"What's Helene doing here?" Felicity asked Stefan. "Why is she crying? Why can't I see her?"

"She's having some trouble right now," Stefan told Felicity. "She's been hurt and your dad doesn't want you to be scarred for life seeing that."

"I won't be scarred for life!" Felicity shook her head. "I was okay when he said he killed the principal." She made her way to the door and as she tried to reach for the knob, Stefan picked her up and carried her away.

"You're not supposed to leave this room," Stefan reminded her. "Why can't you listen?"

"Because I want to see," Felicity told him. "I don't care what daddy says!" She made her way to the door again, but Stefan blocked it.

"We're going to stay in here and you're gonna behave," Stefan told her.

"But I'm bored!" Felicity complained. "You won't play tea party or dolls with me! Or even teddy bear theatre!"

Stefan groaned. "That's because those games are stupid," he said. "But if one of them will make you stay put, I'll suck it up."

"Really?" Felicity asked. "Okay!"

They were in the second act of the teddy bear version of Red Riding Hood when Klaus opened the door. "I'm sorry," he said when he saw them. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Stefan replied. "Everything okay?" He got up to leave and then Felicity said, "Wait, Uncle Stefan! You can't leave yet! We haven't finished the second act!"

"Let me tell you something, kid," Stefan told her. "It ends with the wolf eating grandma, so now that you know, I'm gonna leave, all right?"

Felicity rolled her eyes and looked at Klaus. "He doesn't like arts, does he?"

"I'm sure he'll play with you later," Klaus told her.

"Why can't I see Helene?" Felicity asked.

"Because Helene is a new vampire and if you get close to her now, she could hurt you and I don't think you're strong enough to get away yet," Klaus replied. "I don't want you to get hurt. That and she's very badly hurt herself. I'll have her come see you when she gets better, okay?"

"All right," Felicity nodded.

Klaus went back to the living room where Helene was lying on the sofa, her bite looking red and angry.

"Let's fix you up then," Klaus said to her. He made to bite his wrist, but Adrian stopped him. "Wait a minute, Dad. I want to try something."

"What else is there to try?" Alistair asked. "Adrian, you know your father's blood is the only way to heal a werewolf bite."

"Maybe not," Adrian replied. He bit himself and let some of his blood dribble into Helene's mouth. She swallowed and coughed, and then they waited.

"You really think your blood will do the same thing for her that mine will?" Klaus asked.

"Why not?" Adrian asked. "I'm hard to kill like you, I can compel vampires like you can, who's to say that my blood can't heal a bite like yours can?" He went back to looking at Helene and was pleased to see that her bite diminished and then finally disappeared.

"Am I better?" Helene asked. "I feel better."

"Yeah," Adrian told her. "You're fine. Now just don't go fighting any more werewolves. At least not until you've been around a little longer."

"Okay," Helene sighed. "I promise."

"Now that you're better, Helene, would you mind going to see Felicity?" Klaus asked. "She's in her room and she was worried about you."

"All right," Helene nodded. Adrian helped her to stand up and she strode to Felicity's room, knocking on the door.

"Come in!" Felicity called.

Helene opened the door and came inside. "Hi, sweetie," she said. "Your...father... told me that you were worried about me."

"Uh-huh," Felicity nodded. "Daddy said you were hurt and I wanted to make you feel better, but he told me I had to stay in here."

Helene got on her knees beside her daughter and cautiously put her arms around her. "You're sweet for thinking of me that way," she said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Felicity said, hugging Helene back. "Are you staying here, or are you going to leave?"

Helene shrugged. "I don't know. Why?"

"Cause," Felicity replied. "When you leave, I'm gonna miss you."

"You don't even know me all that well," Helene told her.

"I know you're nice," Felicity replied. "What else is there?"

Helene shut her eyes tight, taking Felicity in her arms again. "I wish you could come with me too, but that's not something that will work right now. you stay here with your father and I'll see you again sometime. I promise."

"When?" Felicity asked.

"I don't know," Helene replied. "But I swear I won't leave and never come back. I wouldn't do something like that to you."

"Okay," Felicity said. "If you promise." She let Helene go, and then Helene, wiping tears from her eyes, went to join Adrian. "What's going on in here?" She asked.

