When I finally opened my eyes all there was, was darkness. As my eyes readjusted to the lighting, I looked around. I was in something covered in white fabric.

"Hello, Kristina." I turned and stared at the woman beside the thing I was in.

"Esther?"

I followed Esther to a large, what looked like, palace. I stared up at the palace in shock as she walked inside. I followed her inside and heard someone gasp in shock.

"Mother?" Was that Rebekah? Esther disappeared from my sight.

"Look at me! Do you know why I'm here?" She asked someone.

"You're here to kill me." I nearly gasped at the sound of Niklaus' voice.

"Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you," Esther told him and I just moved closer to them confused. Why did she need to forgive him? "Come child." I peered around the doorway and I saw my family in strange clothing. "I want us to be a family again." I saw Niklaus stare up at me in confusion and hope before speeding to me. I jumped back at the change of speed as he stared down at me. He gently touched my face as though he couldn't believe I was standing before him.

"Are you truly here?" he asked quietly.

"I am," I told him, my voice hoarse and he leaned down and kissed me.

I was sitting on one of the 'couches' looking through a 'magazine' at current hairstyles and clothing for women. Music was playing and Bekah was having her nails done and Kol, Elijah, and Finn were preparing for this 'ball' Esther had insisted we have.

"Rebekah? Kristina? Tell me how handsome I am," Kol ordered.

"Ah Kol, you know I can't be compelled," Rebekah told him with a smile. Some of the language they were using still confusing to me, but I was slowly catching up. Finn grinned at the pair as the door opened and Nik walked in and over to me. He offered me his hand and I took it before he looked at Rebekah.

"You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?!" Nik asked her angrily.

"Here we go," Bekah sighed.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Nik asked her and I gave him a shocked and confused look. Sure as siblings they had several spats, but nothing like that.

"Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?" Kol sighed.

"Oh, go back to staring at yourself," Nik ordered.

"And who are you, my father?" Kol teased.

"No, Kol, but you're in my house," Nik reminded him.

"Then perhaps we should go outside." Nik released my hand and the boys stared at each other when Esther walked into the room.

"Enough! Niklaus. Come." Nik followed her into another room and Bekah grabbed my arm.

"Come, sister. It's your turn." Bekah sat me in front of the woman who was doing her nails and gave her my hand.

I was standing in front of a full-length mirror and stared at myself in my new dress. The dress was purple and hugged my body from my chest to my waist then fell and dragged behind me on the floor. The bodice of the dress was covered in black beading from my neck to my waist. The cloth of the purple dress hugged my bust and allowed the beading to look like a necklace. I turned and stared at it and sighed once again.

"What is it, love?" Nik asked me and I looked at him through the mirror.

"I'm just not used to these clothes," I told him. He smiled and walked up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You look ravishing." I smiled and thanked him. He let his arms fall from my waist and grabbed my hand pulling me gently from the room. We joined the rest of the party and Nik introduced me to people and we had good conversations with them. Nik had told me this town was built over our old village so hearing how they told the history of their town was interesting. Shortly after, Nik had left to get us drinks and a young man stepped up to me. He was familiar, but I couldn't place him in my memory.

"Hi, I'm Stefan Salvatore." He held out his hand to shake and I took it with a small smile.

"Kristina Mikaelson, nice to meet you." His hand tightened on mine to the point where it was causing some slight pain.

"Did you know your husband has tried to kill everyone I've ever loved in this town?" he asked me and my smile immediately fell. I'd known Nik was different from his human self. He was a vampire and a thousand years is enough to change even the kindest of people.

"Stefan. Release my wife's hand," Nik ordered coldly while glaring at him. Stefan dropped my hand like it was on fire and Nik handed me the glass he'd gotten for me.

"To answer your question, Stefan, no I didn't know. But I'm sure even you've done things your human self wouldn't be proud to admit. You've been a vampire for, what? 100 years? My family has been alive ten times that and have changed from who they were based on their experiences in life. I'm certain everyone in this room could say the same." I took a drink from my glass and Nik placed his hand at the small of my back to move me to someone else to speak with.

