so high school | tvd soulmates

18 | at the dinner table

"Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs right now is to be rid of you lot. And to fall in love with a human, maybe that nice football player, you know the blond one?"

Clem's insides were stirring, hating the thought of Elena going back to her brother who didn't appreciate her enough.

"My Matt?" Rebekah asked furiously. "Absolutely not!"

"Yeah, why not?" he asked, ignoring her jealousy. "They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family."

"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?" Stefan asked, glaring at him.

"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," he said, walking closer. "So, what do you say Stefan, hmm? Do we have a deal?"

Stefan walked up to him, and Damon watched nervously, knowing he didn't want him to agree to the deal. "What are you doing?"

Klaus went to shake Stefan's hand, but the youngest Salvatore wasn't having it. "Nice try, Klaus. But no deal," he said.

In an instant, Klaus broke Stefan's arm before kicking his leg, breaking it as well. Then he pushed Stefan's hand into the nearby fireplace, starting to burn it. Damon attempted to save him, but Elijah stopped him, pushing him against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, worried for his brother. "Stop!"

"Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive," Klaus threatened.

"I'll get it," he promised.

"Go with him, brother. You keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family," Klaus assured him, watching as Elijah left with Damon. Then he looked to Clem, making sure she wasn't deterred by the show of violence. But she looked pleased — he had threatened to kill her over and over and over again after kidnapping her, after all.

"Go ahead and kill me. I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin," Stefan huffed.

Klaus pulled him out of the fire and peered at him. "You really have given up, haven't you? Where's the fight? Where's the ripper?"

He pushed Stefan, who pushed back. But then suddenly, Elijah and Damon joined them once again, one of the waitresses next to them carrying a covered silver tray.

"Elijah, why haven't you left?" Klaus asked, confused by his appearance so soon. He didn't notice the pleased smirk on his sister's face.

"Where are your manners, brother? We forgot dessert," Elijah said before removing the cloth on the tray, revealing two silver daggers.

Klaus' eyes went wide and he glanced at Clem nervously — sure, he wanted her there when he woke his family, but not like this. "What have you done?"

"What have you done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

Before Clem knew it, Elijah moved protectively in front of her, backing her into the wall as someone entered the room. She couldn't get a good look but knew it was Kol. Clearly, though, Klaus wasn't happy to see him.

"Kol," Klaus muttered, starting to back away.

"Long time, brother," he said.

Klaus moved to run, but another appeared and grabbed a dagger.

"Finn, don't!" Klaus begged, only to be stabbed through the hand. He tried to run, only to run right into Rebekah, who stabbed him in the stomach with her own dagger she'd stolen.

"This is for our mother," she muttered, still furious at him.

She pulled the dagger out, and Klaus stumbled back into Kol's arms, who restrained him. Elijah looked to Damon and Stefan.

"You're free to go. This is family business."

Clearly, that didn't extend to Clem, as Elijah was holding onto her wrist behind his back. As the Salvatores left, Clem peeked out from behind Elijah's back to watch.

"I like what you've done with the new place, Niklaus," Kol said before throwing a vase at a painting on the wall, ruining both. He'd always detested how much Klaus loved his own art.

"I wanted it to be for all of us," Klaus whispered, leaning against the table. "A place we could all call home. A place we could all be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again."

"Well, you're right. None of us will be," Elijah told him coldly. It made Clem frown.

"You're staying behind," Finn said, speaking for the first time. Clem tried to stand on her toes to get a better look.

"We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you'll be alone. Always and forever."

"Um," Clementine found herself speaking up, stepping out from behind Elijah. "I think the fuck not, Bekah."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, clearly not fond of her fondness for Elena. "You cannot stop me, Clementine. She's been friendly enough, but my brother cannot continue to make hybrids."

"Who is this, sister?" Kol asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied Clementine's smaller form. "A snack."

"Kol," Elijah sighed. "No—"

It was too late. Kol had already rushed to Clementine and sunk his fangs into her neck, ignoring her screams as he drained her of her blood. She pushed against his chest, but it was useless. Soon, she lost consciousness and eventually died, falling to the floor in a heap.

Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, hating when Clementine was in pain. And Klaus rushed to her side, picking her up gently to move her to the couch.

Rebekah glared at Kol. "She is my friend, Kol."

"Was your friend," he said with a smirk, wiping her blood off his face, which made Finn roll his eyes.

"She'll be fine," Klaus said with a huff. "If she would not, I'd dagger you again for that stunt. No one hurts my Little Seer."

"She's not yours, Niklaus," Elijah said stiffly.

"No," Rebekah said, clearly amused by his jealousy. "She's Elena's, evidently."

"Hold on," Kol said, a frown fixed on his pretty face. "A Seer? They certainly do not exist anymore."

"But she does," a new voice said, entering the house and drawing all their attention. "A Seer that each of my boys is soul-bound to."

"Mother?" Rebekah asked in disbelief, seeing the woman who looked just as she did the day she died.

Esther nodded before setting her sights on Klaus, who was cowering away, avoiding looking her in the eye as she came closer. "Look at me! Do you know why I'm here?"

There were tears in Klaus' eyes. "You're here to kill me," he claimed.

But then she surprised them all by shaking her head. "Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again."

Silence fell over the room, Klaus not sure that he could trust her. After all, Clem had warned him over the summer. Speaking of, he looked at her still body, noticing that Kol was studying her as well.

It was Finn who broke the silence. "Soul-bound?"