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WARNINGS: LIGHT SMUT, BLOOD, MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA

┌─────── •✦• ───────┐

Wednesday, March 1st, 1918:

SELF-preservation ensured survival during these dark years, it became a basic instinct for most of the population.

The city was under fire, fortunately, it was only spreading slowly.

But to protect the people that wouldn't protect them; The Lumière siblings, along with the help of their trusted mentor Ms Laveau, placed wooden dolls on various street corners, hidden amongst the debris and coal. Why? Because that's where the Axe murderer attacked the most.

Setting the Vodou dolls around the city weakened the ghost's power, but for how long?

Marie advised her mentees to keep their plan concealed, to prevent any traitors from intervening, however, Adrienne couldn't help but tell Valerie, who in turn told Clementine.

The Queen witch felt immense guilt because she didn't inform her best friend about their plan, although, Kali was far too busy even to talk nowadays unless it was during a witch meeting. Odd, but everything was strange so it fits in with the atmosphere of the city.

With the continuation of Adrienne's premonitions and the aftermath of the war, problems kept circling, however, they still had enough time to discover who was the city's newest sinner.

They only hoped they didn't lose anyone before it was too late.

─────── •✦• ───────

"Deon, stop being a harlot and help me," Adrienne's screech echoed through the Lumière estate.

"It's part of my livelihood sister," Hadeon teased as he strolled past his sister and sorted through the broken glass on the floor, "besides, we have magic," he add and quickly buttoned up his shirt.

Mira poked her head out of the kitchen door, seeming distressed with her cooking, "you said you were going to help me with breakfast."

Adrienne's laughter interrupted the couple, "you don't want him in the kitchen Mimi, he will do more harm than good," she quipped, dissolving the shattered glass bottle and flickering her eyes back to brown.

"Hey!" her brother feigned offence and pecked his lover's lips before she shut the door, "I'm a great chef."

Adrienne snickered, "Only when pigs fly, the kitchen won't be on fire and our eyebrows will stay in place..."

Hadeon bitterly laughed and nudged her, almost knocking her off her balance.

"Deon, don't hit me," Adrienne exaggerated and the kitchen door flung open as Mira stormed out, with her arms on her hips.

"Hadeon Julian Lumière," she scolded loudly, making him reel back, "keep your hands off woman, especially your sister."

His mouth gaped open, "Gorgeous I-"

"Or you won't be eating anything tonight."

Before he could respond, the kitchen door slammed shut, leaving him dumbfounded as his sister stilted a laugh.

"Someone's in trouble," Adrienne murmured.

Hadeon snapped his head towards her with a glare, "Keep your mouth shut."

"Oh hush."

He rolled his eyes, then said, "Now she won't talk to me because-"

The abrupt sound of someone knocking at the front door interrupted his speech.

"Answer the door," Hadeon insisted, staring at his sister, who immediately frowned.

"I was thinking about doing it, but now I don't want to," she mumbled with a huff.

"Brat," he sneered, moving past her and pulling down the door.

On the other side was someone they were not expecting in the slightest. A top hat concealed the pale figure's eyes before they glanced up with a cheeky grin.

"Kol?" Hadeon welcomed him, standing to the side as the original stepped over the threshold.

"Young hadeon," the vampire greeted, then turned to Adrienne who eyed him sceptically, "pretty witch."

She hummed and stepped back when he came closer, "Can we help you?" she asked, curious as to why he was in their home.

Hadeon shook his head, "Not we, I have a problem I have to fix, no thanks to you," he jabbed his finger in his sister's direction and stormed off.

Kol glanced between the siblings in amusement, then his gaze settled on the enigma in front of him.

"Love you too," she called out and turned back to the original who practically rocked on his heels.

"Speak Kol," she motioned for him to talk, to then raise a brow when he clasped his hands together and leaned closer.

"I have a proposition for you."

─────── •✦• ───────

"Absolutely not," Klaus shut it down immediately.

Adrienne sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Let him finish Nik," she said, nodding to his youngest brother as they entered the sitting room of the Abbotoir with Elijah and Rebekah in tow.

"Yes, let me finish Nik," Kol mocked, then received a glare from the hybrid.

Adrienne cast him a disapproving look, "You're not helping yourself Kol."

Klaus humorlessly laughed, "And why are you helping him, sweetheart?" He questioned, with annoyance lacing his tone as he pulled her onto his lap.

The idea of Kol taking it upon himself to go to the Lumière estate alone agitated him immensely and the fact Adrienne was willing to help him with his plan made his anger boil to temperatures it had never reached before.

Kol rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatics, "Come on brother, she's allowed to help other people-"

"Shut it," Klaus snapped, with his glare burning holes into Kol, who was situated between Rebekah and Elijah.

The blonde and the nobleman exchanged a look, one suppressed a smile, while the other merely sighed.

"Or what, you don't have your precious daggers to silence us anymore," Kol challenged,

"And we have my exceptional friend to thank for that," Rebekah added, shooting the witch a wink, to which she blew a kiss in return.

"You truly believe my mind is incapable of conjuring up alternative ways to insure you do as you are told?" Klaus rebutted, with a wry look.

"Relax," Adrienne gritted out, only to receive an exacerbated sigh.

"There isn't a problem with what they're suggesting Niklaus," Elijah said, deciding to speak.

His half-brother stared at him in shock, well, Klaus felt betrayed, but his witch combing her hands through his hair calmed him slightly.

"Thank you 'Lijah," Kol beamed dramatically, making his eyes roll, "you know I always said that the oldest sibling is the wisest."

"Silence Nikolai."

"Why are you defending him, Elijah," Klaus interrogated, leaning as close as possible with Adrienne restraining him, "what does he have on you?" he nodded to the manic vampire sitting opposite him.

Offended, Kol let out an annoyed sigh, "Do you really think I have to blackmail people to get what I want?"

"Yes," Klaus and Rebekah agreed simultaneously.

Kol immediately gritted his teeth and Adrienne jumped to his defence.

"Think of his magic as being dormant, waiting to burst out, just like Nik's wolf side, I'm just helping him unlock that," She explained, glancing around the room.

Although it had never been done before, she was willing to try, for a friend. And it would also go to show how skilful she was as a witch as well as a queen. On the way over to the Abattoir, they were discussing what would be needed to attempt such a spell and dissect the one his mother made over nine hundred years ago.

"By spending time with him," Klaus argued, attempting to ignore the grin on his brother's face.

Adrienne stared at her love with mild annoyance. Does he not trust me? She thought.

"Do we need to argue again?" Adrienne's challenging tone made the hybrid frown.

"No."

Rebekah laughed at his defeated demeanour, even muttering how pathetic, then quickly earned a pillow to the face.

