Some notes before we begin…

Obviously *disclaimer* I do not claim any characters or aspect from The Vampire Diaries of The Originals. I simply used them to build my own story idea off of. I can only claim the couple of new characters that I have added J

Changes from the TV show plot line:

-Katherine did not become a vampire in 1492 when she escaped, it happened later, and you will learn how

-Finn was not killed by the Mystic Falls gang. One he was reunited with Sage, Klaus allowed them to leave for a sort of "honeymoon" so he and she will both show up with the family in New Orleans

-Though I don't particularly like The Originals (the TV show, I love the family), I am taking only the baby story line as well as some characters mentioned in that show. I won't be following much else form it, which includes the romantic feelings between Hayley and Elijah, they were only friends. Hayley is dead and will stay dead. I'm keeping the baby named Hope because it seemed to fit

-Kol was brought back to life in New Orleans, by his siblings. And he is now a human and extremely powerful warlock that helps lead the witches in New Orleans

-Katherine and Stefan did not have sex! They just reconnected in a friendship type of way, but she was not trying to win him back because in my story (and mind) she is in love with Elijah

-Also important, I'm changing the ages for when Katherine and Nadia turned. Katherine became a vampire at 21. Nadia was 18. And just for your information, my new character, Lilliana, was 16.

Mystic Falls-Present Day

"So do you have the tickets?" Katherine asked as she stuffed the last of the clothing she was "borrowing" into the small duffle bag.

"I do. I'm guessing this means you want to live now?" her daughter's voice answered back through the phone pressed tightly against her ear.

"No, Nadia. This just means that I have accepted the inevitable. Now, I just want to spend my last days with my daughter in my home country." Zipping up the bag, she slung it over her shoulder, trying to ignore the pain that was slowly radiating down into her arm. The body aches were another unfortunate sign that she was aging quickly and wouldn't be part of this world for much longer.

"Why now?"

"It's becoming clear that I don't have much longer left. I've got the small amount of forgiveness and closure that is possible for me to earn here. Now I just want to make up for lost time with you."

During her conversation with Stefan it had been made quite clear that no one in Mystic Falls would ever see past the things she had done. And Katherine Pierce did not care, with the exception of Stefan. She had loved him once, and had been hoping he, of all people, would sympathize with her tragic story and offer her compassion and friendship. Yet, it was proven once again, that she could trust no one. In the end, she would always be alone. And now she felt ridden with guilt at the thought of leaving her daughter to the same fate.

"I'd like that," Nadia responded quietly as she wiped a tear from her eye. It was finally sinking in that she was losing her mother for good this time. But at the same time it touched her that her mother was finally going to focus on making things right between them.

"I'll see you soon. I'll probably be walking somewhere along main street when you get here," Katherine grunted as she pulled her hair back to put on the faded baseball cap.

"I'll find you."

"Bye." Katherine smiled, finally feeling a sense of peace settle into her as she contemplated her death. She had accepted that she would never make amends with the meddling Scooby gang of Mystic Falls, but there was someone else who she might have a chance of making her peace with before she died.

Dialing the familiar number, she began to feel her throat tighten up, making her short of breath. Distantly, she could hear the ringing on the line, but before she could hear whether or not there was an answer, her vision went black and the last sensation she felt was her body slowly falling.

"Hello…. Hello?" a confused voice came through the cell phone, lying next to Katarina's prostrate body at the bottom of the stairs.

"Katarina?"

After a few more moments of silence, Elijah hung up the phone. For a moment he considered dialing her back, but before he could decide, he heard the small *whoosh* of another vampire entering the room.

"Was that her, Daddy?"

