I woke up feeling relaxed for once. I heard Care get up and I grabbed her arm as she walked away from the bed. "Stay?" She seemed to go from happy to sad. I frowned. It was Monday. She was probably sneaking off to college.

"I'm sorry Klaus but I can't. I would if I could. I have to go. I'll text you later. Is that okay?" I nodded and she kissed me. I kissed her back, wrapping my hands into her hair. Before I knew it we were passionately kissing each other when she stepped away, shaking her head. She ran out the door and I sighed.

Oh well, better that she leave then see what I need to do today. I got up and stretched. I needed to find Elijah and plot against my mother. I dressed and went out to care for Kolinn, Tyler, Marcel and then head out to bring home some outcast witches.

(Hayley POV, later)

I was looking out over the French Quarter from the balcony of the nursery, thinking about where Elijah could be. I jumped when I heard sounds of tortured screaming coming from Klaus' room. I ran in there, ready to defend him from Mikael. Klaus had blood splattered on his hands and face, he was trying to wash off. So he wasn't in danger, he just killed someone. He said nothing to me so I decided to say something to him.

"Oh. So, I see your interrogation went well?" he looked at himself in the mirror while still washing. "You know, it'd be better if you took a shower."

"Eh, it turns out these witches are delicate creatures. No matter! I suspected my mother had Elijah captive. Your right Hayley, but first I shall bathe my hands."

"Great. Let's go find them! Of course I'm right." He shook his head and walked toward me.

"Esther is too powerful. She won't be easily found. I need to draw her out." He tried to shut the door but I stopped him.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Taking your advice. I need a bath. If you wish you can join me." He smiled. "Then I'm going to change my shirt, and then I'm going to find my brother." He beamed at me and tried to shut the doors again. I stopped him, I stepped inside.

"Klaus, let me come with you!" He sighed before speaking again.

"I know you want to help, Hayley, but you can't. My mother is wretched. She will target you in order to thwart me, and I can't very well save Elijah if I'm busy saving you, can I?" He grabbed me by my waist and kissed me. I kissed him back. I undressed us and we got in the bathtub, washing each other.

(Finn POV)

I had my brothers where I wanted them. I had kidnapped Elijah, he was hanging from the ceiling in a crept and I had Klaus chasing his tail, trying to find out where he was. Rebekah was worried and she wouldn't be able to help him this time because her emotions were making her go insane with worry. Now all I needed was Niklaus to come over here. All I needed to do was keep Kol, Mother and Tyler from finding out my plans. Of course after this I would need to deliver a big scolding to myself for even going against my mother's wishes of wanting to be a family. I agreed on that subject but first things are first, you needed to show Niklaus his place, he's gotten too arrogant for his own good. And I was just the person to fix that.

(Klaus POV)

I was digging up Esther's coffin, I needed to know what was in her place and I was also just doing it to piss her off. Unlike Elijah, she WILL yell at me. I needed to catch her attention and disrespecting her was the perfect idea. I hit something with my shovel, don't ask me why I'm using one, and pulled out her coffin. I was just to opening it when I heard starlings begin to chirp. I smiled at them while my hands poured gasoline on her coffin.

"Are you watching this, Mommy? Nothing says "I loathe you" quite like desecrating a corpse!" I taunted, and bit my tongue for calling her mommy. It healed quickly. I pulled out a match, lit and made to drop it but I heard Elijah call.

"Niklaus!" It was the same tone he used when I was trying to kill Finn, whom I would NEVER apologize to. My nose told me that something wasn't quite right, it was too easy, she already had her body. She had Elijah didn't she? I turned to see 'Elijah' staring at me. He beckoned to me and walked into the building. One sure fire way to tell if it was him was his scent, from all the bonding I had from him I knew it by heart, all the types he could possibly give off. I followed him and he was playing on a piano. I slowly approached him. Trying to get a whiff of his scent. He smiled at me. I did not return it.

"You seem troubled. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worried." I frowned sadly.

"I am. What has she done to you?" I asked, forcing myself to let a tear drop, he being Elijah would hug me, giving me a chance to scent him out. He didn't approach me.

"A thousand years of murder and mayhem, and Mother believes she can still save our souls. She wants to talk. Perhaps we should listen?" I scoffed at him or rather, the illusion of him. He was not my brother. I picked up a burned piece of wood and threw it at him.

"ENOUGH!" It passed right through him. He disappeared. I hissed at the air. I would strangle her until she cried for mercy. "The petty illusions, Esther! Where is Elijah?" I snarled and I could hear her from behind.

