Poison & Wine ~ Chapter XXV

~ * • ° • ° • * ~

"So, are you going to tell me what exactly your plan was? Or do we really have to wait another few days for that vervain to get out of your system," Andy sat across the room from the woman who had taken her. Andy was seated on a motel bed, her legs crossed in front of her as the bleach blonde locked the motel door behind her. Andy watched the woman closely, trying to figure out what exactly she was here for, and who she could be. She was at least comforted that the woman she had seen in Chicago a couple days ago hadn't been all in her head.

Was she Anastasia or Milena? Or perhaps someone else? Andy wasn't sure how many doppelgangers were out there. The woman looked exactly like her, features and all except for her hair. She had a pixie haircut that was pale blonde color. She wore skinny jeans and a leather jacket. The woman looked older than Andy, or even Katherine. She appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties, something that made her think that she wasn't Milena. Klaus and Katherine seemed adamant that Milena had died anyway, so it had to be someone else.

After the woman had interrupted her attempting to remove the dagger out of Elijah, she had Andy get in the car and sit in the shotgun silently as she drove further from Mystic Falls. They had continued driving in silence for well over twelve hours—they were somewhere in Missouri now—but when the sun had set they had finally found a motel that was out of the way so Andy could finally get the dried blood off of her.

Andy tried not to think about Mystic Falls or what had happened since she had been with this woman. Thinking of everything Klaus could have done while she was gone would give her too much stress. As predictable as Klaus was, he was also incredibly unpredictable at times.

They hadn't spoken to one another the entire car ride, but Andy had watched the woman closely trying to figure out who she was, but there was no clue. The woman had given Andy her blood, saying that there was no way she didn't have a concussion after all the damage her head had taken in the last day. Andy explained that vampire blood didn't work on her, but the woman didn't listen and still had her drink the blood offered in a plastic Dasani bottle. waited for the moment she threw up the blood, but it hadn't happened yet even after twelve over. Still, that confirmed this woman was a vampire. This was the first time she had even spoken to Andy.

"Who are you?" Andy asked finally.

"Huh. That's the first question you go with? I didn't think it would be that important. Mainly thought it would be quite obvious," The woman shook her head and turned to the bag of fast food. She picked it up and tossed it at Andy before she went to take a seat on the other bed. "Well, I'm not Anastasia, at least not technically. As far as I know, you're the only other living doppelganger from our line. Unless Anastasia wants to surprise us, then it's just you and I."

"You could've just said you are Milena," Andy replied with a roll of her eyes as she opened the bag and started eating the fries out of the bag. She looked Milena over, trying to figure out how exactly how she survived. Katherine had claimed Klaus killed her sister, something that Klaus hadn't refuted. Andy knew she was a vampire, but she was stuck with her and she didn't know what exactly Milena wanted.

"You're wondering how I'm alive," Milena commented, catching her gaze. Andy gave a half-hearted shrug as she continued eating her food. "It wasn't Elijah if that's what you were thinking. Back then I wouldn't have willingly drunk vampire blood. Klaus killed me, but something else brought me back as a human."

"What?" Andy asked, her brows furrowing. Bonnie had claimed she brought Jeremy back from the dead as well, had a witch brought Milena back? Andy stilled for a moment as she thought about the fact Bonnie had said she brought Jeremy back. It wasn't something she questioned the witch about yesterday, but she realized more must have happened in her absence than she realized.

"This might answer some things. Not really without an explanation, but still," Milena stood and walked over to her bag. She dug around in it for a moment before pulling out the dagger Isobel had given Andy months ago. Andy stood to her feet and crossed the room, an unhappy look on her face.

"Where did you get this?" Andy demanded from her as she took the dagger from her. Milena didn't try to hold onto it and let go of it immediately. She walked around Andy and went to plop back down on the bed. She relaxed back into the pillows and closed her eyes as she began speaking.

"Where you left it. Isobel's old house was claimed by the bank, so I grabbed up all her stuff for you. Damon seemed to forget that you asked him to get that little knife. Too busy keeping your sweet little sister company as she searched for you and Stefan," Milena said as she settled back into the pillows. "You might want to get some rest. I know you want answers, but we need to get moving as soon as possible. Klaus will be on our tails in no time, so we can only stay for a few hours. I know I need at least two hours of sleep to drive the rest of the way."

"Milena, I can't go any further without knowing… my sister—" Andy began but Milena cut her off.

"I have someone keeping an eye on the situation there. I know she's safe and still in town. Klaus left Mystic Falls so he's probably going to find a witch to do a location spell on us. The rest of your friends and family are safe, but Tyler is a hybrid now. Apparently, Elena's blood is the secret for a transitioning hybrid. So you can relax because there's nothing you can do for them right now," Milena said, a note of frustration entering her voice. Her eyes were still closed but her expression was blank.

Andy sighed, silently hoping that she could trust Milena. She hadn't done anything that would indicate she couldn't, but she was Katherine's sister and a vampire. Andy knew that Jenna was probably freaking out right now and hoped she wouldn't try anything to find her. Klaus was more than likely angry with her. This whole situation was a shit show and Andy wished that she had just removed the dagger from Elijah's chest when she had the chance. She shouldn't have hesitated.

"Klaus probably thinks I kidnapped his family…" Andy pointed out as she went to sit back down on the bed, twirling the dagger around in her hand again.

"Your plan wasn't just waking Elijah, wasn't it? Elijah might have stopped the killing that night, but no one controls Klaus. The smarter plan would be to wake up Elijah, leave him behind, and take their family so he would leave yours alone," Milena stated, turning her head to look over at Andy. "Anyways, I interfered when I did so Klaus wouldn't think you kidnapped them. Now he'll think you were kidnapped by someone who also his family. And we finally get a moment to speak, something that is long overdue. You should be safe from his wrath. I'm just glad I got there before you woke Elijah. That wouldn't have helped any of us."

Andy's brows furrowed as she raised her head. Now she was warier of this woman than she had previously been. "Why would you do that for me?" she questioned as she narrowed her eyes.

"Klaus took everything away from me. If you're not careful, he'll do the same to you, though it's not like he hasn't started the same process with you," Milena answered, her voice low as she now turned her head from Andy. "I'm not like my sister, Andy. Not all vampires are assholes. Sometimes we like to help someone about to screw up their lives. Well, arguably you did that when you made the deal to save Jenna's life. Still, I'm impressed you didn't take a page from my sister's book and hightail it the moment you were given a chance. You had a lot of chances to escape during the summer."

