AN: Reminder: This fanfiction is unbeta-ed, and I don't own TO, TVD or the characters; I just own the AU/AR they reside in (and my OCs).
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"Aaron without you this family would be lost. We would be broken and miserable; we wouldn't be a family. Many of us would be dead; the ones remaining would barely care for each other as we do now. You are what held this family together. We were at a critical point when you awoke, very near to being lost to each other forever. You brought us together, you made it possible for us to love each other and others. You are the reason we are as happy as we are today."
Rebekah Mikealson
This Is Us, The Original Family
Chapter Eleven: Heart To Hearts
We Remain, The Original Family
Chapter Nine: Transitions
NADIA PETROVA
Mikaelson Island Airplane Hangar
Mikaelson Island
South Pacific Ocean
March 31, 2012
They all waited excitedly to meet the newest member of their family. Aaron had called her while they had been over the Atlantic Ocean and told her they had rescued Freya alive and they were spending time getting to know their long lost sister. Nadia was happy for Aaron but deeply concerned for him. He had sounded burdened and that did not bode well for all the progress they had made.
Aaron had the tendency to think that everything bad that happened to the family was his fault, since he was the oldest and was the most powerful witch of all his siblings. To find out that their Mother intended for him to be taken away and not Freya must be shaking him to his core. That added to Freya's reappearance and the resurrection of his biological father, her love was most likely about to lose control of his emotions. She had no idea how to handle the upcoming emotional turmoil, but hoped that the suite they made for Freya and welcoming her into the family without fuss would ease some of the emotional troubles.
They watched the plane land and the doors open and Nadia realized that this homecoming was going to be more emotional than anticipated.
Rebekah emerged from the plane in tears, running into Caroline's arms and sobbing. Finn and Papa were next throwing Klaus out of the plane and beigning to fight him, a beating that Klaus was not taking lying down. Kol and Henrik were next, trying to break up the fight, but Papa and Finn were having none of it. Nadia, her aunt, mother, sister and sister-in-laws could only watch in horror and wonder what had happened.
Nadia gasped when she saw Aaron leave the jet carrying the body of a dead blonde woman. She had been alive when she spoke with Aaron earlier! Nadia had heard her laugh and joked that Mama would be peeved if Freya ruined her jacket!
Varying shocked exclamations came from her fellow family members, many wondering aloud what had happened.
"Niklaus, how could you! She was our sister!" Finn yelled, as he and Papa pinned Klaus to the side of the plane.
"She was a threat to this family as a mortal. She had to die." Kalus said struggling against his brothers grasps. He locked eyes with Hayley (who began crying, along with most of the family at the revelation) she was holding Ingrid tight to herself, shielding her from the fight. "Oh, little wolf, worry not. Freya's death isn't permanent."
Everyone silenced at this information.
Mama steeped forward, "Did you use my blood?"
"Yes Katerina"
"Then she will be fine" Mama said looking to Aaron, "Her room is on the second floor, across from yours and Nadia's room. I'll have a blood bag sent up to her; you just need to say the spell over her while she sleeps."
Aaron nodded and left. Nadia was very confused. How could he be so silent about his sister's death? Her love hadn't even looked in her direction and now he was gone. She wanted to follow him, but she was curious about what happened, and knew she'd never get the story out of Aaron when he was upset, so she stayed and watched her family's interaction, stepping back slightly so she could observe.
"Katerina, Niklaus killed our mortal sister. Please explain to me how she will be fine while there is no Other Side for Aaron or you to pull her back from." Papa said, his voice taking a dangerous tone. Nadia rarely saw her Papa in the way the rest of the world saw him, to her he was warm and kind, she rarely saw the Elijah Mikaelson the world had fear of, and never did she think he would be using his monstrous persona while speaking to her Mama.
To her credit, Mama did not seem surprised or afraid of Papa in this moment. She stared him down and began to speak before Kol cut her off.
"If you gits and Rebekah would listen to me, I could tell you what Nik did…Thank you Henrik for waiting for me to speak before joining our brothers and sister in their misguided grief. I know you were itching to join Eli and Finn in their stupidity. Now, let Nik up." He commanded, Finn and Papa did as they were told but narrowed their eyes at Kol
"Speak quickly brother." Finn said, "Our patience is low this day."
