Bloodlines
Chapter 2: Always and Forever (TO)
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.
"Welcome to New Orleans, and the crown jewel of the Crescent city, the French Quarter." A tall African American woman announced to a crowd of eager tourists. The streets were dark with only the dim streetlights illuminating the damp pavement. The group of tourists packed together tightly, but they were excitedly looking around at the stunning architecture of the buildings and the hauntingly beautiful sights that they were nestled in the middle of. The tour guide began to lead the group down the street and they followed, taking out their iPhones to snap some memories, but one guest was more interested in talking with the guide as opposed to seeing the sights. Green eyes gleamed in the lamplight and long locks of hair flowed behind her as she kept up with the group.
"Jazz and jambalaya, romance, poetry, not to mention the things that go bump in the night. Monsters that feed off human blood, vengeful spirits of the dead, and my personal favorite, the witches." She said the last bit with a winning smile as if she shared a personal connection with witches and the tourists were eating up her story about goblins and monsters. Spooked girlfriends loops their arms with their significant others while some waved off the tales of monsters, calling their bluff, but the green-eyed girl knew all too well of the monsters that crawled in the darkest of shadows.
The woman stopped before a store front on the corner and gestured grandly to the building. "Here we have the voodoo shop, Jardin Gris. Go on, browse for a hex." She encouraged and ushered them inside. All of them filed inside the store, all but one.
"C'mon, there's nothing to be afraid of." She jeered to the green eyed woman. "All that talk about monsters and witches is all just for show."
Giuliana stepped forward, her hands nestled in the pockets of her jacket and she gave an inquisitive smile. "Are you Sabine?"
The woman seemed taken aback that this girl knew who she was, but she nodded hesitantly. "I...yes."
"I need to ask you some questions. I'm looking for a witch." Giuliana spoke.
"Hey, look, I told you before; that was all just for show. The tourists like a little 'hocus pocus.' They gobble it up, but witches aren't real." She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly becoming very defensive about why this girl was asking questions about witches.
"Please, Sabine. It's really important." She implored, but Sabine wasn't having it. Her hands rose and her lips parted to start a chant, but someone materialized between the two women within a blink of an eye.
"I hardly think that the use of magic is necessary," Elijah chided the witch and her hands immediately fell back to her sides.
Giuliana pouted, kicking the ground with the heel of her boot. "I told you that I had this."
Elijah turned over his shoulder, an amused glint in his eyes. "You weren't getting very far."
"Well, if you would have given me a little more time." She grumbled.
"You're Elijah." Sabine stated.
"You know who I am?" The Original turned his attention to the witch and Giuliana was now standing beside him.
"Original vampire; always wears a suit." Sabine described and Elijah flashed a charming smile. "You and your family are famous amongst the witches, especially with your... brother back in town."
"Well, Niklaus is here because he learned that a witch was conspiring against him. Someone by the name of Jane-Anne Deveraux," Elijah explained while fixing the sleeve of his suit jacket.
Sabine's face dropped, sadness encompassing her features. "Well, if he's looking for Jane Anne, he's a little late."
"Are you telling me she's dead?" Elijah asked stoically and Giuliana frowned as well.
"Come on, her sister Sophie's gonna want to talk to you." Sabine led the way down intertwining streets until they came to an alley in the French Quarter. A crowd of crying witches surrounded the body of a woman, presumably Jane-Anne, lying dead on the floor. Her neck was covered in dried blood, the skin clearly cut with some impressive show of force. Some of the witches had placed lit candles and flowers around her corpse to show respect for the dead. A small woman kneeled by Jane-Anne's lifeless side, weeping silently while Elijah, Sabine, and Giuliana stood off some distance away. Being respectful, they wanted to give the mourning witches their space.
"That's Jane-Anne? Killed in public for anyone to find..." Elijah trailed off, his eye were unable to stray from Jane-Anne's body.
"Only people that come around here are the witches. Now her sister has come to take her body. Her spirit can't rest until it's been properly interred in the cemetery." Sabine explained.
"Who would do something like this?" Giuliana asked tensely. She was disgusted that someone could just take a life and leave it out in the streets to rot.
"Please tell me that my brother had nothing to do with this." The Original added, hoping that Klaus's temper hadn't gotten the best of him.
Sabine shook her head gravely. "No. Jane-Anne died because she got caught doing magic."
"What? But witches are supposed to perform magic." Giuliana said when a loud whistle could be heard coming from the opposite end of the street. The crowd of witches chattered nervously between one another, their mourning being broken up by some unwanted guests.
Sabine now looked worriedly down the street. "You wanna know who killed Jane-Anne? You're about to get your first glimpse of Marcel in action."
Elijah's ears perked up at the very familiar name on the witch's tongue. "The vampire Marcel?"
Sabine nodded, her eyes flicking anxiously between the Original and the band of vampires that were making their way down the street. "Things have changed since your family left town. Marcel has changed." Vampires approached the witches, hooting and whistling raucously while the latter party remained still, clearly outnumbered by the bloodsuckers.
"I'm asking you, stay hidden. If Marcel finds out that a witch lured the Originals back into town, my people will be slaughtered." Sabine pleaded with them and darted back into the direction she came from while Elijah yanked Giuliana close to him and looked to the balcony above.
"Oh...oh no, we're not going up-" she clutched his suit jacket as he vamp sped them to a shadowed spot on the upper balcony. The shadows covered them perfectly so they were hidden and that they could see what was happening down below. Elijah motioned to Giuliana to be quiet and she nodded silently as she removed her fingers from his lapel. On the street, a dark skinned gentleman had seemed to take charge of the vampires and the group listened to him. He must be the famous Marcel that Sabine had been so frightened of.
