Painful Reunions IC

This small town of Mystic Falls was not somewhere the blonde ever expected t be. Rosaline, or Rosalie for short, was only here because she had gotten a call from Katherine Pierce wanting her help. What the help was? Soon enough she would find out as she wasn't given a lot of details over the phone. The only thing she knew was that the Petrova vampire was supposed to meet her at some place called the Mystic Grill. Rosalie wondered what was so important about this little town.

In looking around the place didn't seem all that special. As soon as she entered the grill she could tell a couple others were in there. None were Katherine, but the two Salvatore brothers . The only time she had met them was the one time she passed through here back when they were human and Katherine was staying here. Thankfully she remembered enough of the place that she even found this tiny little hangout. The woman wasn't in here so she walked back out, planning to watch from afar until the brunette finally did decide to show up.

*****

Settling roots in Mystic Falls was not something Elijah Mickaelson had been expecting to do. So far all of his siblings was still in town and all kind of staying at the place Niklaus had bought. So much had happened in such a short time. Finn was dead, so was his father Michael, and their mother was gone again. The fact their own mother wanted to kill them all had weighed heavily on his mind. Their own mother had wanted them dead.. Even as moral as he was, he tended to do not so good things sometimes. Like using his sisters hate for Elena to get the blood link broken.

Sitting in the house currently, Elijah had been contemplating for awhile now about leaving. There really wasn't much left here. Long ago he had taken off from his siblings and hadn't really been around them that much until now. Things just felt so different and he was used to being on his own now. Getting up he went over to get a drink, unaware of where the others currently were right now.

The night was fairly calm, at least in the eyes of Eris Lockhart, a vampire that was now just two years over 900. Her travels had been many and long, but the raven haired beauty still always found one person on her mind. Elijah. He had been the one to turn her. To be together, but her hatred brewed deeper for his brother, Niklaus. He had threatened her life if she didn't leave Elijah be because she was stealing him away from his family, and though she knew it was cowardly, she knew that being alive would mean more time to see Elijah again. She rather liked that idea, and that was what brought her to Mystic Falls, Virginia. A tip off from an old friend had her here and once she asked about an "Elijah" to a local working at the local bar and grill, she found the mansion in which he would be.

She had been in town for a day now, just settling in to a small apartment in the town, but as she looked upon the mansion, she couldn't help but to feel jealous. She smiled though, and ran her fingers through her hair and allowed her sapphire eyes to look forward. She was wearing a formfitting, knee-length, black dress and a pair of black pumps with a denim jacket over her arms. She approached the door and knocked, carefully, and much to her dismay it wasn't Elijah who answered the door. It was Niklaus.

"And who might you be?" he asked her, his British accent coming out. Sure, Eris knew she had changed some over the years, like letting her hair grow and changing her style, but still she offered a look.

"Does the name Eris Lockhart mean anything to you?" she hissed and he chuckled.

"Oh, so you've found us." Niklaus cackled. "After what? 875 years?"

"874 years, 7 months, 8 days, 13 hours, and 5 minutes." she corrected him through her teeth. "He's here, isn't he? That's why you're not letting me in?"

"You can come on in, I'm going off to meet an old friend anyway. Have fun, Eris." he said, and when he walked past her, Eris entered the mansion. The heels of her shoes clicked across the floor. She looked around, the inside was beautiful, and she smiled and began walking about until she saw him. He had changed so much and her heart fell over her chest. But things had to have changed. He didn't know anything other than she left, and she soon leaned against the nearby doorway.

"Hey there, stranger." she greeted.

-&-

Klaus couldn't help the chuckle in his throat as he headed away from his mansion. That Eris girl was in for a rude awakening, oh was she. Elijah's reaction to her leaving was less than what he planned, but still, he had other matters to worry about. Like the name Rosaline coming back into his attention. That name he hadn't heard in a long time, but as he pulled up to the Grill in his black SUV, he saw Elena Gilbert heading into the Grill. It was likely she was meeting up with her friends, or her Salvatore boys. She had them wrapped so tightly around her finger that it was almost sick.

