Summary: A new threat comes to New Orleans and the Mikaelson family is once again facing the loss of their family ... permanently. A sequel to Drink You Away.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Originals; all credit goes to Julie Plec and the executives. I do, however, own Juliet Ambrosia.
Chapter 1 - Gather Up the Killers
It had been five years since Hayley Marshall stepped foot into New Orleans; five years since losing the man she loved and five years since Hope had lost her father in a noble sacrifice. During that time, the mother made it a priority to bring the Mikaelson family back from their long slumber, cure Freya from the poison Juliet had set forth in the witch and siphon the hex Rebekah was cursed with by Aya.
It seemed like an eternity since the fight to end the prophecy; so much happened in that duration. She lost too many good people but gained the secrecy and protection for her daughter. If it weren't for Klaus and Juliet, Hayley knew the Mikaelson family would have been extinct; their enemies killing her and Hope to ensure a world without the Original family. Since the capture of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley's departure from New Orleans, there had been a target on her back as vampires from across the world wanted to ensure the Mikaelson siblings stayed gone.
With much deliberation, Hayley was able to find Vincent in St. Anne's Church. Vincent had renovated the church from a vampire gymnasium and reverted it back to a church where all supernatural beings were welcomed if they were tired of the hate, destruction and fighting. It was here where Vincent held daily ceremonies for the supernatural, housed those who had nowhere to go and fed witches who were unable to receive food for the day. As promised, Vincent turned the once bloodied church into a refugee sanctuary.
"Vampires from all over the world … they come here, and they want to see firsthand the suffering of Klaus Mikaelson." Hayley quietly entered the church, hiding herself where she could keep an eye on the witch, but be hidden from his congregation. "Now some of those vampires, they're gonna be well-behaved. Others … not so much. You see, out-of-town vampires they don't care about our city. They don't follow our rules; they will instigate trouble. They will attempt to upset our peace and the only way that we're gonna get through that is if we get through that together."
A few heads nodded in agreement while others stayed silent.
"Now, this ain't the first time that we faced conflict; each and every single one of us here has faced their fair share of monsters. I swear I feel sometimes the city just has evil lurking in the shadows. For a long time, we've managed to keep our monsters buried. And now we've got to make sure that they stay buried. Otherwise, we will lose everything that we've built... we will lose it, forever." The crowd erupted in applause, instigating Vincent's continued protection over the magical aspect of New Orleans.
After the meeting, Vincent waited at the altar, his hands on the podium as he waited patiently for Hayley to come from the shadows. He was alerted as soon as she stepped foot into his church – he knew it was a matter of time before he'd be visited by her or the Mikaelsons. Vincent was aware of the sirelines continued life; none of Elijah or Rebekah's links had dropped or burned. Vincent also knew there was no way to keep Hayley from trying to find a cure for the family; she was determined – a fighter.
"Nice speech," the mother commented, her footsteps careful as she walked down the aisle toward the altar.
"Glad you think so," Vincent responded with a sarcastic smile. "What are you doing here, Hayley?"
"Wow, no warm welcome, no 'how you doing?'; nothing?" Hayley knew her greeting in New Orleans wouldn't be a welcoming one – especially not from Marcel or Vincent. But she had a mission to accomplish and she knew the witch was the only one who could help her. "I need to find Juliet and I hear you're the person to ask."
Vincent shrugged. "What makes you think she wants to be found?"
"She probably doesn't, but I need her help."
"With resurrecting the Mikaelsons?" Hayley didn't answer, instead she crossed her arms as her answer. "Hayley, when are you going to learn that that family is nothing but trouble, man? Haven't you learned your lesson after Klaus cursed you in your wolf-form? After it was that family that got Jackson murdered in front of you? You're playing with fire. For Hope, keep away from them."
"I'm not going to allow her family to just die, Vincent. And don't bring up my daughter." Hayley took a step forward, her stance threatening. This made the witch laugh.
"It was always violence with you." The man quieted, lightly shaking his head. "You're just like them."
"And just like them, I won't hesitate to kill you."
"You're doing a fantastic job in convincing me to take you to Juliet."
"So, you do know where she's at?"
"Yeah, and I think I'm going to keep that fact a secret. Sorry Hayley; I can't jeopardize my city." Before Hayley could speak up, Vincent dropped to his knees, his body seizing. The mother ran to him, holding his body close as he continued to convulse; his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
Deep within his mind, Vincent was moved through the astral plane where he was met with hundreds of witches circling around him; the Ancestors. One person specifically stuck out to him and stepped closer. It was the same brunette-haired girl he once admired for her bold attitude; Davina Claire.
