"Marcel, are you kidding me!?" Cami followed the new leader of the Strix around like a child would. "You can't just...kick me out!" Even saying the words didn't sound right to her.

But Marcel kept his word to Elijah.

He turned around, causing her to bump into him, and shook his head at her. "Look Cami, my decision is final. You nearly got yourself killed now I'm giving you the freedom to leave like you wanted!"

"But that was different!" she practically yelled in his face. "You're the leader now! You would never do what Aya did to Gia! This-" she gestured between them, "-is something that can work!"

"I'm not changing my mind, alright? So just go home, Cami."

Cami scowled as he turned to leave. "I cannot believe you would do this to me. Actually," she said so sharply that Marcel stopped all on his own, "Since the little game Elijah pulled where you took away my reigns of the Quarter and suspiciously took the leadership...I haven't been able to sleep properly."

Marcel turned sideways, doing his best to keep a straight face. "I was just tired of it all-"

"But you betrayed me," Cami reminded. "I asked for your help to hide and then all of a sudden, just when I was about to win...you show up and you take it all away."

Marcel just stared.

"Marcel I'm going to ask you one time and I hope sincerely that for the friendship we have you will answer me with the truth," Cami started walking up to him, watching for any signs of faltering in Marcel's face. "Did Elijah have something to do with it?"

"Cami I-" Marcel had begun shaking his head again but Cami stopped it all.

"Marcel, did he plan all this?" she asked again. "Tell me please. After all the hell I've been through I deserve to know. Did he?"

Marcel hated that he just couldn't lie to her. His hung his head, and while no words were said Cami got everything she needed to know.

~ 0 ~

"I cannot believe there is no clue as to where this woman is!" Maleny fumed and stormed out of the lounge room, a couple seconds later followed by Amarrah. "HOW CAN YOU NOT FIND HER!?"

Amarrah remained at a safe distance from her friend - who on in any other occasion would have kept a better mood - and just shook her head again. "Because she clearly has a cloaking spell. And if I can't find her, then Freya can't as well, and much less the silly little human policemen Klaus has got in the Quarter."

"We need to find her!" Maleny exclaimed, and Amarrah swore she saw the smoke billowing from her ears.

She had never seen Maleny so angry - it was terrifying. She supposed this is what being a vampire now would do to Maleny. Her emotions - which were still trying to settle down from turning - were all over the place and heightened. With Aurora's latest act against then, it was no surprise Maleny was ready to burn down buildings.

"Mum?"

But alas, there were two voices that seemed to calm her down a bit.

Maleny whirled around as Nicolas walked out from his bedroom. Even though he was practically healed of all injuries from the car crash, thanks to Marlenie's blood, Maleny sped up to him and inspected him like he wasn't. It was quite a sight to see since Nicolas was taller than her by at least three inches.

"Mum, I'm fine, I told you," Nicolas lightly chuckled and pried his mother's hands off his face. "Marls healed me, remember?"

"Course I remember," Maleny withdrew her hands and curled them into fists. "Then I remember who's responsible and I think maybe it wasn't enough for that woman so she had someone do a spell on you or something.

"I assure you she hasn't," Nicolas looked over her to Amarrah, apologetically smiling at her for Maleny's shouts.

Maleny looked down at the courtyard and saw Marcel coming in. She left her son for a minute to address him from the balcony. "And nice of you to show up - where the hell have you been?"

Marcel rolled his eyes. The similarities between her and Klaus were at times uncanny. "I was making sure that the Strix and their witches are out trying to find Aurora, remember?"

Then again, striking differences made themselves present when it came time to call. It would take an army for Klaus to feel minimally comforted yet for Maleny having the presence of her son was enough.

"Mum, he's been helping, you don't have to be rude," Nicolas gently pulled her away from the balcony.

Maleny nodded in agreement. She was, after all, in debt with Marcel up to her heels for getting Cami out of the Strix. She shot Marcel with a much kinder look the next time she addressed him. "I'm sorry. Have you had any progress, Marcel?"

"Not in the slightest," Marcel sighed, equally frustrated as everyone else in the room.

"How is it that this woman can evade all of us?" Klaus and Elijah came in from yet another miserable search for Aurora. Klaus looked no less pleased with the results.

"She's cloaked," reminded Amarrah before shots were fired at her (and Freya's) work in the process. "She probably got the spell done by the very witch she killed."

