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chapter twenty-nine ━ the sea of bad memories

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❝ he hurt me ❞

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fifty votes and thirty comments for the next chapter!

important author's note at the end of the chapter!

THE AWKWARDNESS THAT filled the room only seemed to be fueled more by the second. Elijah was wiping off his bloody hand with a handkerchief, acting casual as if he wasn't pissed about his brother betrayal and the fact that the fairytale woman was there with him. Melody was tapping her fingers on her arm because doing it on the table near her would be too obvious. Klaus was frozen in shock because he knew he wasn't the one responsible for this.

"You look surprised to see me. So it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?" When the hybrid didn't answer, Elijah looked at Melody. "And I suppose it wasn't you either?" She didn't answer, ashamed for forgetting that he was daggered in the first place.

Klaus finally managed to form an unafraid expression, extending his arm to the table full of alcohol near the. " You look like you could do with a drink. And we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?" Right then and there, Elijah sped at him and threw him towards a door with windows that entered another room. Before Klaus crashed into it, Melody's arm soared up and stopped him.

She held her hand in place and looked at the noble brother. "He just finished renovating. You're not ruining this house because I quite like it." Melody drew in a sigh. "I'm going to drop him now." And she did, rather harshly. Klaus groaned in pain and stood up only to receive a blow to his cheek.

Elijah held him against one of the coffins which made the brunette roll her eyes. At least they didn't break anything. Suddenly, one of the coffins was open and Klaus removed the dagger from the person's chest, flashing Elijah to another coffin while he had his hands wrapped around his throat and held the dagger threateningly in front of him. "Don't make me do this to you again Elijah!"

Melody stayed out of their little argument, watching from her spot. When Elijah pointed out to Klaus that they'd have to deal with Kol who's dagger had been removed, the Original lowered the weapon and announced the news. "Mikael is dead."

The woman decided to join in considering that she had finished the job. Before she could, Elijah expressed his shock by questioning his brother. Melody then inputted a response. "I was the one who killed Mikael." They both looked at her and Elijah was even more shocked. "He was an ass. Mikael was practically begging for it. I killed him with the white oak stake so he's gone. Forever."

"You killed him?" Elijah repeated, glancing at Klaus. He then sensed the feeling in the atmosphere. Because he realized that his brother had taken a chance at being happy. Sort of. It was a start but from the looks of it, one of the Mikaelson siblings might get a happy ending after all. "Thank you. We have spent years running from that beast. You will forever have my gratitude." She smiled, a bit embarrassed at the praise. Elijah looked at Klaus. "Now why do our family remain in these coffins? Finn for over 900 years, Kol for over a century."

"Because of Stefan Salvatore," Klaus replied. "He holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah. Our mother's death. Things I never wanted you to know but I'm ready to tell you now. I only ask that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me." His face held a desperation, a plead so the noble brother caved.

Watching as the hybrid then walked over to the table in the middle of the room, Elijah frowned. Klaus removed the lid of the small urn on the table and dipped the tip of the dagger into it. He then turned around and went to Kol's coffin. Daggering Kol again, Melody winced, not wanting to imagine what being daggered felt like. "Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother. Help me destroy Stefan and I promise you our family will be whole again." Klaus closed the coffin lid and looked toward the fairytale woman. "And I need you to stand by me as well. Can you do that, love?"

She nodded with a small smile. "Of course. I owe you." He smiled back for a second before it disappeared and was replaced with his usual stoic expression. Elijah had stood by and simply watched the two. It wasn't hard to see that Melody Mills held a soft spot in Klaus Mikaelson's heart. When the hybrid's paranoia would arise and take over, Elijah didn't know. But he only hoped it wouldn't happen.

Melody cleared her throat to rid of the tension. "It's getting late so I'll see you guys in the morning." She exited the room and out of the corner of his eye, Klaus watched but tried to be decreet. Elijah noticed and sighed.

"It seems as though your anger towards Stefan Salvatore is more than just getting back what he stole."

