Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden patterns across the rumpled sheets.
Katherine stirred first, her body stretching languidly against Lucien's side. She propped herself up on one elbow, dark hair cascading over her bare shoulders as she gazed down at him.
Lucien's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the morning light. A smile spread across his face as memories of the previous night flooded back.
"Good morning," he murmured, voice still rough with sleep.
Katherine traced lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertip. "Indeed it is. I'd say last night was worth the five-year wait."
"Only five years?" Lucien teased, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips. "I thought you'd been waiting since the county fair when I was ten."
Katherine's laugh was rich and genuine. "Technically, yes. But I'm counting from when you were thirteen and started looking at me with those hungry eyes." She leaned down, brushing her lips against his. "Though I must say, your skills suggest more experience than I was aware of."
"What can I say? I'm a fast learner." Lucien pulled her closer, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "And I had an excellent teacher."
"Flatterer." Katherine's smile turned mischievous. "But God did you feel good inside me. You have no idea, how good it felt when you came. Even better than drinking your blood."
Lucien chuckled, his hand sliding down her back. "I aim to please."
They lay in comfortable silence for a moment, basking in the afterglow. Katherine's expression turned contemplative as she traced the vertical scar beside his right eye.
"So," she said finally, her tone deliberately casual, "how do you plan to handle Elena after yesterday's little voyeuristic adventure?"
Lucien's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm not sure yet."
When Elena had slipped into his bedroom the previous night, she had done so with stealth.
Using her nephilim abilities to render herself invisible, she had unlocked the door with barely a whisper of sound and positioned herself in a corner of the room- though this was through Lucien's permission, for he could've prevented her.
For, what Elena hadn't realized was that both Lucien and Katherine had detected her presence immediately - Lucien through the Force, which allowed him to sense her distinctive energy signature, and Katherine through her enhanced vampire senses, which picked up Elena's heartbeat and subtle scent.
Rather than exposing her, they had made a split-second decision to continue, curious about her intentions.
It wasn't until Lucien deliberately made eye contact with her during a particularly intimate moment that Elena realized she'd been discovered.
Her face had flushed crimson before she fled the room, the door closing with a soft click behind her.
"I could hear her heart racing," Katherine remarked, running her fingers through Lucien's hair. "Poor thing was absolutely mortified when you caught her watching."
"Yeah, I felt her emotions," Lucien said, staring up at the ceiling.
Katherine studied his face. "You know she's been obsessed with you since she was thirteen. This isn't just some passing crush."
"I know."
"And how do you feel about her?"
Lucien met Katherine's gaze directly. "You're asking if I love her."
"I'm asking if you want her," Katherine clarified. "Though I suspect the answer to both questions is the same."
Lucien sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist. "Would it bother you if I did?"
Katherine's laugh held genuine amusement. "My beloved god, after five centuries of existence, do you really think I'm incapable of sharing? Especially with someone who already feels like family?"
She traced his jawline with her finger. "Besides, I've seen how you look at her when you think no one's watching."
"And how's that?"
"The same way you look at me." Katherine's voice softened. "Like she's something precious you're afraid to break, and already see as yours."
Lucien caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "You're not bothered by the idea?"
"No, I'm not. I already told you, my god, even if you were wrathful, vengeful or lustful- it doesn't matter to me, so long you always keep me at your side. At peace. Safe. Happy."
Her eyes held his, completely serious now. "If Elena makes you happy too, why would I stand in the way?"
Lucien pulled her into a kiss, deep and passionate. When they finally broke apart, both slightly breathless, he rested his forehead against hers.
"You continue to surprise me, Katerina Petrova."
"Good." She smiled against his lips. "I'd hate to become predictable after five centuries."
Lucien glanced at the clock on the nightstand and sighed. "I should get up. I have that interview with the police commissioner at eleven."
Katherine groaned dramatically, falling back against the pillows. "Remind me again why you're insisting on this ridiculous job?"
"Independence," Lucien replied, sliding out of bed and stretching. "Purpose. Connection to the human world."