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please," Elijah called out and we went to join the rest of our family on the staircase as Esther walked down the staircase. "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Nik held his hand for mine and I smiled before accepting it.

"You're, of course, aware I don't know this dance," I told him as we joined the others on the dance floor.

"It's a good thing you have an expert partner then." I laughed lightly

"It must be."

"Mother chose this dance and this song. It does make me wonder why though."

"She said she'd forgiven you, Nik. Is there a reason you don't trust her?" I asked him.

"I may be hopeful, but even a monster knows forgiveness is not to be trusted."

"You're no monster, Niklaus," I told him gently. "Esther said it herself. Forgiveness isn't earned, it's given. Maybe it's time you did the same."

"I don't know what you mean," he told me looking away from me.

"Bekah told me what happened after I'd collapsed, and why," I told him and I saw his jaw tense. "Perhaps it's time to forgive her for separating us."

"Have you?" he asked me and I looked down lightly.

"I hope I have the courage to do so," I told him. "Honestly." He spun me and I ended up in Kol's arms.

"Hello, sister." I smiled at him.

"Hello, Kol. Have you been enjoying yourself this evening?"

"I feel like I'll be enjoying myself more in a while," he told me and I gave him a look.

"What are you planning Kol?"

"No need to worry about it," he told me kissing the back of my hand.

"You know your mother will be unhappy with whatever it is you are planning," I reminded him.

"It's not my plan, so I'm not worried." He smirked as we continued to dance.

After a short time, I needed a breath of air so I went outside and smiled at what I saw. I walked to the horses and started petting their necks and faces lightly.

"You always did like horses." I turned and smiled at Nik as he walked around me to look at the horses.

"I did. Are these yours?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately, no. They are just here for the evenings," he told me.

"I see."

"Would you like one of your own?" Nik asked me and I gave him a look.

"I would look silly riding a horse into town," I told him. "I should learn to drive a car."

"Perhaps," he agreed while staring at the horses in front of us. "You know, horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal. My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favorite horse. He severed its neck with a sword as a warning."

"I'm so sorry, Nik." I looked at him. "I wish I could have done something to help you."

"If you had been with us, and something had happened to you." He shook his head and held my hand in his tightly. "I don't know what I would have done if he'd hurt you."

"I'm here now. That's all that matters," I reminded him moving to him and kissing him gently. "Come, let's go back inside." He offered his arm to me and I smiled as I linked my arm with his and we went inside.

We spent the next few hours socializing with the locals when crystal rang throughout the room. Esther stood near the top of the staircase and looked down at us with a red-tinged champagne in her hand.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone raised their glasses and Nik and I shared a smile before taking a sip of the champagne.

Later, Klaus led me to a room filled with beautiful works of art.

"What did you want to show me, Nik?" I asked him curiously while looking around us.

"One of my passions." I looked around in awe at the beautiful paintings.

"I remember you painting when you were human," I said admiring the paintings.

"If only we'd known then what we know now," he said and we shared another smile. He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked him curiously while taking the box.

"Just a welcome home gift for the loveliest creature alive in all these centuries." I felt my cheeks warm ass I opened the box inside was a beautiful necklace with a full moon pendent with the outline of a wolf in the center. He removed the necklace and moved behind me so he could put it on me. I moved my hair out of his way and smiled down at the pendent, until I noticed the sketches on the table in front of me.

"Are these yours?" I asked and he looked down shyly.

"Yeah," he confirmed as I looked through the pictures he'd drawn "Actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice."

"The Hermitage?" I asked him.

"A museum with wonderful works of art and history stored all in one place," he explained.

"That sounds amazing," I told him lightly

"I forget sometimes that you haven't been around so you don't know all of the places in the modern world today." I looked up at him and smiled lightly.

"But that's why I have you and the others," I reminded him. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to me."

"How can I not?" he asked me, tears filling his eyes once more. "You are mine to protect."

"Not even you could have stopped your mother from what she'd planned on doing," I told him

"Yet you tell me to forgive her."

"Not for her. For yourself." I placed my hand gently on his cheek before offering him another smile and leaving the room.