Returning Riley to her home had been the most gut-wrenching experience in centuries. With each step he took, Elijah could barely keep himself together. He repeatedly glanced at Riley, hoping that she would miraculously awaken or show any signs of life. Despite feeling her pulse slowly fade, he could not bring himself to accept her death. When he arrived at her doorstep and her parents answered the door, the expressions on their faces were far worse than he imagined and he could pinpoint the exact moment that their hearts broke at the sight of her lifeless body. He had spent hours explaining what happened that night, from fighting against Alison, who was turned into an Original vampire by his mother, to Alec controlling Jayden and forcing him to shoot Riley multiple times, even in the event of his own death, to ensure his task was complete. Though neither of her parents blamed him for her death, he lamented that he did not protect her from harm. Instead of dealing with a two month old vampire, he could have been staying by Riley's side and keeping her safe.
Once he returned to his home, he learned that Rebekah, being impulsive, had caused Matt and Elena to have a car accident on the Wickery Bridge. Rebekah showed no sense of remorse for her actions. She claimed that if Alaric was dead, which was impossible without killing Elena, then they could have focused their efforts on protecting Riley and easily disposed of Alec before he had a chance to hurt her. There was barely any time to mourn her or Klaus before more problem arised in Mystic Falls.
The town council, now led by a Pastor Young, devised a plan to eradicate vampires from the town and suspended Brendon, Meredith Fell, and Liz Forbes from their jobs and arrested Carol Lockwood and Alice for their part in hiding the supernatural. The sheriff's deputies captured most of the vampires, including Rebekah, and removed all vervain from the Salvatore boardinghouse. Elijah worked with Tyler Lockwood to save Caroline and Rebekah from a transport car and later discovered that Klaus was possessing Tyler's body. Using one of his old tricks, he convinced Bonnie to cast the spell in order to save himself from death. Elijah also learned that Elena was in transition to being a vampire, due to her earlier visit to the hospital where vampire blood was used to heal her head injury. After handling the ordeal with the council, Klaus, returned to his original body, prepared to leave town. Elijah decided against bringing up the incident by the lake, knowing it was a terrible idea to discuss Riley with him at such a difficult time. He implored him to at least attend the funeral but Klaus refused, leaving town that night.
When he went to the funeral just three days later, he struggled to maintain his composure. The cover story was that Riley died in a car accident outside of town. For those unaware of the supernatural, it was very believable and no one was suspicious of the accident. Jayden had been missing from the funeral. Ever since that tragic night, he locked himself in his room, distraught over his part in her death. Her parents' assurances that even Riley would never put him at fault for his actions were not enough to make him feel better. After the funeral, despite Rebekah's pleas, Elijah left Mystic Falls for some time alone. He kept an eye on his siblings from afar, hearing of their endless bickering. Traveling around the world, he searched for a way to revive Riley. He spoke with his friends in the witch community and their powerful allies. In each new city, he was faced with rejection and constantly told that reviving the dead was impossible. He had gotten so desperate that he contemplated the use of dark magic. His nightly dreams about Riley made him more determined to achieve his goals. Some nights, he could not fall asleep, too consumed with guilt.
Elijah was standing in a familiar office. He picked up a frame on the wooden desk. The frame contained a picture of Tyler Lockwood with his mother. He did not understand how he could be in the Lockwood mansion when last night, he was at a hotel in Manhattan.
"Here you are"
Turning around, he saw Riley by the doorway. She was dressed in a strapless, floor-length gown. Her hair was in loose curls, falling just past her shoulders.
"Riley?"
"Good, you remember my name. Do you remember yours?"
"This isn't possible. You can't be here. Y—you're…you died months ago"
She giggled. "What are you talking about? Did Klaus spike your juice this morning? It's probably some lame attempt at knocking you out so he can be my escort. He really doesn't take rejection well" '
"I saw you die by the lake. You were…"
Riley reached for his hand. He was surprised when he could feel her touch. Her fingers traced the lines on the palm of his hand and she smiled up at him.
"If I was dead, could you feel this? Don't go all loopy on me. I was looking for you. I'm a little nervous"
"Why are you nervous?"
"The Miss Mystic Falls pageant. I told Mrs. Lockwood not to put me in it but she insisted since I missed the pageant last year. Caroline won't let me back out now because she said I'm the only one who deserves to take the title from her. I'm not exactly the pageant type but at least I have a partner who knows how to dance. Can we practice?"
"Of course"
One of his hands slipped around her waist while the other held onto hers. They began to slow dance around the room.
"Do I look okay? Caroline picked out the dress. She said the dark green would bring out my eyes"
"You look beautiful. It's as if you stepped out of a fairytale"
"I bet you danced with a lot of princesses"
"You are far lovelier. If you're not chosen as the winner, those judges are blind"
"Just promise me that if I win, you won't let them put a tiara on me. If it touches my hair, I think I might actually puke"
He chuckled. "I promise"
"Do you always keep your word?"
"Yes. When you win the pageant, I will make sure that tiara stays far away from you"
"Why are you lying to me? You don't always keep your word, Elijah. You didn't protect me"
Suddenly, his shoes felt wet. He glanced down, seeing the floor covered in water. With each passing second, the water rose higher, nearly reaching his knees. His eyes widened when he looked at Riley. Three bullet-sized holes pierced the fabric of her dress and her neck. Her hair was wet and straggly and her dress was covered in a mixture of blood and dirt. Outside, the sky was pitch black and the wind howled, shaking the windows.
"You promised to protect me but you let me die. You weren't there for me. I'm all alone forever. I meant nothing to you"
"T—that's not true"
The door opened with a loud bang. Instead of the hallway, there was only an endless darkness. An invisible force pulled Riley towards the door. Elijah grabbed onto her arms to keep her from being sucked into the void. The floor beneath them shook violently and the water was now up to his waist.
"I can save you! I'll find a way to bring you back"
"It's too late. You broke your promise to me and I paid the price. This is all your fault"
"Riley, please"
Slipping out of his grasp, she was sucked through the door. "No!"
Elijah sat up, breathing heavily, finding himself in a hotel suite. Putting his head in his hands, he cursed himself for falling into another nightmare. At times, his dreams could seem vividly real and made him believe that Riley was alive. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table, checking for new messages. Going into his photos, he looked at a picture of him and Riley together at the Mystic Grill. He heard a knock at the door. Leaving his phone on the pillow, he opened the door, revealing Clare. He had traveled to New York to ask for her assistance. After the deaths of Alec and Riley, the witch community was thrown into disarray. Clare and many other witches called for the resignation of the two women on the council, who had shown support for Alec's agenda. In their place, the leader of the coven in Spain and Clare were appointed as new members. Though he hoped that she would provide him with answers, she was just like the rest, telling him to give up on reviving Riley.
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No. I was already awake. I wasn't aware of us meeting again, Clare"
"We weren't. I was…you look terrible. I'm sorry that I wasn't any help, Elijah. Trust me, I want her back too. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. I promised Alice that I would find a way to stop Alec but he was ten steps ahead of me. I wish there was a way to get her from the Other Side but dead is dead"
"I appreciate your help. I don't want to keep you waiting. As I recall, you have to return to Salem for council business"
"It's even more boring than it sounds. Things will get better in time. Your brother will realize that soon"
"I apologize for his actions over the past six months"
"It's not your fault. We all know that he's got a bad temper. The witches have been protecting themselves so there should be less attacks. Take care of yourself"
As Clare walked down to the elevator, he heard his phone vibrate on the bed. There was a new text message, reminding him of a meeting at two o'clock in Willoughby, Pennsylvania. After getting dressed, he left the hotel room…
~Klaus~
For centuries, Klaus had to endure being compared to Elijah, his noble older brother. While Klaus was considered aggressive and stubborn, Elijah was levelheaded and compassionate. They dealt with their anger in very different ways. If wronged, Klaus would get his vengeance without hesitation but Elijah tended to be more sensible, thinking instead of acting on impulse. The differences between them could not be more clear during the aftermath of Riley's death. Klaus wanted to rip off the warlock's head but when Elijah beat him to it, he chose to place his anger on Jayden, her so-called best friend. He had learned of Riley's death just minutes after being placed in Tyler's body. Bonnie received a phone call from Caroline, who could barely string together two words without dissolving into tears. Jayden had been under the control of the warlock and shot Riley with a rifle. Elijah was too late to save her by the time he retrieved her body from the lake. Rebekah insisted that they could not blame Jayden for his actions. Klaus was not as forgiving and did not see the justice in a pathetic teenage boy living over Riley.
