(act one, chapter eighteen: under control)

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Buffy was walking towards the front door to leave for school, calling over her shoulder to Jeremy that she was in fact leaving and if he didn't come down fast she would leave without him as Jenna stopped her thermos in her schoolbag, which she had forgotten but when she opened the door she was met with a rather unpleasant surprise.

"Buffy!" John spoke from the other side of the door with a smile.

"Uncle John. Hi."

"Jenna." He greeted her mother who still stood next to her.

"John you made it."

"I said I'd be in by noon." He spoke, entering the house.

"Oh what you say and what you do are typically two different things." Jenna said and Buffy had to hide her laughter by acting that she was checking something in her bag. 

Luckily she was saved by Jeremy, who walked down the stairs. "Uncle John, what's up?"

"Hey!"

Jeremy slapped his uncle n the shoulders and walked over to the door and stepped outside and Buffy immediately took this as a sign they could almost leave this awkward interaction. 

"I had some business in town. I thought that a visit was in order." John explained to her mom.

"So how long are you staying?" Buffy asked him, pretending to be interested.

"I don't know yet."

"Okay, well, I'm gonna go to school. I'll see you both later." She said, turning around and stepping outside but not before exchanging a look with her mom.

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Alaric was in his classroom with his daughter as the bell rang.

"I made a copy of a paper Jeremy wrote for me. I think you should take a look at it." He handed her his paper and by already reading the title 'Fact or Fiction: The Truth About Vampires in Mystic Falls, she already knew it wasn't a good thing.

"Shit."

"Language."

"Sorry. Jeremy wrote this?" She asked him.

"He's very clear that he didn't think it was real." Alaric explained to her.

"I really hope you're right because me and Elena have done so much to protect him from all of this." She gave him back the paper with a sigh.

"So, how do you deal with it?" He asked her concerned."What do you mean?" She asked him."With all the lies and the secrets. You have to lie to everyone who's important to you. Your mom, some of your friends." "It's not safe for them to know the truth. So, yes I keep it from them, but it's only because I love them." Buffy explained.

Of course she wanted to let Caroline know. And her mom, but it was more important to her that they were safe. If it meant lying, she would lie.

"I think Stefan is a good guy. But at the end of the day he's still a vampire. And Damon-"

"I know it's hard to understand but Damon is different then he was back than. At least I hope so. I don't think he would never do anything to hurt me or even Elena. But I understand that you hate him. And you have every reason to so I'm not saying that a lot of his action are right, because I know they're not but sometimes people just need a second chance. However if he ever hurt my mother I would hunt down myself as well so, I would understand if you hate him forever for what he did to your wife and it won't ever by right."

"Thank you, Buffy." Alaric gave her a small smile. "Really I'm glad that you're-" He cut himself off.

"I'm what?" She asked him, curious as to why he cut himself off so fast.

"Nevermind." Alaric said, dismissing the subject.

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The next day someone knocked on the door of the Gilbert house and Buffy opened it. This time met by someone she liked more than uncle John.

"Oh good you're here.""You ask I come. I'm easy like that." Damon smirked at her, causing her to roll her eyes at him before shushing him and nodding her head to Jeremy, who was in the kitchen eating breakfast, and pointing upstairs to follow her.

"No Buf, I will not go to your bedroom with you." He spoke in a loud voice and Buffy caught his arm, dragging him upstairs with her as he laughed at her face. Both missing the annoyed look Jeremy gave Damon.

"Ah, just like I remember." Damon spoke as he entered her bedroom.

"Stop messing around, Damon." Elena said, sitting on the chair of Buffy's desk.

He went over to her bed, took the plush bunny off her pillow, laid down on her bed and held the bunny on his chest. "I have a feeling Stefan would like this." He said to the girls, pointing to the bunny on his chest.

"Did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the Founders' Council?""What?" The two girls asked in surprise. Elena had also had a brief conversation with their uncle but she didn't really want to so she had quickly taken her leave.

"Yep."

Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how everything is falling apart.

