Dangerous Liaisons

3RD PERSON POV:

At the Mikaelson mansion, everyone are getting themselves looking more modern, ready for the ball tonight they are hosting. Rebekah is having her nails polished by an assistant. Kol is standing before a full-length mirror wearing a black evening suit while a tailor adjusts it. Finn and Elijah are also standing in the room preparing for the ball.

"Rebekah?" Kol starts, making Rebekah look up from where she's sitting to see him smirking at her through the mirror, "Tell me how handsome I am."

Rebekah grins up in Kol's direction, "Ah Kol, you know I can't be compelled."

The door swings open, revealing Klaus heading straight towards Rebekah, "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?!"

Rebekah shuffles about in her seat and looks smug, "Here we go."

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus threatens.

"Again with the dagger threats?" Kol interrupts, "Don't you have any other tricks?"

Klaus turns to face his younger brother, glaring at him, "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."

"And who are you, my father?" Kol retorts.

Klaus steps closer to Kol, "No, Kol, but you're in my house."

Kol stands up straight, "Then perhaps we should go outside."

Klaus and Kol both glare at each other, one waiting for the other to do something when their mother, Esther comes in, "Enough! Niklaus. Come."

Klaus follows his mother into another room, "Rebekah wasn't even out of her box a day before she tried to ruin my life. What happened to peace, acceptance, family?"

Esther turns to face Klaus, looking perplexed, "You put daggers in their hearts. You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them?"

Klaus shrugs, "So it's a crime to want our family to be as we were?"

"You need to give it time, Niklaus. I've had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and to heal. I'm here to make sure this family does the same."

Klaus looks at his mother dumbfounded, "I just don't understand. I killed you, and still you forgive me."

Esther steps closer to him, "It's been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore. It's a gift. Now, who are you bringing to the ball this evening? How about that Salvatore girl? I've seen you both while I was on the other side, you both made each other really happy when you were together."

Klaus laughs slightly, "Don't be ridiculous. You're lucky I'm even going."

"Well, I wish you would reconsider. It is going to be a magical evening."

Klaus walks upstairs and heads to one of the many rooms in this mansion, one that is locked and only he has the key for it. It's almost like a walk in closet, there are wardrobes from ceiling to floor, with an island in the middle of the room filled with memories of the past.

Klaus steps closer to said island and pulls open the bottom drawer which is filled with memories of his and Lola's past, photographs, jewellery, little nicknacks they had collected over the years and also notes from Lola that she used to leave around the compound back in New Orleans for Klaus when she could tell he wasn't himself, his eyes are drawn to his favourite one,

You were enough then and you are enough now. Your pain never defined you and it never will. I love you, always and forever.

Lola written that a couple of days after the opera fire in 1919 when they were all in hiding. Everyone including Lola were all distraught after losing Marcellus thanks to Mikael, who loved to say to Klaus he is nothing and never will be.

Klaus walks over to one of the wardrobes, opening it to reveal pieces of clothing that belonged to Lola, keeping hold of it all these years with the hopes of one day being able to show to Lola after all these years he's still been holding onto the hope that they would make it work once more. A certain pale pink coloured dress catches Klaus' eyes, it's the exact dress that Lola wore the first night they ever met back in 1887.

Flashback - 1887:

KLAUS POV:

It's not even been two days since I've released Rebekah from the dagger in her chest after I caught her kissing Marcellus and already she has at least a hundred people in our compound throwing herself a party. This is my exact idea of a nightmare.

"How much longer do we have to have all these people in our home?" I ask impatiently to my sister as we both walks down the stairs.

"Shut up, Nik. You've kept me out of society for 52 years, I'm catching up." Rebekah says as we both come to a halt at the end of the stairs, now amongst the crowds, "Anyway, I'm waiting for a friend to turn up whom I met earlier today."

Laughter escapes my lips unexpectedly, I look to see Rebekah glaring over to me, causing me to laugh some more, "How can you call someone you have only just met a friend? You don't even know this person, how do we know we can trust them?"

Rebekah's eyes wonder into the crowd as she begins to smile, "Well it seems as though she's getting along with Elijah, look."

My gaze follows Rebekah's into the crowd to see a woman speaking with my brother. Both of our eyes meet at the same time, it was only for a second but it felt like a lifetime staring into those big green eyes, something glistening in them and a part of me wanted to find out what that something was even though I have only just seen her and yet I wanted to know more straight away.

When she notices my staring, she blinks away and continues in her conversation with Elijah. I'm intrigued to say the least as to why I feel so drawn to this particular woman which is why I head straight over to them to introduce myself.

They both notice me walking towards them when Elijah speaks first, "Ah, yes here he is."

"Am I to be the number one subject for your conversations with our guests, brother?"

Elijah chuckles slightly as he places his hand onto the woman's back, something inside of me heats up, as though it's jealousy that he is touching her, "Charlotte Salvatore, I'd like to introduce you to my brother Niklaus. Niklaus this is Charlotte Salvatore."

