Angelica opened the door to the basement and looked down the steps, taking a deep breath before she picked the tray up in her hands and carefully descended the stairs.

Granted, she'd done this many times before, along with bringing the tray back to the kitchen. But she'd not visited the locked room in the basement where Julian Johnson was staying on his camp bed. But it had been a little while since he'd been turned, and she'd finally begun to feel…if not better about his relationship with her mother, than less bad. So, it was time to get it over with and have a chat with her mother's former lover who, however unknowingly, had aided in the destruction of her world, that had been just fine until he'd appeared in it.

Julian had been in the dark room that Klaus usually referred to as the dungeon long enough that Klaus had felt confident enough to start training him. And apparently, he was very strong! But once Julian the Vampire was no longer a danger to himself or others, he could be moved back to his room with the camp bed, where he was now.

She pulled the key out of the front pocket of her jeans, stuck it in the lock, and opened the door.

When she poked her head in, Julian, who was sitting on his cot with a book, turned to face her and glared before shutting the book and narrowing his eyes. "Yes? What's so important that you feel you can barge into a man's private space without knocking?"

"Well…" Angelica suddenly felt self-conscious and embarrassed. "I…I…Klaus is taking a shower and I thought you might want some breakfast, coffee, and a fresh pouch of blood." She set the tray on a wooden stool near the wall. "It's nothing fancy. Just toast and eggs." She gave a loud sigh.

"I see. Thank you." He winced. "It was very nice of you. Although I'm still not quite used to drinking blood yet and it makes me a little nauseous."

"Understandable," Angelica nodded, her voice full of sympathy. "I hear it is at first, but you get used to it. On the bright side, even though there's no health value in any of it for you anymore, you can still enjoy food that isn't blood. Lots of us do. I hope that makes you feel a little better and allows you to enjoy it." She paused, crossing both arms in front of her chest. "Did you sleep well?" She looked around the sparsely furnished room. "Is this place…comfy?"

"No, but I slept," he shrugged because there was nothing else to add.

Angelica cleared her throat and took a few cautious steps closer to Julian as if he were an animal that would bite. She wasn't stupid. She knew that after what both her parents had put him through, Julian Johnson would hate them and anyone connected with them, even though he seemed…okay at the moment.

"I…I heard from Klaus that you're feeling better and being trained. That's a big step," she told him.

"That's true," Julian nodded. "Can I ask…can you tell me something?"

"O-okay," Angelica nodded. "Sure. I suppose I owe you that after…everything."

"Are we going to just make stupid chitchat and act like we're looking at animals who will bite until you finally tell me why the lady of the manor decided to descend into the dungeons?" He paused. "You didn't need to bring me breakfast and I highly doubt you were just dying to."

"You're right," Angelica nodded, stung a little by the "lady of the manor" comment, but raising her chin and standing a bit straighter just the same. "I…I learned that my mother lied to you about being married and hurt you badly. That…that makes you a victim in this just like me."

"And you still…still don't entirely forgive me, do you?" He asked, head tilting as he watched her with a grin.

Angelica's gaze swept him, and even though Klaus would always be the man for her, she had to admit that with his muscles, bearded face, sweet smile, and bright eyes, Julian Johnson was a hell of a handsome and sexy man. No wonder her mother had fallen for him! Then she shook her head. "I…I can't say I'm ready to forgive you just yet. I don't want to kill you, but you're not one of my favorite people."

"I can say the same for you," he returned without hesitation.

She let a smile curve her lips. In spite of his words, there was some sort of slight twinkle in his eyes or something. Maybe that meant he had a sense of humor, and thank Grandpa, even if he was a bit of a jerk.

"But anyway," she took a deep breath. "What my father did to your grandmother, who I adored so much, by the way, was unforgivable, and the most despicable think I've ever seen him do. I don't condone it and I'm not going to stand by his side and make excuses for him anymore. He did something terrible and it's high time he pays for it. And I know any attempt to apologize won't mean anything to you, so you don't have to accept it, or forgive me, but…I had to say it."

"Don't worry," Julian assured her. "It counts for something."

"Well…thank you!" Angelica nervously rubbed her hands together.

"So…are you going to apologize for your mother now?" He teased perniciously.

"Considering that you slept with a married woman, no I won't!" She shot back, chin raised. "It probably makes no sense to you that I'm angry at you about it when you had no idea that she was married, but…I can't stop feeling how I feel. I can't deny that regardless of if it was intentional or not, you did something that really...messed up my life."

"I understand, since you're her daughter and all," Julian assured her. "I've known people who've been in the same situation as you and…regardless of intentions, it's not easy." He paused. "But I promise that if she'd told me she was married, I never, ever would have invited her for a pizza date."