"Davina?" The girl nodded. "What is this?"
"This is the Ancestor's way of instructing you to wake Juliet. They need her again."
"Need her? For what? And what makes y'all think she'd be willing to abide by your rules again after what happened last time she was your puppet?" As he spoke, Vincent looked around him to the others; all stern, all quiet.
"Because she'll need them as much as they need her." Like a slingshot, Vincent awoke to find himself in Hayley's lap, the concerned woman looking down at him with furrowed brows. The man quickly moved from her lap, getting to his feet with his eyes wide.
"Vincent, what's wrong?" Hayley questioned, moving toward him.
"I'll take you to her," the man agreed, wanting to keep quiet about his experience. It was odd as he believed they had severed the Ancestor's line with the living world five years ago; they could have found a loophole.
"I do have to warn you." Vincent and Hayley sat comfortably in Hayley's vehicle as they made their way to the New Orleans cemetery. It was the location where Juliet laid to rest with a spell masking her location set by Vincent.
"And you're sure you want to do this?" Vincent stood hesitantly within the small mausoleum in the middle of the New Orleans Cemetery with his hands clasped together in front of him. Juliet stood by the concrete island, a white and polished coffin residing on top of it. He watched her closely as she raised her hand, showing her graying fingertips from the lack of blood in her system.
"I haven't fed in centuries for this moment, Vincent. I need a break. Why do you think the rest of the family isn't as ruthless as Niklaus and I?"
"Because they aren't hybrids?"
"Because they slept," Juliet corrected. "They had decades, centuries of sleep to recuperate – allowing their humanity to stay intact. This is exactly what I need to ensure I don't go mad."
"Marcel isn't gonna like this…"
"Marcel believes I am across the mid-Atlantic going through a vampire mid-life crisis," she informed him, lying in the coffin. "But if he does find out where I am, you'll do best to make sure he understands the repercussions of waking me?"
"Yeah … yeah something about you draining an innocent life or something …"
"Exactly; something he won't sacrifice." Vincent gave her a look; one Juliet knew very well. "Ease up on him, Vin. He's gained his status back with an exponential amount of power with it. It'll take some getting used to for him before he's back to the Marcel we know." Though her words were meant to bring a sort of comfort, Vincent still worried for the future of New Orleans. It had been a year since the Mikaelson family had been defeated but Marcel still held himself higher than he ever had. With more restrictions in the city, Vincent worried Marcel might officially take over New Orleans without any regard for innocent lives.
"I worry if you're not around; he'll be deadlier than Klaus ever was."
"If he is, you have the spell to wake me … but regardless, I will need blood." Again, the woman held up her hand, showing the gray traveling up her arm. "I don't have much time, but know that you have the power to hinder him if necessary. You have my grimoire." Vincent nodded, approaching the coffin as Juliet laid her hands on her torso. "Blessed be." The man watched as the gray overtook her body; almost as if she was dead. It was then when he began the incantation ensuring Juliet would not be awaken without a substantial amount of blood.
"Blessed be," Vincent repeated, closing the coffin.
"So, I have to feed someone to her; no sweat." Vincent looked at Hayley, his mouth agape from her calmness.
"You have no regard for anyone else." It wasn't a question; it was a statement as Vincent's gaze averted from the woman.
"I want to save my family … there's a difference." Vincent said nothing as they approached the cemetery. As soon as she parked, Hayley moved quickly out the vehicle and found an innocent bystander strolling along the sidewalk.
"You do as I say and you will live." The man nodded as Hayley compelled him; she pulled him along as Vincent led the way.
"This is it?" Hayley's head tilted toward the sky as she investigated the exterior of the mausoleum protecting Juliet. Thanking Vincent for removing the spell, Hayley pushed open the doors to find a coffin placed in the middle of the dark and damp structure. It was strange to know it was Juliet who allowed her desiccated body to be placed in such condition, especially knowing how high maintenance the vampire was. Then again, Juliet was all about the theatrics; it made sense.
Shining the flashlight from her cell-phone, Hayley carefully walked through the cobwebs and dust which had accumulated from the years of Juliet's rest. Echoes of water dripping from eroded holes in the ceiling vibrated through the concrete walls. Lying in the middle of the small enclosure rested a stone tablet and a white wooden coffin looking in pristine condition; as if cleaned a few minutes prior, the coffin shined in the limited light flowing through the small barred up windows. Shaking her head to the coffin, Hayley turned to see the compelled human standing at the doorway.