Klaus turned away from him and went back to the small urn, closing the lid. "I do not know what you're talking about." He poured himself a glass of bourbon from the alcohol cabinet, turning back on his heel to face Elijah. "Stefan stole from me and I intend to get it back."

Elijah made a thoughtful sound. "Then why keep Melody around? Or are you using her for your own personal gain?" He was pushing the limits, the boundaries that the Original Hybrid built around himself to keep unwanted things away such as love, hope, and happiness. And whether he liked it or not, Klaus opened the door in the boundary a tad to let the gorgeous brunette step through. But the walls would close and she would be caught between leaving or staying.

In an instant, Klaus was over to him, holding a finger threateningly at him, glaring angrily. "Never would I use her. She is here because it was her choice. There's no other reason."

"You've grown fond of her, Niklaus." The rage dissolved slightly. Elijah fixed his suit. "And I can only hope you admit it to yourself before she's gone." Leaving him standing there, the Original left to get some new clothes. Klaus drew in a deep breath, putting a finger to his lips before chucking the glass at the wall. He put his hands in his hair, tugging at it while he paced. Because he knew Elijah was right.

———

Melody stared at the black leather jacket in her hand. It was the day after Elijah's arrival and night had already approached. She had spent the day reading which is something she didn't do often. Klaus locked himself in his art room and she didn't dare disturb him after hearing the glass shatter the day prior. He was obviously upset about something and clearly still was. The noble brother had been out most of the day, tending to their current problem. Apparently, he and Damon came to a civil agreement to host a dinner to discuss terms. Joy.

Her phone was in her other hand as she stared at both. Melody wanted to forget Stefan existed. After what he pulled, she didn't know how she could forgive that let alone face him again. Every time she imagined his face, that moment came back to her in full force. It pained her because she truly felt like the Salvatore cared for her. And she did care about him. Keyword: did. Now their relationship drowned in the sea of bad memories.

The reason she held her phone was that she knew her family got worried more than they did before. Because now the woman lived with the same person who terrorized people. He was the villain and that scared them. Melody finally tapped on the call button, sitting down on the couch next to the burning fireplace. It rang before a gruff voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi," she replied. "I just wanted to check up on my favorite pirate."

Killian chuckled on the other line. "I'm the only pirate you know." There was a muffled sound on the other side before Emma's voice came through saying, "Hey, kid. The whole family's here and we want to see you."

Melody smiled. "Alright, hold on." She pulled away, waved her hand to make her laptop appear, and then taped on Skype to call them back. It rang just like her phone and then the screen appeared, full of her family members back in StoryBrooke. "Hey, guys." They had to pull the screen back so everyone could be within the view of the camera. She got a chorus of 'hellos' back and Regina smiled warmly, a bit concerned.

"Hi, honey. How are you? How's living with Klaus? Does he treat you okay?"

She laughed and nodded, laying the jacket in her lap. "I'm good, mom. Living with Klaus isn't bad actually, he's bearable." The corners of her lips quirked up. "And yes, he treats me just fine. How are you guys?" They told her that they were good, all of them noticing her strange behavior.

David caught sight of the jacket and gestured his head toward it. "What's that?"

The fairytale woman looked down at it and shrugged, trying to sound as if the piece of material held no meaning to her. "It's nothing. Just a jacket that I'm thinking about burning." Her tone implied that it clearly meant something and they all knew it. When it came to them, Melody was an awful liar. She would always eventually give in and then spew out a rant about her feelings. This time it didn't seem like she would.

"But that's not true is it?" Mary Margaret said softly. She smiled gently. "Go on, you can tell us. You know that." Looking at them all, seeing the faces of her family. They were all there except for Gold and Belle. Ever since he killed his sister, their connection fell apart from his end. He never spoke to her, too full of guilt and regret. No matter what she did, he stayed away in the fear of hurting her further. When she got word of him and his wife leaving the town to explore the world of the Enchanted Forest and the magical realms after that, Melody cried into Killian's shoulder since he was the only one there at the time. They were her family. She could tell them anything.

