(Please comment THROUGHOUT so i can see ur reactions <3 Ghost readers and skimmers are BORING)

Grief is a peculiar specter, it's neither kind nor cruel, merely ever present. Unlike a storm passing in the night, it remains, cloaked in the shadow, settling into the bones like a chill that could not be shaken. One did not escape grief, but rather learned to live alongside it, in time, as one would with an unwanted house guest who no longer startled you in the corridors, but whose presence you could never quite ignore.

And of course this oddity came in many forms. There was the grief that came from the loss of a loved one, a hollowing ache, familiar and cruel yet warmth was laced beneath each thought, the joy of having loved that person and appreciated their time.

But there existed a stranger apparition still, the sorrow born of losing someone you had once despised. That affliction was twisted, more bitter than sweet, an anguish laced with guilt, confusion and reluctant remembrance. It unsettled the soul because it defied logic. Why should one agonize over the fall of a tyrant, a tormentor?

A circumstance that wasn't discussed enough was, what of the grief that held both truths? When the person you had loved and the one who had haunted you were not two souls, but one. When the memory of gentle hands and whispered declarations resided in the same body as cruelty and destruction. The distress was maddening, for it split the heart in two, one reaching for the past with trembling devotion, the other recoiling from it in dread.

Mourning and fury. Love and revulsion. Yearning and disdain. A eulogy for what was, and a curse for what manifested. The agony of losing them and the twisted relief of knowing the people you loved were safe. It left one suspended in that unholy space between forgiveness and damnation, forever haunted by the echo of a name that once brought joy, but now felt rested as sinfully as profanities in your mouth.

Once that soul had been vanquished, were you supposed to sob or rejoice?

Was it right to mourn the wicked?

~~~~

The gymnasium was silent except for the faint clicks of Rebekah's heels, she moved with quiet efficiency as she gathered discarded cups and torn streamers into a black trash bag. There was a calmness to her expression, tired but serene, as if glad to be taking part in something to do with the dance, even if she never got the chance to attend the actual event.

The doors creaked open behind her and without turning around Rebekah exhaled in mild exasperation, assuming it was Caroline. "You're late." She stated matter of factly, flicking a piece of glitter off her arm. "Clean up committee started at eight o'clock."

But in the space between one breath and the next, a weight collided with her, soft but sudden, arms sliding tightly around her waist. Rebekah let out a surprised sound, her whole body tensing but the scent, the warmth and the brush of familiar brown curls against her cheek, halted her.

Her voice softened at once, concern lacing the syllables. "Mia?" Her hand instinctively came up, stroking through the Petrova's hair, feeling the tremble in her frame. "What is it, darling? What's the matter?"

"I love you." Mia whispered desperately, her voice fractured and shaking, "I love you so much." The Original stilled completely and slowly Mia pulled back just enough for Rebekah to see her eyes, glistening, wide with endearment but something more prominent, memory.

Rebekah's expression shifted, gradually, disbelief giving way to wonder and then to something unbearably fragile. Her lips parted and for a moment no sound came out. Finally, breathlessly, she spoke, "....You remember?"

Mia nodded, her hand lifting to cup the blonde's cheek, "Klaus gave me my memories back last night." She shared, her thumb brushing just beneath Rebekah's eye. "My Bex...I can't even imagine how hard these months have been for you....that entire time."

A sharp breath escaped Rebekah's throat, half a laugh, part sob as she leaned into the touch, "I wanted to tell you, honest. But Nik warned me not to....and we both know how he is when he doesn't get his way."

The Petrova gave a short hum, however her eyes were distant, swirling with too many thoughts to grasp. Her mind was a tempest and in the last few hours had thought of only one thing, Klaus. His cruelty and care were twisted together in a Gordian knot she couldn't undo, though a part of her was reluctant to even attempt to. She'd spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, replaying memory after memory until the hours bled into mourning, yet she still couldn't find an ounce of clarity to cling to.

As if reading the chaos behind her eyes, Rebekah reached for her hand, stroking it gently, "There's no right way to process any of this." She assured her. "You were given back a part of yourself that was ripped away nearly a century ago. It's bound to make your head spin."

"Spin is an understatement." Mia responded, her voice softer now, confessional. "It feels like I'm unravelling, like that quiet moment before an avalanche.....like I'm just gonna fall."

Rebekah's eyes brimmed with sympathy as she stepped closer. "Then I'll hold you steady." She promised, stroking a thumb across Mia's cheek.

The brunette swallowed hard, nodding as tears threatened again. "A lot has changed in ninety years..."

"But not this..." Rebekah held both of Mia's hands now, bringing her closer. "Not us. Not ever." They fell into another embrace, tighter this time, clinging to the rare trace of familiarity in the contorted maze they'd landed themselves in. Mia pressed her face into Rebekah's shoulder, breathing in the comfort she had missed without realising it.

Then, after a long moment, "And also...." Mia pulled back again slightly, a teasing smile ghosting her lips. "Malia? Was that really the best you could come up with?"

Rebekah let out a laugh, damp with tears. "Well, forgive me for not being a fast liar, Miss Peterson.

Mia scrunched her face up, noting the verbal checkmate. "Okay...I deserved that."

A soft ping interrupted the moment, and Rebekah sighed as she pulled her phone from her pocket, glancing at the screen. "It's Nik. He says he's almost done packing, but..." She looked up, brows furrowing slightly. "If he gave your memories back, why..."

The Petrova lowered her gaze, her voice almost too quiet, almost shameful. "I told him I needed time. To deal with all this, I'm still....I dunno. Honestly, I'm still surprised he listened."

"He does love you, you know. More than you could possibly understand." Upon saying those words, she saw the flash of guilt across Mia's face and took her hands again. "You are the most incredible woman I know. There is no choice you could make that would be the wrong one. But you must do whatever feels right for you, not what you think everyone else will be happy with."

The Original hesitated, then added, "But I will have to go with him. Even after everything, we made a pact to stay together. I can't abandon him now."

Mia nodded, the weight on her heart growing heavier with that news, "I would never ask you to do that...not when I just got you back."

Rebekah smiled, her dimples deepening, a sight that only occurred when she was truly happy, "Darling you always had me." The blonde leaned in and pressed a kiss to Mia's cheek, "I need to go before he throws a tantrum." She said wryly, "But I'll come see you before we leave."

And with another embrace, Rebekah turned, her blonde hair catching the light as she walked out the gymnasium, leaving Mia standing alone, vulnerable to any approaching dangers.

Just as she'd begun to sweep up confetti from the floor, her phone buzzed against her pocket, she reached for it, reading the text from Caroline that she was running late. The brunette rolled her eyes and smirked, knowing that was code for a rendezvous with Tyler.

She turned back to her task but a sudden clatter echoed sharply through the gym, metal of metal, the kind of sound that didn't belong in a room now emptied of students and music. Her head whipped toward the source, "Care?" She called out, "I'm kinda disappointed in Ty if that's the longest it took."

Mia stepped toward the gymnasium door and pulled one open, the creak of the hinges sounded down the vacant corridor. Outside, the hallway stretched dim and desolate, the pale light from the narrow vertical windows of the main entrance painted long, grey lines across the floor and locker doors, giving everything an eerie, ghostlike sheen.

There was no answer, nor footsteps or movement. Just the hum and casual rattle of an unseen vent. A prickle of unease crawled up Mia's spine, she took a cautious step forward, scanning the hallway but froze as her stomach twisted violently. Fuck no. She spun on her heel, only to find herself face to face with him.

Alaric stood inches from her, a sardonic smile curling at the edges of his mouth, "Turns out I am going to need that Tudor paper after all." Mia's blood ran cold as she looked into his eyes, they were not those of the man who'd made dry remarks during history lessons and drunk until he passed out. There was something darker, hollowed out, something else entirely.

He'd transitioned, she saw it in the cruel glint behind his smile, the way he stood as though he were no longer tethered to the man he had been. The line between teacher and predator had been erased.

She didn't hesitate, Mia bolted, her instincts screaming louder than thought. Her limbs moved before her mind could catch up, a blur of adrenaline and panic. But just as she reached the end of the hall, a shadow flickered and Alaric was there, blocking her path with infuriating ease.

Her eyes darted to the red fire extinguisher bolted to the wall. She snatched it, pivoted mid run and swung with everything she had, striking the side of his face with a sickening crack, his head snapping violently to the left.

For a moment, he staggered, then as if it was merely a flick on the nose he straightened. The bones in his neck realigned with a grotesque sound, his grin deepening as though he were pleased by the challenge, or amused by the attempt.

Mia's heart thundered, she barely made a step around the next corner before she felt fingers close like a vice around the neck of her shirt. With inhuman strength, Alaric yanked her backwards against his chest, rolling his eyes as she tried to attack him, jerking around, scratching his skin. Then everything went black for her, the crack of her neck echoed softly in the corridor.

Her body slumped in his grasp, he caught her easily, as though she weighed nothing at all and lifted her over his shoulder like a rag doll, he turned and strode silently through the vacant halls, making his way to his classroom, before pushing open the door and disappearing with her unconscious form.

~~~~

Upstairs in the Gilbert house, the scent of fresh paint clung to the air overwhelmingly, as if foreshadowing that soon, for someone, even the oxygen they'd breathe in would feel different.

Elena stood near the far wall of Alaric's old room, brush in hand, stroking a pale mint green over the faded blue that had lined it for years. The sound of muffled voices, Stefan, Damon and Bonnie came from downstairs but she paid them little mind. The rhythm of painting soothed her, gave her something tangible to control after the night where she'd felt everything and everyone was slipping from her grasp.

She had tied her hair up in a loose bun, strands already falling around her face as she moved almost robotically across the wall. Her phone, resting on a pile of old textbooks, buzzed suddenly and piercingly against the quiet. She glanced over, the screen lit up with a name that caused her heart to drop. Alaric.

Her breath caught in her throat, the brush faltered in her hand. He was dead. He was supposed to be dead. Instead of jumping to conclusions she considered that it may be someone playing a prank, she grabbed the phone and answered the call. "Whoever this is, it's not funny."

There was a moment of silence, then a voice, calm, dry, unmistakably him. "Well, who else would it be?"

Elena froze, "Ric?" She breathed, a whisper of disbelief.

Downstairs, Jeremy had just begun descending the staircase, half distracted by the sound of conversation in the living room. Just as he'd passed the bottom step the doorbell rang, he paused, casting a quick glance to Stefan and Damon, who were mid discussion with Bonnie.

Then he turned and opened the door, only to find Klaus standing there, ever so casually as if they were neighbours. Jeremy's hand tightened against the doorknob, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell do you want?"

Instead of rising to it, Klaus gave a smile, an infuriating curl of his lips, laced with threat. "Now is that any way to treat a guest?"

Before Jeremy could respond, Stefan moved swiftly to his side, brows already furrowed. "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"Well for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me inside." Klaus drawled, stepping forward until the threshold held him at bay.

Damon appeared in the doorway just as Stefan moved around the Gilbert boy, standing in front of him, "Why don't you go up to your room?" The tone of his voice was clear that this wasn't a request.

Jeremy hesitated, glancing between them. "Now." Damon added, cutting the objection short as he looked at him with warning. With a reluctant sigh, the teenager turned and trudged back up the stairs, muttering under his breath.

Klaus watched him go, amused. "Hm. Poor lad. Loses one questionable father figure only to be replaced with the likes of the two of you."

Damon stepped forward, "Yeah, about that. Something's happened. Turns out Teach is still dead, just not the kind of dead we were expecting."

The hybrid's jaw clenched, his gaze lowering as he processed that information, then chuckled under his breath, "So, my mother's invulnerable little creation still walks amongst us. No matter. I happen to be leaving town. I just need to pick up a few road trip necessities, spare tire, flashlight....doppelganger...and now that you've all managed to get yourselves tangled in catastrophe once again, Mia."

"You're out of luck." Damon said breezily, clapping Stefan on the shoulder and pulling him back from the threshold. "We're all out of Petrovas, feel free to check the garage for tires though." Without waiting for Klaus's response, the older Salvatore slammed the door shut.

He turned and headed toward the living room, Stefan followed, tension radiating from every inch of him. "Mia's at school.." He muttered, already heading for the stairs. "Elena!"

Outside, Klaus began pacing the front porch, nostrils flared at the disrespect. He reached down and picked up the rolled newspaper lying by the mat, absently flipping it between his fingers as he strolled.

Back inside, Stefan was already at the top of the stairs, phone in hand as he called Mia but it went straight to voicemail. He cursed under his breath and went into Alaric's old room, Jeremy was there, painting in silence but Elena was nowhere to be seen. Stefan's eyes darted around the room, "Where is she?"

Jeremy shrugged, "I don't know. She was just here a few minutes ago. What did Klaus want?"

Without answering his question, Stefan turned and hurried down the stairs, finding Damon leant against the fireplace. "She's not here..." He began, his tone full of worry, "And Mia isn't answering her phone either." He dialled her number once more, again receiving no response.

