[ this is a chaotic chapter and I don't care if it doesn't make sense ]

☽︎

WHY IS IT THAT MISS DONOVAN ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE DEAD?

"I just can't believe this," Elena said, looking at the invitation in her hand.

"I can," Enzo muttered. "He's obsessed with her."

"He killed her. Twice," Caroline reminded them all. "And besides, Rebekah sent this."

"I think it'll be fun," Clem said, beaming at the piece of paper.

Everyone was at the Boarding House and talking about what had been delivered on their doorsteps that morning.

An invitation for a birthday party for Clementine.

Please join us for an evening of dinner and drinks at the Mystic Grill this Saturday in honor of the birth of Clementine Donovan. My dagger-happy brother has offered a temporary ceasefire in order to celebrate.

Be there or be dinner,
Rebekah Mikaelson

"She knows it's my birthday too, right?" Matt asked with a frown. After all, he was kind of dating Rebekah, so it was a little rude to not include him.

"She just likes me more," Clem teased. "Besides, I haven't had a party in seven years because of the hospital."

"Do you think she'd really eat us?" Jenna asked, tilting her head.

"Definitely," Alaric said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Sounds like we have plans this weekend."

"Oh, what should I wear?" Clem asked, looking to Caroline. "What about that purple dress Klaus got me in Chicago."

"I like that one, Angel," Enzo said, kissing the top of her head.

"Isn't that one really short?" Bonnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Enzo just smirked at her. "That's why I like it, Bon." Bonnie just chuckled in amusement before looking back at her own invitation.

"I can't believe they sent Stefan one," Damon muttered, looking at his brother's invitation. "It has to be a trap."

"Doesn't sound like it was," Tyler said with a shrug. He'd been around Klaus a lot since becoming a hybrid, and Rebekah was quite close with him and Caroline. She'd probably tell them if it was a trap for Stefan, especially when Bonnie was the only one helping the vampire hide the coffins.

"Well, you don't have to come if you don't want to despite Bekah's threats," Clementine told everyone. "I don't need a party. I mean, I didn't even know she was doing this."

"No way," Elena said, shaking her head with a smile. "You deserve a party. Do you know how much you've done for us all over the years? Besides, you're turning eighteen and like you said — no parties in the hospital. It's a big deal."

"I guess it is," she said shyly. "But no presents."

"No promises," Bonnie shot back, a grin on her face. "Like Elena said, you've done so much. The least we can do is celebrate you. I mean, you're the reason I'm so powerful. The reason I was strong enough to open the tomb and keep my Grams from dying."

And also why she was strong enough to hide the coffins from all of them, her best friends included. It seems they would really be holding a ceasefire so that Bonnie could join in on the fun.

"Well, I didn't do anything special, Bonnie. Just made you see how special you were a few years early," she said, holding the witch's hand. "But no presents."

☽︎

"Hey, Clemmy," Matt said, knocking on her door Saturday morning. She was sitting on her bed and brushing her hair — it was one of the few nights Enzo actually slept in Vicki's old room. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday!" she beamed. Then she reached for a large box that was on her floor. "Got you something."

He laughed and came to sit on her bed, holding out a poorly-wrapped box of his own. "Got you something too."

Matt was the first to go, tearing into the cheap wrapping paper. And he grinned when he saw some LED strip lights and a wireless speaker for his gaming system. He'd mentioned wanting some after seeing Jeremy's setup but didn't want to shell out the money for them, knowing they needed to focus more on bills and groceries.

"Thanks, Clemmy. This is awesome," he beamed.

"My turn," she sang, tearing open her gift. And she was surprised to find a scrap book, which she slowly began to flip through.

"Is this..."

"It's, uh, all the pictures everyone sent while you were away," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "And there are a few in there you haven't seen. Ones of Vicki and me."

Clem smiled down at the memories with a bittersweet smile. It was both a perfect and thoughtful gift while also incredibly painful. Because she now had all the memories she missed out on in one place.

So, she shut the book and hugged Matt, knowing she could decide how she felt about the present later. "Thank you, Matty. I love it — and you."

"Love you too, Clemmy."

☽

︎

Clem couldn't believe everyone was being civil and all for her. Stefan wasn't mentioned even once as the dinner at the Grill went on. She sat between Rebekah and Klaus, getting to know the two Originals even better. They had lots of stories that kept the table entertained. Damon countered with his own annoying ones of Katherine, which put Rebekah in a good mood, as she loved to complain about her — about any doppelgänger, actually.

"Okay," Caroline said after they all had cake. She stood from her seat and got everyone's attention. "Guys, Rebekah has thrown a wonderfully classy birthday party."

"Thank you, Caroline," Rebekah beamed.

