Serena

by TheWrittenLawOfMorningStar

Being different was something I was used to. My sister was the normal one, and I was the strange one. But after my sister and I lose our parents in an accident, things start to get strange in our small sleepy town of Mystic Falls. Foggy memoires of my past were slowly becoming my present. The people I believed to be long dead, were starting to reappear in my life.

29. Chapter 29: Family Reunion

Chapter 29: Family Reunion

The early morning sun was just beginning its ascent into the sky as Damon drove down a rural road towards his destination. He was out in the middle of nowhere; about forty minutes outside of Mystic Falls. His goal was a meadow in the center of the woods, a meeting place he had picked out in hopes of discussing terms with a certain nobel Original.

Damon wanted to know who, or what, was inside of the locked coffin Klaus was so desperate to have back. He couldn't help but pat himself on the back for having enough of a good idea to stash the coffin away before Klaus found the old witches house. Now that Damon knew the coffin was actually worth something, he wanted to use it as leverage in making a deal for Serena. He felt that his little sister had spent enough time with Klaus and his evil sister.

There was a sense of accomplishment in Damons mind knowing he finally had something that could work against Klaus. All of Damons plotting to get Serena away from the evil Original Hybrid had fallen apart considering Klaus wasn't about to give up the one thing that made it possible to create more hybrids. Serena's blood being the key.

But now they really had a chance at getting her back, and Damon was hoping that Elijah would be the final piece that set everything in his favor. He just needed to appease Elijah's noble side and pray he wasn't arranging his own demise with this little meeting.

Damon parked his car on the side of the empty road and walked off into the woods towards the meeting place. With his mind set on gaining Elijah's trust, his phone began to ring in his pocket. He pulled the device out and saw that it was Elena who was calling him.

He answered and was met with, "Damon, we have a problem." The vampire knew Elena was at her house with Alaric and wondered what she was talking about. "Liz stopped by, they got a single pair of finger prints off of the stake that was used in killing the Brian Walters. It was mine."

"So you're the prime suspect, huh?" Damon stepped over a fallen tree branch as he spoke. The crunching of fallen leaves and birds chirping accompanied him on his walk through the woods.

"She doesn't think that I did it." Elena stated sharply. "She's just trying to find out why somebody used one of my family's weapons to kill a council member."

"Well why don't you just ask Ric if his dirty little doctor had access to the weapons." Damon sneered into the phone, he was still bitter about Dr. Fell getting the jump on him at the hospital and taking his blood. As Damon spoke, he stepped out from the trees and into an open field where he searched for any sign of a certain Original Vampire.

"You're on speaker phone, dick." Alaric spoke up in annoyance.

Damon smirked and replied to the history teacher with, "I'm just sayin' first suspects are usually the right ones. Don't get so defensive."

"Brian Walters was killed days ago, alright." Alaric pointed out. "I didn't show Meredith this stuff until last night."

"It wasn't Meredith." Elena sounded confident that the good doctor wasn't the killer. Damon wasn't convinced.

"But Brian Walters was her ex-boyfriend and Ric saw them fighting that night." Damon pointed out.

"It's not Meredith! Okay? I refuse to believe that your luck with women is that tragic." Elena said, trying to reassure the history teacher/vampire hunter.

"Who else knows about your secret little slayer stash?" Damon asked as he stood in the middle of the meadow.

"Who doesn't?" Alaric asked back. "I have weapons everywhere. Here, the school, my loft, even your car."

"It's Klaus. It has to be, he's screwing with us." Damon summarized. He was sure that the hybrid was willing to go to any lengths to cause them problems. Including killing a random medical examiner.

"What if it was Stefan? He was crazy that night. And you know he was trying to get underneath Klaus' skin. He was capable of pretty much anything." Elena sounded as if she didn't want to believe her own words, but still threw Stefan out as a possible suspect.

Damon thought over her words and sighed. "Ahhh, makes me nostalgic for the time when Stefan was a bunny snacking pacifist." Damon looked out across the meadow and immediately noticed a familiar figure walking out of the trees. "Anyway, got to go. You'll know more later."

"Hey, where are you anyway?" Alaric questioned the vampire.

"Tea with an old friend." Was all Damon said before hanging up his phone. "Elijah. My favorite Original, back from the dead. You clean up nice."

Elijah stood before the younger vampire with his hand in the pocket of his suit pants. After waking up with Serena in his arms, Elijah went out to collect his things from the last house he had stayed at before his brother decided to dagger him so unceremoniously. He then decided a new look was in order and got a haircut before humoring the note Damon had left in his pocket before undaggering him last night.

"You left something in my jacket pocket." Elijah pulled the note out of his pocket and held it up for Damon to see.

Damon smirked. "Oh yeah. 'Dear Elijah, let's get together, plot the destruction of your brother, XOXO.'"

"Damon." Elijah titled his head and stared the younger vampire down. He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to what Damon had to say, but Elijah was also cautious. He had to learn the hard way that the Salvatores tended to go back on their word. He would not be making that mistake a second time.

"Was I right to undagger you, or are we going to have a problem?" Damon asked.

Elijah held out his hands. "I'm here. Let's talk."

Damon grinned. "I'll start with an easy question. Any idea what kind of Klaus-killing weapon could be magically sealed in that mystery coffin?"

