act three, chapter seventeen: early morning talks

- dangerous liaisons -

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The two Salvatore brothers had been over at the Gilbert house almost all morning. Elena had quickly told them about what had happened outside the hospital yesterday evening. Damon leaned against the table, drinking Alaric's bourbon even though it was just 9 A.M. in the morning.

"It was their mother Esther who was sealed in that coffin." Elena said, her voice tense as she looked between the Salvatore brothers, who stood opposite her.

Stefan blinked, slowly, taking in Elena's words. "As in the Original Witch?"

Damon straightened up from where he leaned against the table. "What? How is she even alive? I thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago."

"I don't know." Elena replied, shaking her head, still in disbelief herself. "I'm guessing she has a couple of connections in the witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family. Including Klaus."

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Stefan said, clearly very frustrated with the whole situation.

"Well, not anymore." Elena said quietly. "At least not according to Elijah."

Stefan looked away, jaw tight. "That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds."

"Well, we still have Buffy. She's not gonna love him if he kills all of us —and I think that's exactly what he wants." He glanced at the others, brow raised. "Anyhow, anyone else feeling a little used right now?"

Elena's gaze hardened. "Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us."

"Where is my favourite blonde, by the way?" Damon asked, glancing around the room even though he knew Buffy wasn't here. He hadn't even heard the last thing Elena had said.

"She went to see her dad in the hospital late last night after the dinner at Klaus' house, and I haven't seen her since," Elena replied, crossing her arms. "I think she's still asleep. And I'm not waking her up—she hates when people wake her before ten on a weekend. I'm not facing her wrath. She's finally starting to be less mad about my incident with Rebekah."

Damon smirked. "Ah yes, the 'accidental' shove a dagger in her girlfriend's back."

Elena frowned. "They're not together."

"Yet." Stefan muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Damon to catch.

Damon chuckled. "Come on, you've seen the way Rebekah looks at Buffy. Like she's about two seconds away from snapping someone's neck every time Buffy smiles at someone else."

Elena slowly nodded. "Okay, yes, Rebekah likes Buffy. Everyone with eyes sees that. But Buffy isn't exactly running into her arms either. She's complicated about it."

"Buffy's complicated about a lot of things." Stefan said, sighing, remembering that one time while he and Buffy were on a trip with Klaus for three months. She had refused to sleep in the same room as Klaus. Stefan had found it hilarious. Especially Klaus' reaction had made his day.

"Sure. But we are her friends. You really think she's gonna side with Klaus even when he starts playing the 'I'm just a misunderstood monster' card?" Damon repeated with a grin.

"She knows better." Elena said firmly. "Buffy might be many things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"True." Stefan admitted. "Still, I've seen how Klaus looks at her. He's not just using her to keep us in check— no he cares about her. That makes her unpredictable. What if she falls for it?" Stefan wanted to get rid of Klaus more than anything, but he also wasn't willing to hurt Buffy for it.

"Please, she's unpredictable even when she's not being courted by immortal sociopaths." Damon muttered.

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Meanwhile Buffy came to a stop in front of the Gilbert house, her breathing heavy from her run, but it didn't slow down when she stepped towards the front door, her eyes glued on the person who was standing there at the bottom of the stairs.

His eyes had lighted up slightly when she finally arrived at her home, but she hadn't noticed that.

"Finn." Buffy softly greeted as she stopped next to him. Finn's expression softened as he glanced down at her.

"Buffy." He greeted her, his voice low and calm.

She tilted her head slightly, taking in his stance. He didn't seem like the type to linger unless he had something important to say, but that didn't stop her from being curious.

"What brings you here?" Buffy asked, her tone neutral but still tired. Yes, she had been on a run, stopped by her dad at the hospital, brought Caroline some breakfast after staying the night there, she was still tired because it was only 9 A.M. in the morning.

The girl wasn't used to being awake so early on the weekend. But she was willing to sacrifice a few more hours of sleep for Caroline, who needed her after her father died.

Finn hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing his words before he spoke. His eyes met hers, a hint of something—regret, perhaps—flashing in his gaze before he took a step forward and Buffy hoped he didn't regret being here.

"My mother is throwing a ball this evening. It seemed fitting that I brought your invitation personally." He replied, handing her a small piece of paper.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something lying on the ground in front of the door, it looked like the same invitation as her and next to it was a box shaped like a circle.

Buffy's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she processed his words.

