(Y'all better spam these comments or I'm taking another long break)

Emotion is more powerful than reason. Emotion is the driving force behind thinking and reasoning. Emotional intelligence increases the mind's ability to make positive, brilliant decisions. But that only means, when it's been turned off or restrained, doing those things with the same power is impossible. You simply just exist.

However, if you've been alive for as long as some vampires had, it was easier to feign emotion, to appear alive even when you're dead inside. Surprisingly, Stefan Salvatore seemed to have that talent. He just found it easier to be a menace with that ability. 

Some would argue when you flip the switch it's only your humanity that's restrained, the ability to see when something is wrong, to feel guilt for the bad deeds you commit. You still feel joy when you cause pain, pride when you see the sorrowful expressions on the faces of those you hurt. However, you wouldn't know for sure unless you were to turn it off yourself, as it was common for vampires who had experience with the switch to block out the memories of what they'd done, asking them about it was as effective as talking to a brick wall in some cases.

Since Stefan flipped his switch he'd been nothing short of a nuisance, constantly following Mia and Elena around, glaring and sometimes attacking anyone who would speak to them. The acts of defence were excessive, he knew that, but what was the good in no emotions if you couldn't do as you please, without guilt and regret anchoring you down.

To cause chaos just for the sake of causing chaos.

"I just don't get why you had to bring her along." Alaric complained to Elena, he glared at the brunette vampire, as he pulled out vervain grenades from his bag. "I thought you wanted me to train you."

"Of course I do, but I thought learning how to fight vampires would be easier with an actual vampire present." Elena explained, putting her gloves on. "Why does it matter?"

"It matters because she hates me." Alaric muttered, he sighed when the Gilbert girl rose a brow with an unimpressed look on her face. "She's out to get me."

"Well, she's always been there for me when I needed her." Elena responded, she didn't like to hear anyone criticise Mia unnecessarily, the vampire had been a huge help since the Sommers woman had died. Mia had been at the Gilbert house almost every evening to cook dinner and spend time with them. For someone who was posing as a high schooler the Petrova's maternal instinct was a huge surprise to the siblings. "I can't find a valid reason for you not to like her."

"Okay.." Alaric paused to think, he glanced over at Mia and wondered if she was listening in but it was clear she was occupied. "What about when she told Jenna I had herpes just so she could go to the founders' party instead of me." Elena covered her mouth to muffle her laughs, she remembered how hilarious it was to see Mia get excited that she was going on a date with Jenna, "Or that time she was supposed to text me directions to that restaurant you guys were all eating at but instead she sent me to an Alcoholics Support Group."

"That one wasn't her fault." Elena corrected, zipping up her jacket. "It was April Fools so she had to do it. It was either that or putting Nair in your shampoo." The doppelganger shivered when a breeze brushed past her skin, the sun had barely risen but Alaric insisted this would be the best time to train. 

"Can we just get started?" The history teacher snapped, he took off walking towards the area he set up for the self defence lessons.

"Mia, come on." Elena approached the spot where Mia was. The brunette vampire was sitting cross-legged on the ground with a bunny in her lap and a few more surrounding her. "What are you doing?"

"Shhh, we having a meeting." Mia held a finger up to silence the doppelganger, she continued mumbling to the animals, "That's great, I'm glad you're feeling better." She stroked a bunny's head and paused once she'd seen Elena staring at her with confusion. 

"Okay, I'll introduce you to everyone." The brunette sighed, aware of how strange she must've looked in that moment, she pointed to each bunny individually, "This is Izzie, Alex, Jackson, Cristina and the little baby one is April."

"Okay..."Elena started, wondering how to continue. The bunnies faced her almost as if they were waiting for her response, goose bumps rose to her skin at the eeriness of the image. To anyone else, it would appear that Mia was about to make the rabbits charge and brutally murder the Gilbert girl. "Cute names but that doesn't explain anything."

"Oh.." Mia giggled, moving the one that was sat on her lap and placed it on the ground. "This is the BMV support group... Bunny Muncher's Victims. Every single one of these babies was saved by yours truly, from the vicious hunter that we know as Stefan Salvatore. They trust me, I'm their mother."

What the hell? She pressed her lips upwards and shook her head, "Just forget I asked, come on Ric's waiting for us." Elena began to walk away, thinking about all the events that happened that summer, how much pain she'd gone through, both physically and mentally. 

And as usual, Mia was there to cheer her up, the vampire sped to Elena and wrapped her arms around the girl's body, she lifted her off the ground slightly and spun them around. "Mia!" She exclaimed, feeling herself getting dizzy.

Mia stopped and cupped Elena's cheek with her right hand, "I'll let go when you smile." She lightly pinched her sides to trigger a smirk. Her eyes lingered on the faded bite mark that tainted the human's neck, one of the physical reminders of Senior Prank Night, Mia offered some vampire blood to heal it but was declined.

"Okay, okay." Elena laughed, fighting against her hold, "I'm smiling." The older Petrova kissed her cheek and they walked towards Alaric with their hands entwined. Mia could see that the doppelganger's feelings for Damon were growing, especially since the birthday party, she wanted to say something about it but decided not to. She didn't want to stress the Gilbert girl out, however, that didn't stop her from worrying about how Stefan would feel about it.

"Make sure you keep your thumb on the outside." Mia corrected Elena's placement as they stood in front of the fighting dummy. "Otherwise you'll end up breaking it." The vampire had fought through her fair share of scraps over the years, it was inevitable when she was constantly meeting ignorant people who refused to step down from an argument, unluckily for them, neither did she.

Once she and Jesse had come to the conclusion that they'd never figure out how they were turned, the Burton boy declared it was wise for them to train, to grow stronger than anything that would try to hurt them. Spending all day inside meant it was the perfect opportunity to enhance their strength, even as baby vampires they reckoned they could give century-old ones a run for their money. When Caroline had turned Mia had done the same, it just made things easier and gave them technique rather than brute strength. But there was something strange about Caroline's transition, she grew strong peculiarly fast, learned how to control urges easily. 

