CHAPTER TWELVE | BRINGING OUT THE DEAD

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TWO DAYS— THAT WAS THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT EDEN GILBERT HAD STAYED AT KLAUS' MANSION. Between Jeremy leaving, Stefan kidnapping her and Elena and her not getting along, being with Klaus was the safest Eden had felt in a while. Klaus had offered her a place to crash, endless supplies of blood and an ear to listen to her rant when she felt like she needed it. Of course, she kept herself to herself for most of the time but it felt good to be within his orbit. However, she felt a little out of place when she learned Klaus had got his family back, but he assured her she could remain where she was for as long as she wanted. 

Eden strolled downstairs to see both Klaus and the newly-undaggered Elijah wearing suits. The fact that Elijah was wearing one did not surprise Eden one bit, but Klaus— she was concerned. 

"Why are you dressed like you're about to go to a funeral?" The Gilbert vampire eyed up Klaus with a pointed glare whilst she hand a glass of blood within her hand, sipping it every so often. 

"Because, with any luck, I will be this evening." Klaus gave the female a tight-lipped smile as a grunt left Elijah's lips. 

"No, brother. This evenings festivities are about finding common ground between us and our foes." Elijah corrected his younger brother with a sigh. "No murders, tonight at least."

"If I have to endure this farce of an evening thenr Eden were there to watch the fireworks with us." 

Suddenly, Eden watched at both Originals had set their gaze on her. Klaus was letting her live in his house, the least she could do was show up for some stupid meal. "Sure." She shrugged. "Who's coming for dinner?"

"Stefan and Damon Salvatore."

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The minute Eden agreed to attend the dinner, she wanted to back out. The last time she saw Stefan was when he tried to use her as a pawn to get Klaus' Hybrid's out of Mystic Falls. He once was her friend, but then he used her like she didn't matter— she hated him. And, Damon? Well, Damon was harmless. She wasn't really bothered about his presence, though, given his obsession with her sister, she knew he would try and get her to speak to Elena. Which, again, was not happening yet.

"Niklaus. Our guests have arrived." Was all Eden heard from the downstairs foyer. She took a deep breath and left her bedroom before she took a few confident steps down the staircase. "I hope you don't mind, the lovely Eden will be joining us this evening."

"Oh." Was all that left Damon's lips as he saw Eden appear in the foyer, too. "Well, at least this solves the mystery of where you've disappeared to."

"Not a mystery. I just didn't wanna be around people I didn't trust." Eden simply shrugged and strode into the dining room with the Salvatores behind her. 

"And you chose here?" Stefan scoffed underneath his breath. 

"Damon. Stefan." Klaus welcomed the boys as soon as they entered the dining space. Of course, the Hybrid was already seated at the head of the table. "Elijah tells me you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilised creatures, shall we?"

"It's better to indulge him." Elijah told them. 

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan told him pointedly as he took a few steps into the room. "In 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. The choice is yours." Klaus let a smirk linger across his lips as he watched Eden take a seat beside him just as the Salvatore's finally took their seats.

The food was quickly brought out, though it was clear that Stefan was not interested in eating a single bite. He didn't want to be there, even more so with Eden seated across from him and she felt the exact same way.

"You lost your appetite?" Klaus raised an eyebrow once he had noticed Stefan's plate. 

"Eat." Damon's forceful voice echoed. "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home."

"Should've just left him at home." Eden retorted with a pointed smile and a light shrug before she took a sip of her wine. 

Klaus nodded as he watched the younger Salvatore finally pick up his fork. "That's the spirit. Isn't this nice, the five of us dining together? Such a treat." He hummed softly then looked toward Damon. "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?"

"Well, I knew how he felt about you so I figured the more, the merrier." The Salvatore sent Elijah a wink.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share quarrels over the centuries, but we always make it through."

"Kind of like, uh— you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan spoke up and Klaus' faux smile had immediately disappeared at the mention of his sister. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked, she was still daggered because you were too afraid to face her."

Klaus tilted his head and gripped his glass of wine with a smile. "If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah." 

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed Dad?" Damon reminded. "Might wanna dial down the judgement 'till dessert."

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

"What is this deal, anyway?" Eden interrupted. She was attempting to defuse the awkward tension that was rising with every single second they were all together. 

"It's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back." Damon told them. He was referring to the last coffin that they had kept back from him. Klaus wanted it back. "In exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Eden and Elena live happily ever after."

Elijah nodded, slowly. "The deal sounds fair, brother."

