• • • •

Faith took a sip of her bourbon as a compelled woman painted her nails a sky blue. Rebekah was seated next to her, another woman painting her nails as her brothers, except Klaus, were getting measurements and dressed in tailored suits. So far, Faith hadn't met the Original witch and she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about meeting her. Elijah had told her about their mother and didn't trust her to which the siphoner agreed. If your own son ripped your heart out, would you want a little bit of revenge?

"Rebekah," Kol called out to his sister as he stood in front of a body size mirror. "Tell me how handsome I am."

"Well, Kol, you know I can't be compelled," Rebekah answered, slyly.

Finn and Faith shared amused grins at the blonde's remark. The doors slam opened and Klaus entered the room, angrily. "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?!" He walked up to Rebekah.

"Here we go," Rebekah smiled as she studied her newly polished nails, not giving her brother much attention.

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

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

Klaus turned to his brother with annoyance. "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."

"And who are you? My father?" Kol countered back.

"No, Kol," Klaus said with annoyance and walked up to him, "but you're in my house."

Kol stood up, meeting up to his height. "Then perhaps we should go outside."

"Well, that escalated quickly," Faith mumbled to herself, enjoying the scene.

Heels against wood grew loud as they neared the room. Faith stiffened at the sight of the older woman in a white dress. Esther glanced at the siphoner, immediately recognizing the dark raven and frizzy curly hair of an Everly witch. "Enough!" She ordered as she turned her attention to her sons. Her eyes met with Klaus. "Niklaus, come."

Faith glanced at Elijah. "Is it bad that she kind of scares me? I mean, not more than my mother, but still. The fear is definitely there."

Elijah only chuckled.

• • • •

"I got your dress," Faith said as she walked beside Elijah with a glass of champagne.

She wore a royal blue dress. The dress was made of silk material. The top part of the dress was thin straps into a scoop line and it was close-fitted but comfortable. The lower part was full-length, flowing down to her black low-heels. The part she loved most about the dress was the slit going down to her right leg.

"I can see that," Elijah smiled as he took a sip of his champagne. "That necklace doesn't go well with it."

"I'll have you know, Elijah," Faith placed her hand over the red jewel on the necklace. "This necklace was a gift from my father and it's where I keep my magic in case of an emergency."

"Be careful, Faith," Elijah suddenly said. "I do not trust my mother, no matter how much I love her."

"I know," Faith reassured as they made it to the stairs where the rest of the Mikaelson family stood.

"Uh, if everyone could gather please," Elijah's voice echoed through the foyer of the mansion. Faith stood at the end of the stairs, below Finn as Elijah addressed the company. "Welcome. Thank you for joining us. You know whenever my mother brings our family like this, it's a tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom," Elijah said with a smile as he began to head down the steps. Faith tried to follow but was stopped by Kol.

"Yes, Kol?" Faith asked him as they began to head to the ballroom together.

"Care to be my partner?" He smirked.

"Hmm," She looked him up and down. "You're actually asking," she shrugged and wrapped her arm around his. "Sure, why not? Plus Elijah told me we would get along."

"Did he now?" Kol questioned as they began dancing with everyone else. "Did he also tell you how handsome I am?"

"No, but he told me how arrogant you are and how sly you are," Faith smirked. "You would be a lot more fun than he is."

"Of course, I am," Kol agreed and he leaned closer to her face.

Faith looked up at him. Her beautiful blue eyes shined with mischief at his dark brown eyes. "Let's hang out sometime," Faith suggested as Kol twirled her around and she was placed into someone else's arms.

"You're getting along well with Kol," Klaus stated.

Faith smiled at him. "Well, he is a lot more fun than you are. With your constant 'I can't die', 'I'm a hybrid', and 'I will dagger you if you defy me', you get quite repetitive and boring."

Klaus raised an eyebrow in amusement at her imitations of him. "Really, now?"

Faith shrugged, nonchalantly. "And you did threaten my life for the past two months."

"We did have a moment once," Klaus countered back.

"In my defense," Faith began. "I was sad and depressed Faith, but I'll let it count since you aren't so bad. I kind of need to hold a grudge since Damon can hear us right from across the room."

She waved at the vampire from behind Klaus. Damon only narrowed his eyes on the two. She then turned her attention back to the hybrid, who was already looking at her. "So, you're into Caroline now? Didn't you turn her boyfriend into a hybrid and she kind of hates you now?"