Angie raised an eyebrow. "You took her out for pizza?"

"I don't want to elaborate," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Why is that?" Angelica pressed.

"Because," he growled unhappily as he closed his eyes. "It makes me think of the woman who drew me in with her sweet smile, kind eyes, and infectious laughter and then betrayed me. It's like getting a bunch of daggers in my heart."

Angelica was surprised by this. "So…you really had feelings for her?"

"Well, let's just say that when I was human, I thought…I thought she was very special." He almost regretted telling Angelica something so personal the second it left his mouth, especially since Angelica was smiling. "What? What's so funny about it?"

"Nothing," Angelica shook her head. "It's just that that's not my father's style at all." She laughed a little.

"Clearly I'm not your father," he snapped.

"Well, obviously!" she agreed.

"A pizza date, ice skating…" he waved a dismissive hand as he tried not to get lost in memories.

Angelica's eyes widened. "You got my mother to go ice-skating?"

"Yep," Julian smirked. "I believe I did."

"Well, she must really have feelings for you because my mother hates ice skating or anything to do with cold weather. She's a beach person."

"That's good because ice skating is not something she's good at," Julian chuckled, visions of Eleanor repeatedly falling on her butt and swearing at him filling his brain.

"Yeah," Angie chuckled. "I've seen her. She can't even stand upright on skates for long without help. She's terrible!" Then she shook her head. What was she doing, making jokes with this man at her mother's expense? She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Anyway, I know it's not much and if you want, I can make you waffles or something another day, but…enjoy your breakfast." She then turned on her heel and prepared to leave, before his voice stopped her.

"Angelica?"

"Yes?" She turned her head.

"I…I know we've both been dreading this conversation, haven't we?" He asked. "But in spite of everything, talking to you wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"Yeah, you're right," she nodded. "I agree." Then she left him behind, closing the door to his little room and locking it behind her.

After finishing his shower, Klaus stepped into the bedroom from the adjacent bathroom suite, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans as he towel-dried his curly hair. As he finished and threw it on the bathroom floor, he looked up and grinned at Angelica, who came to join him.

"Hey, Angel!" He greeted with a wink.

Angelica wore nothing but thong panties and a matching bra, her small belly very obvious. It made him desire her even more whenever it hit him that she was carrying his child. Their child. It didn't seem real sometimes.

"Hey yourself," she replied before turning the wardrobe so she could find something to wear to work. It was getting hard to be completely comfortable these days. "Oh, and by the way, you don't need to bring Julian breakfast. I already did it."

Klaus blinked several times in surprise. "Excuse me? You did what, woman of mine? I'm not sure I heard you right." He then moved the crumpled towel from the floor to the bedspread.

"Klaus, don't do that! Keep towels in the bathroom where they belong, or you'll ruin the silk! Do you know how much that cost?"

"I assure you I do," he nodded. "I paid for the entire remodel, remember."

She rolled her eyes. "If you're gonna have an attitude about it, remember that I offered to pay for it since it was my idea, and you wouldn't let me!"

"Yes," Klaus winked. "Because I'm a gentleman that way!" He paused. "Now, what is this about bringing your mother's lover breakfast? You can't kill him with poison now, you know."

"There wasn't poison in it!" Angie snapped. "And he's her ex-lover too! But he needed to eat." She shrugged, finally deciding on a black and white dress that was proving to be one of the more comfortable ones. "And you were in the shower!"

Klaus crossed both arms in front of his bulging chest, giving her a smirk that deepened his dimples.

"What?" She asked, her breath picking up.

"Shush. We can't talk so loud if you want to keep your secret?" He put a finger over his lips teasingly to hush her. "I promise I won't tell a soul that you were kind to Julian Johnson, and that you have a heart after all, Angelica Morningstar." He placed his hand over his heart. "It's all safe with me, my blueberry muffin!"

Angelica glared at him. "You're truly an ass sometimes, Klaus Mikaelson!" She lashed out, stomping her bare feet. "I do so have a heart! It's just been heart to deal with my parents splitting up and that my mother having an affair was part of that! She slept with a man other than my father!"

"The same father who pushed you down on the driveway and basically kidnapped you until I came and rescued you from his mansion with a tank?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why did you need to go there?" She snapped, then looked down and realized she was still holding the dress. Throwing it on the bed spread, she then turned and poked Klaus in the chest.

If that was supposed to intimidate him, it didn't. He just grabbed her wrist and brought her hand up to kiss her fingers gently. "I know you have a heart, Angel. And it's so big that you have to hide it away so people can't hurt you."

"Stop it!" She protested, giving an adorable pout.