When he returned to Mystic Falls, at the request of Tyler's mother to protect him from a hunter, he visited Jayden's home. He did not care that the boy had not left his room since the night of Riley's death or about his countless apologies. Rebekah had stopped him from ending his worthless life. As an outlet for his aggression, he began killing witches in the surrounding towns. He knew that the plan to murder Riley was devised throughout the witch community and he found them just as guilty as their leader. At first, it satisfied him to see a witch begging for mercy before he killed them. The pleasure faded with each death as he realized that it would not bring her back from the dead. Discovering that the hunter was part of the Five, a group of supernaturally gifted vampire hunters who had tattoos that created a map to a cure for vampirism, he focused his attentions on finding the cure. More of the map was revealed each time the hunter killed a vampire. After Elena foolishly killed the hunter, they found a new hunter in her younger brother, Jeremy. Klaus played along that he wanted the cure to turn Elena human again, as a way to create more hybrids. The truth was that he planned to destroy the cure once they figured outs it location.
As if losing Riley was not bad enough, he had to contend with disloyal hybrids. Tyler and his little werewolf friend Hayley had been conspiring behind his back, aiding the other hybrids in breaking their sire bonds. When Hayley told him the truth about their plan to neutralize him, he slaughtered all of his hybrids except Tyler. To teach Tyler a lesson, he killed his mother by drowning her in a fountain. The betrayals only grew as Elena and Jeremy set up a trap to kill Kol. Klaus would have hunted them down if Bonnie had not trapped him in the Gilbert house with a barrier spell. He was stuck in their living room while she and her friends, including Rebekah, left to find the cure. With a sword belonging to a deceased hunter from centuries ago, he was able to decipher the map to the cure and learned that there was only a single dose. Before he was freed from the Gilbert home, Tyler fled Mystic Falls to escape his rage.
Obtaining the cure also led to the release of Silas, a dangerous immortal who was thought to be only a myth. He wanted to bring down the veil to the Other Side, which would allow all supernatural creatures to return to the physical world. Once the veil was gone, he could take the cure and be reunited with his lost love. To complete his task, he needed to create an expression triangle with three massacres. The first two massacres consisted of the deaths of many council members and the deaths of the hybrids. For the final piece of the triangle, he needed to kill twelve witches. It was accomplished by Caroline killing the head of a coven that was trying to aid Bonnie in the woods. She was unaware that the witches were connected by a linking spell and all twelve died at the same time. While he buried the bodies, Silas confronted him under the guise of Professor Shane, a man who wanted the veil down to see his deceased wife again and taught Bonnie about expression magic. He requested that Klaus bring the cure to him and as incentive, he broke off a piece of the White Oak stake in his back.
Klaus was in his living room, struggling to remove the stake. The pain was unbearable and he could barely stand on his own. He leaned against the fireplace, sweat dripping down his face. Caroline walked into the living room, wanting to see him. He told her about Silas attacking him with the stake and was taken aback when she cupped his face in her hands.
"As much as I would love to watch you die, you still haven't found me that cure"
"Silas!"
Silas threw him down to the floor roughly. "That's right. Last night, I looked like Shane. Today, I look like Caroline and tomorrow, who knows?"
"Show me your real face"
"Now why would I do that when I can look like whomever I want you to see?"
As he stepped closer, Klaus backed away, sitting on his knees. He could feel the stake moving around his back. In the brief second that he blinked, Silas had changed his appearance. He now looked like Riley, wearing the same outfit on the day that Klaus last saw her.
"I think you prefer me like this, don't you? What was her name? Rachel…no, Riley. I can see that you miss her. Well, if you find me that cure, I will drop the veil to the Other Side and you two can be reunited. Don't you want that? Resist me all you want, Klaus, but until you bring me the cure, I will bring you nothing but misery. I will torment you every day, looking like this…to remind you of your lost little crush"
Klaus stayed on the floor, watching Silas leave the room. He could not deny that it was an enticing offer. As bad as it may be for all supernatural beings to return from the Other Side, dropping the veil would allow him to see Riley again. He continued to try to get the stake out of him so he could focus on finding the cure…
~Damon~
The past six months had been one wild roller coaster. When Damon returned to Mystic Falls after Alaric died in his arms at the storage facility, knowing that Elena was also dead, he found out that Meredith injected her with vampire blood earlier that night to heal her head injury. Dying with the blood in her system, Elena had been turned into a vampire. Despite his relief that Elena survived, it was a well-known fact that with any good news, there was always bad news in Mystic Falls. Stefan told him about an incident in the woods. Elijah, Rebekah, and Caroline were fighting off Alison while Riley had an encounter with a dangerous warlock. Her parents had warned the council about him, lying about his true intentions. The council believed that he wanted some magical object in the town. Remembering that he actually wanted Riley dead, a fact that he kept hidden from her other friends, he felt numb as Stefan explained that the warlock had Jayden under a spell and forced him to shoot Riley multiple times. It had been too late to save her, even with vampire blood. Damon half-expected her to pop up at the boardinghouse with a bottle of bourbon.
As bad as it was to tell Elena about her new status as a vampire, it was much worse to discuss Riley's death. When she asked for her phone to call Riley, thinking that she could find a spell to prevent Elena from becoming a vampire, both Stefan and Damon were hesitant to tell her the truth. She refused to believe them that Riley had died that night, insisting that Elijah turned her into a vampire. At Riley's funeral, many people showed up to pay their respects. To most of the town, Riley was an innocent teenage girl, beautiful and popular. While most people were sympathetic towards Elena, Jeremy, and Riley's parents, some members of the council did not seem to care about her death.
In their eyes, it was a win for the humans since they only viewed her as a witch. Stefan had to stop Damon from attacking Mr. Montgomery when he whispered to his wife that Riley deserved to die in the supposed car accident. It took all of his restraint to not tell the pompous prick that his own daughter had been turned into a vampire and was now dead and buried in the woods, not at some rehab center in Florida. When the Montgomerys and the other rude council members died in the explosion at the Young farmhouse, he felt some satisfaction. Her friends began to question why the warlock had targeted her. Damon and Bonnie confessed that they were aware of the problems between Riley and other witches. Their other friends, especially Caroline and Elena, had been very upset that they kept such a huge secret to themselves.
Once a week, he would visit her and Alaric's graves at the cemetery late at night. He told them about the latest crazy happenings in Mystic Falls. With all the insanity surrounding the cure, he thought that Riley was gone at the worst time. After Jeremy's death at the hands of Katherine, Elena turned off her humanity, becoming a stone-cold bitch. Damon brought her and Rebekah to New York to find out where Katherine could be hiding since she now had the cure in her possession. Elena snapping his neck and stealing his car made him wish that Riley was around to knock some sense into her.
Damon and Stefan were walking around a town called Willoughby in Pennsylvania. Liz had helped them track the stolen car to this quaint little town that seemed very uncharacteristic of Katherine. They walked along the sidewalk, searching for Elena, Rebekah, or Katherine.
"So what's our plan?" asked Stefan.
"We find Elena and throw her in the backseat of the car. Then, we drive back to Mystic Falls"
"You think it will be that easy?"