"She is beautiful," Klaus admitted. "And innocent."

Faith raised her eyebrows in amusement, ignoring the weird tightening in her chest. "So you like innocent girls so you can taint them."

Klaus chuckled and changed the subject. "Have I told you, you look beautiful in that dress, Faith?"

"Why thank you, Mr. Mikaelson," Faith smiled as they continued to dance. "You don't look too bad yourself."

• • • •

"Where's your date?" Faith asked Rebekah as she, Rebekah, and Kol stood in the foyer.

"Flirting with his ex," Rebekah answered.

"You've changed, Bekah," Kol replied as he twirled the champagne glass in his hand. "You know, settling for mortals is the first sign of weakness."

"Well, I feel offended," Faith sipped her glass of champagne. She looked at her empty glass. "Couldn't you serve something stronger than champagne?"

"Our mother planned everything and you're barely a mortal, Faith," Rebekah responded before glancing at her brother. "And I'm not settling, Kol. I brought him here to kill him, he's Elena's friend. If he dies, she suffers 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 questioned before he smiled. "I'm in."

"I hope you don't get in his way, Faith," Rebekah glanced at the siphoner.

Faith shrugged. "I don't really care. His sister tried to deep fry me in a car, you're all good. I'll probably be sad for a day and get over it."

• • • •

The tinkling of glass hitting the glass as everyone turned their attention to Esther who stood at the top of the staircase with a glass of red-tinged champagne in hand. Faith smiled in amusement as Kol handed her a glass of champagne before grabbing his own glass.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Esther greeted the guests. "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this particular evening. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone said.

Faith drank the whole glass of champagne. Her eyebrows furrowed at the sensation of the drink it gave her. It felt weird.

"Something the matter?" Kol asked her.

She shook her head. "No, just thought of something."

• • • •

"You know this has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave," Klaus told Caroline, angrily.

"I get it. Your father didn't love you, so assume that no one else will either. That's why you compel people or you sire them," Caroline took the bracelet Klaus gave her off and threw it on the desk filled with sketches. "Or you try to buy them off."

"But that's not how it works. You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them," Caroline continued. "And when you do, you don't even realize it. You don't fancy me, Klaus. You just think you do for whatever reason, so I'm going to tell you who you really fancy. You fancy Faith Everly. She might not be able to see it because all her life no one ever loved her in that way, but you do."

"And you don't let yourself to court her because you know how hard her life has been. It's the same as yours was or is," Caroline looked at Klaus. "And maybe she will realize you like her, one day and maybe she will like you also. But until then, don't waste your time with me because I'm already spoken for."

She left the room, leaving Klaus alone in the room. The blonde vampire wasn't looking where she was going as she bumped into someone.

"What's the rush, Barbie?" Faith asked. The siphoner looked at her, confused as the vampire only rolled her eyes and walked away. Faith walked inside the room she came out from and saw Klaus looking at the paintings in the room.

"I'm going with, it didn't go well with Caroline?" Faith smiled, feeling bad for the hybrid.

With a strained smile, Klaus looked at her. "No, it did not, but she was honest."

Faith shrugged as she glanced at the sketches on the desk. "Well that's always good, I guess. You never said you were an artist."

She picked up a sketch of a building. She studied the drawing as Klaus studied her. Her blue eyes studied the sketch closely, taking in every detail of it. Her body was lean and relaxed, which people rarely were when they were near the hybrid which made Klaus feel hopeful and like he could trust her, wholeheartedly. Why the girl was abused and called an abomination by her mother, Klaus would never know. She stood her ground and cared deeply about the people she had close connections with.

She was mischievous and had a snarky attitude, but he liked the way she smiled and laughed, especially at or with him. He loved the way she was truthful and smart.

"Who's Dani?" Klaus asked once he noticed the tattoo on her neck. He hadn't noticed the tattoo before. He observed how her body stiffened as she turned her attention toward him.

Faith placed her hand where the tattoo was as she debated whether to tell Klaus the truth or to lie to him. Truthfully, Faith wanted to trust the hybrid, but she kept hesitating. Her mind went back to the summer she and Stefan were with him.

She smiled, gently at him. "It's my daughter's name. Her name is Dani Everly."

• • • •

Aha...

Anyways, thank you so much for the 7k. I hope you continue to enjoy the story ;)