"Freya died with vampire and doppelgänger blood in her system. So she's not dead-dead. That drink Nik prepared her was laced with his and Katerina's blood." Kol said with a sigh "This solves our nasty spy problem. Aaron went to the house and is saying the spell that will make her an Original like us and Immortal. Nik, why in the bloody hell would you block your plan from Aaron and I? We all just spent the last minute thinking the brother we love just murdered our new sister in cold blood."
Klaus shrugged, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off him while he was healing. "This way, when she wakes she will be angry and me and only me for making her vampire, not all of you. I knew I wanted her to be immortal, since I knew of her existence so I asked Katerina for her blood before we left. If she hadn't agreed to our proposal of making her an immortal witch I would have simply changed her then. It's a bit controlling of me, but, I'm not in the business of letting my siblings die permanently even if it's their wish. I had given up my plan until Dahlia's link to Freya became clear and I knew that her death might be the solution, so I spiked her drink and snapped her neck when she was too occupied arguing with you lot."
Everyone had calmed down at Klaus and Kol's explanation and was no longer looking at Kalus with disgust and surprise. But Nadia was absolutely confused, what was this about Dahlia and spying? "What in the hell happened on that plane?"
"Perhaps we should all take this inside?" Papa suggested, picking up Mama, and running towards the castle.
Kol did the same with Bonnie; Rebekah and Caroline each stole Erik and Ingrid from the arms of their mother and ran away laughing; and Sage, Finn, Hayley and Klaus went running after the children.
"Tally, can you stay behind?" Henrik asked, "There's something we need to talk about."
Aunt Natalia squeezed Nadia's hand before Nadia left her and Henrik alone in the airplane hangar.
When Nadia arrived at the castle, she noted that everyone had gathered in the second floor family room and was telling the story of what had transpired on the plane. She stood in the doorway and noticed that Aaron was not present.
Her worry for Aaron's emotional well being increased upon noting his absence. Her love adored leading meetings such as this, and liked guiding the family through difficult decisions. The prospect of bringing Esther and Mikael back from the grave to save the children that have been born and those that will be born of their family from Dahlia was a difficult decision. It seemed that everyone was willing to face the devils they knew in Mikael and Esther rather than face Dahlia and lose their children.
I'm in our suite my love. He whispered into her mind.
Nadia ran straight to him. He was sitting on a couch in their sitting room and tears were streaming down his face.
"Oh, my love." She sighed, sitting next to him."Crying alone accomplishes nothing."
"They need me strong Nadi, they need me to be the big brother and lead. But I'm scared of bringing Mikael and Esther back, terrified of my biological father, scared of Dahlia's magic, and I hate myself for not being able to save Freya from her human life and her torture." He sobbed.
"How is Freya's life your fault? It's your mother's and Dahlia's horrid actions that caused her a painful first life, and you cannot be blamed for not knowing she even existed Aaron, you were not old enough when she was taken to have any memories of her." Nadia said, "As for your mother and the many fathers of her children, you do not have to face them alone. You have the whole family to lean on in this. We will all face them and defeat them side by side."
Nadia took his hands and squeezed. "You are not alone any longer Aaron. Your siblings adore you, their spouses and children adore you and I cannot imagine a life without you by my side. We are going to be just fine. It's going to be difficult but I believe in us."
He pulled her into a hug. "I have a brilliant wife."
"I do not recall a ceremony." Nadia laughed, "I am still your fiancée Aaron, Mama will have a fit if we do not have a ceremony."
Aaron groaned and kissed the top of her head. "Her and Eli didn't have a bloody fancy ceremony. It was just the family and a few vows! But no, Katerina's daughters must have a 'proper modern wedding'."
"We can always elope in Vegas, and invite none of them." Nadia said, "That way Mama cannot be mad we didn't have a ceremony."
"Like hell you will get married in Vegas, Nadia Ona Petrova!" Her Mama yelled from the door. "Elijah! Your daughter is having idiotic ideas again!"
"Mama it's called knocking." Nadia sighed, burying her face into Aaron's chest in mortification, remembering all the things her Mama had walked in on in the past months, "You cannot simply keep walking into our room whenever it pleases you."
"When did she give you a Mid-Name? I thought you didn't have one like my siblings, Sage, Hayley, Katerina and Natalia?" Aaron asked.
"I decided that she needed and Mid-Name, while you were gone, so I settled upon my mother's name" Katerina said, "It has been so useful when yelling at Caroline to have another name to yell. May I suggest you give my granddaughter Sonia a mid-name as well? They are quite useful."
"Sonia?" Nadia asked confused. "We name her Sonia?"