"Well, well, well, what have we here? I gotta tell you Soph; this street corner is not proving the luckiest spot for your family tonight. Not half an hour ago, we had to teach your sister a little lesson." Marcel smirked and the vampires snickered evilly, clearly disrespecting the dead.
Sophie stood with hot tears in her eyes. "We're putting her to rest Marcel. Leave us alone."
Marcel tsked and wagged his finger at the young witch. "I never said you could move the body. Matter of fact, I left her here for a reason: send a message. If anybody is thinking of joining some kind of rebellion, my rules state that witches can't practice magic in the Quarter and yet a little birdy informed me that Jane-Anne was cooking up something magically delicious." The witches all hung their heads, afraid to even look Marcel in the eye, fearful that he would do the same treatment to them that he had done to Jane-Anne or worse.
"Oh, yeah. While I have you, quick Q&A. My old friend—the hybrid, Klaus—he just happened to show up out of the blue asking for, of all people, Jane-Anne. Any idea why?" Marcel asked curiously and Giuliana gave a sideways glance to Elijah who was too enraptured with the scene unfurling before him.
Sophie stood her ground, clenching her teeth. "I don't know. Witches don't get involved in vampire business."
"Hmm. That would be pretty stupid, that's for sure." The vampire grinned and sauntered behind the witch, making her visibly cower, but she tried her best not to show it. "Tell you what, go back to the restaurant, cook up some of that famous gumbo, and keep those tourists happy." Sophie clenched her fists at her side, wanting Marcel away from her.
Marcel then looked to his cronies and pointed to Jane-Anne. "Take the body."
The witches murmured between one another and Sophie whirled on Marcel who had started to walk away. "What? No!" A vampire bent down to pick up her sister's body and she charged at him, but another vampire was there to hold her back. "Stop! Stop! Marcel!"
"I'm gonna hold on to your sister's body in case maybe you remember why Klaus is here." Marcel told her and Giuliana frowned sadly, watching Sophie whimper.
"Marcel, please. Her body won't be at peace." She begged desperately, but Marcel was uncaring to listen.
"Not my problem." He shouted over his shoulder as his cronies followed him back down the Quarter. The witches left too without putting up any kind of fight and some were even harassed by the vampires. Giuliana and Elijah emerged from their hiding place and stood on the rickety balcony. The old wood creaked and groaned beneath their feet, but it wasn't enough noise to draw attention to themselves.
"You know him?" She asked disgustedly.
Elijah sighed heavily. "Yes, I do. Although he was a lot less entitled when I knew him."
"Well, with all due respect, that guy is a dick-" One wrong step and Giuliana's foot became wedged in the rungs of the boards on the balcony. The wood snapped loudly, some of the planks clacking on the street below. She gave a grunt of pain as she braced her hands on the boards that were intact.
"Are you alright?" Elijah immediately crouched down to her level.
Giuliana wiggled her ankle, a sharp pain shooting up her leg. "My foot is stuck."
"What was that noise?"
"I don't know, man. Go check it out."
"Hopefully it'll be another witch misbehaving so we can grab some dinner."Voices made Giuliana freeze and a look of panic cross Elijah's face. Some of Marcel's men were coming back to investigate and they could not be seen.
"Get me up! Get me up!" She hushed and pushed against the floor, trying to squeeze her leg from being stuck between the boards.
"Take my hands." Elijah instructed and she grasped them tightly. With one strong kick, he obliterated the rest of the wood and flashed them away before they could both plummet to the floor. He whisked her away to a dark alley and hid her in the dark corner. He pressed his body into hers, molding her to the wall and covered her mouth with his hand.
"Stay down and do not make a sound." He ordered and he was gone just like that. Giuliana crouched down low, shielding herself behind some boxes and prayed that Elijah would come back soon. The two approaching vampires were coming closer and she was desperately trying to calm her heartbeat and the pain in her ankle. The pair walked past the entrance of the alley, but the smell of fresh blood caught their nostrils.
"Hey, you smell that?" One asked.
The other sniffed the crisp air, smirking when he caught the ambrosial smell they so hungered for. Giuliana looked down to her ankle and pulled the material of her jeans aside. Her skin was scratched up where it had gotten caught and little splinters of wood stuck out of the bleeding skin.
Oh no...
"Yum. Someone's eating well tonight." Now they were closing in on her, zeroing in on the smell and following it like hound-dogs. Giuliana's hand slipped into her jacket pocket, her fingers curling around a stake. If she had to protect herself, she would, but she wasn't sure how well she'd fare with an injured ankle. Just as the vampires were within a few meters away from her, a sound from outside the alley distracted them. They stopped in their tracks and looked toward the noise, assessing it for a moment or two.
"You think they got away?" The one vampire posed and the other grumbled under his breath.
"Probably tried to throw us off. Whatever man, let's go pick off some of the locals." He said and the vamp sped from the alley. Giuliana waited for a few seconds of silence to pass before climbing shakily to her feet. The alley was now empty, save for a couple of piles of garbage and she let out a sigh of relief that she had managed to escape her demise with Elijah's help.
"Thank you." She whispered and turned to see him standing behind her.
He gave her a dashing smile, but it faltered seeing her shift her weight on her feet. "You're hurt."
"It's just a scratch." She shook it off and tried to balance herself.
"Take my blood." Elijah offered.
