A/N: I'm very sorry in advance, this is about to get a little emotion. Warning there are some dark shocking moments coming up in the next few chapters too. xox
FORBES LAKE HOUSE
Thanks to Enzo and his stupid revenge plot the group was now split up as they searched the surrounding woods of the cabin in search for the one thing that had kept the travelers from finding Stefan and Elena. Luke.
As Damon and Stefan make their way through the woods the elder Salvatore turns to his brother "What did you think I was gonna do?"
Stefan arches a confused brow "What are you talking about?"
"When I found out Enzo was dead." The blue-eyed Salvatore explains as he watches his brother curious to know his justification over this whole lie "Go on a rampage? Slaughter a bunch of innocent people? What'd you think I was gonna do?"
"Hate me." Was the simple answer that Stefan responded with as he stops walking to look at his brother thinking about how far they had come since they had returned to Mystic Falls 7 years ago "I thought you would, uh, hate me."
Hearing a weird sound coming from the old horse stable their conversation was cut short, the two quickly ran forward and sure enough, as they entered the stables there was Luke. Unconscious and tied up.
Crouching down beside him Stefan quickly examines him before turning to Damon "He's barely breathing."
"Why the hell would Enzo dump him here?" Damon mumbles as he begins looking around only for a strange smell to fill the air, before he could get a world out his eyes land on the lighter fluid bottle that had been emptied out.
A fire lit lamp quickly falls over the fluid causing half of the stables to light up in flames, the fire quickly spreading "Grab him let's go." Damon tells his brother as he turns to the door only to have it slam in his face before a cry of pain causes him to spin around.
The vampire's eyes widen as he spots Stefan now impaled with a log of wood, Enzo was seriously being a pain in the ass today "Dick move Enzo!"
As Stefan stands the wood still stabbed through his back coming out of his stomach he attempts to pull it out but as Damon moves to help he finds himself pinned to the wall by the invisible force that was Enzo.
Groaning in pain as he feels wood shoved into his side Damon hisses "If only this wasn't totally avoidable."
"Really?" Stefan grunts as he tries to pull the object out of his body "Now you're doing I told you so's?"
"This isn't gonna stop, Stefan." Damon mumbles his eyes widening as the flames continue to grow filling the room up with every second "I killed his girl. You killed him. This is not gonna stop." As he feels the wood shift in his gut he turns his head to the space just in front of him where he guessed Enzo was probably glaring at him right now "Are you listening to me, Enzo? Is that a yes or no? Cause I can bring you back. Buffy came back twice. Bonnie came back. Markos came back...there has to be a way."
NEW ORLEANS
Buffy groans as the sound of water and birds fill her ears, turning her head the blonde groans as she feels the side of her head connect with something wet and crunchy. Blinking her eyes open she cries out in pain as she feels that burning sensation once again moving through her body, trying to ignore the pain which pretty much wasn't possible the blonde takes in her surroundings.
She was on the ground surrounded by leaves in the middle of the Bayou four wolves surrounding her in protective stances as they stood in front of her.
"The pain will fade soon." She hears a voice say causing the blonde to wince in agony as she looks up, her bloodshot eyes connecting with Elijah's. The wolves who were stood protectively in front of the blonde blocking her from the Original's view, Buffy almost laughed at the sight, yes let's protect her while also holding her against her will...makes so much sense.
"What?" She whispers her vocal cords rubbing together like sandpaper only to sigh as a hand of one of the wolves places a bottle of water down in front of her. Looking at the water suspiciously Buffy's eyes widen as she spots Hayley sat beside her just outside the circle with Joy in her arms.
Smiling softly at her daughter she turns to Elijah her eyes darkening in anger "You want something. Given you poisoned me...I'd say, rot in hell."
Elijah sighs as he crouches down in front of the blonde ignoring the wolves that glared down at him as he did "Rebekah and Davina have found a way. If we can replicate Joyce's magic and your Slayer/Demon essence then we can lure Dahlia into a trap. After which, I'll kill her myself."
Buffy lets his words soak in before coughing violently blood pouring from her mouth as she does, after a beat the blonde takes a shaky breath before wiping the blood from her mouth and glaring up at Elijah, she couldn't help but scoff "You need mine and Joyce's blood. Like that's gonna happen."
"Buffy, I am trying to protect you both."
