"I can not believe you undaggered Elijah."
"Undaggering Elijah was smart." Damon Defends. "After what Klaus did to him? He's in vengeance mode. It's perfect."
"There's nothing smart about trusting Elijah, Damon. He screwed us over the last time he promised to help us kill Klaus." She wasn't sure why he was trusting him in the first place. He was the one against it the first time which is what led him to feed Elena his blood and then have to rescue Caroline which is how Jenna died.
"It was your choice to trust him in the first place. And with the way you've been acting, I trust him about as much as I trust you."
"Well unlike you I learn from my mistakes and is this about me threatening to drive Elena off the bridge? Fine, I'm sorry. I'd promise not to do it again but we both know it'd be a lie." Threatening Elena was always going to work in her favor as long as Klaus needed her blood and as long as she needed to use it she was.
"Elijah's free," Stefan says to end the argument that wasn't going to get them anywhere since nothing was going to change. "There's nothing we can do about it."
"Yeah, there is. Damon still has the dagger. I say we find him and put the original back in the bottle." Dealing with Klaus was one thing, she didn't want to have to do with another original, especially if it was Elijah.
"Bonnie thinks Abby knows how to get in the coffin. All we have to do is buy them some time until they can figure out how to open it." Damon explains.
"Except Abby no longer has her powers." Alyssa reminds him, "A witch who can't do magic is about as useful as that dagger on Klaus."
"Damon's right. Abby is our best bet shot at opening that coffin. Klaus wouldn't have tried to kill her if he didn't think so." Stefan says.
"Klaus only used her so Bonnie could give up the location of the coffin. If he even thought that she could open it she'd be dead." There was no way Klaus was going to allow her to stay breathing if he thought she could help them get the one thing that could kill him.
Stefan looks between them. "There's no harm in trying right."
"Fine." Alyssa concedes. "But what about Elijah?" She looks at Damon. "I know you have a plan. You wouldn't have undaggered him if you didn't."
"I left a note for him to meet me in his jacket pocket."
"Then I'm coming."
"I don't trust you won't try to rip his heart out and die in the process."
"I didn't think you care."
"I don't. But Elena wouldn't like it if I got her little sister killed."
"Yeah well unless you're planning on using that dagger on me, I'm going. So when do we meet him?"
"No one's daggering anybody and Damon right he should go alone," Stefan says. "Both of you there might send the wrong message."
"You're right Stefan, Damon is the lesser threat." She says pointedly in Damon's direction. He wasn't amused. "But out of the three of us here, I'm the one he's less likely to kill on sight. Besides, he promised he'd help kill Klaus and he didn't and as the only Mikelson with a conscience, he's going to want to make up for it. I can play on his sympathetic nature. And if you're still not convinced then let's look back on the past three months and what I did to keep all of us safe. I'd say that I've at least earned the benefit of the doubt if you not a little bit of trust."
"One of us should go with you," Stefan says. "Just in case."
"What happened to two of us being there would look like a threat?"
"We'll stay behind somewhere he can't see us."
"I appreciate the concern but I'm not Elena Stefan. I don't need a guy to come to my rescue. I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself." She turns to Damon. "Where and when are you meeting him?"
"The meadows in an hour."
"Gives me just enough time. While I'm meeting with Elijah you two should see if Bonnie and her mom can open that coffin." She starts to back out of the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To do what I do best. Stir things up." She turns around and walks out the door.
"What did sheriff Forbes want?" The sheriff had just been leaving the Gilbert resident when she walked in.
"Brian Walters the medical examiner was killed at the Wickery bridge restoration fundraiser," Alaric informs her.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Elena asks.
"Why would I?"
"You were at the party."
She looks at Alaric. "Damon saw you talking to Klaus."
"So did you?" Elena asks again.
"Again why would I?"
"Maybe because I don't know what you're capable of anymore."
"Well unless the medical examiner was an original or a hybrid then his life is insignificant which means I wouldn't be bothered."
"I don't believe you."
"Believe what you want, Elena. But maybe you should try asking Damon if he killed anybody lately. Killing small townies is his thing." She looks to Alaric. "So back to this medical examiner. You sure he wasn't a vampire."
"No. He was definitely human." Alaric responded.
"So why kill him using a steak?"
"I don't know."
She pulls out her cell phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"Stefan, if you're going to be looking into potential serial killers you're gonna need someone immortal looking out for you." She hits the call button and walks out of the kitchen.
"Elena filled you in on the whole medical examiner situation?" She asks Stefan as she is on her way to meet Elijah at the scheduled spot.
"Yeah. Rick and I are going to go take a look around."
"Maybe you should start with me. According to your girlfriend, I'm the killer. Can't say that I blame her though my actions as of late can be considered questionable."
