(act two, chapter seventeen: the last dance)

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"Who is this guy, Safari Sam?" Klaus / Alaric questioned after he had opened up Alaric's closet, to find only clothes a history teacher in high school would ever wear. Grabbing two shirts with a sigh, he made his way back over to a scared Katherine, who was sitting on a chair, scared to even move around.

"Okay, bad or badder?" He asked, holding the dark shirt up in front of him first, before holding up the other one.

"The dark color suits you better." Katherine answered.

"Oh, thank you, honey." Klaus / Alaric spoke, sarcastically, throwing the second shirt down on the bed while putting on the darker shirt. "Okay, pop quiz. The dagger and white ash are in the Salvatore's possession. Correct?" He asked, turning back to Katherine.

"The dagger was used to kill Elijah. You'll find him in the basement of the Salvatore house." Katherine explained once more.

"Okay, that dagger needs to stay exactly where it is. The last thing I need to do is resurrect Elijah. That guy is a buzz kill." Klaus / Alaric said with a roll of his eyes as he started buttoning up his shirt.

"Don't forget you're on the outs with your girlfriend Jenna." Katherine reminded him.

"Right, Elena's aunt. For all the lies about Isobel. What else?" Klaus asked, as he walked closer over to her, scaring her even more than she already was.

"That's it." Katherine managed to speak, but she didn't look up. Klaus / Alaric stroked her hair, making Katherine tremble in her chair.

"Oh, so jumpy." Klaus spoke, enjoying how scared she was.

"Please just kill me. I've told you everything that I know." Katherine spoke.

"You see, I believe that you believe that." He spoke, while leaning closer, his hands on both side of the chair, trapping the vampire on it even more than she already felt. "But what would you not know? What could they be keeping from you? Anything? Tell me." Klaus / Alaric compelled her.

"They were trying to see if Bonnie could find a way to kill an Original without a dagger." Katherine spoke in an emotionless voice from being compelled. Much like Klaus in Alaric's body was speaking now just to scare her.

"Bonnie the best friend?" Klaus / Alaric questioned, standing up straight and Katherine nodded as she let out a breath, relaxing a bit more now that he wasn't as close to her anymore like before "I thought you said she didn't have her powers anymore."

"She doesn't or didn't. I don't know. You kidnapped me. I'm kind of out of the loop."

"Well, we'll have to get to the bottom of that." Klaus / Alaric simply shrugged.

"Please, just kill me, Klaus, and be done with it." Katherine begged once more.

"And show you kindness?" He asked. "I've searched for you for over 500 years. Your death is going to last at least half that long. Now, I want you to take this knife and stab yourself." He handed her the knife that he had just opened. She hesitatingly grabbed it from him before stabbing the knife into her right leg.

"Now, take it out." She removed the knife from her leg, grunting, while putting her other hand, seeing the stab wound starting to heal.

"Where are you going?" Katherine asked him, curiously.

"I'm gonna go lay eyes on my precious doppelgänger." He kissed her forehead. "Oh, don't look so glum, Katerina. The fun is just beginning." He lifted her chin for a second, making her look him in the eyes. "Anything else I should know about?"

"Elizabeth." Katherine spoke and she felt his grip on her shin tighten, he gave her a demanding look . "She's here."

Klaus's eyes flashed with intensity as he tightened his grip on Katherine's chin, his gaze locked onto her with a mix of shock that he was trying to not show her. "She's here?" He repeated slowly, as if savoring the words.

Katherine nodded, wincing. "Yes, Klaus. Elizabeth is in Mystic Falls."

Klaus's expression morphed from surprise to satisfaction, a smirk forming on his lips. After all this time she's within his reach. He released Katherine abruptly, pacing with a newfound energy. "Tell me, Katerina, have you seen her?"

Klaus's eyes narrowed, sensing Katherine's hesitation. "You've met her, haven't you?" He asked, his tone dangerously calm, scaring the other vampire on the chair.

Katherine swallowed, knowing there was no point in lying. He would know. "Yes, I've seen her. I have spoken with her."

Klaus stepped closer, his gaze sharp and relentless. "And you thought this little detail wasn't worth mentioning sooner?" His voice was smooth, but the threat behind it was unmistakable.