"Besides, having another hybrid in you're family won't do any harm," Adrienne exclaimed, then her face dropped in realisation, once she caught the deadpanned stares she received, "what am I thinking, of course, it will."

"See, it's not happening," Klaus said definitively.

The witch let out a bitter laugh, that sent a shiver down his spine. His siblings even were slightly unnerved by how calm she appeared.

"You don't get to decide whether it does or doesn't. Kol is a friend and I'm helping him," she stated leaving no room for an argument as she moved off his lap, furthering his anger.

"I never knew you wanted your magic back Kol," Elijah interrupted before Klaus could speak.

"Ah, of course, it has never occurred to you, dear siblings that I lost something when we turned into these beasts. Magic was one of the few things that brought me joy and I finally have the chance to have it back and you can't be happy for me?" he said with a vulnerable edge to his voice.

Whether it was genuine or not, his sister and oldest brother were stunned by his proclamation and quickly equated his behaviour to his need for a purpose in their overextended life.

Rebekah decided to break the silence, "Although the thought is terrifying, perhaps getting Kol his magic back will be a good thing... for him at least."

Stunned, Kol turned to her with his expression morphing into an appreciated one, "Thank you."

Elijah pondered his words carefully, then said, "When you were a child, magic was the only thing that prevented you from being in trouble, well of course when it wasn't the reason for such."

The Mikaelsons couldn't help but reminisce about their childhood, even though it left a bitter taste in their mouths, there were only a few times when they were at peace; a happy family.

"Unless father was around," Kol murmured, seeming equally as uncomfortable as Klaus, something Adrienne caught.

"Precisely."

Klaus huffed as he glanced at their sullen moods, "So what? He gets his magic and we'll have to deal with his manic behaviour on a large scale."

"The pot calling the bloody kettle black," Kol sassed, saying what they were all thinking.

"I am not as manic as you."

Elijah stifled a chuckle, "Niklaus..."

"Fine," Klaus snapped, abruptly standing from the couch, "aid him in his quest to somehow pull his magic from his arse, but when he causes a natural hazard and then starts his own demonic rapture don't come crying to me."

He stormed off, drawing laughter from them.

"So dramatic," Adrienne drawled.

"I heard that!" Klaus yelled, from the balcony he was now standing at.

"You were supposed to!"

─────── •✦• ───────

Thursday, March 2nd, 1918

Expectations created disappointment, meaning Nikolai Mikealson had spent over nine hundred years on earth keeping his expectations extremely low. Losing his magic, felt as if he lost a limb; torn from his body, leaving the phantom feeling of sorcery he could no longer practice.

The promise that he could somehow gain his talents back, despite being a different supernatural entity excited him.

But still, he remembered to keep his expectations low.

"You're late," he muttered as Adrienne strolled through the Euphoria, with a bag full of grimoires.

He picked the location, mainly for the delicious treats he craved whenever blood didn't satisfy him. The store was closed, even though it was almost noon. Clementine was on a date, leaving Valerie happily alone at home.

"I was busy," she sassed, settling the bag down on one of the round tables.

"I can see that," he replied, motioning to the silk scarf wrapped around her neck, "my brother must've had his fill."

"Don't be so crass vamp-boy," she scoffed, readjusting the accessory that she placed there.

Klaus didn't want her to leave the house, let alone their room, so he made a statement that littered around her neck. The marks he left were startling, so she had to conceal them from leering eyes, much to his displeasure.

"Don't be a prude," Kol teased, then mockingly placed his hand over his mouth, "Especially when your bloody screams echo through the city."

"Do you want my help or not?" she asked, angry eyes concealing the embarrassment she felt.

"Yes," he responded eagerly and still adorned a cheeky smile.

He surveyed as she delicately placed several grimoires around table, four. One he assumed was her mothers due to the tattered bindings and others were hers. He couldn't contain how impressed he was, a witch her age usually had only one, but not the enigma that is Adrienne Lumière.

"I'm surprised your pretty witches aren't with you," he remarked.

"Why? Did you want to see Valerie," she asked with a coy smile, to which he playfully rolled his eyes.

"So she can curse me out like a sailer? No."

"I thought you liked pretty things with sharp tongues," she quoted him as she allowed him to flick through one of her grimoires.

"Oh I do," he confirmed, letting his fingers graze the foreign language written between each page.

Creole or Latin? He had to familiarise himself with each text. He craved the magic within each page, both old and new. He needed to feel what he lost all those years ago.

Adrienne's eyes flashed with glee, "Then you and Val-"

"Will not be a good match. Our dashingly good looks and wicked tongue are the only things that we have in common, besides the pretty witch isn't fond of my presence. Usually, I would find a way to spin that in my favour, but as of late, I don't like wasting my time. "

"She doesn't trust you or Nik, she claims that you two are far too destructive."

He leaned closer, eyes beaming with curiosity, "And what do you think?"

"That you are, but I feel safe around the both of you," she replied with a shrug.

he reeled back in surprise, "You do?"

She sheepishly nodded, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"Right," he clasped his hands together, "So what have you cooked up for me?" he gestured to her many grimoires.

She noticed his eyes light up, like a kid on Christmas day and it made her smile.

"It's been over nine-hundreds years since you said goodbye to your mortal lives," she stated the obvious, "a spell to even restore half of the magic you lost will be tricky if not impossible."

"So you're giving up?" he questioned, sounding irritated and defeated.

She squinted her eyes at him, "Patience Kol, let me finish."

He reluctantly nodded, "Fine."

"Nine-hundred years, in other terms we need nine different objects to withdraw the magic from, dark objects to be more specific, so we can channel them and either place that magic within your body or use it for whatever spell I could make or alter," she concluded.

Although she wasn't sure it would work, it was the quickest thing she could whip up with the help of her coven, some were more helpful than others, nevertheless, they were curious to see if it would be successful.

"Why did you say so? I have a few ruinous little things already," he exclaimed excitedly, confusing the witch.

"Why and where?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to."

He huffed, before explaining, "A have a few witch friends, those I like to keep to myself."

She feigned hurt, "I thought I was your only witch friend?" she pouted, making a genuine smile almost break out on his face.

"Relax darling, you are, but I have two more."

"The entitled french quarter witches wouldn't help you and if my witches did, they would tell me, leaving..."

"The witches who keep to themselves," he finished, "They are still French Quarter witches, but keep their other talents to hush-hush."

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"You'll find out tomorrow."

Confusion furrowed her brows, "Tomorrow? And how do you know I'm available then?"

"Are you?" he questioned, leaning his elbows on the table.

"Yes, but I suppose I'll make some time for you," she huffed out with a smile.

"A woman after my heart."

"Yeah, yeah, don't have a cow."

"But my brother certainly will, knowing that you're spending time with me," he pointed out as mirth swam in the brown pools of his eyes.