Elijah raised his brows and nodded his head. "I may have an answer to your question, but," He paused and raised a finger. "I may be more inclined to answer your question at dinner." Damon frowned at Elijah's words and looked at the Original Vampire in confusion. "Tonight. Serena wishes to be the one to answer all of your questions. It's about time you and your brother know her story. She's willing to tell you, just you and Stefan, if you're willing to listen."

Damon shifted from one foot to the other. He hadn't been expecting the conversation to take this turn. He had hoped Elijah would be willing to turn against his stab happy brother and help him out in killing Klaus. But now he was being given a different opportunity.

"Just Stefan and I?" Damon asked and Elijah nodded his head. "Fine. But this better not be a trap." Damon narrowed his eyes at the Original. "Consider the invite accepted. Tell Serena that Stefan and I will be there."

Elijah nodded his head and turned to leave, but paused and said, "If you do anything to cause Serena discomfort tonight," Elijah turned back to face the weaker vampire and continued with, "I will rip yours, and your brother's, hearts from your chest and feed them to you without a second thought." Elijah gave Damon a cunning smirk before flashing away.

Damon stood in the empty meadow and shivered at the look in Elijah's eyes when he spoke of killing him and his brother. It reminded him just how lucky he was that Elijah had not killed him yet.

Yet…

~Break~

I woke up to the late morning sun shining in through the large windows that took up most of the wall space to the right of where my, overly large, bed had been placed. With sleep still clinging to my mind, I rolled over and stretched my limbs out to pat at the other side of the large bed. I felt that the once occupied space was empty and peaked my eyes open to confirm what I felt. As my mind began to wake I vaguely remembered Elijah kissing my forehead early this morning before he left to meet with Damon.

With my mind more awake I felt the energy in the large mansion and confirmed to myself that Elijah was in fact not in the large home. I could feel both Niklaus and Bekah somewhere down stairs, along with humans who I didn't recognize by their energy.

Curiosity was the deciding factor as I motivated myself to get out of the comfort and warmth of my bed. I made my way across the extensive room to the ensuite bathroom. While I was still missing my normal day to day routine items like my hair brush, face wash, and even my own clothing. I was not without, due to Bekah making sure my bathroom and closet were fully stocked with everything I could ever need.

After washing my face, I ventured into the walk-in closet and found a comfortable pair of denim jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to wear for the day. Both had designer tags from a company I couldn't even pronounce. I figured that the expensive brands were something I was going to have to get used to considering I had seen Bekah's shopping habits first hand.

I walked out of my room after finding my shoes and made my way downstairs where I felt Bekah and Niks energy coming from the kitchen.

"I don't see why we need to invite them here." I heard Bekah say as I walked into the kitchen. "We can't trust them, Nik."

"Yes, I am well aware of that fact, Bekah. But I'd rather speak to them on my own turf than somewhere they could have any sort of advantage." Nik rolled his eyes at his sister before catching sight of me walking into the bustling space. He perked up at the sight of me and immediately flashed to my side.

I couldn't stop the smile from growing on my face as the hybrid pulled me against his chest and nuzzled his nose into my hair. I felt my cheeks grow warm at the attention, but didn't bother pulling away since I knew Nik would only pull me back. I glanced up and took notice of the humans that were coming in and out of the kitchen.

"What's all this for?" I asked. It was clear to me that the humans were from some sort of catering company considering the fancy uniforms they were wearing. But I was confused as to why they were even here in the mansion.

"Elijah was able to get Damon to agree to attend dinner with us tonight." Nik answered. "I've hired some of the best chefs in the area to provide tonight's meal." Nik looked quite proud of himself as he explained why we needed a catering company in the house.

I nodded my head and looked around the kitchen before asking, "Where is Elijah?" The second the question left my lips, I felt the air shift and knew Elijah had just returned.

"Right here, Elskan." Elijah said as he walked into the kitchen and approached his brother and I. "Damon has agreed to meet with us tonight. We will hopefully get answers to the whereabouts to our mothers coffin and you will be able to tell them your story."

I nodded my head as a pit of nerves began to form in my stomach. As much as I wanted to pretend that I wasn't nervous about tonight, I knew there was no use in lying to myself. No matter what we've all been through the last two years, the betrayal, the lying, all of it. I still loved my brothers and that made me apprehensive about telling them about my past.

"Look at me, Love." Nik turned my head and looked me in the eyes. "They will not get the chance to hurt you tonight, Serena. I will not allow it."

"I'm not afraid of them hurting me," I admitted. "Things are complicated right now, and I'm not sure how Damon and Stefan are going to react to what I have to tell them. They don't even really know what I am. Let alone what that means for me. I care about them, and I'm afraid that they won't understand."

Nik frowned at my words but before he could say anything, Elijah spoke up. "Damon Salvatore has shown me that he's clearly willing to do anything to keep you safe. Even going as far as to daggering an Original and sending you away for your own safety." I looked at Elijah as he spoke. "While I did not enjoy his methods and would gladly snap his neck if you asked me to, Elskan. It's clear to me that Damon cares deeply for you."

I looked Elijah in the eye and felt the nerves in my stomach begin to untangle themselves. I let out a deep sigh and nodded my head. "Alright. So when does this dinner start?"

