Riley remained at Mystic Falls hospital for almost two weeks. When her parents returned to Mystic Falls, her father immediately conducted all kinds of medical tests. He hoped that the tests provided a logical explanation for her condition. She was essentially in a comatose state with a very weak pulse. All of the tests returned with negative results. No one wanted the reason behind her current state to be magical, which would be difficult to explain to others in Mystic Falls. The cover story was that Riley fell down the stairs and hit her head on the railing, resulting in her coma. Her parents stayed by her side the entire time, waiting for Riley to open her eyes. When they were not in school, her friends would visit her in hopes that they would find her awake and out of bed. After eliminating every other possibility, they came to the conclusion that Elijah had cast a linking spell on her so that if he was harmed, Riley would suffer the same fate.

While she was unconscious, Riley experienced a recurring dream. She would see strange, rune-like symbols and a town that resembled the 1800s in style. The symbols flashed by so quickly in her mind that she could never get a clear picture of them. Riley was having the same dream for what seemed like the hundredth time, seeing symbols on a rock wall. She had just entered the mysterious town.

~Riley walked around the town, seeing the symbols in various places like shop windows and lamp posts. She was like a ghost, not being acknowledged by the people that she passed in the streets. A sign hung in the window of one of the shops, reading: Welcome to New Orleans. She was distracted by the sound of someone screaming for help. The scenery changed into a forest. A cloaked figure ran past her, clutching a black leather-bound book. As the figure hurried towards a disheveled shed, another person blocked their path. To her surprise, she saw Elijah. He was wearing clothes that looked like they were from a Jane Austen novel. His hair was tied back with a black ribbon.

"There is no reason to be afraid"

The figure pulled down the hood of their cloak, revealing a girl in her twenties. She glared at Elijah, speaking in a foreign language.

"I will not harm you, miss"

"My brother…always the gentleman"

A guy with shoulder-length sandy brown hair and pale blue eyes appeared next to Elijah. He seemed to be a few years younger than him. The girl tensed up, keeping the book close to her chest.

"Why are we still standing around and not drinking from her?"

"Niklaus, as always, your manners are without equal"

"Well if the good little witches removes her spell on Kol, then perhaps I'll reconsider"

His brother stepped towards her. He clutched his chest in pain. Riley realized that the girl was using magic. A black blur zoomed through the woods. As it grabbed the girl from behind, Riley saw another girl, close to her age, with blonde hair and the same pale blue eyes. Veins protruded under her eyes. The book fell from the witch's grasp. Elijah reached for the book. Just as soon as he touched it, he dropped it, holding his hand. A small burn had formed on his palm.

"Typical little witch trick"

"Rebekah"

"Enough with being polite, Elijah. If she doesn't want to help willingly, I know the perfect way to get what we want. Once the witch dies, her spell will be lifted from Kol. I won't mind a taste. I could smell her from miles away. She smells delicious"

Riley watched as Rebekah bit into the girl's neck. The witch tried to move her hands to perform a spell. Niklaus grabbed her hand, snapping the bone like a twig. He joined his sister in drinking her blood, biting into the other side of her neck. Riley expected Elijah to help her. His eyes followed the blood trickling from her wounds. It was like he was under a trance. Niklaus pulled away and smiled at him.

"You know you would like a taste, brother. It's the most incredible thing I've ever tasted. The quicker she dies, the sooner Kol will be back to full health"

The witch had fallen to her knees. Elijah bent down to her.

"I implore you to listen to reason and remove your spell. I'm sure you understand the importance of family"

She spit in his face. A second later, Elijah was biting into her wrist. Instead of watching the girl slowly lose consciousness, Riley looked at the book. It had opened by itself to a page. The writing glowed blue and vanished into thin air. She heard the witch whispering very quietly. Rebekah threw her to the ground.

