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Talia lounged across her bed, long legs kicking listlessly through the air above her hips as she read. She felt like a teenage girl writing in her diary, and she loved it. 

Dark curls tumbled around her face, framing her dark eyes and tickling her jaw. She tucked it back behind her ear, flipping pages. Her mind began wandering before the sound of her door opened caused her head to snap up. 

Turning to looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes narrowed at the sight of Esther standing there. "Hello, Talia." Her voice was smooth like satin, but it made the brunette grimace. "How are you, dear?"

Sitting up, Talia frowned heavily. "Fine. What do you want?" 

"Just to be a family, Talia. I have missed my family, all I want is to be with them." She took a slow step forward, searching the girl's eyes. "You don't like me and have made that very clear. I want you to know that you are temporary, Talia. You may be Niklaus's soulmate, but you're temporary. I am his mother. I am forever. A soulmate bond can be broken, but a bond of family cannot." 

The Companion felt her breath stop in her throat, and sudden rage overcame her. "You're just a psycho, resurrected bitch. Sooner than later he's gonna figure out how fake you are, and I'm gonna be smiling as he rips your black heart from your chest." Standing and closing the distance between them, Talia pressed one, long, manicured nail into Esther's chest. "You're right, I don't like you. I don't trust you. I don't believe you. Leave." 

Esther sucked in a steady breath, her brown eyes moving over Talia's face. "You have the Mikaelson temper, but you are not a Mikaelson. You'll never be a Mikaelson. There's a ball, do come. Wear something . . ." Esther lazily looked over Talia's attire and then back up, "presentable."

It made the Companion sneer. 

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Talia Monroe sat at her desk, curling her newly straightened hair. Her eyes moved over her appearance. Large, owlish, brown eyes, loosely curled brown hair, and puckered lips. For a fraction of a second, she doubted her own appearance for shaking her head. She was beautiful, it didn't matter if nobody told her. She knew she was beautiful without compliments, however they were duly appreciated. 

Sighing and falling back against the chair, the young woman could feel her chest deflate. Esther was right, in a way. She wasn't as important as family. She'd never be the same level as Niklaus's family for him. He held them above everyone else, even himself. If it was a choice between her or Rebekah, it would be Rebekah he would choose. Even if it meant that he would die, too. 

Her head spun, knowing she had never had anyone that she had that much of an attachment to. No one except for Klaus, and even that was forced. 

Hearing her door open, the brunette looked over her shoulder. 

Speak of the devil. 

Klaus stood there wearing a white bowtie, his blue eyes crinkling into the slightest of smiles at the sight of her. "Hello, Talia." 

"I'm guessing you have a date for tonight?" She queried lazily, finishing up curling her hair before moving to make-up. 

Klaus approached, resting his hands on the back of her chair. He watched their two appearances in the mirror, his blue eyes meeting her dark pair. "Yes, a girl named Caroline Forbes. Do you?" 

She shook her head, rubbing her nose to ease the headache. "I was hoping it could be you, but I suppose I'll find someone else. Your mother threatened me today." 

Talia added the second part as an after-thought, her eyes closing for a moment. She heard him curse softly before his index brushed her shoulder, causing her to open her eyes. "Are you alright? What did she say?" 

"She basically told me I'd never be as important to you as her. I'd always come in second place." 

"Talia-" 

"No, Nik, I don't believe what she was meaning. But, I do know that it is the truth. I will always be second. For Elijah or Rebekah or Kol, even Finn. That's alright." She reached up, interlocking their fingers and studying the contrast between skin tones. "I'm just thirty years of your life, they're a thousand." 

"Talia, stop. Stop, alright? Stop." He squatted next to her chair, still holding her hand. "I don't know why you're thinking this way, but you're wrong." For the first time in a very long time, the Hybrid was letting her read him. Read every emotion that crossed his face. "You're not second place or first. There is no first or second place. You're my soulmate, Talia." The conversation ended there, as if that was all that needed to be said. 

It was, in a way. 

"I need to finish my make-up, Nik. Please, leave." Her eyes moved to the doorway behind her. "I hope you know that your mother is not someone you should trust." 

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "I know." 

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Dressed in a sleeveless, black and lacy gown, the dark-haired Companion descended the stairs into the ballroom. Eyes lifted, focusing in awe on the stunning beauty that rumors had circulated about. 

