowl before she began chanting her spell. Flames burst up from the bowl and intensified in heat as Esther continued to chant. Slowly but surely, the ring started to melt. Once the ring was turned into the liquid metal, Esther ceased her chanting and the flames no longer burned. She picked up the stake and used it to stir the molten metal until it all stuck to the wood before lifting it, and turning it upside down for the metal to pour down the stake. Both Esther and Alaric watched as the liquid metal fused with the white oak.

As she held the stake up, Esther looked at Alaric with nothing but satisfaction on her face. "The ultimate weapon for the ultimate hunter."

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Yet another party that Gwen was able to attend was with Kol as her date once more. She tried to ignore the part where he almost ruined their plans and focused on the night ahead and how much fun it should be. She did not doubt that Rebekah had gone all out preparing the party, so she was excited to be there. For a moment, she thought it would be odd for people who were not students at Mystic Falls High School to attend, but she had banished the thought from her mind, thinking that there would also be others who weren't students in attendance.

Gwen broke out of her thoughts and focused on her reflection, impressed with the flapper dress Klaus had procured from somewhere she wasn't sure of, given how quickly he had presented it to her. It was a beautiful sleeveless, beige flapper dress with a V-shaped neckline and a skirt that reached just above her knees. The dress had elaborate embroidery and a sequined flower and leaf pattern. It had a double-layered fringe low on the skirt, which flowed beautifully when she moved and tickled her knees. She wore beige pantyhose. And she matched the dress with a pair of nude pumps that had kitten heels and a T-strap.

For her hair, she would have wished to have Rebekah, but she imagined the blonde was busy and already at the party, so she had to do her hair by herself. She had managed to make a curly updo and added a gold headband that had crystal beads and a small, white feather on the right side. She had also kept the makeup simple, adding a soft glitter eyeshadow.

Her accessories consisted of her rose gold necklace from which the round-shaped pearl hung and her silver bracelet that had a silver wolf pendant hanging from it. She wore a long strand of pearls that went well with her necklace. She also wore rose gold bangles on each wrist. She avoided wearing gloves, believing that they would grow to be more of an annoyance as the night dragged on.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance, Gwen reached for the sparkling shawl in gold that would serve to ward off the cold breeze, refusing to use a feather boa because of how it itched. She picked up her phone and left the room, walking down the hallways and reaching the grand staircase. She descended the steps, wondering where Klaus and Kol were since they were all leaving together for the dance. On the last step, she yelped when someone appeared in front of her out of nowhere.

"Really?" she huffed at Kol as he smirked at her with his hands behind his back.

Kol chuckled. "I'll try to stop."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, not believing him at all. "I doubt that."

Humming, Kol said, "You're wise to doubt."

Gwen took a moment to give Kol a once-over. She would be lying if she said that she didn't find him to be handsome. He looked quite dapper in a black, three-piece suit that was matched with a white button-up shirt, a dark gray tie, and black leather shoes. He had a handkerchief elegantly peeking out of his breast pocket that was the same color as his tie. He also wore a black fedora that sat on top of his brown hair that had been jelled to the side. His only other accessory was his daylight ring.

"Might I just say," Kol began as he picked up Gwen's hand to place a quick but lingering kiss on her knuckles without breaking eye contact with her, "you look stunning, my darling." And he wasn't lying. When he had seen her descend the stairs, he strangely found himself excited. He could have sworn that his undead heart skipped a beat.

"And you look quite dapper, sir," Gwen said with a smile as she did a small curtsy. She didn't even pretend like he didn't affect her, feeling her heart beat a mile a minute. His grin was enough to tell her that he was aware of her nervousness. It didn't help her poor heart that he still had a good grip on her hand. "Ready?" she asked, looking to change the topic.

"This will be my first high school dance," Kol chuckled as he helped her come down from the last step of the staircase. "Curious to see what all the drama's about."

"Me, too," said Gwen.