Buffy couldn't help but clench her jaw at his words "Did you even ask Freya what was in it? The thing you happily shoved into me." Letting out a howl of pain the blonde stands on shaky legs using the barrier to keep herself standing as she glares at Elijah the Original's eyes widen as he saw a faint flash of black in her eyes as well as black veins appearing under her eyes for just a second before it was gone.
Buffy ignores whatever had stunned him to silence as she glares at him "You drugged me and dragged me out here and now you want my help. Fine. You want blood..." Pausing the blonde takes a branch by her foot and the water bottle. Emptying its contents she then slices the branch across her forearm letting the blood drip into the bottle.
After a beat, she tosses the bottle of blood at Elijah's feet not daring to move her furious eyes from him "You better hope this works Elijah, because if anyone touches my baby I will kill you and whoever deemed to help you. You wanna see what a Slayer really is...then Game on."
Elijah couldn't stop the shiver of slight fear as he watched her "I promise you, Buffy. This will work. And the moment our home is safe, you and Joyce can return to where you belong. With family. I already have Rebekah working on something to help with the side effects of Freya's serum."
Buffy ignores his words as she feels her legs weakening again as she drops slightly one of the wolves carefully steps into the circle helping her lay down placing a pillow under her head.
Buffy groans in agony as she lays back, but this time she refused to let herself fall asleep, she needed to be awake. She needed to plan how the hell to get out of here. Turning her head she glares up at Elijah once more "Take the blood and get the hell out of my sight before I kill you."
"You're being strangely quiet." The blonde-haired beauty says from behind Klaus where she had been spinning around Joy and Mia while Klaus was still sat with the crawling little boy at his feet staring at him in amazement.
The hybrid was stunned for a moment as he forces his gaze off the child that was the perfect mixture of himself and the beautiful Slayer. As he looks up he smiles as he spots Buffy pull her long blonde locks to the side smiling brightly back at him before winking playfully. Letting out a laugh the blonde spins around Mia once more before moving to sit beside the hybrid who was still watching her.
He had never seen Buffy smile so much...well his Buffy, there was always so much darkness surrounding their lives that a smile was rare from her.
Buffy smiles brightly as she sits beside him her hand reaching out to his playing with his fingers softly as though it was second nature "What's the big bad Klaus Mikealson thinking about?" She asks with a teasing tone before smirking "And if it's not cleaning up the mess your kids made we're gonna have an issue."
The hybrid as much as he tried not to fall into the fantasy lets out a loud chuckle before inhaling tightly as he feels the blonde rest her head on his shoulder comfortably fitting into the crook of his neck. It felt so right like nothing could stand against them...he just wished it was real.
Turning his gaze he looks over to where the girls were now playing with their younger brother showing him how to throw a ball. As the children play he couldn't help but think about it, this could be real, if they could have a life like this wouldn't they do anything to get it?
"Are you happy, Luv?" He couldn't help but ask curiously as he turns to her, Buffy looks up at him with confused eyes before smiling "Yeah. I never thought I'd get to feel like this. At peace. Safe."
Pausing the blonde leans up towards him looking up at the hybrid with those green orbs that he adored so much, leaning forward the blonde kisses his softly on the lips, and the hybrid as much as he didn't want to, again let himself fall into the lie.
Kissing her his hand slowly moved up cupping her cheek as he pulled her closer, Buffy giggles as she pulls back leaning into his touch while he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear watching her like she was the only thing in existence.
"I love you, Klaus Mikealson. No matter how crazy you drive me."
The hybrid watches her with wide eyes as he heard those words, words he had never heard from her. At that moment he didn't care that it was a fantasy, it was perfect, the sound of their children happily laughing as he held her...it was simple...but it was perfect.
Pulling her back into the kiss, he kisses her strongly like it was the last time he would ever kiss her, as her lips part under his surrendering into the warm feeling the hybrid tugs her closer as her fingers pull at the ends of his hair.
"Mama ew! Dad get off mom, it's icky!" Joyce yells making Klaus pull back with a chuckle while Buffy laughs into his shoulder. The hybrid momentarily forgetting this wasn't real turned to look at his daughter only to find her gone.
Frowning in confusion he turns to look at Buffy but alas she was gone too, and slowly the anger and emptiness returned as he remembers none of it was real. The house, Joy, Mia, Henrik, Buffy in the white dress...none of it was real.
