Klaus was being unnaturally nice.

Esmeray wondered how much her words had really sunk into him, because the next few days made her feel like she was getting to know a whole new person.

She had brought Rebekah to him the following morning after convincing Damon that it would help him ease up while she located Stefan. Damon hadn't told her that he already knew where Stefan and the coffins were, because he knew Klaus would kill her if she kept it a secret from him.

The house looked a lot better this time, and Esmeray had been given a tour by Paige, who had apologized profusely after what'd happened with Mikael. Klaus had remained out of her way until it was afternoon. He'd not-so-subtly shown her to a particularly nice room that had a door leading to the backyard, telling her it would be 'a fantastic room for a witch.' Obviously, she knew he was trying to get her to stay there.

"What a coincidence," she said, examining the bedsheets. "Teal. My—"

"—favorite color," he finished awkwardly. He tucked his hands behind his back. "Well, then, I ought to get going."

"Where?" she asked, taking a seat on the bed. It was comfortable.

"Just... out," he muttered, thinking she didn't want to speak with him anymore. He dashed away before she had the idea to ask him if he could stay.

Before the sun could set, had returned to the Salvatore Boarding House to gather her clothes. No one was there, and she gave a soft sigh before heading out to quarry, taking the long route just to mentally prepare herself. She tried to think, Just a few more months of this. Once we figure out the ritual, I'll never have to do this again.

She wondered why she hadn't pushed to make the ritual happen sooner. She supposed that having to turn humbled her. It would take hard work and strength to reach her full potential, and if she had to suffer a bit before that, she'd understand, even when she no longer lost control of her powers, what it felt like to be hurt. It would keep her from unnecessarily hurting anyone, and though it pained her, she appreciated it. She knew that if her parents were here, they would have thought this to be brave.

"Hey," came a text from Anya as she set her things down on the usual log by the clearing. "Good luck tonight. I know you have it rough. You can do this!"

Esmeray was grateful to have Anya in her life. A light blush dusted her face as she messaged back, "Good luck to you, too," before she shut off her phone and sat on the ground.

The hours of pain were hard to get used to, but somehow, she managed to get through it, time and time again. The process could never be painless unless she performed her ritual, and yet, it gave her a lot think about in the time when she was waiting to turn back into a human again. She respected werewolves, and all her ancestors who had gone through the process before, as long as werewolves had existed. There was a beauty in being able to become a wolf, though she hadn't experienced it herself. Many thought of wolves to be nothing but beasts who were pitiful servants to the moon.

But Esmeray remembered how her father told her of the freedom that came with being a wolf. How empowering it could be when someone gained control of their wolf form and could see the world through the eyes of a creature who was loyal and powerful. Her inner wolf was hard to tap into, but she was there, and Esmeray knew that the day she connected with her, her power would nearly be limitless, because every last fiber in her body would be energized, and one day, she could run and think of the success that she'd long awaited, even if her parents weren't around to see it.

When she woke up, she expected to find herself still out in the forest. Instead, she was in the teal room from before, wrapped in Klaus's jacket once again, a tray of hotcakes, sausage, hash browns, oatmeal, and waffles waiting warm and ready on her nightstand.

She sat up slowly, stretching her arms above her head and still feeling quite tired. She put the jacket on properly, buttoning it in the front, looking around before she pulled at the collar and brought it up to her nose, inhaling and sighing in comfort. Klaus's smell really wasn't all that bad. In fact, her inner wolf really liked it.

Putting the tray on her lap, she devoured the meal that'd been prepared for her, then napped for another hour before waking up to shower, gently rubbing the soap over her still-aching body. She used magic to wash the jacket before tucking it under her arm once she was dressed, and walking out with the tray to return it to the kitchen.

There wasn't a single hybrid in the mansion, except for her and Klaus.

"You're awake."

She flinched when he walked up behind her. "Where is everyone?" she said as he took the tray from her, going to set it in the now finished kitchen.

"They were sent away," he said quietly. "Don't concern yourself with that, you still need rest."

"But— but Paige, and Sina—"

"They were your trainers, I know. They'll be alright, wherever they choose to go." It pained him to think of his hybrids being gone, because not only had he felt safer with them, but it was clear that she had connected to them, even if they hadn't all become the best of friends. Klaus and Esmeray were used to being abominations, and it was easier to cope with past trauma when surrounded by those who were similar, those who realized their potential and were happy with being different.