"If Riley was here, we wouldn't be in this mess. She would've found them in two seconds"
"Bonnie can do locater spells too. If she was feeling better, she could have done that"
"But the difference is that Riley would've smacked Elena around with her witchy powers until she snapped out of being a bitch. They're both witches but Riley is brutally honest and that is what Elena needs right now"
"Well, she's not here"
"I'm aware of that every day, Stefan. You know what she's doing right now? She's watching us from the Other Side, extremely pissed that we let Elena get this way. If she was alive, she'd be beating us into the ground with just a flick of her wrist"
"Probably"
Stefan spotted Rebekah and Katherine in a local café. They were engaged in an intense argument while picking at a piece of cake. Rebekah stopped Katherine from grabbing a piece, breaking the bones in her wrist. Their glares faltered when Stefan and Damon sat at the booth. Elena had left the café earlier for a meeting with one of Katherine's friends. Rebekah refused to tell them about the meeting, thinking that they would give the cure to Elena then use a dagger on Rebekah and place her in a coffin. Katherine remained silent, amused by their confusion. She finally admitted that the meeting was with Elijah. With some prodding, Rebekah told Stefan that the meeting was at the gazebo. He decided to head over to the gazebo while Katherine took Damon and Rebekah to the location of the cure. Katherine refused, needing the cure for a deal with Klaus. Her plan was to use Elijah to make the deal, the cure in exchange for her freedom.
"I'm curious how you think this would work, Katherine. Why would Elijah help you?"
"Because I have something that he'll want"
"And what's that?"
"Someone I picked up while I was in Colorado. If I bring them to him, he'll definitely make that deal for me. He's been so heartbroken since mini Gilbert's death. I couldn't even get him to have a fun night with me. My new best friend was supposed to meet me here before I went to see him but I guess they got hold up in other business"
"You don't have a best friend, Katherine"
"Oh, we've gotten really close…bonding over shared experiences"
"Well, you're not meeting this friend so take us to the cure"
Damon forced her out of the café. Katherine led him and Rebekah to a house that looked like it belonged to a middle-aged lady with a bunch of cats. She pretended that the cure was gone from a safe in the bookshelf. Not falling for her act, he searched the house. Rebekah was checking the rooms upstairs. He noticed that there was a plastic treasure chest in the aquarium that lacked fish. Picking up a net to avoid being burned by the vervain-laced water, he lowered the net into the tank. Katherine pushed him from behind, dunking his head into the water. He cried out in pain and fell to the floor, his eyes burning. As he struggled to regain his vision, he heard Katherine leave the house. Rebekah was holding a small vial containing the cure. Just as Stefan arrived at the house, she drank the cure and collapsed onto the couch, unconscious. An argument started between them. Stefan accused him of letting Rebekah take the cure so Elena would remain a vampire. Damon used a hand towel to wipe the vervain from his face.
Minutes later, Rebekah was awake. She looked excited to be human. Out of anger, Damon threw a letter opener at her. They were stunned when she caught it in mid-air. The cut on her palm healed instantly and they realized that she had not taken the actual cure. Katherine tricked them with a vial of vervain.
"We have to find Katherine" said Stefan.
"She could be anywhere by now"
"Then we find her and get the real cure. We—"
They heard the click of a lock, followed by the opening of the back door. "Looks like the new best friend decided to stop by to see Katherine. They must know about the cure" whispered Damon.
"I've got it"
Glancing at a nearby mirror, they spotted a hooded figure entering the kitchen. Stefan gave a slight nod and raced towards the figure with his vampire speed. Before he entered the kitchen, he was thrown back by an invisible force that sent him through two walls. Damon had not seen the figure, who he assumed to be a witch, move their hands. Taking a chance, he chased after them. The hooded figure was running through the backyard. He tackled them to the ground. Blonde tresses peeked out from the side of their hood. An intense pain filled his head. He groaned, falling onto his back. Stefan grabbed them from behind, his fangs out, and pulled down their hood. The broken chair leg that Rebekah was holding for torture dropped onto the ground. All three of them stared at the person in Stefan's grasp.
Riley stared back at them, having a layered blonde bob and heavy side-swept bangs, golden tanned skin, and freckles scattered across her nose. Her eye makeup consisted of grey eyeshadow and a heavy amount of eyeliner. She had multiple piercings along her ear and a stud in her nose. Her clothing was also drastically different. She was wearing black, ripped skinny jeans, a low-cut, short-sleeved crop top, a hooded leather jacket, and black combat boots. A million thoughts raced through Damon's head…
~Riley~
Riley was trapped in the backyard of Katherine's home in Willoughby, surrounded by Stefan, Damon, and Rebekah. Stefan had a tight grip on her. He had been prepared to bite her until he pulled down the hood of her jacket. Neither of them said a word, simply staring at her.
"Riley?" said Damon, shocked.
"Let go of me, Stefan"
"H—how is this possible? Rebekah and I saw…you were…"
"I don't have time for this. Let go of me!"
The three vampires were blasted back in various directions. She put her hood up and hurried out of the backyard. It was getting dark outside. Casting a locater spell, she found Katherine in front of a small house. Katherine crossed her arms.
"Took you long enough. Where were you?"
"I had to take care of something. You didn't tell me that the Salvatores and Rebekah were here. They saw me"
"Why didn't you just mind wipe them?"
"If they're smart, then they'll just forget what they think they saw…"
She nodded. "So you're going to have erase their memory anyway"
"Probably"
"Relax, mini Gilbert. I've got your back as long as you keep up your end of the deal. We just have to get a little package from a friend"
"You mean the friend you compelled like the rest of this town?"
The door opened and Lanie, one of the town's residents, greeted them kindly. At Katherine's quest, she gave her a silver jewelry box. Inside was a vial filled with a dark red liquid. Riley followed her down the street. Elijah turned the corner, passing the grocery store. Katherine hid her in a nearby alley, telling her to wait until the right moment. Listening to their conversation, Riley kept her eyes on Elijah. She was torn between revealing herself and going back into hiding. When Katherine found her in Colorado, she promised that she would help her get her freedom from Klaus. She had not expected to be using Elijah to make the deal. He seemed to be frustrated with her.
"Maybe my friend can convince you"
"I have no time for this, Katherine"
"Yes, you do"
She grabbed Riley, pulling her over to the grocery store. To her surprise, he glared at Katherine.
"What game are you playing with me? Have you manipulated some witch to alter her appearance?"
"No. Riley's alive and she's standing in front of you. I found her in Colorado, all alone. If it wasn't for me, she'd probably be dead. Since I took care of your little girlfriend, I think you owe me a favor and Riley agreed with me. I'll give you two lovebirds a minute to catch up"
The moment became more awkward as Katherine entered the grocery store. Riley stared at the sidewalk, scratching her arm. Elijah tilted her chin up and she saw that tears were brimming his eyes.
"How is this possible?"
"Just say that you'll help Katherine so I can leave"
"Why would you leave? Riley, how are you alive?"
"I don't want to talk about it"
"I assume you've been alive for months. Why didn't you search for me?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it"
"If I help Katherine, you are returning with me to Mystic Falls"
"No"
"How can you let your family and friends believe that you are dead? Alec is gone. There's no reason to be afraid anymore. Look at me and tell me that you would prefer hiding to being with people who care for you. I can see it in your eyes that you miss your home. We will figure out a way to explain your reappearance in Mystic Falls. Losing you once has been hard enough, Riley. I broke my promise to you on that night but I will not do that again. I will protect you with my life. If anyone dares to harm you, so much as touch a hair on your head, they will answer to me"
Reluctantly and against her better judgment, she agreed to return to Mystic Falls. She would be lying if she told Elijah that she never missed him. Every night, she had terrible nightmares, most of them involving losing him or him abandoning her. He hugged her for what felt like eternity. As she pulled away, she made sure that her jacket sleeves covered her arms. They walked into the grocery store. Katherine was in the candy aisle. While Elijah spoke to her, Riley walked over to the pharmacy and picked up her prescription. She paid for the medication with her credit card. Elijah looked at the card, peeking over her shoulder.
