Leaving Ketterdam was like a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. It was a well known fact that the air in Ketterdam was heavily polluted.

Leaving the island filled with muggers, criminals and trauma behind her and only bringing the good things felt like a rebirth. Juniper had always felt that the swim back from the middle of the ocean had been her rebirth, but perhaps it was this.

Ravka used to be her home. She grew up there, learned to talk, walk, hell, she even learned how to waltz. It had been a rough version of a waltz, Kaz leading her as Wylan played an old piano.

"Ow, Juniper," Kaz grunted as she stepped on his toes for the fifth time that morning.

The nine-year-old grinned innocently as she looked up at her brother, "Sorry, Kazzle Dazzle."

Kaz rolled his eyes, pushing her gently as their father laughed across the room. "Don't fight," He spoke, his voice playful as Juniper and Kaz shoved each other lightly.

"I wouldn't push her if she would just stop stepping on my feet, dad. I have three broken toes already," The eleven-year-old complained while Wylan smirked from the piano, Juniper sneaking up to him before they bumped fists.

Kaz glared at the twins. "This was all a scheme, wasn't it? To break all my toes so I can't go out and meet my friends."

"You have friends?" Wylan asked before Juniper added, "Didn't know that was possible."

He rolled his blue eyes before joining them on the piano bench, ruffling their hair roughly causing their heads to shake rapidly as they groaned. "Kaz," They muttered, drawing out the syllables as he sat in between them.

"Well, if you didn't break my toes, I wouldn't have to sit with you, would I?"

Their father stared at the three children with a soft grin on his face as he turned the page of his paper.

Kaz's shoulder bumped against hers as he looked down at her. "What?" She asked after a moment of him staring.

"You look dumb," He whispered.

Juniper scowled, "At least I'm not wearing a hat that could be classified as a glorified chip bowl."

Wylan smirked on the other side of them. "She's not wrong. You could fit a whole meal in the brim."

Kaz rolled his eyes before stomping on both their toes. "I'm going to bed."

The twins looked at him, giggles escaping their lips as he stomped away. "We share a room, Kazzle Dazzle. You can't get away from us."

𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐤𝐚, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑

Juniper breathed out as she stared at the broken home before her. Nikolai stood beside her, his hand on her clothing-layered shoulder as they stared at the moss-covered wood.

"We can go back if you want," He spoke quietly as watched her eyes turn glossy.

The Heartrender shook her head before she slowly left his side and walked toward it. She passed by broken down trees, climbing over the occasional jagged rock before she reached the doorway.

Her hand hovered at the wood for a moment before she pushed it open.

"Want me to come in with you?" The king asked from behind her. She quickly nodded and grasped the ends of his white-gloved hands with her black-gloved ones before they walked inside.

Greenery grew from every crack in the floor, vines coating the walls and broken down shelves filled with old dishes, all made from clay. Juniper took a deep breath as she picked up a small teacup before placing it back down.

Her eyes moved across the room, stepping over the broken glass that littered the floor as she reached the old piano. Her finger ran over the lid, collecting dust in its wake. Her eyes moved to the small bench behind it and she sighed.

Nikolai squeezed her fingers as she kneeled down to pick up a paper. He grinned slightly as he saw the poorly drawn picture of two boys and a girl. "Who's the artist? Let me guess, Picasso?"

She chuckled softly, "I'm sure he would accept that as his name."

He could tell it was Kaz by the way she spoke about him. He also knew Kaz was the only one who held the slightest amount of care for the artistry of the world. Wylan's thing had always been music, every day he would be found by the family piano or sitting on the kitchen floor playing the flute.

Then there was Juniper. She never had a thing, she just existed. She would move from hobby to hobby, testing out anything under the sun before changing the next week. She eventually found her calling, though not till after the war and realized she had an affinity with theft.

They moved out of the house after a long while. Nikolai stayed patient as they walked through every little room, looking inside rackety drawers and under broken beds.

It wasn't until they reached the back of the house that they stopped at a small log that stuck upright from the ground. It was covered in moss and leaves but as Juniper rubbed her finger against the wood, the words appeared.

'Mom & Dad'

She bit her lip as her thumb traced over the words. She hadn't even realized Nikolai had left her side until he kneeled beside her and held out a small bunch of wild flowers.

Her eyes welled with tears as she plucked the bunch from his hands and gently placed it on the slightly raised ground. "Thank you," She whispered, her hand still resting on the carved wood.

