(act two, chapter ten: the sacrifice)

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Buffy woke up by the loud noises made outside of her bedroom. She had no idea if it was still late evening or if it was in the middle of the night. She just knew that they were sounds coming from the hall. The door from her bedroom was ajar, so the light from the hallway was also shining on her bed, lighting up a bit of her room.

She laid back down on her bed, just turning over so she could shut her eyes again and tried to get back to sleep, figuring that the noise was probably Jeremy or Elena. Buffy had not seen a towel rustle by movement in the bathroom, that was across from her room, as she was too busy getting herself back to sleep that she desperately needed. Neither had Buffy seen Jonas appear in the doorway, looking at her almost back to sleep form on the bed.

The girl jolted out of bed once more when she heard a door slamming closed somewhere in the house and Jonas had disappeared from the door as soon as he saw that she wasn't asleep anymore. 

Wanting to close her door, Buffy stood up, sitting up for a few seconds to realise she actually had to get up to close that door, before standing up and walking over to the door. But at the moment she wanted to close the door, something felt wrong, causing the girl to walk out of her room, grabbing the first thing that she touched on her cupboard.

Her hair straightener. 

Elena and Jeremy's door were also slightly opened, but the siblings still seemed fast asleep. 

A floorboard cracked under someone's foot behind her, making the girl turn around and holding the hair straightener in her hand up higher.

"Fucking hell." Buffy cursed in relief, lowering the straightener as she looked at the person in front of her. "Oh." She also muttered in realisation. 

"Buffy. Hey." Alaric awkwardly greeted her as the two caught their breath again after the scare. Alaric also hadn't expected his daughter to stand by the top of the stairs when he came back up.

"Hey." Buffy replied, a frown on her face as she looked at him, quickly looking away again when she saw that he was barely wearing anything.

Her mom also appeared next to him, startled by her appearance as well, since the two of them had thought that Buffy and the two Gilberts were fast asleep.

As her mother ran a hand through her, also embarrassed by the situation, Elena entered the hallway as well. "I heard something." The oldest Gilbert spoke, but she quickly caught up when she saw Buffy's horrified face.

"That was us. I'm sorry." Jenna spoke, quickly apologizing.

"We didn't think anyone else was up." Alaric said.

"But here you two are. Awake." Jenna continued.

"We were just-" Alaric said, but his attempts at explaining the situation to them were not turning into any good excuse, so he just held the bowl in his hands up to the two. "Chunky Monkey?" 

Buffy gasped. "Is that my ice cream?"

"No, no, yours is still in the freezer." Jenna quickly said.

"I'm not really hungry. At all." Elena said as Alaric was still holding up the bowl.

"Yeah, well, I am now." Buffy also replied, quickly using that as her excuse to leave the awkward conversation. "I'm will get my own ice cream." The girl continued as she made her way around her parents and off the stairs to get to the kitchen. 

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"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena asked them as soon as the two Salvatore brothers were done explaining to them all what Katherine had told them. Surely these two would see that Katherine lied once again. She would tell them anything just to get out of that tomb.

"I certainly don't." Buffy spoke, taking another spoon of her bowl filled with her favorite corn flakes: milk choco pillows.

"No, of course not. We just want the moonstone." Damon answered her while throwing an orange from one hand to the other, that he had picked up from the fruit bowl that stood next to Buffy's bowl on the kitchen island.

"According to Rose's friend Slater, there's a way to destroy the spell Klaus wants to break." Stefan said. 

"No spell, no doppelgänger sacrifice. Ergo, you live." Damon added.

"How do you destroy it?" Elena asked them. 

"By releasing it from the moonstone." Stefan answered stepping close to Elena while still leaning on the kitchen island.

"How do you guys even know if this is gonna work?" Elena asked them after she let out  a sigh.

"Yeah, indeed what if this entire plan fails and it just angers Klaus?" Buffy asked them.

"Because we have a crafty witch on our side." Damon answered her question, referring to the two girls' their best friend.

"You discussed it with Bonnie." Elena realized.

"She agreed to do anything she could to help us." Stefan said, remembering the Bennett witch's words.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone. She's not gonna give it to you just because she wants too." Elena spoke while sitting down next to Buffy.

"We're gonna get it from her. Bonnie needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone, and get out." Stefan said.

"Wow, it sounds like you guys have it all planned out." Elena spoke with a grimace on her face, clearly disapproving

"Yep. We're awesome." Damon said, pointing towards himself.

"Except for one thing. I don't want you to do it." Elena finished speaking causing the two brother to exchange looks.