Elena landed a punch onto the dummy but not hard enough for the stake in the gun to be ejected, she shook her head and tore the strap off her arm. "This is hopeless." She sunk to the floor with a frown.

"It's not hopeless, you're just distracted." Mia consoled, she took a seat beside the girl and placed an arm over her shoulder, "What's going on in that little head?"

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone." The doppelganger began, she leaned in and whispered the issue to Mia. Alaric watched the two with a scowl, he knew Elena was right, about not having a valid reason not to like Mia but he couldn't help it. Since he lost Jenna he'd gone down a spiral, he wanted to be there for Jeremy and Elena but couldn't find the strength to. Seeing Mia over at the Gilbert house every day, helping and looking after the siblings was just a constant reminder of everything he should've been doing but wasn't.

"What the fuck!" He heard Mia gasp and turned to see the girl with her mouth hung open. She gave an innocent smile then faced away, grabbing Elena by the shoulders. "You're having sex dreams about Matt?!"

A hand was quickly pressed to her lips and she was dragged further away from the teacher, once they were far enough Elena continued. "Yep, it's been constant these past few weeks, every night." she sighed, running a hand through her hair and Mia cackled at what she'd just learnt. "It's not funny."

"It's fucking hilarious." Mia knelt over, her laughter failing to end, Matt wasn't really who she thought Elena would go for, not after they broke up the year prior, since then they were purely platonic so she was extremely confused as to why these dreams were happening. "Every day?"

"Never mind." Elena tried to hide a smile but she too found the situation amusing, the more she fought against the thoughts the more they appeared. "I can't explain it, I just feel drawn to him in a way, it's weird."

"Don't worry about it, sex dreams don't mean anything, it's not like you're in love with him." Mia comforted her and handed her the stake gun. "I've had one about Elijah before." 

Without giving Elena a chance to respond the vampire threw a vervain grenade into her hands to test her reaction time. The Gilbert launched it at a tree with a yelp of surprise, where it exploded. "Mia!"

"You got to be quicker Buffy, two more seconds and your face would be melted."

~~~~

"Bon, wait up!" Mia called out to the Bennett witch, who was walking down the hallway. She came to a pause when she saw her friend's face, her sadness wasn't noticeable to others but Mia had a talent for detecting the energy. "What's wrong...who do I have to kill?"

"That's the problem, they're already dead." Bonnie sighed, leaning against the locker, "This whole Jeremy, Anna, Vicki thing is weirding me out."

"You think he still loves them?" The vampire asked, she reached into her bag and retrieved out a granola bar. She remembered how Bonnie sometimes forgot to have breakfast every morning so having a snack in her bag was always useful. 

"Jeremy's choosing to see them, and neither of the relationships ended because of a breakup, they both died." Bonnie explained as she took the snack Mia held out for her, "He keeps telling me not to worry about it."

"It's all fun and games until he asks you to consider a foursome." Mia remarked absentmindedly, she smiled sheepishly once she realised it wasn't just said in her head, "Sorry."

"It's fine if I don't laugh about it...I'm gonna cry." Before she could continue Mia pulled the girl into an embrace, she really hoped Jeremy wouldn't do anything stupid. So far his relationship with Bonnie was going well but it soon started to fall apart once his ex-girlfriends came back.

"The most fucked up thing is he was 15 when he dated both of them. If Vicki was alive she'd be starting college today." Mia noted as she released Bonnie from her hold. It was common for vampires to date humans but to her, if they were with anyone under 18...it should've been against vampire law, not that there were any in place. "The little bitches are lucky I don't see them."

"Anna's older than you." Bonnie commented, in her eyes the tomb vampire was more of a threat to her relationship than Vicki was. Even though they weren't dating then, the witch saw how much Anna's death had affected Jeremy, she was also the one he spoke to the most since this new ability was triggered. 

"Doesn't matter, I'd still beat the crap out of her." Mia declared confidently, "She was stuck in a  tomb for over a century, getting all crackly and ashy. I've got training and.." The brunette lightly pinched Bonnie's cheek, "..something to fight for."

Bonnie moved the vampire's hand that was on her face and held it, smiling brightly, "I love you."

"I love you more. Besides we're way too hot to be worrying about boys" From the corner of her eye she spotted Caroline and Elena drag Tyler into the girl's bathroom. Mia and Bonnie gave each other fed-up looks, both of them felt sorry for the Lockwood, no one was exactly making his transition easier for him.

"You should probably go deal with that," Bonnie suggested, shouts could be heard from outside, she just hoped they weren't giving him a hard time.

"Probably." Mia let out a long exhale, giving the witch a small hug before making her way to the bathroom where she found the trio stood by the stalls. "You guys need to shut up, the entire school can hear you."

"Good, you're here." Caroline clutched Tyler by the shirt to show Mia a red smear that had stained the fabric. "Look at this!"

"Wow blood...so cool." Mia feigned wonder, opening her eyes widely, "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal Mia.." Caroline placed her hands on her hips, Mia and the werewolf made eye contact for a split second, but it was enough for them to communicate their exhaustion with the blonde. "...is that Tyler is letting Rebekah supply him with blood. And he's stupid enough to leave it on his shirt."

"Like I said... what's the big deal?" Mia repeated, earning her an eye roll from Caroline. "Look, instead of yelling at him for such a small thing why don't we celebrate the fact he hasn't brutally murdered anyone yet...Yay!" She gently clapped her hands, then playfully punched Tyler in his side, "Go you!"

"See!" Tyler exclaimed to his girlfriend and placed an arm over Mia's shoulder, "She gets it, thanks corazón."

"Shut up Tyler." Caroline huffed, shoving him, she then faced the Petrova. "Why are you encouraging this?" Elena suddenly became uncomfortable with the tension so she handed Mia a damp paper towel and left. The brunette vampire stayed quiet, knowing what she wanted to say wouldn't receive a good reaction however her patience wore thin when Caroline spoke again, "Well?"

"Because I don't think you're bothered about the blood, I think the thing you're actually pissed about is where it came from." Since Rebekah had been in town, Caroline had an issue with her. Part of that was of course the fact she was Klaus' sister, but another reason was that Mia had been spending so much time helping the Original settle in, that it lead Caroline to feel left out. "Care, I love you but you didn't give Tyler any blood bags or teach him how to compe-"

"Neither did you!" Caroline shot back, despite knowing she was losing the argument.

"Exactly that's why I'm not the one yelling at him in school! That's why I'm not annoyed that Rebekah helped him." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, and smiled at Tyler apologetically, "She did what we should've been doing." 

The Forbes shook her head and stormed out, hating that her best friend was taking someone else's side over hers. She missed how it was in the beginning when they would both agree on everything, and were the most important people to each other, before Caroline had been dragged into the supernatural world, before others started taking priority in Mia's life over her.

"She'll get over it." Tyler spoke up, ruffling the Petrova's hair. "Thanks for that Em, these guys have been giving me hell."

"Which is stupid because you've adapted really well." Mia replied, she looked in the mirror as she fixed the mess he'd just made. "I don't think they get how hard this is for you, amplified vampire emotions and a werewolf temper." She turned around and held his hands, "I'm proud of you, you're doing great."

"And you know it, that's good enough for me." He furrowed his brows at the sight of her frown, it wasn't a secret how caring she was, but it often meant she neglected her own issues and mental health, her happiness was rarely the first thing on her mind. "Hey, you wanna skip history and smoke?"

"Fuck it." Mia smirked as the two left the bathroom together, ignoring the strange looks people were sending their way. "Yes to skipping, no to smoking. I don't want my clothes to smell."

"Crap, we have gym next." Tyler groaned, resting the side of his head against hers, "We're skipping that too."

"No, we're not." Mia's phone began to vibrate, she looked at the screen to see that Stefan was calling but she ignored it. He was most likely just looking for someone to bother. "You need exercise, to let out rage in a controlled environment...the high school football team is the perfect place."

"Don't care." Tyler responded, taking out his car keys. "We're skipping."