He smiled at her, "Of course, little Juniper."

If it were anyone else, she would have broken down over that nickname. For the longest time, only her brothers had called her by 'little Juniper'. She used to get pissed off every time they called her it, especially due to Wylan being smaller than her.

She would scoff, scowl and argue that it should be Wylan with the nickname, but the two brothers never faltered, each insisting that it was for her and only her before they patted her head and rustled her hair.

Only the people she trusted most could utter the nickname without losing an eye. And to those who spoke her name without fear, those who said 'Juniper' with no care, those ended with missing limbs.

Only Nikolai knew the true reasons as to why she didn't like her name. It wasn't that she thought it was stupid or overused.

It was because it was the last thing the ones she loved ever said before they died in her arms.

Her mother died immediately after childbirth, leaving the two-year-old Kaz to hold onto the two babies in the yard as their father took care of her body.

The older boy had held them tightly in his arms, their small bodies wrapped in cloth as he stared out into the forest.

The boy, Wylan, his mother had already named in her weak state, leaving the baby girl nameless. Kaz had smiled through teary eyes as she held onto his thumb with closed eyes.

He glanced around them until his eyes fell upon a bush covered in green spikes and bright blue berries. He glanced down at the baby before looking back at the bush. His eyes swept to each item before he stared down at her once again.

"Juniper," He whispered, feeling her small hand squeeze his thumb. "Yeah?" He smiled, "You like that, little Juniper?"

The baby gurgled in his arms and he smiled, "Yeah. I like it, too."

Juniper's eyes left the stump and moved to the blue-berried juniper bushes that lined the backyard. She breathed out deeply before standing once more. "I'm done here."

Nikolai nodded, holding her shoulder as he led her away from the broken home.

"One more stop?" He asked as he mounted his horse, Juniper doing the same. Ravka wasn't partial to cars, the kingdom much preferred the old ways of travel rather than the new which were far less dependable.

She paused for a moment before she nodded. "One more."

They stopped after multiple hours filled with back pain and leg cramps in a forest just outside of the Ravkan border. She grunted in pain quietly as she hopped off the horse. "You should really invest in a car," She told the king as they walked toward the tree line.

"Why invest in a car when I already have the best horses in the world?"

Her legs ached but she kept moving. "Maybe to save you from becoming crippled?"

"I'm a vampire, gorgeous. I don't need to worry about that. Though perhaps I should gather one of Kaz's canes for you. It seems as though you are having some trouble walking."

Juniper glanced back at him and sent him a glare. "Another word and you'll lose a hand."

Instead of cowering away like most, he laughed and walked closer to her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, you love me, little Juniper."

The Heartrender rolled her eyes and he grinned. "You're just sour because Kol isn't with us."

She glanced up at him, "He had to go back. His family needed him. I'm not one to keep someone away from their family."

"But you miss him. It's okay to miss people, Juniper. It's a part of life," He told her, his steps slowing as they reached a small opening in the trees. "It's okay to miss them, too."

Her eyes left him and moved to the slightly raised ground beside a tree. There was a small strip of red fabric stained with dirt sticking out from the earth.

She glanced around the area, still feeling like the supernaturals were hunting her.

"It's just us, little Juniper. No one else is here," Nikolai reassured her, causing her to nod before kneeling down.

Her fingers pulled out a few weeds, throwing them behind her before she set down a small bunch of flowers she and Nikolai picked on the way. She pulled out her pocket knife and cleared away some broken branches of the tree.

Her hands shook as she carved the letter K in the wood, tears blooming in her eyes. The last time she was here, there was no time, only enough time to bury him and continue running with Nikolai.

She had pulled off a strip of her skirt and shoved it in the dirt to mark the spot, her hands still covered in his blood before she grasped Nikolai's and took off.

Juniper felt his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. The king's own eyes were filled with tears as he knelt beside her and took the knife from her hands before continuing.

'Kaz & Wylan'

She sniffled as he handed her the closed knife. She grabbed it before placing it back in her pocket. A tear fell down her cheek as she leaned into Nikolai's side. "I miss them so much."

His arms wrapped around her tightly. "I know. I know. I miss them too."

"Wylan never even got a grave," She cried out onto his shoulder. "I- I should've pulled his body from the harbour. I-"

"It's not your fault," He whispered into her hair. "None of it is your fault."

