Chapter 08
“Well, this body has outlived his usefulness,” Klaus said as they were walking back to Alaric’s apartment. “Good thing that Maddox and Greta are on their way back with my body.”
Myriam looped her arm through Klaus’ and sighed. “I just made a couple more enemies.”
Klaus let out a chuckle. “Love, they’ve always been your playthings. Your pets. Pets die.”
“I know, but… I’ve grown to like these pets.”
“And they were all a means to an end,” Klaus reminded her. “Aren’t you sick of this little town yet?”
She sighed again. “If you stick around for a while longer, you’ll see that it’s like a daytime television show. So much drama, so much intrigue… who needs television when you have Mystic Falls? I’m merely sad that my friends are going to hate me now because of the fear mongering. You’re the big bad wolf because you need to sacrifice people to break your curse. Elijah is the good guy because he wants to kill you.”
“Ah, what else is new? You’ll be by my side when we break the curse, won’t you?”
“Of course. With my invisible friends. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you,” she then let out a sigh. “Apparently our guest received a visitor today, and they handed her vervain.”
“Well, that’s inconvenient.”
“That depends, my love,” Myriam replied as she smiled up at him. “We could make her believe she can’t be influenced anymore, but I could have her possessed, and she could do our bidding in any case.”
“You’d need a mighty demon, Katarina won’t bow down that easily.”
“I already had one on her. I love toying with that bitch,” she replied as they took the stairs to Alaric’s apartment and heard loud music blasting out of it. “I can have her do so many things…”
“I can’t believe they call this music,” Klaus muttered as he opened the door to the apartment and let Myriam walk in before him. “You mind turning that down?” He ordered Katerina, who rolled her eyes and did as she was told.
“Why so grumpy?” she asked.
“This body has outlived its usefulness.”
“Do you want a drink?”
Myriam growled as she snatched the bottle from Katerina’s hand and threw it against the wall before pinning the vampire down. “Listen to me, you little shit. I know. I know about your visitors this afternoon. Hand it over.”
“Hand what over, exactly?” Katerina asked innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Myriam, that’s enough, love. I don’t care if she has vervain on her, she’ll do as she’ll be told in any case, won’t she?”
Myriam scowled as she released Katerina and instructed the demon to listen to whatever Klaus wanted Katerina to do, and she wouldn’t have any chance of not listening.
“Now sit down, and shut up,” Klaus told Katherine before he heard Maddox returning. Finally. He turned to look at the door. “Maddox! Welcome back! You took your time!”
“You have a lot of luggage,” Maddox replied as he was followed by some vampires who were carrying his luggage. And then Greta walked in. Myriam wanted to rip the witch’ head off, but they needed her to put Klaus back into his own body.
“Greta!” Klaus greeted her warmly. “Finally!”
“Hello love,” she widely smiled as she approached him, and Myriam was sitting on her hands to make sure she wouldn’t act upon her impulses.
“Hello.”
“Nice body,” Greta smiled up at him appreciatively. “You ready to get out of it?”
Klaus hummed his answer with a slow nod. Myriam let out a low growl and used one of her spirits, not one of her demons, mark Greta’s neck harshly, causing Greta to flinch and grab the back of her neck. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Ghosts. I don’t know, it hurts,” the witch let out a sigh as she grabbed her bag. “We need to prepare, talk amongst yourselves for a while.”
Klaus gently pulled Myriam towards the open kitchen. “Sweetheart, I know you don’t like her much,” he said in a hushed voice. For Myriam to actively use one of her confined spirits rather than one of her demons meant she meant business. “But we need her. I need her to break the curse. Please leave her in one piece until after she’s done what I want her to do? You think you will be able to control yourself until tomorrow night?”
“Stop flirting,” she said as she pulled him closer to her and reached out to cup his balls. “You’re in a human body now, until it’s time to put you back in your own. I could hurt you so bad, you have no idea. You’re mine.”
“Myriam.”
“Klaus,” she evenly said as she stared him down. “You’re mine. And as soon as you’re back in your body, you’re coming home with me.”
“Myriam, I—”
“I could always ask the demon I put on you if you’ve been nothing but honourable, but if you haven’t been…”
“I have, love,” he calmly replied as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Now please let go of Alaric’s manhood, or I might start questioning your honour.”
She narrowed her eyes at him as she lifted her hand to slap him, but Klaus caught her hand. “Cochon!”
“Greta, please hurry, my wife is impatient,” he called out to his witch as he didn’t look away from Myriam, loving the fire in her eyes. “And I have to admit, so am I.”
Greta let out a chuckle as she placed her candles. “Just a while longer.”
“Elijah’s been telling Elena everything about you and him and the curse,” Myriam said as she looked at Klaus. “She undaggered him, the bitch. Why are doppelgangers always so predictable and devious?”
Klaus shrugged. “I’ll deal with Elijah. He’s simply not allowed to kill me when I’m in transition.”
Myriam sighed as she pulled her wrist back from him and turned to pour herself another drink. “And let me guess, you’re not interested in sex either until after your transition?” She then turned to face him again. “If you say no, I’ll be leaving right now.”
“That’s not nice.”
“I’m not nice.”
“Don’t be daft, you are very nice.”
“Ugh, I want to vomit,” Katerina remarked.
“And we told you to shut your whore mouth!” Myriam shot at her, forcing her demon to hurt Katerina a little for speaking up.
“We’re ready, Lord Klaus,” Maddox spoke with respect in his voice towards his master as he didn’t want to face the wrath of Myriam. “We can put you back in your own body now.”