"Mae Romero? You've been going by your middle name?"
"Yea. Romero was my mother's maiden name. I thought it would be easier to stay hidden if I didn't use my real name in public"
"Are you feeling ill?"
"Just a head cold"
"Well, this was an adorable reunion. Maybe when I'm free, we can hang out. Be careful, mini Gilbert" said Katherine, hugging her.
"Thanks"
"And I'd wait a few days before telling them why you really have those pills" she whispered in her ear.
Elijah brought her over to his car. Rebekah was sitting on the trunk and before she could ask Riley any questions, Elijah told her to leave her alone for the night. She taunted that he should be curious about her drastic change in appearance. Riley sat in the backseat of the car and swallowed three pills. The effects of the medication were immediate, making her drowsy. She heard Rebekah tell Elijah that she wanted the cure for herself, desiring to be human. They entered the car, with Elijah speaking to Klaus. During the drive back to Mystic Falls, she laid down and fell asleep.
When she woke up, she found herself in Elijah's old room. Elijah was sitting beside her on the bed. He smiled, offering to carry her downstairs for breakfast. Riley did not move from the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
"Riley, I promise that you are safe"
She tensed up when he touched her back. He lifted up her jacket. Across her side and her lower back, there was a very nasty scar.
"Who did this to you?"
"It's nothing"
"Do not pass this off as nothing. Tell me what happened. Was this done by one of the witches who followed Alec?"
"I did it myself" she mumbled.
He looked at her, confused. "Why?"
"I needed to get it all out so I took a knife and cut it out of myself. It was before Katherine found me. I didn't want her to heal the cut because then it will stay away"
"What will stay away?"
"It. You don't have to worry. It only wants me. It won't come near you. If it does, I'll make it leave. I need to wash my face"
Riley walked into his bathroom. As she washed off her makeup, she heard arguing downstairs. She only caught bits of the argument. From what she could hear, Rebekah was supposed to mention something important to Klaus. Riley removed the last bits of her smudged eyeliner with a towel. Reaching for her makeup bag, she saw Klaus standing in the doorway. He stared at her like she was a ghost. She jumped up, hugging him.
"I missed you"
"This isn't possible. It's a trick"
"It's really me. I'm not Silas"
Elijah entered the bedroom, looking concerned. "How do you know of Silas?" asked Klaus, confused.
"Katherine's been keeping me updated. She told me what's been happening here. The hunter that showed up, how you were all looking for a cure so Elena can be human again, Jeremy was a hunter too and you used him to get the map to the cure, Elena and Jeremy killed Kol…that sucks by the way, Katherine killed Jeremy, and she stole the cure from Silas's tomb"
"You know that she killed your cousin and yet you two were sharing a home in some quaint town?"
"Death is part of life, Klaus. You wouldn't understand because you're immortal. Things happen and we can't change it. We just have to accept it and move on"
"Tell me how you're alive"
"Niklaus, she doesn't need to discuss it until she's ready" said Elijah.
"I suppose you're not the least bit curious yourself. Riley, how—"
She opened her makeup bag. "We're not talking about it. It just happened. I'm alive"
"How?"
"I don't want to talk about it!"
The mirror shattered into pieces. She repaired the mirror with a mere flick of her wrist.
"I'm sorry"
"It's all right" said Elijah, calmly.
"No, it's not. I broke it. I should go home and see my parents. They'll be happy that I'm back"
Elijah stopped her, telling her that her parents were not in Mystic Falls. A few weeks ago, they left for a dig site. He assured her that they would be back in town by the weekend.
"Then I should go to school. Classes are important. I have to graduate. I've been keeping up while I was gone so it'll be like I never left"
"You cannot return to school yet. Everyone still believes that you are dead"
"I'll make them forget that. Just a little spell. I don't like when you look at me like that. There's nothing wrong with me"
"I didn't say that there was, Riley"
"You're thinking it. I'm perfectly fine" she said, her nails digging into her arm.
"I think you need time to adjust. You've been gone for months and on your own. I'm sure it hasn't been easy. By now, Stefan and Damon may have mentioned seeing you in Willoughby. I'll speak with them while you rest. Do you swear to stay in the house?"
She nodded. "I'll—I said there's nothing wrong with me, Klaus!"
Klaus was surprised by her sudden anger. Holding her hand, Elijah led her back to the bed. He kissed her forehead and promised to return within the hour. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the room. She grabbed Klaus's sleeve.
"Can you stay with me?"
"Of course"
Klaus sat down beside her and she rested her head in his lap. She sniffled, a tear trickling down her cheek.
"Are you mad at me?"
"No. I'm relieved that you're alive. I just don't understand how it's possible"
"You should be mad. All of them are mad. They tell me all the time. They're mad that I cheated and now I'm being punished. It was supposed to be my time but I wasn't ready. It wasn't fair. I never did anything wrong"
"Who's mad at you? The witch spirits?"
"They get louder every day. I try to keep them out but nothing works"
He lifted up one of her sleeves. Her arm was covered in deep, jagged cuts. She winced when his fingers brushed against one of the cuts and smacked his hand away.
"That hurts"
"Have you been doing this to yourself to keep out the spirits?"
"They leave when I cut my skin. The voices won't go quiet until I'm dead"
"You are not going to die. I don't want you hurting yourself anymore, Riley"
Biting into his wrist, he offered to heal her cuts. She shook her head.
"No. It keeps them out"
"If that was true, you wouldn't have to do it more than once. Your mind's a bit jumbled and you're very confused. It's causing you to have poor control over your magic. I think there were consequences to your return. We will find a safer way to get rid of those voices. I'm sure being around Katerina only made it worse"
"Katherine's my friend. She helped me. I was all alone. I don't even know how I got to Colorado. It's all a big blur but she kept me safe. Don't say mean things about her"
"I'll refrain from insulting her if you drink my blood"
Riley drank the blood from his wrist. Within minutes, the cuts on her body were healed. He wiped blood off the corner of her mouth.
"Don't you feel better?"
"I'm with Elijah"
"Regrettably, I'm aware of that"
"Then stop thinking that stuff about me. It's never going to happen"
"If that's true, then it appears my thoughts are the only place where I can imagine all the things I wish I could do to you. I bet you've had some naughty thoughts about me"
"Nope"
"Not one? That's a lie"
"Don't be a prick"
Riley spent the next three days at the Mikaelson mansion. When Elijah returned from his visit to the boardinghouse, he told her that he compelled both Salvatores to forget about seeing her. He wanted to wait until she was feeling better. Her emotions were all over the place. One minute, she would want to visit her friends at school or at least speak to her parents but the next, she would be afraid to just get out of bed. In a split second, she could go from feeling cheerful to sobbing uncontrollably. She had not left Elijah's bedroom since her return to Mystic Falls.
The voices in her head, a mixture of angry witch spirits and the thoughts of the three Mikaelsons, constantly bothered her. Elijah made her promise that if the voices became unbearable, she would call for him instead of hurting herself. After a single day, she broke her promise and hid the cuts with a spell. Klaus claimed that harming herself would not be helpful but he was not the one dealing with the voices. The cuts gave her a brief moment of relief.
Riley was in the bathroom, brushing her hair. She played with a front strand and experimented with different colors for highlights. There was a knock at the door. She opened it with a flick of her wrist. Elijah walked into the bathroom.
"Do I look okay as a blonde?" she asked, removing the pink highlights.