~~~~

"Looking good Lockwood!" Mia cheered across the field to the werewolf who'd just tackled a classmate. After half an hour of arguing she finally convinced him to go to gym class, it was an effective outlet for him to deal with all the pent-up energy. The Petrova was on the floor, in the splits, leaning forward to stretch. 

She usually did this until the end of class just so it would appear she was actually doing exercise, it was better compared to what the rest of the girls would do, which was attempt to cheerlead whilst a majority of them lacked rhythm. 

Suddenly a shadow appeared in front of her then a pair of shoes. "All the bourbon from my house is gone." A voice spoke up, belonging to Stefan.

Mia let out a fake gasp, "Oh my god, that's terrible! What did the sheriff say?" She rested her chin upon the palm of her hand and she looked up at the man. "They launching an investigation?"

"Hmm funny." Stefan deadpanned, "Well, you can get more, since you're the one who invited Rebekah to stay in a house...that's not even yours." For him to say Rebekah was an inconvenience would be an understatement, the blonde was desperately searching for a way to return to their past ways but Stefan was no longer interested, not that he was even entirely committed back then.

"First of all, it's technically Elena's and second of all I'm the one who cleaned up after your sorority party last night so maybe don't piss off the only person who makes sure the house isn't a complete landfill."

"Noted." Stefan nodded, his eyes raking across her body, something Mia sensed almost immediately so she got up from the ground and dusted off her clothes. The old Stefan would've felt ashamed if he'd been caught leering in such a manner but this one simply smirked. "Are you going to the bonfire tonight?"

The brunette decided to disregard him in the hopes he would get bored and leave, she rested on her leg on the wooden beam that they used for stretching. This lead to Stefan wanting a more invasive approach to get her attention. The Salvatore made his way around the beam and wrapped a hand around her ankle. He moved her leg off the equipment and placed it on his shoulder, holding onto her waist as she struggled to regain balance. "I asked you a question."

"And I ignored it." Mia sassed, turning her face away in case she was blushing but Stefan gripped her chin, making her look at him. Without his humanity he had little to no respect for personal space, Mia was usually the victim of it, but she didn't mind and would constantly remind herself that it wasn't really him. That he wouldn't want to touch her that way if his humanity was on.

She'd offered to take him hunting but instead he killed a whole café of people and decided to call it a day.

"Hey, Mia." Fred approached the two, his eyes widening slightly at yet another strange position the Petrova was in. Last time she was being carried by an older man he never recognised. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Mia replied, setting her leg back on the ground and jokingly pushing Stefan away. The Salvatore rebounded back and stood beside her, his arm finding its way around her waist as he glared at the teenage boy in front of them. 

"Great, I was just wondering if you'd like..." He paused upon seeing the ripper's hold tighten and found himself confused about whether or not they were dating. The last Fred heard he was with Elena but now the Gilbert was on the other side of the field and all Stefan seemed interested in was touching Mia. "I just wanted to know if you would want to maybe...meet up at the bonfire, get a drink...maybe."

"She wouldn't." Stefan answered for Mia, to which she gave him a sharp nudge in the ribs with her elbow.

"I'd love to." Mia smiled warmly at the boy, she hadn't gone on a date since Dana, and even though that was only a short while ago she hated feeling lonely, it left her trapped with her thoughts which was a damaging thing. "We can meet by the bridge, if that's okay?"

"That's great." Fred beamed, he noticed that the Petrova had straightened her hair that day and his sister told him that he should always compliment girls when they made noticeable changes in their appearances. "Your hair looks really pretty, I'll see you tonight."

"You'd really date that guy?" Stefan scowled, watching the human walk away, he'd found his new meal.

The last thing Mia wanted to do was discuss her love life with any non-humanity vampire let alone Stefan, so she decided to change the subject. "Why don't you go annoy Elena? She's the one that needs protection."

"I think I'd prefer to annoy you." The Salvatore responded as he stepped closer to her, when he'd gotten his memories back he only had a small space of time where he could see her before Klaus compelled him to turn the switch off. That didn't stop him from wanting to be around her, almost as if a small part of him was looking for the same effect she had on him in the 20s, to get him to turn it on. "Take it from me, the only thing a human can do to satisfy us is slit open their throat so we can feed."

