I wake up to see Klaus and Stefan get out of a car. After yesterday things have been incredibly awkward between me and Klaus, I am not even sure why I did it. It was like I just could not stand the sight of him being sad. It is so strange being around him, I know I should hate him for what he did Elijah, but I can't bring myself to. I feel as though I am betraying Elijah, and I feel awful for it. A stab of pain goes though my heart at the thought of Elijah, I know I only knew him for a short amount of time but he was so much to me in that short time. I honestly don't know much about the idea of real life soulmates, I know that you have to be given a soulmate bond by a witch but it asks for an amazing amount of power. Apart from that I have no idea of what a soulmate bond entails. Rubbing my eyes I sit up right I the back of the car making a plan: avoid klaus as much as possible, get rid of all feelings that you have for him and stay loyal to Elijah. It can't be that difficult, right?

"Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan." I hear Klaus say to Stefan as they look towards the outside of the warehouse not aware of my presence.

"What are we doing here?" Stefan asks him confused.

"I know how much you loved it here. Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?" Klaus asks Stefan expectantly.

"Blacked out most of them. A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur." Stefan replies trying to keep up his emotionless exterior, however failing.

"Well, that is a crying shame. The details are what make it legend." Klaus tells him.

"Word was the ripper of Monterrey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was Prohibition. Everything was off limits then, which made everything so much fun." I tell Stefan.

Chicago 1920's

I watch as a man I shave never seen before enters Gloria's bar and pats the doorman on the shoulder as he passes. Gloria the owner of the bar who is on stage singing sees him.

"Guess who my eyes have just spied, ladies? Looking for a good time, Mr. Salvatore?" She says to the man.

"Save me a dance, Gloria." He tells Gloria cockily.

He's about to grab a glass of champagne but my sister Rebekah takes it before he does.

"Ooh. Please, help yourself." He says not really caring, an emotionless vampire I now assume.

"Oh, I always do." My sister tells him.

She gets closer, licks his lips and whispers in his hear. She's vamped out.

"Careful, Mr. Salvatore. You're still wearing your date. She's lovely." She tells him. She's about to leave but he grabs her arm. I immediately start to walk over to her.

"No, no, no. Who are you?" Stefan asks her with a slight amount of desperation in his voice. She puts her first finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. She walks back over to me.

"Chicago was magical." Klaus tells Stefan.

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't remember most of it." Stefan says getting a little bit annoyed now.

"Going to get down to business, then?" Klaus asks him sarcastically.

"Why am I still with you? We had our fun, your hybrids failed. I mean, don't you want to move on?" Stefan asks him.

"We're going to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her. Come on love, time to get back in the car." Klaus says. I wordlessly walk back over to the car opening the back door of the car getting in and proceeding to stare out of the window. I look over to see klaus walk over to the car door which is being held open by one of his minions. Can he do anything for himself?

Chicago 1920's

In the bar Gloria is singing another song. A waiter is pouring champagne on a champagne tower. Rebekah is dancing with a man but is looking at Stefan who is at the bar, drinking with his friends. She stops dancing and joins Stefan and his friends.

"Sorry to crash the fun, boys, but some of us actually came here to hear the music. Not you." I hear Rebekah tell them.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart. Are we offending you?" Stefan asks her mockingly as his friends laugh, I see her touch his face.

"It would take a lot more than a baby face like this to offend me." I hear my sister tell him, as she goes to leave.

"Ahem. Hey, hey. You ever going to tell me your name?" Stefan asks her again.

"Sure. When you earn it. Now do Gloria a favor and stick a sock in it." Rebekah says as She goes back to the dance-floor and continues dancing with the man.

Klaus, Stefan and enter the bar. It's dim, quiet, and empty.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asks Stefan as Stefan looks over the bar.

"I can't believe this place is still here." Stefan says in a state of shock that I have never seen him in before, it's weird he always seems to be so calm and collected.

"You got to be kidding me." A women who seems to be around mid fifties says, klaus smiles.

"So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender..." klaus begins to say as I let out a groan already having an idea of where this was going.

"Stop. You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny." The women in the bar cuts in before he can continue to finish the joke, I internally sigh in relief. The women looks over to Steffie.

"I remember you." She tells him.

"Yeah. You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be..." Stefan stutters out.

"Old and dead? Now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?" The women I now know as Gloria asks him sarcastically.

"Gloria's a very powerful witch." Klaus informs Stefan.

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

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar? Bring Aria with you." Klaus asks Stefan.

"Yeah, sure thing." Stefan says whilst reaching out and gently grabbing my wrist leading me over to the bar, I sit down on one of the stools whilst Stefan walks round the back to make drinks. I sit silently and listen in on the conversation klaus is having with Gloria.

"You look ravishing, by the way." Klaus tells Gloria, and I ignore the jealousy that pangs through me.

"Don't. I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels." Gloria snaps at him.

"So what am I doing wrong? I broke the curse." Klaus asks as I look over to Stefan to see that he is eavesdropping too.

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

"Well, that would be the original witch. She's very dead." Klaus says snappily.

