Talia's dinner gown

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Unsurprisingly, Elijah wasn't sure how to take in the Monroe's words. He paused, brows knitting together and dark eyes sweeping back and forth between the two soulmates. "Niklaus has a soulmate?" He returned his gaze to his younger brother who had a proud smirk twisting his lips up, blue eyes dancing across Talia. 

"It was a surprise to me as-well, brother. Talia has been a companion of mine for nigh on thirty years, and a competent one at that. Talia, this is Elijah." The curly haired blond Hybrid rested his hands behind his back, watching the exchange. 

She wiped the blood away from her nose and stretched out her other hand, which Elijah diligently shook. "Now that that's settled, let's discuss this like the capable adults that we are." The brunette motioned to the dining table and the two boys followed. "Niklaus, why don't you tell your brother your reasoning for daggering him and catch him up on the going-ons. I have no doubt Elijah will apologize for his role in your attempted murder."

The boys both shot her indignant looks, completely stubborn in their differing ideals on who should apologize. "Talia, he attempted to end my life. My reasoning for daggering him was just." Klaus shot her a glare that would wither anyone else to dust, but she shrugged it off and easily settled back in her seat. 

"Elijah, why were you so eager to end Niklaus's life?" She turned her brown, nearly black, eyes upon the older Mikaelson who rested his hands on the table, watching her with a contemplative look stretching over his handsome face. 

He blinked and rearranged himself, completely graceful with every movement. Almost calculative, in a way. "I had believed my brother buried my family at sea and did not consider him able of redemption." The vampire then focused quite intently on Talia with what could only be seen as an owlish look in his brown eyes. "I see he has a fighting chance, after all." Elijah then turned, staring at the three coffins behind them, one of them empty and the other two closed. "Where has our dear sister gone?" Unbeknownst to Elijah, since he was in a coffin, Klaus had placed Rebekah into another room for the time being, since she didn't fit in the room with Elijah, Kol and Finn's coffins.

Talia, however, directed the conversation back onto the matter at hand, ignoring Elijah's query. "And, Niklaus? Do you think your brother has a point? You did tell him you buried them at sea and you have been monstrous for centuries. I mean, I'm your soulmate and I couldn't handle your attitude." 

Her companion shot her another glare yet backed off when she sent him one ten times worse. Groaning and seeming to give off the energy of a kicked puppy, Klaus admitted defeat to the Companion. "I understand Elijah's perspective and accept his apology. Now, about our sister . . ."

The rest of the night was spent with Talia and Klaus regaling Elijah with all the things they had been up to. Along with many questions on Elijah's part about Talia and her existence. It was almost friendly, that night. Almost a family, but not quite. For, Niklaus and Elijah were still two immortal beings forever competing against each other and Talia was just a girl placed upon the Earth designed for Klaus. In all technicalities, she was just a custom made toy for the Hybrid. 

The thought caused an ugly grimace to settle on her gentle features and she said goodnight to the boys before heading to her room, settling in for a long and uneventful night's rest. 

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That next evening, Talia was greeted with Klaus standing in her room holding a garment bag. "Hurry up and get dressed, the Salvatores are coming for an evening meal to discuss a trade for the last coffin. Look pretty, I want something to distract them." He rested the dark bag on her dresser and the brunette stared at him in wide-eyed shock before her face morphed into rage. 

"Niklaus, watch your mouth before I cut out your tongue. I have a feeling it won't grow back." Her words came like venom and he rolled his blue eyes, shutting the door. 

She settled down in-front of a mirror, straightening her hair which took absolute ages and then she curled it and finally opened up the bag. It revealed a stunning, off the shoulder, long-sleeved, mermaid evening gown colored a deep blue. It was tight in all the right places yet flowed out at the waist, draping to the ground. The sleeves also fell to the floor, pooling around it. 

She tugged it on, studying her reflection in the mirror before doing the last touches to her make-up and heading downstairs. As she did, the Salvatore boys were being lead to their seats and four sets of eyes lifted to stare in wide-eyed and appreciative shock at the Companion. 

Elijah looked away first, mostly out of modesty and respect for his brother's soulmate. Stefan's face was blank of any emotion and he rolled his green eyes, heading to the table. Damon kept his eyes on Talia, icy blue gaze raking hungrily up her figure while Klaus stood there in open-mouthed shock. 

He couldn't keep his eyes off her, and he didn't even have his usual cocky smirk. She passed him with a narrow glare, regretting having worn the dress at all, but she had no other evening gowns in the mansion. She wasn't his trophy wife and didn't take well to being shown off as nothing more than as jewel in a case. 