Damon looked up sharply, "Pierce'll be fine." He said dismissively but there was tension in his brows, "What do you mean Elena's not here? Where did she go?"

Before Stefan could respond, Bonnie walked back into the living room, noticing their stress, "What's going on?"

Damon peered through the blinds, his expression darkening, "Klaus wants in. We have to keep him out." As he spoke, outside, Klaus stopped his idle pacing. He lifted the newspaper in his hand, narrowed his eyes at the house and then hurled it at the window. "Duck!" Damon shouted.

The newspaper, propelled with deadly force, shattered the glass and soared through the room like a bullet. Damon hit the floor. Stefan, ever the hero, dove towards Bonnie, pulling her down as the glass exploded around them, glittering like ice in the air. The newspaper slammed against the wall with a hollow thud.

Silence fell again as they all turned towards the now broken window. Damon exhaled, "And he's getting impatient."

~~~~

The classroom was cloaked in shadows, lit only by the flickering strip of overhead lights that hadn't quite died yet. Desks were scattered haphazardly, chairs knocked over as though the room itself had been caught mid panic. In the middle of the classroom, Alaric sat calmly, the embodiment of something once human now grotesquely twisted.

His eyes gleamed with cold, calculated attachment. Before him, Mia lay sprawled across the top of his desk, her limbs bound cruelly with vervain soaked ropes that cut into her skin with every twitch. A thick handkerchief, similarly laced with the same toxin, was tied brutally around her mouth, muffling her cries into strained, panicked groans.

Blood seeped from her palms where two long pencils had been stabbed through the flesh, anchoring her hands to the wood like she was nothing more than a lab experiment. Her eyes, wide and glistening with fear, darted toward him in a silent plea he refused to acknowledge.

Alaric turned his head toward the hallway at the sound of distant footsteps echoing through the school corridors. A smile, thin and humourless, curled across his lips. "Right on time." He murmured. The door creaked open slowly, as though hesitant to let the person enter. Elena stepped inside, her expression taut with dread.

Her breath caught in her throat the instant her eyes landed on Mia. The vampire thrashed weakly against her restraints, the muffled wail beneath the gag desperate and frantic, urging Elena to leave while she could. Her body arched in pain as the ropes burned into her skin but still she persisted, pleading intensely with her descendant. Get the fuck out.

Elena's voice wavered as she turned to her teacher with outrage, "Let her go, Alaric."

Alaric leaned back slightly, unfazed by the raw emotion in her voice, He gestured lazily towards Mia, his tone devoid of emotion. "Free her yourself."

For a long, loaded moment, the room fell into silence, save for Mia's choked whimpers. Elena's gaze lingered on him, searching for a trace of the man he had once been, but there was nothing more than the hollowed out shell, inhabited by something monstrous. Cautiously she stepped forward, her movements slow, her fingers trembled as she reached Mia's side.

The older Petrova shook her head frantically, her body convulsing with renewed panic, the gag turning her voice into nothing more than a breathless blur of pain and warning. "You're gonna be okay." Elena whispered, brushing Mia's sweat dampened hair from her face.

She reached down and gently wrapped her hand around the pencil impaled through the vampire's left hand. Mia groaned behind the gag, her entire body rigid with anticipation. Elena braced herself and began to slowly, carefully ease it free. But the moment it was almost through, Alaric was there.

With a flash of movement too fast for her human reflexes to counter, he slammed his hand down, driving the pencil back into Mia's flesh with a sharp sickening crunch. Mia's scream, more muted but unmistakably raw, echoed through the classroom. Elena recoiled in horror, turning on him. "You said you would let her go!" She protested, the fury clear in her voice.

Alaric's expression didn't change, instead his tone sharpened as though he were explaining something painfully obvious to a child. "How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires." He seized her arm tightly, dragging her out the room.

~~~~

The stillness outside the Gilbert house was not one of serenity, rather terror. Klaus stood on the grass, eyeing up the building as he did prey, his voice lilted with menace. "I think you're probably going to want to let me in!"

With that, the hybrid turned and casually strolled across the drive to the neighbour's house, resting his hands on the pristine white picket fence. His fingers tapped idly along the wood as he glanced around and his gaze settled on a soccer ball abandoned on the grass. A knowing smirk pulled at his lips, an idea forming with dangerous precision.

Inside, the atmosphere was fraying by the second. Bonnie stood near the kitchen island, her arms crossed tightly, Jeremy leaned against the counter, his gaze fixed on the witch, Damon paced in tight, agitated circles while Stefan held his phone, waiting for any sign of Elena or Mia. "Elena's car is gone."

Bonnie looked up quickly, "Why wouldn't she tell anyone where she was going?" But before anyone could respond, a thunderous crack shook the air, the front door slammed open with force. The soccer ball rocketed inside, sliding across the island and knocking everything off it.

Klaus marched back up the porch, now holding two of the white pickets, torn savagely from the fence. Without warning, he hurled one into the house, it shot past Damon's head with deadly proximity and lodged itself deep into the wall behind him. Stefan acted instantly, yanking Bonnie and Jeremy to the ground.

Damon ducked, recovering with a mocking grin, "Missed me!" He yanked the wooden stake out of the wall and launched it back. It sliced through the air, grazing Klaus's shoulder as the hybrid pivoted to dodge it. He snapped the remaining picket into two and tossed half through the door. It struck a picture frame, shattering it on impact, pieces of glass rained onto the floor.

"Missed me again!" Damon mocked, his eyes darted to Stefan who's phone had began to ring. Klaus remained unfazed, he walked back to the street and plucked a propane tank from beside the neighbour's grill and ignited a rolled newspaper into a makeshift torch.

He strode back onto the porch with the tank and flame in hand. Stefan moved swiftly to the threshold, "Put it out."

Klaus glared, eyes gleaming with a challenge. "Come outside and make me." His eyes darted behind the Salvatore in search for Mia, but it was clear she wasn't there, there was a lack of yelling and cursing being shot his way.

Stefan stepped forward with a deliberate confidence, before putting his phone on speaker, keeping his eyes on Klaus as he spoke, "What do you want?"

The voice on the other end was darkly amused, "Come on. Is that anyway to greet your friend you thought was dead? No Welcome back Ric? Tsk. Guess not..." Then Alaric's tone hardened, "Listen closely. I'm at the school. I have Elena....and Mia."

The second name brought both Stefan and Klaus to sudden stillness, Stefan's jaw clenched and Klaus's entire posture shifted. Damon, inside, straightened slowly as he listened in, the levity drained from his face.

"If you want to keep them alive.." Alaric continued, "Klaus needs to turn himself over to me. If he doesn't, I will kill them both."

Stefan worked to keep his voice calm, but his fingers clenching around the phone made his tension all too clear. "What makes you think I can convince him to do that?"

"Oh I know he's there." Alaric replied smugly, "I can hear his huffs...Maybe I need to provide some...encouragement." The line went silent for a moment, then ambient sounds filtered in, footsteps echoing, the silent creak of a desk. Then the teacher spoke again. "Hey sweetie, there are some people here who want to hear from you."

There was a rustling sound of the soft fabric of the gag being pulled away, a hiss of pain followed, laboured breathing and then a trembling voice came through, hoarse, fractured. "Stef...?"

Stefan's pretense of calm shattered, his brows twitched and cheek trembled slightly, "Mia, we're gonna get you out of there, okay? You're going to be fine, even if it kills us."

Her response broke on a sob, "Don't be stupid just...just help Elena, please. He has her in another room I...I don't know what he's done to her..." In the kitchen, Damon dropped his gaze, guilt pooled in his chest.

The twinge of truth, that even now, bound, bleeding and terrified, Mia still thought of Elena first, that his accusations of her being selfish and a betrayer were nothing more than cruel lies.

There was a pause, then Mia's voice again, fragile but urgent. "Is Klaus there?"

Klaus moved forward instinctively, "I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here."

The silence that followed was thick with emotion and when she spoke again, her voice cracked through tears. "Nik..."

And at that, Klaus faltered, his throat bobbed with a silent swallow, the way she said it, raw and vulnerable, the name she hadn't used in ninety years. The name tied to memory, of something pure that had long since been buried. For the first time in a century, he felt something dangerously close to ruin. Her voice was exactly the same, trembling, yearning. His Mia.

Stefan's eyes flickered towards the hybrid with realisation dawning. She remembered, her memories of Chicago were back. Mia's voice suddenly grew firm with warning and urgency as she spoke rapidly, "Stefan, don't let him come here. Alaric has the white oa-"

The sentence was cut off in a piercing shriek that stabbed through the speaker, a sickening thwack of a blade meeting flesh followed, the phone picked up the sounds of her sobbing scream before it was silenced again.

Klaus's face changed instantly, rage overtook grief. His hand shot forward, snatching the phone from Stefan, his voice was low, trembling with fury and laced with the promise to ravage. "If you lay even a finger on her..." He hissed, his accent sharpening into something guttural. "I swear by every bloodline I have ever vanquished, I will tear your spine out through your mouth. I will drag you to the brink of death, bring you back and do it all over again. Slowly, until you're nothing but a mass of writhing flesh, until there is nothing left but your screams."

Alaric's voice remained annoyingly unbothered, "You have until sunset. If you're not here by then, I'll deliver both their heads on a platter. And once the sun's down...I'm coming for you."

The line went dead and silence hung in the air like a noose. Klaus's jaw was set, eyes brimming with a storm no one dared to provoke. Stefan stood frozen, first clenched, calculating, shoving down the shouts of the Ripper that fought to break through. Damon exhaled slowly, the weight of their failures creeping in around him.

And then Bonnie appeared in the doorway, her own expression tense but her presence certain. "I may have an idea." All three men turned to her, the hybrid aflame with vengeance, Stefan torn between fury and fear and Damon, haunted by a guilt he could no longer ignore.

~~~~

The sleek black car pulled up into the nearly deserted school parking lot, the morning light casting long shadows over the cracked asphalt and faded parking lines. Klaus brought the vehicle to a smooth stop, his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, tension clear in his posture. The moment the engine cut off Stefan opened the passenger door, stepping out with urgency in his stride, his set jaw betraying his internal panic despite his stoic expression.

As he closed the car door his phone buzzed, he pulled it out quickly and scanned the message, his brows lifted slightly in restrained relief. "Abby just showed up.."He told Klaus, pocketing the device and glancing at the hybrid, who had just circled around the front of the car to stand beside him.

Klaus arched a single brow, his mouth curling downwards, "Good...Perhaps this plan won't be an epic failure after all." Stefan didn't respond, he kept his eyes forward, scanning the school building. The hybrid, however, was far from done, his voice lowered into something more deliberate, possessive.

"You know..." He continued, turning slightly toward Stefan, "...if this does go off without a hitch and we drop the history teacher into the Atlantic.....I'm still leaving with Elena...and Mia."

Stefan didn't flinch, he'd expected it, yet still the words lodged like barbs beneath his skin. "I'll go with you." He replied, calm, determined, no hesitation in his voice.

The hybrid chuckled quietly, a dry, humourless sound, "Which I might allow..." He began, stepping closer, his expression tightening just a fraction. "If it was Elena you were going for...but you and I both know that's not the case."

The implication was heavy, almost choking in its clarity which meant that Stefan couldn't even deny it, he looked away briefly, his gaze hardening, "You really think Mia would let you lay a finger on Elena or her blood if she's there?"

Klaus moved past him, "Oh Stefan..." He drawled with a slow shake of his head, "You underestimate her devotion to me." The hybrid turned his face back towards him, locking their gazes to make his words clear. "I used to slaughter people by the hundreds simply for glancing at her. And she never flinched. Not once. She looked at me like I was God, my hands were red with ruin and she took them, so what if they were stained.....as long as mine and hers were the same."

The silence that followed was deafening, Stefan furrowed his brows, the tip of tongue coming out to dampen his lips, pressing them into a line and looking away. In his mind it wasn't fair of him to be feeling this way, Mia had brushed him aside after their kiss and it wasn't his place to expect her not to choose Klaus. Despite this, every atom in him hoped, or better yet yearned for the possibility of her turning the hybrid down.

And perhaps gave him a swift smack to compliment the rejection.

~~~~

The scent of blood, sweat and vervain lingered in the air of the classroom, Alaric stood by the windowsill, his handkerchief pinched between two fingers as he dipped it into a beaker full of the toxins, careful to avoid his own skin from touching the liquid. The fabric darkened as it absorbed the solution.

Across the room, Mia writhed against the ropes, her voice was raw from screaming but still she spat venom at him, unflinching even through her agony. "You insane, miserable son of a bitch!" She screamed, her voice cracking from strain. "You think you're getting out of this alive? You're delusional. You're just a toy Esther made because she couldn't kill her kids herself."