"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more Hybrids to fight those that oppose me." Klaus' eyes moved to Eden as he spoke. "I will never leave her behind." Then, he immediately rose to his feet. "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? 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."

Damon took a breath and immediately lifted himself up. "I'm gonna get some air."

"Let me deal with this." Elijah followed after Damon, who made swift exit.

"Mm. All this talk has made me thirsty." Klaus' eyes flickered to the blonde waitress that had been tending to their every need all evening. Eden took a breath as she watched the atmosphere become something different entirely. "What do you say, Stefan? Can I interest you in a little after-dinner drink?"

Eden watched Stefan swallow thickly as Klaus sank his teeth into the blonde's neck. The smell of blood filled the air until he finally pulled away and wiped the corner of his mouth. "You look a little nervous, Stefan?" Eden raised an eyebrow toward him. "You wanna taste?"

"No." He simply snapped with a tight-lipped smile. "I am fully aware of what you are trying to do, and I don't care."

"You don't care?" Klaus hummed with a small chuckle. "You see, I care about what you did to Eden. In fact, I care so deeply that I think you should suffer. However, she is a better person than I, obviously. But, I think you should apologise."

"I did what I had to do." Stefan retorted with a hardened glare and a shrug. 

Eden took another sip of her wine and placed the glass down in front of her. "Weird. That didn't sound like sorry to me." 

Their moment was interrupted by the reentrance of Damon and Elijah. "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."

"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. The blonde one."

"Matt?" Eden echoed with a raised eyebrow. She watched Klaus nod again, then took a large sip of wine. "Wow."

"They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family."

Stefan's face fell. "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?"

"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." Klaus' gaze flickered between the Salvatore brothers.

"You know this is your sister he's talking about, right?" Damon looked to Eden with a pleading glare. "Perhaps try help."

"All I care about is Elena being alive, Damon. I am helping. If Klaus will keep her alive, then that's more than can be said for the two of you." Eden tilted her head with narrowed eyes. "How many times has she had a near-death experience within your orbit?"

"So, what do you say, Stefan?" Klaus lifted himself from his seat again and moved toward the fireplace. "Do we have a deal?"

All eyes slowly began to widen as Stefan strolled closer to Klaus. With the Hybrid's hand already extended, Stefan eyed it up before he gripped Klaus' hand. "Nice try, Klaus. But, no deal." 

In complete rage, Klaus twisted Stefan's hand round and dropped the Salvatore to his knees in front of the fireplace. He forced Stefan's hand into the blaze, causing a scream to leave his lips. Damon attempted to lunge forward, but Elijah pinned him to the wall. 

Eden swallowed thickly as Stefan's cries grew louder until she couldn't take it anymore. "Stop it!" The moment she told Klaus to stop, he did. "Damon, just— just get this damn coffin."

"I'll get it." 

Klaus hummed as Damon finally left the room once Stefan was out of the blaze. "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." Elijah nodded and followed after Damon.

"Go ahead, kill me. I know you want to for what I did to Eden." Stefan told him as Klaus still kept him within his grip.  

"You really have given up, haven't you? Where's the fight? Where's the Ripper?!" Klaus' attention was taken by Elijah's reentrance with Damon at his side. "Elijah, why haven't you left?"

"Well, where are your manners, brother?" Elijah asked. The blonde waitress appeared beside Elijah with a silver platter. and once Elijah removed the cloth that was on top, he revealed two daggers. "We forgot dessert."

Klaus looked anxiously at the daggers. "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."

As the words left his lips, a man appeared from behind Elijah and strolled inside. Klaus appeared visibly shaken and Eden noticed immediately. "Kol—"

"Long time, brother." The man spoke with a thick British accent and a devilish grin. 

Klaus tried to lunge toward the daggers but another man appeared, this time looking slightly more rugged than Kol. Eden assumed this was now the rest of his siblings. "Finn, don't!" Finn grabbed one of the daggers and thrust it through the palm of Klaus' hand. Eventually, he broke free and tried to speed out of the room only to be blocked by a blonde. "Rebekah!"

She simply thrust a stake through his abdomen with a sweet, innocent smile. "This is for our mother." She smirked before she shoved Klaus backward and into Kol's hold. Then, she noticed the Petrova doppelgänger silently watching. "Hello, again, Eden."

"Long time no see." Eden softly chuckled between the commotion.

"You're free to go. This is family business." Elijah told the Salvatore's as they made their exit.

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