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah." Gloria says as I look over to the far wall to see a picture of Stefan, I jump over the bar and pull it off. I walk over to Stefan tap him on the shoulder and give him the photo.

"Rebekah. Rebekah is a bit preoccupied." I hear klaus tell Gloria.

"She has what I need. Bring her to me." Gloria tells him, I notice that Stefan looks up from the photo.

"What is this?" He asks klaus.

"Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place." Klaus says with a suspicious smile.

"But this is me. With you." Stefan tells him He shows him the picture. It's a picture of Stefan with his arm around Klaus's shoulders in the 1920s.

Stefan, Aria and I are walking in a warehouse. Stefan is still holding the photo. I notice that Aria has been abnormally quiet I don't think she has even spoke a word today, I am quite concerned considering she always has something to say. I am suddenly pulled out of my thoughts by Stefan.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why don't I remember you?" Stefan asks me.

"You said it yourself: that time had a lot of dark holes." I tell him.

"No, if you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?" Stefan asks me another question.

"I'm a little busy right now. Memory Lane will have to wait." I tell him now slightly annoyed.

"What the hell is going on? Answer me." Stefan demands.

"Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you." I tell him.

Chicago 1920's

Stefan is drinking blood from a women. Rebekah joins in on the other side of her neck. Rebekah and Stefan kiss. He sees her necklace.

" It's beautiful." Stefan tells her.

"A witch gave it to me. Supposedly it's magical." Rebekah replies.

"And is it?" Stefan questions my sister finally having enough I begin to walk over to her.

"It brought me love, didn't it?" She tell him before I arrive.

"It's late, Rebekah, we're leaving." I tell her as I tug at her arm.

"Get off of me!" Rebekah tells me trying to remove her arm from my grip. I look over to see Stefan getting up.

"Who is this guy?" Stefan asks Rebekah sounding annoyed.

"Stefan, don't. He'll kill you. He's a lot stronger than he looks." Rebekah tells him. Stefan is standing behind Rebekah, and has his left hand protectively on her shoulder.

"So this is the famous Stefan Salvatore. I've been hearing so much about. You're right, he does have funny hair. I'm bored. I want to go." I tell her with a slight whine at the end.

"Then go without me, I'm not your girlfriend." Rebekah tells me.

"No, you're my sister, which means...You have to do as I say." I tell her pulling her over to me so now we are both facing Stefan.

"Your sister. So I knew another Original vampire." Stefan asks klaus.

"If you can't handle it, then don't ask." Klaus tell Stefan as he walks over to a number of coffins. Klaus opens one. I look over to see a beautiful women who I assume is Rebekah lying dead in it with a dagger stabbed in her chest. I look over to Klaus to see him smiling at her and then he gently touches her face.

"I don't recognize her." Stefan tells Klaus.

"Well, don't tell her that. Rebekah's temper is worse than mine." Klaus tells him, how can her temper be worse Klaus's is awful, I mean after about a week I wanted to throw myself out the car, I can't stand when he looses his temper. He pulls the dagger out of Rebekah's chest.

"Time to wake up, little sister." Klaus tells her She's still lying there dead.

"Come on Aria, I think we are in need of a good chat, Stefan go wait outside in the car and don't come back until I come and get you." Klaus says before reaching his hand out in front of me, whicH I reluctantly grab and he leads me over to a room towards the back of the warehouse.

"Now Aria why are we being so quiet today, you always have something to say?" Klaus asks me as we sit on the seats.

"I am not being quiet." I answer shortly.

"Your lying love, now tell me what is wrong, before I start to get mad." He tells me, I begin to feel mad but push it down.

"Nothing is wrong." I tell him emotionlessly.

"Tell me now Aria." Klaus snaps at me, that is when uncontrollable anger explodes out of me.

"I'll tell you what's wrong. What's wrong is that I don't know what is going on anymore. I have came along with you on this trip against my will and you keep trying to talk to me. I never want to ignore you, but I do it anyway because your supposed to be the bad guy. Then I begin to get feelings for you, I get so jealous of other women and I don't even know why. I am supposed to be Elijah's soulmate for god's sake and every time I feel those emotions towards you I feel awful as I am supposed to be loyal to Elijah. Not to mention that you also daggered him and now every time I think about it, I get a pain going through my heart. I don't even know anymore." I yell out getting gradually more quiet, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Your my soulmate too Aria." He whispers to me.

"That's impossible." I murmur.

He walks over to my chair and places his lips on mine. I can't help but kiss back, after a minute we finally pull away. I look over to klaus to see he has a smile on his face, I smile back at him.

"I don't want you to call me klaus anymore, love. Please call me Nik. Now let's go get Stefan and see if my sister is awake." He tells me giving me his hand leading me back to Rebekah's coffin whilst he go gets Stefan. Once they both arrive back klaus walks over to Rebekah's coffin.

"Any day now, Rebekah. She's being dramatic." Klaus says to us.

"Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right?" Stefan asks Klaus angrily.

"Well, you have many useful talents." Klaus tells him suspiciously.

"Do I?" Stefan questions klaus in shock.

"In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you." Klaus tells him.

Chicago 1920's

I was sitting in the bar on one side of a table with Stefan and Rebekah on the other.