"Like insisting on meeting Elijah alone."
"I don't have anything to fear from Elijah Stefan. Klaus is the problem and we need to take care of it."
"So what's the plan?"
"I thought I'd play it by ear. See how it goes."
"That's your big plan?" Damon interjects overhearing.
"Damon's here too."
"Yes Damon, considering none of our plans actually works out. I know you're worried but you don't have to be. I'll be fine." She tells him as Elijah steps in front of her, "I got this completely under control."
"I take it Damon wasn't too keen on you letting you come out here to meet me alone." He says as he walks with her to a spot she had chosen for them to speak.
"He was afraid that I'd fly into this rage when I saw you and I'd try to kill you."
"I'm sure the thought crossed your mind."
"More than a few times," she took a few more steps towards him, "but then I realized you were only trying to protect your family. It's why you wanted Klaus dead in the first place. You thought he killed your family. Well, he did kill mine and I've done some things in retaliation that I don't regret. Still there's been enough bloodshed on both sides and I was hoping you could help me end all of that."
Elijah ducks under a tree branch as they make their way to the quierry. "How did you convince him that you'd be safe?"
She looks over at him briefly. "I'm not the Gilbert Damons worried about. As it turns out, I'm not a Gilbert at all. Klaus was right. Jenna was my mom and he killed her right in front of me. Little did I know Damon was a bit that night by Tyler. Klaus's blood was the cure and to save Damon I had to go with him. It was the only way to save him and to keep him from finding out Elena was still alive."
"You handed your life over to Klaus."
"For three months I went where he told me. I did whatever he told me. Killed whoever he told me. All in the name of love."
"What brought you back to Mystic Falls?"
"Klaus's hybrids were dying. He needed to find out why. He found a witch and it was only a matter of time before he would have found her so I threw a hail mary." She fills him in on all of the relevant details that he missed during his nap and when she was done he only had one question.
"Damon risks his life to save yours on multiple occasions even going up against my brother yet the cavalier way in which he just spoke to you makes me wonder."
"Damon's feelings were getting in the way of me doing what I needed to do to keep them safe."
He stopped and looked at her when he realized what she meant. "You compelled him."
"Klaus couldn't use him against me if he didn't care."
"Doesn't stop you from caring."
"No. But it keeps him safe. It's why I convinced Damon to let me be the one to meet you. I figured you were more likely to listen to me. You owe me that much."
"You're here to make another deal?"
"I'm here to call a truce. I need you to help me facilitate that."
He gives her a curious look.
"Klaus and I aren't exactly on the best of terms right now. I've done some things out of anger that I'm not proud of that's pushed him too far and because of that he almost killed Jeremy and he's the only thing that's keeping me together. I lose him, I lose what little hold I have left of my humanity. I lose myself. After everything that you're brothers taking from me, I don't want him to be the reason I lose myself. So help me stop this war before any more lives are lost."
Alyssa returns to her house and she spoke with Elijah who agreed to facilitate a peace talk between her and Klaus over dinner. She needed something to wear.
Rick was leaning over the kitchen table examining his weapons. "What's with the arsenal?"
"I'm checking to see if any of my weapons are missing?"
"Right, the dead medical examiner. Was Stefan able to find out anything?"
"He has a theory."
"Who?"
"Meridith Fell she's a doctor that works at the hospital."
"What is up with that family?"
"We don't know it's her."
"It shouldn't be hard to find out if you apply the right technique."
"You're not hurting her."
She heard the protective tone in his voice. "You like her don't you."
He's silent once again.
"I can't believe your luck with women is that bad."
He ignores her comments about his love life and continues.
"Elena is on her way back and we'll know for sure if she's the one or not. She's bringing the knife that someone used to stab Caroline's dad."
"Is he okay?"
"He's in transition."
"I know him. He's never going to go through with it. He hates vampires as much as uncle John did. Caroline must be devastated."
"Didn't think you'd care."
"As someone who lost three parents, I can sympathize." Her phone buzzes with a message from Damon. "Stefan and Damon are back at the house. I have to fill them in about my meeting with Elijah."
"Elijah?"
"Long story to tell you later 'cause I got to go but be careful with that Meredith person. I don't care how much you like her if she hurts you she's dead."
"So? How did it go with Elijah?" Damon asks as soon as she walks into the house.
"Better than expected. I have arranged for us to have dinner with them."
"I'm sorry?" Damon asks.
"Elijah and I have scheduled a very old-fashioned sit-down with Klaus."
"Klaus won't make a deal," Stefan says.
"He doesn't have to. All we're doing is buying a little time to give our wicked witches a chance to pop the top of the coffin."
"So, that's your plan? Stall Klaus?" Stefan says skeptically.