"I told you. I'm fine." Giuliana assured him and hobbled the first couple of steps to start out of the alley. He watched her with a curious look, he remembered how stubborn she was when they met in the eleven hundreds and she still kept that strong wit even after all of those years.
"What are you waiting for?" She shouted down the alley once she saw that he wasn't following her. "I'm not getting any younger!" Elijah smirked to himself at that and quickly followed her, keeping up the pace.
The French Quarter was alive with throng of vampires crawling along the streets. They were hardly subtle and showcased their supernatural abilities without fear of persecution. Elijah had never seen such a display of lechery and hedonism, especially in the modern day and in public. They certainly were a rowdy bunch and they made sure to show it. As Giuliana and Elijah walked along the streets, he made sure to slip a protective arm around the woman's waist. He felt uneasy around these arrogant young vampires and he wanted them to know that Giuliana was not to be trifled with or else they would have to answer to him. Giuliana was keeping up well with his quick pace since he badgered her to stop into an urgent care after they had their first encounter with Sophie. The doctor on staff wrapped a tight bandage around her ankle and she waited there while Elijah met with Sophie privately.
She felt his arm slip around her waist and she smiled at that. "I can take care of myself, Elijah."
"I'll be hearing none of that," he told her as they passed a group of vampires who were whistling at her. "As long as you are here with me, you'll be under my protection."
"Thank you," Giuliana had always taken care of herself, so it seemed almost unusual to have someone be so interested in taking care of her for a change. "You spoke with Sophie?"
Elijah nodded, however his jaw clenched tightly. "You will find out what we spoke about very shortly." To Giuliana's dismay, Elijah and Sophie spoke alone because the young witch was hesitant about who to trust.
"Did Cassandra ever meet her?" She asked him.
"I'm not quite sure. Why?"
"Because when we saved her from those two vampires, she called me Cassandra." Giuliana replied and the Original shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me anything."
"Maybe they know each other," he said simply and stopped in front of a building abruptly. Klaus's voice was coming from the rooftop and he peered up to see him talking with another man. The pair on the ground waited in silence until the other man left and Elijah held Giuliana tightly around her hips.
"Oh, not again." She groaned.
"Not afraid of heights, are you?" He quirked a smirk and flashed them up before Giuliana could answer. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder but she was already up on the balcony on the other side of the adjoining room.
"Are you alright?" He asked when she didn't release her tight hold on him.
Giuliana pulled back quickly, not wanting to look weak and tucked a long wave behind her ear. "Yes."
The pair then moved from the balcony and through the room to meet with Klaus. They were standing right behind him the Original hybrid didn't even turn to acknowledge them even though he heard them loud and clear.
"Evening, Elijah." He greeted while keeping his eyes fixated on the streets below him.
Elijah stepped forward to stand near his brother. "Niklaus."
Klaus turned to face him. "What an entirely unwelcome surprise."
"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome." His brother quipped. "Come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere. Not till I find out who's conspiring against me." He growled.
"Then you should come with us." Giuliana said and the hybrid narrowed his blue eyes at her. "We just found that out for you."
"Is that so?" He hissed.
"Yes, Niklaus. So I suggest that you come with us if you want answers."
Giuliana pushed open the tall iron gates to the Lafayette Cemetery and let the two Originals in before closing the gates behind them. The three of them walked along the cobblestone path till they reached a mausoleum and Giuliana shivered. She had been asleep in one for a couple hundred years and she was hoping to never step into one ever again.
"What are we doing here?" Klaus asked impatiently.
Elijah climbed up the steps and pulled the door open. "You wanna know what the witches have in store for you? Follow me." They entered the mausoleum to see Sophie standing inside.
"Sophie Deveraux. What is this?" Klaus asked.
"He's all yours. Proceed." Elijah told the witch.
Sophie looked to Klaus. "You know you're famous in this town? Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphan street rat, until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants, he kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him, and you're gonna help me."
Klaus smirked to himself, amused that this little witch was thinking that he'd just help her take down Marcel. "This is why you brought me here?"
"Hear her out." Giuliana muttered.
"I don't need to hear her out." He hissed at her. "I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even thirty more seconds of my time." The creaking of the mausoleum door opening made Giuliana turn and raise her eyebrows to see Hayley being ushered in with a few more witches. Klaus was clueless as to why she was here too and looked to his brother.
"Elijah, what madness is this?"
Hayley gulped loudly. "Klaus. You need to listen to them."
Klaus's lips quirked into a smirk as he laughed at the three ring circus that he was a witness to. "You're all out of your minds if you think some liquor-fueled, one-night stand, no offense, sweetheart, means a thing to me." He jabbed a finger at Hayley and she recoiled at that and so did Giuliana. This was the first time hearing that Klaus and Hayley slept together.
"Marcel may be able to keep up from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance we still know when nature has cooked up something new." Sophie said. "For example, I have a special gift...of sensing when a girl is pregnant."
Any traces of amusement left Klaus's face and even Giuliana cast a glance to Elijah who remained quiet.
"What?" Klaus eyed Hayley.
"I know it's impossible..." The wolf trailed off.
"What are you saying?" He asked them.
"Niklaus," Elijah called. "The girl is carrying your child." Giuliana's stomach dropped and her green eyes went wide with surprise. Klaus's entire demeanor changed as well. His confident posture and smug attitude faltered as he stared at Sophie.
"No. It's impossible. Vampires cannot procreate." He shook his head.
"But werewolves can." The witch said. "Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the Original hybrid, the first of your kind, and this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." Giuliana was only catching some of Sophie's words; she was too stunned and speechless to even listen. She...she felt something for Klaus and she thought that he felt something too, yet he slept with Hayley. She knew that she shouldn't care, but she did. Hayley was now pregnant with Klaus's child and she didn't even want to look at him.
