Chapter Twenty

'Mother,' Bekah whispered, completely shocked, just as we all were.

Ester smiled at her daughter briefly before her eyes rested on Klaus, who was still stood with his hands on my hips with his head resting on my shoulder. I could feel his moderate surprise but he was mostly calm, I wondered if the fact he was holding me had anything to do with that; because I knew the only reason I was staying calm in that moment was because I was in his arms. Their Mother walked forward, coming to a stop in front of us, well me, I pursed my lips as I tried not to make some kind of witty inappropriate remark that would make the situation more awkward.

'Do you know why I'm here?' She said, my eyes snapped to hers, about to answer when I saw she was talking to Klaus and not me.

'To kill me?' Klaus said, and I snorted at how monotone his voice was when he responded to her.

'Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again.' She said her voice soft; but I didn't buy it. I had a bad feeling when I considered her true intentions and I knew that she had another motivation; I could feel Elijah and Klaus' suspicion as well.

'I should probably…' I went to move away from Klaus, but he didn't budge an inch and kept me where I was; I felt like I was intruding on their moment, and I was a little uncomfortable seeing as I didn't particularly like her.

'Nonsense, from what I understand you are a part of the family now,' Ester said, her eyes flickering to the side of my neck; Klaus had brushed my hair away from my shoulder and down my back when he had moved to rest his head on my shoulder. I frowned, confused when she continued to stare, unimpressed with whatever she saw.

'Have I got something on my neck? Why are you staring?' I wondered aloud, my hand going to cup the side of my neck, softly brushing Klaus' cheek in the process.

I heard Rebekah gasp in surprise and her reaction just made me more confused and a little frustrated, I gave her a look, silently asking her to tell me what was going on. When I saw her eyes go to Nik's neck as well, something clicked in my mind, Gloria's words coming back to me as I remembered; 'you might have noticed that you both find the allure of each other's blood irresistible, which is because one of the steps is feeding from each other during intercourse. The second step being the marks made from this won't heal completely, you'll scar and you will forever be marked as belonging to one another.'

Nik pulled back from me slightly and we both shared a surprised look as we realised that we had completed the ritual that Gloria had told us about all those months ago. We both silently agreed to address it later, not wanting to broach the subject in front of everyone else.

'I'm going to take her home, Mother.' Nik said, lifting his head from my shoulder as he interlinked our hands.

'Of course, Niklaus,' She replied, though she didn't look pleased.

We walked out of the house, hand in hand, though I made sure that all of the siblings were nothing but calm before I left. I was surprised when Klaus made no move to lift me and flash me back to the house with his supernatural speed, but I made no comment about it when I felt his reluctance to go home; he was taking as much time as possible.

'Stay with me tonight?' I asked, watching his expression as I waited for an answer.

He looked at me in surprise before he smiled softly, 'you don't have to do that, love. I can handle my Mother.'

'You're Klaus Mikaelson, the Original hybrid, you can handle anything,' I gave him a playful smile, happy when he smirked smugly; his mother and Mikael seemed to make him question his strength and I hated it, 'I wasn't offering because you can't handle your Mother, I was offering because I want you to.'

He grinned genuinely before he pulled us to a stop at the side of the road, yanking my hand so that I was flush against him. He stared into my eyes for a moment, I didn't know what he was looking for; I could feel his uncertainty as well as his hope and I wondered what he was thinking. After a while he seemed to snap out of his thoughts, as soft smile playing on the edges of his lips, 'as you wish, love.' He whispered before he kissed my forehead gently; I could feel how grateful he was to not have to go home tonight and I hated that his Mother's presence made him want to stay away from his own house.

Eventually we made it back to my house; my phone started vibrating in my pocket just as I stepped onto the porch; I pulled it out of my jacket and answered it immediately when I saw it was Elena.

'Hey, Lena what's up?' I asked.

'Care's father is dead; we think the same person who attacked Brian Walters did it. He had vampire blood in his system and he refused to complete the transition,' Elena said, grief clearly present in her voice.

'Oh my god how is she?' I asked, gesturing for Klaus to get the keys out of my pocket.

'As good as can be expected, I left her a little while ago and came home to find Ric had been stabbed in the stomach, so when you get home, don't freak out at all the blood.' Elena said, her voice casual as if she had just recited the weather forecast.

'Is he all right? Where are you?'

'At the hospital, he's fine; I had to stab him to actually kill him seeing as he was wearing his ring to bring him back. I'm just gonna make sure he settles in all right and then I'll be home.' Elena promised.

'Okay, I'll probably be asleep when you get in, just to pre warn you. Oh and Klaus is staying over, too.' I said taking the keys from Klaus, smiling in amusement as he failed to use the right one.

'All right. Love you, Kimmie.'

'Love you too, Lena.' I hung up the phone; finally getting the door open, I turned to Klaus,' you can come in,' I winked.

I noticed that the power was off and I couldn't help the chill that ran down my spine, 'well this is creepy.' I murmured, 'there isn't anyone else here is there?' though I knew there wasn't, I had seen enough horror movies that started just like this and you couldn't be too careful, Prophet senses or no.

'No, love.' Klaus chuckled as he assured me, 'do you know where the fuse box is?'

'Under the stairs.' I answered automatically, gripping his hand tighter as he moved in the direction of the staircase, probably able to see perfectly well with his supernatural eyesight. I heard the door creek open and a moment later the house was illuminated. I gasped when I saw the bloody handprints on the wall, leading the way upstairs.

'That's going to be a bitch to get off,' I muttered.

Klaus rolled his eyes at my comment and I just winked at him. I made sure that the door was securely locked before I dragged him upstairs, ignoring the massive pool of blood by the hall bathroom. Today had been taxing enough; trying to get blood out of the floorboards and off the walls was tomorrow's problem. I turned on my bedroom light before I closed the door and locked it, the attack making me a little more paranoid than usual, much to Klaus' amusement.

