┏━━━ ————————━━━┓

𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 22
"And what makes you think
they will ever believe you?"

┗━━━————————━━━┛

— "WAIT OKAY SO WHAT HAPPENED?" Skyler questioned confused as she and Damon followed Stefan down the stairs, waiting for answers.

He sighed, responding, "Isobel just showed up at the front doorstep."

"What's she doing here?" Damon questioned further.

"I don't know, that's what I'm gonna go find out." He replied. He went down the last step, turning into the hallway with Damon and Skyler hot on his heels. They paused when Katherine came out.

"Oh come on," Skyler complained loudly, stopping upon seeing her, "Does this bitch never leave?"

Katherine smiled at her, voice dripping with false kindness, "I'll never leave you." She blew a kiss causing Skyler to scrunch her nose up in disgust, Katherine ignored her with a grin, turning to Stefan, "I don't think that you should tell her that I'm here."

He furrowed his brows in confusion, "What? Why?"

"It's better if she and John not know that I stayed in town after I got out of the tomb." She responded cautiously.

"You're the one in cahoots with them." Damon commented. "What? Scared they'll hunt you down?" Skyler asked rhetorically, coming to stand in between her brothers as she stared Katherine down. "You made a deal with John that almost got me killed." He continued.

"I did what I had to to get out of the tomb." She responded stubbornly, her eyes narrowed.

Skyler narrowed her eyes in return, "Oh right, you always do what you have to for yourself, don't you Katherine?" Her name was spat out like poison, her glare intense enough to send the vampire six feet under. Again. Skyler wondered briefly, bitterly, if Katherine would be able to dig herself out of that hole.

She glared at her, scratching the back of her neck, she told them casually, "Now I'm reconsidering my alliance."

Katherine turned back in an attempt to leave when Stefan called out, "What do you know?"

The vampire sighed, spinning back around, "I know that I want Klaus dead, which puts me squarely on team you. Besides if you two," Katherine pointedly left Skyler out without care. Skyler rolled her eyes, tempted to snap the vampire's throat though that seemed to be a very familiar desire recently, she continued, "Ever need me to swap places with Elena again, the less people know that I'm here, the better." She looked between the two brothers ignoring their sister completely before her eyes landed on Stefan, "Think about it Stefan, come on. Be smart."

"Oh what, like you?" Skyler commented snidely.

Stefan nodded in response to Katherine's words before he took a breath and turned on his heels, "Tell you what, how about you three call Alaric and let him know that his wife's just showed up on his girlfriend's doorstep." He clicked his tongue before quickly leaving.

"Take me with you." Skyler called jokingly before the door closed behind him. She frowned, glaring at the door and then setting her glare on Katherine who was decidedly unbothered. Her glare intensified before she turned and walked away.

ೃ⁀➷

"DO you really think that Isobel's telling the truth that words got out about the doppelgänger?" Elena asked a few hours later as she sat on the couch with Skyler who reluctantly sat on the opposite end as far away as she could get from her brother's girlfriend while said brother sat beside her in the recliner and Damon sat in another chair nearby.

"Look, I don't trust a word that she says, but I think we'd be stupid to ignore the warning." Stefan told her wisely.

"You know you should just stay here." Skyler and Elena's heads snapped over to look at the eldest Salvatore. "What?!" Skyler hissed, her eyes wide. She did not want to wind up babysitting again. Damon pointedly ignored her though his next words weren't just for Elena, "It's better for us to keep an eye on you."

"What, in the house that any vampire can enter? No." Stefan disagreed, "Her house is safer." Skyler threw her hands up in a short victory. "Thank you!"

"Well, then we'll stay there." Damon replied.

Skyler huffed, "Okay count me out of any plan involving babysitting doppelgänger one or two." She told them all sternly, pointing her finger at each of them with her eyes narrowed.

Elena sighed, shook her head, and looked at Skyler's brothers, "Okay so is that the plan? Neither of you will let me out of your sight again?"

"Let me know when you come up with a better one." Damon shot back.

Elena sighed once more, "Fine. Then one of you two," The doppelgänger wisely left Skyler out of it which caused the woman to smirk triumphantly, "bodyguards is gonna have to come with me to the Lockwood luncheon."