"Well, that should take care of"

Wounds appeared on their necks and wrists. All at once, they fell to the ground, unconscious. A group of cloaked figures entered the forest. One of them, a middle-aged woman, picked up the book.

"Should we try to help your daughter?" asked a man.

"No. She deserved this for trusting vampires" she replied, having a thick accent.

"They are the Originals. They could come after us…after you"

She chuckled. "Let them try. My daughter did her part. If they try to harm me, they will suffer the same. My death at their hands means that they will die as well…even the abomination"

Looking at Niklaus, her eyes flickered with disgust. They left the forest, keeping their faces hidden.~

Riley continued to have the same dream…

~Elena~

Elena was pacing outside the hospital. Daggering Elijah was supposed to be helpful but it only made things worse. Riley had still not woken up from her coma. Though Elena wanted to just remove the dagger, Damon refused, thinking it would play into Elijah's plan. He suggested that Elijah knew about their plan to dagger him the entire time and had Jonas cast a linking spell between him and Riley. It ensured that the dagger would be removed in order to save her. Elena doubted that Elijah could harm Riley. From what she had seen, they were getting along well and had some kind of attraction to each other. Riley's parents were more willing to believe that it was an actual medical problem. John did not help much, dropping little hints that he knew what had caused Riley's condition.

Besides worrying about Riley, Elena had to deal with Isobel's arrival in Mystic Falls. Isobel showed up at the house, leading Jenna to find out that she was not actually dead, a fact that Elena, John, and Alaric kept from her. Jenna, unable to cope with the lies, decided to stay at Whitmore college. Elena decided to visit Riley before going to the Lockwood mansion to accept a check for her mother's old foundation from the Historical Society. Stefan was on the phone with Damon. To prepare for Klaus, Damon was going to bring Bonnie to an abandoned cottage in town, the site of a witch massacre in 1864. They planned to help her gain the power of the hundred dead witches. He walked over to Elena.

"They just found the spell in one of the grimoires at the Martins' place. They're going to head to the cottage now"

"What's the chance that one good thing will happen and Riley will be awake?"

"Let's go see her"

They entered the hospital. Aunt Alice was speaking to a middle-aged woman with curly blonde hair. Elena did not recognize her.

"Are you sure Brendon is okay with this?"

"You know how he gets. He's going to keep doing medical tests until something comes out positive. He's gone as far as thinking she just hadn't eaten that much earlier in the day and fainted from lack of food"

"It's better than thinking it's something supernatural, isn't it? I'll see what I can do. Is he around?"

"He's busy with another patient"

The woman entered Riley's room. Elena walked over to her aunt. When Elena questioned her about the woman, she admitted to Elena and Stefan that she sought some help for Riley. The woman was an old friend that she met during their time in California. She happened to be a powerful witch. Aunt Alice called her to attempt a spell to wake Riley up from her coma.

"So you believe us about the linking spell?"

"I'm not saying that but it was definitely caused by some magical means"

"What if it doesn't work?" asked Stefan.

Elena nudged his side. Aunt Alice seemed confident in her friend's magical abilities. While they waited to see if the spell worked, Elena talked with her about Isobel's surprise visit. She sympathized with Elena's situation, knowing it was tough to keep a secret from Jenna. Uncle Brendon was walking down the hallway, carrying a clipboard.

"Brendon, why don't we get a coffee?"

"I wanted to check on Riley. I think I'm right about the lack of food"

"I bet you are. Let's get some coffee first"

The lights in Riley's room flickered. "Alice, what did you do?"

"I know you want to keep up this belief that Riley just fainted for a simple reason but deep down, you know that magic was involved. I can't stand seeing her in that room anymore. I called Clare for some help"

"Without even asking me? What if magic makes things worse?"