"What do you mean where is Elijah? Was he not at home with you?" I turned around to smack her when instead my arm passed through her. She appeared behind me again. This time she had a scent. "Restrain your anger my son." I hissed at her but didn't turn to face her. She walked around to face me. I bared my teeth at her and then stopped, just long enough for her to see. "I ask that you hear me out."

"You expect me to sit through a sermon of your lies?" I growled at her, I was trying my best not to kill her. I could care less if I let my anger shine through.

"I have lied in the past, to MY SHAME. But, I'm going to tell you the TRUTH. Because I love you dearly. This plantation, ruined by fire. How sad, not to mention symbolic. After all, you never intended to build a true home here. Even as Hayley carried your child, as Rebekah and Elijah sought to defend you, your thoughts were focused on only your conquest of the Quarter. Tell me, how did that go?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. Is this some sort of motherly critique? Please feel free to choke on it."

"I mention your failures only to make a point, my dear. You've endured several lifetimes of misery, never mind the suffering you've caused others, even to your own blood. You yourself remain trapped in a perpetual state of despair. I have come to offer you a means to escape that cycle. I have come to offer you a family, not with Mikael but with Tyler, YOUR father." I tried to hit her but she backed off.

"LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS! You know NOTHING! That's all the hypocrisy I can take. I suggest you give me my brother before I get angry."

"I do not have Elijah but I shall perform a locater spell and bring him to you. It breaks my heart to see you like this. Such hatred. The boy I loved." I hissed at her, I knew what she was referring to. All those 'precious child of mine' crap.

"Your love was a curse, an affect you feigned. The truth is, you're no better than Mikael, and like him you seem to have crawled back from the grave simply to ruin your children." Her eyes widened, this was news to her. So she didn't bring back Mikael either. I grinned, before dropping it completely. "Oh! You didn't know! Yes, the Destroyer has risen, brought back to kill me by an outcast witch. Surely Kol has revealed everything to you?" Her face went blank. So Kol was between her side and mine. I would gain him over before Esther regained him. "Or, is Mother's loyal little boot-licker not quite so loyal, after all?" I beamed at her, smirking, I had won a battle but the war was not to be over until I finally sent her screaming back to hell.

"Your father told me of his encounter with Mikael. We will need to deal with him." I snorted at her, laughing. Wait… did she just say my father told her? Oh well, no matter.

"We? Is that a joke? Am I to forego centuries of hatred for my evil mother in order to join her in besting the very demon she herself allowed to raise me?" She sighed.

"I am not evil, Niklaus. I am your salvation. And Mikael? I remember the long years of raising you Niklaus. Mikael loved the way that you would not bow to anyone, he was only trying to help you learn that you could retaliate against your foes without having to misbehave. We were proud of you. I am still proud of you. You know, once when you were only six years old, you got lost in the woods after trying to help Mikael with his chores. Mikael did not realize you were no longer following him until he was already home, he panicked, he got everyone out of bed just to find you. He loved you."

"You really think that saccharine recollections of ancient history will have any effect on me at all?"

"What I think is that you have gone mad from centuries of hating your parents. Join us, we can be a family again." She reached to touch me and I knocked her arm away, growling. "Should Mikael return with the intent to harm you, I will strike him down myself." I scoffed at her, of course she would say anything to save her skin. I would need to talk to my father about her, tell him not to trust her. She would be the end of him.

"That's quite an offer. But, you know, I've never needed any help when it comes to killing parents." I taunted. She rolled her eyes.

"You reject me out of hatred, but I have something stronger. I have the truth about your father. Not Mikael- your real father." I pounced her but she used her magic and I was sat in a chair. She beckoned for me to follow her and I stood my ground, however her magic dragged me out by force. I snarled at her. She was using the same tricks from back when I was young. That was when I finally got a flashback of how it used to be. I would try to evade Mikael but I loved my mother with all my heart. I loved her touch, I loved her voice, I even thought she was pretty. I shook my head to clear the memory away. She stops walking when she came to her coffin, which was still covered with gasoline. I felt her magic lift off me. However I was probably barricaded into the grounds.

"A thousand years ago, in a fit of rage, you wrapped your bare hands around my neck and squeezed until I died. Do you even remember why?" I almost fell over laughing. She brought up her first death that I committed like she was talking about the weather. I walked up to her. I hummed before answering, I loved this question.

Let's see... You turned us all into monsters. You cursed me, denied me of my hybrid nature. You lied to me about my father-"

"It's that one above all. You killed me because I kept you from your true father." I rumbled at her, baring my teeth once again, my anger was rising with this conversation and if I didn't do something soon I would kill her… then again I should want to kill her before she steps anywhere near my father.

