Klaus-bait.
How the hell did she keep ending up being Klaus-bait?
She was one of the most powerful people in town yet this was what she kept getting retorted to.
Buffy was getting really sick of this role, it was kind of insulting.
Entering The Grill in the gold dress she had stolen from Caroline's wardrobe, Buffy groaned as she twisted her paint-stained fingers around her bracelet.
Why didn't she get to do any violence?
Instead, she had to flirt, this was so not fair.
The only benefit meant that she could get a drink.
Many-many drinks.
With another brief moment of hesitation, Buffy forced herself to slip her jacket from her shoulders as she fully entered the crowded bar.
If Elijah didn't die tonight, she was going to kill him for this.
The second that glint of gold hit his eyes, Klaus momentarily glanced away from Kol and turned his attention to the figure entering the bar.
Buffy.
He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. Not only did she look fantastic in gold but she had paint on her fingertips. That was certainly a new look for her.
She hated painting with oils which could only mean one thing.
After their chat last night, she had painted with water colours, for what was probably the first time since she was 14.
She also seemed to have cut her hair.
It was just grazing her shoulders now, making the backless dress all the more alluring as she turned to speak to one of the staff members, her back to him and Kol.
He was pretty sure it was that human his sister had brought to the ball last night who was now laughing with Buffy.
Kol frowned in confusion at Klaus's abrupt silence.
Turning his head to see what had captured his brother's attention he snorted as he spotted a certain Slayer now walking through the crowd in a short gold dress, her now short curly hair framing her face.
"I must say, she wears that dress well Nik." He teased his still-silent brother as he moved to order another drink "Though, I am sure it would be better suited on the floor. Given the rumors about Slayer muscle control, color me intrigued. I'll let you know if the rumors are true, don't wait up."
The second Kol tried to stand, Klaus yanked him back down into his seat summoning a loud laugh from his younger brother "Say another word and I'll tear out your liver."
Quickly Klaus plastered a nervous smile on his face just as Buffy moved up to the bar and smiled over at the bartender "Hey Leo. Much alcohol needed."
Leo snorted in amusement as he gestured to the array of spirits around him "How bad?"
"Still hungover bad."
"Rum it is." Leo teased before pouring her a fresh glass of rum "It's on me. Hey, is your friend Bonnie single yet?"
Buffy rolled her eyes as she took her drink raising her to her lips, still ignoring the pair of brothers watching her closely from further along the bar "Ask her yourself."
"Why do I let you sit next to me in class again? And send you the assignments when you skip? Which is a lot."
Leo was one of the few old Mystic Falls residents that went to Whitmore. He had been in a few of her classes during High School and was the only one in the whole senior class that hadn't thought she was going to set everyone on fire and now they both took Art History together "Because the guys on the football team are scared of me."
He laughed "Very true supergirl."
Buffy shook her head in amusement and turned her focus back to her drink as Leo was forced to get back to work.
It was a Saturday night after all.
The busiest night at The Grill.
The second, Leo had moved away though, Klaus drew her attention.
"Buffy."
Buffy sighed and downed her drink before focusing on Kol first "Give it." She ordered causing him to laugh but without much complaint handing over one of the many shots laid out in front of him.
Downing the shot in one gulp, Buffy slammed the glass back on the table before focusing on Klaus "You not dead yet?"
He grinned at her teasingly "Don't sound so excited love."
"Sorry just waiting to dance on your grave."
Klaus chuckled before raising a glass toward her "Join us for a drink?"
Buffy just quirked an eyebrow "And interrupt brother bonding night?"
"Oh please take him." Kol begged teasingly "He is such a bore." Standing Kol tapped his brother on the shoulder before leaning over to Buffy, a little too close for comfort given the way his lips grazed her ear "When you find yourself bored, come find me, darling."
"Sod off Kol!"
Kol chuckled before winking playfully and making his way over to the pool table while Buffy took her seat beside Klaus "How long is he going to keep doing that?"
"He is trying to infuriate me. It's a younger sibling trait as you well know." Klaus told her as he handed over his drink to her, while he grabbed the one Kol had left for himself.
Buffy laughed before clinking her glass with his "You are not wrong there."
Given all of the trouble her younger sibling had caused today, Buffy was seriously starting to miss the stage in her life when Elena had just been considered her cousin.
Being an older sibling was exhausting!
Klaus smiled in amusement as she scutched up her face in disgust at the taste of his scotch before slowly her features relaxed and the harsh taste settled in. She was getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.
"You cut your hair."
Buffy's hand automatically moved to her much shorted curly locks, she hadn't expected Klaus to be the kind of guy to notice something like that.
Buffy was pretty sure Damon had only noticed because his nickname supply for her was being affected.
"Yeah.." She whispered as she twisted the charm Sandra had given between her fingertips "Needed a change."
"It looks nice." The fact that he seemed nervous complimenting her, had Buffy grinning slightly.
She hated the fact it was slightly adorable.
"So how much of the town's supply of booze have you and Kol drained tonight?" She asked as he started to refill her glass, this time with a bottle of rum given that it was her selected drink for the evening.
Klaus chuckled slightly as he nursed his own drink "Only half so far. Just warning it may take a few centuries for you to have that kind of tolerance." Spotting the offended look on her face he just laughed "Love shall I remind you of our night drinking bourbon? I had to drive you home."
Buffy hid her face in her hands at the memory.
It was the night when she had freaked out after being back at college for the first time. After her fight with Damon, she had ended up with Klaus, drinking a lot of the night away. She had been tripping over her own feet after their first bottle of bourbon and he to drive her jeep back to the Gilbert house.
Luckily, he had disappeared before Giles could even question who had gotten her home.
Though, if she hadn't been throwing up, Buffy had a feeling Giles would have dug a bit further for information.
"Oh please don't remind me."
"You scratched me for even daring to touch your car keys." He teased.
Buffy laughed, before downing her rum in one gulp "Not my fault. Protective over that car. It was my mom's."
Jeremy and Stefan were still the only two people who were allowed to drive it. Elena was forbidden given she had crashed the car once already.
Klaus smiled slightly as he spotted the faint touch of pink filling her cheeks. She was blushing and it was the most adorable thing he had seen.
However, his smile faltered as he spotted a set of eyes glaring at him from across the bar.
Alaric Saltzman looked ready to skin him alive.
