Fated Bonds

25

Sabrina woke the next morning with a pounding headache and a dry mouth. The sunlight streaming through Elijah's bedroom window felt like a personal attack, and she groaned, burying her face in the pillow. Her memories of the previous night were hazy, but the weight of her grief and the taste of tequila lingered. She rolled over, clutching Elijah's note, which had crumpled in her grip while she slept.

"Ugh, why do I do this to myself?" she mumbled, slowly sitting up. As she tried to collect her thoughts, a sudden knock on the door made her jump.

"Sabrina, are you awake?" Caroline's voice called from the other side.

"Barely," she replied, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

The door creaked open, and Caroline peeked in, holding a cup of coffee. "I brought you some coffee. Figured you might need it."

"Bless you," Sabrina muttered, taking the cup and sipping it gratefully. "I feel like I got hit by a truck. Why are you here so early?"

Caroline chuckled. "Well, the Mikaelsons insisted I stay in the guest room last night. Something about not letting a drunk girl go home alone, you know?"

Sabrina laughed softly. "That sounds about right. Thanks for looking out for me."

"Anytime. So, what's the plan for today? Besides nursing that hangover."

Before Sabrina could answer, there was another knock on the door, this time more insistent. Klaus's voice boomed from the hallway. "Sabrina, I need to talk to you."

"Oh, great," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "What now?"

Caroline gave her a sympathetic look as she opened the door wider. Klaus strode in, his expression serious but with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Good morning, love. Feeling a bit under the weather, are we?" he said, his tone teasing.

"What do you want, Klaus?" Sabrina asked, not in the mood for his games.

"I came to apologize for last night," he said, surprising her. "I realize I may have been a bit overbearing."

"A bit?" Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "Klaus, you practically growled at me."

He shrugged. "I worry about you. We all do. But I'll try to ease up a bit. Deal?"

Sabrina sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. Deal."

"Excellent," he said, a sly smile forming. "Now, why don't you join us for breakfast? Rebekah's attempting to cook, and it's always a spectacle."

Caroline laughed. "That sounds like something we shouldn't miss."

Reluctantly, Sabrina agreed. "Alright, fine. But if Rebekah sets the kitchen on fire, I'm blaming you."

Klaus chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

---

Downstairs, the kitchen was indeed a scene of chaos. Rebekah was brandishing a spatula like a weapon, glaring at the stove as if it had personally wronged her.

"Bastard thing!" she muttered, flipping a pancake with an exaggerated flourish. "Why won't you cook evenly?"

"Need some help there, Bekah?" Caroline called out, trying to suppress her laughter.

Rebekah looked up, her expression a mix of frustration and determination. "No, I've got this. It's just a pancake. How hard can it be?"

Sabrina and Caroline exchanged amused glances. "So, what's on the menu?" Sabrina asked, cautiously stepping into the kitchen.