I was ushered out of the kitchen by Bekah after discussing that dinner would be at six o'clock. I was defenseless against her as she dragged me to her room. I tried my best to reminder that it was barely noon, but she was determined to make sure we were perfect for tonight. That meant going through her entire closet and forced fashion shows till she was happy with the outcome.

By the time Bekah was finished, the floor of her room was covered with discarded dresses and shoes. The picky blond had successfully dressed us both and as I stood staring at myself in the mirror I couldn't help but think of how different I looked.

The dress Bekah had picked out for me was a form fitting black cocktail dress with ruffled off the shoulder sleeves. The hemline of the dress ended just above the knees and the fabric was made of something I just knew was far out of my price range for anything I could ever afford. All in all it was a beautiful dress, sexy really, but never something I would have ever picked out for myself.

Bekah had dressed herself in a similar style and wore a dark blue, one shoulder, cocktail dress. She looked stunning in the dress.

"Elskan." I jumped at the sound of Elijah's voice and blushed deeply at the fact that I had been caught off guard. I was always aware of where my Fated Ones were, but I had been so lost in thought I didn't feel Elijah walk into his sister's room.

The heat of my blush traveled down my chest as Elijah's gaze swept over me. His eyes were dark with something I hadn't seen in a long time and made my entire body light up with both embarrassment and excitement. Elijah then took slow, deliberate, steps towards me and with each step I felt my heart flutter faster in my chest. I was enjoying this immensely.

Once Elijah stood directly in front of me, he reached out and took my hand in his. He then placed a lingering kiss on the back of my hand and said, "You look beautiful, Ástin Mín." He didn't bother with releasing my hand and kept a steady hold on it.

"Thank you." I spoke in a whisper as I tried not to embarrass myself by stuttering in a flustered manner.

"Come," Elijah shifted my hand to his arm so he could stand beside me. "Our dinner guest should be arriving soon." I happily wrapped my arm with his and allowed him to lead the way.

When Elijah and I walked into the room, I noticed that it wasn't the dining room we would be eating in, but the parlor. A dark wooden table took up the center of the room while the lit fireplace casted the room in a warm glow. Plates filled with food were already set on the table and two of the catering staff were stationed on either side of the room, more than likely already compelled to ignore anything they hear from tonight.

Nik was already in the room and his gaze immediately focused on me. He held no shame in the hunger in his gaze as his eyes roamed over my body. My heart stuttered in my chest and Nik smirked, no doubt knowing he was the cause of my irregular heart beat. I didn't think I could take any more of the intense looks my Fated Ones had given me tonight.

Nik approached his brother and I and reached out for my free hand. He then placed a kiss on my knuckles, just like Elijah had earlier, and said, "Love, you look stunning." I couldn't help but giggle at how similar the brothers were. No matter what has transpired between them over the years, they were still brothers and oh so similar in many aspects.

Bekah scoffed at her brother's actions as she walked into the room and said with a dramatic wave of her hand, "Yes, yes. She looked gorgeous, you're welcome."

Nik sent her glare over my shoulder while Elijah shook his head at their antics. Before anything else coils be said, we all heard a knock at the front doors. I could feel the differences in the energy of the three vampires in the room with me and two vampires waiting outside on the front porch. It was staggering just how powerful the three siblings were compared to Damon and Stefan.

"I shall retrieve our guest." Elijah said as he unwrapped his arm from mine. He then sent his brother a look before disappearing from the room.

Nik wasted no time in pulling me to his once Elijah was gone. With his arm wrapped securely around my waist and my side pressed up against his body, I felt myself relax in his hold. I knew tonight was going to change things, and that made me nervous. My feelings were complicated when it came to Damon and Stefan. There was a lot of hurt between the three of us, but if I expected Elijah, Kol, Finn, and Bekah to forgive Niklaus for his wrong doings, then maybe it was time I tried to do the same.

"Well, this should end swimmingly." Bekah snarked as Elijah returned with Damon and Stefan in tow.

"We should be grateful, Bekah." Nik commented. "It was bold of them to agree to an audience. Very bold. Come," Nik gestured to the table, "Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?"

Stefan glared at Nik as Damon glanced over at Elijah. "It's better to indulge him." Elijah said as he joined us on the other side of the table.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan narrowed his eyes at the Original Hybrid. "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told to cause you would hear us out."

"Well, we can sit and eat, or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours." Niklaus sent Stefan a toothy grin and I immediately elbowed him in the side and sent him a glare. "Of course it's not me who needs to hear you out, it's Serena."

"I'm the one who wanted you to come tonight, Stefan." I looked at the vampire and tried to convey my need to have this night go well. "We just want to talk. No pulling out insides." I looked up at Nik and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine." The younger Salvatore brother gritted his teeth and I nodded my head in thanks.

Nik pulled out a chair for me at the table while Elijah pulled out a chair for Bekah. Nik sat to the left of me at the head of the table while Elijah took the seat to my right, allowing Bekah to sit across from Nik at the other end of the table. Damon took the seat across from me and Stefan took the seat across from Elijah. As soon as we were all seated, one of the kitchen staff came up and began filling the glasses on the table with wine.

"Thank you, love." Damon smirked at the waitress as she filled his glass.

The room was filled with awkward tension as everyone, but Stefan began to eat. I even managed to force down a couple of bites before giving up and pushing the food around on my plate.