"Katherine doesn't know you're alive, does she?" Andy asked as she sat the dagger on the nightstand. Milena finally opened her eyes and looked over at Andy with an unamused look. Milena was certainly a vampire, but what did she mean by vampire blood wasn't what brought her back? And why hadn't she told Katherine she had survived?

"No, she doesn't and I hope it can stay that way. Can I get some sleep, or do you want to wreck on the road?" Milena asked as she turned her back toward Andy. Andy watched her back for a moment in silence, a little stunned at hearing how similar they both had sounded. Milena's voice was slightly scratchier, but she had strangely sounded like Andy at that moment. Was this how Elena felt around Katherine? Andy hated feeling like she wasn't the only version of herself out there.

"Goodnight, Milena," Andy said finally as she settled on the bed and continued eating her fries. She heard a quiet goodnight in return, but she knew she would be getting no sleep no matter how exhausted she felt now.

Klaus was after them, her sister's blood was the secret to making hybrids, and now Andy was locked in a room with a vampire she knew nothing about. If anything, Andy wanted to stay awake to make sure she wasn't going to end up on the other side of that dagger or Milena's fangs. After she was done eating, she turned off the lights and grabbed the dagger, holding it close to her chest as she stared in the direction of Milena and the door, waiting for anything to happen.

Klaus stood in the empty motel room, his mouth forming a thin line. After the last twenty hours, he should be on the other side of the country and far away from Damon Salvatore's threats. Instead, he was chasing after his family and a missing doppelganger in Missouri, a few states away from a man he had run a thousand years from.

After he had hightailed it out of town and driving nonstop for hours, Klaus had finally stopped in Pennsylvania, where he gathered his thoughts and tried to figure out what his plan should be. He had left Elena, Tyler, Stefan, and Rebekah back in Mystic Falls. A part of him felt slightly terrible about leaving his sister on her own in that place, but should Mikael show up, he wouldn't hurt his daughter. She wasn't really the one he really wanted anyway. Besides, Klaus needed someone other than Stefan to keep an eye on his first hybrid to make sure he was adjusting to his new life correctly.

Once he made it back to Illinois, Klaus had searched for a few hours to track down a witch. He knew a couple in the area, though he didn't trust them entirely with this situation. Still, he knew he didn't have many options to locate Andy. He took a small vial of Elena's blood and some of his own for a tracking spell and went to get help from someone who he knew would have no knowledge about him or his family.

As Klaus waited on the doorstep, he surveyed the area. It was a bustling college residence hall and he had come to retrieve Maddox's younger sister. He knew she was a witch and hoped that she was as strong as he had been. He hadn't thought about Maddox for some time, but now he realized how much he missed having a witch always on hand. If he had been brave, he would have just stayed in Mystic Falls a little longer and had the Bennett witch do the spell.

The door opened to a young girl with short chestnut brown hair and bright blue eyes that were unmistakably just like Maddox's. She had puffy cheeks and thin eyebrows to match the thin lips. Much like Maddox, she had a strong jaw and nose. She was much shorter than Klaus and looked at him with a confused look.

"Can I help you?"

"For your sake, let's hope so."

"She's not here. Can we go now?" The shriek alerted him to the girl's presence in the doorway of the room. "I've got really important things to do that doesn't involve a road trip across the country."

"Like what? Fighting fictional lizards and saving damsels?" Klaus stated in an annoyed tone as he walked around the room, trying to find anything to indicate that they had stayed here. The clerk at the desk had been compelled to forget all about whoever had stayed, but the last tracking spell they had done led here. The dots on both maps using his blood and Elena's blood had stopped in the general area of this motel. Olivia wasn't the most powerful witch and her spells seemed to only be able to lead to a general area instead of an exact location. They had just been randomly jumping around looking for evidence until now.

"Maybe you can't appreciate storytelling, but Dungeons and Dragons happens to be—"

"Olivia, if you don't shut up, I'll rip your arms off and find a new witch who won't be nearly as chatty as you are," Klaus said as he turned to throw a warning look her way. She sighed, folding her arms over her chest and averting her gaze from his. He turned away and tried to think who exactly would be stupid enough to kidnap not only his family but Andy, a doppelganger that had been running with him for months. They apparently didn't know him well enough. He had every intention of killing them the moment he found them. The only way he would grant a few moments of life would be if they hadn't removed the daggers from his entire family so they could explain exactly what their goal was. Unleashing his relatives now would be hell, especially with Mikael on the loose.

"Shouldn't I just do another tracking spell? So far, they seem to have followed a generally straight line anyway," Olivia said after a moment of silence. Klaus waved her off and she quickly went back out to the car for the supplies. She had been surprisingly willing to follow him, though he suspected it was more out of fear than anything. When she inquired about her brother and was told his fate, she didn't seem too upset about it. Evidently, the siblings hadn't been close.

When Olivia returned, she didn't waste time in laying out a new map and uncapping a small vial of Elena's blood. Klaus hated using the doppelganger's blood for this instead of a hybrid when he wasn't sure the next time he would be able to get more would be, but he also wanted his family back. If it meant sacrificing some of his blood and the doppelganger's blood to make sure Andy and his family were together, then so be it. So far they hadn't been separated.

"I need some more of your blood," Klaus turned to the witch, noticing she had already located Andy. She moved the map to the side and laid out another. He approached and picked up the pocket knife, not hesitating to cut his palm open. "That person is in Kansas, not too far ahead. I'd say they left no more than five hours ago from here."

"Just hurry," Klaus said as he finished pouring a little blood onto the map. She rolled her eyes but started chanting. He stood by impatiently, watching as the blood slowly started to move and landed in the same general area as Andy's had.

"Looks like whoever they are, they're together," Olivia said as she looked up. "They're clearly heading out west. Can I go back to school? It's my freshman year of college and I—"

"As soon as I find my family and my doppelganger, you may go play your little game," Klaus interrupted, turning to leave the room. If they were going to catch up to them, they needed to leave now. They had already wasted enough time.

"Doppelganger?" Olivia's curious tone caused him to pause. He didn't like how interested she suddenly seemed in what they were looking for. He had evaded all her questions and hadn't even told her his name, just that he had known her brother and needed her help. She had seemed reluctant to go with him, but it seemed to be more because she had been busy with some social event with friends rather than having personal gripes with him. He glanced over his shoulder at her before shaking his head. He didn't trust her one bit, but he didn't have many choices at this point.

"If you're not in the car within the next five seconds, you'll meet a similar fate to your brother. I can promise it won't be as quick."

Andy was once again sat in the shotgun as they drove down the road, heading further west than she was comfortable with. However, if it meant that there was more distance between them and Klaus, Andy wasn't going to complain. After everything Klaus had done, a break from him was welcomed, though her thoughts strayed to those she had left high and dry in Mystic Falls.