"That'd be me." Stefan said with a fond smile. "Not me. I have witch stuff to attend to with Bonnie." Damon told them.

"Ooh yes, finally something interesting." Skyler grinned looking at her older brother, "Can I come?"

"Sure. Why not." He rolled his eyes, "We'll make it a party." He mocked teasingly.

"Yes!" Skyler cheered happily unbothered by his mocking tone. What? She had gotten used to Mystic Falls's action-packed world and was now dying of boredom every time she was left out. Cut her some slack.

"Does that mean that you're taking her to the—"

"Shh." Damon shushed Elena. Katherine's heels clicked on the floor, echoing through the house as she entered the room.

"Don't get quiet on my account." She called, "If you have a plan to combat the impending vampire doom, please do tell." Katherine leaned over the table behind the couch where Elena and Skyler were seated, looking around for answers. The four kept their mouths zipped shut, getting comfortable in their seats and silent as Katherine surveyed the room, "Seriously, what is the plan to get us out of this mess, hmm?" She questioned, "I delivered you a moonstone, a werewolf, and the dagger to lure and kill Klaus, and right now all you have is a moonstone." She narrowed her eyes, "Or so you tell me."

Skyler looked over her shoulder at Katherine with a glare and a fake grin, "And all you have is an attitude for us letting you live."

"We have the moonstone." Stefan told Katherine sternly.

"Where is it?" She questioned.

"It's in a very safe place." Damon assured her, his eyes narrowed.

Katherine scowled, "I've been honest with you. Time to return the favor."

"You've been honest for five minutes. You've lied for over a hundred." Skyler snarked.

"Let me be honest with you, don't mistake the fact that we haven't set you on fire in your sleep for trust." Damon told Katherine with a smile on his face.

Finally, the vampire doppelgänger relented, "Fine. Be that way."

ೃ⁀➷

AFTER getting an... interesting text from a certain original husband, Skyler decided not to go with Damon to the witch's house though he didn't seem too disappointed only rolling his eyes before leaving without her.

Unfortunately, this left Skyler and Katherine alone. A fact that displeased Skyler a lot. Which is why she didn't wait long after Damon left to grab her coat and head straight for the door before she got too angry with Katherine and snapped her neck. "I'm leaving!" She called out halfheartedly, already reaching for the doorknob only to be pushed against the wall by Katherine who ran at her with vampire speed, Skyler let out a gasp, her heartbeat racing in surprise.

"What do you think you're doing?" She questioned with wide eyes. Did Katherine want to die? Or think she couldn't?

"You know, you've called me Katerina one too many times to be coincidental." Katherine told her, her hand wrapped around Skyler's throat, pinning the younger vampire to the wall.

"So?" Skyler questioned not daring to stutter or show fear. She wasn't scared and she certainly wouldn't act like it in front of her.

"Your brothers may be dumb but I'm not. You're not on our side, you're on theirs." She spat out, her eyes narrowed.

"Theirs?" Skyler questioned, willing her heart to stay calm, "Have you officially lost it, Katherine?"

"Elijah! Klaus! You're on one of their sides. It's the only way you could know that name." She growled, glaring at the vampire in front of her, she tilted her head after a moment of pause, "I wonder how your brothers will react."

Skyler stared at her for a second before finally dropping the act. She grabbed Katherine, reversing the position she found herself in. Flipping them around, she wrapped her hand around Katherine's neck without mercy, pinning her to the wall, she narrowed her eyes, "And what makes you think they will ever believe you?" This response seemed to leave Katherine speechless for once, which seemed to be answer enough for Skyler who pushed the girl off the wall and away from her. "That's what I thought." She responded harshly, "Do yourself a favor, don't mention this to anyone, Katerina, or you'll have more worries than just Niklaus finding you." She threatened before making her way back to the front door.

Her eyes narrowed coldly on the woman before a warm smile graced her lips as she waved goodbye. "Ta ta now." She said, shutting the front door and disappearing.

ೃ⁀➷

LATER that day, Damon's blue Camaro rolled up to the house belonging to Isobel quietly. The second that the car was stopped, the Salvatore brothers climbed out of their seats, shutting the doors behind them and leaving Skyler behind in the backseat. "Oh, what the—" she cut herself off with a groan as she climbed into the front seat, she then got out of the car, following her brothers, "Really?" She questioned with a cold glare.