He got out of his car, but the blonde hair he saw tipped him off that he needed to wait a moment. He stopped, briefly, and when she was inside, he headed in after her, and he smirked, seeing the female trying to interact with the Salvatores and Elena Gilbert. He sat at the far end of the bar, getting some bourbon and watching, though he gradually got up and moved closer, wanting to be closer so he could catch Rosaline before she got away again.

She had pissed him off. Helping Katerina run was not the wisest idea and now almost everyone who had helped her was dead, but not her. Not her at all. he had forgiven Elijah for his attachment to her, and he had forgiven him for his naivety. Though Elijah was older, he knew that Elijah was just trying to do the right thing, as he always had.

No more than a few minutes later did Rosaline see who she presumed to be Katherine enter the grill. Following inside she watched at the brunette, unsurprisingly, go up to the Salvatore brothers. Waiting a few moments she walked up herself and saw how the brothers didn't particularly recognize her. It was okay though. Her time spent in this town while they were human had been merely two days, just a pass through as she saw her friend of sorts.

"Katherine. I'm here, why did you call?" She asked and watched as the female before her turn and the two brothers looked at her. "Damon, Stefan, it's been a long time. I'm not surprised she turned you both." Just from her short time she could tell how her friend had taken such an interest in them.

"Who are you?" Piped the youngest brother.

"Rosalie. I was only in town a couple days back then so you probably don't remember me-"

"I'm not Katherine" Elena spoke, which was the moment she realized how human the girl was. Then Damon mentioned her being a doppelgänger and Katherine hasn't been seen by them in months. Rosalie was a little annoyed to hear that. If that was true then she would have one heck of a time trying to find the vampire who had made her one so long ago.

Right then she internally froze, unknown to them. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of someone she hadn't seen for a couple hundred years. "I have to go," she said briskly, managing to walk at a human pace towards the door. The moment she would get outside was when she would try to take off at vampire speed out of town.

*****

Elijah faintly heard the door and Niklaus talking to someone. Eris, that was the name he heard. Was it maybe a joke? No it couldn't have been. Niklaus wasn't very funny so if anything it was just a cruel joke. The name was one, though, he had not heard of in such a long time. Still he could remember how painful that day had been when he found out she had taken off. When that happened, that was one of the times he had turned of his emotions. After so many years of being alive he didn't need to turn them off anymore and had a good control of them. So many times he had heard his brother say how love and caring were weakness and in thinking back to that time, it seemed maybe Niklaus was right.

His back stayed turned from the door until he heard the voice. "Eris.." Turning towards her she had changed so much. Himself.. not so much. Yes he had shorter hair now, but at the same time he still wore the same expensive sort of clothing, like the suit he currently wore. Oddly he didn't particularly feel joyed, or even upset, that she was here. More or less indifferent. Long ago she had left and he never planned to see her again.

Eris looked over at Elijah when he looked at her, and her own face fell. "Well, nice to know you are still mad at me. Just came by to tell you I'm in town for a while, so if you wanted to catch up or... I don't know... reprimand me for leaving all those years ago, I'll be around. I've missed you, Elijah, despite what happened." she said, and she played with her ring for a little bit before she finally moved off the door frame. "Good to see your well. Sorry to hear about Finn, and Mikael. Word travels fast now, but I am sorry. So I'm off to find a drink."

She sighed a bit moved towards the door before she stopped in the doorway. She wanted to tell him what happened, but she didn't want to ruin his family life. Not since they were all together again. Eris would never admit to it, but after the first twenty years she did keep tabs on him. She never stopped caring about him, and her heart ached all sorts of way, but over time she learned to deal with it because it was just second nature now. She just couldn't bring herself to leave, but a voice snapped her out of it.

"Oh, hello there." the voice came and when Eris turned she saw Rebekah, smiling at her. "Eris Lockhart. Now that's a face I haven't seen in an age. How have you been, love?" she asked and hugged her. Eris smiled and hugged back.

