"Oh, there it is." I stated, gesturing at the Salvatore crypt as we walked through the cemetery.
"This.. is creepy. Even for us." Bonnie countered as we walked into the crypt and the doors creaked at the sound of us walking in and I noticed all of the cobwebs surrounding it.
"Caroline was right." Elena stated and put the cake on a pedestal that stood in the corner. "Technically, She is dead." She added and I slowly nodded in agreement as we all stood inside the crypt now and Caroline furrowed her eyebrows.
"You don't need a birthday, Care. You need a funeral." I added in agreement and she turned to look at me. "You need to say good-bye to your old life so you can move on with your new one." I pointed out and Caroline gave me a small smile as Elena opened the cake box. Caroline gave a small chuckle and slowly nodded, taking off the birthday tiara.
"Okay." Care stated, looking around the crypt slowly. "Here lies Caroline Forbes." She added, going to open her mouth before Elena cut her off once she put candles on the cake.
"Cheerleader, Miss Mystic Falls, Third grade hopscotch champion." Elena stated smiling at Caroline who folded her arms in front of her and chuckled.
"Friend... Daughter.. Overachiever." Bonnie added, tilting her head at Care in amusement, making her chuckle more.
"Mean girlâsometimes. No offense." Matt admitted and Caroline rose her eyebrow at it before she shrugged.
"Ah, none taken." Caroline replied knowingly. I smiled at her and folded my arms over my chest as Elena picked up the cake and slowly walked over to Care.
"She was seventeen and she had a really good life.. So Rest In Peace so that you can move forward." I stated with a small smile and Caroline slowly nodded. "It's what you really need. I think it's what we all really need." I added and they all nodded in agreement.
"Amen.. Or cheers or whatever." Elena replied with a chuckle and Matt laughed, holding up the bottle of tequila he brought. "Uh, one of you?" She asked, looking at Bonnie and I before gesturing at the candles. Bonnie and I looked at each other before she gestured towards me and I chuckled, blowing on the candles and making them ignite as the light reflected off of our faces.
"Nice." Matt laughed with a nod at my gesture before I looked at Caroline and smiled.
"Make a wish." I whispered and she looked at the candles before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.. After a few seconds she opened her eyes again and blew out the candles.. Leaving us in darkness again.
~~~
Caroline gave Matt another piece of cake while Bonnie, Elena and I drank from the tequila bottle from where we sat on the two benches from inside the crypt. "Gimme." Matt stated in amusement, taking the bottle from Bonnie before Elena grabbed it back from him.
"Uh, uhâI need it more than you do, trust me." Elena stated shaking her head and he furrowed her eyebrows at her and sat next to Bonnie while Elena and I sat on the bench across them. "Caroline, what are you doing?" She asked, looking at Care who was sneakily typing into her phone.
"Nothing? Hmm?" Caroline countered, looking at Elena as she hid her phone in her hands. "Huh?" She asked with a shrug and I rose an eyebrow and grabbed the bottle from Elena, giving it to Matt who chuckled.
"Okay, you're a really bad sober liar. You're an even worse drunk liar." I laughed in amusement at her.
"I might've texted Tyler." Caroline admitted in defeat and Elena sighed heavily.
"Caroline." Elena said, shaking her head in amusement and Care heaved a sigh.
"What? I'm delicate." Care countered softly and looked down. Matt sighed and held his head in his hands while Bonnie shook her head at Elena.
"Give her a break. You can't control what everyone does all the time." Bonnie snapped. I rose an eyebrow at her as Elena furrowed hers and the two stared at each other silently for a few seconds.
"Wow." Elena stated, tilting her head at Bonnie as Matt looked up from his hands with furrowed brows.
"Ouch, Bon." Matt added, shaking his head at her before he got up, walking behind Elena and I.
"I'm sorry. I just feel that it's really wrong how you compelled Jeremy to leave town." Bonnie pointed out.
"We did it to protect him, Bonnie. He deserves a chance at a half-way normal life." I countered and folded my arms over my chest.
"He should be able to choose how he wants to live it. You're taking his choices away." Bonnie argued and I sighed, shaking my head at her.
"Bonnie, you can't tell him." Elena warned, furrowing her eyebrows at Bonnie who scoffed.
"Why? Are you going to compel me not to?" Bonnie countered in annoyance and I sighed, standing up from the bench also.
"You know, you guys are ruining a perfectly good funeral." Matt stated and Bonnie looked up at him and sighed, turning to Caroline who stood behind her.
"I'm sorry. I'm just going to go sleep it off or something. Have a good birthday." Bonnie stated as she got up and grabbed her bag before she walked out of the crypt and I sighed deeply. Elena furrowed her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder at me and I shrugged in defeat and took the tequila bottle, taking a swig of it.