Charlotte holds her hand out to me, with only a small hint of a smile on her face, "Pleasure to meet you."

I take her hand, leaving a light kiss on her knuckles, "The pleasure is all mine, Rebekah tells me she met you earlier today."

She quickly removes her hand from mine, "Yes, yes she did. Rebekah mentioned you when we met earlier." Her face is so hard to read, it's impossible to figure out what she's thinking.

Before I can even respond, Rebekah starts her announcement, "Ladies and Gentleman, I'd like to thank you all for joining us this evening. In our family we like to traditionally begin a party with a dance, so if everyone would like to grab a partner and we shall begin tonight's party with a waltz."

I turn to face Charlotte once more, "Would you care to dance?"

A hint of a smile appears yet again on her face, "Yes, I would love to." She then turns to face my brother, "Would you do the honours, Elijah?"

My brother smiles back at her and takes her hand, "It would be a pleasure, Miss Salvatore."

Both hand in hand walk past me, Charlotte brushes past me slightly allowing me to take in her scent which is intoxicating, a mixture of lavender and rose. She turns her head to face me as she walks away, amusement in her eyes. She has fire, I like that.

All the blood rushes to my cheeks as I watch her dancing with Elijah, why do I feel so much jealousy that she is dancing with him and not me. I feel as though my heart almost stops when I see her big beautiful smile and hear her infectious laugh. I need to know more about this woman.

I've almost forgotten that I have been dancing with someone who has been attempting to make conversation while I was too busy gazing upon the woman I really wanted to be dancing with. The dance itself is coming up to a partner swap, I move closer to where Charlotte and Elijah are so I am able to be right by her side when the swap happens.

Which I succeed in, I feel my throat starting to become dry as my hand rests against her waist and her hand is upon my shoulder while our other hands come together perfectly. I muster up my most charming smile, "Hello love." The cool exterior she first greeted me with appears on her again. I search her face for any clues on what she may be thinking, yet I get nothing, "You're a difficult one to read."

She looks up at me, almost amused as she quirks her lips up ever so slightly, "And that's a bad thing?"

I raise a brow, amused at the walls she so clearly has built up around her, "Is it a crime to want to know more about the mysterious woman who has entered my home this evening?"

Her eyes shine brighter as she purses her lips until a mischievous smirk appears, "What makes you think you'd want to know more about me?"

I mimic the same smirk that she pulled, I lean closer to her, tilting my head towards the side of her, "Curiosity." I practically whisper, I stand up straight once more, gazing into her eyes, "I'm curious about you."

A hint of flush colours her cheeks, which she quickly hides as she raises a brow up at me, "Well I would hate to disappoint you Niklaus-"

"Klaus, call me Klaus." I interrupt.

"Very well. The thing is, Klaus, there isn't much about me that is exactly riveting, I suspect you would be hugely disappointed."

Her eyes drift away from mine, I tilt my head to catch her gaze once more, "I don't believe that for a second. There is something about you that intrigues me. What's your story?"

She laughs slightly and purses her lips are she thinks for a moment, "Hm, my story?" A hint of a smirk appears at the corner of her mouth, "It's still being written. I, however, know quite a bit of your story." I smile slightly that she already knew who I was but when I look back into her eyes they aren't warm as they were earlier, they're cold, "I heard how you sent your sister off into a dagger slumber because she was in love. Yes, I've heard all about Klaus Mikaelson - the feared original who takes no prisoners, feared by everyone who crosses his path."

I twirl her around to the song, bringing her back to me then dipping her slightly as I smirk down at her, "And yet, you don't seem to be afraid of me."

She laughs slightly as I bring her back up, "Why would I be afraid?"

"As you said most people are."

She replies with a light shrug as we continue to dance, "Well I'm not like most people, I don't scare easily."

I chuckle slightly, "That's why I like you."

"A bit bold to say to a stranger you like them. 5 minutes ago you were saying to Rebekah you didn't even know if you could trust a stranger your sister only met today."

My smirk leaves my face, a slight hint of embarrassment seeps in, "Well-"

"You don't have to explain your words, Klaus. I get it, you're also afraid. You're afraid to let people in because if you do you're scared that they'll hurt you like you have been in the past."

Anyone else to have said that to me, their head would be on the opposite side of the room to their body. And yet with her saying this to me I don't feel that way. It's almost comforting hearing it come from her mouth as though she knows what that feeling is like.

I raise a brow, "What makes you think I've been hurt in the past?"

When the music stops playing, she is quick to take her hand away from my shoulder as she clears her throat, showing off that infectious smile I've already came to swoon over, "Well let's just say I understand that feeling. Also being alive for 800 years I would be surprised if you didn't know that feeling either. Thank you for the dance."