"Your mother is throwing a ball?" Buffy repeated, her voice laced with disbelief but also small excitement. She took the invitation from Finn, her fingers brushing against his for a brief moment before she glanced down at the small piece of paper by the door. 

A ball?

"Yeah. It is the first time my family has been together after ten centuries. She thought it was a good idea to celebrate it." Finn answered.

"Hmm." Buffy hummed, slowly nodding her head, as she looked away from the invitation and back up at him. "Are you okay?"

The question had surprised both him and Buffy herself.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that, well, finally walking around again after being in a coffin for 900 years can not be easy. I imagine a lot has changed since than." Buffy explained.

Finn blinked, clearly taken aback by her question. He hadn't expected her to ask something so... personal already, but he didn't mind it.

He had expected that most people would either tiptoe around the subject or ignored it altogether. But Buffy? She had just asked. Straightforward and sincere.

And something about the way she looked at him, with a real smile and genuine curiosity, made him care less about lying.

He studied her for a moment, and then something in his posture shifted-just slightly. Less guarded, more human.

"It's strange." He admitted quietly. "The world is louder. Faster. Colder in some ways. People don't look each other in the eye anymore. Everyone seems to be in a rush. There's no stillness."

Buffy tilted her head, watching him closely. That answer didn't surprise her. He seemed like the kind of person who valued peace, who liked to listen rather than speak. A man out of time, not just because of how long he'd been gone—but because of who he was at his core.

"Do you miss it?" She asked gently. "Your time, I mean."

He nodded slowly.

"Well, if you need any help getting used to this time period, you know where to find me. I maybe don't know all the technical things about this electronics and stuff like that, but I do know where to shop the best clothes, find the best books, where the best places are for some peace and quite and I make a killer hot chocolate." Buffy finished with a small, proud smile, her eyes meeting his.

Finn's lips curved upward, subtle but real. "That sounds... surprisingly perfect."

She gave a little shrug, trying not to seem too pleased by his response. "Yeah, well. Every vampire needs a tour guide at some point, right?"

He tilted his head, considering her. "You'd be a good one."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Because I know where to buy clothes?

Finn gave a small smile, but it wasn't teasing-it was thoughtful. "No. Because you actually seem to care."

Buffy blinked, not expecting that answer. "Oh."

He nodded slowly. "Most people ask questions to be polite. You ask them because you want to understand."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly looked down at the invitation again to distract herself. "Okay, well... now you're just making it really hard to pretend I'm not a nice person."

"I didn't think you were pretending," Finn said softly.

Buffy glanced back up at him, caught somewhere between flustered and flattered.

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing witty or sarcastic came to mind. Instead, she just stared at him for a moment, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

There was a quiet honesty in the way he looked at her, like he meant every word he'd said. And it threw her off more than she cared to admit.

"I..." She began, then cleared her throat and looked away again, trying to gather her thoughts. "You Originals really don't hold back, do you?"

Finn chuckled softly. "We didn't exactly grow up in a time where subtlety was valued."

Buffy smiled at that, finally meeting his eyes again. "Yeah, well, I kind of like subtle. I mean, most of the time. Except when it comes to guys bringing hand-delivered invitations to ancient vampire balls." She held up the card with a small smirk. "That's... pretty lovely."

Finn gave a sheepish nod. "My mother wouldn't accept anything less."

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Before the conversation inside could spiral any further, the front door creaked open again, and Buffy stepped into the living room, caring two invitations and the box.

"Good morning, drama club." She said, her tone dry, though there was a subtle smile tugging at her lips. She dropped into the nearest chair with a sigh, the box on her lap, clearly still half-occupied with whatever she'd been up to at the hospital and outside.

Damon leaned forward, eyes glinting. "Morning, sunshine. We were just discussing how likely it is you'll fall into Klaus' arms and doom us all." He said as Elena handed her sister a cup of coffee, which Buffy happily accepted.

Buffy raised her cup like a toast. "Charming. Truly. Nothing says 'good morning' like casual paranoia."

Elena offered a soft smile. "Hey, how's your dad?"

"Stable. He was asleep when I got there this morning, but i'm pretty sure mom stayed the night." Buffy replied.

Damon leaned forward, changing the conversation again. "Just be honest, Buff. You've got a soft spot for the Originals, don't you?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "I have a soft spot for croissants. That doesn't mean I trust a thousand-year-old murderer with mommy and daddy issues." She said, knowing that he was especially talking about Klaus.

Elena bit back a laugh. "So you don't like him?"

