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" Nᴇᴠᴇʀ Tᴀᴋᴇ Tʜᴇ Bʟᴀᴍᴇ Fᴏʀ Hᴏᴡ Sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ Mɪsᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ Yᴏᴜ."
-Kʜᴀʟɪʟᴀʜ Vᴇʟᴇᴢ

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"Hey... Camilla are you sure you're ready for this?" Alaric questions me for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes.

"Ric it's fine. It's been almost eighteen years. We just have to be professional about all of this." I state calmly though not quite believing it too much myself.

Eighteen years ago I was engaged to be married to the big bad Mikaelson. Well to the hybrid.

Less than a year later I walked into his mansion to find him having sex with my once good friend Hayley Marshall. I haven't seen either of them since.

"And what about Jace?" He quietly questions.

I sigh, looking to a picture frame on the wall of a little blonde six year old boy hugging me for dear life. "We knew this day would come eventually."

Alaric sighs. "Okay well they're in your office when you're ready." I just nod and watch as he walks away.

I take a deep breath. I just need to get this done and over with. I've been through a lot since then but I think it will always hurt to see your first love. Especially for the first time in seventeen years with a child.

I walk into my office with my head held high and plaster a friendly smile on my face.

"Hello Mikaelson family." I state with a calm demeanor.

My calm demeanor though, was thrown away when I heard a familiar voice I thought I'd never hear again.

"Oh shut up with that professional nonsense and come give me a hug!" Kol Mikaelson yells with his arms wide open and a goofy smile on his face.

Every person in the room stares at him in shock. Me, because I thought he died all those years ago and his family because they never knew we were friends.

We always made it a point to keep our friendship on the down low so no one could ever say anything about it, that and I didn't want them knowing my business.

"K-koala bear?" I stutter as tears spring in my eyes. I've been grieving him this whole time while he's apparently been alive and well.

"Koala bear, what?!" Rebekah exclaims wide eyed "Since when are you two on a bloody nick name basis?"

I ignore Rebekahs comment and sprint into Kol's arms jumping onto him in happiness. "You're alive!"

I back away after a moment and narrow my eyes, smacking him on his right cheek, everyone goes quiet as an echo of the skin on skin contact goes through out the room. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive!" I yell in anger.

He rubs his cheek and sheepishly laughs. "Well darling you know better than anyone that this family is always busy with drama, I've missed you as well."

"Ah yes, The Hollow." I hum in understanding. When I heard about it I thought about helping but then I figured 'why would I run to the man who broke my heart just to help him?'

All of the Mikaelsons besides Kol look towards me with wide curious eyes.

"How do you know about the hollow?" Elijah asks curiously yet a bit guarded. Which was understandable, from what I understand it was a brutal time for them all.

"Well when you have a small glimpse of the devils power it comes in hand." I wink cheekily at the Nobel Mikaelson, not taking his slightly cold demeanor personally.

"What do you mean the powers of the devil, love?" A voice says and we all turn towards the voices owner, Niklaus Mikaelson.

I only stare at him with a blank face, even if all of my sadness and anger is burning towards the surface I keep it in. He doesn't deserve a reaction.

"That's none of your concern." I say emotionlessly and he visibly flinches at my hostility. I prefer to get through this with out talking to him as much as I can.

"Actually darling I'm quite curious as to how you pulled me out of hell." Kol voices. Damn it Kol.

"What do you mean she pulled you out of hell?!" Davina screams. Yikes. Obviously he hasn't told them about how he spent a week in hells torture room. That place was brutal.

You see when Kol died in New Orleans because of Finn he went straight to hell. Safe to say I don't think anyone needs a reason why, he's a Mikaelson after all.

"You never told them?" I ask with an unimpressed face. Though I understand, almost no one has ever gotten out of hell to tell the story, even if they did I'm sure they wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Well talking about being tortured in hell isnt exactly a conversation starter." He says rolling his eyes. "But come on now, I wanna know."

"Well you know typical Mystic Falls drama, long story short the devil, his name was Cade by the way, came to Mystic Falls, fell in love with me, and he happened to be bragging that a famous psychopathic Mikaelson was in hell, I agreed to help with a few things in exchange of letting you out." I say nonchalantly with a shoulder shrug trying not to get into the details of some of my darkest days.

