Elijah's return was met with both joy and frustration. If possible, the tension between Klaus and Elijah was at an all-time high and the smallest incident could push either of them over the edge. The truth behind Riley's strange feelings around Klaus were discovered by Elijah himself. Agnes's herbs, which she claimed would calm Riley's nerves, possessed a magical quality. When Riley ingested or simply touched the herbs, they induced the dreams and powerful attraction to Klaus. Though Rebekah suggested many theories, such as the herbs being used as a distraction against their plans to overthrow Marcel due to a secret alliance between him and a few witches, Riley knew the real reason. It all came down to the prophecy. Being an Elder like Bastiana, it was likely that Agnes knew at least part of the prophecy that Riley first heard in New Orleans. The only logical explanation was that the herbs were meant to push Riley and Klaus together to fulfill it unless Agnes just wanted Elijah for herself. Riley was hesitant to mention the prophecy, especially around Klaus. She could only imagine his reaction upon learning that a witch had a vision of them having a baby together, either ignoring the fact that the baby could cause mass destruction or being proud of it.

Riley was in her bedroom, getting dressed. As she picked up a pair of sneakers, arms wrapped around her waist. Leaning her head back on their chest, she smiled up at Elijah.

"Someone wants to avoid a certain younger brother"

"Niklaus is the farthest thing from my mind"

"Really? Because you still act like a hissing cat defending its territory when he so much as looks at me and if you're not doing that, it's an awkward silence"

"He's yet to apologize for his actions"

"That'll happen when pigs fly. Do we have to go to this lame college thing?"

"It is an art exhibit and I love any opportunity to see your work. Is there a reason you don't wish for me to attend?"

"No. I'd never pass up a chance to show off my sexy, sophisticated boyfriend. It's just…"

"Ryan?"

Riley had opened up to Elijah about her and Kol's findings at her college. He was hoping to use an art exhibit at the college to figure out Ryan's intentions. Though they originally planned to attend the exhibit by themselves, Kol overheard them discussing it and pestered them for days, wanting a chance to leave the house. One thing led to another and then, it was decided that all of the Originals and Hayley would attend the exhibit.

"Maybe it'll be good for Klaus. He likes art"

"If he attempts to get you alone—"

"Don't be paranoid. I'll meet you there. I need to stop by the high school"

Riley drove down to the local high school to return Tim's fiddle. She had never met him in person. It took longer than expected to find him because of the pigheaded guys who were more interested in staring at her chest than telling her his locker number. She eventually found his locker, thanks to a girl in his music class. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed that many of the lockers were marked with scratched symbols in the shape of fire. Tim's locker beared the same marking.

"Can I help you?"

A tall guy around Davina's age, with a mop of curly dark brown hair and blue-green eyes, walked over to her. "I was just wondering how long the pyro who did this to the lockers got suspended for…"

He laughed. "Actually, that's been there for years. Well, at least it was on my locker. Only some of them are new. The school's tried to replace the lockers but everytime, they get the same scratches. I guess whoever put them up wants to keep them. I'm Tim"

"Mae"

"I'm guessing you don't go to school here"

"What gave it away?"

"Well, the guys staring at you like a shiny new toy make it a little obvious"

"You're a smart one. I can see why Davina likes you"

"Y—you know Davina? I haven't seen her since the festival"

"Yea. She's sorry that she had to leave without saying goodbye but her mother's pretty strict. She wanted me to give this back to you"

Riley handed him the repaired fiddle. He thanked her, thinking that it was stolen at the festival.

"Where is she staying these days? Her old house is empty"

"It's a little complicated but I'll figure out a way for you to meet up again. Plenty of time for you to write a cute song for her. She definitely misses you, Tim"

"I miss her too"

"I can tell" she said, seeing pictures of him and Davina as children in his locker.

Taking a video of Tim with her phone, she left the high school…

~Davina~

Davina was sitting in the dusty attic, bored. She waited for Elijah to return with spells from his mother's grimoire. Despite being an Old One, he seemed to be trustworthy, at least compared to his monster of a brother. He was the first person, besides Marcel, to show her compassion. She was startled by the sound of wind chimes. Glancing at her phone, she saw a video message from an unknown number. She tapped the screen. As the video played, Tim appeared, holding his fiddle. He waved at her from the screen.

"Hey Davina. Thanks for getting this back to me. It was great seeing you at the festival"

Beneath the video, there was a text from the number: He's cute :) - Riley. Davina rembered her conversation with Elijah. He had vouched that the Riley that visited her was real, not going into great detail about her predicament but claiming that Riley had a good reason for faking her death. She noticed that the tone of his voice changed, becoming very soft and loving, when he spoke about her. He made a promise that Riley would return the repaired fiddle to Tim as a sign that she was not an imposter. They exchanged texts back and forth. Davina wanted to apologize for her actions in person, not through a text.

Hearing the staircase creak, she hid the phone under her sketchpads. Marcel entered the room, carrying a tray of food.

"Did I scare you?"

"No. I uh lost track of time. Doesn't Gabe usually bring up food today?"

"Yea but he had an art exhibit for his college tonight"

"At Loyola?" she asked, thinking of Riley's text about attending the same exhibit.

"How did you know that?"

"He mentioned it to me. Do you think I could go?"

"Davina, that sounds like a bad idea"

"We can go together. You know how much I love art. Please, Marcel? Just one night out of the attic"

"Last time I let you do that, you destroyed the church"

"That was Klaus's fault, not mine. I promise to be careful. If we run into any witches, you can protect me"

Marcel smiled. "One night. I doubt we'll bump into any witches. According to my spies, none of them go to college there. Get your coat"

Davina wanted to surprise Riley at the exhibit. She grabbed her coat, excited for another chance to leave the attic…

~Riley~

Riley pulled into the parking lot on campus, listening to a voicemail from her mother. All week, her mother had left her cryptic texts and voicemails. She would say how much she missed Riley but soon, it would feel like they were not hundreds of miles apart. Elijah was lecturing his siblings about the importanace of being on their best behavior.

"Elijah, we're not five years old anymore" said Rebekah.

"I do not want to find any of you feeding on someone"

"Then we'll be very discrete" replied Kol.

"Kol"

"It was a joke. You need to get a sense of humor"

Riley nudged his side. "Elijah, relax. We won't even be here that long. It's just an excuse for snooty rich people to critique a college kid's work and act like they're experts in art"

She raised her pinky in the air. "This is a wonderful piece of work. Most people would think the artist just threw buckets of paint on the canvas but it's a commentary on society's diversity" she said, using her rich person voice.

"You're doing that voice the entire night, aren't you?" asked Hayley.

"How else will we get through this snooze fest?"

They walked into the art center. The walls were covered with paintings all done by college students. Her professor had mentioned that the freshman artwork would be towards the back of the gallery. Lily was standing by the door, sipping a glass of champagne.

"Riley, finally. I've been listening to boring art talk for the past ten minutes"

"Hey. This is Lily. She's in my science classes" she said to Elijah.

"Is this your boyfriend? Elijah, right?"

"I never told you his name"

"No, Kol did. He told me about his family while helping me with a history assignment. Let me guess. Rebekah, Hayley, and Klaus" said Lily, pointing to each of them.

"My brother helped you with homework?" asked Rebekah, skeptically.

"Yea. He knows so much about history. It's like he lived it"

"What can I say? When a damsel is in distress, I come running" said Kol.

Riley and Rebekah shared a quick glance. There was clearly more between them than Kol being a tutor.

"Tony, Erika, and Ryan aren't here yet. I've been stuck with my parents since they showed up this morning"

"Your parents came to the exhibit?"

"Parents weekend is so lame. Mine are outside, taking turns bragging with their old college friends. They love these things because it's an excuse to pay an obscene amount of money for a painting just to prove that they're wealthy. I'm going to apologize in advance if they annoy your parents at all tonight. Are they here?"

"Yea, they're…parking the car"

"Well, at least you know they'll buy your painting after the competition"

"Competition?" asked Klaus, sensing Riley's confusion.

"Every year, the art students bring a new painting to the exhibit and face off against each other. Professor Devereaux picks a winner for each round then anyone can buy the painting. The real competition is who makes the most money. Devereaux lets them keep half of it. My mother's already looking at the champagne. I better make sure she doesn't take any"

Riley gave a half-hearted wave as Lily hurried towards the drinks table. Her thoughts were on the art competition. She vaguely recalled the professor discussing it earlier in the week.

"You didn't know about this competition"

"When do I have time to keep track of stupid stuff like that, Klaus? I'm a little busy between classes and helping you take down Marcel. I usually sleep during that class because he just drones on and on about art history. If my mom was here, she'd be yelling at me right now"

"Why would I yell at you?" she heard.

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She looked at Elijah, hoping that he would tell her she imagined her mother's voice in her head. Dreading the worst, she turned around and was face to face with her parents. She feigned a smile.

"We wanted to surprise you"

"Well, you did it. I am…so excited that you're here. I'd love to tell you how awesome college is so far but I have to get ready for the art competition. I'm totally going to win. Don't tell them what it is yet, Elijah"

"Oh, I won't"

She hugged both of her parents before rushing into the nearest supply closet…

~Elijah~

It seemed that Klaus's plans had taken a toll on Riley herself. She was so busy juggling schoolwork and his schemes that she forgot about a competition at the art exhibit. To add to her surprise, her parents had arrived at the college. They received quite the shock themselves when they were reintroduced to Kol. Elijah lied that a witch friend had revived him, not wanting to get Riley in trouble with her parents. Alice had not lost her icy demeanor around Klaus.

"Alice, surely you can put the past behind us"

"Brendon, do you hear something? It sounds like an annoying fly in my ear"

"I've kept your daughter safe while she's away from home"

"And no doubt roped her into your shenanigans. One can only imagine what vile things you've done to this city"

"You always think the worst of me"

"How can I not when I fail to recall a single good moment? I hope you're not interfering with her studies"

"Of course not"

"When did you get into the city?" asked Elijah, changing the subject.

"The three of us got in about an hour ago" said Brendon.

"Three of you?"

Rebekah kept a tight grip on Klaus's shoulder when Jayden entered the building. He joined them, handing a set of car keys to Brendon. Just as Alice held a grudge against Klaus, he had not let of his anger towards Jayden. There was still a bit of animosity from Jayden hiding the truth about Riley for all those months.

"Where's Riley?"

"She's getting her painting for the competition. I think it's about to start"

"I didn't realize you were a parent, Jayden" said Klaus, anger evident in his tone.

"He wanted to see Riley and we brought him with us. It's not a crime" retorted Alice.

"No, but—"

His glare faltered. Following his gaze, Elijah spotted Davina by the doorway with Marcel. It was unusual for Davina to leave the safety of the attic, especially when Klaus had attempted to steal her away from Marcel's control. Locking eyes with Klaus, Marcel looked shocked but it was quickly replaced with a grin. Kol whisked Hayley away before Marcel saw either of them. He greeted the others, forgetting about their tension from the night Elijah returned home. Alice, Brendon, and Jayden acted perfectly, never slipping up and accidentally Riley by her real name. Marcel explained that he brought Davina to the exhibit because of her love of art.

"Davina, does he have an ulterior motive for being here?" whispered Elijah as Marcel joked with Klaus.

"I lied that I wanted to come for one of his friends. They go to college here too but I really came to see Riley. I wanted to apologize to her"

"So are either of you witches?" Marcel asked Riley's parents.

"No. It sometimes skips generations. We didn't expect Mae to have it at all" said Brendon.

"Losing it must have been tough on her"

The art competition was a welcome distraction. At the beginning of the first round, the professor, who was the sole judge, stated that each student had a chance to explain their artwork and it would receive a grade. Elijah worried about Riley possibly receiving a failing grade for her lack of a piece.

"Our last round. Ryan Paxton and Mae Romero"

Upon seeing Ryan for the first time, Elijah understood Riley's distaste. He appeared to be quite arrogant.

"Prat alert"

Alice smacked Jayden's chest. "He's the son of an old friend, who happens to be Mae's teacher. Be nice"

Riley hurried onto the stage. She placed her canvas, covered by a white sheet, on an empty easel. Ryan, who went first, had a very impressive painting. It was one of the best of the works presented in the competition. Davina giggled at Jayden's imitation of him. Riley removed the sheet when it was her turn. Instead of an elaborate painting, there was a single black dot on the canvas.

"This won't end well" muttered Rebekah.

"I know what you're all thinking" said Riley.

"That you never did anything for the competition and you're trying to pass off this as art? Oh yea, we're all thinking that, pipsqueak" replied Ryan.

"No one asked you and you're wrong. It's about conformity"

"I could compel the professor to see something else" said Klaus.

Brendon shook his head. "I want to see where this goes"

Riley began a long-winded speech about her work. She portrayed the white of the canvas as those who chose to conform to society's standards, the brainless sheep that did not dare to question authority. The black dot represented the individual, a person who was willing to challenge beliefs and practices generally accepted in the world as the norm. It was blatantly all thought up in her head to make up for her lack of an actual painting.

"I think we should all strive to be the black dot once in awhile. We should dare to take risks because if we don't, we'll just vanish into the white nothing like this canvas. Boom. I just blew your minds"

Elijah heard loud clapping. He looked at Jayden beside him, who was sniffling with fake tears in his eyes.

"I don't know who this girl is but she is so right. This painting speaks to me. If she doesn't win, you're all a bunch of mindless sheep. I'm with you, girl. Black dots forever!"

"Yea! We…we won't fall for your smoke and mirrors!" yelled Davina, awkwardly playing along.

Elijah suppressed a smile, amused by Marcel's bewildered expression. The professor awarded Riley as the winner for her 'intriguing interpretation'. He brought the art students to the back of the gallery for their paintings to be purchased by the crowd.

"I'll admit that she almost even convinced me but if you think I'm spending more than a dollar on that thing, Alice, you're wrong" said Brendon.

"You can give her a penny. It will teach her a lesson about not focusing on her studies though I can guess that there are a few reasons for that"

For a brief second, she glanced at Elijah. He overheard people saying that paintings were being sold for thousands of dollars. They walked towards the back of the gallery. Ryan was arguing with Lily over her father.

"Are you kidding me, Lily?"