— — —

"My family is throwing a ball," Kol spoke through the phone that was pressed to Juniper's ear. She hummed, pulling the expensive covers over her shoulders as she shivered in the empty bed. "What for?"

"My return, apparently."

She chuckled softly, "Which means someone is scheming something."

"Most likely... I know you're spending time with your brother but uh..."

"I'll book a flight when I wake up."

He smiled even though she couldn't see him. "Thank you, Junebug."

Her lip twitched upwards, "I don't like sleeping in a cold bed." She heard him laugh, "And that's the only reason you're coming home?"

When he said the word home, he wasn't referring to the town. Both knew that.

"Maybe there are a few other reasons."

"Do tell." She could almost see the smirk that was most definitely on his lips.

"Well, I miss my personal chef. Nikolai is a dreadful cook."

He laughed, "You have the entire Ravkan country to make you food, darling."

"Yes, but none of them make waffles as good as you."

"And what else do you miss?" He asked, his voice softer.

"Potentially you."

"Potentially me? Wow. I'm honoured."

"Shut up. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Juniper."

"Goodnight, Kol."

𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑

After what felt like an hour-long hug, Nikolai sent her on her way, but not without more than a few kruge in her pockets.

She had made a pitstop in Ketterdam to check on the Crow Club which was now owned by Inej. Juniper had given it to the Suli woman after she and Kol left. After seeing how the woman took over during her time in prison, she knew no one better for the job.

Matthias had met a feisty Ravkan who went by the name Nina Volkov.

And Jesper had found a Van Eck runaway who had a skill in the arts of demolitions.

Ketterdam was at peace. Her Crows were safe and happy. Clearly, Pekka had yet to take his reign in the city and was still hidden away waiting to strike.

Now, she was standing in front of a large mansion which was clearly built on fraud, not that she could judge, she had stolen almost every item of clothing she was wearing. She didn't even have to lift her hand to knock as the door was immediately opened before her eyes met Kol's.

He stared at her for a moment, letting her know it was him before he wrapped her in a tight hug. An amused laugh left her lips as he buried his face in her shoulder. "Miss me?"

He grumbled into her jacket. "Stop making fun of me. One week apart is far too long."

She smiled softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist after dropping her bag to the ground. "I missed you, too."

Juniper glanced to the side, her eyes only able to see his messy hair. "It's been five minutes, baby. Think you can let me go?"

"Three more minutes," He whispered, tightening his grip on her waist slightly.

She gently kissed his temple as her hands ran along his back, the touch sending shivers up his spine. "You okay?" She whispered as her gloved hands moved up to play with his hair.

She felt him smile into her neck as he nodded, "I am now."

"Need me to punch anyone?"

He laughed quietly. "Not at the moment but feel free to punch Nik whenever you feel like it."

"I'll stab him a few times, too. For good measure, you know."

The sounds of footsteps came from behind Kol and he reluctantly left her arms, knowing she wasn't one for touch in social situations.

"June," Klaus greeted as he walked down the stairs, Rebekah and Elijah trailing behind him along with a man whom she didn't recognize.

She stared at the blonde man. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

The hybrid scoffed, "Really?" Juniper glanced at Kol who was holding back a smile, "Do I know him?"

"I don't believe you do, Juniper. Nik, why don't you introduce yourself to my wife?"

While Klaus glared at them, the man who Juniper had yet to meet stared at them in shock. "You are married, Kol?"

"Shit, I didn't tell you?" Kol frowned, glancing at the man, "My bad. I just didn't feel like speaking to you."

Juniper gently punched his side before looking at the man. "You must be Finn. It's nice to meet you. I'm June."

He sent her an awkward half-smile. "You married my brother? Were you compelled?"

The Heartrender chuckled, "Only kidnapped."

Finn stared at her in worry though she only laughed. "He didn't force me to marry him, no."

Elijah glanced at the occupants in the room before he spoke up, "How have you been, June? I understand you went back to your homeland for a short while."

"Oh you know, visited my dead family, robbed a castle, robbed the king, too, not that he cared all that much, broke some noses, decapitated some men... Just the normal things."

Kol breathed out a laugh as he smiled down at her while Finn stared at them. "I see why he married her. They're both insane," He muttered before leaving the room causing her to chuckle, "Was it something I said?"

— — —

"Is that..." Kol paused as he watched her take off her jacket in his bedroom. "Is that blood on your shirt?"

Juniper glanced down, tugging slightly at her shirt to see the red stain. "Could be. Could also be raspberry jam, I had some waffles on the way here."