Elena heard a loud crashing sound. Uncle Brendon opened the door. Clare was holding Riley's hand while muttering a spell. The lights flickered repeatedly then shattered, sending glass everywhere. Stefan covered Elena with his jacket. Riley coughed up blood, shaking violently. Uncle Brendon rushed over to the bed. Clare was thrown against the wall. Her uncle used an anesthetic to get Riley to sleep…

~Riley~

Riley woke up, breathing heavily. She was in a hospital room. It was completely trashed with glass all over the floor and blood on her sheets. She could hear her father speaking to someone outside the room. He mentioned John and an accident at the Lockwood mansion. As she sat up, she felt a pain in her side. She could not get the image of Elijah killing that girl out of her head. It was not a normal dream. She knew that it had to be some kind of memory. Her father entered the room. Not saying a word, he squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Dad"

"Riley, thank goodness. I thought—I didn't think you'd ever wake up"

"Why am I here?"

"You fainted. You've been in a coma for two weeks"

"Two we—Elijah…is he okay?"

"Let's not worry about him. It's more important that you're safe"

"What happened to the room?"

Her father explained that Clare, one of their witch friends, had tried to wake her up with magic. The spell backfired, causing the destruction. Her mother was driving Clare to the airport.

"I should run some tests before"

"No. I just want to go home, Dad"

"Riley, I don't think"

"I feel great. I want to sleep in my bed, not in a hospital. Is that okay?"

"I'm calling you every hour and you better answer. If you don't, you're coming straight back here"

He returned her to the house. Riley walked into her room and opened her closet. She sifted through her clothes, pulling out Elijah's coat. Going downstairs, she placed the coat around her shoulders. She kept reliving the same moment at the dinner party when Alaric pierced Elijah with the dagger. Sitting on the floor, she stared at one of her scented candles. The flame would extinguish then reappear multiple times. She heard the house phone ring from the kitchen. Her nails dug into the floor at the sound of Damon's voice. He left a voicemail for her father, asking him to retrieve John from the boarding house. She grabbed her car keys and stood up to leave the room. One of the floorboards made a strange creaking sound. She lifted it up, finding papers, including a map. The map had red X marks over different countries. On the bottom of the map was a list of dates, going all the way back to the year 780. Across each date was a surname and a city. She hid the map in her pocket and drove to the boarding house. Damon was the one to open the door.

"Ri" he started.

Unable to control her anger, she punched him. He held his nose.

"I'm guessing you're still mad after two weeks"

She sent him a text. He checked his phone and looked at her, incredulously.

"Oh come on, you're not going to talk to me? I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the plan but if I did, you would've stopped me. Elijah was never on our side. By the way, Mr. Fancy is currently down in the basement but you're not going anywhere near him. I'm not letting you take out that dagger"

Riley pushed him aside, entering the house. Elena, Stefan, and John were in the living room. Seeing Riley, Elena jumped up and hugged her.

"Riley, I'm so glad you're awake. I'm so sorry about what happened. I didn't know that Elijah linked the two of you. If I did, I wouldn't have daggered him"

"What?"

"You didn't—the dagger has to stay in but Damon didn't know that. Elijah came after me at the lake house and I daggered him again. How are you feeling?"

"I'm freakin peachy, Elena. I don't want to talk to you. I'm just here to pick up John"

"Riley" said Stefan, sensing her anger.

"John, you have five seconds to get to the car or you can walk back to my house" she told John, not looking at Elena or Stefan.

Riley left the boarding house and sat in her car. Seconds later, John got into the passenger seat. As she drove, both she and John were silent. She stopped him from entering the house.

"Let's stop with your mind games, John. If you know something, just tell me. Haven't you messed with my life enough? I'm your niece. Show some shred of compassion"

"I know this is hard for you, Riley. I'm not going to lie and say that I have all of the answers. It's better if we talk inside"

John brought her into the living room. He moved in front of a bookcase and grabbed a book from the top shelf. Opening it, he took out a key. He showed it to Riley.

