Penelope could only watch on slight worry the way Kayla violently threw her clothes in a small bag.

"I wouldn't touch anyone in that state" Penelope said as she stood at her side of their shared room.

The lights were flickering slightly as Kayla tried to even her breathing, hands slightly shaking.

"Not gonna hurt you, Pen" Kayla told her, briefly looking up. "Stop being scared"

"I'm not" Penelope snapped. "Is too much asking to know the gossip?"

"Got myself a new guardian" Kayla answered, clenching her fists so she could stop her hands from shaking. It wasn't working.

Penelope raised an eyebrow in surprise. She too knew the struggle her roommate had into having a permanent guardian "Well, that's nice"

"No" Kayla glared at one side of her bed that accidentally got in fire by her. "Shit"

Penelope waved a hand to Kayla's bed, "Adituur"

The fire faded.

Kayla closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead in frustration, "It's Hope's mom"

Penelope paused, "I heard she's nice"

"She is" Kayla confirmed, "Which is gonna suck when she stops wanting to be my guardian, returning me back to the school's care"

Kayla dropped herself on her bed, arm covering her eyes.

In the safety of their room, both girls had the liberty and freedom to actually act like human beings, not the cold fronts they put up with everyone.

This time, Kayla was acting like the teenager she was.

"Oh" Penelope let out softly as she finally understood Kayla's reaction.

"Yes" Kayla said, huffing, "Now, I'm supposed to pack to go New Orleans with Hope and her mom because apparently we did something stupid"

Penelope wasn't truly aware of what they had done but she wasn't surprised Kayla and the word stupid and dangerous were together.

"Well, don't you have this danger gene in you that you got from your father that makes you do terrible things?" Penelope asked, if not only to lift the mood.

It worked slightly as Kayla let out a small chuckle, "Well, I am the daughter of a psychopath after all"

Penelope nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are"

Kayla dropped her arm, staring at the ceiling quietly, "I don't want to screw things up this time"

"Then don't" Penelope told her, "I mean, it doesn't hurt opening up once in awhile, does it? Maybe you still haven't found someone trustworthy enough for you to be yourself. You don't lose anything by trying" Kayla tilted her head to face her roommate. Penelope's lips quirked in a smirk, "And if that doesn't work, you can always siphon them to their knees"

Kayla smirked, glad Penelope hadn't continued the sentimental mood, though she was glad for the support.

There was a knock on their door.

Penelope stood from her bed to open the door while Kayla straightened up, continuing packing.

It was Hope standing outside, slightly awkward, "Hey. Is Kayla done packing?"

Penelope stepped aside, letting the girl in, "You could give a hand. At the pace she's going, you'll never leave"

"You could help" Kayla pointed out, glancing at her hands, noticing that Penelope had managed to help her regain control of herself.

"I'm not your maid" Penelope snarked, flipping her hair back.

Both girls putting up the front of not liking each other.

Hope gave them an amused smile, walking closer to Kayla as Penelope paid no more attention to them, putting on her earphones.

"I'm sorry about my mom" Hope said softly, putting down her own bag as she helped Kayla shoving her stuff inside her bag, "I didn't know she'd do that"

"At least my heart is still in my chest or my neck wasn't broken" Kayla replied.

Hope winced, "She wouldn't have hurt you. Neither of my family. They don't hurt kids"

Kayla shrugged as they continued in silence until the bag was finally zipped.

Both girls grabbed their things, turning to Penelope who gave them a dismissive wave.

Kayla could only give a tiny smile to herself as she gestured at Hope to leave.

They both walked away.

~8~

Seven hours.

Seven long hours Kayla endured of mother and daughter giving each other the cold shoulder. She was beginning to wonder why Hayley won by becoming her guardian if there was no communication.

One of the main struggles she had been having with her previous guardian... That and they feared the girl for what she could do.

It was night when they reached the Mikaelson's compound.

Kayla followed silently behind Hope and Hayley.

Hope, like Kayla couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Can you just yell at me already? Seven hours of hostile silence is punishment enough. You didn't have to drag Kayla into this"

Hayley stopped walking, turning to face the girls, "The whole point of sending you to that school and calling you Hope Marshall was so that you wouldn't draw attention to yourself, to keep you safe" She knew the other girl had at least some kind of knowledge to Hope's real life if she was willing to help her daughter. "Why? Why did you bring Kayla to do it? What involve someone else into this, Hope? Actually, what could you have possibly needed the money for?"

"To answer your first questions" Hope began, gesturing at Kayla, "She understands me. The struggle of having a dad everyone hates. And she is my friend"

"Don't get me in the middle" Kayla whispered, shifting uncomfortably.

"You're already in the middle" Hope whispered back, looking at Hayley, "And for the rest of your questions, well that's my business"

"And selling your blood is mine" Hayley told her, "Well, having someone else selling your blood. You two had no right to do that"

Hope raised her eyebrows "You're being a hypocrite. You're the one that taught me 'my body, my choice'. Well, my blood, my choice"

Kayla looked like wanting to be anywhere else but there, rocking on her heels.

Hayley walked closer, seriously "You are not just anybody, Hope. Do you even understand what you have done?"

Hope looked away briefly, "Henry came to me"

"And you should have said no" Hayley replied softly. Hope seemed to be realizing they made a mistake. Kayla wouldn't look at them, rubbing the back of her neck. "Girls, Henry was already a kid who was struggling to fit in, and now... he's gonna be only one of three hybrids in the world, and seen as a threat to everyone in the city. You have no idea what you've done. You cannot create something without taking responsibility for it"

"What are you gonna do?" Hope asked, "Ground me, us? ... a-and lock us up? I'll just whammy myself out, I am a witch. Kayla can take magic away to herself to do so as well"

"And I am your mother" Hayley silenced Hope very quickly with that. She glanced at Kayla "And yours too for the meantime" she looked between the two girls, "Which means tomorrow I'm gonna have to clean up the mess you've made before it gets worse"

Hayley walked away, leaving the two girls alone.