It feels like she is removing her hand from my hand in slow motion, everything is happening in slow motion which is when I catch her eyes once more and that sparkle shines through. It's as though she wants me to to find out more yet just will not admit it and that's exactly what I plan to do. The fire that has been dull within me for years has finally caught a spark and the flames begin to burn through.

End of flashback

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

LOLA POV:

At first I rather enjoyed being alone in this house, without the annoying voices of my brothers pounding around the place and yet I'm sat alone in the living room in complete and utter silence hating that they aren't here.

I've barely seen my brothers, given the exception of the dinner party last night and when I do see them it's all about saving Elena. I miss how we all were when we were children, when it was only the three of us and no one else mattered.

Nowadays the only time I speak to them both just the three of us, I'm getting a lecture on why I shouldn't spend time with the Mikaelsons. Granted the things that Klaus has done these last few months haven't exactly been great, I just wish they would understand that the Mikaelsons aren't always like this, at one point in my life they were the only family I had.

I jump out of my thoughts when there's a knock at the door. Who the hell knocks at this house, everyone just walks straight through and uses it as though it's one of those common rooms you see at colleges.

No one is there when I open the door, I go to close it when my eyes spot a brown box on the floor, wrapped in a white ribbon and an envelope with my name on it. I step out a bit more to look around to spot whoever this mysterious delivery person was but no one is to be seen.

Once I've picked the box up, I take it upstairs and place it on my bed. Tapping my finger against it wondering if I should even open it. But curiosity got the better of me as I open the envelope first which shows an invitation to a Mikaelson ball, tonight.

Haven't been to one of those for a while, I think the last one was in 1918 just under a year before everything happened at the Opera House. My heart skips slightly when I turn the invite to see a handwritten note from Klaus on the back;

Save me a dance

Fondly, Klaus

I remove the white ribbon from the box, lifting the lid revealing the most gorgeous dress I've ever seen. A blush pink dress with bits of sparkle all over it, the colour reminding me of the same dress I wore when I attending my first ever Mikaelson party.

Flashback - 1887:

When the carriage pulled me up outside of the home of the woman I met earlier, Rebekah, I was surprised. I didn't expect it to be quiet to extravagant.

When I enter the home, I get taken aback slightly at how stunning it is inside. I've never seen anywhere like this before. Everything is open and spacious, balconies showing the upper floor.

"You're a new face." A voice breaks me out of my thoughts, a very well dressed man with dark hair, "You must be Miss Salvatore."

The man reaches his hand out to take mine, kissing me against my knuckles, "You know who I am?"

The man nods, "Yes my sister Rebekah informed us that she invited you tonight. Everyone else here I already know for many years now. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Elijah Mikaelson."

"It's lovely to meet you, Elijah. I'm Charlotte Salvatore."

"How long have you been in New Orleans for?"

There's something about Elijah, I feel oddly comfortable around him straight away, he reminds me of Stefan before Katherine turned up, "Not very long."

I scan around the room once more when I spot Rebekah next to a man who was already looking over here. I feel heat rush to my cheeks even just looking at him, he is so handsome.

"If you ever need someone to show you around, I would be happy to comply." Elijah says snapping me out of my daze towards the other man.

I flash a polite smile back over to him, "Well that depends." Elijah raises his brow, his interest peeking, "Are you the brother who has kept Rebekah daggered? Rebekah was oddly open to me earlier when she informed me of that, not even sure how that works though."

Elijah laughs slightly, "We are quite a special group of vampires in my family. However, no that was not me. That was our other brother." Elijah turns to face the man who I spotted from afar who is now walking towards us, "Ah, yes here he is."

The man stands besides us both, never breaking his eye contact away from me. I feel as though I'm unable to breathe when I look into his eyes, "Am I to be the number one subject for your conversations with our guests, brother?"

End of flashback

"Oh good. He had the balls to invite you to tonight, excellent."

I jump out of the memory in shock at Rebekah's voice, I turn to see her looking over my shoulder to the invite, "Oh my god, Rebekah! Seriously?! Ever heard of knocking?!"

Rebekah shrugs, "I did but you were away in daydream land when I knocked so I walked in. So what were you daydreaming about?"

I smile to myself thinking of it all again, "The first Mikaelson ball I attended."

Rebekah mimic the same smile as she reminisces, "Ah what a night that was. I assume you're coming to this one tonight?"

I put the invite in the box along with the dress, closing the lid as I pull an awkward face, "Uh, maybe."

Rebekah rolls her eyes as she grabs my leather jacket and passes it over to me, "We'll talk about this more later. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

Rebekah smiles as she holds up an invite, "The grill."

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

3RD PERSON POV:

Lola and Rebekah both walk into the grill when Lola notices Elena and Caroline sitting down talking about something. Lola puts her arm out to stop Rebekah from walking any further into the grill, "Sh, wait!"

Rebekah looks at Lola confused, "What?"

Lola points over to the two girls chatting then signals for Rebekah to listen, "Listen..."