“Finally!” Myriam exclaimed as she pushed Klaus towards his own body that was still in the damn trunk.
Maddox and Greta chanted for a while until the candles all lit up brightly. Myriam couldn’t stand to be patient, and when Alaric gasped and fell to the ground after thinking Katerina was Elena, she rushed over to the trunk and opened it.
Klaus walked out of the trunk, looked around and smiled brightly. “Now, that’s more like it!”
Myriam flung herself around his neck, kissing him hard. “Thank God they didn’t fuck up,” she muttered into the kiss.
“I have one more thing to do,” he broke off the kiss and took her hand, gently squeezing it. “Then I’m all yours, I promise.” Klaus then let go of her and shook Alaric awake. “Good, you’re awake. You’re going to have a rest, and in the morning you will tell your friends that the ritual will happen today.”
“I will,” Alaric said as he got to his feet and walked straight to bed.
Klaus then turned to Greta and Maddox. “Tomorrow you’ll acquire me the vampire and werewolf we’ve picked out. Until then, you’ll babysit our guest. I’ll be back in the morning, I have a wife to please.”
“Of course,” Greta and Maddox smiled widely. “Good to have you back in your own body, Klaus.”
~o.O.o~
“I must say, you were right about Mystic Falls,” Klaus said as he and Myriam walked through town followed by Greta and Maddox. The two witches had their mission, and Maddox, in particular, had gotten creative last night by throwing Carol Lockwood of the stairs so that Tyler would return.
Of course, there was a werewolf ready and waiting for Klaus in Myriam’s basement, but even he agreed that that wolf would make a great hybrid. He looked strong. Well built. Lots of potential. “I can see why you love it so much.”
“I don’t love it, I love New Orleans, but the appeal is here. Small towns are almost like a time capsule,” she replied as they strolled down main street together. The moment they had arrived at home the previous night, she had put on her wedding ring again. There was no need to hide anymore.
“But why are you dragging me with you to do something so… mundane?”
“What? Me quitting my job at the Mystic Grill?” Myriam smiled up at him. “Well, because I just know you want to cause some trouble, make some people shiver in their boots. Damon and Alaric are there. Pity drinking.”
“Damon. Right. Your friend.”
“I don’t think he wishes to be my friend anymore,” she winked at him. “Which sucks, but it seems like the stories about you and Elijah’s stories truly made you the big bad. Which, in association, makes me a bitch.”
“They don’t know you’re my wife yet, do they?”
“No, just that I’m on your side and not Elijah’s. They think out of fear.”
Klaus smirked then. “Let’s have some fun,” he kissed the top of her head. “You go, I’ll join you in a bit.”
Myriam giggled as she headed inside the grill and found the manager. “Hey Dwayne,” she greeted him with a smile. “I’m handing in my notice, effective immediately.”
“What? Why? You’re the best we’ve ever had!”
Myriam shrugged. “That’s bullshit. You should promote Matt, though. He’s doing a great job. Keep my pay, put it back into the Grill. I know you’re struggling.”
Dwayne sighed and nodded. “Well, if you ever need a job… you’re always welcome to return.”
“Thanks, Dwayne,” she said as she moved out of sight, observing her husband who had now walked up to Damon and Alaric.
“Gentlemen, why so glum?” Klaus asked, causing Alaric to stand up straight and Damon looking over his shoulder.
“Ugh,” Damon sighed as he looked back at his drink. “Klaus, I presume?”
“In the flesh,” he smiled coyly before looking at Alaric. “Thanks for the loaner, mate.”
Damon angrily got to his feet, trying to intimidate Klaus. “Any reason you stopped by to say ‘hi’?”
“I’m told you and your brother fancy my doppelganger. Just thought I’d remind you to do not do anything you’ll regret.”
Damon barked out a laugh. “Ha! Thanks for your advice,” he said all smugly. “Don’t suppose I could talk you into a postponement by any chance, huh?”
Klaus smiled then, shaking his head as he looked down at the bar for a moment. “You are kidding,” he replied as he met Damon’s eyes before looking over his shoulder to find Alaric. “He is kidding, right?”
“No, not really,” Alaric replied stoically.
“I mean, come on, what’s one more month in all the grand scheme of things?”
“Let me be clear,” Klaus said calmly, turning to Damon and taking a step towards him. “I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So, if you want to live to see tomorrow, don’t screw it up.”
“Hi guys,” Myriam said lightly as she moved between Damon and Klaus. “How’s it going?”
“You and I need to talk,” Damon told her sternly. “Elena told me what happened with Rose. Where the hell have you been?”
“Right here,” Myriam said with a shrug. “In town, helping my husband get situated, what do you think?”
“You’re married?”
“I told you I was, didn’t I?” Myriam scratched the back of her head. “Oh, I must have neglected to say that. Some secrets are meant to be kept.”
“And why are you working with him, of all people?”
“What? With Klaus?” Myriam laughed then. “I’m sorry Damon, I don’t know what scary stories Elijah must have told you, or Rose, or Katherine, but Klaus is not the bad guy in this situation. He merely wants his curse to be removed so he can be truly free. What’s so bad about that?”
“People are going to die, Myriam!” Damon shot at her. “And I thought you said you’d keep Elena safe!”
“From everyone who’d come after her and Elijah, yes. I’m not allowing Elijah to use Elena for the ritual so he can kill Klaus,” Myriam said, shaking her head. “I told her to listen, I guess she needs her ears cleaned or something. I never said I’d save her from Klaus. And vampires can be easily created, so what’s the big deal?”