"Before we get into any explanations on how the hell you're alive, I think we need to establish what exactly we're doing here," Andy said, turning to look at Milena.

"What, you don't want to live the rest of your human life dragging Klaus's family around in coffins as we evade him? We could be Thelma and Louise," Milena replied in a flat tone.

Andy snorted and shook her head. "Wow, is this really how I sound to other people?" she questioned aloud before she tried getting the conversation back on track. "Listen, as much as I want my family to be safe, I also don't want to be carrying around a load of originals, most of who I don't even know. I don't even wanna think of how many people would kill us to get to them."

"Why didn't you remove the dagger from Elijah then? Would've been one less original to deal with. Hell, he would have just removed the daggers from all his family. Probably would have gotten Klaus out of your hair permanently as he dealt with family drama," Milena said, throwing a sidelong glance her way. "Though you would've had his siblings to deal with. That wouldn't have been much fun, trust me. I had firsthand experience."

"You haven't taken that dagger out of Elijah yet either," Andy shot back, watching the blonde's reaction closely. Her hands slightly tightened on the steering wheel and she clenched her jaw. "Milena, seriously. I'm not trying to piss you off, but we do need to come up with some sort of plan. Klaus is at our heels and if he finds us, he'll kill you. Again. I'm sure he's thinking of some way he can torture me."

"I told you already, Andy. If he somehow catches up with us before we get to our destination, then you are to act like I kidnapped you. That should get some of the flack off you. I can assure you I won't be sticking around long enough for him to find me," Milena was still tense and kept her gaze forward. Andy wondered what exactly had occurred between her and Klaus that would cause her to always react like this when he was mentioned. Milena had confirmed Klaus killed her, and maybe that was enough for her hatred of him, but there seemed to be a much deeper resentment in her. Andy remembered that Katherine told her and Elena that Klaus had slaughtered their entire family in revenge, perhaps that was another cause for her hatred.

Andy looked at her with wide eyes. "So you're just going to leave me with the originals?"

"Eventually, yes, but it's not like they won't be daggered. Klaus should be able to find you easily enough with a tracking spell," Milena explained nonchalantly. "The only reason I finally stepped in because I knew you were being stupid in trying to wake Elijah."

"Elijah would have helped me save my sister."

"He was supposed to help me save mine as well," Milena reminded, turning her head to give Andy a pointed look. Sighing, the blonde turned her head back to focus on the road. "Listen, don't get me wrong, Elijah can be a good man when he wants to be, but you don't know him or his family. They'll do anything to protect their own, anyone else associated with them is damned in the process. His priority wouldn't have been making up for breaking his word to you, it would've been to yank those daggers out of his family and kick Klaus's ass."

Andy was quiet for a few moments as she soaked in Milena's words. She wondered how many lives had been destroyed by the originals. Klaus had taken and destroyed so many lives on his own, she could only imagine the entire family doing the same. "I'm sorry for what they did to you, Milena."

"It's not just me. It's you. Anastasia. Us. We—we've always been some kind of plaything for them because what we are," Milena said, bitterness seeping into her tone. "I told my sister that we needed to leave England as soon as I met Klaus. I just—I knew as soon as I saw him in person for the first time. I had dreams leading up to it—"

"Wait, dreams? You have them too?" Andy interrupted as she turned her body to face her completely. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to get to it, once we established where we were going," Milena answered haughtily. Andy pursed her lips but waited for the doppelganger to continue. Sighing, the Petrova continued speaking. "My dreams probably weren't much different from yours. They stopped after Klaus killed me—I don't know why they started or why they stopped suddenly. But first, he was just appeared in them, trying to kill me and Katerina. Then it eventually turned to memories of Anastasia's, most of them about their family."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because I'm not stupid. How did Klaus react when you told him?" At Andy's silence, Milena rolled her eyes. "Forget I asked. I forgot that for some reason you have a connection with him. He probably drooled over you. Does it make you sick when you look at him and see a comrade?"

"We don't have a connection. I owed a debt to him," Andy mumbled as she gazed out the window with a frown on her face.

"And then you kept on making more deals with him. Funny how those involved being his friend. Klaus never could make friends without a deal or compulsion."

"Just how long exactly have you been watching me? There's a lot you know that I didn't tell you. When I saw you in Chicago was the first and only time," Andy turned her head back to look at Milena.

"I found you long before anyone else did. After I was turned, it took me a few decades, but I eventually located where Katerina's child had been sent. The child was missing, but the Petrova line was intact. After a few centuries of keeping a watch on the bloodline, you and your sister finally came along. Then it was a waiting game to see if you would be discovered by others," Milena answered, then threw her a sympathetic look. "I did my best to prevent Klaus from finding you, but I underestimated Isobel. She recognized the information I gave her was fake and quickly located Klaus on her own before I could stop her."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "You knew my mother?"

"Barely. We never dealt in person. She was too friendly with my sister," Milena replied, her tone wavering slightly. Andy looked Milena over but her expression gave nothing away on what she was feeling. "By the time I got told by my source that Elijah had found out about you, it was too late. I was busy with some other business, but I shouldn't have taken my eye off of you. I guess I should have known Rose and Trevor would have tried something to save themselves. I still don't know how they found out about you and your sister."

"Why didn't you help us with Klaus?" Andy asked, her tone curious rather than angry.

"Klaus thinks I'm dead. I wanted to leave it that way," Milena simply said, her words borderline threatening. "Would still like to leave it that way if possible, but I doubt it. I'm sure he'll hunt me harder than my sister. He always had it out for me from the moment he saw me."

"How did you survive what he did to you?" Milena shifted uncomfortably, and her eyes darted down to the dagger. Andy picked it up and ran her fingers over it. "How is this connected to it?"

"When I woke up, I was no longer in Klaus's estate. I was in some shack or hut. A witch had brought me back. She said I had more work to do and gave me that dagger," Milena's knuckles had become white from how hard she was gripping the steering wheel. It was a wonder she hadn't snapped the wheel yet. "Then I passed out again and woke up in an estate back in England, but it wasn't Klaus's home, but the people there gave me shelter while I sorted things out. I spent years looking for answers… for my sister. When I earned enough money to return to my homeland, I came back to my family slaughtered years before. I knew who had done it. Who else would have? After everything I did to make sure my sister survived, Klaus still won."

Andy swallowed nervously and looked down at the dagger with a gloomy expression. "I'm sorry, Milena."