The Original hybrid scowled before turning on the wolf and shouting at her. "You've been with someone else; admit it!"
"Hey, I've spent days held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think that I'm carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you think I would've fessed up if it wasn't yours?" Hayley snarled back.
"My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us." Sophie's explanation made them look between one another. "If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Hayley won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."
Hayley shifted nervously. "Wait, what?"
Elijah stepped forward now, not wanting this to end in violence. "Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."
Sophie shook her head. "No. We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules."
Klaus flashed to stand before the witch. "How dare you command me...threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses. I won't hear any more lies." He shouted and turned to leave but Elijah stopped him.
"Niklaus. Listen." The entire mausoleum went silent and Klaus turned towards Hayley who had placed a hand over her stomach. Giuliana couldn't hear it, but the Original brothers heard a rapidly beating heartbeat coming from the young wolf. Klaus's eye met Hayley's in complete wonderment and he then looked to Giuliana who averted his gaze. Gathering himself, he clenched his fists and turned to Elijah.
"Kill her and the baby. What do I care?" He growled and pushed past the group and rushed out of the mausoleum.
Giuliana was waiting with Hayley and the witches since Elijah had gone after Klaus. The silence was painful except for some of the witches arguing over what to do with the pregnant werewolf. The witches were fed up with waiting on Klaus's decision to help, so they advised Sophie to just give up, but the younger Deveraux was determined to avenge her sister's death and overthrow Marcel's reign. Hayley was sitting off in the corner, a contemplative look on her face, but she didn't say a word. Her life had been turned completely upside down and it was quickly spiraling out of control. She came to New Orleans with the thought of finding her family, but that was completely derailed once she learned about her own pregnancy. The church bells chimed in the distance, striking midnight and signaling that Elijah had run out of time to convince Klaus.
"His time is up. What're you gonna do now, Sophie?" Agnes, an older witch asked.
"I'm gonna do what I said was gonna do." Sophie replied pensively.
"What, kill the girl? Kill yourself?" Sabine hissed angrily. Before Jane-Anne had died, she bound Hayley's life to Sophie's, so when Elijah was negotiating a deal with the young witch, she showed him the link between her and the expectant mother.
Agnes stepped forward, a glare in her eyes. "Klaus does not care about the child."
"I do." Elijah appeared suddenly in the doorway of the mausoleum, carrying a body wrapped in tarp. They all turned to look at him, Giuliana and Hayley included as he laid the body down on the grown gracefully. "And I bring proof of my intent to help you: the body of your fallen friend, which I procured from Marcel himself."
Sophie immediately fell to her knees and removed the tarp, so she could see her sister's face. "Jane-Anne."
"May she be granted peace. Klaus will agree to your terms; I just need a little more time." Elijah spoke.
"You had your time. It's passed." Agnes hissed angrily at the Original.
"Shut up, Agnes." Sabine commanded and the elder witch went quiet.
"For now, accept the deal. The girl and the child remain unharmed, or Klaus will kill you all." He held out his hand for both girls to get up and join him, which they did and he lead them out of the mausoleum, but he stopped and turned over his shoulder, giving one last remark to the witches. "And I will help him."
An hour or so later, Giuliana and Hayley were silently stewing in the home Elijah had rented for himself and the ex-hunter to stay in. The two women hadn't said a word to one another after the whole pregnancy bomb exploded. Sick of just sitting around, Giuliana proceeded to unpack her things in an effort to keep her mind off of thinking about Klaus. They hadn't seen one another since the meeting in the mausoleum and she was worried that he just stalked off. She knew that she shouldn't be angry at Klaus for sleeping with Hayley, after all they were not in a relationship by any stretch of the imagination, but it hurt her.
"Remind me why I get dragged into these things again?" Giuliana huffed as she threw her suitcase onto the bed.
"Beats me," Hayley shrugged and picked at her cuticles.
"I figured that I'd be enjoying the sights, not babysitting a werewolf baby mama." She grumbled and sifted through her things, eager to get clothes on hangers and into the closet. Hayley didn't respond to the insult, she was too nervous to fight back. These past few days had been absolute hell for her. She'd gone to New Orleans in the hopes of finding some sort of paper trail that would lead to her parents, but that mission was thwarted by a bunch of witches kidnapping her and holding her up in a bayou. As if that wasn't enough, she was now pregnant with Klaus's freaky werewolf baby. Hayley stood and made her way over to where Giuliana was methodically hanging her clothes.
"Look, I know we have our issues. You don't like me," the werewolf stated.
Giuliana scoffed. "Clearly."
"But we're both stuck in this together and..." Hayley's voice trailed off as she looked down to her stomach. She placed a hand over it and met Giuliana's eyes. "I'm scared."
The ex-hunter's eyes softened a little and she sighed deeply. She stopped her work and faced the wolf, giving her a little smile. "I know that you're scared, but we're all going to protect you and help you through this, okay?" The werewolf nodded, her nerves calming a little.
"Thank you."
"I guess we should stock up on chew toys for when the baby comes..." Hayley scowled and Giuliana held up her hands. "Last dog joke, I swear. Unless you piss me off, then its fair game." She laughed and Hayley did too. Perhaps these two would learn to get along. Hayley stayed a little longer to help her unpack and they just enjoyed having a civil conversation with one another.
"So, you and Klaus?" Hayley questioned with a smirk.
Giuliana shook her head, continuing with her work. "What about it?"