Italy-1501

"Would you just pick something already, Rebekah?" Kol whined as he and Elijah followed their sister through the rows of dresses in the little makeshift shop. "I doubt one color makes much difference compared to the rest, you'll still look frightening." He snickered as he turned to Elijah, looking for a response. The bored look on their elder brother's face not only disappointed him, it also distracted him from the oncoming blow of his sister's hand to the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"You should learn to treat each other with more respect," Elijah chided, causing the triumphant smirk on Rebekah's face to fall. Allowing the two of them to wander on ahead, Elijah paused to observe the busy plaza. Market days always drew a large crowd, both young and old, rich and poor. It was simple moments like these, where he allowed himself to relax, that his guard would slip. When the walls came down, even for a moment, memories of her came flooding back in. Her smile, touch, smell, and taste would attack his sense all at once. The last time he saw her, hair loose, nightgown flowing around her as she silently slipped from the room…

"Monella! Fermi!"

The loud cry broke through the market place, disturbing his peaceful reverie. As his eyes shot open, in front of him he saw a young girl running through the crowd in his direction, clutching a small bundle of herbs. She was dressed quite ragged, in a dress much too small for her. Her long black curls were untamed and flying in the breeze of her wake. As she turned her gaze on him, he was struck by the familiarity he saw in her big, brown eyes.

Feeling drawn to the child, Elijah quickly stepped into her path, holding her arms tight in his grip. Immediately she began to fight back, so, crouching down to her level, he quickly compelled her.

"Tu non lotti, bambina."

Her movements ceased as she gazed up into his eyes confused, but surprisingly trustful.

"Do you speak any English?" he questioned her.

"Yes, milord," she answered with a proud tilt of her head. "Mama has made sure I can speak many languages."

Elijah couldn't help but grin at the child's mannerisms. Seeing the merchant who had yelled at her before, he quickly stood up, pulling her to his side by holding her empty hand.

"Do not say anything and stay by my side," he told her quickly.

"Lei sostiene che bambina?" the merchant asked as he approached.

"Yes, she is my daughter," Elijah explained, knowing that all the merchants were able to converse in English. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"She stole from my cart," he accused. "Either you punish her or I take it to la autorita'."

"There is no need for that I assure you," Elijah told the man. "I believe it's all just been a misunderstanding. You see I instructed my daughter to purchase the items, but she was too shy to see if you spoke English. I can easily pay you now for the herbs."

The man did not seem pleased but he quickly accepted Elijah's offer, walking away with his demanded price.

The child, who had stayed silent until this moment, looked up at him in amazement.

"You saved me, milord. The enforcers do not treat the children of the street very kindly," she explained.

"It was my pleasure," Elijah smiled at her. "Now, might you tell me your name, little friend?"

"I am Lilliana. Lilliana Faraldo."

Mystic Falls-Present Day

"What happened?" Nadia demanded as she approached Stefan.

The two stood next a glass window, through which, they could see Katherine resting peacefully in a hospital bed.

"The doctor's think it was a heart attack," Stefan explained.

"But it doesn't make sense!" Nadia exclaimed. "I was just speaking to her, she was fine."

"It appears that the rate of her aging is increasing," Stefan sighed.

"No," Nadia argued, turning to face the glass window that separated her from her mother. "We both know my mother, she is a survivor and she will fight this. She will…"

"She's dying!" Stefan interrupted before Nadia could continue. Then much more gently, he continued, "Every single organ in her body is failing. I tired, but vampire blood can't save her. I compelled the doctors to let me take her home so we can make her comfortable, but she is dying."

At his last words, Nadia quickly turned around and made her way towards the exit of the hospital.

"What, that's it? You're just going to leave?" Stefan called out after her.

Nadia paused and turned to face him. "Make sure she's comfortable, and please, keep you're deranged brother away from her. I'll be back as fast as I can."

"But where are you going?"

"I'm going to save my mother."

"And how do plan on doing that? Katherine Pierce is one of the craftiest people I have ever met. If there was a way to save herself, she would have found it," Stefan explained.

"Except there is one thing I'm willing to do that my mother would never even consider," Nadia answered.

"What's that?"

"I'm going to make a deal with the devil," Nadia grimaced as she turned back around and marched out of the hospital.

New Orleans-Present Day

"You've been avoiding me for two days now, Daddy."

