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Chapter 38 - Epilogue

"This is our first ever happy family Thanksgiving and so help me Niklaus Mikaelson you will follow this chart right down to the bottom!" Caroline Mikaelson demanded as Klaus gave her a nod. "Good! Elena's gone to pick up Jeremy from the airport while Bonnie is meeting her mom at a café and I am going shopping with my mom." She smiled at the four men and Rebekah; who offered to help her brothers with preparing the meal. "Any questions?"

"Why are we doing this?" Kol asked, wondering why they were celebrating Thanksgiving.

"This is my mother's first ever Thanksgiving with everyone here and I want her to be surrounded by family." Caroline told him. "I want her to be surrounded by all of us so that she can see everything that's happened has turned out good."

Elena smiled as her brother found her near the baggage claim. She didn't care as she ran (at human speed) to him and he caught her.

"Hey 'Lena!" he said as he kissed her cheek. "How's married life treating you?"

"You know that my married life treats me amazingly well. How are you coming with everything?" She asked as she remembered the message she had gotten from him just a year ago.

He had been seriously wounded in a car crash and as he was in the hospital, before Elena had even gotten a phone call Klaus who had been in the right place at the right time had taken matters into his own hands. Klaus gave Jeremy his blood and Elena helped him through his new phase in life once he transitioned and since then, the two either Skype or call each other every day much to the annoyance of some of the other people in the household while Elijah just listens to her with his amused smile.

"Please tell me that the three Original males know how to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal." He pleaded and she laughed.

"I believe they know how." She said while also hoping for the same thing.

Elijah had just put the turkey in the oven that was wrapped up in bacon while Kol was staring at the potatoes weirdly.

"How in the world do you peel it?" he asked, as he hasn't ever had mashed potatoes since 1914. Klaus was aggravated and took the peeler from the counter.

"Go start on the green beans and the salad-Elijah and I will take care of everything else."

"Aye aye captain." Kol mock saluted him and started on the salad.

Bonnie and Abby smiled at each other as Abby appeared at the café near the college. This was her third time ever going to see how her daughter was doing after she had found out Bonnie had transitioned.

"How are you? Still married?" Abby asked and at Bonnie's nod to the last question, Abby breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm doing great mom! Graduated and I'm teaching a bit about Occults to beginners." She told her happily.

"That's good."

Caroline and Liz had gotten the biscuits, cranberries, strawberries-well, every kind of berry imaginable-as well as some chocolate and pumpkin pies for everyone.

"You didn't need to get all of this." Liz told her as she saw all the food that her daughter was buying.

Caroline shook her head. "I got enough for everyone to have. We eat food mom. I promise it's not going to be weird."

Rebekah was watching her brothers work in the kitchen while Stefan was setting the table when Kol tried sautéing the green beans which ended up them nearly burning up.

Stefan managed to save them and Kol was kicked out of the kitchen after that.

Elena and Jeremy arrived first, followed by Bonnie and Abby and ending with Caroline and Liz. The four other vampires helped Caroline and Liz carry the bags inside where Kol and Rebekah were playing Tekken 6. Kol was playing as a bear and getting beaten up by Rebekah's character-a blonde girl. They all began laughing while Kol was trying his hardest to win but ended up 'KOed' for the second time.

"Victory is MINE!" Rebekah cheered.

"I can take you anytime Blondie!" Jeremy teased.

"Oh really?" Rebekah asked and everyone cleared a path as she flashed him against a wall and they began scuffling vampire style. Kol smiled at Elena and she returned it. They had all taken to Jeremy almost as soon as he had turned and started 'playing on the right team' as Kol had put it.

Once all the food was set on the table and family gathered around it, Elijah made a toast.

"To family," he said simply with a smile as he looked first to Elena and then around at all of the others who had become official or honorary Mikaelsons by extension. His once lonely and broken family had definitely grown.

Everyone raised their glasses and tapped them together with everyone and began to dig in.

"Wow this is good," Liz said her surprise obvious and nearly the whole table burst into laughter. Elena reached under the table and squeezed Elijah's hand offering him a gentle smile which he returned.

Kol could feel Bonnie's elation; not only that it was Thanksgiving but that her mom seemed to be enjoying herself. Kol was doing his very best to charm the elder Bennett and make her feel welcome.

Stories and funny moments were exchanged while everyone smiled and laughed, all realizing that the members around this table may be thousand year old originals and their mates – plenty of vampires all the way around. They were an odd mix but no one at the meal would call them anything other than family.

Finis