"If she didn't go postal on his hybrids, then maybe we'd have some options," Damon says.
She shrugs. "He pissed me off."
"Yeah well, now you're going to have to get over it," Damon tells her.
"You think you can play nice for a night," Stefan asks.
"If it'll buy Bonnie enough time to open the coffin I'll be as sweet as a southern Belle."
"Then we got a dinner party to get ready for."
"Zip me up." She turns her back to Stefan and he walks in and helps her with her dress. She turns around catching the look on his face when he sees the little black dress she's wearing. "It's Rebekah's. I thought I might as well look the part. We should probably get going."
"Yeah."
They walk downstairs where Damon is waiting. "Let's just get this over with." She says walking past him and out the door.
Elijah opens the door.
"Niklaus, our guests have arrived."
Damon and Stefan walk into the house. Elijah's eyes find their way to Alyssa and linger there for a moment. She walks past him without any acknowledgment and walks into the dining room where Klaus is waiting. The table is set and there's food on it. Two female servants are standing in the
"Elijah tells me, you seek an audience," Klaus speaks. "Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized people, shall we?"
Elijah walks into the room. "It's better to indulge him."
"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus," Alyssa says.
"Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours." Stefan and Damon start towards the table but Alyssa stays where she is.
Stefan notices she hasn't moved and looks back at her. He nods towards the table and she reluctantly moves the table. They sit at the table and everyone except Alyssa eats and drinks.
One of the servants pours Damon some wine. "Thank you, love."
Klaus notices Alyssa wasn't eating. "You lost your appetite."
Remembering her promise to Stefan she begins to eat.
Klaus smiles. "That's the spirit. Isn't it nice? Five of us are dining together. Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" He asks Damon.
"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier." He playfully winks at Elijah.
"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But we always make it through."
"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Alyssa asks. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."
"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah."
Damon looks at Alyssa who sat in the middle of him and Stefan. "Remember when you tried to kill Elena? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert."
"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses and for the record if I wanted her dead she'd be dead.
"Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asks.
Klaus laughs. "I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise."
"One more word about Elena and this dinner is over," Alyssa says.
Klaus smiles and puts a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet about Elena.
"You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile," Stefan says.
Klaus agrees. "You're probably right. It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?"
"Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?" He answers not wanting to discuss the topic.
"Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line."
"Since I have to be here," Alyssa says to him, "Please, do tell. Might make this night a lot more bearable."
"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia." Elijah begins. "She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus."
"I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much." Klaus interrupts.
"So you both loved her?" Alyssa says intrigued.
"Our mother was a very powerful witch" Elijah starts. "She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires. Tatia wouldn't decide between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I...grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?"
"But in the end, we realized the sacred bond of family."
"Family above all." Elijah and Klaus raise their glasses.
"Family above all." They clink their glasses together.
Alyssa couldn't help but chuckled as she took a sip of the blood in the cup drawing looks from both the pairs of brothers. She clears her throat sitting her glass down and says, "I'm sorry I find that sentiment completely ridiculous considering you keep your family in a mystical slumber keeping them in coffins. I mean poor Rebekah was daggered in a box for decades and for what? Because she dared to live a life without you. What about Elijah? All he wanted to do was reunite his family and he got turned into sleeping beauty for his troubles. So I'm sorry but this whole family above all attitude you're toasting is bullshit.
Let's be real if you really cared about your family you wouldn't be trying to replace them with sired hybrids who are only loyal to you because they have no choice. You and I know both know if they did they would leave you just like your family. It's why you keep the daggered in coffins. You know that's the only way you can get them to stick around. I'm guessing how you were raised has a lot to do with that. Daddy never loved you so no one else will?
She's quickly pinned to the wall behind her so anyone with Klaus's hand around her neck. Elijah reacts before anyone else can and pulls him off her stepping in between the two.
"Enough!"
Stefan and Damon join her side, Damon asking her what she's doing.
"Proving a point."
Elijah turns to look at her.
"Your brother has a temper, any unpleasant word said about him and he loses it. Do you think he'll abide by any truce we agree to tonight?"
"You have my word."
"You gave it before yet he's still alive and my mom is dead. And I know you did it to protect your family but Mikeal has been dead for months yet your family still hasn't been reunited. So what makes you think he's gonna keep his word to me when he hasn't honored his to yours."
Elijah turns to look at Klaus. She could tell he was mulling over everything she'd said. She steps up to Elijah."But unlike your brother I care about the people that I love more than I do myself. I'm truly ready to let the past be the past."
He points to the table. "So why don't we do what we came here to do and discuss the terms of this proposal?"
"That's simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, your family leaves Mystic Falls forever. We go about living our lives."