That was the only progress they had made in the search. The dead witch, identified as Madison by the Strix, had been found dead in an alleyway most likely done by Aurora. Other than that, one could almost swear Aurora was a myth. She wasn't anywhere.

"Has anyone at least figured out how this witch was turned from?" Maleny thought to ask.

"Nothing," Marcel shook his head. "No one knows how Aurora got to her. No one knows where Aurora is. Our coven hit the same cloaking spell as Freya."

Klaus eyed Marcel for his choice of words. "Your coven? Making yourself quite comfortable with the Strix, aren't you?"

Marcel rolled his eyes at the accusation. "Yeah. Yeah, to help you."

"And we appreciate it," Maleny cut in before things turned bad. "Thank you Marcel."

Marcel gave a curt nod and left the place. He had other matters to get to now that he been named the Strix leader, or at least forced into it anyways.

~ 0 ~

Lonesome on a park bench in Jackson Square, Hayley blankly watched residents come and go and children play. When someone took a seat beside her, she did not look to greet them.

"This isn't the sort of place I would think of to mourn," Marlenie remarked politely. She pushed some of her black hair over her shoulder and looked at Hayley with a sympathetic smile. "But everyone has their mourning habits."

"Habits?" Hayley raised an eyebrow, key word just settling in her mind.

Marlenie laughed heartedly and shifted to somewhat face Hayley. "One of the oldest vampires in history and you don't think I've had my share of losses?"

Hayley agreed to that. It was foolish to think that a vampire of age like Marlenie's would never suffer some sort of loss.

Marlenie did not wait for Hayley to make a remark, fearing of losing the version of Hayley that was actually willing to speak. "I have never suffered a loss like the one you have, though. I hope never to have to."

Intrigued momentarily, Hayley turned her head to look at Marlenie. "So old and never had a love?"

"Once..." Marlenie said, but her face softened and she moved on like nothing. "I didn't really get to know Jackson, but I could see that he was a good man," Marlenie drew in towards her point. She eyed the baby tree not too far from them, knowing it had been the place for Jackson's final remnant. "I suppose you buried it there-" she nodded towards the baby tree, "-for my baby sister's sake?"

Hayley nodded. "At least Hope will have a place to visit him. I don't want her to forget how much she loved him."

"A man who was like a father to her," Marlenie acknowledged the importance of Jackson. "Hope was a very lucky to have that."

"I'm sure you've had-"

"I could not let anyone take the place of my parents," Marlenie said sharply, figuring where Hayley was heading. "When I got older, many people who managed to get past the idea of what I was sometimes thought they could parent me. They were wrong. I longed to have my parents, and now...I am afraid that I may lose them again. Which...is why I need you, Hayley."

"No offence, Marls, but I'm not exactly the go-to person you want at the moment."

"Please, my mother is on a rampage to find Aurora and she is nowhere near prepared to fight. And I have no doubt Aurora would try to use her to get to my father again. Mum is a baby-vamp and she needs someone to train."

"Then why don't you do it?" was Hayley's grand response.

"Because I want to help take Aurora down and I am capable enough. I plan on helping my father."

"She's not gonna go for it," Hayley said as a last resort.

Marlenie perked up at that practic 'yes'. "We're not exactly gonna ask for it."

Hayley raised an eyebrow, questioning the tactic Marlenie was thinking of using. But, for the moment, she didn't ask. She believed a proper distraction was in order. And hell, if helped take down that lunatic Aurora, so be it.

~ 0 ~

"What do you mean she's gone?" Klaus growled as he paced back and forth in his bedroom, his cellphone dangerously close to being smashed between his hand.

Elijah was on the other line, as was Amarrah, and apparently neither of them could find Freya in the belltower where she spent much of her time trying to locate Aurora.

"From the look of things... I would say that the lunatic ex found Freya," Elijah deduced, watching as Amarrah circled the table in the room boring a map.

"Then get Ammarah to track her - that's what she's there for!" Klaus exclaimed. He could hear Ammarah in the background cursing him out for his 'lack of manners' but he ignored her.

"There's no need for any of that," Elijah cut in when he thought Amarrah was done saying her colorful words. He had seen a scrap of paper on the edge of the table, a poem of some sort. "I got something."

And then he read the poem to Klaus, alerting them both that their eldest sister was trapped underground in the forest nearby. Hanging up to go meet with Elijah, he bumped into Nicolas on the other side.