"There is something else you should know."

"Yes?" He replied, impatiently.

"You're in her dad's body." Katherine spoke, softly smirking up at him when she caught his off guard.

"I'm in her father's body?" He repeated, his voice tinged with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. That bitch Isobel really couldn't have picked anyone else?

Katherine's smirk grew. "Yes, Klaus. Her father's body." She confirmed, watching him closely.

Klaus's face twisted into irritation. "Well, isn't that just poetic." He muttered, pacing. "So Elizabeth's first impression of me will be her father." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Not exactly how I envisioned our meeting, but I suppose it adds a certain irony. Now, I'm gonna lay eyes on my precious Elizabeth. Now, while I'm gone, I want you to do that over and over and over again. And if you get bored, switch legs." And with that said, Klaus walked out of Alaric's apartment.

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As everyone settled into their seats before class, Elena pulled out a bright, colorful poster for the upcoming '60s Decade Dance. She smiled and held it up for Stefan, who took one look and shook his head in disapproval. With a slight frown, she turned to Bonnie, who sat next to her, and Buffy, who sat in front of Bonnie, but had been excitedly talking to the Bennett witch about the dance.

Both nodded enthusiastically when Elena showed them the poster. Elena gave Stefan a pointed look, but he just smirked back at her. Buffy let out a laugh when she saw Stefan's face expression, receiving a glare from the Salvatore in return.

"You'll be going with my brother right?" Buffy asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Bonnie smiled, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "Yeah, who are you going with?"

Buffy shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I'm thinking of just bribing Damon to go with me." She said with a smirk.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, laughing. "Bribing Damon? That actually might work."

"Trust me." Buffy whispered to Bonnie as she saw Alaric walking into the classroom. "If there's anyone who'd say yes for the right bribe, it's him."

"Hello, class. What are we learning today?"

Dana raised her hand. "Since the decade dance is tonight, we've been covering the sixties all week."

"Right." Alaric/Klaus responded with a faint smile, glancing briefly at Elena sitting in the second row. He paused, holding her gaze for a moment and Elena gave him a small smile before he turned back to the board, before it got weird and people started asking question.

"What's going on with him?" Bonnie leaned forward to ask Buffy, glancing at Alaric as he stood at the front of the classroom, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Buffy turned around a bit. "I don't know." The girl replied, giving him a sly smile when she noticed Alaric looking in their direction.

Bonnie leaned in again. "He seems a bit off today. Do you think something's bothering him?"

"I would be surprised if there wasn't." Buffy said, turning back to the front of the class, but Alaric was still staring in their direction, making the rest of the class also look towards them.

Nobody knew that Buffy was Alaric's daughter yet, which definitely raised some suspicions. Even the four in the room who knew about that secret exchanged uneasy glances at Alaric's intense focus on them.

Alaric cleared his throat, finally turning his back to the class as he wrote something down on the board. The tension in the room eased slightly, but whispers began to ripple among some of the students, intrigued by the interaction they had just witnessed.

But Klaus's attention wasn't focused anymore on the sixties or on the doppelgänger, who sat almost right in front of him with her boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, and best friend, Bonnie Bennett. He planned to deal with the Bennett witch later at the dance, ensuring she wouldn't pose a problem for him anymore.

He couldn't comprehend why he hadn't noticed Elizabeth earlier. He had practically caught her scent all the way from the front door of the school. As soon as he spotted her across the classroom, a surge of urgency gripped him—a primal instinct to protect her. His mind raced, taking in her familiar form, the image that had haunted his dreams for far too long.

Klaus had never quite known if his siblings shared the same dreams, nor had he ever asked them. He didn't want to know. Those memories, filled with moments shared with Elizabeth, were too personal, too sacred for him to risk tainting with their opinions.

He softened his gaze, taking a moment—or maybe three—to admire her. She's safe, he reassured himself, even as a gnawing worry lingered at the back of his mind.

Ever since he had learned through Katarina a short while ago that she was in town, he had acted swiftly. He conducted his research, or more accurately, had others do it for him. Now that they were in the town she had always called home—aside from the brief period when she moved away with her mother—finding information about her was easier than he had anticipated.