"But it totally blows," Caroline continued, making Rebekah's face fall. "Look, I'm sorry, but this is not how teenagers celebrate their eighteenth birthday anymore. Which is why—"

Caroline reached under the table and pulled out a huge bottle of vodka. "Shots!"

As everyone cheered, Klaus rolled his eyes in amusement, shaking his head. "Love, she can't drink on her medicine."

Clementine and Caroline shared a secret smile. "Which is why I got her to stop taking them a week ago."

"Ah, yes," Damon said, scoffing. "Get the town crazy off her antipsychotics. That's a great idea."

"She's not crazy," Elena said, huffing.

"She burned a bridge down," Damon reminded them. "And the facility where Enzo was kept. And Papa Original. I think it's safe to say she's a pyromaniac."

"I do like burning shit," Clem mumbled with a sheepish smile.

"Which is why," Tyler said, jumping up, "Matt learned how to make flaming shots."

Clementine beamed before seeing the pout on Rebekah's face, who didn't like that her party was being taken over. "Oh, come on, Bekah. You'll love a rager. We can get drunk and dance on the bar and if you get sick enough, you can throw up all over Nik's fancy shoes."

Klaus glared at Clem before sliding his feet further underneath his chair. "No, she will not be."

But both girls ignored him and had a little stare down before Rebekah gave in with a sigh. "Fine. We will do the shots."

Forty-five minutes later, it was chaos. Clementine was doing as she promised and dancing on top of the bar with Elena and Bonnie, all shouting the lyrics to My Band, much to Klaus' amusement. He was the only one not dancing around, too uptight to let loose — at least that's what a tipsy Enzo told him before starting a game of pool with Matt, Tyler, and Damon.

After singing the opening chorus, Clem stepped up and started singing Eminem's verse to a scandalized Rebekah and amused Klaus, who had at least heard the song before.

"So, I get off stage, right? Drop the mic. Walk up to these hot chicks, and I'm all like, 'Sup, ladies? My name's Slim Shady. I'm the lead singer of D12, baby.'" Clem sang off-key, dancing around on the bar, making Elena and Bonnie laugh. "They're all like, 'Oh my god, it's him. Becky, oh my fucking God, it's Eminem. I swear to fucking God, dude, you fucking rock. Please, Marshall, please, let me suck your co—'"

Clem spun around only to get tangled up in her ankles. She let out a yelp as she fell off the bar, and before anyone could catch her, her neck hit the barstool, and everyone heard her neck snap.

Silence fell over them. Actually, not silence. My Band was still playing.

"Uh, she comes back, right?" Jenna asked, her eyes wide with panic.

"Uh, yeah, usually," Klaus said uneasily.

"That was a really embarrassing way to die," Tyler muttered before continuing his game of pool.

"Tyler!" Caroline hissed, smacking his shoulder.

"It was!"

"When's she gonna wake up?" Bonnie asked, climbing off the bar with Elena's help.

"Last time she fell and broke her neck, it only took about thirty minutes," Klaus replied while picking Clem's body up and lying her across the bar so she'd be comfortable. He frowned and put her neck back in the correct position.

"She's fallen and broken her neck before?" Alaric asked, his eyes wide.

"I mean, a rabid hybrid knocked into her. She tells people the hybrid killed her because she correctly thinks it's embarrassing," Klaus explained.

Elena huffed and pushed Clem's hair off her forehead. "Why does she even come back? I mean, what if one day she doesn't?" she asked, her eyes watering.

Enzo came up behind Elena and put a comforting hand on her shoulder — just like everyone else, he could see how much Elena cared for Clementine. "We just have to trust that she will."

"But don't you want to know why?"

Bonnie was studying Enzo, who suddenly found the sticky floor more interesting. So, she gasped and pointed at him accusingly. "You know!"

"Do not!" he said childishly.

"Do so!" she shot back.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Children," Rebekah cut them off with a sigh. Then she rushed to Enzo's side and glared at him. "Spill."

"Can't compel me, Blondie. I've got vervain in me."

"No, but I can torture you," she threatened, and a shiver of fear ran down his spine.

"Uh—"

"Why is it that Miss Donovan always seems to be dead?" a new voice asked, surprising them all.

Everyone turned, surprised to see Elijah standing in the doorway, looking pristine aside from the stab hole in his shirt.

"Elijah!" Rebekah exclaimed, rushing to her brother to hug him. Tears welled in her eyes, and Klaus soon joined her side, just looking at his older brother with an unreadable emotion in his eye. "How are you here?"

"It was most curious," Elijah said. "I woke on the side of the road with this in my pocket. A note for Clementine."

As Elijah removed the note, Klaus snatched it, too impatient for Elijah to read it.

