I stare up at the apartment building. Brick walls with small little balconies littered across it, and nearly a hundred people's lives being lived inside of it. My dad is one of those lives. The last I saw, he was drowning himself in his own sorrow and pity. Papers were scattered across the floors, the sound of his snores echoing through the walls, and a sense of heartbreak every time I saw it.

I can't do it. I know I should, but I can't bring myself to step towards the building. Kol seems to sense my reluctance. "You said there was a room for me?" I question, to which Kol nods. "I hope you won't mind having me around for awhile, Mikaelson." It's half-hearted at best in its effort, but Kol laughs all the same.

"I don't think I could ever mind having you around." Kol smiles and takes my hand as we walk away from the building. "Klaus is going to be thrilled to see you again."

Unfortunately, Klaus was too preoccupied with other things to be excited about my return.

The whole mansion is buzzing with life when Kol and I enter, but the group of people take no notice of us. They're too caught up in arguing to notice anything not in front of their noses. Kol stiffens next to me and ushers me further into the foyer where no one can see us.

Nevertheless, I got a glimpse of the group—Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Finn, who I all recognize based off resemblance to Kol and glimpses of from around the mansion, and one woman I can't identify. "What's going on?"

Kol holds a finger to his lips and whispers, "I was hoping they wouldn't be here just yet. Go upstairs, darling. I'll be there shortly."

I want to argue, to ask why, and refuse to leave without an explanation, but the anxiety in Kol's expression hushes those urges. So I quietly adjust my duffle bag on my shoulder and sneak upstairs.

Kol's room is exactly as I had remembered it. The only thing that changed was the added stack of grimoires at his desk. It's almost as if he expected me to come visit soon. I decide to pass the time by flipping through the grimoires and studying some of the spells.

Even that couldn't drown out the shouts and clattering from downstairs. I had to press my hand to my ear to eventually make the ringing in my head loud enough to overcome it. It reminded me too much of the many nights full of screaming and shouting between my parents. Mostly about something that had been brewing for a couple weeks, me, or anything that irritated the other into snapping.

The thought of it alone is enough to bring the pressure behind my eyes and a throbbing through my head. I resolve to doing nothing more than setting my head down on the desk until it's all over, which is exactly how Kol found me when he came back. "How much of that did you hear?" He inquires as he sits down on the bed with a deep sigh.

"As little as humanly possible." I chuckle as I join him and rest my head on his shoulder. "I mean, I know something has most of your siblings pretty pissed, but I don't know much more."

"My mother is back." He scoffs, and I analyze his expression. The resentment and pain are right there on the surface like he isn't even trying to mask it. I'm just not sure if it's because he trusts me or if he's just too tired to hide it away. "I should be happy. I thought she died centuries ago, but I'm not." There's a pain in his voice that I've only ever heard from my father, which hurts and scares me. That feeling only increases when he says, "Maybe people are right; maybe I am a monster. One that you're better off without."

I have to resist the urge to smack him for even thinking it. "Kol Mikaelson, don't you dare say that." I steel myself for what I'm about to say, because I know once I do, there's no going back to what we were. "You are not a monster, by any means. If you're a monster, that means I am too, and so are ninety percent of the people in this town. I—"

Kol's voice cuts me off, and his brown eyes drill into my soul as he speaks. "You aren't a monster, Lee."

"Then you aren't either. No matter what you or anyone else says. I refuse to believe that. What you are doesn't define who you are." I sigh as I sit on my legs facing him. "Please, don't for a second think you are, or that I would ever be better off without you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know who I was. I would still see myself as a broken girl, as a bandaid baby that didn't quite cover the wound. I highly doubt I would have ever been this happy if it weren't for you. I—I—" My voice can't form the words.

Luckily, Kol doesn't need me to say them to understand where I was going with it. I stare at my twitching fingers which fiddle with the hem of my shirt to avoid his gaze. My heart pounds so hard I half-expect it to break itself, but I know looking at Kol is an even better chance of it breaking. The fear of him not feeling the same is just too great.

His fingers curl beneath my chin and lift it until I'm forced to look at him. The shaking is now uncontrollable as my brown eyes meet his. His voice is so quiet, it would make a whisper seem like a shout, as he says, "You don't have to say it. I know, and I feel the same." Then, for the third time tonight, I kiss Kol Mikaelson until my head spins with euphoria.

"So why exactly is your sister screaming at random people?" I ask Klaus as I shut the door to the studio to drown out the shouting blonde. I haven't officially met Rebekah or the other Mikaelson's yet, but I know them all nevertheless. Kol and I decided it would be better to wait until things settled down a little bit before he introduced his new girlfriend. "Kol refuses to tell me. He just says it will be a surprise." I roll my eyes as I remember the smirk and comment he gives me each time I ask.

"The Mikaelson Ball." Klaus replies causally as he continues to stare at the canvas in front of him. "It's family tradition anytime we're all together."

"So is it for Esther? Or were you guys planning it before she came back when you woke up Finn?" I inquire as I sort through Klaus's art supplies for my medium. "Did you move my pencils again?"

"No, they're exactly where you left them, love." There's a long pause as he finishes a brushstroke before he speaks again. "If you must know, it's because of her. It was her tradition after all. Plus, what mother wants, she gets."

"So I've heard." I mumble as I sit down with my sketchpad. Over the past two weeks I've been staying here, my time has been split between learning magic from Kol, sneaking around the mansion, and Klaus's art lessons, which have been a lot more fun than I was anticipated. "It's not right what she did to you."