"Hey, back up a bit." Tyler appeared, using his arm as a barrier between both vampires. However Stefan showed no signs of giving up, his gaze glued to Mia, so Tyler spoke again. "Dude, move."

"You gonna make me, dick?" Stefan chuckled, shoving the werewolf harshly, causing him to fall to the floor. As expected Tyler got up straight away and pushed the vampire even harder. They then began to tussle, landing punches and throwing each other around.

Mia simply sat down on the grass and watched, if Tyler wasn't a hybrid she'd be more worried but this way he could actually have a fair fight. What surprised her was that the fight didn't pull in a crowd like it normally would've, she deduced that Stefan most likely had a majority of the school compelled so he could have people watch out for the Petrovas and also feed on them.

Tyler had gotten Stefan into a headlock, his teeth dangerously close to the Salvatore's shoulder. An alarm rang in Mia's head, if he bit the vampire then it meant a certain homicidal hybrid would come back to town to heal him and she had no interest in seeing Klaus. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't proud of how her friend had managed to overpower a ripper.

"Ty, just leave it." She warned, hoping he would listen. It was quite difficult to get the Lockwood to do anything when he was in a fit of rage. Despite that Tyler let go of Stefan, ending the dispute with an uppercut before walking away, noticeably quick in case of the fight starting again.

Stefan wiped away the blood from his lip, just as he was about to follow Tyler Mia blocked his way, "Don't you think Klaus will be pissed if you kill his first successful hybrid?" He simply rolled his eyes and tried to move around her but once again she stopped him, "If you want Tyler you'll have to kill me first...which you can't do because your master compelled you to keep me safe. Or I can call Klaus myself and tell him you hurt me." 

"You wouldn't." Stefan narrowed his eyes and wondered if she was bluffing, if she did that the hybrid would return and most likely give him a most painful death.

"D 'you really wanna risk it...I'm a very good actress." She still didn't understand why Klaus had his sense of entitlement when it came to her and she would never call him to town, but the reaction Stefan was giving her made the lie worth it. "Shall we start a timer, see how quick it takes for him to come back?"

"Screw you." Without saying another word the Salvatore left, nudging his arm against hers as he walked away. It's not him, this isn't Stefan. The Petrova reassured herself to push away any feelings of guilt, it hurt to see him like that and it was all Klaus' fault.

"Did you tell Rebekah she could have a spot on the cheer squad?" A very irritated Caroline questioned as she gave the other blonde a death stare.

"No, I told her to ask you if she could have a spot." Mia couldn't help but chuckle at the Original's antics, it was clear she was desperate to fit in, the brunette found it endearing. She could sense her best friend was about to object so she spoke again, "Care please, do me a favour and just let Rebekah join."

Mia held one of Caroline's hands and looked around to see if anyone was listening. "She's Klaus' sister, she could easily kill all of us. Wouldn't it be easier if we helped instead of antagonising her?"

"She hates me." Caroline retorted, "She literally just threatened to steal Tyler away from me."

"And I'll speak to her about that, I promise." For some strange reason Rebekah would listen to her, acknowledge and agree with the things she'd say. The Petrova just brushed away any doubts about it, concluding that Rebekah was nice to people who were nice to her.  "Think about it this way, an Original can take anything, can compel us to do anything but all she wants is to be part of a team." 

"Ugh fine." The blonde huffed, rolling her eyes, she realised it would be wise to make up with Tyler before the bonfire, that way he'd be less inclined to even speak to Rebekah. The same thing applied to Mia, "Are we fighting?"

"Of course not, we just had a disagreement." Mia wrapped her arms around the girl, "Sorry if I made you feel like that." She always gave in far too quickly, that she was aware of but petty fights didn't warrant months of not speaking.

