TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Unhealthy relationships,
codependency issues,
memory loss, and blink-and-you-miss-it abuse

"if i see klaus, i'm going to tear his limbs off."

—

EDEN stared at Niklaus defiantly, only uncrossing her arms when he let Elena go, so she could pull her niece into a hug.

"You okay?" She asked Elena gently, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry I didn't message you on your birthday, I've been...going through a lot."

"It's fine," Elena shook her head, smiling tightly. "Don't sweat it. Are you and Klaus...?"

"Complicated," Eden shrugged. "He won't hurt you."

"So, this is the latest doppelganger," Rebekah commented, circling the pair. "Eden, do let her go, I want a better view."

"Bex, I love you," Eden shot her a look, "but I'm beginning to regret having Elijah hide your dagger."

Rebekah scowled. "You two are perfect together," she glanced between Niklaus and Eden. "The dagger threats." She sighed, tilting her head to look at Elena. "The original one was much prettier."

"No, she wasn't," Eden whispered in Elena's ear. "You're the prettiest, don't listen."

"Enough," Niklaus rolled his eyes. "Both of you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Eden frowned, giving an innocent look to Rebekah and Elena. "Do you both hear something? There's a buzzing around. Is there a fly in here?"

Elena fought a smile. "Way better when you use that joke on someone else," she said quietly.

"I disagree," Niklaus grabbed a fistful of Eden's hair and Rebekah took a step back, eyes wide.

"What are you doing, Niklaus?"

Niklaus stopped as everyone's attention went to the entrance, where a very angry Elijah stood. He sped over and Niklaus dropped his grip on Eden.

"This is not how we discussed this," Elijah looked between Elena and Niklaus. "Rebekah, take Stefan and go home."

"I'm not going—"

"—Rebekah," he glared at her. "Go home."

Rebekah let out a sigh, mumbling about what was fair and grabbed Stefan's arm, both of them speeding off.

"Elena, I apologize for my brother," he gave her a serious look. "Any harm he's done tonight is meant with good intentions. He's trying to—"

"—Really, brother, do—"

"—Niklaus, quiet," Elijah shot him a look. "Go cool off before I do hand Eden her wand."

Niklaus opened his mouth to respond but Eden took the wand from Elijah's hand and stuck it to his neck. "Say something about my magic, Klaus, and I will never speak to you again."

Niklaus eyed her with anger she hadn't seen since the last time they were in Virginia, and he took a step back. "The clock is ticking," he looked to Elena. "I will have my hybrids."

As he sped off, Eden fought tears, letting Elijah take her wand carefully from her.

"Sorry, 'Lena," Eden pressed her palms against her eyes, before giving her an apologetic smile. "I know this is a lot, and there's probably a much better way of phrasing this, but there are soulmates in the Wizarding World, and I suppose through the Original Witch, but anyway, point is; as Elijah's my soulmate, Rebekah is Stefan's."

Confusion flashed across Elena's face and Eden nodded. "I'm sorry, and I wish you could have happiness with him, but he'll always pick her now. As for Klaus, I don't know what's gotten into him, he was fine this morning and now he's...mental or had a bloody breakdown, I don't know."

"No one will be harmed," Elijah pitched in. "I swear to you, no one you love will be harmed by me or my siblings."

Elena looked between the couple, baffled. "I—I...what do you want me to say, Eden? You drop into our lives, ruin it, and then-then just leave? No calls or texts? And now you brought Klaus back and he's coming after me again and the love of my life is with his sister? What do you want, Eden?"

Eden took a step back from her niece, a hurt look crossing her features. "Elena, I..."

"Just go," Elena scoffed, tears filling her gaze. "Both of you. Take Klaus and Stefan and get out of Mystic Falls because all you do is bring people pain."

"Elena—"

Elena shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes. "Not all of us have the luxury of sleeping with Klaus to get him to stop hurting our family," she said tearfully. "I'm going to go help Bonnie and Caroline save Tyler, because your boyfriend is trying to kill them. Stall him, or don't, it doesn't matter."

Eden watched Elena go helplessly, feeling strangely disoriented by the entire conversation. As though she were watching the entire scene through someone else's eyes. She could hear Elijah speaking and feel his hand on her arm, gentle, soothing, but she couldn't focus on it. Couldn't focus on anything.

She was trapped in that spot, rooted to the floor of a gymnasium in a high school she'd never attended, watching her niece's life be ruined again by someone Eden was pretty sure she'd fallen in love with.