"Klaus... what happened while I was asleep?"

He swallowed thickly, wondering if he ought to tell her with several details, or be brief. He decided that being succinct would be better, just to encourage her to replenish her strength rather than talk. As much as he'd rather tell her so that they could have a conversation, he didn't want to be selfish. He wanted to show her a better side of him. "Many things. Stefan nearly killed Elena to force me to get the hybrids out of town. I have yet to locate my siblings." He shook his head. "You... ought to return to your room. I'll attempt to be quiet."

He started to walk away, and she followed. "Klaus." She held out his jacket. "This... is yours." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear when he took it back. There was an awkward moment before she ran her tongue over her lips and spoke, "You didn't have to go and get me. Thank you..."

He pretended her gratitude didn't make his heart skip a beat. She was the only person who ever really thanked him for the minor things he did. It could be quite encouraging.

"Someone had to get you," he said simply, as if he'd only done it because he was bored. In reality, seeing her suffering alone pained him greatly. Perhaps he'd only transformed twice in his life, but he remembered that pain, and he remembered what it was like to be bound and be unable to control a part of himself. He didn't think it was fair she had to go through that, and he knew he was partially to blame for not having helped her with her ritual sooner. Honestly, it bothered him that Damon had never once gone to help her. He'd seen into her mind— he knew she didn't want to depend on anyone, so she'd never encouraged Damon to come with her. And yet, the vampire never did it off his own accord, despite knowing she was cold and in pain and would be curled up, naked where anyone could find her, for several days at a time. Klaus was worried someone would hurt her, and though he knew she deserved freedom, he just feared that if she wasn't under his watch, she'd be harmed by anyone. To him, it just made sense, and it was his way of protecting her. The memories of her bloodied body after the Columbia Pack caught her were images that still gave him nightmares. Even if she chose not to live here, he wanted her to be comfortable while she recovered.

He cleared his throat casually. "I er— had the hybrids prepare some things while you were... out of it. In your room, you'll find a knapsack with a jar of Mystic Falls soil from the cave you were kept in, a vial of my blood, the moonstone replica, and the scripture Anya will need to read from, as well as instructions and images for how different parts of the ritual need to be done."

Esmeray turned pink. "Oh, I didn't know there was an instruction manual."

Klaus bit his lip. "There was one, a long time ago. It was damaged. This one is... a new one. I made it."

"You... drew the pictures, too?"

He nodded, and she offered him a smile. "Thank you," she murmured. "I'm um... going to go back to sleep now."

"I apologize for not having done this sooner, love," he said as she walked away. She stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder. "I forgive you," she told him before going back to sleep.

He spent the day painting. This was a quiet enough activity that he could make sure she was alright. Every now and then, he could hear her muttering in her sleep, and a few times, he heard her whine in pain, but otherwise, all seemed calm. He didn't realize what he was creating until he looked back at the canvas and saw that he'd made a portrait of her, curled up and asleep in a forest, wearing a dress he'd never even seen on her. He just imagined she'd wear something like that— a flowy white gown with puffed sleeves, and a crown of white roses in her long black hair. He smiled to himself, and looked around at the other paintings of his from the past, which he'd recently had delivered. He decided to hang this new piece up near another scenery, one he hoped she'd recognize when he showed her the fruits of his passion and labor.

It wasn't until the following evening that she felt completely better. She'd allowed herself more rest than usual (she'd never admit this, but the combined comfort of the soft bed and quiet house was much nicer as opposed to the Salvatore House, which constantly had people barging into it), which meant she was wide awake once she finally sat up and stretched her arms over her head. She knew she had to get on with life, because now there were less than thirty days before the next full moon.

She found several messages awaiting her on her phone, all from Damon and Anya asking her how she was. She replied to Anya first, then Damon, who had been only mildly worried about her whereabouts— somehow, he must have found out she was staying over at Klaus's mansion.

A series of loud crashes made her flinch and get to her feet. She tossed her phone onto the bed before rushing out as fast as she could, which wasn't all that fast when still recovering from a full moon. An entire recently renovated wall of the house had been torn through by Klaus and Elijah, who were brawling right in the middle of the mansion.