Fingering the Tiffany Diamond draped around her neck and resting just above her breasts, the woman settled down at the table and took a glass of wine as everyone else drank blood. Sipping the alcohol, her dark gaze moved to Klaus who settled down next to her and on her other side was Stefan. The young vampire was glaring down at his plate, definitely haven been forced here just like the Monroe girl. She felt a pang of sympathy for him before her thoughts wandered and the conversation began. 

It started with the usual snarky retorts and taunting as Talia distanced herself and let her mind wander. The only one in the room who appeared to pay the slightest attention to the young woman was Elijah, before he twisted the conversation another way, trying to calm the tides. 

"So, Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?" The vampire turned his attention on the baby Salvatore. Talia perked up at that, having been a tad curious about the young doppelgänger of late. She sympathized with the Gilbert girl, having been controlled by Klaus a majority of her life, it wasn't fun to draw the short straw in that realm. 

The hero-haired blond's face fell into a deeper brood, if that was even possible. His sullen demeanor darkening the mood of the entire table. "I don't know, ask Damon." 

Elijah lifted a brow in confusion and Talia grimaced, taking a long drag of wine. It would be a long night. 

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Sometime later, after a boring conversation about doppelgänger history and some more sarcastic quips, Elijah and Damon left the room, leaving Talia alone with Stefan and Klaus. 

She watched, in mild amusement, as her soulmate threatened to burn the young Salvatore by pushing his hand deep into the fireplace, yet she wasn't sure what it was about. She hadn't been paying much attention the entire night and this round of action peaked her interest. 

Then, Elijah returned with a compelled servant behind him that held a covered platter in her hands. "Elijah, you're back early," Klaus supplied, staring in confusion at his older brother. 

Talia felt her brows furrow in confusion and then horror as Elijah asked the woman to lift the platter, revealing two daggers. "Well, Niklaus, we forgot dessert." 

The night only seemed to get worse from there as a dark-haired man she had only ever seen daggered rushed into the room with a sinister and mischievous smile. "Kol," the Hybrid greeted with fear as his baby brother chuckled. Kol was dressed in clothes from the early 1900s, his hair combed back and his face clean-shaven. 

Their next visitor, however, had long hair that was unruly and knotted. He was dressed in an outfit that had to be around 1000 years old and Klaus greeted him with even more fear. "Finn." 

"Hello, Nik." Then, out of nowhere, Rebekah rushed into the room and stabbed her brother in the spine with a dagger as Kol broke his wrist and stabbed him through the hand. 

However, it wasn't Klaus who screamed in pain, it was Talia as the same wounds were inflicted upon her person. She collapsed from her seat, writhing in agony as blood poured from her back, spilling over the stunning gown. Her wrist hung loosely and broken and a gaping hole sat in its center. "Stop! Stop it!" Klaus's pleading and Talia's screams caused everyone's eyes to turn towards Talia in shock. 

Damon and Stefan had already left, by this point, so Kol, Elijah, Finn and Rebekah were the ones who stared at the girl. Rebekah had already known of the brunette's connection to her brother and she rushed forward, dropping the dagger and cradling her new friend. "You're killing her!" Klaus's voice came out strained, his gaze desperate as he stared at his soulmate who was quickly getting surrounded by a pool of her own blood. "Give her my blood, please."

Kol and Finn continued to stare in shock and confusion, neither of them having any idea who the girl in-front of them was or why she was suffering the same wounds as their half-brother when it seemed to hit the psychotic Mikaelson boy. "You have a soulmate? I never dreamed I'd see the day. They're incredibly rare." As Kol cast an intrigued stare upon her, Rebekah and Elijah moved Talia to Klaus's lap so he could feed her his blood. 

"There, there, love. Shh, shh." He brushed her hair back and looked up at his siblings. "This is Talia and under no circumstances will she be harmed." He stood slowly as she regained her strength, resting against his chest. "Ever." 

Kol turned to their oldest brother who had lived in a box for the majority of his life. "What he means is if we hurt him, she gets hurt too. No hurting Niklaus or we hurt the girl. There's an old legend that if you kill a pair of soulmates you're cursed for life and I do not wish to be haunted by Niklaus for an eternity for killing his lover." Kol laughed lightly, easing the tension from the room. 

Talia grimaced, pushing herself away from Klaus and moving instead to Rebekah, who supported the girl's weight easily. "No, Kol, I'll be the one haunting your ass for making me be stuck in an eternity with him." 

The family chuckled light-heartedly and Kol nodded as he motioned to her. "I like her."