"You're not a hunter, you're a coward with a martyr complex and a fetish for control. You failed at being a teacher, a friend and a human being and now you're clinging to this pathetic shell because it's the only thing that's keeping you here, making you feel important. You're a walking mistake and a fucking puppet!"

Alaric raised his brows and let out a low whistle, shaking the handkerchief before he turned toward her. "How they've all put up with that mouth of yours is beyond me.." He advanced with slow, deliberate steps, wanting to hear her heartbeat quicken as he approached.

Elena, seated against the wall, surged to her feet, instinct overriding fear. "Alaric, stop!" She ordered, her voice tight yet filled with resolve.

Without hesitation, Alaric shoved her roughly back into her chair, the sound of the wooden legs scraping against the floor as she stumbled. "Sit down, or you're going back in the broom closet!" He gestured toward the cloth, "This keeps the vervain in her system, it's like inhaling razor blades with every breath."

This time he didn't tie it around Mia's head, instead he gripped her jaw tight between his fingers and forced the soaked handkerchief into her mouth. Mia thrashed, screaming into the fabric, her cries hushed but the pain visible in every tremble of her limbs. Her skin sizzled where the vervain touched the sensitive flesh of her lips and tongue, a light smoke seeming to curl up in the air like incense. "And it keeps her shut up."

Elena turned her face away, unable to watch, "Why are you doing this?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alaric's reply was calm, almost instructional. "To make it easier on you." He said as he reached inside the desk. "When you put her out of her misery." In his grasp was now the white oak stake, its metal base gleamed under the classroom's cold lights.

"What?!..." Elena stood again, panic overtaking her. "No, I'm not doing that."

"Isn't this what you wanted, Elena.." Alaric's eyes narrowed, "For me to teach you how to kill a vampire?" He held out the stake toward her, steady and sure. "Well, here's a vampire....Kill her."

The Gilbert girl stared at him, horror blooming across her face, her hands didn't move to take it. "I don't want this....Please, just let her go, this isn't what I want."

"Of course it is..." The vampire shrugged, "All those hours we spent training. The wooden dummies, the punching bags, all that time put in learning how to defend yourself, how to fight, how to win. You could be a hunter....but you've never actually staked a vampire through the heart."
The silence hung like a noose and the stake remained in his outstretched hand. "Now's your chance."

Elena looked at it, her eyes flickering between the weapon and Mia, whose body was writing less now, her strength fading. The Gilbert girl raised her chin, her lips curling in disdain. "No. I'm not your puppet." She took a seat in protest.

Alaric nodded slowly, acknowledging her words. "Okay..." And with that, he whipped around, picking up the blade and driving it through Mia's abdomen. Her body jerked violently against the restraints. With the same viciousness, he yanked the knife free, the wound yawning open in its wake.

Blood poured from her like libation, the Petrova barely had time to breathe before he ripped the pencils out of her palms, each one coming loose with a sickening squelch, and plunging them brutally into her thighs. Mia's scream was hoarse, half broken but defiant.

"Just leave Mia alone!" Elena begged, tears in her eyes as she heard the sounds of pain. "She has nothing to do with this."

Alaric slammed the bloodied knife down on the desk so hard it clanged like a gunshot, Mia's eyes darted to it as he stepped forward towards Elena yet still pointing the white oak stake directly at the older Petrova. "She's a vampire, Elena. A killer. Doesn't matter how long she plays the doting big sister act, it's in her blood. When it comes down to it, she'll rip flesh if she has to. That's what she is."

"And what you're doing now?" Elena argued, gesturing to Mia on the desk. "Ripping flesh because you feel like you have to...the difference is Mia would never hurt someone who doesn't deserve it."

"Again with the defending..." Alaric's mouth twisted in a sneer, "Your parents led the council. It was their life's mission to keep this town safe....They weren't dead six months before you undid it all."

Elena's face scrunched as she turned her head, her hands shaking by her sides. "You don't know anything about them."

"Why, am I wrong?" Alaric crouched slowly in front of her, his tone growing colder with every syllable. "Do you actually think they'd be proud of you? Of the choice you've made? Your best friend's a witch, both your boyfriends are vampires, your brother was nearly turned and now this..." He pointed the stake at Mia writhing in agony, "...this is what you call family. If you don't stand with the humans, Elena....you're just as bad as the monsters."

He stood abruptly, shoving the wood into her grasp, "Now kill her. Or I'll do it for you, and I'll make it hurt." The Gilbert girl stayed seated, "Get up!" He snarled, grabbing her arm with a cruel force and dragging her up, he marched her towards Mia, whose skin was slick with blood and sweat, her breathing shallow. "Do it. End it. Right now."

Instead Elena pointed the stake toward him, as she caught sight of Mia's hand moving with the blade. Her entire body trembled and slowly she turned to him, meeting his eyes with a glare of defiance, "Why are you doing this?" She walked around him, his gaze followed her, causing his back to face the desk. "What are you trying to prove?"

Alaric's lip curled as if the question itself was an insult, "That you need me. Because you're an eighteen year old girl without parents, without guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore."

Her eyes narrowed, disgust laced in her voice. "Look at you. How is this right?!" With that, she swung the stake up, aiming straight for his chest, but he caught her wrist, gripping it tightly.

"I thought I taught you better than that." He growled but before he could twist the weapon from her hand, the handkerchief landed on the floor and another voice rang out, hoarse but sharp, filled with righteous fury.

"You forget.." Mia spat through bloodstained teeth, as she rose from the table with agonising effort, "You weren't the only one teaching her." The ropes lay slack on the ground, severed. In the same breath, Elena grabbed the glass beaker filled with vervain and hurled it at Alaric's face. It shattered against his cheek in a cloud of smoke and sizzling.

He reeled back, roaring in pain, his hands clutching his blistering skin. Mia ducked to avoid the spray and lunged forward. She wrenched the bloody pencils from her thighs, gritting through the pain and, with lethal precision, stabbed them both into either sides of Alaric's neck, the man yelled out, staggering backward, gurgling as blood spurted from the wounds.

Before he could recover, Mia grabbed his head with both hands and slammed it violently against the desk. Then without hesitation, she grabbed Elena and flashed out of the classroom, speeding through the empty hallway.

But just as they reached the stairwell, the Gilbert was ripped from Mia's arms, a scream echoed as the vampire came to a halt. "Go!" Elena cried, her voice barely audibly as Alaric took her away.

Mia's body twisted towards the sound, torn between listening to her descendant or trying to save her regardless. Her head screamed to obey but her limbs fought against leaving, until she heard scraping. Wood on metal. A slow, taunting rasp as Alaric dragged the white oak along the length of the lockers in another corridor.

"Come out, come out..." His voice rang like a haunted lullaby, thick with the thrill of the hunt. Mia backed away into a side hallway, her muscle in her body taut, holding her breath to stay silent. Her eyes darted through the shadows, he was a thousand times stronger than her, she had no weapon and was injured. And still, he was getting closer.

"You wanna play?" Alaric echoed again, darkly amused. "Okay then....tag...

.....I'm it."

~~~~

The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden haze across the parking lot outside Mystic Falls High School. Ahead of it, the group gathered, Bonnie stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, Jeremy shifting nervously beside her, his hands fidgeting as Damon was huddled in, lecturing the two of them.

Footsteps sounded from the far side of the concrete, Klaus approached first, followed closely by Stefan, "Look at this. One big, happy family." He mocked, "How touching."

Bonnie didn't rise to the provocation, instead she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small glass vial, the crimson liquid inside catching the light like rubies. "Drink this."

Damon eyed it suspiciously, the corners of his mouth twitching in disdain, "Not to be the skeptic, but drinking mystery substances before a potential suicide mission feels a little Jonestown to me."

The Bennett witch rolled her eyes, clearly done with the time wasting. "It's my blood. And Mia's. She gave me some a few weeks ago in case I ever needed help with a spell." Her voice was clipped and focused. "It bridges us all together so that when I stop Jeremy's heart, you'll have the power to stop Alaric's. You need to make a physical connection to his bloodstream, a vein, an artery, something connected to his heart."

The older Salvatore gave a low, begrudging hum and uncorked the vial, he took a swig without hesitation, raising his brows at the taste before passing it to Stefan, who accepted it silently. The green eyed vampire lifted it to his lips and drank, the blood hitting his tongue, it alarmed him how easily he was able to distinguish the difference between the two girls, the taste of Mia's resting on his palate. "If one of us gets a clean shot, take it. The other two, hold him down."

He handed the vial to Klaus without looking at him. The hybrid twirled it slightly in his fingers before lifting it to his lips but before he drank, he lowered it a tad, "Before we walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we? I was the one who created your vampire bloodline, therefore I am responsible for your lives and Tyler's life and of course.." He glanced at Bonnie, "Abby's life, should anything go wrong."

"Or you're just lying to save your ass." Damon scoffed, walking away while inspecting the edge of the stake he had brought as backup.

Once Klaus had looked back to see if the Salvatore was still listening, he shifted his attention back to the group. "I'm telling the truth. And here's another truth. Mia? She's part of my bloodline too. More than that, she was turned directly by me. Chicago, 1921. She was mine long before any of you stumbled into her life."

Bonnie's breath hitched and mouth opened, likely to demand elaboration but Klaus cut her off smoothly, "Yes, I'm the reason she couldn't remember. Protection, theft, call it what you will, I've heard it all. If you want the details.." He cocked his head towards Stefan, "..ask him."

All eyes shifted to Stefan, whose lips parted as if searching for the right words but after a silent moment, he nodded once. Klaus's smirk deepened, satisfied. "But by all means, call my bluff. Let the teacher kill me, I'm sure the impending mass extinction will be thrilling...and the two of you..." He looks at Bonnie and Jeremy, "..will have enough room to work out your issues, considering everyone else will be dead."

He raised the vial in mock salute and drank the remaining blood, tipping the glass back with a final flourish

Stefan exhaled sharply, tilting his head to the side, "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

Damon approached the group once more, rolling up his sleeves slightly, "Alright. Stefan, you grab Pierce-"

"Now hold on a second..." Klaus interrupted but the words were cleanly cut off when the doors of the school burst open with a resounding crash, the glass panels rattling in their frames.

A blur of motion zoomed forward, Mia, blood streaked and breathless, running from the building. She faced the school, not the group, staggering a few steps backwards as if watching out for further threat.

Stefan was the first to reach her, his hand landed gently on her shoulder, "Hey.." She flinched at the touch, spinning to face him, but the moment her eyes met his, her face crumbled with relief. With a sob, she threw her arms around him, Stefan reciprocated immediately, holding her tightly against his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other soothing along her spine. "You're okay." He murmured, "You're safe."

Behind them, a pair of blue eyes darkened, the display of affection before him turning his stomach like a dagger twisting through the flesh.

Mia pulled away, her tone panicked, "Elena's still in there. I had her, we were almost out but he...." Damon didn't wait to hear the rest, he was already moving towards the school, eyes dark and fixed.

Stefan held her forearm gently, speaking softly to assure her. "We'll get her, okay? You go home, please, rest." Bonnie gave the Petrova a quick yet heartfelt hug and then the group dispersed, the witch and Jeremy towards the fields across, the Salvatores into the school.

Mia stood in the aftermath as she watched them leave, her nails grazed lightly against her palms as she fought against sinking them in. Instead she turned around, the motion feeling heavier than it should have and then her breath caught.

Standing in front of her was Klaus, his posture was deceptively calm but Mia could see it, in the way his jaw tensed, the subtle rise and fall of his chest, the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It was the first time they'd faced each other since her memories had returned, leaving the two of them trapped in the limbo of who they once were, and the dynamic they'd grown to wear.

He said nothing at first, simply looked at her and in that gaze there was no arrogance, no bravado. Only a quiet ache, restrained but potent. There was hope buried in the depths of his stare but also fear, a hesitation of how she might act. "Are you alright?" He asked softly, his voice barely above the wind.

Mia hesitated before nodding, though the movement was small, unsure. "I'm fine...just tired." Klaus took a step forward, his expression shifting, the scent hit him before he could speak again, the distinct tang of blood laced with something bitter.

His eyes narrowed, but not in suspicion, but in concern. Without a word, his hand rose and gently lifted the hem of her shirt just enough to see the damage beneath. The wound was deep, raw and healing far too slowly, the edges were blistered slightly and his eyes darkened. Mia sighed deeply upon seeing his expression, "I'm fine...he had a knife dipped in vervain, that's why it's taking longer to heal."

But still the hybrid didn't move, his gaze remained locked on the gash as though he could will it away through the sheer force of his glare. His entire body had gone tense, jaw clenched, muscles coiled beneath his jacket as like was holding himself back from tearing Alaric limb from limb and handing Mia his heart as a souvenir.

"Hey..." Mia reached up, cupping the side of his face and lifting his head to meet her eyes. Her touch was featherlight but the effect was immediate, his gaze finally left the wound and settled on her face, though the fury did not abate entirely. "I'm fine." She repeated, softer now, trying to thread calm into her words. "I'm okay."

For a moment, he didn't respond, simply looked into her eyes to see the deception in her words, his heart twinging at the agony in them. However, the storm behind his was impossible to misinterpret, a maelstrom of guilt, fury and something far more vulnerable, fear. The thought of losing her again, but this time, in a way where she couldn't come back.

His voice was quieter now, low and rough with desperation, "When all this is over...come away with me. Please, I can't leave you here." There was no command in his words, no demand or expectation. Just a plea, fragile and earnest, in the same tone he had requested to return her memories. He wasn't trying to claim her, simply asking as a man not above begging if it meant clinging to the last ray of light in his world from slipping into the abyss.

Mia's heart twisted in her chest, the response caught in her throat. Her instinct was to retreat, to question everything. Her friends, her guilt, her loyalty, they all screamed in the back of her mind. The intention of a rejection lay on her tongue, but as she looked into his eyes her resolve wavered.

Her hesitation was quiet but visible, a slight parting of her lips, a tightening of her brows. And then as if surrendering to the war inside of her, she exhaled. "...Okay."

Klaus blinked, for a moment he seemed unsure he'd heard her correctly. "Okay?" He echoed, the word fragile on his tongue, as though he feared it might shatter if he said it too loudly, that she'd change her mind.

She nodded again, "Okay." She repeated firmer now, the intention grounding itself in her mind. "Just...don't die in there."

Something almost peace like passed through him, his expression softened and he leaned in slowly, no sudden lunge, no smirk or clever remark. Just silence as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, but not as a vow of ownership or possessiveness, but of a gentle promise, that their time together would be void of pain and anguish.

Then without another word, Klaus sped away, vanishing from her sight. The wind brushed lightly across against her hair as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

What the fuck did I just do?"