“What’s the— this isn’t you talking!” Damon cried out. “Did he compel you?”
“No?” Myriam said confused as she pulled vervain out of her pocket. “I drink vervain, and I wear it on me as protection from Elijah. It also means that this fella behind me can’t compel me. Been there, done that.”
“People are going to die, Myriam!”
“No,” Myriam said sternly. “A supernatural doppelganger is. A vampire is. A werewolf is. They’re not humans. I value human life as much as anyone else, but once you’re supernatural doesn’t mean you can’t die.”
“Myriam, in particular, has a hatred towards werewolves, don’t you, love?” Klaus said playfully. “And witches, but werewolves are the worst.”
“Ha!” Damon pointed out. “If Klaus turns, he’ll become a hybrid. A werewolf and a vampire!”
“I’m not stupid, Damon,” Myriam replied with a sigh. “Nothing will change, only that he’ll be a hybrid. He’ll always be the man I married, no matter what changes.”
Alaric spat out his drink, and Damon’s jaw just about fell on the floor. “Excuse you?”
“Klaus and I have been married for over 300 years. Every time I was in Mystic Falls was for him. Especially after Elena was born. Everything I did, was for him. And now that he’s here…” Myriam smiled brightly as she looked at her husband with pride. “I can’t wait to remain by his side for the rest of our lives now. We’ve spent far too long apart.”
“You’re making me sick,” Damon scowled. “You’re better than this.”
“Does your opinion of me really change because I’m Klaus’ wife? And that I’d do anything for him? I’m still the same person you came to know, Damon.”
“Yeah, no. Goodbye, Myriam.”
“You’re such a child, Damon,” Myriam huffed as she put her arm through Klaus’ and followed him out.
“Love, I—”
“Don’t waste your breath,” she sighed. “I kinda knew this would happen. It hurts, but hey, so did him turning because of Katerina. His… exposure to other vampires is limited.”
“Would you like me to kill him?”
“If anyone kills him, it’s going to be me,” Myriam said grumpily. “Come on, you’re buying me an ice cream before we return to the preparations for tonight.”
“Do you think we can trust Katerina in calling out dear Aunt Jenna?” Klaus mused.
“Under the threat of death? Sure!”
That evening, Myriam hid in the Quarry. She could oversee just about everything in the area, and she brought a bag of popcorn and a bottle of wine to entertain herself with. One false move by anyone and she’d snap their heads off their torsos.
The ritual went ahead as planned. As expected. With the backups. Even with Stefan showing up. When Bonnie showed up and started to hurt her husband, Myriam sent her demons over to weaken the witch so she’d stop with the spells. Myriam could have come down to kill Bonnie, but Myriam knew better than to attack someone as powerful as her and Klaus was slightly more durable even in this weakened state.
His cries of agony, however, hurt her.
She was about to step in when Elijah pushed his hand inside Klaus’ torso. “No!” She cried out before rushing over and trying to stop Elijah from killing Klaus. “Don’t! He’s your brother!”
“Stay out of this, Myriam,” Elijah slapped her face, pushing her away from him.
“I didn’t bury them at sea!” Klaus sputtered, gasping between his words.
“What?” Elijah questioned him.
“Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you shall never find them.”
“Elijah!” Stefan called out to him. “Don’t listen to him!”
“Elijah,” Klaus said in barely a whisper. “I can take you to them. I give you my word. Brother.”
Bonnie took a step forward as she looked at Elijah. “Do it, and I’ll take you both out.”
“You’ll die,” Elijah told her.
“I don’t care.”
Elijah sneered as he seemed to think about his options before looking at Stefan and Bonnie. “I’m sorry.”
“No!” Bonnie and Stefan chorused as they lunged forward but Elijah was faster with taking Klaus away, leaving Myriam by herself. “You bitch!” Bonnie yelled at Myriam before she started to shoot pain infliction spells at the vampire.
“Bonnie, no,” Stefan stopped her. “She’s got nothing to do with this.”
“You heard Damon! She’s with Klaus!”
“That doesn’t mean that she’s a bad person, now release her. We need to go back for Elena.”
Bonnie reluctantly released Myriam, who nodded a thanks to Stefan and ran off in the direction she saw Elijah run off to. Myriam was stopped by Elijah then, who had a heap of clothes next to him. “Leave,” he said easily. “I’ll take care of Niklaus from here.”
Myriam cocked her head for a moment before she scoffed. “Arrogant prick. You haven’t changed a bit. If you truly cared for your brother, you wouldn’t have schemed behind his back. Just fuck off to whence you came.”
“You know what surprises me?” Elijah asked as he finished cleaning his hands with his handkerchief. “That you’re still alive.”
“And you know what surprises me?” Myriam countered as she used all of her demons to subdue him. As he lay on the ground, stiffened, she stood over him with a smirk on her face. “You always think you scare me, but trust me, Elijah, you don’t. Now stay down. I’ll take care of his happy little accidents on the way. I’ll release you when he returns.”
Myriam followed Klaus around for two days and was there when he returned back to normal, completely naked. Too bad she’d brought his clothes with her. “Welcome back,” she smiled at him. “You’ve been busy.”
“That was amazing,” Klaus said, remembering the experience. “How long has it been?” He asked as he got to his feet to get dressed.
“Just under two days,” Myriam said as she looked at him appreciatively. “Full moon came and went. You remained a wolf. And don’t get dressed on my account.”