"I have no idea where you got such an impression, Lilliana?" Elijah questioned his adopted daughter with a smirk. She always had a way of brighten his sourest of moods. It was one of the many reasons he had taken her in, and why his siblings had gladly approved and accepted her as part of the family.

"Yes you do," she rolled her eyes, knowing she was teasing. "So was I right? Did you finally tell her the news?"

"No, my dear," Elijah sighed. "I'm afraid it was a misdialed number. And I haven't quite gathered the courage to call and inform her yet."

Lilliana slowly approached him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Elijah was a very proper man, and he rarely allowed physical displays of affection. Lilliana was the one exception. From the day he first saw her in the markets of Italy up until the day she approached him, asking him to be her father, the child had slowly weaseled her way into his dead heart.

"I don't know much about Katherine Pierce," she sighed, "but from what Uncle Finn and Kol have told me, it sounds like she loved you very much. I'm sure she'd coming racing to your side if you explained the many reasons why you had to leave her before."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated then that, mio Tesoro," Elijah sighed. Though she had been a vampire for hundreds of years, Elijah still pictured his Lilliana as the eight-year-old girl who had ran into him in the market. In moments, like these, where she proved the wisdom she had learned through the years, he was always left baffled by her insight into human behavior. However, he typically choose to brush it to the side so has not to ruin the image of the little girl that he had in his mind.

"I don't think there is," she smiled at him. "The only complication, though a big one, that was present in your relationship with her was the fact that she was on Uncle Klaus' 'revenge list'. But he has granted her freedom now!" The tiny laugh that left her sixteen-year-old body went straight to Elijah's heart.

"It's because he's a big old chicken, Lilliana."

They both turned to see Kol entering the room with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Kol…"

With that simple tone of voice, Kol knew very well that Elijah was warning him to help him drop the subject, not make the situation worse.

"Very well, I shall not humiliate you further, my brother," Kol said with a compassionate smile. Ever since his brothers had moved heaven and hell to bring him back from the other side, the Originals had found a way to set aside their differences and come together, all five of them, sharing a bond stronger then they had ever imagined was possible. "I was just coming to inform you that you have a very mysterious visitor downstairs."

Intrigued, Elijah, followed by Lilliana, made their way out of the former's study towards the grand staircase of the large renovated mansion the family had bought on the outskirts of Louisiana.

"Lilliana, where are you going?" Elijah asked, though he never turned his eyes on her.

"To my room," she said with a huff, making her way back up the staircase. From the day she had moved in with the family, there had been really only one rule that was enforced, one that she despised. No one was to know of her connection to the Mikaelson Family. While this rule had allowed her a freedom of traveling out into the world on her own, often as a spy for said family, it inhibited her from being included on many affairs. Every time, she would wait in her room till the business was taken care of and then wait for the next family meeting where her father, aunt, and uncles would fill her in. Perhaps if she had been more rebellious or stubborn, this wouldn't be so. But Lilliana possessed a very kind, understanding, and compassionate nature. All of which were rare traits amongst her adopted family, but it is what helped to make her an important part of the family. It was also one of the reasons they had been able to finally move past their many problems and were now living together to help Klaus rule New Orleans.

Still, though an obedient child, it did not prevent her curiosity from getting the better of her. When picking her room in the new mansion, Lilliana had chosen quite strategically. She did not base her choice off of which way the windows faced (like Rebekah), or it's distance to the kitchens (like Kol). Instead she had found the one with a vent that was placed directly above the large entryway on the second floor. Not only did it allow her to see and hear into the entrance of the house, it also allowed her to eavesdrop into the sitting room just to the right of the grand foyer and directly beneath her bedroom.

Laying down to gaze through the vent, and harnessing her vampire hearing, she paid close attention to the conversation taking place with the visitor just outside the front door.

"Are you really not going to let me in?" the stranger asked, clearly annoyed.

As Elijah descended the staircase his hearing easily picked up the accented voice. It was definitely Eastern European. Perhaps, dare he think it, Bulgarian?

