“Drowning your sorrows, I see?” My eyes rolled to the back of my head. I ignored him and picked up my third bottle of vodka. Before it reached my mouth, it was ripped from my hands. I glared at him. I did not need a buzzkill brother right now.

“I just broke up with my girlfriend and I am having dinner with my supposed-to-be-dead mother in a few hours. I am not in the mood for your games. So, why don’t you be a good brother, like you’re widely referred to be, and give me back my booze.” I told him in a snarky voice. His remained stone faced and my glare faded.

“What do you want, Elijah?” I questioned him, tiredly, sighing.

“I need something of mother. Something that she spelled.” He explained and I noticed a girl watching us from a booth. I used my werewolf senses and smelled that she is a vampire. Using my vampire speed, I sped next to her and grabbed her in a choke hold.

“Sit still.” I compelled her before she could try and fight me. Not like she’d win anyways. “Why are you watching my brother and I?” I snarled at her. She looked at me, her eyes wide.

“Aleksios, this is Gia. She is my…. acquaintance.” My brother said from behind me and I let the girl go. “Gia, meet my lovely younger and more volatile sister, Aleksios.” He introduced sarcastically and I shot him a glare over my shoulder.

“Nice to meet you, Aleksios.”

“It’s Lex.” I snarled at her, my Hybrid face out and the girl started quivering in her seat, but couldn’t move otherwise due to my compulsion. I barely repressed an eye roll.“You may move again.”

“Are you crazy?” Gia asked me, glaring. I shot her a smirk, standing up from the table and next to Elijah.

“Depends on the day, but yeah, usually. And I have a thing about people who aren’t my family calling me by my full name.” I shrugged and her eyes widened at my blunt answer.

“Unless it’s Davina.” My brother quipped and I smacked him upside the head as pain coursed through my body. “It’s true. You are also particularly angrier and unhinged since breaking up with her.” Another hit upside his head.

“Would you stop hitting me, please?” He hissed at me, glaring heatedly.

“Would you stop talking about Davina?” I snarled at him, matching his glare.

“Fine.” My suited brother caved, straightening his jacket and breaking eye contact with me.

“You said you need a spelled object of mother’s.” He nodded. “What for?”

“A spell. I made a deal with a witch to do a spell so that the next time our mother jumps into another body, we would be able to know who she is by branding her.” He explained and I nodded in realisation.

“Ah, soul-branding. You know that’s sacrificial magic, right?” I asked him, raising my eyebrows and crossing my arms over my chest.

“The witch informed us of that, yes.” My brother confirmed. “Anything else you would know about it?”

“Well, it’s dangerous but so is half the things we do.” I shrugged. “And the witch will need a power source. A python or a lion should work just fine.” I spotted the new vampire girl, gawking at me, sitting in the booth.

“What?” I snapped at her, glaring.

“How do know all that?” She questioned in awe and I rolled my eyes.

“None of your business.” I answered simply and turned back to my dark haired brother. “Good luck with her.” I jabbed a thumb to the booth, an amused smirk on my face and he sighed in annoyance. “One spelled object of mother’s coming up.”

***

I walked into Marcel’s apartment with Nik next to me. After I left my favourite bar slash restaurant, I went home and told him about Elijah’s request. We then started thinking and came up with the conclusion that we can use the matching starling necklaces she gave us. It had to be spelled if all we needed to do was rub it for her to know that we’re in trouble or afraid. Funny if you think that we’re going to use it in order to trap her or track her, depending on your point of view.

Anyways, we can’t use mine because I threw mine away a long time but Nik kept his. Well, up until two hundred years ago when he handed it off to Marcellus. Which brings us to right now, we are at said vampires apartment. He doesn’t think that Marcel kept it, but I told him that he was the only father Marcel ever knew and that he would keep anything that reminded him of my twin.

Marcel is pouring a drink for himself at his bar when we arrive. “Let me guess, you need a favour?” He asked and turned to us.

“It’s not so much a favour as it is a return of property.” I pointed out, getting a confused look from Marcel and a glare from my twin. I pretended not to see him.

“I'm paying this one, I promise.” Nik swore solemnly. “There was a necklace I gave you a long time ago. It was a leather strap with a metal bird on the end.” Nik has made it very clear to me that this is a long shot at best. He wasn’t optimistic. I just scowled at him and told him that he his daughter is alive and my relationship is down the drain, if anyone has the right to be a downer, it’s me. And if I can be optimistic, then he can be as well. The least he can do is try.

Marcel turns toward a nearby shelf and grabs a small wooden box. “Yeah, you gave it to me when I turned eleven.”

I shot my shell shocked brother a triumph smirk. My twin spoke up with a shock and disbelief in his tone. “You remember?”

Marcel walks toward Nik with the small box in his hands and opens it in front of him, revealing the necklace in question. “Mikael's back, Elijah's babbling on about family drama, and you're here looking for antique jewellery.” Marcel holds out the open box to my brother, who takes the necklace inside it. I stared at it. I once had an identical one. Nik and I swore it proudly, until my mother decided to bound our werewolf side. Of all the treacherous deeds she has done to us, that has to be the worst. I could forgive the vampirism and the lying about who our father is, especially since the one I had was such a fucked up one. What I couldn’t forgive her for, to this day, is binding my werewolf side. Leaving me and Nik to only be half of our true selves for over a thousand years.

