All My Children

3RD PERSON POV:

Lola expected many things to happen after last night, for example another argument with her brothers, or being dragged on a shopping trip with Rebekah even though she specifically told her best friend she would not go shopping. Or maybe even just spending the day with Klaus.

However, as Lola stands in the hallway with a coffee in one hand and the other resting against her hip, she wasn't expecting to see what is in front of her. She pursed her lips unequivocally at her older brother in front of her with no other than her best friend Rebekah who is wearing her gown from last night's ball.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Lola shifts all her attention to Rebekah, "No wonder you weren't answering my calls." Rebekah smirks over to Lola, totally unfazed.

"I expect you have something to say about this." Damon grunted sarcastically as he starts to walk past his sister towards the stairs.

Lola shrugs as she turns to watch Damon walk away, with a smug grin on her face, "Nope not at all, unlike you I don't involve myself in everything my siblings do. It's just funny that you're the one who told me to stop getting involved in original stuff and yet here you are..."

Rebekah stands next to Damon once more, raising a brow towards Lola, "Are you leaving with me or not?"

"Well I'm definitely not staying here today." Lola shoves her coffee into Damon's hand, "I'll get my coat." Lola turns on her heel heading into her room.

"So, let's not make a big deal out of this." Rebekah states impassively as the pair walk through the hallway towards the front door.

"My thoughts exactly." Damon agrees as he walks further ahead towards the door.

"Besides, I expect you'll come calling soon enough."

"Let's not hold our breath." Damon opens the door, revealing Elena standing outside looking shocked at them both.

Lola approaches the door as she puts her coat on, standing behind Damon and Rebekah. She glances between all three before biting her lip to hold back her laughter, "Today is fantastic already. Come on." Both Lola and Rebekah brush past an annoyed looking Elena and leave the house.

Elena's glare doesn't leave Damon as she steps into the house, "Did you stop taking your vervain?"

Damon frowns over to her as he buttons up his shirt, "You think Rebekah had to compel me?"

"What's wrong with you?" Elena retorts, "She tried to kill me less than forty eight hours ago."

"Can we just move pass that, Elena?" Damon curtly responds as he walks past Elena towards the drinks table.

"So is that how it's going to be now? I hurt your feelings and this is how you lash out at me?"

Damon begins to pour himself a drink, "Well, maybe, for once, something I did had nothing to do with you." He holds his glass up, taking a sip of his bourbon.

"You should know," Elena starts as she steps closer to Damon, "That Esther is planning on killing her entire family. She's linked them all together with a spell. Whatever happens to one, happens to all of them."

"Well, that's great! Klaus will finally be dead. We win." Damon takes another drink, he frowns when he notices Elena isn't sharing the same excitement that he is, "Why do you look like someone just shot a panda bear?"

Elena rolls her eyes, "Uh, because to kill Klaus she has to kill all of them, including Elijah. And he doesn't deserve this!"

Damon scoffs, "I'm supposed to care about Elijah?"

"Shouldn't you at least care about Rebekah." Elena snaps with a sharp bitterness soaked into her tone.

"Two seconds ago, you were pissed that she attacked you." Damon steps closer to Elena, "It's a win-win."

Elena crosses her arms against her chest, "What about Lola? This is going to crush her and she will come straight for you."

Damon fixes a glare on Elena, "How about I handle my sister and you stay out of it?" Elena shakes her head at him, turning to leave but Damon vamp speeds in front of her, blocking her from stepping away any further, "Don't do anything to screw this up, Elena." He warns, pointing at her.

Elena sighs in defeat, "Why are you doing this?"

Stefan steps into the room, "He's right, you know. Klaus has to die. They all do."

"See? It's democracy in action." Damon jests. Elena who is clearly annoyed by both brother's going against her leaves, knocking into Damon as she does so, causing him to spill his drink slightly.

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Lola pulls her car up to the Mikaelson mansion, Rebekah barely saying anything during the entire car trip. Lola huffs as they both climb out of the car and walk towards the front door, "Are you seriously not even going to acknowledge the fact I seen you walk out of my brother's bedroom this morning?"