Melody sighed, feeling the tears pulling at her at the thought of reliving the memory. "It's Stefan. He gave me this jacket and after what he did..." her voice trailed off, getting quieter. They all listened intently, frowning through the screen. "I wish I could forget him. And now Elijah planned this dinner to come up with some peace treaty shit that will somehow magically fix everything. He's going to be there. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do this."

Henry spoke up, quickly going to assure her. "Come on, Mel. You're strong. You saved this entire town and stopped a curse from an evil villain." Pan sent him a glare that the teenager ignored. "So you burn that jacket if you want to and you walk into the dinner party and you show Stefan that what he did to you, you won't stand for. Be the badass sister that I love, that we love."

Regina scolded him for cursing before agreeing with him. "He's right. You shouldn't let this affect you because that only proves that he is not worthy of being a friend. People will only try to break you down. You need to punch back like I know you can." Melody smiled, sniffling. "And from the sounds of it, it seems as though you and Klaus have grown quite close."

She thought back to when she fell asleep next to him. Klaus didn't treat her like a fragile doll or like a little girl who needed protection. Because somehow he knew that all she needed was a shoulder to cry on, someone to tell her that this wasn't the end of the world despite her thinking so. And the way he held her made her feel at home. But after that, the hybrid didn't touch her like that. Of course, there was their conversation about their tattoos. Other than that, there was nothing else. Would it be a stretch to assume that his cold shoulder and locking himself away was because of that?

"Yeah, we have actually. We're soulmates after all, right? He gives me mixed feelings. One minute he's sweet and the next he's throwing me in the back of a truck."

Felix smirked. "Huh, sounds like a certain someone I know."

Pan gave him a look. "Shut it! I never threw you in the back of a truck."

"You only threw me into a cage for a week and nearly starved me." Through the years Melody had grown up in, the two had become more comfortable. Which meant that Felix nowadays had no problem in pushing his husband under a bus and spoke his mind more frequently, letting loose a bit. Before he was rather quiet and only ever really talked to the immortal leader and the thirteen, soon to be fourteen, year old girl at the time. Now he was more outgoing and comfortable with the family. Still shy and timid at times, giving into the habit of hiding.

The father rolled his eyes, pressing a hand to his temple. "That was years ago. Anyway—" He looked back at his daughter. "—Klaus thinks that love is weakness." He rolled his eyes again. "I hate to say it but I understand where he's coming from. I was in that spot for years and you know that. Just give him time and don't give up. You leaving will only make him want to give into love less than he already does. But about Stefan, Henry's right—" The boy smirked triumphantly which made Pan glare again. "—if you want to burn the jacket, burn it. Don't just let Stefan get to your head and make you doubt yourself. He's not worth it."

Melody nodded, looking back down at the clothing. "When he gave it to me, he said that it was my own piece of armor." Emma smiled sadly, now understanding why it meant so much to her. "I can't burn it even though it is from him. Like you guys tell me all the time, I need my pain." She opened it up and put it on, fixing the sleeves and swing her hair behind from her shoulders to her back. They all smiled back at her response. "I'd love to stay and talk but I have a dinner to get to."

Emma nodded understandingly. "Have fun." Then she laughed. "I guess. And call us soon."

"Will do." Melody said goodbye and they greeted her farewell before the call ended. She breathed in deeply and then stood up, flicking the laptop away and stuffing her phone in her pocket. Elijah knocked at the door, smiling gently.

"Sorry to intrude, dinner is starting."

Melody tried to act calm despite her bundle of nerves. "No worries. Let's get this thing over with shall we." They both entered the dining room where the other males already sat, waiting for the only female to arrive. Stefan saw her and his eyes instantly went to her jacket, them widening at the sight of it. Klaus was staring, watching his movements. No way would he give the Salvatore a chance to harm her again. Damon, on the other hand, just smiled the best he could. Elijah pulled the fairytale woman's chair out, letting her sit before pushing it in for her and then sitting in the seat beside her. Klaus sat at the head of the table with Melody the closest to him.