"What are you talking about? Elena, we don't have a choice." Stefan said, in disbelief.

"What about Klaus?" Elena asked, pointing to Buffy who had asked the question as well?

"We'll find him right after we get the stone." Stefan told her.

"Is that before or after he kills everyone that I care about, including the two of you?" Elena asked while looking at the two brothers. 

"Elena, if we can de-spell the moonstone, we can save your live." Stefan pointed out to her but Elena didn't seem to want to hear it.

"I know. Everybody keeps saying that." Elena said before standing up and leaving the kitchen, leaving the Salvatores and Buffy.

"Buffy, please tell me you agree with the plan." Damon spoke to the blonde.

"I don't know Damon, okay? From the moment you two explained the plan I knew that Elena was not going to agree. I don't know how to change her opinion on that." Buffy replied, abandoning her bowl and walking after Elena, who was going back to her room.

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"It's not nice to leave a girl naked so early in the morning." Was the thing that the two sisters heard when they entered the Salvatore Boarding House, soon followed by Rose walking down the stairs, tying a silk robe around herself.

But when she looked up, she saw Buffy and Elena, and not Damon, standing in the hallway before her. "Sorry, I thought you two were-"

"I- sorry." Elena nervously stammered as she looked away from Rose.

"There's no one else here." Rose spoke, thinking they were here for one of the brothers.

"Actually, we came to talk to you."

"Then I should probably get dressed." Rose spoke, before walking back up the stairs.

"Well, at least she's having fun." Buffy said to Elena with a sigh.

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"It's a bad idea." Rose said after hearing their plan.

"No it's not. From what Stefan told us your friend Slater obviously has, more information about Klaus. You and Damon just gave up before you got it." Elena spoke back.

"Because somebody blew up a coffee shop with us in it." Rose said to Elena.

"I kinda would've stopped looking too, to be honest." Buffy spoke to Elena, who gave her a look in return.

"There's more to learn. We just have to find a way to learn it." Elena rattled on.

"Why are you two coming to me with this?" Rose asked her, curious.

"Because you own us. One word from one of us, and Damon and Stefan could have killed you for kidnapping me."

"Or maybe it's because you know that they wouldn't want you doing this. His moonstone caper gives you a chance to sneak away." Rose said.

"We're having a disagreement, okay? They're willing to risk everyone that I love, and I'm not." Elena said it to her again. Why couldn't people just see that she didn't want to risk everyone safety for hers.

"They're just trying to protect you." Rose said.

"Yes and you've proven that you couldn't care less whether I'm protected or not. So we're back to you taking us to Slater."

Rose sat down beside Buffy before speaking. "What exactly do you hope to achieve by this?" 

"How would you like to be able to walk during the daylight?" Elena questioned her, thinking that the vampire would definitely do it if she can walk in the sunlight. She would do it if it meant she could walk in the sun after so long not being able to.

"I've been a slave to shadows for 500 years. What do you think?" Rose asked her, feeling more convinced already.

"I think I know a witch who's willing to do whatever it takes to help if you're willing to make a deal." Elena said and Rose nodded because she wanted that daylight ring, but also because she wanted to help them. After all the two of them were innocent. 

Rose didn't want Elena to die in that sacrifice so that Klaus could break the Sun and Moon curse. Neither did she want Buffy to be trapped with the Mikaelsons for the rest of eternity.

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The three girls were standing in front of Slater's apartment, Rose slamming on the door repeatedly, yelling at Slater to open the door for them. "He's not home, sorry." She said to them, already turning back to the stairs.

"No. We didn't come all the way out here for nothing." Elena said, holding up her hand to stop Rose from moving any further. Rose sighed as she turned back towards her friend's apartment and broke the door open.

"After you."

"Thank you." Buffy spoke, truly appreciating that she was here with them.

"Slater?" The three called through the apartment, but again with no response from Rose's friend. When Rose looked shocked at something in front of her, further into the apartment, Elena and Buffy made their way over to her, gasping as they saw what had shocked her.

"Oh, my God." Buffy muttered.

"I don't think he's gonna be much help." Rose spoke.

"You think so?" Buffy spoke with sarcasm, raising her eyebrow at the vampire.

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Rose pulled his body away from the room. Since neither of the human girls wanting to look at it, Elena and Buffy walked over to Slater's desk to search for information on Klaus. Even with the smallest new info they would be happy, because at the moment they almost knew nothing about him, except for the fact that he was an original, wanted Rose dead, wanted to sacrifice Elena and practically kidnap Buffy.

