Upon returning to the Mikaelson Mansion, Elijah was not surprised to find that Klaus had retreated to his studio. While his brother was eager to protect his unborn child, his relationship with Hayley ranged from tepid to hostile. Elijah realized that his involvement with the young woman further complicated the situation. Esther and Mikael's actions had so thoroughly broken Klaus that he perceived abandonment and rejection in even the most innocuous situations. His older brother falling in love with the mother of his unborn child was a recipe for disaster. Elijah had tried to do the honorable thing by ending his relationship with Hayley. However, the headstrong young woman had rejected the notion firmly.

Klaus did not possess any romantic feelings for Hayley. Months ago, he had crudely explained that their dalliance had been the result of boredom on his part. Yet he was opposed to Elijah and Hayley's relationship even if he would not say as much. However, Elijah did not need words to decrypt his brother's stony looks and sharp responses. Before they embarked on this trip, Rebekah had shed some light on the perplexing situation. Niklaus was worried that Hayley would ultimately decide that Elijah was better suited to be the father of her child. The revelation seemed obvious now that their sister had steered him in the right direction. Unfortunately, he had not found the right time to broach the topic with his brother. They could not have the conversation in the mansion. Klaus would never speak honestly with so many werewolves underfoot. Privacy was practically impossible in their current situation.

Elijah rapped his knuckles against the door before entering the studio. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he recognized the subject of Niklaus' painting. The work was far from finished but he would recognize those unusual eyes anywhere. Elijah had met millions of people during his time on Earth, but he had never encountered a more hypnotizing pair of eyes. The girl had been born with one honey brown iris and one bluish green iris. Both irises had a pronounced gold outer ring. In the old days, people thought it meant that she had been touched by magic. However, now most people knew that it was simply a genetic quirk called heterochromia iridum.

Niklaus put down his paintbrush and turned to look at his older brother. He raised an eyebrow as Elijah gawked at the painting in a rather undignified manner. He would have liked to assume it was because of his amazing talent, but he knew better. The original hybrid casually strolled over to his favorite chair and sat down. He stifled a chuckle before clearing his throat to draw Elijah's attention away from his unfinished canvas.

The older vampire actually startled at the sudden interruption. He blinked and looked over at Klaus. "I am sorry. I was not expecting…"

He jested, "It is unseemly for you to stare at my half-sister for so long. I might be inclined to defend her honor."

Elijah was not amused by Klaus' attempt at humor. He scowled at his younger brother as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. He sat down in the chair beside Klaus and said, "I suppose that I do not need to ask what inspired you to paint a portrait of Drusilla."

Klaus hadn't thought about Ayana and her children in a very long time. In his youth, he had spent a great deal of time with Drusilla, Johan, and Christophe. It was strange to think that children he had watched grow from infants had been his half siblings. Klaus wondered if Ayana had always been so kind to him because of his kinship with her children.

He explained, "I thought I might offer the painting to the witch once it is complete. A gesture of goodwill as it were."

Elijah didn't believe his brother for a second. Niklaus was hoping to convince the girl to work for him. However, he didn't think flattery would help his brother's case. The Bennett witch seemed even more obstinate than when they first met her. "Where is Hayley?"

"The last I heard, she and Rebekah were spending the GDP of a small island nation via online shopping. Our sister called it…nesting," he said with a perplexed expression.

Elijah nodded in understanding. He had come across the term in one of the baby books he had read. "It will not be long now."

Klaus replied, "Even more reason to kill the travelers quickly and return to New Orleans. Did Caroline provide any useful information on that front, brother?"

"My talk with Miss Forbes was quite illuminating," he replied.

He lifted an eyebrow and motioned for Elijah to continue. "Do tell. What do the little cretins have in store for me?"

He answered simply, "Nothing."

"Nothing?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, they are not planning anything as far as Miss Forbes is aware. I suppose there is the possibility that Miss Bennett elected to keep her friend out of the loop because of your past…liaison."

Klaus frowned because he had not expected that. He asked, "I thought you said that your conversation with Caroline was illuminating? It sounds as if it was a dead end."

