Summary: All Celia Saltzman wanted was her mother back in her life. Moving to Mystic Falls and making new friends had never been part of the plan. Neither was finding new family. After finding out the truth about what happened to her mother, Celia soon discovers that it wasn't the only secret that lies within her family.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize here. TVD belongs to L.J. Smith and the CW.

Setting: TVD AU

Notes:

Fifteen

A sharp gasp was heard a few hours later and then suddenly Celia sat up. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her bed and that she had been changed into her pajamas. So many thoughts were running through her mind. The most pressing of them were eased when her father hugged her and she didn't feel the urge to drink his blood.

"You're still human." Damon assured her as if reading her mind.

"Thank god." Alaric sighed in relief.

Celia pulled away from her Dad unsure of what to think. "Who was in on it?"

Katherine sighed sitting down on the edge of the bed. "We all were. You were never supposed to be there."

"We thought it was the right thing to do after everything he has done." Ric admitted.

She shook her head at them. "I don't know what to say."

"It was for the best. He killed our Mom. He killed me. I'm his blood bag now. Klaus needs to be stopped." Elena spoke up entering the room.

Her eyes narrowed at her sister. "Our Mom? You wanted nothing to do with her, Elena, so don't give me that crap. Yes, I agree it isn't fair of you to be his blood bag. He just saved my life though. Klaus could have easily left me for dead, but he didn't."

Katherine smirked at her playfully. "Oh honey, he was never going to leave you for dead. He cares about you too much."

"Okay give her some space." Damon interjected.

She eyed Katherine curiously then smiled softly at Damon. "Thank you."

The younger Salvatore brother leaned against the door looking concerned. "Hey sleepyhead."

Celia sighed at him. "Hey Stefan. Did you really steal the coffins from Klaus?"

Stefan smirked at her. "I sure did. All five of them."

"One of them is sealed up tight. We don't know who is in it." Elena pointed out.

Katherine scoffed at her. "If Klaus is traveling around with a sealed coffin, that means it's something that even he doesn't want getting out."

She nodded in agreement. "If you do let it out, then sure you get rid of him, but you are also stuck with whatever is in that coffin which could be worse than him."

"It's a risk we've got to take." Her sister sighed.

Celia rolled her eyes at that. "Believe me, I hate that he made Mom die, but killing him won't bring her back. She wouldn't want us to stoop to that level. Plus we don't even know how to kill him. Just return the coffins."

Katherine shrugged her shoulders. "Mikael had some kind of stake that Klaus ultimately used to kill him. If you figure out what it was then you have a way to kill Klaus."

He walked over and sat down on the bed squeezing her hand. "Alright. We have a plan anyway."

She squeezed his hand back. "No offense, but your plans suck. Your last one nearly got me killed. Wait, what's going on? You're being nice. What's the catch?"

Stefan chuckled softly. "There is no catch. I already lost Lexi. When Katherine carried your unconscious body in here last night, it was the emotional kick in the ass I needed to flip the switch back on."

Celia's eyes widened for a moment then she hugged him sighing in relief. "You're back!"

He chuckled more and returned the hug. "Yeah I'm back."

She pulled away with a smile. "Good. You know, I think I'm going to shower then get dressed. Probably get something to eat after that."

"Okay, sweetheart. We'll be downstairs if you need anything." Ric pressed a kiss to her head.

"I see you came to your senses, old friend." Klaus smirked looking over his family's coffins a few hours later.

Stefan shrugged his shoulders as Damon walked in with Celia. "What can I say? She's persuasive."

"Celia, I can't say I was expecting to see you here. How are you feeling?" He softened at the sight of her.

She smiled softly at him. "I feel good as new. Thank you for saving me."

"Yeah, thank you for saving my girlfriend. Oops, looks like my hand slipped." Damon twirled an ornate dagger with his hand.

"What did you do?" He looked at him in shock.

His older brother walked in just then. "Hello Niklaus."

"Elijah." The original hybrid looked at his brother in shock.

Elijah took the dagger from Damon and stabbed his brother in the midsection with it. "Good to see you too."

Celia winced clearly uncomfortable at the scene unfolding in front of her. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes." Damon smairked softly at them.

He looked over at her. "My apologies. You shouldn't have had to witness that."

"It's alright. I'm fine, love. As a matter of fact, why don't the three of you and Elena join us for dinner tonight at our new home? It'll be fun." Klaus assured her removing the dagger.

She couldn't help giggling slightly at that. "Your version of fun and mine are two entirely different things, Nik."

"New home? I figured you'd be leaving once you got your hybrids and your coffins back." The older Salvatore looked displeased, to say the least.

"Well you dimwits nearly got Celia killed. Someone's got to be around to make sure she's safe." Klaus smirked.

Elijah rolled his eyes interjecting before an argument could break out. "We'll see you at dinner."

Celia nodded giving him a grateful look then frowned softly at the coffins. "Wake up Bekah. She didn't deserve to get shoved back into a coffin."