"Look Damon, I'm worried about Stefan." Elena spoke up. "He says that everything's okay but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he goes back to normal?""A few days, give or take.""It's been a few days." Elena spoke, annoyed."Give then, I don't know. What's the big deal?" Damon got up and handed the bunny back to Buffy.

"He's not himself, Damon." Elena pushed.

"Well, maybe his problem is that he has spent too long not being himself."

"Please don't make me sorry for asking you." Elena said, letting him know she was being serious.

He took a picture from the mirror and Buffy tried to take it back but she was too slow.

"It is what it is Elena. The Stefan you know was 'good behavior Stefan', 'reign it in Stefan', 'fight against his nature into an annoying excessive level Stefan' but if you think there isn't another part to this then you have not been paying attention."

When he was not paying attention to the picture anymore, Buffy took it back. 

"He's not you, not even close."

"Well, he doesn't want to be me. That doesn't mean that deep down though he's not." Damon said and left Buffy's room.

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Buffy arrived to the great displeasure of a certain Lockwood with Damon Salvatore by her side for the Founders' Day 150 Year Anniversary Kick-off Party. A name way to long for a party if you asked her. Well Damon had been here already when Stefan first stepped inside the founder's hall since he had had some trouble with the control of his bloodlust since Elena fed him his blood.

When they walked inside the room where most of the people were dancing, Stefan was joined by Matt Donovan's mother, Kelly.

"Have we entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon asked her sister with a joking look but he missed Elena's worried look."Is he gonna be okay?" Elena asked.

"He's already dancing with Kelly Donovan, Elena. I think he's getting worse. The pressure is getting him in his head already."

"Eventually. One way or another."

"When he stops dancing with Miss. Whorovan." Buffy added to Damon's answer. God, she really hated that woman. "Don't tell Matt that I said that, by the way." 

Later on, Damon had gone over to Sheriff Forbes to discuss something. At least that's what he had told Buffy and she had gone over to her mother, both laughing at something Jenna had just said until Buffy saw someone. "History teacher three o'clock."

"How do I look?" Jenna asked.

"Beautiful as always, mom." 

God she really need to tell her daughter the truth, but she just couldn't get herself to say it.

"I was looking for you." Alaric said while looking at Buffy's mother.

"Here I am. I haven't seen you in a while." Jenna smiled at him.

"Well uh" He looked at Elena. "Things have been a little crazy but I'm here now. Do you want to get a drink?"

"Sure."

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Jeremy was sitting on a couch in a quiet, dimly-lit room as Buffy joined him.

"Jer? Why are you sitting her all alone, acting possessed?" She asked him. He had been starting rather focused on the fire in front of him, even though they were just flames."No one is trying to figure out what happened to her. They all want to believe that she OD'd." Jeremy said and Buffy immediately knew who he was talking about.

Vicki Donovan.

"The coroner's office confirmed it. If that's what they said happened then-""Is that what you believe?" Jeremy interrupted her."What do you think happened?" She asked him, wanting to know his version of what he thought had happened to the girl he loved in order so that she could support him. But Liz had personally told them that Vicki Donovan overdosed and why would the sheriff lie to them, especially one that knew them all since they were babies.

Well she could think of one reason.

Vampires.

But if Vicki had died by a vampire's hands she was sure Damon would've already told her."I think somebody killed her and buried her body and I don't think we should write it off just 'cause it's easy." 

"Why would anyone want to hurt Vicki, Jer?" She asked. She knew Vicki wasn't liked by many but she didn't think anyone would actually killed the girl.

"I don't know. I just know that the truth is the only thing that's gonna help people to move on." Jeremy answered, including himself. How could he just move on without knowing if an overdose was really the cause of her death.

"I will help you figure it out if that would help you." Buffy offered, even though she was still convinced that Vicki just used too many drugs the very last time. There was nothing else that could have happened which would make Liz lie about to the whole town and again if it were vampires that caused her death, the Salvatore's would've know. And Vicki died before the tomb vampires escaped anyway, so that was also not a possibility anymore.