"You lost your appetite." I looked up as Nik spoke to Stefan.

Damon nudged his brother and said, "Eat. I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home."

Niklaus smiled at the pair. "That's the spirit. Isn't this nice?" He looked across the table at Bekah and said. "The six of us dining together? Such a treat." He then looked over at Damon and asked, "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?"

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier." Damon smirked as he brought his wine glass to his lips and winked at Elijah as he took a long sip of his drink.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century." Nik explained as he and Elijah shared a look. "But we always make it through."

"I see you and Rebekah even made up, considering you did kill her mother." Stefans words made me lift my head up from looking down at my plate of food.

"Yes, well, I've explained my reasoning to my sister and we've worked out our differences over the matter." Nik answered.

"Yes, while my brother may have murdered my mother," Bekah narrowed her eyes and continued with, "I've come to learn that forgiving him is easier than trying to kill him." Nik smirked at Bekah and I couldn't help but shake my head at the two.

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert." Damons words caught my attention and I looked over at Stefan in surprise.

"You killed Giuseppe?" I asked in mild shock. I hadn't been aware that Giuseppe had been murdered, let alone killed by his own son.

"It seems we're more alike than I first imagined, Stefan." Niklaus said as he grinned into his drink. I watched Stefan grimace at Niks words.

The tension in the air was thick and I tried to think of something to say to pull the conversation away from patricide, but before I could think of anything, Elijah spoke up.

"Stefan." Elijah addressed the younger Salvatore brother. "Where is the lovely Elena tonight?"

A dark look crossed Stefans face as he looked at Damon and said, "I don't know. Ask Damon."

I immediately raised my brows and looked at Damon and asked, "What did you do?" The vampire immediately held up his hands in surrender.

Nik chucked and said, "Ah, trouble in paradise." I looked between Damon and Stefan. Something about Elena being a sore subject made me very curious as to what could have happened between the three of them.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner is over." Stefan announced.

"What happened with Elena?" I asked, ignoring Stefans threats.

Damon shook his head. "Probably best to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile."

"I see doppelgängers still continue to cause problems between brothers." Bekah's comment made me look at her in confusion.

I raised a brow and asked, "What do you mean by, 'continue' to cause problems? Katherine is the only doppelgänger I know whos a complete bi-"

"Elskan." Elijah cut me off and I looked at him with a sheepish smile.

"I was going to say pain." I muttered. But he clearly didn't believe me as he placed his hand on my bare thigh. I jumped slightly at the feeling and did my best to ignore the feeling of his skin against mine.

"Yes, yes, Katerina is also a problematic one, but I was talking about Tatia." I shook my head at Bekah's words.

"Tatia wasn't anything like Katherine. She was always nice to me. I even considered her my friend." I frowned as Bekah rolled her eyes.

"That's because you always saw the good in people and missed the fact that Tatia was clearly pinning after Elijah." Her words made me cough and look at Elijah who was glaring at his sister.

"Wait, wait, wait, who the hell is Tatia?" Damon questioned as Elijah cleared his throat and Niklaus chuckled at his brother's discomfort.

"Tatia was the original doppelgänger." Nik answered. "We were all aware of her little crush on Elijah." Nik smirked at his brother.

Elijah glared at his brother. "Tatia was the girl most men in our village desired even though she was a widow and already had a child by another man." As he explained, I reached down and grasped his hand that was still holding onto my thigh. "I had no interest in her and turned down her advances and any idea of entering into a courtship with her." Elijah threaded his fingers through mine and held onto my hand.

"Yes, yes. We're well aware of your other interest, Elijah." Bekah smirked at me from the other side of the table and I felt my checks grow a little red at the insinuation.

"What are your interests, Elijah?" Stefan asked. I looked up at him as his eyes glanced between Elijah and Niklaus. "I mean, not to cause drama, but you seem to be close with my sister. I hope that's not a problem for your brother." Stefan looked at Nik and held his gaze.

Damon elbowed his younger brother and said, "Seriously, Stefan. Not the time."

"If you're trying to get a rise out of me, Stefan. You had best to do better than pointing out the obvious relationship between my brother and Serena." Nik smirked at the younger vampire. I felt extremely uneasy with this line of conversation.

"Well, then what does your brother think about your relationship with Serena?" Stefan asked Nik as he looked at Elijah, waiting for the Originals reaction.

Elijah let go of my hand and placed his elbows on the table and folded his fingers together before saying, "I'm afraid I'm also not going to provide you with the reaction you're hoping for, Stefan." Elijah smirked as he looked between the two Salvatore brothers. "I'm well aware of the relationship between Niklaus and Serena, just as he is aware of the relationship between Serena and I."

Now I knew my face was bright red as I slumped in my seat and covered my face. I could hear Bekah snickering at the end of the table and feel the pride radiating off of both Elijah and Niklaus. I believed they were quite proud at being able to botch Stefans little plan at trying to get them to turn against each other.

"Wait a second. What exactly are you two trying to say?" Damons asked as he looked between Elijah, Nik, and I. I let out a deep sigh and pushed myself to sit up in my seat.

