Love & marriage

The ties that bind

Bonnie, Elena and Diana are standing in front of the coffins. "I've been having these dreams for days now. It's like the witches are trying to send me a message." Bonnie says.

"I just can't believe that you guys kept this from me this whole time." Elena says.

"Well, to be fair, we couldn't be blabbing about the exact location of these coffins. Even though they're sealed shut, anybody who figures out the key can be able to open this." Diana says, inspecting Charles' coffin, that had taken the most hits. 

"So, these are the rest of his family?"

"Yeah. Elijah and two others. This one...is the one we can't open. We don't know who is in it, or what's in it, only that I think my dream's telling me it'll help us kill Klaus." Stefan enters. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I needed her to know about the coffin."

"And I needed you to keep her out of it, Bonnie."

"So what are you gonna do, Stefan? Are you gonna kidnap me, so that I won't tell anyone?" Elena says defiantly.

"I think it's best if you don't speak." Diana says. 

"I think I know, who can open the coffin, Stefan. And I need Elena to help me find her."

"Find who? What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't place her face at first. Then I realized..." Bonnie pulls a photo out of her pocket and shows Elena. "Oh my god, Bonnie." Stefan and Diana take a peek at the photo. "Who's this?" Stefan asks.

"It's my mom." Bonnie answers.

XXXXX

Stefan and Diana come home after Bonnie and Elena go on a road trip to find Bonnies mother. Inside, Klaus is sitting in a chair, drinking alcohol. Music is blaring. Stefan turns the music down. "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"Enjoying our stalemate."

"What do you want?"

"The question is what you want? My hybrids left town as you demanded, so please tell me what I need to do to get my family back."

"Well, see...Klaus...I'm not negotiating."

"And you understand, that holding them indefinitely is the same thing as dropping them in the ocean?"

"No, No. You leave Mystic Falls and then give me call in a few years and we'll talk."

"I can give you another chance. Just one more. Let's make a reasonable deal."

"Or what? You make one move and I will drop..."

"Yes, right. Crazy Stefan. How is that working out for you? Any friends left?" Diana looks around. "Where's Sasha?"

"Cheer practice."

"Who took her?"

"She took herself. Well, not exactly. You feed her vervain, but not to her little friends."

"You used compulsion on a bunch of teenage girls? You're so..."

"Language." Stefan interrupts. "We can't have you here cursing like a sailor. You're worse than Damon."

"Ugh, you're no fun." Klaus and Diana say at the same time. "Looks like we still got it." Klaus smirks as Diana walks away.

XXXXX

Later, Damon had taken Diana to the old witch house. Damon enters the room with the coffins. There are candles lit everywhere. The coffins are invisible. Damon stops, then hears footsteps. Klaus enters. "What took you so long? Hiding behind your witchy friends. And in squalor, no less." 

Suddenly the candles burn brighter and Klaus falls to his knee, clutching his head and shouting in pain. "Insulting a bunch of dead witches...not smart. I made the exact same mistake first time I came in here." The pain subsides and Klaus speaks in a forced, strained voice.

"Well, you know, the funny thing about witches is, that living or death, they care about their own. A hundred dead witches have a thousand living descendants..." The pain returns. Klaus shouts out in pain. He then talks in a loud voice, addressing the room. "And I have no problem, killing every last one of them, if I don't get my coffins back. As we speak, my hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line." 

The candles die down suddenly, and Klaus isn't in pain anymore. He again talks to the room."Now...please...show me the coffins." Now he can see the coffins. "Here we are." He looks at Damon. "Where's the fourth? Show me!"

"Well, here's the thing. They can't. It's not here."

"What did you do?"

"Well, Bonnie gave me the heads-up. I didn't have enough time, to get all eight, but I did have time to get one."

"I will tear you, limb from limb. And only then, when you're a riving mass of blood and flesh, will I rip your heart from your chest."

"Sorry. The same rules apply. You know, leverage and all. I know you want your family back. But something tells me, you want what's in that coffin a lot more." Klaus takes the coffins. "Niklaus."

"Leave me alone." Diana follows him until they get home. "Niklaus!" One of his hybrids, Daniel, shoves the coffins in a big room. Klaus is standing beside him. "So...you got your family back, praise the lord! What are you going to do now?" Diana asks.

"Finishing business."

"What business?" Daniel suddenly falls to the ground and Elijah appears behind him with his heart in his hand. "So, Niklaus...what did I miss?"