Caroline stepped into the Grill, her eyes immediately scanning the familiar surroundings for any sign of Matt. It had been nagging at her, his absence from the dance the night before. Instead of joining her, he had opted to bury himself in work, an extra shift at the Grill serving as his refuge. Vicki's words echoed in her mind, painting a picture of Matt's struggles as he wrestled with their mother's actions.

According to Vicki, he was throwing himself into work to avoid confronting what had happened with Kelly, the night she'd almost hit him can Caroline with her car. Caroline's heart twisted with worry for her friend; his avoidance of her since their heart-to-heart conversation had left a gaping void between them. The ache of his distant demeanour weighed heavily on her, each interaction feeling like an obstacle course of unspoken words and strained silences. Whenever they crossed paths, Matt's mantra remained the same: he needed time. But time seemed to stretch endlessly, a chasm widening between them with each passing day.

Vicki, unaware of the supernatural truths Caroline harboured, had her own theories. She believed Matt's withdrawal stemmed from the trauma of Kelly's near-fatal actions. That he was embarrassed to be with Caroline since his mom had almost killed her along with him when she'd driven her car at him. Most of the gossip around it seemed to assume Kelly was blackout drunk and it was just an accident. Caroline knew better, but as Kelly hadn't woken up yet, no one had been given the opportunity to question her. Leaving the town nothing to do but speculate. She'd told Caroline as much last night at the dance, telling her not to give up on Matt, because eventually he'd come around.

Caroline was pretty certain at this point that even if Matt did come around and accept the fact that she was a vampire, their relationship would still be over. She still harboured hope that they'd be able to continue as they had been, but with each passing day, that hope diminished further. Lost in thought she forgot to make him aware of her presence as she walked up behind him. He turned around and jumped back slightly before he could walk straight into her.

"Oh. Jeez!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." She said quickly, grimacing slightly at her forgetfulness.

"It's okay, I just, I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, I wanted to try and catch you. I've got some stuff to do today, but I was hoping later that we could talk?"

Matt hesitated, and she thought he was going to refuse, but instead he nodded.

"I finish work at six."

"Perfect. I will meet you back her at six."

"Okay."

She smiled softly and left. She had a meeting to get to. She'd just reached her car when she sensed someone behind her. She spun round, but before she could do anything, a piercing pain spiked through her head, and she fell into darkness.

Elijah's knuckles rapped against the door with a resounding urgency, each pound echoing through the hallway. He wasn't merely knocking; he was demanding attention, adamant that his brother couldn't evade this confrontation any longer. Either Niklaus would accept the truth here and now, or he would bash it through his brother's thick skull until it penetrated his obstinate brain.

"Niklaus!" His brother's name escaped his lips like a thunderclap, carrying with it the weight of decades of unresolved tension.

Niklaus, ensconced in the borrowed form of a teacher, flung open the door, annoyance flickering in his eyes, but Elijah could see the flicker of curiosity beneath the surface. Behind Niklaus, Katerina watched with a mix of fascination and amusement, a silent spectator to the brewing storm.

"What are you doing here Elijah?"

"You fled the Salvatore house before we could talk, brother," He began, his tone deceptively calm. "Perhaps I merely fancied catching up. After all, it's been nearly eighty years since we last saw each other."

With a casual air, Elijah examined his nails, a subtle display of nonchalance masking the intensity of his intentions.

"How much longer do you intend to parade around in this mediocre form?" he asked.

"As it so happens, my witches are on their way back with my body right now."

"Good," he replied. "Until then you cannot escape me."

With a smirk at his little brother, Elijah slowly and deliberately stepped inside the apartment. Leaving Niklaus to gape at him like a particularly gormless fish. His attention shifted to Katerina, standing silently in the background, and in one swift motion, he silenced her with a snap of her neck. There would be no audience for this conversation.

"We must talk, brother," Elijah declared, turning his piercing gaze back to Niklaus.

"About what?" Niklaus countered, a hint of defiance creeping into his voice.

"Many things. Our family, your curse... let's start with your daughter, shall we?"

Niklaus scoffed, dismissing Elijah's words as a mere ploy.

"Do you really expect me to fall for such a trick, Elijah. I never thought you, of all people, would stoop so low. What happened to the noble Elijah, my principled big brother?"

"It is not a trick, brother," Elijah insisted, his tone unwavering. "She is your daughter. She is a gift. Your chance – our chance."

Niklaus bristled, his defences rising.

"To what?"

"To start over. Take back everything we lost, everything that was taken from us. Niklaus, our own parents came to despise us. Our family was ruined – we were ruined. And since then, all that you have ever wanted – all that we have ever wanted – was a family."

"I will not be manipulated," Niklaus spat, his eyes flashing with defiance.

"No one is manipulating you,"

Their exchange crackled with tension, each word a lightning bolt in the storm of their shared history. As they stood face to face, Elijah knew that convincing Niklaus wouldn't be easy. But for the sake of their family, he was willing to try.