"He really liked it. I don't control his taste in art. He said that she sounded really passionate and it was an interesting idea. Don't be a sore loser"

Riley was standing next to her unique painting. Brendon handed her a single penny.

"Very nice painting, miss. I'd like to buy it. You're lucky you're getting this much"

"I don't need your pity money. Someone already bought it"

"What?"

"Lily's dad bought it for 50,000 dollars"

"Is he drunk?"

"No, he likes to support artists that think outside the box. I got the most money so ha ha to all of you"

"If you think we're fooled by that speech, we're not. You made it at the last minute. Do you want to tell me why?" said Alice.

With Marcel around, she could not be honest about their intentions in New Orleans. He was speaking with one of his followers, a boy in his twenties. Davina stayed by his side. Riley told her mother that she was grieving over Bonnie, which was not a complete lie. It was enough to stop her parents from thinking that Elijah and his siblings had purposely kept her focus off of college. She was saved from explaining herself further by the arrival of Ryan's mother.

"Hayley texted me. She and Kol are still on campus. Hopefully, more of Marcel's lackeys don't show up" she whispered.

"I doubt it. He only came at Davina's request. That was an impassioned speech"

"I learned the art of bullshitting at a young age. Did you see Ryan's face? Priceless. Did you get any vibes from him?"

"Besides his arrogance, no. You're sure he knows about the supernatural?"

"Yea. He knows that I'm a witch and Lily and Antonio are…something. I haven't figured out that part yet"

"He could be a hunter"

"Like Jeremy?"

"Not one of the Five. I wouldn't be surprised to see hunters in New Orleans. It's a supernatural playground"

"He keeps provoking me to see if I have magic. It's getting annoying"

"As long as I am here, he will not lay a hand on you"

"Aww, that's sweet"

Ryan was standing behind them, his arms crossed. Elijah moved his arm in front of Riley, Jayden, and his two siblings, not wanting any of them to get into a fight.

"This is your boyfriend, huh? How does it work? Do you have to stand on a stool just to kiss him, pipsqueak?"

"Jealous? I mean, it's obvious that someone hasn't touched your paintbrush in a long time, maybe never"

"We both know that your little speech about conformity or whatever was a load of bullshit. Does your boyfriend not mind that you're screwing the professor? It's the only explanation I can think of for the special treatment. You should use that money to buy a nice pillow…for all that time you spend on your back"

It was Riley's turn to hold Elijah back. "That's it. I don't care if our parents are friends. I'm going to kick your ass up and down the football field"

He burst into a fit of laughter. "You're going to kick my ass? Really? What, you're going to kick really high and hit my ankles? I'm so scared"

"No, I am going to shove your ass down your throat and make you eat your underwear"

"I don't know what I find more pathetic. That you think you can beat me up or that a little midget has more guts than three Originals"

Klaus grabbed him by his collar roughly. "I'd watch what you say, mate"

Ryan did not look the least bit frightened. He was aware of their reputation yet acted as though they were ordinary people, incapable of harming him.

"Or what, you'll compel me to jump in front of a bus? Too bad I drink vervain"

"If you know who we are, you should be speaking to us with respect. I could rip out your tongue to teach you a lesson"

"Klaus, don't"

Riley wrenched his hand away from Ryan's shirt. "Listen to the little bi—"

He staggered backwards, holding his nose. Blood seeped through his fingers. Riley lowered her fist. As Ryan stepped towards her, Elijah moved between them.

"That would be unwise, Ryan"

"This isn't over"

"Oh, it is or next time, I won't exercise such control. Something else you'd like to say?"

"Not at all"

Ryan stormed off, wiping the blood from under his nose…

~Riley~

Her suspicions were confirmed by her encounter with Ryan at the art exhibit. He was aware of the supernatural world. Though he knew about the Originals, he showed no signs of fear when Klaus looked ready to tear off his head. She found it strange that he would not be frightened of the oldest vampires in history, especially Klaus. Rebekah wanted her to tell her parents about Ryan's behavior but Riley decided against it, knowing it would shatter the friendship between her parents and Dr. Paxton.

She was sitting by the fountain outside the art center with Davina and Jayden. Davina had tricked Marcel into taking her to the exhibit. After a lengthy apology for her actions in the attic, they spent time just catching up with each other. Riley promised to tell her the truth about her disappearance at another time, particularly when Marcel was not nearby to hear the conversation. Jayden was deleting texts from Cameron, who had pestered him for most of the night.

"What does he want?"

"Probably wants to know if you've dumped Elijah yet"

"I'd hook up with a great white shark before him"

"He likes you?" asked Davina.

"Like is an understatement. I always thought I should tell him I'm a witch to scare him off"

"He'd probably still have a massive crush on you even if you turned him into a toad. You don't have any creepy crushes, Davina?"

"Not really. My mother took me out of school a few years ago. She liked to teach me at home…before she tried to kill me for some superstitious ritual"

"I can relate. My dad tried to sacrifice me to some demon god to afford a new car once"

Riley raised an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"I'm just trying to fit in with you two and your 'Witches tried to kill me and now I'm an outcast' club."

The conversation shifted to Mystic Falls. Davina was interested in the stories of Silas and Qetsiyah, believing them to just be myths. Riley told her that the stories exaggerated him greatly since he was nothing more than a lovesick moron with a death wish. Her friends were struggling to cope with the news of Bonnie's death and the Silas and Qetsiyah drama, along with the loss of Stefan's memories, made that difficult.

"Have you seen him?" she asked Jayden.

"Silas? Not since he visited Elena at Whitmore. I think he's busy trying to get Katherine the miracle cure. She keeps bothering me too"

Jayden imitated Katherine's voice. "Tell Riley to come back. She'll want to help me unlike you idiots. You're all useless. You'll let Silas kill me."

A freshman girl walked over to the fountain, offering them shots. "If you want more, they're inside a supply closet on the second floor. One of the seniors poured the shots into gatorade bottles"

"Thanks"

As Riley downed the shot, she felt a stinging sensation in the back of her throat. She coughed violently, spitting blood into the fountain. Davina had a similar reaction, falling to her knees. Jayden was the only one unaffected by the drink. The girl smacked him in the face with the tray.

"You're not on the list but maybe I'll get extra money for getting rid of you too" she said to Davina, taking out a hunting knife.

Riley tackled her to the ground and punched her in the face. The girl cried out in pain.

"Davina, are you okay?"

"I can't use my magic. What was in those drinks?" she asked while Jayden rubbed the side of his head.

An arm wrapped around Riley's throat, choking her. It belonged to Ryan.

"Nightshade. It's poisonous to little witches like you"

The girl dug the hunting knife into Jayden's back. Riley grasped at Ryan's fingers. He squeezed tighter. A flame tattoo was visible on his forearm. It was similar to the symbol carved into the lockers.

"Let her go!" said Jayden.

"Don't take another step or Kayla will run that knife right through you. I don't want to kill your best friend…not yet. She knows what she has to do to make me stop. Use your magic, Riley. I know you have it"

"I don't" she choked out.

"You're lying!"

His grip loosened but Riley was caught before she hit the ground. Klaus was holding her bridal style. Elijah lifted Ryan up by his shirt collar, a murderous look in his eyes. Rebekah and Marcel had cornered the other girl. He snapped the girl's neck as she raised the knife and checked on Davina, who was recovering from the nightshade poisoning. Not saying a word, he picked her up and disappeared from the fountain. As soon as he was gone, Kol and Hayley took his place.

"You certainly have a death wish tonight"

"Tear his head off already. Enough with the diplomacy" said Kol.

"Elijah, put him down"

All eyes were on Riley. "Love, you can't be serious" said Klaus.

"Let him go. Threatening him is enough. You don't have to kill him"

Elijah lowered him onto the ground. "You are lucky she shows such compassion. If she were not here, I guarantee that my siblings would not show such restraint"

Riley walked over to them. Kicking Ryan in the shin, she brought him down to eye level.

"This is just for you to hear. I've been through enough shit to last a lifetime. You want to mess with me? I'll hit you right back. Game on, you piece of shit" she hissed in his ear.

Kol followed Ryan to his car, threatening to snap his arm in half if he glanced back at Riley for just a second. Returning to the art center, Elijah refused to let her out of his sight. He was now more concerned that other students, besides Ryan, had knowledge of the supernatural. Kayla could have been only one of his accomplices.

"Tell your parents"

"No way" she said to Rebekah.

"A boy in your class tried to murder you. Who cares if he's the son of their friend? All the more reason for them to cut ties"

"Dr. Paxton isn't like him. I don't know how he found out about all this but…what the hell is that?"

Father Kieren had just kissed her mother on the cheek. Riley scrunched her nose in disgust. She was even more confused by her father shaking hands with him. Her mother called over to her. Riley thought it was best if Father Kieren was clueless about her connection to any Originals. She told them to blend into the crowd.

"Sweetheart, here you are. I want you to meet someone. This is—"

"I know who he is. He's in charge of a church in the city. The better question is how do you know him?"

"Kieran's an old friend. I spent a few summers here when I was around your age and for a few months, we were together"

"How did you date a priest?"

"He wasn't one yet. Stop making that face. It's not as if your father and I only dated each other for our entire lives"

"I didn't realize this was your daughter, Alice" said Kieran.

"And I didn't realize you used to suck my mom's face"

Her mother pinched her arm. "Riley, don't be rude. Like I said, Kieran's an old friend. Your grandfather grew up in New Orleans and Kieren's family lived in the house next door. We would visit New Orleans often for vacations during the summer"

"You never mentioned that he grew up here"

"Of course I did. You probably never paid attention. Your grandfather made many contributions to the city. He helped rebuild the opera house after a dreadful fire in the early 1900s and there's even a plaque for him at the high school"

Her parents were completely unaware of the confrontation with Ryan at the art exhibit. They left the next morning with Jayden, planning to visit again soon.

Riley was in her bedroom, packing a suitcase. Her friends still coping with Bonnie's death, she decided to visit Mystic Falls. She wanted to be there for more than emotional support. With Silas and his psycho ex-lover Qestiyah running around town, her friends somehow managed to get themselves in the middle of their mess and one bad decision could lead to another funeral. Another reason for her last minute trip was Ryan. She pretended to be comfortable with sitting in the same classroom as him but she wanted a few days away to clear her head. Elijah placed her laptop in the suitcase.

"Perhaps I could accompany you on your trip"

"It's just for a few days, Elijah. With everyone grieving over Bonnie, I want to make sure they're okay and that they don't do anything stupid. You need to make sure that Klaus doesn't either"

"Seems like delaying the inevitable"

Standing on her tiptoes, she pecked his lips. "I promise to text you as soon as I get there. If I get in any trouble, you'll be the first to know. Do the same for me? I don't want to come back here and find you daggered in a box"

"That will not happen again. Be safe. Without your magic, it could be dangerous so dial down your snarky remarks."

"Elijah, that's like telling me not to breathe"

"Then hold your breath when you're around someone who may harm you"

"Can I say one thing per person?"

"Only one"

"I'll think them up on the plane ride back to Mystic Falls. Try to get over this awkwardness with Klaus. If I can put it behind me, so can you."

Elijah picked up her suitcase and followed her outside. Kol was leaning against his car.

"All ready for our trip? Off we go"

"Kol, get back in the house" said Riley.

"I thought I could accompany you to—"

"No"

"But"

"No. You only want to go to Mystic Falls because you want to get payback on Jeremy and Elena. No matter what you say, I know you're not over it."

"Of course I am. I'm alive. What reason would I have to harm them?"

"Kol, return to the house before someone willing to betray us to Marcel spots you or I will drag you back by your collar" said Elijah with a stern expression.

"Bloody hell. Lose our parents, get replaced with you two. Perhaps we should find a way to bring Father back. At least he'd let me roam around while he was trying to rip off Nik's head."

Muttering curses under his breath, he headed back to the house. Kol was going stir crazy from his seemingly never-ending house arrest. Visiting her college once was not enough to forget the weeks of being trapped in the plantation house. He wanted to help out with the plans against Marcel or at least walk around the city. With his increasing frustration, she hoped that he did not act recklessly. Elijah assured her that he would keep all of his siblings under control.

After a long plane ride, where she was unfortunately seated next to a lecherous businessman, and what felt like an even longer cab ride, she arrived in Mystic Falls. She decided to keep her visit a surprise. Her parents were thankfully away on an expedition. If they knew about her last minute trip, they would be waiting for her at the airport with a ticket to send her right back to New Orleans. Neither of her parents wanted her involved in the Silas drama. Her mother had already lectured her twice about focusing on her own college experience instead of the shady activities at Whitmore.

The cab dropped her off in front of the boardinghouse. She knocked on the door and waited on the porch. To her surprise, Jeremy answered the door, not Damon. He lifted her up in a hug.

"Riley, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New Orleans"

"Well, now that everyone knows about Bonnie, I thought I'd visit. Besides that, you idiots clearly can't survive without me here because you've already gotten yourselves in another supernatural mess. Calm down with the hugs, Jer. Any tighter and your hunter muscles will crack my ribs"

"Sorry. I was hugging you for Bonnie too. She's here. We're waiting for Damon to get back from Whitmore"

"Why?"

She followed him into the living room. Jeremy was just as clueless about why Damon wanted to meet him at the boardinghouse. While they waited for Damon, he asked her about New Orleans. She was careful to not tell him about Klaus's plans to overthrow the city, the drama over Elijah being daggered again, or the supernatural situation at her own college.

"You joined the soccer team?"

"It's just to piss off that jerk Ryan. He doesn't realize who he's messing with yet"

"Good thing you don't have magic anymore. You'd probably turn him into dust on the field"

"Hey, I might not have magic but I can still kick someone's ass. If he gets me really mad, we'll have a repeat of the Cameron incident"

"But you're doing okay with…them?"

"They have names, Jer"

"Sorry. I know Elijah's a good guy and Rebekah's not entirely awful but Klaus…I worry sometimes. You're not a few blocks away anymore. If something bad happened—"

She heard a door slam. "Alright, little Gilbert, let's get down to bus—shorty?"