"Come here," Hayley instructed, pointing to where she was. Frightened but obliging due to the compulsion, the male slowly walked to where the Hybrid was and stood silently. Hayley wasn't comfortable offering up the innocent man as food for the desiccated vampire, but Hayley knew it was time to awaken Juliet; she needed her help.
Vincent watched as Hayley lifted the coffin's lid. The woman was shocked to find Juliet lying within the coffin looking peaceful. Juliet had worn a white silk gown and her make-up looked as if painted on in the recent days; Hayley guessed for when the time came to wake her she would look ready to kick ass. With a small smile, the mother shook her head as her eyes turned Hybrid yellow and her fangs extended.
Quickly she sank her sharp teeth in the jugular of the compelled man, moving the open wound down to Juliet's lips. Finally, able to feed, Juliet's mouth slowly opened as she took in the red liquid spilling into her mouth. Slowly but surely the woman began to feel her body rejuvenate from the blood and she could move her body once again. Extending her own fangs, Juliet took hold of the man's head and sunk her teeth into his neck, taking in almost every ounce he had within his body.
Once she felt as if she had had enough, Juliet threw the man's body across the room and sped out of the coffin, standing behind Hayley.
"How long has it been?" Hayley, surprised by Juliet's sudden rise, turned to look at the woman. Blood dripped from her chin as her fangs were still extended, her eyes still reddened.
"Four years," Hayley answered, handing Juliet a rag to wipe her chin. Juliet noticed the 'EM' initials on the rag almost immediately and her eyes widened.
"You found a cure?" she asked, knowing whose initials were on the handkerchief.
"No," Hayley answered. "But we're close, which is why I need your help." The woman eyed Hayley before turning. Looking around the dark enclosure, her mind began tracing back to the events which had happened years prior.
Marcel was still the ancestor's monster, Klaus was still hidden away, locked behind a brick wall entrapped by Papa Tundae's blade and the rest of the Mikaelson family was resting peacefully in coffins while their astral bodies inhabited a realm beyond. Images of her beloved flashed in her mind; her evident betrayal and the look in his face when he realized Juliet was on the opposing side. It had to be done.
Juliet knew whether the Ancestors had a connection with her world or not, the prophecy would enfold simply because they envisioned it. Juliet knew it was the only way to keep the Mikaelson family alive, along with every other vampire still sired to Elijah and Rebekah.
All of this she would have cared about, that was if her humanity were turned on. Truth is, once Vincent casted the spell to keep her in deep slumber, Juliet forcefully switched off her humanity in hopes to ease her breaking heart. Mentally she promised to turn it on once she was awakened; she battled against it. She no longer felt pain, guilt, anger; no emotion other than the love for herself. Turning on her heels, Juliet's eyes returned normal as she smiled toward Hayley.
"What do you need help with, love?" she inquired. Hayley returned the smile, happy to know Juliet was still on their side and willing to defend the Mikaelson family.
"Of course I don't know where Klaus is; the last I knew Marcel had him caged behind brick walls in the Compound but, as you saw, I wasn't part of the master plan after a year." The two women had been fighting since they realized Marcel moved Klaus's tormented body from Juliet's last known whereabouts. Now they hid in Hayley's hideout to strategize a new plan in retrieving Klaus.
Her home was located deep in the back woods of Austin, Texas away from the mayhem and unpredictability of New Orleans. Marcel's reign still held strong; Juliet noticed he had a new number two – a woman they had met as they worked together to stop the prophecy from happening. That was before Marcel had taken the serum and Lucien was the monster behind the curtain.
"Think of your prior contacts; can't you think of a witch who would be willing to help locate him?" Hayley suggested; trying hard to keep her werewolf temperament controlled.
"Because any witch would be willing to locate the most hated vampire in the world for us to save him," Juliet mocked, leaning against the wall. "That's rich."
"Leave that part out, just say we're looking for him because his blood heals werewolf bites and you need to heal someone."
"No one is going to believe that Hayley. Are you that dense?" Finally, Hayley's buttons were pressed far too many times. In a swift movement, the Hybrid's fangs extended, penetrating Juliet's throat.
"There; now you can say you need to heal yourself from werewolf venom." Holding her bleeding throat, Juliet's eyes shifted to red from the anger pulsing through her body. Just as quickly as Hayley traveled, Juliet wrapped her hand around the Hybrid's neck, forcing her against the wall hard enough to crack the structure. Coughing from Juliet's intense grip against her esophagus, Hayley watched as the bite wound began to slowly heal; the skin reconstructing itself closed. With her eyes wide, the Hybrid tried to inquire how it was possible; Juliet noticed.
