(act one, chapter eleven: bloodlines)

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"Hey, Mr. Saltzman." Buffy said as she and Jeremy stepped towards their history teacher's car, seeing him look for something.

Alaric turned around to face them, colliding his head against the car in the process.

"Are you okay?" They both asked.

"Yes, Buffy, Jeremy. I can't find my ring. I took it off for the gym and I thought I put it- there it is." He found it and put the ring back on, while letting out a breath. "Losing family heirlooms, bad." He turned to Jeremy. "How's your extra credit? Pick a topic?"

"Mystic Falls, the Civil War era." Jeremy answered.

"What's the angle?"

"My family. I found a journal of an ancestor who lives in the 1800s. And the Gilberts are one of the original founding families of Mystic Falls, so."

"That sounds good."

"Hey, I see Bonnie. See you later, Jere. Bye, Mr. Saltzman." Buffy said as she quickly walked over to her best friend.

"Bon bon." Buffy greeted, taking the girl in a hug.

"Buf. Hey."

"How are you doing with everything?" Buffy asked.

"Good, good." Bonnie answered but Buffy knew she was lying.

"Bonnie, if you're not okay. You have to say something. I can keep vampires far away from you. After all I am Buffy Summers."

"How's the head?"

"Painful but alright. Logan is dead, by the way. My mom told me this morning. Liz told her." Buffy explained.

"Buffy! Bonnie!" The two turned around.

"Stefan. Hey."

"Hey, you okay with yesterday?" He asked the blonde.

"Peachy." Buffy smiled at him.

Stefan turned to Bonnie. "I haven't seen you lately. How are you doing with everything?" He asked.

COPYCAT

"I'm fine. All's fine."

"Good."

"Yeah."

Now this is awkward.

"Are you back in school?" Bonnie asked, trying to make a conversation.

"No, actually I came here to find you. I was hoping you could help me with something. A spell."

Bonnie stopped walking. "Stefan, look, I know Elena and Buffy are okay with all of this and I appreciate what you did to help me, but I'm not ready to dive into it yet."

"I understand that, but I need your help."

"Stefan." Buffy glared at him before turning to Bonnie. "Bonnie, if you don't want to you don't have to." She turned back to Stefan. "You can't just use her for her spells, Stefan."

"I know, but it's Elena. She's with Damon."

"Fine."

The three sat down at a table, Buffy facing Bonnie and Stefan as he took something out of his pocket.

"I have Elena's necklace. I was hoping you can use this to make some connection. I just need to know she's okay."

"How do you know I can do this?" Bonnie questioned.

"Because I've known a few witches. I've seen what they can do."

"I'm still new at it."

"It's okay." He handed her the necklace. "Give it a shot.

"There's nothing. Nothing's happening. Usually, there's an image or-. Tell me if anyone's looking."

The two nodded.

Bonnie picked up a leaf and laid it down on the table, positioning her hand above it. But nothing happened.

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

"Something's wrong."

"With Elena?" He asked, worriedly.

How can she know how Elena is doing trough a leaf?

"With me. There's something wrong with me. I have to go. I'm sorry, Stefan. I can't help you." Bonnie rattled before picking up her stuff, standing up and walking away from the table.

"Bonnie!" Buffy yelled after the girl, but turned back to Stefan. "If you hear anything from her, let me know, okay? I'll try to call her too."

Stefan nodded quickly and Buffy ran after the Bennett. But Bonnie was gone.

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"Hi, Buffy." Elena spoke, through the phone.

"Elena, where the hell are you?" Buffy asked. "My mom is worried, I am worried."

"I'm sorry, but."

"But, what?"

"I look like her."

"Elena I don't speak crazy people language. Look like who?"

"Katherine." Elena answered.

HUH

"Oh, uh, how much?"

Probably a whole bunch, if she's so upset.

"She could be my twin. I found a picture of her in Stefan's room from 1864. If I'm a descent from Katherine, does that make me part-vampire?" Elena asked.

I'm gonna kick his ass.

"Nah, I don't think so. I don't think vampires can have babies, Elena. I mean they're dead. She was quite literally a dead girl walking. And you never drank blood so, you're not a vampire." Buffy reassured.

"Yeah, okay, but do you think he's using me to replace her?" Elena asked quietly.

"No, I don't think he wouldn't, beside, Stefan really cares for you. Everyone can see it. And you said it was a picture from 1864, that's a lot of time to process an ex."

"Yeah, okay. But still." Elena admitted.

"Hey, I get it. Kinda creepy." Buffy muttered. 

"I've gotta go, okay? I'll see you when I get back home." Elena spoke before stopping the call and putting her phone away.

Bye, I guess.

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Buffy and her mom were sitting on the couch together, Jenna reading a magazine, exactly more like flipping though them.

And Buffy was painting her nails a dark red color when the door opened.

"Elena?" Buffy asked, putting the nail polish down on the coffee table.

Jenna turned around too. "I don't set a lot of rules, Elena. Not with you two." She spoke, looking from Buffy to Elena.

It was true, Jenna never really had a lot of rules. It was always Grayson and Miranda.

"Hey, I told you she was safe." Buffy argued. 

"You didn't tell me where she was."

"Because I didn't know." 

Jenna stood up, walking over to Elena. "I trust you to tell me the truth. Where were you? And why did you lie to me about it? I thought that we were closer than that."

Buffy knew something was wrong with Elena. The way she stood was unstable. She had blood on her head, Buffy doubted that her mom had seen it in her angry mood and Elena looked like she had cried.

Buffy stood up, giving Elena a look.

Elena shook her head at her sister, before turning back to Jenna. "Now is not the time you wanna talk to me about lies." Elena snapped, before stepping on the stairs.

"Don't do that. Don't turn this on me. I didn't do anything."

"Okay, question. Am I adopted?"

Well damn that was aggressive. 

Wait HOLD ON A GODDAMN MINUTE

Her mom didn't answer.

"I trust you to tell me the truth too, Jenna. How could you not tell me? I thought we were closer than that."

"Elena, I didn't- They asked me not to." Jenna tried, but Elena wouldn't listen.

"I don't wanna hear it." Elena yelled, not looking back as she went upstairs.

"Don't worry, mom, I'll talk to her." Buffy said to her mom before following Elena upstairs. 

Never been more thankful for their close mom-daughter relationship, that her mom had never lied to her about something so important.

She opened the door to Elena's room.

"I told you I don't wanna-"

"It's me." Buffy said. "Lena, what happened? What did Stefan say?" She asked, sitting down next to the brunette, who was leaning her head on her hands.

"There is no record of my mom ever being pregnant with me." Elena said.

"How do you know?" Buffy questioned. 

"Stefan told me."

"How does he know?" 

It seemed kinda creepy to her that Stefan knew Elena was adopted, but Elena herself, didn't.

Elena started to explain everything she had learnt and what had happened today.

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Words: 1218

Posted: March 2, 2024

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x Kat