"Sorry, thief," he heard Rebekah snidely remark. "We made sure to put this house in the name of our very human housekeeper. It helps to control intruders."

"Look, I'm sorry about Prague," the stranger answered back. "But when I heard your boy-toy was from Mystic Falls, I knew I could use him to get me there."

"And what business did you have in Mystic Falls?" Rebekah asked.

"The same that brings me here."

"And what business is that?" Elijah asked as he and Kol stepped into eyesight of the two women bickering over the threshold.

"Are you Elijah Mikaelson?" the tall, dark, beauty questioned.

"I am. I see you already know Rebekah and this is my younger brother Kol. Now, would you please tell us who you are and what your business is here?" he spoke sternly.

"My name is Nadia, and I am here on behalf of my mother, Katarina Petrova."

Kol knew that if his brand new human ears could pick up the audible gasp coming from upstairs, then all three present vampires were aware of it as well. He casually looked to Elijah, wondering if his brother would bother to explain, but the elder Mikaelson carried on as if he was unaware of the sound.

"So, you are the daughter that got Katarina banished from Bulgaria?" Elijah questioned.

"You should thank me," Nadia smirked. "How else would you and your brother have met your precious doppelganger?"

"I do believe that is a pleasure that Nik wouldn't have minded missing," Kol chuckled.

"Well I know for a fact, from what my mother has filled me in on, that the Lord Elijah took great pleasure in her," Nadia said snidely.

That was the final straw for Elijah. Sexual innuendos always made him uncomfortable, especially when they were in reference to him. *Whooshing* to the door, he looked Nadia in the eyes ready to compel her.

"Tell us what you are here for and refrain from making unnecessary comments," he commanded.

"Won't work," Nadia smiled. "A nice trick I learned from my mother. Katherine Pierce always makes sure to be on vervain when there is the possibility of running into an Original."

"Well now you have two options, Miss Petrova," Elijah began coolly. "Either you tell me why you are here… or I lock you up in the cellar, wait for the vervain to leave your system, and then compel you to tell me."

"Or you could just let me and Kol torture it out of her. How often is it you get to give aneurisms to vampires in New Orleans, brother?" Rebekah added.

"Not often enough," Kol laughed.

"Fine," Nadia spat. "My mother's right, you guys have no sense of fun," she added to the side.

"Why are you here?" Elijah finally demanded.

"My mother is dying," Nadia admitted. "I've heard of the power of New Orleans witches and I know you're family has great influence over them. Surely one of them must know a way to save her."

"Even if we did believe you," Kol spoke, letting his voice convey the extent of his doubt at her words, "what makes you think we would want to help you or Katarina?"

"If you are trying to scare me with the threat of your brother Klaus, that's not going to work," Nadia responded. "Word has spread enough that the entire supernatural world knows that Klaus has granted my mother her freedom. Why that is, no one seems to know or will say."

This caused Rebekah to let out a sigh of relief. This meant that Hope's existence still remained a secret. Katherine Pierce may not have known the extent of what she did when she killed Marcel, but it had bought her the gratitude of the man she had ran from her whole vampire existence.

Northern Louisisana-3 months earlier

"You should let me watch over things here, so you may return to New Orleans."

"No," Marcel scolded the lackey. "The Quarter is already lost to me. The only chance I have regaining it, is to use the child as leverage."

It was that last phrase that caught Katherine's interest. New Orleans, The Quarter, a child… all of these hinted towards one person, Klaus Mikaelson. Though it was more difficult without her vampire talents, the human Katherine worked extra hard to keep tabs on those who would surely hunt her down once word had spread about her new weakness. She knew it would be better to be one step ahead by at least knowing who was coming after her, and then she could prepare to give them a fight if they caught up with her.

So, taking a great risk, she took her drink from the bar and moved to use the dartboard, right next to the table seating the two vampires. Upon closer inspection, she could see clearly that the dark one, the one who spoke of the child, was Marcel, Klaus' adopted son.

"I need you to go back and gather any who are still loyal, and check on Davina for me," Marcel commanded. "Once you return with word, I'll go collect the child from Abby Bennett."

