When Kol woke up he knew something was wrong. First of all, he was in the room he recognised from last time, the room Klaus had given him in his mansion. Secondly, he could still feel the vervain that Elijah had injected him with before. He was alone in the room which gave him a really bad feeling. If they wanted to make sure he was going to stay put, one of them would be here… Unless they could be sure he wouldn't be able to leave.

Kol sped to the window, opening it without a problem. It was only when he went to lean forward that he snarled quietly. A boundary spell? His mother had put a spell on him without his consent and now he was stuck in this stupid house with all the people he didn't want to see.

He gritted his teeth and threw himself onto the bed. Well, there was nothing he could do. He didn't know any witches in this time apart from the little Bennett and he was sure that he would hate him the way she did in the last timeline. After all, Bennett witches had always been 'special' in the way that they were too arrogant for their own good. How Ayana's ancestors managed to turn this self-centred he didn't know. He didn't really care either.

While he didn't have a way out of here quite yet, he needed to plan. Mother would be trying to kill them during the ball which was the priority for now. Then, he needed to take care of Silas before they found out about him and the Wickery Bridge still had too much White Oak. This time he would have to make sure to burn the sign as well. Another thing he was going to try for was to stop the little Gilbert from becoming a hunter. They had been friends for a while and Kol had been a bit sad when the Doppelgänger and her pet Salvatore had stormed in and ruined everything.

Kol chewed on his lip, debating whether he would trust Finn enough to try and talk to him. He knew that Sage was alive and that she would be here. Maybe it would be enough to get Finn to at least think about what he was going to do - not only to them but to all vampires on Earth. He would have to at least try. Without Finn keeping an eye on their mother, Kol wasn't sure whether he could do this. He was never her favourite and never even got close. Once upon a time, it had hurt but by now, he was over it. Why should he need his mother's approval? She was the one who made them the people they were today. She and Mikael both.

That was another thing Kol would try and stop. Davina had brought back their father for a reason he couldn't fathom at all. Maybe he could get Marcellus to step down in case Klaus wanted to go back there… He shook his head. It wasn't any of his business but he would have to go and talk to Marcellus whether the man believed him or not. But the least Kol could do was warn him. He could do that on his way to Vancouver. The further he got away, the better.

"Finn," Kol called, seeing his older brother enter the living room "A word?"

"What do you want, Kol?" the oldest of the brothers sighed, rolling his eyes. While he was feeling sorry for his brother, he wasn't sure what to think about him quite yet. Kol had always been a wild card and they had left him in a coffin for nine hundred years "I was under the impression that you were avoiding us."

Kol huffed, walking over to pour himself a drink. If he couldn't leave, the least he could do was drink his way through Niklaus' alcohol storage "It would work so much better were I not trapped in this godforsaken house, don't you think?" He leaned against the wall, narrowing his eyes on Finn "I know that you're helping mother and I know that she is trying to kill us. You never truly liked what we became, did you, Finn?"

Finn was by his side in an instant, pinning him to the wall "What do you know?"

"Oh, I know a lot, brother." Kol tried to smirk but he was sure it ended as something of a grimace. Being pinned against the wall by Finn was taking his memories back onto being cursed. He hated that it was bothering him so much being this close to his siblings but then again, there was a reason he had stayed away all those centuries. The problem wasn't that he didn't care for his family... Rather the fact that they could make him feel. Mostly it was hurt, anger but now, after being stuck in a witch's body and slowly dying at the hands of his own brother... He was scared "What would you say if I had a way to grant your wish? You could become a witch again, become human. Of course, that would mean that you would have to leave your precious Sage behind."

"Sage?"

Kol just looked at him until his throat was released and Finn stepped back "Oh yes, did you not know? I thought Elijah or Niklaus would have told you by now. Your darling Sage is still around and while I do not know where she is, I know that should you die, she dies as well." When Finn didn't respond, Kol continued "Should we die, our sirelines die with us. Did mother tell you that part? Do you really hate yourself that much that you want all vampires to die? Had nature not wanted us to exist, we wouldn't, Finn. Did you ever think about that?"

