Next Day – Mystic Falls
Michael had not returned to the Salvatore house after the chaos of the previous night. He had simply… left.
Now, with the morning sun climbing lazily over Mystic Falls, his thoughts were elsewherespecifically, on the body of the original in their private dungeon or whatever the call it.
'Should I stop her… or allow it?'
Elena Gilbert was going to undagger Elijah. That much was inevitable. Michael knew it as surely as he knew the weight of fire beneath his skin. The question was whether he should interfere.
One Originals were already troublesome enough.
Klaus and Elijah together…cThat was another matter entirely.
Especially when one was a paranoid tyrant and the other a calculating moralist with a code that could be bent but never truly broken.
Michael exhaled slowly.
'Still… speaking with Elijah again after all this time held a certain appeal.' God knew how long it had been since their last conversation.
'Of course, I know exactly how long,' he thought dryly. 'But no one cares.'
His lips curved faintly.
'He should be with her about now…' Michael mused. 'I do wonder what Elijah's reaction will be when Elena tells him I've resurfaced after all these years.'
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
He stopped in front of the Gilbert house.
For a moment, he simply looked at it.
'I did want to see the beautiful lady for myself,' he admitted inwardly. 'Even if that isn't the main reason.'
Across town, Alaric/Klaus had cloaked himself carefully after the previous night's humiliation. Michael had briefly considered marching straight to Alaric's apartment and burning the boundary spell to the ground but really, why bother?
Ambushing Klaus again would be far more satisfying.
Michael sighed to himself and crossed the street.
He knocked.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Jenna stared at him, confusion flickering across her face.
"Oh, hi?" she said hesitantly.
Michael smiled warmly, the kind of smile that immediately put people at ease,"Hello," he said gently. "You must be Jenna."
She blinked. "Uh, yes. And you are?"
"Oh, where are my manners?" Michael said smoothly, extending his hand. "Michael Keller."
She shook it.
"I'm one of Alaric's students," he continued, his tone polite, almost soft. "I was wondering if he was here."
"Oh," Jenna said, relaxing slightly. "No, um… he's not around right now."
"I see."
"But I can take a message if you'd like." Michael hesitated just enough to seem unsure.
"Actually," he said, "I'm here to offer my condolences."
Jenna frowned. "Condolences?"
"Oh yes," Michael replied quietly. "About his wife." He paused, then added, sheepish, "His… ex-wife, rather. She died in a fire a few days ago. Such a terrible thing."
Jenna froze, "What?" she breathed.
Then realization struck her all at once, "Oh, oh my God. Elena." She stepped back abruptly.
Michael immediately lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I can leave, if you'd prefer."
"No, no," Jenna said quickly, shaking her head. "It's okay. I just… um—please, come in."
"Thank you," Michael said softly and stepped inside.
Jenna ushered him toward the living room and almost immediately disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a plate of cookies and a drink, setting them in front of him with nervous hospitality.
Michael accepted them with a warm smile.
"These are wonderful," he said sincerely after a bite. "You're an excellent baker."
Jenna blinked, surprised. "Oh thank you."
She sat across from him, studying his face. "So… how did you know Alaric and Isobel?"
Michael folded his hands neatly as he answered, "As I mentioned," he said calmly, "I was Mr. Saltzman's student." His eyes softened slightly. "And I was also a friend of his wife Isobel."
—————————————-
A little while later, a knock echoed through the Gilbert house.
Jenna looked up from the couch. "Excuse me," she said softly, already rising to her feet.
'Finally', Michael thought, calm and patient as ever.
He stood as well, remaining quiet as Jenna moved to the door.
When she opened it, Alaric stood on the porch.
"Hey," Jenna said but her voice wavered.
Alaric/Klaus immediately noticed it. Her eyes were glossy, rimmed red, as if she'd been crying.
"Jenna… what's wrong?" he asked, frowning.
She swallowed. "I'm so sorry." That only deepened his confusion, "I just heard the news," Jenna continued, stepping aside to let him in. "My God, I can't imagine how you must be feeling. And Elena too…"
Alaric/Klaus froze for half a heartbeat.
"Does she even know?" Jenna asked quietly. "Does Elena even know her mother is dead?"