Before he could say another thing, another presence entered the room and Talia lifted her head, studying an unfamiliar woman. Yet, everyone else fell silent in shock. The brunette looked over at her best friend,,./ his eyes wide and full of fear. He cast a look in her direction and then returned his attention to the newcomer. "Mother."

Talia's eyebrows shot up and she stared at the woman in confusion. The blonde slowly approached Niklaus, her green gaze oddly calm. "Do you know why I'm here?" 

Klaus shook briefly, his attention moving to Talia again and his voice wavered. "To kill me." He looked down and there was a moment of silence as Rebekah squeezed her friend tightly. 

"No, Niklaus. I'm here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again." She looked around meeting everyone's gaze. "A real family and that includes you, Talia." Her attention landed on the girl who was trying to shrink behind Rebekah, yet obviously was failing. "All of us together."

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That next day, Talia was sitting on Klaus's bed as he changed in-front of the dresser. She didn't mind seeing him half-dressed, since they had known each other for decades and had seen worse. He also hadn't let her leave his sight since the night before and had even had her move into his room for the night, letting her sleep on the bed while he took a spare mattress. 

"So, Mommy-dearest is back and the first thing she does is throw a ball? Seems kind of suspicious, Klaus." She narrowed her eyes, watching the muscles in his back move as he combed his curly hair. 

Her best friend met her gaze in the mirror and then turned to face her, completely shirtless and only dressed in black jeans. She resisted letting her eyes roam down his muscular torso and over the feather tattoo on his shoulder. It was the only tattoo he had so far and she was the one who had drawn it. "Talia, my mother is promising peace, I doubt something bad will happen." 

Her pink lips curved downwards in a frown and Talia gave him a wide-eyed look. "Nik, something bad is definitely going to happen. It's a party in Mystic Falls."

Standing, she passed him and headed for the door. "You stupider than I thought if you trust her." 

Opening it, the girl stepped out and headed down the hall, looking for someone else to talk to. She spotted Finn walking out of his room, his hair freshly shorn and his shoes were untied. He was staring down at them, completely lost and the girl rushed up, smiling up at the eldest Mikaelson. 

Klaus had told her the story of Finn's daggering and she had always felt bad for him. Locked in a box for nine hundred years with no idea how much the world outside was changing. Completely oblivious to the beauties of the world Klaus was always carting him through. "Here, Finn, let me help you with that." 

She kneeled down in-front of him and tied up his laces before smiling warmly at the Mikaelson. "How are you adjusting?" 

He shook his head, catching sight of his reflection in the mirror on the wall. "Everything is so different from how I remember, Miss Talia. No carriages, I do not yet know how to drive these 'cars', nor do I understand the . . . is it pawn that Niklaus gave me?" He pulled the silver device from his hands, showing off the phone to the girl who smiled sadly. "The food is so very different and I miss the old ways. These clothes itch and are quite tight." 

"I had a feeling that you would feel that way. Here, I got you a cotton-blend instead of polyester." She produced a black t-shirt that was a size bigger than what Klaus had gotten his brother. "You can change into it now, if you'd like and we can go shopping today. I'll teach you how to drive and how to work the phone, okay?" She smiled widely at Finn who nodded, seeming quite relieved with three of his issues being fixed. "For the food . . . well, I can't change that, I'm sorry. But, why don't I introduce you to a burger and we can practice some control when it comes to drinking blood?" 

Finn grimaced slightly and violently shook his head. "No, I refuse to bow to my monstrosity. I will not become a monster, Miss Talia. It's against Nature's laws." 

Talia flinched at him suddenly raising his tone and she rested her hand on his bicep, trying to calm him down. "Finn, if it was against the laws of nature, then why were you able to be made? You're not a monster, you're a good thing. You control over-population of the human race, therefore helping the Earth and helping nature. You're not a monster, I promise. If you have those thoughts again, please tell me." She bit her lower lip, deciding a lie was the best way to go for this. "If you don't tell me, a policeman will smite you down. You have to keep a promise, Finn, it's the rules." 

She watched the vampire's face fall and knew he had to accept. "I promise, Miss Talia. I do not wish for this policeman to smite me down." 

She brightened at that and nodded, squeezing his bicep before turning to leave. "We'll go shopping in an hour and get something to eat, I'll pick you up then." 

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Stirring the warm milk on the stove, Talia listened closely as Kol demanded Rebekah to compliment him, which caused the blonde to laugh and say he couldn't compel her. Listening to their banter caused a smile to pull on her lips but it dropped as she remembered why they were together. Because of Esther, who she still didn't like. 