"Boring," Katherine countered, watching appreciatively as he walked naked toward the bathroom. "You could be ruling the supernatural world with me at your side instead of playing detective."
Lucien paused at the bathroom door, looking back at her with a smile that held equal parts affection and determination. "Who says I can't do both?"
As the shower started running, Katherine hugged his pillow to her chest, inhaling his scent with a contented smile.
After centuries of running, of putting herself first at all costs, she had found something - someone - worth staying for. Worth changing for.
And if that meant sharing him with Elena... well, there were certainly worse fates.
The thought is kind of enjoyable. She can't wait to show sweet Elena, how to pleasure their god.
-------------------
Morning sunlight glints off the polished exterior of the black Bentley, casting dappled shadows through the windows.
Lucien sits in the passenger seat, hands folded neatly in his lap, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he gazes out at the city.
His reflection in the window shows a composed young man in a tailored charcoal suit, the vertical scar beside his right eye adding character to his otherwise flawless appearance.
Stefan glances over, studying Lucien for a moment before returning his attention to the road.
"You seem... happy," Stefan observes casually, navigating through a yellow light.
Lucien turns from the window, raising an eyebrow at Stefan's reflection in the rearview mirror. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing bad," Stefan clarifies quickly, his hands adjusting slightly on the steering wheel. "Just an observation."
Traffic slows as they approach downtown, forcing Stefan to brake. The momentary pause seems to loosen something in him.
"It's not really a secret, you know," he blurts out, the words hanging in the air between them.
Lucien sighs, his smile fading into something more thoughtful. "It wasn't meant to be."
The silence stretches between them, filled only by the soft purr of the engine and the distant sounds of the city. Stefan navigates through an intersection, his expression unreadable.
Lucien shifts in his seat to face Stefan more directly. "I know you're wor-"
"No, no," Stefan interrupts, shaking his head. "I... trust you." He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "You're not a kid anymore, and... hard as it is to admit, Katherine isn't the same Katherine I've known either."
Lucien studies Stefan's face, searching for any hint of disapproval or concern. "You've finally noticed the changes in her."
Stefan nods slowly. "It's impossible not to. The Katherine I knew would never have put herself at risk for anyone. She certainly wouldn't have risked herself into the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah to rescue someone."
"People change," Lucien offers quietly.
"Not Katherine," Stefan counters, a hint of his old bitterness surfacing. "At least, that's what I always believed. She survived five centuries by being utterly selfish. It was her defining characteristic."
He glances briefly at Lucien. "But with you... she's different. I can't explain it, but it's like watching a completely different person sometimes."
Lucien's expression softens. "She still has her moments."
This draws a genuine laugh from Stefan. "Oh, I'm sure. The core of who she is - the cunning, the intelligence, the survival instinct - that's all still there. But there's something else now too."
"Loyalty," Lucien suggests.
"More than that," Stefan says, pulling the car to a stop at a red light. He turns to look directly at Lucien. "I think she actually loves you. Really loves you. Not as a possession or a tool or a means to an end. Just... loves you."
The light turns green, and Stefan returns his attention to driving.
"I never thought I'd see the day," he continues, almost to himself. "Katherine Pierce, capable of selfless love."
Lucien's smile returns, smaller but more genuine. "Everyone deserves a chance to grow, Stefan. Even Katherine."
Stefan nods thoughtfully as he pulls the car up to the imposing police headquarters building. "We're here," he announces, shifting into park.
As Lucien gathers his portfolio and prepares to exit, Stefan reaches out, briefly touching his arm.
"For what it's worth," he says quietly, "I think you've been good for her. And maybe... maybe she's been good for you too."
Lucien holds Stefan's gaze for a moment, a silent understanding passing between them. Then he nods once, straightforward and without pretense.
"Thank you," he says simply, and steps out into the Chicago morning, ready to face his interview.
Lucien stepped through the glass doors of Chicago Police Department headquarters, the building's imposing brutalist architecture a stark contrast to the sleek modernity of the Mikaelson mansion.