"It's a key"

"It opens a chest"

"This isn't a pirate adventure, John"

"Can you tone down the snark and just listen to me? The chest is hidden in a cave outside of Mystic Falls. Isobel told me where it is"

"Oh joy, the ex-girlfriend vampire is involved" she said, sarcastically.

"It will give you all the answers you need, Riley. After the sacrifice, we'll go there together. You can't go by yourself because it's too dangerous"

"Fine. I'll believe you…for now. I'm too tired to argue"

"You shouldn't be angry with Elena. The Originals can't be trusted. She did the right thing. You'll understand that"

Riley headed up to her room. A sudden chill ran down her spine. Passing it off as nothing, she laid on her bed. She spent the next two days inside the house. Her parents did not want her running around and ending up in the hospital again. She ignored texts from her friends, except for Jayden. Though John and her parents claimed that Riley would have done the same if in Elena's situation, she refused to forgive her. When Riley had been distrustful of Stefan and Damon, Elena always assured her that they were good people. She expected Elena to trust her judgment about Elijah. He had saved Damon's life three times but it was not enough to prove that he was on their side. Jayden did not know the real reason for the fight between her and Elena, only that it involved Elijah.

After her stay in the hospital, Riley's emotions had gone haywire. She would go through intense mood swings, ranging from anger to sadness. It was not a good sign when she almost broke a glass during dinner. Riley had just gone downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was cooking breakfast. She sat at the counter, deleting texts from Elena.

"Riley, this fight is silly"

"It's not silly. Obviously, they think I'm an idiot"

"That isn't true. Can you blame them for not trusting a stranger?"

"He wasn't going to hurt Elena"

"Sweetheart, I know he said that but"

"But what? You think he was tricking me? That I was dumb enough to believe his lies?"

"I didn't say that. I just—the fact is that when he was daggered, you were affected"

"For the millionth time, he did nothing to me!"

Flames shot up from the stove. Her mother frantically turned the dial. Riley was irritated that everyone accused Elijah of hurting her. They had no actual proof that he caused her coma. Instead of waiting for breakfast, she grabbed an apple and walked to school. She kept her head down, not wanting to deal with all of the stares. Since she had been in the hospital for such a long time, everyone acted like she was a fragile doll. There were cards taped to her locker, saying encouraging things like Glad you're better! and Missed you!. Riley ripped the cards off of her locker, tossing them into a trash can. Jayden smiled, walking over to her.

"Not a fan of cards today?"

"Nope"

"Are you sure you don't need more time to rest?"

"I'm not going to drop dead in the middle of the hallway, Jay. I'm still a little tired sometimes"

He put his arm around your shoulders. "Well I'm here for you, Ri. Are you up for the dance tonight?"

The school was throwing a 60s decade dance tonight. Though her parents would advise her to rest, she wanted to have fun. She was not going to sit around her house, moping. Entering the History classroom, she agreed to attend the dance. They talked about costume ideas. Her smile faltered as Elena stood in front of her desk.

"Riley, please stop being mad at me. I'm sorry about what happened but…I was only protecting you and everyone else I care about"

"Riley says that she doesn't forgive you" said Jayden.

"She didn't even say anything to you, Jayden"

He shrugged. "I know her like an open book. We can read each other's expressions. Right now, she's saying to leave her alone. I'd listen before you get a book thrown at you"

"Riley, can you just talk to me? I don't want to deal with the silent treatment forever"

Elena noticed Elijah's coat around Riley's chair. Sadness flashed through her eyes. She sat at her desk next to Bonnie.

"So what did she say about him that was so horrible? It wasn't the age thing because I've said that a lot"

"Just drop it, Jay. I don't want to talk about him"

Alaric walked into the classroom, carrying his notebook. Riley felt that chill down her spine again. There was something different about his demeanor. He seemed a bit confused about his surroundings. Dana reminded him that due to the dance, they were discussing the 60s in class. Riley opened her notebook to take notes. Alaric was staring at her, a small smirk on his face. He discussed various events of the 60s.