"And that's why," he continued, putting her hand palm down against his heart. "You went down to the basement to talk to Julian because there's a part of you that knows he can't be all that bad if your mother chose him."

"No," she shook her head and raise her chin. "I never said that. "I said he needed to eat, and I have no intention of ever letting a man starve to death in my house. Even if he's a vampire."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Angel." He released his grip and smiled.

Angelica shrugged as if it didn't matter, then turned back to the bed and grabbed the dress to put it on.

He followed her, slowly sliding his hands down her hips to sensually caress her belly. "You're so beautiful. It warms my heart when I see you carrying our baby."

"You mean it?" Angelica questioned her lover as she turned to stare into his grayish eyes.

"I do, Angelica." He nodded then leaned down to kiss her. "And just so you know, Wee-wee appreciates the view also."

"Well," she whispered, then grinned back, reaching up to gently caress his jawline. "I'm sorry but you have to inform Wee-wee that he'll be waiting to play until tonight. I'm already running late for work."

Klaus heaved an exaggerated sigh. "What a bummer. He'll be so disappointed. And you're saying this even though you pad the schedule by a ridiculous amount?"

"Yes," Angelica nodded. "I won't be late late, but I'll be later than I'm personally comfortable with."

"You're cute when you talk like that. It gets me hot," he told her, lowering his hands on her butt, then pausing as his eyes landed on her bare backside.

"What?" She asked, undoing the zipper. His sudden change of mood was very noticeable."

"Why is that tattoo still there?" He asked, pointing at the name of her past lover, Sammy.

"What tattoo? Oh, that silly old thing? I'm sorry! With everything I did with Julian, I must've forgotten to put the spell on it this morning, so you didn't have to see it."

"Well, if you get rid of it permanently, you won't ever forget again," Klaus replied stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?" Angelica asked, not sure she was hearing right, because he was not usually the sort to make demands of her like a caveman. She then put the dress over her head. "Why? It's just a silly little thing from the past. I thought you know about it and didn't care."

"I know, but that was before, Angelica," he mumbled between clenched teeth.

"Before what?" She snapped. "Klaus, for Grandpa's sake…" She shook her head and got the zipper up.

The hybrid king closed his eyes, his breathing heavy. "Before I fell in love with you. Before you were mine! In the beginning, we made a pact that we wouldn't get involved deeply with each other, so the tattoo didn't matter, but now…now that you're mine, I don't like seeing another man's name on that part of you."

"Are you kidding me, Klaus?" Angelica cried, her jaw dropping in shock. "Fine, we've addressed our feelings for each other and I'm carrying our baby. This is my body that belongs to me." She glared at him, chin raised. "I decided after I got that stupid tattoo that removing it would hurt too much, so it's not going anywhere. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go to my very grown up job and leave you here having a childish tantrum over some stupid tattoo that's not worth fighting over." She turned on her heel and headed for the bedroom door, but Klaus pulled her into his arms before she reached it, gripping her upper arm firmly.

Klaus bared his teeth for a moment. "If you think for a second that you don't belong to me, Angel, you're sadly mistaken!" He paused. "Deep down you know it's true. You're mine, Angelica Morningstar, and you always will be, so seeing another man's name in such an intimate place is not something that makes me happy. Am I clear?"

Angelica stared at him, wanting to remind him that she spent a lot of time around his children with other women, which could be a reminder of his past for her (not really a problem for her, but she couldn't just let him lecture her like this) but she couldn't think of the words. Goosebumps were invading her body as she realized that she found him scolding her and being so possessive…kind of hot, if she were totally honest with herself.

"You…you're serious?" She finally got out, shivering a little and rubbing her arms with her hands.

"Dead serious," he nodded.

"I think it's stupid for you to ask since I don't love Sammy anymore," she said. "And I got it after a drunk night with Val, so it's not like there's any feeling attached to it."

"I don't care!" Klaus cried. "If that's the case, than you shouldn't have any reason to keep it, should you?"

"Yes, because getting it removed would fucking hurt!" She cried. "How about I do better at remembering the spell to hide it instead?"

"No," He shook his head stubbornly. "I want it gone, or I want one for me on top!"

"Oh, all right, you big baby," Angelica rolled her eyes. "I'll see if Ricky can do anything, but I swear, if this leads to him telling Aunt Remiel…" she bit her lip nervously, not wanting to give her Celestial relatives another reason to think she was no good.

"Don't bite your lip that way or Wee-wee won't be able to control himself and you really will be late for work," Klaus told her, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Wee-wee's not bothered by the tattoo?" She asked teasingly.

"Don't push it, woman," Klaus snapped before giving her a spank and pushing her toward the door.