Damon was standing in the doorway. She waved at him from the couch. As he walked closer, he looked torn between a simple smile and squeezing the life out of her. He settled for ruffling her hair.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping you with your Silas problem"

"I've got it handled"

"Doubt that. Why are you involving Jeremy?"

"By definition of living in Mystic Falls, he's involved. I'm not asking to kill Silas himself even though that's technically his job as a hunter. I'm being considerate here, Riley"

"What's your ridiculous plan?"

He looked at Jeremy. "Well, as we know, in a psychotic lapse of judgment, Bonnie brought you back to life and died in the process. May she rest in peace"

"She's actually right over there," replied Jeremy, pointing at an empty chair"

Though she could not see Bonnie, Riley imagined her shaking her head as they listened to Damon's plan. He wanted to attempt a partnership with Silas. If Silas ingested the cure, he would become a mortal and a witch again, allowing him to use magic to return Bonnie from the Other Side moments after his death. It was similar to Bonnie's own spell that brought Jeremy back to life. Bonnie suggested that Silas's new plan was to destroy the Other Side to ensure that he would be reunited with his true love, Amara. To maintain the Other Side for thousands of years, Qetsiyah needed to bind the spell to something equally powerful. By destroying that tether, the Other Side would cease to exist completely. Riley caught a flash of disappointment in Jeremy's eyes, knowing that Bonnie would never agree to work with a lunatic like Silas even if it meant no longer being a ghost. When Jeremy lied that Bonnie was willing to try Damon's plan, she pinched his arm.

"We both know she didn't say yes" she whispered in his ear.

"O—of course she did"

"If this plan somehow does work, I'm not going to stop her from smacking you upside the head. I'd do it myself but I don't want to take away that satisfaction"

"Shorty, you coming?" asked Damon.

"Where?"

"We're meeting Silas in ten minutes at the grill. I already called him before I told you about the plan. I never doubted that we'd all be on board. Don't worry. He still can't use his psychic abilities. Little Gilbert, stay here. Don't touch anything"

He drove them down to Mystic Grill. "Elijah's letting me say one insult per person so I'll say it when I first see Silas. I was thinking—"

She was taken aback by Damon pulling her into a one-armed hug. The hug itself made her tense up since it was not typical of him to show any kind of affection, except towards Elena.

"What's with the hug?"

"Looked like you needed one and I missed you. If you tell anyone about this, I'll throw you over Wickery Bridge"

"Don't think they'd believe me. I missed you too"

"You didn't have to come here"

"And leave you to take care of this yourself? Not happening, especially when I have a feeling that this plan is going to crash and burn"

"Hey, he's desperate. I think that works in our favor"

They waited for Silas inside, sitting at the bar. Riley kept her guard up, worried that someone would recognize her. It was sad that even in her own hometown, she needed to pretend to be another person. Damon gripped her hand, promising to compel anyone who recognized her.

"Don't you two look cozy"

Silas sat on the other side of Damon. It was strange to see his true face, an exact copy of Stefan down to the last detail.

"How nice to see you again, Riley. Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

"Shouldn't you be a piece of rock instead of a creep that's harassing a bunch of teenagers so he can get his Romeo and Juliet ending?"

He chuckled. "Always the witty one. Why did you call me?"

"Same reason you answered. You need help and we want to help you" said Damon.

According to Silas, the tether to the Other Side was a mystical anchor. Only Qetsiyah, who was attending the Whitmore Historical Ball later that night, knew its location. Riley remembered Caroline mentioning the dance during one of their Skype chats. It was the one night when the college put their historical artifacts on display and all those in attendance dressed up as people throughout history. In exchange for their help, Silas wanted Stefan dead.

"No problem. What's our plan?"

"We'll discuss it when she leaves," replied Silas, his eyes on Riley.

She scoffed. "Is that a joke? You're high as a kite if you think I'm leaving you alone with Damon"

"I don't trust you, little Nouri witch. I hear you were depowered to save yourself from the Darkness but I don't believe it"

"If I had magic, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I would be killing you right now so you can stop threatening my friends. I think you've lost way too brain cells while you were dessicated for thousands of years"

"See, I know your ancestors' tricks. They wouldn't let their last hope of continuing their bloodline just lose her magic. For all I know, you're faking it"

"There's only one thing I would fake and if you want to know what that is, you can ask my ex-boyfriends"

"I did respect them, Riley, but it doesn't mean I liked them. I'd sooner work with Tessa than you"

Damon placed his credit card in her hand. "I've got this. Go get yourself a costume for tonight"

"I'd just like you to remember that I don't need magic to smack you around. If you hurt a single hair on his head, you'll find out firsthand what it means to have your head shoved up your ass" she said to Silas, not hiding the threatening tone in her voice.

Riley spent what seemed like hours in a local thrift shop. After sifting through the racks, she settled on a pale blue, pleated dress that fell just below the knee, a matching beret, a pearl necklace, and black mary jane t-strap heels. While she paid at the register, she received a text from Damon, who was going to tell her about Silas's plan at the ball. Though she was hesitant to trust Silas, it seemed to be the only way to stop him from hurting her friends. She borrowed Jeremy's car to drive over to Whitmore. The ball was packed with students dressed as all kinds of historical figures. She found Damon by the staircase, watching Elena talk to a blonde guy around their age.

"Don't be that jealous boyfriend, Damon"

"Jealous? Of that? Please. Apparently, he was close friends with their dead roommate and Elena is now obsessed with finding out the truth about her death because she's guilty about not knowing Bonnie was dead for months"

"Does she know about your plan with Silas?"

"Of course not. He's on his way now. Our plan is for him to use his psychic abilities to get in Tessa's head and find that anchor to the Other Side"

"But I thought he can't use his mind powers because of her spell that took Stefan's memories by linking them"

"Very true, shorty, but when Stefan is…unconscious, he gets those powers back. So I have to keep breaking Stefan's neck until Silas gets what he wants from his psycho ex-girlfriend. Hopefully, it's only once. I'll stay with Stefan while you keep the rest of them busy"

"Don't mention this to Elena. Let her focus on Broody McPout over there. I'm getting a drink"

"Hey, only one drink tonight. I need you sober in case Silas tries to double-cross us"

"Scout's honor"

Waiting for a drink at the bar, she kept her eye on Elena and her new friend. It was difficult to see through the giant crowd.

"All alone?"

Stefan was on the other side of her, dressed in a white t-shirt and leather jacket. He did not try very hard for his costume. It took her a second to remember that he lost all of his memories, meaning he did not remember her.

"You sound surprised"

"I am. A pretty girl like you all by herself…doesn't seem right"

He leaned closer, gazing deep into her eyes. "Come outside with me" he said, using compulsion.

She giggled. "That won't work on me. Nice try"

"You're not a vampire…"

"Nope, a witch"

"Well, you happen to be the sweetest thing I've smelled in days and it's making me hungry"

Riley tensed up, seeing his fangs emerge. "Stefan, you don't want to do that"

"I'd ask your name but all I can think about is your blood. It'll only take a second. I'll stop before I kill you"

He pulled her towards him roughly and was inches away from biting her neck. In a split second, his head was slammed into the counter. Caroline was holding the back of his head. Tyler walked over to Riley, putting his arm protectively around her shoulders.

"Stefan! We don't attack our friends! Don't you remember the rules we went over last night? That's rule three" said Caroline.

"I'm hungry"

"Well, we can find you a nice squirrel in the woods. Come on"

Holding Stefan by his collar, she looked at Riley. "And you. When we get back, I am going to hug you and then yell at you for not telling anyone that you were coming for a visit. Tyler, make sure she doesn't run away"

"Got it" said Tyler.

Caroline dragged Stefan outside, lecturing him about almost killing a close friend. Tyler held out his hand. Rolling her eyes, Riley grabbed it and followed him onto the dance floor. Last she heard, he was in the mountains, assisting a werewolf pack. He only recently returned to Mystic Falls for Bonnie's funeral. Most of his time was spent in Caroline's dorm room, making up for lost time. As they danced, Riley not letting Elena out of her sight, they caught up with each other on their respective summers.

"I didn't expect to see you here. You never did like these kinds of parties. I'm guessing Caroline picked out your costume, Clyde"

"Yea. She's a lot more into this than I am…cute beret girl who looks good after rising from the dead"

Riley pushed his shoulder. "I'm Edna Clarke Hall"

"If I nod, can we pretend that I know who that is?"

"She's an artist from the 1920s. My mother took art as an elective in college and she had this book filled with famous artists. I saw one of her paintings and it sort of made me want to become an artist"

"So what's it like living with the Originals? Must be crazy"

"It's...interesting. Elijah and I are—"

"What about Klaus?"

"He's Klaus"

A simple mention of Klaus would not have bothered her but a red flag went off in her head as he asked many questions. He seemed very curious about Klaus's business in New Orleans. Though Tyler passed it off as thinking Klaus was not the type to simply sit around, she sensed that there was another reason behind his questions.

"You know what he's like, Ri. He's the type who always has a scheme in his back pocket"

"Not this time. To be honest, I think he was getting sick of Mystic Falls"

"But he was following a lead that witches were conspiring against him there, right?"

"Who told you that?"

"I uh think it was Caroline. She said he dragged you down there with him because of those witches. One of the werewolf packs I was working with mentioned Hayley visiting New Orleans too. Have you seen her?"

"Who's Hayley?" she asked, playing clueless.

He nodded. "Right, you uh never met her. I forgot that you were 'dead' when she was around. She helped me break my sire bond and she visited Mystic Falls for awhile. She tricked me into getting the other hybrids killed and uh we haven't seen each other since then. The pack said that she went to New Orleans for information on her family"

"Can't say I've never met someone named Hayley"

"So you've just been hanging around that big old plantation house doing nothing? Sounds pretty boring"

Her grip tightened on his shoulder. "I never mentioned a plantation house"

"Klaus told me about it once…when I was still working for him. I figured that's where you guys were staying"

"I should go find Elena. It was good seeing you, Ty"

Moving through the crowd, she called Elijah. As her phone rang, she spotted Elena dancing with a young, blonde man in his late twenties. She hung up her phone, sliding it back into her purse, and walked over to them. The man was whispering in Elena's ear, making her uncomfortable.

"So pack your things, drop out, and move back to Mystic Falls"

"Elena?"

Elena turned towards her. "Ri—what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New Orleans"

"And you should be dancing with your friends or your boyfriend, not a sleazy guy who doesn't know the definition of personal space"

"Heh, sorry. My cousin um…she didn't mean that."

"Alice's daughter, I presume. Riley, is it? I'm Dr. Wes Maxfield" he said, extending his hand.

Riley crossed her arms, not falling for his charm. He lowered his hand.

"I see that you get your personality from your mother. Thank you for the dance, Elena. I should get going"

"Oh, you definitely should. Bye, Dr. Creepy"

Dr. Maxfield inclined his head and walked up the staircase. Riley winced when Elena smacked her arm.

"Ow! You're a vampire now, remember? Light taps are like being punched by a bodybuilder, especially for me"

"What was that?"

"He was being a creep. Please tell me you weren't trying to seduce him to find out why he lied on Megan's death certificate"

"No"

"Good. What did he say to you?"

"He knows that Caroline and I are vampires and he's not the only one. He made it pretty clear that we should leave. When did you get here?"

"This afternoon. Did you really think I was going to let you handle this Silas drama on your own? I told Jayden that I was coming but I haven't seen him yet. Did he decide to ditch this lame party?"

"No, he told me that he would be here. I'll help you look for him. Maybe along the way, we can find Damon. He's disappeared too"

Riley agreed to let Elena help her, not wanting her to find out about her and Damon's secret plan. They searched almost the entire house but there was no sign of Jayden. He had not answered any of her text messages or calls. Concerned that he was in trouble, she called him for the twentieth time. Elena opened a door to one of the display rooms.

"Riley, hey" said Jayden.

"Finally. I've been calling you all day. Where are you? You said you'd be at the party"

"I uh got dragged to this boring museum opening in Richmond with my parents. My dad kept his phone with him so I wouldn't get distracted. Sorry I'm not able to see you. It's not like you can visit that often"

"Are you okay? You sound like you're out of breath"

"Held my breath to convince my dad to let me leave. Guess that trick doesn't work anymore like when we were five. I'll try to see you before you leave"

"Well I'm not leaving until this Silas mess is over so it might take awhile"

The call ended abruptly. She assumed that his father caught him on the phone and confiscated it. Though Jayden said that he was with his parents, she had a nagging suspicion that it was a lie. Her thoughts were interrupted by Elena saying Stefan's name in a worried tone. Entering the room, she found Elena and Damon staring at a desiccated Stefan. She sighed with relief when Damon explained that it was really Silas. As they discussed how to handle him, Riley walked over to the display case. It was filled with various artifacts, from vases to jewelry. She stared at a golden chain bracelet with a single pendant. The pendant had an engraving of a striped black and white snake in a circle, eating its own tail.

"Riley, you can admire the pretty jewelry later. A little help here?" asked Damon.

"Sorry. I was uh…what do you want me to do? Where are we taking him?"

"Back to my place. Elena and I can handle it. You should make sure Tessa hasn't tried to go after the others. I wouldn't want to be in the way of a witch with a nasty grudge"

"Call me if she shows up there"

Caroline was sitting outside on the front steps, ripping blades of grass and flowers from the ground. She tore off petals from a flower while muttering about idiot boyfriends. There were barely visible tear stains on her cheeks.

"Care?"

"Oh, hey. I was just…waiting for Stefan"

"That was a terrible lie. Is this about Tyler?" asked Riley, sitting beside her.

Caroline nodded. "He—I thought he came back here to go to college and be with me after spending months with werewolves. He's here to say goodbye. All he cares about is destroying Klaus"

"What do you mean?"

"Because of Klaus killing his mother. He can't let you go even if there's no way for him to win. Why can't he stay with me?"

