I do not own TVD or TO.


She couldn't stop her mouth from popping open. Her echoing steps faltered when she stepped into the sanctuary. Loose pages littered the centre aisle. A hymnal had been overturned; the pages held open. At the front of the church a man was bent at the waist picking up large shards of glass.

Hesitantly she stepped forward again. Her head snapped to the left when she caught a faint smell. Old blood stained the dark wood on the far side of the pews. She breathed deeply and relaxed when she realized it was faint enough that it would be unlikely to wake her sleeping child.

"Church is closed," the voice was gruff, "If you want your horror fix, go take a ghost tour."

"I don't care much for ghosts," Elena turned her attention to the priest. "What happened here? I've never heard of a church closing its doors."

"You must be new in town," he scoffed. "Everyone knows what happened here; about the seminary student who killed his classmates in cold blood. St. Anne's used to be the heart of the neighborhood. It's been abandoned for a while now; since the night of the massacre."

"I hadn't heard," Elena's heart stuttered when Miranda stirred. "I promise I'm not here for my 'horror fix' father…"

"Father Kieran," his eyes flickered over her.

Elena knew she must look a right state. Between her sleepless nights watching Miranda sleep, and the exhaustion of being separated she was a true mess. Dark circles ringed her eyes in spite of the layer of makeup she had plastered to hide them. Her normally olive complexion was pale and drawn; she wasn't sure how Miranda was not terrified of her. Elena didn't think she looked a bit like herself; she certainly didn't feel like herself.

"And you are?"

Elena put the brakes on the stroller. She draped the purple blanket over her shoulder and lifted Miranda into her arms. With the tiny head pressed over her heart she lifted her tired gaze to Kieran.

"I'm just looking for some peace."

"Aren't we all?" He sighed. "I was more hoping for your name."

"Mama," Miranda whispered, "up… up…"

"You are up baby," she kissed her daughter's hair. Elena's eyes narrowed; she remembered Rebekah saying something about an attic… attics were generally located in an upwards direction.

She turned her attention back to the priest. "My name's not important," she rubbed circles over Miranda's back. "Where is the attic?"

"What business do you have with my attic?"

"That's my business," Elena swayed soothingly. Her eyes were hard as she stared at him.

"Like I said…" Kieran's eyes caught a flash of blue on her hand, "… the church is closed."

Elena weighed her options. She knew he was there. She could sense him in the building. Normally she wasn't a fan of compulsion, but there were certain circumstances where it was useful. She flashed down the aisle and stared into his green eyes; up close she could see the world weary set of his mouth.

"Where is the attic?" Her pupils dilated ever so slightly. She could have easily looked for it, but it would be much faster for him to tell her.

"Past the sacristy," Kieran pointed, "and up the stairs."

"Wonderful," Elena breathed a deep sigh and smiled and thought: In for a penny, in for a pound. "Thank you, father. Now, forget I was ever here."

Elena pivoted and grabbed the stroller before striding past the sacristy; she saw a few open books on a table in the small room. At the foot of the stairs she stopped and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart; she was certain it was trying to claw its way out of her chest. She took a second deep breath and followed the line of Miranda's arm; she was pointing up the stairs. With her third deep breath she tucked the stroller aside and made her way up the stairs.

Her fingers closed over the doorknob and twisted it to the right. She held her breath and let the door swing open. Miranda blinked tiredly and hugged Elena's neck.

She inhaled slowly and lifted her foot over the threshold. When she found no barrier keeping her out stepped quickly. She knelt on the floor, spread out the blanket, and lowered Miranda onto it before lifting the lid of the smooth mahogany.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him. It had been nearly three years since she had seen him like that. It had been three years since her eyes had last traced the dark veins over his face.

She was incredibly grateful Miranda was so tired; she seemed to know Elijah was there, but she lacked the energy to pull herself up onto her feet. She didn't want her child to see her father so lifeless.

Elena wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the dagger and pulled with every ounce of her supernatural strength. When the silver was free she placed it on the floor under her leg. Raising her wrist to her lips she bit down hard and tasted rich copper on her tongue; from the corner of her eye she saw Miranda's capillaries darken.

She pressed her wrist to Elijah's mouth and sighed when his colour started to shift. Flexing her wrist to keep the wound from closing she turned to watch Miranda attempt to pull herself up by the lip of the coffin and felt fangs tear into her skin. A moment later a strong hand pulled her wrist from his mouth.