"Been pretty good. Got to see the world... Twenty times over." she laughed and Rebekah smiled.

"Come on, let me get you a drink." Rebekah said and Eris shook her head.

"I really should be-" she began.

"Nonsense! You'll have a drink with me!" Rebekah interrupted her and drug her back to where Elijah was. "Oh, hello Elijah. "

-&-

Rosaline was trying to leave. That. Just. Would. Not. Do. He smiled and got up, and managed to make it to the door before she did and he gave her a signature, sadistic smirk. "Rosaline, how wonderful it is to see you again. How about a drink?" he asked her. His kindness wasn't to be interpreted as such act. It wasn't actual kindness, more or less nosiness. "I see you have met my doppelganger, and I see you have done well in the last few hundred years. No hard feelings, love. I've got what I wanted. Now, let's catch up." he said to her, taking hold of her arm. It would look gentle to others, most likely, but the grip he had on her arm was far from gentle. He urged her to the bar and ordered them drinks, but he noticed the way the Salvatores and Elena looked at them and he gave them a smile.

It was returned with glares. He couldn't imagine why, but soon Caroline walked into the Grill and he straightened up. She was truly a creature of beauty.

"Elena, come on. Let's go. I can't keep Bonnie waiting any longer." she said, and Elena nodded.

"How is she?" Elena asked and Klaus merely smirked.

He loved being cruel, especially to this lot. They made it too easy for him. Almost too easy. Jeremy was away, Alaric was off somewhere doing something, and his older brother, Finn, was dead. Klaus had every right to be cruel. "So, what brings you to Mystic Falls, Rosaline?" he asked her.

"Klaus.." Damn. Rosalie just barely made it to the door and he got in her way. Of course. The way he smiled at her made her skin crawl. This was not good.. "I've cut back on drinking," she tried to lie before he took her arm. Despite the fact it probably looked gentle and nice to the humans in the room, it certainly wasn't. Being forced to sit down at the bar she didn't touch the drink set before her. At least not yet. Right now she just watched as he messed with the group she was just talking to's head, giving them a smile which was quiet obviously returned with glared.

Oddly enough his composure seemed to change after a moment but she wasn't sure why. Right now she was just thinking about somehow escaping and running off to throttle Katherine. Surely the vampire had to have known Klaus was here. And she wasn't. This was clearly a setup but why, she didn't know. How it would be beneficial for her 'friend' was a mystery.

"I was just passing through," she lied.

*****

Elijah found it a little hard to believe that she missed him or cared if he actually had been angry with her. Then again he really didn't know why she had left, just that she had. Part of him wanted to ask but at the same time he wasn't sure if he would like the response she would give him. Honesty he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. What could he say? The only thing that came to mind was all the questions swirling in his head. Before he could think to speak she turned to leave.

Rebekah was the one to stop her before she got to far. The feeling he got was she was purposely trying to get them to talk. Talking wasn't really the problem for him it was just kind of.. painful to see her again after so long. "Rebekah," he said as the two walked back in.

"So what made you decide to come to Mystic Falls?" He asked Eris wondering if she had known they were here.

Eris could have murdered Rebekah, but the truth was, she had no idea how one would do that, nor did she even want to do that. Rebekah meant well, although sometimes her deeds were misinterpreted. She sighed and she nodded to Rebekah, giving a small thank you after receiving her drink, but Elijah's question caught Eris slightly off guard. What was she in Mystic Falls? Wasn't it obvious? Oh wait, Elijah still didn't know why she had left in the first place, and it wasn't just him that brought her here. No. She had other things going on, oddly enough, and she took a long sip of the scotch placed before her and sighed.

"Multiple reasons have brought me here. Thought I'd offer my help in finding Esther, that and I've been tracking someone who came down this way." she answered. "Of course, there are other reasons I'm here to, but those are rather personal and I'd rather not share right now." she admitted, setting down her glass and tracing the mouth of it with her finger tip.

"Esther? How'd you know about that?" Rebekah asked.