"I was just telling Dad how you and I were looking for a new start," Adrian replied. "And he said he had some friends down in New Orleans who we might like to meet."

Helene shrugged. "That sounds okay. I'd be willing to give it a try."

"Good," Adrian nodded. "Let's go then." He looked at everyone assembled. "Bye, Dad. Uncle Elijah, will you tell Mom where I am so she doesn't worry?"

"Of course," Elijah nodded.

"And I promise to write once we get there," Helene promised Alistair. Then they left the house and everyone sensed that they'd probably never come back.

"I know that this whole spell thing was for our own protection so that the Council wouldn't find where we are and ruin everything for us," Lenora told James, "but don't you feel stupid just hiding like this? Wouldn't you rather face everyone?"

James sighed. "You know I would," he said. "Do you have any suggestions as to how we might go about that?"

Lenora shrugged. "I suppose I could go and tell them you and I want to get married," she suggested. "It might make you look more respectable, so they'll be more inclined to agree."

"I don't want to get married, though," James told her. "I've done it before and it didn't suit me. Do you want to get married?"

Lenora shook her head. "Not really. I don't see much difference between being your pregnant sixteen year old wife and your pregnant sixteen year old mistress."

James smirked. "You know," he said to her, "sometimes, I forget how young you really are. You act much older."

"Yeah, well," Lenora nodded. "I've been through a lot. That ages you." She paused, her eyes widening. "Oh, god," she cried, sitting down. "Oh, god."

"What?" James asked. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Lenora took a deep breath. "Just the baby letting me know he's here, although my forgetting that fact is impossible." She paused. "You wanna feel?" She asked.

James shook his head. "No, thanks," he said. "I don't know if I want to."

"Oh, come on!" Lenora told him, coming to punch him on the arm. "It's your child, for heaven's sake!"

"Fine," James grumbled. He put his hand on her stomach and his eyes widened as the baby kicked again. "Oh, my god," he said. "What the hell is that?"

"I told you," Lenora replied. "That's the baby. Did you think I've been making it up all these months?"

"Well, no," James replied. "But really, can you imagine me as a proper father?"

Lenora shrugged. "Don't worry about that," she said. "We may be unconventional, but I think we'll do all right."

Astrid sat alone in her and Alistair's house, drinking a cup of tea and thinking.

"What's wrong?" asked a voice. "What can I help you with?" A blonde, blue-eyed, ethereal-looking woman appeared in front of Astrid.

"Hazel!" She started at the sight of the magic rule-keeper standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Hazel replied. "You're the one who called me. What's the trouble?"

"I-oh, it's nothing, never mind." Astrid told her. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Is it about your losing your job at the Council?" Hazel asked.

"Not necessarily," Astrid replied. "I think I had that coming. What kind of a fool would support something that blatently breaks the rules? Especially if they work for the Council? I just don't understand how James and Lenora could even like each other! He's a bad man and she-she has potential that is being squashed this very minute. He did something to make her go with him. I know she's too smart to go on her own."

Hazel sighed. "You're right and you aren't," she said. "She did make a deal with him that was legitimate, but he manipulated her so that he benefitted from the deal a lot sooner than he should have."

"I knew it!" Astrid cried. "Hazel, can't you do something? Can't you have him arrested or killed? He needs to be punished somehow!"

"And in a strange way, I believe he is," Hazel assured her. "As many rules as the Council makes, they can't control everything. Sometimes the world just works in strange ways. James cheated on his deal with your granddaughter and brought her into his home, and now they're forming a connection when he's done nothing but spurn personal connections for the last few hundred years. She's making him care about something, expose a vulnerability in himself. And for a man who's built a fearsome reputation on his not having a heart, feeling love and closeness again, and fearing that it could be taken away is one of the worst punishments there is." She paused. "Do you feel better?"

Astrid nodded. "I think so."

"And here's more good news," Hazel told her. "You're gonna get your job back at the Council soon."

"I am?" Astrid asked in surprise. "How?"

"You'll see," Hazel told her. "Just wait, and you'll see."