~~~~

Mia sat propped up on her bed, her back against the headboard, she'd just finished draining the blood bag in her hands, the last drops clinging to the corner of the plastic like wine to the edge of a glass. Her fingers relaxed around the pouch, her eyes falling shut as long as a relieved breath escaped her lips.

The warmth of the blood unfurled slowly through her chest as she felt the strength returning to her limbs, soothing them and dulling the soreness that'd been ever present. The rustle of movement broke the silence and Caroline, seated beside her, reached over and handed her another bag with a pointed look.

Her brows arched as if daring Mia to argue. "You need it." Caroline spoke firmly, yet laced with that unnervingly compassionate assertiveness she had perfected over the years, it wasn't a suggestion, it was stern, deeply concerned, almost maternal.

The brunette accepted the blood bag with a quiet sigh, adjusting her position to lean forward on a pillow that lay on her lap. She raised the plastic to her lips again and after a few sips, pulled away just long enough to mutter. "You know, for once I'd really appreciate it if someone let me sit up while they tortured me. Or at least held me. This whole strapped to a table method is getting kinda boring."

Caroline's mouth curled, not quite into a smile but a reluctant sliver of amusement at best. "Or.." She started, as if offering a wild hypothetical, "...they could just...not torture you."

Mia pressed her lips upwards, considering her words before shrugging. "Unrealistic expectation. Pure delusion." Her words were dry but not entirely sarcastic, there was far too much truth in them to pass as a joke, an abundance of resignation in her voice.

The Forbes girl let the silence stretch for a moment, long enough to allow a change in subject. Her gaze narrowed slightly, her blue eyes searching Mia's face with a curiosity that was no longer idle. "Speaking of pure delusion...." She began carefully casual, which of course didn't fool the Petrova, who tilted her head with a smirk at the attempt of subtlety. "...What did Klaus want yesterday?"

The smile dropped from Mia's face, her thumb brushed absently along the edge of the blood bag but she made no move to drink again. Caroline noticed the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her lips parted but no words left them. Mia took a breath through her nose and finally turned to face her friend fully. "If I tell you something...you have to promise not to freak out."

Caroline blinked, "That sounds like another unrealistic expectation." But then upon seeing Mia's distressed expression, she softened, sitting up straighter, "Okay." She spoke more seriously, "You can tell me."

Mia set the blood bag aside, not entirely finished with it but suddenly incapable of drinking more, as if the anxiety within her had filled the gaps left for hunger. She pressed her fingers into the duvet to ground her as she spoke, "You remember how I didn't know how I turned? And then Katherine said she did it?"

"Yeah..." Caroline nodded slowly, "I remember you being completely disgusted, saying that you couldn't have been turned by a worse person."

The Petrova exhaled sharply, not quite a laugh but filled with irony nonetheless. "Yeah...well. Turns out I could, be turned by a worse person, I mean." She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, bracing herself against the swell of dread in her chest. "It was Klaus." The words were shot out quick, as if the speed would make it easier to digest.

Her voice picked up, half ramble, whole confession. "He turned me, back in the 20s and Rebekah was my best friend. I lived with them, I was with them...Klaus and I...were a thing. We were dating, like properly dating, like in love an-.....But then Mikael came and Klaus took away my memories, all of them from that time, to keep me safe...that's why I couldn't remember any of it, how I was turned, what I did in those years."

"And Stefan was there, in Chicago. You already knew that part but I knew him, Care. He wasn't just some stranger, we....He had a thing for me, and I think I...."

When the Petrova turned back to face her, Caroline was staring at her as if she'd told her she was part unicorn, her eyes were wide, lips parted and expression frozen somewhere between disbelief and horror.

"Okay, don't look at me like that." Mia tilted her head and folded her arms across her chest, brows furrowed. "It's not that bad."

Caroline finally found her voice, though it cracked as she spoke. "Klaus? You and Klaus were...Wait, how do you even know he's not lying to you now? That these memories aren't just something he put in your head, fake ones."

"Because it makes sense." Mia replied a tad too fast but firm, as though she had rehearsed this exact defense more times than she cared to admit. "Now that I remember I...I can..." She ran a hand through her hair, to find her words that'd become suddenly lost. "The memories, aren't just images, I can think back to different moments and know exactly how I felt back then....it was real. That's why Klaus has been-"

"Completely insane and harassing you for months." Caroline cut in sharply, "And now, what? Are you back together?"

"No." Mia snapped, her arms tightening around herself. "Of course not..but...After I escaped Alaric.." Her words were slower now, guilt adding with each syllable. "Klaus....he asked me to leave town with him. And I..I said yes."

Caroline's entire face contorted, eyebrows raised, jaw hanging, "I know!" Mia cut her off before she could express outrage, "I know, okay? I didn't plan it, it just came out. But he...he looked so happy and I..."

The blonde didn't blink, instead she just inhaled pointedly, letting a moment of silence ease the tension and then shook her head, "Well...you can't go."

"I know.."Mia whispered, however the thought of that seemed to collapse her chest inward. "But what am I supposed to do, Care?"

"Tell him..." Caroline sat up straighter, moving the pillow from Mia's lap, holding it up as if it were Klaus. "Tell him the extreme blood loss you suffered caused a brief lapse in judgement and you weren't in your right senses when you agreed. Tell him that it doesn't matter what the two of you were forever ago, you're here with us. And you're happy." She tossed the pillow behind her, then her eyes searched Mia, waiting, desperate for the confirmation. "You are, right? Happy?"

Mia paused, the question catching her off guard. But just a second before her silence would become worrying, she reached out and took Caroline's hand in hers. "Of course.." She forced a soft smile, "So happy." The blonde squeezed her fingers, her face relaxing slightly and she leaned forehead to rest her head lightly against Mia's shoulder.

The Petrova stared forward, unable to halt the cold twist inside her chest, for what she was already planning to do.

She had told two lies in that conversation.

~~~~

Mia approached the Mikaelson mansion, its grand columns looming over her, as if looking down in disapproval. The air had cooled, the wind catching the hem of her skirt as she walked, each step echoing faintly against the gravel. Her hands gripped the handle of a suitcase she wheeled beside her.

With every footstep, the guilt wrapped tighter around her throat, constricting like a noose. She tried to focus on the physicality of movement, the rhythm of her boots against stone, the weight of her bag pulling gently behind her. However nothing dulled the thoughts in her head or the sharp sting of betrayal curling in her gut.

Her friends would be furious if they knew, Damon would call her selfish, Caroline would yell in outrage and Stefan...his silence would break her all the same. She didn't even want to imagine how Bonnie, Tyler or Elena would react.

But Mia was exhausted, constantly feeling herself on the precipice of ruin. And with the sun set to disappear in a few hours, it meant that Alaric would be free, the Petrova was unsure she could survive another encounter, and she was no use to anyone dead. It was just a small break, that's what she told herself.

Still, her steps slowed as she neared the threshold. Her fingers twitched against the suitcase handle, loosening, as if part of her, perhaps the only rational part, was begging her to stop. She stood there for a moment, suspended in silence, the breeze brushing against her face. Then, with a shaky breath, she rolled the bag off to the side of the porch and tucked it discreetly beside the column, before opening the door and walking in.

However, what she stumbled in on was not the bickering of Mikaelson siblings or a scheming Klaus ready to charm. It was chaos.

Damon and Tyler stood braced, each gripping an arm with barely restrained effort, Stefan stood before the figure, hand pressed firmly against its chest and, just as he moved to the side, the face of the one they were holding became visible. Klaus.

His skin was greying at the edges, slowly fading in, his features tightened as if every inch of energy was being sapped from inside out. The desiccation was slow but visible, the tendrils of death stretching across flesh like veins of ash crawling over ancient marble.

Mia stopped, her breath hitched and a soft, involuntary gasp escaped her throat, not very loud, but potent enough.

Klaus's head lifted, however faintly, his eyes dragging themselves, they looked past Stefan, past the pain and magic being surged through him, the war unravelling within his body and they landed on her. And for a moment, time folded.

He searched her face, perhaps for meaning, or simply to gaze upon her as the only thing to soothe him in that moment. His gaze flicked downward, scanning her and a thought cracked through him with such certainty it knocked the already faint air from his lungs. There was no suitcase in her hand, no coat thrown over her arm, no luggage by her side.

She hadn't come to go with him.
She had come to watch.
Had she known?

The idea sliced through him cruelly. Was this her way of setting herself free? Had she returned just in time to be rid of the ghost of what they once were? Was she the one that'd come up with the plan? Did she hate him?

His eyes flickered with something unspoken, heartbreak, disillusionment, something ancient and wounded, he tilted his head, conveying his hurt to her. And Mia, staring back, felt her own legs begin to weaken beneath her. Her eyes welled with a sheer, shattering ache and for a split second all she saw was the same blue eyes that once gave her butterflies, that she found herself getting lost in, the ones that were the first thing she saw every morning and the last as proclamations of love were whispered, soothing her to sleep.

And now it had looked like she'd chosen this, watching his ruin as if it was quality entertainment, she could tell that's what he assumed, and her heart cracked at the thought. Then Klaus crumbled, his body slumped, the last flicker of light in his eyes fading like a dying match. His limbs went slack as the greying overtook him completely, his mouth parted just slightly as if there was more to say and then his eyes slid closed, the last thing he saw being the love of his life.

With the finality of a closing tomb, his weight collapsed in their arms. Tyler let go first, stepping back as though even the contact stung and Klaus fell with a dull, echoing thud against the floorboards. The sound rattled through Mia like a gunshot.

Her breath stuttered, her legs finally moving but not towards Klaus. It was only now that she noticed the other body on the ground, Elena. She lay slumped just behind the wreckage of it all, her skin pale, motionless but breathing. Damon was already at her side, crouched down, his fingers brushing against her cheek with tenderness.

Mia kneeled beside him, her hands hovering uncertainly above Elena's frame, checking her pulse more out of habit than fear, although she could hear it, the thump at her fingertips provided relief, though it did nothing for the tremor still in her body.

Damon glanced at her then, his voice wry but lacking its usual edge, "No need to get too emotional, Pierce. She'll be fine." The brunette blinked, startled by the sting behind her eyes, she reached up and wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt, only then realising she was still crying.

What she also didn't notice was that Stefan was watching her, he stood apart now, his hand no longer pressed to Klaus's chest, the act done but his eyes never left Mia. He saw the way her shoulders drooped, the faint trembling of her hands and the ever so quiet sniffles as she tried to steady her expression. And in that moment he understood something no one else had, her tears were not shed because the man she once adored had been vanquished.

No, her sorrow ran much deeper. She wept because the axis of her world had shifted irreversibly, truths long kept hidden had been revealed like the tearing open of an old wound, and the architect of that cataclysm was now gone. What else could she do now but cry?

Mia turned her head quickly, ashamed at the vulnerability that was too raw and complicated to justify or explain. Her chest ached in a way she hadn't expected like something had been ripped loose. But it wasn't Elena she was mourning.

Not yet anyways.

~~~~

The car was cloaked in an uneasy silence as it rolled down the street, the low hum of the engine barely filling the space between breaths. In the backseat, Elena lay with her head resting against Mia's shoulder, her body still fragile, breathing uneven. The vampire sat rigidly, her gaze fixed out the window, her hand smoothing over the other girl's hair in long, absentminded strokes.