Adrienne suppressed the urge to scream, feeling suffocated by her lover's possessiveness.

"He knows where I am and he should know to trust me, it's insulting when he doesn't," she said, teeth clenched as were her hands.

A sight that amused Kol greatly.

"And he should know better than to insult an enigma like you," he complimented, shooting her a wink that she disregarded.

She stiffly nodded, "Right and besides you and I friends."

"Friends," he repeated, although it irritated him, he rolled his shoulders back and continued to flip through a grimoire, "Let's start with a spell."

"We will also need to do more than a spell and the dark objects won't cut it," she informed, remembering what her brother told her about dark magic a few days prior.

Kol's head tilted slowly, "Sacrifices I'm assuming."

"The souls of the impure, not the innocent," she added, eying his elated expression.

"Obviously."

As they studied the foreign languages that danced between each archaic page, they grew angsty and peckish, leaving the witch to take out some of the treats that Clementine put aside for them as well the apple cider.

"Come on Enny tell me what's going on in that mind of yours," he urged, having been staring at her for a few minutes, noting how lost she seemed.

"Enny?" Adrienne asked, raising a questioning brow, "short for enigma I'm guessing."

"No for Adrienne but if you think that, to each their own, darling."

"It's cute," she cooed, with a bubbly smile tugging at her lips.

"And I will take credit for both iterations of the name."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

The pair senselessly moved closer to one another, pointing out different plants and herbs used to poison others whilst laughing about how Valerie poisoned a past partner due to their infidelity.

"What was the first spell you ever cast?" Adrienne suddenly asked the original.

For a split second, a few emotions crossed his face but they were replaced quickly with something that looked like contentment.

"What did you think it was?" He asked, with his enticing brown eyes piercing into hers.

"I'm guessing you either set something on fire or blew something up."

"Your first assumption was correct."

Neither bothered to hide their laughter, it escaped their lips, letting glee bounce around the room.

"I was furious that Niklaus stole one of the toys that Father made for me and I set his bed on fire," he smirked at the memory as Adrienne continued to laugh, "Mother had to put it out before my siblings came back from playing in the nearby spring."

With her hands moving to her cheeks she wondered, "How did you feel after you used magic?"

"Alive," Kol breathed out and life kissed his cheeks, gifting them with a red tint.

He looked so happy, Adrienne noted.

"I felt the same," she said and exchanged a smile with him.

But soon that same smile faded as he became more engorged in his memories. He tended to run from his childhood, even though it had an everlasting impact on him. They pulled him back and stunted his emotional growth regardless of whether they were blissful or bitter.

"Until my father discovered what I did and struck me for the first time."

Her body instantly tensed, "He did?" she dared to ask.

Kol couldn't help but click his fingers as he recalled the bittersweet day, "My bastard brother didn't always receive his worst side," he muttered under his breath with a hardening face, "Mikael loathed the idea of his sons practising witchcraft. I was the only one who tapped into their magic, not even Finn could, which irked him as he couldn't always cling to our mother's side like he desired."

"I'm sorry Kol," Adrienne whispered, playing with her hands.

He shrugged off her apology, wanting to distance himself from the emotions that he felt as well as the ones she emitted.

"Don't be darling. I practised in private or whenever my mother could help," he paused, "Ayanna Bennett's children often helped me as well."

Her eyes widened with shock, "You lived near Bennetts?"

The Lumière's and the Bennetts rarely crossed paths over the centuries, they shared mutual respect as well as mutual disgust for the other. It didn't come as a surprise to many as one practised dark magic, whereas the other dedicated their life to nature and the ancestors.

Kol's lips curved into a smirk as he nodded, "Yes, I even had a fling with one of them or whatever it's called these days."

Adrienne playfully scoffed, "Of course you did."

"But that went away when my magic was gone." At the sad look lacing her features, Kol sighed, "Stop with the pitiful looks, I've dealt with my demons."

"Have you?" she wondered, with a scrunched-up face.

His head bopped left and right, as he contemplated his response, "Attempted to."

Adrienne's eyes didn't leave his, "Kol-"

"When was the first time you tapped into your magic?" he questioned, needing to change the subject and she allowed him to.

"It's not a happy memory."

"Then don't tell."

"It's fine," she waved him off and sucked in a deep breath, then started, "My first time, my mother was berating me for not tidying my room, I was five and she hated how one of my books was out of place."

Her hand subconsciously trembled, capturing Kol's attention, "Enny, don't continue."

"I'm okay," she dismissed him, "she struck me a few times until I screamed and blasted her across the room," she shakily inhaled, "I was so scared to speak, in fear she would hurt me again, so I ran, needing to find Kali and of course, she helped me."

"The Sinclair witch?" he asked in shock. He honestly thought she would seek solace with either Valerie or Clementine.

"Yes, she helped me whenever my brother wasn't home. And that day he was spending time with my father. And when I went home the following day, my mother was waiting for me with a broom, ready to beat me for tapping into my magic, for running away and for not letting her beat me, to begin with," her voice weakened towards the end of her speech.

Tears pooled in her eyes but never fell.

"I'm glad you burnt her alive."

Adrienne's head snapped towards Kol, instantly seeing the fury burning in his eyes. A reaction didn't expect from him.

"Kol?"

"One should not be allowed to procreate if they cannot do the bare minimum and care for their child," he thought allowed after a quiet moment had passed and hatred flared in his chest.

The idea of having children frightened him. Of course, he knew that vampires couldn't reproduce, but even when they were human, he feared the kind of father he would be to his children.

Adrienne shuffled closer, "Are you okay?"

Kol rolled his eyes at her confusion, "I'm not impeccable of caring," he uttered, then dragged his eyes back to the grimoire.

She cringed, cursing herself for even asking, "I know."

"Sure."

"Don't be mad, I only thought you were only capable of being a harlot," she spoke with faux innocence, attempting to lighten the mood.

He cracked a smile, another genuine smile. The second one of the day.

"Ah, there it is," she poked at his cheeks before he playfully swatted her hands away.

"Stop teasing, that's my job."

She groaned, "And now the mood is ruined."

"No, your mind is awfully filthy," he teased.

And the dark atmosphere was swiftly replaced by a blue sky that peaked through the frail windows of the establishment.

"So I've been told," she murmured, without thinking, making him grin wildly, like a Cheshire cat.

The expression she felt like she had seen before, on another being, but she couldn't place it.

"Regarding our meeting tomorrow, there is something I want to introduce you to," he confessed, snapping her out of her thoughts, "and before your thoughts get ahead of you, it will not dangerous."

Her brow arched, "Really?"

His tongue poked his cheek, before he replied, "Well...."

"Nikolai," she said in a stern voice.

"Adrienne," he mocked and she stifled a laugh.

"Let's get back to work."

"Yes, your highness," He dramatically bowed, and then the pair went back to planning.

