Double update day because I need a good word count this month. I can't do less than 50k, that would be below me considering that I did write over 75k in 2 weeks.

The Mikaelson household was in an uproar at the knowledge of our mother's return. Nik was absolutely beside himself with anger, his werewolf temper getting the best of him. He yelled and he yelled and he yelled at anyone who dared to challenge his judgements. While Elijah and I knew how to calm Nik out of his temper, the rest of us did not. Nora and Nik had gotten into a fight over Lily, setting my mates off into a tizzy as well.

In short, things were a mess.

I tried my best to keep everyone happy. In a way, I had become the Original Mediator and the Original Therapist. How people did that job was beyond me. Not only did Nik have a temper, but he also had deep routed daddy and mommy issues. To be fair, everyone in the household did at this point, maybe baring Jer because his parents were human. Then again, they were dead, not here to cause chaos in a household of supernatural creatures.

"Would you just listen to me for once, Rebekah?" Nik shouted from the kitchen. Stefan grasped my hand and Elijah groaned, knowing what was about to happen. Even the noble brother was on the verge of losing his temper with his beloved family. "Do you always have to work against me on everything? I thought that these childish things would have gone away! Are you a child?"

Elijah, Stefan, and I made our way to the kitchen, the place where everything seemed to go down. Teeth were bared and it looked like it would become a warzone if someone did not interfere. Once Henrik saw us, he grabbed Jer and dragged him out of the room, not wanting his very human friend to get hurt because of his older brother. Not everyone in this house was supernatural. We had to do better to remember that.

"Niklaus, what seems to be the issue?" Elijah asks, drawing out the first part of Nik's full name as usual, huffing in annoyance. My brother always looked to have a face full of pride, even if he did not show it. He was just as haughty as Nik in many ways, even if he would deny it as long as he lived, which would be forever. "What has our little sister done that has made you so upset?"

"She keeps on trying to defend that whore!" Nik exclaims, his teeth almost showing. Well, Rebekah, I can't defend you on this one. Esther needs to die a horrible and painful death once again. She cannot be allowed to live, big sister. I know that you love her, but after everything that she has done, she will never be loved and trusted inside of this family. Her actions are a sin to Always and Forever.

"I am not defending her! I am just trying to point out that she could be looking for a second chance! I am not going to forgive her or allow her in my life, but that could be what she is doing!" Rebekah shouts at our older brother, who looks beyond done with his little sister and her theories.

"I don't care what she is looking for, Rebekah! She will tear this family apart! Is she not doing that right now? She needs to be dead," Nik makes a good point. With her presence, Esther had almost managed to tear this family apart. God knows what she would do if anyone here even got a chance to speak with her.

No, the most hated of her kin had to come. We would be the only ones who could see past her manipulations. We were, of course, the master manipulators ourselves. Esther hated what we were and would try and kill us all. The woman wouldn't be working with Elena Gilbert if she wanted to apologize. Elena had been forgiven for her actions, but we all knew that she was an enemy to this family.

"Rebekah," I start. The people in the kitchen look at me. "Our mother has always done whatever it takes to tear us apart. She lied to you about me and then tried to pin you against Nik after he triggered the curse. Esther Mikaelson does everything with manipulation in her heart. She wants you to feel sorry for her, Rebekah, so that you give her that trust that you give out to those you feel pity for. She will weave her way in and cut you up like a knife. What Esther truly wants is Nik and I dead. That is why Elena brought her back. Elena is using Esther to get to us. We can not let this girl get away with anything more. Mother and Elena will die."

"Rebekah, witches hate vampires. She hates what we are," Elijah points out. "Our mother is determined. We all get that determination from her. There is no doubt in my mind that Esther will try to pin us against each other if and when she comes out of Elena's house. Let us fight no more. I am sick of the fighting."

"Brother," Nik draws out in a softer tone. Elijah had finally started to break. The man was good at hiding everything that he felt, but we knew that his emotions were just as heightened as ours. The noble brother hated seeing his family fight and the better lot of us did nothing but that for the last few weeks. "Elijah, I didn't mean to upset you."

It was not an apology, but it was the truth.

"Let us fight no longer. We must stand strong, Nik, or we will fall," Elijah's eyes turned to the floor before he left.

"Well, we fucked up," Rebekah deadpans. "Elijah never shows that much emotion. Nik, I'm sorry," my older sister gives a rare apology.

"I am sorry for losing my temper with you as well, little sister. Let us give Elijah some space before we properly apologize to him. I believe that we have pushed our brother too far," Nik suggests. Rebekah nods, grabbing her purse and sighing. Nik looks at me and tries to smile. "I must also apologize to you, little one, for all of the times these past few weeks where I have had to rely on you to solve the conflict in the house. I should not use you like that."

"Nik, you don't need to worry about that. Everyone has been reasonably stressed. The heretics are here and they all have a temper of their own, Jer is human and is still begging Henrik to let him turn, you and I are trying to kill Esther and Elena, I am still trying to make Henrik a magic thing that will turn him into an Original instead of a normal vampire, and on top of all of that I still don't know what we are going to do with Lily. The heretics don't want to be with her anymore after seeing this household and how devoted we all are to each other, but they may want her to still come out of the prison," I try to comfort Nik.

I never felt used by him. He was the one who was always there for me.

It was only fair that I do the same for him.

"I don't think that Lily will be a problem for a while," Stefan has to bite back while speaking of the woman that had abandoned him and his brother as young children. "She will stay there for the rest of eternity. A ripper without their mate would not be safe for anywhere, especially with Jeremy, who is obviously still a human."

"Why won't Henrik just allow one of us to turn him? The good Gilbert clearly wants to be one of us," Nik questions, not understanding his little brother's reasoning.

"He thinks that Jeremy should be able to live as a human for a little while longer. Honestly Nik, it would be wise to turn him soon. He's in danger as a human in this house. I've tried to talk to Henrik but he won't listen," Stefan explains to the Original Hybrid, who just groans.

"Most definitely a Mikaelson with that stubbornness in him," Nik muses.

"I wish he could, I don't know, marry into the family. He'll always be like a brother to me, but I want for him to be my actual brother," I admit. Nik looks confused.

"You want that boy to be eaten up by Rebekah. Sister, are you even more sadistic than me?" I laugh at Nik. Oh boy, are you blind?

"I don't think my mate was thinking of your sister, Nik," Stefan chuckles as Nik looks to grow more confused. For a man who has been around for more than 1000 years, he was thicker than the damned trunk of the white oak tree. "Do you not see the possibilities?"

"Who? Which brother do you think fancies men?" Nik questions my mate, laughing at the idea. Nik was one of the most damned accepting man I'd ever met, even compelling all of the pastors and such into not coming after the homosexual couples. He would always be accepting if someone came out. Oftentimes, he would know before someone told him. He had gaydar with everyone but his family, it seems.

"Honestly, Nik, is your gaydar getting faulty?" Nik gives a hurt gasp. "Our baby brother is spending a lot of time with the Gilbert boy. Jer seems to desperately seek his approval for the change. Why would Henrik stop his best friend from becoming one of us if not for his love?"

"Oh good lord, this is going to be a long eternity."