"You know," yelled Klaus as she got closer, "you have every right to be mad at me. But I kept my word, I reunited you with our family." She heard more punches being thrown, and walked in just as Klaus pinned Elijah against one of the coffins, holding him down and threatening to dagger him, though it seemed the dagger had come from Kol, whose coffin was now open. "Don't make me do this to you again, Elijah!"

"Come on, use it," snarled Elijah. "I dare you. You'll have Kol to deal with."

Klaus looked up and saw Esmeray, which made him lower the dagger. "Mikael is dead," he said shakily to his brother, who had yet to realize the werewitch was there.

"What did you say?" Elijah demanded.

"I killed him," repeated Klaus. "With his own weapon. He's gone Elijah. Forever."

"Then why do our family remain in these coffins?" asked Elijah sharply. "Finn for over nine hundred years, Kol for over a century."

"Because of Stefan Salvatore," Klaus muttered dejectedly. "He holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah. Our mother's death. Things I never wanted you to know but I'm ready to tell you now." He reached back for a small jar of white oak ash, dipping the dagger in before stabbing Kol again. "I only ask that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me." He came closer and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother. Help me destroy Stefan and I promise you our family will be whole again."

Elijah, apparently, decided to trust him. Klaus smiled slightly, before nodding to Esmeray. "I believe someone would like to greet you, brother."

Elijah turned, and saw Esmeray limping forward, holding her own jacket tight around herself. The Original's face seemed to pass through the five stages of grief in that moment. At first, he couldn't believe she was really there. Then, he felt angry at himself for not having helped her the night she performed the spell to unbind Klaus's wolf side. He considered how he might bargain to regain her trust, because he appreciated her as an ally, and didn't want to lose that. He seemed almost sad to see her, as if understanding already that she hadn't had the absolute greatest experiences with Klaus. At last, he smiled, and came forward. "Esmeray," he breathed. "You look... well."

She grinned at him before pulling him into a hug, any lingering annoyance at his betrayal having dissipated. "I feel as though it's been forever since I've seen you," she said softly.

Klaus watched, filled with envy. He didn't understand that Esmeray only saw Elijah as a friend— if anything, she saw him as an older brother who had guided her when she first arrived in the modern world. Though she had joked about him and Damon to Klaus, she didn't actually mean it. Elijah was only seven years older than her, but he was more mature than Klaus, which made the age gap feel quite a bit larger.

The hybrid's problem lay in the fact that he knew, in that moment, that his earlier suspicions were right. Some part of Elijah had indeed been attracted to her. He watched them move off to the side to 'catch up.' He could see Elijah smiling widely at her, leaning closer to her as he listened to her story. Even she looked happier now that she could speak with him. Gritting his teeth, Klaus closed the lid of Kol's coffin and went to sit by them.

"I apologize, Esmeray, for the role I played in your continued suffering," said Elijah sincerely. Klaus wished he could get Elijah away from her. He and his brother locked eyes for a moment, and Elijah seemed to understand that his brother was jealous of him. For the moment... that seemed amusing.

"She's spoken for, Elijah," said Klaus hotly, leaning back on the couch and manspreading as if this would make him seem superior. Really, he was just grumpy and wasn't in the mood to demonstrate the same posture as Elijah. "By Damon Salvatore and another very nice wolf in Portland. A Paxon."

"Ah, you've met other wolves?" said Elijah with interest. "How has that been?"

"It's been alright," Esmeray answered. She wasn't normally this oblivious, but her excitement wasn't really allowing her to notice the glares the two brothers were sending each other. "It's just a bummer that there might not be any pure Poldarks left at all. I'd have liked to meet someone else purely from my line. Wolves in general are so scarce, but I think, once I complete my ritual, I can see what I find. I'll be able to do spells to locate anyone that has even a drop of Poldark blood."

"That's sounds splendid," Elijah told her. "I'm glad to hear that things have gone well, despite the monthly pains."

"Oh, yes, things are bloody fantastic," Klaus muttered, tucking his arms behind his head. "She's got all her little friends now and even a potential boyfriend, so she's keeping busy and happy."

Esmeray only now seemed to be picking up on the tension. "Damon and I aren't official," she noted slowly, treading on careful metaphorical ground. "It just might become a thing... I'd like it to."