“Do I even want to know why you're asking for a necklace that your mother gave you?” Marcel asked, looking at us sceptically.

“No, Marcellus, you do not.” I state simply and bluntly.

Nik gives him a weak smile, “Believe me, Marcel- you want no part in the latest chapter of our sprawling family saga.” I snorted at his words, we can make our own damn soap opera with all of the drama in our lives.

“Thank you for holding onto this.” My brother thanks him sincerely and I give him the best smile I could muster with the pain in and around my heart. As my twin and I leave, I can feel Marcel staring at our backs and I just hope that his life is going better than ours.

***

“I cannot believe we’re going to sit down and have dinner with a woman that wants us dead.” I deadpanned as I was walking down the stairs, my heels dangling on my pinkie fingers. I had a black dress on and that was about all of the effort I put into my appearance – Elijah demanded Nik and I look nice for the dinner. No make-up and no fancy do with my hair. It was just hanging in its natural curls that Nik and I shared. I didn’t feel like straightening it like I normally do.

“That makes two of us.” Nik comments, clearly just as irritated with dressing up as I. He was in a fancy suit.

“You skipped the salad course, right?” I checked with my brother. He gave me a grin and we sped to the dining room.

“No need to make this dreadful night longer than need be.” My twin nodded and we exchanged identical smirks. Elijah comes walking up to Nik, dressed up in an even fancier suit than what he usually wears. How is that even possible? I wonder how maybe suits he owns. Fifty? A hundred? I shrugged and walked up to my brother’s.

“Are these outfits really necessary?” Nik asks Elijah, clearly annoyed. I looked to Elijah, wanting an answer as well.

“Appearance is a way of showing respect, Niklaus. Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions.” My ever suited brother comments and I scoffed.

“Well, in that case I can go and change back into something I’d normally wear. I don’t have an ounce of respect left for our mother.” I told Elijah with a casual shrug, turning on the heels of my bare feet.

“Aleksios-” He started, only to be cut of by my burning glare as I spun around.

“Don’t ‘Aleksios’ me, Elijah. That woman has tried and nearly succeeded in killing my twin. There is no forgiveness for that. Ever.” I snarled at him, practically shaking with anger.

“I do not ask you to forgive her, just that you listen.” Elijah tries to amend and I take a deep breath.

“I don’t listen very well to others.” I pointed out and seeing the defeated expression on his face, I caved. “Fine, for you, I’ll listen.” I put on my high heels, surprising a sigh.

“You know, Elijah, I doubt her guard will drop just 'cause I'm dressed like a bloody lawyer.” Nik quips, trying to lighten the mood. It works and a my lips quirks upwards.

I eye my eldest brother sceptically as he lights candles, “We need every advantage we can get, Niklaus.”

“You always did excel in diplomacy. Just know, if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces.” My blonde brother swore and I chuckled. We killed our mother before, twice, and we’ll happily do it again.

“Yes and I’ll gladly help.” Nik and I exchanged dangerous smirks and I hear Elijah mutter something unintelligible, but I’m pretty sure it has to do with me and my twin. My eyes then scan over the courtyard. “Elijah, you do realise that we are not here for a romantic evening, but a dinner with our dreadful mother, right?”

Before he had the chance to answer me, a laugh sounds, cutting into our conversation. I turned to the sound.

“You three haven't changed a bit!” My body tensed, ready for a fight as my eyes locked on the figure of an unknown dark skinned man. He looks at Elijah. “Linens and silk to disguise your pathetic self-loathing.” He then turns to my twin and my eyes narrowed. “And you- despite the arrogant façade, you're still the same paranoid little boy, full of hate and fear.” Nik’s face turns from amused to offended and a growl of warning pass my lips. I see Elijah walking toward him out of the corner of my eye as the unknown witch turns to me. “And, Lex, well you never hide who you are and you don’t have weaknesses, except for your undying and unwavering loyalty to Klaus. That will be your biggest downfall.”

“Downfall or not, at least it is my decision to stand by him. To bad you can’t say the same with what, you having a leash around your neck and all.” I gave the dark skinned man a sarcastic smirk, wanting nothing more than to rip this irritating man to shreds.

“Forgive me, I don't believe I've had the pleasure.” My suited brother said. Finally, we’d get a name. Maybe I’ll send his family a sorry card after I killed him. Or maybe I’ll send his body back in pieces, depending on how much he annoys me during dinner.

“Oh, you mean you don't recognize me? So much for the unbreakable bonds of family, huh? Always and forever indeed.” A growl of frustration paired with annoyance slips past my lips. I exchanged a glance with my twin, dangerous scowls on both of our faces setting in as we put the pieces together of who the witch is. My mood worsens.