Rebekah doesn't respond, she walks ahead of Lola slightly entering the home. They both walk into the living room where Kol and Klaus are in. Kol quickly gets up from his seat, "Well, well, well, there's our girls!"

Kol gives Lola a quick peck on the cheek as she walks past him, she heads straight over to the couch where Klaus is sat sketching. Klaus soon places his sketch pad onto the floor, taking Lola's hand guiding her down onto the couch and wrapping his arm around her waist, leaving a soft kiss against her temple.

Rebekah attempts to head further into the room but Kol keeps blocking her, she glares down at him, "Get out of my way, Kol."

"Out all night. What a scandal!" Kol fakes astonishment, "I trust you did better than that commoner? Matt, was it?"

Lola clears her throat, causing Kol to turn to face her, "Well that's if you call my brother better, which I don't suppose you would after last night."

Kol turns back to face Rebekah looking rather smug as he attempts to hold in laughter, "Don't tell me it was Damon Salvatore."

"If you don't shut your mouth, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." Rebekah threatens, Klaus grinning as he watching the sibling quarrel, Rebekah picks up on this as she pushes past Kol, "Don't start, Nik!"

Klaus lifts his hands up slightly in surrender, "I didn't say anything."

"I'm bored." Kol slumps into a chair, "Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun. Then you have the two of you all loved up again, it's revolting. I need entertainment."

"What are you waiting for?" Klaus asks, "Go on, have at it."

"It's not fun to go alone. Join me, Nik!" Kol sits up straight in the chair, "It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart."

Lola laughs slightly as she leans closer to Klaus, "I wonder how many more times he's going to use that against you."

Klaus chuckles slightly before standing up from his seat, "Okay. Why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night, what with you trying to murder Rebekah's date." He turns and takes Lola's hands making her stand up too, leaning against her ear to whisper, "But you're coming too."

Rebekah eyes follow Kol who begins to walk out of the room, "Yes, please go, this house has enough men rolling around it in."

Kol grins over to his sister as he pops his head out of the door, "Just like you, Bekah."

Rebekah throws her shoe at Kol, "Good riddance, you little swine!" Rebekah turns to see Klaus leading Lola out of the room. She narrows her eyes at the pair, "Wait no, Lola is spending the day with me today."

Klaus comes to a halt pretending to think, he shakes his head slightly, "This isn't for debate."

Klaus lifts Lola up over his shoulder making her squeal. She looks over to Rebekah as Klaus carries her out of the house, "Sorry, Bex!"

"Traitor!"

"Okay you can put me down now, I'm perfectly fine walking myself." Lola demands as Klaus walks them both out of the front door to see Kol standing by Lola's car.

Klaus lowers her down to let Lola stand straight. He stands behind Lola, leaning down to be besides her ear, "You won't be when I'm done with you." Making the hairs on Lola's neck stand up as heat rushes to her cheeks.

"Are you driving us, Lottie?" Kol asks leaning against Lola's car as the pair approach him.

Lola slightly nudges Klaus, giving him a knowing look before looking back to Kol, "Actually...why don't we do our little game we used to do back home? Whoever gets there last has to buy the first round."

Kol nods as he stands up straight, turning his back on them both for a moment, Klaus and Lola grab hold of each other's hands to get ready as Kol begins to explain, "Okay, same rules apply. We all set off in..." A swoosh is heard from behind Kol. He turns around looking confused to see that they've both cheated like they always used to, he shakes his head laughing to himself, "Of course."

Klaus and Lola both vamp speed to the Grill, reaching the alley before Kol does. Kol swiftly arrives after them not looking as amused as them, he steps closer to Lola, smirking, "You can buy the first round for that."

As the three of them enter the Grill, they begin to overhear a conversation between Alaric and Meredith. Alaric frowns at Meredith, "Wait...you think the killer's a...a vampire?"

Meredith shrugs, "There are no other suspects. It's the obvious conclusion."

Kol, Klaus and Lola walk up to the bar. Klaus smirking at Alaric and Meredith, "Oh come on now. Let's not go blaming the new family in town just because you lot have got yourselves a killer at large. Don't mind us. We're just here to let off some steam, isn't that right?"

Kol smiles and nods, "Right."