~~~
Elena and Caroline sat across from Matt who's head was laying on my lap. Him and Caroline were in deep conversation and laughing hard at the memory of the two dating last year. The crypt doors creaked from behind us and we all looked towards it to see Tyler and Matt quickly stood in front of him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to crash the party." Tyler stated, looking between all of us.
"So don't." Matt replied emotionless and I stood, putting a hand on Matt's arm reassuringly.
"No, it's uh, it's ok." Caroline replied, standing from the bench and looking at Tyler with a faint smile. "Hi." She added and he gave her a small smile.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. I rose an eyebrow at Caroline who sighed in defeat before she gave him a short nod. Caroline walked out of the crypt with Tyler and I sat back down as did Matt.
"Are you okay?" I asked sighing at him and he slowly nodded and looked back at me as Elena handed him the tequila bottle and he took it.
"I just want her to be happy, you know?" Matt asked furrowing his eyebrows at Elena and I before he drank from the bottle. "That's what I want for all of you guys in the middle of this crazy life you got stuck living." He added and I tilted my head at him as Elena furrowed her eyebrows.
"Is that how you see it? That we're stuck?" Elena asked and Matt thought it all over in his head as I observed him.
"I'd say it's attached itself to all of you pretty tight, yeah." Matt answered and I slowly nodded before he handed me the bottle and I took it and stared down at it quietly.
"Bonnie's right.. We had no right messing in Jeremy's head." I stated quietly and looked between the two of them. "He's in danger here.." I pointed out and they slowly nodded back at me before I took a swig of the alcohol and sighed. "What else is there to do?" I added, shaking my head and handing the bottle to Elena and she rose an eyebrow as it was now empty.
"Well, right now we should check on Care." Elena stated and I slowly nodded in agreement before she put the bottle on the bench and we all got up and grabbed the flashlights we came with.
"Caroline?" Matt asked loudly as we walked out of the crypt but neither her or Tyler were in sight.
"Care?" I asked again, looking at the empty cemetery around us and Elena sighed and stuffed her pockets in her coat.
"Great. We've been abandoned. That's it, we're going for a search party. I don't trust that she won't get back together with him." Elena stated in annoyance as she pulled her jacket closely to her.
"Caroline!" Matt yelled loudly around us as he looked through the trees with the flashlight in hand.
"Come on, Care, we don't have anymore drinks!" Elena pointed out in annoyance and I sighed, shaking my head and looking back at Matt who shrugged in defeat.
"So now what?" Matt asked, turning back to me and I shrugged.
"Askâ" I started, cutting myself off and looking back at Elena who was gone. "Lena?" I asked in confusion as she wasn't anywhere around us anymore. "Elena?" I added louder and looked towards the crypt that was empty.
"Where the hell did she go?" Matt asked in defeat and I slowly shook my head and sighed in defeat.
"I need to get home. She's buzzed and probably not even thinking clearly. You find Caroline." I stated and Matt nodded in agreement before we went separate ways.
~~~
I rang Elena's phone in annoyance as I paced my bedroom floor in front of my window, getting the dial tone before it cut off. "Hello, Mariana. She's a little busy right now." Stefan's voice stated from the other line.
"Stefan? Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?" I asked, stopping in the middle of my bedroom.
"I'm making my next move agains Klaus. Let me ask you something, what's Klaus going to do if he loses one of his main sources to making hybrids?" Stefan asked and I widened my eyes as concern washed over me.
"Stefan, what the hellâ" I started before he hung up on me and I groaned, dialing another number into my phone quickly.
"Couldn't help yourself, huh?" Damon asked in amusement as he picked up on the first ring.
"I could but Stefan clearly can't. He has Elena and he's threatening to make sure she's no longer a human 'blood-bag'." I stated as I grabbed my jacket from my bed and started walking to the front door.
"What?" Damon countered in anger from the phone as I came down the stairs.
"There's no timeâI need you to tell me everything that you know, now." I warned once I got to the front door and Damon sighed deeply from the other side.
"I'll handle this. Trust me, Ari." Damon reassured and I scoffed, going to protest before he hung up on me and I groaned in annoyance and put it my hand around the doorknob but didn't open the front door. I slowly I gripped it and shook my head.
"Trust him, Mariana." I breathed quietly before I slowly hung up my coat.
~~~
I quickly walked down the stairs as Elena walked into the house from below me. "Elenaâ" I started but cut myself off as she looked up at me with glazed eyes. I furrowed my eyes and opened my mouth again but she shook her head quickly and walked up the stairs past me. I sighed in defeat at her and looked at the wide open door as Damon came up the porch steps. I walked fully downstairs and met him on the porch, shutting the door behind me. "Thanks for picking her up." I stated quietly, folding my arms over my chest and he gave a short nod.
"Anytime." Damon replied and I slowly nodded at him as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked and I gave a small shrug back.
"She'll survive. Somehow she always does, you know?" I asked before I looked away from him and scoffed. "Somehow we both do." I added in disbelief, looking back up at Damon who slightly tilted his head down at me.