"Happy Birthday, Clementine. Consider him a gift. I know he's your favorite Original. From Squirrel Breath."

Klaus scoffed and looked at Clem's unconscious form. "Preposterous. I'm her favorite."

"You killed her," Enzo said flatly.

"Twice," everyone specified, making Klaus roll his eyes.

"Brother," Elijah said stiffly, confused as to why everyone was so happy to be around each other. "I believe you've got some explaining to do."

Klaus groaned, really not wanting to do that. But then he looked at the birthday girl. "I guess we have some time to kill."

☽

︎

"Cock!" Clementine sang as she woke up suddenly, only a second passing between her dying and reappearing in the prison world.

"No thank you," Kai said, an amused smile on his face. Then he couldn't help but giggle. "Why are you shouting that?"

"I died singing a song," she mumbled, looking around the empty movie theater they were in. "Fell again and died."

"Shameful," he said, shaking his head.

"And on my birthday too," she sighed. "Real bummer. But at least I get to see you."

"It's your birthday?" he asked, his eyes brightening. He reached for Clem's hand and pulled her out of the seat only for his hand to pass through.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a laugh, following him.

"To get cake. Duh."

☽︎

"Son of a bitch, Kai—"

Clementine sat up, seeing that she was no longer in the bakery where she'd been making a cake with Kai. Well, she couldn't touch the cake, so she was instructing him on what to do. And he'd gone and set the oven on fire.

Everyone in the Grill turned to look at her, confused by her shouting as she woke up. But then Klaus recalled her saying that name before when coming back from death.

"Who's Kai, love?"

"Oh, just the Baby Girl that lives in my head every time I eat it," she said, sliding off the bar. Then she stretched her neck, getting the kinks out of it. "He might not be real. I'm feeling more shots."

"You just died. I do not think shots are the responsible choice," Elijah spoke up, drawing attention to himself.

"Lijah!" Clementine exclaimed, running to hug him. Her affection surprised the both of them. "You made it to my birthday! How did you make it to my birthday?"

"Saint Stefan's gift," Damon told her.

"How are you feeling, Elskan?" Elijah then asked Clem, worried about her health.

At the term of endearment, Klaus choked on his bourbon and Rebekah's jaw dropped. Of course, no one else knew what it meant though.

"Like I wanna dance on the bar," she said, pulling him with her.

"No way, Clemmy," Elena said, shaking her head. "I cannot watch you die again."

"Fine," she groaned, throwing her head back. "Well, I want to prolong this ceasefire for as long as possible. So, Matty, get that lighter."

"Are you going to almost burn your lips off again?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I should hope not," Enzo said, holding Clementine from behind. "They are such pretty lips."

"And yet you won't kiss them again," Caroline muttered under her breath, which all of them heard.

"You kissed him!" Bonnie exclaimed, a grin on her face. "When?"

A rumble left Enzo's chest as he glared at Klaus. "When Klaus compelled me to kiss her goodnight before snapping her neck."

As everyone glared at Klaus, he put his hands up innocently. "I thought you two were dating. Had no idea you hadn't kissed before. I am sorry about that."

"Oh, my god," Caroline suddenly perked up. "What's the best way to show Rebekah how teenagers party?"

"Truth or dare?" Clem asked.

"Strip poker?" Tyler asked, earning an elbow from Alaric. He did not want to even think about that with his students

"No," Caroline said, rolling her eyes. "But another time-honored tradition that Clemmy missed out on because she was locked away. Spin the bottle!"

Clementine gasped and grabbed Rebekah's hands. "I've only seen it in movies!"

"I'm out," Alaric said, rolling his eyes. He went behind the bar, Jenna joining him as well.

"What is spin the bottle?" Elijah questioned, unfamiliar with it.

"Okay," Caroline said, clapping her hands. "We all sit in a circle, and whoever spins the bottle has to kiss whoever it lands on. C'mon, just one round."

Elijah looked quite confused, not sure why anyone would wanna play such a game. "I'm afraid I'm joining Alaric and Jenna."

"Lame," Damon said, rolling his eyes.

Clementine crossed her arms. "Demon can't play."

"What? Why?" he asked, his eyebrows shooting up.

"Because you're a sexual predator who used Andie and tried to do the same to Caroline before you found out she was on vervain when you got to town," she said, glaring at him. "And you refuse to show remorse for it, and I won't forgive you until you do."

"Yes," Rebekah said, now glaring as well. "I'm going to drain you of vervain and compel you never to abuse someone in such a way ever again."

"Oh, that's the best birthday present, Bekah! Now, c'mon," Clem said, pulling her to the floor. "Maybe my favorite Original will get a kiss."

"Ha!" Rebekah said, laughing in Klaus and Elijah's amused faces. "But Nik, you must play too."