"Well, I know that he likes you and I did catch you two practically having sex in that chair." She wrinkled her nose.
"Thanks for reminding me," the ex-hunter deadpanned.
"That night when he...called me to come over, he was drunk as a skunk and said that you rejected him." She said.
"He killed my brother." The woman frowned. "I had to stop myself from falling for his hollow charm."
"It was pretty pathetic actually," Hayley sighed. "Never seen a man wallow in self pity and I'm sure you're hurt that I'm pregnant with this miracle baby."
"Look, uhm, I'm really tired, so I'm just going to finish this tomorrow." Giuliana jumped on the tail end of Hayley's words. She was quickly becoming overwhelmed and her mind kept going back to Klaus.
Hayley's gaze met the floor and she nodded. "Sure, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for everything." Giuliana simply nodded as she rushed around her room just to tidy it up a bit before heading to bed. Once the wolf was gone, Giuliana snatched up a mug from the end table and launched it at the wall, but the sound of glass breaking never came to her.
"You never had good aim," Klaus tsked as he gently placed the glass down and
Giuliana shifted her weight on her feet.
"Still want to kill off your own child? Or did Elijah convince you not to?" She asked snidely.
"All of this...it's all a mistake." He said.
"Like the part when you slept with Hayley." The brunette growled and he rushed to tower over her.
"Why should you care?" He asked her and she looked away from him. Klaus took her chin in his hands, directing her gaze to meet his.
"I shouldn't, but I do." She replied quietly as his thumb ran back and forth over her jaw line.
"I know you shouldn't care, but tell me why you do." He wasn't compelling her, but his deep, soothing tone was making her slowly unravel before him. Her lips opened and closed, trying to form some kind of sound, but she was speechless.
Klaus stepped closer, so their bodies were touching and his face moved closer to hers. He stared intimately into her deep green pools before gazing upon her soft lips. He could see them trembling slightly and the hand on her chin moved to cup the back of her neck.
"Klaus," she whimpered.
"Tell me why." His breath was hot against her lips.
"Just please leave." Giuliana tried to move away from him, but he then shoved her against the wall, trapping her. She looked up at him fearfully, if this was any other situation, she would have fought back but Klaus just had this hold over her.
"Niklaus." The woman looked past Klaus's shoulder to see Elijah standing tall in the doorframe. "I believe she asked you to leave." His tone was firm and not negotiable as his oak brown eyes pierced through his brother's back. The hybrid peered down at the woman and slowly loosened his grip on her. He leaned down, his eye were level with hers.
"This isn't over, Giuliana." He promised and turned on his heel, roughly shoving past his brother's shoulder without so much as giving him a second glance. Giuliana let out a shaky breath as Elijah met her with worry written all over his face.
"I'm fine," she held her hand up, stopping his words before he could even form them. Giuliana side stepped him, but Elijah took hold of her hand.
"I apologize for my brother's behavior." He said sincerely. "As you can imagine he is on edge."
"And so am I." Giuliana took her hand back and rushed around her room, grabbing a pair of pajamas.
"What do you mean?" Elijah asked curiously.
"Your brother put his charms on me, but I denied him, so he went to Hayley." She replied hastily. "I shouldn't be mad..."
"Giuliana." He appeared in front of her.
"I just want to be alone, Elijah." She took a few steps back from him. "Please, just let me be." The Original frowned deeply, pocketing his hands. He didn't mean to make her uncomfortable, but clearly his intentions were rubbing her the wrong way. He saw the way that she and Klaus interacted with one another back then and even now. They shared some special connection even though the two of them were too stubborn to admit it. Very slowly, he nodded and let her pass.
"As you wish," he uttered and she darted past him, her green eyes glued to the floor.
Elijah Mikaelson looked down at the number in his phone for what must have been the millionth time. He had left shortly after Giuliana went to sleep and he rubbed a hand over his face at the ability Klaus had to successfully push people away from him. He knew that she would have to smooth over things with the conflicted ex-hunter, but for now, he had his own problem to deal with. Over and over he replayed he replayed his conversation with Sophie soon after he left the mausoleum. He sent Giuliana and Hayley to the house that he and his siblings called home almost 300 years ago and Sophie had requested to speak with the Original in private.
"Who is Cassandra Salvatore?" The question made Elijah stop his strides and turn his attention back to the witch, eyebrows furrowed and his nose crinkled.
"Cassandra Salvatore, maiden name Emerson, was a vampire that I turned in 1864. She is now living in Mystic Falls with her husband Damon Salvatore." He replied. "What does she have to do with what is happening here?"
"When Jane-Anne performed the spell to confirm Hayley's pregnancy, she saw another pregnancy. Hers." Sophie stated and Elijah shook his head.
"Impossible. Her husband Damon is a vampire. She can procreate, but he cannot." The Original said.
"Another one of nature's loopholes." Her arms crossed over her chest.
"I don't understand..." He was completely shocked that Cassandra was also pregnant, although, he wouldn't believe it until he saw it for himself.
"Her pregnancy is harder to understand, but it is still true."
Once again his oak brown eyes met his childe's name in the contacts of his phone. Should he call her? What could he say to her? So many unanswered questions surged through his mind that they were quickly becoming overwhelming. He was sure that Cassandra was scared and quite frankly, he wasn't sure if Damon was qualified for fatherhood. Sighing heavily, he ordered an extra dry martini and clicked 'call.'