Lola flashes Alaric a half-hearted smile which he returns but soon leaving his seat and motioning Meredith to a different part of the bar. Lola sighs as she takes a seat and removes her coat, "That wasn't awkward at all."

Kol and Klaus sit on either side of Lola as Kol signals the bartender over. Klaus leans towards Lola, "Don't worry, love. He's probably just jealous you're here with us and not him."

Lola scoffs and rolls her eyes, "You're an idiot." The bartender comes over to take their order where Lola asks for a bottle of tequila and a margarita.

Kol looks at the cocktail confused, "What's that you're drinking?"

Lola drags it along the bar towards Kol, "It's called a margarita, here try it."

"Just make sure you don't try any cocktails that Lola makes." Klaus warns his brother, he smirks over to Lola, "Only do so if you wish to no longer have tastebuds."

Lola playfully hits Klaus against his arm then takes his drink from him, "Are you really going to bring that up, again?"

"This takes me back, the three of us in a bar." Kol begins to reminisce, he smirks over to Lola, "Reminds me of when I was finally introduced to you, Lottie. You panicking over which Mikaelson brother to choose."

Both Klaus and Lola burst out laughing, Kol looking at the pair confused. Lola clears her throat, trying not to laugh again, "You and I remember that night very differently. I hated you when we first met, Kol."

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Flashback 1887:

It's been a couple of days since the Mikaelson ball and the only thing that is on Klaus' mind is the mysterious girl who entered his home that night. The brief conversation, her touch, smile, voice, just everything about her has been playing on repeat in his mind.

Klaus has learnt from his older brother, Elijah, that he is taking the young vampire out on a tour of New Orleans today. Jealousy seeped into Klaus' veins which left him feeling confused as to why someone has played so heavy on his mind when usually he doesn't even think twice about someone.

"You seem awfully chipper, brother." Kol pipes up dragging Klaus out of his thoughts as they both walk down the French Quarter, "Is there a motive to dragging me out of the compound?"

Klaus shrugs, trying to not make is noticeable that his eyes are wandering through the crowds looking for Charlotte, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Is it a crime to just want to go for an innocent drink with my brother?"

Kol chuckles, "Nothing about you is ever innocent, Nik."

There she was. Just like Klaus had expected, he sees Charlotte and his brother from afar wondering into a bar. Klaus starts to speed up as he follows them into the same bar, "Let's try this bar." Klaus shouts over to his brother who is trying to keep up with him.

As they both enter the bar it is as though she has vanished, no where to be seen. To make things not look unusual to his brother, Klaus orders a round in for him and Kol. Kol has been making small talk with Klaus but he just responds with a hum or a nod, his eyes are too busy searching through the busy bar then suddenly he sees Charlotte linking arms with Elijah, both laughing as they begin towards exit.

Kol laughs slightly as he also notices the pair, "Ah, it makes more sense now. I remember her from the other night, she looks like a tasty little thing."

"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver." Klaus warns his younger brother without even looking away from Charlotte, just as her and Elijah are close to them he calls her over, "Charlotte!"

Charlotte looks around confused after hearing her name get called out. Klaus' heart skips a beat when she looks over in his direction with a bright and warm smile on her face as she walks over to him, "Oh, hi."

Klaus sheepishly smiles back at her, "Join us for a drink?"

Charlotte glances over to Elijah, "Well actually this was only a pit stop really, wasn't it, Elijah?"

Elijah nods in agreement, "Indeed it was, we must get going."

"Oh come now, one drink won't hurt." Kol states, he steps closer to Charlotte, holding out his hand, "We didn't meet properly last night. Kol Mikaelson."

Charlotte smiles politely back at him, also holding her hand out, "Charlotte Salvatore."

Kol takes her hand, placing a kiss against her knuckles, "It's a pleasure, Charlotte. If you wanted to be shown around the city, I would be a better guide than my brother. I can show you all the interesting sides to New Orleans."

Charlotte takes her hand out of Kol's hand, taking a step back next to Elijah, "I'm perfectly satisfied with the tour guide I have, thank you."