A throat was cleared, causing both Gwen and Kol to look behind them, finding Klaus staring at them both with his hands behind his back. "I have a car waiting outside." He wore a white, three-piece suit that greatly contrasted Kol's outfit. Unlike Kol, Klaus avoided wearing a hat. "What do we have here?" he asked, gesturing to Kol's hand that was sitting far too comfortably for his liking on the small of her back.

"The little lamb chose me as her date for tonight," Kol said with a wide smirk, enjoying the glare that appeared on Klaus' face.

Klaus's hardened gaze shifted to Gwen. "How come?"

With a raised eyebrow, Gwen faced Klaus and matched his gaze. "I might as well enjoy whatever freedom I have before you send me off to be monitored by some of your compelled or sired lackeys." She took a deep breath and calmed down. The last thing she wanted to do was act like a brat. "Sorry," she sighed. "I can go with both of you."

Kol sighed. "Come now, let him pout."

"Very mature," Klaus said to Kol with a roll of his eyes.

"Twat," countered Kol.

"Shut it," Klaus hissed at Kol.

"Enough!" Gwen yelled as she looked at both men with incredulous eyes. "A thousand years old, they say," Gwen huffed as she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and left the mansion with both Klaus and Kol trailing behind her. They were both still glaring at one another. "I don't know how Bekah does it," she mumbled to herself.

The car ride to the school had started quiet, given that the tension between the Mikaelson brothers was thick, so Gwen had tried to lighten the mood on a few occasions by asking about the nineteen-twenties. It wasn't the best topic of conversation, considering that Kol had been daggered during a decade he was growing to think would have been his decade the more he learned about it. It wasn't her best move, she knew. Silence engulfed them once more, so Gwen tried one last time to lighten the mood by asking something a bit more generic. The halfling wondered out loud about music, which sparked a good-natured discussion between the brothers about which was the best music genre. Gwen sighed in relief when the brothers had calmed, hoping it would remain like that for the rest of the night.

Once the trio arrived at the school, Gwen entered the gymnasium with an arm wrapped around Klaus' and Kol's to satisfy both and keep them from tearing one another's throats. Yet, her worries were pushed to the back of her mind when she saw a kind of party she wasn't used to. She was amazed by the décor, the music, the people. Well, she was amazed by just about everything. Everything about the party made her want to join the mass of people on the dance floor dancing to their heart's content.

"I'll see if I can find Rebekah," Klaus announced, raising his voice loud enough for Gwen to hear him. He then locked eyes with Kol as he grabbed Gwen's shawl to hold onto it. "Behave," he warned.

Kol smirked. "When have I not been the exemplification of good behavior?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer," Klaus huffed as he left the pair, confident that Kol wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything against Gwen's life. His insurance was a dagger and white oak ash he had hidden inside one of the pockets of his coat.

Kol ignored his brother, his attention focusing entirely on the young halfling bobbing along to the upbeat music as she watched the crowd of people dancing. He recognized that look, which was one of pure wonder and excitement. Her grip on his arm was tight as if she was holding herself back from sprinting to the dance floor and disappearing within the moving bodies. She was experiencing something for the first time, and he could have fun indulging in it with her.

The Original vampire leaned close to her ear, making it easier for her to listen to him. "Want to dance, darling?"

Startled out of her reverie, Gwen glanced up at Kol and felt her face heat up at having been caught. "I don't know how," she sheepishly said as she returned her attention to the crowd of dancing people.

Kol snorted. "I'll need a better excuse than that." He then proceeded to drag her with him into the horde of spinning and twirling teenagers, ignoring Gwen's protests. Once he found a decent spot, he turned to the nervous halfling. "Relax, darling," he said as he reached for her hands and copied what some couples were doing by moving to the beat of the song, taking some steps back and some steps forward. "Just focus on me," he said. "And only on me."