"You know, Stefan won this round for us today." Damon pointed out and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "He pushed Klaus over the edgeâKlaus blinked." He added and I rolled my eyes and turned away from him.
"Well, his methods sucked. I mean, he gave Elena his blood and threatened to drive her off Wickery Bridge, Damon." I countered, shaking my head in disappointment and he sighed back at me.
"Still, we needed it. Klaus has been calling all the shots and Stefan beat him at his own game. He was the better villain." Damon stated in some amusement and I scoffed at the proud look on his face.
"Don't sound so impressed." I sighed in annoyance and he gave me a small smirk.
"Well, can't help but feel a little proud." Damon replied and I rolled my eyes at him again and looking at the street and watched the street lights silently. "Tell me.. Are you going to be okay?" He asked gently, grabbing my chin lightly with his hand as he turned my face back to him and I furrowed my eyebrows before I relaxed from under his touch.
"Are you going to kiss me again?" I asked quietly, flickering my eyes between his blue ones, and his lips.
"Yes.. Just not right now." Damon replied quietly and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Good night." He added and I slowly nodded in agreement.
"Good night, Damon." I stated before I walked back into the house and slowly closed the door as I watched him walk off of the porch.
~~~
Elena hugged Jeremy tightly from in front of the opened door and I smiled at the two. "You're gonna have to let me go eventually." Jeremy stated in amusement before the two pulled away.
"Be safe, Okay?" Elena asked in concern up at him and he gave a small nod.
"Yeah, Okay. Alright." Jeremy reassured before he looked at me and I pulled him towards me forcefully, making him laugh.
"Be happy, Okay?" I added, grabbing him around the shoulder tighter before I gently let go.
"I will." He said with a small smile down at me. "Alaric's waiting." Jer added shaking his head at us as Jenna came down the stairs quickly and almost toppled him over with a hug.
"Make sure not to run in the wrong crowd." Jenna warned sternly and Jeremy rolled his eyes in amusement and grabbed his bags from beside the door. Jeremy turned towards the porch as Bonnie ran up the steps, breathing heavily.
"Good, you didn't leave yet." Bonnie stated with relief as she looked at him and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jeremy asked, smiling down at Bonnie in confusion. Bonnie looked at Jeremy unsure before past him and at Elena and I.
"I came to say goodbye." Bonnie answered with a small smile before her and Jeremy hugged tightly and she buried her head in the crook of his neck. When they pulled away, Bonnie gave him one last smile as her eyes glazed over. Jeremy picked his bags up again and walked out onto the porch as Bonnie stepped inside. Jer looked over his shoulder at the four of us with a smirk on his face and I folded my arms over my chest at him. Jeremy walked away from us and I felt my eyes glaze over as he did.
-Time Skip-
"And then the dream ends once the coffin I'm in gets opened.. It's like the witches are trying to send me a message." Bonnie stated, shaking her at Elena and I as we stood inside of the witch massacre house.
"I just can't believe you guys kept this from us this entire time." Elena stated as she stared at the four coffins in front of us from inside the basement.
"Stefan thought if you knew where the coffins were, Klaus could threaten people to get the information out of you." Bonnie pointed out and I gave a small sigh as I stared at the coffins curiously.
"Well, these are the rest of his family then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and Bonnie nodded in agreement.
"Elijah and two others." Bonnie stated gesturing at the three coffins in front of us before she walked over to the forth that sat opposite of the other. "But this one is the one that we can't open. We don't know who's in it or what's in it. Only that I think my dreams telling me it'll help kill Klaus." She added and I furrowed my eyebrows as and I walked over to the coffin.
"So it's spelled shut?" I asked, shaking my head at the coffin as footsteps came into the basement and I turned around to see Stefan.
"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan asked in annoyance towards Bonnie.
"I needed them to know about the coffins." Bonnie stated and Stefan narrowed his eyes at her.
"And I needed you to keep them out of it, Bonnie." Stefan countered emotionlessly and I folded my arms at him.
"So what are you going to do, Stefan? Are you going to kidnap me so I won't tell anyone?" Elena asked, furrowing her eyebrows at him and I smirked at her while he scoffed lightly.
"Don't temp me, Elena." Stefan replied warningly and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I think I know who can open this coffin, Stefan. And I need Elena and Mariana to help me find her." Bonnie stated in annoyance towards him, breaking the two up and I rose an eyebrow at her.
"Find who? What are you talking about?" Stefan asked shaking his head in confusion as Bonnie pulled something out from her back pocket and walked over to them, making me follow.
"I couldn't place her face at first.. And then I realized." Bonnie stated, taking out a picture from her wallet and I furrowed my eyebrows down at it.
"Oh, my god, Bonnie." Elena whispered down at the picture before Stefan grabbed it, looking at it with furrowed brows.