"I have my sources. I try to keep in on the loop of all things over my head so I know when it's time to run and when it's time to fight." she said, and her eyes traveled back to her glass. "I have a few people looking into the matter for me. Been running with a crowd almost as old as I am. The only people older than me are you guys now, Sage was only older than me by about a year, but she's dead and gone from what I understand."

"Finn's whole bloodline-" Rebekah began.

"Died with him. I know, I've heard. Just glad I'm not running around like a headless chicken trying to figure out my sire line. I know whose bloodline I'm from." she said, her eyes shifting to Elijah, and then slowly back to her glass. She finished off the scotch and stood. "But, really, I must be going. I have a few things to look into, a few people I need to find and ask a few questions to, and then I need to find a blood bank to raid."

Rebekah looked at her. "But, you've just got here." she said, and Eris' eyes looked to Elijah. "You must come back. We haven't seen you in ages."

"I will, when I'm wanted." she commented and with that she was gone.

-&-

Klaus looked to Rosaline who was obviously uncomfortable with his presence there. Good. He wasn't there to make nice with her or actually forgive her for hiding Katerina. That Petrova doppelganger was an annoying pain in the side, and Elena was looking out for her friends and family. She was so much easier to manipulate, and she didn't run to protect those she loved. She was smarter in all respects. Still, Rosaline saying she was passing through made him chuckle. "Passing through? No supernatural ever just passes through. Ask Katerina. Her passing through got her stuck in a tomb, and stuck in a loft." he chuckled taking a long swig of his drink.

"Besides, I have bigger things to worrying about than you and Katerina at the moment, so you two are off the hook for now. She disappeared a while ago, and only returned to try and kill me. But with bigger problems, there come bigger pains in the ass." he said. He left out the part about a vampire hunter with dual personalities that were constantly fighting for control of the body. That was better left unsaid, and he sighed a bit before blinking and looking around.

"So, what really brings you into town?" Klaus asked, looking into Rosaline's eyes in an attempt to compel her. It was harder around here because Katerina had spread the trend of vampires drinking vervain. It both helped build up an immunity to it, and it prevented compulsion. It was a pain in the rear. Still, he was an Original and Originals could compel other vampires, a trick that came in handy quiet a lot.

Rosalie was sitting there thinking about all the things she would love to do if the woman ever decided to show her face to her, and she was still alive of course. This was not cool. At. All. There was nothing she could really do at the moment except bide her time until she could make a run for it. Glancing over when he mentioned Katherine there was almost a flare of fire in her eyes when she heard, in fact, that the woman had known he was here in this town.

Despite him saying she was 'off the hook' for the moment it did nothing to make her feel anything one way or the other. All it meant was she needed to get back in hiding before that day came. For now she just needed to get ahold of people she knew and find out what was going on around here. If there was someone Klaus was worried about she wanted full details and maybe help them. Or maybe pull a Petrova move and pretend to help one side while she really helped the other. Who knew. That wasn't likely though, the originals had easily flared tempers, Klaus most of all, and getting back into their good graces would be like trying to move heaven and earth.

The fact was, they would never understand her motives for what she did in the first place. There was no way they really could. Snapping out of her thoughts at the question she almost thought to smirk and give away that she had been taking vervain for many years now so unless she was forced off of it, there was no way she could be compelled. A better thought hit her though of pretending that she could be compelled. At least for awhile until she figured a good game plan and knew what was going on around here.

Time for some acting she thought. Him knowing the reason she came here didn't exactly hurt her one way or the other so she didn't think it mattered if he knew or not. "Katherine called, I'm here looking for her." Then after saying that she blinked and looked away, as if annoyed and not wanting him to have found out the reason.

*****

Taking a drink Elijah felt kind of uncomfortable being there. While it wouldn't show there were probably little things that the other two could pick up on seeing as one was his sister and the other had known him well a long time ago. When was the last time he had felt such a feeling? Honestly he couldn't really remember. Not much made him feel awkward, but somehow Eris was doing that to him. Aside from being fond of Katerina and then when he had been with Eris, there weren't many people he had really cared about. Well aside from his family which was the reason he tried to kill Niklaus when he thought there bodies were scattered in the seas and couldn't be recovered.