"You've been very mean to me today…I don't know if I liked it." She raised he chin.

"Oh, you did," Klaus winked back while trying very hard not to think about taking her right there against the bedroom door.

Angelica stared at the blue sky through the floor to ceiling windows of her very chic office as she bit a pen and continued to think about her and Klaus' fight.

But it wasn't something that distressed her. She grinned, biting her lip. 'Fight' was probably too intense a term for what she and Klaus had gone through, considering how desired it had made her feel. Desired and wanted in a way that surprised her. And that's all she'd wanted, all she'd craved since everything in her life had gone to, well…

And although he'd made demands in a very rude and childish way, she decided it wouldn't hurt to make Klaus feel more secure about that stupid tattoo (at least until she could get rid of it or modify it…and wearing a necklace with a tiny gold "K" was a small price to pay for harmony.

The buzz of her desk intercom startled her and reminded her that she was at work and should be focusing on that instead of…other things. She spun her leather desk chair away from the window and pushed the button. "Yes, Cecelia?"

"Sorry to disturb you, but Miss Mackenzie Mikaelson is here to see you."

"With Aunt Selina?"

"No, I think she's here alone," Cecelia told her.

"All right, tell her she can come in," Angelica replied before taking her finger off the button.

A few seconds later, a young woman who was a near twin of her mother Selina and wearing a fitted black and white A-line style dress and black Mary Jane pumps entered the office.

"Good morning, Ms. Morningstar," Mackenzie greeted. "I hope I didn't inconvenience you. I know I didn't have an appointment." She then pushed some of her dark curls out of her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry, it's fine," Angelica assured her. "Take a seat. And you can call me by my first name if you want to."

"Well, it's very nice of you," Mackenzie said, sitting down on the other side of Angelica's desk and smiling at the woman she'd idolized since childhood. "I think, however, that it wouldn't be a good idea for us to be so casual, considering that you'll be my boss soon." She sat up a little straighter in the chair, speaking in a tone that just dared Angelica to contradict her.

"Will I now?" Angelica asked in surprise, hiding a smile behind hands crossed in front of her face.

"I think so," Mackenzie nodded and pulled out her sketches. "I brought some new work to show you and I really think you'll like it." She pushed the folder toward her, tapping her toes nervously as she waited for a response.

Angelica took the folder and looked through it, noting with pleasure that what she was looking at was much improved from the first round of sketches Mackenzie had given her.

"You know, these are very good," she confessed, keeping a few in her hands.

"Thank you," Mackenzie grinned widely.

Angelica leaned back against her chair and hitting her gold pen against the desktop. "I could start you on a simple task with a new client, if you'd like, and we'll see how it goes. If I like what you do, I'll hire you on a trial basis for three months."

"That…that would be fine, Ms. Morningstar," Mackenzie said, trying to stay as calm as possible and not scream at the top of her lungs.

Angelica grinned at the young woman as she looked over the book of appointments to see what Mackenzie could do. "You're doing your best to hold in a scream of joy right now, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Mackenzie replied, but Angelica could see her fidgeting.

"Okay," Angelica looked over the list she'd made of clients who had work requested for that day. "Looking here, I see we have a client who requested a full remodel of his penthouse." She heard a small gasp and looked up to see that Mackenzie was staring back at her, her blue eyes wide for a second before she smiled and relaxed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mackenzie nodded. "Just fine. I…I can do a whole penthouse on my first try!"

"It's really not as complicated as it would seem," Angelica assured her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. "You just need to visit and take a list of all the furniture he has, and-" She trailed off and almost swore under her breath. "On second thought, I might find another job for you. Damn!"

"Why?" Mackenzie cried. "I can do it, I swear!"

"I'm sure you can," Angelica nodded. "In fact, I have no doubt. "But…this client has a somewhat colorful history with your mother and since you look a lot like her, I don't want things to be awkward."

"How colorful are we talking?" Mackenzie asked. "Did they date? Did things not end well?"

"He's the father of your half-brother, Arthur." Angelica knew that was all she had to say. As open as Selina was, Mackenzie had probably heard the rest.

"Well, it's very nice of you," Mackenzie said, sitting down on the other side of Angelica's desk and smiling at the woman she'd idolized since childhood. "When I go see him…I don't have to give him my real name, do I? Since I'm just going to make an inventory of his furniture, I could say my name is anything. Julia Robinson, for instance?"

Angelica shrugged. "Sure. Your name doesn't matter since you've never met, because it's not like you're doing the actual remodeling of the penthouse yourself." She nodded, coming to a decision. "All right then, I'll give you the address and tell him that Julia Robinson will be at his place around two this afternoon." She wrote the address down on a piece of paper and handed it to Mackenzie.