Much to no one's surprise, Elena declined the offer to go to dinner at Klaus' new house. Celia agreed to still go if only to keep the peace between the Original hybrid and Damon. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the meal was rather delicious. Of course the conversation was about Elena and it bothered her a bit when Klaus teased that the Salvatores were both in love with her sister.

Celia took a sip of her wine then rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but think about it. They made it so that you needed doppelganger blood to make your hybrids. Blood you initially couldn't get because you were supposed to sacrifice the doppelganger. Wouldn't said sacrifice logically make it so that the spell would stop making doppelgangers continue to be born? Elena should technically be the last Petrova doppelganger."

Elijah gave her an impressed look. "That's certainly food for thought. It makes sense, but we honestly wouldn't know for sure unless either you or your sister continue the family line."

She scoffed setting her glass back down. "If or when either of us decides to procreate is our choice. We're not going to continue the line just so Klaus can keep making hybrids."

"I can respect that, love. Elena will suffice in the meantime." Klaus smiled softly at her.

"Stop calling Celia that. I don't like your weird obsession with my girlfriend." Damon glared at him.

Elijah chuckled softly at that. "I'm afraid he can't help that. If I'm correct, I believe that she is his mate."

"So he's being nice to her because his inner wolf chose her? How sweet." He remarked sarcastically.

Celia slammed her fork and knife down on the table. "Stop it! Just... stop. Elijah, thank you for the dinner, but I'm afraid that I must leave early."

She stood up smoothing out her dress then walked away from the table. Celia pulled out her phone sending a text to Katherine. She had just made it outside when Klaus was suddenly in front of her.

"That's not why I've been nice to you." He admitted gently brushing a lock of her hair away from her face.

Celia gazed up at him unsure of what to say. "Nik..."

"You've intrigued me since the moment we've met, love. That has nothing to do with my wolf side." Klaus smiled softly at her.

She swallowed hard then snapped out of it when she noticed Katherine waiting for her. "Just try to behave. I don't want you guys getting in a fight over me."

"Goodnight Celia." He grasped her hand raising it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Both girls watched him walk back into his mansion then Katherine vampire sped Celia back to the boarding house. Celia changed out of her dress putting on a tanktop and sweats. She flopped down on the couch in the parlor and sighed.

Katherine gave her a knowing look as she filled a glass with bourbon for herself. "A Petrova falling for a Mikaelson. It's a tale as old as time."

She rolled her eyes at the older woman. "I didn't fall for him. I'm not falling for Klaus."

The curly haired brunette laughed softly. "You were practically undressing him with your eyes a few minutes ago."

Celia gasped blushing a bit. "I was not! It's this stupid mate thing. There's got to be a way to break it. I can't be mates with the guy that compelled my mother to die."

Katherine shook her head and took a sip of her bourbon. "I don't think there is, but Elijah would probably know better than I would. I was in love with the brother of the man that murdered my family."

She gave her a look. "I'm not in love with Nik. Don't be ridiculous."

The Salvatores could only watch as Elijah revealed the silver platter with several daggers laying upon it. There was a glint of fear in the hybrid's blue eyes. Rebekah appeared looking very angry as she grabbed a dagger stabbing Klaus with it. Two other men then walked in. His brothers Finn and Kol. It was the older blonde woman's arrival that was most shocking.

"Mom?" Rebekah's eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Esther smiled at her children fondly. "Yes it's me. We're all together again. We should throw a party to celebrate that. Invite the whole town."

Klaus and Elijah shared a look unsure of what to think. Rebekah hugged her mother just grateful that she was alive. The Salvatores took that moment to leave. It was a short while later after everyone got settled in that Rebekah found Klaus brooding in the living room.

"How's Celia?" She couldn't help asking.

"Well Mikael almost killed her, but I saved her. She's fine now. As a matter of fact, she's the one that told us to wake you up." Klaus admitted with a soft smile as he worked on a sketch in his sketchbook.

"He shouldn't have gotten anywhere near her. Really? That's sweet of her." Rebekah remarked with a smile.

"Yes really. Oh I know. They were dumb enough to send him after me without making sure she wasn't around first." He shook his head.

"I don't trust her as far as I could throw her." Klaus scoffed as he walked through the woods with his brother.

Elijah smirked knowingly at him. "Are you sure that you aren't just grouchy because you haven't seen Celia in about a week or so?"

"Very funny. I'm being serious. She's acting nice now, but we both know full well that mother thinks of us as being abominations." He rolled his eyes.

His head nodded in agreement. "I know. We'll have to watch our backs. We can't just shove her back into the coffin though. Rebekah would never forgive us."

"Yeah and I can't put Rebekah back because Celia would never forgive me." The original hybrid remarked.

Elijah chuckled softly at him. "You've got it bad for her, huh?"

"I don't... shut up!" Klaus scoffed at his brother.