"Thank you." Jeremy thank her, truthfully this time, thankful that he had someone who believed him. "I have an idea where we can find out more to the truth."

Buffy nodded. "Let's go."

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For some reason Alaric was talking with Damon and John which left Jenna for the chance to look for Buffy, who she found nowhere so she took out her phone with worry.

MOTHER 🦹‍♀️❤️

Where are you? x

DAUGHTER 👩‍👧❤️

Jeremy was tired so I brought him home xx

Sighing Jenna put her phone back in her purse and when she looked up Elena stood a few meters away from her, saying goodbye to Matt, who was bruised up.

"What happened here?" She asked walking over as Matt was walking over to his car.

"Tyler and Miss Donovan made out." Elena said disgusted, wanting to get rid of the memory.

"Oh, well, Buf if gonna love that piece of new gossip. Speaking about Buffy, can I talk to you about her?"

"Why? What happened?" Elena asked, immediately worried that something had happened.

Jenna walked her over to where lesser people were. "I need to tell her something but she's gonna react badly. We've tried to tell her a couple of times but we just couldn't."

"Who's we?" Elena asked, curious.

"Me and Alaric." Jenna answered and Elena nodded letting her aunt know she understood. "So you know how I have always told her that her dad had abandoned us?"

Elena nodded again, already fearing which direction this was going. And it was not a good one.

"Well, there's a truth in that but also not."

"Wait, you and Alaric tried to tell her this? ALARIC IS HER FATHER?" Elena spoke loudly from surprise. Whatever she had expected to happen this evening, this wasn't it.

"We had a one night stand and I told her that so she wouldn't think that she was a mistake and she is everything except a mistake. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, but you know how sensitive Buffy is about the subject of her father. I didn't have his number and I tried to find him but I didn't find him anywhere and I didn't expect that he would show up here seventeen years later and still remember me. And we just keep expanding it when we wanna tell her and I'm afraid she's gonna hate me, Elena. If she hates me, I don't think I can survive knowing that my little girl hates me, Elena." Jenna said, crying by now, she couldn't stand the thought of having Buffy hate her. "The last time I wanted to tell her, was the time James did what he did to her. I couldn't tell her then."

"I'm not gonna lie Jenna. She's gonna be mad for a while that you didn't tell her." Elena said, thinking that telling Jenna what she think would happen was the best at the moment. "But she would never hate you. Mad, yes, hate you, never. Whatever you think, you're the most important thing Buffy has. But you need to tell her, Jenna, rather sooner than later. If you don't tell her yourself with Alaric and finds out from somebody else, I think the consequences will be worse than anything else." Elena said. "Promise me, you'll tell her Jenna." She couldn't lie to this to Buffy. If Buffy had know Elena was adopted she would've told her immediately but Jenna had the chance to tell her daughter herself now. She should grab that chance.

"Thanks, Elena."

"And give her chocolate. She always calms down at the sight of chocolate."

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"When you said you had an idea, this wasn't what I was expecting." Buffy spoke a bit surprised when Jeremy stormed into Elena's room at the Gilbert house. And him being here, means that he lied to Mr. Saltzman about not believing that vampires really existed. He definitely knew and he thinks that a vampire killed Vicki.

So he also knew about the Salvatore brothers being vampires otherwise he wouldn't want to search here.

Or maybe he thinks Elena knows the person who killed Vicki.

But then I would also know them

And I don't know who killed Vicki if she was even killed

"She knows something Buffy." Jeremy told her.

OH HE DEFINITELY KNOWS

"Okay, but can't we just ask her, this doesn't feel very right either." Buffy said, talking about looking through her sister's room without her knowing.

But Jeremy was too busy opening shelves and boxes to hear her. He didn't find anything until his gaze fell on the painting of the horse above Elena's bed. And when he looked behind it, he found the thing he had been looking for. Her diary.

"Okay that definitely isn't right." Buffy said this time stepping into the room as she tried to take the journal from him but since he was bigger than her, he just held it above her head and started reading.

