Elijah cleared his throat, his attempt to wrangle his siblings' attention resembled a conductor facing an unruly orchestra. Each sibling, a unique instrument playing its own tune, was oblivious to the harmony Elijah sought. Eventually they fell silent and turned their attention to him. Rebekah, ever impatient, broke first.

"What is it 'Lijah? What's so important, that you made us all wait here. I wanted to spend time with Maya today."

"Maya is –" Elijah tried, only to be swiftly interrupted by Klaus.

"Maya is my daughter! If anyone should get to spend time with her then it's me."

"As I was –"

"Well, she actually likes me. So, if it's going to be anyone, I should be first pick." Kol butted in, drawing outrage from both of them.

"Maya –" Elijah tried once more; his voice drowned out by the rising tide of familial squabbles.

"I won't have you turning my daughter against me!"

"That's not fair, you've already spent time with her, it's my turn."

"She is a child, not a toy." Finn stated, only to be as summarily ignored as Elijah.

Kol smirked at Klaus.

"I don't need to turn her against you, you did that yourself."

"All you've done since you woke is plot against me!"

"Whose fault is that? You daggered us, Nik! What, should we be grateful?" Rebekah snapped.

"MAYA IS AT SCHOOL!"

Elijah very rarely raised his voice, he very rarely needed to. His siblings had invariably been the cause of each occasion when he had.

"Thank you." He said, in a much more moderate tone. "Maya is at school; she has a soccer club after her classes finish today, and will arrive home about five. You will all see her then. Right now, we have important matters to discuss."

"Like this dreadful house? It's much too small, why did you choose something so awful?"

"No Rebekah, not the house –"

"Shockingly Bex is correct, it's much too small for all of us."

"Hey!"

And they were off again.

"That's not –"

"I can't stay here, when can I move into the Salvatores' house?"

"We can't –"

"If anyone's moving in there it will be me!"

"Nikl –"

"Not everything is about you Nik!"

"Maya likes me best, so I'll be the first to get an invitation."

"I'm her father!"

Why had he wanted his siblings back?

Elijah sighed and rubbed his forehead. Three days they'd all been awake, and it had been nothing but quarrelling and sniping at each other. Finn snapped shut the book he'd been reading in an attempt to catch up on the ninety years of history and developments he'd missed, and caught Elijah's eye. The two of them shared a completely silent conversation which ended in Elijah nodding and stepping back slightly.

Finn stood up, took in a deep breath, and,

"ENOUGH!"

Silence reigned. All three of them were staring at their eldest brother in shock. If Elijah rarely shouted, Finn never did. He didn't think he'd ever heard Finn raise his voice to any of them before, not even back when they'd been human.

"Sit down. Be quiet. And let Elijah speak. I'm sure whatever he has to say is more important than your petty squabbles about houses and who Maya likes best."

"Thank you, Finn. To answer your question Rebekah, this house was always intended to be temporary and chosen more out of convenience than anything else."

She went to speak again, but subsided under the heavy glares she received from both Finn and Elijah.

"We can discuss living arrangements later, but you do not get to invite yourself to live with the Salvatores. None of you do."

"But –"

"No, Rebekah."

"Fine."

"As for seeing Maya. As I've already informed you Niklaus, I have made arrangements with Damon, and this extends to the rest of you. We have a standing invitation to dinner every night, and we will all be able to spend time with Maya on weekends as long as we work around her schedule, and she still has time to study. Especially since she has end of year exams in a month. Damon has indicated that he would like to talk with us about summer arrangements as well once we've all had time to adjust."

"That seems more than fair." Finn said before any of his siblings could comment, "What's the important matter we need to discuss Elijah?"

"We need to discuss how to deal with father. Once and for all. It's not just about us anymore, if he finds out about Maya –"

"He'll kill her." Klaus scowled, but Elijah could see the anguish in his eyes, "he'll kill Maya to punish me."

"Yes." Elijah didn't try to soften the blow. It was the truth and all of them knew it. If Mikael found out about Maya, he would stop at nothing to kill her. "So, we need to work out a way to deal with our father once and for all. If we all work together, I'm sure we can succeed."

"We ran from father for a reason." Rebekah said, echoes of remembered fear in her voice.

"Running is no longer and option Rebekah. This time, we have to stand out ground and fight."