Elijah suppressed a sigh. He explained, "I learned that Miss Bennett was indeed lying to you about the Bennett witch assisting her. It seems as if Lucy Bennett arrived in Mystic Falls yesterday afternoon. She is staying with her cousin. Lucy warded the house after learning of your presence. Miss Forbes did not seem to know about your connection to the elder Bennett witch. I can only assume they are keeping your past involvement under wraps."

Several emotions surfaced at once for the original hybrid. He wanted to race over to the house and make Lucy explain her actions. Not long after Klaus broke his curse, he sought out the witch. He tried to convince her to rekindle their relationship or at the very least work for him again. She refused him on both fronts. Instead, they spent two weeks together before she disappeared without warning. All she left behind was a note instructing Klaus not to look for her. She promised the next time they crossed paths it would be as enemies. Klaus knew Lucy well enough to know her words had not been an idle threat. She would indeed try to kill him the next time they crossed paths.

The original vampire studied his brother's expression carefully. Klaus had cut a bloody swath through the Mediterranean the first time Lucy left him. He had behaved marginally better the second time because he had the creation of his hybrids to occupy him. He was concerned about how his brother would cope now. Klaus' deathly silence was not a good sign. Moreover, Elijah had not even told him the most interesting tidbit that Caroline had relayed.

Klaus realized that his brother was staring as if he were a feral animal. He couldn't exactly muster any anger because it was how he felt. Finally, he asked, "Is that all?"

Elijah stood up from his chair. He would need to prevent Klaus from leaving the mansion. His actions could destroy any hope they had of securing an alliance with the Bennett witches. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. "Well, Katerina is still alive."

The hybrid arched an eyebrow. "I was told that the cure for vampirism rapidly aged Katherine until she died."

"It did," he replied. "However, Katerina is descended from the travelers. She became a passenger in Elena Gilbert's body. She found some way to make it permanent and has been living Miss Gilbert's life for several months. They only just learned the truth a few days ago. That surge in magic that Anders and Dean felt coming from the Bennett house was because they performed a ritual in the backyard. Miss Gilbert is once again in control of her body."

"And Katherine?" he questioned.

Elijah rolled up his shirtsleeves and said, "She has been sealed into the body of another vampire."

If Klaus weren't so rocked by the news of Lucy's presence he would be eager to torment Katherine again. He glanced at Elijah and immediately knew that his brother was holding something back. "What is it?"

"She has a daughter," he explained.

"Katherine?" Klaus asked. He already knew about Nadia from his last visit to Mystic Falls. She hadn't rated his attention since her mother was on death's door.

"Yes, but I was talking about Lucy. She has a young daughter named Mari," he explained.

Klaus heard only white noise for a few seconds as Elijah's words swirled around his head. When he finally accepted that he had heard his brother right, Klaus let out an inhumane roar that reverberated through the entire mansion.

Elijah punched a nearby table hard enough to splinter the wood. Then he rammed one of the broken legs into Klaus' stomach.

Klaus growled and easily removed the wood from his stomach. His eyes shifted from blue to golden. He pounced on Elijah. He brought his fists down against his brother's chest and stomach repeatedly. "Are you out of your mind?"

Elijah fought back but it was in vain. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his brother so unhinged. "I am trying to stop you from making a mistake, Niklaus."

Rebekah burst into the room prepared to separate her warring brothers. "What are the two of you fighting about now? Get off him, Nik!"

He looked up at his sister. His fingers had transformed into claws. "He stabbed me!"

Her eyes widened in surprise. Niklaus was usually the instigator when her brothers fought. However, Elijah only started physical confrontations with good reason. "What?"

He used the brief distraction to flip Niklaus off him. Klaus' claws had shredded Elijah's shirt and left him bloody. He said, "I am trying to stop our brother from racing over to confront Lucy Bennett."

She sighed heavily at the mention of the Bennett witch. She had only heard stories but it was enough to know that Klaus was about to go on a tear. "Let him get it out of his system. He hasn't signed Bonnie's contract yet. There will be no penalty."

Klaus had no plans to kill Lucy. However, Rebekah was being incredibly naïve if she believed that there would be no penalty for Niklaus killing a Bennett witch. If Bonnie was to be believed, the entirety of the surviving bloodline would begin converging on Mystic Falls soon. The little witch had very nearly killed Niklaus without help. He shuddered to think what a couple dozen pissed off supercharged Bennett witches would be capable of doing to him. They might not succeed in killing him, but he would suffer all the same. He knew from experience that angry Bennett witches had a cruel streak a mile wide.

