Angel awoke hoping everything was only a single, horrifying nightmare.

She blinked rapidly, the sunlight temporarily blinding her vision as she pushed herself up in bed. Glancing down at her hands, Angel stared at her hands almost as if she could still see the blood there. She could still feel the way his blood had dripped down them only the day before, as it would forever be engraved in her memory.

Angel, too lost in her mind to focus on anything rooted in reality at the moment, didn't hear the sound of her door opening or the footsteps that followed. A figure sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out and grabbing her hands with their own.

Angel glanced up at the action, her eyes meeting the familiar pair she had grown up seeing. Klaus softly pushed the girl's hands down so she could no longer obsessively stare at them.

"Dad," Angel whispered quietly before the tears started falling down her cheeks, the sobs echoing across the manor for all to hear. Klaus wasted no time as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, pulling her in for a loving hug, and softly stroked her head. The pair stayed there, lost in time even after Angel's sobs ceased to exist and she simply leaned into his embrace.

Finally, Angel pulled away, her hands still fisting his shirt as if she was afraid he would disappear at any moment. She stared up at her father, her weeping eyes piercing through Klaus' heart as he felt his heart clench at the sight.

"Make it go away," Angel's hoarse voice begged. "All the memories."

The request didn't shock Klaus, who had been entertaining the idea all night. A clear throat interrupted his thoughts as he glanced over Angel's shoulder, where Kol leaned against the door with his arms crossed against his chest.

Klaus slowly reached up, gently pulling Angel's hand wrapped tightly around a piece of his shirt away. Angel didn't even have the energy to fight him as she stared at her hand, still grasping Klaus' own. The older vampire gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before reluctantly letting go and making his way to the Kol with an irritated expression.

Angel wasn't sure what was said as the pair exchanged heated whispers, the brunette continuing to stare at the same hands that killed her husband.

Several moments later, a figure sat on the edge of the bed. Slowly, Angel lifted her eyes to meet Kol Mikaelson. Unlike Klaus, he wasn't looking at the girl with any pity or sadness, or perhaps he was just trying to hide behind a facade. 

"Are you going to erase my memories?" Angel asked hopefully.

"You shouldn't even ask such a thing," Kol responded. "You're a Mikaelson, and Mikaelsons don't give up."

Angel stared at the vampire blankly for several moments before responding.

"If you're not going to help then just leave," Angel muttered as she leaned back against her pillows, casting her eyes up to the ceiling. "It's what you're good at anyway."

Kol held back an irritated sigh as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the dramatic girl. She reminded him of Rebekah, back when they were young and naive. He had forgotten how annoying humans could be with their emotions.

"Erasing it won't help," Kol continued as Angel continued to stare up at the ceiling as if she wasn't listening to a word he said, but in reality, she was hanging on to every word he said. "You'll always feel a piece of you missing. If you erase it, it'll only make it worse, not knowing why you feel so broken."

A few more moments of silence passed as Kol waited, wondering if she was even listening.

"You just want me to be miserable," Angel finally stated with a soft sigh. "You hate me."

"I hated you," Kol corrected. "Can't exactly hate someone who saved my life now, can I?"

"Is that why you're trying to help then?" Angel questioned, wondering about his sudden strange behavior towards her. "To pay me back?"

Kol stared at the girl, opening his mouth to respond before closing it again. As he thought about it more, he realized he wasn't doing it because he felt he owed her a favor. Much like the rest of his family, he was starting to come around to the idea of having Angel Knight around. Angel had done what any other Mikaelson would've done in her situation, no matter the pain and sacrifice it required. 

"No," Kol responded as he continued staring at the human girl, no longer able to ignore the strange feeling bubbling beneath the surface. "That's not why I'm doing this at all."