'Don't worry, love. If they come back I'll protect you,' his voice was laced with amusement but I could also hear the promise behind his words and I gave him a soft smile in appreciation as he sat down on the edge of my bed. I pulled back the sheets and rummaged in my draws for some pajamas to wear. I hung Elena's jacket on the back of the door before I pulled my dress up over my head, as soon as I had placed it on the floor, I smiled devilishly in Klaus' direction when I could sense his hunger. I pulled my vest top on over my head and my shorts over my legs, laughing lightly when he pouted. Before I could make my way to my side of the bed, he had me on my back in the middle of the mattress, erupting a startled laugh from me. He starred at my face with a grin on his lips before he gently brushed my hair out of my face, his hand then lingering on the mark on my neck.

'How do you feel about this, love?' His voice was guarded, but I could feel his concern that I would be unhappy about what we had done.

'I'm okay with it,' I told him honestly, my hand caressing the side of his face, smiling softly as he leaned into my touch, 'more than okay.' I could feel his relief and I continued, 'how do you feel about it?'

He just gave me a 'what do you think' look before he gently kissed my lips and then my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin.

'How are you over your Mother coming back?' I asked him, my voice soft once he had pulled back. I felt a flicker of anxiety but it dispelled when I moved my thumb back and forth on his cheek in a comforting motion, I was certain if I hadn't been holding him he would have stiffened.

'I don't know, I want to believe that she wants us to be a family. But how can she when I literally tore her heart from her chest?' He said, his voice so low that I almost don't hear him, 'what do you think, love?'

'Honestly,' I paused, looking to him with a regretful frown on my face, 'I don't think she came back to rebuild her family, I think she came to destroy it.'

His eyes were sad and vulnerable but he didn't look surprised. I pulled his head to my chest, comforting him as well as I could, gently running my fingers through his hair as he exhaled softly. I heard his breathing even out and I felt my own eyes drooping as I followed closely behind him.

'Kim! Wake up!' Elena pounded on my door.

I groaned, 'what time is it?'

'Nearly ten,' Elena answered, sounding amused.

'Well I still have a few more hours,' I argued.

'No, we need to talk; Elijah came to see me last night.'

'Okay, fine. An hour,' I bargained.

'All right, I'm going to go for a run and then Stefan and Damon should be here as well,' she said, her voice becoming fainter as she moved away from my door as she spoke.

I sighed and opened my eyes, knowing I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep now, especially with the sunlight pouring in due to the fact I hadn't closed my curtains last night. As I lifted my head I noticed that Klaus and I were in the same position we had been in when Bekah had walked in on us the other morning; I was lying on top of him, my head on his chest, my hands around his neck while his hands were wrapped around my waist. I also noticed that he was only in his boxers and I frowned, not remembering him taking them off before we had fallen asleep last night, though I wasn't complaining; the feel of his bare chest underneath my fingertips felt wonderful. Seeing as I actually had a moment, I couldn't help but admire his peaceful expression as he slept; his dark blonde curls and relaxed appearance made him look somewhat angelic, the irony of which made me smile, as I knew he was anything but. I reached up and gently brushed a few stray curls away from his face, secretly delighted when he happily sighed. Unable to resist, I leant forward and placed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, moving to kiss the other side when he didn't stir. Deciding to push my luck I bought my lips to his and squealed when I was suddenly underneath him.

'How long have you been awake?' I asked as I stared up at him.

'Long enough to know we have the house to ourselves for an hour,' he playfully smirked, his forehead resting against mine for a moment before our lips connected. He had one hand on my cheek; his thumb gently moving back and forth while the other went to my waist, pulling me even tighter against him. My own hands went to his neck, gliding over the mark that mirrored mine, squirming in anticipation when he growled. My legs wrapped around his waist, resting in the arch of his back; this new position allowed his hips to align with mine, the friction making us both moan in pleasure. I went to move my hands to his boxers, wanting them off, but as if he knew what I was going to do, he captured both of my hands in one of his own, pinning them above my head, underneath the pillow above me.

I made a sound of protest, which made him grin against my neck, I was about to complain but he suddenly sunk his teeth into my neck, right over my mark and the pleasure it created made all of the fight leave me in an instant. My back arched as I desperately tried to gain some friction against him, but he ushered my head to the crook of his neck, where his own mark had opened up. I leaned forward and drank from him without hesitation, moaning at how incredible he tasted. His grip on my hands loosened and I brought one to his hair and the other to his shoulder as leverage while I continued to drink from him. I felt him tear away my shorts and underwear as well as ridding himself of his own, before I had time to process it he slid inside me, the abruptness making us both moan deeply as we continued to drink.

His fangs withdrew from me and I whimpered in protest as the wound on his neck healed a moment later. I licked the remaining blood away, enjoying the shiver that ran through his body as I did so. He hips began to move faster against mine, his hands going to my ass and holding me in place making the movements much rougher and heightened the pleasure cascading through my body. His lips connected with mine and I felt myself on the brink of reaching my climax, and he seemed to sense it too; one of his hands moved to my core, two of his fingers moving over my clit roughly. That was all it took; I fell over the edge, him swallowing my scream as his lips continued to move against mine; my hands tugged roughly at his hair, and that seemed to push him over the edge as well, growling in satisfaction as he did. His forehead rested against mine for a moment before his head went to the crook of my neck, licking the dry blood remaining and raising goose bumps on my skin. We both lay there for a moment longer; I gently ran my hands through his hair as we waited for our breathing to go back to normal.

Eventually he reluctantly pulled back from my neck, placing a soft kiss on my lips before he rolled over to his back, jolting my pillow in the process. I decided to take the shower first, knowing that Elena would be back soon; I washed my hair and body as quickly as I could, rejoining Klaus in my room. I didn't notice his particularly soft expression until I was dressed in my black high waisted skinny jeans and royal blue skintight vest top.