Elijah looked over his shoulder. "If you are not going to be helpful, you can leave, Rebekah. Klaus is going to make a mistake that he cannot repair. I am doing this for his sake."

Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed at the seriousness of her brother's voice. She eased into the room and closed the door behind her. Then she made her way over to Klaus and asked, "Maybe you could just listen to Elijah first, Nik?"

"I am not interested in listening to strategy right now. I know that we need the Bennett witches' to stop the travelers from lowering the veil. I don't care!" he roared emphatically.

Elijah said, "This is not about the alliance that we desperately need, brother. Caroline told me that Lucy's child is ten months old. Think…"

Rebekah wasn't enraged like Klaus was so she caught onto Elijah's train of thought first. She said, "Bloody hell! You were like Johnny Appleseed after you broke the curse, Nik."

Klaus blinked but it took a moment for him to understand what his siblings were driving at. Normally, he was quicker on the uptake but he was literally seconds away from turning. It was taking a great deal of energy to reverse the process in mid transformation. Moreover, his more instinct driven werewolf brain was calling all the shots right now. Just a few months ago, his vampire side would have easily regained control of his body. However, Klaus had been exploring the long neglected side of his dual nature with Cary's assistance. He shifted several times a week and went running through the bayou. After centuries of the curse binding him, his wolf grew stronger with each shift. In short order, his dual natures would become equals within him. The entire process was a startling reminder that werewolves were ancient creatures that predated vampires by nearly 500 hundred years. He had spent far too long thinking of werewolves as weak and beneath him.

She looked at their older brother and quipped, "Perhaps you should be having a conversation with Niklaus about the benefit of using condoms."

Elijah thought about scolding Rebekah for her flippant response to the situation. However, it probably would be prudent for Niklaus to acquaint himself with contraceptives. In the beginning, they had thought that Hayley's pregnancy was a fluke. The possibility of Niklaus having sired another child meant that he was capable of procreating with other supernatural beings. Lucy and Hayley carried the werewolf gene. Elijah wasn't sure if that was a necessary component for Klaus to successfully impregnate a female. He just knew that his brother couldn't go around accidentally siring tribrid children.

Klaus arched an eyebrow at his brother. He could tell that Elijah was gearing up for a lecture. He said, "You can advise me on the finer points of safe sex later, Elijah. I am going to see Lucy."

The older original sighed in exasperation. "Niklaus…"

"I am not spoiling for a fight, brother. I merely want to have a conversation with her," he explained.

Elijah said, "I think Lucy has made it quite clear that she is not interested in having a conversation with you. Perhaps I could go on your behalf."

"No," he growled.

Rebekah and Elijah stared after Niklaus as he blurred out of the room.

She said, "You probably should have spoken with Lucy before telling Nik about the baby."

He muttered, "Hindsight is 20/20…"

"Do you really think that baby belongs to Nik?" she asked.

Elijah said, "The timeline certainly fits."

Rebekah shook her head. "Like father, like son."

Klaus walked back into the room several minutes later dressed in clothes that did not have paint stains or his brother's blood on them. He tossed a clean dress shirt at Elijah and asked, "Are you coming?"

He was surprised by the move but he certainly wasn't going to question it. "Of course!"

Rebekah scowled. "I hope you don't think that you are leaving me here. The werewolves can look after Hayley while we're gone."

Elijah frowned as he tugged on the clean shirt. "Rebekah…"

"I am coming and that is final."

Klaus didn't have the patience to argue with his sister. Sometimes he longed for the days when he could threaten her with the daggers. Unfortunately, Elijah had stolen the daggers and hidden them after the last mishap. Spending time as Marcel and Davina's captive, while daggered, had been the last straw for him. Klaus couldn't exactly blame Elijah for being angry about that. He said, "Okay but we are not taking a car. It takes too long."

Rebekah smiled. "That's fine. My legs could do with a stretch anyway."

Klaus walked out of the studio and pointed at Cary. "We're going out. Make sure nothing happens to Hayley."

He had overheard most of the argument between the originals. It was hard to avoid overhearing things even in a house the size of the Mikaelson Mansion. He said, "We will keep her safe."