"Sounds great!" Mackenzie put the address in a safe place and then grabbed her sketchbook. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. Morningstar! You have no idea how happy I am right now!"

"I think I do," Angie bit her lip on a smile as she watched the young woman nearly break out into dance and song right there in her office. When she'd calmed down, Angie gave her a wink. "I know you'll make me proud."

"Yes, I sure will," Mackenzie promised, then turned on her heel and strode over to the door to leave the large office and begin her dream job.

Mackenzie Mikaelson paused in front of the large penthouse door after rushing from the elevator. She wanted to make a good impression. Plus she was interested to have a look at a man that her mother had found so charming at one point. He obviously wasn't ugly.

She took a deep breath, gripping her leather notebook tight. She wouldn't be able to inventory the penthouse furniture without it. Then, after one more breath, she straightened up and rang the doorbell.

It took a little bit of time for the door to open, but when it did, the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen stood behind it. The tallest, sexiest, most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

Her jaw dropped as she stared, taking in his warm brown eyes and his tousled dark hair, thinking of how lucky her mother had been to be able to fuck this man night after night when they were married…

That made her wince and shake her head. Get a grip on yourself, Mackenzie, she scolded. Then she shut her mouth as she realized he was looking her over too, his piercing gaze roaming over her body, from head to toe. This sent chills down her spine. Apparently he was as surprised by her as she was by him. And if he'd been married to her mother, she could understand why. She was almost her mother's twin!

Finally, she spoke. "Hello. Are you Mr. Dorian Gray? If you are, I've been sent by Angelica Morningstar. Good day to you!" Then, before he could say a word, she pushed him out of the way (a mistake she wouldn't repeat in the future, since it caused her to notice how muscular he was under his black cashmere sweater,) and strode into his penthouse without being invited.

He didn't say a word as he closed the penthouse door behind them, and then finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes, please. Stride into my home as if you down the place without being invited. Miss…" He trailed off.

"Yes, I'm a Ms." She nodded.

He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Well, of course you are. I meant your name. What is it? Surely you have one!"

"Yes, but it's not important. You don't need to know the name of the person who is just going to note all your belongings for your remodel and then leave," she said impertinently.

"Your name," Dorian said firmly, hands on hips. "Now."

"All right, all right! You don't have to be so snippy!" As he rolled his eyes, she got out, "Julia Robinson. My name is Julia Robinson."

"Julia Robinson," he buried his eyes in hers. "Interesting. I thought for sure…"

"What?" Mackenzie asked.

"You just look like someone I know and…I thought you were related to her, but…never mind. Well, Ms. Robinson, although I do appreciate your coming here and taking the first steps for my renovations, I would also like to remind you that this is my home, and I don't appreciate being ordered around!"

"I certainly didn't order you around, sir," Mackenzie protested vehemently. "I'm just trying to be efficient and doing things in an orderly fashion." She turned to leave for the living room. "Now if you'll excuse me, it looks like I have more furniture to inventory."

Dorian stood speechless for a few seconds, then shook his head and chuckled. Who did that young lady think she was? He then looked at his hand and noticed that it was completely flesh. Since he had come back from the dead, only the random picture of a baby, appearing as if from nowhere, had stopped him from vanishing into thin air and never coming back.

This was strange, but it was also a surprise that would only happen once. Nothing to worry about. He then growled unhappily before hurrying to the living room, leaning against the archway as he looked the young woman over one more time.

Damn! His eyes were probably deceiving him, and he couldn't believe that he'd as good as mentioned it to her, but whoever this Julia Robinson was, looked exactly like his ex, Selina Warren, which, as badly as things had ended between them, still created turmoil in his mind and heart. His body still seemed to like her too, considering how it was reacting to Julia.

"Is there anything I can do to help you be more efficient?" Dorian teased.

"No, thank you," Mackenzie replied firmly, continuing to take her notes and otherwise ignore him.

He sighed again. She was certainly stubborn!

"It's rare to see a woman dressed like you are, in that lovely 1950s fashion, he remarked, hoping she'd take it as a compliment.

"How I choose to dress is none of your business, Mr. Gray," she snapped. "And I would really appreciate it if you would refrain from saying things like that."

"I meant it as a compliment, Ms. Robinson!" Dorian spat. "And while we're at it, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from being so insolent, since you're only a novice!"

Mackenzie sighed and turned to face him, burying her gaze in his dark eyes. "All right, if it was truly mean as a compliment, I accept it and I'm sorry. As for being young and a novice at this job…you're right, I am. And I'm very grateful that Ms. Morningstar was willing to give me a chance anyway. I never meant to be insolent. I just want to be efficient and do satisfactory work so I can uphold my firm's good reputation."

