chapter nineteen
klaus
season two, episode nineteen

The Mystic Falls gang had not taken Arabella's warning into account. Granted, it had only been twelve hours. To Arabella's dismay, she couldn't hurt them. They were her friends, and she had grown attached to them. But they had her brother. She had to do something to get him back.

Her troubles were over though, when someobody knocked on her door early the next morning. Ara had only just gotten off the couch to discover who it was when Theodore called from the doorway, an obvious smile in his tone. "Arabella."

Arabella stepped into the hallway, freezing. Elijah was standing in the doorway, a soft smile on his face as he looked towards his younger sister. He was alive. Someone had taken the dagger out.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips, a grin taking over her face as she ran forward, throwing herself at her brother. Elijah chuckled, leaning down and giving his sister a kiss on the cheek as he hugged her back.

Ara let out a soft breath, eyes opening to see Elena behind Elijah, a soft smile on her face as she watched the siblings reunion. She had listened to Arabella's warning.

The blonde pulled away from her brother, though she stayed close to his side. Years of watching Klaus take her siblings away had traumatized her. "Are you okay?" She whispered.

Elijah, who had been analyzing his sister to make sure she was physically okay, startled before nodding. Ara didn't know why he had checked her for injuries. She was a vampire, she healed in seconds. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Arabella's eyes narrowed slightly as she pursed her lips. "Klaus is here. I fought him but he staked me, revealed my identity."

Elijah seemed even more startled as he looked at her. "Klaus is here?" He paused as he glanced to his sisters wrist. "Does he have the handcuffs?"

Ara's lips pursed more. The famous handcuffs. The only weapon in the world, besides a white oak stake, that could take down Arabella Mikealson. They blocked her ability to use her magic, so she was vulnerable. "I don't think so. He didn't use them. He took over Alaric's body though."

The older Mikealson scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course he has. His favorite trick."

"This reunion was very sweet and all," Elena cut in. "But can we please get in the car? Go somewhere else?"

"Oh, yeah." Ara nodded, leaning back and grabbing her bag. "Theo, I'll be back later. Please, do not get more blood on my rug."

Arabella closed the door of her house behind her, following Elijah and Elena to Elena's car. Elijah climbed into the passenger seat, while Ara got in the back. "Go to the Mayor's house," Elijah instructed Elena.

Elena nodded without complaint, driving to the Lockwood's house. Arabella wasn't sure if she had ever been there. She and Tyler had never truly been friends.

Ara walked forward with Elijah, knocking on Mayor Lockwood's door. Elena stood behind them, looking over the siblings. It was obvious they were related. Both of them were careful to leave their faces neutral, they carried their heads high, and most of all it was clear they would do anything for eachother.

The Mayor opened her door with a smile, clearly not expecting them. "Elijah, Elena, Arianna, what are you doing here? What happened?"

Ara held back her startled look. She had nearly forgotten her fake name, now that there was no need for it. "I've had a bit of an incident, Carol." Elijah replied. "I'm hoping you could help."

"Well, I'm on my way to a meeting so I-"

"We won't take but a minute of your time," Elijah interrupted, compelling the mayor to let them in.

"Of course," Carol smiled, the compulsion kicking in. "Anything you need." She stepped backwards, allowing them to come in. Ara was startled when her body didn't hit a field, but she realized she had been here once before. Tyler and her had been assigned a history project together.

"I'm going to need a change of clothing," Elijah told the mayor, strutting inside. Arabella looked around. Their home was beautiful. Her fingers lightly touched the pink flowers on the table.

"Well, we can try one of my husband's suits," Carol offered, shutting the door and stepping towards them. "I haven't boxed them up yet."

"Wonderful." Elijah smiled.

The group of three waited until Carol had left the room before Elena turned to Elijah. "How did you know she's not on vervain?" She whispered.

Ara turned her body towards Elijah. It was a good question. All council members used vervain. It had been a pain in Arabella's ass. "Cause I'm the one who got her off it," Elijah whispered back. "Right before you and your friends killed me. Twice. If you'll excuse me I'll he done in a moment."

Elijah walked out of the room while Arabella cleared her throat awkwardly. Carol walked down a moment later, smiling. "Can I get you girls anything to drink?"

Ara brightened. "Hot chocolate, please." She requested, smiling. Hot chocolate was one of her favorite things. The blonde noticed the startled look on Elena's face, shaking her head. "Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I don't enjoy human things," She mumbled once Carol left.

Elena nodded, still seeming surprised. "I know. You're just known for being vicious and cold."

"I was only that way because of things that happened to me," Arabella replied. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a breath. "I was not born that way. Neither was Elijah, or Klaus. People made us this way."

Before Elena could ask questions, or Ara could elaborate, Elijah walked down the stairs, giving Arabella a warning look. He didn't like people knowing the things that happened to them.

