A/N: Surprise! I got sick so I had to cancel my trip

Tristan's contact managed to get us all costumes which arrived the morning of the ball. When I woke up, there were racks of clothes in the living room. Aurora was sorting through them, trying to find an outfit for herself and Tristan was sitting on the sofa, watching over the top of his book. I came over and brushed my fingers across the soft fabrics. Each of them had a label identifying the fairy tale they were representing and nearby was a table of masks and accessories to go with them. The girls came into the living room and gasped, rushing over to examine the beautiful shiny things. I smiled and watched them happily.

"Who are you doing?" Aurora asked.

"I'm not sure yet. You?"

"I'm doing a swan. From the Ugly Duckling. It's such a sweet little story." She held up a beautiful white dress with feathers clustered on the shoulder.

"Nice."

"I think you should do the story of the fox sister," she said.

"I don't know that one."

"A man had three sons, wished for a daughter even if she was a fox. He got a daughter and then his cows started dying. He asked his sons to watch to see what happened, and they said that the daughter was killing them and eating their livers. The father didn't believe them, so he banished them. Years later, the brothers find the sister. She tells them that their parents are dead and begs them to come and live with her. The brothers wake up in the middle of the night and find her eating their livers to keep her human form."

I stared at her.

"Nice…" I looked over at the girls. "What story do you think I should do girls?"

They looked at me and through the dresses. Lilah pointed to a selection of red dresses with a tag that identified them as representing Little Red Riding Hood. I smiled.

"Okay. I can do that."

There were quite a few a dresses that went with that costume so I began to sort through them in search of the perfect one. Lucien came in and paused in the doorway.

"Red Riding Hood, huh? Does that make me the big bad wolf?" he asked with a smirk.

"Hmm… predatory, vicious, likely to get chopped into small pieces in the near future… I could see that," I said.

"Don't kid yourself Lucien. We all know you're far more likely to be the grandmother in that story," Tristan said. I suppressed a laugh.

Lucien ignored us both and picked up a red dress with a plunging neckline and no back.

"How about this one?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's backless."

"And?"

"I… I just can't. It's not… decent."

"It's your back Elena, it's not going to cause a riot," Lucien said.

I turned away and continued along the rack. I found a ball gown dress on one of the racks and pulled it out to examine it. It had a deep wine coloured velvet corset top with a sweetheart neckline. The skirt was slightly lighter, made of layers of silk.

Blair came over with a hooded velvet shrug that was the same colour as the bodice and edged with pale grey fur.

"That's so pretty Blair, its perfect. Can you two find me a mask to go with it?"

Lilah went over to the table and returned with a mask that was made of silver designed to look like intricately woven lace. I smiled brightly and gave both girls a kiss. I was incredibly nervous and excited about the evening ahead. I wondered if the siblings would realise that I was there… surely they had to. I mean, they knew me by smell, by sight. If they spotted Lucien, it would be an obvious assumption that I was nearby.

"You'll look beautiful Elena," Tristan said. I gave him a brief smile, trying not to look too pleased. I knew Aurora hated the bond that was forming between her brother and me and I didn't want her to have even more reason to hate me.

"Thanks. What are you going as?" I asked.

"I am going as the devil," he grinned. "I've got everything picked out."

I laughed softly and opened my mouth to comment but Aurora swept over to her brother to show off her dress. I noticed Lucien eyeing me darkly so I took my clothes and quietly excused myself from the living room.

I spent the rest of the day playing with the girls. I was in a good mood and I felt fairly happy which was a strange sensation after all this time. When the sunset, I saw the streets outside begin to light up. Trick or Treaters took to the streets, music filled the air. I smiled to myself. I was home and now I felt it more than before.

Lucien had wanted to leave the girls with one of his security team but I refused. Tristan had interceded and suggested the Strix member that had looked after them during their 'kidnapping' act as a babysitter. Both the girls were very enthusiastic about this prospect and after some persuasion, Lucien conceded, under the condition that his security team also remained in the property. I knew that they'd have instructions to execute the girls if Lucien didn't return home.

Tristan's man arrived and the rest of us headed to bathrooms and bedrooms to prepare for the party. I wriggled into my dress, carefully adjusted Ansel's pendant that hung around my neck and fastened the cloak. I styled my hair into soft waves and did my make up before picking up my mask. For tonight I had to pretend to be someone else. As much as I wanted to seek out the siblings and hug them, have them hide me away, I couldn't let myself get distracted from what I had to do tonight.