"It's fine, I'm sorry too." Caroline smiled smugly to a jealous Rebekah, "Also I have the perfect outfit for you to wear on your date with Fred." The brunette gave her an unimpressed look, "Okay, yes I eavesdropped, but trust me you're gonna look so cute." The two decided to skip the rest of gym class and go home to get ready.

~~~~

The bonfire was going as expected, full of drunk teenagers and not an adult chaperone in sight. Mia arrived later than her friends and was confused when she couldn't find them, even Tyler had failed to answer his phone. What she didn't know was they were all planning to take down Stefan, the hybrid tried to intervene so Damon knocked him out with vervain and wolfsbane.

Alaric convinced them to leave Mia out of the plan, noting that it would easier if fewer people knew about it, despite Elena's objections he insisted this was the best way. Not that the Petrova was even missing out, she was slightly distracted.

"You're so fine." Fred spoke between kisses, the two had met up as planned. They went for a walk around the woods and got to know each other more, all of this resulted in them making out against a tree. The human's hands glided down her body, he lifted her up slightly so her arms rested on his shoulder. They weren't worried about anyone watching them, everyone was too consumed in their own drama and excitement.

At least that's what they thought. Stefan took a sip from his red cup, he leaned against the tree stump, holding himself back from pouncing. He figured if he killed Fred he'd need a valid excuse for Klaus, the hybrid would call him regularly and asked for debriefs on what was going on with the Petrova. 

Then it came to mind, Mia was slightly tipsy and Fred not so much, so technically the human was taking advantage of her vulnerable state and being overly intimate. Klaus wouldn't see anything wrong with his murder if that was the case, however in reality all Stefan would have to say is someone was kissing her and that would warrant their death straight away.

Fred lightly squeezed Mia's breast so she moved his hand, however within a second he put it in the same position. The brunette pushed him away gently, finally breaking the kiss. "What's wrong?" He quizzed, licking his lips in anticipation.

"Nothing...I just." The issue was she wasn't interested in hooking up with someone against a tree, with the insects and germs, it lacked class and dignity in her eyes. She looked around searching for an excuse to leave for a moment, give Fred enough time to compose himself, the bulge in his pants told her he'd need at least a few minutes. 

It's not that she wasn't attracted to the man, he was extremely good-looking and a very amazing kisser. But she couldn't see any future for them, he wasn't the brightest boy or the funniest or the most humble. There would be nothing for them beyond hook-ups, which she was guessing wouldn't be enough for him, the most logical thing to do was call it off, after giving him a moment.

Lucky for her, the blonde she wanted to speak with had just arrived, also surveying the area for someone, "Give me a minute, I gotta talk to Rebekah about something." She leaned in and pecked his cheek, "I'll be right back." The human nodded and walked deeper into the woods, unaware of the footsteps right behind him.

"You look hot." The vampire told Rebekah, who was visibly disappointed about something. Living with the Original was a lot more fun than Mia had expected, their personalities seemed to mesh well together effortlessly, as though they were meant to meet...as though they'd met before.

"Thank you." Rebekah murmured, still glancing around for a certain werewolf. "I thought Tyler would be here." So far he'd been one of the only guys to be nice to her, she would bring him blood bags and they'd spend hours talking, however, he wasn't interested in her romantically, something that Rebekah took no notice of.

"Yeah, he's not answering his phone." Mia shrugged then she recalled the promise she made to her friend. "Okay...I know I have no right to tell you what to do but could you please do me a favour?"

"Of course, darling." Rebekah stood up straight, prepared to do almost anything her closest companion would ask. They'd grown closer since Prank Night, the blonde loved Mia's newfound attitude and humour, she was safer that way, people were less likely to get away with insulting her like they did in the past.

"I'm glad you and Ty are friends, he needs as much support as he can get but.." She hesitated, trying to word it in the best way possible without sounding too forceful, "He's in an extremely vulnerable place right now, with his emotions on blast and the last thing he needs is relationship problems...not that you're a problem. It's just Caroline is worried you're trying to steal him."

"Well, you can tell your little friend that I don't need to steal anyone, men come running to me regardless of what I do." The Original quipped confidently until she saw the small sign of worry in Mia's expression, "But I won't try anything with Tyler, I promise."

"Thank you." Mia let out a sigh of relief that one issue had been dealt with. She reached forward and picked up the packet of marshmallows that was by the bench. "You ever made s'mores before?" The blonde shook her head and took the long stick her friend held out for her, "I'll show you."

Just as she was about to begin Damon approached the two, the smirk residing on his face was one that made Mia nervous, she could tell he had ulterior motives than just Graham Crackers. "What? No friends your own age?" Rebekah looked him up and down when he took a seat beside her.

"Nope, that's why he's always at school functions...even when it's not our school." Mia joked, referring to the time she sent Damon the wrong address to the spring dance house party and he ended up out of town.

"Shut up." Damon retaliated, poking Mia with a stick, he was lucky they were surrounded by classmates otherwise she would've run that very same branch through his stomach. "Didn't know they had s'mores in the 20s." He remarked, grinning at the marshmallow Rebekah had just charred.

"Hilarious." Rebekah narrowed her eyes, "Is this meant to be fun? I've been through 10 of these."

Before Mia could say anything Damon subtly shook his head then faced Rebekah, "No, you're looking at it all wrong." He snatched the stick from the Petrova's hand, "Look, it's a little rough on the outside." 

The Salvatore then pulled at the black parts of the sweet, the layer lifted easily but Mia grimaced at the fact he touched her food. "But on the inside..." He held it up to Rebekah's mouth and his gaze followed the movement of her mouth as she ate the marshmallow from the stick. "Yum."

"I feel sick." Mia mumbled to herself but neither of the vampires paid her any attention, they simply stared at each other with lust-filled eyes. She got up and awkwardly shuffled away, joining the girl she sat next to in Maths class. "Hey, Robyn."

"Yay, Mia!" The girl squealed, bouncing happily. She'd obviously drunk a heavy amount that night and found even the smallest things exciting. "You look so pretty!"  Unfortunately, all the jumping had caused her drink to spill. The human paused, looked down at the fallen cup, then back up at Mia with a frown, "It fell."

"It's okay." Mia comforted, rubbing the girl's back. "How about we get you a water?" She gestured to one of the other guys and he brought her a bottle. Once she thanked him she heard a sniffle and saw that Robyn was crying. The Petrova immediately pulled her in closer so the human could rest her head on her shoulder, "What's wrong babe?"

"Fucking Brian." Robyn muttered spitefully, her crying failing to come to an end "He was meant to go on a date with me and he cancelled, said he was sick." She stopped to catch her breath as Mia wiped away the tears, the vampire was caught off guard and flinched when Robyn screamed the next sentence. "But I just saw the motherfucker kissing Kaylee, so he's not sick!"

Well..Fuck. Her outburst had lead them to catch the attention of several people around them, who were now staring and whispering. "Fuck off, you pricks! Have you got nothing better to do?" Mia yelled, causing them all to look away. She smiled proudly to herself at her influence but her main focus was helping the young sobbing girl. "Awh, don't cry."

"Okay." Robyn said in a flat tone and instantly stopped the tears. Mia stared in shock for a moment and debated the possibility that she'd accidentally just compelled her, "You have really great boobs." The light brown hair girl stated, "They sit perfectly."

"Thanks." Mia tried to hold back a laugh but knew it was insensitive to the human's vulnerable situation, "Have you got someone to drive you home?"

"Why is Stefan giving you sex eyes?" Robyn asked out of nowhere, ignoring the previous question. The vampire furrowed her brows at the query then peered over her shoulder and saw the Salvatore leering. 

"He's not." She responded quietly, knowing he was probably listening in, but even she could admit his gaze was heavy.

"Trust me, he is. I can feel them from over here and they're not even for me." Robyn shivered dramatically to prove her point, whilst Mia was distracted she picked up the nearest bottle of vodka and poured it into her water, "Ooh butterflies...You better jump his bones or I will."

The Petrova wanted to change the subject until she heard Stefan chuckle, confirming her suspicions that he was eavesdropping, "She gives good advice." He whispered, way too far for Robyn to be able to hear but to Mia it was clear as it would've been if he was stood beside her, "Are you gonna listen to her?"

Suddenly she caught the faint scent of blood, her heart dropped at the thought of a friend being hurt. She scanned the area, feeling a tad better when she spotted Jeremy with one of his classmates. Mia got up from her seat to follow the smell, however first she needed to take care of Robyn so she approached a fellow cheerleader, "Mandie, could you please make sure she gets home safe?" Once they agreed she continued her investigation.

The fragrance was growing stronger with each step she took, she hoped with every part of her that Bonnie, Matt, and Elena were okay as the blood was human. She strolled into a clearing where trees surrounded a small space in the form of a circle. The metallic odour had gotten so powerful that the dark veins under Mia's eyes had risen to the surface but she pushed the feeling away so they faded, it was then she spotted a body laid by a pile of leaves.

"I got you a present." A voice spoke from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise. As expected it was Stefan, he walked to the body and dragged it so it was now in front of her. He nudged it with his foot, showing Fred's grey face and neck, that was missing a large chunk of skin. The shock on Mia's face was enough to satisfy him, "Oh my god, that's terrible." The man mocked, quoting her words from earlier that day, "We should tell the sheriff, launch an investigation...He tasted great...if it's any consolation."

"Fuck you!" Mia shouted, jolting back which made him stumble. Once again an innocent person had been brought into the supernatural world and as usual, it didn't end well, she didn't know Fred all that well, other than in science or this current day but it was still saddening. "You're such an asshole, I wasn't in danger. Klaus never told you to do any of this!" 

"Actually, I'm saving you from yourself." Stefan quipped with a sharp tone, "What, you straightened your hair again because he told you it looked nice? You're wearing these clothes because Caroline told you to." He shook his head mockingly, "Where's that crazy, arrogant vampire that first came to town, the one that tied Damon to a chair and tortured him...you're getting weak, passive. Where's the monster?"

He drifted his thumb across her lips, smearing them with Fred's blood. His plan was successful once he saw the brunette try to discreetly lick the blood away. Her eyes darkened as her senses begged for another taste. She blushed furiously at the action but decided to get him back. 

Mia grabbed him by the collar and yanked him closer, their lips at a dangerous distance. "You wanna see a monster?" She spoke hazily, gazing at him with hooded eyes. He nodded, thinking she would finally give in and they could go on a killing spree. Without warning she picked up a large branch from the ground and impaled the Salvatore with it, he doubled over and groaned in pain. To finish him off she snapped his neck and kicked him over. "There's your monster, dick."

The main reason she was able to achieve that was because she'd caught him off guard, but it didn't stop her from feeling a sense of attainment. She brushed off her hands and walked away, leaving the two bodies next to each other, only after she'd taken a picture and sent it to Elena. Unaware that this would lead Alaric to the spot so he could take Stefan to the cell, she'd unknowingly just made the teacher's job easier. 

"Give me that." The Petrova snatched a plate of brownies from Jeremy's hand and began to eat them one by one, despite his objections. "Would you call me weak?"

"Not to your face." Jeremy teased, trying to take the plate back, "Mia, you can't eat all of them."

"Shut up, I'm tired of people telling me what I can and can't do." She snapped, slapping his hand away, "I'm not passive. That's bullshit, Just because I'm not constantly on murder mode, that does not make me weak."

"Of course, it doesn't." The Gilbert boy agreed, covering his mouth to conceal his amusement at what Mia didn't know, "You should slow do-"

"And who the fuck does he think he is?" She cut him off again with her rant, eating another dessert, "He doesn't even have free will and he's trying to lecture me, it's laughable." Mia began to giggle which soon turned to a cackle she was unable to control. "What's happening to me?" Her breathing quickened and she faced the boy with disturbance.

"I told you to slow down." Jeremy chuckled at the girl who was laughing hysterically. "You're not weak or passive. What you are is stubborn."

"What did you put in these Jer?" Mia clutched her stomach which was aching due to the constant giggles, she wiped away the tears that seeped from her eyes.

"Wispy Gardenia." The boy smiled sheepishly, knowing the scolding he was going to get. His eyes widened as the vampire went for him, she clasped onto the front of his hoodie and shook him like a ragdoll.

"You fucking moron." She shouted but soon felt dizzy. That certain herb was something typically used by witches to get intoxicated, it was significantly stronger than human drugs which is why vampires would also consume it, the buzz lasted longer even with a single gram. And Mia had just eaten a dozen of brownies that contained it. Suffice to say, she had made a mistake.

"Hey, I tried to warn you." He held his hands up and helped her sit down. "I'll go get the car, you stay here." Leaving her alone was a foolish thing to do, as he previously stated, Mia Pierce was very stubborn.