"Who is this?" Stefan asked, looking up from the picture and at Bonnie who took a deep breath.
"It's my mom." Bonnie answered emotionlessly and I exchanged a look of wonder with Elena before I looked back at the coffins beside us.
~~~
"Los Alamitos?" Elena asked, handing Bonnie a paper record and she grabbed it and sighed from where we all sat at the table.
"Too old." Bonnie answered, putting the record off to the side.
"Honolulu?" I asked, giving her another record with a woman on it and she scoffed lightly.
"I wish." Bonnie replied and I chuckled and looked through more records from the station. "How many of these are there?" She added, sighing in defeat and I shook my head.
"A lot. I asked the Sheriff's office to pull up every single Abby Bennett in the country." Elena answered, furrowing her eyebrows at another record.
"I know we haven't really been able to reallyâ" Bonnie started, cutting herself off. "That things have been weird because of Jeremy.. so thank you guys for helping me. I know you have a lot to deal with." She stated, looking between us and I gave her a small smile.
"There's nothing more important, Bonnie." I countered with a small nod and she sighed, nodding back.
"It's surreal. Having to track down a woman who bailed on her own kid." Bonnie stated as she went through more records.
"You know you don't have to, right? Let Stefan obsess over opening the coffin. It doesn't have to fall on you." Elena stated and I scoffed lightly and looked back at her.
"The coffin is spelled shut. That makes it a witch problem so it does fall on her. A witch." I pointed out and looked at Bonnie who gave Elena a slight shrug in defeat.
"I was bound to see my mother again sooner or later." Bonnie agreed as the front door opened.
"Sooner." Damon stated with a smirk as he shut the door behind him and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Abby Bennett Wilson, Monroe, North Carolina. Born in Mystic Falls hospital, graduated Mystic Falls High, blah, blah, blah." He added, walking down the hall and into the kitchen. Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows at the folder in his hand and we all got up from the table. "A little compulsion helps to speed up the research process." Damon shrugged in amusement while Bonnie took the folder and started looking through it.
"This is her." Bonnie whispered, looking up at Elena and I in realization and I rose an eyebrow.
"Yep, road trip. I call shot gun." Damon stated excitedly and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Yeah, no." I countered as I started picking up the records on the table and Damon rose an eyebrow.
"Why? You want me to hang out in the back with you?" He asked with a smirk and I sighed deeply, not looking up at him.
"No, you're not going, Damon." I replied emotionlessly as I stacked up the folders in my arms and he scoffed.
"Why not? I'm the one who found her." Damon protested and I shook my head and looked at him, handing the folders to Elena.
"Well, I'm not going either. I mean, lookâBonnie hasn't seen her mom in over fifteen years. She doesn't need your snarky commentary narrating the experience." I stated and folded my arms over my chest at him as Elena and Bonnie rose their eyebrows at us. Damon stepped in front of me to protest but he gave me a slight pout before his mouth curved into a smirk.
"What's going on with you guys?" Bonnie asked in confusion, looking between us and Damon looked over his shoulder at her.
"We kissed. Now it's weird. Have a great trip." Damon answered with a small smirk and looked back down at me innocently, making me scoff lightly as he walked towards the front door again and out of the house.
"You and Damon kissed?" Elena asked in some disbelief before I sighed and gave a shrug.
"I'm not talking about it." I stated, walking towards the island counter to get an orange. I turned around again and had both of their eyes glaring at me, making me groan in annoyance. "He kissed me. It's not going to happen again." I added, shaking my head and grabbing a small knife from the drawer beside me.
"Was it any good?" Bonnie asked in amusement and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked back up at her before I looked away quickly.
"Doesn't matter." I answered quietly, ignoring the question only to hear her and Elena chuckle.
"That means it was." Elena stated in amusement and I tilted my head at the two in annoyance.
"Shouldn't you be going somewhere?" I asked with a fake smile and gestured at the door. Elena and Bonnie looked at each other before they sighed in defeat and started walking in the direction of the front door. "Have a safe trip!" I yelled after them and rolled my eyes, cutting the orange in annoyance.
~~~
I walked down the stairs and heard the front doors knob start to jiggle and I furrowed my eyebrows. I saw Stefan walk through the door and I folded my arms over my chest at him and stood on the stairs as he shut the door behind him. "Where's Elena and Bonnie? They won't answer their phones." Stefan stated and I sighed, walking down the rest of the stairs and went towards the kitchen again.
"They went to spend the night at the lake house while they wait for Sheriff Forbes to give them more addresses." I lied and walked on the opposite side of the island counter, away from Stefan who scoffed.
"You're kidding me, right?" Stefan asked in disbelief looking at me and then at the table and I rose an eyebrow.
"Not really, Stef. They needed a night off from you insanity." I replied in annoyance as I leant against the oven behind me and he slowly nodded.