"Uhh, I can't deal with either of the Salvatore brothers right now. Whatever Stefan is feeling, he is channeling it all against Klaus." Elena hesitates for a second, "And Damon...it's just not a good idea."

"Why, cause you two made out?" Caroline blurts out, Elena looks over to her shocked and Caroline shrugs, "Bonnie spilled the beans."

"I was gonna tell you. Just, after everything happened with your dad..."

Caroline sighs, "Elena, when you and Matt kissed for the first time freshman year, you called me the second it happened. And now I don't hear about this til now, and from somebody else."

"I'm sorry. It's just I, I don't even know how I feel about it yet. All I do know is that it just used to be so much easier."

Rebekah and Lola then walk up to the pair, "Careful Caroline. It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back."

Elena glares up at Rebekah, "What are you doing here? I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals."

Rebekah scoffs, "Get over yourself Elena. It's not all about you." She then walks away from them and goes over to Matt to give him the invite to the ball.

Lola smirks as she looks down at Elena, "So, you made out with my other brother now too." Elena starts to look panicked at Lola's bluntness which Lola laughs off, "Easy Elena, I'm not here to fight. Although it now makes more sense why Stefan and Damon had a fight the other night. Just because my brothers like to get involved in my love life doesn't mean I'm going to do the same thing." Lola turns to look at Caroline, placing a hand onto her shoulder, "Caroline, how are you feeling?"

Caroline smiles up to Lola, "I'm getting there, thank you. Are you going to the ball tonight?"

Lola starts to look awkward, trying to figure out how to answer that, "Uh...I don't know..."

"Of course she is." Rebekah walks back over to them all, grinning at her best friend.

Lola smiles back over to Rebekah, "Hey, Bex. Why don't you get us a table?" Rebekah nods and proceeds to walk away as Lola turns her attention back to Elena and Caroline, "So you both know about the ball?"

Elena nods, "Yeah I got an invite this morning, that's what we were just talking about before you got here."

"Well I would say that I won't see you there but Rebekah would kill me if I don't go, so see you tonight, Elena." Lola walks away from the pair and heads over to the table Rebekah is sitting at.

Caroline leans closer to Elena over the table and begins to whisper, "Why didn't you tell her about Esther?"

Elena sighs, "Caroline she's came here with Rebekah and I can safely say her invite came straight from Klaus. I don't want to get Lola involved in this."

Caroline frowns at her, "Don't you trust her?"

Elena hesitates for a second and shrugs, "I want to, but with her whole situation with the Mikaelsons, do you really think that's a good idea? Especially if the reason Esther wants to speak to me could have something to do with taking out Klaus."

Caroline slumps back into her seat, folding her arms, "She's just been so nice to me lately, I don't like the thought of keeping things from her."

Over at the table where Rebekah and Lola are sat, Rebekah is quizzing Lola, "Why are you second guessing coming to the ball tonight?"

Lola groans as she runs her hands through her hair, "Because I don't think it's a good idea, Bex. I just don't think it's the best plan to be around Klaus at the minute with everything going on."

Rebekah glares over to her, "You're doing it again."

Lola rolls her eyes as she finishes her drink, "Here we go."

Rebekah puts her hands up and smiles slightly, "I'm just saying, your own stubbornness has ruined many things in the past, I would hate for it to happen yet again."

"Why are you so eager about all of this anyway?" Lola questions as she narrows her eyes towards Rebekah, "Don't you hate him because of the whole killing your mom thing?"

"It's a tricky one, because although I'd love nothing more than to not see Niklaus happy..." Rebekah smiles softly as Lola, "I hate seeing you unhappy. Please come tonight? You'll regret it if you don't."

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

LOLA POV:

I've been in two minds all day whether or not I go to this ball. One minute I say to myself it's a bad idea and the next I'm sat there getting ready for it all. I've blown my hair out, put make up on now looking through all my clothes wondering what to wear.

But then my eyes keep looking at the brown box that is still on my bed...I mean it won't harm to look at it again. Even looking at the dress a second time it still shocks me at how beautiful the dress is. So in a way it would be rude to not wear it tonight...

Damn you, Klaus Mikaelson.

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

3RD PERSON POV:

Klaus hasn't been able to stay still ever since people began to arrive for the ball. Every time he could feel a new presence he would look over to them, hoping it was Lola but knowing fine well it wasn't.

Everyone has pretty much arrived apart from her. He begins to feel anxious at the thought Lola wasn't going to attend this evening. Maybe sending her the dress was too much too soon and it's pushed her away even further.

But all of those thoughts leave his mind as soon as he sees a vision in pink walk into the mansion. Looking just as effortlessly beautiful as she always does...Lola, his Lola, walking in wearing the dress he gave her. A feeling in the pit of his stomach Klaus only ever feels when Lola is close by; love.