"Not exactly how I wanted to start this conversation, but," I looked over at Damon as I spoke, "I think it's best that I start from the beginning." Damon nodded his head and I took in another deep breath. I felt a pressure squeeze at my thigh and I looked up at Elijah, grateful for the comfort he was providing me as I tried to think of how I was going to explain myself to the vampires who had once been my brothers.

"I was born over a thousand years ago. My first life, my original life; I was raised just outside of the village that Nik, Elijah, and Bekah had lived in. I knew them as children. I grew up with them during their human lives. After the death of my parents, their family took me in." I looked down at my dinner and plate and shook my head as I thought back to my past. "I gave the Original Witch my blood so she could turn her children into vampires. It's because of me that vampires exist."

"Your blood was used in creating vampires? How?" Stefan asked as his brows creased together.

"Fae blood is a very powerful spell ingredient." Bekah answered for me by continuing with, "When Fae blood is given willingly, it can create powerful spells."

"Bekah's right. Because I gave her mother my blood willingly, she was able to do something that was once considered impossible, she changed the balance of nature." I looked between Damon and Stefan. "I cared about them and trusted that what their mother was doing would protect them."

"And which one do you really care about?" Damon asked. A frown marred his face as he looked at me and I let out another deep sigh and shook my head.

"That's complicated." I muttered softly.

"I'm all for team Elijah, if that makes this any easier for you." Damon said as he smirked. I sent him a glare.

"Well, hold on a moment, Damon. It could be one of the other two brothers. You know, the ones still daggered." Stefans comment made me flinch and I felt Elijah squeeze at my thigh in support.

"You wound me, Stefan." Nik spoke up. "Who's to say that I'm not Serena's one true love?" Bekah scoffed and smirked into her wine.

"Yeah, that's a no." Damon snarked back at the hybrid. "No way my sweet, innocent, little sister is in love with the big bad hybrid. I doubt an evil asshole like you even has a heart to love with-ow!" Damon snapped his head to me and looked at me in shock. "Did you just throw a spoon at me?!"

I glared at Damon. "Don't be an ass and maybe you wont get spoons thrown at you." Both Niklaus and Bekah laughed at Damon's misfortune while Elijah simply shook his head. "If you let me explain, I'll tell you who it is." I glanced between my two brothers and Stefan held his hands up in surrender. "Just hear me out, okay. When I say that this is complicated, I mean it."

"My mother was Fae, like me. She taught me what it means to be a Fae and one of those things is the bonds that Fae naturally form. These bonds connect us to our family." I glanced over at Bekah and smiled, "Bonds are created between a Fae and those Fate deems worthy of a Fae's friendship and love. But there's one bond that's stronger than any other." I looked back at Damon and Stefan. "The bond between a Fae and their Fated One is a bond that can never be broken. Not even in death."

There was a serious look on Damon's face as he asked, "And what exactly is a Fated One?"

"Think of it like a soul mate." I began to explain. "Fae form a connection to their Fated One the second their eyes meet." I looked up at Elijah and smiled softly, thinking back to our first meeting near the creek where I was picking mushrooms. "My father was my mothers Fated One, and when he died, she followed him in death. The bond wouldn't allow for her to live on without him."

Damon's eyes swept back and forth between Niklaus and Elijah. "Alright, cut to the chase. Which one is your Fated One?"

I shook my head at Damon. "That's the thing, Damon. Fate decided to give me more than one Fated One." Both brothers looked at me with wide eyes.

"So, both of them are your soulmates?" The turmoil in Stefans voice made me cringe.

"Yes. Both Nik and Elijah are two of my Fated Ones. The bond we share is the reason why I was able to come back after each of my deaths." I answered. Damon and Stefan were quiet for a moment.

Stefan frowned and asked, "You said two of them, who else?"

I bit at my bottom lip before answering. "Their brothers, Finn and Kol."

"Four!" Damon looked back and forth between Elijah and Nik. "And you two are fine with this? No hard feelings that four of you are bound to the same woman?"

Nik grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I would be happy to have less competition for Serena's attention. My brothers and I can be quite selfish when it comes to her. But I can't deny the fact that knowing my brothers will do anything to keep her safe helps balance any jealousy I feel towards them." I sent Nik a grateful smile.

Stefan suddenly snapped and stood up from his seat. "Why him? Of all the people in this world, why did it have to be him?" Damon grabbed hold of Stefans arm and pulled him back down into his seat.

"Easy there, brother." Damon waited for Stefan to calm down before turning back to me. "He's right. Why does it have to be him? He's caused no one but pain. He killed Elena. He killed Jenna. He's done nothing but torment all of us."

"I know, Damon." It was difficult for me to find the right words. I wasn't sure that anything I said to either of them would make this any better. "You're right. He did kill Elena and Jenna. And while we were lucky that Elena came back, Jenna didn't. But I can't place all the blame on him." I looked Damon in the eyes. "Nik had no idea I was alive. He had no idea that Elena and Jenna meant something to me."

"So you're saying that if we never sent you away, Jenna would still be alive, is that it?" Damon narrowed his eyes at me.

"Yes." I answered with my head held high. "It wasn't just doppelgänger blood that was used in the curse that bound Niks werewolf side. The Original Witch used what blood was leftover from the spell that turned them into vampires. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to be able to break the curse without Elena needing to be sacrificed."

Damon broke eye contact with me and glared at Nik. "It doesn't matter. He's still a raging dick who causes nothing but trouble for everyone. He's the bad guy here!"