'What?' I asked, wondering what had made him also particularly smug as well as pleased in the short amount of time I had been gone.

He held up the shirt that I had been keeping underneath my pillow, the shirt that belonged to him, which by the satisfied look in his eyes he was aware of, 'care to explain this, love?'

'Well… when you left after the whole fiasco at the school so I had Bonnie spell the shirts that you stored in my bag so they would keep their scent and I could get some sleep,' I said nonchalantly, looking anywhere but him, I refused to focus on what he was feeling, afraid of what I would find. The high school had been a long time ago, what if he thought I was crazy for needing his shirt to sleep for that long?

'So that's why you've been well rested and I've been counting the minutes until morning.' He chuckled, his voice sounding amused but it was the soft edge to it that made my eyes move back to his.

'You don't think I'm crazy?' I asked, in a flash he was in front of me, gently brushing the damp hair away from my face, his hand lingering on my cheek.

'Of course not, love. I just wish I had the same idea, I could have saved myself a lot of irritation,' he teased.

I opened my mouth to reply but I was cut off by Elena pounding on the door, 'Kim, tell me you're awake.'

I huffed in annoyance, 'I'm awake Elena.'

'Okay, Stefan and Damon will be here soon.'

'All right, have you had breakfast?' I asked.

'No, I'm not hungry.' I heard the bathroom door close.

I rolled my eyes, not answering her, knowing what she really meant; she was hungry but too lazy to make anything. I kissed Klaus' lips softly, 'do you want breakfast?'

'I would, but I should probably get going, love.' Klaus said almost reluctantly.

I could feel his hesitancy to leave, but I knew he needed to check in on his siblings, so I just nodded, not wanting to make him feel bad about wanting to be there for his family. He was literally dressed in a flash, and he placed a short but passionate kiss on my lips before he was gone, a soft breeze passing through the room. I made my way downstairs, doing my best to ignore the pull in my heart that was demanding I go back to him.

I decided to make French toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast, craving a change; I made extra knowing that Damon and Stefan were coming over. Elena's timing was as perfect as ever as she walked into the kitchen just as I placed her portion on a plate. She moaned when she smelled the food and her eyes lit up when she saw it; I grinned at her and passed her the plate, laying out some for Stefan and Damon and placing them on the table when I heard the doorbell ring. I had grabbed my own portion and taken my seat when the Salvatore brothers entered the room and tucked into their food without another word when I informed them it was theirs. We ate in comfortable silence and once everyone was done I cleared the plates and loaded them into the dishwasher, sitting back down when Elena started to tell us what Elijah had told her.

'The one in the coffin was Ester's Mother, she came back and according to Elijah, she wants to rebuild their family and instigate peace in the town.' Elena said, her eyes flickered to mine and I discreetly nodded, silently telling her I already knew that.

'As in the Original witch?' Stefan asked.

'The very same,' Elena nodded.

'What? How is she even alive? Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago.' Damon said, his tone one of sarcasm and confusion.

My fists clenched in my lap as I forced myself not to verbally react or get defensive of him bad naming Klaus; it was fair that they hated him; they didn't know the same side of him that I knew.

'She was supposed to help us kill Klaus,' Stefan said, his voice one of defeat.

I bit my tongue and gladly jumped up when the doorbell rang, leaving them to their ramblings before I lashed out. I opened the door and frowned when I saw no one on the porch. I was about to close it when something on the floor caught my eye; one envelope with my name on it sat on top of a giant white box while another with Elena's name on it sat on the floor. I picked up the box, somehow managing not to drop it as I maneuvered my way into the house and kicked the door shut.

'We have mail,' I muttered passing Elena her envelope as I gently placed the white box on the kitchen counter before opening my own. I pulled out a piece of card, clearly an invitation, 'please join the Mikaelson family, this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebration.' I read aloud, instinctively I flipped the invitation over, my lips forming a bright smile when I noticed the handwritten note on the back.

Love,

I hope to see you tonight; your presence will make the night much more bearable.

Save me a dance.

Fondly,

Nik.

I placed the invitation on the counter and lifted the lid on the box, gasping in surprise when I saw what was enclosed. A beautiful blood red dress greeted me; it was strapless with a sweet heart neckline, fitted down to the waist where the silky material flowed out and rippled like a waterfall. The bodice was encrusted with hundreds of tiny little diamonds that flowed down to the bottom of the dress as if they were droplets of water travelling down a windowpane. I didn't realize that the other occupants in the kitchen had gathered around to stare at the dress as well until Elena spoke.

'Wow, it's beautiful.' She said, clearly in awe.

'It is.' I agreed, placing the invitation inside the box before I gently put the lid back on the box.

'It's not bad enough that they are moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?' Damon scoffed, but I was relieved he wasn't making a harsh comment over the dress.

'They probably just want to formally introduce themselves into the town,' Stefan shrugged, clearly not as concerned about the ball as Damon was. Elena was about to respond when she suddenly froze when she flipped over her own invitation.

'There's a note on the back,' she met my eyes, and I knew whatever it was wasn't good, 'Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet. Ester.'

The rest of the afternoon passed in a complete blur as Elena left to meet up with Caroline to frantically track down a dress while I invited over Rebekah to get ready at my house, seeing as hers was overrun with staff getting the mansion ready for the ball. She brought over some hair and make up artists and honestly I was relieved; I knew if it was left to me than I would have been screwed, I never wore make up and I usually just left my hair down so I definitely wasn't an expert. Though I was moderately surprised when I noticed that Kol had tagged along as well, in fact I nearly closed the door in his face, as I wasn't expecting anyone other than Bekah.

'Wow, darling what did I do to deserve a door in the face?' Kol joked, holding his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

'Give me a minute, I'll think of something,' I joked, opening the door wider, 'come on in bestie.'