"I'm sure you'll come running to me soon enough. A little thing like you won't do too well being on ones own in a city like this." Kol steps closer to Charlotte, closing the gap, leaning towards her ear and takes hold of her hand once more, "I've always liked pretty little things with a sharp tongue."

Charlotte twists Kol's hand, causing it to break, "I can take care of myself." She glances over to Klaus' direction, "Nice to see you again, Klaus."

Kol grunts as he snaps his hand back into place as Charlotte walks out of the bar with Elijah. Klaus watches her leave, gazing at her in amazement, "Isn't she stunning?"

Kol laughs under his breath, "She certainly looks good walking away from us."

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Alaric is on the phone with Damon near the pool table where Meredith is playing pool while Klaus, Lola and Kol are still drinking at the bar.

Alaric looks over in their direction as he talks to Damon over the phone, "Yeah, no, they're still here. Yeah, they've drank their way through half the Grill's liquor supply. Lola's here too."

Damon scoffs at the other end of the line, "Of course she is, but that's good. It'll be easier if they're wasted."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Divide and conquer." Damon responds, "Little does my baby sis know she is being the perfect distraction."

Lola watches as Klaus pours her another shot of tequila, "Finn was trying to get me to speak with your mother alone last night. Any clue as to why that might be?"

Klaus smirks as he passes her the drink, "Well maybe she just wants to meet the person who has made such an impact on her family."

Lola rolls her eyes, "Brown nosing won't get you anywhere." She drinks the shot then stands up from her seat, "I'll be back."

Kol watches as she walks away from them, "Where are you going?"

"Never you mind." Lola shouts back as she makes her way towards the women's restroom.

It's not long after, Klaus soon follows Lola into the restroom, locking the main door shut behind him. Lola stands up straight from leaning against the counter of the sink, the corners of her lips curved slightly as she observes Klaus slowly stepping towards her, "This is the women's restroom, you know."

"I'm perfectly aware of where we are right now." Klaus quips lowly, his lips parting slowly as his blue orbs meet her green ones, "I've grown tired of having to share your company with Kol. I don't like sharing."

Klaus' hands are on either side of Lola's waist, the heat from his hands made the warmth explode all over her entire body. The corners of her lips now turned up into a playful smirk as she tilts her head slightly, "Is that so?"

The teasing nature of Lola's words made Klaus' stomach flip with excitement. He mimics her same playful smirk as his eyes wonder all over her body before meeting her gaze once more. Grasping Lola's thighs, he swiftly lifts her up onto the sink counter.

Any words that Lola was trying to fester was interrupted by Klaus' lips smashing down on hers, hungrily running his tongue over her lips as they part from the shock of his kiss. His hands travel all over her body, slowly moving up her body to then find home against her cheeks as Lola wraps her legs around his waist, hands tugging against his shirt to pull him closer as if it were even possible.

One hand still against Lola's face as Klaus' other hand traces down her body once more, then gripping onto her upper thigh underneath her skirt. Lola pulls away breathless, "In here? Really?"

"Would you rather I stop?" Klaus grunts raspily, raising a brow towards Lola.

Lola shakes her head as she cups his cheeks, "No no, I didn't say that." Lola pulls Klaus back towards her, connecting their lips once more as desire set in as she arches her body against his.

Klaus leans into Lola's neck, leaving his mark by kisses all over, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. Lola's eyes roll into the back of her head as she felt his hand slowly move further up her thigh, swiping a finger between her legs - only for a moment before pulling away.

Lola can sense Klaus tense up, she looks at him confused, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Klaus immediately puts his hand against his chest as he frowns, "Something's wrong." His eyes meet hers as concern begins to grow even further, "Kol." Klaus takes Lola's hand and they rush out of the restroom to look for Kol.

At the back of the Grill, Alaric drags a dagger Kol into the alleyway, he glances over to Stefan and Damon who are outside waiting, "Here, grab him!"

Damon grins over to Alaric as he walks over to him, "Tell the sexy doctor good work!"

Klaus rushes over, undaggers Kol and knocks Alaric against the wall. Stefan tries to attack Klaus but Klaus knocks him out too. Lola rushes over to Kol on the ground, kneeling by his side.

Klaus glares over to Damon, "I should have killed you months ago."

