I'M NOT A ONE-RELATIONSHIP KIND OF GIRL.

The last thing Klaus was expecting was for Clementine to waltz into his manor a mere half hour before the Salvatores were expected to arrive for dinner. Just the day before, by threatening Bonnie's mother, they'd managed to get the location of all the coffins except for one.

The coffin containing Esther Mikaelson.

So, it was safe to say that Clem was invested in getting her back. She'd already warned Bonnie against opening the coffin, but part of her knew the witch wouldn't listen now that she had her mother whispering in her ear. And Clementine couldn't blame her for that.

"What are you doing here, love?" Klaus asked as Elijah also entered the foyer. Both took in the lovely but short black silk dress she was wearing, thinking she looked beautiful.

"I'm here for the dinner," she said simply.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "They told you about dinner?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

Elijah looked at his little brother like he was stupid, and Clem just grinned in amusement. Then she tapped her head, reminding him what she was. Klaus flushed and cleared his throat.

"Right. Seer," he muttered, clearly embarrassed. "Let's, uh, let's not mention that ever again."

"Oh, no way. You killed me twice, Klaus. You're still in the dog house."

"But you came back," he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Ignore him, Elskan," Elijah said, moving closer to Clementine. She had a jacket over her arm, which he took to hang up for her. "Come. I can give you a tour of the house while we wait."

"I'd love that," she beamed. "So, is Bekah coming to dinner?"

"She wouldn't miss it," Elijah told her, taking her to the living room first.

"So," Clem said once she knew they were far enough away from Klaus. "Are you still planning to awaken the other two without Klaus' permission?"

Elijah's eyes went wide before reminding himself what she was. Rather than reply verbally, he just nodded. She smiled, ready to meet the other two finally.

"I like the art Nik chose," Clementine said, looking around the expertly decorated living room.

"Don't tell him that," Elijah smiled. "He painted them all."

☽︎

When Damon and Stefan arrived, Clem was already at the dining table with Rebekah, the two girls chatting about school and Matt. And clearly, the Salvatores didn't expect to see Clementine there.

"Tangerine," Damon greeted suspiciously. "Didn't know you were invited."

"She wasn't," Elijah said with a slight smile. Then he nodded to Klaus. "Please, have a seat. It's better to indulge him."

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus," Stefan said bitterly. "Fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told I had to cause you would hear us out."

"Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides," Klaus offered. "The choice is yours."

As they sat down, Clem had a Mikaelson man on either side of her while sitting across from Stefan, who she glared at. And everyone dug into their meal except for Stefan, who remained pouting — Clementine didn't have any sympathy for him anymore.

"You lost your appetite," Klaus noted, nodding to his untouched plate.

"It is quite delicious," Rebekah said tauntingly.

"Eat," Damon ordered tensely. "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home."

"That's the spirit. Isn't it nice? Six of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" Klaus asked accusingly, looking at Stefan.

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier," Stefan said with a smirk. "Besides, it was a birthday present."

"Something tells me he didn't ruin the party like you hoped he would," Clem muttered.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But we always make it through."

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan asked. "I bet there's all kinds of things you're keeping from her."

Rebekah narrowed her eyes at him, not appreciating him trying to manipulate her. "If you're referring to the fact that the wanker killed our mother, he's already come clean. You'll notice a few holes in the walls should you take a walk around the house."

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed Dad? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert," Damon muttered.

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses," Stefan muttered.

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself," he requested.

After a moment of awkward silence, Elijah broke it, trying to catch up on all he'd missed. "Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?"

"I don't know. Ask Clementine," he said bitterly, which made Klaus and Rebekah laugh as Clem huffed. Elijah looked at her curiously.

"I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise," Klaus taunted.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner's over," Stefan said grumpily.

Klaus smiled cutely and put a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet, though he was still quite amused.

"You know what, probably best just to keep Elena and Clem in the do-not-discuss pile," Damon admitted.

"You're probably right," Klaus agreed.

"Grand," Rebekah muttered. "Perhaps she's grown on me, but I cannot stand the drama that follows the wretched doppelgänger around."

"It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" Klaus asked, making Rebekah roll her eyes.

Elijah eyed Clem warily. "Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"

"Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line."

"Well, we're not going anywhere, Elijah. Please, do tell," Damon said, sipping his wine.

"I'd like to know too," Clementine said even though she already knew.

Elijah sighed and gave in. "When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus."

Clem turned to look at Klaus, raising an eyebrow. "I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much."

"Wait a minute," Stefan realized. "So you both loved the same girl?"

"Is that a surprise?" Damon asked, nodding to Clementine, who pretended to be oblivious.

"Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires. Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I... grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?"

"But in the end, we realized the sacred bond of family," Klaus said.

"Family above all," Elijah declared as both brothers raised their glasses.

"Family above all."

"Besides," Elijah said with a smile, "with our father dead, once we have that last coffin, our family will be reunited once and for all."