Klaus let out a chuckle. “You can have me later, love.” He fastened his belt. “I can change at will then. That’s good to know. I remember every single kill.”
“Yeah, good. Because I’ve been cleaning up your little mess along the way.”
“Normally that’s Elijah’s job.”
“Elijah is… incapacitated until you returned,” Myriam replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. “So what, you and Elijah are best buds again?”
“Of course not,” Klaus huffed. “I said I’d reunite him with our family, didn’t I?”
Myriam thought for a moment and then smiled. “And he thinks he gets to walk the earth still.”
“Exactly,” Klaus winked at her. “We’ll have him reunited with our family shortly. And I’ll have my Ripper back.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, you’ll find out shortly. I think you’ll love what I have in mind,” Klaus said all mysterious. “Now, undo what you did to Elijah, it’s time to catch up with my brother, and introduce him again to Katerina. Vervain or not, she’s still compelled not to leave until I say so.”
“Just promise me you won’t push me away.”
“It’s you who always leaves!”
“I don’t want to!” She shot back at him. “I want to live in peace and not having to run all the time, is that too much to ask? Mikael is out of commission, can’t we just go somewhere and settle down? Back in New Orleans, maybe?”
“Perhaps,” he smiled at her as he took her hand. “Once I have what I’m after.”
Myriam knew precisely what he was after; they had discussed this for quite some time, and she wouldn’t stop him. She had her demons, he could have his own pets. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Can I have Kol back?”
“Not at this point, no. He’ll only try to thwart our plans.”
“But when we’re settled?”
“Yes, love. You can have Kol back then until he does something stupid and we’ll have to dagger him again,” he replied. “Now please stop with the questions and let’s find my brother so we can take him to Katerina.”
“You’re such an asshole sometimes,” Myriam muttered. “Kol would have been amazing to have with me while I was doing this for you.”
Klaus let out a chuckle. “Don’t make me laugh. He’d take the moonstone and throw it into the nearest active volcano he can find.”
“Keep it up and who knows, you might end up in an active volcano yourself,” she countered sharply. “It’s your own fault that he doesn’t like you.”
He growled then. “It’s that you’re my wife and that I love you. Otherwise, I would have killed you for speaking to me like that.”
“Oh, is that how things are going to go? Really? You know what, you’ve got what you wanted, maybe I’ll just fuck off and leave you to deal with Elijah by yourself. I somehow have the feeling that I’ll only be in your way while I’ve been your biggest supporter for centuries, Klaus. I’ve always been in your corner.”
“And yet, you’re talking down at me! Threatening me!”
“Because you are doing the same!”
“Then let’s stop!”
“Fine!” Myriam shot back at him. “Elijah can wait,” she then said as she pulled Klaus down into the bushes. “You’re mine now.”
~o.O.o~
She remained quiet and by Klaus’ side as he promised Elijah that he’d reunite him with their siblings shortly, and headed back to Alaric’s apartment where Katerina still resided, and she had an unexpected guest. “Well, you just keep popping up everywhere, aren’t you?” Klaus asked Stefan.
“I need your help. For my brother.”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s gonna have to wait a tick,” Klaus replied. “You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention,” he added before passing Stefan to get something.
“You understand how important family is or you wouldn’t be here,” Elijah said as he approached Stefan. “My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own.”
“And so I shall,” Klaus said before plunging the silver dagger into him, causing Elijah to cry out in pain and fall to the floor. Myriam let out a rejoicing sound as she poked Elijah’s desiccated body with her foot. Klaus then grabbed Stefan and pushed him up the wall. “Now, what to do with you?”
“Nothing too painful, Klaus,” Myriam told him with a slight giggle as she kicked Elijah again. “He did save me from the wrath of a Bennett witch.”
Klaus pushed a stake through Stefan’s stomach. “Oh, well… too late.”
Stefan fell against Klaus and gasped for breath.
“Do you feel that?” Klaus whispered. “It’s scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement and you’re dead.”
“He’s just trying to help his brother,” Katerina piped up, a sudden braveness overcoming her.
“The witches said you had a cure,” Stefan managed to speak out before he looked at Klaus. “Make me a deal. Just give me the cure, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
Klaus pulled out the stake, and Stefan dropped to the ground with a groan. “Oh, right, your brother was bitten by a wolf,” he mused. “Trouble is, Stefan, I don’t know if you’d be any good to me the way you are now,” he said as he poured himself a glass of human blood. “You’re just shy of useless.” He took a sip before moving over to Stefan and squatted down before him. “I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades.”
It was then when Myriam realised which Ripper Klaus had referred to earlier. “Klaus, no.”
“It’s alright, sweetheart, I won’t let any harm come over him, I promise.”
“You can’t, he’s…”
“Just the way I want him to be… if he’s off the wagon, of course,” he smiled at her before looking back at Stefan. “When this bloke was off the wagon, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterey and wiped out an entire immigrant village… a true Ripper,” he got to his feet as he took another sip of his blood. “Sound familiar?”
“I haven’t been that way in a very long time,” Stefan sighed.
“Well, that’s the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent I can use when I leave town. Katerina, come here,” he said sweetly. When she gave her his hand, he bit into it.
“No!” Katerina whined. “No!”
Klaus then bit in his own wrist and fed her his blood, curing the bite instantly. “You want your cure?” He asked Stefan as he wiped his mouth. “There it is.”
“Your blood is the cure.”
“Gotta love Mother Nature,” Klaus smiled as he put a hand on Stefan’s shoulder. “Now, let’s talk, you and I.”