He chuckled and walked over the threshold, immediately making himself at home on the sofa and switching the T.V. over to a horror channel. I rolled my eyes and sat beside him, briefly wondering where Bekah had gone. I crossed my legs before I gave him an amused look, 'one night and you already know how to use a T.V.? Who got to teach you that?'

'Elijah seeing as he is more patient than Bekah. I would have asked Nik, but he never came home last night,' Kol said, raising his eyebrows suggestively in my direction.

'Yeah… I asked him to stay over. Ric was attacked and I didn't want to be left alone,' I lied, not wanting to voice his reluctance to go home because of his Mother.

'You're sweet to try and lie for him, darling. You could have invited us all over; none of us wanted to be under the same roof as Mother last night. Talk about awkward,' Kol muttered, his tone sarcastic but I could feel that he was in fact being honest.

'You're welcome here anytime, bestie, you don't need an invitation.' I told him, squeezing his shoulder lightly, sending him some comfort as I did so.

He seemed to sense my honesty and he sent me a genuine smile before he nodded briefly in thanks. I smiled in return before I jumped at the screaming coming from the T.V. managing to fall onto the floor in the process. Kol almost joined me with how hard he was laughing at my fall; I sent him a mock glare as I stood, rubbing my ass cheek as it throbbed.

'I had you pegged as a tough bird, darling.' Kol said, still laughing; now wiping tears from his cheeks.

I rolled my eyes and smacked the back if his head, 'I'm perfectly tough, I daggered an Original!' I said, grinning when he paled, 'Mikael, don't worry the bastard had it coming.' I muttered.

'You daggered our father?' Kol asked, clearly disbelieving.

'Pshhh, yeah. I'm tougher than I look,' I said, my tone completely serious as I flexed my bicep and kissed it.

He only laughed at me, making me frown.

'She forgets to mention that father was a willing participant,' Bekah piped up as she joined us in the living room.

'Willing? Nah I took him down on my own,' I waved my hand dismissively.

Both of them laughed at me now and I just mock glared at the two of them before my lip twitched and I dissolved into a fit of laughter myself, 'ok fine, maybe I exaggerated a little' I said holding my thumb and index finger half an inch apart, smiling when I felt their amusement; it was much better than the suspicion that seemed to lurk since their Mother had returned.

'Anyway, Kimmie, we need to start getting ready.' Bekah declared, holding her hand out to me to help me up off the sofa.

'What? It's only three o'clock! The ball isn't until seven!' I groaned, refusing to move from my seat.

Kol chuckled at me while Bekah just gave me a stern look; I sighed and took her hand, giving up.

'You put up one hell of a fight, darling.' Kol teased, I smacked his head again when Bekah pulled me around the sofa towards the stairs where she had set up the staff. It was going to be a long day.

Approximately three and a half hours later we were ready. Bekah sent the staff she had bought with her away as she grabbed her clutch from off my bed, rifling through it to make sure she had everything she needed, what she had in there I couldn't possibly imagine. I grabbed my phone from my dressing table and strategically placed it in between my breasts, checking in the mirror to make sure it wasn't visible. Bekah shook her head at me in astonishment, but otherwise didn't comment.

'You look beautiful, if I haven't told you already,' I said to Bekah, meaning it completely; she was wearing a dark green floor length dress that was fitted to her figure, her make up was natural, her eyes smoky, making her blue eyes pop. Her hair was pinned to one side of her neck, leaving the other bare; she was wearing extensions to add volume and length to her platinum blonde curls.

'Thank you, sweetheart' she said, smiling brightly before she looked me over, 'so do you; I can't wait to see Nik's reaction,' She said with a grin.

I blushed but gave her a soft smile in thanks as I looked at my reflection in the mirror; I almost didn't recognize myself. I was wearing the dress that Nik had gifted me and honestly I think that was what was most mesmerizing; the dress flowed so beautifully and elegantly I had trouble taking my eyes off it; especially with the diamonds catching and reflecting the light in an almost tantalizing way. My hair was in its natural loose curls, which I had been surprised about, but I wasn't complaining; the parts that would normally frame my face and cover my neck had been pinned back with small diamond pins similar to my dress. My make up was natural, much like Bekah's; I was wearing bronzer, fake lashes, my eye shadow consisted of a golden brown smoky color and my lipstick was the same enticing red as my dress. My shoes were flats, which I could get away with thanks to the fact that my dress was floor length; Bekah had tried to tempt me into wearing heels but gave up when I flat out said no.

'I can't wait to see Matt's reaction to you,' I winked, grinning when she flushed a little in response. She had told me that her date with Matt yesterday had been amazing, they'd hit it off and hadn't run out of things to talk about; they'd even kissed goodnight, which had made her blush when she told me about it. I was lovely to see her light up and dopily grin whenever Matt was mentioned and I just hoped it worked out for them.

'We'd better get going. This is your ball, you can't be late,' I murmured as I looked at the time on my bedside table; we had twenty minutes to get there. I noticed that Kol was gone when we made our way down stairs and figured he had left at some point to get himself ready, despite the fact he had already been wearing a suit. During the journey I remained mostly silent as Bekah expressed her excitement over the ball, but secretly I think she was looking forward to her company for the evening. We got out of the car after paying the driver and linked arms as we walked through the double doors, my mouth falling open when I saw just how many people were actually there. I saw so many tuxes, some staff and some guests; I saw many flashes of color from the different ball gowns that the women were wearing, a part of me feeling like I was in the middle of a fairytale as I took in the scene. Bekah pulled me forward, snapping me out of my trance as she dragged me over to Kol who was standing at the bottom of the staircase with several empty champagne flutes around him.

'Why are you so miserable?' I asked him, my voice soft when I felt the sadness he was trying hard to fight coming from him.

