[Paris' outfit is the same as the one she's wearing in the previous chapter.]

꧁ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ ꧂
ᴡᴇ ʀᴀɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ

❝I followed them for centuries. Plotted their downfall. I want them to hurt like I hurt.❞

♠

LUCIEN IS JUST hiding nearby as Klaus walked in the pet shelter. He stares at one of the dogs and smirks while the dog backs away, sensing his superiority.

Not long after he walked in, Paris notices the familiar hybrid and immediately stiffens as they both look at each other.

The hybrid approaches the tensed human and she decided not to walk away from him since she doesn't want to get in his bad side today, well, not yet.

"Paris! I heard you've been hospitalized. I was supposed to send you a 'Get well soon' card, but I figured you'd get well sooner than expected thanks to your vampire boyfriend so, why bother?" Klaus said with sarcasm.

Paris grits her teeth together before she responded.

"You did that to me." She said while gritting her teeth.

"No. I gave you the command, you executed it." Klaus said with a grin.

The original hybrid's blue eyes looked straight into Paris's hazel blue ones and they both prepare for the compulsion.

"I'm a thousand years old. You think you can fool me?" He said in such a low and deadly tone.

He rapidly grasps Paris by the neck and her airways start to close up.

"You reek of vervain." He growled before he throws Paris against the cages.

Hearing all the struggles coming from the pet shelter, Lucien immediately emerged from his position to help the human.

"My hybrids told me you got my compulsion out. And that you have a special guest." Klaus said while he approaches her.

He grabs Paris by the hair so that she's looking at him before he continues talking.

"Tell me, who is that special guest they speak of?"

Just right after Klaus asked Paris that, he was thrown off of her and against more cages. Paris looks up to see Lucien looking down at her quite worriedly.

"My apologies for the violence." He said while he helps her regain her balance.

Klaus found his feet again and he turns to find his old friend standing a few feet away from him. His anger that was clearly shown in his face just a second ago disappeared and he became stunned.

"Lucien?" Klaus whispered. The younger vampire turns to the older one and he looks at him with a mix of anger and confidence.

The two vampires stare at each other, no one dared to look away.

"Greetings, Niklaus." Lucien said with a grin while he approached Klaus with a fast pace before throwing a punch at his face and grabbing him by the collar to throw him against the wall.

The age gap between the two aren't that far apart therefore they both have about the same level of strength.

"Tell me, how's the family?" Lucien said. Klaus came at him with his vampire speed and pushed Lucien against the wall, making him groan in pain as he clutches his mid-section.

"They're quite fine. I should be asking you. What have you been doing for the past centuries?" Klaus said.

Lucien slightly struggles to stand up but eventually did and faces his sire.

"Let's see. Traveled the world. Built an empire. Oh and funny story, I, together with Tristan and Aurora De Martel, ran from your father since we thought we were the Mikaelsons." Lucien said with clear anger in his voice.

The memories of running for a century pop into Lucien's mind making him curl his fists until his knuckles turn white.

"What do you mean?" Klaus said, confusion taking over his features.

Lucien narrows his eyes at the original as he takes in the confused look he has on his face before a grin slowly makes its way on his face.

"You have no idea." Lucien said. Klaus said nothing.

Paris, who was still standing not far from them, decided against running away and stayed to make sure their plan will work.

She watches them closely as Lucien continues to speak.

"Right before you fled, your dear brother Elijah compelled Tristan, Aurora and I to pose as the Mikaelsons. Tristan as Elijah. Aurora as Rebekah. And I as you." Lucien said.

Every word that escapes his mouth is filled with rage and hurt. And his eyes tell the same story.

"We were used as bait for your savage father. And since we thought we were you-- we ran like hell."

Klaus remains surprised in his position and there's no sign of him fighting back again as he stood there, listening to Lucien's story.

"We were like that for a century and suddenly, it stopped. We were no longer beholden by Elijah's compulsion. And I later found out that we have you to thank. By daggering Elijah, you released us from being his prisoners." Lucien added.

Paris looks at the younger vampire with sorrowful eyes as she can imagine what it was like to have something taken away from you by such a powerful element as a compulsion. In her case, her sanity once.

But his past was more vile. A century as a prisoner of Elijah's compulsion. A lot has been taken away from him. Now she understands why Lucien is helping them.

"Therefore, ever since that day, I made it my life's mission to take all of you down." Lucien said.

He takes one step forward but that was it. He stops when he heard his hybrids gathering outside, surrounding the pet shelter.

"I suppose you know of my recent triumph?" Klaus said with a smirk planted in his face.

"So I've heard. You've finally broken the curse." Lucien replied.

"Well then you are aware that one bite from me and you're gone."

"You can't threaten me, anymore. Nothing can scare me more than your father scared me before when he caught us. It was like staring at death himself." Lucien said and the serious look on Klaus's face indicates how much he loathes his father.