"My hatred for you runs so deep, it's difficult to pinpoint it's origin." I stepped right into her face. "Maybe I hate that I'm the product of a whore's lechery?" She smacked me, and I gasped from the shock she had the guts to do such at thing. It barely left a sting. When I was human I would have whined or whimpered from such a thing.

"Watch your mouth! You will do well to remember that you are still my son!" I grabbed her throat.

"You judge me evil, yet it was your lust that made me what I am." I smirked and dropped my hand.

"And not once have I ever regretted the love I had for your father. And, you have never known the truth of how that love came to be, or what happened in the months after Mikael and I lost your sister Freya to the plague. There are no words for the loss of a child." Freya? I scoffed at her and tried to leave, she used her magic to drag me back to her. I growled at her.

"I am no longer the child you can push and order around Esther. I am your enemy who wishes you nothing but harm and misery." She ignored me.

"After Freya died, Mikael was inconsolable. Compelled by his grief, we were forced to pack our things and set across the seas. Eventually, his despair would drive us apart, and that's when I saw him for the first time- your father. I'd never seen a man like him. Powerful, yet wise, but loved by his people. And- because Mikael had chosen to leave me alone in his grief, shunning me from his life- I found myself drawn to another." I was tempted to give her the childish reaction but I resisted. I was not a child anymore. I had 1038 years behind me. More or less.

"Spare me the sordid details of my origin."

"I only speak the truth."

"Oh is that so? Then tell me this, Mother- Why did your Adonis allow me to be raised by a monster who hated me? Why not claim me for himself, raise me among the wolves?"

"No, no, no. He loves you. It was I who forbade it. I knew if Mikael had learned of my infidelity, he would've destroyed us in his rage. I had no choice." I had been joking. She answered the stupid question. Of course my father loved me. It was her who despised me along with Mikael. I let out a small growl and tried to leave her yet again, with the same results. "When I learned I was with child, I went back to Mikael. I told him I was having his baby. He showed no joy, but neither did he suspect the truth. When you were born, it renewed his spirits. We had Kol, Rebekah, Henrik… because of you, we were a family again!"

"Is that why you called me 'precious'? I disbelieve you. I was never enjoyed by Mikael. He always yelled at me. So yes. I guess you were a family. A family built on secrets and lies."

"Oh, you were my secret joy! And, to protect your secret, I denied you a life with your father. But, what if I could make up for all that? I was planning on making your father head of the house hold, replace !br0ken! It would be just like old times, remember how you used to feel about me? How you used to- still feel for your father?" I tried to growl at her but I was running out of aggression. So I would turn to disrespect. I turned from her and paced away.

"What could possibly make you think I would agree to such a thing?"

"You could have a happiness, peace, all the things you have long been denied?" She walked after me, I stepped back, baring my teeth at her, how dare she say such a thing to me. She frowned, showing sadness, I stopped backing up and took an aggressive step toward her.

"ENOUGH! Tell me where Elijah is, or I will kill you, in this body or any other you choose to jump into from now to bloody Armageddon!" I was thrown backward by her magic.

"Don't you dare disrespect me Niklaus Akatai. I had hoped there was some part of you that yearned for an end to your vicious ways! I will get through to you one way or another." She held me on the ground with her magic, I easily beat her magic and stood, daring her to attack me. I had provoked her. "We will be a family!" I felt my neck snap and I saw nothing but darkness.

I woke up and it was dark now. I looked around for her and she was sitting on her coffin, calm with tears running down her face. I felt triumphant. I had made my mother cry. I glared at her, and growled giving myself away.

"Apologies for the headache. I love you Niklaus, why can't you see that? Had you yourself not killed me soon thereafter, I doubt I ever would have recovered. It's 8:35. You woke earlier than I expected. No matter. It is time." I glared at her.

"What do you mean I woke earlier than expected? Time for what?"

"I tracked down Elijah, I have properly punished Finn and you said you wanted Elijah. He's sleeping. In a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. I've lifted the spell that hides him. You are free to take him home. Every single thing I've said to you tonight is the truth, Niklaus. Whether you choose to believe it is up to you." I scowled at her before going to find Elijah.

I went inside the tomb, to see Finn and Elijah. Finn was in the corner. I approached him, trying to find out what he was plotting. Elijah was as Esther said, lying on a bench, asleep. I vamped over to him and patted his face not hard but hard enough that he should wake up. He didn't wake. Instead he twitched. I dropped my hand on him, hard enough to feel as if I had dropped my own body on top of him, which I had done occasionally in the past. Still nothing. I heard myself whimper when he did nothing but twitch yet again.