The hybrid nodded before walking away. It was as close as he ever got to saying thank you. Klaus rarely thanked his siblings. However, he liked to think the stupid smile on Cary's face meant that he understood the sentiment.

The three original siblings left the mansion together. They blurred across town to Bonnie's house in a matter of minutes. The sun had set by the time they arrived.

Elijah said, "Remember that we are not here for a fight, Niklaus."

Klaus could feel the magic protecting the house as he walked up to the front door. He could tell that Lucy had made the ward as powerful as possible. Klaus raised his hand to knock on the door but it opened first.

Jonas had texted Tyler as soon as he saw the originals arrive. Tyler stood in the doorway but was careful not to cross the threshold. He trusted the ward would protect him from Klaus. He asked, "Can I help you all with something?"

"I am not here to see you, pup," he sneered.

Tyler could practically see the rage coming off Klaus in waves. He wasn't sure what happened but he knew it was unwise to provoke him. Unfortunately, his wolf wasn't interested in being logical. His hackles were raised by having a threat outside the house where his pregnant mate lived. He asked, "Then why are you here?"

Klaus looked every bit of a wolf when he flashed a smile full of teeth. He said, "I am here to see Lucy Bennett."

The younger man's expression didn't reveal anything. He didn't know how Klaus knew about Lucy but it was obvious they had a leak from somewhere. He said, "That won't be possible."

Elijah said, "There is no need to lie. We know that she is here."

"I didn't say that Lucy wasn't here. She doesn't want to see Klaus. I think you know that…"

Klaus growled and slammed his fist against the invisible ward preventing him from entering the house. It turned out to be a terrible idea because the ward released a wave of magic that blasted Klaus and his siblings backward.

Tyler blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the ward to react so violently. Tyler groaned because this wasn't going to end well at all. He growled and prepared to shift because that was the only way he would have a chance to survive a fight with his sire.

Klaus sprung to his feet before either of his siblings and roared.

Lucy sighed heavily as she walked up behind Tyler. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "That won't be necessary."

Klaus stilled when he saw that Lucy was standing in the doorway. She looked even more beautiful than she did the last time he saw her.

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked with an uncertain expression.

She nodded. "I am."

Bonnie appeared beside Tyler with a pensive look. She didn't like her cousin's plan but without a suitable alternative, her hands were tied.

Lucy walked out of the house and stood on the porch. She felt her magic building up inside her as she prepared for a fight. She stared at Klaus. "You should have heeded my warning, Nik."

"I did not come here for a fight," he replied coolly.

She marched down the stairs and retorted, "That's not really your decision any longer."

Klaus sniffed audibly and his eyes shifted to gold and black. He slowly began to circle Lucy. Then he grabbed the witch and sped off into the growing darkness.

"Niklaus!" Elijah called after his brother.

Tyler looked at Bonnie and asked, "Should I go after them?"

The witch shook her head and pulled Tyler into the house. She slammed the door shut and said, "No. This is what Lucy wanted."

"To be alone with Klaus?" he asked incredulously.

She shook her head. "To get him away from Mari. If he knows that Lucy is in Mystic Falls, there is no telling what else he knows. I don't even want to think about how he knows it."

Tyler blinked in shock as he watched Bonnie use her enhanced speed to disappear upstairs. He followed her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Bonnie didn't stop tossing clothes into a bag. "I am keeping my promise to Lucy. She said that if Klaus came looking for her that I had to get Mari out of Mystic Falls. I am going to keep my promise."

"Well, I am not letting you go alone," he said.

She looked over her shoulder. "I didn't expect that you would but we need to go now, Ty. I don't know how long Lucy will be able to distract Klaus."

He nodded. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

She zipped her bag and tossed it at him. "Grab your keys and meet me at the car. I am going to go get Mari."

When Tyler ran downstairs, their friends were waiting for an explanation. He looked at their concerned faces as he fired off a text for Jonas. They would need a diversion to leave without Klaus' wolves following.

"What's going on, Wolf Boy?" Damon asked with a steely expression.

"Bon and I have to leave. I can't tell you why or where we're going because Klaus could compel it out of you. He probably already compelled someone to learn that Lucy was in town."

