Chapter 61: The Originals Investigation - Part 1
POV: Sam Barton
Rose spreads the documents across Alaric's classroom desk like she's laying out battle plans, which I suppose she is—just historical instead of tactical.
"The Original family," she begins, her fingers tracing ancient family trees. "Mikael and Esther had seven children. Freya died as a child—plague, they said, though rumors suggest darker forces. Then came Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik."
My Sensory clone detects something off about one document—faint magical residue clinging to the parchment like fingerprints.
"This one's been spelled," I observe, pointing to the family tree showing Henrik's death.
Alaric leans closer, his hunter instincts activating. "Protection magic?"
"Concealment," my Magic Absorption clone clarifies, manifesting to examine the spell. "Someone doesn't want this history easily accessible."
Rose's expression darkens. "The Original family has enemies who'd use their past against them. And allies who'd prefer certain truths stay buried."
Liz—healed and radiating health that still amazes me—sits in the back taking notes with the systematic precision of someone documenting supernatural threats for law enforcement purposes. Caroline's given her mother the full briefing about my abilities, and Liz has adapted with the pragmatism that makes her an excellent sheriff.
"Henrik's death triggered their vampirism," Rose continues. "Werewolves killed him during a full moon. Mikael and Esther, desperate to protect their remaining children, created the immortality spell. They didn't realize the cost."
"Vampirism," Caroline says, perched on the desk beside me. "The curse that's defined supernatural politics for a thousand years."
"Accidentally," Rose confirms. "Esther wanted to make her children strong enough to survive werewolf attacks. Instead, she created apex predators who'd terrorize humanity for centuries."
I'm sketching as Rose talks—not consciously, just my hand moving across notebook paper while my tactical mind processes information. The drawings take shape: a blonde woman crying over a desiccated figure, a dark-haired man laughing while manuscripts burn, a solemn face praying in darkness.
Caroline notices. "Sam, those are... that's really good. When did you learn to draw?"
"I didn't," I reply, staring at the sketches with growing unease. "I've never drawn anything in my life."
Alaric takes the notebook, studying the images with professional interest. "These look like the Mikaelson siblings. Rebekah, Kol, Finn. But you've never seen them."
"Not with my eyes," I admit.
Rose goes pale. "You're having visions. The dagger, the ritual—you've created connection to Klaus's bloodline. The System's showing you his family."
That night, the dreams intensify.
I'm standing in a ballroom from another century, watching the blonde woman—Rebekah—dance with a man who looks terrified beneath his formal clothes. She's compelling him, I realize. Forcing love because she can't find it naturally.
The scene shifts. Kol's in a library surrounded by forbidden grimoires, laughing as he sets them aflame. "Knowledge should burn! Secrets should die with their keepers!"
Another shift. Finn kneeling in prayer, begging God to end his immortal existence. "I'm a monster. Let me die. Please, just let me die."
I wake gasping at 3 AM, Caroline stirring beside me.
"Nightmare?" she asks, already alert.
"Information," I correct, grabbing my phone to text what I saw to Elijah.
His response comes immediately: "Meet me at the cemetery. One hour. Come alone."
Elijah's waiting at the Fell family mausoleum, looking as composed as ever in his immaculate suit despite the pre-dawn hour.
"Your visions were accurate," he confirms without preamble. "Rebekah seeks love above all else—she's been compelling men for centuries because genuine affection eludes her. Kol craves forbidden knowledge, burns what he can't possess. And Finn..."
"Wishes for death," I finish.
"Has wished for it since the day we turned," Elijah says quietly. "Finn hates vampirism, hates what we've become, hates that our mother cursed us with eternity. He's tried killing himself seventeen times across the centuries."
"And you've stopped him," I realize.
"Family protects family," Elijah replies. "Even when family wants destruction."
We walk among the gravestones, dawn beginning to paint the sky in shades of amber.
"Klaus will wake soon," Elijah says. "My brother's body is healing around the dagger. Two weeks, maybe three. When he does, his siblings' status will become critical issue."
"You want to wake them first," I conclude. "Shape the reunion on your terms instead of Klaus's."
"I want to prevent slaughter," Elijah corrects. "Klaus, surrounded by siblings who might oppose his hybrid ambitions, could choose restraint over violence. Or he could dagger them all again to prevent interference."
"So we make sure they're on his side before he wakes," I suggest. "Or at least neutral instead of hostile."
Elijah's approval is subtle but genuine. "Precisely. Help me wake my siblings strategically, and I'll ensure they don't destroy Mystic Falls in the process."