"I died with werewolf venom in my blood in the process of becoming a vampire; I'm immune to werewolf bites," Juliet reminded her. "But since you're so quick on killing me, give me a reason why I shouldn't rip your heart out right now."
"Mommy…" Juliet froze – Hayley still squirming in her gasp – at the voice. Turning her head, the woman watched as a child walked through the door, Mary standing behind her.
"Hope?" Juliet questioned, her brows tugging together. Immediately the woman let Hayley go, dropping the woman to the ground. Coughing but thankful for the air, Hayley quickly rose to her feet, scrambling to her daughter. "I think we've found our solution." With furrowed brows, Hayley looked up to Juliet, her coughing subsided. "She's a Mikaelson witch; she can find her father."
"She hasn't used her magic yet," Hayley informed her, moving in front of her daughter.
"Past the point." Juliet took a few steps toward them, earning a glare from the mother Hybrid. "Oh, come on Hayley, I'm sure Hope here wants to see her father again … if she even remembers what he looks like. I'll guide her or did you forget I was half witch for over a millennium?"
Hayley hesitated; wanting her daughter to stay far away from any issues which could arise in the return of the Mikaelson family, but the mother also knew Juliet was right. Looking down to her little girl, Hayley placed a protective arm around Hope's shoulders as she forced a small smile.
"Honey, do you think you could help us in finding your dad?" Hope nodded, claiming she would do anything to save her father. Juliet smiled at this, gladly extending her arm out for the girl.
"Good. While we concoct a locator spell, maybe you should go grab a drink or two at a bar called Sink Hole," Juliet suggested as Hope held onto her hand.
"I'd rather be present while you use my daughter as a conduit for magic," Hayley protested.
"Really? 'Cause I have a feeling you're gonna want to be in that general vicinity as I hear the last werewolf you're looking for to complete the cure might be participating in a small gathering there shortly."
"How do you…"
"I'd hurry before she leaves," Juliet warned with a stern glare. Hayley, in turn, set a glare her way – a sort of warning if anything should happen to her daughter.
Pushing the glare away, Juliet looked down to Hope with a smile. "Are you ready to try out your powers?" The girl nodded, following behind Juliet as the woman moved them to the adjoining room; Mary following closely to monitor. "Okay my dear, we're going to need a few things before we can locate daddy dearest." Pulling out a clay bowl from a cupboard, Juliet placed it on the nearest table. "We'll need some roots, herbs and your blood."
"My blood?"
"How do you think we'll find him? Blood finds blood." The child gulped, looking over to her grandmother. "Oh don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, it'll only sting for a moment." Juliet moved to grab a knife from the kitchen, holding it tightly in her hand.
"Is that really necessary?" Mary asked concerned, stepping into the room.
Juliet sighed, her eyes narrowing. "Mary, I understand you're part of Hayley's weird family tree so it is nature for you to worry, but I know what I'm doing; I have almost a thousand years over your head so let me do my job." The older woman threw her hands up in defeat, moving to the other side of the room while Juliet worked on her locator spell. It was similar to the spell she had casted when looking for the last of the Malraux werewolf line.
To say Juliet knew about her reacquainted powers was an understatement. As she slept, the woman had been tormented for two years by the Ancestors despite the attempts to block their powers from reaching the human world. However, with Juliet's spirit leaving her human body while she laid in desecration, the Ancestors had their hold on her.
Juliet wondered and questioned why they had stopped their torment only to teach her new spells and incantations, but she kept her inquiries to herself. The woman figured they would inform her of her new duties when the time came, just like Juliet figured they would learn of her absence of humanity when she decided to reveal it.
"Okay dear, give me your hand and hold it over the bowl," Juliet instructed the child. Taking the athame, the woman delicately picked the girl's finger, pressing for the blood to drop on the laid-out map of New Orleans. The smell of the child's blood made Juliet's eyes flutter shut; the veins under her eyes began pulsating. Mary saw this and walked toward them, ready to steal away Hope at any moment.
"I'm fine," Juliet assured her, opening her eyes to show their normalcy.
"Who are you to my family?" Hope inquired, looking up to the woman as she pulled her arm back.
"That's a little complicated," Juliet answered as she sprinkled the last ingredients in the cauldron.
"Try me," the child pleaded, her large green eyes staring up at her.
Juliet sighed. "Your daddy and I were best friends growing up … and your Uncle Elijah and I were to get married before … their mother turned them into vampires."
"See; that wasn't that hard, was it?" Juliet couldn't help but smile down to the child; Klaus's sarcasm had certainly been inherited.