One of the servants came over and poured them all some wine. Their plates were served and they dug in. Stefan was the only one who didn't move from his scowl at Klaus. He didn't want to be here, especially with Melody in the room with the jacket he gave her. Her face stared back at the vampire and the guilt was choking him.

"Eat," Damon told his brother after seeing that he indeed was not eating or drinking anything they were given. "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home."

Stefan begrudgingly started to pick at his food, shoving the food into his mouth with his fork. Klaus forced a smirk. Just the sight of him made his blood boil. Never had the hybrid seen Melody cry so much before and he was surprised by much it pained him to witness. "That's the spirit. Isn't it nice? Five of us dining together? Such a treat." He looked at Damon. "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." The eldest Salvatore winked playfully at the said Original who he had undaggered.

Klaus cut his chicken. "Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But we always make it through." Melody found herself smiling at that. They were similar when it came to their families which they had already found out during their time together. It was crazy to think that they had spent no less than a year together and yet their bond was strong. But knowing that despite what happened between Klaus and his siblings, they always forgave one another and put it aside.

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan provoked. Melody looked over at him, internally scoffing at his pathetic attempt to rally the hybrid up. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."

Melody couldn't help but let out the scoff. Everyone looked at her as she stared right into his eyes. "Last I checked, you were busy ruining every relationship you had in your life. How's that going for you? Got any friends left?" Klaus and Elijah smiled at her fiery comment, both proud to see that she was sticking up for herself. But Klaus found it humorous that she had asked the same question he had asked Stefan.

Seeing the vampire avoid her eyes made her furious. Melody pushed it away and then poked a piece of pasta, smirking. "I hit a nerve. Oops." She ate the food, earning a chuckle from the and only Original Hybrid. Once she chewed it up and swallowed, she continued, "Elijah already knows about Klaus killing their mom."

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad?" Damon reminded, getting a glare from his brother. "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."

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

They all stayed quiet for a minute or so, eating and drinking like civilized people, though they were all far from it. Melody felt Klaus looking at her every so often, seeing him stare out of the corner of his eye. She didn't know whether to be flattered or annoyed. He really was giving her mixed signals. At that point, she didn't know if he had a small crush on her or not. Did she have a crush on him?

Elijah wiped his mouth with a napkin before starting a new conversation. "Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?"

"I don't know. Ask Damon."

Both Melody and Klaus laughed at the inside joke that they all were in on except for the suit and tie Original. To be quite honest, she was glad that her friendship with Elena didn't last. After the stunt she pulled with trying to trade her freedom for her's, all the fairytale woman could think about was tearing her head off. She smiled over at Elijah. "You really have missed a ton of good stuff. Doppelbitch did a little switch." Klaus laughed even more and Stefan glared fiercely.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner's over." While Klaus put a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet, the brunette next to him just shrugged.

"Then goodbye."

Damon noticed the tension rising and cleared his throat, trying to set a calm atmosphere. "You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile." Klaus agreed. "Yeah."

Klaus set his fork down with a light clang and then set his clasped hands in front of him. "It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?"

Melody looked up from her plate with an intrigued expression. Elijah was hesitant, giving his brother and knowing look and then glanced at the only female at the table. She shook her head when she realized what he was thinking. "No, I want to know."

"Oh really?" Stefan questioned. "You're not jealous that your boyfriend was with someone else before you?" It was meant to be payback for her comments toward him but she didn't at all seemed fazed by anything he was saying. In fact, she looked awfully amused.

"And you're not jealous that the girl that you're in love with was caught with your brother?" Melody smiled to herself, proud that she wasn't letting him take her down with his word. She wouldn't let him hurt her anymore. Not after what he did. "I'm not jealous and he's not my boyfriend." She looked at Elijah. "I want to hear the story."