"According to the visions Dahlia pried from Bekah's mind, yes."Aaron said, and Nadia's brain completely turned to thought of a child "is there something you needed Katerina? Nadia is having a strong reaction to this news."
"I wanted to let you know that Kol and Bonnie are assisting me in making Henrik and Natailia vampires, and we do not need your help. Freya has a bag of blood next to her bed and should be awake in a few hours. So we don't need you until she wakes." She said, "Everyone is going to try to relax until then, we will want to make our plans once everyone is together."
With that Mama left. "Please lock that door Aaron, if you don't my sister might come in, or Rebekah, or worse Cara and Rebekah together."
Aaron laughed and locked the door with his magic. "Are you going to cry now love?"
"If Dmitri^ had been a girl, I was going to name him Sonia." She whispered as the tears fell.
"I know." Aaron said, rubbing her back in comfort.
"I miss my baby boy, Aaron. I feel as if I'm betraying him if I have another child."
"I know you do my love." Aaron said, "Kol and I have been working on a spell for us to bring back the dead as ghosts temporarily…you know like on that show he loves so much*. He wants to do it so Bonnie's mother and grandmother can help her though her giving birth, I don't see why we can't adjust it for Dmitri or any others you wish to see again."
"This way our daughter can meet her brother." Nadia sighed, "And Mama can meet her grandson, and I will see my boy again."
"Tell me about him again, Nadi." Aaron said, wiping her tears.
"My son, Dmitri Petrov was born in 1505. I was absolutely terrified while I was in labor with him; I was alone apart from the midwife and only fifteen …but from the moment he took his first breath I was in love. He was so beautiful Aaron, I know all mothers say their children are beautiful, but my son was one beautiful baby…"
Nadia spent the next few hours in the arms of her husband-to-be and they talked about her son, about Aaron's fears regarding his parents and about their future life together once this crisis was over.
NATALIA PETROVA
Second Floor Family Room
West Wing of Mikaelson Castle
Mikaelson Island
South Pacific Ocean
March 31, 2012
Nataila Petrova danced around the family room happily while sipping on a bag of blood. She was so happy to be alive again! Being a Living Spirit was barely living, but being a vampire, while not the same as her human life was wonderful and far better than being a Spirit.
Her heart's mate and his family laughed as she, her sister and her nieces danced and laughed in joy, celebrating her new life. They all knew how she loathed being a Living Spirit and were happy that she was happy.
There was a bit of an adjustment; the craving for blood was alarming at first, but she wasn't worried because the family kept the castle stocked with blood bags from donors around the world, there was no danger in harming one of her family members in her thirst. Other than the blood, the abilities that came with being a vampire were similar with what she had been able to do in her ghostly form, so she was able to control them easily enough.
Henrik didn't seem to mind being an Original like his siblings. Tally tried not to grin at seeing her hearts mate sit up straighter and try to imitate his brothers' posture and facial expressions. It was quite adorable.
After she became vampire the family was still feeling depressed. She did not blame them, the threat of their Evil Aunt Dahlia was quite frightening, and the fact that they would have to bring her in-laws back from the Afterlife to defeat her did not sit well with Tally. After all, the only reason she and Henrik returned to the Land of The Living was to warn their family about Esther and Mikael's plots in the Afterlife. This would be giving them exactly what they wanted.
As a vampire, Natalia could help protect her new family in ways that were difficult as a Spirit. As a Spirit she had been afraid to use her ghostly form (the form she had abilities in) in fear of one slip in her sister's magical control sending her back to the Afterlife. Now she was grounded to the Land of The Living until she chose to move on into the Afterlife and that notion was freeing. Now she just needed to learn how to fight.
But, for now, they needed a bit of a respite from thoughts of the horrid things to come, so she dragged everyone into the family room, down the hall from where Freya slept and put on some music. It was music from Cara's iPod, and had a selection of modern pop music on it. Most of the Mikaelsons preferred 'real music' played by orchestra, but Tally found she like the music of people Cara's age as well. She hadn't really had the opportunity to hear much music in her human life and adored that it was so readily available in this time. She liked it all.
Elijah turned off the sound system once it looked like Finn was about to pass out. From her 'modern classes' that she and Henrik attended with Finn, she gathered that Finn could only handle so much of the 21st century's culture at a time before getting 'crabby' as Sage had put it.
The Petrova women took a seat when the music ended still laughing.
"Well that was fun." Tally laughed, sitting herself on Henrik's lap before promptly jumping out of it. "Dear lord what was that!" She exclaimed.