"Wake up, brother. Wake up, Elijah." I tried. Still nothing. I heard footsteps behind me. I growled.

"He won't wake. Not until dawn, sunrise. Which gives you and I another chance to discuss my offer." I growled at her and Finn reacted. Finn charged over to me but Esther smacked him and sent him back. I heard him yelp and he quickly obeyed. I was beginning to understand why he was in the corner, Mother said she'd punished Finn… maybe…

"You promised me Elijah's safe return. Or, was that a lie, just like that lecture you gave me? To what end? Besides my torment? What are you plotting?" I snapped. She gave me a look and I only bared my teeth in response. She was threatening me.

"I am plotting for us to be a family again." She made a mock evil laugh. I glared at her, she was playing with me. "You will respect me Niklaus. That 'lecture' was the truth and I am not lying about Elijah either. He is safe, he is unharmed."

"Then why will he not wake up Esther?" I asked, using her name to piss her off.

"Because I need to help clear his mind, he was hurt by what Finn was doing. Finn come apologize to your brother. You have already apologized to Elijah." Finn walked toward me and he looked at me bitterly. I didn't know to snap at him or to laugh at him. This position was just getting more confusing.

"Niklaus, I am sorry for hurting your feelings by taking Elijah. Do you forgive me?"

"Why should I? You can take the fact that I am not laughing or retaliating against you as a yes."

"Niklaus be nice to your brother." I hissed at her. I narrowed my eyes and moved to pick up Elijah. I really needed to go see my father to get my head straight.

"Do not refuse me out of some ancient spite-"

"Not spite. Hatred. A pure and perfect hatred that's greater now than the day I first took your life!"

"Why, after all I've done to explain to you, why must you persist-" I grabbed her neck and slammed her against the wall, fighting the urge to kill her, Finn moved to make an attack at me, but Mother scolded him and used her magic to lessen my hold on her neck.

"BECAUSE YOU CAME FOR MY CHILD! MY Son! Your own blood!" I snarled and moved to bite her, she used her magic to block me.

"You don't understand! It was not me-"

"MY. CHILD!"

"Niklaus! It was Ayanna!" I froze.

"Your best friend. Do not think I have forgotten such an important detail. If it were her then why did you do nothing! You declared war when you came after my family. And, for that, I will make you suffer as only I can." I smirked at her. "After all, I am my mother's son." I threw her down to the floor, picked up Elijah and vamped him home.

I put him in his bed, dressed him in his pyjamas and kissed his cheek "Please come back to me Lijah. I need your help, I'm so confused." I whispered and laid my head on his chest before letting tears fall. After a while I remembered my children and my father.

I checked on my children, they were already asleep. Kolinn was in his crib sleeping, Rebekah was asleep and so was everyone else. I alone was still awake. I wiped my face off from the tear streaks that might be there and left to go see my father, maybe he'd cheer me up.

I was calm as I finally reached the Akatai camp. I approached and Norman came to meet me.

"Where is my father?"

"Follow me, I'll lead him to you." I followed and I saw him watching the children at play.

"Father?" He turned to me, smiling.

"Yes Niklaus?"

"I have come to warn you." he looked at me, stood up and gave me his full attention, so did Norman and the two wolves guarding the camp.

"What is it Niklaus?"

"Esther has come back from the dead and I need you to beware of her treachery. If she gets to you I fear that she will put an end to you. I need you on my side." I replied, hugging him and he embraced me, holding me against him.

"I do not understand. What are you talking about?"

"Mother has come back to kill me and I came to warn you to stay away from her, lest she poison you against me." I whispered into his chest.

"Niklaus?" I heard my mother's voice and turned to her, she was here for my father. I showed her my hybrid face, hissed and vamped toward her, however I was grabbed from behind by my father and he fought to keep me away from her. I tried everything within my power to escape his clutches.

"Niklaus! Niklaus stop! Stop! Wait! No! Don't! Niklaus!" He tried to catch my attention but all I could concentrate on was protecting him. He kissed my cheek and I looked up at him. Then it dawned on me that she might have already poisoned him.

"Father?" I was confused, hurt and betrayed.

"She is not here to kill you, she only wants to be a family again. I thought you once told me that you wish you were a family once more?" I felt my body begin to shake, I had been too late.

"Father, she has tricked you! Don't fall for her lies! Elijah lies in bed, unable to wake because of her. Please don't choose her over me. You love me, I love you." I couldn't believe the things coming out of my own mouth. Father and Esther looked waited.