'Nothing, darling I'm right as rain.' He gave me a forced bright smile and I just gave him a look, silently telling him to continue, 'Mother is up to something, I can feel it.'

'She is.' I confirmed, squeezing his shoulder and sending him a comforting wave, 'and we'll figure it out, don't you worry.' I gave him a warm smile, glad when I felt his sadness ebb away to be replaced with calmness and a slither of hope that I knew he would never dream of admitting to. I gave each of their arms a squeeze before I excused myself to find my sister; I had already told her that meeting Ester wasn't a good idea and I knew she believed me, but I just wanted to make sure she understood how serious I was being. Though deep down I knew it wasn't going to make a difference; willingly or not she was going to see Ester if the Original witch had anything to say about it. I noticed Elena and Caroline standing in the middle of the giant dance floor and I made my way over to them, gripping her elbow to gain her attention.

'Hey, Lena. You look gorgeous.' I told her honestly, in complete awe at the gorgeous brown and black ball gown she was wearing, before I looked over to the pale pink ball gown Care was wearing, 'so do you, Care.'

They both gave me a bright smile before they took in my dress and told me I looked beautiful, I smiled in thanks and quickly changed the subject, not liking the attention.

'We're clear on the plan right?' I asked them both, continuing when they both looked confused, 'there is no plan, we're here to have a fun night and make memories, and most importantly, to stay away from the Original witch who is most definitely up to no good.'

Elena rolled her eyes but agreed, as did Caroline, but I still had a ball of dread in my gut and I vowed to keep a close eye on her right there and then.

'Um, Kimmie… are you gonna get that?' Elena asked, looking a mixture of amused and embarrassed as she gestured to my breasts, I frowned at her not understanding, so she continued, 'your breasts are ringing.'

'Oh!' I reached in between my breasts and pulled out my phone, ignoring Caroline and Elena's amusement. I checked the caller I.D. and frowned in surprise when I saw who was calling.

'Bekah? Why are you calling me, we're literally in the same place.' I murmured, moderately amused.

'Because Mother has gathered us upstairs for the introduction and she won't let us leave until it has been completed.' Bekah said.

'Ah, I see. Sucks to be you,' I teased.

'Funny you should say that,' She said, clearly amused.

'Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you're going to say,' I replied.

'Because you have very good instincts,' I could tell she was grinning, 'Mother said last night that you were family, so she wants you to stand with us during the introduction.'

'You know if it wasn't your Mother's suggestion I would be touched.' I said honestly before continuing, 'but because it is and I'm pretty sure she despises me, I'm going to say thanks but no thanks.'

'I wouldn't be asking you if we didn't see you as family as well, Kimmie.' She promised, her voice soft but also a little amused with my answer, 'besides you can either come up here willingly or I will send Elijah to drag you up.'

'Elijah is the most chill guy I've ever met, he wouldn't drag me anywhere,' I said confidently.

I could hear Kol laughing loudly in the background, making me assume that all of the Original siblings were eavesdropping in on the conversation.

'Perhaps you're right, but Kol would and Nik definitely would.'

I sighed, knowing she was right, 'you got me there. Where do I need to go exactly?'

'Nik will come and get you sweetheart.' Bekah said and as soon as she finished her sentence I felt the pulling in my heart again, stronger than ever, and it forced me to turn around where my eyes immediately met Nik's as he stepped down from the grand staircase. He had looked amused before he met my eyes, but now he looked completely shocked as he stared at me in awe. It was intense being on the other end of that stare; I felt like he was staring at me as if I were the only girl in the room, making everyone else slip away. Once his eyes had finished taking me in and met my gaze again, his eyes were soft, as was his smile as he made his way over to me. I waved to Care and Elena, ignoring their surprise at seeing Klaus look so gentle, as I walked to meet him in the middle.

'Someone looks good in a tux,' I said by way of greeting; he grinned at me before he offered me his arm, I placed my arm through his allowing him to lead me up the stairs.

'I'd rather talk about how ravishing you look in that dress,' Klaus smirked, his eyes dancing with happiness that he only revealed because no one else could see as we had our backs to them as we walked up the stairs.

'About that, I'm torn between scolding you for giving me something so extravagant or thanking you,' my eyes danced playfully, 'I still haven't decided which way I'm gonna go yet.'

He chuckled, 'I look forward to finding out, love.'

'I'm sure you do,' I rolled my eyes when he just gave me a smug smirk, knowing I couldn't stay mad at him for long if that was the way I decided to go.

'Bestie! Don't you look stunning tonight!' Kol said, catching me by surprise; I had been so focused on Klaus that I hadn't noticed we had stepped into a smaller room where all of the Mikaelson siblings were gathered, though their Mother wasn't present, which I found odd.

'Thank you bestie, as do you,' I told him honestly as I returned his hug with one hand as my other was still linked through Nik's arm. I turned to everyone else when Kol let me go and smiled brightly, 'how's everyone doing tonight?'

'I'll be better when I'm sure my Mother has nothing but good intentions,' Elijah told me truthfully, surprising me; he was usually so polite and reserved but I appreciated his honesty.

'Whatever it is, we'll figure it out,' I assured him; I was sure that we would find a solution in the same way that I was sure she was up to something.

Elijah looked like he wanted to say something else but snapped his mouth shut, and when the door opened a moment later, I knew why. Ester joined us in the small room and I unconsciously stepped closer to Nik, glad that Kol stood on the other side of me, preventing her from getting too close for comfort. Nik placed his hand around my waist, squeezing me in assurance; I reciprocated the gesture to show my gratefulness. I tried not to visibly stiffen when her eyes settled on mine, which was easier as I was enclosed in Klaus' arms.

'Ah, Kimberly; I'm glad you were able to join us.' Ester said, her tone and her reeking of insincerity.