She slipped into the crowd, greeting new faces with a graceful air. She had the confidence of a Mikaelson, but the grace of a Monroe and the professionalism of someone who had been a trophy wife for thirty years. 

Simple handshakes, feigned smiles and lazy chuckles got her all the through the crowd. She paused when she spotted the Mikaelson family standing on the stairs. They hadn't invited her to join. 

Elijah tapped his fork against his glass, but she ignored the sound, and ignored his following words. Her eyes moved to Esther as she settled into place besides Finn, shooting Talia a smug smile. 

Klaus looked bored near his older brothers, but she could see the twitch of his fingers. She saw his blue gaze dart over the crowd, searching for something. Then, they met her and he visibly relaxed. 

His eyes wouldn't move from hers and she couldn't look away from him. It felt like there was a tension in the air, stiff and unyielding settling between them. 

She couldn't look away from him. Not when the speech ended. Not when the crowd swelled and voices filled the air. 

Then, a hand brushed her shoulder and Talia's dark eyes darted to the side, finding the pale gaze of Damon Salvatore. "May I have this dance?" 

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Talia settled her hands on his broad shoulders, meeting his gaze. "You know, you're really familiar. And it's not because I saw you with Klaus, it's something before that." 

She smiled slightly, squeezing his shoulder under her hand. "I knew you, in the sixties. It was before I met Klaus, you hung out at the bar I worked at. It wasn't a good time for a black woman to be a bartender, but you didn't really give a shit. I admired you for it and kept quiet about the numerous dead girls." 

He nodded, quietly recalling the past. "You were a good bartender, made a good bourbon. Why are you with Klaus?" 

"I owe him, I suppose." She sighed and looked down at her shoes. The black heels were hidden under the fabric of the dress. "I'll always owe him and I'll never be able to pay him back." 

"An eternal debt, wow." Damon nodded slowly and then a grin appeared. "Y'know if you let me kill him, I can free you of your debt." 

She chuckled and shook her head, swaying her hips with the music. "This dance sucks." 

"It really does." The vampire laughed and spinned her out, letting her go so she spun right into the arms of another vampire. 

She peered up at Elijah, smiling slightly. "Hello, Elijah." 

"Talia," he greeted in response, smiling slightly. "How are you, this fine evening?"

She looked around, feeling a pit in her stomach. There was something about the Mikaelson that made him easy to talk to. "Not great, to be quite honest." 

He nodded, spinning her out and pulling her back in. "Is this about Niklaus?" 

"How'd you know?" She relinquished a drawn out sigh, dark eyes meeting his pair. 

He shrugged easily, pulling her a bit closer and dropping his voice so no vampires would overhear. "My brother is . . . hard to handle." 

She chuckled lowly, shaking her head of curled hair. "Trust me, I know. I've been a slave to him for thirty years. Not allowed to leave. Not allowed to live. Ordered around and flaunted. The minute I get an ounce of freedom, he dragged me back in." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "But, I still can't stop loving him. He's still my best friend." 

Elijah nodded, his eyes moving to where Klaus held Caroline as if she was a treasure. Talia followed his gaze, her lips downturning as the soulmate jealousy turned on at the sight of him with someone else. "He adores you, Talia, but he has never been able to show it." 

Elijah glanced back to her as the song faded to a stop. "Trust me, Talia, Niklaus cares about you more than he shows. I wish you hadn't struggled because of him as much as you have had to, though." 

With that, the noble Mikaelson faded back into the crowd and the Companion headed to the bar. 

She ordered a bourbon and finished the drink in seconds. She ordered a second and then a third and then another until her head was pounding and her sight was a bit blurry. She grasped another glass before feeling someone's hand on her shoulder. 

Looking up, the brunette giggled at the sight of two Klauses standing there. "Oh, dear, that is literally my nightmare."

Klaus sighed and shook his head, going to grasp her under the knees and pick her up. "Woah! That is assault and, um, kidnapping?" 

Shaking her head, a low groan escaped the girl. "I'm sleepy." 

"I know, Talia." He lifted her easily into his arms, cradling her against his body. "Sh, go to sleep, love." 

She heard voices, distant talking and then her eyes closed and darkness engulfed her.