A strangled breath left her throat and Eden fell forward, the past hour zooming past her in a film reel. Elijah caught her as she fell and sobs left her body, uneven breaths causing her to panic. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't focus on anything. What was wrong with her? She had to help Elena. She had to stop Klaus.

But she loved Klaus.

Fucking hell, she loved Niklaus Mikaelson.

Panic shot through her as Elijah pulled her to his chest, but she shoved him off. He would only hurt her too. They would only ever hurt her. Everyone would only ever hurt her. She just wanted to help people. She just wanted to be free and happy and keep her family safe. She'd lost too much family.

She missed Draco.

Oh, gods.

Eden let out a sob as memories overwhelmed her, breaking her into pieces. She remembered his laugh, his gentle hands touching her wounds, healing her quietly in the manner basement. Sobbing against him after Fred's death. Draco being the only person she trusted touching her for months after the manor.

"Eden?"

How did he know? How could Elijah have possibly known who she needed, who she—

"Sommers, what is it? What's happened?"

"L-Lena and K-Klaus and I...I can't...too many thoughts, everything hurts, and I—"

"Hey, hey, shush, shush," his voice calmed her tears, and she closed her eyes.

She was back in the manor. The room was dark and cold and empty but there he was. Light and hopeful and kind. He was her saving grace, her anchor in open waters. She was safe with Draco. She was always safe with Draco.

"There we go, darling," he calmed her softly. "It's alright. Do you need to come and stop him? I can. I will. Whatever you need. Head on a pike? An ice storm and he happens to get his head cut off by a loose ice—"

Eden giggled at his words and her heart soared hearing his chuckle in response.

"Is Elijah with you?"

Eden nodded, but she didn't open her eyes. She allowed the sense of smell to come back to her. Eucalyptus. Old books. Maison France.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Good," Draco sighed. "I'm going to hang up and floo to your house. If I see Klaus, I'm going to tear his limbs off. I'll be there in an hour."

And then the phone call ended and Eden slowly opened her eyes, the gymnasium coming back around her.

Elijah didn't say anything, just sat next to her and pulled her to his chest, letting her bring herself back.

"Why's he acting like this?" She whispered.

Elijah was quiet for a moment. "Our father's awake," he answered softly. "He's terrified. He'll push you away and make you hate him because it's easier than him grieving you."

Hear heart broke for Nik and the anger dissipated. He really was a wolf. He'd protect and defend and love and did best travelling with others. But he could live on his own and couldn't bear the thought of losing what was his.

And a wolf should never be caged.

Eden knew that well enough, now.

"Elena hates me," she whispered. "Jenna probably does, too."

"No," Elijah denied immediately. "Jenna doesn't hate you," he hesitated. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to overwhelm you, but Jenna's known...since your first full moon. She called me out of desperation because she couldn't reach you and I told her everything. She was upset but more worried than anything. I promise you; she'll only want to see you safe."

Eden thought she'd be angry at his words, but all she felt was relief. Relief that he'd picked up pieces of her life that she didn't have strength to put back together and glued them, so they'd never fall apart again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried against him.

"I love you," she whispered in a sob. "I love you so much, Elijah."

Elijah's grip tightened on her. "I know, Elksan," he whispered. "I love you."

They stayed like that as the minutes passed them by and Eden's heartrate slowed to a normal beat.

"Is he tormenting them?" Eden asked quietly.

"Yes," Elijah nodded, standing and offering a hand for her to stand. She took it and didn't drop his hand as they walked from the gym. "But he's figured it out. Rather, the Bennett witch has."

"At least she's hot and badass," Eden mumbled as they walked. "Will you beat Nik up for me?"

Elijah chuckled, kissing her head softly. "I may lose, but I'll do my best for your honor."

Eden smiled up at him and wiped her tears as they entered Alaric's classroom.

"Oh, look who's joined in the fun," Nik smiled.

"Brother," Elijah warned, eyes flashing dangerously.

Eden pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him, and looked to Caroline. "Is Tyler okay?" She asked softly.

Caroline nodded hesitantly. "He just woke up," she looked between Eden and Elijah helplessly. "What does Klaus want with him?"

"Bit of fun," Nik shrugged. "That's all. Me and my girl and my brother and my hybrid army."

Eden shot him a glare, betrayal flooding her at Caroline's horrified look. To out their relationship so publicly on his terms, casually, as a ploy to stake claim on her niece's friends...it made her sick.