They sat down at the bar and Myriam poured herself a glass of wine. She was in two minds about this. She had recently saved Mystic Falls from the beginning Ripper, but to have Stefan go all out? She was afraid of what would happen. Luckily, Klaus could compel him to behave, but still. She still didn’t like Stefan for what he did to Damon, and for what he did to her Zak, but did he really deserve this? Would he be able to come back from this after Klaus would release him from his deal? Myriam finished her glass and poured herself another while Klaus used a knife to put some of his blood in a vial.
“You want the cure, how about a decade-long bender?” Klaus asked Stefan. “You know, I have big plans for you when we leave this town.”
“I’m not like that anymore.”
“Well, that’s too bad. You would have made one hell of a wingman,” he said as he started to pour his blood down the drain.
“Wait,” Stefan quickly said.
“Now that’s more like it. Join me for a drink, Stefan,” he slid the big bag of blood across the counter.
“Yeah, I’m not sticking around for this,” Myriam said as she snatched Klaus’ bottle. “Release Katerina, she and I are going to bring this to Damon and then she’s free to go.”
“What!”
“Do it, Klaus,” Myriam told him, eager to get out of the apartment as she knew what Klaus was going to do, feed the Ripper, and she really didn’t want to see that with her own eyes. “And once you’re done playing, you can join me at our home.”
He rolled his eyes at her before motioning Katherine over to release her. “Bring this vial to Damon, and leave. I’d hurry if I were you, he might not have long.” Once Myriam and Katherine were out, he turned back to Stefan. “Women, right? Drink up, I’ve got more for you!”
Myriam didn’t want any part in ‘Stefan and Klaus’ Awesome Adventures’ in finding a werewolf pack. Klaus no doubt was revelling in his freedom, something Myriam had hoped he’d do with her, but he instead spent the time with Stefan the Ripper. And Stefan the Ripper hurt her heart.
She couldn’t stay in Mystic Falls. She needed everyone to decompress and not be so… hateful. Returning to New Orleans without Klaus or any Original vampire would likely mean death. So, instead, Myriam went to Disney World. She then spent a few weeks in Hawaii, before heading back to Europe for a few weeks.
Oh, Klaus wasn’t too happy about it, but Myriam didn’t want to spend weeks and weeks surrounded by him and Stefan having fun together. Besides, he was looking for werewolves, and she hated those. So. Much.
She found a wolf pack in a small village in Indonesia and set their town on fire. She was fast, but not fast enough as a wolf had bitten her, and she didn’t have Klaus’ blood on her. Frustrated, she sent him a text to meet up and he sent Chicago. Great. She had to endure a very long flight to get the cure.
She hated wolves.
By the time she landed in Chicago, she felt as if her skin was infested by ants, crawling underneath every layer and she wanted it to stop. Klaus was waiting for her as she got off the plane. “Did you learn your lesson?” Klaus said lightly. “You do not play with wolves all by yourself.”
“Do we need to do this now?”
“Well…”
Myriam growled. “If you want to get rid of me so bad…”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Klaus huffed as he bit his hand and offered it to her. “Just promise you’ll stay? I’m about to get Rebekah out of her box.”
Myriam drank what she needed, she could feel his blood mix with her own and rid her body of the wolf infection. “Rebekah?” she asked as she wiped her mouth. “Why?”
“Do you remember her necklace? It was our Mother’s.”
“Yeah…”
“Gloria needs it so she can tell me how I can make hybrids without killing more wolves.”
Myriam took her bag and hit him over the head with it. “You know it yourself! Just use your brain!”
“What do you mean?”
She let out a frustrated groan. “What was used to create you?”
“The blood of a doppelganger.”
“Right. And what was used to bind your wolfy side?”
“The blood of a doppelganger.”
“And what was used to unbind that curse?”
“The blood of—”
“A freaking doppelganger. Now, tell me, you’re something unnatural, what will you need to balance out the fact that you’re both a freaking wolf and a vampire?”
“Elena’s blood?”
“Ding ding! You win the laundry machine!” Myriam cheered. “No need for that witch or undaggering Rebekah. Besides, the necklace you seek was in Elena’s possession, Stefan gave it to her. I guess Stefan has it back or Jeremy has it.”
“What?!” Klaus fumed. “And it wasn’t his to give!”
Myriam shrugged. “Don’t ask me how he got it. I don’t know that,” she replied as she looped her arm through his. “So, why Chicago?”
“For the witch, of course,” Klaus sighed, shaking his head. “But now I won’t have to bother. I am going to kill her, though. And we’ll have some fun with Stefan… and Rebekah. You see… back in 1922… I met Stefan Salvatore here in Chicago, and he was magnificent.”
“Let me guess,” she sighed. “He fell in love with Rebekah, so you daggered her and compelled him.”
“Mikael was in town, working with the Chicago Police Department. I had to think quick on my feet.”
“Ah.”
“But wouldn’t it be nice if I told Stefan to remember when I produce Rebekah?”
“You’re evil,” Myriam nodded. “Do it. You are making him a Ripper again after I detoxed him for the safety of Mystic Falls and your doppelganger is a good punishment for him after all the shit he’s done in the past. And torturing him is always a good thing. Rebekah will get over it.”
She quietly followed Klaus when he went to fetch Stefan and undaggered Rebekah, before following them to Stefan’s old apartment. She was fascinated with the stories Klaus told her about Stefan, how he had encountered him before, and how he knew how Stefan operated as Ripper. Myriam knew that Klaus was disappointed, he couldn’t make hybrids without a doppelganger, they’d likely had to wait for another 500 years for him to be able to do so.