"What - What do you mean?" Finn asked, looking at Kol in confusion. He seemed so different from the boy he remembered. Then again, even the rest of their siblings seemed surprised by Kol's change in attitude if the conversation he had overheard between them was to be believed.

"Why don't you ask mother since you seem to be so close now?" he asked "You never bothered to listen to me before. None of you did. Why should that change now?"

"Kol..."

"No," Kol shouted, throwing the glass he had been drinking from before against the far wall "I'm done with this shit. Done with this family. Make no mistake, Finn. If you help our mother, I will find a way to make you suffer. Whether we die or not. I may not hate you as much as the others but that doesn't mean that I like being around you."

"What is going on here?" Elijah asked, entering the room.

Kol stepped away from Finn, shooting a glare at Elijah. He was pissed about being stuck here. They hadn't even let him go out to get new clothes after Elijah dragged him from the Grill like a petulant little child "Absolutely nothing," he spat, pouring himself another drink before stalking out of the room.

"What was that?" Elijah asked after Kol was gone.

Finn looked at him expressionlessly "What is it to you?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Finn, do you know what's the matter with Kol?"

"No," Finn shook his head "He doesn't talk to me either. Not that I expected him to."

Elijah tilted his head "What do you mean?"

"You're treating him like an errant child," Finn pointed out "Is it such a wonder that he won't talk to you? I'm not sure what happened these past centuries but Kol isn't doing this for attention. He wants to leave. This doesn't strike me as an act to get attention."

"You don't know Kol," Elijah sighed, sitting down on the couch "He's always been this way."

Finn rolled his eyes. He was less than impressed with his 'noble brother' "Maybe that behaviour of yours is the problem," he shrugged "I won't say I know what you all turned into but I do know that Kol isn't playing. He wants to leave and the only thing that's stopping him is Mother's spell. You won't be able to keep him here if that's what you're planning. The moment he'll be able to run, he's going to be gone and I'm sure that you won't see him again."

"Now you're being dramatic," Elijah snorted "Kol is showy. It will only be a matter of time before he'll massacre a town or a whole city."

Finn stared at him in open disdain "If this is how you always react to him, I can't blame him for wanting to leave. I would look to myself if I were you. Maybe it's not Kol who's the problem but you, Rebekah and Niklaus."

After his conversation with Finn, Kol was lying on his bed playing with the phone Rebekah had given him when Elijah entered, throwing a garment bag at him. He looked at the suit for a moment before looking up at Elijah "And what am I supposed to be doing with this?"

"Mother plans on holding a ball tonight," Elijah told him "To celebrate the reunion of our family."

Kol blinked at him "Are you even hearing anything I've been saying? I'm not attending this stupid ball. Being stuck here with you lot is already bad enough."

"Kol," Elijah warned "I have been willing to put up with this... temper tantrum you're throwing but no more. You will be attending the ball and you will behave."

"Tantrum?" Kol demanded through gritted teeth, speeding to his brother. He didn't waste a second, throwing his older brother through the doors "You think this is what? Me trying to get you back for repeatedly stabbing me with a dagger? Wake up, Elijah. I gave you so many chances but I'm done now. The moment you remove this spell from me, I'm gone."

"What is the meaning of this?" Esther asked, surveying the scene in front of her. She had spent most of her day in her study, trying to make the last preparations for the ball when she heard the crash above her head.

Elijah got up smoothly, straightening his suit "My apologies, mother. I was just informing Kol about the ball you had planned."

"Of course you go and throw me under the bus," Kol grumbled under his breath before he turned to walk back into his room.

"Kol," Esther called out "I expect you to be there tonight and to behave yourself."

Kol snorted "I'm not going to this stupid ball. How often do I have to say it?"

"This is not a matter of discussion, Kol," Esther told him, her eyes narrowing. Why did he always have to make things so difficult? He never listened to her. Not when he was human and not now.

"Of course not," Kol growled seeing that the rest of his siblings had joined the show "Why should any of you ever let me do anything I want? Or don't want for that matter. Tell me, Nik, is it funny to you that I'm locked in this house? That I've been locked in a coffin time and time again? Hell, maybe it's funny that Finn spent 900 years with a dagger in his chest?"