"Do it. It's not going to stop Esther from killing you." Damon quips.

Klaus steps closer to Damon, "What did you say about my mother?"

"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy?" Damon retorts, "Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do."

Klaus is about to attack Damon when Elijah appears at the top of the stairs, "Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus."

Lola looks up at Elijah anxiously, "Elijah, what's going on?"

Klaus turns to face Elijah, "What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?"

Elijah walks down the stairs towards Damon, holding a phone, "You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now."

Damon looks up at the clock tower and sees that it's 8:30, he looks back over to Elijah frowning, "You told me we had until after nine."

Elijah shrugs, "I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early."

Damon and Stefan both rush away from the Grill. Kol begins to wake up, he looks around dazed and confused, Lola helps him up to stand.

Lola walks over to Elijah, "What's going on, Elijah?"

Elijah smiles faintly at her, "We'll explain later." He looks over to both Klaus and Kol, "We need to go, now."

"I'll come with you." Lola adds.

Elijah gives Klaus a knowing look, Klaus understands straight away, nodding in agreement then watches as Elijah and Kol walk up the stairs. He turns to face Lola and cups her cheeks, "Go back to the house, do not leave there until I get back."

"But-"

"Lola, please go back to the house. Do you understand?"

Lola nods slightly, "Okay."

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They've been gone for too long is all Lola could think as she paced around the Mikaelson mansion.

What did Damon mean when he spoke about their mother, what could she possibly have done?

Maybe I should go out and find them to see they are okay...

But then it's as though Klaus could hear her thoughts as the next thing to happen was Lola hearing the front door opening and Klaus walking straight into the living room where Lola was anxiously pacing.

Lola sighs with relief as she rushes over to him, cupping his cheeks, "Thank god, are you okay? What's happened?"

Klaus faintly smiles back at her, placing his hands against hers, "It seems that our mother has linked us all, in order to kill us." Lola frowns in shock at Klaus, trying to fathom any words but is unable too. Klaus removes Lola's hands from his face, he moves a piece of her hair from her face, "We'll talk later. Right now there are some people who wish to speak to you."

"Lottie." Kol says softly as he stands in the doorway to the living room. Lola looks over Klaus' shoulder and mimics Kol's same smile, Klaus kisses Lola on the cheek then leaves the room.

Lola rushes over to Kol, pulling him into a hug, "Hey." Looking over Kol's shoulder she sees bags against the doorway, she pulls away from the hug, looking up at Kol confused, "You're leaving?" Kol nods, not wanting to argue against it, Lola pulls Kol in for another hug, "Well as far as reunions go, this was our quickest one yet. Keep yourself out of trouble, if you find yourself in trouble call me. I would so hate to miss out on it."

Kol laughs as he pulls away from the hug, "You'll be the first one to know. Try not to kill Nik would you? At least until after we're all unlinked."

"I'll try my best."

Kol picks his bag up, slumping it over his shoulder, "Elijah is in the other room. I feel as though he needs a chat with you." Lola nods and begins to walk out the room when Kol stops her, "Don't think I haven't forgotten about what we were trying to get answers about back in 1914, I'm going to continue to look into it for you. I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you, Kol. I owe you one."

"I'll remember that!" Kol shouts back at Lola as he walks out of the house.

Lola steps in to the other room where Elijah is standing by the window, she can tell straight away from his demeanour alone he's leaving as well, "Elijah. You're leaving too?"

"This wasn't my plan for when our family reunited." Elijah says defeated as he continues to look out the window, "I had hoped we would at least stop with the threats to people and yet that's all I seem to have done today."

Lola steps closer to Elijah, "You can't beat yourself up about this, Elijah. Your own mother has been plotting against you all this entire time, you needed to stop it."

"I threatened an innocent girl then used Rebekah's hatred towards the girl for my own gain in order to get what I wanted."

Lola scoffs and she rolls her eyes as she leans against the desk beside Elijah, "I wouldn't exactly call Elena innocent and the thing you wanted was to not be killed, Elijah! How is that bad?"

"It's bad because we are the monsters that my mother said we are." Elijah turns slightly, still not completely facing Lola, "She may have turned us into vampires, yes, but we done all the damage ourselves."