"Most guys are idiots. If Tyler doesn't want to stay with his amazing girlfriend, instead of going on a suicide mission, it's his loss. He's not going to actually try to hurt Klaus. If anything, he'll chicken out at the last minute and by the end of the week, he'll be back at Whitmore"

"Can you stay with me for tonight? I don't want to be in my room alone"

"Sure. We can get out the Ben and Jerry's and watch a sappy romantic move of your choosing. I won't make fun of a single cheesy line that you think is the most romantic thing ever said in history. You set up the pillow fort and I'll pick up the ice cream. I'll meet you back at your room"

As Caroline walked back towards her room, Riley returned to the party. A handsome middle-aged man was speaking to a group of girls, who kept giggling at every word out of his mouth. Riley grabbed a glass of champagne from an empty table. Passing by the small group, she tripped, spilling the champagne all over his suit. The girls immediately rushed away to find him napkins and towels.

"I am such a klutz. I am so sorry. This is why I can't—Professor Walters, is that you?"

The man smiled. "Riley. This is a surprise. Your mother said you were at a school in New Orleans"

"I decided to visit my cousin Elena. This party is amazing. You were the one to set it all up, right?"

"It is my job as the head of the History department"

"Professor Walters, I was wondering—"

"Adam. I've known you since you were in diapers and your parents since they were students here. You can call me Adam"

"Okay. Well, my mom called me from her expedition. She wanted me to take back the stuff she donated for tonight. I think she's worried that some students might mess with them and you know how protective she gets over her artifacts. Could I borrow the key?"

"Of course. You can leave it on the table. Sometimes, your mother tends to believe that these students care a lot more about history than they actually do. I doubt even half of them have looked at the displays. They only came for the party" he said, handing her a silver key.

"Probably. It was nice to see you again"

Riley stepped into the display room where Qetsiyah had desiccated Silas. Using the key, she opened one of the cases and placed the golden bracelet, along with a few other trinkets, in her purse. She made a quick stop at a nearby store to buy cartons of ice cream and headed over to Caroline and Elena's room. Turning the corner, she bumped into Tyler. He looked visibly upset, tears brimming his eyes.

"Ty? What's wrong?"

"I was uh—it's nothing. I have to get back to that werewolf pack. It's the only thing keeping my mind off of Klaus"

"Or you could stay"

"No. I uh—not now. Take care of Caroline, okay? She's taking this pretty hard"

"I'll see you when I get back"

"If I do" he muttered.

"What?"

He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Nothing. I just meant that it could take awhile. Be safe. I've already lost my mother. I don't need to lose one of my best friends to another supernatural psycho"

Tyler gave her a quick squeeze then left the dorm. Caroline was sitting on her bed, a pillow pulled tightly to her chest. Tears were trickling down her face. Instead of pigging out on ice cream and watching sappy movies, the night was spent consoling Caroline over her breakup with Tyler. In the middle of comforting her, Riley received a text from Damon, telling her that he had a solution to Silas's desiccation problem. It was nearly four in the morning by the time Caroline managed to fall asleep. With the Tyler drama and Dr. Maxfield knowing that she was a vampire, it was just too much for one person to handle by themselves.

Riley was woken up by her phone blaring in her ear. She turned on her side, expecting to see a passed out Caroline. Instead, there was a note on her pillow. Caroline had left to get cardboard boxes to pack up their belongings. With Dr. Maxfield's serious threat to expose them, she decided it was best to move out of the dorm.

"Hello?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Good news or bad news, shorty?" said Damon.

"These days, I feel like they're one in the same but…bad news first"

"Katherine's still alive?"

"Still?"

"I tricked her into coming to the boardinghouse then fed her to Silas. Somehow, that heart's still ticking. Good news is that Silas is now a witch. Once we destroy the anchor to the Other Side, he can kill himself and bring Bonnie back"

"More bad news? Us having to work with Silas"

"Um…not us"

"What does that mean?"

"It's not my choice. If it was up to me, you'd be helping but he doesn't want you around. I've got it under control. He'll be here soon. I'll keep you updated. Have fun packing with Caroline"

Riley tossed her phone onto her pillow and picked up her purse from the floor. Digging through the purse, she pulled out the golden bracelet. She wrapped the chain around her hand and closed her eyes.

"Ex spiritum—"

Hearing the door open, she hid the bracelet in her pocket. Caroline stumbled into the room, carrying a stack of boxes and packing tape.

"Good, you're awake. Time to pack"

"Are you doing this to keep your mind off of…a certain person who will remain nameless?"

"Yes. Besides, we need to leave before Dr. Maxfield exposes us to the entire school and we end up as his next dissections. We'll probably need more boxes. You can start with Elena's stuff"

"Aye, aye, captain"

Riley grabbed one of the boxes. They spent the next few hours packing up the room. Caroline was doing her best to remain peppy despite being obviously distraught over what happened with Tyler the previous night. She sent Riley to pick up more cardboard boxes. Balancing the boxes on one hand, she walked along the hallway. The door to their room was closed. She tapped on it twice but there was no answer from Caroline. Taking the short moment of privacy as an opportunity, she picked up the bracelet from her pocket.

"Ex spiritum, sequita sanguines"

She jumped at the sound of something crashing in the room. Dropping the boxes, she opened the door. Caroline had Katherine, who was only wearing a towel, pinned against the wall, holding her by the throat.

"R—Riley, help me. Caroline's confused. She thinks I'm—"

"Drop it, Katherine. Why are you here? I didn't think you'd be celebrating your survival in a college dorm"

"Oh, I didn't plan on it. I need a place to crash. I hear that someone's threatening your dull cousin and Caroline. They're going to run away like scared little girls. In exchange for a place to stay and Elena's mealcard, I'll help you with Dr…whoever"

"Maxfield. He teaches Bio"

Katherine stifled a laugh. She thought that it was hilarious that they were frightened of a college professor. Caroline glanced back at Riley to see if she trusted Katherine to help with their problem. After Riley gave a small nod, Caroline let go of her. Katherine rubbed her throat.

"Loosen your grip next time. I'm fragile these days"

"How do you propose that we deal with Dr. Maxfield?" asked Caroline.

"Riley, do you remember the little trick we pulled in Colorado to capture that hunter?"

"It worked pretty well with him but this Dr. Creepy is a little smarter. I'll have to be extra convincing"

On the way to Dr. Maxfield's lab, Riley told Caroline the plan. The main objective was to restrain him so that they could interrogate him about his vampire knowledge. Peeking inside his lab, she watched him work with a microscope. He was talking into a digital recorder. Riley cut Caroline's arm with a knife and smeared the blood on her hands and neck. Forcing herself to tear up, Riley let out a piercing scream. Dr. Maxfield glanced up from the microscope. Holding her neck, she purposely fell through the door. She began to breathe heavily, keeping her hand over her neck. Dr. Maxfield rushed to her side.

"What's happened?"

"S—something attacked me. I—I was j—just walking down the hallway and—this girl…she threw me against the wall and bit me. I can't stop the bleeding. Please help me"

"You're safe here. Let me check your wound"

Riley refused to move her hand and shook her head. "No"

"Riley, I need to see the bite to know the best way to heal you" he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"W—why would she bite me? Her eyes…"

"I will explain everything to you as soon as—"

Caroline appeared behind her. Dr. Maxfield stood up, leaving Riley to sob on the floor.

"What are you doing here?"

Katherine pierced his neck with a syringe, knocking him unconscious. They placed him in a chair, restraining his wrists and ankles. While Riley wiped the blood off of her with a towel, Caroline was attempting to figure out how much blood he needed to lose to drain the vervain from his body.

"Bet you loved doing that again" said Katherine, leaning against the desk.

"He's a jackass so I didn't mind freaking him out"

"Admit it, mini Gilbert. You miss hanging out with me. It's fun to tap into that dark side"

"Dark side? More like the loyalty to my family and friends side. This creepy professor threatened two of my best friends"

"You know, it would be easier to get answers out of him if you used your magic" she whispered.

"I lost it the night of graduation. Didn't Damon tell you that?"

"And I believed him…until I heard you outside their room. She was too busy tossing out empty threats to hear you chanting a little spell. You got it back, didn't you?"

"Attempting a spell and actually casting one are very different things. You know me, Katherine. If I had my magic back, Dr. Creepy would have been turned into a rat and I would've gotten rid of Silas and Qetsiyah already"

Her phone rang on the desk. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Oh joy, little Elena is interrupting our fun"

Riley stepped outside the lab. "Elena? What's wrong? Is it Silas?"

Elena told her that Stefan was at Qetsiyah's cabin. When she attempted to call Stefan, Qetsiyah answered the call and claimed that she and Stefan had an intimate night. Damon admitted to working with Silas, which involved constantly breaking Stefan's neck to give Silas his psychic abilities. She blamed Stefan's willingness to trust Qetsiyah on him.

"Riley, why aren't you saying anything? You agree with me that he's an idiot for trusting Silas, right?"

"Well…"

"Did you know about the plan? You knew he was going to hurt Stefan?"

"Does it really hurt him? I mean, he's a vampire so—"

"Of course you knew about it"

"Elena"

"It's fine. I'm going to get Stefan back"

"Don't do anything stupid"

"Well if I do, you and Damon can come to my rescue together. I bet you'll show up at the same time since you're so in sync" replied Elena, sounding bitter.

Riley heard a soft groan from the chair. Dr. Maxfield was beginning to wake up from the injected etorphine. Caroline suggested that he needed to lose 4.7 pints of blood.

"I'll do it" said Riley, grabbing the IV.

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like my dad is a doctor or anything, Care. I've seen him do this a million times"

Riley put the IV in his arm and attached the tubing. The end of the tube was placed into a beaker, which was slowly filling with blood. Katherine threatened him with a scalpel. He was being very tight-lipped, refusing to answer any of their questions. They learned that he was not the only person on campus to know the truth about Elena and Caroline. A secret society on campus, one that he was part of, had their own suspicions. Dr. Maxfield told them that the society would be having a gathering at Whitmore house to determine potential candidates from the new students. He snidely remarked that a vampire could not enter the house, unaware that Katherine was pretending to be Elena. They devised a new plan for Katherine to spy on the secret society. She left the lab to change into a different outfit for the party.

While Caroline continued to interrogate Dr. Maxfield, in hopes that the vervain was out of his system, Riley searched the lab for any clues. She opened a drawer under his laptop. It contained a single blue folder. She was about to close the drawer until she spotted Elijah's name on the top paper. Pulling out the paper, she recognized it as the same list in the basement lab at her college. The only differences were that beside the names were numbers, ranging from one to five hundred, and there were additional names to the list, including the Salvatores, Tyler, Elena, Jeremy, Katherine, and Caroline. Both she and the Mikaelsons had fifty next to their names.

"Care, you should call Elena. She must be at the party by now. I'll stay with Dr. Creepy"

Waiting for her to leave the lab, Riley sat in a chair at the desk. Caroline shut the door behind her.

"Your cousin won't get into that party"

"Time for an honesty chat, doc. I don't know much about that secret society but I've heard my dad mention it before. He and my mom were supposed to be members but they declined because, in his words, all of you were pretentious asshats. Is that a correct description?"

"Your parents were denied acceptance because they didn't share the society's values. It disappointed your uncle very much"

"I loved Uncle Grayson but he did tend to think he knew best. My dad liked to think for himself. Another question for you. What's this list?" she asked, holding up the paper.

Dr. Maxfield looked tense. "Just a list of students"

"I bet a less observant person would believe that but I'm not one of them. My name's on here and unless a girl has stolen my identity, you don't have me as a student. You do have other people I know on here…some who are way too old to be in college despite their youthful appearances. Try again"

"It was left in my lab one morning"

"Was it sent to you from New Orleans? I found a similar one there but it didn't have my friends on that one"

"I don't know. I received an email. It told me that the list was the names of supernaturals…most of them in the nearby area. That list is partly why I knew about your cousin and Miss Forbes"

"And what about the stuff next to the names?"

"The number of X's are a measure of the danger they pose. I don't know much about it. If I intended to do what the email wanted me to do, all three of you wouldn't have made it out of that party last night"

Before Riley could question him again, Caroline returned to the lab. Katherine had fooled one of the society members into thinking Elena was not a vampire by simply stepping into the house. Though her job was to discover the society's secrets, she was more interested in stuffing her face with food. Riley slipped the list into her back pocket.

"Is the vervain out yet?"

"Nope. He should be good soon. He's not talking"

"What are you?"

They looked at Dr. Maxfield. His eyes were on Riley.

"A girl. Were you too busy being holed up in your garage/pretend lab as a kid to know what is?"

"No. You're comfortable around vampires and yet you're not one"

"She's human like you" said Caroline.

"I highly doubt that. What would your parents think of you tying me up like this, Riley?"

"Are you trying for the sympathy card? A for effort but my parents would be happy with me doing this to someone who threatens their family. If they were here, my dad would be draining the blood from your faster and my mom would be stabbing you in the leg with a nail file"

"I'm going to call real Elena because she was planning on doing something incredibly stupid. I'll make sure no one passes by and sees you holding a professor hostage" she whispered in Caroline's ear.

Riley left the lab and took out her phone. She wanted to explain her reasons for hiding the truth about the plan with Silas, sensing that Elena was angry with her.

"Hello?" said an unfamiliar woman's voice.

"Who is this and why do you have Elena's phone?"

"My name's Tessa…and you're her cousin Riley. That's an adorable picture of you two together. Elena's a little busy at the moment. She came to my little home to check on Stefan but I'm afraid Silas put up a barrier spell. All three of us are stuck in here until sundown. Quite a predicament"

"If you hurt her—"

"Unless Damon keeps up his end of our deal, I intend to. For now, I suppose that I can occupy my time by torturing her. I could melt her brain but I don't think she has one"

After telling Caroline about the situation and leaving plenty of angry text messages for Damon, she grabbed Jeremy's car keys and drove to the cabin. Damon was aware that Elena was trapped with Qetsiyah, who threatened to kill her if he did not kill Silas before sundown. He struggled with the choice since he wanted Silas to bring Bonnie back to life. Riley insisted that he find the anchor to the Other Side while she protected Elena. She banged on the cabin door. The door swung open, revealing Stefan.

"You again"

"Yep, it's me" she replied, shooting him in the stomach with a stake.

He groaned in pain, hunched over and stumbling backwards. "You're my friend, Stefan but since you don't have your memories and all you care about is my blood, I'm not going to have a repeat of the ball last night when you tried to drain me dry. Sit like a good boy and if you come at me again, I will shove vervain down your throat. Where's Elena?"