─────── •✦• ───────

Noon soon turned to night. Marcel had left to spend time with a few of his comrades that he served with, he promised Klaus he wouldn't drink as much, since he was no longer bedridden. Elijah was busy making deals with a few council members, Adrienne was in her and Klaus' room, surrounded by various books and candles. The hybrid wanted her attention by incessantly sighing but huffed when it proved ineffective, leaving him to sulk in the kitchen after almost draining another tourist.

"I just bought this dress," Rebekah screeched, gaining her brother's attention.

Klaus' eyes reluctantly trailed over to the floor, where blood seeped into the fabrics of his sister's dress.

The dying body of a random man laid not far from the door.

"Please, you haven't brought a thing in your life," he said, scoffing and wiping the corners of his mouth.

"What's got your tail in a twist?" she sassed, stepping over the body, grimacing at the crimson floor, where are the servants?

"If I had a dime every time I heard a dog joke-"

"You would be wealthy? Shocking," she exclaimed, holding her hands up dramatically, earning a glare from him.

"Oh please, take the attitude elsewhere."

"Why would I do that, when I can bother you?" she proposed, stalking closer, only to be met with a wicked smile.

"Marcel wouldn't be too happy to hear how childish your being," he melodically said, causing his sister to stiffen and gulp.

Rolling her shoulders back, she glared up at him, "You certainly made sure that he wouldn't care, making him choose between immortality? That's despicable even for you."

"Wouldn't you say the choice he made was far more despicable," he challenged leaning down, staring directly into her eyes.

"You're a wretched man," she seethed, clenching her fists.

"Don't be dense Rebekah, you should've met that conclusion years ago," he chuckled, waving off the weight her words carried.

Rebekah let out jagged breaths to prevent any sobs or tears from slipping. Klaus was baiting her and she mustn't fall for it. Marcel's decision crushed her spirit, just when she thought he lifted it, instead it shattered it along with the help of her bastard brother. How could he do this? Love humbled her, it dangled in front of her face, just for it to be yanked away as a reminder that love would never be part of her future.

Luckily the kitchen door swung open and the sound distracted her from the blood pounding in her ears. Their youngest brother stood on the other side, much to the hybrid's displeasure.

"I thought you weren't as manic as me Niklaus," Kol sauntered into the room, appearing more gleeful than ever. His foot kicked at the corpse, then stepped over it, and eyed his siblings' irritated expressions, "draining the locals, that's not what a king should do," he quipped.

Klaus had to contain his anger, his daggers were no longer in his possession, so he needed to be resourceful, so he swiftly picked up one of the kitchen knives and plastered on a faux smile, before he could aim, Rebekah sped in front of him.

"Must we fight every day?" she asked, then forced the knife out of the hybrids grip.

"He antagonises me," Klaus raged, amusing Kol even more.

"I don't care, you're like a child."

"I think you'll find the correct term is pup Bekah," Kol corrected, with a grin.

The blonde original held back her laugh, whilst Klaus' gaze settled on a rolling pin and launched it at his brother, who ducked with haste.

"That temper of yours will get you into trouble with the pretty witch upstairs," Kol stated, nodding to the ceiling.

"Like your one to talk Kol, from what I heard you killed a man for her today," Rebekah added, startling the hybrid.

Klaus slammed his hands down on the counter, "What did you do?!"

Kol's expression remained calm as he shrugged, "He was bothering Enny."

And by bothering, he referred to a random man accidentally bumping into the witch queen as they walked home. Kol didn't know what came over him, nor did Adrienne, however, what he did know, was that he felt an urge to protect her, whether it was due to her aiding him with his magic or something else that had transpired.

"Enny?!" Klaus repeated loudly, with disgust slipping from his tongue as he spat the nickname.

"All he did was walk past her," Rebekah informed, trying to contain her smile.

"Honestly, This act is becoming rather tedious Kol."

Kol cocked his head to the side, "What act?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Taking a step towards him, Klaus spoke lowly, "Thinking that wooing my girl, with knowledge about witchcraft and coming to her aid. It's sad because what you need to understand is that it will only drive her further into my arms."

Kol mockingly nodded, "How are you so sure?"

"Well let's see, I have her in every way that your manic little mind can imagine, after all, she gave herself to me, in more ways than one," he let out a dark chuckle, once the amusement fell from his brother's face.

"You two are vile," Rebekah snarled, gaining their attention, "count yourself lucky that Adrienne's staying here, to begin with. She may be with you Niklaus but keep up your jealous act and this play will quickly reach a tragic end."

Klaus didn't have time to ponder his sister's words as she stormed off, huffing and mumbling to herself as she did so.

"She's right brother," Kol mused in agreement.

"Oh keep quiet Kol," the hybrid hissed, glaring at him, but the vampire took a step forward, standing toe-to-toe with him.

"Or what? Go on, hurt me," Kol dared. Darkness loomed in his eyes, blaring into the blue ones that narrowed and threatened to flash gold, "I have nothing to lose."

"And that only makes you more pathetic," Klaus gritted out, scoffing as he sped away.

Kol stood there in silence, before letting out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

Living in this house was breaking him more than a dagger ever could, which meant he needed his plan to commence and for that, he needed his witches.

─────── •✦• ───────

Saturday, March 4th, 1918

"Enny, Darling. I would like you to meet Mary-Alice Claire and her trusted friend Astrid Malchance," Kol introduced, "Witches, this i-"

"The witch queen doesn't need an introduction Kol," Astrid cut him off with a tight-lipped smile, before sticking her hand out to the Lumière witch, "it's nice to meet you."

"You too," Adrienne replied, sending her a smile, then turned to the blonde witch who seemed far less welcoming than her friend.

"It's a pleasure," Mary-Alice gritted out, staring at the witch queen as fury swam through her eyes.

Adrienne didn't let her attitude affect her mood.

Her new acquaintances seemed close. Mary-Alice; couldn't have been more than twenty-two or three, her mature face hardened every time she looked upon the Lumière. Her curly blonde locks didn't pass her curvy waist and her blue eyes never strayed from the original, who's she never wanted to let go.

Astrid. The nicer of the bunch, well she was far more comfortable in the presence of a witch who shared similarities with, than that of a Mikaelson vampire. Her demeanour was tense, contrasting the soft smile she sent to Adrienne each time they bumped into each other in the petite attic they were situated in. The Malchance witch's brown doe eyes and tawny coloured skin glowed under the low-hanging lamp of the room, which insinuated her young age.

Safe to say Adrienne wasn't intimidated by either witch, but she did want their working space to safe and comfortable.

"I must say I'm surprised that you took Kol up on his offer to work with us," Mary-Alice said in one breath, staring directly at the youngest witch.

"When a friend asks for help, I help," Adrienne replied, then turned back to the table, where various objects rested, missing the glare the blonde sent her.