"You have eyes on you." He whispered as he leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
Buffy frowned in confusion and turned her head only to sigh as she spotted Alaric and Meditch watching her. Alaric had that full over-protective fatherly glare on his face. The same one Giles had been wearing the second he met Stefan on her 18th birthday.
Rolling her eyes, Buffy picked up another shot downing it with one gulp "Great. Spies."
She could only imagine that Damon had sent Alaric to make sure that Klaus and she weren't left alone for too long.
Was she never going to be allowed a moment without eyes watching her constantly in this town?
Sensing her annoyance and frustration as her body tensed up, Klaus purposely glanced over at Kol, subtly nudging his head in Alaric and Meredith's attention before gesturing to Buffy.
Kol smirked playfully before bowing.
He was going to owe Kol later, Klaus could feel it.
But he would suffer through that, he just wanted to help Buffy regain that relaxed demeanor that had instantly vanished when she realized she was once again being monitored.
"How about some fresh air?"
Buffy couldn't help but nod, truthfully, that sounded like a fab idea right now. Not only was she supposed to be playing distraction, but she was starting to have some fun and she couldn't enjoy herself for even a moment if Alaric kept watching her ready to get in the middle at any point.
"You know what, it couldn't hurt."
Klaus grinned before placing a hand on the small of Buffy's back, leading her to the exit just as Kol started to hover around Alaric causing his attention to finally shift off Buffy and onto the other Original in the bar.
Finally, the two of them were alone.
Just as they stepped outside, Buffy shivered realizing that she had left her jacket inside. Rubbing her arms she tried to force the sudden cold washing over her skin to the back of her mind only to jump in shock as a jacket was suddenly draped around her shoulders.
"What are you doing?" She asked Klaus, her eyes glued to him as he merely smiled and continued to place his jacket over her shoulders.
What the hell was happening right now?!
"You're cold, you don't feed on blood, and your body isn't constantly warmed by it."
Buffy sputtered slightly before shrugging in defeat. She was cold, so screw it. Slipping her arms through the sleeves of his jacket, she walked beside him as they slowly moved across the street, toward the nearby park.
The same place where she had told him the truth about being in heaven.
"Your painting again." Spotting her confusion, Klaus just nudged her playfully before purposely grabbing her hand which caused her to freeze "You have paint on your fingers. What spurred it on?"
Gulping at the familiar warmth that spread through her at the feel of his hands on her, Buffy cleared her throat before shrugging as she pulled away from his hold "Early birthday gift." She admitted as they slowly approached the same bench they had sat on together all those months ago "I have someone I go see, kind of like a fairy godmother. After me and Rebekah separated at like 8 am, my fairy godmother came and got me. She had to drag my drunk ass out of the taxi."
Klaus laughed as he gestured for her to sit.
She did.
"Speaking of, please never lend my sister your clothes again." He requested as he moved to sit beside her "It was incredibly disturbing to see my little sister in leather trousers and a corset."
Buffy giggled at the utter horror on his face.
"So do I get to see your first solo attempt at painting in six years?"
His question, instantly broke through her giggles and she frantically started shaking her head in panic.
The action just caused Klaus to smile brighter.
"Nope!" She announced loudly "No way."
"What did you paint?" He asked, deciding to focus on that rather than seeing the piece itself. Clearly, she was self-conscious about her painting, even more so than her sketches.
Not that he could blame her given what she had revealed to him last night.
"The view from her roof." Buffy admitted, a small fond smile making its way onto her face as she allowed her mind to drift to all of the times she had hidden on that roof after moving to Williamsburg.
It had become her hidden space away from everything else.
Klaus paused momentarily as he spotted the look on her face. It was one he had seen in his own reflection once or twice. When you found somewhere special, that granted you momentary peace.
"A hidden spot? Away from the world."
Buffy froze before glancing at him only to gulp as her eyes met his "Yeah." She whispered softly before forcing herself to focus on her bracelet.
Those eyes of his drove her crazy!
She hated it!
Sensing she didn't want to speak about it, Klaus leaned back against the bench and just gazed up at the stars above them "We all have them. Places where everything fades away. I had one in the forest as a child."
Buffy smiled softly, it was still so weird for her to imagine Klaus as an actual human kid. If anything she would have guessed he busted out of an egg fully grown and furious at the world "I like heights." She admitted, "I feel at peace when I am seeing everything."
Ironically, despite the fact leaping off a tower had killed her, it hadn't changed the peace she felt when she was high up.
If anything it had just made her feel more alive.
She was able to relieve that brief moment of peace she had felt in the final moments of her human life.
"Thank you." She whispered suddenly causing him to frown "For the painting of me and my mom." She quickly clarified.
A lot of her photos were still in storage so it was nice to have something she could look at in those moments where she started to feel like she was forgetting what her mother looked like.
"You're welcome." Klaus whispered back, not really used to being thanked for something.
It was a weird sensation that he wasn't familiar with.
"Have you thought any more about my offer?" He asked, desperate to focus on anything else other than this strange feeling forming in his chest the longer he looked at her.
While his feelings for Buffy were there, the more time together they spent, the more intense those feelings grew.
The feeling starting to form in his chest was terrifying.
Buffy let out a loud laugh, it was an ironic thing for him to ask given the events that had occurred today "I think after the day I have had, you may have to ask me again in a couple decades."
**
Keeping Alaric distracted long enough to allow Buffy and his brother the chance to escape from watchful eyes had quickly shifted to flirting with Alaric's date, Meredith.
As Kol continued to harass Meredith, Alaric just kept clenching his fists waiting for the perfect moment to stab the guy and get this over with.
First, Kol had purposely distracted him forcing his attention off Buffy and Klaus and then he had started messing with Meredith.
Alaric hated this whole damn family!
"Let's try that again." Kol said with a smirk as he watched the sexy doctor playing pool while continuing to blow him off "I'll start. I'm Kol."
Meredith merely rolled her eyes as she bent over, preparing to shoot again "Why don't you get lost, Kol?"
"And why would I do that? I like pretty little things with sharp tongues."
Moving up behind her as she turned around to face him he attempted to touch her face only for her to slap his hand away in disgust.
Alaric took that as his cue.
He walked up behind Kol looking more forward to this than he should be "Pretty sure she told you to get lost."
Kol chuckled "I'm pretty sure I don't care."