"The Cuban Missile thing. We uh walked on the moon. Watergate"

"Watergate was the 70s, Ric…uh I mean, Mr. Saltzman" said Elena.

"Right. It all kind of mushes together up here. Thank you, Elena"

During class, Alaric continued to act strange. She wondered if it had to do with Jenna's absence. After her last class, she followed Jayden to his car. Garrett and Cameron were leaning against the car, talking. When he saw Riley, Garrett smiled.

"Hey Ri, I have something to tell you from a guy in school"

"Are you really sinking that low now, Cam? Using friends to get dates?" asked Jayden, throwing his backpack into the trunk.

Cameron shoved his shoulder, shooting him a mocking glare. "I'm not that desperate"

"What guy?" asked Riley, curiously.

"His name's Klaus. He said he can't wait to see you at the dance tonight. He hopes you'll save him a dance under the moonlight. He really wants to meet you face to face" said Garrett.

Jayden snickered, thinking Klaus was some pathetic freshman. Cameron became slightly jealous. During the car ride to her house, he questioned her about Klaus. He did not stop until Jayden threw an empty soda can at his head. Jayden told her that he would pick her up for the dance. It was obvious that Garrett had been compelled by Klaus. She was unsure if he was at the school or somewhere else in town. Damon sent her a text. Dana had also been compelled by Klaus to tell Elena that he would be at the dance. He offered to let her be part of their plan to take down Klaus tonight. She got dressed for the dance, wearing a tie-dye mini dress with a blue headband and white go-go boots.

When she and Jayden arrived at the school, the gym was already packed. Dana was on the stage, putting on a song for Elena. It was supposedly a special dedication from Klaus. They went over to the drinks table. Alaric was standing there.

"Hey Mr. Saltzman"

"Hello…Jayden. Is Riley your date?"

For a brief second, she thought Alaric sounded envious. Jayden shook his head.

"Wh—no. We just came here together"

"Jayden!" she heard, recognizing Alison's voice.

"I'll be right back. Let me just ditch Alison. I'll run into the girl's bathroom so that she gets distracted by the mirrors"

Jayden ran out of the gym. Alison chased after him. Riley suppressed a smile and grabbed a cup of punch. It had already been spiked with vodka. Damon walked towards her, already ruining her fun.

"Hey my favorite shorty. You look very sexy"

She glared, drinking her punch. He pinched her arm.

"Stop with the silent treatment. Ric, tell her that we were just protecting her"

"Why is she mad?" he asked.

"Because of the whole Elijah thing. If you talk to me again, I'll let you see him. You can tell him all about your fun time at the dance"

She was not going to forgive him easily. He taunted that if she still gave him the silent treatment, she could not help with their amazing plan. She simply shrugged.

"Have it your way"

"That special dedication, huh? This guy's a little twisted"

"I'm not impressed" said Damon.

"No?"

"Let me know if you see anything out of whack. If you change your mind, Miss Moody, come find me"

Damon moved through the crowd. Riley stayed by the drinks table. She hoped that Jayden did not have to avoid Alison for the entire night. Cameron had just asked her to dance for the tenth time. After she threatened to rip out his throat, he scowled and went over to a group of ditzy girls.

"Damon was right. You do look very sexy tonight"

She choked on her punch and looked at Alaric. "What?"

"I'm being honest. Would you like to dance?"

"Ric, I'm pretty sure that you would get fired"

"You would be worth it"

"Are you drunk?"

Jayden returned to the table. His plan to ditch Alison had worked and he locked her in the bathroom. He took Riley's hand, bringing her onto the dance floor. The song was for a slow dance. He held her waist.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring Elijah. I mean, he's not in high school but he could've been put down as a chaperone. Damon always gets to be one"

"He uh left town"

"Already? My dad said he was researching for a history book"

"He went to somewhere else for his research. I'm not sure if he's coming back"

"You really liked him, huh?"