"If I let you go, will you promise to hear me out?" I nodded I needed to see how far he'd been touched, maybe I could save him, if I acted quickly. Because it couldn't be true that the only parent I had left would betray me so easily. He let me go, I backed up enough to see both of them together, something I had once wanted when I was a child… but now if they were together, I was doomed to be unloved.

"Speak your piece."

"Your mother has come here, only to make you and your siblings a family again. She came to me the first minute she got back. I know of Finn and Kol too. They are alive, you no longer need miss them. She told me of how she loved you, missed you, regretted that she put the hybrid curse on you. She regretted having betrayed you for Mikael. She said that you killed her the first time and she and I can understand why. I'm happy that she has come to give the Mikaelson family another chance. I feel that she is being honest with me. I feel like we can be a family. Would you not like that?" I charged Esther, ready to slaughter her for making him believe her over me.

I was grabbed, rather tackled by the werewolves. Tyler grabbed me and dragged me away from her. I smacked him away from me. "Did she tell you of how she linked us together and tried to murder us all? Did she share the fact that she turned a bloody history teacher into an Original, linking him to the doppelgänger? Did she tell you of how the teacher was to murder me and my siblings? Did she tell you of how she only a few minutes ago SNAPPED MY NECK?!" I growled at him. His eyes said all I needed to hear, he was sticking to Esther.

"You missed out things when we were talking Niklaus. Do not be a hypocrite, she has been busy trying to keep you and your siblings from fighting each other. I am sorry she did those things. May I ask you to eat with dinner with us so that I may listen to both sides of the story?" I scoffed and shook my head. I turned away from them before they could see me cry. My body shook with rage.

"No I shall not." I turned to him. "If you need to hear both sides then it is clear to me that you will never turn your back on her, the fact that she was even here and not slaughtered the second she appeared at your doorstep I should have known that you would never turn your back on her. You love her, the truth of the matter is… you can choose me? Or you can choose the wretched, vile, whore that is my mother." I told him.

"I would rather not choose sides Niklaus." He replied.

"Well you don't need to. Your eyes have already chosen for you. I hope you enjoy her presence as much as you can, maybe even more than my own. For I shall never return here until she is dead!" I yelled and ran off.

When I got far away from there, out of earshot, and the pain was too much, I fell against a tree and cried. I should have known he would have chosen her over me the minute I heard her. I had lost everything because of her. I was living proof of it! I heard Mikael's words in my head. 'So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one.' I banged my fist against the tree and stayed there, crying.

(Esther POV)

"Esther, what was Niklaus talking about? Did you hurt him?" Tyler asked, looking at me hard. I sighed.

"Yes I did those things, but I have regretted them since then. I wish to love my son but he refuses."

"I need to hear everything that you've done to him, you need to apologize and I shall see what I can do to help you and him grow close again. He came to me, telling me of how you would kill me. I know that is not true. I can see how much you've hurt your own son."

"As do I and I am going to have a hard time getting his trust and love back. If you knew how he felt for me a thousand years ago, you would be surprised at how he acts now. What I need to do is fight his anger and hate with happiness, love and understanding but with his behavior and how much he shows his hatred, right now he wants nothing more than to rip my head off as he did so long ago."

"First I need to be on the same page as you and Niklaus. I heard about Elijah. How is he? Is he okay?"

"Yes, Elijah is okay and he will wake at dawn. That should tell him he can trust me."

"Mother how do you plan on gaining his love back? To have love you must have trust and to have trust you must have love. You need to find a chink in his armor. I know I did but I went about it the wrong way. I am sorry I took Elijah and I am sorry I tried to fight with my siblings."

"A chink in his armor? You are right, I need to find a way back into the good graces of my precious, heartbroken son."

"I shall help you, anytime he pushes you over the edge, come see me. However I fear that he was telling the truth when he said that he would not come here again. So I must go to him when I wish to see him. This will become a safe place for you." I kissed Tyler, he returned it for a minute. "I shall check the perimeter to see if I can find him." He left after that.

"Finn, we should get to bed." I kissed his cheek and went to wait for Tyler in his bed.

(Klaus POV)

I had stopped crying and was already headed back to the house. I was determined to make my parents pay for being together. Tyler had chosen his path, so I had to look out for me now. I no longer had Elijah, Finn, Kol or my father. The only one I had was my sister, I had to make sure that I wasn't left alone. Mikael could not be right! He just couldn't be.

I went home and crawled into bed, determined to get enough sleep to punish those who defied me.