Both of them lock eyes with each other as Lola enters more into the ball, locking eyes just like they did back in 1887 when they first met. She walks further into the room just as Klaus walks further towards her, a little speechless as he gets closer to her. He smiles over to her, "Good evening."

Lola opens her mouth to say something back, but it's as though her mind decided against whatever she was thinking. She blushes slightly, "I need a drink." Lola quickly walks away from Klaus, leaving him watching her walk away, still with the biggest smile on his face that has been there for a while. Lola spots Kol speaking to someone, she grabs his arm pulling him away from his conversation, "You're coming with me."

Kol laughs as they walk into the foyer, "Why the sudden rush away from Nik?" He smirks over to Lola, "Don't tell me you finally want to switch brothers?"

Lola pulls a face at him, "Ew, Kol, stop it. Can it be so wrong that I just want to catch up with my best friend after almost 100 years?" A waiter walks past and Lola quickly takes a glass of champagne from his tray.

Kol shrugs, "Or maybe it's because you're avoiding Nik."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lola says acting dumb as she drinks the full glass in one.

Kol sighs as he leans against the banister of the grand stairs, "Can't say that I'm surprised that you're both no longer together, I bet you fought him over daggering me."

Lola looks up at the ceiling as though she is thinking, "I may have said a few stern words about that but it's not like you were particularly innocent, Kol." She playfully hits him against his chest, "Trying to make a weapon to use against him, how did you expect him to react?"

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." Elijah begins his announcement as he stands on the stairs.

Kol kisses Lola on the cheek, "We'll talk more soon."

He then walks up the stairs to join the rest of his family as Elijah addresses the guests, "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

Damon and Stefan notice Esther who is walking down the stairs to be with her family, Damon nudges Stefan, "Do you see who I see?"

Stefan nods, "Oh, yeah."

Damon looks through the crowd and notices Lola standing a few people away from them. Both brothers walk over to her, Damon grabs her arm, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Lola snatches her arm out of Damon's hold, glaring at them both, "Hello to you too, brothers. If you must know I was invited. A lot can happen in my life when we don't speak to each other."

Damon rolls his eyes, "For crying out loud Lola, why do you keep getting involved in all this original crap?"

"Why do you?!" Lola snaps back

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah continues his speech, they all then disperse from the stairs and everyone starts to make their way to the ballroom.

Lola starts to follow the crowd but Stefan stands in front of her, blocking her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"The both of you can't just pick and chose when you decide to care about what I do." Lola gestures over to where Elena is standing, "Focus on your own drama with Elena."

"Dammit, Lola!" Damon raises his voice slightly as he blocks Lola's way, "I'm sick of this crap, sooner or later you're going to have to choose."

"Damon, don't." Stefan warns.

Lola looks between both her brothers confused, "What are you getting at?"

Damon shrugs, "It's us or them."

"You can't be serious." Lola laughs slightly, not knowing whether he's joking or not.

"Yeah I am, I'm fed up of you always being by the side one of them."

Lola looks away from her brothers, licking her lips as she shakes her head. She looks back up at Damon, biting the inside of her cheek from arguing back, "Wow, nice to know where you stand."

Lola pushes past both of her brothers as she walks towards the ball room. Klaus appears, holding his hand out and smiling at Lola, "Would you like to dance?"

Lola smiles back, "Sure."

Hand in hand they walk into the ballroom where everyone else begins to dance to Give Me Love.

Klaus hasn't took his eyes off Lola ever since they began to dance, "I'm glad you came."

Lola smiles slightly at Klaus, "I'd be stupid to miss a Mikaelson ball."

"I overheard your little tiff with your brothers."

The smile soon leaves Lola's face, she looks at Klaus, annoyed, "Don't. Seriously."

Klaus nods, "Very well. On to more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress."

Lola cheeks tint with a slight blush, she plays it off and shrugs, "I didn't really have time to shop."

Klaus glances down at the necklace Lola is wearing, the same one he gave her not long a go with his letter, "And the necklace I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that? You know, you're still quite the dancer."

Lola laughs under her breath as they continue to dance, "Well, I had some good teachers over the years." She looks into Klaus' eyes as she smiles, "If I recall right this is the first dance we done together."

Klaus smiles back, "I know."

Klaus spins Lola around to switch partners. Lola feels someone pull her closer to them, when she looks up, she sighs with relief that it's Elijah who is smiling down at her, "Well doesn't this bring back memories."

"No kidding. The things I would do to be able to go back in time and be back there again."

Elijah notices the look in her eyes, he frowns slightly at her, "Are you okay?"

Lola flashes a fake smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Elijah narrows his eyes at her, "How many years have I known you, Charlotte? Do you honestly think I don't know when you're lying to me? It's obvious the conversation with your brothers earlier has effected you."

"Is everyone just listening in on my daily arguments with my brothers now?"

"Well when it's in the middle of a dance, yes."

Elijah smirks at Lola, making her laugh. She leans closer, resting her cheek against Elijah's as though that instantly makes her feel better about everything, she sighs, "I am so glad you're not in your dagger slumber any more."