This certainly perked Katherine's interest, but she continued to look indifferent and focused on her game as she heard the lackey leave the bar.

"Mind if I join you?" she heard Marcel's smooth voice approach her from behind after a few minutes.

Cursing herself for lingering too long, Katherine knew there was no way to avoid him seeing who she was. She just needed to avoid becoming another bargaining chip for him against Klaus.

"I'm pretty sure I'm too old for you," she said sassily as she turned around to face him, letting him see beneath the lip of her ball cap.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled. "The Infamous Katherine Pierce! What brings you around these parts? You're mighty close to New Orleans."

"Sometimes the best hiding spots are right underneath your nose," she smirked. Inside she was holding her breath. So far it seemed that he was unaware of her new humanity. All it would take was one good sniff and he would know of her vulnerability.

"How would you like to change that?" he questioned with a charming smile.

Oh, great. Now he was going to try flattery to get himself a deal with her.

"I'm listening," she played along.

"I am currently raging a war with the Original Family. Your skills, both in fighting and strategy, would be very helpful. What do you say?"

"Maybe once… Thanks again Elena," she thought bitterly.

"All the Originals, you say? I thought you and Rebekah still had a little thing for each other," she baited. It was best she kept him talking while she thought of a way to make sure she came out of this situation alive and Marcel did not. She may not have great love for the Mikaelsons as a whole, but she wouldn't let this scum hurt Elijah, or the little child that was his niece or nephew.

"Rebekah made her choice," he spat out, his voice growing dark. But, ever the charmer, he was quick to switch his tone back. "So the position to rule New Orleans by my side as Queen is wide open."

With his next movement, she knew the jig was up. In one moment he was standing a whole foot away from her, the next he was behind her, arms around her waist as he trailed his nose up and down her neck. There was no way he wouldn't notice the difference in her scent.

"Hmmm," he breathed out. "What's this I smell? The mighty Katherine Pierce, a human?"

Pushing as hard as she could, Katherine broke out of his embrace and turned to face him head on. There was no use checking her surroundings, she had done that the moment she walked in, memorizing every possible potential weapon or escape route. And she had paid close enough attention during their conversation to know, that besides the bartender, who had just slipped into the back room, they were the only two customers inside the dingy bar.

"Still want to make a deal?" she asked, making him think she was grasping at straws as she desperately ran through her options. It quickly narrowed down to only two. She could make a run for it or attack him. Either way, survival was not likely. But luckily, survival had always been a great talent of Katherine Pierce, as both human and vampire.

"Afraid not, sweetheart," he chuckled sadly. "It seems you have nothing left to offer me, except for a midnight snack."

The first sign she saw of his face changing to vamp-mode, she bolted across the room towards the area she had noticed had the most accessible pointed wooden objects.

She could tell Marcel was feeling confident tonight as he wasn't even bothering to use his vamp speed or anything. Seeing some empty glasses on one of the tables, she quickly began chucking them at him to try and get him distracted enough for her to hide a stake on her. Of course, he saw them all coming and dodged them just slightly, keeping his eyes pinned on her.

"No need to make this so messy Katherine," he smiled at her like they were still talking business. "All I want is a little taste, I'll heal you and you can be on your way."

Katherine didn't trust that promise for a minute. Trying a different approach she pulled one of the table clothes off and quickly doused it with a bottle of alcohol that had been left out at one of the tables. Never had she been so thankful for a dirty bar in her life. Pulling her lighter out of her pocket, she lit the corner of the wadded up table cloth, letting the flame spread a little bit more before she threw it at the approaching vampire. He of course dodged this as well, but it did make it's way to the bar, quickly spreading so that the entire wall was on fire.

At the sound of crackling flames and exploding bottles, the bartender made his way back from the storage room.

"Great, now you've really made things complicated," murmured Marcel as he quickly flashed over to take care of the witness.

It didn't take him too long, but it provided just enough time for Katherine to hide a broken chair spool in her back pocket and underneath her shirt.