I put on my shoes and headed out to the living room. Tristan was already waiting, in his black and red suit, looking very handsome and rather devilish which I guessed was the general idea. Lucien joined us shortly, in a black suit with a wolf mask perched on top of his head.

"Now Elena, remember, no running off. No talking to anyone."

"That's going to look really weird if someone tries to talk to me and I just blank them. If you want me to blend in, I need to act like a normal person."

"You will do what I say or I will ruin that pretty face of yours."

Before the threats of violence could escalate, Aurora came out in her swan outfit. The dress she'd shown me was now complimented with white gloves, a white feathered mask and a pair of white wings attached to her back.

"Boys, are you ready to go?" she said with a cheeky grin.

Tristan smiled and took her arm. Lucien took mine forcefully and the four of us headed downstairs to the car. We got in and drove through the streets to the Mikaelson manor. I kept my eyes on the window as we drove, getting more excited with each passing minute. I felt Tristan's fingers brush against my knee in a silent expression of reassurance.

We pulled up outside the manor and I put on my mask, carefully adjusting it. Our driver got the door for us and we stepped out. The outside of the house was alive with people heading in, wearing beautiful dresses and elegant suits, each with extravagant masks. There was a bouncer at the door, also masked, checking people's invites and allowing them in. Clearly the brothers were taking security very seriously.

Tristan presented our invite to the bouncer who nodded and waved us in. I bit my lip as we passed through the gate and into the courtyard. It had been decorated extravagantly and there were candles everywhere that gave the space an eerie flickering light. There was a bar at one side of the room as well as servers with trays of cocktails rotating the room. A band was playing upbeat jazz music and the whole room was just filled with an excited atmosphere. A large cauldron had been set up at one end of the room for guests to place offerings and requests for spells from the witches.

My eyes swept the room, searching for anyone familiar. It was hard since everyone was in costumes, faces hidden, in limited light. Lucien, who'd be holding my wrist, dug his nails into my skin as a reminder to behave.

"I'm going to talk to the witches," he said softly.

"Okay. Am I allowed to have a drink?"

"Yes. Just one. And behave yourself."

I was surprised that he wasn't expecting me to stay joined at the hip for the entire evening. Aurora and Tristan had wandered off already to mingle so I headed to the bar to get a drink. A young man was serving and it didn't take me long to get my drink. My eyes continued to roam the room as I leant against the bar, watching people laughing and dancing. It took me a minute but I spotted a few figures dotted around the room who weren't partaking in the merriment.

My eyes rested on a man dressed as a tin soldier and a blonde girl dressed as a ballerina, seated together near the stairs. Their heads were down, having an in depth conversation with one another, which meant it took me a few moments to properly identify them. Finn. Freya. I smiled to myself and my eyes moved to the next of the silent guests. These were easier to identify. Marcel in a musketeer style outfit with a flouncy shirt and a giant hat with a feather in was one. He had a sword at his waist and large black boots on. I wasn't sure what he was dressed as but even at a distance it was obvious that it was him. Next to him was Rebekah, dressed as a snow queen in a white gown covered with crystals that made her look like she was robed in ice. They were holding hands and I felt a pang of warmth at the sight of my sister. I was glad that they were still together. I hoped she was happy.

Elijah was also relatively easy to spot, although at first I missed him. He wasn't masked but his outfit was so different from what he normally wore that I barely recognized him. He was wearing a suit but it was a strange pale brown colour. He had a white shirt with a red stain on it, like fresh blood, and a rose attached to his lapel that was half red and half white. His eyes were closed and his expression was completely devoid of life. As I watched, his eyes opened and his gaze moved to the balcony. I looked up and saw Klaus. He wasn't wearing a costume, he was just stood at the balcony, leaning against the railing with a drink in his hand. He nodded silently to Elijah and disappeared back inside.

I began to search for Kol. I knew that I couldn't speak to any of them but I felt that if I saw them all, confirmed to myself that they were all alright, I'd be able to deal with the separation a little bit easier. My searching eyes failed to find him so I began to move through the crowd to get a better look. I bumped into someone and immediately jerked back, fearful of what might follow. I looked up and saw a pair of warm eyes looking down at me through a plain black mask.