"And so were you, Damon!" I finally snapped. Damon looked at me with wide eyes. "You came to Mystic Falls just to torture Stefan. You used Caroline, even when I asked you not to. You turned Vicki Donavan into a vampire, a vampire that almost killed me if Stefan hadn't killed her in time. You came to Mystic Falls with one goal in mind and that was to torment our brother. You killed so many people, Damon. You killed Lexi in cold blood just to hurt him." Stefan cringed as I said the name of the vampire who had been his best friend. "You were the villain here, Damon. But I forgave you. I forgave you for everything. For hurting Caroline, for threatening Elena, even for loving Katherine. I don't expect you to forgive Nik, but you don't get to point fingers."

Both Stefan and Damon were openly glaring at Niklaus and Elijah. I noticed Bekah seemed quite happy with my outburst and was sipping her wine with a content filled look as she looked between her brothers and the Salvatores.

"How are you going to keep her safe?" Stefan suddenly asked as he looked at Nik and Elijah. "It's no secret that you have a lot of enemies. What's keeping them from getting to Serena and using her against you?"

Nik snarled at Stefan. "Don't go getting any ideas, mate. I would hate to have to kill you after tonight's dinner because you found a chip in my armor."

"You're right. My brother and I have many enemies." Elijah spoke up. "But Niklaus is the Original Hybrid and my brothers and sister are Original Vampires. We are far more capable of protecting Serena than any of you."

"We've done a pretty good job." Damon sneered and I shook my head in disbelief.

"You can't be serious, Damon." We glared at one another as I said, "I've been tossed around by vampires, killed once by your lover and shot with a wooden bullet for being associated with you two." There was a sudden crack and I gasped as part of the table snapped off in Elijah's hand. While the hand he had placed on my upper thigh hadn't so much as flinched, the hand that had been resting on the table had somehow managed to snap off a part of the thick mahogany from the table.

"You were shot?!" Bekah exclaimed from the other end of the table.

A snarl erupted from the other end of the table and I snapped my head to look at Niklaus. His eyes were that deep golden color that established just how close to the surface his wolf was. I reacted as quickly as I could and with one hand, I laced my fingers with Elijah's hand that was still on my thigh. I then reached over and grasped Niks wrist in my other hand. I didn't take his hand, instead I gently rubbed my thumb against his pulse-point and waited for him to calm down. This was a side of my Fated Ones that I haven't had to deal with since the first few days after they became vampires a thousand years ago.

"Alright then, lesson learned. No more bringing up past injuries." I said softly as Niks eyes returned to normal. He sent me an unamused look before taking my hand in his and bringing my wrist up to his lips and placing a kiss against the same spot I had rubbed on his own wrist.

Elijah tightened his hold on my hand. I looked over at him as he said, "We will be discussing this more later, Elskan." I could only nod my head and both of my hands were returned so I could place them on my lap.

"Well, not to change the subject, but there's still the matter of getting that coffin back." Bekah successfully caught everyone's attention with her words.

"Yes, so why don't we discuss the terms for its return." Elijah said as he locked eyes with Damon.

"That's very simple." Damon said as he placed his elbows on the table. "You can have the coffin back, in exchange," Damon looked over at Nik and said, "Klaus and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Elena, and Serena live happily ever after. No grudges."

Both Elijah and Niklaus shared a look before Elijah said, "That deal won't work for us considering Serena wishes to complete her studies in High School. And my family and I will not be leaving her behind here."

"Well, that doesn't work for us." Stefan said with a deep frown marring his face.

"How about limited visitation?" Said Damon as he smirked at the two Originals. "Serena can visit you on weekends and holidays."

"Oh my God." I muttered solemnly to myself as I rubbed at my temples. "Please, Damon, just stop making suggestions. Making demands is pointless." I put my hands down and looked at the two vampires sitting across from me. "I don't really care if the coffin gets returned, what I do care about is that it's never opened."

"And why is that, Little sister?" Damon asked.

I glanced between the three siblings and let out a soft sigh. "The person in the coffin is the Original Witch." I said. Both Damon and Stefan sat up a little straighter in their chairs.

"Their mother? That's who is in the coffin?" Damon asked. His eyes had grown wide and I could see the gears turning in his head. He then looked over at Niklaus and said, "So what, you're afraid she'll come after you in revenge for killing her if the coffin was somehow able to magically be opened."

Nik narrowed his eyes at the older Salvatore brother and said, "It's not just me she's willing to go after."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stefan asked. A glare marred his face as he locked eyes with Nik.

"What it means is that our mother isn't looking for revenge against just Niklaus." Elijah answered. "She wishes to see the entirety of the vampire species wiped from this earth."

Damon and Stefan stared at the Original as they processed what he had just told them.

"It's true." I said and gained their attention. "Esther wants to end the Original bloodlines. She wants to kill her own children because she regrets what she did a thousand years ago."

"I can't say I'd feel bad if she killed her own kids." Stefan sneered as he spoke and I sent him a glare.

"Well you should, because if Esther does somehow manage to kill one of her kids, all the vampires from their bloodline dies." I said. Trying to get it through to the vampire that the last thing he wanted was Esther freed from her coffin.

"What do you mean the bloodlines die?" Damon asked as his eyes snapped to me. "And how do you know this?"