Lola stands up, turning Elijah to make him face her, "You can't leave, Elijah. Nik needs you here, I need you here."

Elijah smiles faintly as he sighs, "What Niklaus needs is someone here that he sees comfort in. Someone who knows him better than his siblings know him and better than he even knows himself. That's you, Charlotte. As for you needing me, you don't. You've managed so many years without me because as I've said before, the strength you have within you is beyond anything I've ever known. Are you going to let this entire situation strengthen you further, or weaken you?"

Lola bites her lip, hating that Elijah is right. She nods her head as she pulls him in for a hug, "At least pick up the phone when I call you."

"You have my word." Elijah pulls away from the hug, smiling down at Lola, "We'll speak soon."

Lola steps back into the living room where Klaus is now standing, staring into the fireplace with a sombre expression on his face, he picks up on her presence in the room, "I suppose it's your turn to leave as well."

"I'm not going anywhere." Lola walks over to Klaus as he turns to face her, she wraps her arms around his neck, smiling up at him, "I'm staying right here with you." She leaves a soft peck on his lips, "You know, I always wondered if I didn't walk into that ball all those years ago if we would be here right now. If it might be someone else standing where I am right now with you."

Klaus hums as he pretends to think, wrapping his arms around Lola's waist pulling her closer towards him, "I prefer to think of it the other way. Because even if you hadn't walked in that night, we would have met at Venice Beach staring at a painting. Or Frenchmen Street listening to jazz. I would have always found you." Klaus leans into Lola's neck, his nose sliding underneath her ear, warm breath sending shivers up her spine, "Perhaps you should stay here tonight..."

Lola laughs at herself getting flustered, "Yeah?" Klaus hums in agreement, "I'll go get some of my things then."

Lola begins to walk away but Klaus keeps hold of her hand to stop her, he looks over to her concerned, "Is that a good idea? I'll come with you."

Lola laughs, "That's an even worse idea. I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll be back soon, it's about time I tell them exactly how I've been feeling lately."

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Lola slams the front door shut as she enters the Salvatore house, looking around she can't see either of her brothers at the minute. She walks down the hallway towards the stairs which is when Damon appears, glaring at her. Lola scoffs, "Well, sorry your plan failed, again."

Damon tenses in front of Lola. Stiff, as he grits his teeth, "So this is it? You're going to give up on your actual family and pick them over us?"

"Don't you dare act as though I'm the one giving up on this family, there is a huge difference between giving up and putting myself first!" Lola recoils at Damon's statement, squeezing her hands into fists as Stefan now comes into view, standing beside Damon, "Why is it always about me picking them over you? What about the two of you picking Elena over me? Because it happens, it's happening all the time lately! This is Katherine all over again!"

Stefan sighs, "That's not true, Lola."

"It is, Stefan! The two of you are at each other's throats over a girl yet again and I get left in the dust. The only time I speak to either of you these days is when you're trying to control me. Trying to control my feelings. Neither of you can control your own!" Lola releases a knowing laugh as she gestures towards Stefan, "I mean look at you Stefan. You're one blood bag away from falling apart and you think you can tell me what to do?" Stefan bows his head at her comment, Lola steps closer to them both, tears threatening to escape, "But I can say one thing confidently, no feelings I have, nothing I conspire to do will ever harm this family as much as your feelings towards Elena. You both would choose love over family and then condemn me for doing the same! You're both hypocrites."

Lola pushes past both of her brothers, storming upstairs straight into her bedroom and starts to pack up her things.

Damon and Stefan soon follow after her. Damon's anger growing even more, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I can't do this, Damon." Lola mumbles as she walks around the room collecting her things, "I can't live in a house where I am constantly walking around on eggshells knowing fine well the two of you don't even want me here."

"Come on, Lo, that isn't the case at all." Stefan says with his voice low and gentle like, trying to be the brother of reason like always.

"No but it is!" Lola yells as she looks up at her brothers, tears now streaming down her face with a grimace look on her face as her eyes meet her brothers, "I can't change my feelings, and more importantly I don't want to! I would never ask either of you to change the feelings you have towards Elena and yet I'm being told to change mine towards Klaus and it's not fair!"

