act three, chapter five: disturbing behavior

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The fancy store was empty, since Klaus had compelled everyone to leave and the staff to serve him and Stefan champagne. They were already bored out of their minds as they waited for the two girls to be done. Rebekah and Buffy had been in the fitting rooms forever, according to the two vampires with their champagne at least. The music playing in the background was loud and weird sounding to Rebekah, who frowned every time a new song started.

Buffy stood in front of the fitting room mirror, turning side to side in an outfit she wasn't entirely sure about. From the fitting room next to hers, Rebekah's irritated voice broke the silence. "There has to be more to this dress!"

"There's not," Klaus replied flatly, swirling his champagne like it was the only thing keeping him entertained in the minutes Buffy was behind the curtain, having no one to look at. He glanced toward Buffy's fitting room, hearing her sigh again.

The curtain swished open, and Rebekah stepped out in a short, black dress. "So women in the 21st century dress like prostitutes, then?"

Buffy, still hidden behind her curtain, snorted. A second later, her voice rang out, dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, thanks, Rebekah. Really makes me feel great about my wardrobe choices."

Rebekah grinned as she adjusted the hem of her dress. "I'm just saying, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers, and now this is acceptable?" She quipped, her tone light but teasing.

"Yeah, well," Buffy called back, yanking her own curtain open as she stepped out. She was wearing a short, dark green dress that hugged her in all the right places. "You wore trousers so girls like me can wear mini dresses. You're basically a feminist icon." She grinned up at the blonde Original, she gave a playful spin before coming to a stop in front of Rebekah. "So, what do you think?"

Rebekah blinked, clearly caught off guard as she took in the sight of her soulmate. A smile tugged at her lips despite herself. "You look... stunning." She said softly, her usual sharpness melting away at the sight of her mate.

Klaus glanced up at his sister briefly, unimpressed. "You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, gesturing toward the speakers. "And what is this music? It sounds like a cable car accident."

"It's dance music." Stefan offered from his spot near a rack of overpriced shirts.

"People dance to this?" Rebekah asked incredulously.

Stefan shrugged. "Apparently."

"Yes, they do." Buffy spoke. "Just not Stefan. He's a bit boring when dancing is the topic, aren't you, Stef?"

"Sure!" Stefan spoke, his head resting on the back of the chair, afraid that Buffy would actually make him dance if he said another word about the music.

Klaus let out a dramatic sigh, setting his glass down. "Are we done here?"

Rebekah turned sharply toward him. "And why are you so grumpy?"

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to figure out why my hybrids are dying," Klaus snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "One thing. Your necklace. And you lost it."

"I didn't lose it." Rebekah countered, her voice defensive. "It's just been missing for 90 years." The girl spoke before turning to her ex-lover. "What do you think?" She asked, showing off the dress she was wearing.

"I like it." Stefan spoke, shortly and he looked confused between the two girls. Rebekah's face was full of annoyance and Buffy had her eyebrow raised as she went back into the fitting room. "What? I said that I like it?

"I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan." The blonde original spoke to him as she turned back around to go back to her own fitting room.

"Nice one. Good work." Klaus said, his voice dripping with mock praise.

Stefan gave him a pointed look, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "You're the one who pulled the dagger out of her." He retorted, his tone sharp.

Rebekah, still behind the curtain, caught the tail end of their conversation. "I heard that!" she called out, her voice smooth but with a hint of irritation.

Stefan rolled his eyes and stood up straight, clearly ready to escape the tension. "Alright. I'm going to get some fresh air." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Klaus, unfazed by Stefan's attempt to leave, poured himself another glass of champagne. "Suit yourself." He said, not even looking up.

Buffy stepped out of the fitting room again five minutes later, this time wearing a striking deep red dress that cascaded down to her knees, the fabric flowing elegantly around her as she walked. The dress hugged her waist just enough to give it shape, and the colour made her look even more radiant than usual. Her heels clicked softly on the polished floor as she approached the hybrid, a playful glint in her eye.

"Now that is a dress." He muttered under his breath, his earlier boredom suddenly evaporating. He leaned against the seat, his champagne forgotten for a moment as he took in the sight of her.

Rebekah, who had been fiddling with her own outfit in the fitting room, turned her head at Klaus's comment. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she studied Buffy's new look while stepping out from behind the curtain.

Buffy smirked, her eyes catching Klaus's intense stare. She twirled once, making the fabric flare out around her. "What do you think? Is it too much?" She asked, a playful challenge in her voice.