"Klaus is getting antsy, he knows I'm stalling. We need to move faster." Stefan warned and I shrugged, shaking my head at him.
"Well, did you try not calling them every five seconds?" I asked sarcastically, tilting my head at him and giving a fake smile. Stefan chuckled and shook his head at me before he grabbed the piece of paper from the table in front of him and I furrowed my eyebrows. Abby's address and record information.. I forgot to put it away.
"Now, Mariana.. Where are they really?" Stefan asked, narrowing his eyes at me and I narrowed mine right back.
"I don't need to tell you. I'm sure you already have the answer." I replied emotionlessly and he slowly nodded and looked down at the piece of paper curiously.
"You should try not to lie. At least Katherine could get away with it." Stefan replied in annoyance before he turned away from me and started walking away.
"Katherine lied to protect herself." I countered and he stopped in his tracks. "I lied to protect Elena and Bonnie from you." I added quietly and watched him turn his head to look at me but instead walk out of the kitchen.
~~~
Damon and I walked into the witch massacre house before downstairs into the basement. We looked at the open space where the coffins were supposed to sit but they were no longer in front of us. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked around in confusion as the room lit up every candle surrounding it. I looked up at Damon who became alert as the sound of footsteps came from the side of us and we both turned to see Klaus come out of hiding. "What took you so long?" Klaus asked in amusement towards Damon and I. "Hiding behind your witchy friends. And in squalor, no less." He added, slowly walking over to us and gesturing around the basement. The candle flames burnt higher and Klaus yelled out, kneeling on the floor in pain. I looked at Damon who looked around the basement and smirked to himself.
"Insulting a bunch of dead witches.. not smart. I made the exact same mistake the first time I came in here." Damon pointed out in amusement and Klaus chuckled dryly up at him.
"Well, you know the funny thing about witches is that living or dead, they care about their own." Klaus stated from the floor as the flames burnt higher, causing him to grunt angrily, clawing at the floorboards. "A hundred dead witches.. have a thousand living descendants." He added, looking up at me in warning. I rose an eyebrow as I started hearing whispers form from inside the basement before the candles burnt higher even more and Klaus screamed, clutching his head in agony, making me look around the basement in some amusement. "And I have no problem killing every last one of them if I don't get my coffins back!" Klaus screamed, getting enough strength to stand from the floor and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "As we speak, my hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line.. And maybe I'll even end the Petrova one." Klaus added looking back me. Damon stepped in front of me quickly as the whispers surrounding us became louder before the candles dimmed back and the voices stopped. Klaus rose an eyebrow and slowly walked in front of Damon who narrowed his eyes. "Now.. Pleaseâshow me the coffins." He said quietly, looking around the basement before at the three coffins that appeared before him. Damon sighed in annoyance as Klaus smirked and looked the coffins over. "Here we are." Klaus said satisfyingly before he furrowed his eyebrows and turned to Damon and I. "Where's the fourth?" He asked in annoyance. I smirked at him and folded my arms over my chest before Klaus looked around the basement angrily. "Show me!" He yelled at the witches and Damon shrugged.
"Well, uh.. Here's the thing." Damon replied with a small sigh as he walked slowly around the coffins while Klaus eyed him. "They can't. It's not here." He added and Klaus slowly walked over to him.
"What did you do?" Klaus asked emotionlessly and I folded my arms over my chest as I stood behind Klaus now.
"Well, Bonnie gave us the heads up that your little hybrid payed her mom a visit and threatened her to get Bonnie to tell her where the coffins were." I pointed out and Klaus narrowed his eyes at me from over his shoulder.
"I mean, We didn't have enough time to get all four coffins.. but we did have time to get one." Damon added in some amusement as he continued to slowly walk around the coffins and Klaus glared and followed him threateningly.
"I will tear you limb from limb." Klaus stated emotionlessly as Damon made his way back to me and smirked at Klaus. "And only then, when you are a writhing mess of blood and flesh, will I rip your heart from your chest." He added warningly and I stepped in front of Damon, making Klaus stare me down.
"Uh uhâSorry. Same rules apply.. Leverage and all." I stated, a small smirk playing on my lips as I tilted my head at Klaus who clenched his jaw in response. "I know you want your family back.. But something tells me that you want what's in that coffin a little more." I added with a small smile and Klaus looked away from me as Damon and I made our way back up the stairs and out of the house.
~~~~
Damon and I stood in front of the fireplace talking indistinctly as the front door opened and we both turned to see Stefan as he walked in. "Oh, you're still alive? I assume that means Klaus didn't get his coffins." Stefan stated as he walked over to us.
"Well, don't look so happy. We were only able to get one of them out in time." Damon replied in response and met Stefan at the entrance of the living room.
"The locked one." I added, folding my arms over my chest and Stefan gave us a short nod.
"Probably a good choice." Stefan replied and I slowly nodded in agreement as I eyed him carefully.