Gwen was apprehensive as she tried to follow his lead, feeling a bit like an idiot with every movement she made. Then, she yelped when she was suddenly swept in Kol's arms, grinning as she looked up at him. She allowed herself to go with the flow of music and erratic dancing that had her heart beating a mile a minute. She laughed as she simply let her body be guided by Kol. She was twisted. She was lifted. She was tilted. She was laughing. She was having a good time. If this was what awaited her by traveling with Kol, she couldn't wait for him to keep to his promise of securing their getaway.

As Gwen laughed, Kol couldn't help but smile at the joy reflected on the halfling's face. "Enjoying ourselves, are we?"

"Yes!" Gwen laughed as he twirled her once more before drawing her close to his chest, which gave pause to all laughter as their gazes locked on one another. Still, they both wore smiles on their faces. "That was fun," she chuckled.

"Imagine how much more fun the real world will be," Kol whispered close to her ear, sending a pleasant shiver throughout her body. "It'll also be a first for me in this era."

Gwen leaned back when she felt his breath fan across her cheek to look up at him. "Thank you," she mumbled as she broke eye contact, becoming nervous for some reason.

Tilting his head, Kol asked, "What for?"

"For helping me," she sighed as they swayed to a softer tune. "I know you're not doing it for my sake. You're probably plotting some way to get back at Nik for daggering you, but you're still doing something for someone else and I doubt you're so accommodating to your victims."

"Then, why on bloody earth are you agreeing to come with me if you know I may be toying with you?" he asked with amusement, curious as to why the fae would risk her safety while knowing that there was a possibility that he could kill her.

"I'll be living life, even if for just a moment," she explained. She cleared her throat as she thought about how dull and suffocating life on her own in a cage could be. "I also trust that whatever you have planned won't be too bad, considering that you'd never see the light of day if you kill me," she said with a smirk.

Kol laughed as he brought her closer before he twirled them around. "You're no fool." He grinned as he leaned close to her, their noses just about touching. "Good," he said. "It's only right that I steal something that belongs to Nik after what he did to me," he paused as he leaned close to her ear once more, pulling her chest flush against his, "I always get what I want. If you're entertaining enough, you'll last for a while." He trailed his nose from her cheek to her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent. He tightened his grip on her hip to anchor his control. "If not, I'll eat you up."

Gwen gulped at his implication, but she wasn't going to allow him to intimidate her. "I'm not so gentle." She almost choked on her saliva, wondering where she had found the courage to say something like that, but she composed herself. "I'm not going to make it easy for you."

"Quite the feisty one," Kol said as he pulled away from her neck to stare into her eyes. "I think we'll have a grand time." He picked her up and twirled her once more, eliciting a fit of giggles from Gwen.

Unbeknownst to the dancing pair, a fuming Original hybrid stared at them from the sidelines. He would have stomped over and broken his brother in pieces, but he doubted that making a spectacle on their last night in Mystic Falls would serve him any good. He just needed to endure a bit more time, then he'd send Gwen off to a place far from his brother's reach. He was truly debating whether or not he should dagger his brother for another century and be done with the bother, but that would just cause more problems between himself and his remaining siblings. Still, he needed to put a stop to whatever his brother might be scheming.

You've isolated her, Juniper's voice echoed in his head. She's no different from a bird with clipped wings, Klaus. He so despised how right she was. Deep down, he knew that isolating his child was not right, but he couldn't relinquish control. If Gwen left his protection, he feared that the world would eat her up. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. It already happened once and he almost lost her, he couldn't allow it to happen again.

Just as he was about to cut into Gwen and Kol's dancing, Klaus' eye caught someone else within the crowd. It was someone whose face he had not seen for quite a while. He wouldn't have minded the disappearance of his first hybrid if it had not been at an odd moment. The last time he saw him, he ordered him to bite the girlfriend he was dancing with. Now, he appeared back in town with such confidence that it made him question why Tyler would risk coming back if he would find himself under his control once more. The young hybrid wasn't too dumb, he had to be aware that he could order him to do worse things than before. No, Klaus imagined that something must've happened. It was a loose end that he needed to correct.