"I think you might want to read this too." He spoke to her in an angry tone, handing her Elena's diary and pointing at her name. 

"What the hell?" Buffy asked when she read the page of what happened the night that Vicki died. 

DAMON DID WHAT?!

VICKI ATTACKED ME

AND STEFAN KILLED HER

SON OF A BITCH

AND ELENA-

"How long have you know that the Salvatores are vampires?" Jeremy asked her when she had finished reading and interrupted her thoughts.

"Since the night of the first game. Since when do you vampires exist?" She returned his question.

"Anna. Why didn't you tell me?"

"To protect you which clearly didn't work. And why didn't you tell me?"

"To protect you." He repeated her words. "And I wanted to know more about Anna and everything before telling you."

Buffy put Elena's diary back after the painting. 

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked but Buffy just grabbed his arm and walked over to the door, turning off the light in Elena's room and closing the door behind them before walking into Jeremy's room.

"She can't know that we read her diary."

"Okay, but please tell me what you know."

So Buffy explained everything about the tomb vampires, Katherine, the Salvatore brother, how she and Elena found out, Isobel and Damon, and many more things. 

"Thanks for telling me." Jeremy said after almost ten minutes later, debating with himself if he should tell her. 

"It's no problem. I think it's better that you know. At least you can protect yourself now." Buffy said, sincerely. She hated lying to people but if it protected them she would. But before this she had never lied to Jeremy about anything before.

"B."

"Yes?"

"I think you should know something. It's possible that it is a big misunderstanding, okay?" Buffy nodded. "I think I know who your dad is."

To say that she was shocked was an understatement. All sort of thought were going through her head.

How did he know?

What did he know?

Who is it?

How long has he know?

Who is it?

Does my mom know?

Who is it?

Who else knew?

How was her mom gonna react to this? Finding out that Jeremy knew who the man was who abandoned them?

"What?" She decided to ask him.

"I didn't wanna start about it back than for obvious reasons but the day that thing happened and Alaric brought you home. When you were upstairs, I was home as well and we, meaning me, Alaric and your mom were all downstairs. I didn't understand what had happened to you but I know that Jenna was worried and angry and Alaric also. He was worrying in a way that only a father would worry."

"But that doesn't prove anything." Buffy said with tears in her eyes as she thought back about what happened that day.

"He called you his daughter, B, he said that he didn't want him anywhere near you again and-"

"And what Jeremy?"

"Jenna wasn't surprised he said that." 

"So Alaric is my father and mom knew it?" Buffy asked him and Jeremy nodded. "What am I gonna do, Jer?"

"Whatever you do. You're still my sister and I'll support you." Jeremy said to her, sitting down next to her on his bed. And she laid her head down on his shoulder.

"How could she keep this from me for all these years? And how can he just come back into our lives and pretend nothing ever happened? What is he expecting that we're just gonna be one big happy family? How could she not tell me? Is that why she never told me his name? What did she wanna spare him or something? How-" She cut herself off when the front door opened and she heard her mom's and Elena's voices downstairs. "Shit." She wiped off her tears, left Jeremy's room and ran over to hers. She quickly took off her shoes and changed her clothes more fast than she has ever done. 

She quickly crawled into bed, her back facing the door because she knew her mom would come check if she was really her. And if everything what Jeremy was telling her was true, she really did not want to speak to her mother at this moment until everything was more clear in her head.

And she was right. Her mom had entered the room but closed the door again with a sigh as she saw her daughter sleeping. She had hoped she could've told her today but she wasn't going to wake her up.

WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE AT THE MOMENT?

I'm so calling Cami to get me ready for Miss Mystic Falls

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hating on Kelly Donovan: Buffy 🤝 me 

I should write more of Jeremy's and Buffy's bond, shouldn't I? AND about time.

Be sure to comment. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated! AND THANK YOU FOR 20K I LOVE YOU XOXO

Words: 3267

Posted: June 2, 2024