"Elena?" His eyes locked on her face. He ran his thumb over her bloody wrist to make sure she was really there.

"Elijah," a sob caught in her throat. "What did I tell you about being careful?"

He sat up and cupped her cheek. "What did I tell you about staying put?"

"It seems neither of us are good at following directions," she shook. The sound that ripped from her throat was half sob half laugh.

Elijah swiped her tear away with his thumb. His hand slid around to grasp the back of her neck.

Elena sighed against his lips. The desire to feel him pressed up against every inch of her was nearly overwhelming. For the first time since he'd left Mystic Falls her heart was at peace. She wanted him closer. She wanted to hold him tight and never let him go again.

There was someone else who was going to demand his attention first, though. So Elena settled for a soft brush of his lips before her rival interfered.

"Dada," Miranda smiled sleepily. She had managed to stand up and was now pulling on his jacket.

"Hello, sweetheart," his lips raised in a smile. Elijah lifted her into his arms and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I missed you. Although I'm glad to see I was not gone too long." He lifted his dark eyes to Elena. "I missed her birthday?"

She nodded and placed the blanket around Miranda's back when she shivered. "You didn't miss yours though. It's September 9th." She stood and secured the dagger in her jacket pocket. "Can we get out of here now?"

"How angry would you be if I said no?" He was out of the coffin and on his feet in a matter of seconds. Miranda closed her eyes and fell sound asleep listening to his heart beat.

"Elijah?"

"The girl…"

"Davina?"

"Yes," he inhaled the soft smell of the baby shampoo, "she's curious and … wilful. I wanted to speak with her… perhaps propose a truce of some kind. If this war were to end we might know peace."

"How do you even know about her?"

"She removed the dagger," Elijah sighed. "She didn't know that doing that once would negate its affects. Until I saw Miranda I was not quite convinced you were not one of her tricks."

"I'm not leaving you here," she swore. "Kol is taking care of Davina as we speak."

There was a brief pause where he watched her face carefully.

"Define taking care please?"

"He's keeping her out of Klaus' clutches, and with any luck getting her away from Marcel… Freya's helping."

"Marcel…"

"Is under the impression I suffered a tragic accident shortly after having a child," she sighed.

"He knows about Miranda? Elena?" His voice grew sharp.

"There wasn't much I could do," she crossed her arms. "His lackeys practically dragged me to his compound."

"Niklaus should have been keeping you both safe," he lowered his pitch when Miranda whimpered.

"I haven't seen or spoken to him in three days," she smoothed back Miranda's hair. "I've been staying with Kol. Caroline and Rebekah are staying with him and keeping an eye on her."

"I still think you should have stayed in Mystic Falls until I called."

"I didn't have much choice, Elijah," she closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of peace. "There was a hunter in Mystic Falls who had gotten to Kol, and made me."

He wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her tightly to his chest so Miranda was pressed securely between them.

"You've walked into the middle of a war zone," he breathed against her hair.

"Yeah, well," she pressed her cheek to his shoulder, "my mate went and got himself daggered, so I didn't have much choice."

"Not an altogether uncommon occurrence in my family," he sighed and ran his fingers through her long hair.

"Well hopefully once I get this dagger to Kol it won't happen again," she kissed Miranda's forehead and leaned back. "He's hidden all but this one." Her brows knit together when her eyes landed on a canvas across the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Elijah tightened his hold.

"Just over here," Elena smiled. "I promise I'm not leaving this room without you."

She slid from his arms and tiptoed around him.

Her eyes grew round as she tilted the canvas towards the candle. Had that candle been lit a moment ago? She could have sworn the room was plunged in darkness. Shaking her head she focused on the sweeps of charcoal.

She swallowed nervously when she recognized the profile. She didn't need to see the woman's hidden face to know it was her. She didn't need to view the unknown space behind the body to know the tiny hand in the dark hair belonged to Miranda.

She tossed the canvas on the white bedspread and dug through a few more. She found a folder of loose papers. The first sheet was another charcoal drawing of Dauphine Street. Elena recognized her bowed head and the small arms wrapped around her neck; she knew it just as she knew that the hand beside her belonged to Cami.

Alarms rang in her mind. She could hear her own heart pounding in her chest.

"What is it?" Elijah was beside her in an instant.

Elena didn't need to look at his face. She could tell by the sharp intake of breath that he recognized her as well.

"You said Kol was taking care of Davina?"

Elena nodded.