Bonnie, her heart fluttering with the excitement of what may well turn out to be first love, walked across the town square, arms linked with Luka's. Headed towards her car so that they could drive to the Salvatores' together. The Decade Dance the previous night, aside from the constant worry about Klaus possibly appearing, had been a lot of fun. She'd enjoyed every minute she'd spent with Luka. There was something about being with someone she knew she didn't have to hide anything from that was just so freeing. So, when Luka had invited her to hang out before today's meeting and study for the maths test, they had coming up, she'd agreed immediately.

They hadn't really got much studying done. Spending most of their time telling each other stories about their childhoods. Occasionally performing small insignificant pieces of magic to entertain each other. It was glorious, amazing, wonderful, brilliant, everything she had ever hoped to have in a relationship. And she absolutely could not wait to gossip with Caroline about it, possibly Elena too, if she could get her to focus on anything other than her own life and problems for a minute. Not that Elena's problems were insignificant, it's just that sometimes she felt like they were always taking centre stage, or at least Elena was trying to make them take centre stage. She loved Elena like a sister, but sometimes she hated her like a sister too.

"Come on." She tugged Luka's arm and turned him down the alleyway that ran alongside the grill. "We can cut through here and get to my car quicker."

"Lead the way." He replied with a grin, "I'm still learning my way around town."

She smiled back at him, happy with how easy things felt when she was with him, almost like she'd known him her whole life.

They were both so wrapped up in each other, that neither of them paid much attention to the two people coming towards them. Bonnie stepped to the left, to go past them and laughed a little when they stepped to the right and blocked their way, thinking it was one of those classic, each trying to let the other pass situations. At least until the black powder was blown into their faces.

Coughing and sputtering, Bonnie and Luka stumbled backward, their vision swimming as the world spun around them. With one final gasp, they collapsed to the ground, their consciousness slipping away into darkness.

"So, I suppose it was just chance that she opened the door of the Salvatores' home today. Just chance that she saw right through my guise," Niklaus retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he fixed his brother with a piercing glare.

How dare Elijah suggest otherwise? How dare he insinuate that this was all some grand coincidence?

Elijah's calm demeanour grated on Niklaus's nerves. How could his brother remain so composed in the face of his own mounting frustration? This entire conversation felt like a carefully crafted manipulation, orchestrated to bend him to someone else's will. But Niklaus Mikaelson would not be manipulated. He would not be controlled by anyone, not even his own blood.

"Niklaus, are you really so paranoid?" Elijah's voice cut through the tension, a subtle taunt that only fuelled Niklaus's growing anger.

"I have every reason to be paranoid!" Niklaus roared, his voice echoing off the walls with a thunderous intensity.

"Maya lives in the Salvatore house, it is her home, of course she opened the door," Elijah continued, his words landing like a slap to Niklaus's pride.

Elijah's explanation about Maya only served to further incense Niklaus. How dare he speak to him as if he were a simpleton? As if he couldn't see through the thinly veiled attempts to sway his emotions.

"As for seeing through your guise," Elijah pressed on, his voice taking on a solemn tone, "Niklaus, your daughter is powerful. She has inherited her magic from our mother and her own... Niklaus, Himiko is teaching her. She is thirteen, and she can already see magic. She saw through your guise because she saw an aura around someone who has never had one before."

Niklaus's scowl deepened, his resolve hardening like steel. He would not be swayed by sentimentality or familial ties. He was Klaus Mikaelson, and he would bow to no one.

"I will not be controlled!"

"No one is trying to control you!" Elijah roared back, his patience finally wearing out. "Maya is your daughter Niklaus. She is family. Accept that, accept her!"

"It's a lie Elijah, I cannot have children. I suppose her mother fed you some story and you fell right into it, ignoring what cannot be so that you could have what you wished for."

"Her mother is dead Niklaus." Elijah replied wearily.

"What?"

"Niklaus did you not bother to find out Maya's last name?"

"It wasn't relevant,"

"Her name is Maya Potter. Daughter of Jasmine Potter. The girl-who-lived. I'm sure you've heard the stories."

Klaus gaped at him. Of course, he had heard the stories. Had even briefly mourned such a vibrant life cut short. He had spent no more than a month in Jasmine's company, but she had outshone the vast majority of his previous paramours. Spirited, bright, cunning, brave, generous, she had exuded life, it had drawn him like a moth to a flame, and he had enjoyed every moment spent in her company. Until life and the responsibilities each of them bore had drawn them apart, never to meet again.

He had regretted her death. Regretted not insisting she stay with him, rather than return to face the war that had engulfed her society. Not that she would have. Jasmine had been fierce and steadfast in her convictions, a testament to the strength of her character. They'd argued about her beliefs on responsibility and duty so many times, fierce battles that had more often than not landed them straight back in bed. He could not have forced her to stay with him. To do that would have been to snuff out the light that had so drawn him to her.