Klaus's lips curled into a smile. "Too much? Not at all." His voice lowered, as if he couldn't help but admire her more openly now. "I'm starting to think you were born to wear that."

Buffy let out a light laugh, a little surprised by his intensity but not backing down. "Born, huh? Pretty sure this dress wasn't even around when I was born." She teased, stepping closer to him. 

His focus was entirely on Buffy, his attention unmistakably fixed on her. "You look incredible." He repeated, the words coming out almost as a declaration.

Buffy rolled her eyes, though a small smile played on her lips. "Alright, alright, I get it. I clean up pretty well." She gave a mock bow before walking toward Rebekah. "What do you think, huh?"

Rebekah took a moment to admire the new outfit, her smile returning as she finally nodded. "You look lovely, Buffy."

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Stefan walked into the dimly lit room as Gloria sat by a table, her hands hovering over a massive old book surrounded by burning candles. Klaus leaned against the bar, swirling a drink in his hand, while Rebekah sat nearby him on top of the bar, looking up unimpressed when the Salvatore finally reunited with them. "You left us." Rebekah said.

"Yeah, sorry." Stefan replied with a sarcastic edge. "Retail therapy was making my head explode."

Klaus chuckled, taking a sip from his glass. "Tell me about it."

Stefan glanced over at Gloria, who looked deep in concentration. "What's she doing?" He asked, nodding toward the witch.

"She's failing," Klaus said, clearly pissed off.

"It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on." Gloria explained without looking up, clearly irritated.

"So use me." Rebekah spoke. "I only wore it for a thousand years."

Gloria gave Klaus a pointed look. "See? Now this one offers a solution."

Buffy worriedly looked over at Rebekah and Gloria. What if whatever Gloria found would lead Klaus to Elena again?

Rebekah rolled her eyes when she saw Klaus' look while sliding off the bar, walking over to the table where Gloria was trying her spell. She sat down on the edge, holding her hand out. "All right, give me your hand, sweetheart." Gloria said, taking it without waiting for an answer from the Original. 

Stefan crossed his arms. "She's, uh... she's looking for the necklace, huh?" He asked, trying to keep his tone casual, his eyes flicking between Rebekah and Gloria as the witch closed her eyes again.

"I can sense something." She murmured, her voice low and deliberate.

Stefan shifted slightly, a flicker of worry crossing his face. He watched as Gloria began to cast a spell, her words foreign. Finally, Gloria let go of Rebekah's hand and looked up, meeting Klaus's and Stefan's gazes with certainty. "I found it."

Rebekah straightened, her impatience boiling over. "So where is it?"

Gloria rolled her eyes slightly, her tone calm but firm. "It doesn't work like that, doll. I get images. There's a girl... with her friends."

Rebekah's irritation flared, and her voice turned venomous. "Yes, a dead girl with dead friends, if I don't get my necklace back."

Gloria didn't flinch at the threat. "Well, I'll have to dive back in to get the details." She said simply.

Klaus, his patience visibly thinning, stepped forward and leaned on the table. "So dive." He ordered.

Gloria glanced up at him with a raised brow. "I need more time." She said firmly, then motioned around the room. "And space. You're harshing my ju-ju."

Klaus's jaw tightened, but before he could reply, Stefan spoke up. "Hey, hey." He said, stepping forward. "Why don't we just come back later? I'm hungry anyway." He shot a casual look at Klaus. "I'll let you pick who we eat."

Without waiting for an answer, Stefan turned toward the door, throwing a glance back at them as he went. Klaus exchanged a look with Rebekah, then sighed and followed Stefan out, with Rebekah trailing behind, but they noticed Buffy wasn't following, her mates - and Stefan - turned back with a curious look on there faces.

"Aren't you coming, sweetheart?" Rebekah asked, holding out her hand for Buffy to grab.

Buffy stood where she was, her arms crossed and her expression thoughtful as she stared at Gloria. "Yeah, I'm coming." 

"We'll pick you up some food on the way, love." Klaus spoke to her, already knowing what she was going to ask them when her mouth started moving again.

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In the warehouse, Klaus was sitting on the couch, drinking from some random girl he picked out on the streets, while Stefan was doing the same but sitting in a chair. Rebekah was sitting on top of a crate nearby, watching them with a bored look on her face.

"My girl's dead. I'm bored." Rebekah said, clearly not interested in anything happening.