As he ignores the empty feeling filling his chest the hybrid inhales tightly burying everything he was feeling from that rare moment of happiness back down deep inside himself.
He had to think about what was real. He was daggered, Buffy was poisoned and trapped. Joy was in danger.
"It can all be yours." Dahlia pipes up from behind him causing the hybrid to quickly stand and spin around to spot the witch back in the woods outside her and Freya's old hut standing over a small altar.
The witch doesn't spare him a glance as she continues to stare down at the items on the small wooden alter "Think it over. Though know this...I shall not ask twice."
The hybrid who was still trying to get back into his own headspace after the very convincing trick of hers clenches his jaw "In my experience, an offer from a malevolent witch...always comes with a catch. What's yours?" He asks as he moves over to her.
Dahlia sighs "Buffy is a Queen, Hayley and the others will not let her go easy. They will fight us. They will not relent. In order for us to succeed, for me to convince Buffy that this is the right path...for you both to live in peace...The Slayer's wolves will have to be eliminated."
Klaus arches a brow as he watches her carefully before an amused smirk covers his lips as he realizes once again that she was playing games "Buffy may be furious at the wolves...but she still cares for those people, while she'll want them punished for their crimes she won't kill them. And if I do, she'll hate me."
"No, she won't." Dahlia assures him "There is a way for me to alter that memory. She'll never know...I could also remove one other thing so you can be sure she is yours..."
Klaus couldn't help but snort, when he did eventually decide that the time was right to go after Buffy he wasn't going to rely on manipulation, he had his charm "And what exactly is that?" He asks slyly with a small chuckle.
"Stefan Salvatore. Her first love."
At her words, Klaus does momentarily freeze as the pleasant idea of Stefan being erased from Buffy's mind filled his brain. She would no longer feel anything for the Salvatore. She would no longer deny anything she feels for him by hiding behind her feelings for the Salvatore. The hybrid wasn't stupid he knew Buffy didn't want to admit that she felt something mainly due to the fact that destiny had planned it all.
She hated being forced into anything. And despite it not being how it worked she had clearly grown this fear that none of her feelings for the hybrid were real, it was all The Powers that be.
However as tempting as it was to have both Salvatores wiped from her mind...he couldn't do that to her, mess with her memories again. Not with how close they were now...but he didn't have to let Dahlia know that.
"You could remove Stefan?" He questions "Every moment..."
"Everything, it will be as though she never met him." She confirms before smiling as she raises her hand blowing a speck of dust into his face making the hybrid gasp before he drops to the ground with a thud.
Not moments later Klaus' eyes slammed open and the hybrid quickly spotted the ceiling of his room in the compound. As his body slowly begins to wake once again the hybrid reaches out and with sheer agony, he grasps onto the golden dagger in his chest...yanking it out.
FORBES LAKE HOUSE
After Enzo had in his own ghostly way agreed to Damon's promise to bring him back the group were free from one threat. But now they had to worry about the Travelers making their way here, as Xander puts the last of the stuff in the car he turns as he spots Elena walking towards him.
Smiling at his beautiful girlfriend he gestures to the neatly packed boot of the car "Harris organization corporate on duty." He jokes only to be shocked as Elena grabs him and brings her lips to his kissing him powerfully.
Shocked for a moment he then wraps his arms around her waist before finally pulling back completely out of breath "Not that I'm complaining? What was that for?"
Elena merely smiles as she keeps her arms wrapped around his neck "I had a bad day and I needed it." She whispers making him chuckle "Well you can kiss me anytime you have a bad day."
Pausing the human could practically feel the house key box burning in his pocket, and despite it was sucky timing he rubs his jaw nervously "Um...Well, I know something that might cheer you up."
"Hey, where the hell is Stefan?" Damon asks as he strolls out of the house completely ruining the moment, noticing the position the two were in, he groans "Ew. So wrong. But seriously you guys seen my brother?"
Xander opens his mouth to speak only to suddenly find a hand grab him.
Damon quickly grabs Elena pulling her back as Xander is suddenly vamp sped out of sight.
Elena's eyes widen in panic "Xander?!" She screams as she tries to run towards the woods to find him only for Damon to pull her back, stopping her from doing something stupid.