"You look lovely. I wanted to talk to you"
"I told you that you just need to accept that I'm back. Details are unimportant"
He reached into his suit pocket, taking out her pill bottle. "These aren't for a cold. It's antipsychotic medication. It makes sense because of the voices you're hearing, your mood swings, and the amount of time you spend in bed. I doubt the medication is helping you much since according to your credit card records, you've been buying these pills for the past three months. I know these symptoms, for you, have a supernatural origin. I've seen something similar before...with one of your ancestors. She was the mother of the witch who created the link between us. Do you want to hear what happened to her?"
"No"
"The animosity between witches and vampires was at an all-time high. There were many deaths on both sides. Your ancestor, Anastasia Lacroix, despised vampires. A year before she arrived in New Orleans, vampires had torn her husband limb from limb and left his body on her doorstep. She was at the forefront of making vampires in New Orleans suffer and wanted the witches to take control. I worked tirelessly to maintain the peace. Anastasia was quite resistant but I finally managed to convince her to have a meeting about a treaty between the two factions"
"Why are you giving me a history lesson?"
"On the night of the meeting, Niklaus sent vampires to kill her. He believed that if Anastasia was dead, the other witches would bend to his will. I hurried to her home to stop them but I was too late. I saw a vampire tear off her head. All night, there were boasts throughout New Orleans that the incredibly powerful Anastasia Lacroix was dead. By the next morning, do you know what Niklaus and I had found? The vampires who had attacked her home were all beheaded in a similar manner and at the center of the massacre was Anastasia. Niklaus simply thought that the vampires had not done their job and were lying about killing her but I had seen her death with my own eyes. Now you can imagine my surprise that she did not look the least bit injured. I spoke with one of the witches in her coven, someone who disagreed with their practices, and learned that Anastasia had revived herself through dark magic"
"I don't get the point of this story except that my ancestor was a badass witch"
"When Anastasia returned, her head was intact but her mind was not. She was slowly descending into madness…hearing voices, poor control over her magic, hearing thoughts, and intense mood swings. After two months, she committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the local church. There were deep cuts all over her body and my witch friend told me that for weeks, Anastasia had been muttering about keeping something out of her. Does any of that sound familiar?"
Riley chucked the brush to the floor and stormed out of the bathroom. As she rushed down the staircase, Elijah appeared in front of her.
"Get out of my way, Elijah"
"Did that story not concern you in the slightest? I told it to you so you wouldn't suffer the same fate"
"I'm f—"
"You are not fine!"
She jumped and gripped the railing. "Riley, I want to help you. I can see your mind slowly deteriorating by the day. Forgive me if I don't want to see you follow the path of your ancestor. I already had to sit through one funeral for you and I won't do it again…not when I just found you"
Elijah handed her a bottle of herbs. He had contacted Clare after visiting the boardinghouse. Lying that Bonnie meddled in dark magic and was having issues with angry witch spirits, he managed to obtain a herbal mixture from her. Clare explained that eating the herbs every morning and night for a week would get rid of the voices.
"I don't need these stupid herbs"
"Prove me wrong. Look me in the eye and tell me that you did not use dark magic to escape the Other Side"
"I don't have to prove anything to you. There's nothing wrong with me"
"Riley, I am not moving from this spot. I already know the answer but I want to hear it from you. I understand the allure of dark magic. For a time, I was prepared to use it to bring you back myself but I feared the consequences"
"You're right, Elijah. Like always, you're right. I did use dark magic to save myself. It's not like you had a solution to stop Alec. You and Clare were running around, hoping that a bunch of witches would cast a spell to protect me. Unlike you, I know that those witches hate me. Maybe they weren't as extreme as Alec but they didn't mourn my death. I eavesdropped on their conversations when I moved with Katherine to different towns and all of them said the same thing. They felt bad that a teenage girl had to die in such a tragic way but they were mostly relieved that I was no longer a dangerous threat. They said all this bullshit that I would be happier on the Other Side and that I should be grateful that my death was quick. I knew there could be consequences but I didn't care"
"You need to take these herbs. They will help you"
"I don't need help from anyone. I'll fix my own problems"
"The spirits are pestering you because you escaped the Other Side. The same thing happened to Anastasia. Please just take the herbs before—"
She shoved the herbs into his chest. "I was never on the Other Side!"
Waving her hands, she vanished from the staircase. She landed inside the cemetery. It was mostly empty except for a small family. She put up her hood and searched for her grave. At the base of the tombstone was a large collection of fresh flowers and three drawings by Klaus. Sitting on the grass, she grabbed a bouquet of multicolored daisies. Dozens of images flashed through her mind, including a hand clawing through wet dirt and a bloodstained dress. She felt a thick lump in her throat. Coughing violently, she spit up dirt and worms. She placed her head between her knees.
"It's not real" she repeated, rocking back and forth.
"Riley"
Glancing up, she saw Jayden. He bent down to her and handed her the stuffed penguin that he won for her at the school carnival last year.
"I thought Mr. Tuxedo Pants would calm you down. You weren't texting me back so I tracked your phone to here"
"I was thinking about that night" she whispered.
"It's been months. I know you said you could handle this by yourself but I think it's best if you accept Elijah's help. He cares about you and neither of us want to see you like this. If he has a way to stop those stupid witch ghosts, then do it"
"You know that's not the only problem"
"Tell him about it. He won't think you're crazy. He's been around for over a thousand years and I'm sure he's heard of crazier things. You need to tell everyone the truth"
"Jay"
"I'm not going to let you leave again. You kept saying that it would only be a couple weeks and that turned into months. They'll probably be a little upset and angry but they'll eventually understand that you had no other choice. I know they'll just be happy to have you back and you want to stay in Mystic Falls. As fun as Katherine was after all the crap you've been through, you missed home. Elena definitely needs you. Her humanity is off and she's not exactly the nicest person right now. I'll help you tell them the truth. Klaus kind of wanted to rip off out my spine so you might have to keep him glued to a chair the entire time"
Conjuring the bottle of herbs, she ate a handful and instantly felt a heavy weight lifted off of her mind. She followed Jayden back to the Mikaelson mansion. Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah were arguing in the living room over her disappearance. Rebekah chastised Elijah for not being gentler with Riley, considering her fragile state. Riley cleared her throat, getting their attention. Klaus snarled at the sight of Jayden.
"What is he doing here?"
"He's staying so if you don't like it, tough shit. Don't go near him, Klaus"
"First, Katerina and now, you're hanging around with the boy who shot you not once but three times"
"Stop it. He found me at the cemetery and brought me back here"
"He was at the cemetery? That's interesting since he hasn't left his room since that night. He didn't even go to your funeral" said Rebekah, suspiciously.
"Can we talk in private?" she asked Elijah.
Riley waved her hand, keeping Klaus and Rebekah glued to the floor so neither of them could attack Jayden. Elijah brought her into the kitchen.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm sorry about earlier. I don't like keeping secrets from you but I didn't want you to be angry with me. I took some of those herbs. They're doing something good since the voices aren't rattling around in my head"
"You don't need to apologize"
"Yes, I do. I wanted to find you right away but when I heard those witches talking about me, I was scared. Part of me worried that some other witch would step up and try to finish the job if they found out that I was alive. I'm still scared now. It's why I've been in hiding and had to keep changing my appearance. Outside of here, I don't know that witches would be friends with me. Alec brainwashed so many of them at that meeting in Chicago and..."
"You're safe here, Riley. I promise you that no one outside of Mystic Falls will find out about your return"
"Can I be honest with you? I already knew that story about Anastasia. It was written in one of my grimoires. I guess she was writing down her thoughts in it like a journal and after she died, one of the people in her coven finished her story. I know why she killed herself. When I came back, something followed me"
"What was it?"