"If an Original dies, a true death, the vampire made from their blood and so on, will die." I reiterated. "And I know this because my mother told me. A few days ago my mother was able to cross over from the other side to speak to me. She told both Bekah and I what Esther was trying to do and explained to us what would happen if an Original died."

Both Damon and Stefan seemed stunned at what I had just told them.

Stefan broke the silence and asked, "How are we supposed to know that any of this is true?"

"I guess you're just going to have to trust me." I said as I looked between the two brothers. The quiet between us stretched out and I hoped with all my might that my brothers would believe me. The vendetta they had against Nik was one thing, but letting Esther out of her coffin would only end badly for everyone.

"Shit!" Damon slammed his hands down on the table and I couldn't help but flinch. He then pulled out his phone and set it on the table before saying, "Fine. Let's say the Original Witch somehow, magically, gets out of the coffin. How do we kill her and put her back in it?"

My jaw fell at Damons words and I couldn't help but place my hand over my face and sigh. I knew exactly what my brother was saying without even having to dig any further. I just knew deep down in my gut that while we've been having a nice little chat, Bonnie was somewhere with Esther's coffin trying to open it.

"Please tell me you can get a hold of Bonnie before she gets the coffin open?" I looked up at my brother as I asked him the question. He grimaced and picked his phone up.

"I have a phone call to make. Please excuse me." Damon stood up from his chair and walked out of the room.

I leaned back in my seat and took a deep breath before standing up. "Maybe we should take a minute and wait for Damon to get back before any more talk should happen." I announced.

"I agree." Elijah stood up from his chair and placed his hand on the small of my back. "Niklaus, Bekah, do try and behave. No killing or maiming our guest."

Before anything else could be said, Elijah led me out of the room. We walked across the hall into the room where Kol and Finns coffins were being stored. I stood between the two coffins and placed my hand on Finns.

Elijah stood close and leaned in to press a kiss to my forehead before saying, "Stay here, Elskan. I'm going to speak to Damon and find out where Esther's coffin is. And hopefully stop the Bennett witch from opening it." I nodded my head and watched him leave the room.

As his energy slipped further away, I felt my shoulders slump and my body become placid. The tension I had been holding onto since the start of the night was slowly easing its way out of my body. Everything had been put on the table and the vampires who had once been my brothers now knew the truth about my first life. It was another weight taken off my shoulders and a respite from the nerves that had been bundled up in my stomach. The night was anything but perfect, but I was happy it had happened. Now the next step was telling Elena.

I let out a deep sigh and pulled my hand off Finn's coffin and turned to look at Kol's coffin. I missed them both so much that it made my heart ache. Last night I could do nothing but regret my decision to keep them daggered out of fear for what Esther would do to them. I was also afraid to see their reactions first hand to seeing me alive. I wanted to believe that everything would be fine, but there was a lot of bad blood between Nik and his daggered brothers and me being alive may not be enough to stop any violence that may occur after Kol and Finn are undaggered.

As I stared at Kol's coffin, my mind was sent back to memories of our time spent together a thousand years ago. I could picture his smile clearly in my head. The way his eyes would shine with elation when he would listen to me explain what I felt when I used my gifts. The way he would hang onto every word I spoke and encourage me to practice all the things my mother had taught me. I loved spending time with him at the oak tree and watching him discover just what his own magic was capable of. His tendency towards mischief was endearing and I couldn't help but enjoy watching what kind of trouble he would get into when he felt the need arise to cause chaos.

I missed him so much. I missed the way his skin felt as his hand would brush against mine when we would walk through the village. I missed the secret kisses he would surprise me with when we were surrounded by the villagers. It was uplifting knowing that we would no longer have to hide our affection now that things were different. While my relationship with my Fated Ones wasn't something normal in this time, it was also something we didn't have to worry about. Having scary vampires as Fated Ones helped with feeling confident about our relationship.

"Serena?" Elijah's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I blinked a few times before noticing what I was doing.

My heart rate increased as I stared down at Kol's lifeless body. The ashy color of his skin made my stomach curl and unease settled into my bones. Without even noticing, I had somehow managed to open the coffin and wrap my hand around the dagger that was piercing Kol's heart. I couldn't pull my eyes away from his body and felt my limbs start to shake as tears stung at my eyes.

"It's okay, Àstin Mín." Elijah pressed himself into my back and wrapped his hand around mine and gripped the dagger. Then, without saying a word, he lifted our hands and pulled the dagger from his brother's chest. When the blade was out, he took it from my hand and turned to face Finn's coffin. He repeated the action and held both daggers in his hand. "Come, Elskan." He wrapped his free arm around my waist and led us out of the room.

"How long till they wake?" I quietly asked as we made our way back to the makeshift dining room.

"Not long." Elijah answered. We walked into the room just in time to see Niklaus and Stefan growling in each other's faces. "That's enough Niklaus. It's time for the Salvarote brothers to depart. They have a witch to find and we have more pressing matters to attend to." Elijah held up the daggers and the color drained from Niks face.

"I'm sorry." The words burst from my lips just as Damon walked into the room. I looked over at the Salvatore brothers and said, "You guys should go. Make sure Bonnie doesn't get that coffin open."