Klaus forced himself to focus on the present, but his thoughts were like chains, dragging him down. What would she think of me if she knew? The question haunted him, its implications echoing in his mind. He couldn't shake the image of Elizabeth's hurt expression, the disappointment in her eyes.

And the worst part of it was that they hadn't even spoken to each other yet. They knew nothing about each other. But he knew she probably wouldn't partially care about him in any way when he goes off to sacrifice her cousin.

And how was he going to tell her about the bond they shared? He knew she knew Elijah, but he had no idea how much he had told her about the whole soulmate bonds that were to be.

Clearing his throat, he began. "The '60s-" Alaric / Klaus put the chalk back down when he was done writing the two numbers on the I wish there was something good I could say about the '60s, but actually they kind of sucked. Except for the Beatles. They made it bearable." He scratched his head, thinking aloud. "Um, what else is there? The Cuban missile thing, the We walked on the moon. There was Watergate."

"I love the Beatles." Buffy turned halfway back around to Bonnie. "They better play some songs later."

Bonnie nodded enthusiastically.

"Watergate was the '70s, Ric.- I mean, Mr.Saltzman." Elena quickly added as everyone started to stare at her.

"Right. It kind of mushes together up here, the '60s, '70s. Thank you Elena."

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As Elena and Buffy walked up to the table carrying their lunch on trays, they smiled at Jeremy, who was sitting with Bonnie by the table, looking rather annoyed.

"Hey, Jer. How you doing? Are you okay at the house alone with John?" Elena asked him.

"It's not ideal." Jeremy replied, standing up and preparing to leave.

Elena's brow furrowed slightly. "You haven't heard from Jenna, have you?"

"It looks like she's staying on campus. Look, I'm late for class." With that, he left, leaving Elena to sit down with Bonnie.

"She is staying on campus." Buffy spoke as she took a seat next to Bonnie. "Mom, she called this morning. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

"No biggie." Elena smiled at her sister, before looking at Bonnie. "What's going on?"

Bonnie sighed. "I told him he had to dress up tonight, and he got all uptight."

"Oh." Elena said, a laugh escaping her lips just as Dana walked over to their table, an excited grin on her face.

"Hey, Buffy, there you are. Okay, this is going to sound freaky, but this totally hot guy just asked me to ask you if you're going to the dance tonight."

Bonnie jumped in, playfully nudging Buffy. "Tell him she has a date."

"You have a date?" Elena asked with surprise.

"Nah. Damon."

"You could at least meet him. He'll be at the dance tonight. Look for him. His name is Klaus. He's excited to meet you."

Elena blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"His name's Klaus. I know the name's stupid, but I swear he's hot."

Bonnie leaned in, scanning the cafeteria. "Where is he? Is he here?"

Dana shrugged. "I don't know."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed slightly. "She's been compelled."

"But he wants to know if you'll save him the last dance. How cute is that?" Dana said, grinning before leaving.

"So cute." Buffy muttered with a roll of her eyes before letting out a laugh.

"What?" Bonnie asked her, confused on what was so amusing.

"I can't believe he compelled her to say that he was hot. He's probably looking like a leprechaun. Oh, no, maybe that's an offence to their kind. Don't ever mention that I said that. To anyone." The blonde warned her friends. "I don't want to die."

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Buffy was in her room, changing out of her day clothes and into a sparkly black dress that she had planned for tonight's dance. As she looked in the mirror, she frowned, pulling it off again and tossing it onto her bed. "Ugh, why do I always do this?" she muttered to herself.

She rifled through her closet, trying on another outfit—a cute top with a leather skirt—but that didn't feel right either. She stepped back, crossing her arms in frustration.

I fucking hate when this happens.

Buffy sighed, glancing at her phone. I don't have time to go shopping again, she thought, her mind racing with options. She grabbed a bright red top and paired it with her favorite skirt, twirling in front of the mirror. "Not bad." she said, trying to convince herself, but nothing she tried on was giving a sixties look.

The girl temporarily stopped looking when she heard a knock at the door. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and frowned. She quickly made her way to the door. When she opened it, her dad, Mason, stood there with a small bag in hand, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, kiddo! I thought I'd stop by and drop off a little something." He said, holding out the bag.

Buffy's eyes lit up as she recognized the familiar crinkle of chocolate wrappers. "You brought chocolate?"