Buffy groaned, tossing her head back dramatically. "I don't know. Okay? He's not what I expected. Sometimes he's... different. But then I remember everything he's done and it's like—ugh." She ran a hand through her hair. "It's not that simple, Elena. By the way." She held up the invitation, while putting her coffee down on the coffee table so that she could open the box which had her name on it.

Buffy carefully lifted the lid off the box, revealing a dress so beautiful, it almost made her forget to breathe for a moment. It was a deep crimson color, sleek and elegant, the fabric almost shimmered under the dim light of the room. She ran her fingers over the soft silk, her eyes scanning the intricate beading along the neckline. It was far too luxurious for any normal occasion.

She raised an eyebrow and pulled out the note tucked under the dress, opening it with a hint of suspicion.

I know you don't need anyone to tell you how extraordinary you are, but I wanted you to hear it from me anyway. You deserve to feel as stunning as you truly are. Wear this, and know that you have my admiration. No one else could wear this dress like you. – Klaus

Buffy's breath caught in her throat, her eyes lingering on the words. It was unlike anything she'd ever expected from him. The elegant script on the note, the quiet intensity of the words, made her heart race in a way she couldn't quite explain.

She sat still for a moment as Damon's voice broke the silence, his usual teasing tone a little less sharp. "Well, look at that. Looks like Klaus is trying to charm you with poetry now."

"Pff." Buffy scoffed, but the faint smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. She carefully placed the note back into the box, then glanced up at Damon, her eyes narrowing with mock annoyance. "I'm not some damsel in distress, Damon. I don't need Klaus's sweet words to—"

"Right, because you're totally immune to the charms of a thousand-year-old hybrid who sends you dresses and writes you notes." Damon interrupted with a raised eyebrow, his smirk never leaving his face.

"I'm sorry, but do you want me to fall for him or something?"

Buffy shot back, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to sound more annoyed than she actually felt.

Damon raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her reaction. "Well, that's the thing, Buffy. I don't know if you're falling for him... or if you already did and are trying to hide it from us?"

"Bull." Buffy replied, turning to Elena. "What's on the back of yours?"

Elena turned her invitation over and to her surprise something was written on the back. "Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther."

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Elena crossed her arms and stared down at the invitation in her hands. "If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why."

"That's a dumb idea;" Damon said instantly, looking at her like she'd just announced she was going skydiving without a parachute. "She already tried to kill you once."

Stefan leaned forward, voice calm but serious. "No, Elena's right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there's more going on here than just a weird family reunion."

"Bonnie was also led to one of Klaus' coffins?" Buffy wondered aloud before she could stop herself.

Elena's eyes snapped to her, brows knitting together. "Also?" she echoed, her voice laced with concern. "What do you mean also?"

Buffy suddenly realized everyone was staring at her, and Damon even tilted his head like he was already suspicious. She hesitated for half a second, but then shrugged a little too casually. "Nothing—it's just...  I mean, what if it wasn't just Esther pulling strings?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "What aren't you telling us, Buff?"

Buffy quickly grabbed her coffee from the table, avoiding eye contact. "Just thinking out loud, okay?"

Damon scoffed. "Can we please go back to when the old Stefan actually cared if Elena lived or died?"

Stefan didn't even blink. "What for? That's your job now."

"Oh, damn." Buffy muttered under her breath.

Elena gave them all a look but sighed. "Stefan has a point, Damon. I should at least hear Esther out and see what she wants."

Damon stood up, clearly not thrilled. "You can't protect yourself."

"I'll go with her then." Stefan offered, but Damon instantly shook his head.

"No way. You've already pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime." And before anyone could argue, he snatched the invitation right out of Elena and Buffy's hands. "I'll go."

"Hey!" Elena said, annoyed.

"Give that back, you gremlin." Buffy said, standing up and narrowing her eyes at him.

"End of story." Damon said as he held up the invitations and started walking off like the conversation was over.

Elena looked at Stefan, and Stefan just shook his head like, typical Damon.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, sipping her coffee with zero urgency. "Wow. Democracy just died right here in this very living room." She turned to the other two. "Can I kick his ass now?"

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I'm publishing the other parts of 3x14 today as well!

Be sure to comment and vote if you want. I love reading them and your support keeps me so motivated!

Katherine xoxo

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WORDS: 2719

POSTED: WEDNESDAY 09/04/2025

WRITTEN: WEDNESDAY 09/04/2025