Cassandra groaned quietly as another wave of nausea wracked her. Sick to her stomach, she curled even closer to Damon's body and she could feel his fingers gently stroking her hair. Flashing images on the television screen were doing nothing to help her churning stomach, so she closed her eyes and hid her face in the blankets that were wrapped around them. Her fists clenched the sheets as she waited for her head to stop spinning and she shifted uncomfortably. Damon then leaned down, kissing her hair and massaging her scalp to try and make her feel better. They had skipped town shortly after they both learned about Cassandra's surprise pregnancy. They were enjoying themselves immensely when Cassandra had developed the tell tale symptoms of an expectant mother. Being supernatural, Cassandra had never gotten sick before, except for the few times that she was sick as a human, but this was something else entirely.
Her thoughts were jarred when her phone rang by her side and she unburied her face from the bed sheets. She gripped her phone and immediately answered it in hopes of shutting off the annoying ringing noise. Holding the phone up to her ear, she gave a pained greeting.
"Hello?"
"Is it true?"
Cassandra squinted her eyes at the caller ID and sat up slowly, Damon's hands guided her up against the headboard and looked questioningly at her. "'Lijah?"
"Is it true that you are also pregnant?" He asked again and Damon's ears perked up, listening in on their conversation.
"As unbelievable as it sounds, yes." She rubbed her temple. "Don't ask me to explain it because I'm just as clueless as anyone."
Elijah straightened his napkin that his extra dry martini sat on top of and drummed his fingers against the surface of the bar. "How long?"
"Well, considering I'm half dead, my menstrual cycle is nonexistent which is something that I don't really want to discuss with you." Cassandra sighed heavily.
"Are you and Damon in any danger?" He then took a sip from his drink.
"Besides me throwing up everywhere, then no. Damon and I are fine." She answered and patted his thigh. Damon took her hand and kissed the back of it lovingly, lacing their fingers together.
"Where are you?" Elijah asked and when he didn't hear a direct reply, he thought that the call was lost by a bad signal. He then heard shuffling in the background and Cassandra heaving vigorously.
"Sorry Elijah." Damon was speaking now and Elijah shifted on his barstool at the sound of the hybrid vomiting. "Cassandra's taking a bit of a...woah, that was a good one. Okay, okay. You're alright, Cass."
"Damon?" Elijah questioned.
"She's okay." The vampire rubbed comforting circles over her back as she had her head over a pail. They had kept a bucket next to the bed for her to throw up into because on more than one occasion, she never even made it out of the bedroom.
"Where are the both of you now?" The Original asked again.
"No, no, no, no." Damon tutted. "See we didn't tell anyone where we went. It's too much of a risk."
"Damon, I have witches here in New Orleans that will take care of the both of you." He implored, sincerely hoping that the male vampire would take the initiative.
"I'm not moving her anywhere, Elijah. No one knows about her being pregnant and I'd like to keep it that way." He spoke firmly.
"So, what will you do when the summer is over? Take her back to Mystic Falls where evil practically crawls from the depths of the darkest shadows?" He glowered.
"We are taking things day by day. She's my wife and I will do whatever I can to protect her." Damon growled.
"You are putting her life in danger if you bring her back home."
"And from what I hear, New Orleans isn't a cake walk either." Elijah was silent on the other end of the phone, allowing Damon to speak his peace. "I will take care of her Elijah. I would risk my life to keep her safe and you know that. I know what is good for my wife."
The Original seemed to be moved, so much so that he let Damon's promise circle around in his head, mulling over every word. Clearing his throat, Elijah spoke up again. "I know that you'd risk your life for her, Damon. There is no question of that, but I am just trying to look out for the best interests of the both of you. I'm sure that you are both scared and you don't understand why it is happening, but there is one thing that is certain." It was Damon's turn to listen to Elijah and Cassandra was now listening intently as well. "You both have been given a gift that is to be cherished and I know that you will both love your child unconditionally." The vampire looked to his wife who was nodding her head and patting her stomach comfortingly. "Just please be careful and there is always a place for you both in New Orleans should you need it." The couple smiled warmly and thanked Elijah immensely for his blessing to them. They bid one another goodnight and the Original just stared into his drink for a few moments, trying to wrap his head around the fact that Damon and Cassandra were expecting a bundle of joy of their own. Tonight had been filled with surprises and this one just added to the long list. He knew that they would be terrific parents, he just worried about the kind of stress it would place on them to raise their baby in Mystic Falls. All he could do was offer them to come to New Orleans if they so desired and the ball was in their court now.
"So much for dessert," Elijah heard Marcel grunt and he discreetly looked over his shoulder. Marcel was stalking away from none other than Giuliana who gave a sigh of relief that he had left. The Original had warned her to stay at home with Hayley, but he just couldn't tame that stubborn girl.
"C'mon, her? You managed to let a morsel like her get away?" Marcel's friend quipped.
"She's a firecracker that one, but don't worry, my friend, no one ever said that it was over." Marcel grinned and left the bar. Elijah watched as Giuliana gathered her things and exchanged some friendly words with the blonde bartender, Cami, that he'd met just the other day. He waited, biding his time until she rushed out of the bar and then followed her at a close distance home.
"Wow, these Originals sure are hoarders." The green eyed girl huffed as she helped Hayley to pull back a large sheet that was draped over an old cabinet set. After a rough night had by all, Giuliana had volunteered to help set the house up that would be their home for however long they were to stay there. Dust particles flew through the air, making the girls wave their hands through it to shush it away. Elijah had joined them as well, taking a sheet off an old fashioned crib, making more dust fly around the room. Hayley coughed sickly and took a step back from uncovering the next piece of furniture.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asked worriedly.