Dorian groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. How was he supposed to respond to that? He stood speechless for what must've been at least the tenth time since the young woman had arrived.

"Very well, we could start again," he proposed at last, holing his right hand out to her. "I'm Dorian Gray." What's your name?"

Mackenzie looked down at his hand for a moment as if he were offering her a scorpion, then shook her head, took his hand, and shook it firmly. "My name is Julia Robinson, Mr. Dorian Gray. Nice to meet you."

Neither let go, and upon realizing it, looked down at their joined hands, their breaths picking up as the heat in the room rose. Then they quickly let go, looking away from one another, coughing as they tried to think of a change of subject."

"Are you the one who will be redoing my penthouse, Ms. Robinson?" Dorian asked at last.

"You would like a mere novice to have that much responsibility?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"I…I'm sorry about that remark," he apologized, having the decency to blush. "It was rude." He paused and coughed again. "I'm sure you have skill though. Could you handle the renovation?"

Then he shut his eyes tight and turned away. What was he doing? He found this intern pushy and irritating and, when she'd first strode through the door, he knew he'd be glad to see the back of her. So why was he coming up with ways to allow her to return? What was wrong with him?

"Yes," Mackenzie nodded. "I would be able to renovate this. But are you sure? I'm very new at this."

"I want you!" Dorian blurted out without thinking it through and causing her to raise an eyebrow. "I mean," he amended with a blush. "What I meant was…I want you to renovate my penthouse.

"I'm sorry?" She got out.

"I want you to renovate my penthouse. Please."

"I…I…I…" she stammered, blushing bright red. "I would love to, but I'm not sure Ms. Morningstar would agree to it."

"You just said you could do it," Dorian reminded her. "And you've already started, so why change? I'll contact Ms. Morningstar myself, so don't worry about her. I'm the client, so I should be able to choose my decorator."

"Right," Mackenzie nodded and wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. "Thank you."

"It's settled!" Dorian nodded to himself. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go to my office and contact the firm while you continue your inventory. Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Robinson, and I'm eager to continue working with you."

He left before she could get another word out, and she was then alone, standing in the middle of the living room of a stranger's penthouse. What had she gotten herself into?

Mikael Mikaelson took a step into the corridor, poking his head out to make sure his wife had left the penthouse, which it seemed she had. With a sigh of relief, he kept walking. Not that he didn't like having her around, but…a visitor was coming that he would prefer to meet without her interrupting. He knew that if she was aware of what he was about to do for their daughter, Kristin, she would be a hundred percent against it and not hesitate to tell him so.

The doorbell rang, and he smiled and hurried to get it. When it was opened, he found himself looking at a tall, muscular, blond-haired man in neat, professional clothes. "Mr. Anderson, it's a pleasure to see you again, please come inside." He held his right hand out.

"Oh, please call me Eric," the young man insisted, shaking his hand, his gaze full of respect.

"All right, Eric," Mikael nodded, repeating himself. "Please come in."

"Thank you," Eric told him as he looked around. "You have a very lovely home!"

"Thank you," Mikael told him. "It's mostly thanks to my wife. She has a very good eye for decoration.

"Yes, and how is she?" Eric questioned. "How is the lovely Sybil?"

"She's well. Completely recovered from the birth of the twins and is getting along splendidly, even though it's only been a few months. Please follow me to my office.

"Sure," Eric agreed. "Good to hear about the twins. Are you and your wife going on a trip? Is that why I'm here?"

"Yes and no," Mikael replied. "Someone in this family will be taking a trip, but it won't be my wife and me. Please take a seat."

"Right," Eric nodded and sat down. "I'm sorry. I just thought that after devoting all that time to the care of the twins, you and she would be wanting another vacation at Klaus' island after you had such a good time there on your honeymoon."

Mikael winced at repeating the experience. "Believe me, Eric. If I wanted another island vacation with my wife, it wouldn't be taken anywhere involving Niklaus. I've learned my lesson there."

"Right, sorry." Eric lowered his head to hide a smile. He knew all too well the animosity between Klaus and his stepfather.

Mikael cleared his throat. "I actually mean to hire you for my daughter, Kristin," Mikael told him, his voice full of pride.

"So she's traveling and needs a pilot?" Eric questioned, trying not to sound too surprised.

"Well, actually, one of her biggest wishes is to see the world and I want to grant her the opportunity before she has to get overtaken by the world of work, you know? Cause once you're working, who has time for that sort of thing?"