Turning at the sound of an all too familiar voice, Talia groaned as Klaus walked into the parlor. "Talia, love, where in God's name have you run off too?" 

Thankfully, the kitchen was out of sight of the parlor and Klaus couldn't see her making her morning chai, but he knew her well enough she knew this would be his next stop looking for her. 

"Lost your toy already, Nik?" Kol's taunting voice caused an airy laugh to come from Rebekah and she thought she heard a chuckle from Elijah, who was getting his shoes fitted. 

Hearing a sputtering snort from her soulmate, the Companion smiled quietly to herself before she covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing at his retort. "Oh, keep staring at yourself, Kol. Your reflection is the only one who will give you even a second of interest. Talia!" 

Klaus stalked into the kitchen and the brunette looked over her shoulder with an expectant look on her face. "Yes, Niklaus?" 

"Why are you promising to take Finn shopping?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the fridge, giving her a glare and she rolled her eyes at his idiocy. He was truly stubborn and controlling, even in a good mood and she could only handle so much of it.

Turning the stove-top down to a low simmer, so the milk wouldn't go crazy, she turned and poked him in the chest. "Shut your mouth, Nik. All your life you've ignored your brother so if he wants a moment of comfort to get used to the modern world, which he's never been in before, I'm going to give him that. You don't control me, Klaus, shut up." She turned back to the stove and heard a low, rumbling growl coming from the Hybrid's throat. 

He stormed forward and spun her around, his eyes flashing gold and teeth bared right in her face, but she didn't even flinch. "What have I said about watching your tongue, Talia? I'll tear it out of your head without a thought, I have no use for it." 

She lifted her chin defiantly, her eyes blazing as she glared up at the man she was, sadly, destined to spend forever with when Esther entered the room, Kol right on her heels. "Lover's quarrel?" 

"Niklaus, come with me and leave the poor girl alone," his mother sighed, giving Talia a pitiful smile as she dragged her son away. 

The Monroe shot Kol a scowl and got back to her milk, pouring it into a mug followed quickly by chai. "So, you and my brother. . ." Kol rested against the counter next to her, his lips pulled up into a smug grin. 

Talia blew on her mug and lifted it to her lips, taking a sip of the sweet, yet hot, liquid. "There is no me and your brother. We're soulmates and we hate each other, that's it." 

Kol nodded, his dark eyes then quietly moved up her figure and she grimaced. "So, he's not courting you?" 

She narrowed her dark eyes and tugged on the end of her lazily braided hair. "He's not courting me, no. But only because if he ever tried, or any man tried that I didn't allow, I'd castrate them without blinking. You included, Kol Mikaelson."

With that, she left the young Mikaelson boy behind, laughing his ass off. 

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"Alright, so slowly, slowly, oh, jeez that's the, uh, bumper. Um, no, you're doing great, keep going." Talia resisted squeezing her eyes shut as she taught Finn the basics to parallel parking and he scratched up the neighboring parking spot's car. "Uh, I'll leave a check for that." 

Digging Klaus's checkbook from her purse, she wrote out a check for 20k and slipped it through the person's cracked window before motioning for Finn to exit the car. They had gone shopping and now were stopping for a burger at the Mystic Grill. 

She settled down at a free table as soon as they entered and pulled her phone out, setting it on the table between them. "We have the same model, so I'll show you how to use it." 

Finn sat across from her and nodded, staring wide eyed and intently at the device. "Is it powered by magic?" 

"Nope, just science and math. Electricity and other stuff, but that's complicated. Here, this is the power button." She tapped the button on the side and the device lit up, revealing a field of sunflowers and the time. "This is the home button." She tapped the button on the bottom revealing a keypad. "This keypad is my password, which is how I unlock my phone. It's 3874, you try." She turned off the phone again and signaled for Finn to turn it on. 

He tapped the power button and then the home button before slowly, with his index, put in her phone password. "Alright, and how do I make the calls that Niklaus tells me to make? And the texts. . ." he stared in bewilderment at the assortment of apps and Talia smiled.

She touched the call button and then dialed Finn, since she had added his contact in the car. His phone buzzed, causing him to jump in fright before relaxing when she grabbed it from him where he held it aloft. "Okay, the green button is the answer button. Tap it." 

He tapped the screen, answering the call and she grinned at him. "Hi." 

"Hi." He repeated the greeting with a massive smile on his curious features before he began playing with his phone, now that he knew how to use it. Talia laughed and then ordered two burgers from the blond busboy and two tequilas. 

Their lunch went on quite well, with the two laughing as Finn discovered each new thing with curiosity and excitement stretched over his face. He was like a little boy with a new doll and she found it adorable.