When Klaus and Stefan left the apartment, Myriam lingered, because she wanted to know more. She wanted to read every single name that Stefan had written down, not out of guilt, but because they were trophies. Reading their names reminded him of the kill, the thrill of the hunt and it was disturbing. “Alright, you can come out now, Elena,” Myriam sighed as she pulled open the bookcase. “Klaus may not have heard your heartbeat or smelled you, but I did. So Bonnie managed to save you? Impressive!”
When Elena lunged at her with a knife, Myriam stepped aside and let the girl trip. “Oh please,” she rolled her eyes at her before taking a step into the closet and was shocked to see the seemingly endless list of names. She wasn’t shy when it came to killing, but she always had a reason, a good reason, when she killed. This list of names were innocent people, killed for shits and giggles by a demented maniac. “Fuck me,” she muttered.
It wasn’t just a list of the people he killed in Chicago, but his father’s name was on it, too. Same as Zak Salvatore. So he was proud of killing them both? “Jesus fuck, Elena, and you chose to love him?”
“That’s not Stefan,” she said quickly as she got to her feet. “Not the Stefan that I know.”
“That’s not the real Stefan,” Myriam said as she exited the closet with another bottle of 1918 Single Malt and uncapped it before drinking almost half of it in one go. “No, feeding off of animals is safer, but it’s not natural to him.”
“You can cure him, right? You helped him before?”
“Why would I? Do you honestly think that Stefan can face you now that you know about his dirty little secret? I don’t see him returning to Mystic Falls, at least not on his own accord,” Myriam replied as she sat down on the dirty couch. “I helped him once, but that was out of my own interests and those of Klaus. Now? I don’t need to. I don’t want to.”
“You said you’d keep me safe.”
“That was before the ritual. Now everything is free game,” Myriam shrugged as she took another sip from the bottle. “Hello Damon,” she said as she didn’t move. “Good job leaving her alone for Klaus and Stefan to find.”
“Yeah, well, believe me, I had an hour to realize what a bad idea it was to leave Elena alone. I processed it and moved on,” Damon replied. “Shouldn’t you be hanging out with the dastardly duo?”
“I’m free to go wherever I please. I told Klaus I wanted to linger for a bit, to see his list with my own eyes.”
“Painful, huh?”
“He’s a psychopath.”
“He’s my brother.”
“He’s a lost cause.”
“Oh screw you, Myriam. Why are you even here? Spying for Klaus?”
“Nope,” Myriam said as she set the bottle down on the table and walked over to Elena. “I came to get something back, something that belonged to my family and wasn’t Stefan’s to give.”
Elena took a step back and clutched her necklace. “No, you can’t take it.”
“Hand it over, or I’ll break your hand,” Myriam threatened her.
“Myriam!” Damon warned her. “Leave Elena alone.”
“Hand it over, Elena. I won’t hesitate to kill you for it. Or Damon,” she said as she threw the advancing Damon into the nearest wall. “Now. Give it to me, and I’ll keep mum about your status to Klaus for as long as I can.” She held out her hand with a small smile on her lips. “I know it’s filled with vervain, so don’t you worry about that.”
Elena sighed as she pulled off her necklace and gave it to Myriam, who immediately put it in a bag and into her pocket. “Good girl. Now, might I suggest you leave Chicago? If Klaus finds out you’re alive, you’re dead.”
“I’m here to save Stefan,” Elena said defiantly. “You can’t stop me.”
“Ah, but now that you’re without your protection…” Myriam smirked as she pat her pants pocket. “I could. Wake up, Elena. If Klaus knows you’re still alive, he’ll want you to become his pet for your blood. Stefan doesn’t want you anymore. Not now he’s like this. He won’t come back that easily from this like last time. You can never cure a Ripper, only manage the symptoms.”
“Oh, way to crush her hope, Myriam.”
“And you’re foolish to help her!” Myriam shot at him. “Klaus won’t hesitate to kill you, Damon, if you continue this path.”
“Well you try and stop me,” he said as he moved between Myriam and Elena. “You got what you came for, now you can join your husband again.”
Myriam narrowed her eyes at him. “I might just kill Stefan.”
“No!” Elena cried out.
Myriam let out a snort as she left the apartment, joining Klaus and Stefan in the storage facility where Klaus was keeping the rest of their family. It was so hard to see Kol’s coffin and not to open it. Then again, she could open it and see how he was doing, maybe plant a new demon on him to keep him company in his slumber. Just a peek.
So that’s what she did. He was laying so handsomely in his coffin, a small smile on his face. She gently caressed his desiccated face to release the demon who had kept him company for so long and for a second there, she could feel Kol stir ever so slightly. “Shh… you’re getting a new one,” she whispered before attaching a storyteller to him. “Soon. I’ve not forgotten about you, Mon Chou.”
The whole Stefan/Rebekah reunion was a downer, she had anticipated more sparks, but it was quite civil. Until the necklace came up and both siblings were freaking out. “Relax,” Myriam rolled her eyes as she gently closed Kol’s coffin and tossed the pouch to Klaus. “Careful, Stefan put vervain in it.”
“Where did you get that?”
“I’ve seen it on Elena’s neck ever since Stefan put it on her. So… after the sacrifice, I stole it from her, because she’s dead, and it’s not hers,” Myriam said simply as she looked at Stefan. “Bad puppy. It didn’t belong to you.” She then looked at Klaus. “And you already know what you need to create hybrids. You can’t get it, so why still go to that witch?”