"Where are you going?" his son asked mere seconds after. He may not have super hearing like the rest of the residents in the building but he was clever enough to figure it out.

"Somewhere important," Klaus went past him and down the open corridor.

"Mum is downstairs having herself a good feed," Nicolas turned and went after him. "And listen, Dad, about her...going…"

"Ooh she is not going anywhere," Klaus stopped by the staircase, very firm on that idea. "I understand she wants to exact her revenge and I am 100% behind it but in this case Aurora possessing white oak stake bits means it's a trip only for me."

"I'd say it wouldn't be a trip for you," Nicolas crossed his arms, and received an amused look from his father. "I agree with you on that Mum shouldn't go anywhere. But what exactly do you intend on doing to keep her from going?"

"You leave that to little ole me," Marlenie had strode into the courtyard wearing a mischievous look. Klaus suspiciously eyed her from the top of the staircase. "One condition though: you take me."

"Why is my family full of deranged members?" Klaus muttered as he came down the stairs. "No, Marlenie-" he said sternly, "-you are not going with me."

"Of course I am," Marlenie stood right in front of him the moment his foot took the last step of the stairs. "Don't take Mum, I get that - she's a baby vamp - but I'm just as old and strong enough to fight like the Strix. Hell, I'm older than Aya, that should count for something."

"It should," agreed Nicolas with a nod, receiving a thankful point from Marlenie.

"Shut up!" snapped Klaus. "The both of you will stay here, with your mother, and Hope, and you will look after them-"

"I'm going!" Marlenie stood her ground. "And as for my dear Mother, don't worry. Hayley is going to be with her. That only leaves Nicolas and Hope, but don't worry-" she smirked at her brother past Klaus, "-I'm sure Hope can deal with my brother."

"Hey!" Nicolas scowled, but Marlenie just looked at her father patiently.

"So, shall we get going? Before Mum gets back?"

Klaus muttered under his breath how 'annoying his kids were sometimes' while leading Marlenie out, the latter beaming and winking at her partially irritated brother remaining back.

~ 0 ~

"Cami, you should really fix the doorbell," Maleny quietly said from underneath the threshold of Cami's apartment. She'd come in to see how Cami was doing after learning that Marcel had finally done what Elijah had asked.

"I keep forgetting to compel the shady landlord to fix it. Next time, text," Cami said blankly, letting a minute pass before she spoke again. "Oh, and Mal, I'm gonna need those dark objects back."

"C-come again?" Maleny raised an eyebrow.

"I said I want my dark objects back. Klaus had no right to take them. They are part of the O'Connell bloodline and that is me."

Any other moment Maleny would have questioned Cami's rude attitude, but after being kicked out of the Strix Maleny could see why Cami was in such a foul mood. The dark objects was just a way to release her anger, and since Klaus had taken all of the dark objects, including Cami's half, from Lucien's apartment and sealed them up in the compound, Cami had the perfect excuse to argue for them.

"Cami, look, I get you're mad but-"

"No you don't understand!" Cami snapped, stalking up to Maleny. "The only advantage I had to help you all and Marcel took it away from me! And not only that, he took the Quarter too! And all because Elijah asked him to!"

"Maybe now you could focus more on your psychology-"

"I DON'T WANT TO!"

Maleny flinched. Earlier she had been mad that Klaus left God knew where without her, but now seeing Cami she knew who won in the fury department.

Cami released a big breath ease her stress. "You don't get it! Elijah just went around making plans here and there for me without actually asking me! He's just so..." she made air-strangling gestures.

"Overprotective?" Maleny finished for her with a small smile. Cami sighed and dropped her hands. "Yeah, I can relate to that. Ask me where Klaus is right now? Probably making plans to finish Aurora...without me."

"That's not fair!" Cami groaned and walked away from Maleny. "Who do they think they are to do that to us?"

"I presume the love of our lives who think they have to protect us at all costs." It was fairly amusing for Maleny to see Cami freeze in her spot. "I know, it's very annoying. Good news is, now that I have some super vampire strength I can actually make Klaus regret it."

Cami shook her head and went for her kitchen, intending on ignoring that specific part of the conversation.

"Cami," Maleny went after her, "I'm not saying that Elijah was right in doing so but...try to look at it from his point. Aya almost killed you. He thought having Marcel around would make things easier for you to leave the Strix."

