"Alright so, let me get this straight," Damon said as he paced across the center of the boarding house living room, running a hand through his unkempt hair.
Stefan and Elena sat on the couch on the left side of the room, side by side. Stefan held Elena's hand, rubbing the back of it comfortingly. The doppelgänger gave him a weak smile before looking over to the two originals lounging on the couch on the opposite side of the room.
Elijah sat closest to the far edge of the couch, one leg crossed over the other. He looked dangerously elegant as he stared at the couple with a poker face. Finn sat farther down the couch, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, a nearly empty glass of bourbon in his left hand.
"Klaus wants Elena, which we know because that's why Rose kidnapped her. Everyone thought that it was to break the sun and moon curse, but it turns out that's completely fake," Damon continued, drawing out the word "but" tauntingly.
"You are correct," Elijah said evenly as Damon continued to recount all the new information bit by bit.
"And the real curse is placed on Klaus, who happens to be both a vampire and a werewolf, which binds his werewolf side. All he has to do to activate this curse is kill one of each and then drain Elena dry. Great."
"You are very perceptive Damon," Finn muttered sarcastically, taking a long swig of the rest of the bourbon in his glass. "A for effort."
"So how would you two suggest we stop him?" Damon asked, turning to face the two originals.
"You don't," Finn said matter of factly as Elijah added, "there is no stopping Klaus. All you can do is find a way to ensure your precious doppelgänger survives because he will show no mercy to anyone who stands in his way. You all learned that the hard way with the death of your friend."
"But she doesn't want to be a vampire," Stefan said as Elena looked worriedly between him and the originals, the blood draining from her face as she clutched Stefan's hand tighter.
"She may not have a choice," Finn murmured as angry metaphorical steam began to blow from Damon's ears.
"So why the hell are you two here if you have nothing to offer us besides telling us that she's doomed, huh? Why can't you help us kill Klaus when he transitions if Bonnie can channel enough power? You know, Plan B so she doesn't die again."
"Elijah and I won't attempt to kill Klaus without guaranteeing his death. If he survives, he will hunt us down for eternity and make the rest of our days agonizingly torturous. We did Trevor a favor because that was his fate if he and Rose were found," Finn explained before adding, "your plan contains too many 'ifs' for us to back it."
"Besides, Niklaus thinks we are partying in Florida right now, sipping piña coladas on Miami Beach," Elijah added, earning a low grumble from Finn about how he's going to need a vacation after this.
"But we have a new plan!" Damon argued, listing the steps off his fingers. "One, we ensure a way to keep Elena alive. Two, we let him do his ritual. Three, Bonnie comes out of hiding and uses her superpowered witchy juju to weaken Klaus enough for step four, which is where one of you two jams a stake in his heart or cuts his head off for the killing blow. I don't care either way, but come on. It's simple and easy."
"But unfortunately, it's not guaranteed. Forgive me, but my brother and I don't have very much faith in two young and impulsive vampires to pull this off." Elijah paused and stood up from the couch.
"While Miss Bennett is formidable, she too is very young and inexperienced. Klaus has spent a thousand years cheating death at every turn. It is entirely likely he will foil this attempt with a thousand years of skill."
"But aren't two originals better than one?" Stefan asked, a faint plea in his tone.
"It doesn't matter because we don't wish to see Klaus dead. However many times we have crossed each other, neither Elijah nor I want to be the one to deliver the killing blow because Klaus is our brother," Finn revealed.
"Great, of-fucking-course he's your brother." Damon yelled, tugging at his hair as he resumed his pacing. "Damnit!"
"Is there any chance you two know where he is? If we can keep tabs on him, then we can be better prepared," Stefan asked.
"Neither Finn nor I have been able to locate our brother," Elijah said, shutting the idea down.
"We have tried to track him, but even a coven of witches could not break the powerful cloaking spell. Our brother is a slippery bastard and we won't find him unless he wants to be found."
"So how long do you two think we have until he gets here?" Elena asked.
"My guess is that he's long since heard about you, Miss Gilbert. He will be here before the next full moon, so within the next week," Finn said, trying to soften his words with a gentle tone.
She was about to die after all. The least he could do is be polite.
"Great, so we have less than a week to find a way for Elena to survive and stay human," Damon huffed, tilting his head back. "I'm going to need another drink."
***
It was later in the afternoon when Elijah returned to the boarding house. He let himself in and found Damon drinking away in the library. The vampire sat in the center of the couch facing the fireplace, nursing a strong glass of alcohol.
"What do you want?" Damon called out, taking a sip of his drink before leaning his head back on the couch and tilting it toward the entry.
"Oh good, it's you. Come to give us something useful to work with or are you just here to reiterate everything we know about our impending doom?"
"Not quite," Elijah mused as he ran his hand along the bannister overlooking the lowered part of the room. "I'm here to give you a warning."
"A warning? Didn't you give us a big enough one earlier?"
"No. This warning is about something else."
"Is it about Klaus?"
"Partially."
Damon groaned and downed the rest of his drink, turning away from Elijah before flopping his head on the back of the couch. "Lay it on me, man. Can't get any worse."
