-Earlier That Day
Stefan stood alone in the guest room of the Salvatore Boarding House, his reflection staring back at him from the full-length mirror.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his skin paler than usual. A day had passed since Klaus's call - the request that Stefan be vervain-free for tonight's memory restoration.
He already expected this would come- and has prepared.
One week of preparation. One week of pushing his abilities beyond what any vampire thought possible.
He approached the mirror, placing his palms flat against the cool surface on either side of his reflection. His eyes met those of his mirror image, focusing with an intensity that seemed to bend the air between them.
"You will never reveal your past life as Helel to Klaus or anyone else," he commanded his reflection, his voice low but powerful. "You will maintain all current memories no matter what compulsion is used against you."
Veins darkened beneath his eyes, not from hunger but from strain. Blood vessels bulged at his temples. A thin line of blood trickled from his nostril as the compulsion took hold.
His reflection blurred momentarily, then snapped back into focus.
Stefan staggered backward, catching himself against the bedpost. He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, examining it with clinical detachment.
The self-compulsion was working, but the cost was high - constant mental pressure, like holding back a flood with nothing but willpower. Increased blood hunger that gnawed at his insides. Moments of disorientation when his focus slipped.
But it was necessary.
Tonight, Klaus would restore memories Stefan didn't remember losing - memories of their time together in the 1920s. And he couldn't risk Klaus discovering his past life in the process, be by some, accident or whatever, when opening the floodgates of his mind.
He has always been paranoid- even in his past life, so best take precautions.
Just in case.
He straightened, adjusting his shirt cuffs with deliberate precision. The tremor in his hands was barely noticeable, but it was there - evidence of the strain he was under.
'It's worth it,' he reminded himself. 'For Elena. For us.'
Elena waited in the living room, perched on the edge of the sofa. She rose when Stefan descended the stairs, her eyes immediately searching his face.
Elena reached up, touching his face gently. "You look tired."
Stefan captured her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I'm fine."
"Are you?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Your hands are shaking."
He glanced down, noticing the slight tremor. "I need to feed. Extra strength for when Klaus calls me today."
Moving to the refrigerator, Stefan retrieved a blood bag. He tore into it with unusual urgency, drinking deeply. The blood helped - the tremor subsided, the pressure behind his eyes easing slightly.
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The drive to Klaus's mansion gave Stefan time to fortify his mental defenses. Streetlights cast intermittent shadows across his face as he rehearsed what he knew - and what he couldn't let Klaus discover.
The mansion loomed ahead, windows glowing amber against the night sky. Stefan parked but remained in the car, hands gripping the steering wheel as he gathered his strength.
'Focus on the barrier. Maintain it no matter what memories surface.'
He exited the car with measured movements, each step deliberate. The front door opened before he could knock - a human servant with vacant eyes greeting him.
"Mr. Mikaelson is expecting you in the laboratory," she said tonelessly.
Stefan followed her through opulent hallways, cataloging exits, potential weapons, signs of Klaus's activities. The mansion was a fortress disguised as a home - beautiful and deadly, much like its owner.
The laboratory door stood open. Klaus waited inside, leaning casually against a workbench, a glass of bourbon in hand.
"Ah, Stefan. Right on time." Klaus's smile was genuine, if predatory. "Drink?"
"Not tonight," Stefan declined, remaining near the doorway.
Klaus studied him, head tilted slightly. "You look rather... strained. Vervain withdrawal, perhaps?"
'Like that is even a thing.' Stefan thought to himself, slightly amused at Klaus's attempt at small talk.
"Something like that."
"Well, let's make sure, shall we?" Klaus set down his glass and approached. "Turn around in a circle."
The compulsion washed over Stefan like a gentle wave. He allowed it to work, turning slowly while maintaining the deeper barrier protecting his past life memories.
"Excellent." Klaus seemed satisfied. "Please, sit." He gestured to a chair positioned in the center of the room.
Stefan complied, watching as Klaus dimmed the lights and moved to an antique record player in the corner.
"Music helps with memory restoration," Klaus explained, selecting a record. "Particularly music from the period in question."
The scratch of needle on vinyl preceded the mellow tones of 1920s jazz filling the room. Stefan's mind stirred at the sound - something vaguely familiar about the melody.
Klaus circled behind him, movements unhurried. "Look into my eyes, Stefan."
Stefan obeyed, with Klaus coming to stand before him.
"Now," Klaus's voice took on a hypnotic quality, "remember."