Cami was in the middle of pouring herself a drink, shaking her head all the meanwhile Maleny talked. "No one asked him to."

"When you love someone, it doesn't matter if they ask you to protect them or not. They will do it," Maleny said plain and simple. "And yes, it's very annoying and common grounds for argument, but you know that in the end they're only looking out for you."

Putting down her bottle of bourbon rather harshly on the counter, Cami turned to Maleny. "Okay, that all might make sense for you. Because, no matter how deranged and impulsive Klaus is he always gives you your place. He always lets you in on-"

"Most of the time," Maleny corrected.

"Fine, most of the time he lets you in your plans. But above any of this stuff..." Cami paused, the words coming to her wounding her heart all over again, "...you feel like you're family with him. Elijah has never showed me that. So he can't do any of this stuff to me."

Maleny wished it wasn't so complicated for the two, but alas...she was no miracle worker.

"There you are," Hayley came into the place like nothing, casually throwing a thumb over her shoulder as she told Cami, "You should really get that doorbell fixed."

Cami rolled her eyes and picked up her glass to drink.

"Hayley, what are you doing here?" Maleny frowned. "And do you know where Klaus is? Because, for some reason, neither he nor Marls are answering my calls."

"We have a place to go to," Hayley announced, glancing at Cami. "And it probably wouldn't hurt if Cami came with us."

Waving them off with a hand, Cami took a long drink from her glass. "I'm not going anywhere. Maleny, I expect those dark objects by tomorrow - tonight actually."

"Keep dreaming. As if I'm gonna give an emotional vampire dark objects," Maleny crossed her arms. "Least that's what Klaus told me yesterday when I mentioned them."

"So he's keeping them away from you too?" Cami frowned at this idea.

"No of course not," Maleny waved her off.

"Listen ladies," Hayley clapped her hands together, "dark objects are no longer of use to you. But if you want a better chance of getting your enemies back, you should follow me."

Cami exchanged a look with Maleny, both blondes agreeing this was part of something else they knew nothing about.

"I'm waiting!" they heard Hayley call from the entrance door.

~ 0 ~

"Your mother is going to kill you," was Klaus' final comment after hearing what Marlenie had done to keep Maleny away while they went to find Aurora. However, he could not disagree on the idea of having Maleny as far away as possible if they were to truly find Aurora.

Smirking to herself, as she had no ounce of regret for what she'd done, she followed Elijah into a wooden cabin that they found as part of Aurora's little poem scheme. It was a long way into the woods, and unfortunately Elijah could immediately see it had been abandoned.

"No one is here but Freya's blood tells me they were here."

"The stronger scent is due west," Klaus said after a moment of pause, now turning in the direction.

"I think it's time we split up," announced Marlenie.

Elijah agreed with a nod. "You two track the scent and I'll take the cabin."

"Let's go," Marlenie was all too pleased to go after what she hoped would finally lead them to Aurora Dr Martel. There was a score to settle. Because of Aurora's danger, Marlenie had to tell her friends to return to their place outside the Quarter, past the Algiers, because under no circumstances did she want her best friend, and their only trusted warlock, to face Aurora or the Strix for the moment.

~ 0 ~

Although it was a foggy morning, Marlenie and Klaus were able to get through to the intended space where the blood scent was incredibly strong. However, when they saw what laid ahead, they were far more than horrified. There was a grave that was visibly recently buried with fresh lavender plants over it.

"How sadistic," Marlenie remarked with pursed lips. "If she wasn't our enemy I'd congratulate her on her tactics."

"You want to share that with your mother?" a light smirk traced Klaus' lips.

"Then I think I really will die," Marlenie sucked a breath in.

They then wasted no time working together in digging out the grave. Between them, they pulled out the coffin and placed it on the ground next to the hole. Unfortunately, upon opening it, they found the words 'Guess Again' scribbled on it..in blood.

Frustrated, they realized they were surrounded by a dozen other graves. Marlenie fumed much like Klaus, both silently vowing to bring that redhead down once and for all the moment they saw her. They split apart for a moment to investigate the other graves, and suddenly, they got a strong whiff of familiar blood. Klaus was the first to see a lavender plant covered in Freya's blood, and figuring it was one of Freya's tricks to help find her easier, he rushed to go dig up that grave.

~ 0 ~

Hayley led both Maleny and Cami into the church-turned-gym and threw her jacket to the side, uncaring if it fell to the floor.