"Oops." Stefan responded with a grin as Damon messed up her hair making her groan. Stefan stepped back, looking up at the house, he studied it curiously, "Think this is the house?"

"Better be, it's the nicest foreclosure in town." Damon replied. "Swear to god if she's not here—"

"Don't be such a pessimist brother." Skyler said, following him up the steps to the front door with Damon on her heels.

Stefan didn't bother ringing the doorbell when he got to the door, instead, he slammed it open, walking right in. Skyler and Damon came in behind him, looking around. "I got upstairs." Stefan told them, quickly climbing the staircase.

Skyler nodded, going to one side of the downstairs while Damon went to the other in search of Isobel or anyone else that may be lurking. "Got anything?" Damon asked her after they both quickly studied both rooms, she shook her head as Stefan climbed back down the stairs, "but this is Isobel's stuff." Damon commented, "Definitely the right place."

"So where are they?" Stefan questioned.

"I don't know, Stefan." The siblings glanced around as they rushed back out the door, slamming it behind them. They were on a time crunch here and they could practically hear the clock ticking away in their ears.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

ೃ⁀➷

"TO be clear, I do not agree with this." Skyler told them sternly as she stood in the hallway with Damon while Stefan spoke to Elena.

"Well, you don't have to agree. We're doing it." He told her with a smirk. Grabbing the papers, he walked away. She let out a groan and she followed after him.

"He knows I'm not gonna run." Elena said.

"Which is why we need to take some precautions, 'cause we got played," Damon told her stretching out the papers, "All of us." He added as he put the papers down on Elena's lap.

"What's this?" She asked, looking down at the papers and then back at them.

"It's a deed to our house." Stefan told her, "It's in Zach's name. Soon as you sign it, it'll be in your name."

Elena didn't seem to think it was as simple as Stefan said and Skyler couldn't help but agree, "You're giving me your house?"

"Against my will." Skyler commented, her arms crossed.

"Isobel had the right idea with the safe house, you'll just stay here till it's all over." He explained, "That way you can control who gets invited and doesn't."

"Although I'll be super pissed if you lock me out." Damon added half-jokingly.

Elena sighed in exasperation before looking at Skyler, "And you're okay with this?"

"I don't exactly have a choice." She said plainly. Stefan shot her a pointed look which made her roll her eyes, "Yes, I'm fine with it. Just sign the stupid papers."

At least this way Isobel couldn't kill Elena before Klaus could, she thought. Elena nodded in acknowledgment when suddenly behind them John Gilbert let out a loud audible gasp as he woke up.

In a second, Damon had him held by his collar in the air while Skyler stood by his side, leaving no room for escape, "I swear I had no idea what she was gonna do." John gasped, staring at him in fear as he breathed heavily, "I'm sorry." He glanced over at Elena for help or forgiveness, nobody could be sure, "I'm so, so sorry."

"Damon, let him go." She said reluctantly, he looked over at her like she was insane (which, she was), "He and I need to talk."

ೃ⁀➷

"AT least something went right today." Stefan was saying to Damon when Skyler entered the room.

Skyler stepped into the room, going over to her twin, "Ooh give me a glass of that." She said upon realizing he was drinking. Stefan rolled his eyes, handing her his glass before pouring another for himself, "Hey where were you today anyway? We know you didn't stick around to hang out with Katherine."

"I have a life you know." She told them indignantly.

Stefan shook his head chuckling a bit when suddenly he had a realization, "Katherine has no idea that Bonnie got her powers back." Damon hummed in the affirmative, "And Isobel had no idea what you and Jeremy took Bonnie to do today." He approached Damon, handing his brother the third glass as Skyler followed over to them, curious about where this was going. "We're the only ones who know."

"That literally makes Bonnie our secret weapon."

ೃ⁀➷

"YOU really think Bonnie can take on class?" Skyler asked as she stood on the porch with her brothers while Elena signed the official deed documents inside. She looked over at her twin as she stood in the space between her brothers, Stefan who leaned against the edge of the small brick half-wall, and Damon who leaned over it, "I mean I know she's a Bennet but..."