"I find myself suddenly inclined to let him handle things."

She was already replacing the drawings and putting things back in their proper places when Elijah stood at the door. She took his hand and frowned when she couldn't step over the threshold.

"Can you leave?" Her hand pressed against an invisible barrier. It was like the barricade thrown up in the face of every vampire lacking an invitation.

"Elena," Elijah kept his voice calm for Miranda, "how did you get in here?"

"I opened the door," she released his hand and beat her fists against the clear wall. "There was no barrier. We're trapped aren't we?"

"So it would seem," he took her arm and gently pulled her back into the attic bedroom. "It would appear that Davina has left a failsafe in place."

"Maybe she knew you were going to wake up," Elena glared at the door. She pulled her phone from her pocket and tuned out the sudden strains of the violin.


Cami offered Davina an encouraging smile when they entered the church.

She looked from the blond to her friend standing in the aisle. Tim was staring up at the statues and lit candles along the alter at the front of the room.

"I can't do this," her voice was little more than a whisper.


"How's your acting?"

"I'm a little out of practice," Davina looked between the siblings. "Why? What plan do you have?"

"If you're out of practice then perhaps you shouldn't know everything," Kol mused. "How about this? You ignore any magic being used by my sister over here," he nodded to Freya, "for the rest of the night. She'll ensure your friend is safe."

Davina's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No funny business darling," he held up his hands in surrender, "she'll only be protecting him. From what I understand you know the kind of spells witches perform when they cast them."

"Anything else and I go straight to Marcel," Davina folded her arms over her chest.

"You have my word," Freya swore.

"I'd also like a word with you later," Kol nodded, he plucked at the cuff of his shirt, "after Nik's been dealt with."


Cami smiled gently and nudged Davina forward; she had no memory of their alley encounter. Kol had assured her it was to keep the woman safe. She watched as Davina hesitantly approached the boy.

Davina's face brightened when Tim turned to smile at her. "Hey," she waved awkwardly, "I got your note."

"I got your text," Tim waved his phone.

"Thanks for meeting me here," she sighed.

Tim laughed and looked her over quickly. "It's good to see you… I can't believe I'm standing here right now. I just… wow."


Kol supressed his groan when he heard the girlish giggle. How had a child gotten so much power?

"Is it done yet?" He turned to his sister. They were situated behind the church; Kol was keeping a lookout in case anyone showed up and caught them practicing magic.

"Yeah," Freya swept the remnants of her spell into the bag. "I put a protection spell on him, so if Klaus does do something the kid will pop right back up."

"Good," Kol lifted his phone to his ear. He counted the rings until the breathless voice picked up. "Bex, I need a favour." He quietly explained the situation.

"Shouldn't be a problem. There's a situation that he needs to be filled in on anyway. Give me five minutes and I'll have him out."

Kol hung up the phone and read the text.

ELENA – Found him. Stuck in the attic.


Cami stared at the red stains on the wall at the back of the church. She closed her eyes to drown out the horror and let the music wash over her. She looked up when Klaus came to join her.

"The boy has a gift," he nodded to the teenagers, "you can't compel a person to play like that."

"I know what you are," Cami shook her head, "it's crazy to me but at least you make sense. This…" she nodded to the blood, "… this massacre was just pointless. A pointless brutal thing. In your life have you ever heard of anything like that? A good man, an aspiring priest, just goes on a killing spree out of nowhere."

Klaus took a seat in the pew beside her.

"I've seen quite a lot in my time. The world is a rather awful place; it's best to meet it on its own terms."

"The world isn't awful," Cami shook her head, "People aren't awful. They want to be good; something makes them bad. Something breaks them down, makes them snap." She turned to stare at him. "There are always signs and symptoms before somebody has a psychotic break. The guy that did this…" she blinked back a few tears, "… there were no signs. He didn't drink, he didn't do drugs…"

"You're rather well informed," Klaus noted, leaning forward to catch her attention.

"He was my brother," Cami blinked rapidly, "my twin actually. I can't sleep. I … I dream about what happened here, and I hate it. I hate that I couldn't help him."

"We have to stand alone against our demons love."

"But what if his become mine?" Cami wiped a tear from her cheek. She turned to look at him expectantly.

Klaus glanced at the teenagers from the corner of his eyes. "I have some business to attend to… but before I do…" He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her watery eyes. "You should go, enjoy the music and put all of this out of your mind."

He watched her leave before standing to approach the witch.