Damon was expectant, gesturing his hand forward for the Original to begin the tale. He took a sip of his wine as the story started. Elijah started, "When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. 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."

His brother smirked. "I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much."

"So you guys were in love with the same girl?" Melody questioned, her eyes full of curiosity. Old habits died hard she supposed. Klaus always did like how she asked questions and seemed to be interested in the little things. But he was surprised that she wasn't upset or how Stefan put it, jealous. It was the small bits of her personality that he enjoyed the most. Perhaps he did have a bit of a crush.

Elijah nodded with a smiled, nodding. "Our mother was a very powerful witch. 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 make a decision 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," Klaus added.

"Family above all."

The two of them rose their glasses and clinked them. Melody smiled at the sight, sipping her drink before setting it down again. She sighed, fixing her shirt. "I think it's time we moved to the terms of the deal. Don't you think?"

Damon nodded, agreeing with her. He started with their terms first. Now came the fun part, Melody thought to herself. This was the moment of truth in other words. Would they take the proposal or would they fight? She herself didn't even know Klaus's or Elijah's terms. So she was in the dark. "That's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges."

"The deal sounds fair, brother," Elijah pointed out, looking over at him.

Klaus clenched his jaw, remaining calm. "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." He stood up and began to pace. "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your 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 gave a weak smile and excused himself from the table. Elijah got up to follow him. "Let me deal with this." He was gone then which left the three. Melody didn't look at Stefan, now feeling vulnerable in the room. Within a flash he could snap her neck, he could kill her faster than she could burn him. Speaking of which, the familiar sensation ran along her arms.

"Well, I guess the only reason you agreed to this evening, Klaus, is to drive a wedge between me and my brother," Stefan finally said, breaking the silence.

"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," Klaus replied.

Melody stayed out of that, watching as Elijah and Damon then entered the room. The eldest brother stayed emotionless. "What do you say, Klaus? It's time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer, now you counter."

Klaus started to think, putting his hands on the top of his chair while he spoke. "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?" Melody rolled her eyes, knowing very well who he was talking about. She already his plan before he continued. "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 guessed.

The hybrid smirked. "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 moved towards Stefan. "So, what do you say, Stefan, hmm? Do we have a deal?"

Stefan got up and they walked towards each other, stopping in front of each other. Melody stood up, flexing her fingers because she knew this wouldn't go down in a calm fashion. Klaus held out his hand to the vampire and Stefan grabbed it as if he were about to take the deal. Then he responded with, "Nice try, Klaus. But no deal."

Before the Original could even move to retaliate, Melody was ready and flicked her wrist, breaking his arm. They all looked over at her, seeing her victorious smirk. "Please Klaus, allow me." He smirked back and gestured forward as a sign that she was now in charge. She went over and grabbed Stefan, dragging him over to the fireplace. Stefan's hand was put into the fire, it burning in the flames. He screamed in pain and Damon went to stop her but the two Originals intercepted.

Melody grabbed the fire poker and put it in the fire before jabbing it through his stomach. Damon yelled at her. "Stop!"

"Now, bring me my coffin before Melody burns him alive," Klaus threatened with his eyes full of rage. Damon said he would get them and so the hybrid looked at Elijah. "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."

They left and Klaus went over to Melody. She could feel her heart shifting to the darkness. Her magic suddenly felt more powerful. It was almost as if he noticed because then he placed a hand on her shoulder which instantly brought her back to reality. "Hey. It's alright, love. Let go of him." She slowly removed her hand away from Stefan and Klaus pulled him out of the fireplace.

Melody moved away, staring at her hands in horror. Had she conjured dark magic? Was that what it felt like? It wasn't until Klaus spoke up did she come back again. Her brain kept going in and out of what was happening in real time. "Elijah...why haven't you left?" She focused again at the situation, now seeing Elijah and Damon in the room with one of the servants, a tray in her hand.