"I decided then that I would become a vampire, and so after years of more searching, I found someone willing to turn me. Of course, I didn't know my sister had also been turned into a vampire until that mess with the Salvatores back in the eighteen-hundreds. I didn't even know if she had survived her escape from Klaus until then. Gathering information about the original family was even harder back then," Milena said, her voice lowering as she loosened her grip on the wheel. "Though there were a lot of stories, especially out of New Orleans when they were there together."

Andy looked back up at Milena. "Did you know the witch you saw?"

"No, but she was older. Dark hair, her voice… well, I still think I hear it sometimes. It isn't something you forget," Milena visibly shivered and did her best to shake it off. "I don't even know if it was real or a dream, but considering I woke up human, I'm going to assume it was real. After all Klaus… well, let's just say he killed me in a way I wouldn't have been able to survive on my own."

"How do you know that woman was a witch then?"

Milena seemed momentarily caught off guard. She cleared her throat and avoided Andy's gaze. "What else could have brought me back? She looked like a witch."

"I think that's a generalization. Don't know if people appreciate that," Andy pointed out, causing Milena to roll her eyes. Andy regarded her skeptically, feeling like Milena wasn't telling her everything about this witch.

"Are you hungry? There's a Burger King coming up."

"I've never actually met a doppelganger myself," Olivia said as they sped down the highway. Klaus had kept the radio on at a volume where he thought the witch wouldn't even bother to hold a conversation. That was how it had been up until she learned who they were looking for, and now he couldn't get her to shut up no matter how loud the music was turned up. "I've read a lot about them. Well, not that any of it is necessarily real. They're so fascinating in concept, especially when you consider there could be multiple alive at once. I wonder if the whole thing of seeing one means your death is real. If so, that must suck—"

"Olivia, is there any particular reason I should care about anything you're saying?" he questioned in annoyance.

"Considering how big of a nerd I am when it comes to all things supernatural? Yeah, I think you really should," she stated matter-of-factly, turning her neck to look at him. He remained quiet, curious to hear her elaborate. Sighing, she continued. "When I learned I was a witch, I became obsessed with this stuff, just to understand it, you know? I'm nowhere near as powerful as my brother—but I'm much smarter, at least book-wise. I don't know much about doppelgangers. They're the one thing I haven't met. Fortunately, Illinois had a little of everything. Do you think I could talk to this doppelganger? I have so many questions. Dammit, I should have brought my notebook."

"As soon as I find her, you're going home and getting out of my hair," he shot back. At least he had a vague idea of why she had joined him—she must have thought it was good for research.

"Oh, come on. I'm helping you find her and your family. I didn't ask for anything from you, okay? The least you can do is give me this. I'm not going to poke and prod her, I just have a few questions," Olivia replied in a tone that indicated she was about to launch into a rant.

Klaus sighed and shook his head. "I highly doubt this doppelganger is going to even warmly receive me, let alone a stranger helping me. But if you can get her to talk after I get her to answer some of my own questions, feel free if she doesn't tell you to screw off."

Olivia regarded him silently for a moment. "What did you do to her?"

It was his turn to remain silent. He had done a lot of shit to Andy, but now the doppelganger didn't know the full extent. He had not only allowed Stefan to drink from Elena but had compelled Stefan to turn off his humanity. The last time they had spoken, Andy had threatened him and made it abundantly clear whatever frail friendship that they once had was over. Truly, he understood where she was coming from. There had been lies between them and they both were definitely never going to trust one another again. He had been upset with her for hiding the fact Elena was alive from him, and a little part of him still was, but if he found her alive and well, then that was enough. He would send her back to Mystic Falls as soon as he could and then she would be out of his life. He wouldn't bother her again, after all, he only needed Elena now.

But was that something he wanted? Or more importantly, could afford to do? Andy still had that connection to him and his family. It could easily be exploited by someone. Furthermore, Mikael was potentially back in play because of how big of an idiot Damon Salvatore was. Klaus remembered how Mikael had used Anastasia against him in the past and that had been before they were vampires; there was no way he wouldn't take the chance to throw her in his face again. It wasn't safe for her back in Mystic Falls, not if Mikael was around. He was going to have to bring her along again, whether she liked it or not.

"That bad, huh?" Olivia's voice broke him out of his reverie and he sent a glare her way before focusing back on the road. "Oh. You like her, don't you? For purely academic reasons, how do your emotions work? Do you—"

Klaus did his best to drown her out by turning the radio back up. She seemed to get the hint and quieted down, though he didn't miss that she was still studying him closely. He was starting to dislike this witch even more. Next time he would make sure to choose a witch that wasn't so nosey.

"How far west are we going exactly?" Andy asked as Milena climbed back into the truck. They had stopped for gas, with Milena insisting that they couldn't afford to stop to rest anymore because Klaus was getting closer. Andy wasn't sure how Milena seemed so certain of that, but she let it slide. They had gotten through most of Wyoming in the last fourteen hours and Andy hadn't gotten many more answers.

"We'll stop in Oregon. It's on the other side of the country of Virginia so hopefully, it will give me some time to get the hell out of this country before Klaus finds you," Milena explained as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"He's going to be pissed. I get you made it look like you kidnapped me, but Klaus is still angry at me for hiding that Elena is alive. Even if it benefitted him in the end, he hates me and on top of that, I threatened him last time I saw him. He won't go easy on me," Andy said, leaning her head on the window. "He'll kill Jenna. Or Jeremy. Somebody to get back at me."

Milena was quiet for a few moments. Andy felt her eyes on her, but the vampire didn't say anything until she looked back at the road. "I don't know if he's stupid enough to go for them."

Andy snorted, rolling her eyes. "Stupid enough? Milena, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a human. I'm no vampire who can plot against him even if I did threaten him with the confidence of a thousand-year-old vampire."

"I was going to wait to tell you this until we got closer to the end, but I think now is as good of a time as any," Milena sighed as she gestured to the dagger that laid on the seat between them. "That dagger… that dagger is why you are alive today."

"Oh, did I pop out of it like Athena from Zeus's head?"

"You really like to test people, don't you? You're not a doppelganger, Andy," Milena said, her tone serious as she glanced over at her.

"Huh. I must be looking in a mirror right now," she replied dryly, turning to look at Milena with a frustrated expression.

"You're a reincarnation. I'm a reincarnation," Milena continued, deciding it was best to ignore Andy's comments. Andy's brow furrowed as Milena spoke. "That dagger is what did the killing blow against Anastasia. And that dagger is the source of it all this mess."

"Wait, what?" Andy turned her body completely toward Milena. "I don't understand what you're saying at all."