Klaus glanced at Stefan, smirking a little. "You weren't kidding about being hungry."

Stefan nodded, barely even looking up. "Yeah, it's been a long day."

Klaus let out a short laugh. "Try being related to her."

Rebekah shot him a glare, sitting up more straight. "You're being mean." The girl turned to Stefan. "And why are you being mean? You used to love me."

Klaus didn't even look fazed. "It's been ninety years, Rebekah. Give him a minute."

Rebekah folded her arms, looking annoyed. "Why are you taking his side?"

Klaus leaned back a little. "Because, my dear sister, I feel sorry for any guy who doesn't give you what you want."

Rebekah's eyes widened. "Will you stop making me out to be a brat? I am not a brat!"

Klaus shrugged. "A thousand years of life says otherwise."

Stefan, clearly done with the whole thing, chimed in. "Well, you're no picnic either. I mean, we've," He pointed to himself and Buffy. "only spent one summer with you and I feel like I wanna blow my head off."

Rebekah actually laughed at that, the mood shifting a bit. "Fantastic." She said.

Klaus dropped the girl he was feeding on like she was nothing, and she hit the floor with a soft thud. Stefan stood up and brushed off his clothes, looking like he was over it. "I need to go."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow as she watched the Salvatore walk off. "Where's he going?"

"To write a name on a wall. It's a long story." Klaus simply shrugged, his head turning to Buffy when he saw his mate standing up from one of the other empty crates next to Rebekah's, placing down her salade. "And where are you going, love?"

"I'll be right back!" Buffy called back as she walked after Stefan in a quick pace trying to keep up with him. She only caught up with him when they were outside and for some reason Buffy couldn't help but think Stefan had done that for a reason. "What's wrong?" The blonde asked worriedly. She would be lying if she said she hadn't seen his behaviour change ever since Gloria's bar. 

Stefan slowed down, giving her a side glance before he spoke, voice low. "Elena's necklace. It's Rebekah's."

Buffy blinked, confusion clear on her face. "What do you mean? Elena's necklace...? That was Rebekah's!" The girl pointed at the warehouse behind her. "Which means, Gloria saw Elena alive. Probably with Caroline and Bonnie!" 

"Yes, that's why we should probably go and find out what she actually knows." Stefan nudged his head towards the cab not far away from them.

"You should go, but be safe. I think if both of us are gone, these two will notice. I'll give you as much time as I can. To be honest I've gotten very good in distracting people this summer.

Stefan gave Buffy a faint smirk, appreciating her quick thinking. "You're right. If anyone can keep Klaus and Rebekah busy, it's you."

Buffy crossed her arms with a small smile of her own, though worry still flickered in her hazel-green eyes. "I'll do my best, but you better be quick. I don't know how long I can hold them off before they start asking questions. And Stefan?"

He paused, his hand already on the cab door handle. "Yeah?"

"Be careful. Gloria might not be on our side anymore, but she's not stupid. If she figures out why you're there..." Buffy trailed off, biting her lip.

Stefan nodded, his expression serious. "I'll handle it. Just keep them distracted. We can't let Klaus catch on to this yet."

Buffy gave him a mock salute, trying to lighten the mood. "Distraction duty it is. Good luck, Salvatore."

And with that Stefan Salvatore was gone.

Buffy stood there for a moment after Stefan left, letting out a shaky breath. "Alright, Summers. Showtime;" she muttered to herself, turning back toward the warehouse. She knew Stefan needed her to keep Klaus and Rebekah busy.

Pushing open the door, Buffy plastered on her brightest smile, masking the nerves swirling in her chest. Klaus was now lounging on the couch, swirling a glass of what was definitely not wine, while Rebekah flipped through an old magazine she had apparently found lying around. Both Originals looked up when Buffy walked in.

"Well, that was quick. Done chasing after the brooding Salvatore already?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Buffy shrugged, slipping into a casual tone. "Yeah, he needed some air or something. You know Stefan—big on dramatic exits like you." She flopped onto an empty crate, crossing her legs as if she didn't have a care in the world. "So, what's the plan? Because sitting around in a creepy warehouse all evening  is not exactly my idea of fun."

Rebekah sighed loudly, tossing the magazine aside. "Join the club. This entire day has been a waste of time. Why are we even still here?"