"I can't believe Marlenie put you up to this," Maleny was in a similar state of fume, unknowingly, as Marlenie and Klaus were. She had figured things out by that point and cursed herself for being so naive.

"Marlenie didn't put me up to anything, Maleny," Hayley remained calm as she led them around the wrestling cage. "She just made me realize things."

"Yeah, like what?" Maleny crossed her arms, in the same stance as Cami. Both blondes were pretty peeved.

Hayley sighed. "There is a fight coming - that's something both of you need to understand. It's what the prophecy says. And, I'm sorry, but being baby vamps isn't going to help you."

"I would be at a little less at risk if someone handed over my dark objects," Cami turned on Maleny, still angry this topic was not being discussed.

Maleny groaned and turned to face Cami. "Okay, I'm trying to be understanding because you're clearly having a hard time but goddamit, Cami! What does it matter if you have them or not? Hayley's right about something: they're no use to us anymore. If you really want your half, fine, but don't use that as an excuse to take out your anger. You're mad at Elijah, you're mad at Marcel, you're mad at yourself-"

"Myself!?" Cami repeated, incredulously.

"Yes!" Maleny threw her hands in the air. "Maybe because you didn't figure out that you were being tricked.

"Ladies," Hayley clapped her hands and made both blondes look her way. "Stupid little boxes aren't going to get you anywhere. There's no point in arguing. You're both in line with the Mikaelsons, making you easy targets for their enemies. I'd step up if I were you."

"Is this your idea of a pep talk?" Maleny raised an eyebrow.

"How am I doing?"

Cami and Maleny exchanged unamused looks then answered simultaneously. "Awful."

Wearing a tiny smirk, Hayley went up to the cage and unlocked it. "Which one of you's first?"

"She is," each blond pointed at each other, making Hayley's smirk widen.

~ 0 ~

Elijah stood tall and easy across Aurora, despite having a white oak stake gun pointed at him. Aurora had made it perfectly clear she awaiting the arrival of Klaus to, apparently, witness the death of his older brother...not that Elijah cared much. He could see how less put together than normal Aurora was now - what with losing her brother and, in her mind, Klaus, there wasn't much left to sanity. The cabin was empty except for them, and as Aurora droned on and on, she wasn't able to quite capture the fact people were nearing them.

It wasn't until Marlenie swept in first and bashed Aurora over the head with a lone, thick wooden board. "That was for my brother! And this one's gonna be for me!"

Aurora had dropped the gun with the force and looked up with a bloody forehead. Elijah quickly nabbed the gun from the floor and smiled proudly at his niece. "Ah, there you are, Marlenie. And your father?"

Marlenie was about to thrash Aurora again when she looked up to nod over to the entrance of the cabin where Klaus was helping a weakened Freya walk. "Marlenie, I said to wait!" Klaus shouted at her .

Aurora took her chance and punched Marlenie across the face, knocking to the slightly younger vampire to the ground. "You fight like your mother - weak."

Marlenie growled and swiped a foot across Aurora's legs, instantly knocking the redhead down. "Don't you talk about my mother that way, bitch."

Klaus left Freya with Elijah and rushed to go stop whatever fight was about to happen. Unfortunately, Marlenie's abruptness had given Aurora the perfect chance to escape through the wide open door. It was really no surprise to Klaus, nor Elijah, but Marlenie was mortified to see what she had caused.

~ 0 ~

"Ow!" Maleny cried as she landed face first against the wall of the cage. Furious, she whipped around and faced Hayley. "That hurt!"

"Kinda the point, Mal," Hayley released a breath and moved a strand of her hair from her face. "I'm not Klaus - I won't go easy."

"I think that was an insult," Maleny glanced at Cami who stood outside the cage watching them. "Was it?"

"A heads up," Hayley straightened, showing a glimpse of a smirk. "Now c'mon, you're a thousand year old witch turned vampire with a hell of a motive to kick ass. Gonna show me what you got?"

"...I don't wanna," Maleny confessed but Hayley motioned her to get started with two fingers. Rolling her eyes and basically sucking it up, Maleny lunged forwards. She tried punching Hayley but the hybrid dodged the first one and blocked the second one. More frustrated, Maleny kicked a leg up and when that didn't work she went sneakier and sucker punched Hayley on the stomach. Hayley went against the cage and Maleny clapped a hand over her mouth. "Did that hurt? Tell me that didn't hurt?"