"Your dreams, have they stopped?"

"Yes, but I haven't died like you said you did."

"Yours must have stopped because of the sacrifice. It severed something in the connection," Milena looked pensive for a moment before she shook her head. "In my dreams, this is what I saw… Back when they were human, the originals had a little brother named Henrik. He was killed by a werewolf on a full moon when he and Klaus decided they wanted to go see the wolves transition," Andy's mouth dropped, but she listened to the story in silence. "When he died, the originals were turned into vampires by their mother using some ancient spell. Anastasia wasn't turned because she was pregnant and was going to have the first and only born of the next generation. Long story short, she lost the child and shortly after committed suicide with this dagger. Something in this dagger held onto her soul, and that is how we are alive today."

"What… what the hell, Milena?" Andy looked at the dagger, feeling a bit creeped out by it now. Anastasia had killed herself… no wonder Klaus and Elijah had been reluctant to speak of her. The pain must still be there after a thousand years. "How can this little thing control what we are?"

"This dagger has magic imbued with it. I don't know if had magic in it when the originals were turned into vampires, but when Anastasia killed herself with it her soul was bound to it," Milena looked hesitant and she glanced over at Andy. "Before I tell you this, I want to say that I am not my sister. I don't want you to hate me for what I'm about to confess."

Andy looked back wearily. "You can't say that and expect me not to like what you're going to say."

"I know you're not going to like it," Milena stated solemnly as she looked ahead at the road. "My sister was brought into the world first. She was a natural birth and came into the world without an issue. However, my mother was still in great pain. They said there was not another child in there, but she insisted she felt one. Sure enough, when they cut her open, it was discovered there was another child in there. My mother survived, somehow. They cut her open with that very dagger. A random woman gave it to my mother as a gift for her firstborn child. My mother always said that the woman said there was going to be something wrong with the birth of her daughter unless she used that knife. They didn't want to use the knife, but my mother was superstitious and insisted upon it once my sister was out of the womb."

Andy knew where the story was going and felt like she was going to be sick. It was the same exact thing that her parents had always said to her. We didn't know it was twins until the last minute, her mom had said, Elena was born naturally, you needed to be cut out. You didn't want to leave. Stubborn from the start. Now that Andy knew it was Isobel was her birth mother, it almost seemed unreal. Her mom had scars, but Jeremy had also been born via cesarean. The lie had been easy to cover up. Andy didn't have a chance to confirm it, not since everyone who had been there the night of her birth was dead.

"How?" Andy demanded, clenching her fists. "How is this possible? And how can you be so sure my father used this when I was born?"

"I was there for your birth, Andy," Andy stared at the blonde slack-jawed as she recounted the story. "Once Elena was born, your father insisted there wasn't another baby in there. I believed him, after all, I am no doctor, but Isobel said there was. At that point, I remembered the story my mother had told me of my own birth. I had to be sure. I had your father use the dagger to cut her open. I don't know what effect it had, but when he used it, suddenly you were there. He was even shocked to find another baby in there. You were sitting there so quiet and still I was almost afraid you were dead."

"Did you compel Isobel to give us up?" Andy asked, feeling a rushing of emotions through her but uncertain what exactly she should be feeling now. Milena had told Andy that she kept up with her descendants over the years. If she had thought Isobel unfit to be a mother, Andy didn't doubt that she wouldn't have hesitated to put her family somewhere where they could thrive.

"No, I did not. But I suggested to her that John Gilbert's brother and his wife who desperately wanted children of their own would give the children a good life," Milena answered, then hesitated as her gaze focused on the dagger again. "There is something in that dagger. I had it for so long that I felt like I was starting to go crazy. I—I sometimes see that witch that brought me back to life and see that little hut... I think she's connected to it all. Maybe she was the witch who gave my mother the dagger. She wants something from us, I think."

"How do you know we're a reincarnation of her? And how is it even possible that we're both alive at the same time then?"

"Why else we would experience dreams when our sisters didn't? Why would there be no trace of us in the womb until that dagger was used?"

"You can't conclude that we didn't exist before that dagger. Even if my dad was a doctor, he could've been mistaken. The only way to know is to check Isobel's medical records. And how did it work out that Elena happened to be a doppelganger as well? She could've been just a regular human. You said yourself that Katherine and she were born first. There's no way that dagger influences anything to do with the doppelgangers," Andy pointed out, her words becoming rushed as she tried not to think too much about what Milena was asserting. "Perhaps maybe it could influence what soul the other kid would have, but there's no way it's possible a baby just appears out of nowhere."

Milena was quiet again, and when she spoke it was in a whisper. "I've used the dagger on other pregnant women in the Petrova line. It only works when the necessary doppelganger is born. I theorize that something about the blood and magic of the doppelganger creates the only environment a reincarnation can be born. When Elena was conceived or maybe when she was born, it created you. There's not a lot of information out there on doppelgangers and even less on reincarnations. I'm not the best researcher but this is the only explanation that makes sense. You and I—I don't know how we can both exist at the same time, but we do, and a part of Anastasia's soul is in us."

"So, what? We're like Horcruxes?" Andy asked. She didn't understand how certain Milena could be about any of this, but this was something she had dedicated her entire life to. Chances were her theory was correct, but it still didn't explain why Andy felt Klaus's emotions or why she heard his thoughts. Then again, Harry Potter had been able to speak Parseltongue because a part of Voldemort was in him. Had there some magical connection between Anastasia and the originals?

"I suppose you could say that," Milena sighed and shook her head. "I know it's a lot to take in. I didn't mean to dump it all on you, but we are running out of time. Klaus is only a few hours behind us, and he's racing to us now."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know him. Not only did I know him in my human life, but I had dreams of him for months while we unknowingly waited for the sacrifice to take place," Milena replied then turned and narrowed her eyes at Andy. "Why do you sound scared? I already told you, he won't hurt you as long as you stick to the story."

"Maybe because you just admitted to stabbing a bunch of women freshly post-pregnancy with a knife just to see if I'd pop out?" Andy stated dryly as Milena threw her a pointed look. Andy shook her head and turned her body toward Milena. "Look, it's gonna sound crazy—well, that would imply that any of this has sounded sane—but when Klaus broke the hybrid curse, I think you're right that it broke that dream connection. But I think it also kickstarted something else. When we tried to kill him, I felt his emotions. I heard his thoughts. The same thing happened again when he transitioned into a wolf. Unless you're going to tell me that you felt it too, I think something is seriously wrong."