Astrid flashed her eyes at her friend, mouthing, 'calm yourself', then joined Adrienne.

Kol watched the interaction with a smirk. Yes, he may have grown close to the Claire witch, to acquire her services, whilst giving her something in return. No feelings were involved on his part, the same couldn't be said for her.

"Nine objects, all as dark as the next," Adrienne commented with a grin, earning a nod from the original, who clasped his hands together.

"Happy to start girls?" he asked, glancing between the other two witches.

Astrid hummed, whilst Mary-Alice beamed with excitement and shuffled closer to him.

"Kol said you were going to help him get his magic back," Astrid stated unsurely, "How?"

The witch queen spared her a glance, "Sacrifice, dark magic and more."

"Care to divulge?" the blonde urged impatiently.

Before she could get a response, Kol spoke up, "Leave her, Mary," he snapped, "get on with your task."

Adrienne narrowed her eyes at him, "Kol, tone."

"Please," he added disingenuously, staring at the disheartened blonde, who swallowed nervously and nodded.

Standing around the wide table, Adrienne stayed focused, documenting which object was the strongest and held the most power, she felt eyes on her but continued jotting down her findings.

The other witches merely stood on the sidelines, helping whenever they were asked, although they still had other tasks they had to accomplish, ones that they couldn't utter in front of the Lumière teenager.

"Ever heard of Kemiya pretty witch?" Kol questioned, appearing behind Adrienne, who kept writing.

"My mother told me a few things about it," she murmured.

"What things?" he prodded, knowing not to press too much, since her mother was a sensitive topic.

"It crosses the boundary between magic and science," she recalled what she saw Keyara occasionally practice.

"Yes, running with a few witches in Arabia, they taught me, " Kol informed, making her raise a brow.

"You love to run with witches, don't you?

His smirk morphed into a grin, "Depends on the witch."

They shared an amused look, causing him to wink at her.

"Adrienne," Mary-Claire suddenly spoke up, making the pair snap their heads towards her, "I hope you don't mind me discussing this, but you are currently being courted by Niklaus, Kol's brother right?"

She nodded slowly, "That is correct."

"And also none of our business," Astrid mumbled.

"Apologies," the blonde didn't sound sincere at all. She subtly grabbed Kol's hand that rested on the table and surprisingly he allowed her to.

"It's fine," Adrienne waved her off, eyeing her sceptically, then turned to the original, who appeared far more irritated than before.

The next thirty minutes didn't go as smoothly as Adrienne wanted, but she didn't let it stop her focus and made small talk with the Malchance witch. She didn't take much notice of the kisses Kol and Mary- Alice suddenly exchanged, but it was clear that the sight nauseated Astrid.

Astrid cleared her throat, "I heard about your Coronation, it wasn't pretty."

"It was disrupted," Adrienne responded to the random statement.

"And you killed that witch."

"Many people weren't happy about that," The queen witch commented, annoyance lacing her tone.

She briefly thought back to her closest advisor's comments about how it wasn't the right decision. She was still confused as to why Kali believed that, yet chose not to let it weigh her down.

"You made the right call."

Adrienne turned to her with a grateful look, "Thank you."

"Besides, what would they like you to do, revive her?" Astrid asked, making them both laugh softly.

"My thoughts exactly," Adrienne nodded before a squeal caught her attention. Through her peripheral, she noticed the blonde witch giggling at something Kol whispered to her, "Are they always like this?"

Astrid almost gagged at the way Kol was gripping onto the Claire witch's behind.

"Not always but I guess they are putting on a show for you," she muttered in response, ignoring the smirk the original sent them, clearly hearing their conversation despite being quite far away, "but I heard that you and your man are worse."

"Extremely," Adrienne teased, earning a smile from the witch, "If you're not busy, you should come to the Saints sometime," she proposed.

Astrid smiled widely, "Thank you for the invitation."

"No problem."

Dramatically clearing his throat, Kol flashed over where they stood, leaving Mary-Alice flustered and confused.

"I have yet to see you perform," Kol whined with a pout, annoying the pair.

Adrienne scoffed, "That's not my problem," she retorted, and he mockingly placed a hand on his heart.

Astrid interjected, "We have the dark objects, we need to start working on the spell-"

"I can deal with the spell, but as of now I have something else to attend to," Adrienne stated, packing all of her notes, which gained confused looks.

With furrowed brows, Kol asked, "You do?"

She nodded then turned to Astrid, "It's been a pleasure meeting you."

The Malchance witch smiled, "The pleasure was all mine."

"Come back soon Adrienne," Mary Alice exclaimed, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Don't worry darling, I will," Adrienne reassured with a smug look that made Kol chortle.

"I'll see you at home, Enny," he said, stunning the two witches as she strolled out.

"Yeah yeah."

─────── •✦• ───────

"I can't believe you picked me up," Adrienne huffed, crossing her arms as Klaus drove through the crowded streets of New Orleans.

"Come on love, it's romantic," he teased, smiling widely.

"It's creepy, you were stalking me," her vexed tone didn't affect him.

Adrienne had the urge to slap as well as kiss him, but instead of making either choice, she kept her arms folded and gaze to the road. Despite the noisy engine sounds, she was relaxed. The putrid smell of the coal from the mines drifted through the car and mixed with Klaus' cologne. The familiar smell made her feel safe.

"I wasn't..." he paused, turning to her and noticing her scowl, "my men were," he reiterated, making her scoff.

"Same difference," she muttered, then stiffened when he place a hand on her thigh, whilst turning the wheel with his other one.

Letting out a sigh, he said, "Ria-"

"No, you don't trust me," she snapped, glaring at him.

"I do."

Although his tone sounded sincere, his wavering eyes gave away his uncertainty.

"You don't," she scoffed and slapped his hand away, subtly, since they were weaving through the busy streets.

"I love you," his words only made her huff.

"Pull over," she instructed once they turned a corner.

"What?"

"Let me drive," she demanded, ignoring his look of disbelief.

He shook his head and clenched his jaw, "No."

"If you love me and trust me you'll let me drive," she sang, annoying him further.

"You crashed your car last week."

Said car was now being fixed. When Klaus brought it to one of his acquaintances, the man was perplexed as to how the vehicle even ended up in such a way.

"I was under duress and besides it was your fault," she explained flinging her arms out in annoyance.

"If a kiss serves as a distraction, then I'm worried for your future, love," he bit back a smirk as he replied.

She shot him a knowing look, "Don't dismiss your actions. It was more than a kiss."

Call them exhibitionists, but the day that Adrienne's beloved car crashed head-first into a wall, the couple were engaging in something risque, just like the city was used to. Klaus' hands were submerged between her legs as she attempted to steer and her moans only drove his fingers deeper and deeper. His wondering hands didn't help her in the slightest, it only caused the collision to be far greater than necessary.