Mason nodded, pretending to be serious. "Only the finest for my favorite daughter."

Buffy laughed, stepping aside to let him in. "Well, you know me too well. Just what I need for today."

Mason walked into her room as he followed his daughter, who immediately went back over to her closet as he glanced around at the clothes spread across the floor. "What's going on?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the chaotic scene.

Buffy sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned against her dresser. "Klaus is coming to the dance and I can't seem to find an outfit." A frown was on her face as she looked at another combination.

Mason's expression shifted to one of concern. "Klaus? As in the big, bad vampire? What do you mean he's coming?"

"Yeah, that Klaus." Buffy replied, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "We just found out during lunch. I'm going over to the Salvatores in a bit so that we can figure out a plan."

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Four of them sat in the Salvatore living room, tension thick as they strategized their next move on how to deal with Klaus this evening. Damon was the first to break the silence, his tone impatient. "So, we go to the dance, we find him."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Really? And how exactly are we going to do that, Damon? We don't even know what he looks like."

Damon gave a dismissive wave. "Something tells me he's not going to be sixteen and pimply."

Stefan shook his head, glancing at Elena and Bonnie. "He could be anywhere. He already compelled someone at school. Guess it's not as safe as you thought, huh?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Alaric—or rather, Klaus in Alaric's body—strolled in with a smirk.

"There you are." Damon said, barely hiding his annoyance.

"Sorry I'm late." Klaus / Alaric replied.

Damon's focus sharpened. "I need you to put me down as a chaperone at the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move."

Elena's brow furrowed. "Alright, so we find him, and then what? What's our plan of attack?"

Bonnie answered without hesitation. "Me." Damon turned to the Bennett witch with a look of disbelief on his face. "I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you find him, I can kill him."

Klaus let out a low chuckle. "It's not going to be that easy. He's the biggest, baddest vampire around."

Damon nodded in agreement. "Alaric has a point. I mean, what if he—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he stepped forwards but Bonnie stretched out her hand, sending Damon flying across the room without even touching him. He hit the wall with a thud next to the fire, groaning as he picked himself up.

Stefan let out a low whistle. "Well, I was impressed."

Bonnie's eyes flashed with determination. "It doesn't matter if he's an Original. I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, Elena. I know I can."

Suddenly, Buffy burst into the living room, waving a slice of pizza like a sword, making the others look at her with surprise. "Okay, so just caught the tail end of that—'kill him,' 'biggest, baddest vampire around. Damon flying." She took a huge bite, chewing thoughtfully. "This sounds like an A-plus Friday night."

Damon looked at her, bemused. "Buffy, this is serious."

"Oh, believe me." Buffy said, wiping her mouth. "I'm seriously into whatever throws him across the room again." She gestured at Damon with a smirk. "Do it one more time, Bonnie, please?"

Stefan cracked a grin, and even Bonnie couldn't help but let out a laugh with Elena. Even Alaric / Klaus had an amused smirk on his face.

"But anyways." Buffy chimed in again, eyeing them all as she leaned casually against the arm of the couch. "How sure are we that he's really going to show up? I mean, just because he said so doesn't mean he's actually gonna do it."

"We should still make sure." Stefan spoke.

Buffy shrugged, taking another bite of her pizza. "Well, he's also not known for sending out invitations to his own takedown. Just saying, I'm not giving up my Friday night dance moves for nothing."

"Where did you even find that pizza?" Damon looked down at the slice in her hand, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "I know I didn't buy it, and Stefan sure didn't either, did you brother?"

Stefan shook his head as Buffy gave them a mischievous grin and took another casual bite of the slice. "Oh, you know...it was just lying around in your fridge."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Our fridge has been empty since last week."

She waved off their concern, unfazed. "Details, details. The important thing is that I'm helping myself to some pre-battle fuel."

Damon rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a small smirk. "You're unbelievable."

Buffy winked. "Can't save Elena on an empty stomach, Damon."

Buffy eyed Alaric with a suspicious grin. "So, Alaric, what's the plan for tonight? Gonna keep us all in line as the responsible adult chaperone?"

Alaric forced a smile, his expression a little too stiff. "Something like that, Buffy."