~~~~

"The thumb means stop, asshole!" Mia bellowed at a car that drove past her, she threw an empty box that had fries in them at the vehicle. "I hope you drive off the bridge." After she ran away from Jeremy the Petrova remembered that not only did she not have a car but she also lacked the abilities needed to even use a car.

So she decided to hitchhike and had spent the last half an hour wandering around and holding her hand out but no one stopped for her. The fact she was swaying about and singing to herself probably contributed to the scarcity of volunteers. Her mind felt floaty, the drug was extremely fast acting and took a while to wear off.

"You need a ride?" A red car pulled up, with her current state of mind anyone could've taken the girl and no one would know, which of course this individual couldn't let happen.

"Thank you." Mia began until she looked through the window and saw Stefan, a frown immediately appeared on her face, "No, I'm fine." She walked away, staggering down the road, it was a good thing she still had a small amount of intelligence and stuck to the side of the street, otherwise it was a high probability that she'd get run over.

"Get in the car, Mia." Stefan ordered as he drove alongside her, "I'm not kidding, Klaus will go ballistic if you get yourself kidnapped and killed."

"Well, fuck Klaus and fuck you!" She yelled at him, of course he didn't listen and started to beep the horn. "Go away!" Non-humanity Stefan was now on her list of people she hated, right under Niklaus Mikaelson and Shonda Rimes. "Leave me alone!"

Within a flash, she'd sprinted almost a mile to get away, which was another mistake as it increased the light-headedness. She knelt forward, resting her hands on her knees, "I'm gonna die."

"Don't be dramatic." Stefan appeared in front of her, he found it amusing watching her speed away diagonally, he could've easily stopped her before she had the chance to run but it was far better to humour her and let her believe she'd gotten away. "Come on, get up."