"I think I'll go pay a visit to the Council today," Lenora told Max a week or so later.

"Why would you do that?" Max asked. "Your grandmother doesn't work there anymore and based on your association with James, they aren't going to be particularly happy to see you."

"I don't care about that," Lenora told him. "I think there's some stuff about James that they need to know. If I tell them that he's not as bad as he used to be, they might let him go or at least make it so it'll be easier for him to have a normal life."

"Are you still planning on asking for an allowance so that the two of you can be married?" Max asked.

"I don't think I'll do that," Lenora shook her head. "Lies will get me nowhere. I'll just talk to the Council members like a reasonable person and I'm sure they'll make the right decision."

"I feel I should warn you that it might not be as easy as you think," Max told her. "The Council members really like the idea of James being in the position that he's in. They aren't going to just let him off the hook."

"I don't see why they shouldn't," she replied, looking out the window at Luke who was torturing prisoners with gusto. "They have Luke here. It's not like there'll be no one to torture offenders against love if they let James go. I think I'll go tell them that they should."

"You seem awfully sure about this," Max observed.

Lenora nodded resolutely. "I am."

Max sighed. "All right. But I'm coming with you and we're telling James before we go."

Lenora groaned. "Why do we have to do that?! I want this to be a surprise for him!"

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go by yourself," Max told her. "In fact, why don't you and James just go together?"

"Do you realize how stupid I'll feel asking them the stuff I want to ask them if James is standing right next to me?" Lenora asked. "If the only way I can go is if he comes, then I'd rather not go at all!"

"Well, all right," Max told her. "But I think it would do him a lot of good if you did."

They locked eyes for a long moment and then Lenora sighed. "Fine. James can come with me when I go. Are you happy?"

She stomped outside where James was torturing a prisoner and tapped him on the shoulder. "When you're done," she told him, "I have an errand to run on the outside and Max insisted I ask that you come with me."

"All right," James replied, bewitching the knife he was using to stab a man in the heart so that it would do it again and again on its own. "That's handy," Lenora observed with appreciation as the man screamed.

"I know," James grinned. "I've picked up a few tricks over the years." As they walked away from the torture yard, he asked, "and just what is this errand of yours Max is so insistent I come with you to?"

"Oh, I just...I thought I might go to the Council and talk to them about you," Lenora told him. "You know, like I mentioned before. Max said it might be dangerous for me to go on my own."

James nodded. "And he's right. Those vultures are determined to keep me where I am with no reprieve."

"So you've asked before?" Lenora asked. "You've asked to be let out?"

James nodded. "Once. About two-hundred years ago. It didn't work out so well, so I haven't tried to ask again since."

Lenora took his hand. "I'm sorry," she said. "But the Council has new people in it now and maybe they'll be more open-minded."

"I think you're being too optimistic, but what the hell?" James asked. "Why don't we go and give it a try."

"We demand to see the Council members right now!" Lenora told the receptionist when she and James entered the building.

"Do you have an appointment?" The woman had been filing her nails and looking bored, but when she saw James, her eyes widened and she choked on the gum she'd been chewing.

"Oh, hell," James rolled his eyes and gave the woman the heimlich. "There," he said. "Can we see those bastards now? Lenora has something she would like to say."

"Sure," The receptionist replied, coughing. "Go right ahead."

They strode into the main council chamber and James shot some power toward a window, shattering it, which effectively ended the council members' chatter.

"What is the meaning of you barging in here like this, Black?" Asked a stout man with thinning gray hair. "No one gave you permission to be here!"

"Well," James smirked. "The fact is, I don't really give a damn what you think. I dragged myself to this hellhole because my lady has something she'd like to say to all of you. So shut up and listen."

Lenora cleared her throat. "Thank you, James," she said to him. She looked around at the council members, all of whom were male. "Gentlemen, I came here today to make a request. I would like you to consider letting James, or Mr. Black, if you prefer, out of the punishment that you've placed him in. He's been there long enough, he has someone to take over his duties, and I believe you should let him go."

The men all looked at one another and then the stout one stood up. "No." He said flatly.

"No?" Lenora replied. "How can you say 'no' already? You didn't even think about it!"