Kieran strode down Dauphine Street and paused when he spotted the man walking around the festival.

"Marcel!"

"Father Kieran," Marcel smiled, "welcome back. I wasn't sure when you'd be coming home."

"I can tell," Kieran grumbled, "judging by what's been going on in my attic."

Marcel's smile turned cold. "I didn't think you'd mind. Lord knows I've done you a favour or two over the years."

"I take it you know what's been going on?" Kieran lowered his voice and stepped closer. "There was a vampire snooping around earlier, she was asking about the attic. She didn't know that I would be on vervain." He leaned back and frowned. "You've got a problem on your hands."

"Let me guess," Marcel sighed, "a blonde with an attitude."

"A brunette with a baby," Kieran tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. Should I be expecting a blonde at some point as well?"

Marcel's eyes hardened. There was only one vampire in town with a baby. "Just so I know," his gaze was searching, "are you here to help, or to criticize?"

The answering laugh was cold when Kieran leaned in to whisper harshly. "Never forget, Marcel, that you live in this city by the grace of those who know your secret and tolerate you."

"And this city thrives because of me and my people," Marcel returned with a menacing stare. He turned his face away when he was approached by Josh.

"Diego says he lost eyes on the girls."

Marcel shook his head before taking off for Rousseau's. He made a mental checklist as he went: Davina first, then Elena. There was no way she could get into the attic without an invitation anyway; that was the spell Davina had in place.


Klaus watched Tim strike up a quiet tune on the violin.

"I assume you know who I am?" His eyes met Davina's, he smiled when she nodded. "Good… let's get right down to it, shall we? Your current dilemma strikes me as a case of poor alliances. You're loyal to Marcel and he keeps you tucked away in an attic. Surely you prefer just a little bit more freedom, and yet he keeps you prisoner."

"Marcel doesn't keep me prisoner," Davina spat, "he keeps me safe. He's my friend."

"I've no doubt," he bent so he was at eye level with her. "I'd be a much better friend though. I'd keep you safe and allow you your freedom."


"He never was one for negotiations," Elijah shook his head after laying Miranda in the center of the white bed.

"Nope," Elena agreed, arranging the pillows to create a barrier. "Why is that? You'd think after a thousand years he would have gotten the hang of it."

"Personally I believe it's because he does not listen," he murmured. His throat burned with hunger. "He also tends to lean towards emotional manipulation."

"Are you okay?" Elena flashed around the bed and cupped his cheek.

A vein darkened briefly beneath his eyes. Elena was reminded of the few weeks he had been daggered in the Salvatore's basement; he'd been practically famished after waking. He'd one through four bags of blood; she'd had the suspicion he could have definitely used more.

"I'm fine, lovely," he slid her hair behind her ear.

"You're starving," she sighed. She could feel his eyes on her neck and the vein that fluttered there. She twisted her hair over her right shoulder and tilted her head.

"Elena," he shook his head.

"I'd rather not have you famished when Davina finally returns," she glared, "it's only going to get worse."

Elijah wrapped his right arm around her waist and gently grasped the back of her head with his left hand. He sighed when her arms wrapped around him and her fingers slid into his hair. Pressing a kiss to her neck he extended his fangs and bit into her carotid artery.

A low growl ripped through his throat when she gasped. He had to assume it was an ingrained response when the smell of her arousal reached his nose. A few mouthfuls of blood were more than enough to stem his hunger. The gentle gasps turned to a soft moan when he lifted his mouth and caught the escaping blood with his tongue.

Meeting her lidded eyes he hesitated only a moment before lowering his blood-stained lips to hers and speeding Elena into the nearest wall.


Caroline pressed her back into the tree and waited with bated breath. She had wanted to pick Hayley up and run but she had found that speed was not on her side in the Bayou. Clearly Marcel's rules didn't extend this far from the city because Agnes had done something to her.

Hayley glanced around the side of her own tree. It had become abundantly clear that they were not going to be able to outrun her would be assassins. She took a deep breath before darting around the side of the tree. She kicked one of the men in the gut and exhaled when he fell to the ground. She spun when the second man fell to the ground with a broken neck; and nodded to Caroline.

Caroline snatched the third man's wrist and spun the knife around so it dragged across his neck.

Hayley grabbed the fourth attacker's shotgun and knocked him to the ground before bringing the butt of the gun down on his head. There was a sickening crunch before he was still.

Hayley's eyes flashed gold as Caroline's pulsed with red. They were crouched defensively and peering into the darkness for any more potential threats.