"Just leave me here, my brain isn't there anymore." Mia whined, gazing at the concrete floor which suddenly looked very inviting. "I want to sleep."

The Salvatore sighed exasperatedly and picked her up over his shoulder, just as Klaus had done at Prank Night. As expected Mia began to complain and struggle, "Put me down!" She slapped his back repeatedly and pinched him but her arms grew tired instantly, "Don't speed, I'm actually gonna throw up...I can walk myself."

"You can't even stand." Stefan retorted, the journey back to his car was a long way and the fact he couldn't speed made it more onerous. Well, he could've but wasn't in the mood to deal with vomit.

"I miss Stefan, he wouldn't do this, you're not him." She began to trace patterns on his back, causing goose bumps to rise. In that moment the one person she wanted to speak to was the Salvatore with his humanity, if he saw her in this situation he'd laugh for a while then drive her home and make sure she got to bed okay. 

Because of Klaus, she was left with this half version of the man. "I refuse to call you Stefan, you're not him." She stayed silent, racking her mind with a new name to address him with, then it hit her. "Phillip, your new name is Phillip."

This is my husband...Phillip. "You're not calling me that." He spoke with a dry tone, that day flashing in his head. That was the first time they'd met after the compulsion, but because they couldn't remember each other the conversation didn't seem worthy recalling. However once Stefan had his memories returned to him that interaction had become clear. On his summer trip with Klaus he realised that if he had recollected that time of him and Mia outside the bar a lot earlier then perhaps he could've figured out they had history together.

"Okay, Phillip." Mia giggled, she wondered if he'd throw her in the event of her annoying him too much, the ground didn't look as comfortable anymore. "Ugh, how far did you park the car...that rhymes." Once again she began to hit him, drumming her hands against his back, "Why is it taking so long?"

"Si no estuvieras portándote como un mocosa ya estaríamos ahí." If you weren't acting like a brat we'd been there by now. The Salvatore snapped, he wasn't entirely sure why he started speaking Spanish then but it seemed to get her attention. He debated using his vampire speed but if Klaus asked if she was okay he'd have to tell him that she vomited, which meant he would also have to explain that he basically dragged the girl down a forest road.

"Ooh, Mr Ripper can speak Spanish, scary." She mocked, "Hablar en otro idioma no cambia la realidad de que eres una perra." Speaking in another language doesn't change the fact you're a bitch. "Lexi would kick your ass if she saw you doing this to me."

"Well she's not here, she's dead." What he didn't know was Lexi was strolling right beside them on the Other Side, she was always watching them. Smiling proudly when they'd comfort each and laughing when they'd tease each other. "Damon killed her and you let him live." 

"Actually Phillip, if I recall correctly I was a split second away from killing him and you stopped me." In reaction to this he pushed her legs so she was hanging even lower, however what he failed to think about was the fact her face was just above his arse. "Put me down." Mia warned as of course he ignored her so she decided to take matters into her own hands...literally. With a sharp swing, the Petrova landed a slap on his backside.

Stefan stopped in his tracks, unsure if it actually happened or if her complaining had driven him to pure insanity. He continued walking to which Mia let out a triumphant laugh, thinking she had won.

That was until a deafening smack echoed through the air and Mia's arse stung...He'd done it back. Her mouth hung open in shock, getting slapped on the backside by Stefan Salvatore was never something she thought would happen. If the circumstances were different she probably would've enjoyed it.

"Phillip!" She screamed, Stefan smirked paying no attention to her shouts, she'd done it first. "If there's even a small bruise I'm suing you. Elijah will fuck you up in court." If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that once his humanity was back on, he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about this moment. "I'm gonna throw up."

"You're fine." Stefan deadpanned, he'd be lying if he said his hand wasn't sore which meant the force he used behind that smack was definitely powerful. He thought about the old Mia from the 20s, if he'd done the same thing to her it was a strong possibility she'd begin to cry. Then Klaus would most definitely cut off his hands. "Compórtate." Behave.

"Why'd you smell of smoke." Mia quizzed, pulling on his shirt and sniffing it. "Did you jump into the bonfire? You're not a s'more Phillip...actually you're kinda like one. All dark and bitter on the outside but there's still sweetness deep down."

He rolled his eyes at her comment, "Elena and Alaric vervained me, locked me in his trunk and it almost blew up." After the history teacher had managed to find the spot from Mia's picture he thought his plan was working. That was until the truck had mysteriously caught on fire, "Elena saved me."

"She's an angel, she really loves you." Mia hummed, if she wasn't intoxicated her main priority would be trying to figure out what started the fire but instead she just wanted to be placed upright. " Bájame." Put me down.

"Ruégame." Beg me. Stefan teased, he received another slap this time in his back but she was laughing. The corner of his own mouth tugged at the sound of her giggles, he couldn't explain what it was but she had this strange effect on him.