Riley pushed past him and entered the cabin. Elena was sitting on the floor with a glum expression, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Riley, you shouldn't be here" she said, anxiously.

"You're trapped by some psycho in a cabin, which is like the plot to a horror movie, and you wanted me to stay away? Do you know me at all?"

"Is that the dear cousin?" she heard.

A young, olive-skinned woman with dark curly hair, wearing a long, flowing dress , stepped into the room. Her lips were twisted into a smug smirk.

"And you're Silas's psycho ex-girlfriend. Glad we got those introductions out of the way"

Qetsiyah's smirk faltered at the sight of her. "You're Elena's cousin?"

"No. I just happened to see this old cabin and thought to myself 'Ooh, let me see what's inside'" she replied, sarcastically.

"I see you get your foolishness from your ancestors. You can't break through the barrier"

"Don't have magic so I knew that already. I'm here to make sure you don't hurt Elena. I could not care less about this relationship drama between you and Silas but you're not going to lay a hand on my cousin to get your way"

"And you think that you can stop me?"

"You might be a witch but you're also a girl. I've kicked plenty of girls' asses before I ever found out about my magic. I'll sit with her until the spell breaks and then we're leaving"

"You're very confident about that. If Damon doesn't do what I ask, neither of you will make it out of here alive"

"That won't happen but keep holding onto that little of hope"

Riley sat beside Elena on the floor. A stake gun in front of her was pointed towards Stefan, in case he could not control himself, and she held onto her vervain spray. Elena leaned her head on Riley's shoulder, quietly apologizing for getting them into this situation. Qetsiyah and Stefan were sitting on a couch, skimming a takeout menu. She teasingly mocked Elena about her sadness. Elena questioned how she escaped the Other Side. Bonnie's spell to bring back Jeremy opened up a 'door', allowing Qetsiyah to return to the physical world.

"Well today, Silas was going to bring her back to life after he got the anchor but you told my boyfriend, who has never put anyone's life before mine, including his own, to kill Silas before he could do that. So, no. I'm not sad about the pizza"

"If your cousin didn't lose her magic, I'm sure she could've brought back your friend without dying. She has experience with that spell"

Elena looked at Riley, confused. "What does she mean?"

"Nothing. She's trying to get in your head"

"No, she's saying that you brought someone back. Who?"

"You're going to believe some 2,000 year old lunatic over me? I never tried that spell. If I did, I'd be dead"

"Such a shame you lost it, Riley. You would have been such a promising witch" said Qetsiyah.

"And I would've lost my free will to some supernatural entity that looked like my ex-boyfriend. No offense but I'm fine without my magic. I don't hold a grudge, unlike you. It's been 2,000 years since Silas dumped your ass. Get over it"

Diffusing the tension, Stefan offered to cook for her. Riley was saved from the disgust of watching him flirt with her by Caroline's texts. Dr. Maxfield was finally vervain-free and revealed that the secret society was named Augustine. He did not tell Caroline about its purpose, only that the society recruited descendants of previous members or those with extraordinary talents. The vampire who killed Megan belonged to the society, the reason why Dr. Maxfield faked the autopsy report.

"Good news. Caroline compelled Maxfield to forget that you two are vampires. Bad news. We're stuck in this cabin with Chef Amnesia Stefan and a psycho witch" she whispered to Elena.

Qetsiyah was tasting Stefan's pasta sauce. "Mmm, that's good"

"I'd like to remind you that you're not the only ones in this cabin and this makes me want to puke so can you tone it down? You're cooking, not having sex"

"What is that?"

Her eyes were on Riley's necklace. "It's a necklace"

"The necklace that belonged to the first witch. How did you get your hands on it? It was destroyed during my time"

"Well, you're wrong"

"Give it to me" she said in a strained polite tone.

"No. It's mine. Did you not learn the concept of sharing 2,000 years ago?"

"You have no use for it now that you've lost your magic. The necklace is a talisman for channeling great power"

"I don't care if it can make a naked Chris Evans appear if I say his name three times. Read my lips. It's mine, not yours. Go back to tasting Stefan's sauce"

Qetsiyah was whispering under her breath. The chain of the necklace tightened around her throat and the pendant rose slightly. Riley grabbed a knife off the table and chucked it at her. Qetsiyah quickly deflected the knife, making it strike the wall. The tops of her fingers on her right hand were coated in blood.

"You're not going to steal it with magic. The next one goes through your skull"

"You understood that? How?"

"My boyfriend taught me aramaic"

"A shame to learn the language and have no use for it now"

"No, I do. I can know when some jealous bitch tries to steal my necklace. The only way you'll get it is from my cold, dead hands"

"That may be arranged sooner than you think. It's almost sundown"

Qetsiyah strutted away from the stove and called Damon. Not having vampire hearing, Riley was only able to catch bits of the conversation. Judging by her frustrated tone, Damon had not yet killed Silas. She overheard Qetsiyah mention Silas's blood, travelers and their dislike of immortality, and the anchor being something that Silas could never destroy, a very personal object. Her phone vibrated on her lap. There were a couple text messages from Katherine, asking her to return to Whitmore for important business.

"Stefan's going to get us out of here" whispered Elena with a smile.

"How? Is he going to distract Tessa with his pasta sauce?"

Stefan quickly moved behind Qetsiyah and stabbed her in the stomach with a knife. "Elena, Riley, run!"

Elena held Riley's arm and used her vampire speed to take them out of the cabin. Stefan was close behind, having incapacitated Qetsiyah. "You and Stefan go back to the boardinghouse. Call Damon"

"What about you?"

"I have to go back to Whitmore. Caroline's still with Dr. Maxfield"

"I don't want you to drive alone. What if Tessa—"

"I'll be fine. Get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully, Silas found that anchor and destroyed it so we can get Bonnie back"

The ride back to Whitmore was all the more annoying with Katherine bombarding with text after text. As a human, she was even more impatient. Riley met her outside Dr. Maxfield's lab.

"Why am I here?"

"Because I need a partner in crime" said Katherine.

"And why is that me?"

"Riley, we spent months together and we had so much fun. I was listening to his recorder. I think you'll find it interesting"

"I hear enough biology talk in my classes"

"He talks about you. When you hear what he said, you'll want to help me"

Katherine handed her the recorder. Rolling her eyes, Riley pressed the top button. She listened to Dr. Maxfield describe his research, which involved experimenting on vampires. He began to talk about meeting Riley at the Whitmore Historical ball and how he knew that she was a witch. Her eyes widened when he suggested that she would make an interesting experiment to learn more about a witch's abilities. She opened the door to his lab. Dr. Maxfield was searching for something on his desk. Katherine tossed him the tape recorder and sat on the desk, legs crossed. While she mentioned some of what was on the tape, Riley stood beside her.

"I'm sure we can come up with some creative solution for our little predicament"

"I have to say, if I wasn't such a genius, I might actually think you were blackmailing me, Elena"

"Actually, my name is Katherine. Elena is my doppelganger and while I let you chew on that, I'll admit that there is something that I can't solve on my own"

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a broken tooth. She had lost it at the party at Whitmore house after biting into a sandwich. Riley doubted that this was the first occurrence since Katherine was unlikely to ask someone for help unless it was a serious matter. Katherine believed that she was dying and wanted Dr. Maxfield to save her.

"Let's say I believe all this. Why would I help?"

"My friend Riley could convince you. You know her, right? I mean, you were talking about dissecting her like a lab rat to find out what gives her those magic powers"

"You know, I could tell my mother about what's on that recording and she'd be on the next flight back here to kick your ass" said Riley.

Dr. Maxfield chuckled. "You're mistaken"

"We can make our own deal. I'll keep quiet about what's on that recording if you tell me everything you know about that list I found earlier today. Our conversation got short but now we have plenty of time to talk. You'll take Katherine's blood and tomorrow morning, we'll come back. Don't think of calling campus security or anything. If it's between us two and you, there is a much better chance of security believing two pretty girls, especially when I can easily plant evidence of you overstepping your boundaries as a professor"

Katherine smirked. "E—excuse me?" he asked, incredulously.

"I think my intent was clear"

Caving into their threats, he took a sample of Katherine's blood and a few x-rays. The next morning, they returned to the lab for the results. He Riley had lied to Caroline that Katherine was forcing her to spend time together. Dr. Maxfield was completely useless, telling them the obvious answer. Katherine was dying because of the cure being sucked out of her and now she was aging for the first time in five hundred years.

"If it continues at this rate, you have a few months. I'm sorry" said Dr. Maxfield in a deadpan voice.

Katherine had tears in her eyes. "Katherine" said Riley, concerned.

"I'm going to the dining hall. If you need me, I'll be stuffing my face. Now that I'm dying, who cares if I get fat?"

She stormed out of the lab. "Now it's time for our chat."

Riley placed the list of supernaturals on his desk. She had removed her friends' names, not wanting Dr. Maxfield to remember that Caroline and Elena are vampires.

"I've told you all I know, Riley. I don't know who sent me that list"

"Yesterday, you told me that whoever sent it wanted you to do something. What was it?"

He sighed. "It's a hit list. Each number refers to the amount given for the killing. You're one of the highest amounts"

"It's a fifty. There are people with five hundred on here"

"That's for five hundred thousand. You're worth fifty million. I suppose you angered someone greatly for that honor"

"Give me that email"

"You won't be able to tell who wrote it"

"Don't care. Hand it over now or I'll inject you with enough tranquilizer to kill a baby elephant"

Dr. Maxfield grabbed his laptop. Typing in his password, he searched through his documents. She took out her phone to check on Elena and Stefan. Before she could type a single word, she received a text from Damon. He had sent her a video message. In the video, she saw a disheveled Elena in a long purple dress, her hands tied behind her back. Elena was locked in one of the cells at the boardinghouse, repeatedly shouting phrases like 'I don't know' and 'Leave me alone'. Confused by the strange video, she called Damon.

"I'm a little busy and it's way too early in the day to see whatever you and Elena do for foreplay. No, scratch that. Don't ever send me that. Do you want to scar me forever?"

"That is not Elena. It's Amara"

"Am—you mean Silas's true love who Tessa killed?"

"Or in this case, didn't kill. She was the anchor and sucked the cure right out of Silas. Now Crazypants is normal and Silas is on his way to kill her. He doesn't care about bringing Bonnie back anymore"

"You have to keep her alive"

"Well, if he shows up, I'd like some backup. How fast can you get here?"

Their conversation was interrupted by another call from Elijah. "I'll call you back. I have to take this"

"Riley, w—"

Riley switched over to Elijah and took a deep breath. If he sensed that she was in danger, he would not hesitate to take the first flight to Mystic Falls.

"Hey Elijah. What's up?"

"How is your visit?"

"Oh, it's great. Silas and—it's not even a problem. I should be home soon. Are you calling because you miss me?"

"I've missed you since you left the house. I was wondering where you kept your grimoires. I know you lost your magic but I thought you would keep them around"

"Yea, they're—why do you need them?"

"I thought I could put them in a safe place for—"

"Even over the phone, I know when you're lying. Is something wrong? It's the witches, isn't it?"

Elijah confessed that the extremist witches, led by Agnes, attacked Sophie earlier in the day. Agnes had used a cursed object called the Needle of Sorrows, which raised a person's blood temperature. Its purpose was to kill a fetus by inducing a miscarriage. The witches wanted to indirectly kill Hayley's baby through Sophie. Elijah asked Davina to attempt an unlinking spell to secretly undo the connection between Sophie and Hayley. He hoped that Riley's grimoires would have another solution in case Davina was unable to complete the spell.

"Is Hayley okay?"

"Yes, Rebekah and Kol are with her. Her temperature is rising but we're doing all that we can to keep her and the child safe"

"If you want me to come down there…"

"No. Your friends need you in Mystic Falls. I don't want you to abandon them when—"

Dr. Maxfield was heading towards the door. She kept the door shut and stabbed his hand with a scalpel, pinning it to the wall. He groaned in pain.

"What was that?" asked Elijah.

"I'm watching Jayden's football practice. Some guy just got sacked. Promise me that you'll be careful. Don't underestimate them…and don't kill them. I know they're shady but killing them will only make things worse. Agnes is an Elder. That's a big deal with covens"

"I'd like the scalpel out of my hand" said Dr. Maxfield as Riley hung up the call.

"No. I think I'll keep you like this so I know you'll cooperate. Who else got this email?"

"I don't know"

"You're lying. Maybe you don't know who sent it but you've got an idea on how you got chosen"

"I know a few people in Augustine received it but they all deleted the email. They thought it was a hoax or didn't want to take part in the list"

"So it's given to people who already know about the supernatural. How would you get the money if you killed someone on the list?"

"A wire transfer. There were instructions in the email. It's quite thorough. Are you done with the questions? I swear that's all I know"

She removed the scalpel. He wrapped a piece of gauze around his injured hand.

"You can't compel me to forget any of this"

"No one would believe you anyway"

After deleting any trace of the email from his laptop, she searched for Katherine on campus. She found her in Caroline's dorm, sitting at a table with a girl in her twenties with dark brown wavy hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. There was a quiet tension between them.

"You're eating junk food? It's a sign of the apocalypse"

"Well, now that I'm a human, who knows how long I have? Why not take some risks? This is—"

"Riley. I know who she is" said the girl, speaking with a thick Bulgarian accent.

"See, a lot of people say that and most of the time, I don't know them. I'm really popular"

"Who doesn't know the Gilbert witch? I also know you were traveling with Katherine for many months. Shouldn't you be dead?"

"Okay, girl with accent who knows a lot about me, let's start with your name"

"This is Nadia. She's my…stylist" explained Katherine.

"You eat lunch with your hair stylist?" asked Riley, taking a handful of chips.

"I'm her daughter"

Riley choked on the chips and looked at Katherine, shocked. When they had been on the road together, Katherine mentioned giving birth to a daughter as a teenager, a few years before she met the Originals. The baby had been taken away by her father, who banished her from Bulgaria. Katherine shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Your daughter?"

"Can we not say it again?"

"Perhaps your friend can convince you to stop avoiding me" said Nadia.