"Let me ask something," Stefan said, a glint in his eyes. "If you couldn't share before, what makes you think you can now? Because let's not pretend like there isn't a Clem-sized elephant in the room."

"I'm a big girl, Squirrel Breath," Clem said, crossing her arms. "Don't act like I'm not here."

"Fine," he said, leaning forward on his elbows. "If you had to choose, who would it be — Enzo, Elijah, Klaus, or Elena?"

She could feel both Mikaelson brothers' stares on the sides of her head, but she didn't look away from Stefan. "I'm not really the kind to choose, Stefan. But even so, Enzo's the only one to make his intentions clear. You're looking for drama that isn't there."

"Just want to make sure we don't have another Katherine on our hands," he shrugged.

"Stefan," Damon said warily.

"I'm just concerned with what I know," he went on.

Clementine frowned. "What do you know?"

"Let's say I paid a little visit to Sheila Bennett," he said, smirking. "Let's say I forced her to answer some of my questions."

Clem rose from her chair furiously. "If you hurt her—"

"Relax, Clem," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just spat out a few threats toward Bonnie. She caved right away. Told me all about why you can't seem to stay dead. It was a really interesting gossip session."

"What's he on about?" Rebekah asked, looking between the two.

"Well, if you're not gonna tell them, someone should," Stefan said. "They deserve to know if they're gonna be stuck with your annoying ass for all of time."

"How about we calm down?" Damon asked, his eyes wide. He knew that Stefan was taking Elena's newly discovered feelings for Clem personally. "We're getting off track."

"Perhaps he's right," Elijah said civilly, not wanting things to get out of hand. "So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?"

"That's very simple," Damon said. "Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Tangerine, and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges."

Elijah shook his head. "The deal sounds fair," he said even though his jaw twitched at the thought of leaving Clem behind. He didn't know why the thought bothered him so.

"And I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me — we've already struck a deal to get her blood every few months. I will never leave her behind," Klaus added. Then he got up and began to pace the room. "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding when she's already chosen another? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is... the two of you."

Knowing he was semi-right, Damon smiled weakly at Stefan. "I'm gonna get some air."

Elijah got up to follow Damon out. "Let me deal with this," he said, leaving Clem and Rebekah alone with Klaus and Stefan.

"All this talk has made me thirsty," Klaus said, looking at one of the servants.

As he drank one dry, Rebekah studied Clem's tense expression. "Why is it that you come back to life?"

Clem huffed and glanced at a smug Stefan. "I've got... a handful of soul-bonds in the world. Until I complete the bond, whatever that means, I'm basically immortal because my soul isn't intact."

Klaus dropped the body of the poor woman he was drinking from, looking at Clem in disbelief. Rebekah had a similar expression on her face.

"I thought soul-bonds were a myth," she whispered. She wanted nothing more than a bond of her own — the promise of someone who would love her unconditionally. "How does it work?"

"Well, it's not as in your face as I thought it'd be," she said, looking at her plate. She couldn't stomach looking at Klaus. "Took months for me to realize Enzo was one of them. Grams says there's this kind of... pull for the supernatural. That's my soul trying to get back to me or whatever."

"You said you have a handful?" Klaus found himself asking. Had he finally found out why the girl seemed to consume all of his thoughts as of late?

Clem just shrugged. "Yeah."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Rebekah asked, tilting her head. She was the kind of girl who believed in one true love — not many.

"Like I said, I'm not a one-relationship kind of girl," she said. "But I don't really want to talk about this anymore, Bekah."

"We're having a sleepover tonight, and I'm learning everything," the blonde vampire insisted.

Stefan rolled his eyes, annoyed that revealing her secret hadn't gone the way he wanted. So, he went back to the task at hand. "Well, I guess the only reason you agreed to this evening, Klaus, is to drive a wedge between me and my brother."

"Oh no, you're doing that well enough on your own. Because of Elena, you're gonna lose your brother and you'll only have yourself to blame," he told him simply. "Which is quite amusing given her obvious affection for a certain someone."

Before Clem could tell him to shut up, Damon and Elijah returned. Damon seemed to be in a better mood, so Clem knew they undaggered Kol and Finn.

"What do you say, Klaus?" Damon asked. "It's time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer, now you counter."

"Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs right now is to be rid of you lot. And to fall in love with a human, maybe that nice football player, you know the blond one?"

Clem's insides were stirring, hating the thought of Elena going back to her brother who didn't appreciate her enough.

"My Matt?" Rebekah asked furiously. "Absolutely not!"

"Yeah, why not?" he asked, ignoring her jealousy. "They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family."

"And continue the Petrova bloodline. Every few hundred years, you'll have a new doppelgänger to drain and never run out of hybrids, right Klaus?" Stefan asked, glaring at him.

"Consider it a small return on my investment in her well-being. See, after you hand me back the coffin, I'll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life. You know it's what's best for her," he said, walking closer. "So, what do you say Stefan, hmm? Do we have a deal?"

