"I don't understand why we all have to go." Hayley handed Hope a toy from where she sat on the rug in the library. "I'd rather just stay in and spend some time with my daughter."

"Yes, well unfortunately we do not have that luxury. Niklaus' attack on the wolves has caused a rift in the treaty. If one faction can curse another, why have any peace at all." Elijah sent a look at his brother. "We must go as a united front."

"Why can't you handle negotiations, aren't you experienced in cleaning up Klaus' messes?" I sat beside Klaus, my legs in his lap, leaning against the armrest.

"You and Hayley need to get used to attending events such as these. Centuries ago, it was poor taste to hide away the ladies of the house." The man himself lounged with a glass of whiskey, his other hand on my thigh.

"Klaus, you know it's the modern day right?" I pat his hand. "Do we need to worry about your memory in your old age?"

Hayley snorted, attempting to hide her smile.

"I think what my brother is intending to say is that having the two of you out in public with us might show the factions that we aren't fully the monsters they think us to be." Elijah leaned forward. "There's a certain humanizing quality to show people we fall in love just as they do."

"And have a weakness just as they do." Klaus muttered darkly.

"Who's going to be watching the kids while we're out showing the factions that you're so human?"

"It might be best to bring them. It adds to the image."

"Absolutely not." I shook my head. "I'm not putting them in danger just so the Originals can look good."

"Do I not have any say?" Klaus' brow rose.

"Nope."

"Perhaps your Castiel could watch them, then." Elijah steepled his fingers.

"He can't, he's helping the Winchesters with something and I don't trust anyone else to stay here with the kids that wouldn't already be part of your perfect 'united front'."

"Oh no. I guess if Maverick has to stay, then so do I." Hayley shrugged. "I so wanted to go."

"It is most important that we soften Niklaus' image after all that unpleasantness. Maverick and the children will do that."

"But why? Klaus is known for his brutality, it wasn't exactly out of character." Much as I loved him, his reputation proceeded him. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial for everyone else to be scared of him?"

"Not when the treaty depends of his agreeability."

That was kind of stupid. "Who negotiated this?"

Elijah blinked. "How do you mean?"

"Have you met your brother?"

Klaus chuckled. "Up until Hayley tried to escape and my wife poisoned me, I had been doing rather well." He traced lazy designs in the skin of my thigh.

Not only was it unbearably hot outside, but shorts were the only thing I had left, and he was taking full advantage of it.

Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose. "While it has been an admirable attempt, no more trips down to the bayou. Your temper clearly cannot withstand that of the Crescents."

"Yours wouldn't either if-" I quickly slapped a hand over Klaus' mouth.

"It's nothing!" That wasn't suspicious. Not at all. "What about Freya? Or is she still trapped? I'm sure she'd love to babysit."

Elijah's eyes narrowed at me, though he reluctantly moved on. "Yes, where is our eldest sister?"

Klaus shrugged, mumbling something incoherent through my hand. I slowly removed it. "I'd love to share her location with my wife once she's off her vervain."

"You're on vervain?!" Hayley's jaw dropped.

"Of course I am. I lived with hunters."

"What?!"

"Did you seriously not know that?"

"No!"

"Girlie, where did you think I hid from this loser?" I hooked a thumb in Klaus' direction.

"I don't know, maybe with the Salvatores or something, I didn't really think about it too hard." She shrugged. "I can't believe Klaus lets you have vervain. He wouldn't let me touch the stuff when I first turned."

"Yeah well he only knows about it because of an incident involving my blood and his fucking fangs." Klaus' hand was inching higher and higher. I slapped it away.

"It was an accident." He insisted.

"Yeah well I hope you enjoyed that mouthful of acid." That's what vervain felt like, at least. "He learned rather quickly not to do that."

"Okay. The less I know about your guys' sex life, the happier I'll be."

"I thank Freya every day we cannot hear it, once their door is shut." Elijah twisted his daylight ring.

"Like the two of you aren't doing the exact same thing in your room."

"We've gotten far off topic." Klaus interrupted. "We are all attending this event and Freya will watch the children."