He flopped on his bed in the apartment he had rented and stared at her, "Didn't bring any for me?"

She smiled, "You can have the napkin. I haven't thrown it out yet."

Kol stared at her for a moment before she started laughing. His laughs soon followed. Juniper left her place by the door and slowly joined him on the bed.

His hands immediately moved to her waist as hers rested on his chest. "I got you a dress," He murmured, sitting up slightly to be closer to her.

"Thank you," She told him as she pulled off her gloves before placing her hands on his chest once more. His hand took the gloves from her hands and gently set them on the bedside table before moving back to her waist.

"What colour is it?"

"Bright, hot pink with lime green stripes. You'll be so bright that no one can look at you without their eyes hurting."

She bit her lip as a laugh threatened to escape her lips. "Shall we get you a suit to match?"

"Who said I didn't already? We'll be so hard on the eyes that my mother will have no choice but to send us away."

Her lips hovered over his as she straddled his hips. "And what will we do after we get kicked out?"

"I have a few things in mind. Only if you're up to it," He answered, his voice raspy as he leaned up, chasing her lips.

She smiled as his lips finally found her own. "Sounds perfect," She whispered against his skin as he trailed kisses along her cheek.

— — —

"You went after Elena?" Juniper and Kol heard Klaus shout as they walked into the Mikaelson mansion. "What is wrong with you?"

Elijah sent them a small smile as they entered the room, earning one from Juniper while Kol moved her behind his back. He still didn't trust his siblings around her.

Rebekah sighed, "Here we go."

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?"

Kol stared at his brother "Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?"

"Oh, go back to staring at your wife."

"At least I have one. And who are you, my father?"

"No, Kol, but you're in my house."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have forced me to come back here."

The two brothers stared at each other, glares set in their eyes as Juniper moved to sit next to Rebekah. "Men," She grumbled. The Original beside her chuckled, "Yeah. Thank god you're here, I think I was about to hang myself if I spent another day with them."

Juniper grinned, "We could just kill them all and have a girl's day." Elijah stared at the women. "What did I do?"

"Exist," They both answered, not bothering to look at him. Kol's eyes met Juniper's as a woman walked inside the room.

"Enough! Niklaus. Come."

Esther's eyes met Juniper's for a split second before she walked out of the room, Klaus trailing behind her. The Heartrenders eyes twitched as she stared at the witch. She didn't trust her.

Kol moved to sit beside her but she quickly stopped him, "Nope."

He stared down at her, "What do you mean no?"

She stood up, "You promised me food. So, take me to the kitchen, put on a nice apron and be a good little housewife for me."

When he nodded, Rebekah and Elijah stared at their brother in shock.

He ignored their stares as he grabbed her hand and led her away. "What would you like, darling?"

— — —

Juniper was about to join Kol on the main floor where the ball had begun only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

She quickly slipped out of the hold, her fist moving up to hit the person only to pull back. "Oh. Hi."

"Hello, Juniper," The woman greeted, pulling away from the seemingly hostile Heartrender.

"It's June," She corrected, not liking the way her name sounded on the older woman's tongue.

"Right, my son told me that's your preferred name. Though he never told me why. Do you care to explain?"

"Not really, no."

"Did your mother teach you no manners?"

"My moms dead."

"Then your father?"

"He's dead, too. You can go through my whole family, Esther, but they're all dead and I can tell you the only thing they ever taught me was how to kill people and how to commit fraud. Now, it was abysmal to meet you, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my husband."

The witch nodded, holding a fake smile on her lips. "It was nice meeting you, too, Juniper."

"I'm sure," She said sarcastically before turning on her heel and leaving the room, not ignoring the uncomfortable feeling that washed over her shoulders.

She didn't bother walking down the main staircase, she knew it would only bring attention, so instead, she walked through one of the side doors after scaling the side of the mansion.

Kol was quick to meet her by the door, immediately offering her his arm. "Did you have to jump on the roof?"

"I didn't jump. I climbed. Your mother is weird."

He nodded, pausing his footsteps as they reached the glass door separating them from the indoors. "Do you think she's planning something?"

She bit her lip as she looked at him. "I'm sorry, Kol. I know you just wanted to have your family be normal."

His lips downturned as his eyes left hers. "It's alright. I already came to terms with it." He moved to open the door only for her to stop him, "Be careful, okay? Don't leave my side."