Despite his best efforts, Klaus can't entirely keep the edge from his voice. I know most people would find their heart torn out for such a comment, but Klaus and I have a mutual understanding and friendship. "What makes you say that?"

"No mother should punish her children for what they are. Especially when they ended up turning out to be good people. Once you get past the surface that is." Klaus chuckles at the last part. "I'm serious. You and Kol both act like your these horrible people simply because that's what people expect of you, but you can't lie to me. I can see right through it."

"Sometimes I wish it weren't true."

"So... Are you going to invite Caroline to the ball?"

There's a momentary stutter in Klaus's painting, which he quickly tries to hide. "Why would I do that? She despises my existence."

"Because, she may say she despises you, but deep down I think there's more to the story. Plus, you can't say no to a good game."

"What makes you so sure she would come?"

"Call it a witch's hunch." I smirk with a quick glance at him. "Plus, just think about where I would be if Kol had given up on me."

"I would prefer to not entertain such morbid ideas." Klaus smiles as he cleans his brushes and motions for me to come look. "It's almost finished. What do you think?"

The canvas in front of me is streaked with black, white, and blue paint. It's one of Klaus's abstract pieces, but like all of his work, it is still flawed and moving. I am in awe of what he can do when he sets himself towards something. "It's—breathtaking, but sad."

"You always say my work is sad." Klaus flips through the many pages of my sketchbook with a ghost of a smile. "Yet yours has the same morose quality. Any particular reason?"

"Maybe it's because we're more similar than we think. Life has made us bitter and sad. Plus, like you told me, art is merely the reflection of the artist."

The room is silent as Klaus looks over my latest piece, which is nothing more than a rough sketch of him when he thought I wasn't looking. I can tell he finally sees the pain he so desperately tries to hide the world is plainly obvious to me. It's a heartbreaking experience, to see your friend realize they're not all they pretend to be, that the mask they choose to wear means nothing to you.

I don't even think about it as I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. During my time here, I have come to see Klaus as an older brother, and he's told me before he sees me as another sister. "I told you, Klaus, I see through it."

Klaus still holds onto the book for dear life as he returns the hug. "You know, Kol is very lucky to have you."

"Yes, I am." Kol's voice cuts like a knife through the air. I spin around to find him glaring at his older brother, but I know that despite the look he holds no grudge or malice against him. He's just not used to seeing me hugging his brother. It's only a moment of jealousy.

I give Kol a warning look as I pass him. "Well, I'm heading into town for the day. Don't wait up." I call over my shoulder before I sneak through the hallway and out the front door.

The chill in the air nips at my exposed skin, which I know will make my whole face red by the time I reach town. It probably would have been easier to borrow Kol's car, but the walk will give me the time I need to think about everything.

Slowly, the dense forest becomes more sparse, buildings appear more frequently, and cars pass by on their way home. I avoid looking in the direction of my dad's apartment. The guilt of not even letting him know I'm in town is too real if I do. At least, if I don't look, I can pretend I'm not a horrible daughter. Plus, he probably would be upset with me anyway for hiding out at the mansion all this time, getting a boyfriend without his knowledge, and sneaking into town without so much as a five second stop by the apartment.

I'm the bandaid baby that only worsens the wound.

The thought is jostled from my attention as I walk inside the grill. Customers fill the place with chatter, and I look around for the familiar face. He nearly scares the wits out of me when he finds me first. "Lee, you came?" Jeremy questions with a slight smile. Unfortunately, our previous friendship has become tenuous since my relationship change with Kol.

"Of course, you're my friend, and you asked me to come. Just know, I'll leave if you start to criticize my life choices." I avoid looking at Jeremy as my eyes trail around for any sign of his friends. "So, what's wrong? You sounded kind of freaked earlier."

"Right." Jeremy says as he pulls me into the back of the restaurant with a worried expression. "It's about Esther."

"Kol's mom?" I question in a whisper as I double check no one can hear us. "I was hoping I was wrong about her. What happened?"

"This happened." Without another word, Jeremy passes his phone, which clearly shows the front of an invitation to the Mikaelson ball. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Everyone in town got one. It's as if he reads my thoughts as he swipes to the next picture— a hand written note from Esther to Elena requesting a meeting.

My stomach is weighted with stones. Ever since Esther reappeared, I've had a miserable feeling nagging me. It told me that she was up to something, but I wanted so desperately to believe I was wrong about her and her plans. "She wants Elena for something--probably blood. I don't know specifically why, but it's probably about Klaus's hybrids."

"But he can't use her blood anymore. She's a vampire now. That's why Klaus wants—" He stops before he can say anything else. There's something I shouldn't know, but I'm going to make sure he tells me now. I glare at Jeremy until he cracks. "—it's why he wants the cure to vampirism."

"There's a cure?" My mind reels. Klaus never told me any of this, but it makes sense of why he sneaks off to talk to Jeremy. Neither of them know I still sneak into the clock tower. I caught them one time. "Let me take a guess and say that's why you and Kol hate each other."

Jeremy doesn't look at me, but it gives me the answer I had already known. "So if she can't stop Elena's blood from creating more hybrids, what else would she want her for?"

I bite my lip as I sort through the millions of possibilities. Although, with the little bit I know about Esther, the chances of my figuring it out before she's done is slim. "I have no idea. All I can tell you is— I'm going to do my best to find out."