The lobby buzzed with activity - officers coming and going, civilians waiting on hard plastic chairs, the steady background noise of phones ringing and keyboards clicking.
He approached the front desk, portfolio tucked neatly under his arm. "Lucien Mikaelson," he stated to the desk sergeant, a heavyset man with salt-and-pepper hair. "I have an appointment with Commissioner Rhodes at eleven."
As the sergeant checked his computer, Lucien subtly extended his senses through the Force, gauging the emotional landscape around him.
He couldn't exactly read their thoughts, but he could interpret them.
He'd gotten creative with those.
Only the strongest of emotions and thoughts toward something could he truly read. And that through reading the attributes of those emotions- it his how he could easily differentiate lies from truth, and... Was how he was able to know in which scenarios people would abandon him.
'Another trust fund kid playing detective,' Thought a detective passing by, a stocky man with a coffee stain on his tie. 'Probably watched too many crime shows. He'll be gone in a week when he realizes it's paperwork and misery, not glamour and gunfights.'
From the corner, a young officer glanced up from her report, her eyes lingering on Lucien's expensive suit. 'Must be nice to have connections. Some of us had to work our way up from patrol...'
The desk sergeant's thoughts were more pragmatic. 'Commissioner's pet project. Just what we need - another consultant with zero real-world experience. But orders are orders.'
"Take a seat," the sergeant said aloud, gesturing to the waiting area. "Someone will come down for you shortly."
Lucien nodded his thanks and settled into one of the uncomfortable chairs. Across from him, an older detective with a weathered face and tired eyes looked up from his tablet.
'Handsome kid. Looks familiar somehow. One of those society types from the Tribune social pages, probably.' The detective's thoughts shifted as he noticed Lucien's scar. 'Interesting. Maybe there's more to him than the fancy suit.'
A pair of uniformed officers walked past, their conversation dropping to whispers as they noticed him.
"That's the consultant the commissioner mentioned in the briefing," one murmured, though Lucien could hear them clearly.
"What's his specialty supposed to be? Rich kid syndrome?" the other replied with a snort.
"Unusual cases," the first officer corrected. "Supposedly some kind of prodigy with pattern recognition."
'Could use some fresh eyes on the Lakeshore case,' the officer thought, his skepticism mingled with a grudging willingness to consider help. 'Three months and we're still nowhere.'
From the stairwell, a woman in her early forties emerged, her pantsuit practical but well-tailored, her dark hair pulled back in a severe bun.
Captain Evelyn Chen, according to the nameplate on her blazer.
'So this is Elijah Mikaelson's nephew. Impressive recommendations from European law enforcement. Solved that impossible serial case in Lyon last year, if the file is accurate. Still, recommendations can be bought when you have that kind of money.'
"Mr. Mikaelson?" she called, extending her hand. "Captain Chen. The commissioner is ready for you now."
"Thank you, Captain," Lucien replied, his voice measured and respectful.
As he followed her toward the elevator, he passed a bulletin board covered with case files and photographs. A young detective stood before it, frustration radiating from him in waves.
'Another dead end on the disappearances,' the detective thought, staring at the photos of missing persons. 'If these were rich white kids instead of homeless teens, we'd have the whole department on it.'
The detective glanced up as Lucien passed, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'Wonder if the new golden boy will even care about cases like this. Probably just wants the glamour cases for his resume.'
The elevator doors closed, cutting off the detective's bitter thoughts. Captain Chen pressed the button for the top floor.
"The commissioner is looking forward to meeting you," she said, her tone neutral. "Your uncle speaks very highly of your analytical abilities."
"I appreciate the opportunity," Lucien replied. "Though I'd prefer to be judged on my own merits rather than my family connections."
"Fair enough," she said in response. "The department has some unusual cases that have stumped our best detectives. If you can provide insight where others have failed, your background won't matter."
The elevator doors opened to reveal a carpeted hallway leading to the commissioner's office.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter.
Do tell me how you found it.
I hope you guys are excited as I am, cause I can't wait to write a lot of hunts.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)