SIENNA

"Rory, I'm going to pick some more mushrooms," Sienna announced from the stove, turning to face her little brother. "Stir the pot every so often while I'm gone. I won't take long."

Rory, a petite boy of only 10 years, looked up from the small wooden toys he was playing with, concern sweeping across his chubby face. "But – " he protested quickly. "What if father comes home while you're gone?"

"I'll only be a few minutes," she promised, ruffling his dark hair reassuringly. "And if you need me, just yell. I'm not going far."

Rory stood up, abandoning his small wooden men on the floor. "Can I come with you?" he asked, eyes darting nervously out the window.

"No," Sienna replied with a gentle firmness, grabbing her basket by the door. "Someone needs to keep stirring supper so it won't burn."

Rory nodded slowly, moving to stand near the cooking pot. Sienna gave him a quick kiss on the top of the head, smiling reassuringly as she left. "Don't worry. Father's been gone for so long. I don't think he'll be back in the next few minutes."

Sienna walked out of their house, taking quick steps towards the woods south of their home where the mushrooms grow. Logic would dictate she was right – Mother and Father have been gone for weeks – it would be unnaturally bad luck if they came back in the few minutes that she was gone. However, she couldn't deny the tense feeling in her gut, an anxious anticipation that they would be home soon.

Their absence has given new life to both of them. Rory, usually skittish and fearful, has been enjoying the luxuries of childhood without their father's constant harassment or their mother's pointed aversion. He seems happy and free, now only hiding for their games. His nights have been free of tears and terror-induced trembling, and his days filled with curiosity, adventure and laughter.

Likewise, Sienna – now nearly healed from the last violent beating she endured on her brother's behalf – feels as if a veil has been lifted. For the first time in her life, she realizes that life can be joyful and loving, not just a constant battle. That their parents were the problem – not them.

It was the third day of their absence when she heard Rory laugh, and it was only then that she realized she hadn't heard that sound in years. It broke her heart to realize this, and it broke again when she wondered if she would ever hear it again once they returned. With each passing day, the confidence and resolution to leave and start a new life with Rory grew stronger. But she knew the dangers of the forest, the distance between themselves and the nearest village, and worst of all, she knew their father's pride and wrath would not let them escape. He would hunt them down, if need be. Would that be worse? Could it be worse than what they already endure?

Sienna bent down to pluck mushrooms from a small cluster on the damp forest floor. She pushed her negative thoughts away – for now, she would enjoy this time with Rory. Later, she will prepare for the next battle with her father.

She stepped over a large, protruding tree root carefully, bending down to pick a few more that grew alongside the base of the tree.

MIKAELSONS

Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol stood together in the dense, seemingly never-ending forest, frustrated, exhausted, and most of all… hungry.

"I told you we should've asked for directions before we killed that guy yesterday," Rebekah complained. Of all her siblings, she was by far the most fed up with their recent woodsy travel. They'd started off strong, but one wrong turn became several wrong turns until eventually they were walking in circles. In the last week, the only thing they've had to eat was a single traveling merchant – and split four ways, he was less than filling.

"Wait – do you smell that?" Klaus asked, his nose pointed upward. It was faint, but he could smell something – or rather, someone – absolutely delectable. Their smell was carried with the wind, making it difficult to pinpoint which direction it was coming from.

"Dibs," Kol announced selfishly, picking up the scent himself.

"Not if I find them first," Klaus challenged eagerly.

"No, we're all hungry," Elijah chastised. "We will share whomever that is until – " but they were already gone. He and Rebekah shared an annoyed sigh.

Kol and Klaus zipped through the trees in different directions, hastily searching for their prey. It was Kol who found her first – a beautiful ginger woman, maybe 17 or 18 years of age, picking mushrooms at the base of a tree. He grinned – young women were his favorite. Their blood was always sweeter.