Irked, Klaus parked up the car and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Fine, you can drive," he gave in and she happily clapped when he tossed her the keys, "Just don't crash this car."

She shrugged as they got out of the car, "No promises."

"Ria!"

"I Love you."

─────── •✦• ───────

"Why do you look so angry? we didn't crash."

"You almost crashed the car," Klaus argued and loosened his suspenders once the door to their room was closed.

"I apologized," Adrienne said, untying her scarf, revealing the adoring bruises that stained her skin.

"There are a few scratches on the Aston Martin," he stressed, stepping closer to her as he eyed her neck.

"See, they're only a few," she cooed mockingly.

Having enough of her candour, he reached out and hauled her onto his lap as he sat on the foot of the bed. Adrienne landed with a huff and snaked her arms around his neck. Her fingers scratched up his scalp, sinking them into the curly strands at the top.

"You're testing my patience," he whispered, trailing kisses down her neck, sucking wet kisses against her skin.

"I always test your patience, you do the same to me," she rasped once he dug his fingers into her sides.

"I think I deserve a prize for letting you drive my car," he proclaimed, his heated gaze bored into her eyes, quickening her heartbeat and causing a thin layer of sweat to coat her skin.

Tauntingly, her lips hovered over his as she spoke, "What prize do you want?"

"I'm starved."

"Have at it," she gave in, tilting her head to the side.

His eyes flashed with golden specs, seducing her further. His head dipped into her neck, letting his grown fangs nip at her flesh, before tearing a hole through, letting her blood seep through. Adrienne's whimpers turned to moans, whilst he groaned and grunted when she senselessly moved her hips, grazing his bulge ever so slightly.

With each gulp, his grip tightened and drew her closer to his devilish ways.

"You taste exquisite," he breathed out after he gently pulled away.

Blood dribbled down his chin until she licked it away and pressed her lips to his in a heat and sensual kiss.

He flipped them over, smiling against her lips when she giggled. It seemed like his lips were a match that set her stomach on fire, never burning her only heating her up so she could explode according to his will.

"Nik..."

"You've made a mess," he groaned when he pulled up her dress and saw her dampening undergarments.

"Are you gonna clean it up for me?" she whispered, losing all composure.

His eyes darkened as she spread her legs. Nodding feverishly, he uttered, "expeditiously."

─────── •✦• ───────

Sunday, March 5th, 1918

"What do you have there?" Klaus questioned, strolling into their shared room, finding Adrienne on the rug, holding an unfamiliar object.

Her eyes didn't turn to meet his, still, she responded, "Something I desperately want to be rid of."

Klaus dragged his gaze away from her tense state and narrowed in on a crimson accessory, it appeared polished and beamed in the light.

"You're mother's broach," he concluded and sat down next to her, keeping an eye on her demeanour.

He was unsure, whether or not she wanted to be touched, but luckily as if she read his thoughts, she reached out her hand and placed it in his.

She stiffly nodded, "Yes."

"I thought Hadeon kept it hidden."

"You mean in his sock drawer?" she drawled, earning a soft chuckle from Klaus.

"Now, why doesn't surprise me?" he rhetorically asked, shaking his head.

"Luckily for us, our father didn't find it," even if he wanted to he couldn't, she thought, due to the cloaking spell.

"You still call him your father," he remarked, slightly perplexed.

Ever since that fateful day, when he saw the Lumière siblings surrounded by rubble and covered in dried blood in the sitting room, his distaste for their father grew.

"Don't you do the same with Mikael?" she asked softly, turning to Klaus as she instantly felt him freeze at the mention of his tormentor.

With a gentle squeeze, the guilt for naming him disappeared from her eyes.

"He's the only father I've ever known," Klaus's calm tone, almost concealed his sadness, almost.

"And our mothers weren't any better," she stated, seemingly irritated, "Mine called me a lying bitch whilst yours often left you to fend for yourself."

Alarmed by her words, his mouth gaped open, "Sweetheart."

Vigorously shaking her head, Adrienne gulped, "Forget what I said."

"She called you that?" he carefully asked, needing to keep his anger at bay.

"Most of the time. She wanted to drill the idea that no one would believe me if I told them what she did to me," she answered, staring back at the broach in her hand.

Oddly, the small object symbolised her childhood, such a small thing, holding so much power, only to be controlled by its owner, whenever they would see fit. Concealing the abuse with a nice red coat, just to smack it all away out of anger and hatred.

You're a lying bitch Adrienne, I never hurt you! Keyara's words blared through Adrienne's mind as she stared at the broach.

"And you believed it?"

"On occasion," she said, with a vulnerable edge to her tone.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Instead, I'm going to pass the power from this broach that my father was so hellbent on finding and place it into our angel," she nodded towards the angel sitting on the bedside table.

Using Kemiya, she hoped that she would be able to do it sooner rather than later, not wanting the broach to hold any power, both over her and in general.

"Our angel?" he asked, raising an amused brow.

"The one you made for me," she restated, "So it can never be destroyed."

Klaus pressed a kiss to her hand, squeezing it gently.

He playfully nudged her, "Our angel will never be destroyed eh?"

She mustered up a smile, "Indeed. Our angel will never be destroyed."

─────── •✦• ───────

"Pay attention," Klaus whined, noting that Adrienne was looking elsewhere.

"I'm trying, the pretty paintings are distracting me," she gestured to the dozens of paintings he had on display.

They were currently in his art room, and the range of colours and depth that were before her were a distraction. She was both enamoured by the brush strokes and the attention to detail, he never ceased to amaze her. The majority of the canvas' was dark and lonely, is this how he always felt? There was beauty in darkness, just like there was ugliness in light.

Klaus groaned, "Ria,"

"Nik," she mocked, then caught his annoyed expression, "Fine, I'll stop."

He gripped her by her waist and pulled her against his chest, encircling his arms around her, extracting a smile from the witch.

A blues song, from an album she gifted him, occupied the silence as he allowed her to look around, she was aware that they were far more paintings, but the ones on display satisfied her for now.

"First, tell me which one you like the most," His gravelly voice only made her snuggle up to him more.

"As a way to tickle your ego?" She quipped, looking up at him.

Smirking, his ear grazed her ear as he said, "You screaming my name does that for me."

"You're welcome," she laughed quietly.

Ignoring her witticisms, he nodded towards the paintings. "Tell me."

Her eyes danced around the room before they were beckoned to a corner piece, "The incomplete painting of Fenrir."

The giant wolf remained alone on the canvas, only the mere silhouette was painted, and very little detail was added, no matter how much she knew the paintbrush wanted to finish it, the hybrid could not.

Gulping, Klaus asked, "And why?"

"Because I can see that you're struggling to complete it," her response made his heartbeat skip.