"Right," Eric nodded and cleared his throat. "But…but didn't you say she grew up only recently? I remember that Sybil is a demon and demon children grow quickly, so…if she's at school, that doesn't allow much time for travel either." He narrowed his eyes at his boss.

"Of course she's at school," Mikael nodded. "Are you suggesting that she's too young to travel, or that I shouldn't spoil my daughter in such a way?" He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

Eric opened his mouth to agree that no, a rich man like Mikael shouldn't just spoil his daughter rotten, but he held his tongue, considering that rich father would probably be giving him a pretty good paycheck. "Of course not," he got out. "What I meant was, that since she's just grown, maybe it's too soon to let her wander around the world by herself. It might not be safe."

"But she wouldn't be by herself, would she?" Mikael grinned widely. "Because not only am I hiring you to be her pilot, I would also like you to be her bodyguard.

"Oh…really?" Eric hadn't seen that coming. He sat down heavily.

"And of course you'll be well-compensated for the extra work." Mikael grabbed a gold pen and wrote an amount on a piece of paper that almost made Eric faint when he saw it. "Wow! This is awfully generous of you, Mr. Mikaelson!"

"I figure it would be enough. Is it?" Mikael asked.

"Oh, yes," Eric nodded. "It's about a years' salary for me." He paused. "Even so, I would like time to think it over, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Mikael nodded. "I think that's smart of you." He stood up and Eric did the same. "How about we meet again in a week or two? Does that give you enough time to consider things?"

"Yes, I appreciate it."

"Jesus, I died and went to heaven!" Nana exclaimed as she entered the office, her jaw on the floor.

Eric turned at her words, his eyes immediately landing on the tiny woman. "Hi, there," he greeted her with a polite nod.

"Oh, you don't have to pay her any attention," Mikael rolled his eyes. "She's just a maid, and a very annoying one at that."

Nana didn't respond to that, but walked toward Eric, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. "Are you real?" She asked, voice full of awe. "Or are you some sort of Greek god?"

Mikael rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Either do what you came to do or get out!" He snapped.

"I, I promise you I'm nowhere near a Greek god," Eric told Nana, his fingers going through his hair as he blushed. "Just an ordinary man."

"Nana, leave the man alone for Steve's sake!" Mikael gently grabbed Eric's arm to get him away from that ridiculous woman. "Eric, thank you for coming. I'll be in touch."

"Of course, Mr. Mikaelson," Eric said, then turned to face the tiny woman, who was watching him with big eyes. "Nice to meet you too, Nana." He gave her a smile, then made his way to the front door and left the penthouse.

Klaus Mikaelson parked the Jeep in the parking lot of the hospital, then looked at Angelica, who sat beside him, out of the corner of his eye. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her chin was raised as she breathed heavily, her lips pursed as if she wanted to call him a bunch of bad words but was holding it in.

It was obvious she was in one of her legendary bad moods, and the pregnancy hormones were just making them worse. Or if it was because she was sore at him for making a big fuss about her tattoo, even though he felt his request had been perfectly reasonable, and he'd made every effort to make her feel desirable afterward.

It didn't take long for the woman he loved to undo her seatbelt and then get out before slamming the passenger's side door in his face.

"Okay," he took a deep breath. "Fun times ahead, I guess!" He smirked and took the key from the ignition and got out to join her, but she was already striding off with so much as a glance in his direction.

Soon, he caught up to her and pulled the hospital door open. She went in and then he walked with her, side by side, to their Lamaze classroom.

"You know, this isn't your first child. And not mine either," he winced. "I don't think we need these classes, if you ask me."

"But I didn't," Angelica snapped. "I don't recall asking you at all!"

"No, my sweet pea, but remember…." Klaus held up a finger. "I've fathered many children and even helped deliver a few, if not the majority, so…"

"No, you listen to me!" The fury named Angelica Morningstar held her pace, turning to face him and poking his chest. "I'm stressed like I've never been stressed in my whole life! I talked to my mother's lover this morning! It was awkward, embarrassing, and also…oddly calming, all at the same time, which I hate!" She poked again, harder this time. "My father has disowned me and turned into a murderer and now I have to testify to all the shitty stuff he's done in public, or else he'll probably still think somehow that I condone it and I'm still wrapped around his finger. I'm pregnant, fat, ugly, and it seems like I have to throw up every five minutes! So you'll excuse me for taking advantage of one thing I can do to lessen my anxiety about my life and this baby and you won't say another damn word about it…am I clear, Klaus Mikaelson?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded. "Let's go do Lamaze class!"

"Good," she said. "Now move your ass or we'll be late!"

"It's nice when you're so lovable and sweet," he teased as he started walking again.

"You know, if you don't want me in your life…" she began, only to have him cut her off.