Milena looked shocked for the first time in their road trip. She looked down at the dagger and ahead at the road, her mouth thinning into a straight line. Andy waited for her to say something, to say anything, but got nothing out of the vampire. She sat there, white-knuckled and staring hard at the road ahead of her. Andy decided to give her some time with her thoughts, hoping she was coming up with another theory for this.

"What is your name?" Klaus sighed for the fifteenth time in the last five minutes. Ever since they started closing in on Andy and whoever took her in Idaho, Olivia was chattier than usual. Her questions had died down but had found a new life. Fortunately, it was more Olivia wanting to know who he was rather than how his body functioned.

"I don't see why that is your business," Klaus replied, glancing over at her with a warning look. The less she knew, the better. He could get Andy and his family, then send this witch back on her way to Philadelphia. She had said it herself, she wasn't that great of a witch. Her locator spell had only been accurate once back at that motel, and since then it was erratic and could barely form a straight line. If he had known of any other witch, he would have traded in. Alas, he was stuck with Olivia for a little longer.

"Well, I am helping you free of charge. I mean, I could've demanded anything from you. I feel like answering some harmless questions isn't that big of a deal," Olivia said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I know I'm just a means to an end for you, but studying supernatural creatures is kind of what I do—or want to do, at least. I've only met two other vampires in my life and they weren't exactly friendly either. Anything you could tell me would be helpful to my research."

"Why do you study the supernatural?"

"I told you, I'm not that great at being a witch. Besides, we've established I'm a nerd. The fact I exist in the same universe as vampires, witches, and werewolves? I hit the jackpot. Not everyone is that lucky," Olivia said with a smile. "I don't have any intentions of exposing anyone if that's what you're afraid of. There's no point to expose something I have no proof of. Besides, it's much more interesting to keep this to myself. Better than getting burned at the stake, at least."

Klaus looked her over closely, wondering how exactly she was related to Maddox. He had been a stoic man and didn't really care for any kind of small talk. Maddox had been a talented witch, whereas Olivia wasn't as prolific with her magic. However, she did seem to enjoy learning about other supernatural species and she had been willingly helping him. What was the harm in answering some of her questions? It wasn't as if he would ever see her past today.

"My name is Klaus," he answered after another moment of silence. He paused and looked her over silently, trying to see if she recognized the name but she didn't seem to. He cleared his throat and continued speaking. "I'm not entirely vampire. I'm a hybrid. Little bit of vampire, little bit of werewolf."

Olivia's eyes widened as she turned to face him completely. "I need you to tell me everything."

"Why are we stopping here?" Andy asked as they pulled into an abandoned parking lot. It was overgrown and most of the pavement was cracked and uneven. There weren't any lights out here and it was completely empty.

"Because this is where I leave," Milena said as she climbed out of the car and closed the door. Andy quickly unbuckled and followed suit, running to catch Milena before she just left her in the middle of nowhere. Milena looked tired as Andy sped to a stop in front of her. "I have to go, Andy. I can't be here when Klaus shows up."

"We aren't even in Oregon yet! We have like thirty minutes to go," Andy argued, feeling a fear she hadn't felt in some time begin to consume her. When Klaus got here, he wasn't going to be happy. For all her confidence when she had threatened him before, she wasn't ready to face him or his wrath.

"You don't need my help. You need to beg Klaus's forgiveness and hope he doesn't kill you," Milena replied sharply. It wasn't as if Milena was nice before, but now she seemed even colder and distant.

"What? You want me to grovel to him? After everything he's done to us?" Andy demanded angrily. Why was Milena suddenly backing out now? Was it because she had been told of Andy experiencing Klaus's thoughts and feelings in real time? Why had that spooked her out?

"You hold a piece of Anastasia in you. If anything, he'll grovel to you," Milena walked passed her, but Andy quickly grabbed her wrist. She turned to look at Andy annoyed but didn't yank away.

"Klaus is never going to let Elena live a normal life if her blood is the solution to his hybrids. I can't just give him his family back," Andy said, desperation clear in her voice. "Take me with you. We can run with his family. You said it yourself, we can be Thelma and Louise. We'll outrun him like Katherine did for all those years. We can hold onto his family as long as it takes to free my sister and to free you. You've hidden for so long, aren't you tired?"

"I have given up so much for family, theirs and my own. Klaus thought I was dead. I didn't have to run anywhere. And I won't run for eternity, not from Klaus," Milena shot back. Andy swallowed and nodded, knowing it was a heavy request. She turned away from Milena and turned back to the truck with the intention of driving herself even if she hadn't slept in well over twenty-four hours. As long as she could get further away from Klaus, she would figure a way to rest. She just needed to run, far away from Klaus. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking a page out of your sister's handbook and I'm going to run for the next few years and hope Klaus doesn't catch up and kill me," Andy replied as she opened the truck door. She paused and looked back at Milena. "I can't trust Elijah at this point not to wake his family up. I trust them even less than I do Klaus. My only option at this point is to hope I can outrun him long enough for Elena to get away from him safely. I'll figure it out."

"My sister has an unrelenting desire to survive, and she's a vampire. You are a human with no funds. You won't make it more than a day before he catches up," Milena pointed out as Andy turned her back.

"What other option do I have, Milena?!" Andy yelled as she turned to face the vampire. "I don't know why you don't want to save Katherine, but my sister still means something to me. It might be too late for us to have a normal life, but if I can save her from having her blood harvested every time Klaus needs a new batch of hybrids then I'm going to. You can join me, and we can try to save your sister as well, or you can leave before Klaus gets here."

Andy turned away and went to climb in the front when she was suddenly yanked back. She turned and looked at Milena in confusion, but the woman had a somber look on her face. "I'm sorry, Andy. This is for your own good." Milena turned her around and pressed her back against her chest. Milena put Andy in a headlock and started squeezing tightly. No matter how much Andy struggled, she was unable to get out of Milena's grip and slowly felt herself slipping away.

"They seem to be stopped," Olivia said as she climbed back into the car with a map. Klaus looked at the paper to see the blood had pooled into a single place just outside of Ontario, Idaho. He started the car up and headed in that direction. It was no more than thirty minutes away from their current location. "I can't believe you're able to make more hybrids. It's an exciting prospect."

Klaus snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well, at least someone thinks so."

"What? No one you know is a fan of this idea?" Olivia questioned, turning her head to the side as she looked at him.

"Hardly. My siblings were only willing to help because it was something I wanted. Otherwise, I have found no support for my creations," Klaus explained with a wistful sigh. "I hated to leave my first successful one behind, but I had more pressing issues. And Oregon is a popular location for werewolves. I already know of one pack in the region and have people working on another. Soon, there will be many other hybrids walking around and I will no longer be the only hybrid in existence. Well, I'm not the only one anymore."