The compulsion hit Stefan with the force of a physical blow. Images flashed before his eyes -fragmented at first, then coalescing into scenes from a life he'd forgotten.
Gloria's bar, Chicago, 1920. The press of bodies, the smell of gin and perfume and blood. The jazz band playing this very song.
"Remember our first meeting," Klaus commanded softly.
A blonde woman - Rebekah - approaching his table, interest in her eyes. Her brother around, studying Stefan with curiosity.
"Remember who we were to each other."
Nights of hunting together. Klaus teaching him techniques to prolong the terror in their victims' eyes. Stefan showing Klaus how to arrange the dismembered bodies. Laughter over blood-soaked hands.
"Remember what you called me."
"To the King!" Stefan raising a glass of champagne mixed with blood. Klaus smiling, pleased with the title.
"Remember Rebekah."
Her lips on his, hungry and demanding. Her body beneath his, pale in the moonlight. Blood smeared between their mouths as they kissed after feeding. Her laughter as they shared a victim, the poor girl's eyes wide with terror as they drained her together.
The memories flooded faster now - a torrent of images, sensations, emotions. Stefan's hands gripped the chair arms, knuckles white, his eyes closing shut from the strain.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to maintain his self-compulsion while these foreign-yet-familiar memories assaulted him.
Klaus introducing Stefan as his right hand. "My brother in all but blood," he'd said, arm around Stefan's shoulders.
Rebekah in his bed, in his arms, whispering promises of forever.
The three of them - Klaus, Rebekah, Stefan - hunting as a family, leaving trails of bodies across Chicago.
The music reached a crescendo as the final memories slotted into place - Mikael's arrival, the chaos at the bar, Klaus compelling Stefan to forget them.
Stefan gasped as his eyes flew open, disoriented from the rush of memories. His chest heaved as though he'd been running. The room seemed to tilt momentarily before steadying.
Klaus stood before him, watching intently.
Silence stretched between them as Stefan processed the memories - the genuine brotherhood he'd felt for Klaus, the passion he'd shared with Rebekah. Emotions long buried resurfacing with startling intensity.
"I remember now," Stefan said finally, his voice rough. "I called you... 'brother.'"
Klaus approached slowly, placing a hand on Stefan's shoulder. The gesture held none of his usual calculation - just simple, connection.
"We are brothers," Klaus replied, the words heavy with meaning.
Klaus moved to a sideboard, pouring two glasses of bourbon. He handed one to Stefan before taking a seat opposite him.
"To old friends," Klaus offered, raising his glass.
"Old friends," Stefan echoed absentmindedly- still processing, drinking deeply. The bourbon burned pleasantly, grounding him in the present.
Klaus studied him over the rim of his glass. "You seem... different than I expected."
"How so?"
"More controlled. The memories don't seem to have shocked you as much as I anticipated."
Stefan shrugged slightly. "I've had a century of practice controlling my reactions."
"Indeed." Klaus didn't seem entirely convinced. "Tell me, how does it feel? Remembering us as we were?"
Stefan considered his answer carefully. "Strange. Like remembering a dream you didn't know you'd had."
"A pleasant dream, I hope."
"Parts of it," Stefan admitted honestly. "We were... close."
"The closest," Klaus confirmed, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "You were one of the few people in my millennia of existence, that I considered true family outside my siblings."
Stefan took another drink, buying time. The memories were powerful - he could feel their pull, the genuine affection he'd once had for Klaus.
But his priorities remained clear: Elena. Her safety. Their future.
"There's more," Klaus said after a moment. "Something I want to show you."
He rose, gesturing for Stefan to follow. They left the laboratory, moving deeper into the mansion. Klaus led him down a hallway to a heavily secured door, unlocking it with a key from his pocket.
"After tonight," Klaus said as he pushed the door open, "our family will be complete again."
The room beyond was dimly lit, dominated by a single object in the center - an ornate coffin.
Stefan's steps faltered as realization dawned. "Rebekah."
"Indeed." Klaus approached the coffin, running his hand along its polished surface. "My sister has been sleeping long enough, don't you think?"
He opened the lid with a flourish, revealing Rebekah's preserved form within. She lay in a white dress, dessicated, now stained with dried blood around the dagger protruding from her chest.
Her beauty remained untouched by time - golden hair spread around her like a halo, features peaceful in her forced sleep.
Stefan took an involuntary step backward as memories flooded him - Rebekah's smile, her laugh, her body entwined with his. The taste of her kiss, the feel of her skin.
Klaus reached for the dagger. "Time to wake up, little sister."
Stefan moved without thinking, grabbing Klaus's wrist. "Wait."