"And why do you think that is?" he wondered aloud, still wanting to know why he hadn't finished it.

Interlocking their fingers, she rubbed her thumb over his hand, soothing his spiking heartbeat, "Because of the history behind the story you told me. How much you see yourself in the giant wolf."

"Explain love."

"You paint for control and peace, something you never acquired when you were a child."

He said nothing and just listened, losing himself in her delicate words.

"It's easy to portray pain and loneliness, but you take the angst and torment from your past and present and inflict it on every page on every canvas, through a pencil or a brush or even with ink and paint, and you manage to create the joy you only wished you could've felt throughout the years. I'm in awe."

His eyes stung with tears, "You are the joy I wanted to feel throughout those years," he whispered.

Adrienne turned around his gentle hold, placing her hands on his face and smiled.

"Then teach me how to paint."

He immediately nodded and grabbed her hand.

─────── •✦• ───────

After an afternoon of paints, canvases and stories, the couple resided in the sitting room, giggling and whispering opposite an unamused Elijah, who was trying to read in peace.

"You two are aware that I'm not hard of hearing," he remarked, not taking his eyes off his page.

Adrienne snorted at the words Klaus continued to whisper to her.

"What transpires between Ms Griffith and I, is none of your concern," Elijah voiced, gradually getting more irritated.

Chuckling, Klaus turned to his brother, "Oh really?"

"Yes really," Elijah agitatedly replied, rolling his eyes as he looked at the amused couple, "Adrienne I believe you have a ghost to find," he stated and before she could respond he turned to the hybrid, "Niklaus don't you have people to slaughter for simply looking at you in the wrong way?"

"Are you feeling peckish Elijah?" Klaus taunted.

"You get sassy when you are," Adrienne mused, smiling when she received another eye roll.

"Besides," the hybrid snaked his arm around the witch's shoulder, "We decided to put our tasks on hold to bother you."

"That's great," Elijah said, clenching his jaw and turning another page of his book.

"Very great brother," Klaus jabbed, "What are you reading?" he questioned, trying to catch the title, but it was concealed by the nobleman's hands.

Elijah deeply sighed, "You aren't blind Niklaus."

"It's a book Nik," Adrienne playfully informed, earning a kiss on the cheek.

Klaus' smile widened, "Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome."

"What is the book about Elijah? Could it have something to do with the lovely Clementine and her fascination with spirituality?"

Although Elijah had been reading more about the culture of Haiti, he was currently reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. it was something Clementine had gifted him after she had read it. Whenever the operator put him through to his friend, they would discuss their favourite moments and do it all again, whether it was with a book or something they saw at the pictures.

Feigning shock, Adrienne nodded, "I think it just might be handsome."

Elijah's eyes darted between the couple and cocked his head to the side, "Do you expect me to believe that you truly have nothing better to do with your time?"

"No," they both answered.

"For god's sake," Elijah muttered, shifting uncomfortably as he attempted to focus on the fictional words.

"He's all flustered now," Adrienne teased, trailing her eyes over the nobleman, "Are you thinking about my dear friend?"

"Did she show too much ankle?" Klaus joked.

"Perhaps her thigh was on the show?"

"Maybe her bosom."

Their laughter only brought a scowl to the nobleman, whose head snapped towards the door, considering if he should leave.

"Oh come on Elijah," Klaus spoke tauntingly.

"We're sorry." Adrienne apologised, although her cheeky smile didn't fade.

"I'm simply edifying the mind," Elijah stated, frustration lacing his tone, "And will ignore the pair of you."

To make matters worse, Kol strolled into the room, grinning widely at the scene, before he could turn a page.

"Oh, this reminds me of the book club that you and Enny had." The youngest male Mikaelson voiced, taking a seat on a vacant chair between the trio. Klaus' smile dropped instantly, "you had a meeting a couple of days ago if I'm not mistaken," Kol thought aloud, tapping his chin.

Not taking any notice of his presence, Adrienne continued to mumble what she dreamed about to her partner, who listened and hummed in response.

"What do you want Kol?" Elijah questioned, glancing at his brother.

"To spend time as a family, is that too much to ask?"

"Yes," Klaus spoke up angrily, shooting a glare at the vampire, whose expression falter slightly.

With a tap to the chest, the hybrid turned back to the witch who continued to inform him about her dreams, completely unaware of the words being spoken.

"I must say, Elijah, you got over Enny quickly," Kol commented quietly, appearing to be confused.

Tensing immediately, his oldest brother turned to him, "I do not know what you are talking about Kol," his gaze quickly flickered over to the hybrid who was fortunately focused on Adrienne.

Elijah's words contrasted the range of emotions swimming in his dark eyes.

With a chuckle, Kol leaned forward, "Sure you do, you had a thing for the pretty witch in your brother's arms," he nodded to the couple, who were knocked out of their bubble, due to the looks they were receiving.

"Seems like your projecting," Elijah bitterly argued.

Judging from the tension in the room, Adrienne abruptly stood up, capturing their attention, "And it seems like it's time to go," she proposed, turning to the hybrid, "Mira told me that bathing helps the mind," a sly smirk tugged at his lips as she spoke, "help me?"

"With pleasure."

In seconds, Klaus had sped them away, leaving his brothers; one in disdain and the other slightly irked.

Elijah caught the emotions dancing on his brother's face, ire was the most prominent, until they morphed into nothingness, "Nikolai," he started, but Kol stood up and already turned to the door.

"Oh shove it up your arse, Elijah."

The nobleman tossed his head back after hearing the harsh slam of the door, "And somehow I'm at fault."

─────── •✦• ───────

Monday, March 6th, 1918

"Marcellus come down now!" Klaus' voice boomed through the courtyard, where he stood with Elijah as Kol, Rebekah and Adrienne strolled in.

"I'm preoccupied!" the young vampire snapped, walking up to the balcony in only his undergarments.

He received disapproved looks from the Mikaelson men, meanwhile, Rebekah turned away feeling a red tint kiss her cheeks, making Adrienne stifle a laugh.

"Oh put some bloody clothes on, you're not working in a brothel."

"Although you would make a pretty penny," Adrienne mused, disregarding the glare Klaus sent to her.

"We're having a family meeting," Elijah stated as they entered the sitting room, far away from the servants who cleaned the house.

Scoffing Kol turned to them, "Oh we're family now?"

"We are."

Sitting down in their respective seats, they got comfortable, some more than others.

"I would rather stab myself with a fork."

Klaus smirked, "And I will implore you to do so."

"Should I be here?" Adrienne asked, tired and confused by their bickering.

"Yes," they all, aside from Kol said without hesitation.

Klaus dragged her onto his lap and rest a hand on her thigh. These actions were normal, especially in the presence of his siblings, regardless, not all were comfortable with them.