Stefan watched them through the rearview mirror, his eyes lingering not on Elena but Mia, on her expression. It wasn't the same drained look she wore after escaping Alaric, that had been fear wrapped in adrenaline. This was quieter, something muted in her now, as though a part of her had been yanked away without warning. She wasn't broken, not yet, although she looked one ache away from it.

He tilted his head upwards to ask how she was, but she hadn't even registered the action, simply lost in her own head.

They pulled up near the Gilbert house, the familiar porch cast in gold under the streaks of the setting sun. Damon slowed the car and prepared to cut the engine but when he came to a stop across the street Mia finally spoke, her voice edged with a tired bite.

"You expect her to walk all that way?" Her tone wasn't confrontational, just weary, as if the idea of doing anything more than necessary that night was unbearable.

Damon rolled his eyes with theatrical impatience and turned the wheel, parking directly in front of the house. "Your majesty..." He muttered sarcastically under his breath, already stepping out.

Mia ignored him and instead leaned down slightly, brushing Elena's hair from her face with the gentleness of someone who'd spent far too much time patching up wounded souls. "We're here." She whispered, just loud enough for Elena to hear if she was somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

The older Salvatore came around to the side and helped Elena from the car, slipping one of her arms around his shoulders as he supported her weight. He said nothing more, and Mia followed them out, her movements slow. Stefan joined her, walking alongside in silence as they crossed the lawn, his hand grazing against hers briefly.

Once they reached the yard, Mia stopped, her steps faltering halfway across the grass. Stefan immediately slowed beside her but said nothing, following her gaze to the porch.

Damon and Elena had stopped just by the front door, their figures were close, drawn together in an intimate manner. The Salvatore was murmuring something, his hands cupping Elena's cheeks as she nodded, smiling faintly through her exhaustion.

Mia's chest tightened and Stefan glanced at her. He could see it, the way her face dropped slightly, not in jealousy but grief. Klaus was dessicated, gone because they made it so. He'd been her first love, a new revelation. And now, as she watched the people she called family embrace the world they'd created through his end, she looked displaced, as if everything around her was pushing forward and her soul was still caught onto the barbed wire of the past.

After Elena had gone inside, Damon turned around and walked back up the drive. "We gotta beat the sunset before Mr Hyde is free." He called to Stefan then looked at Mia, "You sure you don't wanna come with? He's after all vampires, something tells me he's still bitter you got away."

Mia didn't even flinch at the warning, her eyes were fixed ahead, "He won't be able to get in here." She replied softly, "And I don't wanna leave Elena...but please, be careful." Her gaze moved to Stefan, softening, or rather crumbling. "Just...make sure you come back."

Damon nodded and made his way to the car but Stefan lingered, his eyes held hers, studying the strain behind her words, how she wrapped herself in quiet concern as if it would shield her from her own unravelling, "You okay?" He asked gently.

Mia inhaled deeply, her hand pushing her hair back from her face as she steadied her breath, "I'm fine, Stefan. You should go." But as he turned to leave, the younger Salvatore reached out and caught her hand, giving it a soft, grounding squeeze.

He opened his mouth, hesitated but just as his words were about to come out the whirring of the car window rolling down broke the moment, "Hello?! Desiccated hybrid, sun setting, Van Helsing who wants us all dead, ring any bells?"

Stefan sighed, though the corner of his mouth twitched up with reluctant amusement, "I'll see you later, okay? I promise....I'll come back." He looked back at Mia and saw the way her face hadn't returned the smile, how she couldn't even pretend to be okay and then he turned away, slipping into the car. Mia stood frozen, watching as the vehicle disappeared down the street and out of sight.

With the same flat expression, she pivoted and made her way back up the drive. When she stepped into the Gilbert house, the shift in energy was immediate. Laughter spilled from the kitchen, raucous yet warm. She followed the sound, not because she wanted to join, but because it was the only place left to go.

The kitchen was filled with the entire group, Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler and Elena, all crowding around the island, drinking, talking over each other, smiling like the huge weight that'd been hanging over them had finally been cut loose. It was chaos wrapped in joy and for a moment they all looked like regular teenagers with normal lives.

Tyler spotted Mia first. "There she is!" He grinned, practically skipping towards the girl before pulling her into a hug. He spun her once before setting her down, his eyes still bright with adrenaline and relief. But then he paused, registering the blankness in her expression. "What's with the pout?" He asked, not unkindly. "We won. Klaus is finally gone."

Mia's smile was weak, paper thin. "I'm just tired.." She murmured, "Think some of that vervain is still in my system."

Caroline stepped forward, thrusting a glass into Mia's hands with a beam, "Well, get some of this in you and come help me. We're three against three for Hawaiian pizza and we need a tiebreaker."

The Petrova looked down at the glass, taking a small sip, then back up at Caroline, "I don't really care either way."

"What?" Jeremy piped up from the counter, "Last time I put olives on your pizza you threatened to have me assassinated."

She shrugged, her lips barely moving. "Just get whatever Elena wants, she's the one that lost almost all her blood." Mia drifted toward the island and sank onto one of the schools, downing her drink. Around her, the group continued to celebrate, clinking glasses, laughing like they could breathe again.

Tyler moved to say something else, but Caroline intercepted him, pulling him into a kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's finally over." She smiled brightly. Mia watched them with a quiet detachment, her back stiff as her fingers wrapped around the empty glass. She reached for the bottle, filling it to the brim and time simply passed by.

The clink of glassware. The crinkle of the now arrived pizza boxes. The sound of a house exhaling after holding its breath for too many months. And yet, Mia felt none of it.

That was until Tyler held up his hand, his face one of worry. "Hang on. Do you guys hear that?" Assuming it was Alaric, Mia straightened, already mapping out the route she'd take to get Elena out of there. Everyone went still, looking around. To which the Lockwood boy smirked, "That...is the sound of a Klaus free life."

The silence broke completely, laughter and cheers bursting from everyone like a cork, all but Mia as she rested her chin upon her palm, easing the nerves that had just spiked. Elena raised her glass, her gaze sweeping across the group like a torch bearer to all her survivors. "To a Klaus free life." She declared, "And to all of you. My family"

They clinked their glasses together, continuing with their excited chatter. And Mia sat there, unseen, as though she was glass, transparent, fragile. Of course, had they not all been in an ecstatic mood, they would've noticed. Her eyes dropped to the floor, her grip on the glass tightening just as slightly as memories bled through her mind without mercy.

"It's okay, love." Klaus holding her in Gloria's dressing room, his hand smoothing over her hair as she sobbed into his chest. "You're okay. I've got you." And for a split second it was as though she could feel his touch.

Now seated beside each other in the speakeasy, his presence a constant at her side, his voice soft in her ear as she struggled to resist the pull of her hunger, ashamed. "I feel strange, different. You told me my emotions would change, that my personality would too. What if I don't want it to?"
"I don't think it can be avoided, but you need not be afraid." Klaus lightly gripped her chin, "This only means that everything that makes you undeniably remarkable .... amplifies."
 "So it won't ruin me?"
"Perfection can't be ruined." He hadn't judged her. He hadn't flinched. He'd pressed his hand over hers and told her she was stronger than all of it.

And then, sat with another man, spying through a peep hole at the two Originals from afar. "Any friend of theirs would be untouchable."

Her body being laid down on a mattress as gentle hands caressed her body, lips catching hers.

Mia blinked hard, her breath catching like a thread snagged in her throat. Her heartbeat thundered loud in her head, almost thumping and suddenly the room felt too bright, the voices far too sharp and the laughter like fragments of glass scraping at her nerves.

Without a word, she rose from her stool, her movements hurried and without a sound she slipped from the edge of the group and stepped through the hallway, her pulse a war drum in her ears.

Bonnie caught the shift, her brows furrowed as she tracked the sudden change in the energy and within seconds she was following. "Mia?" She called softly, her voice careful not to startle, "Mia, what's wrong?"

However the Petrova didn't slow, her hand was already on the doorknob and her other arm trembled faintly at her side. She didn't turn back to meet her friend's eyes. "I'm fine." She spat out tightly, "Please. I just...need some air."

Before Bonnie could say another word, the door snapped shut, the witch hurried to the entrance and yanked it open only to find an empty porch. Mia was already gone.

~~~~

The sky outside had darkened into a murky canvas of purples and greys, the kind of dusk that bled into night without notice. Inside the quiet treehouse, that small sanctuary built high among the branches and woven with Stefan's thoughtfulness. Mia sat curled in on herself atop the mattress he'd placed there, a quiet gesture he never drew attention to

She was folded over at the waist, her fingers digging into her legs through the fabric of her tights, her chest rising and falling in jagged, frantic stutters. Each breath caught in her throat like sharp tacks. Her eyes were wide and glistening, red at the rims and spilling with tears she couldn't stop.

Her heart beat against her ribcage with punishing insistence like it was trying to escape, as if her own body knew she didn't deserve to live. And now, the fear of being captured by Alaric wasn't even a thought in her mind.

Everything in her body was trembling, as if the avalanche that'd been threatening to fall for months had finally set tumbling down the mountain. She was so lost in it that she didn't hear the creak of the ladder, not the quiet push of the door, or the cautious footsteps approaching.

When Stefan walked in and saw her, his chest tightened immediately, a protective urgency and concern blooming across his face, but she hadn't even flinched. Her body didn't register his presence. He approached her slowly, not wanting to alarm her, unsure whether she would lash out or collapse in relief.

Kneeling in front of her, he placed his hands gently on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into her upper arms. "Hey.." He murmured, voice low and steady. "Hey, hey. You're okay...You're okay, Mia. Just breathe...just breathe with me." But she wasn't hearing him, her eyes were open but she wasn't seeing. Tears streamed on, unchecked as her mouth tried to shape around a breath that refused to come nicely.

Stefan moved his hands up, brushing her hair back from her damp cheeks, fingers lingering just enough to steady her. He cupped her face, holding her, not like something precious, but something strong that needed to be pulled back up to its level.

His voice softened, "Mirame." Look at me. At the sound of his Spanish, her gaze snapped up to his, bleary, pulled back into her surroundings. "Respira conmigo, sí? Estoy aquí... estás a salvo..." Breathe with me, okay?....I'm here...You're safe.

Her shoulders hitched as her lungs dragged in a broken inhale. She tried again, slower, with him. In and out. Stefan nodded, his thumbs brushing away the new tear track gently, his own breathing matching hers. "That's good..." He whispered, lips barely moving. "That's great...You're alright. You're okay."

She finally lowered her eyes, and now that the storm had quieted just slightly, the exhaustion was all that remained. Her breath was calmer but her limbs felt like lead, she allowed her head to drop slightly, hair shielding part of her face as she murmured. "I'm sorry..."

Stefan shook his head, without a second passing. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He said firmly, his voice threaded with gentle conviction.

"Not for that...for..." Her words trailed off and Mia looked up at him, her expression raw. "I thought you left."

"I was worried about you." Stefan replied, finally sitting beside her on the mattress. His eyes scanned her carefully. "Damon can handle Klaus disposal on his own..." He didn't miss the way her lip twitched, barely, at the name. That one syllable held too much weight, an abundance of history, and heaps of ache.

"You remember everything." He said softly, it wasn't a question.

Mia didn't answer immediately, her eyes moved past him, past the wooden walls, as if trying to focus on something further than the present. "He told me last night." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I feel like I've barely had time to process it...to decide what I wanted to do. And then...he's gone."

There was a quiet that followed. Not silence, exactly but the heavy stillness of something left unsaid. Stefan tilted his head, his tone gentle. "What did you want to do?"

Her eyes drifted toward him, then something cracked in her face. Her mouth parted as if to answer but nothing came out at first. She bit her bottom lip, trying to stop it from trembling.

Then the truth spilled forth, "I was gonna leave with him." Her voice wavered, catching a sob against her throat. "I was gonna go, without telling anyone and that's why it happened. Because I was stupid and selfish and I was a fucking idiot-"

Stefan furrowed his brows, the insults she hurled against herself almost felt like attacks on him, in fact he took more offence than he would if anyone had said them directly to him. "You're not..."

"Everything I touch dies!" She cut him off, her voice growing louder, filled with disdain. "My parents, my sister, my...my baby. Jesse, Lexi...We freed Ty and Care from the sacrifice and Jenna died." Mia pulled away, slightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. "I was gonna leave with him. The guy who did all this, and then he's gone. He's just...he's gone and I'm never gonna see him again. I don't get to tell him how this all makes me feel. I don't get to make sense of it."

Her voice cracked, trembling. "Everything that I am now...it's because of him. He gave me my name, he compelled me not to crave blood. Then he just...he let me go." She shook her head, eyes glistening. "What am I supposed to do now? I don't know how to just...exist without causing ruin."

The Salvatore reached out and took her hand, "He didn't make you, Mia. You did. Every time you choose compassion over cruelty, every time you stay when we all give you plenty of reasons to run. That's not Klaus, it's you. This amazing woman who carries everyone else's burdens expecting nothing in return. The one who makes everyone better....that wasn't something Klaus built or compelled. Yes....maybe he helped you find pieces of yourself, but you're the one who pulled them together. You're the one....we...all love."

Mia didn't speak for a long moment, her lip quivering slightly. Then she nodded, slow, wiping her face with her sleeve before changing the subject as if she was afraid to accept the compliments. "Klaus kept talking about fate...but it wasn't. Us meeting, I mean..back then...it wasn't fate.

She shook her head, her face filling with something he recognised as shame and then she turned to Stefan, her hand rising instinctively to her collarbone where the necklace rested. Her fingers brushed it gently, she looked at him with something soft in her gaze. "I remember you too, Stef....Everything." And for the first time in this conversation, the corner of her lip pulled slightly up. "You promise to give me this."

"I was ninety years late." Stefan joked, "I found it, back in my old apartment...guess part of me knew back then that I'd still get a chance to give it to you."

Mia's smile mirrored his, quiet and aching and then on impulse she spat out the quick doubt that'd appeared in her mind. "It's not weird or awkward to me....if you're worried. You know, because of everything that'd happened back then."

Stefan looked at her then, really looked. She of course remembered everything, including their conversation on her nineteenth birthday where he'd confessed his love, promising to wait forever for her to love him back. "We were completely different people back then.." Mia said, her voice gentle, eyes meeting his with quiet reassurance. "Nothing changes."

She had said it with kindness, as a comfort to make sure he didn't feel uneasy with the dynamic but it had stuck him like a splinter to the heart. He nodded anyway, because he believed that was what she needed, a friend. "Of course."

Mia leaned her head on his shoulder, her breath finally steady, her body slumped against his with quiet trust. Stefan sat still, anchoring her like he always had, though his chest was tight with things he couldn't say.

The moment lingered in silence until her phone ringing buzzed against the mattress, she reached for it, eyebrows furrowing as she answered, "What's up, Jer?"

"I'm at the hospital with Elena. Something happened."