Klaus takes a few steps forward before he reaches Lucien and looks down, since Klaus is much taller than him.

Lucien didn't once flinch as Klaus tried to intimidate him. Guess Mikael really did a number on him.

"I could kill you right now, but your appearance suddenly makes this situation a whole lot interesting. I would love to see you try to plot my downfall. But after that, It would provide me no greater joy to separate your head from your figure." Klaus threatens him.

He looks at Paris once more and back at Lucien before he disappeared along with his hybrids.

Lucien remains still in his position as Paris carefully approaches him. His jaw clenches while he try to keep his anger from swallowing him whole.

His mind took him exploring down memory lane as he recalls all the hardships he had suffered due to the doings of the Mikaelsons.

When he got tortured because of Klaus and Aurora's mistakes. When he died. Endured the heartache that not just Aurora caused, but also Klaus had caused since he treated him like a friend.

And when Elijah compelled them. A hundred years of their lives, taken away from them because Elijah can.

A touch on his shoulder snaps him out of his thoughts and back to reality.

The sudden physical contact made Lucien snap his head to the side to see a startled Paris who proceeded with caution.

"We should get back to the others." Paris said.

Lucien took his time before he gave her a small smile and a nod in return.

♠

Paris handed Lucien a glass of bourbon from Damon's stash and got one for herself as well.

The Salvatore Boarding House is empty since a lot of them had errands to run, problems to fix, people to kill. Therefore, it was only Paris and Lucien occupying the house for now.

"That could've gone way better." Lucien said with a small bitter laugh.

"I doubt that. Klaus will always be a jerk and his hybrids will always follow him like lost puppies." Paris replied.

Lucien smiles at that statement as did Paris.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them and it made Paris feel awkward that she had to break that torture.

"Was all that true? When you said you were compelled to do all those things?" Paris asked.

Lucien was taken aback by her question. He thought she would just let it slide and never speak of it again. But he doesn't know how much Sherlock Holmes quality Paris holds within her. She could not help but ask questions.

"You were the only that believed me earlier when I told you my story, don't go doubting on me now." Lucien said with a soft smile.

"Then do you mind if I ask how you turned?" Paris asked.

Lucien's smile faded as he remembers what happened a thousand years ago. The betrayal. The pain that came with it.

"I do actually. But you're going to let me tell you anyway." Lucien said.

Paris looks down for a moment before Lucien spoke again.

"Do you remember the names I spoke of earlier at the pet shelter?" Lucien asked.

Paris recalls the story Lucien was telling and remembers two names.

"Tristan and Aurora?"

"Yes. They are siblings. Tristan and Aurora De Martel. They are the ones I told all of you about that I served for. I fancied the lady, Aurora. But like any other, she doesn't fancy me in return. Being the usual stubborn human I was, I still tried to pursue her with the help of Niklaus. Only to find out that they loved each other and betrayed me. I caught them having an... intimate moment. And when Niklaus walks out, I was left with Aurora. Tristan came and thought that I was Aurora's lover. Oh, how I wished it was true. But it came with a punishment---"

Paris listens to every word he's saying and Lucien can't help but let all the pain in yet again as he recalls his most painful and vulnerable moment.

"---He took me to a dungeon and there he tortured me. Whipped me. Cuts the sides of my mouth. I was covered in my own blood as my hands try to break free from the tight restraints. Elijah and Klaus came for me. But Tristan already knew what monsters they are and he threatened to expose them for it. All Klaus could do was apologise as he untied me. But I was so angry at him that I took the knife he used to cut the restraints and stabbed him it. And with that, his blood mixed with my wound and it healed me. All of my wounds were gone. Silly me thought I was already like them. So the first thing I did was, I came to Tristan. Tried to kill him, but I ended up with a spear in my heart." Lucien explained.

Paris's features are filled with surprise since she has no idea that such a story can be experienced while being nothing more than just a vulnerable human.

"Oh my God." was the only thing Paris could manage to say.

"Worry not, love. Since I had Klaus's blood in my system, I came back just before the Mikaelsons prepared to burn my body." Lucien said.

Paris looks at the vampire with sympathy. She could not begin to imagine how painful it was to experience all of that.

"But, the betrayal didn't end there. I didn't have to explain any further since you already know that." Lucien said.

"Right." Paris said and Lucien nodded and drank from his glass.

"I followed them for centuries. Plotted their downfall. I want them to hurt like I hurt." Lucien said.

His grip to the glass tightens but before it shatters, Paris gently touches his arm and it immediately calmed him down.

Lucien felt a connection with Paris that he hasn't felt in a long time. He can sense a familiar presence nearby but only chose to ignore it and pretend he doesn't know that a jealous Damon is standing a couple of feet away from them before he disappeared.

♠

Hey guys! Don't worry, there's going to be a lot more Damon and Paris moments to come. I just had to focus on Lucien in this chapter so that Paris could understand him.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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