"Where are your manners, brother?" Elijah wondered. "We forgot dessert." He removed the cover over the tray to reveal the daggers. Klaus recoiled back. When he asked his brother what he had done, Elijah struck back. "What have you done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

A brunette male entered the room, his matching brown eyes full of rage. He walked with a sense of pride, a mischievous glint in his expression. Melody awkwardly stood to the side, watching as Klaus went agape. "Kol?"

"Long time, brother." His accent was stronger than Klaus's and she could tell that he loved to use it to make women swoon. She wasn't affected. The dark magic in her veins dissolved because now her attention was on this. Another male appeared in much more ancient clothing.

Klaus began to back up. "Finn, don't!" Finn grabbed a dagger from the plate and stabbed it into his brother's hand. The dagger was yanked out and the hybrid tried to flash away but then Rebekah entered in her red dress. "Rebekah!"

She stabbed him with another dagger. "This is for our mother." She pulled it out which made Klaus fall into Kol's arms. The male held him back, restraining him. Elijah looked at Stefan and Damon.

"You're free to go. This is family business." Melody looked at them with a worried expression because she didn't know whether she should leave or not. They left her there and she clenched her jaw, turning to face the Mikaelson siblings.

Rebekah saw her and smiled despite her anger towards Klaus. "Melody!" She rushed over and hugged the woman. The fairytale female stood frozen for a second before hugging back. Everyone else looked at her. "It's so good to see you."

"Um, you too?" They pulled away and Melody smiled back the best she could. "Should I leave or—"

"Nonsense," Elijah interrupted. "There's no need." 

Klaus looked almost pleadingly at her. But she didn't know if he wanted her to leave or stay. Was he embarrassed that he was being taken down by his own siblings? Or did he want her to help him and stick up for him? Kol let him go, pushing him away. The hybrid sighed. "I wanted this place to be for all of us. 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." Melody knew she wasn't in the equation. Which only made her question as to what Klaus would've wanted her to do once his siblings were back.

"Well you're right, none of us will be," Elijah told him.

Rebekah stayed by Melody, almost protectively. Her siblings noticed as did Melody. "We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you will be alone. Always and forever. I think we'll take Melody with us. She did want to see the world after all and I'd be a much better tour guide and companion." The female smiled slightly in response, thinking of indeed traveling the world with the blonde vampire. But it faltered because she couldn't just leave Klaus.

"If you run and take her with you, I will hunt all of you down," Klaus threatened. Would they truly leave him behind and take Melody with them? Would she truly leave him behind? Had he been that bad of a person toward her? She gave him a look that he couldn't decipher at the moment.

"Then you'll become everything you hate," Elijah pointed out. "Our father."

Blinding desperation fueled his next words. He was not going to be left behind, not after everything he worked for. "I'm the hybrid! I can't be killed! I have nothing to fear from any of you."

"You will when we have that coffin."

It suddenly occurred to Melody that she hadn't a clue what was in that coffin. All of the talk about it and she still didn't know for sure. She couldn't even begin to guess. But then the door opened suddenly and they all turned to see an older woman enter the room. While she was confused, the Mikaelsons were in shock. Rebekah was the first to say something. "Mother?"

Melody went wide-eyed at seeing the person who cursed her. Esther approached Klaus and stopped in front of him. He avoided her eyes and she demanded, "Look at me!" He did so, tears pooling in his eyes. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"You're here to kill me."

Her heart felt like it was breaking. No, Klaus couldn't die. She couldn't just kill him. The thought of losing her soulmate, her true love despite the fact that she hadn't told him about her feelings, made her feel like the whole world was collapsing. Exactly like when the curse in StoryBrooke was broken and all of her unwanted memories came rushing back.

Esther denied his comment. "Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again." She looked over at Melody who was still by Rebekah. "And I want to meet the girl who will forever hold your heart." She stepped forward and the fairytale woman took a step back. Esther smiled gently. "Hello there Melody."

———

Why this chapter ended up being so long is beyond me. I had a ton of inspiration for some unknown reason. I'm really proud of it though. I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )