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"I'm ready to fall, so tired of it all. I'm ready to climb this mountain inside, can't do it alone."

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BLAIR POV

I lay asleep in my bed, tucking the sheets up to my chin as the early morning sun shines through the windows. I don't remember how I got home or what exactly happened last night. Everything is such a blur. The only thing that I can make sense of is how comfortable the bed feels right now, more comfortable than it has ever been. I think this is the first time in a long time I haven't fallen asleep on a damped pillow with reddened eyes.

I stretch my legs under the sheets and roll over, coming face to face with another male in the bed. Confused and alert, I grab his shoulder and turn him around, realizing it's the one and only James. My James.

"James?" I croak, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"Hello love," he smiles, speaking in his wonderful British accent I have so dearly missed.

I smile widely and cup his face, making sure this is real but as I look around me, I realize nothing is familiar. We sleep in a room filled with nothing but white; white furniture, walls, blankets and even clothes. Everything seems staged, like it's not real.

"You're not real, are you?" I frown, rubbing my thumb idly on his cheek.

He sighs and takes my hand from his cheek, placing a gentle kiss on the top of it. The gentle pressure of his lips on my hand feels so real, it's amazing and tragic all at the same time.

"How are you here?" I ask when he doesn't answer.

"That doesn't matter Blair," he whispers lowly. "You need to wake up now," he says sternly.

"What?" I ask, the smile slowly vanishing from my face.

"Wake up Blair," he repeats, his voice ringing in my ears. 

• • •

At first I'm confused and then suddenly I gasp awake, finding myself in another room that seems more real. It's a dark place, like an abandoned building. I blink rapidly as if trying to replay my dream in my mind but it's no use. I'm back in reality again.

I lay still on the ground, scared to move as my surroundings are still unclear. The last thing I remember is being taken from the bathroom unconscious, like I was poisoned presumably from the drink that strange man gave me- that strange man that Joel knocked out, that strange man standing in front of me now.

"I know you're awake, Blair," the man says.

His deep voice makes me jump slightly, as he kicks me harshly in my side. I let out a grunt and curl up, clutching my stomach as I quickly roll over. My reaction time is slower, as I can still feel the effects of the vervain in me. Just before he can kick me again, I sit up, and crawl as far as I can backwards until I reach a wall. This time I'm able to get a clearer look at my kidnapper's face, and I realize it's the same man from last night.

"Who the hell are you? Are you with Silas?" I ask, thinking of the first thing that comes to mind. The last time I heard Silas's body was dedicated, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have escaped.

The man lets out a low laugh, shaking his head with a large grin plastered on his face. "Silas? He's old news my dear. Fellow died quite a while back," he says.

I open my mouth agape, shocked and relieved at the same time. Part of me is glad Silas is dead, seeing as he killed James while the other part of me is confused and more frightened of who this man is standing in front of me.

"How do you know my name?" I ask, not bothering to ask any more details of Silas. Of course I want to know how he died, and what else could have possibly happened in the year and a half I was awol, but now is not the time. I need to get home to Theo.

"It was easy really, to get into your mind," he shrugs.

"So you're a witch?" I ask, trying to put the pieces together.

"I guess you could say that, yes," he admits. "Finding your name within your crowded mind was easy. Finding you, well that took some time." 

"Find me? How did you find me?" I ask all at once.

"Figured when one of my men went missing, something was up." He says, and suddenly I remember the vampire that followed Theo and I all the way home, the same vampire Klaus killed to protect me. "Then a locater spell with a little bit of your twin's blood helped clear things up." 

At the mention of my brother's name, my whole body freezes. "Leave my family out of this," I growl, not wanting Stefan or Damon or anyone else for that matter to get hurt. Despite not seeing or talking to them for almost two years, the thought of someone else being ripped from my life is something I don't think I can handle. I can't handle loosing anyone else.

"Too late Blair. They and everyone else in Mystic Falls are already in trouble now that we're in town," the man says.

I shake my head in annoyance and lash out in anger despite all the vervain in my system dragging me down like weights chained to my shoulders. "Who's we? Who the hell are you even? What the hell do you want with me!" I ask angrily.

"Blair, you do not get to ask so many questions. You see, I am the one running things right now, and I think it's about time you realize who's in charge," the man says, before placing two fingers in his mouth and letting out a loud whistle.

As if on que, Tyler Lockwood rounds the corner, dragging an unconscious body. It's Christina.

"Oh my god," I whisper, starting to crawl towards Christina but the man lifts his hand and forces me back with his magic. "Tyler? What are you doing!" I yell.

Tyler looks up at me and laughs as he throws Christina's body beside me, before going and standing beside the man. "Oh, I'm not Tyler," he says, putting his hands in his pockets.

I laugh and glare at Tyler. "I hope you're wearing a diaper Lockwood, because I'm pretty sure you're full of shit," I snap bitterly.

Tyler cocks his head to the side. "Okay then, would your friend Tyler do this?" he asks, and before I know it he has Christina by the hair, his fangs bared inches away from her neck as he prepares to go for the kill.

"STOP!" I scream, but my voice is raspy and weak, and it feels like my vocal cords are rubbing against sandpaper. "Please," I whisper, watching as this imposter of Tyler Lockwood holds an unconscious Christina by her hair.

"Alright," the man says, telling Tyler to calm down. Immediately under this man's command, he releases Christina, letting her limp body fall to the floor. "What my man is trying to say, is that our group of witches have a particular talent for inhabiting other bodies," the man says.