Elena moves to glare at him only to gasp as a loud chanting fills her head making her cry out in pain "Elena?" Damon questions in confusion before his eyes widen as travelers begin to approach the pair of them.
However right now the travelers didn't mean a damn thing to him as he spots Xander being held in a chokehold...but it wasn't that specific fact that horrified him...it was who was stood holding him by the throat while the travelers stood behind her.
"Ally?" He whispers in confusion his eyes filling with betrayal and hurt as he stares at the beautiful woman who he had been spending time with, the woman he had actually spoken to and opened up to.
Alina smirks over at him as she kicks Xander's knee, knocking him down so he was kneeling in front of her "Hi Damon."
Damon couldn't help but stare at her as he quickly put it all together, she had used him, for a way in, a way to know what was going on. She had played him like a fool.
Before Damon could throw some brilliant insult her way though Elena's eyes widen as they finally land on the female vampire her eyes widening in disbelief as they landed on the face she hadn't seen in over a year "Alina?"
Alina's eyes turn from Damon over to Elena a smirk covering her lips as she spots the Banshee currently being held up in Damon's arms "Elena...long time. I'd say you look good...but eh."
"You know her?" Damon hisses in anger and slight confusion, who the hell was Alina?
Elena nods still gasping in pain from the traveler's spell as she stares at Alina "That's Alina Petrova. She's a Banshee."
"No." Damon stutters, this wasn't making any sense, when they had found out what Elena was they figured out it was like with witches, you can't be one or another. You can't be a vampire and a banshee. This made no sense, he had shared a damn meal with her she was a vampire "She's a vampire."
Alina giggles slightly at the confused faces around her before moving to stroke Xander's face "Actually if we're getting technical...I'm a little bit of both"
Xander clenches his jaw despite his fear he hit it all. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of being scared of her. So instead he looks over at Elena "I love you." He whispers as a tear falls down his face as though he could sense what was coming.
Damon's eyes widen and he moves to intervene only for Alina to raise her hand and scream sending a sonic wave at him so strong it sent him flying back towards the house crashing violently through the wall.
Alina chuckles "It's a shame. He was cute." Pausing the Banshee Vampire hybrid then turns to look at Elena "Sorry about this." Before Elena could even breath Alina swiftly shoved her hand through Xander's back causing the human to scream in agony as she shattered through his spine, the pain so unimaginable. Feeling her grasp onto his heart the human uses his last moments to glance over at Elena "It's okay." He whispers before finally Alina rips out his heart and drops his dead body to the ground.
"Noooo!" Elena screams in agony as she feels her heart shatter in pieces despite the agonizing pain in her head it was nothing compared to this. Watching Xander's lifeless body drop forward into the mud without a care.
"No!" She cries struggling to breathe only to groan as Alina walks over and kicks Elena in the face pinning her to the ground by the throat with her foot. Alina smirks down at the brunette as she tosses Xander's heart at her feet before nodding at the Travelers to come over "Time for a road trip, sweet cheeks."
NEW ORLEANS
Rebekah and Elijah were both stood in the study listening to a message Hayley had left, unknown to them Klaus was now un-daggered listening to every word.
"Elijah I trusted you, all of you when you promised the wolves that Buffy would be safe. That was a mistake. I have to protect Buffy and Joy. That was the vow I made. Not to you or the Mikealsons.
Buffy is one of us and so is Joy.
And your family has done nothing but try and destroy them both. Buffy is The Queen Slayer and with that comes Sacrifice, but how much more can she be expected to give up Elijah because of your family?
So we're going to take her to where she and Joy should be.
The Slayers.
Her people.
And now they're our people too.
I know you all love them, but family isn't supposed to do what you did to Buffy. You poisoned her and lied to our faces saying it would just let her sleep. If we had known the truth when you asked we never would have agreed.
We have watched for days as she has coughed up blood and cried in agony. In too much pain to even hold her daughter. You promised the wolves she wouldn't feel any pain...but all we have felt is agony... watching her in pain, unable to do anything. Family, doesn't do that. You convinced us that she would be okay, but you did nothing but lie to us to get us to turn on our Queen. We will take the punishment she sees fit but our duty is to protect her and Joyce. So now we're protecting her from you. Being with The Slayers and The wolves will be better, especially for Joy...that little girl is still Klaus' daughter, she'd inherit a thousand years of enemies all his anger and rage. They deserve more than this. And if Buffy kills me for making sure she gets it I'll accept that...I have to go...goodbye Elijah."