“She might know of another way,” Klaus kissed her cheek. “Thank you, love, for always being so thorough.”
“You know very well there isn’t another way.”
“And who did you ask? Your spirits? Your demons?”
“You’re going to see Gloria, aren’t you? You believe her but not me? She’s a voodoo queen, Klaus. She’s going to tell you exactly what I just told you,” Myriam said before she was quiet for a moment as she looked at Stefan. “Well. That changes everything,” she said as she walked to him, not moving her eyes off of him. “Stefan’s been hiding something. Not sure what… but…” she snapped Stefan’s neck and watched him drop to the floor. “I suppose you’ll have to return to Mystic Falls to find out.”
“He’s my toy!” Klaus whined.
“He wasn’t completely your servant, Klaus. Besides, Katerina is in town, wouldn’t want him to wander off and start forming an evil little plan now, would you? Besides, now that he has his full memories, he’ll remember why you ran in the first place.” Myriam then sighed. “Rebekah, don’t sit on your brother’s coffin, he doesn’t deserve that.”
“I need new clothes,” Rebekah said as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. “Are you coming with me, Myriam? Nik can clean up this mess himself. You need to tell me all about this era,” she said as she looped her arm through Myriam’s. “What did I miss?”
While Rebekah was complaining about the short hemline of skirts and dressed in this era, Myriam filled her in on the most significant changes. She was used to that now, being the one to fill in the undaggered siblings about what they’d missed. And of course, while Rebekah went to get a new wardrobe, so did Myriam. Or at least a shirt or two.
They travelled back to Mystic Falls, and Myriam decided to let the two siblings play around with Stefan and the Scoobies and went home. There was no doubt that Klaus was going to be angry with her for keeping quiet about the Doppelganger’s status, but it was likely that Stefan was going to get the brunt of it.
Klaus was so focused on making his hybrids that he had mostly ignored her. His wife. The one person who truly stood with him for the last 300 years. And since she wasn’t allowed to undagger Kol as Klaus was afraid that he’d sabotage Klaus’ plans, she’d have to think of other ways to entertain herself. Of course, she could go back to New Orleans and run her club, but she had missed Klaus so much that she’d rather stick around for a while longer.
Myriam took the peace and quiet as time to release some of her long-serving demons and to summon others to take their place in the talismans. For some reason, Katerina had found a way to block most of the demon that Myriam had put on her. She could see some images, but there was no sound. Katerina was up to something, and Myriam felt that it could be big.
“Ugh,” Rebekah said as she walked into the house. “Niklaus is hanging out with his new favourite toy, ordered Stefan to turn his emotions off and look after the Doppelganger. Nik actually left me here on my own! What can I do in this dull town?”
“And a hello to you too, Rebekah,” Myriam said as she cleaned up her little trinkets. “You could get a job?”
“Ew, no.”
“Or what about school? I know you love going to school and you’ve missed out on a lot of things, so…” Myriam suggested. “That way you can keep an eye on Stefan for Klaus, and also on Elena and her friends.”
Rebekah seemed to think for a moment and then smiled brightly. “Brilliant idea! I’d make an amazing cheerleader, don’t you think?”
“I suppose you will,” Myriam smiled at her. “There’s this annoying blonde vampire who could do with being taken a few notches down. Want me to help to enrol you?”
“Nah, I’ll just compel, like I always do.”
Myriam shrugged then. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Pick any room you want, except mine. No wild parties, no bodies left in the house.”
“You’re not my mother.”
“No, but this is my house, so you live by my rules.”
“I thought this was our house?!”
Myriam let out a snort as she walked out of the room. “Have fun in school, Rebekah, the first day of school is tomorrow!”
“Yeah, you know what?” Rebekah said as she grabbed her bag. “You’re no fun. I’ll go and hang out with the Salvatores!”
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”
“What is wrong with you, Myriam? You’re usually a lot more fun than this!”
“What is wrong? Oh, I don’t know, Rebekah. I’m just pissed at your brother for ignoring me and most of my suggestions to make things a lot smoother for him after everything that I have done for him!” Myriam shot at her. “I had this house built 150 years ago, I had it renovated before I moved back in. I made sure he had everything he needed to break his damn curse, and all I get is a few quickies and not even a ‘see you later’ as he toddled off with his new pet!”
“Sounds to me you need a break, love,” Rebekah said bored. “Do what you do best, disappear. You know as well as I do that Nik loves a good hunt.”
Myriam sighed. “Yeah, but when will he do that? He’s too busy creating hybrids, and he won’t stop until the Doppelganger is dead.”
“He will come to find you, eventually,” Rebekah replied with a shrug. “You know Nik. You’ve always known that he was an egotistical and selfish bastard. You could as well divorce him.”
“Get out of my house, Rebekah,” Myriam said in a low, threatening voice. “If you know what’s good for you, you leave, now.”
“Yep,” Rebekah nodded as she headed for the door for the final time. “You’re definitely no fun.”
~o.O.o~
For the next few weeks, Myriam bunkered down in her home. She had one of her servants get groceries, the other blood bags, and she remained in her home.
Oh, she knew exactly what was going on. Bonnie had opened the door to the Other Side when she brought Jeremy back to life. The Original Witch opened it wider, ghosts were appearing all over town and with the Tomb vampires back and hungry for revenge on the founding families, Rebekah had to hand over her mother’s necklace to Bonnie so Bonnie could close the door again. Fix things.
