fourcolorlove | Chicago } Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

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Chicago } Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

For the first time in her life Rebekah is free -- truly free -- and it is as scary as it is liberating. She can go wherever she wants and somehow, she ends up in Chicago. It makes sense, it's a place familiar to her without the baggage of Mystic Falls. A place filled with mostly happier memories.

So she settles into the city, she gets an apartment for herself and she begins to create a life. She's never truly been on her own, been alone like this and sometimes it's difficult but she's grateful for the chance nonetheless.

Ad there's something nice about being in a town where there aren't any familiar faces anymore. Where she can start from scratch. She hangs out in the same bar most nights (a higher class establishment that plays music that doesn't make her want to stake herself) and she begins to make connections within the city. It's not much, but it's something.

It surprises her, however, when she makes her way inside and spots a familiar tuft of hair -- one she would know anywhere -- sitting at the bar. She sidles up next to Stefan and orders herself a drink before turning to speak to him.

"Of all the gin joints, that's how the line goes, right?"

Forgive her, for her Casablanca is a recent reference -- she's only just seen it.

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He hears her before he sees her, knowing that particular sway to her steps. In Chicago it feels right, almost like they aren't a step out of place from where they were, all those years ago, and when he does turn to look at her, he smiles. He's surprised to see her, it's true, but he's still pleased to see her all the same.

It's been a long time, and outside of Mystic Falls, things don't feel quite so suffocating. Being happy to see her doesn't come with the guilt or frustrations of their own respective families. There's simply each other, and taking the pleasure in reconnecting.

"In all the world," he finishes for her with a nod. "It's been a while."

She's pleased to see him, honestly. A familiar face is nice -- and outside of Mystic Falls and without the complications of their families and other loyalties she can simply just be happy to see him in the city where they had first met again. It feels fitting, somehow.

Of course they would both be drawn back here, somehow.

She smiles a little at his words. "It has. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to see you either. Or to be here for that matter. But ... there is something about this city." No matter how painful the memories here are, he always finds himself drawn back to him again. It's like an old friend, one that never really changes, even when it does.

"I thought you were one for the French Quarter these days."

"It draws you back in." The city, that is. As much as she's glad to get out of New Orleans and all the memories there -- good and bad -- she can't help but be drawn to the ones here.

"It's Nik's city -- not mine."

There's a finality to her statement. That was the agreement made for her freedom, after all.

He picks up on that finality, and it's something that peaks his interest, but he doesn't push. There's a lot about Rebekah's relationship with her brother that he doesn't understand, and some he understands far too well. He pauses, glancing back to the bartender for a moment, before holding up a finger to get his attention.

"Then welcome back. I'm sure Chicago is happy to have you."

"The welcome has been warm so far."

It was freeing to not be in New Orleans or Mystic Falls, to a place that could perhaps be truly hers. It's a nice idea, anyway.

"Good. I'm glad."

He takes another sip of his drink, swirling the ice in the bottom of the glass for a moment before glancing back to her with a smirk.

"So how much do you want to know about Mystic Falls?"

"I know bits -- like that Katerina was dying, I was there for that" Her brother and she had made a little trip down for the event. "What else is worth noting?"

"Well, she didn't go gently," Stefan replies with a smirk. "She possessed Elena for a while, until we figured it out, and then before she went she injected Elena with this ... virus someone had developed that turned a vampire into a ripper that feeds on other vampires."

Damon had it too, but he thinks that Rebekah would have marginally less sympathy for Damon than she has for Elena. And he doubts she has any sympathy for Elena at all, so it's really not worth bringing up.

"Only the kicker was this one had werewolf venom mixed in, which is also fun."

Only not at all, really.

Elena may not be Rebekah's favorite person but she doesn't hate her. There have been moments where she's genuinely felt like perhaps if things had been a little different, they could have been friend. Which is why she does feel some sympathy for Elena -- but if she knew about Damon there would be no sympathy whatsoever. Jackass gets what he deserves, honestly.

"That sounds delightful," She drawls with a slight smirk. "A pity I had to miss all of it."

"You would have loved it, I'm sure," Stefan smirks in return, before shrugging. "But that seems to have all it's loose ends tied up at this point, so I figured it might be for the best if I ... took a little break. I kind of was overdue to leave Mystic Falls for a while anyway."

"I can't blame you there. As much as I love my brothers -- I find myself glad to be getting a break from them." Even if it could have come out of better circumstances.

"Hopefully it won't be a long one." He knows that Rebekah and Klaus care for each other too much for it to be forever. Tempers will ease and the smoke will clear and something will happen to bring them together again. It's just a matter of time.

And in between, they'll have Chicago.

"I think a long one might be what we need. We've spent a thousand years together -- it hasn't served us well."

And maybe, by the time they see each other again, the story will be different this time. Part of Rebekah has to believe it can be.