"An army of hybrids at our back should help." Klaus proclaimed.

"And how long have you been waiting to bring that up?" Kol asked snidely, "Admit it, the only reason you wanted to break your curse so badly, was so you could have an army of devoted servants at your beck and call."

"I -!"

"Kol! Niklaus! Enough." Elijah commanded, silencing both his brothers with a look. "Rebekah and Niklaus are both correct. We ran for a reason, and we need all the help we can get. Father is older and stronger than us, any advantage on our parts is for the best. But building an army of hybrids will take time, we need to discuss what to do if father turns up before you've turned any."

"We need to warn the Salvatores, and Maya." Finn stated, "If they don't know about the danger, then they can't protect themselves."

"I'll call Damon." Elijah said with a nod, "We tell him first. Let him know everything. He knows Maya the best, he'll know how much of it to tell her."

Finn nodded as well. Both of them ignoring the jealousy on Nik's face.

"That seems sound. Maya is only thirteen, we shouldn't frighten her. In the meantime, we should brainstorm ways to deal with father. He has the only white oak stake, if we can't get it from him then we need to find a way to incapacitate him. Kol, is there any way to replicate what Ralston Potter did to him in 1692?"

"Maybe. He never actually explained what it was he did, but I might be able to figure it out. I'll go through the grimoires here, and I can ask Aradia. She's forgotten more magic than I could ever learn. If anyone knows of a way, she would."

"What can I do?" Rebekah asked.

"Help Kol," Finn instructed, "we don't just need a way to take father down, we need a way to find him before he finds us."

"Niklaus –"

"I have a werewolf to talk to. The quickest way to find more, is to ask the one I already have access to."

"Ask, Niklaus. Don't threaten, not if you want a relationship with your daughter any time this century."

"Fine. I shall be on my best behaviour." He sketched a mocking bow and disappeared in a flash.

"He's doomed." Elijah replied.

None of his siblings corrected him, which spoke volumes about what Niklaus considered to be his best behaviour.

"Finn, would you like to accompany me to speak to Damon?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"That's not fair!"

"Perks of being the oldest." Elijah replied, smiling at his youngest two siblings, "besides, you two have research to do."

With the reminder about the current precarious state of his relationship with his daughter, ringing in his ears. Klaus made a single stop off on his way to track down the local werewolf. Katerina was still sitting in the chair he'd left her in, arms folded across her chest, one leg slung over the other, a sulky expression on her face.

"Hello Katerina."

He allowed his eyes to flash golden, his lips curving into a smirk at the fear which thrummed through her. Afraid or not, Katerina was practiced at keeping her emotions in check, she couldn't hide them completely from him, but she put on a good show. A mask that might fool anybody else.

"I see you've broken your curse." She commented casually.

"I did."

"So, what are you going to do to me now?"

"Well, I was planning on torturing you for the next few centuries, but I find myself feeling merciful today." He sped forward and grabbed her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "You will leave Mystic Falls today. You will never again step foot in Mystic Falls unless I give you permission to. You will cease any plots to kill or trap me somehow. You will never tell anyone of the mercy I extended to you. If anyone asks you are to tell them that you are still running from my vengeance. Do you understand?"

As the compulsion sunk in, she nodded.

"I understand."

He released her chin and stepped back.

"Good. You have until midnight to get out of town."

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I feel like it, Katerina. Don't make me regret my mercy." He looked at her, "You may leave."

She stood up and stepped towards the door.

"Oh, one more thing. Be a dear and stop by the Gilbert's on your way out of town. Let the teacher know he can have his apartment back."

She nodded slowly, eyes a mixture of wariness and confusion.

"Run along now, Katerina. Before I change my mind."

Quicker than a blink, she was gone from the apartment. One task dealt with he headed out after her. He had werewolves to find.

Damon halted, his movements mirroring the internal whirlwind sparked by the tale just unravelled before him. He paced, a predator caged by incomprehension, in front of the two enigmatic Originals.

"Let me get this straight," he began, voice laced with a mix of scepticism and awe. "Your father, a relentless hunter for seven centuries, pursued you across time and continents. Then, suddenly, Ralston Potter steps onto the scene, persuades you all to fall in line with the Wixen World's Statute of Secrecy plan. Realises your father poses a threat to his plans. Poof!" Damon clapped his hands for effect, "You're dad's a statue – immobilised by whatever sorcery Ralston Potter used. And just like that, you're free birds, soaring away from centuries of tyranny."