As Kol turned around prepared to rip Alaric's head off, Alaric shocked him by stabbing him right through the heart with the dagger.
"Next time, take a hint."
**
Carefully applying a bandage to Xander's head, Elena ran a hand through his hair as concern swam through her. She had finally managed to get him to wake back up, but keeping him conscious was harder than expected.
His blood-covered face kept drifting to the side.
He had to stay awake.
The sudden gasp of pain from behind her caused Elena to spin around. Her eyes widened in shock as she spotted Rebekah's skin beginning to grey before she collapsed to the ground.
It was like she had been daggered.
Elena not taking a second to worry about what had happened, focused on Xander. Quickly she wrapped his arm over his shoulder and yanked him back up.
They had to move!
Now!
This might be their only chance.
"Xander come on we gotta move now."
**
"It is not funny!"
Klaus, despite how much he tried to just couldn't stop laughing. Biting his lip he quickly held up his hands in surrender "Of course not." He mumbled through laughs.
Buffy groaned before slapping his shoulder "It was a spell gone wrong."
"Wind beneath my wings?" Klaus sputtered out before another loud laugh escaped him "For your first dance. Truly perfect love."
Clearly, her slip-up about telling Klaus about her planning a wedding with Spike had been a terrible idea.
As a pout started to form on her face, Klaus found himself laughing louder. This was the most he had laughed in centuries.
However, a sudden sharp pain in his chest caused the laughter to come to an abrupt halt.
Something was wrong.
Gasping as he grasped his chest, Klaus clenched his jaw before shifting his gaze to Buffy, she had to know something, he was sure of it.
He was wrong.
The second his eyes landed on Buffy, he froze as he was met with a sight that terrified him to his very core.
NO!
No, no, no.
This was not happening right now.
"Buffy?" He whispered in panic as he spotted the blood seeping from her nose.
Buffy just gasped in agony as she clutched her chest, blood starting to fill her lungs to the point of suffocation.
What the hell was happening?
She had felt a strong piercing pain in her heart and then it had felt like she was drowning in her blood.
Coughing violently, blood spilled from her lips.
"Nik—" She sputtered out through her coughs of blood.
It wasn't just her nose bleeding anymore.
Blood was slowly starting to pour from her eyes at a steady pace.
Just as her skin started to grey, vibrant black veins appearing her skin, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, Klaus quickly caught her before she could slam her head into the side of the bench.
NO!
"Buffy!" He exclaimed as he quickly wiped the blood from her lips.
Slowly it started to click in his brain what had happened.
Her life was currently connected to his until her transformation was complete.
Tying her life to his own had been the only way to ensure that she didn't spend decades dead letting nature take its course.
If he had not forced Miguel to do that spell, Buffy would still be dead for a minimum of two more decades until she woke up naturally.
And the only way for her to be suffering like this had to mean that something was making him feel the effects of the dagger, and in exchange Buffy.
The problem was, it was the demon side of her responding to the magical dagger and as her transformation wasn't yet complete, the demon side of her couldn't fight off the effects of the dagger completely.
She wasn't strong enough yet.
She wasn't a vampire so it wouldn't put her to sleep, technically it shouldn't be able to affect her at all, just like him. But given her body wasn't truly immersed with her power yet, her demon side was responding negatively to the mix of dark magic and her Original's side was trying to desiccate as his siblings would do under the effects.
There were two different parts of her fighting for control.
"I'll fix this love. I'll fix you." With that, he picked Buffy up into his arms, wincing slightly at the painful moan that escaped her.
Her body may be desiccated but she was still conscious.
She could feel all of it.
As her head collapsed against his chest, soft whimpers escaping her, Klaus adjusted her in his arms, making sure she was as comfortable as possible "I won't let this happen to you."
He needed to find Kol.
**
"Come on Xand." Elena hissed as the two of them stumbled through the caves.
They had no way of knowing how long it would take for Rebekah to wake back up so they needed to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible.
"Elena." Xander muttered weakly before sighing "Go without me, I'll slow you down."
The suggestion caused Elena's eyes to widen in horror. Quickly she turned to Xander ignoring how close they were standing as she placed a hand on his cheek "I'm not gonna leave you. We're in this together. Okay?"
Xander hesitated before smiling weakly and kissing the top of her forehead "You're pretty amazing Gilbert."
Elena chuckled "I know." She teased with a smile before the two continued running. Hopefully, they would find somewhere to hide or a way to escape soon.
Because Elena had this feeling they were running out of time.
**
"Here. Grab him." Alaric grunted out as he struggled to drag Kol's body outside into the alleyway where Stefan and Damon were waiting for him.
"Tell the sexy doctor good work." Damon said with a smirk before pausing "Where's Buffy, still with Klaus?"
"As far as I'm aware. They left a while ago, Kol was purposely distracting me." Alaric hissed out as he glared at the Original's body. He hated the fact that Klaus had gotten his brother to momentarily take his focus off Buffy.
Part of the reason he had agreed to dagger Kol was so he could make sure Klaus didn't try anything with Buffy.
Stefan sighed in concern.
They had no way of knowing if Klaus had felt the effects of the dagger and if he had then he would likely turn on Buffy, assuming she had something to do with it.
"I'll find her." Stefan decided but just as he moved to leave and go track down Buffy and Klaus, he froze.
Klaus was standing at the top of the staircase holding a figure in his arms who was gasping every few seconds in agony.
Without letting go of his protective grip on the figure in his arms, Klaus sped forward and shoved Alaric down before yanking the dagger out of Kol's chest.
All with one hand.
"Hello, boys." Klaus hissed as he finally turned to glance between Damon and Stefan, purposely stepping into the light allowing them the chance to see just exactly who was in his arms.
Buffy.
"Buffy." Stefan breathed in panic before running at Klaus who swiftly threw him to the side before turning to Damon.
"I should have killed you years ago."
"Do it." Damon hissed with a shrug while keeping a worried eye on the blonde who was still bleeding and gasping in Klaus's arms.
Taking the dagger out of Kol hadn't changed her condition.
"That's not gonna stop Esther from killing you. So just give me back my Slayer and we can forget about this."
Klaus just glared at Damon furiously before carefully placing Buffy on the floor, making sure that she was leaning comfortably against the wall.
The second he was sure she wouldn't topple over, Klaus had Damon pinned up against the wall by his throat "What did you say about my mother?"
