Laura's POV
The Grill buzzed with the usual Friday night energy, but for me, it was a stage. My siblings' arrival had amplified the supernatural current in Mystic Falls, a palpable hum that vibrated through the air. Klaus's casual salute, Rebekah's haughty glance, Elijah's unreadable stare – they were all testing me. Probing for weakness. They still saw me as the young, headstrong sister who'd walked away centuries ago. They didn't realize how much I'd refined my game.
I ordered a whiskey, letting my gaze drift around the room. Elena and her friends were huddled in their booth, undoubtedly whispering about the Mikaelsons' sudden appearance. Stefan watched them like a hawk, while Damon, true to form, was already charming the blonde waitress. The air was thick with unspoken tension, a symphony of simmering emotions that I could almost taste.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over my table. "Sister."
I looked up. Elijah. His impeccable suit, his calm demeanor – he was always the most formidable, precisely because he wasn't overtly threatening.
"Elijah," I acknowledged, taking a slow sip of my drink. "Enjoying the local establishment?"
He inclined his head slightly. "It has a certain… charm. But I confess, I find myself drawn to a more pressing matter. Your presence here, Laura. And your startling declaration regarding the doppelgänger."
"My intentions are clear," I stated, my voice low. "She is mine to explore."
"And your reasons are still shrouded in your customary mystery," he countered, his gaze piercing. "You abandoned us centuries ago, Laura. Spurned our name, chose a life apart. And now, you return to a place where Niklaus has a singular, desperate need for the doppelgänger's blood. What has truly brought you back?"
I set my glass down, the clink of ice on glass echoing in the sudden quiet of our conversation. For a moment, the calculated aloofness faltered. My gaze met his, and for the first time in centuries, I let a sliver of genuine emotion show. Not anger, not coldness, but something akin to weariness.
"You ask what brought me back, Elijah?" I scoffed softly, but there was no malice in it. "You ask why I shed the name Mikaelson? It was a burden. A curse. Every waking moment was a fight, a flight, a pursuit. Mikael's shadow, Klaus's temper, Kol's recklessness, Rebekah's perpetual desire for what we can never have… I was suffocating."
He remained silent, his expression unwavering, allowing me to continue.
"I loved you all, in my own way," I confessed, the words feeling foreign on my tongue, like dust from an ancient tomb. "But I needed to find out who I was without being just 'a Mikaelson.' I needed to see if there was more to existence than running and killing. I craved something quieter, something… personal." My eyes flicked around the vibrant, chaotic Grill. "And I chose to experience it on my own terms. To observe, to learn, to live in a way that didn't constantly involve plotting our next escape or battling our endless enemies."
My gaze hardened slightly as I looked back at him. "As for the doppelgänger… it's not just about Klaus's hybrid curse. It's about something older, Elijah. Something our parents touched upon before their misguided experiments. The very first Katerina. The source. Her blood, her lineage… it holds a power that even you, with all your knowledge, only glimpse. I felt its pull, a resonance with our own ancient blood, from the moment I arrived in this town."
I leaned in, my voice dropping to a near whisper. "I don't just want to use her, Elijah. I want to understand her. To tap into what makes her blood so uniquely potent for Originals. It's a curiosity that's gnawed at me for centuries. A deeper, more primal hunger than mere sustenance. And if it means stepping back into the maelstrom of our family's drama, then so be it. This is not about supporting Klaus's ambitions. This is about my pursuit of something that could elevate even us."
Elijah's gaze remained fixed on me, but a flicker of surprise, perhaps even a hint of respect, entered his eyes. He seemed to genuinely consider my words, weighing them against his own centuries of observation.
"A pursuit of knowledge, then," he mused, his voice thoughtful. "And not merely a return to old habits."
"I am beyond old habits, Elijah," I said, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touching my lips. "I am simply… expanding my horizons."
Before he could respond, the front door of the Grill burst open, and Klaus strode in, Rebekah trailing behind him, looking utterly bored. Klaus's eyes immediately found Elijah and me. His smirk, usually so confident, wavered slightly as he took in our unusually intense conversation.
"Brother," Klaus called out, his voice laced with suspicion. "Sister. Having a family reunion without me? How rude."
Elijah turned, his expression once again composed, betraying nothing of our exchange. "Just discussing the intricacies of Mystic Falls, Niklaus."
Klaus's eyes narrowed, flickering between Elijah and me. He knew. He could feel the shift in the air, the uncharacteristic moment of vulnerability I'd allowed myself. "Well, perhaps we should discuss them together. Over a drink. And perhaps you could enlighten me, Laura, on these 'deeper, older connections' you so coyly alluded to earlier."
I met his gaze, my facade firmly back in place, but with a new edge. They had seen a glimpse of the old Laura, the one who craved something more than power. But they also saw the vampire who now held a deeper, more dangerous interest in the doppelgänger.
"Perhaps another time, Niklaus," I said, rising from my stool. "Some secrets are best savored slowly. And tonight, I have other plans." My eyes drifted meaningfully towards the general direction of Elena's table, though I didn't look directly at her. My mischievous side was already plotting.
I moved past them, a silent challenge in my stride. The Mikaelsons were here. The Salvatores were playing defense. And I, Laura Mikaelson Thorne, was about to complicate everything. The game was far from over. It was just getting deliciously complicated.
The Mikaelsons now have a better understanding of Laura's true intentions, and Laura has revealed a rare glimpse of her past emotions. How will this change the family dynamic? And what "other plans" does Laura have for the evening?