"What's this meeting about then?" Rebekah pressed, voice wreaking of impatience.

Klaus blinked at her, "Why are you so impatient Rebekah, got another bloke to see?"

"No, I have friends to meet," she snapped back.

Kol darkly chuckled, "What friends? compelling humans doesn't count Bekah."

"I have friends, you manic git."

"Children," Elijah exclaimed, silencing the scowling pair.

"Tell your squire to hurry Nik," Kol gritted out, turning to the hybrid, clearly referring to Marcel.

Grinding his teeth, Klaus responded, "Since when do you give me orders?"

"Hecate help me," Adrienne groaned, but her plea went ignored as the brothers continued to bicker.

Kol humourlessly laughed, "I can do what I like."

"Try me Kol," Klaus hissed.

Nudging the nobleman, Rebekah pouted, "Can I leave Elijah?"

He shook his head, "Rebekah no," he annoyedly answered, making her sigh, along with the witch who sat opposite her.

"I'm here, I'm here," Marcel appeared, fully clothed, but still fixing his sleeves.

"Kol sit down!" Elijah's voice caused everyone to turn to the raging vampire.

"Not when I'm going to be berated," he yelled, pointing at the smug hybrid.

"You're a child," Klaus stated, earning bored looks from the rest.

Tossing his hands up Kol argued, "You bloody hypocrite-"

"I'm leaving," Rebekah voiced, cutting them off.

Marcel turned to stare at her, observing her impeccable appearance. She wore a dark shade of blue, something he was rather fond of. A gentle smile appeared on his face, when he caught her eye, before quickly turning away.

"Sit down," Elijah's demands were futile as everyone stood up.

"I have to go, Elijah," Rebekah huffed and turned to the door.

Adrienne nodded and rose from her partner's lap, "I have something baking-"

Breathing out a pronounced sigh, Elijah spoke, "Adrienne."

"Sorry."

Adrienne and Rebekah exited the room, yet the squabbles never ceased.

"Are you okay Kol, you look a bit peaky?" Klaus tauntingly smirked at his brother who quickly fetched a glass of rum from the alcohol caddy, needing to deal with over-boiling anger.

"Perfect," Kol snarled and took a sip.

"Niklaus," Elijah scolded the hybrid who raised his hands in defence.

Shifting in his stance, Marcel turned to the door, "Damn... I guess it's time for me to get out of here."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at him, "You, stay."

"I'm not a dog," Marcel challenged.

"But your dear old father is."

Kol's words were like a spark, that ignited the fire to set the entire compound ablaze.

The family meeting took a turn for the worse.

─────── •✦• ───────

Adrienne may have been fibbing about baking to escape the hectic family meeting. She was grateful that they included her, even though, she still felt out of place and awkward, especially with the tension constantly filling the house. Believing that concealing the placement of the daggers, would make a change was idiotic on her part, she only hoped that baking would help calm her.

"You shouldn't tell lies Enny."

Her head snapped towards the familiar voice.

Kol stood to the side with his arms folded as a grin grew across his lips.

"I didn't," she rolled her eyes, then huffed, seeing his raised brow, "Fine, the tension in that room was suffocating and I had to get away," her response made him chortle. Her eyes zeroed onto the steadily stained overshirt, "Why is your hand covered in blood?"

"I cut myself."

"You shouldn't tell lies Kol," she mocked, then counted the ingredients in front of her.

Moving forward, he shrugged, "I crushed a glass with my hand."

"Why?"

"My family angers me, is there any other reason?" he replied nonchalantly, watching her pick up eggs and crack them against a large bowl.

Every time Kol entered the kitchen, he continued to be surprised by the number of baking supplies they had, it was for Adrienne, he thought.

The witch hummed, "Right."

"You're not going to ask what I did to antagonise them?" he asked as his brows furrowed.

She shrugged, "You would say if you wanted to."

Blinking back his initial shock, he cleared his throat and reached out to get two glasses from a cupboard, then picked out a bottle of whiskey, fortunately, it was full, which came as surprise to him as his family consumed more alcohol than water. He settled down the glasses near where she stood and poured them so the whiskey reached halfway. Graciously accepting one, Adrienne smiled.

"Do you want to bake with me?" she wondered, nodding to the batter in the bowl.

Confused, Kol scrunched up his face, "Do I want to bake with you?"

"You don't have to," she quickly added, noting his cautiousness.

Over his nine hundred years, Kol ate food and other delicious treats, he bled people dry - innocent or otherwise. He lived to serve himself and occasionally his younger sister. He had fun at the expense of others a trait that concerned and irritated his family, especially his half-brother, however one thing he had never done was bake. Even during his childhood, he cooked simple things but never baked bread, his mother usually tended to that. Why would he? He spent most of his time with a dream that was far from his reach, why would baking fascinate him?

Biting down on his cheek, he questioned quietly, "What are you baking?"

"A cake."

"What flavour?"

Glancing up at him after taking a sip of her drink, "What's your favourite?" she asked gleefully.

A mirthful glint shone in Kol's eyes as he licked his lips and grinned, "Chocolate."

She playfully rolled her eyes at his answer, "Sure."

"I'm not lying, darling."

Stifling a laugh, she nodded, "Fine, let's bake a chocolate cake then."

The pair chuckled and manoeuvred around the room, blissfully unaware of the hybrid angrily listening outside.

└─────── •✦• ───────┘

a/n:

this chapter mainly revolves around adrienne and the mikalesons. how she interacts with them now that she is an honorary part of their family.

i showcased that she wants to get kol's magic back, since that might be a possibility. in canon i was pissed they rarely talked about kol and his history with other witches, similar to klaus and wolves. also i just wanted to show how adrienne and kol connect. using the nine dark objects he made (i think) with astrid and mary-alice claire before he got daggered (although he wanted to use them against klaus, he's using them to get his magic back) but he will also still be making the dagger on the side without adrienne's knowledge.

regarding the trauma i mention in this chapter. i added kol's because his relationship with mikael was rarely discussed, but i believe if he was the first to tap into his magic and often practice is, so mikael would have a problem with it. don't worry I'll explore more about that in future chapters.

it might seem that adrienne can speak about her trauma easily to kol, not because he's not pressuring her, it's due to the fact that she is comfortable around him and he doesn't pester her like klaus. and around this time klaus' possessiveness is jarring for her.

elijah had feelings for adrienne guys, (they have faded i guess) and he's moving on with clem. kol knew about his feelings so did rebekah, but klaus speculated it. however during the scene where elijah was being bothered by everyone, klaus didn't hear what kol was saying because he was listening to adrienne. plot convenience? yes but oh well.

also, klaus is definitely a kleptomaniac and you cannot tell me otherwise.

any thoughts?

see you guys next week... and yes you should be worried for next chapter.