~~~~

The night had grown heavy by the time they returned, Tyler opened the front door to the Gilbert house first, shouldering it inward as Matt came in, followed by Stefan. Behind them, Mia walked in, one arm tightly wrapped around Elena, whose weight she supported carefully. Elena's steps were slow, unsteady but determined, her brows knit in discomfort that she stubbornly pretended wasn't there.

As the front door swung shut behind them, Caroline pointed towards the living room, her expression equal parts relief and command. "Couch." She ordered, stepping forward as she took Elena's other side.

"I'm fine," Elena protested softly, her voice hoarse and dry. "I just... I want something to eat first."

"We're on it." Tyler told her, "As soon as we make sure no one's lurking in the closets." Then with a nod the three boys made their way upstairs but not before Stefan glanced towards Mia as if ensuring she was intact.

Mia arched a brow as she watched them ascend, "What's Matty gonna do if someone is lurking in there?" She turned to the other two with a fake teasing smile, knowing that they'd worry if she continued to show how she truly felt.

Caroline gave an unimpressed look, not dignifying the comment, and instead directed her attention back to Elena. "Alright, couch. Now."

The doppelganger groaned softly in protest, "I told you I'm fine, it was just a concussion."

"Sit." Mia gave her a sharp look and the Gilbert girl immediately sank into the cushions with an exhale of surrender, letting her head fall back. Her skin was still a tad too pale, but Mia felt as if she could see it brightening by the second, as if her healing had been put on fast forward.

Caroline crouched down beside her, "Okay, what can I get you? Tea? Vodka?" She asked, eyes darting over Elena's face. "Both will help you sleep.....I'm thinking maybe tea with vodka, two for one."

At the mention of that Mia lifted her hand up as if in a classroom, "I think I have a headache too....and the desperate need to sleep."

The blonde narrowed her eyes before her mouth tugged into a grin, "Two vodka teas coming right up." She headed towards the kitchen with purpose, giving Mia the perfect opportunity to speak to her descendant, but of course the blonde would most likely be eavesdropping.

Mia stayed by the couch, her fingers adjusting the throw blanket that had fallen half off Elena's lap, she then reached out and pressed the back of her hand against the doppelganger's forehead. "You sure you're okay?"

Elena nodded, though the answer was slower this time. "Yes, I'm fine." Her gaze shifted to Mia then and there was something probing beneath her calm, intuition. "Are you?"

The vampire shifted slightly, her body tensing at the thought of what she was about to disclose. "Perfectly fine..." She murmured, though it rang hollow in her own ears. Her voice dropped then, quieter, as if ashamed to share. "I do need to tell you something though."

Elena didn't hesitate, she just tilted her head slightly, sensing the shift and interrupted her ancestor gently, "About Klaus?....Jeremy told me." The breath Mia had been holding released in a sudden, shallow exhale and her entire body froze. Her throat went dry as her mind scrambled to calculate just how much he'd said.

And once her eyes went wide with panic Elena reached out and placed her hand over hers, "It's okay." She reassured, her thumb brushing across the back of Mia's knuckles. "You can't control your past and I know you didn't ask for any of it. And even if you had...I mean, who were you back then? Human, young...trusting."

"You're just as much of Klaus's victim as any of us." Elena declared, "More maybe. Because he took your past away from you, he took your memories. Your choices. But listen to me, Mia. None of that changes how I see you, it doesn't change who you are, what you've done for me, for all of us."

"You're not some extension of him, or something he crafted and designed to his image. You're my sister." The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable but heavy as the vampire's heart refused to accept them.

So she simply nodded slowly, lips parted to offer a weak thank you, "Nothing changes..." She echoed, but it wasn't entirely true, at least not for her.

Before she could say more, Matt's voice drifted in from the hall. "Hey, Mia?" he called. "Can I borrow you for a sec?"

Mia looked up, brow furrowed. "Sure," she replied, glancing back at Elena once more before rising and following Matt out through the foyer.

They stepped onto the porch, the air outside noticeably cooler now, brushing against her skin like a warning. Matt walked ahead toward his truck, the red taillights casting a soft glow on the edge of the driveway. She followed him, slower, blissfully unaware.

That was until she heard footsteps behind her, she stopped mid step, turning with a slight frown as she faced Jeremy. His looked almost regretful, his face one of sympathy. "We're really sorry about this."

Mia barely had time to process the words before the sharp jab of a syringe pierced the skin at the back of her neck. She gasped, stumbling backward. "You fucki-" she began, her voice slurring, limbs going heavy and slow.

But the vervain was already taking hold, seeping through her bloodstream like fog. Her knees buckled, her vision swimming. Her breath hitched once, and then she crumpled forward into Jeremy's waiting arms.

Matt stood over them, dropping the now empty syringe into the grass. His expression was grim. "We better hope she's in a good mood when she wakes up," he muttered, eyes scanning the darkness beyond the driveway.

Jeremy adjusted her in his arms, careful not to jostle her too much. "We should get going. In case."

~~~~

Mia stirred slowly beneath the weight of too many blankets and an ache that resided deep in her bones. Her lashes fluttered open against the pale lamp light filtering through its shade, making the view of Elena's room clear. Her body felt almost hollow, as if something inside her had been scooped out and replaced with a smoldering ash.

Muscles weak, nerves dulled. Her head throbbed, not piercingly but thickly. Her limbs were leaden, weighed down by the lingering haze of vervain that had burrowed itself into every nerve like glass splinters. The heaviness clung to her, not just in her muscles but as if her bones had been soaked in regret and left to harden. She shifted slightly under the covers and immediately winced.

I fucking hate my life. With some effort, she pushed herself up on her elbows and turned her head toward the nightstand. A folded note sat neatly beside a blood bag, the ink hurried and uneven, she reached for it with trembling fingers.

Sorry. We needed to get Elena out of town and we knew you would stop us.
Jeremy.

Her jaw clenched as she let the paper flutter to her lap. "Fucking idiots." She whispered under her breath, her eyes drifted to the blood bag, where another sticky yellow note clung with a creased corner.

Sorry again.
Matt.

She scoffed under her breath, rolling her eyes before snatching the blood bag to drain it.

By the time she descended the staircase, she was herself again, at least physically. However the house was far too quiet, without a sign of anyone else being present. She spotted a teacup on the counter, still warm to the touch, when she lifted it to her nose the bitterness of an inordinate amount of cough syrup filled her senses, and she quickly deduced it was how they'd gotten Elena to cooperate, once Stefan was out of the way.

But then she caught it. Another scent, faint, expensive familiar. It cut through the remnants of herbal tea, effortlessly commanding its superiority. Sophisticated, masculine and in her mind the image of a neatly knotted tie flashed, accompanied with the firm line of shoulders in a suit. He had been there.

Before she could think on it further, her phone rang sharply against the marble island. Damon's name blinked across the screen. The last person she wanted to hear from, but something told her not to ignore it. She picked up and pressed the phone to her ear, voice flat, "What?"

Damon didn't miss a beat. "Very rude for someone who'll be dead in an hour...well depending on who turned you."

Her brows furrowed, "What are you talking about asshole?"

There was a long, dramatic sigh on the other end of the line. "Klaus is dead. Dead dead."

Everything in her stilled. Her grip tightened around the phone as her knees nearly buckled. Her heart didn't race, it just stopped altogether, suspended in some slow motion descent. Her breath refused to move in or out and her thoughts screamed against the inside of her skull, incoherent and jagged.

"Ric just staked him. Right through the heart," Damon continued as if sharing a fun story, his voice too casual for the weight of what he was saying. "I have to admit, it would've been much more satisfying to watch if there wasn't a chance I'm gonna die too."

She said nothing. Her grip tightened on the edge of the counter until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes stayed locked ahead, unfocused. "You good?" Damon asked, quieter now.

It took her a second to find her voice. When she did, it sounded distant. "Yeah. I'm fine." She moved slowly, lowering herself down onto the sofa.The phone remained pressed to her ear, but her hand trembled slightly now. "Do you... feel okay?" she asked quietly, her voice thinning with something that wasn't fear but something adjacent to it.

"Yeah. Took Sage about an hour before she started going downhill," Damon said. "But once it hit her, she dropped fast."

Her thoughts tumbled ahead of her, to the finish line she couldn't yet see. Would it hurt? Would it feel like fire spreading through her veins? Would her heart just stop? Would her body go cold before her mind had even registered it? Or would it be gentle, like the closing of a book, the quiet exhale of a life that had always teetered on the edge of destruction?

Damon's voice came again and this time it was different, softer. "If this is really our last hour then...Look, I'm not great at the whole heartfelt confession thing, we both know that, so don't make a big deal out of this." He gave a quiet chuckle, as if baffled at the situation. "But...sometimes I say things I shouldn't. Do things I regret a week later. Hell, sometimes I regret them while I'm doing it....Point is I screw up. A lot.....So I'm sorry. For all of it. And despite everything....I'm glad I know you."

For a moment, Mia said nothing. She let the words sit there, unsure what to do with them. She knew Damon. Knew that if they both lived, he would go right back to making the same careless choices, saying the same reckless things. But this moment, however fleeting, was real. And it mattered. She swallowed, her throat tight. Her voice wavered when she spoke. "Thank you... Goodbye, Damon."

"See you on the other side, Pierce." He said with double meaning, expecting a soft laugh but she simply ended the call. Her hand dropped to her lap, phone still in her grip, and her other hand pressed against her abdomen as though she could hold the ache inside.

She didn't know if what she felt was death creeping closer or just heartbreak in disguise.

Either way, it hurt.

~~~~

The air was dense with silence, the kind that followed something devastating, something final. Elijah walked alone though the quiet hush of the town, his figure cutting through the dark with its usual composed elegance, though tonight there was a gravity to his stride, a weight dragging behind every movement.

His hands remained folded behind his back, posture upright but his shoulders were held tighter than usual, the muscles of his jaw clenching and releasing as though warring with restraint. The only sound was the scuffle of his shoes against the sidewalk and beneath that, the careful rhythm of his breath, slower than it should have been. Controlled yet, but under the surface....trembling.

Niklaus was dead. He had said the words aloud once, just after he'd found out. Only to feel their shape in the air but they hadn't sounded real. And now, with the potent presence of the stars pressing down on the rooftops of the town his family had made their stage, the finality began to settle into the marrow of him like rot.

For centuries, he had imagined such a day, the idea that one day Klaus would go too far, cross the wrong person and dig himself a grave even Elijah couldn't pull him out of. But he had never anticipated the emptiness.

Klaus was gone. No more furious speeches, no more reckless whims, no more apologies made too late. No more plans to mend bridges he'd only just burned. He was just gone.