Elijah raised his eyebrows, looking only slightly disappointed, as far as Esmeray could see. Klaus saw this as an opportunity to taunt. "Don't fret, Elijah, she's very up for threesomes," he said wickedly, winking at Esmeray. "She mentioned having you and Damon at the same time."

"Shut up!" hissed Esmeray, her face becoming very red. "I was just joking—"

"Really, Niklaus, must we have a conversation about such a vulgar topic?" asked Elijah, knowing exactly what he was doing. His real question was, 'Are we really about to fight over another woman?'

Klaus smirked, knowing Esmeray was flustered. "I don't see why not," he said, answering both his real and his spoken question. If this was to be a fight, Klaus wanted to win, and he knew that if he pressed on, Elijah would back off soon enough. "You haven't known her recently, Elijah, she's got a dirty little tongue when she wants to. She curses and says and does such... lovely things when she's in the mood."

Elijah knew that Klaus wanted him to think that he and Esmeray had been intimate together. The elder Original didn't want to believe it, but from the way Esmeray turned red, it seemed to be true, though of course, he didn't know that Klaus having seen into Esmeray's mind before, and that any near intimacy had only been a result of her hormones while in heat.

Esmeray's mind had drifted off now that Elijah was in front of her again. She was thinking of what Klaus had told her when they'd first met, and he'd been attempting to reel her in. "I bet all the wolves in your Pack were too cowardly to try and court a girl with so much power. And I bet Elijah was keeping his distance, hmm? My brother's really quite a lecherous person, I imagine it took all of his self control not to touch you. I expect he dreamed of you. Who wouldn't?"

She was reminded of the cruelty of the world. She didn't want to think of it, but she knew that if Klaus had had dirty thoughts about her, it was incredibly likely that Elijah had, too, considering they'd been living completely alone together for awhile when she'd first been found.

The more she heard them say things about her as if she wasn't there, the more she started to feel bad for Elena. Was this what it was like, to have two people fight over you? It didn't make sense to Esmeray. Never in her life had someone liked her. Her Pack had always sought to make her feel inadequate. Suddenly, multiple people seemed to have taken a fancy to her, and it was overwhelming, because she had never intended to make Elijah think he had a chance with her, and she didn't even know what she wanted out of life yet.

"I should go to sleep," Esmeray blurted out after Elijah's fists balled up. "I'm um, still tired..." she wasn't tired at all, but the last thing she needed was to start another conflict. She scurried away, and within minutes, Klaus had come to her doorway, looking like he'd won the lottery.

"You'll have to forgive Elijah," he said with fake sweetness. Esmeray could hear a shower running in another part of the house, likely Elijah cleaning himself up. "Being daggered always leaves him... a bit crazed."

Esmeray sat up in her bed, shaking her head in frustration. "Look, Klaus, I am grateful that you have helped me, and maybe I can try to look past the things you've done, but I really don't appreciate you starting a problem with your brother over me. If Elijah feels something, he can talk to me about it himself, because I don't need to be in the middle of Mikaelson brother tug of war. I don't even understand how..." she looked away, feeling uncomfortable, and the smirk on Klaus's face dropped.

"You don't think you're worthy of people fighting for your affections," he murmured, seeing her getting up and pretending to occupy herself with other things. He knew that he was right. How couldn't he have realized it before? Her entire life, she'd been made to feel like a monster even by the people who were supposed to care for her. He'd seen into her mind. He knew of every cruel comment that had been shot her way. He knew that all the children her age had made her feel ugly and deformed simply because of her hybrid nature. "You... you don't think you're beautiful."

Esmeray quickly shook her head. "Look, it's fine, it's something I need to work out for myself, Klaus." It had never bothered her before, but it did now, because in the modern world, things were just different, and her self-consciousness had been growing gradually the more she learned about it. "I'm just being stupid, unable to let go of my memories because I'm trying to hard to latch onto what I once had, even if it's all gone. Just... goodnight. I'll be okay."

Klaus knew not to force her to have a conversation that clearly made her feel out of place. But before closing the door, he said only, "I think you're beautiful and wonderful," all while thinking of the painting he'd made of her.

She watched him go, unsure why she felt butterflies in her stomach again.