"Never," Kol answered quickly, not even needing to think about his answer as she softly held his hand. His eyes cast down to her dress, only then noticing it after being focused on her eyes. "You look beautiful."

"Well, I'd look better in hot pink and lime green but red does just fine," She teased, looking down at the dress that was most likely worth thousands. "It has pockets."

He grinned, "It has pockets. I had them sew them in just for you." His hand slipped inside one of the pockets and plucked out one of her many weapons, "How'd I know?"

Juniper smiled as she took the knife which end was covered by a small leather cover from his hand. "Careful, baby. Don't need you cutting yourself again," She spoke, referring to the night she proposed to him.

He grunted, "I thought we agreed never to speak of that again."

"You did. I just smiled and nodded. I thought I taught you to read the fine print?"

His arm wrapped around her shoulder, hers moving around his waist. "No, I think you just taught me how to punch someone without breaking my knuckles."

She pulled him to face her, their faces so close from the added height of her heeled shoes. "Perhaps I should give you a few more lessons then?"

His blush coated his entire face as he looked at her. "That- That sounds lovely, Junebug."

"Three centuries and I can still make you blush like a fool. I must be good at my job," she teased, playing with his fingers, twisting the wedding band on his finger. He nodded, moving down slightly to catch her lips in a chaste kiss, "Very good."

"How about we stay for an hour and then go back to the apartment? I need to make some calls with Matthias anyway."

He smiled and quickly nodded, "How was the job? They did their first heist alone, right?"

"Mhm. Inej told me it went well, not a problem. I just want to check with Matthias since he was on lookout. And then I'm all yours."

"Then maybe we'll only stay for half an hour instead. Don't want to keep Matthias waiting." She grinned as she pulled away from him and opened the door before she stepped inside, Kol following behind her. "Just Matthias?"

He blushed, "Not just Matthias."

A smirk lifted at her lips, "Then we must keep our visit quick."

— — —

"Damon Salvatore, have we met?" Juniper heard a man say as she took a glass of champagne from a waiter before turning back to Kol who was introducing himself to the mayor.

"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out," Kol answered, his hand moving behind his back to hold Juniper's hand as she joined him.

Her eyes glanced at her husband before they met Damon.

"And you... We've met, haven't we?" Damon asked.

"Have we? I'm terrible with names, you see," she said with a smile causing him to sigh.

The mayor smiled at the Heartrender, "And who is the beautiful girl?"

Juniper's eyes left Damon's confused ones to meet the mayor's. "Juniper Zenik. Kol's wife."

The woman's eyes widened, "Wife? I didn't know you were married Mr. Mikaelson. Are you..."

"A vampire? No. I'm a little worse," She grinned, before taking Kol's hand in front of them. "Now, we'd love to stay and chat but my husband promised me a dance."

"Of course," The mayor spoke with a smile, "Have fun, Ms. Zenik. It was lovely meeting you."

"I could say the same. Kol?"

He smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the ballroom. "I didn't know you'd already met the vampires in this town," He spoke as he grabbed her other hand as they joined the group in dance.

"Only the Salvatores and the doppelganger. They bailed me out of prison for a week to try to get information on Klaus."

She spun in his arms as he smiled, "Let me guess, you didn't tell them anything and only used them for information?"

"A con artist never tells her secrets. You look nice in a suit. I do miss your fluffy hair though," She spoke, referring to the gel that coated his hair, forcing it into a clean swoop.

"You can fix it later. Think we can head out after Elijah's speech?"

"I'm sure I can sneak us out while everyone is distracted."

The dancers moved to switch partners but Kol's hold on her never faltered. He wasn't going to let her go, not yet at least, not until the very moment when he had to.

"May I cut in?" Klaus asked from beside them, causing Juniper to look away from Kol. "No, you may not. Go find a stick and play fetch or something."

The hybrid glared at her as Kol held back an amused chuckle.

"Please?"

"Would you rather the stick be drenched in vervain and wrapped in wolfsbane? I assure you it can be arranged."

He rolled his eyes, "No, love. No torturing yet."

"Why not? I'm in a torturing mood."

"You looked like you were in a happy one five minutes ago."

"Yes, well five minutes ago, you weren't here. So, I believe my torturous mood is deserved."

Klaus sighed, "Can I have five minutes? It's important."

The sincerity in his voice was off-putting and caused her to nod, slowly leaving Kol's arms before walking with the hybrid. As she left his hold, Kol felt her slip a knife into his pocket before she disappeared into the crowd.