"It wasn't like a creature or a person. She called it a darkness. When I don't hear the witch spirits, I hear that. I can feel it inside me and it's been trying to get to my head. That's why I cut myself. I thought it would get rid of this darkness. I have no idea what it wants. I've looked through my grimoires for a solution but the path always ends the same as Anastasia's"
"That will not happen to you. We will figure out how to stop this darkness from taking control"
"I want to tell you what really happened. I want to tell everyone. My parents aren't back yet but I think it's best if I talk to them alone. The sooner my friends know, the better. Maybe Bonnie can help me with my problem"
Returning to the living room, she saw Klaus and Rebekah struggling against the spell. She made them promise that if she reversed the spell, they would not harm Jayden. Rebekah immediately agreed, wanting to move her feet. Klaus was silent, a harsh glare directed towards her best friend.
"Klaus"
"I make no such promise"
"I know why you think you should be mad at him but you're wrong. Promise me that you won't hurt him"
"You forgive far too easily. He may have been under the control of that warlock but it doesn't excuse his actions"
"Klaus, either you promise me or I'll make every bone in your body break a million times"
"I'll only promise not to kill him, out of deference to you"
"That's the best you're going to get with him. Just take it" whispered Jayden.
Rolling her eyes, she freed him from the floor. Jayden hid behind her as Klaus took a single step. Klaus chuckled darkly. Rebekah offered to pour drinks to celebrate Riley's return. She handed each of them a glass of scotch.
"Elijah won't care since you seem to be in your right mind…for now"
Riley downed her glass in a single sip for a last boost of confidence. She was anxious about how her friends would react to seeing her alive. Rebekah spit out her drink.
"Vervain. How did vervain get in the bottle?"
"It was just in your glass"
She looked at Riley. "You cast a spell"
"Consider it payback for almost killing Elena and turning her into a vampire"
"I didn't see you lash out at Katherine for actually killing Jeremy"
"Oh, I did. You just weren't around for it. You might be able to recover from a stake in your chest or a vervain being thrown into your eyes but mental scars aren't as easy to heal. She gets a constant reminder of that, thanks to me"
"Well to be fair, if the whole world didn't revolve around Elena, your friends would have been more concerned with protecting you. If I pretend to be sorry, will you get the vervain out of my drink?"
"At least sound like you mean it"
"I'm very sorry" said Rebekah, not sounding very sympathetic.
Hearing a knock at the door, Jayden hid with her in the kitchen. She glanced around the corner and saw her friends, except Tyler, speaking to Elijah. Riley and Jayden had kept in contact through texts. She remembered a message from him about Tyler's failed attempt at getting rid of Klaus and Tyler fleeing from Mystic Falls. Damon made a sarcastic comment that they had more important matters than tea time with the Originals. Elena was looking at her nails, uninterested.
"Unless you're going to tell me that Klaus is letting Tyler come back, I don't care what you have to say" said Caroline.
"I disagree. I should be honest that when I visited Damon and Stefan, I compelled them to forget something very important that they witnessed when tracking down Katherine"
"Why would you compel us?" asked Stefan.
"For someone's protection. I think it's best if you all sit down"
"Be careful with that couch. It's new" said Rebekah.
Her friends sat on the leather couches. Elijah walked over to the kitchen where Riley was hiding behind the wall.
"I'll be right beside you. There is no reason to be afraid" he whispered, holding her hand.
Jayden nodded in agreement. With a heavy sigh, she stepped into the living room. Her friends stared at her in complete silence, taking in her drastic appearance. Though Elena's humanity was turned off, there was a hint of shock in her eyes. Before Riley could say one word, Caroline moved from the couch with her vampire speed and tackled her with a hug. Her strength nearly caused both of them to crash to the floor. Bonnie and Matt joined the hug, all three speaking incoherently. Together, they almost squeezed life out of her. Damon and Stefan had similar expressions to Elijah when he had first seen her. They seemed suspicious that she was some kind of impostor, possibly Silas. Elijah assured them that it was not a trick. Elena did not move from the couch.
"How the hell are you alive?" asked Damon.
"Who cares? She's back and…blonde. We need to get rid of that makeup right away. You almost look like a raccoon. Not that you don't look good with it but—"
"Care, stop rambling" said Matt, smiling down at Riley.
Damon had to physically pry them off of her. Riley sat down on the couch across them with Elijah and Jayden. Klaus was drinking another glass of scotch. It was his method of stopping himself from snapping Jayden in half. Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt had tears in their eyes while Elena maintained the same emotionless expression. Bonnie asked Elijah if he played a part in Riley's return, remembering that he left Mystic Falls to find a witch to bring her back from the Other Side.
"I never went to the Other Side. I kind of did but not really. It was like a spot between here and there. The night that Alec found me in the woods, I told Jayden to shoot me"
"What?!" shouted a collection of voices.
"What are you talking about?" asked Klaus.
She bit her lip, fiddling with the bottom of her t-shirt. "I knew Alec was going to show up soon. After we brought Elena back from the hospital, Jayden stopped by the house and showed me a video from a council meeting. Alaric had outed me as a witch and most of the council turned against my parents. When they left, Alec showed up at the meeting and he manipulated them into thinking that I was dangerous"
"Explains why the council didn't give a damn about you at your funeral" said Damon.
"Jayden and I had made up a plan a couple days before the decade dance. When we found out that Alec was in town, we decided to go through with it. My mom had warned me that Alec was searching every building for me. Jayden got the same text because Alec would definitely target someone close to me and that's when we faked our fight in the dining room. The smoothie he took with him was really a herbal mixture. It was to prevent compulsion. Alec thought he was controlling Jayden but he wasn't. Jayden just played along and followed him. After I returned from that witch meeting in Chicago, I realized just how much danger I was in so I used a really powerful spell to protect myself. It was kind of dark magic but I didn't have many options. The spell would only work if I died in the blood circle I created by the lake so I purposely led Alec there. I made Jayden promise that if Alec didn't kill me, he would do it somehow so the spell would enact itself"
Elijah squeezed her hand. Her friends looked surprised that she had planned her death and Jayden was the only person aware of the scheme. The glass in Klaus's hand cracked. Damon scoffed, turning towards Jayden.
"You have to be kidding me. You trusted this idiot?"
"I saved her life" said Jayden, glaring.
"By shooting her"
"She needed the other witches to think she died that night. We weren't sure if Alec had friends with him or compelled other people in town to kill her if he couldn't do it himself"
"But at the lake, when you…Jayden, you can't be that good of an actor. You were freaking out. You were begging Stefan to let you stay when he was forcing you and Jeremy out of the woods" said Caroline.
"I had time to practice. Part of me was scared that the spell wouldn't work so that helped a little"
"So what did the spell do?" asked Stefan, changing the subject.
Riley brushed her bangs out of her face. She was dreading this part of the conversation. Though only Damon and Klaus seemed angry that Riley had put so much trust in Jayden, she doubted her friends would be pleased to hear about the full details of her return.
"Like I said, I didn't go to the Other Side. It was a kind of limbo. I had to follow this little beam of light to find my way back and…I woke up in the coffin. Even with magic, it was a bitch to dig myself out but I managed it after about an hour"
"When did that happen?"
"The night after my funeral. Jayden was waiting for me. I had put a spell on his vervain bracelet so it would vibrate when I woke up. I was really confused but he snuck me into his house and gave me new clothes from my closet"
"You've been back for six months?" asked Elijah in disbelief.
Riley could hear the hurt in his voice from learning that she had been alive for many months. She nodded, staring at the floor. Damon gave a slow clap.
"I have to hand it to you, man. I thought you were an idiot. You had all of us fooled. Too upset to go to her funeral, couldn't even go to school because you were distraught over losing your best friend, and making us think that you were holed up in your room for months when actually, you knew that she wasn't dead and I bet you were even calling her. That performance deserves an Oscar" he said to Jayden.
"Damon, it's not his fault"
"No, it's yours. How could you let any of us think that you were dead all this time? What have you been doing outside of Mystic Falls besides getting a new haircut? Were you partying it up while you texted your jock buddy?"