He had mourned, yes. Mourned and moved on. For in the end, that was the only choice immortals had – to embrace the fleeting beauty of each moment or risk drowning in the depths of their own sorrow.

Maya was Jasmine's daughter, and Klaus couldn't escape the legends surrounding her—the girl who defied death. But as he contemplated the sinister attempt on her life when she was just a helpless child, a tempest of rage churned within him, threatening to consume him whole.

Try as he might, Klaus couldn't ignore the yearning that clawed at his heart, fuelled by Elijah's assurances. The words echoed in his mind, tempting him to believe the impossible—that he, the immortal hybrid, could have fathered a child.

Yet, despite the tantalizing possibility, Klaus remained trapped in a tumultuous sea of doubt and denial. Accepting the truth seemed beyond reach, as he grappled with the inconceivable notion of parenthood.

""She is your daughter, Niklaus," Elijah's voice softened, sensing his brother's wavering resolve. "Maya is your daughter."

Klaus's scepticism flared.

"What proof do you have? And if she is my daughter, why has no one tried to inform me before?"

Elijah sighed, the weight of his brother's obstinance evident.

"Well, if you insist on neglecting the letters sent to you, Niklaus, what do you expect but to be blindsided by such revelations?"

"What letters?" Klaus's brows furrowed in confusion.

"The Horde has been desperately trying to reach you for the past five months," Elijah explained patiently. "They are seething with anger over your disregard for the missives they've sent."

Klaus's eyes widened in realization. Those damnable letters that he had been sent each month. Paranoid at the way they were addressed, he had burnt each one to ash and moved locations immediately to escape any more. Yet that had kept arriving, with greater and greater frequency. A mix of frustration and regret swelling within him as he comprehended the consequences of his mistrust.

Anna and Jeremy strolled out of the hospital; their fingers entwined like two vines seeking support in a chaotic world. Jeremy's heart felt lighter than it had in months. Today was a milestone—his mother had recognized him, a glimmer of her former self emerging from the fog of her illness. It was progress, slow but tangible, like the first rays of dawn after a long, dark night.

Yet, amidst the hope, Jeremy couldn't shake the unsettling knowledge that Elijah's intervention wasn't purely altruistic. He understood the strings attached, the unseen machinations behind the scenes. Elijah had orchestrated this recovery to manipulate Elena, dangling a lifeline for Jeremy's mother in exchange for something sinister. Despite the gratitude for his mother's improvement, Jeremy couldn't forget the looming threat to his sister.

As they approached Anna's car, her concerned gaze pierced through Jeremy's facade of composure.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice a soft melody tinged with worry, her grip on his hand offering silent reassurance.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied, the weight of uncertainty lifting slightly with each step. "Mom's getting better, and hopefully, Elena won't have to pay the price. And, of course, I have you."

He leaned in, capturing her lips in a tender kiss, a silent testament to the depth of his feelings. Anna, with her unwavering support and steadfast love, was his anchor in the storm, a beacon of light guiding him through the darkness.

"I'm happy for you, Jeremy," Anna whispered, her eyes reflecting the love and understanding that bound them together.

His heart swelled with affection as he prepared to confess his deepest desire to her—a desire he had harboured for months, a choice that could change his life forever. But before he could speak, a sudden, piercing scream shattered the tranquillity of the moment.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Jeremy's voice cracked with fear as he watched her collapse to the ground, clutching her head in agony.

He fumbled for his phone, desperate to call for help, but before his trembling fingers could even find the right button, a searing pain exploded at the back of his head, sending him crashing to the ground.

As darkness enveloped him, his last coherent thought was of Anna, her eyes wide with pain, before oblivion claimed him, leaving behind only unanswered questions and the chilling realization that danger lurked closer than they ever imagined.

Seeing that he had almost won, that his brother was coming to accept the truth of the matter. Elijah was preparing to move on, to speak of the other matters they needed to discuss. Namely their siblings and the curse. Before he could do so however, his phone rang. He checked the caller-ID and answered immediately.

"What has happened?"

"I just got a phone call from Caroline's phone." Damon answered, Elijah could hear the worry in the younger vampire's voice. "A stranger, a woman, was on the other end of the call."

"What did she want?"

"She demanded I hand over the moonstone or she'll start killing hostages."

"Who else does she have?" Elijah asked, glancing at his brother.

"Stefan and Enzo are still checking. But at last count she's got Caroline, Tyler, Mason, Bonnie, Jeremy, Anna, Harper, and Luka. Needless to say, neither Sheila nor Jonas are particularly happy right now."

Elijah pulled the phone away from his ear and speared his brother with a glare.

"Niklaus. What did you do?"

"In my defence Elijah, I put this plan into motion yesterday, it is merely coming to fruition now."

"Call your people, whoever you have enacting this ridiculous plot of yours, and have them release the hostages they've taken."

"Why would I do that? I still need the moonstone."

Elijah glared at him.

"One of the other things I wished to discuss with you brother, was that we have found a way to break the curse, without requiring any deaths."