“Well, isn’t this just dandy.” I snapped with a roll of my eyes, as realisation set in of who is standing in front of me. Finn. My eldest brother, who is supposed to be dead. A quick glance at Elijah tells me that he still hasn’t figured it out yet, his face filled with confusion.

“It's been a long time, Finn.” My twin snarls angrily at him. Finn smirks and spreads his arms out wide. I glared at him, very close to ripping that smug expression of his face if he didn’t stop it.

“Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat!” I flicked my tongue over my teeth in annoyance at his words, walking to the dinner table. You didn’t need to be a psychic to know that this dinner is going to be a complete and utter disaster.

“This is going to be a long fucking night.”

***

Elijah pours Finn a glass of wine, which he wafts under his nose. Dear God help me. My suited brother gestures to my glass. “I’ll have the bottle if you don’t mind.” He looked like he wanted to ob

ject – the look on his face telling me he does mind – but thankfully he didn’t, he just pursed his lips before holding the bottle to me. Wise choice, big brother.

“What an aromatic bordot.” Finn says and I gulp down almost half the bottle, knowing it wouldn’t do anything. Nik has an amused look on his face.

I lifted the bottle to him, smiling mockingly, “Yes, it's lovely.”

“Well, it was a challenge to find a good pairing. What wine goes well with treachery?” Nik asks with enthusiasm that was obviously faked. I snorted in amusement.

“Don't pout, brother. Tonight is meant to be a happy occasion!” Finn declares and I chuckled lowly. Finn whispers something in one of the servers' ears, raising my suspicious hackles.

“You’re joking, right?” I asked him, raising my eyebrows before taking a long sip of wine.

“What exactly are we celebrating?” Elijah asked, clearly agreeing with me but just putting it in much nicer words than I am.

“Why, my return, of course!” My eldest brother boasted proudly.

“Yeah, that’s not exactly something to be celebrated.” I cut in matter-of-factly, taking another gulp of wine. Finn shot me a heated glare and I gave him a smirk.

“Remember, I spent nine hundred years-” He looks at me and Nik for confirmation. I nodded optimistically, knowing it will tick him off. “Right? Lying daggered in a box. I'm rather enjoying this new body. Strolling about your lovely city that, uh, you've made your home. But, do tell me- what'd I miss? Regale me with your contributions to society! Medicine? Philosophy? Art?” I looked at my twin and we roll our eyes in unison, already tired of this pointless conversation. “Or, have you two merely cut a path of destruction across time?”

“The last time we met, you were helping our mother try to annihilate the lot of us! Let's not throw stones in glass houses.” Nik tells him. My brows furrow when I notice that the caterers are placing another two plates, glasses, and sets of silverware at the table.

“Are we expecting another guest?” Elijah questioned, voicing my thoughts. I looked at Finn, curious. He gestures at the other end of the table.

“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? How about a paranoid one?” He elaborated with a smirk and everything in me froze. No, there was no way. I wanted to believe it, badly, but at the same time I didn’t.

“Well, there's no way Kol would listen to anything other than his ego.” Nik says, clearly feeling that this affecting me more than I was showing on the outside and trying to support me.

“And yet, our mother has made such a compelling argument that even he, the wildest of us Mikaelsons, has seen the error of his ways and accepted his new form with vigour! Change, dear brothers, is inevitable.” Finn went on and I finally gained the ability to speak again.

“Our mother is batshit crazy and you,” I pointed an accusing finger at Finn, my eyes narrowed. “-are lying.” I growled out, my voice barely audible and full of emotion. My hands started shaking as I glared at Finn, my eyes stone cold and daring. Daring him to make a move so that I can rip him to shreds like I’ve wanted to do since he walked in here.

“I’m not.” He swore, his own eyes hard, but honest. Suddenly I was paralyzed, my body becoming weak at the admission. The brother I thought of as a best friend, just like I do Nik, is alive. I didn’t know whether to be furious that he hasn’t seen me yet or relieved that he is alive. I settled for a little of both.

“You would dare face us as a mortal? The only thing inevitable is your death.” My twin flings a knife at Finn, but he easily deflects it with magic, causing the knife to instead embed itself into the chair at the head of the table. I slugged down the last of the wine.

“Oh!” Finn removes the knife from the chair and holds it aloft. “I suppose the honor of carving should go to the oldest. We have much to discuss.” Finn said and I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance. I beckoned a waitress over. She came to me with a smile and held out her wrist. I shook my head and held up the empty wine bottle.

“I need more of this.” My brothers gave me strange glances but they also know not to ask why I refused the blood offering. Thing is, since I started going out with Davina, I haven’t taken a sip from the vein. Maybe it’s stupid, but I just felt like I was violating our relationship by drinking from her. So, I opted for blood bags instead. Even though we’ve broken up, I still can’t bring myself to drink from the vein. My heart clenched in my chest painfully.

I took a deep breath, shaking my head quickly, trying to get the thoughts out. Instead of thinking about her, I watched my three siblings. My gaze flickering from Finn to Elijah and then to Nik as I came to the conclusion that in our family, the one is crazier than the other.

***

This is a long one. Prepare yourself guys, the next one is going to give you feels.

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-Mixie