The large man came out of nowhere. Before either woman could react he fell to the ground with a broken neck.

"Got to say I am impressed," Rebekah put her hands on her hips and surveyed the scene. "Didn't know either of you had it in you."

"How did you find us?" Hayley straightened her spine.

"Caroline's text got me halfway," she nodded to her friend. "Vamping here did the rest. Who are they?"

"Witches… warlocks…"

"One of the two," Caroline brought her heel down on the first man's throat.

"Why didn't you just pick her up and run?" Rebekah nodded to Hayley.

"Wanted to," Caroline grimaced. "Agnes must have done something to me. Or maybe it's just the woods… I can't seem to run any faster than Hayley."

Rebekah's head snapped around when she saw the flashlights heading in their direction. "There are more of them." Her voice hardened when she commanded Hayley to run.

The werewolf reluctantly took off.

"If I had a dollar for every mess my family has gotten me into…" Rebekah muttered. Her voice was cut off when two arrows pierced her heart. "Run," she managed to choke out.

Caroline made it ten paces towards Hayley who had stopped before an arrow embedded itself in her chest a fraction of an inch from her heart. Darkness flooded her field of vision; she had just enough time to see an arrow pierce Hayley's shoulder. The last thing she heard was the haunting howl.


Cami jumped when Marcel appeared in front of her.

"Where is she?" His hand rubbed over his head. "Where is Davina?"

"She went to meet a boy," Cami shrugged, "in St. Anne's church."

Marcel sighed and rolled his eyes. "Stay here in case she comes back."


Rebekah gasped and tugged the wood from her chest. She drew in greedy mouthfuls of air and groaned as the arrow finally left her body. She sat up to find five bloodied bodies in the clearing.

Looking around she felt her eyes narrow into slits.

"What the hell?" She gasped for breath as she pulled herself to her feet. "Hayley? Hayley?"

A choking sound drew her attention to the left. She stumbled around the tree and fell to her knees with a curse when she saw Caroline.

Wrapping her fingers around the wooden shaft she pulled up sharply.

Caroline coughed and blinked through the clearing pain. The arrow had been coated in something that had nearly paralyzed her; her organs had all but shut down. She knew her heart would have been next if Rebekah hadn't pulled the arrow out when she did.

"Where's Hayley?"

"I… I d-don't know," Caroline managed to sit up. She raked her hands through her hair and cast her eyes towards the area she had last seen the brunette. "I saw her go down and then I heard… I don't know what I heard."


"What do you mean she's missing?" Klaus hissed. He paced across the balcony.

"What do you think I mean? There's blood and bodies everywhere, someone's ripped this lot to shreds, and there's no sign of the smart-aleck pregnant girl."

"Keep looking," he growled, "I'm on my way." He found he missed the days when he could angrily shut the cover of a flip phone; it had been oddly satisfying in the way slamming the door after an argument had been.

He slid the phone into his pocket before turning to his companion. "Terribly sorry Timothy," he lifted the boy onto his feet, "I find myself pressed for time."

"Please don't hurt me," Tim's lip trembled.

"It was not my intention," Klaus frowned, "I hope you'll take solace in that." He smiled apologetically before tossing the boy over the side of the balcony. He picked up the violin and threw it over as well.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. All he knew was pain as he laid amongst the splintered wood and broken glass. He took slow shallow breaths.

That was how Davina found him. She forgot everything that had been promised in that alley as she fell to her knees and ran her fingers gently through his hair.

"No, no, no," she tenderly lifted his head into her lap and cried. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Tim gasped in pain and watched her face. The pain seemed to recede when he closed his eyes.

"One of the tragic consequences of war," Klaus leaned against a pew. "What terrible guilt you'll have to live with: young Timothy's blood on your hands."

"Get away from him," Davina cried when he got too close. He lied. He promised Tim wouldn't get hurt… no… he promised his brother wouldn't hurt Tim.

"Let's not be too hasty," Klaus raised his hands defensively. "After all I can heal him. All you have to do is ask." He dropped into a crouch. After a moment when she nodded he bit into his wrist.

"Please."

"For you, Davina, with pleasure," he lowered his wrist to Tim's mouth. When his breathing returned to normal Klaus pulled him up and compelled him to forget everything that had happened since he had left the festival. He turned to Davina when Tim was gone. "All fixed, and now you owe me a favour."

