Stupid Damon.

I closed the door of the apartment I was... borrowing, I slid down it and buried my face in my knees.

Tyler must be one of their friends, which might be why he was acting so suspicious.

Why had I been so fucking stupid to actually try and see them?! I shouldn't have done that. Now they knew I existed too.

Fuck.

Breathe Morgan.

Maybe it hadn't been such a horribly, awful mistake, maybe they'd still be okay.

"Dear one."

I froze, tensing in my spot. I knew that voice.

"Calm yourself, I can hear your heart racing."

Fuckity fuck, fuck. "Hey, 'lijah, long time no see." I tried to subtly wipe my face, but he'd clearly caught it, his eyes darkened.

Elijah Mikaelson lounged on the arm chair across the room, one leg crossed over the other, looking for all the world like I'd been the one to interrupt his evening.

"You lied to me."

"And how would I have managed that? I haven't seen you in nearly a century." He steepled his fingers.

"You told me my family was dead."

"Technically not a lie-"

"You said they were dead." Fresh tears blurred my vision. "Made me fucking believe it too."

"Mind your tongue." He warned.

"Or what? You're not my father." Hurt briefly flickered across his expression, before it hardened.

"You wear my family's ring."

"Have it then." I ripped it off my finger, throwing it at him, and getting to my feet. It bounced against the wooden floor dully. "I don't want to be a Mikaelson."

"I'm afraid that proverbial ship sailed long ago." Elijah stood, stooping down to retrieve the ring. "I allowed you your independence, now it's time to return to my side."

"No."

"Do not be difficult."

"You say that like I'm being a petulant child."

He leveled a look at me. "Aren't you?"

"Fuck you."

His jaw jutted forward, and he let out a breath through his nose. "My dishonesty was in your best interest."

"That's not helping."

"It was never my intention to harm you."

"So what? You were just going to keep the secret forever?! Hoping we'd play happy family in the meantime?"

"Morgan-"

"Stop trying to justify it!"

"Morgan." Elijah raised his voice, and it made me flinch. He froze. "I don't know what came over me, I... I apologize."

I moved to the bedroom, grabbing my bag, and started stuffing clothes inside. My hands shook as I did.

"Niklaus will dagger you if he finds out what you've done. He's not very fond of runaways." I could see his reflection in the window. He was leaning against the door frame. "We met briefly a few decades ago, I told him you were tired from our travels."

He was right.

I'd only been daggered once, and that was enough, horrible experience.

"That's why I've been hunting down my own means of freedom."

"Oh?"

"You forget I lived with you lot for fifty five years. I've learned more than a few of his revenge fantasies."

"Don't tell me you've attempted going after one of his enemies. I never taught you to be so reckless." When I didn't answer, he stepped further into the room. "Morgan?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Could have fooled me."

The words stung, coming from him. "Leave me alone."

"Absolutely not."

I turned, intending to brush past him, but he caught my arm. "Let me go."

"You'll need this." He grabbed my hand, depositing the ring on my palm. "Though I'd like to be clear, you will not leave my sight."

"Watch me."

He rolled his eyes. "Have you at least had any blood today?"

Elijah wouldn't like my answer. "I'm going to stay with my real family."

"What will you tell them?"

"A kindly old man took me in." I deadpanned. Something twinkled in his eyes at that and some of the tension eased. "You've only drilled the importance of keeping my relationship to the Mikaelsons a secret in my head a million times."

"Know that if Niklaus comes here, which he surely will with the presence of a doppelgänger, I will not be so lenient with your choices."

"Fine." I just needed out of here.

He let me go.