Meanwhile Damon and Rebekah are dancing with each other and Damon hasn't stopped glaring over at his sister who is smiling and laughing along with everyone he hates.

Rebekah picks up on this, "If you keep giving your sister that glare she will have two holes burned into the back of her head."

Damon's glare doesn't leave his sister who hasn't even noticed, "Forgive me for not being too thrilled about your brothers having their hands all over her."

"You have nothing to fear when it comes to our relationship with Lola." Rebekah assures, "Whether she is with Nik or not, she is a part of our family."

Damon scoffs as he looks at Rebekah, "Pft, like that means anything."

"Answer me this, Damon, have you ever actually seen your sister smile when she isn't in my family's company lately?" Rebekah's question leaves Damon silent, "Her beauty shines even brighter when she's around us."

Damon looks Rebekah up and down and smirks slightly, "Well, you're no dog yourself."

Rebekah narrows her eyes at him, "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

Damon shrugs, "You tried to kill Elena last night. You don't get compliments."

"Caveman."

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

Once the dance has finished, Lola, Kol and Rebekah are all standing in the foyer. Kol glances in Rebekah's direction, "Where's your date?"

"Probably chasing after Elena."

Kol glances down at his glass as he sighs dramatically, "You've changed, Bekah. You know, settling for mortals is the first sign of weakness."

"I'm not settling. I brought him here to kill him."

Lola laughs slightly as she takes a sip of her drink, "Of course you have."

"He's Elena's friend. If he dies she suffers." Rebekah looks over to Kol, "But I've already been scolded once so I was hoping you'd help your baby sister out."

"And spit right in the face of mother's rules?" Kol smirks, "I'm in. What about you, Lottie? Are you going to team up with us both like old times?"

"As much as I would love to, I'm going to just let the two of you have this one. I'll join in on the next one. I'm going to get some air." Lola places her empty glass onto a waiter's tray as he walks past.

"Fine but you're spending the day with me tomorrow." Rebekah demands.

Lola raises her hands, putting them together against her lips, "Rebekah, I swear to god if you make me go shopping I'm going to lose it."

"Okay fine!" Rebekah admits defeat, "No to the shopping."

"Good, I'll be outside."

Lola begins to walk outside when she is stopped by one of the two Mikaelsons she has yet to meet, "Charlotte Salvatore, we finally meet. Finn Mikaelson."

Finn holds his hand out for Lola to take, which she does. She shakes his hand as she smiles up at him, "You can call me Lola."

Finn nods, "Very well. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lola. Kol has been telling me about your time spent with my family over the years."

Lola laughs awkwardly, "Hopefully it's not made me sound too bad, but then again if it's Kol telling you stories it probably won't be that great."

"My mother would also like to introduce herself to you tonight." Finn gestures to the staircase, "I can take you up to where she is right now if you'd like?"

"Uh, I just have to go and speak to my brothers for a moment." Lola lied, "But I'll come and find you afterwards?" Finn nods then heads upstairs.

Lola walks outside to get some fresh air. So much has happened tonight already and it's a lot to digest. She doesn't know why she just bare face lied to Finn, there's just something about him and Esther she doesn't trust.

Maybe it's just paranoia.

Lola can feel all the worry leave her as she walks closer to one of the horses outside, jumping slightly when a new voice comes into play, "You still like horses?"

Lola turns to see Klaus walking over to her, "Yeah, I do." There's a comfortable silence between them both for a minute, as they both ponder on what to say to each other next, but Lola is first, "Why did you invite me, Nik? Why give me all of this?" Gesturing to her dress.

"Well unlike you, I'm not scared to admit that my feelings for you are still there, they never left." Klaus says softly as he smiles slightly, "You can't walk away with what you feel."

"Yes but I'd like to."

Klaus frowns, "Why?"

"Because we're not meant to be together, Nik, you know that."

Klaus takes a step towards Lola, "Well it's up to you and it's up to me, not anyone else."

Lola sighs, throwing her hands up, "Come on Nik, we already tried and it didn't work. How are you so sure it would be any different this time?"

"I never stopped loving you, Lola. I've never stopped loving your smile, your laughter, the way you don't care what anyone thinks, your beauty, your moodiness. Everything about you." Klaus takes hold of one of Lola's hands. They both gaze at each other for a moment before Lola snaps out of it and takes her hand out of his hold as she clears her throat looking away from him.

Klaus sighs as he glances at the horse, "You know, horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal. I know we can't change the past, Lola." He turns to face Lola once more, "But I promise I'll do better, I'll become someone worth loving for you."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Lola practically whispers, "I'll be inside."

Crystal rings as Lola walks back into the ball. Kol spots Lola and smiles over at her, "There you are!" He hands her a glass of champagne.

Lola takes the glass, "Is it done?"