Elena had summoned Lexi to help her with Stefan, but of course, she wasn’t strong enough to see it through by herself, and things were just going to go so horribly that Myriam didn’t even want to leave her house.
Much to her own horror, her mother showed herself to her. Myriam pretended not to see Veronique as she tried to find out how it was possible for her mother to reveal herself to her. Veronique had only been in France and Italy, never in Mystic Falls. She had died in Nice.
“I never understood why you decided to run with vampires, mon petit,” her mother had spoken. “They’re unnatural, they can’t be controlled.”
She was spouting all the stuff Myriam wasn’t willing to hear. Because they were lies. When Myriam finally discovered how her mother was with her, she took the locket that held her mother’s ashes and threw it in the fire to destroy it. Once her mother was gone, she went through all of her stuff to make sure she didn’t have anything related to her mother or Gaia or anyone else she’d spend time within the past. She made sure that everything she owned, had been cleansed by her after acquiring it. It made sense her old lockets were tainted.
Katerina had successfully resurrected Mikael. Myriam suspected as much when her demon managed to send a flash image of a desiccated Mikael in his coffin a day before. There was no doubt that Mikael was being drawn to Mystic Falls by the Scoobies so they could kill Klaus. But Klaus was long gone and how were they going to draw him back? Likely with some shenanigans.
Myriam decided to let her fear push her anger towards her husband aside and called him. “Hey, where are you?”
“Nowhere near Mystic Falls, why aren’t you with me?”
“Because you left Rebekah and me behind when Mikael’s name was dropped, you moron!”
“My apologies, love.”
“Yeah, right,” Myriam huffed. “Anyway… Katerina found Mikael and figured out how to wake him. He’s in Mystic Falls now. There’s no doubt that you’ll receive a call from your loyal lapdog to come back for some reason. Just know that they want to kill you and will have Mikael to do it, likely with help from Katerina.”
“And why aren’t you taking care of this?”
“Because if you think that I’m leaving my sanctuary that is my house right now, you’re insane. Mikael scares the shit out of me, thanks to you. Even with all my pets, I’m pretty sure he’d be able to get to me.”
Klaus laughed then. “Alright love, I’ll play along with everyone. I have amassed an army in the short time that I’ve been gone.”
“Sure, but do account for the fact that they’re normal hybrids and not an Original hybrid? Mikael can compel them.”
“I’ll come back when I have a good plan, love, thank you. Will you join me in destroying Mikael?”
“No. Because I’m still pissed off at you.”
“What did I do?!”
“And if you have to ask me that question, you’re an asshole. Use your brain,” Myriam angrily replied as she disconnected the phone.
Klaus came back in town two days later, her demon on him alerted her on that. She wanted the demon to keep Klaus safe, not to allow Klaus to lose his cool when confronted with Mikael and she sent a little bit of her fear along with the demon so Klaus could feel what she felt, in a more moderate dosage seeing as Klaus was fearful of Mikael on his own.
She was there in spirit, through her connection to the demon and she was so proud of Klaus for standing up to Mikael and killing him. He brought home Mikael’s ashes and sought comfort, release, in having sex with Myriam, who was still pissed at him, but she never turned down sex with him. Not when they both needed it so badly.
The next day, Myriam woke up when the demon she put with Kol woke her up, telling her that Kol’s body was on the move, and was surrounded by Elijah, Finn, and Esther. Still, all boxed but in the back of a truck. “Klaus,” she said as she shook him awake, her face pale as a sheet. “Klaus, wake up!”
“Five more minutes…”
“Wake up!” she slapped his arm, hard. “Something’s wrong. Kol’s no longer close.”
“What! I wanted to release our siblings from their slumber today!” They quickly got dressed, and Klaus took her to the storage containers where he was keeping the coffins. “Rebekah, where are you? Pick up the phone, darling, daddy’s dead. It’s time for a family reunion,” he said as he left his sister a voicemail. Upon hanging up, his phone rang again. “Stefan! Miss me already?”
Myriam didn’t have to strain to hear Stefan’s voice. “I’m just calling to thank you for my freedom.”
“I like to believe that I’m a man of my word. More or less,” Klaus said as they passed a few containers.
“The thing is, it came at too high of a price. You took everything from me, Klaus.” Myriam had a funny feeling that Stefan had something to do with taking Kol, and that the reason why she couldn’t communicate well with that demon she’d put on him was Katerina.
Katerina and Stefan.
“Let bygones be bygones. Trust me, resentment gets old.”
“You know what never gets old? Revenge.”
Klaus opened the container, revealing an empty space. “No!”
“What the ever loving fuck, Stefan?!” Myriam screeched upon seeing the empty space. She could feel it lingering with the spirit of Kol, Elijah and the others, so they were there, but now they were not.
“Ah, what’s the matter? Missing something?” Stefan asked lightly.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just enjoying my freedom.”
“I will kill you and everyone you have ever met,” Klaus threatened.
“You do that, and you will never see your family again,” Stefan said calmly. “I wonder, Klaus, for someone who’s been a step ahead of everyone for 1000 years, were you prepared for this?”
Klaus hung up the phone and fought himself from throwing it against the container. “He took my family!”
Myriam growled. “He took my best friend! Don’t worry, mon Loulou, I will get them back for us. I promise.”
“He just said-“
“He said that if you’d kill everyone, you’d never see your family again. He never mentioned me,” Myriam replied angrily. “Yet another man who’s forgetting about my existence!”
