Once my nails had dried, I applied a second coat to Rebekah's. As I finished and closed the bottle of nail polish, I stood up.

"I need a drink," I told Rebekah.

She stood up and walked to the mantel in her bedroom. "I have a delightful scotch and blood mixture here."

"Funny, Bekah." I said with a slight glare. "I meant a drink of water."

"That's no fun."

"I'm going to the kitchen; do you want anything?"

"No."

I left Rebekah's room and walked down the hall. Just before I reached the top of the stairs, I heard my name spoke from the front foyer. Unfortunately, it was spoken by the one person I never wanted to hear my name spoken by ever again.

What the hell is he doing here?

"I want to talk to Riley; I know she's here." Lewis's booming voice easily resonated from the front foyer.

I quickly flew down the stairs and placed myself between Klaus and Lewis, facing the latter. "You have a lot of nerve coming into his house and demanding things of him."

"Do you really think I don't know what he is, sweetheart?" Lewis asked as he cocked his head to the side. His action threw me; I know I do that sometimes too.

But I covered my shock and crossed my arms over my chest. "Do you really think I don't know what you are? And don't 'sweetheart' me. But since you already know who he is, perhaps I should level the playing field here." I turned, slightly, to face Klaus and gestured towards Lewis. "Klaus, this is Lewis."

I had barely even finished speaking when Klaus moved quickly around me. He grabbed Lewis by the throat and squeezed. Lewis's face started turning red.

I lightly put my hand on his arm. "Don't, Klaus. He's a witch."

"I prefer the term warlock," Lewis chocked out. "But yes, I do have magic." He never took his eyes off me. Honestly, I was surprised he didn't use magic to hurt Klaus or to save himself. He just stood there, being strangled.

"I don't care that you have magic; I do not have patience for those who go against me. Come here again and I will remove your head from your body." Klaus squeezed Lewis's neck for a few extra seconds, then released him. Lewis rubbed his neck, but said nothing as he left.

"You knew he had magic?" Klaus asked, as soon as the door closed behind Lewis.

"No. I had my suspicions. I didn't know for sure until Lewis confirmed it just now."

"And you never said anything?" I could see he was furious.

"I wanted to be sure."

Klaus was fuming as he walked out of the foyer. He went into the study, poured a drink, and downed it in one go.

I followed him. "What happened to never walking away angry?" I asked from the doorway to the study.

"You kept something important from me!"

"All I had were suspicions. I'm sorry, but I wanted to be sure before I raised that kind of alarm."

"I could have been better prepared against his magic, had I known of even its slightest possibility." He put down his empty glass and spoke more calmly. "I want you to always tell me what you're thinking."

I put my hands on my hips. "Only if you do the same."

After the confrontation with Lewis, I decided to go home. I went upstairs and to say goodbye to Rebekah. I found her standing at the top of the stairs.

"Did you see all that?"

She shook her head. "I didn't see it all, but I heard everything. You're father's a warlock."

"Yep. One who sided with a vampire hunter and didn't try to help me escape when said hunter had me bound and all but covered in vervain."

"Parents suck." I actually laughed at Rebekah's comment.

"Yea, sometimes. Sorry to cut our afternoon short, but I'm gonna go home."

"That's okay, Ri." She pulled me in for a hug. "See you around school tomorrow." I nodded and left the house.

Once I was outside, I ran home. It felt good to run through the woods at top speed.

The house was empty when I got home.

Typical.

I went to my bedroom, but the moment I got there, I knew I couldn't stay; it felt too enclosed. I decided to sit on the side edge of the front porch. My legs dangled off the side and the siding of the house brushed against my arm when I moved. I looked at, but didn't really see, the nearby trees.

I tried not to feel anything when Lewis was around, but it was difficult. Just seeing him brought up feelings I thought I had long-since dealt with. I didn't want to feel anything when I saw him. I wanted to view him as some distant relative who I hardly ever saw; someone I recognized as family, but who I didn't have an emotional connection with.

But I couldn't. Seeing him brought up the hurt and the anger from the past. And I didn't want those emotions to control me.

Klaus found me there, sitting on the porch, staring out at the trees.

"I knew who he was the moment you entered the front foyer; I've never seen you so openly hostile with someone before. Not even the Lockwood mutt." I chuckled, humourlessly, as he sat down beside me. His legs hung over the edge of the porch.

"He cannot be trusted."

I nodded. "I know."

I turned slightly to face Klaus; I leaned my back against the house and brought my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

"When I was younger — 7 or 8, maybe — the kids at school always had this weird game, I guess you could call it, that they liked to play. They would ask each other which parent they loved more. I think it was supposed to be amusing because no one could ever answer that question."

Klaus shifted closer and took my hand.

"I still don't understand the point of it, but I still remember that stupid game because I could always answer that question. I never did, but I could. I always knew that I loved my mother more. I was closer to her."

Klaus moved so that his back was resting against the house too. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"When my father left, I thought it was my fault; that I had unintentionally been sending out signs of this. But when he left and never looked back, I stopped caring whether it was my fault or not. I was so angry with him. Then more time passed and I stopped being angry. I stopped feeling anything towards him."

I pulled back slightly to look into Klaus's eyes; I wanted him to see that I truly meant what I was about to say.

"I know Lewis is untrustworthy; I'd question your perception if you thought anything else."

"Are you okay with that?"

"I know where my loyalties lie, Klaus. I know which side I stand on. I'm exactly where I want to be. Lewis is my father in biology only; otherwise, he means nothing."

"Is that true?" I think Klaus knew the answer already, but asked anyway.

"Wishful thinking," I mumbled. "I find myself unable to properly control my emotions when I'm around him. So you can't let me be alone with him. I may rip his head off."

Klaus smirked. "Is that bad?"

I scoffed and elbowed him in the ribs. I probably felt it more than he did.

"I got something for you," Klaus said as he leaned forward and picked up something that was lying on the nearest porch chair. He handed it to me. "I thought you would like some chocolates after that interaction with your father."

"Thank you," I replied as I took the box from him. I opened it, ate one, and offered him a chocolate too. I don't know why, but it surprised me when he ate one too.