"She said she could channel enough witches' power to kill him." Skyler raised a brow in disbelief while Damon looked over at his brother with his brows furrowed, "Elijah thought that would work and he was an original, so."

"We just need to find him." Damon commented.

Upstairs in Skyler's bedroom, in her nightstand drawer sat a secret phone known only by the Mikaelsons. Klaus's name lit up the screen.

"Yeah." Stefan agreed, and she nodded her own agreement beside him. She didn't really have much to say on the matter, she didn't want their plan to work and more so she knew it wouldn't, so why bother?

Skyler sighed as she turned around and leaned over the wall, "Couldn't she just do one of those witch-tracking spell thingies?" Upstairs, her phone buzzed for a minute before going quiet, showing a new notification for a missed call from Nik on the screen.

"Nope. Not without something that belongs to Klaus." Stefan told them, "Believe me I already asked." Both brothers sighed as they leaned back against the wall, waiting, thinking.

"Do you think he killed her?"

Stefan and Skyler looked over at their brother in confusion, brows furrowed, "Katherine?" He asked and then, "Probably."

"God I hope so." Skyler commented despite knowing he hadn't. If Klaus ever kills Katherine, he would send her head wrapped up in a pretty little bow for Skyler.

"It's not like she didn't have it coming." Damon said halfheartedly. Skyler looked over at them, eyes narrowed due to the sun on her face, she knew despite everything her brothers still loved Katherine somehow.

"Yeah..." Stefan agreed, looking away from Damon as he crossed his arms.

Just then, the front door opened and the lawyer walked out, Elena stood inside by the front door letting the man out. "Thank you, Mr. Henry." Elena told him politely with a smile. The Salvatore siblings offered smiles to the man as he walked away while they headed to the front door, pausing when they got in front of it and realized they could no longer come in.

Not without Elena's permission anyway.

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot." She apologized, turning around and walking back to the door, "Stefan. Would you like to come inside my house?" She smiled.

"Our house." Skyler corrected raising her hand like a student, Damon glared at her stepping on her shoe. "Ow! What? It's still ours!"

Stefan rolled his eyes before acknowledging Elena, "I would love to. Thank you." He said walking right in.

Elena chuckled before looking back at Damon and Skyler with narrowed eyes, "What are we, twelve?" Damon scoffed.

"One of us is." She retorted.

Skyler rolled her eyes, "Just let us in."

"If I let you in, do you promise to obey the owner of this house?" Elena asked pointedly ignoring Skyler causing her to groan.

"No." Damon replied easily.

"Seriously, Damon." Elena said, "My way. You promised. I call the shots. No lies. No secret agendas. Remember?" Skyler winced hoping Elena wouldn't give her the same rules cause Elena's rules would completely go against her whole plan. Then again... she always did love breaking rules.

"Yes, Elena. Sure." Damon told her.

"Then please, come in."

Skyler sighed as she stepped up to the door, crossing her arms. "Now what about little ol' me, hmm?"

Elena looked her up and down, a facial expression that could only be described as a resting bitch face came into her face, "You can come on in I guess." She told her carelessly.

"Gee, thanks." She smiled sarcastically. Walking in, she closed the door behind her.   Ignoring the glances from her brothers, she went upstairs without another word. She let out a sigh as she entered her room and closed the door behind her.

Looking around, she knew; This was her home. It didn't matter whose name was on the deed or where she lived — This would always be her home. In the same way, the Mikaelson homes are and the same way the pile of rubble that once was the original Salvatore home would always be hers.

ೃ⁀➷

"SO we go to the dance, we find him." Damon said simply.

"Uh wait, who's we?" Skyler questioned crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Yes, you're coming." He responded nonchalantly with a roll of his eyes.

Stefan pushed back against the wall and coming to a stand, he asked, "okay but how are we gonna do that? We don't even know what he looks like."

"Something tells me he's not going to be sixteen and pimply." Damon retorted.

"He could be anywhere at any time." Stefan pointed out, "He compelled somebody at school. I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"

There's a knock at the door before Alaric enters however there's something different about him. Skyler narrowed her eyes trying to figure it out however nobody else seemed to notice. She brushed it off. "There you are." Damon greeted. "Sorry, I'm late." Alaric responded.