"I was hiding to protect myself and the people that matter to me. At first, I was just going to stay away for a week. I would tell you about the spell bringing me back and everything would be fine. Jayden and I went to a diner outside of town and we overheard people talking about me. There was a group of witches. They felt more sympathy for Alec than me and one of them said that there were rumors that I didn't die. Apparently, the extremist witches, who all supported him and were just as deluded, thought that I faked my death. That group was told to go to Mystic Falls, dig up my grave, and bring my body to some safehouse so they could get what Alec promised them"
"They wanted to consecrate your bones" said Bonnie.
"Exactly"
"What does that mean?" asked Matt.
"It lets you take a dead witch's power. Jayden drove us back here and I set up the barrier again. The witches thought that it had been set up by my mother. They're so deluded that they think she's secretly a witch too. I was able to snatch one of the witches from his car. I made him think that Elijah had taken my body and he hid it in a secret location. I didn't think they would go up against an Original and I was right but I decided not to come back yet. We went into my house while my parents were at work, I packed a bag, and I left. I wouldn't stay in a town for too long…two weeks at most. I changed my appearance and it let me listen in on witch gossip. It had been three months and I still wasn't safe. Then, Katherine spotted me in a bar in Colorado. She blackmailed me into helping her find the cure. If I didn't, she would tell the nearest coven that I was alive and staying in a dirty hotel room"
"Were you on the island?" asked Stefan.
"No. I had introduced her to Vaughn, one of the Five. I knew about the hunters from my mother's research and that their tattoos created a map to the cure. I told Katherine to not go after the cure because of its connection to Silas but she didn't listen to me. All she cared about was getting her freedom. Once she got back from the island, we went to Willoughby because we thought no one would find us there. She planned to use me to convince Elijah to help her get her freedom…and now I'm here"
Klaus left the room, fuming. Despite Elijah's warning, she chased after him. He was in his bedroom, staring out the window.
"You're angry"
"Yes. While you were telling your story, I tried to understand why would you put all your faith in that fool but I can't think of a single reason"
"He's my best friend"
"You left all those letters. You couldn't mention that you were safe and may possibly return?"
"The less people who knew, the better. It needed my death to be believable"
"Then, mission accomplished"
"Would you stop being so stubborn? Of everyone in that room, I thought you would understand why I did it. You always told me stories about how you had to run from your father and how others saw you as some abomination. Well, that's how the witches make me feel every day. Neither of us asked for what we have and no matter how hard we try, they don't want to believe that we're not monsters. For those first few months, when I moved to a new town and met with the witches, I heard the same thing. Thank goodness that Riley is dead, poor Alec, we don't have to worrry about that devil witch, she's not a threat anymore…none of them knew me. They just heard the rumors and believed that everything Alec said was true. All these months, I've had to deal with the witch spirits being angry at me. They're furious that I escaped death and just like the people here, they want me dead. I'm being condemned for saving my own life"
"You could have stayed here for protection. Elijah would have kept you safe and I would do the same. Do you think I'm afraid of pesky witches? If they came near you, I would've torn out their throats"
"Like the little killing spree you've been on lately? You didn't have to murder all those witches"
"Well, it seems that I did you a favor"
"I'm not sorry that I made you think I was dead for months. My decision was my own so instead of blaming Jayden, you can blame me"
Riley heard a loud commotion downstairs. Returning to the living room, she witnessed an argument between Damon and Jayden. She pushed her hands aside, creating an invisible barrier between them.
"You had it easy. Make yourself look all teary-eyed in front of other people but behind your bedroom, you were happily texting her" said Damon.
"I missed her just as much! I didn't tell you because she wanted to keep it quiet. I wasn't happy about lying but I did it to protect her"
Stefan grabbed Damon by the arm, forcing him outside. Her other friends only seemed to care that she was alive and back in Mystic Falls. They understood that she had stayed away from town to protect herself. When Bonnie questioned her about side-effects from the spell, she confessed that she was in trouble with the witch spirits, hearing their voices in her head, and had terrible mood swings. She mentioned that she was taking herbs for healing.
"Where's Elena?"
"I think she's outside. I wouldn't talk to her yet. She's a little…different" said Matt.
"Katherine told me about her humanity being off. I'll go find her. If I'm not back before Damon, make sure he doesn't hit Jayden"
Riley searched for Elena outside. She was pacing back and forth in the front yard, throwing pebbles and staring at Damon and Stefan by a large tree.
"Hey. I was looking for you"
"I'm just watching Stefan and Damon argue about you. Damon's really mad"
"He can join the club with Klaus"
"I can see why. He lost his little drinking buddy…or was it more?"
"What?"
"Come on, like you've never thought of hooking up with him. The only reason you didn't is because you thought I liked him so you were being a good cousin"
"There's nothing between me and Damon, except an occasional bottle of scotch"
"Should Elijah be worried? He already has to keep an eye on Klaus. I don't think Klaus would go on a killing spree for just anyone. Don't deny that you don't think it's a little hot"
Riley expected Elena to be difficult. With her humanity off, she lost her compassion and friendly attitude. She was like a blank slate, feeling no emotions.
"I wanted to talk to you about Jeremy. I wasn't here when…"
"When he died? No, you weren't. You were hanging out with Katherine and hiding from mean witches"
"This conversation would be easier if you had your humanity but I'm sorry about what happened. Jeremy didn't deserve to die"
"Aw, don't blame yourself. Maybe he'll pull off a magic trick too and rise from the dead with a whole new look. I can't picture him as a blonde. Besides, Katherine was the one that killed him. Technically, it was Silas but who cares about details?"
"I do blame Katherine a little but I mostly blame you"
Elena scoffed. "Excuse me?"
"He wouldn't have been on that island if you weren't searching for the cure. I know you don't want it now. When you went to Willoughby, you were getting it for Rebekah. Before that, you were on this mission to find the cure for yourself. Once again, the world revolves around you. I was able to get into your head earlier and I saw that first day when you were in transition…how Stefan said Bonnie would find a way to keep you from being a vampire. I get that it wasn't your choice but it wasn't for Caroline either. Why the hell did you need this cure, Elena? Think back to before you lost Jeremy and turned off your emotions. Suck it up"
She snarled, threatening to snap Riley's neck. Riley did not back down, prepared to fight Elena, if necessary. Her hands were stuffed in her jacket pockets, balled into fists.
"Why were you going to get the special pass, Elena? You are very lucky that I wasn't here for this cure nonsense. If I was, I would've smacked you around until you stopped being delusional. Do you think you guys were the first to discover the cure? I've known for years but I kept it a secret because like others who found out before you, I understood the dangers. Every other vampire in the world had to deal with the transition and all the problems that come with being a newbie vampire. Why did you need the chance to go back? You didn't. You had Jeremy killing vampires and even killed an Original…all for a little vial that can turn you human. Was it worth losing Jeremy?"
"Is this you being brutally honest with me, Riley?"
"Yes. You're not the only one in the world with problems. I had to fake my death and abandon everything to protect the people I care about, including you. I had a different life, different name, different hair…wondering if I could ever see my parents or my friends again. I'm still not sure if I'm safe now. Everyone bends over backwards for you. You're like this fragile little snowflake. It's time for you to grow the hell up. Just because you're a vampire, your life isn't over. You're not a broken toy. Instead of crying over what you became, you should've learned to embrace it"
"I guess I'm not strong like you. It must be why everyone thinks you're so amazing. Do you know how annoying it was to see Damon go to your stupid grave every week and talk to you as if you were there? Hearing him say that if you were here, everything would be easier? Everyone sees you as little Miss Perfect. I mean, you have two Originals wrapped around your little finger, willing to do anything to make you happy. It's ridiculous that you have so much power over them since you're really nothing special. Maybe you're using magic to make them so interested in you. I wonder if Elijah would think that you're so perfect if he knew about your past boyfriends. I'd love to tell him about that one guy in London. What was his name? Lukas? That was a tragedy until the very end"
Riley smacked her across the face. "If you think taunts like that are going to work with me, you're very wrong. Unlike Stefan and Damon, I'm not going to put up with this no humanity bullshit. I'm back and I will get you back to your normal self. It's all a battle of wits and no offense, but you've always been lacking in brains. I will break you down until you finally feel something. Sadness, joy, anger…"
"You can try all you want but I'm staying this way. Your magic can't force me to turn on my humanity"
"I don't need magic. Even before I had it, I could kick a vampire's ass. You're no different"
Elena's nostrils flared and veins protruded under eyes. After purposely kicking her shin, Riley returned to the mansion. She convinced her friends to leave for the night so she could get some rest. Promising to meet them at the Mystic Grill tomorrow, she pushed them towards the door. Elijah was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.