"Why are you so happy, Buf?" Elena asked with her eyebrows raised and a small smile on her face as she looked over at her little sister. It was good to see Buffy happy and distracted from the whole Klaus thing. Elena didn't want her to worry to much.

Buffy flashed a grin, holding up the bar of chocolate. "Mason dropped off some chocolate after school." She said, like it explained everything.

Bonnie shook her head, smirking. "Chocolate's all it takes, huh?"

"Yes." Buffy nodded as she turned to the Salvatore brothers. "Do you two by any chance still have an outfit left of one of your relatives from '60s? My outfits suck."

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The six of them (Buffy, Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan and Damon) made their way inside the gym for the dance. Loud music pulsed through the air as they entered, with colorful lights flashing and students laughing and dancing. Buffy felt a mix of excitement and nerves wash over her. Tonight was supposed to be fun, but with Klaus potentially lurking around, it was kind of hard to relax.

"Thank you for being here, everybody." Dana said through the microphone, her voice echoing across the gym. A round of applause erupted from the crowd. "We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Buffy, from Klaus."

The soft notes of "Words of Love" from The Beatles began to play, and Buffy's stomach dropped while sharing a worried look with Bonnie.

Damon snorted beside her. "That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us."

"I know everyone here," Elena said, scanning the crowd with determination, searching for any sign of Klaus among the dancing bodies.

"Maybe he's not here. He just wants us to believe that he is," Stefan said, his tone hopeful as he attempted to reassure the others.

Buffy nodded, trying to focus on the music, but since it was a shout-out for her from him, it wasn't really helping her thoughts.

"It's a party, people. Blend in. Let him come to us." Damon spoke to the others.

"Good idea." Bonnie chimed in, grabbing Jeremy's hand. "Come on, let's hit the dance floor!"

"No, I really don't feel like dancing." Jeremy protested, but Bonnie tugged him along anyway.

Damon spotted Alaric across the room. "There's Ric. I'll be back." He said, striding off toward his friend.

"Coming with." Buffy called out after him as she followed him over to the table where Alaric was standing.

"Hey, Ric," Damon greeted while scanning the crowd for any signs of Klaus.

"Everything alright?" Alaric asked, glancing between them with a hint of pretend concern. Well, he was not really pretending for one of them.

"Hmm." The two hummed in response, keeping their eyes peeled.

"Special dedication, huh? This guy's a little twisted," Alaric/Klaus said, glancing around the gym with a mix of amusement and annoyance at the spectacle unfolding before them.

"I don't think he's just a little twisted," Buffy chimed in, her tone sharp as she crossed her arms. "He's definitely psychotic and has a too big ego."

"Well, I'm not impressed," Damon replied, shrugging as he kept scanning the room.

"No?" Alaric/Klaus asked, clearly disappointed. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of frustration at their lack of enthusiasm.

"Let me know if you see anything out of whack," Damon said to Alaric as he grabbed Buffy's hand.

"Come on," he urged, pulling her toward the dance floor. He hoped that dancing would give her a chance to distract herself from the unsettling atmosphere and the looming presence of Klaus.

Buffy hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Alaric, who was still scanning the room with a focused expression. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

Damon flashed her a reassuring smile. "Trust me, it'll help."

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Alaric/Klaus dashed through the side door, his footsteps echoing against the tiled floor as he found Bonnie and Elena outside. "Elena!" He called.

"What is it?" Elena responded, her brows knitting together in concern.

"He has Jeremy," Alaric/Klaus said, looking between them with a fake expression of panic.

"What?" Elena gasped, her eyes wide with worry.

Bonnie's voice echoed her shock. "What?!"

"Yeah, Klaus has Jeremy. Come on!" Alaric/Klaus urged, leading them down a dimly lit hallway.

"Okay, so where are you taking us?" Elena asked, glancing around, a growing sense of unease washing over her.

"Just a little further." Alaric/Klaus replied, quickening his pace.

"Wait, something's not right." Elena said, halting.

"Where's Jeremy?" Bonnie added, her voice laced with worry.

Alaric/Klaus stopped and let out a laugh, the sound chilling in the quiet corridor. "I just had to get away from that dance. The sixties, ugh. Not my decade." He said with an exaggerated sigh. "I mean, whose call was that, anyway? I much prefer the twenties. The style, the parties, the jazz."