He gestured for them to walk into the living room, taking a seat on the chairs. Carol walked in a moment later, handing Ara a mug full of hot chocolate and Elijah a cup of tea. Her older brother waited until Carol left before speaking. "I'm assuming the Martin witches are no longer with us."

"No," Elena shook her head in response, eyes going to her lap. Ara frowned. "I'm sorry."

"And Katerina," Elijah continued. Ara's frown disappeared, instead eyes hardening. Katherine had betrayed her whole family. Now that she didn't need her, she had no sympathy for her. "She would have been released from my compulsion when I died."

"Klaus took her," Elena informed him. "We think that she may be dead."

"She's not. She's a cockroach." Arabella replied. The amount of times Katerina Petrova had cheated death was startling, even to Arabella.

Elijah cleared his throat. "I doubt she's dead. Not Klaus's style. Death would be too easy for her after what she did."

"I don't understand," Elena shook her head. "You say that you want Klaus dead, but you still made Katherine pay for betraying him."

"Katherine betrayed more than just Klaus," The blonde told Elena. She knew Elijah had fallen in love with Katherine, even if he would never admit it out loud.

Elijah gave his sister a pointed look, silently telling her to stop talking. Elijah liked to keep his business private. "I have my own reasons for wanting Katerina to pay. There was a time I'd have done anything for Klaus."

Elijah leaned forward, taking Elena's hand and sharing a memory with her. Ara watched their eyes close, wondering what memory Elijah had chosen. There was plenty to choose from.

Arabella watched Elena's eyes snap open, widen with surprise as she let out a startled breath. "Klaus is our brother."

The younger Mikealson looked at Elena in slight surprise. Apparently she hadn't heard Klaus scream little sister down the hallway. "I heard that," Elena responded. "I'm still processing."

"Yes, I'm a little behind on the times," Elijah replied, lifting the cup of tea to his lips. "But I believe the term you're searching for is OMG."

Arabella couldn't help the snort she let out, quickly putting a hand to her mouth in embarrassment. Elena smiled at her. The more time she spent with the Mikealson, the more she realized how wrong the rumors of Arabella were.

Elijah stood up to walk to the mirror, fixing his tie as Arabella watched Elena's face flash emotions as she processed. "There's a whole family of originals?"

"Our father was a wealthy land owner in a village in eastern Europe," Elijah responded, straightening his collar. "Our mother bore eight children."

Elena looked towards Arabella, a realization starting to come over her. "Theodore?" She spoke, assuming he was another Mikealson sibling.

Ara chuckled. She couldn't imagine being related to Theodore. He already drove her insane. "No, I didn't lie about Theo being a family friend. He dated my older sister."

Elena nodded in understanding. Ara left out the part where the couple was technically still together. It was too complicated to explain. Elena backtracked to the eight children part. "So your parents were human?"

"Our whole family was." Elijah told her, turning away from the mirror to face the two girls. "Our origin as vampires is a very long story, Elena. Just know, we're the oldest vampires in the world. We are the Original family and from us, all vampires are created."

"Right, but Klaus is your brother." Elena emphasized on brother, as if she couldn't fathom the idea of betraying her blood. "And you want him dead?"

Elijah interrupted her. "I need some air," He spoke, starting to walk towards the front door of the Lockwood house. "I'm still feeling a tad, dead. Come."

Arabella was on her brother's heels, Elena trailing behind. It didn't take long for Elena to realize the blonde had separation anxiety from her brother.

The group of three walked down a set of stone stairs, towards the back of the Lockwood property. "So as you've seen, nothing can kill an Original. Not sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite."

"Though they are a pain in the ass." Arabella added.

"Only the wood from one tree," Elijah continued, seemingly not amused. "A tree my family made sure burned."

"That's where the white ash for the dagger comes from." Elena realized.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "The witches won't allow anything truly immortal to walk the earth. Every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain the balance."

"So the sun can't kill an Original, why is Klaus so obsessed with breaking the sun and moon curse?" Elena questioned.

Ara let out a soft laugh. She couldn't believe that story was still being told, still being believed. "Right. The curse of the sun and the moon." Elijah nodded. "It's all so, biblical sounding, don't you think?"

Elijah smiled, amused, and Ara let out another giggle. "What's so funny?" Elena asked.

Elijah leaned forward, sharing another memory with the doppleganger. This time Ara was certain what it was. When the fake curse was made by her elder brothers.

"I don't understand," Elena spoke, blinking out of the memory. "Klaus drew the Aztec sketches about the curse?"

"Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings and any other culture or continent we felt like planting in jt." Elijah told the doppleganger.

Arabella smiled. She was relieved people were finally knowing the truth about the curse. "But why?" Elena questioned.

"Easiest way to discover the existence of a doppleganger or to get your hands on some long lost moonstone was to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout." Elijah answered.