Kol smirks, "Same old Rebekah not playing ball, but don't worry. I have my own ways."

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman." Esther begins her speech as she stands on the staircase, everyone looking up at her, "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

Kol and Lola clink their glasses together, "Cheers."

Klaus walks over to them both, he places his hand on Lola's lower back, leaning into her ear, "I want to show you something."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please?"

Kol takes Lola's glass out of her hand, "Go ahead."

Lola nods at Klaus, "Okay, fine."

Klaus takes Lola into his art room. Lola looks around at all the similar canvasses she watched Klaus paint over the years along with some new ones, "I've seen your art a million times, why did you bring me in here?"

Klaus looks up at one of his landscapes, "Can you remember the first night we met?"

"Of course I do, it was the ball."

"You said to me that there is nothing worth knowing about you but you couldn't have been so wrong." Klaus turns to face Lola, "Since that day you have been in my thoughts every day, even the days where we were apart and all those decades we were apart, you were still in my mind. Before that night, before you, I never thought I would find love, I just figured I would stay being the feared Klaus Mikaelson and I grown to get used to that, until the night I met you."

A shaky breath falls from his lips as he closes the gap between them both, "You made me not want to be like that anymore, you made me want to be better. Don't get me wrong, the mere thought of letting someone in terrified me but when you said to me that night that you understood the feeling of being afraid was comforting in a way because for the first time in so long I didn't feel alone." Klaus bows his head slightly as tears threaten to escape, "But now I've destroyed the only thing I've ever loved and all I wish for is to make things right again. I know I don't deserve you, I never have. And a part of me has always been worried I was going to ruin it, which I have several times. I know you don't forgive me and that you hate me for everything that's happened but that's okay."

He smiles softly at Lola as he removes a strand of her away from her face and cups her cheek, "Even if you hate me for the rest of my life that wouldn't matter to me, because you would still be in my life."

Lola holds onto his hand against her cheek, "Nik, I don't hate you. I never have." Her eyes drift over his shoulder and notices a new canvas on his wall, "Wait a second...is that me?"

Klaus smiles as he turns to face the painting Lola is talking about, without letting go of her hand, "That's the one image of you I haven't been able to get of my mind."

"Seeing you sat in your own little world on the beach that morning in LA gave me a realisation and that was I wasn't going to let you go again. I can't let you go, I don't know how I'll be able to survive without you, even if it's at a distance."

"Klaus-" Lola whispers.

"I heard the ultimatum that Damon put on you and just know I would never dream of doing that to you. I'd love nothing more than to have you with me once more but I don't want to be the person to come in between your brothers, despite everything that's happened with me and them I would never do that to you because I know how important your family is to you and how much you love them." Klaus wipes a tear escaping down Lola's cheek, he has that soft smile on his face that could make the world stop moving.

"You're talking as though you're nothing to me. You know I was in love with you, right?"

"And what's changed?"

Lola places her hand on Klaus' cheek softly, leaning closer to him and resting her forehead against his, "Nothing." Klaus brushes his lips against Lola's just as a loud noise can be heard from outside pulling them both away from each other.

Outside, Damon is crouching over Kol's unconscious body as everyone begins to walk outside, Stefan looks on at the scene in shock, "Damon! Are you crazy?"

"Maybe a little." Damon glares at Elena, "Far be it from me to cause a problem." He smirks as he turns on his heel and begins to walk away.

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

LOLA POV:

Everyone has left after Damon's little performance, well everyone apart from me. I've been pacing around the ballroom for god knows how long, wondering whether I should also leave or if I should stay. I should stay, at least until I know Kol is okay. Which he will be anyway, it's not like Damon can badly physically injure Kol, just his ego.

"You stayed." Klaus' voice makes me jump out of my thoughts, I turn to see him leaning against the door frame smiling over to me. His tie undone and a few buttons on his dress shirt undone making him look even more handsome than he already did.

"Is Kol okay?"

Klaus nods as he moves away from the door frame and makes his way over to me, "He's upstairs licking his wounds." He holds his hand out for me to take, "Dance with me?"

I smile at him slightly, looking around confused, "There's no music." And just like that my favourite song, Hold You In My Arms, begins to play. I look over to Klaus who has his classic overfamiliar smirk plastered on his face. I intertwine my hand with his as his other hand rests against my waist and my free hand snakes up to the back of his head running my fingers through his hair.

We both dance along to the music in comfortable silence as lean against each other's cheek, I smile to myself, "This is how I remember it, like nothing has changed. Not true of course, everything has changed."

"It can be like that again, let's leave." Klaus suggests.

I move away slightly so I'm able to look at Klaus, I frown in confusion, "What?"

Klaus turns me around then dips me slightly. When he pulls me back up, we're chest to chest and our faces just inches apart, "Let's leave here, a small town has never been it for you. We can go anywhere we like, start over again."

"You've just done so much work to this house, reunited with all your family, you would really leave all of that?"