"You're cooking. Are you trying to distract yourself because you don't want to talk about me being around for so long without telling you or because I never told you about that plan with Jayden?"
"I understand why you trusted him though I will say that I am quite the actor myself"
She pecked his cheek. "I'm sure you're amazing. I never stopped thinking about you while I was gone. I wanted to visit you the night I woke up but it was too risky. It was really hard to keep my distance. I'll show you"
Resting her hand on his cheek, she put a vision in his head. It showed him what happened the night that she woke up after being shot by Jayden.
Riley's eyes popped open and all she could see was darkness. The last thing she remembered was being shot by Jayden and falling into the lake. Moving her hands around her, she felt soft cotton and cold metal. She had not expected to be inside the coffin, buried underground. The original plan was to wake up inside the morgue and create a fake copy to replace her. With her magic, it was easy to cut through the top of the coffin. As a hole punctured the metal, dirt fell through, hitting her in the face. The coffin was quickly filling with dirt and in a panic, she tried to shield herself with her arms. She squeezed herself through the hole and began to claw her way through the thick dirt.
When one of her hands reached the surface, she felt someone grab it and they pulled her out of the ground. If digging herself out of her own grave was not bad enough, it was pouring rain. Jayden was standing by the grave, holding an umbrella. She could barely stand and looked around the cemetery in a daze. He carried her over to his car. Within minutes, they were inside his house.
"Don't worry. My dad's at work. He won't be back for hours. Just clean up in the bathroom and I got you a change of clothes"
Her short-sleeved lace dress was bloodstained and torn. She touched her neck, feeling the bullet hole under the heavy makeup. He handed her a vial of vampire blood that he stole from Meredith's stash at the hospital. She drank the blood to heal the three bullet wounds and the scratches from escaping the coffin. Cleaning herself up in the shower, she coughed up dirt. A stinging sensation filled her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she cast a spell and plunged her hand through her stomach and extracted the bone blade. It was covered in her blood and emitted a large amount of mystical energy. Weakly, she drank the remaining vampire blood to heal the fresh wound. She heard a loud, angry voice in her head. The voice sounded like it belonged to an elderly woman. Ignoring the voice, she changed into a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved henley, a leather jacket, and sneakers. She left the bathroom, wiping the dirt from her mouth.
"Take me to—"
"I know you want to see Elijah but you're barely able to walk. You need to eat. Since everyone thinks you're dead, let's go somewhere outside town. There's a diner that's not too far from here. We get some dinner and then you can have a happy little reunion"
The scenery changed to Riley and Jayden sitting in the diner. She coughed into a napkin. While Jayden was looking over the menu, she crumpled up the napkin, hiding that it was covered in blood.
"Get as much as you want. You must be starving"
"I'm not that hungry. I just need w—"
She was distracted by a loud conversation at the booth behind her. Pretending to check her makeup in a compact mirror, she looked at the people in the booth. There were two girls and two guys in their early twenties. They dressed like they were attending a rock concert. She listened to them discuss her recent death. Jayden glared when one of the girls called her a stupid brat. Riley shook her head, warning him to not cause a scene.
"Alec promised us power. We're still getting it. That bitch had enough to take down an entire coven. It's not fair that it's going to die with her" said the blonde guy, having a Southern accent.
"But she's dead now. We can't do anything" replied the girl with curly red hair.
"Yes, we can. That's why they want us to go to Mystic Falls. We can consecrate her bones. It won't be that hard. We find her grave, dig up her body, then bring it to the safehouse. Once we do the consecration, we can share the power between all of us. We'll be a lot stronger than before"
"Her boyfriend is an Original" said the other guy, who had spiked up hair and many tattoos across his arms.
"He's not going to standing around her grave all day. We wait until the cemetery is empty then we get her. Grave robbing is easy with magic"
The other girl pushed her glasses up her nose. She was nervous that Elijah had people guarding the cemetery for him.
"Alec said that she was really close to him and I know he's called the noble one but it doesn't mean he won't kill us"
"It'll be worth it once we absorb that power. Maybe you'll get enough magic to fix your eyesight so you don't have to wear those lame glasses anymore"
She threw a fry at him. "Shut up. They're not lame"
The scenery changed again, showing the Mikaelson mansion. Riley and Jayden were standing in the driveway with the unconscious body of the redheaded witch in front of them. They peeked into the nearest window, seeing an argument between Elijah and Rebekah. She was begging him to stay in Mystic Falls.
"You are going on a foolish mission. She can't be brought back, Elijah. Listen to what her letter said and move on. Riley wouldn't fault you for finding someone new"
"I do not intend to move on because I believe that I can save her. I should not be gone long. There must be some witch able to revive her from the Other Side"
"And what if she comes back different? What if she's not herself?"
"She won't. Perhaps it is hopeless but I have to try, Rebekah. I need you to watch over Niklaus while I'm gone. You know his temper overtakes his judgment"
Rebekah shook her head. "Fine. Go and be a fool. I won't stop you"
Elijah walked up the staircase. Jayden stopped her from entering the mansion.
"Riley, no. If those witches at the diner were serious, this doesn't stop with Alec. You need to hide. It won't be forever…just until the witches stop with the rumors that you're alive"
Tears trickled down her face. He held onto her tightly, preventing her from even grabbing the door handle. She pleaded with Jayden that she needed to see Elijah one last time. If he knew that she was alive, he would not leave Mystic Falls.
"Riley"
"Just let me talk to him. It'll take a minute"
"You don't have time for that. What if that girl's friends show up and see you? The rumors aren't going to stop unless they think that you're dead"
"But—"
"You know it's for the best. The less people who know, the better"
"I—I was supposed to be okay. Alec's gone. Why are they..."
"This isn't your fault. In a couple weeks, it should be over and then you can come back, make the town forget that you supposedly died, and tell Elijah that you're here"
The vision ended, returning them to the kitchen. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
"If Jayden wasn't dragging me away to deal with that witch…"
He turned off the stove. "You were right not to visit me. If I saw you, I would've never let you leave or I would've run off with you. You can't hide very well when I am quite recognizable among the supernatural community"
"But we would've been together"
"We're together now and we will never lose each other again"
Elijah lifted her up, sitting her on the counter. His lips lightly brushed against her ear.
"I've thought about what I would do if I brought you back. I was going to throw you onto my bed, rip off your clothes, and kiss you until we both ran out of breath"
"We're in the kitchen" she said, loosening the top button of his shirt.
"One out of three isn't too bad"
He kissed her passionately, his fingers running through her hair. She smiled into his lips and ripped open his shirt. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to her. His hands moved down her petite body as a hard sensation pressed against her inner thigh. They forgot all about their troubles over the past few months, getting lost in the heat of the moment…
A/N: Thanks for reading. Riley will continue to struggle with adjusting to life in Mystic Falls. She had been in hiding for so long, mostly alone, that she is not used to being around her friends. The problems that she's facing will get worse before they get better. Though she is taking the herbs, it won't make the problems go away in an instant. Over the next few chapters, she will try to figure out what the "darkness" is and the answers will make her confront a dark moment from her past. She is also going to be very involved in helping Elena regain her humanity.