"Do you think I could talk to your first hybrid?" Olivia questioned innocently. Klaus looked over at her with an uncertain look, but she spoke again before he could. "I'm not going to do anything, I swear. I just am curious how it feels. Everyone I've ever interviewed has so many different reactions to be a vampire or a werewolf. Sure, all of their emotions tend to be amplified, but no experience is the same. Recording the first hybrid that wasn't created via… however you exactly broke that curse, is important. Don't you want this moment, your creation, to live forever in memory and the records?"

"You do know how to sweet talk, don't you?" Klaus replied, raising his eyebrows in her directions. Olivia had already cracked him open enough to explain what he was and that he had been able to start a new supernatural race on his own.

"I credit my mom with that. She was a bit of a socialite," Olivia said with a shrug.

"My hybrid is nowhere near Philadelphia. You said yourself you are desperate for your education," Klaus pointed out to her with a pointed look. "And there is no reason for us to see one another after today. As curious as you may be about my doppelgangers and hybrids, I will not hesitate to kill you if I see you again. For your own good, I recommend you stay as far away from me for the rest of your dungeon filled life."

"You said doppelgangers… You know two?" Olivia asked with wide eyes. Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes at her. It seemed as if the witch only listened to what she deemed was important.

"I believe our conversation is now over. Hopefully, your research has gained something."

"Child…" Andy blinked a few times as her vision came to again. Once again, there was red all around her painting the walls of the hut she was in. She heard screams from outside the hut, slowly getting louder. Now, however, there was a woman standing in the room with her, but she was a blur. Andy couldn't make her face out, but she saw a large mess of black hair.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Andy asked though the screams were beginning to become deafening.

"You must help Niklaus. He needs you," The woman took a step closer and flickered out of existence for a moment. The voice was deep and gravelly. The very sound of it sent a chill down Andy's spine. "You must help him."

"Help him? What do you mean?" Andy leaned forward but she couldn't move her feet again. "Who are you?"

When the woman opened her mouth again, all Andy heard was the screams. Then she felt the hands grabbing at her again and heard her own scream.

Waking up, Andy found herself in a dark room. She felt the sensation of hands all over her still and began to panic, thinking she was still in that hut. However, it was quiet all around her. She groaned and reached for her head, the sore feeling not helping her headache. Her breathing was low and labored, and the room felt stuffy and hot. She sat up and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark. Slowly it happened, and she could make out boxes around her. She put her arms out and felt a metal stand. Reaching her hand further up to find something to help her stand, she paused when she felt something that was smooth and wooden.

Coffin. Andy inhaled sharply at the surface. She was in the back of the truck. Finally pulling herself up to her feet, Andy stumbled a bit as she made her way over to the door, hoping she wouldn't run into anything. When she tried to open the door, she found it was locked from the outside. No matter how many times she tried to yank it open, she couldn't. Milena had trapped her in the back.

But why? Why would Milena want her to get back to Klaus so easily? All her talk of wanting not to be associated with him anymore and then she locked the other reincarnation of herself in the back of the truck to hand her right back over. She didn't even seem to want revenge on Klaus for everything he had done to her. Why did she just hand Andy right back over to him without giving her a choice in the matter? Moreover, who was that woman in that dream telling her to help Klaus? That was the second time Andy had seen the hut and was convinced that it wasn't just her imagination at this point.

Andy collapsed on the ground, feeling as if her breathing wasn't quite right. Why was this truck sealed tightly? She could have sworn it wasn't like this before, but now she felt like she was about to suffocate… Her eyes opened as she desperately glanced around. She couldn't die here, not while Klaus was still out there and potentially harming her family. She had to get out, but she wasn't strong enough. There were people in here who were stronger.

Andy pulled herself to her feet and walked to where she remembered Elijah's coffin had been, groaning at the ringing sound ringing in her ears. When she thought she found the right one, she made certain to feel for the cut on the side of the coffin. It wasn't there, and she spent the next few minutes wandering around the room trying to find Elijah's coffin. When she finally found it, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking maybe she wouldn't die.

Just as she went to pull the dagger out, she heard movement outside. She didn't know where Milena had left her, so she quickly moved to hide behind the coffins. Someone broke what sounded like a lock on the door, causing Andy to flinch. She had a pretty good feeling she knew who it was and was completely unprepared for this moment.

The door of the truck flew open and sure enough, Klaus stood there in all his glory, the light behind him pouring into the back. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the coffins and his gaze locked onto Andy's as she stood, knowing she couldn't hide in here. They stared at one another for a long moment before Andy felt her knees go weak beneath her as her vision went blurry. Just as she went to fall to the ground, he sped over and caught her.

"You're safe, love," Klaus said, and she was acutely aware of his hands on her. The same hands who had killed so many before.

"I think I'm going to throw up," she replied, feeling the bile rising in her stomach. Before she could protest, he picked her up and carried her to sit on the edge of the truck. Once she was sitting, he jumped off the back and came to stand in front of her, looking somewhat concerned as she leaned her head down and tried not to vomit. He hadn't killed her yet, something she was taking as a good sign.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice low. "Who did this to you?"

Andy swallowed, uncertain what she should say. Milena didn't tell her not to tell Klaus that she was alive, and after what she did, Andy was inclined to believe Milena expected her to tell Klaus what really happened. Klaus didn't even seem angry with her, making Andy wonder how he ended up believing that she was kidnapped.

"Do you want the truth? You won't like it," Andy said as she lifted her head to look at him. His gaze bored into the back of the truck. "Go check on them. I know you want to."

Klaus didn't even hesitate to climb back in to go check the coffin. Andy climbed down and went to lean on the side of the truck, wanting to give him some privacy. She didn't miss the fact that he had checked on her before checking that his family was in their coffins, making her wonder if he had expected them to be there. She leaned back and looked up at the yellow sky. It was dawn, meaning she had been out for over five hours. Klaus had just now found his family, so he must have been further behind them than Milena believed.

"You look like you could use a drink," Andy straightened at the voice. She turned her head to see a short woman standing there with short auburn hair. Her dark eyes shined back at Andy, and her lips curled into a nervous smile. She wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a skull and crossbones with the words "GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE" written across it.

"Um, have we met?" Andy asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she stood there. She also had a nauseous feeling still and didn't want to vomit over this pretty woman who had just walked up.

"Not quite, but I did just track you for the last couple of days," The woman walked closer and held out her hand. "That… totally didn't sound creepy at all. The name's Olivia Harlow. You must be the doppelganger I've heard so much about."