"We don't have to," the man replied firmly. "Mr. Black will stay where he is."

"But you can't just keep him there!" Lenora cried.

"Why not?" The man asked. "It better be a damn good reason."

"All right," Lenora told them. "You can't keep him in the position he's in because as you can see, I'm pregnant and he's the father of my child. If you keep him where he is, you're depriving my child of the chance of a decent life. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, we do," another man replied. "And frankly, we don't really care. Furthermore, we can't have one of our most feared torturers wasting his time with children and whores like you."

Lenora and James both opened their mouths to protest this statement, but suddenly, Lenora was propelled into the air, her body surrounded by a circle of green light. She felt it crackle and burn on her skin, and the pain made her scream. "Help!" She cried. "Oh, god, James, help!"

James ran up to the man who was controlling the spell and zapped him so he disappeared. The ball of energy disappeared from around Lenora and James ran to catch her before she hit the floor. He held her body firmly against his chest and then turned to face the rest of the Council members.

"Where did he go?" One of them asked.

"That's for me to know and you possibly to find out if you wish," James told him. The men of the Council took this as a challenge and as they each in turn approached and tried to touch Lenora, he zapped them away. Soon, the room was empty.

"Where'd everyone go?" Lenora asked James.

"To a place where they'll learn the consequences of trying to hurt the girl I love," James told her.

"Oh, good," Lenora grinned. "That's great." She shut her eyes, leaned her head against James' shoulder, and he brought her back to the castle.

"Care to explain all the new arrivals?" Max asked.

"They tried to hurt Lenora for making a simple request," James told him. "That upset me. You do the math. And tell Luke to stay away from all of them. I want to handle them personally."

"All right," James nodded. "I'll do that."

Most of the council members were dealt with speedily except for the one who'd actually gotten away with harming Lenora. She'd recovered from the attack all right and luckily, it hadn't affected the baby.

"What are you planning to do with the guy who hurt me?" Lenora asked. "Aren't you gonna torture him too?"

"Well, actually," James told her as he poured syrup over his pancakes. "I was thinking you might like to do that. You know, since he hurt you and all."

"You mean, you want me to torture him?" Lenora asked. "You'd really trust me to do something like that? How do I do it? What's your method?"

James shrugged. "Usually whatever I feel like doing at the moment. There's no specific punishment."

"So I can do whatever I want," Lenora grinned. "Hmmm...what should I do? By the way, it's my birthday today and this is pretty much one of the most interesting presents I've ever gotten."

"Well, happy birthday," James grinned at her. "I'm glad I could do something for you. Although, I'm intrigued as to why you're so happy about this. Most people would be repulsed."

"Well, I'm not 'most people'," Lenora reminded him. "I have some very accomplished killers in my family tree. One of these days, you'll have to meet them."

"I would love to," James replied.

He left Lenora to her business and when he took a break for lunch, he went to check on her and found her sitting at a table, drinking red liquid from a large mug as the man who'd hurt her dangled above the ground, impaled on a tall stake, blood dripping down and being caught in a pail underneath the body.

"Slow and painful," James observed with appreciation. "I like it."

"I know," Lenora nodded. "And it helps me too. This guy's really got some great blood in him!"

"Is that what that is in the mug?" James asked, peering at it. "You know, sometimes, I forget you're a vampire." He looked at the body again. There were ropes hanging off the sides of the stomach. "What are those for?" James asked.

"Oh," Lenora stood up. "This!" She grabbed hold of one of the ropes and pulled, which wrenched the man's body and he let out a yell as blood leaked onto his middle. She then grabbed a knife and made some slashes in his sides, causing more blood to leak into the pail. He let out a yell and Lenora licked her lips and looked down at the pail. "This one is almost full," she observed. "You think I could get another one somewhere?"

"Probably," James nodded. "But this guy looks like he could use a break. Why don't you let him replenish his blood supply and come to bed with me?"

"Okay," Lenora nodded. He picked her up and carried her to the castle, and they kissed all the way to their room. He undressed her and then himself very quickly before lifting her onto the bed. He kissed her breasts and then her stomach and she squirmed. "I didn't think my torturing someone would get you so hot," Lenora said.

