"It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an actual ball." Elena speaks as she sits inside The Grill with Maddy and Caroline.

"They're old-fashioned, Elena. Balls are normal for them. Your overthinking is what makes it weird." Maddy states picking up a fry from her plate and tossing it in her mouth.

"Well, lately overthinking things is what's kept me alive." Elena shrugs.

"Actually, Stefan and Damon are what's been keeping you alive. Along with the honorable mention of Bonnie and I of course." Maddy remarks.

"You bit into my neck and threatened to kill me." The doppelgänger reminds.

"Oh come on, don't pretend you didn't like it." The tribrid smirks. "Plus, I think that was a very reasonable reaction considering your prior actions."

"No, Elena'a right, it's weird. In fact, it's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is." Caroline speaks before looking at Elena. "And why does the Evil Witch want an audience with you?"

"What?" Maddy furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"Esther wants to meet me tonight. She's the one who personally sent me the invitation." Elena explains.

"Why the hell would she wanna meet you?" Maddy scrunches her face up in disgust.

"Maddy." Caroline lectures, gently nudging the girl's shoulder.

"I'm sorry that came out a lot meaner than I intended. It's just, that if she wants to live a peaceful life meeting you is not the way to do it." She chuckles.

"It's fine. I know wherever I go trouble tends to follow." Elena sighs. "I have no idea what she wants but there's only one way to find out."

"I thought you told Damon and Stefan that you weren't going." Caroline inquired.

"I did, which is all the more reason why I need a drama-free bodyguard," Elena states, slowly turning to eye Maddy.

Caroline quickly catches on smiling at Maddy. "You'd look good in a suit, Maddy.

"I look good in everything."  Maddy shrugs, tossing another fry in her mouth. "But I refuse to wear a pantsuit and I already have a date."

"What?" Elena questions leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"You're going?" Caroline's eyes widen in surprise.

"I'm dating a Mikaelson and I'm best friends with one. Of course, I'm going."

"I just thought that with the whole Kol situation, you wouldn't want to." Caroline offers, earning a pointed look from Maddy.

"What Kol situation?" Elena asks, glancing between the two.

"Oh, you didn't tell her." The blonde vampire realizes.

"No, Care. I haven't told anyone."

"Told anyone what?" The doppelganger urges.

Maddy could tell by the way Caroline was gnawing on her bottom lip, that she couldn't wait to spill the tea to Elena. "Go ahead." She sighs.

"Ok so Klaus's brother, Kol, is the one who turned Maddy and killed her family." She spoke, her tone a little too excited for both Maddy and Elena's liking.

"Gee don't be to sympathetic about it." Maddy raises her eyebrows sarcastically.

"Sorry, I just get anxious." Caroline shrinks back in her seat.

"Klaus's brother killed your family and you still wanna go to their ball?" Elena questions, trying to hide the judgment on her face.

"I'm not going for his family I'm going for him." She narrows her eyes at the doppelgänger. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No." Elena shakes her head, adverting her gaze from Maddy.

"Good, because then you and I would have a problem." She states standing up and placing a fifty-dollar bill on the table. "Foods on me girls. Now excuse me while I get around for this evening."

~~~~~

Maddy searches through the store for the perfect pair of shoes to match the dress Klaus had given her. She couldn't decide what color would go best. She was torn between a black pair of heels and a deep red pair. Such a small choice was saying heavy on her and it made her laugh at herself. She just wanted to look good for Klaus. Scratch that, she wanted to look extraordinary for him. She wanted his jaw to drop to the floor when she entered the room.

"The black pair are nice." A voice spoke up from behind her.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion, Kol." She dismisses, his name sounding like poison on her tongue.

"You looked like you needed it." He chuckles, now standing beside her.

"Then I suppose all the time you spent locked in that coffin has messed with your vision." She states, grabbing the red pair and walking past him.

"I like you Madison. You've got spunk." Kol smiles, following behind her as she moves to look at the jewelry.

"I'm a very likable person, unlike one of us." She side-eyes him, stopping to look at a necklace.

As she goes to walk past him he steps in front of her. "I want to apologize."

Maddy stops, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks up at him. "Go on."

"What I did, it wasn't personal. I was angry at your family and I lashed out. You and your siblings weren't supposed to get caught in between. I'm sorry for that." He apologizes.

"Why were you mad at my family? How'd you even know them?"

Kol glanced at his feet and then back at her. He wasn't sure if he should tell her the truth or not. He was already responsible for killing her family. Did he really wanna be responsible for her hating them too?

"I knew your mother and father." Kol nods.

"How?"

"I'll tell you the rest tonight after the ball. I don't wanna ruin your night with my brother."

He was lying. He didn't care about his brother's night, but he did care about hers. Kol Mikaelson wasn't a bad person, he could just be very careless at times. And he did wanna make up for slaughtering her family.

Maddy wanted to argue and demand him to tell her but decided against it. "Ok." She nods. "Well then, apology accepted."

"Great, then we can start over."

"Mmm, sure." Maddy nods warily. "Maybe."

"Hello, darling, I'm Kol Mikaelson." He greets, holding out his hand.

"Are you serious right now?" She looks at him in disbelief.

"I said start over. I meant it."

Maddy sighs, shaking his hand. "Madison Sinclair."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He smiles "You look absolutely ravishing. What are my chances of getting a date?"

"Zero," she snatches her hand away from his. "My boyfriend is the big bad hybrid and would kick your ass."

"Nah, I'm sure I could take him." He laughs, straightening himself out. "Plus I've seen the guy, he looks like a fool."

"Watch it." She warns, before turning her back and walking away, Kol following after her once again. "Klaus is excited about tonight, he wants it to be special."

"Mmhm, so does my mother." He watches her as she pays for her stuff.

"I want it to be a good night for him too. I want him to relax and be happy, even if it's just for one night." She swipes her card and then grabs her things. "So, if you cause any kind of trouble with him or Rebekah I won't hesitate to put you back in that coffin myself."