He paused, a finger jabbing in Finn's direction.

"Fast forward to 1919, New Orleans becomes the stage for your father's grand resurrection act. Meanwhile, you and Kol get the pointy end of brotherly love," he mimed being stabbed with a dagger, "courtesy of Klaus. He then absconds with Rebekah, leaving you," his finger swivelled to Elijah, "to play the hero, leading the patriarchal menace on a merry chase."

Damon's pacing resumed; each step punctuated with the incredulity of the narrative.

"But the plot thickens in the Roaring Twenties, Chicago. The siblings rendezvous, and Stefan somehow gets thrown into this legendary saga. Rebekah, once again, plays Sleeping Beauty to the dagger's kiss, and Klaus, once again beats a hasty retreat. Neither of you have seen him since."

He stopped, facing the Originals squarely, the room charged with anticipation.

"But now, the foregone conclusion in this saga of eternal hide-and-seek—Daddy Dearest is bound to crash the party here, and when he does, Maya will be a prime target for his rage. Did I miss anything?"

Damon's delivery, a blend of sarcasm and dramatic flair, laid bare the cyclical nature of their woes, and left the two of them blinking in response. Yet, beneath the veneer of entertainment, the gravity of their situation was palpable, a silent acknowledgment that history, with its vendettas and vendettas, was on the brink of repeating itself.

"Perhaps more dramatic, than I would have put it. But you hit all the fundamental points." Elijah replied.

Damon swiped the bottle of Firewhisky off the coffee table and took a few healthy gulps.

"Okay. How do we stop him?"

"We're working on that. We're more concerned about telling Maya, how much does she need to know."

"Omit the gory details, she's thirteen. But other than that, you need to tell her all of it. You can't lie to her, not if you want her to trust you."

"We'll need your help."

"Obviously." Damon rolled his eyes, and took another mouthful of the Firewhisky. "Okay, we tell Maggie, Enzo, Lexi, Lee, Stefan, and Maya tonight. At the weekend we give everyone else the basics, the more people keeping an eye out the more likely he is to be spotted when he, apparently inevitably, arrives in town."

Kamala's hand shot up like a stop sign, halting Maya's rapid-fire narrative.

"Hold on a minute," she interjected, disbelief and fascination wrestling in her voice. "You're telling me you've been MIA because you were off playing hero, breaking curses that have been around since the dawn of time?"

Sora leaned in her eyes wide with a different curiosity.

"Forget the curse for a second. You finally met your dad and your legendary aunt and uncles? That's huge, Maya."

Maya, thankful for the silencing charm she'd woven around their corner of the world—a handy trick courtesy of Sirius's latest letter—smiled wryly. The buzz of protected secrecy was a comforting hum in her ears. Damon had warned her; the truth about her heritage was a ticking time bomb. But for now, she was content to delay the inevitable explosion.

"Yeah, yeah, the family reunion and curse-breaking were monumental, I guess," Maya said, her nonchalance masking the whirlwind of emotions those events had stirred. "But come on, the highlight of my week was dancing with Ronan at the Beltane Festival. Now that was epic."

Kamala snorted, unimpressed.

"That was as predictable as the sunrise, Maya. I'm talking about history-making stuff here. Breaking a curse? That's the stuff of legends. You're basically a walking epic now."

"And your family? 'The Originals'? They're practically mythical figures. What are they like?" Sora pressed; her curiosity undimmed.

Maya sighed, conceding the point.

"My father has a temper."

"So do you, werewolf genes remember."

"Kamala!" Sora chided softly before urging Maya to continue.

"My aunt's not much different. She had a thing with Stefan back in the twenties, and let's just say, things got complicated. My father had Stefan forget about her to protect him, and Aunt Rebekah was less than thrilled. Made him remember her, though. Compulsion's their go-to trick, it seems. Even on other vampires, which is supposed to be impossible, but rules don't apply to Originals, I guess."

"Talk about epic." Sora sighed dreamily, "two souls bound by love, torn asunder and reunited years later, it's like a real-life romance story."