Elijah's gaze lifted as he reached the town square, the light from the lampposts brushing softly against the cobblestone path. His eyes landed on a bench ahead and he came to a quiet halt. Even before he saw her face, he knew. There, with her brown curls resting still around her shoulders, barely moving, was the very person he was walking around to see.

And she knew he was there before he spoke, she didn't turn to look. Her voice came out flat, emotion buried so deep it left only echoes behind. "He deserved it, right?.....Klaus." Her words hung between them like heavy smog, curling at the edges with a disbelief she hadn't invited in.

"After everything he's done, all the people he's hurt...I mean, I said I would leave with him and he still hurt Elena. Tried to kill her again. That's who he is...was." She sighed deeply, the fissure just starting to split in her voice. "He wasn't gonna change. And it wasn't everyone else's responsibility to learn to live with it. Someone had to do something. He needed to be stopped....he needed to die. Right?"

Elijah stepped slowly around the bench, his gaze never leaving her as he moved into her periphery. Mia finally turned to him, rising from the bench, though her voice was still steady, her eyes were not. "It was what needed to happen, right?" She repeated, barely above a whisper.

But then she broke. Her face crumpled, the hollowness collapsing under its own weight and she shattered, sobs escaping her chest in jagged, uncontrollable waves. "Then why do I feel like this?"

Without hesitation, Elijah closed the distance between them, his movements gentle but resolute. He gathered her into his arms, one hand moving to the back of her head as the other wrapped firmly around her waist, anchoring her to something solid as she fell apart.

Her body shook against his chest, her hands clutching the fabric of his blazer. "He's dead..." she choked out between gasps. "He's just gone. He's dead." The Original closed his eyes and pressed his chin gently to the crown of her head, his hand moving slowly through her hair as he held himself together.

Mia pulled back slightly, her eyes red and pained. "And now I'm gonna die...." She whispered. Elijah's features shifted, the lines of his face folding with quiet devastation, the very idea of it excruciating. "He turned me....you know. I know you know."

He nodded once, slowly. "I do. But it was not my place to reveal it. It was Nik-" He paused and sighed deeply, "It was Niklaus's truth to share and of course yours to receive from him."

"I know..." Mia bit the inside her of her cheek, as if she had expected that answer but needed to hear it anyway. "It just feels like everyone knew but me. And now, less than twenty four hours later, he's dead. Tyler's gonna die, I'm gonna die..and so is Caroline and that's my fault because I gave her my blood. And Stefan...Damon, they might die too. We're all..."

Her voice faltered, too many names, too many possible eulogies Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy and Matt would have to dredge through.

Elijah reached forward and cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears she couldn't keep from falling. "There is a chance that may not come to pass." He told her, his voice low, a soft thread of hope woven through solemnity. "It has already been longer than it was for those in Finn's line.

"Perhaps the effect was specific to the eldest...or perhaps my mother, in her desperation, sought to grant her beloved son's final wish should he have ever passed. Finn abhorred vampirism, Esther knew this. It is not beyond reason that his demise also served as retribution, his line vanquished in accordance to his own end."

Mia listened, trying to believe him but her shoulder remained tense, her posture unchanged. "Maybe." She said softly, her voice thinned by exhaustion, but there was no relief in her tone, only a deeper dread. Because hope meant continuing, surviving, which meant carrying on to bear the weight of all that had been lost.

Elijah watched her carefully. Then his tone shifted, more formal, gentler still. "Amelia...I know I have asked this before and I know the answer you gave me then, but with the present circumstances, I must ask again. This town has done nothing but deliver grief and punishment unto you. I believe, for your wellbeing and your spirit, it would be wise if you left it behind." He inhaled softly, his eyes unflinching. "My offer still stands, always. Come with me."

Mia's gaze lifted to his, and for a moment the world around them blurred into silence. His eyes held hers with that same unwavering steadiness he had given her after the ball, and again outside the Grill, but now... now everything was changed.

He was no longer just Elijah.

"I can't..." She stepped away, shaking her head slowly. "He's your brother...I may be a Petrova but...that's a web I don't want to get myself caught in. Regardless of how I..."

Elijah's eyes softened, the hint of emotion he so often kept restrained now slipping through the cracks. Regardless of how you what? The question lay on his tongue but he decided against pushing, it wasn't what she needed.

Mia looked away, swallowing the ache in her throat. "You're a really good friend, Elijah. You make me feel good about myself...but you've spent so long trying to pull someone else out of the darkness, I don't think you've stopped to check where you stand...And you should. There is no soul more worthy of gentleness than yours."

The Original's expression broke into the faintest, most heartbreakingly sincere smile as she quoted his own words. He inhaled deeply, his eyes shining with something just shy of tears. "You truly are an extraordinary marvel, Miss Evans."

Mia let out a quiet, trembling laugh, the sound small but real. "As are you, husband." She teased, a gentle reference to the night of the gala back in Cordoba, which now felt as though it was decades ago.

She pulled him into a hug, one hand tightening at his back, the other curling lightly against the nape of his neck and Elijah held her just as tightly, his arms wrapping around her with the same power of a vow never spoken aloud. When they pulled apart, her hands lingered for just a second longer before falling to her sides. "Send me postcards," she said softly. "Wherever you go."

"I give you my word." Elijah promised, "And I hope that one day, you decide to see the rest of the world for yourself. There is far more to life than what Mystic Falls has shown you...and you deserve to revel in every beautiful part of it."

With one last look, deep, searching, he turned and began to walk away. His figure faded into the dark, step by step, until he was gone. And though Mia stood still, the tears that had dried on her cheeks were replaced by something else. Watching Elijah disappear into the night, with all his poise and pain, felt like closing the cover on a book she hadn't finished reading. One that left too much unsaid.

She remained rooted in place, her arms folded tightly over her midsection, as if she could physically keep everything from spilling out, grief, confusion, guilt.

Her phone buzzed, its glow flashing against the night-dark bench where she stood. She blinked herself back into reality and glanced down to read the message.

Rebekah: I'm sorry, Darling.

Mia's brows furrowed, fingers trembling slightly as she typed back a reply.
Mia: Are you okay?
I can't believe he's gone.

The response came quicker than expected.
Rebekah: Not for that.

She didn't even have time to process the implication, to read between the lines of that cryptic regret, before someone called her name. The sound of it pulled her head up, her eyes landed on a figure striding toward her from the shadowed edge of the street. Tyler.

Without hesitation, her legs moved before her mind caught up. She ran to him, crashing into his arms, the need for something, someone, solid outweighing everything else in that moment. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her face burying into the crook of his shoulder as his grip came around her hips, strong and firm, grounding her.

"You're okay, I've got you." he whispered against her temple, his voice low, gentle, almost too intimate, the kind that lingered a moment too long. When they pulled apart, Tyler's brows knit together, his eyes scanning hers that were red. "You're crying... Is it because of... Klaus?"

Mia winced inside at the name, she shook her head almost too quickly, the gesture frantic, defensive. "No. I was just...worried about everyone else." Her voice wavered at the edges, the lie feathered in uneven breaths. "We shouldn't be here, Ty. We should be dead."

He tilted his head slightly as if writing the script in that very moment and there was something in his gaze, a glint that wasn't quite suited to him. "Maybe we got lucky." He put forth, his voice still soft but edged with knowing. "He's a hybrid, the Original hybrid. That's nature's phenomenon, the siring rules might not apply."

"I know..." Mia sighed, her expression showing she was still deep in thought. "I know that's possible. Elijah said the same thing, trying to come up with some kinda theory."

At the mention of Elijah's name, something hardened in the lines of Tyler's face. His jaw tensed, a flicker of something cold and ancient blooming in his eyes, too deep to belong to her friend. The storm inside him churned, a burning rage at the idea of Elijah standing where he should have stood. His body wasn't even cold, and already Elijah the Noble, the virtuous one, was circling.

He concealed it quickly, but not swift enough. Mia arched a brow at the look but kept on speaking, "None of it makes sense."

"You don't need to think about it," Tyler cut in, reaching out and lifting her chin with his fingers. His touch was tender, but there was something purposeful in it, something desperate. "We're okay. Just be glad that we're alive and together."

Mia exhaled, her eyes softening at the reassurance, the comfort of touch she didn't know she'd needed. "I know....I know I should just be grateful but-" Before she could finish, her phone buzzed again. She pulled away slightly to glance down. Carebear. She answered immediately, pressing the phone to her ear. "Care? Are you okay? Are you feeling fine?"

The only sound that came through the line was sobbing. Gut-wrenching, panicked sobs. Then Caroline's voice broke through in gasps. "It's Elena...and Matt, they're in trouble-"

Mia's entire body went still, her blood turning cold. Her fingers clenched tightly around the phone as she stepped back, the street spinning around her. Tyler listened in, his brow furrowed.

If he was dead, then who would be attacking the doppelgänger?

~~~~

Mia's boots pounded against the tarmac as she and Tyler sprinted toward the bridge, the cold wind biting at her face as she sped. They skidded to a stop at the edge, Mia's eyes widened in horror. The guardrail had been split clean through, the jagged metal twisted.

She stepped forward, her gaze sweeping down until it caught sight of the broken silhouette below, glistening in the moonlight, where the black surface of the water rippled, disturbed. And then, in a blur of blonde Caroline stumbled out from the trees, having taken a shortcut from her house. "Where are they?!" She shouted, her voice cracking, "Stefan said they crashed..."

Once she saw the direction in which the other two were looking her face dropped, her words collapsed into sobs as Mia stared down the river, searching the black void for movement, the water swallowed everything in silence until suddenly a figure was spotted swimming upwards.

Stefan was dragging someone behind him, arm hooked tightly beneath the limp body of Matt, the boy's head lolled against his shoulder, Mia exhaled sharply, a breath that felt like shattering glass, "She's still down there....he won't get her in time."

Mia glanced toward the dark water again and without hesitating began yanking off her jacket, she was already moving towards the edge when Tyler reached out to grab her wrist. "Mia, don't.."

But she was already gone, with a single fluid motion she dove off the bridge, the hybrid's jaw tightened as he watched. She's off her fucking head.

The fall was brutal, the wind whipped against her skin, her stomach plummeting as the cold air howled past her ears. Then, with a violent, unforgiving slap, the river met her like a wall of ice and swallowed her whole. She sank deeper into the dark and her eyes adjusted and then she saw it, the shape of the truck illuminated faintly by moonlight refracted through the surface.

It sat at a tilt on the riverbed and inside, Elena floated in the passenger seat, her head resting at an angle, eyes shut, body eerily still. No air bubbles nor movement. Mia's heart squeezed , her panic threatening to choke her. She pushed harder through the water, her fingers curled around the handle of the door and with every ounce of her strength, she wrenched it off its hinges, allowing it to drift behind her.

Her hand darted forward, grabbing Elena's arm and she pulled, one arm around her waist, the other pushing herself upwards as she swam. Just as the drag slowed down her movements she felt a strong hand clasped around hip, Stefan having made his way back down to help.

His presence was like a tether in the dark, he pulled them upward, their speed accelerating and together they surged toward the surface. The night greeted them with gasping lungs, then Stefan was already moving, carrying Elena's motionless form toward the riverbank with desperate urgency. Mia followed close behind, her shoes slipping on the mud as she stumbled up next to them, water spilling from her soaked clothes.

Stefan laid the doppelganger down on the leafy ground of the river's edge and immediately started compressions, his hands moving over her chest in rhythm. "Come on, Elena. Come on."

Mia knelt beside her, her breath jagged but her focus entirely on Elena's pale face, her hands hovered over her, lips trembling as she whispered, "You're okay baby, you're okay....Just...wake up. Please."

Stefan bit into his wrist, the blood rushing forward, he pressed it to Elena's lips but it simply sat there, pooling unused as if her body refused to accept it. "Please." Mia stroked the Gilbert's soaked hair, "Please wake up."

She couldn't help but feel like it was punishment, for what she'd done, the decision she'd dared to make earlier that day, as if it was life's way of saying, if you really want to leave them, I'll take them from you.

Life was a bitch.

~~~~

The hospital's sterile chill pressed in from every direction, an unsettling quiet hanging in the air despite the low murmur of voices from the nurses' station and the occasional squeak of a gurney wheel against the polished linoleum floor. The tension that permeated the waiting room was suffocating.

Caroline sat near the end of the row of chairs, her hands twisted tightly in her lap, knuckles pale, her lashes were damp from silent tears she kept dabbing away. Every few seconds her gaze drifted to the closed double doors down the hall, the ones that separated them from Elena. She leaned slightly toward Tyler, fingers reaching across the narrow armrest in quiet desperation, seeking the smallest shred of comfort.

But Tyler, well not exactly Tyler, yanked his hand away before her fingers even grazed the skin. Caroline's brow creased in confusion, her wounded eyes instinctively following the direction of his gaze, he wasn't even looking at her, his eyes locked on someone else entirely.