"We were just friends, Jay"

Even as she said it, Riley knew that was a lie. She thought about the kiss they shared at the dinner party. They never even had time to talk about their feelings before he was daggered and left in a dirty basement. Tears brimmed her eyes.

"Riley?"

"I need to go to the bathroom. I feel a little sick. I'll be right back"

Riley left the gym. She sat on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. As she calmed herself down, wiping at her eyes, she heard Elena. She, Alaric, and Bonnie were walking around the corner. Elena hurried over to her.

"Riley, we need to find Jeremy. Klaus has him"

"What?"

"Klaus has Jeremy. You should stay with us"

"Don't worry, Riley. I've got you" said Alaric, grabbing her wrist.

Alaric led them through the hallway. Riley could not shake the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It only seemed to happen when she was near him.

"Where's Jeremy?" asked Bonnie, worried.

He chuckled. "I just had to get away from that dance. The 60s…not my decade. I mean, whose call was that anyway? I much prefer the 20s…the style, the parties, the jazz"

Riley moved away from him, confused. Elena believed that he was under compulsion.

"I'll give you a hint. I am not Alaric"

"Klaus" said Elena, frightened.

He grinned. "Surprise"

"N—no, it's not possible"

"Just relax, Elena, you're not on my hit list tonight. But you are" he said, his eyes on Bonnie.

Bonnie used magic to make him slam into the lockers. He merely chuckled, telling them that he had a witch on his side. The witch had strengthened his body so a tiny spell would have no effect on him. Even if they killed Alaric's body, he would possess someone else. Riley, Bonnie, and Elena ran down the hallway. They split up with Bonnie and Elena going one way and Riley running for the gym. She was pushed against the wall. Klaus smirked, his eyes traveling over her body.

"I have to say, I was more excited to meet you than your cousin, Riley. It's nice to put a face to the blood you taste"

He leaned closer to her and sniffed her neck. Her eyes widened in realization. Klaus had been the vampire that attacked her in France. She remembered how the stake barely affected him. Only the Originals could survive a wooden stake. He twirled her hair around his finger.

"It's very hard to forget a girl like you. You've kept me up many nights, thinking about that encounter. When I have my real body, perhaps you'll be more willing to give me another taste"

"I'd rather gouge out my eyes" she hissed.

"Such a feisty girl"

Riley felt a warm sensation in her hand. A ball of blinding white light emerged, striking Klaus. He crashed into the ceiling and fell onto the floor. She ignored the pain in her stomach and ran into the gym. Finding Jayden, she asked him to bring her home. He drove back to her house. Her parents were still at work. She called both of them to warn them about Klaus. Waiting for them, she sat in the living room. Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. It was a call from Elena.

"Hello?"

"H—hey Riley" she said, sniffling.

"Have you been crying?"

Elena told her what had happened at the school with Klaus. Bonnie pretended to die so that Klaus believed no one else could hurt him. At the time, Elena thought she was truly dead. She apologized for daggering Elijah.

"When I saw that you had his coat, I—Riley, I didn't realize…I'm sorry"

"It's okay. I can't stay mad at you forever, especially with Klaus around here. Are you okay?"

"I've been better. Tonight made me realize that Klaus could kill anyone I care about. I'm going to make it up to you"

"Elena, I don't need anything"

"Yes, you do. I'm going to fix it. Be careful"

"You too"

Riley hung up and stayed in the living room, keeping a wooden stake next to her…

A/N: Thanks for reading. The dream that Riley kept having while in her coma is going to be very important. It does relate to her connection with Elijah and Klaus. Now that she knows that Klaus was the one to attack her, it's going to definitely put her on edge since that was the only time that a vampire attacked her. That attack is still in the back of her mind. Klaus tends to be impulsive so he's not going to hide the fact that he wants her blood. It's a big contrast to Elijah, who maintains self control around her.