"Hey, I need you to put Skyler and me down as chaperones at the dance tonight." He told him before Skyler could protest going to the dance, "Klaus made his first move."

"Okay, so we find him, and then what, hmm?" Elena asked as Alaric stepped down into the foyer, "What's our plan of attack?"

"Me." Bonnie responded carefully, "I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel." Skyler watched Alaric closely, still suspicious as the witch continued, "If you can find him, I can kill him."

"That's not going to be that easy though." She pointed out absentmindedly, "It never is."

"Yeah I mean he is the biggest, baddest vampire around." Alaric added seriously, she arched a brow at him and tilted her head curiously.

"They have a point. I mean what if he—" Damon flashed in front of Bonnie only to be blown back with one raise of her hand.

BAM

CRASH!

Skyler whistled as Damon landed on the floor with a shout and gasp. "Well, I was impressed." Stefan commented.

"It doesn't matter if he's an original." Bonnie told them cockily, "I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, Elena." She said standing beside her friend now, she narrowed her eyes in a show of determination, "I know I can."

"Well, now that that's done," Skyler began, "I'm going to find something to wear." Her brothers rolled her eyes but at least she wouldn't be the next one thrown across the room by a Bennet witch. Unbothered, she walked upstairs to find an outfit.

ೃ⁀➷

KOL was relaxing on the couch in the temporary Mikaelson house when his phone lit up, a familiar ringtone playing; Love Is Strange by Mickey & Sylvia. His face lit up as he ran to the phone just as it sang, "Babbyyy." He answered before the next lyric could play, a smile on his face.

"I need help." Skyler told him as soon as he answered, she sounded out of breath and annoyed.

Immediately on the defense, he tensed as his smile fell, "What's wrong?"

There was a sound in the background making noise as she fell onto her bed, "I have to chaperone the stupid dance tonight and I have nothing to wear." She whined.

Kol blinked in a mixture of surprise and confusion. "What?" He asked, "Seriously, Skygem?"

"Ugh I know," she groaned, "I don't even want to go to it but my brothers are making me and you know it'll be good for the plan and all that," Skyler sighed, "but you know if I have to go, I have to show up looking my best."

"You always look your best." He responded, tension fading as a lovesick smile rested on his face.

He could practically hear her eyes rolling as she responded teasingly, "Yeah, yeah, lover boy just help me pick out an outfit."

He hummed, sitting up seriously, "Of course darling."

ೃ⁀➷

WITH her head held high, Skyler strides into the high school's decade dance with a smirk on her face, confident as ever in some of her old clothes Kol had managed to drop by the house. Coming to a standstill out of the way of the door she looked around the room. There were a lot of eyes on her mainly from the males along with a few wandering females who couldn't help but look, however Skyler was only looking for one person.

And... there he is.

Damon.

"You dressed up for this thing?" Her eldest brother asked in disbelief as she approached.

She scoffed in response, "Are you kidding? Of course, I did." Skyler told him indignantly, "When else will I get a chance to wear something like this?"

"I hear vintage is the new trend." Stefan commented standing with Elena in front of Damon and Skyler. He didn't so much as glance away from the stage where the announcer was speaking.

Skyler snorted, "Yeah right."

In the background, the announcer continued to speak but her words only just caught the Salvatore's attention, "This is for Elena. From Klaus." The crowd cheered and applauded however the group didn't seem to think it was as cute as the crowd, each member of the group was struck by a sense of horror or paranoia as they looked around with wide eyes. All except Skyler. "That was a lame, cheap shot." Damon commented as they looked around as if Klaus was going to pop up out of thin air and yell 'boo!'

"He's just trying to bait us." Skyler said brushing it off.

"I know everyone here." Elena told them.

"Maybe he's not here." Stefan said conspiratorially, "He just wants us to believe that he is."

Skyler looked around sternly, her lips pursed, "Oh he's here." She said matter of factly.

"It's a party, people. Blend." Damon told them suddenly, eyes relaxed but focused, "Let him come to us."

"Good idea." Bonnie smirked.

"No, no, I really don't feel like dancing." Jeremy protested when Bonnie started to lead him away, she rolled her eyes with a fond smile, "Too bad."