"Doubtful. Like I told you, estrangement is easier than mother-daughter bonding time"

Caroline walked over to the table. "Sorry to interrupt the world's weirdest lunch but you, with the doppelganger blood? Duty calls. Riley, you need to come too. I'll explain on the way"

Katherine scoffed. "Wonderful. Now that Katherine's a human and fragile, everyone thinks they can just boss her around"

Riley was about to follow them until someone tugged on her wrist. She turned towards Nadia.

"What is wrong with Katherine?"

"I think she's got a mile long list of problems. Where do you want to start?"

"We had a moment and now she's pushing me away. Is she worried about being human?"

"Well, she's a lot easier to kill now so that could be one of the issues" replied Riley, not wanting to tell Nadia that her mother was dying.

"Then fix it. Use your magic to make her a vampire again. I know the line you descend from, Riley. It should be easy for you"

"Too bad I lost my magic"

"Then find another way or I will tell the first witch I find that you're alive. They could either be on your side or willing to kill you. Would you like to take that chance?"

"You're definitely Katherine's daughter. I'll look into it. You can let go of my wrist now"

Caroline drove them back to Mystic Falls. During the car ride, she told them about the new plan to bring back Bonnie. Amara, being the anchor, was able to see both the living and the dead. Their plan was for Qetsiyah to swap Amara for Bonnie, making her the new anchor. When the spell was complete, Amara could be killed and Silas would remain trapped on the Other Side for eternity. She would be using Elena, Katherine, and Amara for their doppelganger blood.

"Ask Qetsiyah to fix your aging problem" she whispered to Katherine, opening the door to the boardinghouse.

"Why her?"

"Because she's magical and without your blood, she can't do this spell. It's called leverage"

"Ask her for me, witch to witch"

"I'm staying the hell away from her. Be a big girl and ask yourself"

Damon was in the living room, pouring himself a glass of bourbon. She snatched the glass from him.

"I need this more than you do. Remember that list I told you about? Maxfield had one too"

"Creepy biology professor? How?"

"No idea but I did learn a few things from him. It's a hit list. I erased it from his laptop but I have his copy. Take a look"

He glanced over the list. "We're all on here. How the hell—who sent it?"

"Don't know that either. With a little hacking, I could find that out. Maxfield isn't the only one, Damon. He said other people in his secret society got it too and if Ryan had it, I'm thinking that it's sent to people who know about vampires, witches, werewolves…whatever else is out there. The Originals and I are worth the most. Fifty million dollars"

"Elena and Jeremy are worth more than the rest of us. I wonder why. Let's keep it between us for now"

"Obviously. If the others knew—"

"Knew what?"

Elena was standing in the doorway to the living room. Damon crumpled up the list, hiding it behind his back. She looked at them, suspiciously.

"I can't be part of your secret club? Right. Just like you only told Riley about your plan with Silas. Riley, we need you in the drawing room. Tessa said that it's a really powerful spell and even though you can't use magic, she can still draw on your ancestors' bloodline. She promises to play nice. Don't let me get in the way of your bestie time"

Riley chased after her. "Elena, can we talk?"

"About what?"

"You're mad at me. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about our plan with Silas. It was best if we kept it quiet. Nothing is going on between me and Damon"

"I know"

"Then why are you—"

"Because I'm jealous!"

Elena ran her fingers through her hair. "I know you would never try to steal Damon. You're with Elijah. It's just that sometimes, I get jealous of how you and Damon…click. You get each other so well and before you died, you were like a perfect team. All those months you were gone, I told you how he visited you and Alaric at the cemetery every week but it was more than that. For the first few months, Damon kept forgetting that you were gone. We were dealing with the search for the cure and the sire bond. He kept saying 'We'll wait for Riley. She'll know what to do' or 'Call Riley to see if she's got some spell to fix this'. When he realized that you were never coming, it was like a punch in the gut. With my humanity off and how I was acting…he knew that you'd be furious. He would talk to your grave as if you'd rise up and give him advice on how to handle everything. That's why you coming back all of a sudden affected him so much. I know you two aren't going to hook up or anything but I wish that I had that connection"

"You do, Elena. It's just a little different. Damon loves you. He'd risk everything for you…even working with a psycho like Silas. He'd sacrifice himself if it meant that you could have a happy life"

They were startled by a loud crash outside. "It could be Silas. Tell Tessa to start the spell and I'll meet you in there"

Picking up a fire iron from the fireplace in the library, she left the boardinghouse. She checked for any sign of Silas, knowing that he would want to stop the spell so he was not separated from Amara. There was another loud crash in the woods. Passing by a set of trees, she heard a twig snap behind her. A hard sensation smacked the back of her head and she fell unconscious.

Riley woke up, lightheaded and her vision blurry. Her wrists were tied down to a chair. She recognized her surroundings as the Lockwood cellar. As a nearby door swung open, light filtered through, showing a tied up Jayden beside her. He looked like he had been beaten within an inch of his life. The tape over his mouth was covered in blood and he had scratches and bruises all over his face. Seeing her, he attempted to break through the restraints.

"Jay? You're supposed to be at Whitmore. How did you get here?"

"You're both awake? Good" she heard.

Cameron walked down the steps to the cellar. Jayden glared at him, though his left eye was already partially shut from his injuries, and mumbled angrily through the tape.

"Cam? What are you doing?"

"I'm calling it justice. Jayden and I have been bonding…sharing secrets. We talked a lot about you. See, I know the truth. You've been fooling everyone for years. Beneath that pretty face and those innocent doe eyes, you're not normal. You're a monster…a freak"

"You're not making any sense"

"I know you're a witch. I know about the Salvatore brothers, Caroline, Tyler, Elena, and even Jeremy. Honestly, I'm impressed that you kept it a secret for this long but then again, some people weren't that clueless. The Council knew the truth about the monsters in this town but they hid it because Tyler's mom was in charge and didn't want to risk losing her only son. I get why you were hooking up with that old guy in a suit. Monsters must be attracted to each other. He's a vampire too, right?"

"Cam, let us go. We didn't do anything wrong"

He laughed, sounding completely unhinged. "Really? You don't think it was wrong to turn my sister into a vampire and then kill her? We have a very different idea of right and wrong, Riley. I never would've known the truth if it wasn't for that email. I'm glad to whoever sent it. They told me everything that my parents hid from me for years. You're worth a lot of money. I kind of need it since I have no parents"

"I didn't turn your sister into a vampire. She asked Rebekah to—"

"But you knew. You could've changed her back with magic or something. Maybe you didn't turn her but you made everyone think she relapsed to save your own ass! You killed her!"

"Cam, let me explain"

"No. I already know it all. You're going to try to sweet talk your way out of this but it won't work on me. I see you for what you truly are now. You killed my sister and because of you and your friends, my parents were killed in that explosion at Paster Young's farm. I'm getting revenge for them and a reward tonight. Maybe I'll toss your dead body on your doorstep for your parents to find. Do you think they'll bury you in that fake grave or just toss you in the lake like trash? I'll let you two have one last chat"

Cameron ripped the tape from Jayden's mouth and left the cellar. Jayden apologized for telling him the truth about Riley and their other friends. The day that Jayden and her parents visited in New Orleans, Cameron had received a strange email from an unknown sender. He confronted Jayden about the list and the email's claim that Jayden was aware of the supernatural world. Though Cameron acted calm, he knocked out Jayden when he was leaving to meet Riley at the Whitmore Historical ball. He kept Jayden tied up in the Lockwood cellar and forced a handful of herbs down his throat. The person who sent the email also left a package in their room, containing the herbs that would force someone to tell the truth. It was how Cameron learned about what happened to his sister.

"When you called, he forced me to act like I was okay. I'm sorry"

"This isn't your fault. We'll find a way out of here. If I could reach my phone…"

"Maybe if we yell loud enough, they'll hear us"

"We're not that close to the boardinghouse. What's the chance of us getting through to Cam?"

"You've got a better chance of Klaus becoming my best friend"

Cameron returned to the cellar, holding a can of gasoline. Riley pleaded with him to not give into hatred. She tried to explain that killing them would not bring Alison or his parents back but it all fell on deaf ears.

"I've already gotten my punishment. I lost my magic"

"Doesn't mean you're not a witch. You don't think you deserve this, Riley? I'm doing you a favor. Your parents might thank me for getting rid of you. They won't have a monster for a daughter"

"Don't call me a monster!"

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" he asked in a childish tone.

He splashed gasoline onto her leg. "Cam, stop. You've known Riley since we were in diapers. You've had a crush on her since we were four. She's had a short fuse with you sometimes but we were all friends. That doesn't all go away because of some anonymous email. Don't hurt her. Kill me instead" pleaded Jayden.

"Jay, shut up" said Riley.

"It's my fault that Alison was a vampire. I kept rejecting her and she thought that by becoming one, she could get me to like her. I should've told you the truth. Don't take this out on Riley. I'm begging you"

"Oh, you'll get your turn, Jay. Be patient. I want to drag this out painfully"

He took a box of matches from his pocket. "No magic or vampire blood to heal you. You're going to feel every bit of this"

Lighting a match, he tossed it towards her. Riley's screams echoed through the cellar as her leg was engulfed in flames…

~Elijah~

Elijah was changing out of his wet clothes. To slow down Hayley's rising temperature and protect the baby, he had brought Hayley into the backyard pool. Klaus recruited Father Kieren and the Faction, a council of humans aware of the supernatural in their city, to retrieve Agnes yet she claimed the curse could not be reversed through magical means. Before the curse was complete, Davina managed to cast the unlinking spell, ceasing Sophie's leverage over them. He resisted the urge to call Riley, knowing that she was facing her own problems in Mystic Falls. Though he wanted to accompany her on the trip, he knew that she was capable of handling herself. As he put on a new suit jacket, Rebekah entered his room.

"The unlinking worked! Maybe now, we can make plans to—"

"Not now, Rebekah. Can we discuss this when I return?"

He was in a rush to meet Klaus at the church. Sophie begged him to not let Klaus kill Agnes, their last remaining access to the witches' power in New Orleans. Klaus agreed to the terms but knowing his temper, he was likely to snap her neck if she so much as looked at him the wrong way. He also wanted to keep his promise to Riley that he would not harm the witches. Rebekah's smile faltered.

"I won't be here when you return"

"That sounds like a goodbye"

"I guess it is. I only came to New Orleans to make sure you were safe. You are. I thought that I might be able to convince you to come with me but here you are, rushing into whatever Klaus and Marcel and the witches have cooked up. I finally get it. You'll never leave this city. You'll never leave Klaus"

Elijah attempted to convince her to stay in New Orleans but she refused, wanting her freedom. Respecting her wishes, he kissed her on the cheek.

"You are free"

"Give Riley my best when she returns. Keep her from getting into trouble. She sometimes forgets that she doesn't have her magic anymore"

Tearing up, she left the room. He maintained his composure, straightening out his suit. Kol poked his head through the door.

"Rebekah's just drove off. Are you sure you don't need me to accompany you to the church?"

"I can handle Niklaus on my own, Kol. I need you to stay here with Hayley in case the witches strike again. It's likely that they have a backup p—"

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right leg. The pain jumped to his chest, turning into a burning sensation. He reached under his collar, pulling out a silver-chained necklace with a sapphire gem in the shape of a teardrop.

"Since when do you wear that?" asked Kol.

"Cam, don't! Stop!"

"Was that—Riley? Did her voice just come out of that necklace?"

"Kol, stay here and protect Hayley. This may take some time"

"But what was—"

"Do as I ask"

Elijah sped towards the church. He arrived there in a matter of minutes, finding Klaus with his hands around Agnes's neck. Klaus scowled at his insistence to release her.

"I gave my word"

"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother. We've been doing things your way all day. Come on. Just one little snap and it's 'toodeloo', Agnes. She deserves it!"

"Niklaus, do not make another move. You have asked for my forgiveness. I will grant you that forgiveness but do not make me break my word"

He released his grip and stepped away from her. "My noble brother. How was that for personal growth, eh? Still, it is just like you to spoil all of my fun"

"Oh, not necessarily"

One by one, he ripped out the hearts of the witches sitting in the pews. Agnes looked quite frightened to be alone in a church with the two of them. She was no doubt aware that he was as fearsome as his other siblings, perhaps even more depending on his mood. Her heart raced with each step he took towards her.

"You've been making quite the mess lately, Agnes. Luring Hayley to the bayou to allow your fellow extremists to kill her, using your own kind to kill an innocent child, giving a dear friend those herbs under false pretenses, and now poisoning another's mind to harm her"

"What has she done?" asked Klaus, knowing he meant Riley.

"Niklaus, I will handle it"

"I haven't done anything" said Agnes.

Elijah glared. "Do not lie to me. If she was not hundreds of miles away, I would have gone to her by now and compelled the boy to tell me who forced him to harm her. I know that boy. He's hardly bright but he would never harm an innocent girl"

Agnes let out a derisive laugh. "Innocent? That dear friend…the one you both care for so deeply? She's as twisted as your entire family. You think I don't recognize her? A new hairstyle and some heavy makeup doesn't hide the demon crawling inside. I was surprised to see her return here since she's supposed to be rotting in the ground at the moment. I'm sure my friends in Salem would love to hear about her miraculous resurrection"

It was clear not just in her tone, but her expression, that she was referring to Riley. Elijah was fighting the urge to rip out her heart.

"Why did you give her those herbs?"

"To fulfill the prophecy, of course. Has she not told you it?"

"That she would break her family's curse? I hardly see why—"

"Oh, she left out the other half. The part that said a child born between her and the hybrid would cause complete and utter destruction"

"Lies"

"It is inevitable. Enjoy your time with her because as he's told me, she can only resist that attraction for so long…before she chooses your brother. He offered me a deal if I sped up the process. He would help us complete the Harvest and ensure those who respected our ancestors a great power"

"Who?"

"The one who tormented her on her journey back. Who did she know him as? Lukas, I believe? He's very invested in the prophecy being complete. She may have stalled him by losing her magic but it will happen"

"Enough of your lies"

"Perhaps we should hear her out, brother" suggested Klaus.

Elijah was not fooled by his sudden decency. The ravings of a prophecy that ensured a child between himself and Riley only gave him more reason to pursue her.