Klaus raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at Stefan's hand on his arm. Stefan after a moment released him, straightening his posture - respectful but not submissive.
"Is there a problem?" Klaus asked, his tone deceptively light.
Stefan chose his words carefully. "I'm with Elena now."
"So?"
Stefan bit the inside of his cheek, organizing his thoughts. "As you should know, Rebekah and I were... quite close back in the day."
Klaus rolled his eyes. "You don't need to sugarcoat it, Stefan. Rebekah didn't shy from telling me your sexual endeavors." His smile turned knowing. "The blood, the sex, the threesomes with various women while she watched you drink them dry and take them."
Heat rose to Stefan's face at the words, but he pushed through the embarrassment. "That's not the point. Rebekah will experience this like she just fell asleep yesterday. To her, eighty years haven't passed. She's still in love with me, but I'm with Elena now. She won't be happy."
Klaus dismissed this with a wave. "Rebekah isn't stupid. She'll know not to harm the doppelgänger out of jealousy. My little sister is many things, but a fool isn't one of them."
"Be that as it may," Stefan countered, "Rebekah can create... other problems."
Klaus smirked. "You're referring to her potentially getting between you and Elena."
Stefan gave a slow nod.
"Let me remind you of our deal," Stefan said, voice firm. "Elena is mine. You gave your word not to take her from me, in any capacity or form. Nothing to separate the two of us."
Klaus laughed, the sound echoing in the small room. "You don't really expect me to keep my little sister daggered indefinitely, do you?"
Stefan furrowed his brows. "No, I... care about Rebekah. I wouldn't want a single second longer of her not being able to be happy."
"See?" Klaus clapped his hands together. "There are still feelings there. Feelings for my little sister."
"That's not-" Stefan began to deny, but Klaus cut him off with a raised hand.
"Don't bother. I can see it in your eyes when you look at her."
Stefan's jaw tightened. "It doesn't matter. I'm in love with Elena, and I can't allow Rebekah to try and separate us."
Klaus's expression turned thoughtful. "What makes you think Rebekah would separate you and Elena?"
"What?" Stefan asked, confused.
"Let me remind you again of your threesomes and foursomes with multiple women and Rebekah at the same time." Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Rebekah clearly is willing to share."
Stefan stood agape for a moment before shaking his head. "That's different."
"Is it really?" Klaus challenged. "My sister and I are from a time long, long ago, Stefan, where morality was far different. I myself once had ten wives simultaneously." He spread his hands. "Why not simply take both? Rebekah and Elena?"
"That's ridiculous," Stefan scoffed. "You can't possibly be okay with that."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be? It would be Rebekah's own choice, and you are the only man I've actually found worthy of my sister over a thousand years of living."
Stefan shook his head, opening his mouth to once again remind Klaus of their deal-
"Let me point out the loophole," Klaus interrupted smoothly. "I can't do any act to separate you and Elena. But freeing Rebekah is no guarantee of separating you two. I am not doing this with the intent of coming between you and Elena. Elena is still yours."
"What if Elena doesn't want to be with me because Rebekah gets in the way?" Stefan countered.
Klaus shrugged. "You can still keep her. There are many ways..." His eyes glinted. "Force being one of them."
Stefan's anger flared, his posture stiffening. "I would never force Elena to be with me."
Klaus smiled, unbothered by Stefan's reaction. "Calm yourself, brother. I was merely pointing out possibilities."
He placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Don't underestimate Elena. Perhaps she'd be okay with it. If she can accept you killing people, why wouldn't she accept you having another woman too?"
Stefan gave Klaus a deadpan expression. "The two are completely different things."
"Be that as it may," Klaus shrugged again, "I won't keep Rebekah daggered. And it doesn't go against our deal because it is in no way a direct act of separating Elena and you, nor an indirect act that guarantees separation. It is bound by the free will of both you and Elena, so I'm not going back on my word."
With that final statement, Klaus turned back to the coffin. In one swift motion, he pulled the dagger from Rebekah's chest.
"Wake up, little sister," he murmured. "It's time to come home."
Stefan stood frozen, watching as the first signs of color began returning to Rebekah's pale features.
There was no going back now.
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(Author note: Hello everyone, I hope you guys are enjoying the fic.
Do tell me how you found it. So... Rebekah is waking up. What do you think will happen? Is it like Klaus says- or will she try to get between Stefan and Elena.
And if Rebekah does, do you think Stefan will choose Elena, or Rebekah?
I'm interested in your thoughts. I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)