Maya and Kamala shared an eye-roll, before Maya shook her head.

"Somehow I don't think it's gonna be that simple."

"True love never is." Sora replied, with the wisdom of someone who'd read far too many love stories.

"Stefan doesn't like to talk much about his past, but I got the impression that that was a pretty dark period for him. I don't think finding out he knew my aunt and my father back then changes things."

"Anyway. What was breaking the curse like?" Kamala asked.

"Exhausting. It's why I missed school on Thursday and Friday. Even with all the energy I was channelling from everyone else who took part, it still took pretty much everything I had. I slept for like eighteen hours, woke up long enough to eat something, then fell asleep again until midmorning on Friday."

"It was big magic. I mean we won't even start learning about curses until tenth grade and even that will just be the basics. You just broke one of the oldest curses in the world."

"Yeah, but it's not like I was the one working out how to do it or anything. I just did the ritual as I was told. I don't know any more about curses than you do."

"Are you gonna be rejoining us in magic classes next year?" Sora asked suddenly, "Or are you gonna keep being tutored by Himiko."

"I don't know. I'm able to differentiate between my magics now, and my control has improved a lot. But I guess I'll have to wait and see what Professor Aradia says."

"Speaking of classes," Kamala glanced at her watch, "lunch is almost over, and you know what Professor Franklin is like about tardiness."

Maya nodded, taking down the silencing spell, as all three girls picked up their lunch trays. Kamala was correct, it would not do to be late for Science, Professor Franklin was not forgiving of tardiness, especially in the period immediately following Lunch.

"Right. So, you want me to become a hybrid, like you?"

"Yes." Klaus nodded, a little impatient, it wasn't a difficult concept.

"It's not that I don't want to, because believe me I get the appeal, immortality and never having to turn again, it's a pretty good deal. It's just I'd much rather you prove it works on someone else before I volunteer."

"The thing is, Mason, mate." Klaus slung an arm over his shoulder, "Werewolves aren't exactly easy to find."

"And what if I told you I could lead you straight to a couple of incredibly sadistic one's who enjoy killing and torturing. People who will be no great loss to the world if the whole hybrid thing does fail?"

"Well then," Klaus smirked, "I'd say this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"When do you want to leave?"

"Let's say Wednesday. That gives us enough time to make arrangements and also ensures we'll be back in town for the weekend."

Katherine's steps were swift and silent, a shadow flitting through the dimming twilight of Mystic Falls. The decision to flee was carved in stone the moment Klaus had inexplicably granted her freedom. Not one to linger or question fortunes, especially those as precarious as Klaus's whims, she vanished into the twilight haze toward her temporary haven at the town's edge.

Her belongings, few as they were—tools of survival and subterfuge—were hastily gathered. Compelling one of the unsuspecting guests yielded the keys to a sleek Lamborghini parked outside. The thrill of escape pulsed through her veins, a familiar rush, yet the luxury of her chosen conveyance added a sweet note of defiance to the mix. Her bags, tossed carelessly into the trunk, were the final ties to be severed before she embarked on her ultimate task, a parting gift of chaos for Mystic Falls.

The Gilbert house stood silent, save for the solitary beat of a human heart within. Katherine's senses, honed over centuries, led her through the shadows to John Gilbert, absorbed in penmanship at the kitchen table. His solitude was about to be shattered in the most dramatic of fashions.

In a blur, she was upon him, her grip ironclad around his throat as they ascended to the staircase's summit—a stage for the final act. His gasp, a mixture of shock and recognition, barely preceded the emergence of her true visage, fangs bared and eyes a tempest of darkness.

"K…Katherine," he stammered, the name a whispered curse.

A smirk played upon her lips, her voice a melodic venom.

"Hello John. I was hoping you could give Alaric Saltzman a message for me."

His confusion was palpable, a fleeting emotion swiftly overtaken by fear.

"What are you talking about? What message?" he managed; the words strangled in his tightening throat.

A laugh, light and devoid of warmth, escaped her as she delivered Klaus's message with deceptive cheerfulness.

"He can have his apartment back."

With a gleeful grin, she snapped his neck and sent him tumbling down the stairs. He had his ring on, so he'd awaken again eventually, and be able to pass the message on.

It was just so much fun to kill him.