The last thing Elijah expected her to say was that Ester was one of the reasons she was here. Just in hearing her explanation of how she knew he couldn't say he was surprised. Vampires could make a lot of connections in the world and there was much talk. Especially when it came to what was going on with his family.

Later he would probably go see her alone and try to get answers for some of the unanswered questions he had that were burning in his mind again. Now wasn't the time or place. When he asked he didn't want his siblings around to pry, kind of like what Rebekah was obviously doing now. But he supposed what she was doing was better than how Klaus was going to act.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said to her once Eris was gone. The fact was she probably had only made it a little awkward on the both of them. He would wait a little bit before he would go off and try to find her so she could do whatever it was she was going to do.

Rebekah's eyes lowered to her brother when Eris left and she feigned a look of innocence. "Shouldn't have done what? Been hospitable to a guest?" she asked, but she knew that look and she closed her eyes. "Alright. Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but honestly, when was the last time you saw her? She's kept tabs on you throughout the years, Elijah. Nikalus found it so annoying." Rebekah commented. "I actually like her too, Sage was the one who annoyed me, and look where she is now."

Rebekah walked away from Elijah with that.

-&-

When Eris finally got into her loft, she stood with her back against the door and sunk to the floor and she laced her fingers into her hair and she could feel the tears right there. He hated her, she could feel it. She couldn't blame him either, but before she got too deep into her own pity, she got herself up and opened one of the cabinets above the sink. Her favorite vervain-laced bourbon. She had been drinking vervain from the time she had become a vampire, not only because of the Originals "talent" to compel other vampires, but because her mother told her that she was likely to build an immunity to it if she did. She took a long swig of the liquid and though it burned slightly as it went down her throat, she continued to drink it as she walked about the house, making a few calls.

She sighed, deciding that she would head down to the Grill, and when she did finally get up the nerve to leave she made sure the apartment was locked and she walked across the street. Apparently she hadn't been home too long because it was only about a half an hour ago since she bolted from the Originals' mansion. Upon entering the Grill though, she saw Niklaus with a blonde and she walked over and spun his chair towards her and he looked up at her and her narrowed face.

"Really cute, Niklaus. Really, really cute. Will you ever be honest with him?" she asked him and he shook his head no and chuckled before she began walking away, "accidentally" moving her foot to make his stool fall from his haphazard way of sitting and she smirked and took a seat at the other end of the bar. "Scotch please."

-&-

Klaus looked to Rosaline, and when she mentioned Katherine, his face involuntarily snarled. He hated that woman in more ways than one now. He just wanted her to fall off the edge of the earth and burn. He would really enjoy seeing that one. Especially that one. He hated how she always tried to foil his plans, it was just down right annoying. "Hate to break it to you, love, Katherine hasn't been in town since I killed Mikael." he told her, and he took a long drink of his scotch. He then looked to Rosaline. "Don't worry too much, love, she does it to everyone."

He sighed, and soon he felt his stool be spun and Eris looked rather displeased and her comments just proved him right. Still, being knocked out of his stool caused an involuntary growl to come up from his throat. "I'd kill her if it wouldn't cause so many damn problems." he grumbled to himself as he got up and looked back to Rosaline, finishing off his scotch and calling for another. "Well, I guess you're free to go since you're not being nosy by being here. Have fun love."

Rosalie kept her eyes down on the glass in front of her as she could feel the anger radiating from him at the mention of Katherine. Okay, maybe she should have just not pretended to be compelled. The mention of Mikael made her glance back towards him. Dead? Now that was interesting. This only made her want to find out more about what was going on in town. Even if Katherine had sent her here as some cruel trick, maybe she could make the most out of help whoever it was that was causing him trouble.

Her head turned as a dark haired female came up and was, clearly, angry with Klaus. Was there anyone that he didn't piss off? Somehow she had a very hard time imaging he had any friends. Taking the glass into her hand she quickly downed it and tried not to look amused when the girl made him fall.