"So it's not Aztec at all?" Elena finally realized.

Elijah smiled, leaning in close to the doppleganger. "The curse of the sun and the moon is fake." He revealed. "It doesn't exist."

Elijah turned, crossing a bridge. "What?" Elena questioned, rushing after the two siblings.

"Klaus, Elijah and I faked the sun and the moon curse," Arabella spoke, continuing the story. "Dating back over a thousand years."

"But if there's no curse?"

"There is a curse," Elijah cut in. "Just not that one. The real one's much worse. It's a curse placed on Klaus."

"What are you talking about?" Elena questioned.

"There is a curse, a curse placed on Klaus. Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years," Elijah continued. "And you were his only hope."

Elena's phone continued to buzz in Elijah's front pocket, and Arabella felt hers in the back pocket of her jeans. "Well, what is this curse?" Elena questioned.

Arabella flinched as her body flew back to that night. Klaus crying, begging for help, her father yelling, her mother forcing Arabella to allow her to channel her.

Elijah didn't reply, taking Elena's phone out of her pocket and handing it to the girl. "Your phone will not stop it's incessant buzzing. Answer it."

Elena answered the phone with a sigh before her face quickly morphed into worry. She hung up a minute later, looking at the siblings. "Klaus went after Jenna. I have to go to her."

"What?" Arabella gasped. Klaus had some real nerve. Ara had always liked Jenna, she had never been anything but kind and welcoming to the blonde. "Is she okay?"

Elijah, however, saw things differently. "I'm afraid that wasn't part of today's arrangement."

This time, Arabella sent Elijah a warning glare, but he shrugged her off. "She's my family, Elijah." Elena snapped. "I have to. I'll be back. You have my word."

Ara watched Elijah's eyes soften at the emphasis on family. He sighed as he looked carefully at the brunette. "That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it."

Elena seemed to understand that was Elijah's way of saying she could go. She nodded, turning and running off. "Thank you."

As soon as Elena was out of sight, Arabella turned and wrapped Elijah in another hug. The older boy noticed with a frown the blonde was trembling. "It's okay, Arabella." He whispered. "We'll figure it out."

•••

The siblings looked up as Elena stepped into the Lockwood house, slamming the door behind her. Elijah seemed surprised to see she had shown up, but Arabella knew she would. "Welcome back."

"Tell me." Elena spoke, shrugging her jacket off. "What is Klaus's curse?"

Arabella admires Elena's bluntness. She skipped right to the point, no beating around the bush. "Please," Elijah gestured to the chair. "You know, my family was quite close. But Klaus and my father did not get on too well."

Close was an understatement. Arabella couldn't think of one memory from her childhood without at least one of her siblings being there. "When we became vampires, we discovered the truth." Elijah continued. "Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret."

"She never intended for it to come out," Arabella added, crossing one leg over the other as she sat down. The truth would have never been revealed if they hadn't been turned. "Klaus is from a different bloodline."

"Of course, when our father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed our mother's lover." Elijah told Elena. "And his entire family."

"You see where we all get our temper from?" Arabella mused, a smile of amusement on her face. Her temper was as bad as Klaus's sometimes.

"Our father didn't realize that was he igniting a war between species that rages until this day," Elijah spoke, continuing the story.

"A war between the species?" Elena questioned, confusion sketched on her face.

"The vampires, and the werewolves." Elijah replied, finally revealing the truth.

"So Klaus's real father was from a werewolf bloodline?" Elena realized. Arabella nodded. "What does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire."

"Both." Arabella answered, taking a sip from a wine glass. "Much like I'm half witch half vampire, Klaus is both a wolf and vampire."

A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire," Elijah explained. "Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore, the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brothers werewolf side would become dormant."

"That's the curse Klaus wants to break?" Elena asked/

"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf," Elijah informed her. "If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race. Endangering not just vampires, but everyone."

"But you helped him." Elena countered.

"I helped him because I loved him." Elijah replied.

"He was our brother," Arabella added. "That's changed. Now he must die."

"We have the dagger now," Elena spoke. "We can stop him."

"When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals." Elijah responded. "An Original can't be killed by anything but white oak ash on a silver dagger. So you see the conundrum. The dagger does not work."

"What are you saying, that Klaus can't be killed?" Elena seemed panicked now, pacing back and forth.

"There's one way to kill any supernatural species," Elijah said. "At the hands of the servants of nature themselves."

"A witch." Elena noted. "If they can channel that much power. But it would kill them."

"The curse must be broken during the full moon," Elijah told her. "When Klaus is in transition, that's when he'll be at his most vulnerable. A witch with enough power can kill Klaus."

"What if I told you that I knew a witch that can channel that much power?"

rys rambles
stayed up to finish this chap even tho i have school tmr just for you guys