"Enough," Elijah snapped, grabbing Kol's arm "I don't know why you're acting this way but it stops now."

Kol shoved him away "Saint Elijah. You pretend that you're so much better than us but you're not." He felt his anger subside, leaving only hurt and tiredness in its wake "Why can't you all just leave me alone?"

Rebekah took a step towards him, a look of concern on her face. This was what she had been talking about the whole time. Something wasn't right with Kol. He had never acted like that before but Elijah and Klaus hadn't listened to her. They were convinced that he was merely sulking about being daggered "Kol..."

"Leave it," he snapped, the heat behind his words long gone. He was exhausted and it hadn't helped that his night had been full of dreams of the past. It was like all of his memories had been stirred and thrown around. The walls he had put up centuries ago nothing but ruins at his feet. If that wasn't a metaphor for his life, he didn't know what was.

Soft music was playing in the background as the Mikaelson siblings bar Klaus were in the living room. For the first time since the daggers had been removed no one was fighting. It might have something to do with Kol having dropped off to sleep not long before the others joined him in the room. Several people were around them, helping them with the last-minute preparations for the ball.

Rebekah looked from the girl who was doing her nails to Kol, placing a gentle hand on his ankle "He looks so young. I haven't seen him this peaceful in years," she murmured, watching his face "Why do you think he is...?"

The door banged open as Klaus stormed into the room, glaring at Rebekah "You went after Elena? What's wrong with you?"

While Klaus and Rebekah started bickering, Finn watched Kol's reaction to the whole thing. His youngest brother had flinched awake at the loud noise the door had made and he even thought he saw some semblance of fear in Kol's eyes for a moment before it was gone.

"Go and get changed, Kol," Elijah told his youngest brother now that he was awake "The first guests will be arriving any minute now."

Kol clenched his hands into fists "I told you a hundred times that I'm not going to this stupid ball. So you go and have fun but I'm staying up here."

Finn looked up from adjusting his bowtie and sent Kol a small smile. After his talk with Elijah, he had decided to try and be as understanding as he could. Maybe one day Kol would talk to him about what's bothering him. Not that he was actively trying to get him to talk but he hoped it would be enough to be there "I thought you'd love the chance to wreak havoc."

"Finn," Elijah sighed "Don't encourage him. Mother doesn't want anything to go wrong tonight."

"Of course, she doesn't," Kol muttered "Which is exactly why it's a good idea for me to stay up here. Less of a chance of me making a scene. Or am I wrong?"

"Kol, I don't care what is wrong with you but I had it with your attitude," Klaus rolled his eyes as he walked into the room "You had your say now suck it up."

Kol narrowed his eyes and made to attack Klaus when Elijah stopped him with a hand on his chest "I haven't said nearly enough yet."

"Oh, spare me," Klaus groaned, moving over to the full-length mirror to check his suit.

Kol backed away, shaking his head as he sped out of the room. He moved towards the garden door and snarled when he hit the barrier harshly "Fuck this," he hissed, bashing his hand against it hard enough to hurt.

"Kol," Finn spoke up, his voice calm as he appeared behind his raging brother. He hesitated for a moment before he gently cradled Kol's face in his hands. By the time he started speaking, Kol was close to hyperventilating "I need you to take a couple of deep breaths, alright? Just breathe nice and slowly."

It took a while for Kol to get his breathing under control but when he did, he slumped against Finn "Why me?" he breathed tiredly "Why is it always me? I just want to be left alone."

Finn sighed, running his hand over Kol's hair soothingly "I'm so sorry, Kol."

Kol pulled back reluctantly, unsure why he felt so safe with Finn of all people. He wiped at his eyes and let out a slow breath "I better go change."

"I'll see you downstairs," Finn smiled sadly as he watched his brother walk away from him. He had never been closest to Kol but maybe he should have tried sooner. He always thought it was impossible to break his youngest and wildest brother but now... Kol was so broken and none of their siblings even knew what was happening. They still dismissed him and wrote his behaviour off as a tantrum.