I forced a smile but otherwise didn't respond. I focused on sending calming waves to the rest of the Mikaelson's when I felt their unease at how she stared at me; she looked to me with terribly concealed disgust and it reminded me of how she had looked at Klaus right before he tore her heart from her chest. I felt them all relax, thankfully; I didn't want Nik or Kol to lash out, at least not before we found out what she was up to.

'Let's begin, shall we?' She gestured for us to go first but I forced a smile and gestured for her to make the first move, with a look of displeasure she did. We made our way to the grand staircase that overlooked the room where most of the guests were now gathered; I could feel Damon and Stefan's confusion when they saw me stood up here with the Original family, but I noticed that Elena and Caroline weren't surprised, leading me to believe that Caroline had eavesdropped in on my phone call earlier. Ester stepped down the steps, coming to a stop on the sixth step, leaving us all a step of our own to stand on. Elijah stood behind Ester, then Finn, then me and Klaus, then Bekah with Kol on the top step. Klaus' hand was still on my waist and he began to move his thumb back and forth in a comforting gesture as if he sensed my nerves. We were all handed a flute of champagne which made me and Klaus share a look and a secretive smile when we thought of the last time we had drank champagne; it had been in Chicago over the summer, so much had happened since then.

'If everyone could gather, please.' Elijah's calm and authoritative voice immediately silences the entire room as he lifts up his glass, 'welcome, thank you for joining us. 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.' Elijah and the rest of us drained our glasses and placed them on the empty tray the waiter was holding, as we waited for the commotion of the guests making their way to the ballroom to die down, before we joined them.

'Just to warn you, I, unlike you wasn't around when this dance was invented so I'm definitely going to suck.' I said, my tone slightly teasing though my seriousness was still conveyed.

'Don't worry, love; it's all in the leading you'll be fine,' Klaus promised, though he was amused at my anxiety.

'Well then she probably shouldn't dance with you, then Nik,' Kol piped up making everyone aside from Nik laugh, though I knew his glare was only for show.

'I wouldn't brag about your dancing skills, little brother, you're a little out of practice seeing as you've been out of commission for a century,' Nik quipped.

'Nonsense, Nik. Talent like mine doesn't require practice,' Kol said, waving his hand dismissively at Nik's suggestion that his dancing could be anything less than perfect.

I just shook my head and smiled at the both of them, taking my place as the dance began, once it did I was lost as I stared into Nik's eyes and trusted him to lead me, which he did, brilliantly.

'See, love; easy,' he smiled, smugly.

I just rolled my eyes but I couldn't help the small smile that broke out across my face, 'would you even be you if you weren't so smug?' I teased.

'Probably not, love,' he chuckled, 'I have every right to be smug; I am the most powerful being on the planet.'

'Uh-oh. Here we go,' I mock groaned, laughing when he frowned at me, 'you've only told me that a thousand times over the summer alone, yet you feel the need to remind me encase I have forgotten.' I winked.

'It's an important thing to remember, love.' He smirked, resting his forehead against mine, his eyes glittering with amusement.

'If you say so,' I playfully rolled my eyes, grinning when he mock glared at me.

'I'm going to have to spin you to someone else, love.' Klaus said, I frowned, panicked when I was suddenly spinning and I hit a hard chest, I looked up to who it belonged to and smiled when I saw Elijah.

'Hey, Elijah, how are you doing?' I asked him.

'Very well, thank you. I trust you're enjoying your evening?' He said, his tone was polite but I could feel his amusement and genuine interest as well as his lingering concern.

'So far so good,' I nodded, 'what about you?'

'I'm sure you already know the answer,' he raised a knowing eyebrow.

'True, but it's politer to ask,' I winked, grinning when his lips twitched in amusement.

'Very well, I grow more concerned by the second regarding my Mother's intentions.' He admitted.

'Look, Elijah; you're the most chill guy I've ever met,' I started, continuing after I grinned at Elijah's raised eyebrow, 'so let me assure you whatever she's planning we will fix it or stop it one way or the other.' I sent him a wave of reassurance, which was amplified seeing as our hands were linked as we danced. I was pleased when his concern seemed to fizzle away slightly and his shoulders seemed to moderately relax.

We continued to dance in comfortable silence as I glanced around at who everyone else was dancing with; I saw Rebekah was now with Damon, and they both looked incredibly happy about it. I couldn't help but snort at Bekah's annoyance, sending her a wink when she met my eyes. I noticed that Elena was now dancing with Kol, and while at first glance they appeared hostile towards one another I could feel the sparks of attraction flying between them, which made me raise my brows in surprise; that would be an interesting development to Elena's already complicated love life. I saw that Klaus was dancing with Caroline and I smothered the slither of jealousy that flared up within me when I felt his boredom and disinterest as well as how uncomfortable Caroline felt.

The dance came to an end and after I thanked Elijah, I was about to make my way back to Nik when I noticed Elena acting rather suspiciously; she was glancing around nervously as if to make sure no one was watching her. I glanced around as well and saw that Stefan was busy talking with Caroline, while Damon was in the middle of what looked like a pissing contest with Kol. I took Kol's annoyance and replaced it with calm before I followed Elena up the grand staircase. She went to the same room that we had all been gathered in earlier and I could feel the dread growing in my gut as the door closed behind her. I stuck my foot in, preventing it from closing completely.

'You came alone. Wise choice,' Ester said, continuing when she notices Elena's worry, 'it's only sage, I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard. You must have a million questions for me Elena. Please.'

I wondered why I could still hear them if she was doing a spell specifically to keep out eavesdroppers; maybe it was because I had stopped the door from closing before she had completed it?

'How are you alive? Are you a ghost? Or...' Elena trailed off; I could hear and sense how nervous she was. I could also feel her guilt; she had met with Ester despite her promise not to.

'Not exactly. When I died the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your friend Bonnie.' Ester explained, I could feel her impatience and knew it wouldn't be long before she got to the real reason as to why she had requested to meet with Elena; I had a feeling it wasn't to be generous and answer her questions for nothing in return.