Henrik brought a pillow onto his lap and hid his face in his hands. The entire room began laughing. Tally looked around in confusion; not understanding was so humorous. There was a hard mass in the lap of her hearts mate! Her love must have some sort of illness! Could vampires get ill?
"Talia, have you and Henrik never had intercourse?" Katerina asked.
"That's for when people are married Katerina!" Natalia said scandalized.
"Truly, you have never been aroused around Natalia, Henry?" Finn asked,
"Is that what this is? A product of attraction?" Henrik asked, "I've never had a reaction like this in my spirit form. This used to happen when I was human though for no apparent reason."
The Mikaelson brothers laughed, "Puberty does have that effect." Aaron said.
"Oh, no." Katerina said, "We have to give Henrik and Nataila the sex talk now don't we? We aged them and made them alive again, now we have to educate them about their changed bodies."
Natalia gasped. "Katerina hold your tongue! It's not appropriate talk in a mixed setting!"
"Fine, we will have a girls night and guys night soon and we will deal with you and Henrik's new sex drives then." Katerina said, "Who knew Katherine Pierce's sister would be so uptight about sex?"
More laughter filled the room at her and Henrik's expense. Henrik gave her a shy smile and patted the seat next to him. She took it and his offered hand to hold.
"It's okay Tally, we'll learn together."
She smiled shyly at him and kissed his cheek.
The family let out an 'aw' and then began a heated discussion about whether they should begin watching a film or go wait in Freya's sitting room for her to wake.
Freya Mikaelson made the decision for them when she sped into the room and attacked Niklaus.
FREYA MIKAELSON
Freya's Suite
West Wing of Mikaelson Castle
Mikaelson Island
South Pacific Ocean
March 31, 2012
She woke up in a beautiful bedroom and was so very thirsty. Her nose led her to the large glass filled with red liquid and she drank it all down before she even full processed what was happening.
The glass was blood, her fangs had scraped the glass when she drank and she had crossed the room in the blink of an eye.
She was a vampire now, like her siblings.
Luckily she still had the power to see into the past, and knew what had happened. Niklaus had only seen one way to break Dahlia's hold on her and protect the family, so he had spiked her drink with vampire and doppelganger blood and killed her. She would have admired the plan if she weren't so angry at being turned vampire against her will.
Niklaus did this.
Before she processed what she was doing, her anger led her down the hall to a room that held the family. They were speaking and waiting for her to awake, but Freya was letting her anger at Niklaus guide her. She lunged into the room and attacked him, tearing his neck open.
It took all her sisters-in-law to pull her off him and she looked in horror when she saw that Nik had been holding her niece when she attacked him and he was very injured. Rebekah picked up Ingrid and cleaned her off, handing her to her mother. And her brothers helped heal Nik's wound and clean him up.
Freya began to cry. "I'm sorry Nik. I didn't want to do that. I don't know what came over me…oh, Hayley I'm so sorry I didn't even see Ingrid. What if I had harmed her?"
Rebekah used a handkerchief to clean Freya's mouth of blood. "No one blames you; the transformation would be hard for you; especially with how you were turned. But we can help you with control of the emotions and the thirst with a few spells. It will be fine sister."
She felt terrible and kept crying. "I'm sorry." She began to chant.
"Henrik's and Natalia's changes were so easy, it would figures Freya's would be difficult." Aaron said.
"The ability to make a lasting first impression is a dominant gene in this family," Hayley said with a grin, "Look Freya, Ingrid is fine. She thinks it was just a game sibling's play. Niklaus, calm your sister down."
Niklaus stepped to examine his child. Ingrid was laughing with her fangs out, trying to lunge towards Erik like Freya had with Nik. She had no injury and didn't seem scared by the event. Klaus laughed at his child's antics and then moved toward Freya. "No harm done. You have every right to be angry with me sister. I killed you."
"I'm so sorry Nik. I understand why you did it, I was just so angry."
"It's in the past now." Nik said, "Ingrid is fine, you are no longer angry…now Aaron can sort out the nasty side effects of your transition and we can have a nice evening as a family before talking about our parents tomorrow."
Freya nodded and pulled him into her hug with Rebekah. Soon the whole family joined in the hug.
Footnotes:
^Nadia had a son in her human life named Dmitri. For more on him and his family check out chapter 11 of "This Is Us…"
*Kol's favorite show is Charmed, and on that show the witches occasionally bring back their dead ancestors to visit (usually when a new baby is born or for a wedding)