Camille and Davina lay passed out on my bed. Our drinking game had ended with two very irritable hybrids and two very drunk humans.

"C'mon, I'm pretty sure Elijah has the good stuff in his study." Hayley nodded toward the door.

"Klaus definitely hides whiskey in his studio."

I got up, following her out. I was buzzed, but the feeling was fleeting. Stupid supernatural genetics.

The only pro was that I could drink Dean under the table, which was an accomplishment, that man had beer for blood.

Hayley ducked through the double French doors, heading for the desk. I hadn't been here since... shit. I'd forgotten about Bennett's mark. Luckily it hadn't appeared on either twin, but I hadn't been any more successful in finding it's meaning than before.

What if there was something here? Once Hayley poured me a glass, I moved along the bookshelves, dragging my fingers along the spines as I sipped.

This was his private collection.

"What did you mean earlier? When you said the system you grew up in didn't give a shit about you."

"Pack life isn't great for everyone." The Crescents at least seemed like they were more up to date with the times. "For most, their happiness is a perfectly curated mentality. They genuinely believe that what they are doing is good and right. That outsiders to the pack are wrong for what they do, specifically the women."

"What changed your mind?"

"They married me to a man twice my age when I was sixteen." He was cruel and it makes me angry when I think about it now. Especially since I became a mom. How could they do that to a child? How could they encourage that type of behavior. "They said I was crazy, that he was just trying to do what our gods would want."

"Why didn't you leave?" She sat down in Elijah's chair.

"Because being a lone wolf is a sin second only to murder. I had doubts of course, and at first I tried to be happy with him, then the years went by and I wasted away in that house. If Klaus hadn't come when he did... well, you and I would've never met." For now, I'd maintain that he'd killed them, at least until I knew for certain what happened, and it was true. Had my pack not been executed, I would have died in that wretched place.

"He saved you."

"Funny how it all worked out." I reluctantly accepted defeat, leaning against the shelves. He's better at hiding than I am at finding.

She waited a beat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Why not. I'm an open book."

"How did you convince Elijah to abandon the plan?"

"Why do you think it was me?"

"Because you're you. It's insane how easily you can convince them to do what you want."

"That's not how it works." Elijah's threat still lingered in my head. How did I even hide something when there was that kind of intrusion? "I make deals with them. I've just been incredibly lucky that they accept."

"Still. It's impressive."

"No, what's impressive is the fact that we're still alive. We're both in relationships with Originals. Do you know how crazy it is, and we survived last night, which is an even greater feat."

"I'll drink to that." Hayley held her glass up. "They're all fucking scary. I don't know how you do it with Klaus."

"I'd say Elijah's scarier than Klaus is. Klaus is impulsive where Elijah is calculated. You can see Klaus' anger a mile away, but not Elijah's until it's too late. I'd rather deal with someone I can anticipate to do something bad then someone who I can't."

"Isn't Klaus known for his strategic prowess?"

"Maybe when there's an actual threat to him or his. He couldn't give less of a shit for anything else. Not when he can just slaughter anyone who even slightly inconveniences him."

Hayley shrugged her agreement. "He does have that tendency."

"Have you gotten a vibe off Rebekah yet? It feels like she's avoiding me."

"She's not. Klaus has been running interference."

"What?"

"Elijah says he's nervous. He kind of has a history of killing Rebekah's partners and he thinks she might hurt you."

"Doesn't he kill everyone's significant others? Kol told me he has a fondness for pushing them from high places. Why is Rebekah any different?"

"Don't underestimate her. There's a reason she's known as Barbie Klaus."

Cool cool cool. "Good to know."

"Back to my original question. We were all set. As soon as we found Freya, we were going to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"I made a deal. I get Klaus to keep his word to me, Elijah stops plotting to dagger him."

"And how exactly are you going to get Klaus to keep his word? He only keeps it if it suits him." She looked at me expectantly.

"Even I can admit he's gone to great lengths to keep me. No matter my feelings on the matter. Eventually I gave in and it kind of built from there."

Hayley blinked at me. "Gave in?"

"The first time he kidnapped me, he kept me isolated for months. Then one night he filled a meadow with fairy lights because I missed the ones in the town square. He asked me to stop fighting and I did. That is until I found out I was pregnant with Bennett."