"Looks, like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for his information." Elena spoke to Rose as she picked up some papers from the desk, but nothing really important was written down on them. At least nothing that would be able to help them find a solution.

"Probably to stop him from helping people like us. The guy was a vampire almanac. Knowing too much information just bit him in the ass." Rose said before walking over to the windows and pulling the curtains aside as Elena and Buffy looked down at the computer screen.

"What are you-?" Elena asked as she realized what the vampire had just done and shocked on how the 500-year-old vampire didn't burst out in flames at the touch of the sun on her skin.

"Tempered glass. UV rays can't penetrate." Rose sighed, memories overloading about times when she was here. "I used to just come here and watch the day."

"I'm sorry about Slater." Buffy said, and Elena nodded, also feeling sorry for Rose, both received a small smile from Rose. 

"Any luck?"

"It's password-protected. I can't get in." Elena answered. Since she hadn't even met Slater, she had no idea where to even start with searching for his password.

"Then this is pointless. Let's just go." Rose had stopped speaking they heard noise from behind a door. Rose quickly opened the door and was met with a crying Alice, who raced forwards to embrace her.

"He's dead." Alice cried into Rose's shoulder, making Rose pet her back.

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"She found him a few minutes before we did." Rose said as she walked over to the two by the counter, making coffee for themselves and Alice.

"How is she?" Elena asked Rose.

"Overreacting. Big time." Rose told her with a grimace. 

"Her boyfriend just died. There's no such thing as overreacting." Elena spoke, glaring at Rose. Buffy also frowned with confusion at Rose.

"Those tears are for her. She didn't care about Slater. She was only dating him long enough to see if he'd turn her." Elena walked away with the coffee and handed it to Alice while Rose and Buffy stayed in the kitchen listing in on their conversation.

"You look really familiar. Did you know Slater?" Alice asked Elena as the doppelgänger sat down next to her on the chairs.

"Not personally, no. I just knew that he kept detailed records of all of his vampire contacts and I was hoping that he could point me towards Klaus." Elena explained to her, telling what she found on the computer and all around the desk in hope that it would make the woman trust her to tell her or show them what they needed.

"Doubtful." Alice said while looking at her, trying to figure out where she had seen the girl before. "Klaus doesn't wanna be pointed out."

"Do you know Slater's computer password?" Elena asked.

Alice scoffed at her. "Are you seriously asking me that right now? I just saw my boyfriend with a stake through his heart."

"I understand that. Do you know his password?"

"Who do you think you are?" Alice asked her, standing up with anger. 

Elena looked in Buffy's and Rose's direction before turning to Alice again.

"What if I could convince Rose to turn you? Will you show us his files then?" Elena bribed her and Alice quickly down at her, happy, meanwhile Rose was looking at Elena.

"What is she doing?" Buffy whispered to Rose.

"I don't know." Rose whispered back, alarmed.

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A few minutes later, Alice was sitting in front of the computer with the other three girls behind her. Elena was pacing through the room as Alice tried to get into her boyfriend's computer. "Someone's been here? Hard drive's wiped out." Alice said, looking at the screen after filling in his computer password.

"Yeah, probably whoever killed him." Rose commented, not happy with even having to be near a person who could use another person like that.

"Lucky for you, Slater was paranoid. Everything's backed up on our remote server." Alice said to them.

Rose turned to Elena. "You know that she's not going anywhere near my blood, right?"

"I know, but she doesn't." Elena responded before she walked over next to Alice.

"Kristen Stewart. God, was he obvious?" Alice asked herself, chuckling.

"These are all leads to vampires?" Elena asked her, looking wide-eyed at the screen at how many there were.

"Slater was obsessed. Almost as much as me."

"What about that one? Cody Webber. They exchanged dozens of emails about Elijah." Rose asked, pointing at the name on the computer screen.

"I could call him." Alice suggested to her.

Elena handed her the phone. "Tell him that we're trying to send a message to Klaus. The doppelgänger is alive and she is ready to surrender."

"Yes, and tell him that Klaus's soulmate or whatever is alive and also ready to surrender." Buffy added. 

"What?" Rose asked them, shocked. This was not what she was expecting.

"Oh, my god. I knew I recognized you two." Alice said, excitedly looking from one human girl to the other one.

"Get him the message, please." Elena replied before walking away with her sister, Rose quickly following behind them/

"Elena, what the hell are you doing?" Rose asked her.

"I'm getting Klaus' attention." Elena answered, shrugging.