"What is it?" She asked when they reached the backyard, Klaus closing the door behind him.

She watched as he fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm not going to rip out your eye, Klaus. I'll only do that if you deserve it. Now, can you tell me what's wrong?"

He lifted his head to meet her stare. "I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have acted without thought. And for not helping get you out of prison. I know it would've been easy If I just paid off your sentence."

Juniper nodded, listening to his heartbeat to see he wasn't lying. "Thank you... Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

He glanced back inside the house, staring through one of the glass windows before pointing. The Heartrender looked at him for a moment before looking through the window to see his art room. However, instead of there being an easel in the centre, a man was tied to a chair.

"Who is that?" She asked quietly, though she already had a feeling as to who it was.

"I think you know. I found him earlier today in the Grill trying to make a business deal with the mayor. Goes by the name Richard Day."

"And his son?"

"Died of natural causes in the fifties. He never wanted to turn into a vampire."

She glanced at him, "And you know this how?"

"I might have kept tabs on him," His eyes met her amused ones, "I felt bad, okay? You saved my life and then I kinda ruined yours. I do have a conscience, you know?"

"Never would've guessed. Keep your eye on Kol for me. And your mother, too. She seems..."

"Sketchy? Yeah, she's not doing a good job of hiding it. Only Rebekah seems to be buying it..." He paused, glancing back into his art room, "Try not to get blood on the canvasses. I just got new ones."

"I'll funnel it into a bucket and then you can paint with it, how's that?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll have Elijah deal with the body later."

He went to walk away from her but she stopped him with her foot. "If you ever touch Kol again, I will make you wish you were dead."

Klaus nodded, "I understand. I'll try not to get on your bad side again, love."

— — —

When Juniper walked into the art room after changing into clothing that was old and not worth thousands, her eyes met the back of the man.

She glanced to her left and saw a pile of burnt sage, presumably a gift from Klaus so she wouldn't alarm the guests by the sounds of his screams.

"If you're gonna kill me, just kill me," She heard the man quake. She chuckled softly as she adjusted her gloves, still not meeting the man's eyes. "I'm not going to kill you. Not yet at least."

His heartbeat raced at the sound of her voice. "Zenik."

She grinned as she moved to stand in front of him. "The one and only. Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

He grunted, keeping his lips pressed tightly together. The act caused her to sigh, "That's too bad, really. I was going to give you mercy," She shrugged, "Guess not."

Her fist smashed against his jaw, the force causing his head to spin to the side. She sighed, pulling off her left glove before placing her wedding ring in her pocket and pulling the glove back on. She didn't want to ruin the stone with his face.

Juniper grabbed his jaw and forced him to stare at her. "Why did you send me the letter?"

"What letter?" He coughed out as her fist hit his face once more. "You know what letter. What was the point in it?"

Blood fell from his lips, "I didn't send you a letter, Zenik. Why would I? I've been trying to stay off your radar."

She stared down at him. He wasn't lying, she could hear it in his heartbeat. He smirked, "Are you scared, Zenik? You scared of a little piece of paper?"

Instead of frowning, Juniper only smiled. "You know, when I was a kid, I was told I had no finesse... no technique. But now that I think about it, my brother and I had the best method of all."

"And what would that be?"

She untied the ropes on his hands and legs, letting him stand. He slowly moved away from her, glancing back at the door.

She smiled, letting him reach the door and walk out before she slowly began to follow him. Kol's eyes met hers across the room as she walked through the main ballroom, trailing after the scampering Pekka Rollins until they reached the champagne room.

She grabbed him by his shirt and held him to the wall, "You didn't let me finish, Pekka. Have you no manners?"

He spat in her face, "I will cave your head in and throw you in the harbour, Zenik."

Juniper chuckled softly, "As I was saying, I practise the art of 'pull his shirt over their head and punch till you see blood.'"

He stared at her for a moment, before his shirt was pulled over his face and the punches began. Juniper threw his body across the room into a table of pink-tinged champagne bottles.

"I'll pay for that," She muttered, knowing Klaus was listening.

"You've gotten weak. Getting soft, are we?" Pekka questioned with a smirk from the ground beneath her.

"Weak? No. I'm just thinking of the best way to kill you. I'm thinking of cutting off your arm, shoving it where the sun doesn't shine and then shoving my hand down your throat and shaking hands. What do you think?"