'So that's why only Bonnie and her Mother could open up the casket.' Elena realized.

'They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side.' Ester said, her impatience growing a little.

'So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?' Elena sounded a little sympathetic, which I hated; she didn't deserve sympathy.

'Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created.' She started, trying and succeeding to gain Elena's interest.

'You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?' She asked, though she sounded uncertain and unwilling to have any part in it.

'One thing at a time Elena. For now, I simply need your help.' Ester murmured, almost too low for me to hear, before she continued, 'I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires.'

'She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves.'

'It's true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me.' She carefully laced sorrow into her tone, but all I could feel was disgust when she mentioned Klaus' name, and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from contrasting her words; Klaus didn't turn against him she turned him against her.

'How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal.' Elena inquired.

'It will take time, magic, and your assistance.' Ester said.

'What about Kim? If Mikael knew about her and Klaus then I'm sure you do too, what he said about what would happen if one of them has to live without the other. As well as the fact that their pain is linked, if you kill Klaus, you'll kill my sister.' I felt Elena's anger and it gave me hope that she was going to remove herself from having any part in this.

'Kim and Niklaus' relationship is rare; they are mates, destined to be together, and yes if one is forced to live without the other then it is said to be like walking the earth without half of your heart. But I can assure you, Kimberly will not have to live without Niklaus, because she will die with him; their pain is linked, yes, but due to the strength of their bond, any wound either suffers the other suffers to the same extent.' Ester said, her voice eerily calm as she told Elena that she basically planned on killing me.

'So if you kill Klaus…' Elena trailed off, horrified.

'Kimberly will die too,' she confirmed.

'Why would you think I would help you kill my sister?' She demanded.

'Because of what she will become; if Klaus is to turn her she will come back with the power of an Original, which will make her one of the most powerful supernatural creatures that has ever existed. Even more powerful than Niklaus. Now can you imagine how powerful, how unstoppable they would be together? The best thing you can do for mankind, Elena, is to let Kimberly die with Niklaus and the rest of my children.' Ester's voice was final and left no room for argument.

'The rest of your children?' Elena asked, confused.

'Yes, with your assistance I can stop them all, I can rid the world of the abominations I created,' Ester said simply, making my anger rise even more.

'What do I have to do with it?' Elena inquired, I could feel her uneasiness and her desire to get away from the Original witch.

'My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?' Ester sounded threatening, and as much as I wanted to try and get Elena out of the room I knew the best thing would be to let Ester believe her plan was working. Without listening to another word I quietly made my way back down stairs to where the rest of the guests were. My eyes scanned the room looking for a Mikaelson, any Mikaelson. I found Elijah first, leaning against the wall, I assumed waiting for my sister to come down so that he could question her but I grabbed his arm to gain his attention, catching him by surprise.

'I know what she's planning.' I whispered, low enough that no one else with supernatural hearing would be able to hear if they were to eavesdrop on our conversation.

He gestured for me to continue but I shook my head and grabbed his arm, dragging him forward, 'we need to find the others first.' He nodded in understanding and we sought out the rest of his siblings in a matter of minutes; we all gathered in the kitchen; using the constant clatter to assure no other supernatural beings would be able to hear the conversation if they tried.

'She's going to put Elena's blood in the champagne later tonight. If you all drink it you will be linked as one.' I said once I was sure we were safe from being overheard. We were gathered in a circle with me standing in between Nik and Elijah. I felt everyone stiffen at my words before I sensed the waves of betrayal and anger coming from each of them.

'Wonderful.' Kol muttered sarcastically.

I sent them all a wave of reassurance, happy when they calmed a little; I hated the betrayal that they were feeling was because of their own Mother wanting to kill them all. And she called them the abominations; the woman was pure psycho.

'Okay, so act normal and no one drink the champagne later on. We good with that?' I said looking to each of them as I waited for them to nod in agreement when they did I continued, 'good, now I'm going to get some air.' I patted Elijah's chest as I made my way past him, I went to let go of Nik's hand, not wanting to force him to come with me but when he continued to hold on I pulled him after me. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool air as it entered my lungs.

'What a day,' I murmured, resting my head on Klaus' shoulder as he pulled us to sit on a bench.

'My thoughts exactly,' Klaus muttered dryly.

My fingers were laced with his as they rested on his lap and I couldn't help but wonder how such a simple, innocent connection had the power to make me feel completely safe and content. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, feeling the most relaxed I had felt since he had left me that morning.

'What are you thinking about love?' Klaus asked, his voice curious.

'How safe you make me feel,' I told him honestly, lifting my head from his shoulder to rest my forehead against his, 'how content you make me feel.'

'I understand completely, love,' Klaus said, his voice the softest I had ever heard it as his hand moved to caress the side of my face before his lips met mine and we shared a gentle kiss, the kind of kiss that made my heart melt as it surrendered itself to him completely. Reluctantly, he pulled away and I smiled as I wiped away the lipstick on his lips, he did the same for me; gently wiping away any smudges that strayed from my lips.

'We should go inside, it's almost time for the toast,' I whispered.

He stood without another word, pulling me up with the hand that was still linked with his, when we stepped into the room we were immediately each handed a glass full of pink bubbly liquid. Klaus and I shared a look before we turned to the source of crystal clinking to see Ester stood at the top of the staircase, holding her own glass.

'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 then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!' Ester said, her voice clear and calm as she cuts across the entire room. She lifts her glass and drinks; Nik and I lift our own glasses to our lips as we pretend to drink it, sharing an ironic look at her choice of words. Once the crowd had dispersed, Klaus turned to me, an excited glint in his eye.

'What?' I asked.