"Are you sure you don't have Stockholm Syndrome?" Her brow rose. "It sounds like you do."

"What's that?"

"You don't know what Stockholm Syndrome is?"

"Can't say I'm familiar."

She pulled out her phone, typing rapidly. "Stockholm Syndrome is when a hostage, such as yourself, bonds with, identifies with, or sympathize with their captor."

"Isn't that what a regular relationship is? Bonding, identifying, and sympathizing with a person?"

"Yes, but when you did, you were the hostage and he was the captor. You just said he isolated you for months. Who knows what he did to manipulate you."

"Okay maybe he did do that. But there's a lot more at play here than just kidnapper and kidnappee."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

The answer was on the tip of my tongue.

Should I tell her? I hadn't even told Klaus yet. "Just know that we would've been drawn to each other one way or another. He sped up the process."

"He still held you against your will." She deadpanned.

"Like Elijah's so perfect."

"He's never done anything like that. You obviously disagree with what he did because you've run away from him, tried to hide Bennett from him. You wouldn't even tell us his name at first."

If we were being technical, I'd run from Klaus more than once. "If I never got pregnant, I probably wouldn't have attempted any sort of escape. You wouldn't have Hope."

"You would've pissed each other off sooner or later. Maybe it wouldn't have been me, but some other girl who was there."

I had to admit, what Klaus had been doing was unsustainable. He couldn't keep me locked away in that house forever. Eventually he'd have to leave, though I had no idea what it was he was doing when I was kept in The Room. "Not really, I did my best not to." Mostly because he used The Room as an ever present and looming threat. He knew I hated it in there, and I'm glad it doesn't exist in New Orleans. "I was well aware of what he or even Kol could do to me, given the opportunity."

"Then explain what happened while you were in the bayou."

"We were actively trying to hurt one another. He more than me." And it had hurt. Both physically and emotionally. Those marks were ridiculously accurate and painful. "Point being, that's not what's going on."

"Alright." Hayley held up her hands in surrender. "If that's what you want to believe."

"It's not a matter of 'what I want to believe'." Why was I trying to convince her. I knew what happened, I know why it happened. Maybe it would be better to tell her. "Klaus would always be part of my life, and I've just grown to accept that." No, better to tell Klaus first and then let everyone else know after. "Not that I don't want to be here with him, I do. It helps that he's clearly trying."

"Glad to know I've made an impression."

I turned to see Klaus, covered in an alarming amount of blood. He looked tired. "Did it work?"

"Yes. They're recovering downstairs. Hayley, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to my wife."

"We need to go get the babies anyway."

Hayley shifted awkwardly.

"Freya has agreed to keep them overnight again. They've all fallen asleep and it would be best not to move them." He had a point. Klaus put his hands behind his back. "If only to ensure we're all truly cured."

Hayley glanced between us before wandering past Klaus, most likely to find her own Mikaelson.

He pressed into the room, closing Elijah's study doors behind him. "It's come to my attention that Aurora still holds feelings for me."

"I thought we already figured that."

"We could use that against her."

"What do you mean?"

His lips pursed as he got closer. "She is under the impression you're dead. If we hid the five of you away, they would all believe their attempt successful." Klaus brushed his fingers against my cheek. "You could go visit your hunters, if you wish."

"And you would be doing..."

"I would allow Aurora to pursue me until I uncover their true intentions. What was their plan after? They had to have known it would be a death sentence to force my hand."

"You think there's more to this scheme."

Klaus nodded. "Though I would prefer it if you were not in harms way."

What he was asking... it was a lot. "Are you wanting my permission?"

"Yes. It's not only that," He avoided eye contact. "I would need you to leave the children with me."

My first instinct was to tell him no. That I wasn't going to allow them to be put in harms way. He knew I'd hate it. That I wouldn't leave them behind. That's why he couldn't look at me. "What?!"

"Trust me, love." Klaus took my face in his hands. "I'd never put them in danger. For my plan to work, I need you to be a willing participant. You are the most capable and able to sneak the various partners out of New Orleans safely."

"And if I say no?"

Something wicked gleamed in his eyes.