Tyler had been having such a good time. He had come home just in time for a school event, caught up with some friends, and finally had his girl in his arms. Best of all, no more sire bond. He was finally free from Klaus' control and was no longer a threat to his loved ones. But that happiness was erased when he looked over Caroline's shoulder to lock eyes with the bane of his existence.

Caroline noticed the shift in Tyler, his body becoming tense under her touch. "What is it?" she asked him with a frown before following his line of sight. Her body froze as he leaned further onto Tyler's side. It was as if everyone in the gym disappeared, leaving her and Tyler to confront Klaus.

"Where've you been, mate?" Klaus asked the Lockwood boy.

Clearing his throat to push down the lump stuck in his airway, Tyler said, "I just got back in town."

Klaus hummed, smirking as he watched the couple squirm slightly under his gaze. "That's funny, I don't recall giving you permission to leave in the first place," he said as he approached the pair. He sensed that something had shifted about his firstborn hybrid, something he couldn't put his finger on. He could see it in how Tyler maintained eye contact as if challenging him. He would have to put his suspicions to the test. "You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" he asked Tyler as he lifted a hand for Caroline to take.

"Yes," Caroline scoffed with a scowl. "We do."

Klaus hummed as he stared at Tyler, nodding at the younger hybrid. He refrained from showing his confusion when he saw Tyler remain quiet and stand still. Before, whenever he wanted to try and resist the sire bond, Tyler would try to argue a bit and find justification as to why he was doing what he was ordered to do. What Klaus saw now was defiance, something he didn't like.

The slight confusion that went over Klaus' face did not go unnoticed by Tyler, which was why he had to back down and feign obedience. He didn't know how Klaus would react to one of his hybrids breaking the sire bond, so it was best to be smart about it. "No," he said, causing Caroline to shoot him a narrowed gaze. "It's fine," he told her with a pointed look.

Caroline released a loud sigh as she watched Tyler back away. "Why do you always have to prove that you're the alpha male?" she spat at the Original.

"I don't have to prove anything, love," Klaus responded, staring at her as if she had grown another head. "I am the alpha male." This elicited a scoff from the blonde vampire. "One dance won't kill you," he told her before he threw a look at Tyler over her shoulder. He looked back at Caroline and gestured to his hand once more. "And you have nothing to worry about because this isn't about you."

Caroline looked at Tyler and then skeptically took Klaus' offered hand. The Original hybrid remained acutely aware of both Tyler's reaction and Gwen's presence nearby as he guided his dance partner out onto the dance floor. He slowly twirled Caroline once before bringing her into his arms, while maintaining some distance.

"So, Gwen seems to be having fun," Caroline commented offhandedly after having caught sight of the halfling dancing with whom she recognized as one of Klaus' brothers. The silence between them was awkward and bothering her, so she would rather endure some small talk.

Klaus almost released a growl in annoyance. "Yes, one last hurrah before we leave town."

"You mean before she's thrown in a cell," was Caroline's snide remark.

"Careful, Caroline," he hissed with an underlying tone that sent a chill throughout her body as he tightened his hold on her hand. While he had become accustomed to Juniper's attitude, he was not in the mood to tolerate Caroline's, especially when his mood was souring by the second. "Just because Gwen decided to have mercy on you doesn't mean I am obligated to do the same."

Caroline scoffed. "A bit of advice, from one girl about another with overbearing parents," she began as she locked eyes with Klaus, "she'll resent you as more time passes. She won't be satisfied with just you in her life."

Following Caroline's remark, Klaus had the sudden urge to tear some heads from their shoulders, but taking a deep breath was all he needed to do to keep calm. "Then, you won't be adverse from receiving some advice yourself," he told her as he released her from his hold before leaning close to her ear and catching Tyler's eyes. "A small-town boy, a small-town life, it won't be enough for you."