"That is true. There's a reason Damon and I can only stand each other in small doses." And those doses are getting smaller and smaller as of late. He can't really say he has a high opinion of his brother right now.

"It seems we learned that lesson a little too late." Her opinion of her brother is at least slightly higher than it's been lately. He showed a side of him she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

He smirks a bit at that. "Well, when you're a thousand years old and unkillable, at least that gives you the time to work out the kinks." Not saying that one of them couldn't end up dead, but considering last he checked they were in the possession of the one thing that could forever kill them, Stefan's hopes weren't high.

She laughs a little at that, nodding her head in agreement. "I suppose it does." Klaus has the stake and considering he purposefully didn't kill her with it -- well she thinks the odds might be in her favors, for once.

He smiles a bit at that, before flagging the bartender to get them another round. "So, starting in Chicago - where to after this? Or are you settling in for the long haul?"

Looking to the future is always easier than dwelling in past mistakes. The future always has so many possibilities, especially when you're a vampire.

"I haven't decided yet -- but it might be nice to stay for a while."

There's still so much of the world she hasn't seen since she's had the dagger out of -- but at the same time making a home of her own has a lot of appeal as well.

Stefan nods slowly, glancing around. "Making some new memories in this place might not be such a bad idea. Fresh starts are something we get a bit more often than most." He then turns back to her with a smile. "And it might be nice to stay or go on your own terms."

"New memories are nice -- not that the old ones are bad, per se." She knows Stefan doesn't look fondly at his times as a ripper, but Chicago was one of the last times Rebekah was truly happy. No wonder she's come back.

"That part I'm looking forward to -- my own terms."

"Good." He takes another sip of his drink. "I am as well. It's nice, to not be tethered to Mystic Falls right now." Especially considering all the pain that that town has brought him lately. "I can do whatever I want. Go anywhere. The choices are endless."

"Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?" She asks, a little curious. "Other than here, of course."

He pauses as he considers that for a moment. He hasn't been really traveling in a long time. Maybe it's time he seriously considered it. "I haven't really been to Europe since the war. Maybe I should swing back again, see what's changed."

"It was nice when I was there during the summer -- but there's still a lot I haven't seen. The world's changed a lot in ninety years." To say the very least.

He nods before there's a bit of a laugh. "World's changed a lot in the last ten. It never really ... sits still, anymore."

"So I've noticed," She says dryly. "Some of it's nice though. The internet makes it easier to at least try to figure out what's worth catching up on." Someone might get lost in wikipedia sometimes.

Wikipedia is a very easy time suck. He can't really blame her for finding herself lost in it. He just hope she's careful with how much of that information she's trusting, because it might not all be reliable.

"The internet does make that very easy. In some ways it's good - it means that the information is out there for everyone."

Of course. It always helps to be skeptical.

"But in some ways it's bad, I'm guessing?"

"You can't always tell if the information you're reading is correct, or unbiased. People tend to put ... a lot of their opinions into things." Which isn't a bad thing, only when some people take that as fact.

"That's always true though -- even in history books that happens." Bias always seeps in.

"True. But at least in history books you're aware of the bias going in. With the internet, there are a million different biases happening all at once, in the same article." Or something in the middle.

"Duly noted, I'll be sure to read with a critical eye." She tends to try to do that anyway.

He doesn't doubt that she does, but sometimes it's good to be reminded. "Good. I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea about things."

"It would be unfortunate if I allowed myself to get too misled on something." Luckily she only really does that in her emotional life -- not her critical thinking life...

If only her emotional life and critical thinking life could join forces. She might actually be a lot happier. "Extremely," he nods, before finishing off the last of his drink. "Though if you ever need clarification on something, I would be happy to help."

You know, since he was there and all.

If only. She can only aspire to such things.

"I'll be sure to do that. Especially since it sounds like we'll both be in Chicago for a while."

"I suppose we are." And that's not entirely a bad thing. Having a familiar face in a sea of new ones is comforting, to say the least. "Could almost be like old times." Except no Klaus, no speakeasies, no them (at least not now). Things are entirely more complicated than they used to be, but being here with Rebekah? It feels familiar in a way he's grateful for.

"Almost,"She echoes in the agreement. No Klaus. No jazz. No them. But she's not here alone. There's someone she knows and it's not just anyone, it's Stefan. She'll always associate him with Chicago, it was their city, after all.

It was. And he has a feeling it could be again. He gives her a small smile, before starting to get up. "You know, we didn't really get to sight-see the last time we were here. I could give you a grand tour."

She can't help but smile a little at the offer, getting up as well.

"I would love a grand tour."

There's no reason why they can't enjoy each other's company for a while. It's nice to have a familiar face.

"Perfect," he says with a nod, before paying for their drinks and extending an arm to her. "Shall we?"

She smiles, taking his arm. "We shall." And with that they'll spend the rest of the evening with him showing her around.

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Chicago } Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

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