Damon steps closer to Lola, anger flashing through his eyes as he grits his teeth, "Don't tell me you're going to him."

Lola stands tall in front of him, glaring up at him, "Why shouldn't I?" The rhetorical question full of bitterness.

"He's evil, Lola." Stefan speaks up once more.

Lola glares over to her little brother, "He may be the villain in your story but he isn't in mine! Never once has he put an ultimatum on me and telling me to choose a side. Klaus has even said he didn't want to be the one to drive us all apart." Lola turns her back on her brothers as she collects her things.

"Klaus is the reason!" Damon yells.

"No!" Lola yells back, eyes flashing with a fierceness she has never directed to either of her brothers before, leaving them to step back a little, gaping, "No he isn't! You are! Are you both really that blind you can't see what you're doing to me?" Lola tries to hold back her tears but fails to do so as a shaky breath falls, "You've been chipping away at me for so long I am so close to completely falling apart. I am so fucking miserable being around you both and I hate it!" She pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in, "Because I don't want to feel like that around my brothers. We're the only family each other has and we just keep getting closer and closer to not even being a family anymore."

A weight hits Stefan's chest as he feels his heart concave as he glimpses at the undying fury, hatred and hurt in his sister's eyes, he takes a step closer to her, "We are a family. Look at what's happened over these last few months, everything that has happened is down to Klaus!"

Lola scoffs as she picks up her bags and storms past her brothers, "I'm not listening to this anymore."

Damon storms after Lola down the stairs, "Lola get back here, you're not leaving this house!"

Lola comes to a halt at the front door, opening it slightly then glaring back at her older brother, "God, how arrogant are you to think that you can just go through life with no one saying anything that you don't agree with or like? I don't deserve this. I really do not deserve this. I deserve a family who actually gives a shit. I'm done."

Lola slams the door behind her, her shoulders slump down as she takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Stepping into her car she drives straight back to see Klaus.

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Klaus hears Lola's car pull back up at the mansion. He walks out as she gets out of the car, eyes red and swollen from crying, her perfect face stained from tears.

There is so much hurt in her eyes yet as soon as her eyes meet Klaus, the sweet smile he is so familiar with flashes on her face, "Think I can stay here for more than just tonight?"

Klaus wraps his arm around her shoulder and takes her bag in his other hand, "I wouldn't have it any other way." He leaves a kiss at the top of Lola's head as they both walk back into the house, "Lets get a drink."

Lola sits on the edge of the couch, staring into her glass of bourbon. Klaus crouches down in front off her, making her jump out of her thoughts as he places his hand against hers, smiling up at her, "Are you okay?"

Lola smiles back at Klaus, "I am now."

Klaus kisses Lola's forehead, standing up to then see Rebekah walk into the room, "I thought you'd have gone by now. Elijah's leaving. Kol's fled. Esther and Finn are gone too."

Rebekah walks around a table covered in Klaus' artwork, looking down at it all, "I hated you when I learned you killed our mother. But I realise now that after a thousand years together as a family, you're the only one who never left me."

Klaus smirks over to Rebekah, "Well, aren't we a pair."

"There's something I think you need to see." Rebekah pulls out her phone and holds it up to show Klaus the video of Elena she took.

"Come to brag about your skills as a torturer?" Klaus retorts as he takes the phone and looks at the screen.

"Look at the images on the wall behind Elena. The Natives told the story of our family history, look at the images on the far wall."

Lola stands next to Klaus, looking at the phone too, "What is it?"

"A Native worshipping at the Great White Oak tree."

Klaus frowns, "And? We burned that tree to the ground."

Rebekah shakes her head, "Look at the markings that precede it. That's the native calendar."

Klaus looks at the phone shocked, "This can't be right."

Lola glances between them both, "I'm not a Native, what do those symbols mean?"

"A White Oak tree, three hundred years after we fled back to the Old World." Rebekah continues, panic in her voice, "There must have been a sapling, a new tree to replace the old. That tree could kill us. It's not over."

-------------------------------------------------------

Lola anxiously picks at her nails as she waited for the bath to fill with hot water as she spaced out in thought. Thinking back to the argument she has with her brothers not even two hours ago. With a tiny bit of regret at the back of her head for how she spoken to them both.