Hayley nodded, swatting her hands through the mess of dust. "Just dust. This place is ancient."
"Yes, it should serve our purposes. It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. Right now, you are the most important person in this family. You need a good home." He explained and rested his hands on the edge of the wooden frames on the crib.
"And what am I? The cat's mother? I'm helping take care of this baby too." Giuliana joked and Hayley gave a short snort. "Or do you just plan to leave me with Marcel?"
"If you had followed my orders last night, then I wouldn't have had to pry you away from Marcel." Elijah countered skillfully.
"Please, I would have staked him before he would have even laid a finger on me." She grinned.
"And so would have I." The Original agreed. "However, the witches have requested that we should appease the so called King."
Giuliana's eyebrows creased, framing her bewildered green eyes. "Appease, meaning?" She trailed off and Elijah nodded. "You...you're not seriously suggesting that I be nice to him?!"
"If it can keep Hayley and the baby as incognito as long as possible, then it must be done." He said simply and Giuliana scowled.
"Gah, fine! I'm only doing this for Hayley and the baby." She looked to the mother who had remained strangely quiet during her and Elijah's exchange. Elijah's eyes followed the ex-hunter's and he cleared his throat.
"So, I'm curious in all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?" Elijah asked her.
"About having a miracle baby with a psychotic one-night-stand?" Hayley questioned with a grin, but Elijah shook his head.
"About being a mother."
Hayley's stomach dropped at the term and she leaned against the crib, staring down inside it. It was empty now, but in nine months, it would hold a crying, screaming baby. "I was abandoned when I was born and my adoptive parents kicked me out the second that I turned into a wolf." She confessed sadly. "So, I don't really know how I feel about being a mother because I never really had a good one." Giuliana frowned, she remembered her own mother and it made her upset that Hayley didn't have one of her own. She missed her mother very much and she hoped that Hayley would break the pattern and be an amazing mother to her child.
"Well, we're here for you, Hayley." She smiled softly. "We're not going to let anything to you or your baby."
"I will always protect you. You have my word on that." Elijah added.
"And noble Elijah always keeps his word." Klaus snickered from the doorway and Hayley's eyes found the floor, unable to even gaze upon the form of the father of her child.
"Well, at least Elijah is noble. You're...you're..." Giuliana trailed off, a thoughtful look on her face. "Come to think of it, do you have any redeeming qualities?" She finished with a smirk.
"I have the quality to make people quake in fear at the sound of my name." Klaus replied with a wry grin.
Giuliana broke out into a fit of giggles and crossed her arms over her chest. "Will that be before or after they find out you'll be changing baby diapers." Klaus's smirk immediately fell and Hayley bit her bottom lip to keep herself from losing it.
Elijah just rolled his eyes at the two bickering before turning to his brother. "Is it done?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. His man, Thierry, yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French Quarter. My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches." Klaus sauntered further into the room, surveying the covered furniture.
"I believe them to be honorable; they did release Hayley to me. Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don't want him dead. There must be a reason why." Elijah speculated aloud.
"Well, what do you think it could be?" Giuliana asked.
On the other side of town, a young girl sat by the windowsill. The dark and dusty attic of her home had been her haven for as long as she could remember. A bed and some canvases up on the wall made her room much more homely. Dark, almost black, hair framed her face and the flames of a burning candle shown in her dark eyes. The girl closed her hand slowly and with each passing second, the flame diminished until snuffing out completely. She then opened her hand at the same speed and the candle relit itself. Again and again she repeated the process until she felt him enter the room.
"I assume it's all quiet out there?" He asked her and she turned to face him.
"Only one." She replied. "It started for a second, but then flaked out."
Marcel's eyebrows rose curiously. "When and who?"
"Last night and it was too quick of a jolt for me to catch who." The girl answered. "But I could see who the spell was meant for." She held out her hands in front of him.
"Let's have a look see then." He said and the witch stood. She placed her hands on either side of Marcel's head and his eyes fell closed, allowing himself to welcome the gift of sight that the witch would bestow on him. He saw a set of hypnotizing green eyes, the ones that have haunted him ever since last night. He immediately knew who it was, but he still never managed to get her name.
Marcel stepped back once the vision went dark and he peered down at Davina. "Got a name?"
"Giuliana." The witch spoke and Marcel unintentionally licked his lips.
"She sounds good enough to eat, but she's a little feisty one." He stuffed his hands into his pockets.
The witch's face fell, a frown creasing her features. "They're dangerous, the old ones." She said worriedly. "I don't want them to hurt you."
"The Originals? Davina, as powerful as you are, they don't stand a chance." Marcel grinned at the witch who smiled sweetly.
"I really wish you'd take some of my blood to heal your ankle" Elijah's calm voice made Giuliana look up from her book that she had gotten lost in. Hayley was asleep and Klaus was God knows where, so it was nice for the ex-hunter to enjoy some quiet time.
"I'm fine." She told him, closing the book and giving him her complete attention. "I blame my ability to get into trouble, I suppose." A little bit of humor touched her words.
"After last night, I can agree with that." He said and she tilted her head to the side, asking him to continue. "I saw you last night with Marcel."
Giuliana rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "That brute should learn how to take 'no' for an answer. I know you said to appease him, but he just makes my skin crawl."
"You will be the death of me," the Original sighed deeply.
"What? I was...nice."
"I'm not talking about that." He said. "I'm talking about that you left the house without my protection."
"Elijah, I can take care of myself." She told him. "I've dealt with your brother, so I think I can handle some little punk of a vampire."
"I vowed to Hayley that I would protect her and I hope you understand that I will make it my business to protect you as well."