"So what does Christina have to do with this? Why is she here? She doesn't need to be here!" I plead, rambling anything that I can. I can't let Christina die, I can't let anyone die.

"Because Blair, we need something from you and if you do not give us what we need, I will not hesitate to end your dear friend here," the man says calmly.

"Okay! I'll give you whatever you need! Just please let her go!" I say, my hands shaking and my eyes welling with tears.

"What we require from you is a little witch I know you have living with you," the man says, crossing his arms across his chest, making him appear more broader and intimidating.

"Theo?" I gasp. "Why in gods name do you need Theo!" I yell, anger rushing through me like it's been injected into my veins. Any mention of Theo and everything inside me urges me to protect him. He's become a Salvatore, my family.

The man sighs like it's a long and complicated story. "You see Blair, we are a group of witches called Travellers and centuries back, a clan of witches put a spell on us so we can never stay in one place for too long, hence the name Travellers. It just so happens that to create this spell the witches used doppelgänger blood, but it appears their blood is not enough to break the spell permanently." 

"I still don't understand where Theo comes into this," I growl.

"Young Theo was born from a long line of witches, as the Bridges witches go all the way back. In fact, Bridges witches are one of the first Travellers that originally had a spell placed on. However, Theo's mom was a witch and his dad a Traveller making Theo the first and only half witch, half Traveller from the Bridges line. Theo is able to have the power of the witches and Travellers, but without the consequence of the curse. Therefore, I need his blood to break the curse for good."

"How much blood do you need?" I ask, every inch of me fearing his response.

"All of it," he says, and my stomach drops.

"No," I growl, a deep and viscous sound escaping my lips, a sound I've never heard come out of me before. "Who the hell do you think you are?" 

"I am Marcos, leader of the Travellers, and if you do not deliver to me what I want within twenty-four hours, Christina here will die," the man, Marcos says, motioning to Christina who is just beginning to wake.

"Listen here, Marcos," I say, saying his name carelessly. "I am the last person you want to mess with right now. I've gone up against supernatural beings far stronger than you, and even then I was able to survive. I've been through hell and back, so if you think you're going to take my Theo away from me, think again." 

Marcos only cracks a devious smile as he stares down at me. "Twenty-four hours Blair. You either hand Theo over and Christina lives, or you refuse and they both end up dead. One way or another I'm getting Theo, but it's your choice," Marcos says, before turning to Tyler. "I'll going back to Mystic Falls to handle the doppelgänger part. I need you to stay here and if Ms. Salvatore doesn't bring Theo here by tomorrow, kill the girl," Marcos says, before turning the corner and disappearing out of the abandoned building.

Tyler nods and slowly turns to me. "Get up," he demands.

"I don't take orders from you," I sass, standing my ground.

Tyler scowls before walking over to me and grabbing me by my hair. "I have fangs of a hybrid, and I won't hesitate to kill you," he growls.

In one quick motion I wipe my hand by his knees, flipping him backwards onto his back before standing up. I take a step back, watching as he struggles to get up, letting out a few groans. "You may have the body of a hybrid dick, but I have the experience of 163 years," I smirk.

"You better leave before I kill your friend," Tyler warns.

I take in a deep breath, debating what I should do. This Tyler imposter is pretty pathetic and weak, and I see a clear opportunity for me to snatch Christina and go, but I know deep down if I don't do something two people I love dearly will most likely end up dead. I can't kill Tyler either, seeing as I'll be killing the real one too. So before I can think too much more about it, I sprint to Christina and prop her over my shoulder, before sprinting vamp speed to the door. But just as I'm about to leave, Tyler zooms right in front of me.

"Going somewhere?" he smirks.

My eyes open wide as Tyler kicks me backwards with one strong kick, sending Christina flying out of my arms. She hits the ground hard while my head smacks against the pavement, stars clouding my vision. I crawl to Christina, but Tyler grabs me by my hair and yanks me on my feet before I can move any further. He holds me in an awkward position, so I raise my fist and aim for his throat but he's too fast and catches my fist in his hand. Then without even thinking about it, he bares his hybrid fangs and digs them into my flesh, marking two perfect puncture holes in my skin.

He then breaks apart and stares at my bleeding arm in shock. I however stare down numbly at it, the reality of it's consequences not yet hitting me. It's a hybrid bite, meaning werewolf venom is now flowing freely through my blood stream, yet my mind doesn't have the capacity to process any more pain.

"You better go find Theo quick there, or else you're gonna run out of time," Tyler smirks, pride clearly in his voice as he realizes what he's just done. 

I only glare at him with watery eyes before sprinting out of the building. Once I reach outside I find the main road so I have a sense of where I am, however as far as I can tell I'm somewhere down the back roads of Atlanta, far away from home. If I run I'll waste my energy, but if I walk, I might not make it back in time before the hallucinations start.

There's so much clogging my mind right now, I can't even think clearly, and I don't know if that's because of the werewolf toxins, or if I'm really going insane. It's like my mind is a dark and vengeful sea, storming with pain and sadness, and I can't sort out what to do with my life anymore.

With nothing else to do, I fall to my knees in the middle of the road and scream at the top of my lungs. I scream so loud, my voice cracks and breaks, and I scream until nothing is left. When the last sliver of a sound escapes my lips, I fall to the ground and lay like a star fish peacefully on the road, giving into the fact that there is a great chance I may not make it back.

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[completed & edited: 09/16/2021]