She shuts the faucet off and slips out of her clothes from the day. Easing herself down into the hot bubbly water she could feel herself instantly feeling a little bit better with relief washing over her. The scent of the floral bubble bath filled the entire room, Lola leans back until she was resting against the back of the bath.

Lola sighs with relief as she closes her eyes, beginning to relax. Not even knowing how long she has been in the bath, but not caring about that. This is the most relaxed she's felt in so long and she wasn't ready to let go of it just yet.

In time, Lola's eyes flutter open when she feels a new presence in the room. Klaus walks up from behind her holding a glass of red wine mixed with blood, he passes it over to Lola, "I suspect this is something you need right now."

Lola smiles up at him as she takes the glass, "You read my mind, thank you." She takes a sip of the wine, smiling to herself at yet another thing that is helping her relax. She places it on the little table at the side of the bath then smiles back over to Klaus.

Klaus pulls the little stool from the vanity and sits besides the bath, "Are you okay, love? Do you want to talk about it?"

Lola rests her head back against the bath, looking up towards the ceiling for a brief moment before looking back at Klaus, "For the first time in so long I actually stood up for myself in front of Damon. Don't get me wrong we're always arguing but in the end it would always be me siding with him but it was never the other way round. I only came back to this town because he asked me to, I'd have happily not came back here." Lola scoffs as she moves the bubbles around floating on the water, "They'll probably call me selfish for being here but why shouldn't I be? Do I not deserve to feel happy even for a moment?"

Klaus brushes a piece of Lola's hair behind her ear, "Of course you do, sweetheart. You'll never feel like that when you're with me. I promise you that."

Lola smiles over to Klaus but the smile soon turns into a frown as tears fall yet again, she groans in frustration at herself for getting upset again, "God what's wrong with me?! Why am I starting to feel guilty about it all?!"

Klaus sighs, "Because you're a good person. You're always putting people's needs and happiness over your own and it's not right. For once you're thinking about what you want first instead of what others want."

The tears continue to fall as Lola tries to calm herself down, "I'm so sorry."

Klaus frowns at her, narrowing his eyes, "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"Everything I've done trying to avoid us being like this. All the things I've said to you, helping all of them trying to stop you from triggering the curse by killing you."

Klaus softly shushes Lola as he moves the stool away, kneeling besides her with his hand on her cheek, "None of that matters anymore. You're here now, that's what's important. Now what I want you to do is to stop being harsh on yourself and I want you to finish that drink, relax some more then come and find me because there's something I want to show you."

Lola nods as she wipes the tears from her face, "Okay." They both share a soft kiss before Klaus leaves the bathroom.

Not long after, Lola gets out of the bath getting changed into one of Klaus' shirts which becomes like a dress for her. She leans against the doorframe of the bedroom where Klaus is sat on the bed sketching, she smiles over to him, "What did you want to show me?"

Klaus takes Lola's hand and guides her to the locked room next to his art room, he opens the door revealing the room where he keeps all of their memories, "This."

A small gasp falls from Lola's lips as she slowly steps into the room, "Oh my god. You kept everything?" She walks over to one of the wardrobes and opens it revealing a collection of clothing she has had over the years, laughing slightly, "Even some of my poor choices in clothing."

"All I've dreamt for decades is this exact moment, having you here with me." Klaus states as he stays standing in the doorway watching Lola walk around the room, "At one point I didn't think it would ever be possible to have you with me again."

Lola reaches her arm out for Klaus to hold on to, she pulls him closer as she wraps her arms around his waist, "Well get used to it because I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

Klaus rests his forehead against Lola's, "I also wanted to thank you."

Lola hums, smiling as she gazes into his eyes, "For what?"

"For making me a better person. Since meeting you I've felt more centred, more at peace. Not only do I have something to work for, but someone to share my life with." Klaus cups Lola's cheeks as his lips graze against hers, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me."

Lola presses her lips against his for a short yet passionate kiss, she pulls away slightly as they both open their eyes, resting their foreheads against each other. Lola gazes into Klaus' eyes, "I love you."

"I love you, always and forever."