Thanks to anyone who reads this! It means so much. This is my first story so bare with me. It will get off to a slow start but it will get better. Enjoy!

Standing Together

Ashley was sitting in the living room of the boarding house with Stefan. They were both reading writing in their journals but they looked up when Damon walked into the room.

"Put some nice clothes on you two. We're going out," Damon said with a smile.

"Yeah sorry not interested," Stefan remarked back at Damon. Him and Damon had been in an ongoing fight over Elena.

"Wait, out where?" Ashley asked curiously.

" Well, Elijah and I have scheduled a very old-fashioned sit down with Klaus," Damon explained.

"Oh no. I'm so not going," Ashley stated knowing that Klaus has fancied her since the moment they met.

"Yeah. Klaus won't make a deal Damon," Stefan said.

"He doesn't have to. All we need to do is buy Bonnie and her mom some time to get the top off the coffin," Damon stated.

"So that's your plan? Stall Klaus? And you release an Original to help you out?" Stefan skeptically asked.

"Actually Stefan, undaggering Elijah might have been a smart idea. After what Klaus did to him, he's in vengeance mode. It's perfect," Ashley backed Damon up.

"I love it when I'm right," Damon said as he grinned.

"There's nothing smart about trusting Elijah. He screwed us over the last time he was going to help us kill Klaus," Stefan explained obviously not impressed by Damon's idea.

"Yeah and the way you've been acting I trust him just as much as I trust you," Damon snarled back at Stefan.

"Well guess that goes both ways doesn't it?" Stefan remarked while sending a glare at Damon.

"Stefan, come on. This has nothing to do with Damon kissing Elena," Ashley sighed getting tired of her family always being at odds.

"Just remember, if it wasn't for Klaus you wouldn't have become such a dick and that kiss never would've happened. So get ready and get happy. We're going to negotiate a fake truce and I don't want your attitude screwing it up," Damon kind of snapped and walked out of the room.

"Can you believe him?" Stefan asked Ashley hoping she'd be on his side. Ashley had been indifferent in the whole situation since he came back to Mystic Falls from his summer trip with Klaus.

"Stefan, don't do this. Don't tear me between you two. Look, both of you have done some very stupid stuff over the past few days but do not put me in the position that Elena is in. Because I will not choose between you two," Ashley said and walked out of the room

Stefan sighed heavily knowing that he was putting his sister in a tough spot being torn between her brothers again. The three Salvatore siblings got ready and left to go to the Mikaelson's house. Damon knocked on the door and almost immediately the door opened to reveal Elijah standing there.

"Niklaus, our guests have arrived," Elijah stated with a smile.

Elijah politely lets them in and the three Salvatore siblings walked into the dining room with Elijah following them. Klaus was standing by the table and smiled when everyone walked in.

"Ah the Salvatore siblings. What an honor. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized people shall we?" Klaus beamed with amusement.

"I didn't come here to eat Klaus. In fact I didn't wanna come here at all but I was told that I have to so you would hear us out," Stefan bitterly said to Klaus.

"Well we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. Besides, you Ashley. I wouldn't do that to you," Klaus said with a wink to Ashley much to her dismay; Ashley rolled her eyes already wanting to leave.

"Keep hitting on our sister and the deal will go both ways," Damon stated defending his sister's honor. He honestly hated when any guy gave Ashley attention because he was so protective over her. The fact that Klaus was the one who was swooning over his sister made the blood boil inside of him.

"Very well then. Let's eat," Klaus said with a light chuckle.

They all sit down and start eating except for Stefan who was just staring at the food on his plate.

"You lost your appetite," Klaus said to Stefan.

"Eat. I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home," Damon remarked while looking at Stefan.

"That's the spirit. Isn't this nice? The 5 of us all dining together," Klaus mused and looked at Damon. "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?"

"Well I know how he felt about you so I figured the more the merrier," Damon smirked while looking between Klaus and Elijah.

"Yes well Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels but we always make it out fine," Klaus smiled at Elijah.

"Kinda like you and Rebekah right? Where is she by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her," Stefan remarked wanting to get under Klaus's skin.

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah," Klaus smirked at Stefan knowing that he had just won that round.

"Hey Stef, remember when you killed dad? You might wanna dial down the judgment a little," Damon stated trying to get Stefan to lay off.

"We're here to make a deal Damon. That doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass for 7 courses," Stefan said.

"Yeah well we have a long evening ahead of ourselves," Ashley stated annoyed at Stefan.

"Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asked wanting to change the subject and get things on a calmer level.

"I don't know. Ask Damon," Stefan remarked with attitude; Ashley and Damon glanced at each other clearly agitated by how Stefan was acting.

"I'm sorry. You've missed so much. Uh trouble in paradise," Klaus told Elijah while chuckling.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner is over," Stefan faked smiled at Klaus.

"It's probably best to keep Elena in the do not discuss pile," Ashley stated.

"Agreed," Damon said,

"You're probably right," Klaus agreed and looked at Ashley. "How's the food love?"

"Fine," Ashley answered simply.

"You look very beautiful," Klaus smiled at Ashley.

"Okay seriously. Stop flirting with our sister," Stefan warned Klaus getting mad at his attempts to get under his sister's skin; Klaus just simply smiled.

"I never should have came," Ashley rolled her eyes and looked at Damon.

"Well I'm happy that you did," Damon comforted her by putting his hand on hers.