'I want to show you something.' He said, pulling me towards the grand staircase, for a moment I thought he was going to lead me to his bedroom but he kept going, stopping at the very last door at the end of the hallway. He opened it, flickered on the light before he gently closed the door behind us; my eyes took in the room, amazed. I felt his eyes on me as I looked over the paintings, absolutely blown away by their beauty.

'They're stunning,' I said, referring to the paintings.

Klaus smiled and led me over to a table that took up the entire wall, his hand pausing over a sketchbook; he was hesitating and I could feel his uncertainty. I was curious as to what he was nervous about showing me, but I didn't want him to feel uncertain about it; I sent him a wave of comfort, smiling softly when he met my eyes.

'You don't have to show me anything you don't want to.' I promised him.

That seemed to quell any hesitation he may have had as he handed the book to me. I squeezed his hand before letting him go so that I could flick through the pages, I blinked in surprise when I saw that the first picture was of me, the first time he had met me in his own body. I was sat at the bar in the Mystic Grill, my eyes closed with an empty glass in my hand; my face was one of pleasure as I savored the pleasant burn of the whisky as it made its way down my throat. The detail was incredible; my pajamas, my hair softly whisked around my shoulders, the interior of the bar; I was convinced if I watched it for long enough the image would come to life. I continued to look through the book and was shocked to find that it was full of pictures of me; multiple pictures of me sleeping, some I was in the car we had been travelling in, others I was lying on his bed, curled into his chest. Some sketches were ones that I wondered how he had remembered in such detail because I knew for a fact he hadn't been sketching me in the shop in Chicago as I lay on the long sofa, tired circles under my eyes as I balanced a Starbucks cup on my stomach. The most recent was his adaptation of the picture Bekah had taken of us as we stared at one another hungrily and affectionately. I looked up to him, tears in my eyes; I could feel his nervousness and I could tell he had taken my tears the wrong way.

'These are amazing,' I told him honestly, 'I didn't know you had such a good memory for detail.' I teased.

He smiled, 'it's easy to remember something so beautiful.' I blushed when I felt his honesty but otherwise remained silent, not knowing what to say to that.

'I'd imagine with this talent you have paintings in gallery's all over the world?' I asked, gently placing his sketchbook on the table before I wound my hands around his neck, softly playing with his hair.

'Yeah, um...actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?' He asked somewhat modestly, a look I had never seen on him before.

'I've never really been anywhere, aside from the travelling we did when you kidnapped me.' I winked teasingly.

'I'll take you, wherever you want to go,' He smiled, his face an inch from mine as his hands rested on my lower back.

'If the drama ever calms in this town, I would love to see your artwork,' I told him honestly.

He grinned at me before he placed a soft kiss on my lips before he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine again. But I wanted more, so I moved my lips back to his, my hands tangling in his hair to keep his mouth on mine; I felt his brief surprise before he collected himself and kissed me back, growling when I bit his lip, silently asking for him to deepen the kiss. This time I pulled away, knowing where we would end up if we continued, we stared at one another the hunger and lust clear in our darkened gazes.

'Stay with me tonight?' I asked him.

He grinned and leaned down, gripping my ass and lifting me; I wasted no time in wrapping my legs around his waist as I buried my head in the crook of his neck, knowing what he was going to do. I felt the soft breeze ruffling my hair as he flashed us back to my house; I opened my eyes when I felt Klaus kiss my hair. I pulled back from his neck, seeing that we were in my bedroom, I brought my mouth to his, hungrily pulling at his clothes as I felt him pulling the zip down on my dress. He set me down for a moment so that I could step out of it and he could remove his own clothes down to his boxers before I was against him again. I gasped against his mouth when the cold sheets made contact with my skin as he laid me down on the bed, giving him the perfect opportunity to invade my mouth with his expert tongue, making me moan in pleasure as he dominated the kiss, as he always did. Seeing as we were both hungry for one another he wasted no time in ripping my strapless bra and underwear from my body, the action making me gasp in excitement as I waited for him to rid himself of his own underwear. He didn't keep me waiting long as he filled me in one swift move not a moment later, us both groaning at the feel of one another, before we moved together, as one. Our hips met one another's thrust for thrust as we both travelled towards the end together; once we were close Klaus leaned forward and sunk his human teeth over my mark, and that was all it took for me to fall over the edge, moaning his name as he continued to nip and suck at my neck. I dragged my nails down his back, breaking the skin as I ignored the stinging on my own back, as he reached his climax with a satisfied growl. He placed a soft kiss behind my ear before he pulled out of me gently, lying on his back and pulling me against his chest, holding me tightly against him. I inhaled, feeling incredibly relaxed and I knew it wouldn't be long before I was fast asleep. The last thing I registered was Klaus pulling the sheets over us both and softly kissing my hair as he removed the pins gently before I was out.

There's chapter twenty! I know this one was particularly long but I had so much to fit in! I loved writing this chapter; I think here it becomes particularly evident how comfortable Klaus and Kim are becoming with one another & also we see her relationship with Kol grow, which I did enjoy writing. Let me know what you think!

A huge thank you to elljayde, horselover1996 and XxFangyxX for choosing to follow or favorite my story, it means a lot :)

Kleekeaton: Seriously I love Kim and Klaus. I love how you've imagined her as a character. So strong on her own! Please update soon! Thank you so much, I love them together as well, and I figured if she was going to be Klaus' mate she'd need to be pretty tough, I'm glad you think so. Hope you enjoyed the update :)

Elljayde: Really like this story. I hope that if you decide to introduce the baby plot its Kim's baby. Non HayleyxKlaus, that would just be wrong now considering they've completed the bond. Update soon. Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I haven't decided if I'm going to introduce the baby plot yet, but if I do it will be Kim's baby, don't you worry. I'm not sure if I'm even going to bring Hayley in, seeing as Klaus and Kim are together, I might just keep Caroline and Tyler together. We'll see, I'm not sure yet ;) Hope you enjoyed the update :)