"There's only one way it won't come true. When the witches learn that she's alive and kill her all over again. This time, they'll make sure she stays dead and no magic will—"

Elijah grabbed her throat angrily. "I swore you would not die by my brother's hand. I said nothing of my own. She is my family and no one hurts my family and lives. No one"

He snapped Agnes's neck with a flick of his wrist. She collapsed to the floor, lifeless…

~Riley~

Cameron threw water at her face, dousing the flames that creeped up her neck. He had repeatedly burned her then extinguished the flames before burning the same spot. Half of her right leg, most of her arms, and her neck were covered in burns. He gripped her chin.

"Stop screaming!"

"Cam, this isn't you" said Jayden.

"No, it's not. You drove me to this with all your lies. I'll feel bad about killing someone but I bet that fifty million will help me get over it. Ah, you're not getting out of those ropes just yet"

Riley had barely loosened one knot. He tugged on her arm.

"Isn't this a cute little bracelet?"

"Cam, don't touch it"

"Why? Is it special? Did your vampire boyfriend give it to you?"

"I'm serious"

"How about this? After I burn you to a crisp, I'll send the bracelet back to him"

Cameron ripped off the bracelet. "I don't see why you care so much about it. Doesn't look that expensive. He probably bought it at a dollar store or—what's happening?"

His arm slowly turned a dark grey color like stone. It spread all over his body and no matter how much he struggled, he could not move a single muscle. Within minutes, he resembled a statue and crumbled into pieces. Stefan appeared in the kicked at him as he reached for the ropes.

"Riley, it's okay. I have my memories back, thanks to Tessa. I won't hurt you. Who did this?"

"Cameron. It's a long story but he found out about Alison. I'm fine" said Jayden.

"You're lucky I was out here. I heard her screaming" he replied, feeding Riley his blood.

He untied the ropes around her wrists. "You're all better. No burns. Take it easy until tomorrow"

"Why aren't you at the boardinghouse?" she asked, untying Jayden.

"I uh took Amara with me. I'm not letting Silas get his happy ending where he gets to spend an eternity with his true love"

"Stefan, if that spell's not done, Bonnie is stuck as a ghost"

"You should head back there while Cameron's gone. Everyone was worried about you"

"I get that you're probably a mess now that your memories are back but this is like getting revenge on Klaus all over again. It's not going to—"

"Go!"

She brought Jayden back to the boardinghouse. With his injuries, he was unable to stand without leaning on her for support. It looked like a tornado had blown through the house. Caroline hugged her excitedly.

"Riley! It worked! Bonnie's back!" said Caroline.

Her joy was dampered by the sight of an battered Jayden. She helped him onto a couch into the living room and offered her blood to heal him. He fell asleep, holding onto Riley's hand. When Caroline questioned her about his injuries, she lied that they were attacked by Silas in the woods.

"Stefan went out there to kill him"

"I know. Damon's looking for him right now. Let Jayden rest. I think fighting off a 2,000 year old immortal is a good enough excuse to miss classes. You can stay in our room tonight. It'll be like the sleepovers we had when we were kids"

"I'm going to head back tonight"

"What? No, you just got here. You can't leave yet"

"There was a problem with Klaus. I don't want to leave Elijah and Rebekah there alone. He still has those daggers and he's not afraid to use them. I'll visit again as soon as I can. Tell Jayden to call me when he wakes up"

"But—"

Riley left the living room before Caroline could bombard her with a long list of reasons to stay in Mystic Falls. She passed by the library where Bonnie was standing in front of the fireplace.

"You're back. How does it feel?"

"Great. I can't believe the spell worked"

"At least you don't have the side effect of witch spirits in your head. Don't die on me again while I'm gone. They need a witch around here for when they somehow put the town in another mess"

Bonnie laughed. "I won't. You're leaving so soon? I—Tessa?"

"What?"

"Tessa's here. She's dead"

"It must be weird to see dead people. You and Jeremy have that in common now"

The smile was wiped from her face. "She has a message for you. She says you're a naïve little girl"

"Even dead, she's a bitch"

"And you're playing right into his hands. Tonight was just the first test and each time, you'll fall deeper and deeper until you can't even recognize yourself anymore. You'll be as bad as the company you keep"

"Ooh, I'm shaking. The ghost of a psycho witch is trying to scare me"

Bonnie fell to her knees, screaming in pain. Riley bent down beside her, worried that the spell had reversed with Tessa's death. Weakly, Bonnie explained that as the anchor, each dying supernatural passed through her and she would feel their pain.

"Don't make that face. I can handle it. The important thing is that I'm back"

"Do you know how many people die every day? Bonnie, it's—"

"I can handle it, Riley. I'll get used to the pain"

After calling a cab, she said her goodbyes to the rest of her friends. None of them were ready for her to leave, asking her to stay for a few more days. She was only unable to speak to Stefan, who was still in the woods. Elena promised to say goodbye for her. A cab pulled up on the sidewalk. Jeremy walked with her, placing her suitcase in the trunk.

"I know I can't convince you to stay but someone else wanted to talk to you before you left. I uh saw Ric after Bonnie came back"

"Did he tease you about kissing your girlfriend?"

"Heh, a little but um…he wanted me to tell you something"

"All these ghosts have messages for me. Maybe I should die again and come back so I can get this superpower. It'd be easier than having you and Bonnie as messenger pigeons. What did he say? Stay away from Klaus?"

"I didn't know what it meant but he said you'd understand it. He said to put the bracelet back and don't listen to them. Whoever they are, he thinks they're setting you down a bad path"

"Well, you can tell Ric that he's not my parent and I value his advice but he doesn't know what he's talking about"

"He thinks it's—"

"I don't care what he thinks!"

Jeremy was taken aback by her outburst. "Sorry, Jer. I'm—it's been a long day. I should get going before I miss my flight. I'll text you later"

During her flight back to New Orleans, Riley's mind was completely cluttered with thoughts of the supernatural hitlist, the incident with Cameron, and Tessa and Alaric's warnings. She kept glancing at arms and legs. Though the burns were fully healed by Stefan's blood, she could not forget the feeling of the flames on her skin. She opened the door to the plantation house, expecting to find Klaus and Elijah fighting throughout the rooms. It was unusually quiet. She walked up to her bedroom. Elijah was sitting on her bed, reading one of the grimoires.

"Am I interrupting?"

In a split second, he had moved from the bed and pulled her into a tight embrace, cradling the back of her head. "Riley, thank goodness. I thought…are you hurt?"

"Why would you think that I'm hurt? Did Elena call you?"

"No. Your n—"

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine. I missed you and I want to make up for all those days I was gone. Sit on the bed"

"Riley, we need to discuss—"

"Not now. Can't we have one night of peace?"

Sitting him down on the bed, she tied a blindfold around his eyes. She opened her suitcase and changed out of her clothes.

"There was this historical ball at Whitmore and I had to buy a costume. I went as this artist but I picked up something else too. I thought you'd like it"

Untying his blindfold, she showed him her new outfit. She was dressed in a dark green Renaissance-style dress. Elijah stared at her, speechless. She pushed him down on the bed, straddling him.

"I can be a princess and you can be a knight. We can't help but be attracted to each other even though it's forbidden. Fair warning. This princess likes it rough and dirty"

"As stunning as you look in that dress, I need to tell you something important"

"It can wait until tomorrow. Don't you want to have your way with your princess?"

He let out a soft groan as she kissed his neck. Unbuttoning his shirt, she left a trail of soft kisses down his chest, stopping right above his belt buckle.

"Brave knight, you seem very eager to show me your sword"

"Ow!"

Elijah sat up at the sound of a door being slammed, followed by a girl shouting. From what they heard, it seemed that someone had bitten her.

"Darling, don't overreact. It was a nip"

The door swung open. "Elijah, tell her that—do you two ever lock the door?"

Kol was blatantly staring at her chest. She covered herself with Elijah's suit jacket. He smirked at them.

"Is this your foreplay? I must say, you cut quite the figure in—"

"Kol, I suggest you hold your tongue unless you'd like to lose it" said Elijah.

"Kol? I thought your name was Keith"

Lily was standing behind him, her hand over her neck. Her shorts were unbuttoned and one of the straps of her tanktop was hanging off her shoulder. It did not take a genius to figure out that Kol had been hooking up with her in his room. Riley chucked a pillow at him.

"You're sleeping with Lily?" she hissed.

"Between you and me, not much sleeping involved"

"How long have you two been…"

"A couple weeks. She stopped by for help with another history essay and one thing led to another. What can I say? I have a way with women"

"Kol, compel her to forget this and then she must leave" said Elijah, sternly.

"What did you say?" asked Lily.

"Nothing, Lily. He's just—"

Riley was interrupted by Klaus appearing by the staircase. He looked slightly worried.

"We have a pr—what the bloody hell is going on?"

"I can explain, Nik. I was getting a bit intimate with beautiful Lily here until she overreacted over a tiny bite and we found Riley and Elijah having their own fun. Apparently, they like to roleplay before sex"

"Kol, shut up. Fix this already" said Riley.

Kol looked deep into Lily's eyes. Using compulsion, he told her to forget about the bite and return to her apartment. She shoved him away from her.

"No, I'm not going to forget that you took a bite out of my neck, you psycho. It's going to take a lot more than that charming accent to get me to forgive you. Maybe some girls are into that rough stuff but not me. I'm a girl, not a piece of meat. I'll see you in class, Riley"

Throwing Kol a nasty look, she left the house. All of them were thinking the same thing. Lily had not been affected by the compulsion. It was just another reason to believe that she was supernatural. Riley chucked another pillow at Kol.

"Way to go. You hook up with not just my friend, but a girl who doesn't know she's supernatural and can't be compelled to forget that you bit her"

"I only slept with her to find out what she was, Riley. I thought she might be hiding it"

"Really? That's the only reason?"

"Of course not. She's a pretty girl and she does taste exquisite"

"Enough, Kol. We have a problem. Marcel was here. I assume he hadn't seen Kol. Otherwise, we'd already have half his army on our front porch" explained Klaus.

"Hayley didn't mention it? Where is she?" asked Riley.

Riley knocked on Hayley's bedroom door. She grew concerned when there was no answer, though Kol passed it off as her being a heavy sleeper. Opening the door, she saw no sign of Hayley. Elijah immediately called Rebekah and told the others to check the rest of the house. Riley quickly changed back into her other outfit and checked the kitchen. Klaus was always two steps behind her.

"All the rooms in this house and you're following me?"

"I can't help it if this one has the most beautiful view"

She slammed a cabinet above the sink. "Didn't Elijah tell you to stop doing that?"

"I rarely listen to my brother, especially when some things are just inevitable. Have you considered that those herbs merely brought out your inner feelings?"

"No. For some reason, they made me dream about you"

"Oh, I suspect you know the reason"

"I'm not in mood for a cryptic conversation"

"Kol!" shouted Elijah.

He pinned Kol against the wall, holding him by his throat. "I asked you to watch over that girl and in a few hours, you lost her. How is it that she disappeared under your watch? Were you too busy charming Sophie Devereaux to be the next girl in your bed that you never noticed Marcel paid a visit?"

"We were in the woods gathering herbs to ease Hayley's pain. She was still a bit sore from that curse. He must've showed up then. I thought she went to bed"

"This is my fault"

Riley wondered if Rebekah and Hayley had gone shopping in the city. Judging by the brothers' pained expressions, she had missed a lot during her trip to Mystic Falls. Sitting in the living room, she learned that Rebekah left New Orleans shortly after Hayley and the baby were safe from the curse. While Klaus and Elijah dealt with Agnes at the church, Kol was supposed to watch over Hayley. Elijah admitted that despite his promise to her, he killed Agnes.

"I know that she was a bitch but I told you that it's a terrible idea to kill an Elder. Did she insult your suits?"

"I assumed she harmed you in Mystic Falls. It clouded my judgment"

"Why would you think I was in danger?"

"His screaming necklace was a big clue" said Kol.

"Screaming what?"

Reaching under his collar, he showed her a silver-chained necklace. It looked similar to the necklace he gave her on the night they shared their first kiss though the gem was a sapphire instead of an emerald. He told her how both necklaces belonged to the first witch, used as talismans to channel her magic. She gave the sapphire necklace to her love and when one was in grave danger, the other would sense it. The necklaces were rumored to be destroyed thousands of years ago but his mother found them when they first moved to the states. She was the one to tell him about the history of the necklaces. One night, she planned to destroy the necklaces to harness their power for herself but Elijah hid them from her. He had kept them since he was a little boy. When Cameron was torturing her, he was able to feel the pain in her leg and heard her screams.

Klaus chuckled softly. "Such a lovely tale to bring up at this time, brother. I suppose you gave it to Riley after all these years because she is your great love. Look at you, playing on a little girl's fantasies of such things"

"What is he—"

"Nothing" replied Elijah, sounding a bit tense.

"Well, if Hayley isn't here, Marcel must've taken her. He met Hayley while Kol was humping Sophie against a tree in the woods. Knowing that we were lying about staying at a hotel, he took her as leverage because he thinks we're up to something. He's your buddy, Klaus. Where is he right now?"

"At his compound and no, Kol, you're not tagging along. It's bad enough that you lost Hayley. When we return, if I smell any trace of that Devereaux witch in this house, you'll spend the next hundred years with a dagger in your heart"

Riley, Elijah, and Klaus drove into the city, expecting to find Hayley tied up at Marcel's compound. As a precaution, Riley kept stakes and her vervain spray in her purse. The compound was packed from wall to wall with vampires. Marcel addressed the crowd, welcoming them to Vampire Fight Night. The prize for being the last vampire standing was a daylight ring. In the center of the crowd, a burly man and thin woman began to fight each other. They appeared to be evenly matched until the woman snapped his neck with her thighs. The crowd cheered wildly. Riley spotted Josh among them, looking like an awkward turtle. The cheers ceased when Klaus snapped the woman's neck. Elijah wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her through the crowd.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Marcel.

"It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs. We've come here for the girl. Give her to us or…we kill everyone here. Starting with you…"

"You three got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands"

"What can we say? Unlike this pack of neutered puppies, we're not scared of guys with egos that don't match their talent" replied Riley.