The assembled group exchanged glances because anyone could be a mole for Klaus with the exception of Bonnie. Moreover, they didn't know how long Klaus had been in Mystic Falls. He could have compelled someone days ago to do his bidding without raising suspicions. However, one person was notably missing.

Damon asked, "Where is Blondie?"

Elena blanched when he mentioned Caroline. She had fallen down a social media rabbit hole while waiting for her to return. Despite being several hundred years old, Katherine had been very active on multiple social media platforms. There were hundreds of pictures and videos for her to view. "She went to go get pizza and tequila."

Stefan's eyebrows furrowed. "When did she leave, Elena?"

Elena looked at her watch and winced guiltily. She said, "About an hour ago…"

Damon heaved a sigh. "Well, we know the identity of Klaus' mole."

Bonnie bounded down the stairs with Mari in her arms and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. She had overheard most of the conversation from upstairs. She asked, "Do you think Klaus would hurt Caroline?"

Tyler frowned. "Probably not…"

Damon shook his head. "Don't worry about Caroline. We'll find her. You two get out of here."

Bonnie looked at Damon. "Lock up when you leave?"

He patted his pockets to check for his keys. He nodded after hearing them jingle. "Yeah."

Tyler walked over to the door and peered out the window. He beckoned Bonnie forward and said, "The coast is clear."

The teens dashed out of the house but kept their eyes peeled for the originals. Fortunately, it seemed that they had pursued their wayward brother. Tyler unlocked the car and then hopped into the driver's seat.

Bonnie climbed into the back seat with Mari. She was going to have to hold her little cousin during the drive because there wasn't time to grab the carseat from Lucy's car. A few seconds ticked by and Tyler still hadn't backed out of the driveway. "What are we waiting for?"

Tyler said, "Just give it a minute."

A minute later, they heard a loud crash from down the street. Jonas had stolen a neighbor's car and crashed it into the one Klaus' spies were using to stake out the house.

"We were waiting on that," he said.

Tyler put the car in reverse and zipped out of Bonnie's driveway. Once they were on the street, he put his foot on the gas pedal and didn't look back. His tires screeched as he literally burned rubber on the way out. For once, his obnoxiously expensive car was useful. He was only slightly worried about Jonas and Maddox. The latter was a career criminal and knew how to make a clean getaway.

Bonnie asked, "Where are we going to go?"

He said, "To Ruby's house for now. We can figure out what to do after that."

She nodded shakily and peered down at Mari's face. Fortunately, the infant hadn't stirred during the mad dash from the house.

Tyler glanced in the rearview mirror and asked, "Are you okay?"

Bonnie said, "I don't know. I am worried about Lucy. She should have left town the moment I told her about Klaus. If anything happens to her…"

"I know there aren't many silver linings, but at least we know that Klaus doesn't want her dead. He could have killed her right there."

She said, "Klaus wanting Lucy alive actually scares me more than him wanting her dead. Lucy has more experience as a witch than I do. If I can protect myself against Klaus then I trust that she can do the same."

"Then what has you so worried?" he asked.

Bonnie met his gaze in the rearview mirror. She had been so upset that she briefly forgot about the bond. Bonnie replied, "Lucy didn't give much information when I tried to ask about her time with him. But she wouldn't be the first witch that Klaus...corrupted. You heard her plan for the Augustine Group. She plans to use some seriously dark magic against them. The hexes that she talked about were even more malevolent than Expression. I can only assume that she learned it from him. She is determined to protect Mari from Klaus and his enemies. I am worried about how far Lucy will go to achieve her goal."

Tyler realized that Bonnie was worried her cousin would kill Klaus-taking his sire line with him. "You said yourself, that the only way to kill Klaus is by linking him with his siblings."

She said, "I also said that you can kill anything if you are motivated and smart enough. Lucy has had nearly two years to figure out a way to kill Klaus if he ever got too close to Mari. How motivated do you think she is to keep her daughter away from him?"

His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he considered their very limited options. "What about Stefan? Aside from his siblings, Stefan and Caroline are the only people I have ever seen him have genuinely friendly interactions."

Bonnie bit her bottom lip and said, "I guess it is worth a try but he has to be careful getting in the middle of them. Damon would never forgive me if I got his brother killed."

"We're all dead if Stefan doesn't get in the way of Lucy killing Klaus," he replied.

"You're right. I'll call him," she replied.