"So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah stated wanting to get the night over with.

"Well it's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he and his extended Original family leave town forever and me, Stefan, Ash and Elena live happily ever after," Damon replied with a smile.

"The deal sounds fair brother," Elijah backed up Damon while looking at Klaus.

"I don't think you understand that Elena's doppelganger blood ensures that I will always have hybrids to bite those who oppose me. I will never leave her behind. But say I do leave her behind under your protection. How long until one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how longer until 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's not true. Gentlemen, the worse thing for Elena Gilbert is the two of you," Klaus lectured; he smirked knowing that Damon and Stefan obviously were bothered by what he just said.

"I'm gonna get some air," Damon stated needing an excuse to leave the room.

"I'll come too," Ashley said.

"I'll deal with this," Elijah stated knowing that he had to come with them as part of the plan.

Ashley, Damon and Elijah walk out and walk into the room with the coffins.

"Are you okay Damon?" Ashley asked him concerned about him.

"Sure. Great. You know what's worse…he's right," Damon sighed.

"He's not right," Ashley said trying to comfort her brother.

"No? You sure?" Damon questioned.

"Yes Damon."

Elijah starts opening the coffins of his siblings and starts pulling out the daggers. Ashley and Damon casually walked around examining the bodies of the Originals who could potentially become a threat to them. When Elijah finished he nodded at Damon and Ashley and the three rejoined Klaus and Stefan in the dining room.

"What do you say Klaus? Time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer. Now you counter," Damon said.

"Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. What she needs right now is to be rid of you gentlemen and to fall in love with a human. Maybe that nice blonde football player," Klaus smiled at Elijah.

"Matt Donovan? Really?" Damon asked like it was a bizarre thought.

"Yeah why not? They'll marry and pop out a few beautiful children," Klaus stated.

"And continue the Petrova bloodline. Every few hundred years you'll have a new doppelganger to drain and never run out of hybrids right Klaus?" Ashley remarked.

"Consider it a small return on my investment of 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. So what do you say Stefan? Do we have a deal?" Klaus asked with a small smile.

"Nice try Klaus but no deal," Stefan refused somewhat shocking Damon and Ashley.

Klaus then grows agitated and grabs Stefan and shoves his arm into the fireplace. Ashley and Damon attempt to save their brother but Elijah grabs them and slams them against the wall. With Elijah being an original and having more strength than them, Ashley and Damon couldn't get free.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked Elijah while Stefan screams in pain.

"Stop!" Ashley yelled.

"Bring me my coffin before I burn him alive," Klaus ordered.

"Me and Ashley will go get it," Damon replied as Elijah released his grip on the two Salvatores.

"Go with them brother. And when you return I will keep my promise to you and I will hand over our family," Klaus said to Elijah.

Ashley, Damon and Elijah left the room. Elijah went to make sure his siblings were awake and ready turn Klaus's world upside down. A few minutes later Elijah returned to Ashley and Damon and nodded to them. The three walked back into the room with Stefan and Klaus.

"Elijah, why haven't you left?" Klaus asked his brother.

"Where are your manners brother? We forgot desert," Elijah stated as a woman walked in with a small tray. Elijah took off the napkin and the tray revealed two of the daggers that were stuck in his siblings.

"What have you done?" Klaus asked not wanting to believe what he was witnessing.

"What have you done? You see, I've learned not to trust your empty promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now," Elijah smiled as one of his brothers walks in.

"Kol!" Klaus exclaimed starting to fear for his life.

"Long time brother," Kol smiled at Klaus loving the fact that he was starting to quiver with fear.

Just then another original sibling walks in and grabs a dagger off the small tray.

"Finn don't!" Klaus begged.

Finn stabs Klaus in the hand. Klaus yells in pain and tries to speed the other way to escape his siblings but Rebekah blocks his way.

"Rebekah!" Klaus exclaims knowing that there was no escape now.

"This is for our mother," Rebekah states as she stabs Klaus in the stomach with a dagger. He screams in pain as he backs up but Kol grabs his arms and pins them behind his back so he can't go anywhere.

"You're free to go. This is family business," Elijah said while looking over at the Salvatore siblings who were just watching what was unfolding before them.

Kol glances over to them and stares at Ashley taking in her beauty.

Ashley, Stefan and Damon leave and start walking through the woods to get home.

"You were right about Elijah. Undaggering him was a good idea," Stefan said to Damon.

"Wow. You're saying I was right. You're going soft Stefan," Damon said smirking.

"I'm very proud of you Stefan," Ashley smiled as she linked arms with Stefan.

"So I guess I should thank you guys for saving me from Klaus," Stefan smiled suddenly feeling grateful that he had Damon and Ashley watching his back.

"Shut up. You don't get to thank me until I pay you back for all the times you saved me," Damon replied as the three stop walking.

"You guys could have left me there," Stefan said while looking at them.

"Stefan, you're our brother. And no matter what's going on in our personal lives, that'll never change. In the end, we know we're all three gonna have each other," Ashley said.

"When did you get so grown up?" Damon asked feeling really proud of his sister.

"You know this calls for a group hug right?" Ashley chuckled; Stefan and Damon laughed.

"I hate hugging," Stefan said.

"But you love me," Ashley said while grinning.

"She's got a point Stef," Damon said while smiling.

The three Salvatore siblings hugged knowing that they'll always have each other in the end.