~~~~~

"You look amazing." Rebekah smiles at Maddy through the mirror.

"You think so?" Maddy questions as she turns around to face the blonde Original.

"Of course. I just might have to fight my wretched brother for the first dance."

The two girls had spent the past few hours secluded in one room getting ready for the night. Anytime Klaus tried stepping into the room to see Madison, Rebekah was quick to cut him off and send him away. As expected, the hybrid wasn't too happy about that, but he listened either way.

Maddy takes her time to eye Rebekah before another smile takes place on her lips. "You look beautiful, Bekah."

"Thank you... I just hope Matt shows up." She sighs looking at herself in the mirror.

"Matt? As in Matt Donovan?" Maddy questions in shock.

"Yes." Rebekah nods.

"Ew. You could do so much better. Why'd you pick him?" Maddy scrunches her face up in disgust.

"The same reason you're with my brother."

"Your brother is hot and the sex is good. I'm positive Matt doesn't check either of those boxes."

"Um, gross." Rebekah scrunches up her nose in disgust before turning to face her best friend. "I like Matt. He makes me feel human again."

Maddy's eyes soften at the sincerity in Rebekah's. Just the thought of Matt Donovan made her cringe, but if he was what Rebekah wanted then she would keep her remarks to herself.

"Ok." She nods, pulling her lips into a thin line. "Then in that case he'd be stupid not to come."

Rebekah smiles back at her before setting her hands on her hips. "Are you ready to go out there? I'm sure Niklaus is close to throwing a fit since he hasn't seen you in a few hours."

Maddy holds her arm out for the Original to link hers through. "I'm ready if you're ready." She smiles.

The two exit the room and join the party downstairs. Maddy searches the room, her eyes landing on a sight that makes jealousy boil within her. She saunters over to the scene, shoving people out of her way as she passes.

"What are you doing?" She questions the hybrid, glancing between him and her blonde friend who step away from each other.

"Maddy, you look amazing." Caroline smiles.

"You look beautiful, Love," Klaus speaks, his eyes roaming over her attire.

She did look flawless. Her strawberry-blonde hair ran in smooth silky waves down her back. A single diamond barrette pinned back the front pieces of her hair. Her lively green eyes were framed by thick dark lashes and her soft heart-shaped lips were painted a dark nude color.

"Apparently your vampire hearing is failing the two of you. I said, what are you doing?" She repeats herself, ignoring their compliments.

"We were just dancing, that's all, Maddy." Caroline spits out.

Maddy turns her hard gaze to Caroline, giving her a once over. "You look nice, Care. However, you need to walk away before I make a scene and while you're leaving keep in mind I've saved your life on multiple occasions. I can end it too."

Caroline was left speechless. She quickly turned her back and scurried. She would've asked what was wrong with the tribrid but decided against it when she figured it probably wasn't the best idea for her to be dancing with Klaus in the first place.

"Getting jealous are we?" Klaus raises an eyebrow at his woman.

"Not jealous. More like embarrassed." She narrows her eyes before giving him her back and walking away.

"We were just dancing." Klaus chases after her.

"Yeah, I heard that."

"So then what are you upset about?" He questions, quickly moving in front of her to stop her from moving any further.

"You two were slow dancing. Her hand was in yours. I got all dressed up for you and I come down here to find you slow dancing with my friend." She explains. "If you don't understand why that upsets me then clearly your years on earth have done you no justice."

"It wasn't like that." He shakes his head.

"Then what was it like?"

"You want me to get along with your friends. Most of them hate me and I hate most of them. I was just trying to be cordial with her for you." He explains, grabbing her hand.

He was being honest. He had absolutely no interest in Caroline Forbes. He had absolutely no interest in any girl if they weren't named Madison Sinclair. All he wanted was for Maddy to know he was trying in their relationship. He knew she wanted their worlds to blend and become one peacefully. So did, which is why he was the one to invite her and Caroline to the Ball.

Elena, Damon, Stefan, and Binnie were lost causes, but maybe he could form some kind of friendship with Caroline so Maddy wouldn't have to feel so divided all the time.  If he and Caroline could be in the same room as each other peacefully then Maddy could have someone outside his family to be around without feeling like she was choosing sides. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have sent the invite to the Forbes residence and wouldn't have cared if Caroline was here or not.

"You don't get to dance with any woman besides me, Rebekah, and your mother." She states. "Or else I'll break your hands."

"Ok, I won't. You have my word." Klaus smiles down at her before pulling her body close to his.

Maddy looks up at him, admiration in her eyes. "Thank you." She smiles.

"For what, Love?"

"For trying to be friends with Caroline. It means a lot."

Cupping her face, he places a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'd do anything for you, Madison."