Klaus smirked, his gaze shifting lazily to Rebekah. "Patience, sister. Not everything needs to move at your breakneck speed." His tone was teasing, but the glint in his eyes carried his usual menace.

Buffy, sensing the brewing tension, jumped in with an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, seriously, you two. If I wanted to watch siblings bicker, I'd hang out with Stefan and Damon more. Let's do something. Anything. Even vampires have fun, right?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Fun? With him?" She gestured toward Klaus with disdain. "The only fun Klaus enjoys is making everyone miserable."

Klaus chuckled darkly, unfazed. "Now, now, Rebekah. Let's not bore our dear Buffy with your endless complaints. What exactly did you have in mind, darling?"

Buffy tapped her finger against her lips, pretending to think. She needed something to keep their attention without letting them get suspicious. "How about a little trip down memory lane? You two Originals have been around for, what, a thousand years? I bet you've got some crazy stories."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "You want a history lesson, love? I didn't peg you as the academic type."

Buffy shrugged, keeping her tone light and playful. "Not a history lesson—more like storytime. You've been alive for centuries. There's gotta be something interesting in there. I mean, c'mon, Klaus. Are you telling me the big bad hybrid doesn't have a tale worth telling?"

Rebekah perked up slightly, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "You wouldn't believe half the things we've seen, Buffy. But I doubt Klaus would ever share anything that doesn't involve himself being the hero."

"Or the villain." Buffy quipped, shooting Klaus a cheeky grin.

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After a while of listening to Klaus and Rebekah's stories, Klaus decided to check up on Stefan, and Buffy quickly texted the Salvatore, telling him that Klaus was coming to search for him, without the Mikaelson's knowledge.

Klaus walked out of the warehouse with a scowl on his face since he had to leave Buffy behind after the fun hour they had just spend together.

And Buffy was sure she hadn't seen Rebekah with a smile this big yet since they met.

Buffy leaned back against the crate with a sense of quiet satisfaction, watching Rebekah's smile linger as Klaus disappeared out the door. If nothing else, she'd bought Stefan a little more time.

Buffy's eyes found themselves landing on Elijah's coffin once more before moving to the next coffin. "Who's in that coffin?" The blonde asked curiously, pointing towards the light brown coffin.

"My brother Kol." Rebekah answered sadly.

Buffy's curiosity deepened as she studied the coffin Rebekah had indicated. "Kol," she repeated, the name unfamiliar but carrying a weight she could feel in Rebekah's tone. "What happened to him?"

Rebekah hesitated, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the coffin. "Kol has always been... difficult. Reckless, unpredictable, and endlessly infuriating. But he's still my brother. Klaus daggered him centuries ago after one of their fights. That's how it always goes with us. Someone steps out of line, and Klaus takes matters into his own hands."

Buffy frowned, her expression softening. "That's... harsh. I mean, I get that siblings fight, but daggering your own brother? That's next-level messed up."

Rebekah gave a dry laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Welcome to the Mikaelson family. Betrayal and bloodshed are practically our love language."

"And that's Finn right?" Buffy nodded towards the last coffin, which looked like it hadn't been opened for ages. "Your oldest brother?"

"Yes." Rebekah softly nodded.

"Why don't you undagger them?" Buffy asked, a frown covered on her face as she walked over Finn's coffin, her fingers softly brushing over it as she looked at Rebekah.

"Because he would hunt me down and kill me. He's a vindictive little bastard, my brother." Rebekah shrugged. It had been that way for centuries now.

Buffy's eyebrows shot up at Rebekah's blunt response. "Wow, okay. And I thought the Salvatores had issues."

Rebekah gave a bitter laugh, leaning against a nearby crate. "The Salvatores? Please. Your precious Stefan and Damon are practically a picture-perfect family compared to us." She gestured towards the coffins. 

"But you still care about him. Why?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I hated him for a long time. It was exhausting." Rebekah replied with a sigh as she set down on her own coffin, gracing her fingertips around Buffy's waist as she walked passed, making goosebumps appear on Buffy's skin.
But the romatic gesture quickly passed as Stefan walked back in. 
"You're back. Finally. Nik went to check on the witch." Rebekah quipped, looking up at him from the coffin while Buffy took a seat in the couch opposites her. It had been the couch Klaus had been feeding off the girl, luckily for Buffy's eyes, the two Mikaelson siblings had gotten rid of the bodies while she was outside talking to Stefan.

Stefan looked at Rebekah, his expression thoughtful. "You know, when I met you two, you were both on the run." He spoke, while giving Buffy a faint thank you look for texting him.