"You know, if you're banking on Bonnie's mamma to open it, you're screwed. She doesn't have her magic anymore." Damon pointed out and Stefan sighed and rolled his eyes in some annoyance.
"Ah. Doesn't surprise me. It's been that kind of night." Stefan replied with a fake smile before he turned away from Damon and I.
"Hey, Stef?" I asked, going over to him and he turned back towards me before I punched him with all of my might and he groaned, stumbling backward a bit. I breathed heavily and shook my hand as pain overwhelmed it but the punch was well worth it. "That's for threatening Elena." I stated with annoyance and Stefan looked back at me with furrowed brows as he ran a hand over his chin.
"Nice hit." Stefan stated in amusement, moving his jaw slowly and I shrugged back at him.
"Alaric gave me a few tips." I replied before I gave a small sigh and grabbed something from behind my back, resting in the waist line of my jeans. "But let's talk about this instead." I suggested and watched as both Salvatore brothers looked at me in confusion.
"What did you do?" Damon asked, furrowing his eyebrows down at the white ash dagger that rested in my hand.
"Let's just say that Klaus is probably regretting wanting his family back." I replied in some amusement as I smirked down at the dagger.
-The Next Morning-
"WaitâSheriff Forbes said your fingerprints were the only clean prints on the stake that murdered the towns medical examiner?" I asked in disbelief as Damon and I walked through the woods before coming into a clearing.
"She doesn't think that I did it. She's just trying to find out why somebody used one of our family's weapons to kill a council member." Elena replied and I slowly nodded in agreement.
"Well, why doesn't Ric just ask that dirty little Doctor Meredithâthe same one that injected me with vervain and then blood robbed meâif she had access to the weapons." Damon added sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him.
"You're on speaker phone, Dick." Alaric said in annoyance from the phone and I shook my head at Damon who shrugged.
"Alaric didn't show Meredith the weapons until last night. Brian Walters was killed days ago. It wasn't Meredith. I know her, we went to high-school together." Jenna pointed out in disagreement and Damon shook his head back at them.
"But Brian Walters was her ex-boyfriend and Alaric, you saw them fighting the night of the council meeting." Damon replied in defense as we walked.
"Well, if it wasn't Meredith it was probably Klaus. You know how much he just loves to screw with us." I stated in annoyance and Damon smirked down at me, making me look away from him.
"I wonder if it was Stefan. He was already crazy enough that night. Threatening to turn meâHe could have been capable of anything." Elena warned and I rose an eyebrow at Damon who scoffed.
"Ah, I just remember the days where Stefan was a bunny-snacking pacifist." Damon replied sarcastically and I stifled a laugh as Damon and I walked into a clearing.
"Anyway, we have to go. We'll talk more later." I reassured, stopping in my tracks and about to hang up but got cut off.
"Hey, where are you?" Alaric asked and I rose an eyebrow and tilted my head at the person who stood across Damon and I.
"Tea with an old friend." I replied vaguely before I ended the call and put my phone in my back pocket.
"Elijah. My favorite originalâBack from the dead. You clean up nice." Damon stated with a small smirk as the two of us walked closer to Elijah who stood with a hand in his pant pocket. After months of not seeing him, granted he was stuck in a boxâhis hair was shorter. More tamed. It looked good on him.
"You left something.. in my jacket pocket." Elijah pointed out, tilting his head at me as he grabbed a small note from inside of his jacket and I folded my arms over my chest.
"Oh, yeah.. That." I stated, looking between him and the note as I cleared my throat. "Dear Elijah, lets get together. Plot the destruction of your brother.. Xo, Xoâ" I recited the note jokingly before Elijah cut me off.
"Mariana." Elijah finished in amusement and I gave him a smirk as Damon put his hands in his jacket pockets.
"Was she right to undagger you or are we going to have a problem?" Damon asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at the original. Elijah looked at Damon for a few seconds before he looked back at me and gave a slight shrug.
"I'm here. Let's talk." Elijah replied in agreement and I slowly nodded at him.
"Well, let's start with an easy question then.. Any idea what kind of Klaus killing wrapping could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin?" I asked and watched as Elijah furrowed his eyebrows in return.
~~~
Damon and I stood in Stefan's room as I held two shirts up to Damon, seeing what one would better suit him. Stefan came in from the bathroom shirtless and wearing pants, a towel hung from his shoulder. "Get dressed. We're going out." Damon informed as I still tilted my head at the two shirts I held while Stefan walked past us and over to a side table.
"Yeah, sorry. Not interested." Stefan replied as he put the towel down on the table and grabbed a denim button up that was slung over a chair.
"He didn't ask." I countered as I looked at him from over my shoulder. "Damon, Elijah and I have scheduled a very old-fashioned sit down with you and Klaus." I pointed out and gave Damon a dark navy blue button up while I kept the black one. "I say go with black. It makes you look a little moreâcharmingly Damon, shall I say." I stated sweetly and looked at Damon who nodded in amusement while Stefan put on the denim button up over his shoulders.