Mia stood across the room in front of the glass panel of the observation suite, arms wrapped around herself, still soaked from the river, her hair a heavy curtain down her back, droplets trailing down the ends, dripping onto the floor. The blinds inside the room were closed, concealing Elena from view, but the vampire hadn't moved from that spot since they'd arrived.

Her entire body hummed with tightly reined in panic as if the sheer act of keeping her legs locked beneath her was the only thing preventing her from collapsing.

Tyler's body approached without a word, he removed his jacket and without asking, draped it over her shoulders. His arm lingered there, hands rubbing slow circles just above her collarbone, she didn't lean in nor pull away and the hollowness in her gaze didn't shift.

"She can't die." Mia murmured, her voice was quiet but resolute as if she was trying to convince the universe through sheer will. "Not after everything."

The low reply came from beside her, soft and coaxing, "She won't, she'll be okay."

Mia shook her head, her breath trembling in her chest, "This can't happen. There's no way we finally manage to get out of this alive and then Elena...she's the one who..." Her voice cracked under the weight of the thought, her composure thinning.

Klaus, in Tyler's skin, pulled her into an embrace, his grip was firm, protective and if she noticed the subtle possessiveness behind the motion, she didn't show it. Her face buried into his shoulder, dampening the cotton of his shirt with river water and quiet tears. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, drinking her in. It'd been ninety years since he'd hugged her and even now it wasn't in his own body and that was the only reason she'd done it twice.

Across the room, Caroline watched the exchange, her heart twinging with a guilt ridden jealousy. Tyler hadn't even looked at her, hadn't responded to her tears or reached out even once. And now he was wrapped around Mia as if her comfort was his top priority.

Mia pulled back slightly, wiping at her eyes, trying to collect herself though her expression was still carved with grief, "Until the bitter end?"

But Tyler tilted his head, curiosity feigning innocence, "Why does the end have to be bitter?"

The Petrova's brows drew together at his response that differed from the usual repeating of the phrase, but before she could press, Bonnie's presence appeared at the end of the hallway, her expression tense. Tyler's body stiffened immediately, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "I'll be right back." He muttered and stepped away quickly, following Bonnie without another word.

Caroline hesitated, calling out to him but it was swiftly ignored. With a weary expression she crossed the space to Mia, placing a hand on her back but the Petrova's eyes remained locked on the corner Tyler had just disappeared behind.

With a quick shake of her head she faced Caroline, "It doesn't make sense...Matt got Elena out of town, over an hour before this happened. So what the hell were they doing back on that bridge?"

Caroline didn't answer right away, her posture shifted uncomfortably and the brunette noticed, it was subtle but telling. "What?" Mia asked, taking hold of her hand. "Care, what is it?"

The blonde swallowed and looked up, "When they found out Klaus was dead...Elena asked to come back here, to say goodbye....to you."

The words hit harder than a blow, Mia's lips parted, she took a step back, one hand clenching around the jacket draped over her shoulder. Her heart felt like it was being wrung out from the inside. Elena had come back, for her and now...

Guilt crashed through her like a wave, drowning her in its cold, merciless grip. Her mind reeled, this wasn't about collateral damage anymore, it was personal, consequence. Cause and effect with her name etched into it.

Caroline looked down again, "We might not be dead but something is definitely wrong. Tyler's acting like a complete freak. Like, not even in a junior year jerk way, I'm talking full on sinister alpha male."

Mia's world stopped turning for a beat, old words said by another playing in her mind. "There's no need for pretense, you and I both know I am the alpha male."

She thought back to every look, every touch and word. The way he'd repeatedly rejected Caroline as if the mere implication he'd want to be near her was an offense. How he stiffened when Elijah's name was mentioned. The way he comforted her. Almost too perfectly, too intimately like one would a lover.

Her chest constricted, every cog in her mind ground to a halt then lurched forward with a terrifying realisation. It was why they were still alive, because he was. He was thriving in a body that wasn't his, touching her with hands that didn't belong to him, hiding in plain sight. For a second it felt like deja vu, only more harrowing.

And then her breathing quickened, shallow and rapid, her vision closing in at the edges, she could barely hear Caroline calling her name. "I need some air.." Mia muttered, voice strangled. Without waiting for a response, she turned and hurried down the hall, pushing open the heavy doors.

The night air wrapped around Mia like a vice, tight and suffocating, making it nearly impossible to breathe, the buzzing hospital lights behind her faded into a dull haze as her boots sounded across the concrete. Every step away from the chaos inside the building felt heavier than the last.

She didn't even realise how unsteady she'd become until her palm smacked against the side of a parked car, helping her to stay upright. Her body was trembling, not from fear but an emotional exhaustion so complete it made her legs weak and head spin. Her mind was a labyrinth of looping thoughts.

Her forehead dropped toward her arm, eyes fluttering shut as she struggled to slow her breathing. She just needed a minute, a single, silent minute to compose herself.

But fate was never that kind.

The sharp click of heels echoed in the near distance, cutting across the parking lot. Mia didn't have to look up, she already knew. Every cell in her body registered that presence. Still, when she raised her eyes, the sight of Rebekah standing there pricked her.

The Original's expression was devastated, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, framed by trembling lashes, the image of someone who'd already lost everything and had come begging the last thing that mattered not to leave her grasp.

Mia stiffened, a storm immediately began to brew behind her eyes, her jaw clenched, her knuckles whitening against the car's frame. She shook her head, turning away and moving before her voice caught up. "I can't. Not now."

But Rebekah followed her, the desperation bleeding into her voice, pulling at every raw nerve in the Petrova's body. "Mia, please...I had to."

That stopped her, not completely but enough to pivot, eyes narrowing with disbelief, her brows furrowing with hurt deeper than rage. "You had to?" She snapped, words laced with sorrow and fury alike. "You had to run Elena and Matt off a fucking bridge?! You had to hurt the people I love?!"

Rebekah's tone shifted, defensive now, her grief curdled into anger. "Need I remind you, they killed my brother first? And as for Elena, she's hardly innocent. She's stabbed me in the back too. Literally."

"And I didn't speak to her for weeks because of it!" Mia shouted back, her voice breaking as she took a step back, "I didn't talk to her and now..." Her eyes shimmered with tears, "Now her life's in danger...You did that. You tried to kill my sister."

"Oh she is not your sister, she's just a stupid girl!" Rebekah screamed, spitting the words out like poison

Mia froze, her expression shifted in an instant from hurt to horror. She blinked at Rebekah like she no longer recognised the woman standing in front of her, as if her memory had been wiped all over again.

"I don't want to see you, I...I don't want to talk to you." She shook her head, tears finally spilling out, "How could you do that? She was coming back to see me, she was on that bridge because of me and I..." Her breath caught in her throat as the guilt stabbed her, "I wasn't quick enough, I didn't pull her out in time and now she's..."

The words caught like thorns, "I didn't get to say goodbye." Her voice broke entirely on the last word, her arms wrapped around herself tightly as though she could physically hold the pieces of her from breaking. "I just...I can't." She turned, shoulder curled forward as her boots carried her away from the blonde.

And then from behind, in a voice brittle with emotion, trembling and splintered, Rebekah spoke again, "You once told me that even if the world was against me...you would remain by my side." The Petrova stopped, her body suddenly heavy, her spine stiff with conflicting emotions. "Please Mia." Rebekah choked, a sob hitching at the edge of her voice. "Please darling...."

For a long aching moment, Mia didn't turn. The silence stretched between them like a chasm and when she did face her, her expression was blank, not from lack of emotion but because she'd locked it behind a rapidly constructed wall. "A lot has changed in ninety years.."

Rebekah's face crumpled, the heartbreak rushing into her features as she stared at Mia with wide, pleading eyes but the look in Mia's didn't soften. If anything, it grew colder. The Original said nothing else, just nodded once, tears streaming from her eyes then she blurred away into the night, vanishing in the space of a breath.

Mia stood there, alone in the middle of the empty parking lot, her nails digging deep into her palms, enough to pierce the skin. She was unravelling.

A few moments later a smug, familiar quip echoed from the shadows, "Well, that was dramatic." It was steep in cruel amusement. Mia snapped her head towards the sound just to see Katherine emerge from the darkness.

The younger vampire took a step back, her eyes dull, bloodshot but her expression still firm. Finally, she exhaled a slow, tremulous breath and muttered, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Katherine's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "What, no hug?" She teased before her expression sharpened into something more perceptive. "I heard Klaus was dead, came to see if it was true and based on those pouty puppy dog eyes I'm gonna tick yes. How long have you known about your steamy past?"

Mia sniffled, her voice low and tight, "You knew?"

"Of course I knew. I'm Katherine Pierce, I know everything." She smirked again, "I found an old photo of the two of you back when I was trapped in that stuffy apartment. He caught me, went ballistic and then compelled me to lie about your transition." She shrugged with casual indifference, "Hate me less?"

Mia blinked, stunned for a moment and then scoffed, "You have this incredible talent for showing up at the absolute worst times. Please, just disappear and go back to wherever you fuck off to when you're not annoying us."

Katherine only giggled, darkly. "Suit yourself. But by the sounds of it.." Her eyes flickered toward the hospital behind them, her voice dropping to something almost sincere but no less cutting. "You're going to need a Petrova by your side....seeing as you're now down one."

The younger vampire scoffed before she registered what was said, the words hit her like a stake. Her breath stopped, her eyes widening as the insinuation slammed into her gut with a nauseating force. Her body jolted forward before her mind caught up, legs moving on instinct, panic blooming like fire beneath her ribs.

She sprinted to the hospital entrance, halting ahead of it before listening in and what met her wasn't chaos. It was worse. Quiet, broken only by heart wrenching sounds of sobs. Caroline's higher pitched, the wounded little girl inside of her making her presence known. Then Bonnie, her voice cracking through quiet weeping. A sniffle from Stefan. Mia didn't need to see to understand.

The world seemed to tilt, her vision blurred, a scream built in her throat but never made it out. Instead she stumbled backward back into the parking lot as if she could outrun the truth. "No.." She gasped, her voice hoarse and broken, "No, no, no, she's not dead...She can't be dead."

Her knees buckled but she didn't fall, she swayed, her arms wrapped around her midsection, her entire body shaking. "I didn't get to see her..." She choked out barely able to breathe between sobs. "She was coming back to see me...I don't...she can't be dead."

The grief hit her like a tidal wave, pulling every molecule of strength from her body, her chest heaved, lungs clawing for hair, her mind splintering into fragments. Memories poured in, Elena's laugh, the softness of her voice when she called Mia her sister, their late night talks, lazy days on the couch. It all crashed into her, beating her mercilessly.

Her hands clutched at her scalp, trying to hold in the thoughts that now spun too fast, her heart was breaking, not in one clean snap but in a thousand slow, brutal cracks, each one jagged and stabbing into her. Her throat burned from the sobs she couldn't contain, limbs trembled from a grief so deep it felt like a disease coursing through her veins.

All she heard was the sound of approaching heels and a resolute voice, "Do it." Her mind screamed at her that this was her fault, Elena was on that bridge because of her, Klaus had stayed in town longer because of her, Jenna was killed because she freed her friends, Lexi had died because she wasn't there to protect her, Jesse died because he was protecting her, she'd stolen her sister's right to live, her own baby couldn't stand to be with her, her father shot a bullet into his head because he believed she was dead, her mother was vulnerable to enemies because she was outside celebrating Mia's third birthday. Her very existence was a curse.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out those thoughts, trying to breathe, but the pain didn't stop, it continued battering down on her with relentless force until her mind had been pushed to its very limit, bleeding anguish through her entire body, scorching every nerve and vein. She could feel everything.

And then she felt nothing.

THE END.....

Of Season 3😘

A/N: Hey.....hey. I will accept all threats and cries here my darlings. Trust me, this entire chapter took me out, almost finished me off so overlook the crappy writing, i am DRAINED.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE. How we feeling? I hope it was a good finale. What was your favourite part?

Ngl I played in yalls faces everytime i denied no humanity mia. But no humanity does not mean no emotions how they claimed it was in the show, the show didnt even know its own rules. To me no humanity means none of the things that make us human, joy, guilt, grief, love. The worst parts of yourself are still there, the sadistic parts. So beware, because the only reason I even considered to do a non humanity Mia is if i could make her the worst one, so much that yall wish for normal Mia back.

Im so glad to be done with s3 omg, its literally been 3 years. S4 will HOPEFULLY not take that long, I think my updating has already been way better this year than last.

We have a discord server, where we talk about allure, fics, edits but also just life in general. (i sometimes send sneak peeks of new chapters there) Comment to join and ill send a link <333

PLEASE GIVE ME THEORIES, HOPES OR IDEAS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN SEASON 4. ❤️

See you next time darlings ❤️❤️❤️

GIF at the beginning of the chapter made by me (DO NOT STEAL)

Published: 20th June 2025 (unedited so dont point out mistakes)

heres a fun trick before you go. Click the grey star at the top of the chapter once to turn it orange. SO COOOL!!!)