It's calculated diplomacy that could save thousands of lives or doom us all.
"I'll help," I decide. "But I need information. Rebekah, Kol, Finn—what motivates them beyond what I've seen in visions?"
"Rebekah wants family unity and genuine love," Elijah explains. "She'll support Klaus if he shows her affection, oppose him if he treats her as possession. Kol wants freedom to study magic without restriction—he was a powerful witch before vampirism stole that ability. Give him access to magical knowledge, and he'll cooperate. Finn just wants peace, by death or redemption—convince him Klaus has changed, and he'll maintain neutrality."
"And your mother?" I ask, remembering Rose's warnings about Esther.
Elijah's expression closes down. "My mother is complicated matter we'll address when necessary. For now, focus on my siblings."
It's deflection, but I let it pass. Some secrets need timing.
"When do we start?" I ask.
"Soon," Elijah replies. "But first, you need this."
He hands me a leather journal—old, worn, filled with handwriting that shifts between languages.
"My father's diary," Elijah explains. "Mikael's account of our family's transformation. It contains truths my siblings never learned, information that might help you understand what's coming."
I accept the journal carefully. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Elijah says. "What you'll learn might make you regret this alliance."
He leaves me alone in the cemetery as sunrise breaks fully, the journal heavy in my hands with weight that goes beyond physical.
That evening, Liz arrives at my estate carrying tupperware containers and determination.
"Homemade dinner," she announces, unpacking food in my kitchen. "Caroline told me everything—the System, the clones, your sacrifices, your plans. I'm the sheriff, and I'm helping coordinate this supernatural alliance properly."
I watch her move through the kitchen with energy that's still miraculous after weeks of dying. The Regeneration's working perfectly—she looks ten years younger, moves without pain, radiates health that makes Caroline cry happy tears every time she sees her mother.
"You don't have to—" I start.
"Yes, I do," Liz interrupts firmly. "You gave me my life back. The least I can do is help you protect this town."
Caroline arrives as we're eating, settling beside me with the comfortable ease that comes from spending most nights together.
"Mom's right," Caroline says. "We're building supernatural government whether we intended to or not. Might as well do it properly—with law enforcement legitimacy, organizational structure, and actual coordination instead of just reacting to crises."
"I'm seventeen," I point out. "Barely qualified to coordinate anything."
"You're Level 30 with five clones and a track record of defeating supernatural threats," Liz counters. "That's more qualification than most adults managing significantly less dangerous situations."
"She has a point," my Mind Shield clone observes, manifesting to steal a breadstick.
The three of us spend the evening planning—Liz providing law enforcement perspective, Caroline contributing organizational genius, my clones offering tactical input. By midnight, we've drafted protocols for everything from vampire traffic incidents to werewolf transformation containment.
"This is insane," I observe, looking at Caroline's color-coded spreadsheets.
"This is necessary," Liz corrects. "Klaus wakes in weeks. You'll need infrastructure that doesn't depend entirely on your clones being everywhere simultaneously."
She's right, and I know it.
"Thank you," I tell them both. "For believing I can actually do this."
Caroline kisses me softly. "We don't just believe. We know. You're Sam Barton—the human who defeated Klaus, saved my mother, and somehow convinced ancient vampires to negotiate instead of slaughter. If anyone can coordinate supernatural government, it's you."
Liz squeezes my shoulder. "Besides, you're dating my daughter. That makes you family. And family protects each other—even when it requires building unprecedented alliances with creatures that shouldn't exist."
The System chimes softly:
[QUEST UNLOCKED: THE ORIGINAL SIBLINGS]
[OBJECTIVE: INFLUENCE THE ORDER AND MANNER OF MIKAELSON SIBLINGS' AWAKENING]
[REWARD: VARIABLE BASED ON OUTCOMES]
[THREAT LEVEL: 5+]
I dismiss the notification and focus on what matters—two people who've become my anchor in this impossible supernatural life, helping me prepare for battles that could reshape Mystic Falls forever.
Klaus wakes soon. His siblings will follow. And somehow, I need to ensure that reunion doesn't end with everyone dead.
But tonight, surrounded by family and planning with people who believe in me, I feel ready for whatever comes next.
To supporting Me in Pateron .
Love [ The Vampire Diaries: The Clone Sovereign ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
with exclusive access to 30+ chapters on my Patreon, you get more chapters if you ask for more (in few days), plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $6/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!