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He announces it to his family after Rebekah's second ball. They're all still in tuxedos and Rebekah is taking out her earrings when he does. The earrings drop to the floor and she demands that he repeats it.

"I'm dying." He repeats himself. He doesn't look too concerned, his siblings all privately think. For dying, well- they expected a little more emotion and a little less matter of fact. But then, Elijah's always been matter of fact.

"You are not allowed to tell anyone." Their older brother's face turns serious.

"Come off it, 'Lijah." Klaus says. He's expecting him to be kidding.

"I'm not joking, Niklaus." His face is as serious as his voice.

"You can't be dying." Finn frowns, and Kol, looks worried for a moment.

All of his brothers start speaking at once and it's hard to make out their individual statements through the cacophony until Rebekah shouts.

"You are not dying." She tells him, and it sounds like an order. He wishes he could agree, of course Rebekah, he'll stop this nonsense right at once. He opens his mouth-to say what, she doesn't know-

"No. You are not allowed to die." They all pretend to not notice her angry tears, forming in her eyes as she raises her voice.

"You are our brother- and you are not dying."

"Does this mean he's your favorite brother?" Kol teases. Rebekah's eyes fill with fire for a moment and she throws a vase at Kol's head. He ducks. Klaus doesn't comment, it was a vase he bought at an estate sale decades ago. Worth almost nothing. He's learned to keep the good vases and real antiques in a safer place- away from his siblings. Rebekah almost wonders about it.

They're all distracted, Kol complaining about petty blood loss, Rebekah about to ask Klaus about the cheap vase-and then it happens.

They see Elijah cough, and almost bend over.

"Goodnight." He says, and his voice has finality in it.