Hi friends, I know it's been over a month. I am so sorry, it took me this long to update. But as I promised I'll try to update as soon as possible.

And as always, I don't own anything connected to the Vampire Diaries except for the plot of the fan fiction and Arabelle Mikaelson.

The days after the undaggering of the Mikaelson siblings and the resurrection of Ester were hectic, to say the least. Though they understood Niklaus' reason behind the daggering, they were still not at ease to hold a conversation that includes more than a word at a time. Niklaus could understand their reluctance, so he kept his distance to let them feel at ease. And he was more than relieved when Ester said that she forgave him long ago for killing her.

But that's not the problem. Arabelle just couldn't trust the woman. Many think that Niklaus' habit of holding a grudge came from his wolf side. But the Mikaelsons knew better. It came from their mother. That woman can hold a grudge for eons. And it seemed like Arabelle was the only one who remembered it well.

With these thoughts in mind Arabelle was walking through the forest when she felt the shift in the air. It was not of magic. She knew it well. So it has to be a vampire. Closing her eyes she tuned in her vampire abilities to find who was in the forest and came out with nothing.

She sighed heavily and started walking again, with her hands stuffed in her pockets. Ester and Rebekah has been preparing for throwing a ball. Arabelle couldn't help but think that there was something that her mother was doing that would jeopardize her entire family. But she didn't know what it was. She couldn't use magic as well, for her mother would sense it far too easily. So, asking the Bennetts was out of question.

God! She hated being bloody useless.

She wanted to stay at the mansion and catch up with her siblings. You know, be a normal family. But with all the fuss that Ester and Rebekah created she really wanted to either kill them both or get the hell out of there. She knew the former option was not possible at all. Niklaus would happily kill her. So, she chose the latter one. She could've joined Nadia and Katerina, but she felt like those two needed some alone time. After all they have about five centuries to make up.

Her thoughts involuntarily steered toward the icy-blue eyed devil that was her mate. She still couldn't understand how she was going to make a move. Sure, they kissed. But he was all over the last doppelganger the very night. As the days pass, she could literally feel the pang in her chest, whenever she saw him with her. If there was a reason she hated Elena, she hated her then even more.

She also felt guilty that she had not told her brother, that she found her mate. The guilt increased even more from the day that Niklaus revealed who his mate was. She dreaded the day that he found out. But she had no time to ponder over that. She has been patiently waiting for her mate for a thousand years; she could do that a little longer.

Now, she must focus on her Mother. No matter how the woman was, or acted, innocent, she was not stupid enough to buy it. Her siblings might fall for that, but she won't.

As she was so deep in her thought, she didn't notice the pale skinned, red head vampire that came out of nowhere and caught her off guard.

Arabelle found herself on the ground with a pale hand covering her throat. She looked at the hazel eyes of her attacker and said, "Sage?"

Ester looked right and left as she made her way toward the old Witch's house. It took her two hours to get her daughter off her back. Ever since she announced that there was to be a ball hosted in the honour of their family, Rebekah jumped up at the first opportunity to help organize. All of her children were warming up to her, except Arabelle. Katerina and Nadia are being wary of her, which was to be expected. But Arabelle, she didn't know what to make of her behaviour.

Granted, she was being polite. Helping her, when asked. Talking to her, when spoken to. Smiling at her, when it was returned. But other than that, she was being so reserved. Keeping herself as away from Ester as possible and accessing the ongoing events like an outsider.

Ester tried to ask her, but she just smiled and said everything was perfectly fine. She even sent her sons to talk to her, but they all returned with the same answer, as she was given. She even tried to set Nadia to talk to Arabelle, but Nadia outright refused to do anything that would upset her aunt and assured Ester that Arabelle just needed some time and space.

Ester had to accept it, as she had no other choice. Once reaching the clearing before the old Witch's house, Ester checked once again for any sight of habitation and entered. She had sent a word to Bonnie seeking a meeting with her in the old Witch's house. Satisfied that she was alone and not being followed she entered the house and called out for Bonnie.

The matriarch of the Mikaelson family was relieved when the Bennett witch stepped into her line of sight. "What do you want, Ester?"

Ester smirked and said, "I want your help" and proceeded to tell her plans to the younger witch.