Damon frowned, but grabbed hold of Stefans arm and said, "Come on." He pulled his brother out of the room and I turned to face Nik.

The hybrid had a drink in his hand and had his eyes locked on the ground. I felt guilty for not giving him better warning, but I couldn't take it back now.

Elijah was suddenly herding me towards the wall as he placed himself between me and the room. He had his arm bracing me against his back as the room suddenly became overwhelmed with energy. I gripped at the jacket of his nice suit and peeked over his shoulder and gasped as ghosts from the past marched into the room. Both Finn and Kol looked out of time with their aged clothing and wild appearance. But no matter how different they looked, they were still my Fated Ones and I could feel the bond trying to snap back into place as they entered the room.

"Kol." There was fear in Niks voice as he said his brother's name. Both Kol and Finn were glaring with heat in their eyes at Nik as they stalked towards him.

"Long time, brother." Kol sneered at his older brother with venom in his voice. Bekah chose that moment to place herself beside Nik in a show of support. "I see nothing has changed with you, sister. Still choosing our bastard of a brother over everyone else."

I couldn't help but cringe at Kol's words. My grip on Elijah's jacket grew tighter as my stomach flipped.

"Oh shut it, Kol." Bekah snapped. "We don't have time for your vendetta against our brother."

"You may not, but we do." Finn's voice was like a shock wave as a shiver ran down my spine. "I've lost so much time because of what you did." He pointed a finger at Nik and growled.

Both Kol and Finn began to advance. But before they could get any closer to Nik and Bekah, Elijah said, "That's enough now." I looked up at Elijah as he spoke. "Our sister is right, we have more pressing matters to discuss then your need for vengeance against Niklaus."

"Oh, then enlighten us, nobel Elijah. What could possibly be more pressing than acting out revenge against you and Nik for what you have done to me and Finn." Kol said as he glared openly at his older brother.

I peeked around Elijah's arm and watched Finn stand stiffly beside Kol as he looked at Elijah. The oldest Mikaelson was sniffing the air and I saw the pupils of his eyes dilate before locked on the space where I was peeking out from. His eyes went wide and his body shuddered as I felt the bond snap into place.

"Serena, Stjörnuljósið Mitt." My Starlight. Finn's words made Kol snapped his head to look at his older brother in disbelief.

Elijah chose that moment to release his hold on me and stepped to the side. Once I was in clear view, Finn fell to his knees as he stared at me in awe. While Kol could only look at me in complete disbelief, as if I was only a cruel figment of his imagination. I took a hesitant step forward and gripped my hands together tightly. I was unsure of what to do next. When I glanced over at Nik and Elijah, I could see that they were both tense as they watched and waited for their brothers to make a move. But both Finn and Kol seemed to be frozen in shock, so I decided to make the first move.

I took a hesitant step forward, then another, and then one more and placed myself directly in front of the two brothers.

Kol was the first one to say something as he said, "Darling. Please tell me that you're real." He swallowed thickly and I felt my throat grow tight at the desperation in his voice.

I nodded my head and whispered softly, "I'm real."

Finn moved faster than I could see and suddenly he was no longer on his knees. He stood as close to me as he possibly could and gently held my face in his hands. I could hear both Elijah and Niklaus growling and glanced over to see Kol standing defensively in front of Finn and I.

"Stjörnuljósið Mitt." He brushed thumbs against my cheeks and I relished the feeling of skin against mine. "Mig hefur dreymt um að sjá þig aftur í dauðanum." It was strange hearing our native language and being able to understand it fluently. It's been a long time since I had heard it spoken outside of my dreams.

"It will be a long time before we ever have to meet in death, Finn." He smiled softly at my words and pressed his forehead against mine.

"I have missed you, my starlight. My heart has ached for so long." As Finn spoke of his heart aching, I closed my eyes and felt the bond between us grow. It was quiet for a moment. The growling had stopped as Finn and I shared a moment. When he pulled away, I opened my eyes and watched as he stepped back.

The space in front of me wasn't empty for long as Kol rushed in and took me into his arms. He lifted me up off my feet and tucked his face in the space between my jaw and collarbone. I couldn't help but laugh a little at him as he inhaled my scent and held me tightly in his arms.

"I knew I would see you again." He muttered into my skin. "The gods were cruel in taking you from me, but I knew I would find you again."

I ran my fingers through his hair with one hand and wrapped my other arm around his shoulder. I smiled softly at the thought of him always having faith that Fate would reunite us. The empty space in my heart was now full and the happiness I felt in the arms of my Fated One was something I couldn't describe. A thousand years, lifetimes, spent without them and now I was finally whole.

But as soon as my happiness peeked, it all came crashing down. I felt the air change and my heart dropped. I let go of Kol and turned sharply to look at the doorway.

"Serena? What is it, love?" Nik noticed my reaction and quickly moved so he was beside Kol and I.

I didn't speak as I stared at the empty space. Then, like a ghost, she walked in. My chest grew tight and fear threatened to over take me. "Esther."

---

A/N: Hello readers. Good news, about two days after posting that Authors Note my email flooded with old notifications, so that seems to be working again. I just want to say thank you to everyone who left a review (or even a PM). It was lovely to see everyone loving the last chapter so much. So thank you so much for the support and I hope you love this chapter just as much I loved writing it.

Stay Safe and Happy Holidays.