Rebekah let out a tired laugh, rubbing her temples. "Also exhausting."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Who were you running from?"

Rebekah's gaze sharpened as she looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

"Last night I saw you," Stefan began, his tone cautious, "there was a man looking for you. You both seemed afraid. I just wouldn't think Klaus would be afraid of anybody."

Buffy raised an eyebrow from the couch, her voice dry. "Yeah, Klaus is a lot of things, but fear doesn't seem to be one of them." She glanced over at Rebekah. "Unless, of course, there's something you're not telling us."

Rebekah's eyes shot up at the two as she leaned back slightly. "No one in this world is truly fearless. Not even Niklaus."

Stefan's curiosity grew. "Who was that man?"

Rebekah hesitated, her gaze flicking away, before she finally spoke. "I can't. Please." She stood up, moving away from him. "If Nik knew we were talking about this, he would..." Rebekah trailed off, her voice uncertain.

Stefan quickly cut her off, standing up as well. "No, no, no, I'm sorry. Forget I asked. Okay?"

Rebekah paused, studying Stefan closely. "He told me about the girl you loved. The one that died. He also told me that you're only with him because he saved your brother."

Stefan didn't flinch, his voice soft but steady. "It's true."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Rebekah's lips. "I think he secretly admires that about you. You'd sacrifice anything for family." Her voice dropped to a whisper, a slight edge of secrecy in it. "Don't tell him I told you that."

Stefan gave a nod. "Your secret is safe with me."

Rebekah studied him for a moment, a knowing look in her eyes. "I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan."

Stefan furrowed his brows, his voice defensive. "What? I'm not..."

She cut him off with a smirk, her gaze flicking to the door when she heard it open. "Don't bother. You answer gave you away already." 

"Gloria's gone. She's cleared out. We need to find a new witch immediately." Klaus walked in, his presence commanding as always. He was walking quickly, his face set with urgency. Klaus stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he looked between Stefan and Rebekah. "What's going on?"

Rebekah stood a little straighter. "Something's wrong. He was asking about Michael. He's not with us, Nik. I can sense it."

Stefan shook his head, his voice firm. "She's wrong. Klaus..."

Before Stefan could finish, Klaus was already in front of him, his gaze intense, twisting his neck to the side.

"Is there something we should know about, love?" Klaus asked, walking over to Buffy and pulling her up form the couch, his hands on her hips.

"No. Nope. Nada." Buffy muttered nervously.

"You're lying. Your heartbeat is quickening." Klaus observed, his voice low and knowing as he studied Buffy closely.

"Yeah, because I don't want you to fucking snap my neck, for God's sakes!" The girl snapped back, her frustration mixing with the tension in the room. She shoved Klaus's hands off her hips, stepping back and crossing her arms defensively.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You're not good at hiding your fear, love."

Buffy rolled her eyes, clearly irritated but trying to keep her cool. "I'm not scared of you, Klaus. I just don't like the way you're always hovering like you're about to choke the life out of me."

Klaus's smirk deepened, but there was no humor in it. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as the room seemed to tighten with the weight of his presence. 

Buffy stood her ground, but her heart rate betrayed her as she sensed the shift in Klaus' demeanor. She took another step back, eyes flicking toward Rebekah, silently asking for help, but she didn't move, but Rebekah did speak. "Nik, don't do anything stupid."

Buffy's pulse raced, and she instinctively flinched as Klaus's hand moved to her neck.  When her necklace was removed, a chill ran down her spine. She knew what was coming. "Go to sleep, love." Klaus spoke, looking deeply in her eyes, compelling her.

Buffy's breath hitched in her throat as she fought to keep her mind from slipping. She could feel the compulsion washing over her, her will weakening, her thoughts growing hazy. "No." She murmured, her voice barely a whisper, as if trying to hold on to the last bit of control. "I won't..."

But it was too late. Klaus's words were a gentle command. With a final, trembling breath, Buffy slipped into unconsciousness, letting herself drop against Klaus's chest. 

Klaus felt her body sag against him. His fingers gently brushed through her hair. Of course he felt guilty for compelling her now, but it was still better than giving her a sedate like that one time on the dance. He sighed, lifting her carefully in his arms. "I'm sorry, love. You'll understand why I did this when you wake up."