No longer playing games, Marcel *whooshed* right in front of Katherine and gently cupped her face with his hands.

"There's no need to be so scared. I promised you, just a taste. Then I'll happily let you go on your way, forever cowering in the shadows, like the little cat you are," he chuckled as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

Focusing to keep her control as his fangs pierced her skin, Katherine prayed that she was strong enough to hit her target as she let one hand slowly slip the homemade stake out of her pocket. Once she had it out and gripped tightly, she used as much human speed as she could manage and drove the stake upward between them, into Marcel's chest. She backed up slowly, her eyes immediately flickering to his chest.

Katherine hadn't considered herself a God-fearing person since the day she discovered what the Mikaelson brothers were and began the 500-year long run for her life. But today, she found herself praising some Deity that her aim had been so lucky. There, before her eyes, Marcel, slowly began to desiccate.

For a moment, Katherine was in shock. She, a human, had managed to kill a vampire who was several hundred years old. True, he would have been a piece of cake for her strength had she still been a vampire. But as an old, rapidly aging human, it made her laugh out loud.

Which she did, as she gloated over the forever-dead body lying at her feet. "You were always too cocky for your own good Marcel, a common flaw amongst men. Trust me, that child will be much better off without you disrupting it's life."

Seeing the flames quickly spreading across the room, Katherine quickly searched the body, taking his cell phone and wallet and bolted from the bar as fast as she could.

That next morning she went to the closest post office and mailed Klaus the phone with a note that said, "Best regards. –K.P."

New Orleans-Present Day

"If it is so well-known, how come Katarina has not come to make a deal herself?" Elijah questioned, still not believing the story he was hearing.

"Because," Nadia began, feeling quite annoyed that no one believed her, "ever since the day that 'little angel' Elena, forcibly shoved the cure down my mother's throat, her 500-years of immortality have been catching up with her."

"You mean Katherine is the one that got the cure!" Rebekah yelled, clearly not happy.

"Trust me, it wasn't by choice," Nadia scoffed. "If you want to blame someone, please feel free to take your anger out on Elena. But that's not why she's dying now."

"Please, continue," Elijah asked calmly. Though on the inside he was anything but calm. His Katarina, human again? It sounded too good to be true. This was just the opportunity he needed to prove his love for her and bring her back to New Orleans to take care of her forever.

"Silas has been causing trouble for them in Mystic Falls. So in order to get him out of their lives, Damon Salvatore feed my mother to him, allowing him to drain every last drop of blood in her body, along with the cure. Since then, her aging has increased and now it is only a matter of time before she will die!" Nadia's voice broke at the end as she fought to keep back the tears that were threatening to spill over her eyes.

Silence lingered in the room.

"What do you want to do Elijah?" Kol asked, breaking the state of shock that seemed to have possessed everyone.

Thinking for a moment, Elijah put his fingers to his chin and slowly paced the room. It only took one lap before he faced the group, determination clearly etched on his face.

"Here is what we will do," he began. "Kol, go get Finn, and together you two gather the most trusted and powerful witches you can and get them all booked on the next flight to Richmond. Rebekah, I'll entrust you to go inform Niklaus of this development and ask him politely if he will accompany us. All of you meet me back here as soon as you can. We shall need to have a quick family discussion before we depart."

Both siblings nodded, and understanding their instructions, quickly took off out of the house. Rebekah *whooshed* quietly out of sight while Kol ran straight for his motorcycle, which was always parked right next to the front door for his easy access.

"As for you, Miss Petrova," Elijah spoke, facing their guest. "I shall charge you with the task of retrieving your mother from the Salvatores. Should you run into any difficulties," he reached into his pocket for one of his calling cards, "Please don't hesitate-"

"I'm going with her!"

Both vampires turned, stunned to see a small vampire standing at the base of the large staircase.