"Well, that..." Kayla began.

Hope put her finger on her lips, tilting her head to where her mom left, pointing at her ear. Kayla understood, closing her mouth. "Come on, let me show you where you can sleep. The room next to mine has been empty since I could remember"

Silently, Kayla followed Hope.

~8~

Hope and Kayla had settled in Hope's room for the night.

The room Hope had told Kayla about wasn't at that moment of the night good to sleep in so they were rooming together.

The next morning, Hope had woken up early and was skyping with one of her uncles.

Kayla was curious about the compound that she found herself exploring the place when she came across Hope while she laughed slightly.

Hope had her back to her as she spoke on the phone, "That's what I said. Mom didn't think it was funny"

Hope's uncle laughed slightly over the phone, "Well, I'm sure it will all blow over by Mardi Gras"

Hope fell silent for a moment, regret in her voice "I... I didn't think it was such a big deal at the time, but now that it's stirred up so much trouble I-I feel kind of bad"

"Darling, you can't get your knickers in a knot every time you have a little kerfuffle" Hope's uncle told her, "You'll never have a moment of pleasure. And I, for one, thought you showed some real entrepreneurial spirit"

Hope laughed, "Yeah, that's me, your friendly, neighborhood blood dealer"

"Excuse you" Kayla told them from behind Hope, arms crossed over her chest, smiling in amusement. Hope turned around to face her, "The blood dealer was me, actually"

"Oooh" Hope's uncle smirked in amusement, "I also heard you got yourself a partner in crime. Come on, darling. Introduce me the bad girl"

Hope rolled her eyes, amused "Okay, okay" she angled the phone in a way Kayla appeared in the screen. "Uncle Kol, Kayla. Kayla, uncle Kol"

Kayla gave a little wave, a barely noticeable smile, "Hi"

"Aw, shy" Kol snickered, "Always thought the quiet oned were the most dangerous. Pleasure to be your acquaintance, Miss Kayla"

"Hope mentioned you're the funny one out of her uncles" Kayla told him. "And not shy, just quiet, I guess"

"You make me blush, darling niece" Kol said making Hope blush a bit, nudging Kayla. Kayla simply smirked. Kol noticed the way they interacted, "It is always nice finding the black sheep among the white isn't it, Hope? Always the nice ones"

"Yeah, like my dad, right?" Hope asked.

"I was referring to me and your friend" Kol replied. Kayla chuckled. "Niklaus is in a league of his own. Speaking of which, does your friend knows the dirty secrets of the family?"

"Know a few" Kayla told him with a tiny smirk. Kol raised his eyebrows, amused "Don't worry, mostly about her dad"

"Speaking of which..." Hope hesitated slightly, "Seen him lately?"

"Well, thankfully for you, no" Kol answered. "Don't worry. Sooner or later, something will blow up in New Orleans. Some crisis or other always brings us back"

Some crisis... Kayla looked away, a little thoughtful and slightly worried about what came to mind.

Hope slowly looked at her new friend, mind whirling with plans and ideas, "Okay"

Hope hung up.

"Please tell me the scheming is done" Kayla told her.

"You thought of something to bring him back" Hope told her.

Kayla didn't answer.

Hope gave her a desperate look.

"I don't think you're gonna like it" Kayla told her quietly.

Hope blinked slowly, "Probably" Kayla pursed her lips. Hope sighed, "Fine. Come on"

Hope led Kayla back to her room where they found Hayley, holding a passport.

"Going somewhere?" Hayley asked sternly "Is that what you needed the money for?"

Hope looked at her incredulously, "Now you're rummaging in my room?"

"For laundry" Hayley deadpanned. "Where were you going?"

"I met a guy online" Hope answered. "And he's in a band and he lives in London. He says he's , but he seems older"

Hayley realized something, "You wanted to see your dad"

Kayla realized this was a conversation between mother and daughter, no reason for her to be there so when Hope sat down and Hayley followed, Kayla knew she couldn't be in a private conversation like this one.

Silently, Kayla made her way out of the room, uncomfortable for being there. This was not her family. She shouldn't be there. She shouldn't intrude in family business.

Everywhere she went to, she screwed things. Hope's family seemed to love each other. Something she wasn't familiar with.

Kayla didn't want to ruin this by being there. It was her curse, wasn't it?

Her family, the Rivers were okay before she was born. She was the outcast, the pariah, the bastard child. She hurt everyone she touched.

She destroyed her family.

She wasn't natural. She was an abomination.

Kayla didn't want to destroy Hope's family like she did her own.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone rushing inside the compound at the courtyard.

"Hope!"

"Oh, my God" A gasp left Kayla's mouth the moment she realized it was Henry.

Henry's mouth was covered in blood and his eyes moved around the entire place in anxiety and fear as he lowered on the ground the body he was holding. It was of a girl, her skin gray. She had been a vampire who died from a bite in her neck.

Henry's eyes snapped to Kayla where she was sitting at the stairs, "Kayla" he whispered in guilt, glancing down at the body "I'm sorry, I-I..." They heard someone coming, looking up to see Hayley and Hope staring down at the newbie hybrid and the vampire's body at his feet. "I... I made a mistake"

Kayla stared at the body at Henry's feet in shock.

It was the first time every she's seen a dead body. And a vampire at that.

What had they done?