The mention of leaving, well Rosalie didn't have to be told twice. But being nosey was something she very much would be. Clearly a lot was going on here and it seemed like something big. Being clueless was not something she liked. Without another word she got up and once again quickly went to leave while pulling out her phone to make a few calls. Maybe she would find a home just outside of town to take over. Just for a few days. Then she would probably take off if there was nothing useful here she could help do to get rid of Klaus.

*****
Elijah had seen all of Rebekah's 'innocent' looks over the years and wasn't really fazed by them anymore. In thinking, he honestly couldn't remember exactly how long it had been since he last seen Eris. A few centuries that was for sure. He honestly didn't see why she much bothered to keep tabs on him. Eris was the one who had taken off without so much as a word goodbye. That tiny little fact was probably what got to him the most about how things ended. Not only that but he didn't know why she did what she did.

As Rebekah left he sighed, sitting there as he thought some more. Rebekah had liked her? Niklaus had never been to fond of her. It didn't really matter though. His family was rather dysfunctional and could change their minds with a moments notice. Until he tried to get some questions answered he couldn't really focus on what his family thought or felt about Eris. But his sister had a point. Maybe she had some reason for keeping track of him all these years ad it only made him want answers more.

After sitting there for who knew how long he went out to find her. While he didn't know where she was staying maybe he could figure out somehow. Though the mention of having to do something made him think she was out somewhere. With that thought in mind he left the house deciding to just walk around, letting his eyes and ears do the work.

Eris couldn't wipe the satisfied smirk on her face. She had successfully embarrassed Klaus, and now he just looked miffed. Oh well, she just saved a poor unfortunate soul from his grasp it seemed, and she looked at her drink as Klaus made his way over to her. "I'm not speaking to you, Niklaus." she told him, and he sat down beside her.

"Then you better be up for listening." he growled. "I get that what I do hurts a lot of people, but with one bite I could kill you. I'm not afraid to do that." he told her and she moved her wrist up in front of him and he looked at her.

"Do it then. That way before I die I can make my peace, but I'm here to help you." she told him, and after a moment of stunned silence she took her wrist back. "That's what I thought." she said, placing a few bills on the bar and finishing up her drink. "Goodbye Niklaus, but know that if you don't tell him soon. I will, and I don't know how he'll take it from me. Especially since it seems you've pissed off a lot of people." she said, and she walked out of the Grill and took a deep breath and sat outside for a moment, leaned up against the brick wall near the Grill.

She looked to her ring and closed her eyes. She knew that there were things she could have changed. Things she could have done, but there was nothing that would fix it now. Nothing could. She had up and left without so much as a goodbye, and now she could see why Elijah resented her. She resented herself.

She pulled out her phone and pushed it to her ear when it rang. "What have you got for me?" she asked, beginning to walk away from the Grill and into the small park across the street.

-&-

Niklaus was rather miffed with Eris. She always knew how to get under his skin and he watched her walk away, and she seemed miffed too. Her telling Elijah what happened would not be ideal, especially now. He finished up his drink and exited the Grill, but he lost her and decided to head back home. If anything he could figure something out there. He got into his car and headed home, and when he got there he found Rebekah sitting at the bar. "Hello Niklaus, have you seen who is in town?" Rebekah asked and he nodded.

"Eris Lockhart? She's becoming a large thorn in the side." he said, and he sat at the bar after getting his scotch. Rebekah just smirked. "Why do you seem pleased? She broke our brother's heart."

"She's been following him since. Took her about 20 years after she ran off, but she's been following him. Making sure he's safe." Rebekah told him, and Klaus grabbed his drink and went up to his room. He didn't need to hear about this. He had to worry about Esther, and Katherine apparently. Not to mention there were random council murders occuring every once in a while, and the murderer was not necessarily a who, but a who within a who. Too much to worry about. He called for one of his girls and bled her dry before tossing her body aside and chasing the blood with some scotch.