"There's Ric." Damon commented as he found his drinking buddy in the crowd. "I'll be back."

"And I will..." Skyler looked around trying to find an excuse to get away from the last remaining couple, "...Get out of here." She muttered. Walking away into the crowd, she wondered if the punch bowl would be spiked like in the movies.

A girl could dream, right?

ೃ⁀➷

"DANCE with me." A teen said as he smiled charmingly at Skyler.

She looked him up and down before she scoffed, "No thanks. I don't date little boys."

"Good thing I'm not looking for a date." He responded confidently, "Just a little fun."

Skyler looked at him in pure disgust, "I could be your mother." She lied, technically her outer appearance was the same age as him. But truthfully, she could be his great, great, grandmother.

"I dig older ladies." He shot back. Skyler narrowed her eyes. He would be digging his own grave pretty soon.

"I think she said no, pretty boy." Damon called coming to his baby sister's defense, "Back off."

The kid looked Damon up and down, quickly realizing he wasn't a high schooler, "What? This your wife?" He said nodding to Skyler.

"Ew gross." She scrunched her nose up in disgust.

Damon stepped up, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and glaring at the teen, "She's my baby sister."

"That mean she's single?" He asked hopefully.

Okay and with that, Skyler was done. She stood up to the teen, Damon's arm falling back to his side as she grabbed the teen's shoulders, looking into his eyes, "Leave and don't look at me again or you'll be digging your own grave by the end of the night. Am I clear?" The teen nodded before he walked away in a daze.

"Well, we handled that well." Damon smirked, "Now would you like to dance, sister mine?" He stretched out his hand for her to take.

Skyler shrugged, "Why not." She said. Taking his hand, she let her brother lead her onto the dance floor while an old pop song played in the background.

"When was the last time we danced together?" Damon asked with a rare smile.

"Daddy-daughter dance of '62?" She responded thoughtfully, "Dad wouldn't come, so you stepped in at the last second to save me from the embarrassment of my own father not caring." She recalled with a bittersweet smile.

"Right." He commented with a nod, his eyes narrowed, "Good old dad." Skyler hummed in agreement, "Where's Bonnie and Elena going?" He asked as his eyes wandered to the girls walking away.

Skyler shrugged, unbothered, "Who knows."

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER stood by the punch bowl alone. Both of her brothers had ditched her to go look for Elena, which left her to spike her own punch before she went insane. And that's when she saw Alaric disappearing with a strange look on his face that although familiar was not familiar with the man wearing it.

Klaus. She realized, this would be interesting. She smirked and set her glass down, quickly following Alaric out to find him in a hallway with Bonnie and Elena, "I much prefer the twenties." He told them conversationally, "The style, the parties, the jazz."

"What's going on here?" She questioned, playing innocent and oblivious as she walked up behind Bonnie and Elena.

Alaric smirked in her direction, "Just in time."

"Alaric." Elena called worriedly, "Are you on vervain?"

"Now why would you ask me that question, Elena?" He responded, eyes narrowed.

Skyler moved to stand beside Bonnie in front of the doppelgänger, "He's being compelled." Elena told them quietly.

"Nope. Try again." He called out.

"What's going on?" Bonnie questioned as she put distance between Alaric and Elena.

He exhaled deeply, "Okay. I'll give you a hint." He told them, "I am not Alaric."

"Klaus." Elena gasped.

"Surprise!" He grinned manically.

Elena shook her head in disbelief, "Oh no. No, it's not possible."

"Just relax, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you." Klaus as Alaric — Klausric, Skyler dubbed him silently — told her offhandedly, "You're not on my hit list tonight." He looked at Bonnie, his eyes narrowing, "But you are." Suddenly, he ran at the witch only to be thrown back into the lockers without ever being touched, the man groaned before crawling to his feet, "Now, did I mention that I know a witch?" He asked rhetorically, eyes narrowed in on them, "You're gonna have to hit me a lot harder than that."