"I'd rather kiss Klaus than beg you...that's how much I don't want to." She felt him tense up slightly at that remark, took no notice of it until she was planted firmly on the ground and he started to walk away from her. "Hey, where you going?" Mia questioned until she turned around and saw that they'd reached the car, "Oh...yay!"

~~~~

The two vampires had finally gotten home, after Mia forced Stefan to stop at a drive-thru to get her food. She managed to sober up after eating almost everything in the kitchen cupboards and having a cold shower to freshen herself up.

She was sat in her room texting Jeremy a series of threats and demanded to know where he even got the drugs in the first place. He ignored all of them and sent her many compliments, all of which were replied to with an angry paragraph. The Gilbert had worked so hard to stay sober, the thought of him returning to his previous lifestyle was worrying. Constantly seeing the ghosts of his dead exes wasn't much help in soothing stress.

Stefan slapped my ass. Her eyes grew wide as she was slowly recalling everything that had happened when she was high. The skin was still slightly sore and she made a note to avoid bringing up the topic at all costs, Stefan didn't need anything added to his list of things to regret.

All of a sudden her bedroom window shot open, causing her to flinch. There was no wind outside, not even the smallest gust, Mia got up from her bed and stuck her head out. She surveyed the area but there was no one in sight so she closed it.

As she was about to make her way to Damon's room something was knocked off her dressing table. Once again there was nothing there, the Petrova bent down and picked up the object, it was a picture frame.

With a photo of her, Jesse and Lexi.

"What the fuck?" She whispered in confusion. A knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts, the brunette went to open it and sighed with exhaustion when Stefan smiled at her. "Are you bored or something?"

"Seems you've sobered up." He remarked, pushing past her and entering the room. "It's unfair that you have the biggest room."

"You're the one who gave me this room, dick." Mia rebuked, closing the door behind them, "Well, the old you did."

"You know, you keep saying that. Old me, other me." He moved closer to her but she took a few steps back. "How'd you know this isn't the real me?" The Salvatore tried to catch her gaze, she avoided it with every attempt.

What he didn't know was that it actually hurt her to look into his eyes and not see the caring, considerate Stefan. That every minute she spent with this version of him caused her heart to ache, not just for her but for how twisted he must've felt inside. Her soul cried for the pain he was going to feel once it was turned back on. 

"Because I know you." Mia replied, still looking at the wall despite him being right in front of her, "I think I know you more than I know myself. You gave up everything to get a cure for Damon, became Klaus' little sidekick just so Elena could be safe. You attacked Klaus because you thought he was gonna hurt me." She finally let down her guard and made direct eye contact with him, so he would believe that she truly meant every word that was coming out her mouth. "Because even after I tried to kill your brother you still trusted me. You gave me a home, a friend, a place where I finally felt safe after the longest time."

She edged closer and held one of his hands, surprisingly he didn't pull away, "Because I know that when you turn your humanity back on, you're gonna let the guilt crush you. You'll feel the weight of everything that you've done because that's who you are. And it doesn't matter how many times we'll try to help you, you'll think you're a burden and push us away but you also know that it doesn't matter how many times you do that because we're not going anywhere, I'm not going anywhere. Because you know me, better than anyone. And after this you're probably going to say something stupid and change the topic, because you know I'm right...I know you Stefan, more than I know myself."

Stefan stayed silent and stared back at her. His mind was travelling a thousand miles a second and he could feel it about to explode, as though his switch was wobbling on the balance of both sides. He needed to take back the power of the situation.

The Salvatore stepped back, looked at Mia up and down, "Is that my shirt?" He quizzed, proving the brunette's theory that he would change the subject.

"You gave it to me." She responded, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem. A few months ago when they were decorating the floats for Founders' Day, Matt had accidentally spilled paint down Mia's dress. Luckily Stefan had a spare t-shirt so he'd given it to her. 

"I want it back." Stefan insisted, but she frowned in disbelief. He'd finally regained control, he was in charge of the mood. Deep inside there was a part cursing at him, screaming in anger for all the things he was doing, for the way he was treating Mia.

"Whatever." Mia huffed, to his surprise she immediately took it off and threw it in his direction, "Take it and get out."

However he simply smirked, his eyes taking in the sight of the girl in her bra. Travelling over each curve and thinking of how soft the skin would feel under his hands. The ripper stalked towards her until they stood a few inches apart, despite the cold façade the Petrova was putting up, the speed her heart was racing at gave away how she was feeling.

To see Stefan gazing at her that way was thrilling, but at the same time it also caused an empty feeling. The only things in his eyes were desire and lust, no love or respect, it wasn't Stefan.

The Salvatore leaned in but she pushed against his chest gently. Stefan sighed, grabbed her hand, and placed the scrunched-up shirt in it, "I was kidding." And with those words he left, shutting the door behind him. Mia felt the sudden urge to cry but fought hard against it.

A lesser person would've allowed him to kiss them, to do what they'd been craving for months but Mia knew it was wrong. She didn't want it like that when he had no humanity or technically free will. And for what felt like the thousandth time that day, she acknowledged her hate for Klaus Mikaelson.

Another thing was tipped off her dressing table, this time it was a box of tissues. Almost as if whatever was doing this was trying to comfort her. "This room needs a fucking exorcism." She shivered so she put the t-shirt on again. Just as she was calming down she felt a hand creep through her hair and ruffle the strands.

"Fucking hell!" She screamed, wafting her arms through the air to attack the mysterious force. The brunette grabbed her pillow and blanket, ran into her ensuite bathroom, and locked the door. She made a temporary bed in her bathtub and hid from what she convinced herself was a demon. 

All the things were knocked from her shelves as she continued to shriek, "Leave me alone, I haven't done anything!" Then the faucets were turned on, the hot one blasting at full speed which caused the mirror to steam up. "Damon, Satan's in my room!" However, the Salvatore was preoccupied with his own phantom.

A small squeak sounded as a line was being drawn on the mirror, one straight horizontal line. Then from the middle, a curve was etched going down. Mia let out a shaky breath at what shape it made.

The letter J.

"Jesse?!"

Jay Hernandez as....somebody

A/N: HELLO MY DARLINGS. I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I have covid right now (imagine getting covid in 2022, very embarrassing for me). I had no energy to write this chapter so just appreciate it. It's unedited bc who tf has time for that

Favourite part of the chapter? VOTE MFS

Just a quick disclaimer, Mia is not going to be the reason Stefan turns his switch back on. In the show, it was the fear of losing Damon so it'll be the same here bc at the end of the day Damon will always be Stefan's number one.

MR RIPPAH IS BOLD. That mf has no chill but remember, it's not our wholesome Stefan he can't help it. His dynamic with Mia here just makes me laugh bc hes gonna be shook when he turns it back on

Also it says TVD in the title, not Klaus Mikaelson, so i dont understand why some people have been complaining when I skip a Klaus scene or when he isn't in a chapter. The mf has been in every chapter since 11, he isnt in this one or the next bc he's not needed.

Live footage of Mia in the last scene:

The next chapter is gonna be chaotic, two very special people are returning, and also someone unexpected.

Thank you for over 100k, we are at 123k now!!!

Gif at the top of the chapter made by -luvmikaelson

LOVE YOUUUUU

Published: 30th October 2022