"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy?" Damon joked just hoping either his brother or Alaric would wake up soon and get Buffy out of here "Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do."
Just as Klaus moved to rip his head off a certain Original brother interrupted the pair.
"Leave him!"
Klaus groaned and turned to face his elder brother who was now standing at the top of the stairs.
Elijah always had to ruin his fun.
"We still need him, Niklaus."
"What did mother do?" Klaus asked as he moved to pick Buffy back up shoving Damon into a wall when he tried to get to her first "What did she do, Elijah? It's affecting her. The transformation isn't complete yet."
Elijah had been worried this might happen.
Kol coughed loudly as he finally awoke and started to climb back up onto his feet "This is what happens if you intervene with magic brother." He explained as he focused on Klaus "You woke her too early, this a consequence. Magic always has a price."
Given Kol knew more about magic than any of them, Elijah listened to his words intently before turning his focus to Buffy.
Blood was still pouring from her eyes, soft gasps escaping her chest as she leaned against Klaus.
"It hasn't stopped. Kol?"
"She is not yet what she is meant to be." Kol explained, a small huff escaping him.
If he hadn't been daggered for a hundred years he could have warned them this would happen if Buffy was forcibly resurrected too soon.
He was the only one who had found demons fascinating in their youth, he knew more than any of them!
"Two sides fighting for dominance. Pretty simple actually. She will heal, in a matter of hours if you stop what mother is doing. The magic linking us is messing with her transformation. Her body is confused and is now latching onto the most recent shift in energy. Us being daggered sent a shockwave through her system and now all her body can do is focus on the most familiar magic. The most recent piece of magic to touch her. When Mother clearly linked us all together. The magic Mother is probably about to channel to kill us. How fun."
When both Elijah and Klaus just stared at him confused, Kol groaned in frustration.
These people knew nothing about magic!
How did they seriously ever question why he preferred Marianna over the lot of them?
He could actually have a conversation with her without having to break down every little detail as one would do for a small child.
"Too many types of dark magic twisting around each other. Basically, she's tangled. The magic Mother is channeling from the Bennett line is the most recent and strongest. The demon side of her that is not finished forming is trying to fight against that while also trying to keep her alive. It's confused and strained because someone was impatient and had her brought back too early!"
Klaus sent him a sharp glare which Kol ignored "She cannot be shaken from this state until the link with the Bennetts is out of her system. Her body can only handle so much magic. We stop Mother's spell, it calms her demon side down enough to start healing and refocusing on bonding with the magic from the spell that turned us. She is supposed to be a Demon-Original hybrid. Because reminder! The demon essence that was used to create the Slayer was resistant to ancestral magic. It's why Slayers can't be compelled. Am I the only one that did any research?!"
Elijah exhaled deeply before glancing at his youngest brother "Call Marianna." He ordered and Kol didn't need to be told twice.
He had helped explain the problem and was officially bored. His word here was done.
He was gone in less than a second.
With one brother dealt with Elijah shifted his gaze to Klaus. For a moment, Elijah faltered as he simply watched Klaus continue to stare down at Buffy.
He had never seen his brother so worried.
At that moment it was obvious.
Klaus was in love with Buffy.
Perhaps there was hope for his brother after all.
As he continued to watch his brother hold onto Buffy, Elijah felt his anger grow. He would not watch his brother be forced to watch the woman he so clearly loved die as he held her in his arms.
NO.
Turning to Damon, Elijah growled slightly.
Gone was the honorable brother, instead replaced by a furious monster who had spilled probably just as much blood as Kol.
"You tell me where the witches are, or not only will Buffy die but I will have my sister kill Elena and Alexander right now."
Stefan who was finally returning to the land of the conscious, shifted his gaze to Buffy. Every whimper of pain that escaped her had him ready to fall apart "What's happening to her?"
Klaus growled and carefully handed Buffy to Elijah.
With Buffy safely rested in Elijah's arms, Klaus focused back on Stefan. In an instant he had Stefan up against the wall, his hand buried inside of his chest wrapped tightly around his heart "You did this. All of you. She is bonded to me. If I die she dies with us. And the dagger may not affect me but it affected her. You did this to her!"
"Niklaus!" Elijah snapped, now wasn't the time for this "Take Buffy-Anne, we are running out of time to fix this and save her."
Klaus just groaned before shoving Stefan away and making his way back over to Buffy. Carefully taking her back into his arms he positioned her head carefully against his shoulder as she let out a small cry, blood now starting to spill from her ears "Shh, love, it's okay. I'll fix this."
Damon clenched his jaw before glancing at the clock, it was only 8.30 "You told us we had until after 9."
"That was before you daggered Kol and forced my hand. Consider the schedule changed. I'm sure Rebekah would be more than happy to start her work early."
**
"You can't hide humans!"
Rebekah was awake.
They were out of time.
As they panicked and ran faster, Elena tripped but Xander quickly picked her back up allowing her to hold onto him this time.
The adrenaline was really starting to kick in.
"Not sure why I'm feeling under the weather. Must be B's boys trying to find a loophole. Won't matter. I could chase you both down on my worst day."
"Really don't like this girl." Xander mumbled as he helped Elena up and the two began running again before finally, Elena found the exact spot she had been looking for.
The one place in these caves that Rebekah couldn't enter.
"In there!" Elena yelled pushing Xander toward the entrance only for Rebekah to grab her from behind.
Elena grunted before slamming her head back into Rebekah's causing the blonde to drop her right into the cave room and straight into Xander's arms.
Instantly, Xander pulled her close, the two of them stumbling back from the entrance.
Out of Rebekah's reach.
Rebekah grunted as she rubbed her nose before glaring down at the couple "You little bitch, well at least you two can die together."
Rebekah grinned evilly before moving toward them only to slam against an invisible force causing Elena to smirk knowingly.
They had made it into the Lockwood crypt.
"Sorry, no vampires allowed."
**
"Shhh camena." Klaus whispered softly as sat on the edge of his bed beside Buffy who was still gasping in pain.
This was probably the first time he had ever seen Buffy truly helpless, unable to fight against what was happening.
A terrifying feeling once again appeared in his chest as he was forced to do nothing but watch on as Buffy gasped in complete and utter agony.
He knew what the feeling was deep down.
It just wasn't something he was ready to acknowledge...at least not out loud.