"You took down an entire wolf army and you're seriously scared of this?" Cami called from outside, looking more or less disappointed.

"This is different - I like Hayley! And I'm not fearing for my life right at the moment," Maleny argued, gesturing to their serene place of training. "This is nothing like the bayou and Finn's wolves."

"But it could be very soon," Hayley cut back in as she walked out of the cage for the bench. "Which is why you both need to be prepared to kick ass."

"We're like a little team," Maleny smiled to herself and left the cage as well.

"We could've almost passed for Charlie's Angels," Hayley thought to joke but only Cami got it.

"What's that?" Maleny blinked.

"Something you have yet to watch," Hayley patted her on the arm. Hearing her cellphone go off inside her jacket she moved to answer.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" Maleny asked Cami, deciding to get that cleared up.

"No…" Cami said quietly, "I wasn't ever mad at you, I just...I just can't believe Marcel did this to me. He took...everything from city. The membership. And because Elijah asked him to."

"But Cami, did you actually want to stay in the Strix? After what they did to Gia?"

"I was never with them, Maleny. I was using it to help Elijah. Now I don't have anyway to help him. I...lost the only thing that made me useful to him."

Right when Maleny realized what this anger was actually about, the doors of the gym burst open. The Strix's witches strode in at once, and they meant business. Hayley had only just received Davina's urgent warning but only at midway. Still, she sprung into action.

"Mal, Cami, get out of here right now!"

But before either blonde could even think about leaving, one of the witches thrust Hayley with a spell that sent her flying back against a wall. The attack didn't stop there, the witch repeated the action over and over.

Maleny couldn't watch any longer and sped behind the witch, quickly whacking her on the head with an elbow. However, the second sister cast an anyeurism spell that put Maleny down on the ground with unbearable pain. Cami moved to help her but the third witch cast another pain inflicting spell that knocked her out completely. Hayley was left to fend for herself, and unfortunately this time they went after her bones. She screamed as something twisted within her chest. It wasn't until she felt something soaking her shirt did she realize her heart was creating a bulge under her skin. The sisters banded together and ushered the spell on, forcing Hayley on her knees. She cursed at them from here to hell, but nothing made them desist. They wanted their heart and they seemed pretty hell bent on getting it.

However, across the city, Davina and a certain dead Mikaelson were about to help her in a pretty unorthodox way. Using magic, Davina was made unconscious and thus her connection with the Sisters caused them to drop on the floor as well. Hayley dropped on her side, her breathing rapidly increasing but still she was only healing herself. Only after a moment did Aya stride in like nothing.

"I thought...I smelled arrogance," Hayley breathed in, sitting upright and discreetly glancing at her two unconscious friends nearby.

"I think you meant confidence," Aya smugly smiled. "But I can understand how the uneducated are apt to confuse the two."

"Yeah? You want to tell me what your dead-eyed drones want with my heart?"

"It's nothing personal. I just value my life above yours." And without further ado, Aya lunged for Hayley, intending on finishing the sister's job to pull the heart out.

Hayley scrambled away and grabbed a metal hand which she used to backhand Aya across the face twice. Aya got through and captured Hayley in a tight choke-hold and slammed her against a shelf. With the blow, Hayley went thoroughly under. If it wasn't for Marcel coming in seconds before, Aya would have surely pulled her heart out.

"Aya, you take her heart, you start a war," he snapped, yanking Aya away. "Don't you understand any logic? Why do you think I let Cami go? We can't afford wars here."

"Don't let your association with werewolf trash cloud the opportunity before you," Aya gestured to Hayley. "And as for Cami, I would've thought it was more of your friendly affection for her that clouded your duty to keep her here as dictates her responsibilities."

"The Mikaelsons will kill us before you can even light the candles on the spell," Marcel persisted.

"There is no alternative!"

"You're wrong. Give me a few hours to set this thing straight. Or push me out of the way and condemn yourself and everyone else in the Strix to a slow and painful death. I want to be de-linked just as much as you do. Give me the chance to do it the right way."

Aya glared at Marcel, knowing, deep down, he was probably right in that this would definitely start a war with the Mikaelsons. Still, she supposed nothing could happen if she gave Marcel a little chance.

"Bring me a solution by midnight, or I will rip out your heart right before I come back and take hers," she pointed at Marcel before speeding away.

