Arianna Gilbert - the unloved older sister

Chapter 13 - The End of the Affair

Arianna's POV:

"Welcome to Chicago, Anna. Welcome back, Stefan." Nik said as we drove into a warehouse somewhere in Chicago.

"What are we doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I know how much you loved it here." Nik said.

'How do you know that?' I asked Nik through our connection.

'He dated Rebekah in the 20s. I compelled him to forget when Mikael came, though.' Nik told me, also through our connection.

"Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?" Nik asked Stefan when he opened a door.

"Blacked out most of them." Stefan stated. "Lot of blood, lot of partying. The details are all a blur."

"Well that is a crying shame." Nik smirked. "The details are what makes it legend. Word was the ripper of Monterey got lonely. So he escaped to the city for comfort. It was Prohibition. Everything was off-limits then, which made everything so much fun. Chicago was magical."

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it." Stefan pushed himself off the doorframe he was leaning against. I was leaning into Nik's side with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Like I said, I don't remember most of it."

"Down to business then?" Nik asked rhetorically.

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

"We're going to see my second favourite witch." Nik told him. "If there's anyone other than Anna who can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her." We got back in the car and headed to see Gloria.

Just as we got out of the car, I felt a massive pain in my back through my connection with Caroline. It was so bad I actually fell back. Luckily Nik caught me in time. "Arianna? What's wrong?"

"It's Caroline." I gasped. "Something's happened to Caroline." I sighed in relief when the pain stopped. "She's being tortured." I whimpered.

"She'll be okay, love." Nik reassured me. "She's a very strong woman, she won't give in."

"Yeah, you're right." I did a spell to numb her pain a bit really quickly and to dim down the connection between us. "Let's go in."

"Look's familiar doesn't it?" Nik asked Stefan.

"I can't believe this place is still here." Stefan answered.

"You gotta be kidding me." I'm guessing Gloria came over to us.

"So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender--"

I hit his chest to shut him up just as Gloria interrupted him, "Stop. You may be invincible but that doesn't make you funny."

"Ooh, I like her." I smiled and laughed when Nik playfully glared at me.

"I remember you." She said to Stefan.

"Yeah." Stefan looked like he was really struggling to remember. "You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be--"

"Old and dead?" Gloria interrupted again.

"She's a witch." I realised this is the witch Nik meant. "And a powerful one at that."

"If I die, who's gonna run this place, huh?" Gloria answered Stefan's question. "I can slow the aging down some. Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up a little something from behind the bar?" Nik told Stefan.

"Yeah, sure thing." Stefan pursed his lips and went to do it.