"Never say never. Tell me Damon, have you heard of the great overtaking that occurred in Norway 800 years ago?"
"I thought you were going to give me a warning, not a history lesson."
"You are quick to assume this story serves no purpose. Have you or have you not heard of it?"
"Can't say I have. I'm a little rusty on my history of Norway facts."
Elijah's amused smirk slowly fell into an impassive look as he drew his eyes away from Damon and stared at the roaring fireplace, halting his movements. His hand kept a firm grip on the railing.
"As history tells it, 800 years ago the head of the royal guard of a very influential kingdom slaughtered the entire royal family and took the power of the crown for himself. Afterwards, he took the kingdom's military and went after the royal throne of the neighboring kingdom which the king's eldest daughter married into. The same daughter whose body was never found amongst the carnage."
Damon kept quiet throughout the story, still trying to think as to why Elijah would be telling him something so seemingly insignificant.
"It is said that she escaped and was never heard from again, earning her the title of the lost princess of Norway."
"Okay, and?" Damon asked, unable to hold his tongue anymore. "What does the lost princess of some nordic kingdom have to do with Klaus coming to kill Elena?"
"I only told you the version of the story told in history textbooks. You haven't heard the real story."
"Enlighten me, Elijah."
"In the real story, my brother compelled the guard, a trusted friend of the eldest princess, to kill the entire royal family. Then, he compelled the guard to kill the visiting royal family of the neighboring kingdom, including the eldest daughter's husband, the crown prince. The guard's final instructions were to take the two thrones, denounce the royal families as tyrants, and stage the murder as a justified power grab."
"Which brother?" Damon asked, letting the question hang in the tension filled air. "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess, it was Klaus."
"It was."
Elijah tore his eyes away from the fireplace to stare at Damon. The younger vampire had never seen him look so serious.
"And he did it all in one day. In 24 hours, my brother charmed and stole the eldest princess away and he doomed the two kingdoms. Do you want to know why he did it?"
Damon stayed silent, knowing the question was rhetorical.
"He did it because he developed a deep, twisted obsession with the King's eldest daughter the moment he laid eyes on her. She was never heard from again because she hasn't left Klaus's side in 800 years. He keeps her so close to him that no one has been able to touch her."
"So Klaus wrecked a kingdom because he was obsessed with a girl?"
"Two kingdoms, and that same girl is now his beloved wife. The woman who holds all his heart and all his might in her hands."
Elijah paused for a moment before letting out a sigh and turning his attention back to the fireplace.
"So, what do I need to know about this great and powerful wife?" Damon asked.
"When he comes, Klaus will bring her with him. And when he does, I warn you Damon, he will slowly torture you, leaving you writhing in unimaginable anguish before killing you if you try to touch her. He has slaughtered men for simply gazing upon her with impure glances and supposedly thinking impure thoughts about her.
Whatever you do, do not include her in any plan against Klaus. She is his prized possession, his wife, and his queen. You will do well to remember that fact. It is something the entire supernatural world has been reminded of many times."
"I got it Elijah, don't touch the wife."
"Damon, do not take my warning lightly. Klaus has killed entire bloodlines for hurting his wife. He will kill you and everyone you have ever met. Alaric will have been just the tip of the iceberg."
"You are starting to sound like Katherine," Damon mused, pushing down the hurt as he stood up from the couch. "Besides, I'll call Kitty Kat for some tips on how to hide if I accidentally kill his wife."
"Do you really think Klaus hasn't been able to capture Katherine for 500 years because he can't find her?" Elijah asked, a smirk returning to his face. "The man who controls the entire supernatural world?"
"Clearly he hasn't caught her if she's still running around here somewhere. She must be doing something right."
"Katerina's days are numbered. She's been living in fear and paranoia for 500 years, suffering a psychological punishment for running. I suspect that when Klaus breaks his hybrid curse, he will waste no time in finally capturing her and slowly torturing her to death to rub it in her face. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if he has her right now."
"You think Klaus knows where Katherine is?"
"Maybe, maybe not. But I don't think it will take him long to figure it out when he really wants her back."
Elijah took his hand off the railing and walked back to the library entrance. Damon followed the Original's movements as he left.
"Heed my warning Damon. It won't just keep you alive, it will keep you alive and in one piece."
And with that, Elijah left the room and the eldest Salvatore's mind spinning and plotting.
***
"Do you really think Damon will listen? The young vampire doesn't seem to grasp that his actions have consequences with much higher stakes now," Finn asked, standing next to Elijah as they both gazed out the apartment window.
"I don't know, Finn. But I am sure Klaus will bring Emilina with him when he comes to break the curse because the only thing that can hold a candle to his obsession with her is his want to break that curse."
"I think Damon will go after Emilina. You told him about Klaus's biggest weakness and he will undoubtedly try to exploit it."
"I don't disagree, Finn," Elijah said, staring out the window pensively. "However, we just need to hope that he times it correctly. This plan will most likely be in vain if Damon decides to strike at Emilina before we can release Kol."
***
Very dialogue heavy, but it's kinda coming together now...
Poor Kol :(