He rolled his eyes before downing his drink and joining the others on the ground.

"Are you not playing, Baby Girl?" Clem asked Enzo as he remained by the bar.

He smirked and came over to her. Then he leaned down, his lips hovering over hers as he gripped her chin. "Yours are the only lips I wish to kiss."

"Then do it, coward," Bonnie whispered, making everyone laugh. She looked round innocently. "Who said that?"

All too soon, the game was beginning. Clementine was between Elena and Rebekah, and Klaus was right across from her — he'd sat there hoping it'd increase his chances of it landing on her, not that he'd admit that out loud.

"Birthday girl goes first!" Caroline declared while sitting between Bonnie and Matt, a beer bottle in hand. After she sat the bottle in the middle, Clem spun the bottle.

Only for it to land on Matt.

Everyone groaned and complained when she kissed him on the cheek, thinking it wasn't fair she didn't really have to kiss someone. The next to go was Rebekah, and yet again, it landed on Matt.

"Rigged!" Tyler exclaimed.

Everyone chuckled, and Rebekah giggled like a seventeen-year-old girl and not a thousand-year-old killing machine as Matt sweetly kissed her. Her cheeks heated up when Clem started whistling.

Matt was the next to go, and everyone laughed as he got Tyler. Both boys flipped off Clem for the foul jokes she made before kissing rather quickly.

"I think I saw tongue," Elena teased, leaning her head on Clem's shoulder.

"Whatever, Elena," Tyler said. "Your turn then."

Elena smiled and sat forward, spinning the bottle. For a moment, it seemed like it was going to land on Rebekah but it went a little further, pointing at Clementine's knee.

Now it was time for Tyler to objectify them.

"Are you okay with that?" Elena asked Clem shyly, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was ready to beat out of her chest and all the vampires could hear.

Clem grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "Elena Gilbert, it would be an honor to kiss you."

Jenna was being a bit creepy, Alaric thought, as she pulled out her phone to document Elena's first kiss with Clem.

And Clem wasn't going to initiate it since it wasn't her turn. Clearly nervous, Elena leaned in and pecked Clem's lips quickly. But then she took a deep breath and leaned in for a slightly longer one. They ignored the cheers as Clem cupped Elena's cheek, deepening it.

Finally, they pulled away, and Elena's face was on fire but she couldn't help but smile.

"Am I a good kisser?" Elena asked, trying to relax.

"Oh, far better than Enzo," she teased.

"No fair!" the vampire shouted. "I didn't even get to use tongue — ow!"

Jenna had elbowed him for ruining the moment. But that got the game going again. Everyone thought it was rather boring when Caroline spun the bottle and got her boyfriend, but things picked up when Bonnie had to kiss Matt. Tyler then had to kiss Bonnie, who felt smug about getting to kiss almost all the boys — and Klaus hadn't gone yet.

The hybrid insisted on going last, and Caroline was snickering. "I hope it's a boy," she said.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I'm over a thousand years old, love. That would not be the first time I've had a man."

"Gay rights!" Clem exclaimed, throwing her fist up, making everyone laugh.

"Don't laugh. She's gay," Caroline giggled. "And polyamorous. How many boyfriends and girlfriends did you have in the hospital at one point? Four?"

Clem smirked and leaned back on her hands. "Five," she bragged. "Now, come on, Klausy. I need another shot, so let's finish this game."

"To whoever it lands on, try not to fall in love with me," Klaus joked, making everyone laugh.

The bottle spun around and around — he'd used his supernatural strength — for a long time before the top of the bottle landed on Clem, who was just grinning. And Klaus matched hers, much more confident than Elena had been.

Clem beckoned him closer with her finger while wiggling her eyebrow. "You can't fall in love with me either, Nik."

Well, then he was already fucked, he thought.

Klaus leaned over Clementine, his lips hovering over hers. Slowly, he tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, pulling her close. There was no hesitation in his kiss — it was passionate and hot, his tongue exploring her mouth. Clem couldn't help the sound that left her lungs from the overpowering kiss.

And when Klaus pulled away, there was a smirk on his lips. He sat back, quite pleased with himself because of the blush on Clem's face.

"Brother, you should've played. I quite like this game," Klaus said cheekily, looking at Elijah.

Elijah rolled his eyes, denying the pit in his stomach that told him he was jealous. "I don't fancy kissing a seventeen-year-old, Niklaus."

"Hey," Caroline whined, the only one still not eighteen. "I'm so hot enough to risk breaking the law."

"Yes, you are," Clem cooed, crawling to the girl. She wrapped her arms around Caroline's neck, who grinned before leaning in to peck her lips sweetly.

"Happy birthday, Clemmy."