"Alaric. Are you on vervain?" Elena pressed, her gut instinct kicking in.

"Now why would you ask me that question, Elena?" He replied, a grin creeping across his face.

"He's being compelled." Bonnie interjected, a dawning realization hitting her.

" Nope. Try again." Alaric/Klaus said, enjoying the game.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Okay, I'll give you a hint. I am not Alaric." He declared, the amusement in his eyes unmistakable.

"Klaus!" Elena shouted, her heart sinking as the truth hit her.

"Surprise!" Alaric/Klaus said, a triumphant smile plastered across Alaric's face.

"Oh, no. No, it's not possible." Elena stammered, shaking her head.

"Just relax, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you. You're not on my hit list tonight." He turned his gaze to Bonnie. "But you are."

With that, he lunged toward Bonnie, but she was ready. Using her powers, she threw him against the wall, the impact rattling the structure. He staggered but quickly recovered, a manic laugh escaping his lips.

"Now, did I mention that I knew a witch? You're gonna have to hit me a lot harder than that." He taunted. He rushed toward Bonnie again, but she retaliated, sending him crashing into a nearby display case, the glass shattering upon impact. Alaric/Klaus fell to the ground, still laughing as if the whole thing were a game.

"By all means! Fire away!" He called, getting back to his feet. "If you kill this body, I'll just get a new one. Maybe Jeremy." He said, his tone taunting as he relished the chaos.

"Go. Run!" Bonnie shouted, urging Elena to escape.

They sprinted away, Bonnie slamming the doors shut with her powers just as Alaric/Klaus began to pursue them.

Damon burst through another set of doors, his face tense with urgency. "What happened?"

"Klaus is in Alaric's body," Elena replied, breathless.

"What?" Damon exclaimed, his mind racing.

"He's possessing it or something," Bonnie added, glancing back at the door, worried about what might come next.

Damon turned to Elena, his expression serious. "Go find Stefan. Now."

"Okay," she nodded, determination in her eyes.

"Now." He insisted, watching as she dashed off down the hallway, leaving him alone with Bonnie.

"Can you kill him?" Damon asked, his eyes narrowing with determination.

Bonnie shook her head, frustration evident in her expression. "He's got some kind of protection spell on him."

Damon stepped closer, urgency in his voice. "You have the power of a hundred witches. Break it."

"I'm trying!" Bonnie snapped, her hands trembling with the strain. "If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else. He knows I have my power, Damon. He's trying to kill me."

"No. Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way," Damon growled, the fire in his eyes intensifying. "You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him?"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Bonnie walked through the dimly lit hallway, her determination unwavering as she stepped into the cafeteria. She spotted him sitting casually in a chair, a knife resting between his fingers. "What took you so long?" Alaric/Klaus asked, wiggling the knife playfully. "Now, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Without hesitation, Bonnie used her powers, breaking his wrist with a crack. The knife clattered to the floor as he winced, but with a quick jerk, he twisted Alaric's wrist back into place, his expression shifting to one of annoyance. "The hard way. Got it." He sneered, rising from the chair with a predatory grace.

With another surge of power, she broke his shoulder, and he let out a pained groan again. "What? You'd kill your favorite history teacher?" He mocked.

"It's what Alaric would want. And he'd want you to suffer first." Bonnie shot back despite the blood trickling from her nose. She wiped it away.

"Look at you." He said, a smirk on his lips, seeing her struggle. "Is that all you got?"

"Let's find out." Bonnie spoke and with a flick of her wrist, she snapped Alaric / Klaus' leg with a swift move. The lights above flickered wildly and a sudden gust of wind sent papers flying everywhere around them. Blood dripped from Bonnie's nose, but she pushed through the pain and broke Alaric / Klaus's foot next.

Just then, Elena and Stefan came running to the door, panic on their faces. "Bonnie, no!" Elena yelled, her heart racing.

Alaric/Klaus started crawling on the floor, desperate to get back up. Bonnie steeled herself for another round as sparks flew from the overhead lights, showering them with electric light.

"Bonnie!" Elena cried, fear lacing her voice as she tried to open the door that would lead them inside, but everything she and Stefan tried, nothing was working since Bonnie was blocking the door.