Kol burst out laughing after a moment of tense silence. "Evil things seem to love you don't they?" He teases.

His wife Davina, smacks him upside the head with a scowl. "Ow what! First Nik and then the literal devil! I had to say something about it!"

"You have no idea." I laugh lightly as my mind goes towards a certain Gemini witch who killed his whole family and proceeded to ask me out on a date.

"You've really been busy, Haven't you darling?" He says with a cheeky smile, ignoring the still shocked faces of his siblings.

"You have no clu-" I'm cut off by my door slamming open revealing a red puffy eyed Lizzie.

"Mommy I need you." She says with her lower lip quivering, not regarding the other people in the room watching curiously.

I automatically run to her and hug her "Oh my baby what's wrong?" I coo at her as I run my fingers through her hair.

"Mommy?" Questions Hayley with slightly wide eyes.

I glance at her and roll my eyes as discreetly as I can but as always Kol catches it and quietly chuckles. He's never liked Hayley, he actually hated her for getting between me and Klaus. I had to talk him out of 'making her magically disappear'

Alaric suddenly runs into the office and gently pries Lizzie away from me. "Come on baby lets take you to your room" he says soothingly.

She pulls away sniffling before narrowing her puffy eyes at him and saying, "I just want my mom."

I laugh quietly and cup her cheeks wiping her wet eyes, "Hey baby, how about I finish this meeting and I'll meet you there okay?" She hesitated but eventually nods sadly yet understandingly and walks away.

Alaric follows but only after giving me a questioning look, silently asking if I'm doing okay, I nod and he gives me an encouraging smile.

I turn around to a bunch of dumb founded Mikaelsons and a smirking Kol.

"Why the bloody hell are you smirking Kol? Did you know she had a kid?" Rebekah questions still shocked. Me and Rebekah used to be close but not as close as Kol and I are now. She was never able to keep a secret from Klaus which ultimately led to me never telling her anything.

"Of course I did, I'm her best friend and actually she has five kids" he rolls his eyes as his siblings gape at him and I.

"Four." I correct, rubbing a hand down my face in exhaustion. "Okay anyways Hope let's talk ab-" I'm once again interrupted by my baby boy slamming my door open.

I huff in slight annoyance while Kol laughs again. Although Elijah looks slightly amused at his brothers clueless and in awe facial expression, that brother being Klaus.

Jace is 17 almost 18 and is still a mommas boy. I love it. Sometimes in the middle of the night if he can't sleep he'll come into my bed and cuddle with me. It warms my heart that even at almost 18 he's not embarrassed to show it in front of people how much he loves his mom.

He walks up to me and brings me into a giant hug, not even paying attention to anyone in the room.

"Hi momma." He says pulling away slightly and smiling down at my shorter form.

"Hi baby." I smile warmly at him.
"Can you go check on lizzie until I am finished here?" I ask with a fond smile. Another thing I love about him is his protective instinct when it came to Lizzie and Jo. No one ever messed with either of the twins, afraid of the backlash they would face with Jace.

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Love you momma" he kisses my cheek and begins walking towards the door. "Bye uncle Kol!" He says with out even looking towards him.

"I give it five minutes until Jo comes in" Kol teases with a cheeky smile but then purses his lips. "Kinda upset Lizzie didn't even notice me but it has been a while I suppose."

"They know you?" Elijah questions in shock. His family was really trying to understand his and I's relationship and how they didn't know.

"Of course, it's been a while but I guarantee I'm still their favorite uncle." Kol says like it's obvious knowledge. "You know, before I was murdered by our eldest brother."

"Okay I'm confused, how did none of us know you guys were so close?" Klaus asks with a longing looks as his eyes dart between me and Kol.

Well get over it you cheated on me I painfully wanted to say but kept it PG for Hope's sake.

"None of you're business." I state and everyone stares shocked at how quick my attitude changed.

I turn to Hope with a sweet smile "Now, let's get you enrolled, I just have to ask a few questions."

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