~ 0 ~

"The attack was about breaking the sire link. Marcel told me that Aya's witches already have a spell to do it," Hayley explained to both Klaus and Elijah in the compound courtyard. Neither brother was pleased to hear about the attack in the gym.

"And how does your heart play into all of this?" Klaus wondered, knowing the answer would be even more tedious.

"I'm the only un-sired vampire in history. Apparently, that's the key to making it work."

"And yet, Marcel neglected to mention it this morning," Klaus frowned, but Hayley didn't seem so upset.

"Ease up. He saved me, Maleny and Cami if both of you have forgotten," she reminded.

"But the Strix might yet come for you again," Elijah expressed his concern.

"Let them," Hayley said. "I'm not an easy target. They'd be better off trying to find some witchy workaround."

That sentence made them all freeze with realization.

"Unless they already have," Klaus was the first to say it openly.

Hayley slowly looked down at her hand that still bore her wedding band. "They need my heart. Or one that's identical to it."

"Jackson," Elijah sympathetically looked at her.

"The Unification Ceremony didn't just marry us - it also made his heart a mirror image of mine."

"We need to dig it up," Klaus said not a moment later. He discarded Hayley's attempt to dissuade. "Aurora escaped with more of the White Oak and when she returns- and she will- I would prefer the vampires of New Orleans be obligated to protect us. They'll be more likely to do so if our lives remain linked to theirs."

"Niklaus is right," Elijah nodded, much to Hayley's dismay. "The sire-link has to remain unbroken. We have to go."

Hayley understood it was for the bigger issue...but it did not mean she was an ounce happy. Unfortunately, they would soon learn that someone else had has already beat them to the heart.

~ 0 ~

Much later, Marcel returned to the Davilla estate holding the small chest containing Jackson's heart. Behind him were Davina and the rest of the Sisters. Aya was not content with his solution that turned out to have worked.

"This is your solution, Marcel? The heart of a dead werewolf?"

Marcel was in awe at how ignorant she was. "Well, not just any werewolf- Hayley's husband. I was at her wedding. His heart became one with hers. Ask Davina."

"He's right. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't gonna work," Davina nodded.

Aya seemed to be warming up to the idea. "I assume the grieving widow didn't just hand it over. Pray tell, how did you procure this little gem?"

"This is my city. Nothing happens in it without me knowing."

Aya rolled her eyes and took the box from him. She handed it over to Davina and motioned for them to get started with the task. Marcel called to her as she was leaving, prompting from her a thank you at least for his services...not that it mattered to her.

Still, she gave him a little credit. "You did prove yourself quite the creative leader today."

"Yeah, I'd say so, considering I just found a way to keep you and everyone in this organization alive," Marcel said casually and walked up to her, becoming serious. "I want to be free of the Mikaelsons just as much as you do. Get in the way of that again, and I will be just as creative in finding a way to kill you."

Aya twitched a smile. "Don't be cross, Marcel Gerard. You're finally starting to learn. Commitment to a common goal is as strong a bond as family."

~ 0 ~

In the downstairs lounge room, Maleny passed the pages of Cami's dark object catalog book. Because of the day's events, she decided it was time to go back and see what was actually being kept in the compound. She was still wondering if Cami would later come back, thinking clearly, to demand her half of the stock.

It's only fair, mused Maleny. If roles were reversed, she probably would be asking for them too. Although now that she was looking at her half, she was thinking that perhaps it was time to introduce Nicolas to the stock and let him have it, and in the future Hope would have them too.

She began to hear footsteps nearing the room, and spoke up just as Klaus walked in. "You should know that I'm going to chew your head off."

Klaus briefly smirked, assuming this would be his punishment for keeping her away from the Aurora-hunt. "Marlenie tell you?"

Maleny looked up and slammed the catalog book shut. "Do I look like an idiot to you?" her accusing eyes landed on him, close to forming a mini-glare.

"I have the feeling that no matter how I answer, it's not going to bode well for me," Klaus admitted, slowly coming up to the couch.

"I told you so many times before that I don't like being babied. I thought that when I became a vampire it would stop," Maleny shifted on the couch to face him, showing her true feelings of disappointment, and frankly pain. "But today you proved it never will."

Klaus sighed and faced her as well. "Well of course it's never going to end." Maleny's eyes widened, completely outraged. Klaus quickly explained himself before she threw the book at his head. "Mal, you're young right now, and I want to keep you away from the danger that I can. Aurora is nearly our age - imagine how much strength she has as a vampire?"