"If Klaus knows that you're alive, he'll find you and he'll kill you. And you" Rose turned to Buffy. "He will do God knows what with you. You can't be seriously considering this." " Rose told them, before realizing that was exactly what they wanted. "Which is exactly what you wanted all along."

"It's either me or my family." Elena said, closing the argument. She didn't want Jeremy or Jenna ending up the same way as Katherine's family.

"Please, understand." Buffy begged the vampire. "If we don't, our family and friends will pay for it. We don't want that."

Alice came walking into the kitchen. "Cody is on his way and he really wants to meet you two." Alice said before walking away again. Buffy following after her since she didn't want to continue the conversation, knowing that Rose was not agreeing with them.

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"What are you doing here?" Damon asked after he finally arrived in Slater's apartment in Richmond after Rose had called him to let him know where they were and what the two sisters were planning on doing to save everyone.

"What are you doing here?" Elena backfired the question while Rose and Buffy walked over to them, joining them. 

"The better question is how did you know where we were?" Buffy asked, but not even a second later she let out a sigh, realizing that Rose had called him.

"You called them?" Elena asked Rose, feeling betrayed. "You said that you understood."

"She lied." Damon spoke.

"State the obvious, Damon." Buffy spoke after rolling with her eyes.

"Damon Salvatore." Alice spoke happily, walking over to the four as she saw the newcomer. Excited to see another vampires she hadn't met yet, but heard loads about.

"Get rid of her." Damon told to Rose.

"No way." Alice repeated when Rose dragged her away.

"Come on, we're leaving." Damon said to the two, expecting them to follow/

"No." Elena and Buffy spoke. 

Buffy shook her head when Damon looked over his shoulder at her.

"I said we're leaving." Damon repeated.

"No." The girls repeated.

"What do you mean no? You have no choice. Now let's go."

"We mean no. You wanna hear it in Spanish? No." Buffy spoke back annoyed.

"You two do not get to make decisions anymore." Damon said.

"When have we ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for us. Now, this, this is our decision." Elena replied.

"Who's gonna save your lives, while you're out making decisions, huh?" Damon asked them.

"You're not listening to me, Damon. We don't want to be saved. Not if it means that Klaus is gonna kill every single person person that we care about." Elena said to him.

"Can't you just understand that we don't want anybody to die?" Buffy asked him.

"Get your asses out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you both out myself." Damon threatened, grabbing Elena's arm.

"No." Elena spoke, throwing a punch at Damon, but Damon grabbed her first before it landed on his face, moving her hand back towards him.

"Don't ever do that again." Damon released her hand, making the girl let out a breath of relief as the Salvatore walked away.

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"Time to go. Alice is soundly sleeping and won't remember a moment of this horribly stupid day." Damon said to the three girls after compelling everything out of Alice's mind

But before they could leave Slater's apartment, three men entered the room.

"We're here to meet the doppelgänger and the Original's soulmate." The shortest one said of them announced.

"Thank you for coming." Elena spoke, planning on going forwards together with Buffy, but both got pushed back by Damon.

"I will break both your arms." Damon threatened the both of them and Buffy rolled her eyes, already knowing that he wasn't actually going to do that. "There's nothing here for you." Damon told the vampires, wanting them gone so that they could leave as well.

The vampires most to the front door of Slater's apartment, fell to the ground with a hole in his chest. When his body collided with the floor, everyone stared at Elijah, who had his eyes on Buffy, but the heart of the vampire in his left hand.

Rose took her leave as soon as she saw the Original.

Elijah vamped forwards, standing in front of the other two vampire, who both had their backs turned to Elena, Buffy and Damon.

"I killed you. You were dead." Damon spoke, the surprise on his face clear as he looked at the Original with confusion.

 "For centuries now. Who are you?" Elijah asked the two unknown people in the room.

"Who are you?" One of them returned the question.

"I'm Elijah." Elijah replied with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"We were gonna bring her to you, for Klaus. She's the doppelgänger, I don't know how she exists, but she does and she's his soulmate and yours. We were bringing them both to him."

"Does anyone else know you're here?" Elijah asked, looking over to his soulmate once more.

"No." The other one of the other two answered this time.

A smile formed on Elijah's face. "Well, then you have have been incredibly helpful." He said, ripping their hearts out with one simple movement and dropping their hearts to the floor. 

Elijah glanced at his soulmate for a few seconds before vamping out of the apartment.

"Well, that didn't go as good as I had hoped." Buffy spoke, receiving a glare from Damon, who was already walking to the door, expecting the two girls to follow him.

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Words: 3607

Posted: September 1, 2024

Be sure to comment. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated!

x Kat