Elijah stares at the phone tears in his eyes as Hayley's message comes to an end, turning to Rebekah who had tears streaming down her face too. Rebekah glances at her brother and takes a shaky breath, even if they could stop Hayley and Jackson from getting Buffy and Joy out of New Orleans...she wasn't sure they should stop them.
Buffy would probably never forgive any of them for taking away her choices and interferring with how she raised her daughter but in truth being with the Slayers...they would be safe and happy.
"She's right Elijah. Joy is better off with the Slayers...and so is Buffy."
Unbeknownst to them, a certain hybrid had overheard the message anger quickly filling him at Hayley's dramatic declaration that she was taken Buffy and Joy away from him. But what angered him more was Elijah and Rebekah's blatant allowance of Hayley's crimes.
Clenching his jaw the hybrid still weak and in need of blood made his decision...he knew exactly what he had to do now.
Klaus stumbles into the crypt where Dahlia would be waiting, still not having fed. As he leans against the wall to keep himself steady his eyes quickly land on Dahlia who was sat on the floor surrounded by candles. A bowl of blood positioned in front of her.
As she spots him she smiles "I knew you were the smartest of your siblings. No brute Viking blood in those veins. I'm glad to see you made the right decision."
The hybrid merely remains blank faced as he watches the witch "I don't care for the wolves. I don't like them deciding that they can take what is mine. Do you know where she is?"
Dahlia nods knowing he meant the vampire Slayer "Yes...I believe so...they have her weakened surrounded by a boundary spell."
Klaus clenches his jaw in anger as an image of Buffy being kept against her will in filth filled his brain and the fact that his family had simply allowed that to occur angered him more.
"You should know..." He forces out his throat desperate for blood after so long without any, now he was beginning to understand why the others were always so snotty after decades daggered "...the rest of my family will stand against us...they plan to send them both away from me."
"We will have to go through them." Dahlia says calmy "Are you prepared for that?"
The hybrid's jaw clenches tightly as the words Hayley spoke in her message filled his mind; the way his family hadn't bothered to try and stop her from taking his daughter and Buffy away from him.
"They have more than earned everything that is to come." He whispers out horsley as he drops to his knees in front of her unable to stand any longer "We need to hurry. Even now, Hayley is attempting to flee with Buffy and my child."
Dahlia merely smiles "Hmm. Don't worry. She won't get far tonight." With that, she drops the sage she was using in the blood stiring the mixture together, summoning a storm none of them would see coming
Klaus couldn't help but smirk "I'm going to enjoy ripping Hayley's head off."
After the wolves had disappeared down to the water for Aiden's funeral Buffy laid on the floor back in the cabin watching as her daughter slept in the small playpen in the corner.
Knowing she was running out of time till they returned the blonde eyed the scythe in the corner of the room before slowly pulling off the jacket that Jackson had given her when they had brought her back to the cabin.
While every nerve and muscle in her body still felt like it was burning to a crisp under hot flames it was lessoning now, it had been hours since they had given her the serum, the wolves after learning what it was actually doing to her had launched the whole of it into the lake much to Buffy's glee.
Though she was pissed it seemed Elijah had pissed off the wolves by not informing them of certain details, though it was nothing compared to the anger and rage fuelling her right now.
Biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain as she stands she leans against the barrier. The blonde gathers her strength before raising her fist and slamming it against the barrier. And she repeatedly this at least 100 times, till her knuckles were bleeding, the constant hitting without a pause not allowing her time to heal.
Inhaling tightly Buffy clenches her jaw and slams her eyes shut feeling waves of dark power fill her as she let her demon side take over, fighting against the pain in her body. Slamming her eyes open she doesn't notice the way black veins appear under her eyes similar to the red that appears with vampires. Nor did she notice the black veins skirting through her arms as she punches once more, this time punching a hole straight through the barrier.
The blonde's eyes widen and she looks down and there it was, while it was small it was there, barely a centimeter of the angel dust and salt circle had divided.
Smirking the blonde shoves her other hand in the hole she was struggling to keep open, using both hands she begins pulling the barrier apart, the salt slowly creating a big enough divide to finally drop the barrier.
And with that the Slayer Hybrid was free.