The redhead vampire smirked, "Hello, Belle"

Arabelle's first instinct was to hug the younger vampire. After shedding a tear or two she asked, "How are you still alive? We saw Mikael set fire to the house"

Sage walked alongside Arabelle and said, "I managed to escape from the fire once Mikael left"

Arabelle was half relieved and half angered, "Then why didn't you came back home?" she gritted out.

Sage sighed and said, "God, Belle. I had to go into hiding to lead your father away. Plus, I didn't know where you were. By the time I tracked you all, your father waltzed in again driving you people away. And it took me this long to finally find you all"

Arabelle suddenly stopped and embraced her long lost sister-in-law. "I am just glad that you are alright. Come, let's give my brothers some shock"

They raced together to the Mansion and Arabelle asked Sage to wait outside while she assembled the brood in the foyer. She went inside and called on them all. All of them came from different part of the house. Elijah, Finn and Katerina from the library. Ester and Rebekah from the dining hall. Nadia and Kol from the ball room. Niklaus down the stairs.

"What is it, Arabelle?" Finn asked.

Arabelle smirked and said, "I have a surprise for you." And shouted, "You can come in"

A moment later there was collective gasp from everyone other than Katerina and Ester, since they never met Sage. Nadia, having seen her from Niklaus' portrays, was the first to come over her shock and said, "Hi, Aunt Sage"

"Hello Nadia" Sage said, "It's nice to meet you, Niece"

The next one to recover was Finn, who rushed in his vampire speed and engulfed Sage in a very firm and loving hug and peppered her with kisses. After fifteen minutes of their sappy reunion, Sage untangled from Finn and walked to Niklaus. Once in front of him she slapped him straight across his face. That seemed to make him recover from his stupor and said, "What?"

"Niklaus Bloody Mikaelson, next time you declare someone dead make sure they were actually in the place" Sage said in a firm patronising manner.

Niklaus blinked a couple of times and sighed.

"Now, give me a hug" she ordered and crushed him in a sisterly hug.

It was a week since the reunion of Sage and Finn. It proved to be annoyingly difficult to separate the two for more than a minute. But yesterday, Arabelle pulled her youngest sister card and made Sage accompany her and their sisters and Nadia to shop for dresses.

They tricked Niklaus with a bottle of three century old wine to let them take their private jet to New York. A day spent there, making every shop owned wish they were sooner dead than deal with the horde of the Mikaelson women.

It was rather entertaining. They returned this morning with rather large bag that not only contained of the dresses, but shoes and accessories, that the men were not even ready to know what they were.

The next morning the Mystic Falls gang of misfits found their doorstep rather occupied.

Damon opened the front door and found two invitations one addressed to him and the other to his brother. He opened his to find the invitation was to the Mikaelson ball that was to be held in a week's time. Perhaps he could at least dance with the woman of his dreams.

Stefan entered the living room only to be handed a cover by his brother. He opened it to see it was an invitation for the Mikaelson Ball. Just looking at it, brought him back to the days he was in Chicago, with Klaus, Rebekah and Arabelle, enjoying the twenties. After uncompelled by Klaus, he felt rather unsettled. He pushed the fresh wave of love, affection and understanding he felt with Rebekah to the back of his mind. He loved Elena, he truly did. But his love for Rebekah was very stronger than that of Elena. After all, he fell in love with Rebekah when he turned off his humanity. Maybe that meant something. He had to analyse it. And since last week, after breaking things with Elena, he was thinking loads about it.

Caroline opened her front door to find a box and an invitation addressed to her. She brought it to her bedroom and opened it, to find a blue gown. She closed it immediately and opened the invitation cover. It was the invitation to the Mikaelson ball. And at the back of the invitation was the impeccable note written by Niklaus Mikaelson that said:

Save me a dance –Klaus.

Caroline smiled despite herself.

Matt sat at his living room with the invitation glaring at him in his hand. He found it in his doorsteps. It was an invitation to the Mikaelson ball addressed to him. He didn't know whether to attend it or not. He sighed and dropped it on the coffee table and decided to think about it later.

Elena looked ruefully at the invitation she received from an unlikely source: Ester Mikaelson. The Mikaelson ball invitation was found lieing on her doorstep that morning, with a simple note at the back:

Elena,

I think it's time we finally meet.

-Ester.

Hope you liked it. Please leave your reviews.

Next Chapter: The Mikaelson Ball.

Until Next time...