Understanding dawned instantly, 'Ah. So that's what this is.'q
Klaus schooled his expression, carefully arranging grief where there was only calculation.
"No, uh no," he said. "She doesn't, at least not yet."
Jenna winced. "Oh God…"
Klaus tilted his head. "How did you find out?"
"Well," Jenna said hesitantly, "one of your old students came by earlier. He offered his condolences." She frowned slightly. "Although… he didn't look that old. Honestly, he looked closer to Elena's age."
'Student?'
Alaric/ Klaus's eyes narrowed.
He looked past Jenna w send there, Michael stood in the hallway with a relaxed posture, a faint, knowing smile on his face.
For the briefest moment, something flickered across Klaus's expression, shock and beneath it, a flash of fear. Not his own, perhaps, but the body's instinctive response.
Jenna followed his gaze and smiled weakly.
"Oh yes Michael came by a while ago to offer his condolences."
Michael stepped forward.
"Ric," he said warmly, extending his hand. "It's been a while, man. I'm so, so sorry about Isobel."
Alaric/Klaus stared at him for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, then took his hand.
"Yeah," he said carefully. "It's… it's been a while, hasn't it?"
They shook hands, "It's good to see you again," Klaus added, forcing sincerity.
Michael smiled and then pulled him into a firm hug.
"And you too," Michael murmured softly.
Then, so only Klaus could hear, "Niklaus."
Michael's grip tightened just a little and Alaric/Klaus stiffened, barely managing not to wince before Michael released him.
Jenna turned toward the kitchen. "Come on, Ric. Let's get you something to sit with."
As Alaric/Klaus followed her, he glanced back once more at the smiling Michael.
"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath.
Lockwood House
Elena stood near the window, the daylight filtering in softly as Elijah spoke.
"My father was a wealthy landowner," Elijah said evenly, his hands clasped behind his back. "In a village in Eastern Europe. Our mother bore seven children."
Elena straightened abruptly as she heard that.
"Wait so your parents were human?" Elijah inclined his head. "Our whole family was. Our origin as vampires is… a long story. Just know this, we are among the oldest vampires in the world."
He met her gaze.
"We are the Original Family. From us, an entire breed was created."
Elena exhaled slowly, trying to process that.
Then something else occurred to her, "What about Michael?"
Elijah frowned slightly. "My father—?"
"No," Elena said quickly. "I mean he called himself Kanen'to."
The moment the name left her mouth, Elijah's expression changed.
His eyes sharpened, surprise flickering across his composed features.
"Kan, he is here as well?" he asked quietly. Elena nodded. "Yes."
Elijah looked away, with his jaw tightening.
"This just got more difficult," he muttered.
Elena frowned. "What do you mean?" She hesitated, then added, "And why do you keep calling him Kan? He's called Michael now."
Elijah looked back at her, his eyes darkened with old memories.
"Names change, definitely sounds like something he'd do" he said softly.
Elena opened her mouth to respond, but Elijah spoke before she could.
"Kan—or Michael, as he now calls himself," Elijah said quietly, "was a man who came to our village one night during a festival. He was… likable. Kind. Gentle with us."
Elena listened closely.
"He taught Klaus and me how to be men," Elijah continued, his voice steady but distant, "in all the ways our father failed. And believe me, if there is one man Klaus trusted, admired and respected as both friend and brother, it was him."
Elijah paused, eyes unfocusing as memories surfaced.
"When we were children, Michael protected Klaus. Always. No matter what. My sister, Klaus, and I were the only ones he truly interacted with in our family. And I would dare say he trusted us completely."
Elena blinked.
"Wait you have a sister?"
Elijah nodded. "Yes. And according to Klaus, she was, and likely still is, his first love."
Elena's eyes widened.
"Michael dated your sister?"
"Yes," Elijah replied. "It was a very private relationship. One our father eventually discovered." His jaw tightened.
"When he did… he flew into a rage."
Elena hesitated, then pressed on.
"Wow. Okay, so… where is your sister now? And more importantly, if Klaus is your brother, how could you want to kill him?"
Elijah didn't answer right away.
He moved from his position
"I need some air," he said quietly. "I'm still feeling a tad… dead."
He turned toward the door.
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