Once again, Alaric ran at Bonnie only to be bounced back by a spell, he went straight through the glass trophy case, the glass breaking on impact as he fell to the ground with a groan before letting out manic laughter. "By all means... Fire away!" He called out confidently, "If you kill this body," he told them as he stood up, "I'll just get a new one." Skyler glared at him as she stood in front of Elena, using protecting her as a way to stay away from any fight with Klaus. She could pretend to hate him, to be on Elena's side, and even pretend to want to kill him and his whole family. It really wasn't that hard if she channeled all her anger at him from over the years, but that was all talk. She would not fight her best friend; her brother. "Maybe Jeremy."

"Go. Run." Bonnie told them sternly, "Run!" Without another second of hesitance, the three girls turned around and ran from the manic original in Alaric's body, Bonnie shutting doors with her mind behind them. "What happened?" Damon questioned as he ran up to them.

"Your drinking buddy's possessed." Skyler told him casually.

His brows furrowed in confusion, looking between the girls, "What?"

"Klaus is in Alaric's body." Elena told him, still in shock. "He's possessing it or something." Bonnie added.

His eyes narrowed, and he focused in on the doppelgänger, "Go find Stefan. Now." Damon told Elena sternly, "Now." He repeated when she didn't start running, he nodded at Skyler as Elena started walking away, "Go with her, keep her safe." Skyler nodded, following after Elena.

"Where is he?" Skyler asked aloud as she pushed through the crowd with Elena.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Caroline called as she approached, her date, a human named Matt, was close behind her.

Elena glanced from her to Skyler nervously, "Um, yeah. We're just..." she stumbled over an explanation. "Looking for Stefan." Skyler filled in beside the doppelgänger.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Caroline questioned worriedly.

"Uh just um, just stay with Matt, okay?" Elena told her trying to keep as many people safe as she could.

Finally, Skyler spotted Stefan in the crowd, nodding to Elena, she pointed him out and the doppelgänger rushed off to her boyfriend. She gave Caroline and Matt a parting smile before she went to find Damon.

ೃ⁀➷

"BONNIE, please! Please!" Elena cried over Bonnie's body. "It's too late... I'm sorry." Stefan told her softly. "No, no!" She sobbed, repeating the word over and over as Skyler and Damon entered the classroom, unaware of what they'd just walked into.

"Stefan, get Elena out of here." Damon told his younger brother sternly. He looked over at his sister, "We'll deal with the body."

Elena's eyes narrowed in disbelief and disdain, "What do you mean deal with it?" She questioned as Stefan stood up.

"The sheriff can't know about this." He said, walking up to her and Bonnie's body, "Last thing we need is another mysterious death."

"This is Bonnie!" She exclaimed incredulously.

Damon backed off, looking at Stefan, "Get her home, now." Quieter, he said, "So I can clean this up."

"Hey, hey," Stefan called out to his girlfriend comfortingly. Gently, he picked her up. "What about Jeremy?" She questioned in a state of panic. "We'll find him." Skyler assured her stepping up, "Right?" Damon gave a nod of agreement. Elena cried as Stefan took her away, leaving Damon and Skyler to deal with the aftermath.

He looked up and over at Skyler, "You can go." He told her softly, "I've put you through enough. You don't need to do this."

Skyler seemed conflicted but she knew he wouldn't give up so she nodded, knowing he didn't just want her to leave for her peace of mind but for his best interest too. He needed to do this.

For Bonnie.

Now alone, Damon looked down at Bonnie softly and closed her eyes, letting her rest.

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"SO, my brother took the history teacher's body?" Kol questioned in disbelief as he and Skyler lay on their bed in the temporary Mikaelson house, his arms wrapped around her as she quietly told him about the night's events, clearly more affected than she thought she would be. Skyler nodded against his chest and he let out a snort, "Talk about irony."

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" She asked quietly, her eyes fluttering closed, "I just wanna sleep for a decade or so."

Kol chuckled softly, his arms tightening around her. He would never deny her the simple act of holding her close, "Of course Skygem." He told her softly, "You're safe now."

She frowned, blinking her eyes open, "Klaus wouldn't do anything to me." She protested.

"No, he wouldn't. But he will do things to your brothers." She couldn't argue that and more so she didn't know what to say in response. Curling into his side, she let out a yawn, "Sleep, darling. I'll be here when you wake." Kol promised her and with a soft smile on her face, Skyler closed her eyes and fell asleep, safe in his arms.

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