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Buffy's restless movements in her sleep caught Rebekah's attention. She was shifting uneasily, her face contorting with the same nightmare she had night after night. The girl was mumbling under her breath, her words a mixture of fear and confusion, but Rebekah couldn't make out anything clear. The last thing Rebekah wanted was for Buffy to suffer like this, but there wasn't much she could do except watch her closely.

Buffy's nightmares had become more intense lately, and Rebekah's concern deepened as she watched her, wishing there was a way to help her. She gently reached out, brushing a few strands of hair from Buffy's forehead, but her movements only made Buffy stir more, her muttering growing louder.

Rebekah's gaze darted to Klaus, standing nearby in the truk, watching them with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He'd been unusually quiet until now, but seeing Buffy like this seemed to have stirred something in him.

He knelt down beside Buffy, his eyes softening slightly as he watched her. He could feel her fear in the air, the dread that clung to Buffy even in her sleep. With a deep breath, Klaus reached out, lightly touching her shoulder.

"Wake up, love," Klaus said in a gentle but commanding voice, his tone filled with a strange kind of tenderness. He didn't want to see her suffering, not like this. It was strange, but he couldn't ignore the need to pull her out of whatever nightmare had her trapped.

Buffy's eyes fluttered open at his voice, her chest heaving as she tried to shake off the remnants of her dream. She blinked a few times, dazed, before her gaze met Klaus's and Rebekah's, her heart still racing.

"Hey, you're alright, love." Klaus whispered, his expression soft but serious as he helped steady her by sitting up more straight.

Rebekah's relief was evident, but she stayed quiet, watching them closely, still uncertain of what exactly was going on in Buffy's mind.

Klaus walked over to Stefan to wake him up, throwing a few looks of worry back at Buffy as he did so.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Rebekah asked, her hand grabbing Buffy's brushing her thumb over Buffy's shaking hand. 

Buffy's breath was still shaky, and her body felt like it was caught in the lingering grip of the nightmare. Her eyes darted between Klaus and Rebekah, still disoriented, trying to process where she was and what had just happened. Her chest heaved, but with each passing second, she started to feel a little more grounded, her pulse slowly steadying.

Rebekah's touch was comforting, though Buffy was still on edge. She focused on Rebekah's hand, the warmth of it, and let herself relax into the simple connection. "Yeah... I'm fine." Buffy muttered.

"You don't look fine," Rebekah said, her voice soft but full of concern, her thumb still rubbing gently over Buffy's shaking hand. She could sense there was more to Buffy's state than just the nightmare.

Buffy shrugged, still trying to shake off the lingering panic, but the movement was too stiff, too defensive. "I'm just tired." It was a lie. And a bad one for that. The nightmares hadn't just started—they'd been there for a while, each one a little more intense than the last. But she couldn't explain that, not to Rebekah. Not to anyone because what would they think of her?

Rebekah, of course, saw that it was a lie from the second the words left Buffy's mouth, but she didn't push the girl into telling her. 

And than Stefan woke up suddenly, his heart racing as the truck hit a bump. He blinked a few times, disoriented, trying to make sense of where he was. His eyes landed on Klaus, who was just... staring at him. No anger, no surprise, just curiosity.

"Just give me a chance to explain myself, okay?" Stefan said, his voice shaky, but he didn't want Klaus to think he was lying or hiding something.

Stefan's eyes quickly darted to Buffy, who was still sitting there, looking a little out of it. Her hand was in Rebekah's, her gaze distant, and he could tell something was off. She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in days, and the tension in the air was thick. It wasn't like her to be so quiet and withdrawn.

His eyes silently asked if she was okay, since he had no idea what Klaus or Rebekah had done to her after Klaus snapped his neck. Buffy simply nodded, however before she could return her worry Klaus smirked, like he already knew everything that they had been hiding for months. "No need. I'm not mad, I'm just curious." He leaned back a little, looking almost amused. "Rebekah seems to think you're holding onto something. A piece of your old life. The thing is, she's got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural. So I thought I would check it out. See for myself what it is you've been hiding."

Stefan was about to say something, but Klaus didn't even wait. He opened the back of the truck, and the second Stefan and Buffy saw the familiar town of Mystic Falls, his stomach dropped and Buffy stood up on her feet.

"Welcome back to Mystic Falls." Klaus said, the smirk still on his face.

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Katherine x

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WORDS: 5027

POSTED: SATURDAY 25/01/2025

WRITTEN: SATURDAY 25/01/2025