"Oh, really?" James asked. "Well, if this is what I'm like when you hurt him, imagine what I'll be like when he's dead. I won't let you out of this room for a week!" Lenora laughed and screamed as she came, clutching to him tightly, reveling in how good it felt to have his hands on her body. Nothing would ever feel as good as that.

Selina opened her eyes after finishing her nap a few days later and looked at the clock, her eyes wide. "Oh, fuck!" she muttered under her breath. "I overslept! Now who's gonna pick the kids up from school?" She got up, grabbed her purse and went out to grab her coat. As she was putting it on, Elijah appeared. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I thought you were supposed to be napping."

"I was napping," Selina replied. "But then I woke up, and it's a good thing, too, because I'm late picking the kids up from school and I don't want them just sitting out there all alone."

"Go back to bed," Elijah told her. "Someone is already bringing the children home from school. You don't have to worry."

"Who is it?" Selina asked. "It can't be Alistair. He's visiting friends today."

"Well," Elijah replied, "actually, I've asked Katerina to-"

"Katherine?!" Selina burst out. "Katherine is going near my children? Uh-uh, nope, sorry, I don't think. so. I'm going to take my car, and go to that school and just maybe I can pick them up before she gets there!"

But at that moment, the door opened. "Hello!" Katherine called out. "We're home!"

She came in with Gregory holding her hand, even though he was much too old to need to.

"What the hell are you doing?" Selina asked her son.

"I was, um..." He dropped his hand from Katherine's. "She had to park far away from the house so that you wouldn't see the car and I just wanted to make sure she was safe," Gregory explained. "You can't be too careful."

"Of all the-" Selina put a hand to her forehead. "I don't get this," she told him. "I really don't. You've always been the sensible one. You didn't even playing peekaboo when you were a baby cause whenever I tried to do so, you'd look at me like I was making you do the dumbest thing in the world! And now-now you've chosen to start acting stupid because of this?" She gestured wildly at Katherine.

"I'm gonna go do my homework now," Gregory told her quickly. "Thanks for picking us up, Katherine." The other two kids followed his lead, leaving Katherine, Elijah and Selina alone in the living room.

"Let me explain," Elijah told Selina. "I only asked this of Katerina because I thought it would make it easier for you. You won't be able to drive much longer. You probably shouldn't even be doing it now."

"So you went behind my back and you hired your ex who fucked up my life in the worst way possible and thought it would be a good idea not to mention it to me?!" Selina raged. "She's got you acting as screwy as Gregory!"

"I assure you she hasn't," Elijah said firmly. "You're allowing yourself to become overwrought and it's not good for you. Now please, dear. Go back to bed. And by the way," He told her, "I wouldn't have had to reacquaint myself with her if you had not been so selfish as to get in my brother's bed while you were still married to me. It was your own actions that brought Katerina back into my life, so even though I love you more than I can say, she will be here too, and I don't want to hear a word of complaint about it from you, because honestly, you have no right. Not now, not ever." He strode off, leaving Katherine smirking.

"Wow," she said. "That was awkward."

"Oh, shut up!" Selina snapped.

"It's kind of sad you're so insecure," Katherine told her. "If I was with Elijah, I wouldn't be."

Selina scoffed. "Yeah, well it's real easy for someone who constantly victimizes people to not know what it feels like to be insecure!"

"Come on now," Katherine said to her. "It's not like you never victimized people. I remember your Lonely Heart days. How scared everyone was. Of course, I didn't know that it was actually you at the time, but if I had known, I would have been impressed."

"Great," Selina sighed. "Praise from a self-absorbed lunatic bitch. Just the feather I've always wanted in my cap."

"Those who live in glass houses..." Katherine began.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't live in a glass house anymore. Cause I've grew up and you haven't. There might have been a point in my life where I thought the best way to be was to treat people like shit, but I don't believe that anymore. And you said you feel sorry that I'm insecure. Well, I have to thank you for curing me of it. Just talking to you has made me realize that I have more going for me in my life than you ever will and that's something I'm grateful for. Thanks for bringing my kids home. I appreciate it. But now that you've done what you've been hired to do, you can go on your way now. See you tomorrow."