As Buffy whimpered again, Klaus sighed before carefully wiping the fresh blood from her eyes once again. The serum Marianna had given him had slowed the bleeding but it was wearing off quickly.
Blood just kept pouring.
While he wouldn't admit it out loud yet, he knew he did love Buffy, or at least he was growing too.
She was unlike anyone he had ever met.
Since the second he had finally met her person he had seen a spark in her, which he had never expected. And their time in Bakersfield together had just drawn him all the more in.
Kol's comments about just how tied Buffy was to him because of his choice to have her resurrected before she was meant to be, did have him curious.
Despite lashing out at Stefan and Damon, if Buffy was being this affected by just a simple dagger, it meant she had to be more tied to him than expected.
Just how early had he awakened her?
How long was she actually meant to remain dead until nature deemed her ready to wake on her own?
Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Klaus grabbed the silver dagger he had yanked out of Kol's chest and pressed the tip against his finger.
Sure enough, the second blood started to spill, an identical wound appeared on Buffy's finger.
Klaus sighed before kissing her finger softly. Despite the consequences, he didn't regret haven woken early.
After she had told him about heaven it had only strengthened his resolve that waking her early was the right thing to do.
A few months in heaven was nothing compared to decades or possibly centuries in heaven only to be torn out.
"I will do everything in my power to bring you back love."
**
"So how do we know they're gonna be at the old witch house?" Damon asked as he and Stefan pulled up outside the old witch house where so much had happened.
Buffy had lived here, Jeremy had died here, Bonnie had become uber-witch here.
Why did it always have to be this damn house?
Stefan just sighed.
He wanted this over with as quickly as possible because right now Klaus had Buffy who was possibly dying "We don't, but if they're not, then we have about ten minutes till Rebekah tears Elena and Xander apart and—"
"15 minutes before Buffy dies with the rest of the Originals." Damon finished the terror of the idea evident in his voice as well.
They had just gotten her back...they couldn't lose her again.
Damon clenched his jaw before glancing at his brother "You know what Buffy would want."
"To save Elena and Xander. Tyler would still be in a coma if he is tied to Klaus but he would be alive. She would die if it meant all three of them survived and meant we didn't have to do this."
Buffy would never put her own life above the people she cared for.
She would happily die for Elena again, she would die to make sure Bonnie and Abby didn't become vampires, she would die to make sure Xander survived and she would die to make sure Caroline didn't lose the boy she loved.
The problem was, neither Damon nor Stefan had it in them to let Buffy die again.
"She would want us to let her and the Originals die." Stefan sighed before running a shaky hand through his hair "But I'm not about to watch her die again. Especially not in Klaus's arms."
"Then we agree." Damon said with a nod and while neither would admit it, they were both so terrified of the idea of losing Buffy that they would do anything to save her.
Even this.
Damon paused and glanced at Stefan seriously "Elena's your friend...if you do this...she'll hate you."
"And if you do this you will break all the progress you made with her as a friend and Buffy. You two are already on the rocks, this might destroy your friendship for good."
There was a very good chance that if Damon was the one to do this, that would be the destruction of his friendship with Buffy.
Stefan sighed as the two of them sat side by side in silence. Neither one of them wanted to do this because honestly, it wasn't about Elena, it was about the fact Buffy may never look at the person who would kill her best friend's mother to save her life the same again.
"So who's it gonna be, brother?"
Damon sighed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a coin "Heads I do it, tails you do it."
**
"He gave me false visions." Xander whispered as he and Elena sat in the corner of the cave away from Rebekah's view.
Given they were stuck here, there wasn't much else to do but chat.
Hence why Xander was finally opening up. He was ready to admit what had happened on his wedding day.
The whole of it.
Elena frowned in confusion from her place beside him.
What the hell was he talking about?
"What?"
Xander sighed as he rubbed his shaky hands together. Admitting this was harder than he had expected this to be "A demon came to me on my wedding day, said he was me, from the future. Showed me all these visions of my future with Anya...and even though they weren't real when I saw her, I knew I couldn't marry her...I just couldn't."
Elena nodded before looking at him sympathetically, she couldn't help but feel for him, he had been through so much lately "Xander, if you had married her then you would both have been miserable...I'm not saying what you did was okay...but maybe it was for the best."
Xander smiled slightly before finally, he found himself wanting to admit something else to the beauty in front of him.
If he was going to die here then he didn't want to die without telling Elena the truth.
"Look Elena, the visions aren't the only reason I couldn't go through with it...Elena I—"
Suddenly, the two of them found themselves covered in a cold liquid that almost smelled like...lighter fluid.
Their conversation was long forgotten.
Elena gasped and jumped up before turning to Rebekah who was throwing gasoline all over the cave entrance "What are you doing!"
"Thought I'd shake things up a bit."
"Are you insane?!"
"I prefer spontaneous." Rebekah teased before she started throwing matches into the room causing Elena and Xander to back up to avoid being sent up in flames.
They were so screwed right now.
**
In the middle of the forest just outside the house where 100's of witches died, Finn stood in the middle of the circle drawn by Esther and the Bennett witches ready to sacrifice himself while the witches stood around the circle ready to begin to spell.
However, before they could begin Finn turned to his mother in a panic "They're coming, mother."
He could hear them coming.
They were running out of time.
Esther's eyes widened in panic, this couldn't be happening, they were going to ruin everything!
The moon wasn't full yet, they needed more time.
"No. It's too soon. The moon is not high enough." Turning to the Bennett witches she gestured toward the house "Go quickly."
Just as Bonnie turned to follow her mother, her eyes widened as she spotted the three Original brothers and Mary moving toward them.
That wasn't what had her worried though.
It was the familiar blonde face resting in Klaus's arms.
"Buffy?" She whispered only for Abby to drag her inside the house, too far away to do anything to help save her best friend.
"My sons, daughter, come forward." Esther said as she walked inside the circle of salt to stand beside Finn. Slowly, her eyes landed on the figure lying in Klaus's arms.
It was a shame such a kind soul had to suffer just because she had been tied to her son.
"Niklaus I'm sorry. I was hoping it wouldn't affect her."
Lie.
"You will be sorry if she doesn't survive." Klaus growled out knowing that his mother was lying. She had spent a thousand years on The Other Side watching them all, including Buffy. There was no way she hadn't known this would happen.