Diego stepped towards her with a snarl. She held out her vervain spray.

"I have had a shitty night and no sleep so unless you want to choke on this vervain, I'd take like fifty steps back"

"The girl! I will not ask again" said Elijah, not taking his eyes off Marcel.

"I assume you're talking about Hayley? Yea high, dark hair, bitchy attitude that almost rivals your girlfriend's? Who is she anyway?" said Marcel.

Klaus simply called Hayley an old friend. Marcel denied that he had kidnapped her. When he visited the plantation house, he only met her at the door. He offered to help them find her though Riley was still suspicious of him. They sat in the backyard of the compound, waiting for Marcel. One of the girls placed a tray of champagne at their table. Riley leaned her head on Elijah's shoulder, texting Hayley in hopes that she would receive a reply. She giggled when he insulted Marcel's followers. Marcel walked over to them, flanked by a couple vampires and Sabine, the witch who made Hayley paranoid about her baby. He was allowing Sabine to use magic to cast a locater spell.

"A locater spell? By the time she gets that to work, Hayley could be dead. I'll look around myself"

"If the lady insists" said Marcel.

"The lady does and if it turns out that you had a part in her disappearance, the lady is going to shove a fence post so far up your ass that you'll look like a scarecrow"

"Your girl needs to watch her mouth, Elijah"

"On the contrary, I find her threats enjoyable"

Riley resorted to tracking Hayley's cellphone. It was not the most foolproof method but could at least provide a general location. Kol wanted to help with the search but she refused, wary of Marcel's men possibly stalking her. It was bad enough that he discovered Hayley. If he learned the truth about Kol, it could cause an even worse problem. She ignored his taunts about using a cellphone instead of the enhanced senses of a vampire. The signal died out at the edge of the bayou. She spotted a trail of blood along a dirt path, covered up hastily by a pile of leaves. The trail stopped a couple feet away from a disheveled wooden cabin.

"A cabin in the woods. That's creepy kidnapper hideout 101"

She called Elijah. "Riley? Are you in danger?"

"No. I tracked her phone to the bayou. I think whoever has her is hiding her in a cabin. It's in the middle of the bayou near some clotheslines"

"We're on our way. Perhaps we'll get a scent from the kidnapper"

Riley sneaked up to the cabin and peered through the window. Hayley was sitting on the floor, glaring at someone on the other side of the room. A man was laying lifeless on the floor. Taking a stake out from her purse, she quietly opened the door. She jumped on the kidnapper's back, sending both of them crashing to the floor. As she raised the stake, her eyes widened, seeing Tyler beneath her. He knocked the stake out of her hand.

"Tyler?"

"You're not supposed to be here"

"You kidnapped Hayley?" she asked, standing up.

"Maybe it's good that you're here, Riley. I mean, I was expecting Klaus but now you can help me. You know what a monster he is..."

"You're using Hayley to get revenge on him? Tyler, you have to be kidding me"

"This isn't a joke! I can't have you interfering with my plan"

"Elijah's with me. He'll hear me scream. Don't come any closer"

"If he was with you, I'd smell his scent. You came here on your own. Typical of you. Sit"

"I'm not a dog"

"I said sit!"

Tyler threw her down on the floor beside Hayley. He was consumed with rage, not acting anything like himself. Her gaze fell on the lifeless man. He explained that he injected the man, who was a werewolf, with the baby's blood, thinking that it was the key to creating more hybrids. All summer, he had been meeting with various werewolf packs. One of the packs had an alliance with a witch. She had visions about the baby and its ability to make hybrids without doppelganger blood.

"Really? A witch's nightmare? So instead of helping these werewolf packs, you were using them to find a way to get revenge on Klaus. Does Caroline know that?"

"You don't understand, Riley"

"I understand that you've completely lost your mind"

Tyler insisted that Klaus was aware of the baby's potential. Riley glared as he told Hayley that he only cared about the baby because its blood could provide him more power. If Klaus used the baby's blood to create hybrids, he would have a small army to take over the city with ease.

"Hayley, don't listen to him. Klaus does care about the baby"

"What makes you so sure? Maybe he's only pretending to care about it to make you happy. A blind person could tell that he's had a hard-on for you since you two met. You really have those two wrapped around your finger"

"Even if the baby can somehow make hybrids, Klaus doesn't know"

Tyler bent down to her. "Spending all this time with them has made you delusional. You know what you are to them, Riley? A puppet. The only reason they like you is because of your witch bloodline. You may have lost your magic but I bet they're hoping you get it back so they can use you for some scheme. Elijah can be a decent guy but Klaus? He just wants to get in your pants and sometime soon, on one drunken night, you'll probably let him. Then he'll toss you aside like a piece of trash because he got what he wanted from"

Riley smacked him across the face. He growled and gripped her throat.

"Tyler, stop! You'll hurt her!"

"You're just angry because I'm right. None of them give a damn about you. You abandoned everyone in Mystic Falls for a guy…someone who will probably ditch you when he finds a more powerful witch. Think of the time that they're from. Elijah's going to want you to be a nice, obedient girl who cooks and cleans, not a snarky little bitch who can't keep her mouth shut"

Suddenly, the man bolted up from the floor, panting heavily. Tyler forced him to drink Hayley's blood. He grabbed the man by the collar and left the cabin. Riley worked on untying Hayley from the firestove.

"What if he's right?"

"Don't let him get in your head. Klaus has done a lot of bad things but he'd never use a baby, his own kid, just to make more hybrids. Tyler's desperate for revenge. He's not thinking clearly"

Tyler walked into the cabin. "It worked, didn't it? He's a hybrid" said Hayley.

"If Klaus gets ahold of you, if he gets that kid…he wins"

"Then help me hide the baby from him! Help me run!"

Tyler picked up a knife from the floor. "He'll find you, take your kid away, and make more hybrid monsters…slaves who do everything he says"

"Tyler, whatever you're thinking of doing, there has to be another way. You're not like this!"

Riley lunged at him and pierced his chest with the stake. Before she could help Hayley, she was lifted up from behind. He threw her outside roughly, her back slamming into the ground. She winced, putting her hand on her back. Seconds later, Hayley ran outside the cabin. She helped Riley up and they ran into the woods. As they hid behind a pair of trees, Hayley hugged her.

"Running from a hybrid who lost his mind. Perfect time for a hug"

"Thank you…for finding me"

"With Rebekah gone, did you really think I'd lose the only girl left in that house? Run until you get to the road. If you don't find Elijah first, take Tyler's car"

"Riley, you have to come with me"

"I've known Tyler forever and he's not himself. I need to get through to him before he makes a big mistake"

Searching the bayou, she found Klaus and Tyler fighting among a series of tents. Klaus pinned him against a tree, his fist buried deep in Tyler's chest.

"And thus ends your tedious little life. At least it was brief"

"Klaus!"

Riley rushed down the hill. She begged him to be the bigger person and not kill Tyler.

"Klaus, please"

"Do it! You're never gonna break me! Only thing you can do is kill me, go on! Get it over with!" yelled Tyler.

"Tyler, stop it. You don't want to do this. Think about everyone in Mystic Falls"

"Do it!"

Klaus smirked. "You see, Riley? He wants me to end his suffering. I did break him…took everything and now he's begging me to sweep away the shards of his shattered little life"

She sighed with relief when Klaus moved his hand. He kept Tyler pinned against the tree.

"Death offers more peace than you deserve. It's better to let you live and each morning, you will wake knowing your wretched existence continues only by my will. Now go and live the rest of your days knowing that you are nothing to me"

"Tyler" she whispered.

"Come, Riley. Judging by what he said about you, he cares very little. He was willing to kill you to get to me"

"Tyler, is he lying?"

Tyler kept his eyes on the ground, refusing to look at her. Klaus led her away from the campsite. He stopped as they passed by the wooden cabin. His eyes rested on the dead man missing a heart. It did not take long for him to realize that the man was a hybrid. Hayley and Elijah arrived at the cabin, both looking displeased with him. Hayley responded angrily when he questioned how another hybrid existed if he was not sired by him. Elijah told him about Tyler's theory regarding the baby's blood. Klaus looked hurt by the accusation.

"Of course you assume it's true. Why else would I show interest in my own flesh and blood? A heartbroken little crybaby points his finger at me and my own brother falls in line, eager to believe it! Riley, do you believe this as well?"

"No"

"Look at that, brother. It seems that it's coming true sooner than you thought. Still secure that her affections haven't strayed?"

Elijah's fists clenched. She looked between them, confused.

"What's going on?"

"You've been keeping a little secret, love. Agnes told us of this prophecy…including the part you left out that pertains to you and me. I can understand why you kept it to yourself. You wanted to spare poor Elijah's feelings"

"No, I didn't tell anyone because…it's awkward. This isn't the time to talk about ridiculous visions. We've all had a long day so let's go back to the house"

"With a brother who doubts my intentions? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Standing next to the noble Elijah, how can I be anything but the lesser brother? A liar, a manipulator, a bastard"

"Klaus, no one's saying—we can talk about this later"

Klaus and Elijah were inches away from each other. "That's all I am to you, isn't it? And Rebekah. No doubt my child will as well"

"Brother, if—"

"You've said all that needs to be said, Brother. I'll play the role I've been given"

In a split second, Klaus bit Elijah savagely on the neck. Riley rushed to his side. Klaus wiped the blood from his lips.

"You three enjoy each other's company. You'll have much to bond over, once the hallucinations and dementia set in. Consider that bite to be my parting gift"

With a smug smirk, he walked away from the cabin. "Elijah"

"The bite won't kill me, Riley. It may cause a bit of discomfort but I'll live"

"I'll make him cure you"

"Don't. He's not in the best mood"

"I don't care"

After helping Elijah into the cabin, she chased after Klaus. He was leaning against a tree. She picked up a large rock and chucked it at him. He caught it before it struck his head.

"Give him your blood"

"No"

"No?"

"You heard me correctly. A few days of discomfort are hardly something to be angry about, love. As he said, he'll live"

"This is why people think I'm crazy for trusting you. I keep telling them that you're not a horrible person and then you do stupid shit. It's like two steps forward and a thousand steps back. For once, can you not be an asshole?"

Klaus vanished from the tree. He kept disappearing in the blink of an eye, making it impossible to keep an eye on him. Her necklace was taken off of her. He reappeared by the tree, holding it between his fingers.

"Give me that"

"If you kiss me. You certainly enjoyed our last one"

"Because a witch bitch spelled me"

"So you say. If you ask me, it was just a story to comfort Elijah...like his pathetic story about this necklace. He only told you that because he's feeling insecure. When Agnes told us of this prophecy, he put on a brave face but deep down, he was crushed. You shouldn't have kept it a secret. He deserved to know the truth"

"You know what you deserve? A dose of reality. I…love…Elijah. You're my friend, Klaus. There's nothing else between us. You're getting your hopes up over a stupid prophecy. What you and everyone else fail to understand is that to have a baby, I am the one who has to get pregnant. Unless you also have the special ability to be pregnant, which could be possible since there are crazy magical loopholes, this whole prophecy relies on me. It's not your decision. It's mine. I don't give a damn what Agnes or my ex-boyfriend/evil entity says. There will never be a day that I have your child. Hayley is having your baby and if you care about your future daughter, grow the fuck up and heal your brother!"

"Who am I to stand in the way of such love?"

Klaus curled his hand into a fist, crushing the necklace. Tears filled her eyes as the broken pieces fell to the ground. He disappeared from the bayou in a quick blur…

~Marcel~

Marcel was sitting in his nightwalker bar, meeting with a hybrid named Tyler Lockwood. Diego had introduced them after Tyler met with him at Rousseau's. He explained his complicated history with Klaus, from being his first hybrid to Klaus killing his mother. Tyler had one thing on his mind: revenge. He was hoping to make a deal to help with his vendetta.

"I already know about Hayley, the werewolf girl. What else you got?"

"What if I told you that werewolf girl is carrying Klaus's child? If that baby is born, it'll mean the end of the vampire species"

"Keep talking"

Tyler explained that he was the one to kidnap Hayley the previous night. Taking her blood, he was able to test a theory about the unborn baby. Its blood was capable of creating hybrids. With their lethal bite to vampires and no need for a daylight ring, it would take little time for Klaus to form an army large enough to take down every vampire in the city.

"You've got my attention. So you were his first hybrid, huh?"

"He turned me on prank night at my high school"

"In Mystic Falls. I'm guessing you knew Elijah's little girlfriend…the witch?"

"Yea, R—Mae"

Marcel noticed his slight hesitation. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Nothing much. She uh kept to herself mostly. We weren't part of the same crowd. She's not really useful now that her magic's gone"

"Lana, get our new friend here a drink…show him around the city a little"

Lana, a blonde girl in her early twenties and one of his daywalkers, smiled and took Tyler outside the bar. Diego handed Marcel a cellphone.

"This is his?"

"Took it from him when we left Rousseau's. Think he's working for Klaus?"

"It's possible. I want to make sure he can be trusted"

Marcel looked through the pictures of him and his friends. Mae was in most of them, meaning that he knew her pretty well despite not being part of the same crowd.

"He knows that mouthy little witch"

"Looks like it but no texts from her. Plenty of messages from Caroline…damn, he was in the doghouse with her. Other texts from his jock buddies and—D, look at this"

Diego glanced at a text sent over the summer. "He sent a picture of some mountains to someone named Riley. So what?"

"You know who lived in Mystic Falls? Riley Gilbert. Why was he sending texts to a dead girl? Give this to Jasper. He's always been good at hacking. If there's proof of a Lacroix still walking around, I want it"

With a small nod, he took the phone and left the bar…

A/N: Thanks for reading. All feedback is appreciated. This chapter is a lot longer than usual since it's been awhile since my last update. With the prophecy being out in the open, it's going to only worsen the tension between Elijah and Klaus. They both have very different reactions to it based on their own relationships with Riley. Klaus sees it as a sign of hope while Elijah is not bothered by it because he is secure in his feelings for Riley. The next chapter will delve into Elijah's own fears regarding the relationship and Hayley and Riley will have some bonding time. Also, thanks to Tyler, Marcel is going to be even more suspicious of Riley and that will only grow when he encounters a familiar face.