"Little Bennett here has decreed that the Original Witch wants Elena dead," Nik's eyes found Elena, who grabbed Caroline's hand tightly. Eden stepped forward to defend her, but Elijah held her gently around the waist. "Thing about that is she never much cared for me. And I think, it's better Elena's alive."

"Her blood," Eden realized in a whisper. Nik's lips turned up, pride flickering in his stormy gaze when their eyes connected. She hardened her glare. "You can't drain her, Klaus."

His jaw tightened at the name. "I'm taking her with us. Out of Mystic Falls, anywhere we'd like, really. She's just donating blood. Isn't that what you called it, love?"

Another stab of betrayal.

Eden looked at him sadly. "Don't do this," she pleaded softly. "Don't make my faith in you be for naught, Nik."

He sped in front of her and cupped her face. "Go home, Eden. Back to your little flat. I'll get my hybrids. You'll have Elijah. I have no use for you anymore."

He pulled away and clapped his hands together once, looking down at the teenagers again.

Eden was in the parking lot before she could hear anything else that was said; Elijah's hands cupping her face. "Stefan will take you home," he pressed a kiss to her head. "I'll fix this, Eden, I swear. Everything will be fine."

And then Elijah was gone, too.

Eden stared into the darkness of the parking lot, wrapping her arms around herself as tears threatened her eyes.

"Your friends are waiting for you," Stefan's voice cut through the silence and he offered her his arm. "I'm sorry about all of this. If I'd known..."

"It's fine," Eden whispered. "It's all fine."

But it wasn't.

Nothing was.

—

The familiarity that surged through Eden when Draco's arms wrapped around her brought her into another hysterical crying fit, and they fell against the floor in hushed whispers and promises. He cradled her head to his chest, sobbing against her and she cried against him, too. They apologized profusely, not even hearing the other's words, too overwhelmed in their reunion to even recognize how painful it had been apart.

An hour passed before Draco finally pulled back, wiping her tears. "You look like shit," he told her, nose crinkling. "I don't look bad when I cry, you look like a toddler.'

"Fuck you," Eden snorted, letting out a shaky breath.

"What prompted the memories?" Draco asked after a moment, helping her stand and taking a seat next to her on the sofa. He draped a blanket over them and Eden smiled, snuggling into the stiff pillow on her cushion, reminded of just how much she missed being home.

"Panic attack," Eden shrugged. "One of the worst I've ever had. I couldn't focus on anything. And then it was just...you. I just saw you and the manor and I closed my eyes and...want to hear something so fucked?"

"What?" Draco asked, head tilting curiously.

"I think that's my safe space now. It's quiet and cold and I can remember it distinctly. I know it was real and now the memory's complete because you're there. It feels whole."

Draco chewed on her words before replying. "Granger has a library when she practices Occlumency, Severus had a potions room. Mine is the cell."

Eden's eyes met his. "Really?" She asked softly.

"It's different in my head," Draco explained. "No one can come in except me, and you," he added a bit sheepishly, "but nothing gets out either. It's all trapped in there. Locked away behind metal bars, chained to floors, and pinned to walls. And you appear when I occlude for safety," he confessed. "I...Granger's important to me, as Klaus and Elijah are to you, but...I can't explain it properly. You're the only place I feel truly safe."

Eden nodded, smiling sadly. "That's really messed up."

Draco chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

They were quiet again until Eden's phone rang. She didn't look at it when she answered, cuddling further into the blanket.

"Eden?"

Eden didn't respond at first, Nik's voice tearing into her chest. Then a beat passed and she whispered, "What, Klaus?"

"I'm going away again."

Eden blinked, squeezing Draco's hand which took hers in his. "Okay," she whispered. "Are you taking Bex and Lij with you too?"

"No," he answered. He sounded defeated. She wanted to comfort him.

She hated that.

"Was any of it real?" She asked quietly.

"Of course," Klaus responded, his voice breaking. "Eden, you're everything to me."

"I don't think that's true," Eden denied. "Goodbye, Nik."

"Wait, Eden—"

Eden ended the call and tossed the phone to Draco, knowing he'd keep her from calling him back. Begging for forgiveness for something that wasn't her fault. Asking for his love when she should have been showered in it.

It shouldn't matter that Mikael was after him. He should rely on her as much as she relied on him. He should ask for help from his family and work as a unit rather than an individual.

"Wanna get hammered?"

"Yeah."

—

uh...oops?
all will be explained about mikael, just hang on.
y'all were getting too comfortable with eden being happy.
sorry, xoxo, gossip girl