Kol snorted and purposely nudged Mary who was standing beside him "Look at that Mari. We're stuck out here while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn."
Esther merely shook her head in disappointment at her youngest son "Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."
"Or he just doesn't know any better because he spent 900 years in a box." Mary argued with a roll of her eyes "How many times did you dive into his mind in preparation for this moment from The Other Side? I mean you had to be doing something considering that Finn suddenly speaks bloody perfect English!"
When Esther narrowed her gaze at the witch, Elijah clenched his jaw tightly drawing his mother's attention "Whatever you think of us, killing your own children and an innocent young woman, who has done nothing but protect this world, would be an atrocity."
Esther just sighed and purposely glanced over at the blonde currently laying in Niklaus' arms "She died already. Her being on this earth is torture for her."
Klaus tensed up his gaze narrowing.
His mother did not get to speak about that.
It was none of her concern.
"I am doing her right here. My only regret is that I didn't help her sooner...and I didn't let you die a thousand years ago. The spirits wouldn't want her gone if she wasn't bound to this family."
"Enough." Klaus hissed "All this talk is boring me. You have put someone I care about in danger Mother. End this now. Or I'll send you back to hell."
Esther remained unaffected by his threat as she took a step forward reaching the edge of the circle, though being mindful to never cross the barrier.
The second she did she was dead, she knew that.
"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you, felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood, including the blood of the woman you claim to love Niklaus. Even you Elijah with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you...you're a curse on this earth stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your lives...I'm sorry. You've wasted your time."
**
Bonnie was officially panicked.
Why was Buffy with Klaus? Why did she look half-dead?
What the hell was happening right now?!
Hearing a creak behind her, Bonnie spun around only to frown in confusion. Abby was nowhere in sight. She had been behind her just a moment ago.
"Abby?"
Another creak in the floor caused Bonnie to gasp only to turn and find Stefan standing in front of her with a panicked look in his eyes.
For a moment, Bonnie sighed in relief "Stefan, what's going on? Why is Buffy with Klaus?"
"Buffy and Klaus are linked. When Esther linked Klaus with his siblings it meant Buffy was linked as well. Plus, it turns out according to Willow and Tara it is very likely that if Klaus dies so do the hybrids. Tyler dies. Willow found a way to keep him safe but when we daggered Kol it had an effect on Buffy. Just using those daggers can kill a supernatural creature, imagine having to feel the effects of being stabbed through the heart without the Original's resistance to it. We need to stop Esther before Buffy dies and so do Elena and Xander."
"Wait...Elena and Xander?" Bonnie sputtered unable to even think of how to process this link between Buffy and Klaus.
First Tyler would die, then Buffy, and now Elena and Xander.
What the hell was happening right now?
Stefan nodded "They took them. Rebekah is going to kill them. We have to stop Esther."
Bonnie too overwhelmed with emotions of worry and panic for her friends just shook her head, it was too late. There was nothing she could do which means she was about to lose both of her best friends.
She knew they should have told Buffy the truth!
Goddammit!
"God, Stefan, I—I can't stop her. She's channeling us."
Stefan sighed and looked down at her sadly "Bonnie if you can't stop her...I have to find another way."
Bonnie's eyes widened in panic "Stefan, no." She gasped before turning to run only for him to block her path "Stefan what are you going to do, even if you kill us, Esther's channeling every witch in our ancestry living and dead."
"Esther's drawing from the witches and the only way to cut her off is if one of you is no longer a witch."
**
"No!" Esther gasped suddenly as the flames around the circle started to go crazy "Sisters, do not abandon me!"
Mary chuckled "It's just a shame you are not being the one turned mother."
As the protection spell started to falter, Finn panicked as he spotted Marianna getting closer to them. Once the spell was completely gone, Marianna would destroy them with a wave of her wrist.
So in a moment of pure panic, Finn grabbed Esther and sped off into the night.
Mary groaned in annoyance "You cowardly ponce!" She called into the darkness.
Buffy gasped loudly.
In an instant, Klaus's focus was once again on Buffy. They had brought her with them for a reason. To make sure that stopping the spell and severing the link would work.
It had.
While Buffy was weak she was finally conscious and the color was slowly returning to her face as the grey vanished.
Kol grinned smugly "Told you so." He teased before grabbing Marianna's hand and the pair of them disappeared into the wind.
Barely hearing his brother's words, Klaus remained focused on Buffy as he carefully crouched down onto the floor Buffy still pressed up against his chest.
Blinking open her eyes, Buffy winced at the light of the moon before looking up at Klaus in confusion.
What the hell had happened?
"Klaus?" She whispered weakly.
Her body was just so tired, almost dying really took it out of a gal.
Klaus couldn't help but smile "You're alright love. Just wanted to see if it worked for myself."
Barely able to understand what he was saying Buffy just nodded sleepily, she could feel her eyes starting to flutter shut again.
She was exhausted.
But weirdly, she had never felt more comfortable, even if it was in his arms "Get me out of here."
"As you wish."
**
"You two can come out now." Rebekah told Xander and Elena before sighing in disappointment.
She had really been looking forward to killing them both.
"Seems like my brother is linked to your sister."
"Wait what?" Elena sputtered in confusion while Xander turned to Rebekah, given that he had been unconscious during Elijah's whole you don't know everything comment to Elena, he was unable to start putting the pieces together.
"What does that mean?"
"It means, if Klaus dies so does she. It's ironic isn't it, Elena?" Rebekah mocked, her eyes glued to Elena's guilty face "You lied to her to keep her safe yet almost signed her death sentence and your friend Tyler's. Buffy spent all day having to figure out how to keep the hybrid safe with no idea that her own sister had sentenced her to die. Remind me, why did she sacrifice her life for you again?"
In Rebekah's mind, Elena was more trouble than she was worth.
Buffy had already given up her life to save Elena once and clearly Buffy was going to continue living like a bodyguard for as long as Elena was alive.
Elena took a shaky breath, that was all kinds of bad.
Buffy being linked to Klaus could get them all in a lot of trouble, and now apparently Tyler might die too.
How had everything gotten so screwed up?
"How did they do it?"
Rebekah couldn't help the small smirk that made its way onto her face "Damon turned your witch friend's mother into a vampire."
Abby Bennett was currently in transition.
"What?!"
