9 | HELLO, MOTHER

Stas wandered around the dining room, dragging her cold hand along the peeling wallpaper of the unkempt Mikaelson compound. "We should hire an interior designer to redo this entire home, and make it magnificent." Stas said perkily, looking at a sad Niklaus. He remained silent and did not respond to his beloved sister.

"It truly is a shame Michelle put herself into that position. Not once did I encourage her or ask her to make you decide between the two of us." Stas mentioned so that her abhorrent brother wouldn't focus his rage on her anytime soon.

"But I can see why you two loved each other; you're both cocky." Stas snickered, finally gaining his attention.

"Don't speak of Michelle like that. We have enough on our plate to worry about with our mother arriving for dinner in a few moments." Klaus hissed.

Stas raised her hands up in mocking defense. "My bad, officer, I didn't mean to hit a soft spot." Stas smirked.

Stas spun around in her elegant, silk dress Klaus has purchased for her. "Are these outfits really necessary?" Klaus asked Elijah as soon as he entered the room with some tea.

"I don't know, you're the one who bought it for me." Stas stated as she felt the cool fabric glide on her skin.

Elijah scoffed. "Appearance is a way of showing respect." He mentioned.

"You were always so proper, Elijah." Stas said in distaste, she never really believed in giving respect to people that haven't earned it.

"Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions." Elijah added.

"I doubt her guard will drop just because I'm dressed like a bloody lawyer." Klaus muttered.

Elijah continued to ready the room as he was doing before. "We need every advantage we can get." Elijah rolled his eyes at Klaus.

"You always did excel at diplomacy." Klaus mumbled.

Stas groaned. "Quit mumbling, brother, everyone can hear you loud and clear. It just makes you look like an idiotic brat when you murmur." Stas complained.

Klaus shrugged off his sister's comments. "Just know if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces." He noted.

Before Stas could make anymore snarky remarks, the sound of heavy footsteps erupted into the dining room. A chuckle escaped someone's lips from behind Stas and she quickly spun on her heel to see who it was.

A thin, New Orleans witch in a formal suit strolled into the dining room. "You two haven't changed a bit." The man, in which Stas assumed to be Fin based on the way he carried himself, mentioned. She knew right at that moment that not only did her mother resurrect, but so did her brothers. Of course her mother would want accomplices to aide her in defeating her powerful children. Who better to bring back than Fin: her most trusted son.

"Linens and silk can't disguise your pathetic self-loathing. And you..." Fin pointed at and eyed Stas.

"You're still the arrogant, bratty and self-entitled little girl. Full of anguish... and fear." Fin scoffed. Stas simply smirked mischievously, confirming with herself that the man that stood before her was her eldest brother— Fin Mikaelson.

"And you are still the—" Stas began, but Klaus stopped her by pinching her side. Elijah stepped forward, a puzzled look spread across his face.

"Forgive me. I don't believe I've had the pleasure." Elijah neared Fin. Elijah was still lost and didn't realize that his brother was disguised in another man's body, just as his mother was, and stood before him.

Fin's facade of hurt and distrust was quite believable. "You mean you don't recognize me?" Fin placed a hand to his chest.

"So much for the unbreakable bonds of family, huh? Always and forever, indeed." Fin growled, tossing aside his deviant facade.

"It's been a long time... Fin." Klaus hissed.

Fin threw his arms up. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat." He commenced the dinner.

* * *

Stas chugged down her wine, holding her favorite bottle close to her so that no one else could drink it. Elijah poured Fin a cup of another wine that was neatly displayed on the table. Fin sniffed the drink, absorbing its sweet scent. "What an aromatic Bordeaux." Finn praised.

"Well, it was a challenge to find a good pairing. What wine goes well with treachery?" Klaus questioned, sarcastically.

"Don't pout, brother. Tonight is meant to be a happy occasion." Fin seated himself with his cup of wine. Stas remained quiet, observing the exchange of conversation between her brothers.

"What exactly are we celebrating?" Elijah queried.

Fin looked surprised that Elijah didn't know what he was celebrating. "Why, my return, of course. Remember, I spent 900 years, right? Lying daggered in a box. I'm rather enjoying this new body. Strolling about your lovely city, that you've made your home. But do tell me... what'd I miss? Regale me with your contributions to society. Medicine? Philosophy? Art? Or have you three merely cut a path of destruction across time?" Fin ranted, getting heated.

"The last time we met, you were belong our mother try to annihilate the lot of us. Let's not throw stones in glass houses." Klaus snarked.

Elijah looked around and noticed more plates were being set at the table. "Are we expecting another guest?" Elijah asked, being his clueless self again.

"Mother will sit at the head. And as for the seat across from me, that's reserved for another of our clan. Care to wager an educated guess?" Fin inquired, gesturing to each seat as if the guests were already present.

Stas looked over at Klaus and began to count off her siblings on her fingers, deciding who was left that could be joining them. "How about a paranoid one?" Fin hinted.

Klaus scoffed. "There's no way Kol would listen to anything other than his ego." Klaus mentioned.

"Yet, our mother had made such a compelling argument that even he, the wildest— my apologies Anastázia, the second wildest— of us Mikaelsons, has seen the error of his ways... and accepted his new form with vigor. Change, dear siblings, is inevitable." Fin spoke so highly of his mother, yet seemed to forget that she was out not only for Klaus, Elijah and Stas' blood— but also his.

"You dare face us as a mortal. The only thing inevitable is your death." Klaus' eyes darkened, threateningly, then launched his knife across the room.

Stas' eyes widened. She knew that their mother would never revive her brothers as mere mortals, but as someone with power, with ability to defend themselves solely using pure power. "Klaus he's not a—" Stas began.

"I suppose the honor of carving should go to the oldest. We have much to discuss." Fin interrupted then plucked the knife from its lodged spot on the wall, waving it around threateningly.

* * *

Anastázia ignored the rest of her brothers bickering. It was all the same thing over and over again: why did you dagger me? why are you so evil? what is your point? where is mother? etcetera, etcetera. She was about to up and leave the table from boredom, but was quickly stopped when a young woman entered the dining room, pridefully smiling.

"Oh my darling children. I've missed you." She stated with open arms. Stas' eyes widened in shock. She didn't think that her mother would have actually showed.