Averting her gaze back to the table, Juliet took Hope's hand in hers before closing her eyes. Immediately she began the incantation. Like a snake moving the sound of an instrument from a Charmer, the blood slithered across the map to the location of Niklaus Mikaelson. "That was too easy," Juliet mumbled as she opened her eyes. Inspecting the area, Juliet realized Marcel had moved Niklaus right under his nose; literally. The Original Hybrid resided underneath Marcel's penthouse.
After Mary had taken Hope for dinner, Juliet roamed the house, investigating every crook and crevice so she had multiple contingency plans in place if something were to go wrong. She also knew, for her own well-being, Juliet needed to find away to severe the connection the Ancestors had with her. As much as she enjoyed her powers, the woman no longer wanted the responsibility of serving as their puppet. Juliet wanted to be free; free from them, free from the Mikaelsons and everything they had brought along with them. Four years of rest wasn't enough time for her to recuperate from a millennium of work; even with her mind busy as the Ancestors infiltrated it easily.
She knew there was only one reason behind the Ancestors recruiting her services; they were scared. And for the Ancestors to be scared, it meant there was a battle coming. However, despite her multiple attempts in gathering information for the fight, the Ancestors kept it hidden.
Reaching the last area of the house, Juliet looked up the stairs to what appeared to be an attic. Ascending the stairs, the woman kept her guard up, unsure of what could be hidden behind the door. Though, a part of her knew it was the location of the Original siblings, Juliet was shocked to open the hatch to find it empty. Her boots created a thud with each careful and slow step; her eyes scanning her surroundings.
"She kept them here," Juliet spoke to no one. But if they're not here, where could they be?
Walking to the window, Juliet watched the last of the setting sun disappeared behind the tall trees, the leaves gracefully moving with the light breeze. Mary had begun to tuck Hope into bed and Juliet could hear the older woman reading the third installment of the Harry Potter series to the child. Juliet smiled at this; though her humanity was turned off it tickled her to know the child had a good sense of literature. If there was one thing Juliet missed the most, it was her ability to mentally travel to worlds beyond and write her sorrows away. Now with her humanity switched off, Juliet found no need to write; she had no sorrows. Letting out a soft breath of air, the woman moved from the attic and into the room Hayley provided for her. Though Juliet insisted to sleep on the couch or find a place to hold residence nearby, Hayley refused to allow Juliet out of her sight.
Sitting on the made bed, Juliet grabbed her phone, lighting the screen. Vincent had graciously kept a small bag for the time when she'd be awakened. In it held her phone, her necklace, her grimoire and the keys to her vehicle; it was all Juliet wanted. The neck had been kept in her night stand; wearing her old engagement ring seemed inappropriate considering. Her car waited outside and her grimoire was hidden behind multiple spells in the house.
"Juliet we need to talk. Please call me back as soon as you get this … I need to hear your voice." The desperation in Marcel's voice made Juliet cringe. The message had been left two weeks after her 'departure to Europe'. Whether or not she would reveal her true whereabouts to the man, Juliet was still battling between. She knew it would hurt Marcel to know she had lied – but the true hurt would come from knowing she didn't trust him with her location. That wasn't the case, however Juliet wouldn't fight.
She continued listening to the multiple voicemails from Marcel, each one gradually getting even more desperate, quickly moving to angry. If she would have had feelings, Juliet would have raced to find him, comfort and soothe his pain away. Emotionless Juliet simply deleted each message, a constant flow of eye rolls following
Finally after the last message, Juliet switched off her phone, throwing it to her pillow. The sun had long been set and it seemed like the messages had kept her up for an extensive amount of time. Figuring it was time for her to get some rest after the hectic day, Juliet swung her legs over and nestled her face in the soft pillow, taking in the new scent. Closing her eyes the woman let out a breath of air.
Suddenly Hope's screams filled the hallways, traveling up to Juliet's room. The woman's eyes widened as her enhanced speed moved her down to the child's room. Opening the door, Mary had already beat her to it; holding Hope tightly against her chest as the child held onto her grandmother.
"She's fine, just a nightmare," the older woman spoke. Juliet looked over to the foot of the bed where Hope had left sketches. With brows furrowed, the woman stepped further into the room, picking up one of the sketches. On the paper was drawn a sigil; a very familiar sigil.
Author's Note: I've honestly re-written this so many times with many other ideas but it always went back to one thing. I'm proud of how this turned out and hope my readers enjoyed this! Please review and let me know how you feel about this chapter!
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Jewels Jay xoxo