Andy opened her mouth in slight confusion, not certain what she wanted to say. Fortunately, Klaus saved her from finding a response. When Klaus walked around the corner, he was glancing around the abandoned parking lot. "Well, I see you've gotten more miles in your resume. Feeling a bit worldlier now?" he questioned, a playful look on his face as he turned to face Andy.

"I was trying to wake Elijah to save Elena," Andy blurted out, not wanting to hold it in any longer. She didn't know why Milena wanted her to act like she had been kidnapped, but there was no way she was trusting Milena now. Everything she had said about reincarnations was probably a lie, though a part of Andy felt like it almost made too much sense. She wasn't sure what to believe, but she also was going to be honest with Klaus. She wasn't happy with him, but it wouldn't hurt anything if she was honest with him now, especially since she didn't know who she could trust.

Klaus's humor faded, and he looked at her with a serious expression, his eyes hardening. "Excuse me?" he asked as if he hadn't heard her.

"I was going to wake Elijah and have him kick your ass. A backup plan was to take your family and run with them. I knew if you wouldn't be willing to give up Elena for them, then Elijah would talk you into it. Unfortunately, while I was trying to wake Elijah, a blast from your past came back and kidnapped me," Andy explained, not breaking eye contact with the hybrid. She expected him to lash out at her at any moment, but he sat there and listened, albeit with a furious expression. "It was Milena."

Klaus's expression turned into one of shock and surprise before he glared at her. "That's impossible. You're lying to save yourself."

Andy laughed dryly and folded her arms across her chest. "I wish I was lying. I don't know what she was trying to accomplish, but it was her, unless it was Anastasia," The scathing look he sent her way caused her to hold her hands up in defense, deciding to drop it. "I saw her in Chicago the other day when I nearly stepped into traffic. She knocked me out and locked me in the back of the truck. And is it really impossible? Elijah could have given her his blood, and from the sound of it, you didn't check her corpse to make sure she stayed dead."

Andy was okay with telling Klaus some of the things that happened, but she didn't know if Milena was lying to her or not about what happened in Mystic Falls. For all she knew, Klaus had killed everyone she knew. Moreover, she wouldn't tell Klaus she might be a reincarnation of a woman he loved. That would cause drama she didn't need even if he hadn't been torturing her family and friends.

Klaus looked like her words had convinced him somewhat, but he wasn't going to let her off that easily. "Then why would she leave you here in the middle of nowhere?"

"The hell if I know. She didn't exactly tell me her big plan. The only time I was out of the truck was for food and to let me use the bathroom, other than when she let me clean off the blood of those people you had Stefan kill," Andy said, crossing her arms over her chest as she avoided his gaze. "She knocked me out sometime a few hours ago. I only woke up minutes before you found me when I was about to take that dagger out of Elijah so he could Kool-Aid man his way out of here. Oh, don't look at me like that. I was slowly suffocating. I didn't know you had a witch tracking us. He could have been my only way out of this mess."

Klaus exhaled and began pacing, looking torn as he clearly thought about the situation. Andy looked over at the witch to see she was awkwardly watching the two of them but had backed away to give them some privacy. Andy turned back to watch Klaus for a moment, trying to tell if he had done anything rash to her family while she was with Milena. If Milena was telling the truth about Elena, then she should at least be safe, but that didn't mean Jenna or Jeremy were okay. Then there were the other people who Klaus had been terrorizing. Did Tyler even survive the transition? And had anyone else been hurt since she had been gone in the last thirty-something hours?

"Is my family alive?" Andy asked finally, unable to hold it back anymore. Klaus stopped moving and looked at her in slight confusion. "Is Tyler okay? Or did you go on a murderous rampage the moment you realized your family was missing? Because you're looking awfully calm right now and that scares me."

"Everyone is safe. No one died," Klaus said after a moment's hesitation, his words sounding genuine. Andy exhaled in relief and put a hand over her chest as she did her best to quell all the emotions building in her. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep without being knocked out for once. "You really thought I had killed them, didn't you?"

"What else was I supposed to think, Klaus?" She demanded as she looked over at him, unable to help the water that was building in her eyes. "The last time I saw you, you were fully prepared to have Stefan kill my sister just so you could make your stupid hybrids. You didn't even think twice about damning Tyler to a life he didn't ask for. I thought you were going to kill everyone I love just because your family was taken from you. I thought I was going to come back to no one if I even ever was going to come back." Andy turned away from him, not wanting to look at him. This day was too much and being around him wasn't making it any better. Her emotions were piling up and she wanted to be alone.

"We should find somewhere to rest and find someone to check that wound on your head," Klaus said after a moment of thought. "You've hit your head a lot in the last few days. How hard did she hit you?"

"Enough that I didn't wake up until you got here," Andy said as she stood, wobbling slightly on her feet. Klaus didn't hesitate to move and offer her his support. Sighing, she decided it would make this process a lot easier and leaned into him, allowing him to get her into the truck. Olivia climbed in behind her, making it so she was squeezed in between the hybrid and witch. Klaus sped around and quickly climbed in. She kept her gaze down, though felt both Klaus and Olivia watching her.

"I'm glad you're okay, Andrea," Klaus using her full name caught her slightly off-guard, but she finally looked up at him. He looked back at her with a mix of emotions written on his face. She swallowed nervously and nodded, not certain if she could form words of her own. "Believe me when I say that Milena will suffer beyond comprehension."

"Wait," Andy's hand shot out to grab his arm and attention as he went to start the truck. Pausing, he turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Don't be angry at her. She was trying to stop me from making a mistake. You should be angry with me. Taking your family was my ultimately idea. She's suffered enough, especially from everything you've done," Even if she did knock me out and make me go back to Klaus, Andy added to herself. While she didn't particularly like Milena now, she also didn't want Klaus chasing her down like he had done to Katherine. A part of her wished she hadn't even told Klaus about her.

Klaus scoffed at her, though had a hint of amusement in his blue eyes. "You're making demands after everything we've been through in the last few days?"

"I know we're not each other's favorites right now, but I like to think we have a rapport in spite of everything that has happened. Like how we're not tearing at one another's throats even though I lied to you and you once again hurt the people I love?" Andy relaxed back into her seat and turned to look at him again. "I want to scream at you and hit you a few times, but I want to sleep more than anything, so for now you're not on my immediate shit list. Can't promise about tomorrow."

Klaus couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "After the last couple of days, I couldn't agree more. Our differences can wait for a hot bath or two, can't they?"

"As long as you stay away from me for the duration of the bath, then that sounds ideal."

~ * • ° • ° • * ~