It'd been weeks.

Kol had disappeared despite Jeremy and my best efforts. There were a few news outlets leading south that reported animal attacks, but there was no guarantee it was him.

In the meantime Elena was acting really weird as was everyone else.

I hadn't seen an Original since the night I completed my transition. Had they gone? By the time I'd gotten downstairs, they'd all left.

So I took a breath before pushing the ornate wooden door open.

The Mikaelson home was a mansion, bigger than any of the founders' houses in town, but I suppose when you had the money and resources they did, why not.

It wasn't until I walked into the art studio that I finally saw him. "Hey."

"Little Mouse." Klaus wiped a brush on a rag before dipping it in paint again.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"What could I possibly be angry for, love? Was it tricking one of my hybrids into escaping my protection?" He turned to me, setting his brush down. "Hm? Or the fact that my brothers bend over backwards for you and all you do is complain?"

He was right. "I deserved that."

But how did we move forward? If all they were trying to do was protect me but it ended up doing more harm than good, how did I convince a bunch of stubborn, thousand year old vampires to cool it.

"I understand that you all have enemies." I began slowly. "And I'll inherit that danger when word inevitably gets out, but I'm not going to stop helping my friends when they need me. You guys can't just pluck me out of my life and expect me to be okay with it." Klaus stared at me. "Look, I'm not proud of some of the things I've done to get here, presumably you've killed Jaime, I'm sorry you had to kill one of your hybrids."

"Jaime isn't dead."

"What?"

"I sent him on a mission." He stood up and grabbed his phone before tossing it at me. "He's in New Orleans. If one of the witches so much as sense he's a hybrid, they'll kill him, but I have some interests there and I'd prefer he go so I can stop any more creative escape attempts."

A picture of the infamous bourbon street was on the screen. In the reflection of a neighboring shop window, I could see Jaime, awkwardly holding the phone to get a good angle.

It did ease that ache in my chest, knowing he was alive.

That I hadn't killed him.

Klaus approached, grabbing his phone and pocketing it. "The entire reason I had this house built was so you wouldn't be 'plucked out of your life'. So we could live here as a family, despite the numerous plots to kill me and my siblings by your friends."

Oh.

"Tell me how to fix it."

"You can't for now. Kol will calm down eventually and it's only a matter of time before he comes back to you." He returned to his painting. "Elijah will stew but return as always."

"And Rebekah?"

"She's not angry, she went to New Orleans, said there was an old friend of hers there."

Wait. "If Rebekah's in New Orleans why did you send Jaime?"

"She's up to something and I want to know what." There it was.

I tentatively took a seat not far from him, watching as his art began to take form of something all too familiar.

"Hey Klaus."

He hummed.

"What are you painting."

"There was a girl I once knew. Fiery and passionate. She'd be one of your ancestors, she was a doppelgänger after all."

"What happened?"

He took great care in the way his brushes moved. "She died. At least that's what we all assumed. Her blood was intricate in not only our creation, but my curse as well."

"You sound like you miss this woman."

"I do. She was kind when I needed someone. My siblings adored her. Even Finn. The village all thought she'd marry one of us, despite her already having a child."

"Who was she?"

He sighed. "Her name was Tatia."

The girl in the portrait looked exactly like Elena, that is, if Elena had a ton of braids and dressed in a tunic.

I let the silence rest for a moment before broaching a topic I knew he was touchy about.

"When am I going to get my phone back? It's been like seven months and it would make it a lot easier to talk to my friends if I had it. I wouldn't have to slip away from your watchful eye to tell them I'm fine." Though would I really need to be under constant guard while in Mystic Falls?

"Fine." He disappeared for only a moment before reappearing. "Have at it Little Mouse."

Finally

It was dead of course, but at least I didn't have to travel every time I wanted to talk to someone. "So, what have you been up to the last few weeks?" I'd been trying to give everyone space. "Anymore devious plans?"

"Not at the moment, no. That is unless your friends have something up their sleeve." He dipped his brush into another color. "It would be unfortunate if I were forced to retaliate under the light of recent events."

They had been acting strange. "Nothing you need to worry about. If there is something, neither Jeremy or I have any part in it." If Elena wanted to test the patience of the Originals, that was fine but I wasn't about to let her take us down with her.

As much as I disliked having my sister targeted, she could make her own choices. Jeremy too, but I feel like since he was more onboard with the soulmate thing, he'd be less inclined to do anything.

"How noble." Klaus chuckled. "You'd save one sibling but not the other."

"Knowing you, that's probably my only option."

"Probably so."

And now what I'd really come here for. "Speaking of, what did you guys do? On that night. My friends won't so much as look at me."

"If you couldn't get it out of Elijah, why do you think that's going to work on me?" His brows lifted in amusement.

"Fine. Okay, then can you at least tell me why I was tricked into using Jeremy to complete the transition because I feel like if it wasn't necessary, why'd we have to do it?"

"You and he have a history of jumping in when situations get dangerous, we wanted to shield you from that."

"And you all decided that me putting Jeremy's life in danger was the best plan?"

"He's alive isn't he?"

I stared at him for a moment. Breathe Drew. I just got back into his good graces and I needed to change the subject before my newly heightened emotions got the better of me. "Okay, we've gotten off topic, so after everyone has calmed down a little bit, you all are planning to stay here?"

"We're still missing a brother, but yes. Your friends and I have come to a certain- understanding. We won't be turning this charming town into a battle field any time soon."

Suddenly it started clicking in place. "You threatened war didn't you." Mentally, I cursed his very name. Why'd this entire family have to be so damn dramatic every time.

It was even more frustrating because Damon wouldn't take that sitting down. This was all just a ticking time bomb.

Klaus raised his hands in mock surrender. "I didn't do anything, love."

I narrowed my eyes, he was normally the strategist. "It was Kol wasn't it?"

"Wrong again, little mouse. Surprisingly, neither of us were the ones to come up with the idea."

But that would mean. "Elijah was the one?" That didn't make sense he was with me the whole time.

Klaus nodded. "I merely played my part in his plan. He knew your friends would never take the initial deal, so some incentive was in order. The Salvatores seem to respond best when one of their loved ones is in danger."

I stood. "Who do you have?"

"All in good time."