In a split-second flash, he grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up, slamming her back into the tree behind her. She gasped in surprise, her amber eyes wide as Kol's eyes went dark and his fangs slipped downward. He leaned into her neck eagerly, then broke apart from her suddenly at the white-hot pain in his groin.

She kneed him in the dick!

"Bitch!" he hissed, his groin crippling him in agony. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Sienna scoffed, unphased by the threat. "Get in line, little boy," she barked back, picking up her basket of mushrooms and turning to leave. He'd surprised her, and even she had to admit to the fear that coursed through her body when she first looked at his hungry, demonic face. But she'd been fighting a much scarier monster her whole life – her father.

Fear was no longer paralyzing to her – it was empowering.

And now, looking at this young man, curled into the fetal position on the forest floor, holding his gentles tightly in distress, she knew she had nothing to fear. She could handle him if he acted up again.

She looked into her mushroom basket, auditing her haul. There was enough for dinner. She turned to leave, stepping carefully over the thick tree root again, towards home.

Kol growled, rage complimenting his insatiable hunger. He couldn't believe her audacity. Little boy, his fury rolled in the insult. Who the hell does she think she is? In a flash, he appeared behind her, wrapping one arm around her torso, his other hand on her neck. Her thick mane of red-orange curls created a curtain between his fangs and her neck. He twisted her head sideways, forcing her to bend against him so he could take a bite.

"Little girl," he moaned into her ear, "You have no idea who – fuck!"

Sienna couldn't deny his strength. She struggled against his grip, then tried to spin and slide out of it, but he had her locked tight. When she felt his breath on her neck, she brought her elbow forward and cranked it back and hard as she could. It collided with his ribcage – hard. So hard, in fact, she felt her own bone crack on impact. His grip loosened for only a brief second, but it was enough for Sienna to drop to the ground, out of his grip.

He recovered quickly, diving down onto her, pushing her into the wet dirt with intense speed and force. But Sienna used his own momentum against him and rolled backward as he lunged, pushing him off with her legs. He flew right over the top of her and crashed head-first into the tree behind them. The impact made a jarring crack noise. For a moment she thought he had broken his head or neck on impact, but it was the tree. The large red oak now had a sizable split down the center of the trunk.

Sienna stood slowly, the pain in her elbow hot and pulsing. It felt like she'd elbowed a rock wall, and she could feel blood dripping down her swelling arm.

It was her fresh blood that alerted the other Mikaelsons. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah appeared in a split second, surprised at the sight in front of them – Kol on the ground, the woman standing above him.

"Enough," Sienna said, her tone commanding. "I have plenty of my own monsters to fight. I don't need any more."

Kol stood slowly, his head pounding, fury coursing through his veins. When he turned, his eyes connected with his siblings, all observing him with interest peaked. Elijah looked confused, and Rebekah held a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. Klaus shamelessly broke into a loud fit of laughter, holding his gut as he rolled in the hilarity of the now-obvious situation. Kol fumed. "Shut it!" he warned.

Sienna only realized the others were standing there when Klaus started laughing. She eyed them suspiciously, trying to decide if they were there to stop their friend or help him.

In the moment of her split attention, Kol blurred forward once more, this time his hand around her throat, lifting her slightly from the ground. However, unlike most women in this situation, she didn't falter, squirm or scream. She looked down at him without fear, seemingly holding her own breath so he could not steal it in his vice grip.

"I have to admit, love, you're the strongest human I've ever met," Kol spoke, still seething. "I'm going to enjoy draining you."

Sienna smirked, a reaction none of the Mikaelsons were expecting. The moment he grabbed her, it was over. She'd been in this position many times – hanging by her neck at the hands of her abuser – and she knew she was far from powerless at this angle. Sienna swung her legs up, wrapping them around his neck, and in a smooth, fluid motion, she thrust one leg forward and pulled the other back, snapping his neck with a quiet crack.

They both fell, but this time, Kol remained unconscious.