Stefan walked up to him, and Damon watched nervously, knowing he didn't want him to agree to the deal. "What are you doing?"

Klaus went to shake Stefan's hand, but the youngest Salvatore wasn't having it. "Nice try, Klaus. But no deal," he said.

In an instant, Klaus broke Stefan's arm before kicking his leg, breaking it as well. Then he pushed Stefan's hand into the nearby fireplace, starting to burn it. Damon attempted to save him, but Elijah stopped him, pushing him against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, worried for his brother. "Stop!"

"Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive," Klaus threatened.

"I'll get it," he promised.

"Go with him, brother. You keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family," Klaus assured him, watching as Elijah left with Damon. Then he looked to Clem, making sure she wasn't deterred by the show of violence. But she looked pleased — he had threatened to kill her over and over and over again after kidnapping her, after all.

"Go ahead and kill me. I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin," Stefan huffed.

Klaus pulled him out of the fire and peered at him. "You really have given up, haven't you? Where's the fight? Where's the ripper?"

He pushed Stefan, who pushed back. But then suddenly, Elijah and Damon joined them once again, one of the waitresses next to them carrying a covered silver tray.

"Elijah, why haven't you left?" Klaus asked, confused by his appearance so soon. He didn't notice the pleased smirk on his sister's face.

"Where are your manners, brother? We forgot dessert," Elijah said before removing the cloth on the tray, revealing two silver daggers.

Klaus' eyes went wide and he glanced at Clem nervously — sure, he wanted her there when he woke his family, but not like this. "What have you done?"

"What have you done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

Before Clem knew it, Elijah moved protectively in front of her, backing her into the wall as someone entered the room. She couldn't get a good look but knew it was Kol. Clearly, though, Klaus wasn't happy to see him.

"Kol," Klaus muttered, starting to back away.

"Long time, brother," he said.

Klaus moved to run, but another appeared and grabbed a dagger.

"Finn, don't!" Klaus begged, only to be stabbed through the hand. He tried to run, only to run right into Rebekah, who stabbed him in the stomach with her own dagger she'd stolen.

"This is for our mother," she muttered, still furious at him.

She pulled the dagger out, and Klaus stumbled back into Kol's arms, who restrained him. Elijah looked to Damon and Stefan.

"You're free to go. This is family business."

Clearly, that didn't extend to Clem, as Elijah was holding onto her wrist behind his back. As the Salvatores left, Clem peeked out from behind Elijah's back to watch.

"I like what you've done with the new place, Niklaus," Kol said before throwing a vase at a painting on the wall, ruining both. He'd always detested how much Klaus loved his own art.

"I wanted it to be for all of us," Klaus whispered, leaning against the table. "A place we could all call home. A place we could all be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again."

"Well, you're right. None of us will be," Elijah told him coldly. It made Clem frown.

"You're staying behind," Finn said, speaking for the first time. Clem tried to stand on her toes to get a better look.

"We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you'll be alone. Always and forever."

"Um," Clementine found herself speaking up, stepping out from behind Elijah. "I think the fuck not, Bekah."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, clearly not fond of her fondness for Elena. "You cannot stop me, Clementine. She's been friendly enough, but my brother cannot continue to make hybrids."

"Who is this, sister?" Kol asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied Clementine's smaller form. "A snack."

"Kol," Elijah sighed. "No—"

It was too late. Kol had already rushed to Clementine and sunk his fangs into her neck, ignoring her screams as he drained her of her blood. She pushed against his chest, but it was useless. Soon, she lost consciousness and eventually died, falling to the floor in a heap.

Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, hating when Clementine was in pain. And Klaus rushed to her side, picking her up gently to move her to the couch.

Rebekah glared at Kol. "She is my friend, Kol."

"Was your friend," he said with a smirk, wiping her blood off his face, which made Finn roll his eyes.

"She'll be fine," Klaus said with a huff. "If she would not, I'd dagger you again for that stunt. No one hurts my Little Seer."

"She's not yours, Niklaus," Elijah said stiffly.

"No," Rebekah said, clearly amused by his jealousy. "She's Elena's, evidently."

"Hold on," Kol said, a frown fixed on his pretty face. "A Seer? They certainly do not exist anymore."

"But she does," a new voice said, entering the house and drawing all their attention. "A Seer that each of my boys is soul-bound to."

"Mother?" Rebekah asked in disbelief, seeing the woman who looked just as she did the day she died.

Esther nodded before setting her sights on Klaus, who was cowering away, avoiding looking her in the eye as she came closer. "Look at me! Do you know why I'm here?"

There were tears in Klaus' eyes. "You're here to kill me," he claimed.

But then she surprised them all by shaking her head. "Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again."

Silence fell over the room, Klaus not sure that he could trust her. After all, Clem had warned him over the summer. Speaking of, he looked at her still body, noticing that Kol was studying her as well.

It was Finn who broke the silence. "Soul-bound?"