Then, Klaus took his leave and approached a smiling Gwen and a grinning Kol, interrupting whatever flirty line was coming out of his brother's mouth. The pair stopped swaying to the music to turn their attention to Klaus. Before anyone could say anything, The Original hybrid grabbed Gwen's wrist and began pulling her with him as he shouldered his way out of the crowded gymnasium with Kol hot on their trail. He was deaf to the young fae's protests as she tried to free herself from his bruising grasp. She could tell that he was upset, unimaginably so.

"Nik, stop!" Gwen hissed at Klaus as they neared the school's entrance, trying to keep her voice low enough to not draw attention. She flinched when his grip tightened. "Let go." He didn't stop as he dragged her outside. "Nik, let go!" she said louder as she forced him to release her by using her magic to slightly burn his hand, which seemed to also snap him out of his storming thoughts.

Klaus turned to Gwen with a surprised look before looking at his already healed hand. "What was that for?" he asked her with a scowl.

"You were being an ass," she argued as she held her left wrist to her chest, staring at him with a look of disbelief. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," he answered as he went to reach out for her once more. "We're leaving this bloody town."

A hand caught Klaus by the wrist, stopping him from grasping onto Gwen. "Now, now, brother," Kol tutted as he held his older brother's wrist in a vice grip. "Is that any way to treat a lady?"

"This is none of your concern, little brother. It's time you end whatever game it is you're playing with her," Klaus snarled as he stood closer to Kol in an attempt to have him back off. "She's coming with me."

"That's not going to happen," Kol said with a shrug of his shoulders, unfazed by his older brother's display of intimidation. "Not when you're the one she's frightened of right now."

Klaus was caught off guard by his brother's words before he looked at Gwen. It was now that he noticed the look of trepidation in her eyes as she stared at him, her body slightly trembling due to the chilly breeze and Klaus. He had never handled her so roughly before, which both surprised and upset her. The look she was giving him right now was one he remembered being similar to those of his siblings the first time he had daggered them with intention. It was a look she gave him when he had compelled the boy whom she used to fancy to forget her when she was younger. It was a look he saw on her when she woke up from her nightmares after he had rescued her from the vampires who kidnapped her. It was a look he would never want to see directed at him ever again. It made him feel like someone had reached inside his body to strangle him from the inside.

"Lyn." Klaus' eyes softened as he went to reach out to her but stopped when he noticed how her body tensed up at his approach. "I'm so sorry for scaring you, sweetheart."

Gwen's gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm fine."

Klaus took out Gwen's shawl from within his coat and handed it to her before he turned to Kol. "Have you seen Rebekah anywhere?" he asked, opting to focus on something else. "I haven't been able to find her and I'd rather be done with this night."

"Nope," Kol answered as he helped Gwen put the shawl around her shoulders. He was about to argue with his brother about not being ready to leave just yet, but he frowned when his gaze shifted from Klaus to something that made the hair on the back of his neck bristle. "Bloody hell."

"What?" Klaus asked as he followed his brother's line of sight. "What is this?"

Klaus, Kol, and Gwen approached what appeared to be a thick line of salt that seemed to stretch out all around the school. Kol stepped closer to the line and lifted a hand to push forward, only to be met with the familiar feeling of an invisible wall preventing him from crossing over the salt. From how quickly and firmly he was repelled, whoever cast the barrier was exceptionally powerful.

"A barrier," Kol sighed with his arms akimbo.

"It can't be Bonnie," Gwen said as she recalled how the Bennett witched appeared to be too preoccupied with someone to be plotting something. "I mean, I don't think it's her."

Kol hummed as he glanced at his brother over Gwen's head. "Any other witch you pissed off recently?"

"That would be your mother," said Stefan as he appeared behind the trio.

End of chapter!

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