"Quite clever actually, they needed to sever the witch line, and well, you can't be a witch and a vampire. In any case, you're free to go."
**
"Are they safe?"
Stefan nodded as he stood in Damon's doorway "Xander and Elena are home...Klaus dropped Buffy off, she's sleeping downstairs. She was a bit shaken up but she will be okay. She's finally healing."
Damon nodded before grabbing the towel and drying his wet hands "Good. All's right in the world again."
Grabbing his drink he moved to head into his bathroom but Stefan blocked his path "I lost that coin toss, Damon. Should have been me who turned Abby. Why'd you do it?"
"It is my fault Buffy and I are not talking. Not yours." Damon admitted "And I would rather see her with you than Klaus. Plus, you know Elena is your friend and all. I can't really stand her judgy personality."
Stefan could do nothing but stare at Damon in shock.
Damon was actually accepting responsibility for his actions. It was a nice thing to see. It was nice to see Damon actually growing without being forced into it.
"Thank you, I know that must have been hard for you." Stefan whispered before smiling awkwardly at his brother "You're not fooling anyone. I saw the look in your eyes when we saw Buffy. You still love her, so thank you."
"I do love her." Damon wasn't going to deny that.
He would probably always be a little bit in love with Buffy and if she ever turned around and wanted to jump his bones in no way was he going to say no.
He wasn't insane!
"But she's my best friend. And that's what she needs me to be. I love her enough to just be that." And with that, Damon walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, leaving Stefan to ponder what to do now.
Damon wasn't going after Buffy anymore.
So what was he supposed to do now?
**
Glancing down at the drawing he had done of Buffy, Klaus couldn't help but smile.
He knew now that he had a chance.
The way she had held onto him when she thought she was dying, the way she had looked at him for help.
She felt something for him.
And once he was sure this link between them was severed and she would be safe he would show her the world, although it may take some convincing.
And probably an entire hybrid army dedicated to keeping Elena and Jeremy alive.
His smile quickly faded as he heard his youngest sister enter the room "I thought you'd have gone by now. Elijah is leaving. Kol and Marianna have fled for some magic tour in Italy. Esther and Finn are gone, too."
Rebekah just nodded and glanced down at his brother's sketches.
Her eyes quickly focused on the one of their mother.
It was one of the sketches Klaus was planning on throwing in the fire.
"I hated you when I learned you killed our mother...but I realize now that after a thousand years together as a family you're the one who never left me."
At her words, Klaus finally glanced up from his sketchpad "Well, aren't we a pair?"
Instead of answering straight away, Rebekah pulled out her phone. She needed to show him the video she had taken of Elena and Xander in the cave when she was torturing and taunting them.
She needed to show him what she had found.
It was safe to say her friendship with Buffy may be strained for a little while after today's events.
"There's something I think you need to see."
"Come to brag about your skills as a torturer?" He joked as he took the phone from her.
"Look at the images on the wall behind the annoying human couple. The natives told the story of our family history. Look at the images on the far wall."
Klaus merely frowned in confusion "What is it?"
"A native worshipping at the great white oak tree."
"And?" Klaus still wasn't seeing her point "We burnt that tree to the ground."
"Look at the markings that precede it. That's the native calendar. A white oak tree 300 years after we fled back to the old world. There must have been a sapling. A new tree to replace the old. That tree could kill us. It's not over Nik."
**
"Here drink this." Stefan told Buffy as he handed her a glass of bourbon before sitting down beside her. It had been so long since he had seen her like this.
Truly scared and helpless.
The last time had been on her 18th birthday.
Buffy smiled weakly as she took the glass, her hands shaking slightly as her fingers wrapped around the crystal. Tucking her knees under her chin she inhaled tightly and finally took a sip of the harsh liquid, trying to ignore the burning sensation it sent down her throat.
"How are you doing?" He asked carefully, not wanting to push her.
Buffy swallowed slightly before glancing at her ex-boyfriend "I'm okay. It's just... I haven't felt like that since I've been well...back."
Stefan frowned in confusion "What do you mean?
"Scared."
"Buffy, you found out you're linked to the person we have been trying to kill for over three years, of course, you were scared. You could have died."
Buffy just shook her head.
He wasn't getting it.
The link itself wasn't what scared her, she would find a way around that. If what she had overhead from Kol when she was half dead was true then the link was a consequence of her being brought back to life. Something that still didn't quite make sense in her head yet but she knew Willow and Tara would be able to find a way to fix this.
To sever the link and finish whatever this transformation was, so she didn't need to rely on Klaus to live.
"You don't get it. I wouldn't feel that way. Not too long ago I probably would have welcomed dying. But I realized...I'm not saying I'm doing backflips about my life but I didn't...I don't wanna die. That's something right?"
"I guess it's a good thing your immortal." Stefan joked making her smile slightly "I mean other than this link. But we will find a way to break it. I promise."
Slowly a smile crossed Buffy's face and while she tried to make it enthusiastic, it wasn't exactly easy.
This link was just another problem on her endlessly problem-filled plate.
"Woopie."
**
Bonnie had called her in complete pieces.
Buffy had barely been able to catch a word through all the sobs but she knew one thing...
Bonnie needed her.
As Caroline opened the door to the Bennett household, she smiled at Buffy and without hesitation threw her arms around her "Thank you." She whispered into Buffy's ear "For trying to make sure Tyler is okay, I can't believe I didn't-"
"You didn't know." Buffy assured her as she pulled back from the hug and squeezed Caroline's hands tightly in her own "None of us did. Plus, Willow and Tara are the queens of finding out everything. We will figure something out."
They still didn't know for sure what would happen to Tyler if Klaus died, but until they knew Buffy wasn't taking any chances.
"Buffy?"
The small voice whispering from the bedroom doorway caused Buffy to turn only to blink back tears as she caught the completely devastated look on Bonnie's face.
In less than a second, Bonnie let out a harsh sob and rushed right into Buffy's arms.
Buffy clutched onto Bonnie tightly, running her fingers through the witch's hair in an effort to comfort her, but there wasn't much she could do. Her mother had been killed and was now in transition.
Abby was going to be a vampire.
There was no changing that.
"I should have told you what Esther was planning we could have fixed this-" Bonnie whispered as she sobbed into Buffy's shoulder "I wanted to tell you but Elena and then Esther was there and-"
Now wanting Bonnie to start falling into the self-blame mode, Buffy pulled back and quickly cupped her face in her hands, using her thumbs to wipe away the tears as they started to drip down Bonnie's face.