Her green eyes examined him before they looked to her hands which were neatly folded in her lap. "Don't make promises that you can't keep, Elijah."
The Original frowned and took her hands in his, squeezing them gently. "I do not break my promises, Giuliana. I will protect you by any means necessary."
She smiled warmly and squeezed his hands back. "At least I can count on you. I'm happy I came here."
"I am too." He lifted her hand up to his lips and brushed her skin against them before letting go. "Although taking my blood might not make me as angry that you left."
Scowling amusedly, she giggled at him. "I'd rather have you and Klaus as my personal slaves to get me anything that I want."
Elijah's lips quirked up into a smile. "Is there anything you need now?"
Giuliana shook her head, but then squinted her eyes, as if to think of something. "Well, maybe...hmm, never mind." She pushed herself up off and couch and hopped around a bit, balancing herself on her feet. "I'll get it."
"But I insist." Elijah said and tried to ease her back down to the couch, but she hobbled around him.
"You're very sweet, Elijah, but I am perfectly capable of-" her ankle rolled underneath her and she gave a cry of pain as she fell to the floor, but Elijah was quicker. He scooped her up in his arms and held her against him so she wouldn't have to put pressure on her bruised ankle.
"Capable of falling down? Yes." The Original chided lightly and he had realized that Giuliana's hands were clutching his shoulders tightly.
"Making fun of a woman in pain? That's not very nice of you." She hissed, her ankle throbbed angrily and she cursed herself for being so stubborn. Elijah's arms around her waist pressed their bodies together much like how they were in the alley just a night ago and a rush of heat touched her skin. Her fingers that held his shoulders relaxed and her hands were now resting comfortably against his chest. She tested her ankle, touching it to the ground lightly before applying a little more pressure. She stood fully on her two feet without any pain, only a dull surge coming from her ankle, but Elijah's hands hadn't moved from holding her. Green eyes trailed over the masculine features of his face before finally settling on his lips which were making her own tremble. Throughout this entire journey to New Orleans, he had been there for her every step of the way and she never felt safer than with Elijah by her side. The Original brought a hand up to gently brush away a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes and tucked it back so he could stare longingly into the green pools that captivated him. That hand then cupped her cheek, his fingers splaying along the back of her neck except his thumb which found her jaw line. When he was with Giuliana, Elijah completely forgot about Katherine and all of the pain she had caused him. Katerina, his Katerina, was only using him as a gambling piece, a knight to stand behind to save her from Klaus's wrath. Elijah swore the moment Katherine walked out of his life that he'd never let his heart do something so stupid in the first place.
"Giuliana," his voice was endearing and he pulled her face closer to his.
"Brother." The two broke apart and Giuliana hopped away from the Original at the sound of Klaus' voice. He stood in the doorway, a hard look on his face that his brother was so close to Giuliana.
The girl cleared her throat. "I'll leave you two to your business. Goodnight Elijah." She side stepped both Originals and walked out but not without give Klaus a hateful glare. Once she was out of the room, she heard bits and pieces of their conversation, but she mainly ignored it. The bigger problem at hand was getting up the winding staircase to get to her room. Gripping the handrail, she hoisted herself up and very slowly started her trek up the stairs. After ten minutes she finally reached the top and practically jogged to her room. Once she reached her bed, she fell on top of the plush, cushiony mattress and her eyes had begun to drift close. Sleep had quickly overtaken her, unbeknownst to the chaos that erupted downstairs.
So, I was a little disappointed that this episode was really similar to the pilot, but I hope that all of you enjoy my own little twist I put on this chapter. Who are you rooting for? Klaus/Giuliana? Elijah/Giuliana? Marcel/Giuliana? Let me know what you'd all like to see in the upcoming chapters and please review :)
Silently Tearful: Thanks girl for the review! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope that you liked this chapter :)
xoxobianca13: Thank you so much for reviewing! I love Cassandra/Damon relationship and she also does have a lot of great relationships with the Mystic Falls gang. I always felt like Cassandra was a very maternal woman and she cares for those kids like they are her own. Well, now she'll have a little baby of her own :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
VampirePrincess11: Glad you loved it! Thanks for reviewing! I can't wait to see it tomorrow night!
shippolove844: Thank you for reviewing! We will see more of Cassandra's pregnancy and she will continue to have symptoms. Katherine and Silas certainly are pests, and they are not making things any easier for anyone in town. Hope you enjoyed the Originals chapter :)
SomebodyWhoCares: Oh, yes indeed it is ;) Things will get very crazy!
Seira asami: Thank you for reviewing! Cassandra does bring the best out in Damon, but he also makes her better too! The pregnancy will test their relationship and bring them to their limits, but love will always prevail. I do love Katherine's character, but she always manages to be the cause of trouble. I wonder why Silas wants her so badly!
sexytime321: Thanks for reviewing, girl! Hope you enjoyed this one :)
sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you for reviewing! Well, the pregnancy will be difficult and it will test them, but Damon and Cassandra will really work to keep their love afloat :)
Guest: Thank you!
Whitttyyy76: Thanks so much girl! So glad that you're enjoying the story so far! I missed writing Damon/Cassandra a lot and it is so refreshing to watch the show again after it has been on break. I agree, this season will be really crazy and I love it already! Hope you enjoyed the Originals chapter :)
grapejuice101: Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad that season 5 is here too!
Guest: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm very happy that you enjoyed the first chapter! PS: I laughed so hard when I read that you read the title as "Blurred Lines." Now every time I read it, I'll call it that HAHA!