"I do want you in my life," he said firmly as he took her face in his hands. "And I always will." He buried his gaze in hers. "And no pregnancy-causing temper tantrum of yours is gonna change that. You know you're high maintenance, and so do I, but I like maintaining you. It's a challenge sometimes, but it keeps things interesting."

"Mmmm…" Angelica mumbled and blushed, then looked ahead of her down the corridor.

They walked for a little while longer, then found themselves in front of a glass door. Klaus opened it for the mother of his child, then followed her inside.

"Hello to the happy couple!" A perky blonde greeted them, a clipboard in hand.

Klaus grinned and gave Angelica a nudge. "Did you hear that, love? We're a happy couple!"

"You're really enjoying pushing my buttons and making me miserable, aren't you?" Angelica mumbled, placing a hand on her belly.

"Of course not," Klaus shook his head. "We're just here to take a Lamaze class; why would I want to make you miserable?" He asked, sounding overly repentant.

"Names?" The blonde asked.

"Niklaus Mikaelson Angelica Evelyn Morningstar," Klaus told her. "Like the most beautiful star in the morning!"

"How lovely," the woman replied as she crossed their names off the list. Then she caught Angelica's eye. "Your husband is so poetic!"

Angelica rolled her eyes. "Sure, he is, but he's not my husband!"

"Yet, my love! Yet!" Klaus replied mockingly as he grabbed a yoga mat, then spread it out on the floor and helped Angelica get settled.

"You don't have to do that," she snapped. "I can take care of myself. It's not like I'm giving birth now!"

"She's in a mood," Klaus told the instructor. "Her hormones sometimes get the better of her." The woman nodded, her eyes full of compassion as she headed to the front of the room to begin the class.

"Hello everyone, my name is Lydia, and I will be your instructor for Lamaze 101, which will be followed by…"

"Lamaze 102!" Klaus called out, grinning widely. "I'm so intelligent that way!"

"Yes, exactly! Thank you to Niklaus Mikaelson for guessing correctly!" Lydia grinned and clapped her hands. "Now all my mommies get settled and daddies, you support them."

"You hear that?" Klaus whispered in her ear. "You're a mommy!"

Angelica bared her teeth. "And you're gonna be castrated if you don't shut up! You're gonna make me pay this whole class, aren't you?"

"Now, Angel, would I really do that to you?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, damn it, you would!" Angelica hissed.

"Now," Lydia called. "The first thing we'll do is work on our breathing: "Oo oo eee! Oo oo ee! Let's do it all together!"

"Let's do this, love!" Klaus told her, imitating Lydia with enthusiasm.

"I hate you," Angelica mumbled through clenched teeth as she halfheartedly did the breathing. "And you sound ridiculous!"

"You're the one who wanted to take these classes," he reminded her with a wink. "Now come on and get into the spirit, like me!"

After what seemed like the longest hour ever, Angelica grabbed her tote bag and strode out of class, Klaus on her heels with a large grin on his face.

"Are you happy?" she snapped at him with a roll of her eyes, before she stopped and turned to face him. "Did you have enough fun at my expense?"

"I did, actually," he nodded. "You have to admit that I was the best one in the class at helping their partner push! You could have been stuck with Gerald!"

Angelica chuckled. "Poor Jessica, that guy of hers was clueless about everything! But you can always tell a first-time parent, can't you?"

"Yeah, you can," Klaus smiled. "So…when is the next class so I can put it in my schedule?"

"Oh, I…I was gonna say that I wouldn't make you come again if you didn't want to," Angie blushed. "I know I kind of strong-armed you into it, like I always do, and-"

"Hey," Klaus put a hand on her arm. "Why not? It wasn't so painful. And why disappoint Lydia by depriving her of the top partner in class?" He winked. "I never do anything I don't want to do, Angel. Even for you. So, if I came to this class with you, it was because I wanted to. And Angel?"

"Mmm?"

"Look in your bag."

"Why?" She asked suspiciously. "Did you rig something to jump out at me when I opened it so you could laugh at me again?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Just look, please."

Angelica opened her tote bag and stuck her hand in, pulling out a tiny shirt with the words "Daddy's and Mommy's Little Girl." It made her tear up and giggle a little because the "and Mommy's" was in parentheses as if he'd had it added himself.

"Oh, Klaus," she felt herself begin to tear up. "This is the sweetest, most adorable thing ever!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Thank you!"

"Are you feeling better now, love?" He asked as he caressed her curly brown hair. "Let's go home and I'll make you a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich."

"Yes, much better," she nodded and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. "I like peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches."

Then he grinned to himself. Crisis avoided, yet again! He, Klaus Mikaelson, truly was the king!