𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 ━━ KLAUS MIKAELSON

23

"LOOKS FAMILIAR, doesn't it?" Klaus asked as they walked into a bar.

Emery was feeling better, she had taken a shower at the last motel they stepped by and got some sleep along with food. She was no longer feeling like she was going to die but that was just a feeling.

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan muttered, looking around just as an old woman made her presence known, "you got to be kidding me."

Klaus smiled, "so a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender—"

"— Stop," Gloria cut him off, "you may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny."

She looked at Stefan, "I remember you."

"Yeah," Stefan furrowed his brows, "you're Gloria. Shouldn't you be—"

"— Old and dead?" Gloria beat him to it, "now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?" Her eyes flickered to Emery who had allowed herself to sit on one of the tables. Gloria's eyes widened slightly, "a Grant witch."

"How can you tell?" Emery asked the older woman who allowed a smile to appear on her face. "You look just like your mother. You've got her eyes." She approached the eighteen year old, "and I can sense an uncontrollable amount of magic radiating off you."

"Did you know her well?" Emery asked, "my mother."

"Oh yes," Gloria nodded, "I even knew your grandmother. We were friends. How old are you? Eighteen? When Emery nodded, her features contorted into one of pity, "I'm sorry."

Emery hated that look she was receiving. Clicking her tongue, she jumped off the table, "I need a drink."

Gloria sighed but nodded nonetheless. She pointed to the counter, "have at it."

"Thank you," Emery muttered and made her way there while Klaus frowned at what Gloria said. He wondered why she was apologising. However, he had more important things to do. Turning to Stefan, he spoke, "Gloria's a very powerful witch."

"I can slow the aging down some," Gloria clarified, "herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar?" Klaus asked, nodding towards where the witch was sitting with a bottle of bourbon, "and get that out of her hands. The last thing I want is for her to get drunk."

"Yeah," Stefan muttered, walking to the bar, "sure thing."

Klaus turned to Gloria, "you look ravishing, by the way."

"Don't," Gloria rolled her eyes, sitting down as Klaus sat across her, "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels."

Stefan grabbed the bottle from Emery which earned a groan from her, "oh, come on!"

"You've had enough," Stefan shook his head, "we wouldn't want you drunk now, do we? How do you feel?"

"I'm okay," she mumbled with a shrug.

"You sure?" He narrowed his eyes at her in uncertainty, "you know, Klaus said that Gloria is a powerful witch—"

"Don't," she interrupted, knowing where he was going with this, "don't do that. You're going to give me false hope then it'll hurt more when it doesn't work."

"Emery, just think about—"

"— Stefan, stop," she shot him a look, "I've come to terms with it, okay? Don't do that."

Stefan sighed, clenching his jaw but then he sighed and nodded, deciding to respect her wishes, "all right, fine."

"Thank you," she grabbed the bottle back from him only to pull it back with a stern look, "no."

"Yes."

"No," Stefan rolled his eyes, placing it aside, "don't be a child."

"You're treating me like one right now, y'know that?"

Stefan said nothing and decided to eavesdrop on Klaus and Gloria's conversation, placing a finger over his lips to tell Emery to shut up which she did with a roll of her eyes, knowing what he was doing.

"Obviously you did something wrong. Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old—" Gloria said, "we'd have to contact the witch who created it."

"Well, that would be the original witch," Klaus leaned in his seat, "she's very dead."

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah." Gloria said just as Emery noticed a picture on the wall. She jumped off the counter and pulled it off the wall.

She tilted her head to the side as she stared at it. It was a picture of Klaus and Stefan, with their arms around each other, both of them looking rather happy.

"Stefan," Emery began in a teasing tone, "you didn't tell me you and Klaus were a thing."

"What are you on about?" Stefan frowned at her words, taking the picture from her hold. His frown deepened at the picture before he decided to take it to show Klaus. "What is this?"

"Well, I told you, Stefan," Klaus spoke, "Chicago's a magical place."

"But this is me," he showed him the picture, "with you."