With a surge of power, Bonnie fought against Alaric/Klaus, but she suddenly jerked back, her body bending in a way that was just wrong, before collapsing onto the floor.

"Bonnie!" Elena screamed, pushing the door open with Stefan right behind her. They rushed to Bonnie's side in the dim light. "Bonnie, Bonnie! Hey, hey," Elena sobbed, cradling her friend in her arms. Stefan looked around and Klaus was nowhere to be found.

"Stefan, she's not breathing!" Elena's voice broke as she pressed her ear against Bonnie's chest, desperately searching for any sign of life.

"Stefan! I can't find her pulse! Stefan! Do something, please! Just give her blood, do something!" Panic took over her as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Stefan's face turned grave as he looked up at her, the reality sinking in hard. "It's too late. I'm sorry."

"No! No! No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie! Bonnie, please, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Elena's cries echoed in the now-silent cafeteria, ringing with despair.

Damon rushed in, urgency in his steps. "Stefan, get Elena out of here. I'll deal with the body."

"What do you mean, deal with it?" Elena shot back, disbelief etched on her face.

"The sheriff can't know about this. Last thing we need is another mysterious death." Damon replied, his voice firm.

"This is Bonnie!" Elena yelled, her vision blurred by tears.

"Get her home. Now. So I can clean this up." Damon insisted, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

Stefan stepped in, gently helping Elena to her feet. "Hey, hey, hey."

"No. Jeremy. Oh my God, Jeremy. What about Jeremy?" She cried, her voice full of anguish.

"I'll find him." Damon promised as Elena struggled to get up, her gaze fixed on Bonnie's lifeless form. "Bonnie!" She screamed, heartbreak evident as Stefan guided her away.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Meanwhile on the other side of the school, clueless to what had happened, Buffy was sitting down on the ground, leaning against the lockers with a cup filled with punch pressed against her lips as she took a sip every few seconds.

"Hey, love." Alaric / Klaus spoke, making Buffy look up from the cup to him.

"Hi, Alaric." Buffy softly greeted back with a little wave.

"Having fun?" He asked, sitting down next to her on the ground.

"Less than I had expected at the start of this week." Buffy sighed.

Alaric raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk spreading across his face. "Oh? What were your expectations? A wild party with everyone dancing on tables?"

Buffy let out a laugh. "It would've been better than this." But the smile quickly faded from her face when she realised something. "What did you just call me?"

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked, trying to play the obvious card.

"Alaric never calls me that." Buffy spoke as she stood up and started backing away from him. "Klaus." She spoke.

"You caught on quicker than your friends." Klaus spoke with an amused smirk on his face as he stood up and made his way over to Buffy, who was still stepping back from him until she suddenly stopped.

"What the fuck?" She questioned.

"Surprise, love."

"Okay, what the actual fuck?" She echoed, staring up at him, the realization hitting her hard. "What the fuck did you do to my dad?" Suddenly, panic washed over her. "Did I just call Alaric my dad? I have never done that be-"

But before she could think further or say anything else, she felt a sharp jab in her neck. Klaus quickly pulled the syringe away. "Okay, that's not very friendly, sir." Buffy muttered, her words slurring slightly as she felt her strength fading fast.

"Just a little something to help you relax." Klaus said smoothly, stepping closer, his gaze locked onto hers as she swayed unsteadily.

"Not friendly at all," Buffy managed to murmur, her body growing weaker with every passing second. Desperation clawed at her as she fought to stay conscious. "What do you want with me?"

Klaus chuckled softly. "Oh, I think you'll find out soon enough." It was the last thing Buffy heard before her eyelids fluttered shut, and her legs gave out beneath her.

In a swift motion, Klaus caught her, cradling her against him as she slipped into unconsciousness.

He smirked down at her, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "Don't worry, love. I'll take good care of you." With that, he effortlessly lifted her in his arms, glancing around to ensure no one had witnessed their exchange before disappearing out of the school.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

HAPPY HALLOWEEN BABES! ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

Also thank you all so much for 81K reads. Your support means so much to me <3

Words: 5608

Posted: October 31, 2024

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated! I love you guys!!

Mwah Katherine