"Lilliana," Elijah growled out, not pleased at all with her interruption. "This is not the appropriate time for you to decide to finally have a rebellious stage."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she apologized as she approached them. "But there is something I must explain, something about my past that I never thought mattered until now. Once you hear it you will understand why I must go with you. This piece of my past is something I must tell you…both of you," she added as she nodded towards Nadia, still standing outside.

"Maria?" Elijah called out.

"Yes, sir?" came the quick reply of the housekeeper as she hustled quickly into the room.

"Quickly, invite our quest in," he grumbled, still not pleased with his daughter. "Whatever it is, do so quickly, Lilliana. We don't have much time to spare."

With that, he quickly led the two girls into the side drawing room to hear Lilliana's tale.

Italy-1493

"È quasi qui!" Elisabetta encouraged from between Katarina's propped up legs.

As the now eighteen-year-old girl bore down as hard as she could, she mentally cursed herself for allowing this to happen to her again. Thankfully Trevor had left her here with a friend, the witch Elisabetta, to care for her once he found out about her condition. He hadn't been heard from since, but she didn't mind. She was starting a new life once again, in a new country with a new name. She had been too prideful to change her first name quite yet, but her new friend had suggested she take on a new surname and try to pass herself off as Italian.

As another pain hit her and she was consumed with the urge to push again, Katarina pondered on how she had again ended up giving birth, once more, to a child that would never know it's father. She should have known better, she should have learned from the last time. Men were pigs. Once they got what they wanted from you, they left you to deal with the repercussions. Of course, with her luck, she would be pregnant again. But this time there was an added fear that came with having this child, not because of who the child's father was, but because of what he was.

Before she could allow her thoughts to shift to him, Elisabetta's voice broke through the haze of pain.

"Una ragazza! You have a daughter, Katarina!" the witch called out joyfully.

Another girl? Katarina's fearful thoughts vanished as she focused on the small bundle in her friend's arms. Memories of her father walking out of the room with her first child quickly filled her mind and heart with panic. "Please, can I hold her?"

"Of course, my friend," Elisabetta spoke gently as she laid the small child in Katarina's waiting arms.

"Oh, she's perfect," cooed the new mother as she stared at the heart-shaped face and tuff of black curls on top of the baby's head.

"What shall you call her?"

"Lilliana. She shall be Lilliana Faraldo."

New Orleans-Present Day

"Why have you never spoken of this before?" Elijah shouted as Lilliana revealed the truth of her parentage.

"You never asked. That day I came to you and asked for you to be my father because my mother had died, you asked no questions. You just looked at me with love in your eyes and embraced me as your daughter," Lilliana responded quietly, with tears in her eyes.

"You- you are my sister?" Nadia asked, quite shocked at this turn of events. "Why wouldn't Katherine tell me she had given birth to another child?"

"That's something I would very much like to ask her myself, once we save her," Lilliana smiled. "So, now do you understand why I must go? Will you permit me, Daddy?"

Elijah was still too stunned to comprehend that he was being spoken to at first. It all made so much sense now why he had been drawn to Lilliana, why she had seemed so familiar to him. It was because she was a piece of his true love, of his Katarina.

"Of course, tesorina," he smiled as he approached. "You go ahead with your sister. I only ask that you wait to see your mother until I am there. I'd like to give you the assignment of gathering the witches from Richmond. After they have landed, take them to a hotel near Mystic Falls and wait for me to contact you where to bring them. Can you do that?"

"Sì, pappino," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Bending over, Elijah gave a gentle kiss to her forehead, before he took a step back.

"Go quickly then," he smiled softly, "I'll see you soon."

With those words the two newly found sisters flashed from the room and into Nadia's rented car, racing towards their mother.

Hope I didn't butcher this too bad. It's been almost 3 years since I took my Italian class

Italian translations:

Monella! Fermi!: Urchin! Stop!

Tu non lotti, bambina: Do not fight me, child

Lei sostiene che bambina?: You claim that child?

Mio Tesoro: my darling (literally treasure)

E quasi qui!: It's almost here!

Una ragazza: a girl

Tesorina: similar to sweetheart

Si, pappino: Yes, Daddy