"The deal sounds fair, brother."
"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind."
"That's what family's for. Family is power. Love loyalty if you have that nothing can come against it."
Klaus thought about what she said before replying, "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of them turns her into a vampire?" He looks at Stefan and Damon. "Or worse, how long before she dies caught between their feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is...the two of you."
Damon gives a weak smile, then looks at Stefan.
Alyssa agrees. "He does have a point."
"Well, I guess we know the reason you agreed to this evening," Stefan says, "to drive a wedge between me and my brother."
"Oh no, you're doing that well enough on your own. Because of Elena, you're gonna lose your brother and you'll only have yourself to blame."
"Can we get back to why we're here?" Alyssa asked. "We've made our offer, now you counter."
"Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs right now is to be rid of you a lot. And to fall in love with a human, maybe that nice football player, you know the blond one?"
Damon scoffs, "Matt Donovan? Really?"
"Yeah, why not? They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family."
Stefan replies, "And continue the Petrova bloodline. Every few hundred years, you'll have a new doppelgänger to drain and never run out of hybrids, right Klaus?"
"Consider it a small return on my investment in 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."
Klaus walks towards Stefan. "So, what do you say, Stefan, hmm? Do we have a deal?"
Stefan starts walking over to Klaus.
Damon asks, "What are you doing?"
Klaus holds his hand out to Stefan. Stefan grabs his hand. " Nice try, Klaus. But no deal."
Klaus breaks Stefan's arm. He kicks his leg and breaks it as well. He pushes Stefan's hand into the fireplace, and it starts to burn. Damon attempts to rush over to him, but Elijah intercepts him snapping his neck.
Alyssa looks at Elijah, "What are you doing?"
Klaus continues to hold Stefan's arm in the fire. His arm is badly burnt. Alyssa screams at him, "Stop!"
"Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive."
"I'll get it! Just STOP."
"Go with her, brother. You keep her honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family."
Alyssa looks at Stefan and leaves. Elijah follows.
"You know Klaus isn't going to keep his promise. The moment he gets that coffin back he's gonna dagger you and stuff you in yours." She tells him but then stops and faces him. "Unless we get your family back first."
They walked into the room where he was keeping the rest of the original family and un-daggered them.
Elijah and Alyssa re-enter the room next to the other female servant who is carrying a tray.
Klaus sees them and asks, "Elijah...why haven't you left?"
"Where are your manners, brother? We forgot dessert."
Elijah takes the cover off the tray the blonde woman is carrying. Two silver daggers lie on it
Klaus looks at the silver daggers realizing what they meant he asks, "What have you done?"
Elijah answers his question with a question. "What have you done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."
Kol enters the room.
"Kol."
"Long time, brother."
Klaus starts to back away. Finn suddenly appears, and he grabs a dagger and stabs Klaus through the hand.
Klaus begs. "Finn, don't!"
He rushes away but runs into Rebekah.
"Rebekah!"
She stabs him with a dagger. "This is for our mother." She pulls the dagger out and Klaus falls back into Kol's arms. Kol restrains him.
Elijah looks at Alyssa and Stefan. "You're free to go. This is family business."
Stefan gets Damon and carries him out. Alyssa hands Elijah the dagger she pulled from Rebekah with a smirk towards Klaus and leaves.
"Gotta admit trusting Elijah was a smart move." Alyssa looks back to where Damon lay unconscious in the back seat. "Don't tell him I said that."
They began to walk towards the old Lockwood cellar where Bonnie and Abby were. "How did you know you could trust him?"
"Because at the core Elijah and I are the same. He's driven by love, love for his family, and the need to protect it. He'll do anything for them. I knew I had to tap into the one thing that drives him. Because, unlike Klaus, he means it when he says family above all."
"That's the point you were trying to make. You need Elijah to see that even if he says family above all Klaus will never really mean it."
"His fear of being abandoned won't let him. He's too paranoid to trust anyone, including those who love him the most so he does whatever he can to hold on to them even if it means they're not really with him. It's kind of sad."
Alyssa and Stefan enter the cavern.
"You do realize that by you undaggering them there are more original vampires that we need to worry about?"
"Let's just hope the big witch and little witch got that coffin open."
"Something's gotta make this night worthwhile."
They see Bonnie on the ground, unconscious.
"Bonnie?" He rushes to her feeling for a pulse. "She's still breathing."
She looks at Abby. "So is Abby."
Stefan looks at the coffin and gets up. "Coffin's open."
Alyssa walks over and looks inside. "Well, it's not gonna do us any good. Whatever was in it is gone.
"We should be too. We don't want whatever took whatever is in there coming back."
"I get mama witch. You grab baby witch." She picks up Abby and carries her out of the cave.