Reborn As The Current Doppelganger (SI-Elena G. X Elijah M. X Niklaus M.)

Rabbit Hole

Flashback

"What's wrong with her, doctor?" My "mother" asked, her voice thick with concern as she watched over my motionless form. I lay there, unresponsive, trapped in a world only I could see.

"She's gone down the rabbit hole. It's when someone is transported into a wonderfully surreal state or situation," the doctor explained, his tone grave as he assessed my condition.

"We can keep her here, hook her up to an IV, and monitor her closely. Other than that, there is nothing else we can do," the doctor continued, his words falling heavily in the room. I felt a sharp prick as they administered medication, a distant sensation amidst the fog of my mind.

A solitary tear escaped from the corner of my eye, a silent testament to the inner turmoil raging within me.

End Flashback

"So, what's wrong with her, mate?" Niklaus's voice cut through the room, carrying a note of urgency. I remained fixated on the wall, my mind lost in a labyrinth of thoughts and memories.

"She's down the rabbit hole. There's no way of knowing when she'll come back out," Aunt Jenna explained with a heavy sigh, her voice tinged with concern. The weight of her words hung in the air, a grim reminder of my fragile state.

"Well, wake her up. I have my werewolf, witch, and vampire. I need a cognitive doppelgänger," Niklaus demanded, his impatience palpable.

"What triggered her last?" Elijah's voice was calm, yet laced with a hint of worry. I felt a rough, unfamiliar hand brush against my face, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

"Her parents' death. She was in the car, it skidded off. They died, she didn't," Jeremy's voice broke through the haze of my thoughts, each word carrying the weight of past trauma.

"So, how do we fix her?" Niklaus's impatience was evident, his tone brusque as he sought a solution to the enigma before him.

"She comes out of it. Usually, on her own. I can see if we have her medicine. That might speed up the process," Aunt Jenna offered, her voice trailing off as she retreated to fetch the medication.

"What's wrong with you, love?" Niklaus's voice softened as he addressed me directly, his gaze penetrating as he searched for answers within my distant eyes. A tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheek, and I turned away, unable to meet his gaze.

"Ok, I'll just give her some of this..." Aunt Jenna's voice began, but I couldn't bear to hear more. With a sudden surge of resolve, I rose from my seat and headed for the door, my footsteps echoing in the silence of the room.

"Come on, love, let's get you back inside," Niklaus's hand landed gently on my shoulder, his touch a comforting presence amidst the chaos of my mind. But I couldn't shake the overwhelming flood of thoughts consuming me.

"Low EQ. Your daughter has low EQ. That was the last thing my doctor told my parents before they died. The reason why I went to the park was for them," I explained, the words tumbling out in a rush, each one laden with the weight of my past.

"Fact; I am spiraling. Fact; I hate that you keep touching me. Fact; you are going to kill me. Fact; my parents died because of me. Fact; it was only until after their death that I was able to finally act like a 'normal' human," I concluded, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

"What is that?" Niklaus's voice was tinged with confusion as he struggled to comprehend my jumbled confession.

"Having Emotional Intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict," I explained, my voice trembling with emotion as I attempted to articulate the complexities of my inner turmoil.

"It's like a switch. I can flip it. When I was at school I'm the smartest person on campus, and off it I am the perfect daughter...was the perfect daughter," I explain.

"I behave the best I can be. I act the best I can. I do whatever, everyone wants. I act whatever way they want," I say, smiling and putting my face in my hands.

"How do you switch it?" Elijah asks me. "I think...and then I close my eyes...and count backward from a billion by 24... after that, I calculate random square roots...and then...I breathe, blink, listen, taste, I open my eyes, and then whatever or whoever I was is now gone and locked away. And the new me is out and about," I explain to him. He just stares at me slightly shocked.

"So, you do math and breath and that locks away some part of you," Elijah asks me. And I nod. "Pretty much," I say and I smirk at him. "So, why not do that right now?" Niklaus asks me.

"Because I don't want to," I say and start back home. "I'm just saying if you can block out this part of yourself why not just do it," Niklaus asks me. "I did," I say and walk into the house and go upstairs to my bedroom and plop into bed. I throw the covers over my head and take a quick nap.

"Wake up. It's time for dinner. Sam and Dean are coming to take you on a hunting trip," Aunt Jenna's voice pulled me out of my reverie, and I blinked, adjusting to the light as I nodded in acknowledgment. The presence of Elijah and Niklaus in the room didn't escape my notice.

"Good...afternoon," I greeted, my voice still heavy with sleep as I stretched languidly. Elijah returned the greeting with a nod, and I felt a faint sense of relief wash over me at his familiar presence.

"Are you, Sam, and Dean still going hunting later today?" Jeremy's question drew my attention, and I nodded in response, my mind already drifting to the upcoming excursion.

As I sat down to eat, I pushed the food around on my plate, more concerned with the pretense of eating than actually consuming anything substantial. It was a habit I had grown accustomed to, a way of masking the turmoil within.

"I'm going to go and do something before hunting. I'll be back in a few," I announced, my words rushed as I made a hasty exit from the room.

Venturing to my favorite place, I found solace in the familiar melodies of my piano. As my fingers danced across the keys, I poured my heart into the music, each note a reflection of the emotions swirling within me.

"I tried to talk to my piano

I tried to talk to my guitar

Talked to my imagination

Confided into alcohol..."

As I played, the music became my outlet, a conduit for the emotions I couldn't express through words alone. Each chord resonated with a depth of feeling, echoing the turmoil and longing buried deep within me.

When the last note faded, tears streamed down my cheeks, mingling with the sweat on my brow. I slammed my hands on the keys in frustration, the sound reverberating through the room like an echo of my inner turmoil.

Lost in my emotions, I didn't notice the passage of time until a gentle hand rested on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present. Startled, I turned to find Elijah standing beside me, his expression a mix of concern and understanding.

"Yelena, are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice cutting through the haze of my thoughts. I swallowed hard, struggling to find the words to convey the storm raging within me.

"I don't know," I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper. Elijah's hand tightened on my shoulder in silent support, offering me a lifeline in the midst of my chaos.