Buffy seemed to be the honorary big sister for all of her friends, especially Caroline and Bonnie.
A role she never thought she would ever fill.
"It's okay, it's not your fault." Buffy shifted her eyes over to Caroline "Abby?"
"She's not awake yet."
Buffy sighed before turning her focus back to Bonnie who seemed to have de-aged right in front of her. Gone was the 20-year-old grown woman, instead, she was just a terrified little girl who had suffered far too much in her short life.
"How about I wait with you?" She suggested as she slowly started leading Bonnie back toward the bedroom where Abby was still technically dead, yet to wake up in transition "That way if you fall asleep me or Caroline can help Abby."
Bonnie just nodded only to jump slightly as she heard the frantic knocking at the front door.
All three girls tensed up.
Elena was here.
"I don't want to see her right now." Bonnie whispered.
Buffy couldn't blame her, instead of speaking she merely nodded and glanced over at Caroline who smiled and gestured for them to go. She could handle Elena.
Right now whatever Bonnie wanted was the priority.
Nothing else.
Buffy smiled back before leading Bonnie back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Caroline sighed before finally turning her attention to the front door. Stepping forward she opened it and sure enough, standing on the porch with a frantic look in her eyes was Elena.
"She doesn't want to see you. Neither of them do."
It was safe to say that Buffy just like Bonnie had every reason not to be anywhere near Elena for the time being. And until they were ready to see her, Caroline was intent on playing bodyguard.
It was the least she could do after all of the things the two of them had done for her.
Elena sniffled slightly, hurt washing over her face as she tried to peek into the house.
She couldn't spot Bonnie or Buffy anywhere.
"Just let me talk to them."
Caroline just sighed before shaking her head, it wasn't Elena's fault, she hadn't known this would happen, but unfortunately, it was the endless circle they were living in.
Where Bonnie and Buffy were the ones that got hurt because Elena acted rashly or needed to be saved.
"Abby's in transition. It's going to be really hard over the new few days and if Bonnie needs time I think you should give it to her. And Buffy..."
As Caroline trailed, unable to even comprehend how to explain all of the crap Buffy had put up with lately, Elena's eyes brimmed with water "She's always been there for me. They both have Caroline. Please just let me be there for them too."
Caroline just shook her head, blocking her view toward the bedroom where she could hear Bonnie still crying into Buffy's shoulder "Im sorry, Elena. I know that you want to help. But, you lied to Buffy's face and did the exact things she warned you not to, and look what happened. Put yourself in their shoes. Everything that happened tonight was to save you. Buffy didn't even know she would die too, she was focused on saving everyone else. And that's okay, they both love you, but somehow they are always the ones who get hurt."
As tears started to fall down Elena's cheeks, Caroline inhaled tightly and just stared at her friend sadly.
Clearly, she needed to spell this out.
Elena had been through a lot, there was no denying that, but it didn't change the facts.
"Bonnie's Grams died, Buffy gave up her memories, Bonnie's mom is in transition, Buffy died. They love you, they do, but they are the ones that get hurt. Did you ever wonder why they bonded so quickly when they met?"
Caroline herself had been a little jealous of just how quickly Buffy and Bonnie had bonded back then given that she was Buffy's God-sister.
But as the years went by, Caroline started to understand.
They held onto each other so much because they were never the ones to be saved.
They were used as the answer to every problem.
"They are the Bennett Witch and The Slayer, they sacrifice their own happiness for us, for you. Right now, you need to respect that they need space."
Letting Caroline's words wash over her, Elena blinked back tears and forced herself to nod in understanding. No matter how much this broke her heart, Caroline was right.
This wasn't about her.
If they didn't want to see her, she had to be okay with that.
"You're right." She whispered softly "I just...just tell them that I love them, okay."
Caroline smiled "Of course I will." As Elena finally turned to walk back to her car, Caroline clenched her eyes shut before opening up again "Elena, some friendly advice?"
Elena spun around, staring back at Caroline in confusion "Yeah?"
"When it comes to Buffy, start trying better. Lying to her, compelling Jeremy all of it, you are very close to pushing her away for good."
**
It was almost 3 in the morning when Buffy finally walked back into the Boarding House.
Buffy had waited until Abby had woken up before letting Caroline take over. Caroline was a vampire, she could explain all of the options the best and Buffy knew that Bonnie would need time alone with her.
A choice needed to be made.
If Abby would die or complete the transition.
Walking over to the bar, Buffy picked up a glass and started pouring herself a glass of rum.
Staring down at the glass, Buffy closed her eyes and inhaled tightly as all of the events of today plagued her thoughts.
Elena had lied to her, Abby was killed, Tyler might possibly die and Klaus..she was linked to Klaus.
The glass in her hand hit the floor with a thud, glass shattering all over the floor, shards flying everywhere not that Buffy noticed.
She had just come to a very insane realization.
The link with Klaus, meant when he was hurt so was she. Yet there had been one time when that hadn't been the case.
Homecoming.
In less than a second, Klaus found himself being tossed across the room into the nearby wall.
His eyes widened in panic only to spot Buffy now pinning him to the wall "You don't have to." She hissed before driving the stake into his stomach causing him to cry out in agony.
She wanted him to suffer before she killed him.
Yes, Mikael sucked and was a shitty father but Klaus had also ruined her life and turned her into someone she couldn't recognize.
Buffy and Klaus were equally matched.
So as the two struggled, both of them trying to overpower the other, Buffy yanked the stake out of him and moved to finally end this only for him to kick her in the chest sending her skidding back.
As he sped toward her, Buffy growled. She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back before placing one heeled foot on his knee. Using the leverage to swing her other leg around so that she could wrap it around his neck.
Twisting to the side the two of them went crashing to the ground.
Buffy had been able to hurt Klaus.
She had stabbed him with the White Oak stake and hadn't felt anything. No pain, no weakness, instead she had felt a wave of strength.
As thrilled as she knew it should make her, it filled Buffy with dread.
It anyone...Damon found out about that, all bets were off.
Damon would probably try and shove a white oak stake into her hand and toss her at Klaus.
Damon didn't care about Tyler or upsetting Caroline.
"Oh fuck."