"Klaus won't make a deal, Mariana." Stefan stated with a fake smile as he buttoned up the denim shirt and I rolled my eyes at him.
"He won't have to. All we're doing is buying some time for the Bennett's to open up the coffin." I informed, watching Stefan walk over and stand in front of his mirror.
"So that's your uh, plan? Stall Klaus?" Stefan asked in disbelief. I tossed the black button up on the bed and folded my arms over my chest at Stefan who looked at me through the mirror.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't gone postal on his hybrids, we'd have some options." Damon replied in annoyance and I tilted my head at Stefan in agreement.
"So Mariana unleashes an original to help him out." Stefan countered sarcastically and I gave him a dry laugh.
"Undaggering Elijah was smart, Stefan. After what Klaus did to him months ago, he's in vengeance mode. It's perfect." Damon protested, narrowing his eyes at Stefan who finished buttoning up the shirt before he turned to us.
"There's nothing smart about trusting Elijah, Damon." Stefan warned, pointing at him and walking past us towards the small table again. "He screwed us over the last time he promised to help us kill Klaus." He added in annoyance as he fixed his cuffs and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Yeah, and the way you've been acting, I trust him about as much as I trust you." I replied in annoyance and watched Stefan freeze and silence himself. He slowly turned towards me before I walked over to him until we stood face to face, inches apart. "You nearly killed Elena to get back at Klaus, and he is the reason you've became such a dick. Now, you're going to pay me back for pissing me offâSo get ready and get happy. We're going to negotiate a fake truce and I'll be damned if I let your attitude screw it up." I warned, patting him on his shoulder. Stefan narrowed his eyes at me before I walked towards his door and stopped, looking back at him from over my shoulder. "You are not wearing denim. Change into that black shirt." I added in annoyance and gestured at the black button up on the bed before I rolled my eyes and walked fully out of the room.
~~~
I fixed Stefan's collar quickly before he batted me away in annoyance and Damon smirked in amusement. The front door of the mansion opened and Elijah stood before us and gave a small nod. "NiKlaus.. our guests have arrived." Elijah stated somewhat loudly and I gave him a small smile before the three of us walked in.
"Mariana, radiant as ever. Good to see you, Love." Klaus greeted with a smile at me once he came into my view and I rose an eyebrow. "Damon, Stefan." He added in amusement. I glanced over at the dinning room that he stood in as food was spread across the long dining table while lady servants wearing somewhat revealing clothing, stood around it. "Elijah tells me that you came to seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men and woman, shall we?" Klaus asked with a smirk as he gestured us over to sit down.
"It's best to indulge him." Elijah stated, walking past the three of us and over to the table.
"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan replied with a small sigh as he slowly walked over to Klaus who tilted his head back at him. "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told I had toâ" He added, looking over his shoulder at Damon and I before back at Klaus. "Because you would hear us out." Stefan stated, raising an eyebrow and I walked over to the table and to my shock, Klaus pulled out a chair for me. I rose an eyebrow and hesitantly sat down before he pushed my chair in gently.
"Well, you can make the smart decision and sit and eat, like this delightful little witch here.." Klaus stated, gesturing down at me as he talked to Damon and Stefan. "Or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. Choice is yours." He threatened with a small smirk before he sat in the chair next to me. Elijah sat at the table as Damon and Stefan exchanged slightly unpleasant looks with each other before they joined us.
~~~
"Thank you, love." Damon stated, smirking up at a blonde servant that filled up his wine glass. I rolled my eyes and cut my steak in annoyance as he watched her walk away.
"You lost your appetite." Klaus stated to Stefan who sat across the table from him. Stefan shrugged carelessly back at Klaus while not touching his plate at all.
"Eat. I thought we agreed that we would leave grumpy Stefan at home." Damon added with a fake smile before he tilted his head toward his brother. Stefan gave Damon a fake smile before he slowly picked up his fork and knife.
"That's the spirit." Klaus agreed in amusement as a smirk lingered on his lips. "Isn't this nice? The five of us dining together? Such a treat." He stated as he narrowed his eyes at me while I silently drank from my wine glass. "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" Klaus asked, tilting his head at me and I gave him an all knowing smile as all eyes fell on me.
"Well, I knew how he felt about you. So I thought, the more the merrier." I answered quickly, looking at Elijah who sat across from me, staring at me in amusement while Klaus sighed.
"Elijah and I have had our fair share of quarrels over the centuries, but we always make it through." Klaus stated as he put a piece of meat into his mouth and looked at Elijah who gave a small smile.
"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow and Klaus looked at him emotionlessly. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were too afraid to face her." He added in amusement as he picked up his wine glass and Klaus narrowed his eyes.
"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our motherâI've already come clean to Elijah." Klaus pointed out, looking back at Elijah with a smile.