"If it means I'm with you I would do it in a heartbeat." Klaus says without breaking his gaze from mine.

I look away shaking my head, "I can't do that, my brothers-"

Klaus laughs, almost spitefully, "Your brothers..." He repeats, "Answer me this, Lola. Do you even think that they would notice it?"

I pull away from him a bit, frowning at him, "That's a bit harsh."

We both stop dancing yet we don't break away from each other, Klaus raises a brow, "Am I wrong? They're so busy wrapped up in Elena."

"I don't want to make the same mistakes they've made. I don't want to be wrapped up in all of this with you and create a divide between me and them. It's happened before and I don't want it to happen again." I break away from Klaus' hold and take a few steps back, "Maybe I should leave, leave this town on my own."

Klaus steps closer to me as I step backwards, "Lola..."

I look up at him distressed, tears begin to fall, "I can't do this, I'm sorry." I turn on my heel rushing out of the ballroom and heading straight to the front door.

I can hear Klaus shouting out after me, "Lola, wait please!"

I don't even look where I'm going because next thing I bump into Elijah who softly grips onto my arms, looking down at me concerned, "Hey, hey, are you okay?"

I nod as I wipe away the stray tears falling down my cheeks, "I'm fine I just need to get out of here."

I try to move away but unable to as I'm still in Elijah's hold, "Clearly you're not fine, Charlotte. What's happened? Talk to me."

I turn us both around so I'm closer to the front door, "Elijah honestly I'm okay, I just need to get away from here. I can't stay in this town anymore."

Elijah opens the front door, "Come, let me drive you home."

I walk out before Elijah does, "No it's fine I'm just going to walk home and clear my head." I vamp speed away from the house before Elijah can say anything else.

3RD PERSON POV:

Elijah storms into the ballroom where Klaus is standing distressed, he then throws a glass against the wall, "Niklaus, what happened?"

Klaus turns to face Elijah looking distressed, "I've ruined it, Elijah. I've lost her and there's nothing I can do about it."

LOLA POV:

I get about half way home before I stop, standing in the middle of the road, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. Why do I keep doing this? Why do I keep pushing myself away from the man I love?

I've been trying to stay on good terms with my brothers by pushing my feelings away that I have for Klaus and yet even when doing so I'm still drifting further away from my brothers. It's not even like I agree with what's going on between them and Elena but I would never put either of them in the same position they have put me in.

I'm a fucking idiot.

I said to myself in LA I wasn't going to let Damon stop me from getting what I want, so why am I letting him do it yet again? I'm not going to let him do it to me anymore, if he doesn't want me to be with Klaus then it's his problem not mine. He can hate me for it but I'm not going to let him effect my life anymore.

Klaus makes me feel happy. I have felt like absolute crap for years but then as soon as he came into my life again I felt alive once more and that's exactly what I need to go and tell him. Right now.

I rush back to the mansion, heading straight into the ballroom where I left Klaus who is still standing there. Leaning against the fireplace, watching the flames. He shifts slightly noticing my presence, "I thought you left?"

"I did. I was half way home when I realised something. I'm tired, Nik. I am so tired of this back and forth situation we have going on for the past few months. I don't want to live like that anymore, I don't deserve it and more importantly you don't deserve it." I slowly start to walk further into the room towards him, "I wasn't planning on coming back here, I was going to pack my bags and leave all of this behind."

Klaus remains having his back to me, looking into the fireplace, "What stopped you?"

"A little voice in my head telling me to just go for it." Klaus turns to face me, tears stained his perfect face, "You need to go for what makes your heart feel alive and happy. If there's a part of you that will always wonder what could have been, you just need to go for it, which is what I'm doing by coming back here. I thought I was lost all this time, but really it was just my brothers making me feel that way because where I was didn't align with where they wanted me to be. So I came back here, I freaking ran back here in these stupid shoes because I wanted to tell you this..."

"Lola-"

"I'm not finished." I stop Klaus from saying anything just yet, "I've been an idiot to think that you weren't it for me. You said that you ruined the only thing you've ever loved and I've been doing the exact same thing." I take a few steps closer to him, closing the gap, "You're not a burden, not undeserving or broken. You're not a mess to be cleaned up." I place my hands against his chest, smiling up at him, tears filling my eyes, "You are so endlessly enough."

I can't even say anything else before Klaus interrupts me with his lips on mine, his tongue against mine, his eagerness as his hands cup my cheeks. My own hands gripping onto his shirt to keep myself steady, kissing him feels like I could float away.

Klaus pulls away slightly, I open my eyes as he rests his forehead against mine, his warm smile and the glisten in his eyes I love so much, "This isn't going to be an easy thing to do with everything that is going on but I made you a promise Lola, you say stop and I will stop. All I want now is just to have you by my side."

"And you will." I whisper against his lips, he smiles as he starts to kiss me again but this time more gentle.

I want to hang on to this moment as long as I can.