"So Stefan, enlighten me. What makes you worthy of an Original like my sister? She's pure vampire and you're no more than a diluted bloodline." I ask Stefan rudely.

"Don't listen to him, Stefan. Nik's an elitist." Rebekah tells Stefan even though I meant everything I said.

"Hmm. And where's the rest of your family?" Stefan asks me.

"Well, let's see. Um...I killed most of them." I tell him flippantly.

"But not all." Rebekah says.

"And you're okay with that?" Asks Stefan looking over to Rebekah.

"Well, we all had the chance to choose a side. I chose the right one, eventually." Rebekah tells him placing her hand on top of mine. Then a man stops by our table.

"Where the hell's my wife?" The man demands.

"I don't know. I give up." Stefan tells him sarcastically.

"You think you're so tough? Hiding in your bar, drinking your liquor? A telephone call to Chicago P.D. might set you straight." The man threatens Stefan.

"Ooh!" I says sarcastically as me and Rebekah laugh. Stefan then calls over a women.

"Lila? Lila, please. Come here for a second." Stefan tells the women.

"Oh, thank God. Come on, we're leaving." The man tells the women named Lila, The man starts to leave with her but Stefan reaches his arm out to stop him and compels him.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. No. You're sitting." Stefan compelled the man The man sits down next to me and Lila next to Stefan. He takes off her glove and takes a pen knife from his jacket pocket.

"Stefan, don't be mean." Rebekah tells Stefan which he ignores.

"What the hell are you doing?" The man asks him now I am intrigued. Stefan cuts Lila's wrist and the blood pours into a champagne glass. Rebekah and I smile.

"Thank you so much, Lila. Why don't you go and bandage that up?" Stefan tells her. She gets up and leaves. Stefan compels the man.

" I'd like you to join me for a drink." Stefan tells the man as he gives him the glass containing the blood of his wife.

"What kind of sick freaks are you?" The man semi yells out in fear.

"I said, drink!" Stefan tells the man, the man

shakily raises the glass to his lips and takes a sip of his wife's blood. He coughs.

"I didn't catch your name." Stefan asks the man, I sit there wondering why he wants his name.

"Go to hell." The man tells Stefan, which makes me laugh.

"Do you want another sip?" Stefan threatens the man.

"Liam. Liam Grant." The man finally says.

"Liam Grant! Have another sip, Liam." Stefan tells him as I clink my champagne glass on Liam's glass. Liam shakily raises the glass.

"Finish it." Stefan tells him as Liam swallows all the blood in one gulp, which makes me laugh.

In the warehouse Nik is walking towards the exit holding my hand with Stefan following behind us.

"I was your number one fan." Nik tells Stefan suddenly.

"Why should I believe any of this?" Stefan questions him.

Nik stops in front of a guardman and compels him.

"When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's Bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die." Nik tells him as the guard man nods.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asks Nik.

You think I'm lying, Stefan. You and I knew each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets and now I'm going to prove it to you." Nik tell Stefan confidently.

"How?" Stefan questions him with suspicion.

"We're going to your old apartment" Nik tells him.

After a short while in the car we finally arrived at the apartment block that Stefan used to at in the twenties

"What a charming little homestead. Do you feel that? Is anybody here?" Nik says letting go of my hand to look around.

"It's been vacant for decades. People must break in all the time. Why'd you bring me here?" Stefan replies to Nik slightly nervous. I think he is hiding something.

"Your friend, Liam Grant, the one who drank his wife's blood...I never could figure out why you wanted his name. And then you told me your little secret. It was all part of your special little ritual." Nik says to him.

"To write it down." Stefan says quietly.

"And relive the kill...over and over again." Nik says as He opens the hidden door.

"You believe me now?" Nik asks him whilst coming back over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. Stefan enters the closet to see the list. Klaus walks back over to the closet in the apartment.]

"Look what I found." Stefan says with a slight nervous tone. Stefan takes a bottle and gives it to Klaus.

"1918. Single malt." Stefan tells Nik. Stefan stands in the doorway of the closet.

"My favorite. Let's go and find someone to pair it with." Nik says grabbing my hand again, what is it with him and grabbing my hand. Stefan then closes the closet.

Klaus, Stefan and I are once again at the bar at the bar. Gloria gives them two beers, then she offers me one. Just as I am about to grab it Nik snatches it off her.

"Aria doesn't drink Gloria." He tells her as I just stare at him gob smacked. Then an idea pops into my head. I silently chant a spell and Nik immediately falls on the floor, giving me enough time to snatch the bottle off him. I then stop the spell and pull off the lid taking a gulp.

"Yes she does." I tell them as Gloria lets out a laugh, whilst Nik continues to glare at me.

"Your only seventeen, Love. You can drink when your older." Nik tells me.

"I am already eighteen." I tell him bluntly.

"When? Why didn't you mention anything, Love." He asks me more softly.

"When we were at southern comfort. I don't like my birthday, I haven't celebrated in since I was 14." I tell him, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Where's Rebekah?" Gloria cuts it, I look over and give her a thankful smile.

"She'll be here. I can't just conjure her on demand." Nik tells her as he takes a drink and looks over at Stefan.