"Hey, Stef? Remember when you killed dad? Might want to dial down the judgement until dessert." Damon countered in annoyance and I sighed at them all.
"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses." Stefan replied, putting his elbows on the table and folding his hands.
"I'm just saying, we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself." Damon warned emotionlessly as he narrowed his eyes at Stefan while Klaus smirked.
"Stefan.. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asked, changing the subject and folding his hands on the table same as Stefan.
"I don't know. Ask Mariana." Stefan replied emotionlessly and I sighed at him as Elijah looked at me in confusion, making Klaus chuckle.
"I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Trouble in paradise." Klaus pointed out as she shook his head and Elijah rose an eyebrow.
"One more word about Elena, and, uhâthis dinner is over." Stefan warned carelessly and I exchanged a look with Damon as Klaus put a finger to his mouth and smirked, silencing himself as he ate.
"You know what? Probably best to just keep Elena in the 'do not discuss pile'." I added softly in agreement towards Klaus and Elijah.
"You're probably right." Klaus agreed and I nodded at him as he sighed and placed his silverware on the plate in front of him. "It's justâthe allure of the Petrova doppelgänger. Still so strong." He stated, looking at me and I cleared my throat and looked away. "What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" Klaus asked and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"Now, why should we discuss something that's been long since resolved?" Elijah countered as he lay down his napkin on he table before him.
"Well, given their shared affection for Katerina and her doppelgänger, as well as her daughter hereâI think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line." Klaus replied, gesturing at the Salvatore brothers while I looked between the original brothers in confusion.
"Well, we're not going anywhere, Elijah. Please. Do tell." Damon stated, raising his glass towards Elijah as a small smile appeared on his face.
"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty." Elijah stated, gesturing to me gently and I rose an eyebrow. "Every boy of age desired to be her suitor. Even though she's had a child by another man. And none loved her more than NiKlaus." Elijah stated as he sat up in his chair and Klaus sighed.
"Oh, I'd say there was one who loved her just as much." Klaus replied, narrowing his eyes at Elijah who rose an eyebrow and sat quietly.
"Wait a minute, so you both loved the same girl?" Stefan asked in amusement toward the brothers as he lightly chuckled.
"Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and she took her." Elijah stated as Klaus silently drank his wine. "Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night our mother performed a spell which turned us into vampires." He added, looking at Klaus emotionlessly. I eyed Klaus who silently looked down at his wine as Elijah continued the story. "Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time.. NiKlaus and I.. grew estranged. Harsh words were traded and we even came to blows. Didn't we, brother?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow at Klaus.
"But in the end we recognized the sacred bond of family." Klaus stated, looking between Damon, Stefan and I.
"Family above all." Elijah agreed as he raised his wine glass to NiKlaus who raised his as well.
"Family above all." Klaus repeated with a smirk before they said cheers and I felt my phone vibrate and I looked at it from under the table.
'We're almost there. âBonnie' I rose and eyebrow at the text before I cleared my throat and looked back up at the four men in front of me.
"So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" I asked sweetly and Damon rose an eyebrow at me.
"Oh, it's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back. And in exchange, he and the extended original family.. Leave Mystic Falls forever." Damon stated, looking between Elijah and Klaus emotionlessly as Stefan sat back in his chair. "Me, Mariana, Stefan and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges." He added, raising a glass towards Klaus.
"Deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah agreed as he looked at Klaus who sighed in defeat.
"You don't seem to understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood, as well as Mariana's by nowâensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave them behind.. Alteastânot one of them." Klaus replied looking between Stefan, Damon and I, making me furrow my eyebrows at him. Klaus smirked before he got up from the table and took his wine glass with him. "Let's say I do leave them here, under your protection, what then? How long before either of you turn them into vampires? Or worse, how long before they die because they were so caught up in the allure of the Salvatore brothers?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow at me and I looked away from him. "Mariana nearly died once with vampire blood in her system. Should we try for another? You see, the worst thing for either one of themâIs you two." He added warningly and I furrowed my eyebrows before I felt my phone vibrate from my pocket.
"Elena?" I asked, getting up from the table as all eyes fell on me, listening in.
"Someone tried to kill Ric, Mariana. You need to get home now." Elena stated worriedly into the phone and I looked at Damon who furrowed his eyebrows before I quickly agreed and hung up.
"I am so sorry to impose on the evening but as you heard, I do have an urgent matter to attend to." I informed politely as I got up from my chair and Elijah vamped over to me, pulling my chair all the way out.
"No apology necessary. I hope all is well." Elijah stated with a swift nod and I gave him a small smile.
"Mariana, it was a please. As always." Klaus smirked in passing as I moved toward the door. "I'm sure we'll come to a hospitable conclusion without you." He added reassuringly. I slowly nodded and looked at Damon who was looking at me with concerned eyes and I gave him a reassuring smile before I left.