Kol…

"Careful there," he said. "A pretty thing like you should watch where you're going."

His hands were on my waist, steadying me. I could feel my heart beating in my chest, so hard that I thought it might burst from my chest.

"T…t…thank you," I stammered, hardly able to string the words together. He frowned slightly.

"Do we… I'm sorry, you remind me of someone…"

"I… I don't think so."

I pulled away quickly and wriggled into the thick of the crowd, hoping that he wouldn't follow me and secretly wishing he would.

I finished my drink and grabbed another off a passing tray, downing it quickly. I wanted to enjoy the evening and just take some time to pretend that none of this had happened, that I was just a girl at a party.

I found myself by the giant cauldron and a woman, who was stood beside it, looked up and smiled at me.

"Come to ask for a gift from the witches?" she asked.

"Umm… no. I don't think there's anything they can do for me. And honestly I think that my life would be a lot easier without magic in it," I told her. She frowned.

"Still. It's Samhain, the night when the spirits are able to intercede in our fates. You should make a request."

"I don't have an offering."

"I'll let you do this one on faith." She offered me a scrap of paper and a pencil. I considered for a moment and scribbled down on the paper my wish.

I want to go home.

I folded the paper and tossed it into the cauldron.

"How long before it works?"

"When you stop being sceptical and open to help."

I laughed softly at that and moved away from the cauldron. I continued wandering the room, slowly making my way to the stairs so that I could retrieve the rings.

I passed by an alcove that had been formed from the decorations and furniture and that was obscured by some thick drapes. A hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me behind them. I let out a short scream automatically, the sound drowned out by the music. I turned in the darkened space and looked up to see Kol looking down at me.

"What are you doing?"

"It's you. It is, isn't it?" Before I could respond, I felt his hands go to the string of my mask and begin to deftly untie the knot.

"No… no… stop it!" I batted his hands away. "I can't do this."

"Elena…"

"Kol, please. I don't have much time. You trust me? Right?"

"Of course I do."

"Good. Then let me go upstairs. Don't draw attention to me being here. Please." I took his hands and looked into his eyes. I could see the conflict and I knew that he desperately wanted to keep me here. I wanted to stay there too, but I knew that I needed to find those rings. The siblings could easily overwhelm Lucien but I knew that if they did, the girls would be dead before we had a chance to get to them.

"Okay."

"Thank you."

I leaned up and kissed him, a long tender kiss that I tried to fill with every missed moment and every scrap of emotion I'd felt for him. He held me tight, returning the kiss.

I pulled away reluctantly and left the alcove, heading to the stairs quickly. No one was paying any attention to me as I moved silently down the hall to my bedroom. I tried the door and found it locked. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do. I hadn't even considered the prospect of it being locked.

"Ancestors, if you're listening like you're supposed to be today, now would be a really good time to help me!" I hissed at the empty hall. I gave the door handle an angry shake. I heard a creak and the door gave so sharply, I almost fell into the room.

I managed to right myself and entered. It was more or less the same as when I'd left it. The bed covers had been bunched together on one side of the bed, forming a sort of wall of cloth. There was a broken ornament on the floor by the door and I realized that it wasn't magic that had opened the door. Someone had been in here and had damaged the lock by throwing things at it.

I closed the door behind me and hurried over to the bed. I lifted up the mattress and rooted around underneath for the bag I'd hidden all those years ago. Nothing. I bit my lip, hoping it was still there and reached further.

Come on… come on…

My fingers brushed against the soft velvet of the bag and I had to suppress a cry of delight. I pulled the bag free and checked the contents to make sure they were all still there. Yes. I didn't have any pockets so I tucked the bag into my bra, the hardened corset disguising any lumps that might have been there.

I smoothed down my dress and took a moment to breathe. I had done what I had planned to. I could get rid of the rings and Lucien would never be able to use them against me.

Behind me, I heard the door open.

A/N: I don't know if anyone cares but i spent a lot of time researching fairy tales for this chapter and the costumes the characters wore. So just quickly the stories referenced were: Red Riding Hood, The Fox Sister, The Ugly Duckling, How the Devil Married Three Daughters, The Nightingale and The Rose, The Snow Queen, Puss in Boots, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Six Swans.