"Okay, fine, I am weak," Maleny mumbled, leaning an elbow on the back of the couch to then rest her cheek on her hand.

"You know it's not that-"

"I know that but it's basically it, isn't it? I'm a baby-vamp and she's ancient. My chances against her are low but do you know what? I don't care. Because just like when Cami fought some ancient Strix member for her initiation, I would use my brain against Aurora. Brawns over brains is her tactic, but it's not mine."

Klaus loved that smirk on Maleny's face. He leaned forwards till they were inches apart. "My apologies, then."

Maleny kept a straight face for as much as she could. "You owe me for this. Using my daughter to trick me?"

"By the time Marls came to me she had already enacted her plan," Klaus defended himself.

"Clever words will not get you out of this," Maleny warned, pointing a finger at him.

Klaus took her finger and slowly curled his fingers around her hand. "I intend to use...other means..." he raised her hand to his lips for a soft kiss.

~ 0 ~

Nicolas yawned as he walked into the study room upstairs. He was surprised to find his twin sister drinking at the bar. "Easy up, Marls, Dad's gonna kill you if you drink his stock in one night." However, she made no come back and that alone was a red flag. Therefore, he made no more jokes and walked over to see how she was. "Hey Marls, what's up?"

Marlenie put down her near empty glass on the counter and answered without looking at him. "Hasn't anyone told you yet? She got away."

Being too brief, Nicolas didn't quite understand. "Who did?" he asked again, taking a seat beside her at the bar counter.

"She did, Aurora. I let her get her away," Marlenie repeated, and it looked like it hurt her each time. "I picked a fight at the wrong time, and because of me, neither Dad nor uncle Elijah could catch her. I ruined it."

"Marls, don't think like that-"

"It's not just that!" Marlenie exclaimed, looking more devastated. "My brilliant plan with Mum got her hurt too. I thought I was so clever today but it turns out I got everything wrong."

"So, your plans didn't go as you wanted but it doesn't mean everything was on you. The Strix was coming anyways, and Mum was just at the wrong place at the wrong time-"

"Because of me," Marlenie gestured to herself.

"What happened was not on you, Marlenie."

"Yes, it was." Marlenie insisted, and quite quietly too. She stared at her glass long and hard before speaking again. "I think that, after all this time searching for a family I forgot how to be in one." At Nicolas' face, she elaborated. "Throughout the centuries, I've only ever had one person that could come close to family. Evie was the girl I met in the Velden residence when I took it over. She was like me. Her parents had died from an illness and she was left orphaned in her own family. Nobody paid real attention to her. And then I came, and somehow we both connected despite my vampirism. I eventually turned her and together we created out clothing designer company. She is like a sister to me. But even then, it's not the same. I need my parents...I needed you. I spent every waking moment searching for Dad, for any Mikaelson, but I never thought about what I should do afterwards. I've only ever thought about me because it's always been me against the world."

"But it's not like that anymore," Nicolas said and gently pushed Marlenie's glass away from her. "We found each other again, Marls. We found our parents. And we are never gonna be separated again." He looped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned closer to him. "It's never going to be you against the world anymore, okay?" Marlenie nodded and slowly relaxed with her brother.

Author's note:

Ah, what an episode! When Freya was stuck in that coffin I nearly screamed thinking they wouldn't find her in time lmao. But actually, I was having a bit of trouble doing this episode because I couldn't decide what characters to place where. Originally, I had Maleny actually going with Klaus & Elijah to find Aurora...but then I changed it to Marlenie for the exact reason above. We realize that while Marlenie shares a lot of her parents' genes, she doesn't actually know how to be in a family. We have to remember that unlike Nicolas, she wasn't with family. While Nicolas shared some time with Freya, Marlenie went years on her own as a human trying to survive until she was turned. I thought it would be an interesting point to bring up for Marlenie, what do you think? But don't worry, Maleny will still have a moment to face Aurora ;)

For the reviews:

Thank you! I hope the new chapter was also good! :)

Well first of all congrats on finishing your exams! I'm glad you like the little family I've put together lmao they're so nice to write about! We have a little insight on Marlenie this chapter, and we're gonna see Nicolas' acting as well a little later on! Awww, thank you so much! I hope you liked this new chapter too and it made it worthwhile!

Soo, next chapter is the big ole crossover with the strix showdown! Yowzah what a chapter it was!