Davina frowned. The tears that streaked down her face were silent when she picked up the bow. Klaus had vanished when she looked back. Walking into the aisle she turned when she heard the footsteps.

"Davina," Marcel spun in a half circle and took in the destruction. "What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I live here, remember?" She pushed past him and stormed up the stairs. Her tears blinded her. "There's a witch using magic two streets over."


"Wow," Rebekah raised her brows, "you abandoned your quest for power to help your family? Having an off day, Nik?"

He took a deep breath and forced calm into his voice. "Who took her Rebekah?"

"I don't know."

"Caroline?" He turned to her when she grasped the porch rail of the clinic.

"I'm fine," she grunted as she straightened up, "I just don't heal as fast as Rebekah."

"She needs blood," Rebekah shook her head. "We both do. I woke up in the woods surrounded by bodies with an arrow in my heart. They must have been coated in something because one of them took out Caroline too."

"The bodies were torn apart," Caroline added running a hand through her tangled hair. "If Hayley didn't kill them, then…"

She was cut off by a low howl.

"Lovely," Rebekah grumbled, "maybe her cousins will tell us what happened."

Klaus spun around and felt his eyes widen when he spotted the dazed brunette stumbling towards them. He sped across the open space and caught her before she could fall.

"What happened?" Klaus grabbed her shoulders. "Tell me what happened." He examined her for any wounds.

"I can't remember," Hayley swallowed and folded her arms.

"You've completely healed," he shook his head.

"One of the perks of being a werewolf, remember?" She shrugged.

"Werewolves don't heal that fast," Rebekah frowned. She wrapped an arm around Hayley's shoulders and steered her away from her brother's glare. "It's the baby. It has to be the vampire blood in your system, it can heal any wound."

"Elena never healed that fast," Caroline reminded them, "or are forgetting the onset anemia."

"That was a medical condition," Rebekah took a deep breath, "it's fully conceivable that Elena would have healed from any wound that was inflicted."

Caroline turned her attention to the werewolf. "How'd you get away? You were outnumbered and unarmed? Those men were ripped to shreds."

Hayley's voice was quiet when she replied. "I think it was the wolf."

"The one that I saw behind the clinic? The wolf that was in the backyard a few days ago?"

Hayley nodded. "I think he was trying to protect me."

"The witches were supposed to protect you," Klaus stabbed a finger in her direction. "When I get my hands on Sophie…"

"It wasn't Sophie…" Caroline cut him off.

"It was Agnes," Rebekah squeezed Hayley's arm.

"Fine!" Klaus' voice echoed off the surrounding trees. "Agnes… Sophie, it's all the same to me. I'll slaughter the lot of them."

"Maybe not Sophie," Caroline rolled her eyes. "She is bound to the woman carrying your unborn child."

"Fine not her," he turned his attention to his sister. "Was your search fruitful?"

"No," she shook her head, "I was walking through the Quarter when I got Caroline's message."


Davina huffed when she bumped into something solid; something that had not been in the hall when she had left earlier that day.

It was probably a bad idea to shove an ancient being in the chest, but push she did.

"You lied to me," her voice was little more than a hiss. The volume had left her at the foot of the stairs.

"I didn't lie, love," Kol held up his hands defensively.

"You said Tim wouldn't be hurt," she put her hands on her hips. "You promised your sister would keep him safe."

"She did," Kol swore. "She put a protection spell on your friend. He would have been fine."

"Yeah right," Davina scoffed. "The only spell I sensed was an attempt to lower a boundary spell somewhere in the city, which didn't work by the way. I sent Marcel after the witch in question," she raised her hands, "let's see if you can find your sister in time."

The air was knocked from his lungs. His body was propelled over the side of the balcony and through the remnants of a stained glass window. He took one final look at the church before flashing off to find Freya.


"Hello," Marcel pinned the blond to the wall by her shoulders. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of being introduced." His eyes grew round when he was spun and pinned to the brick by his throat.

"Allow me," Kol smirked. "Marcellus this is my sister Freya. Freya, this is Marcellus."

"Call me Marcel," he cast his eyes towards the witch.

Freya straightened her clothes and glared.

"I thought I knew every member of your family," Marcel took shallow breaths, "I've never met her."

"You didn't meet Finn either," Kol tilted his head. "I'll thank you to keep your hands off of her."

"I'm gonna bypass the question of how you've got a witch for a sister," he exhaled. "She broke one of my rules."

"I was unaware you had any rules," Kol cocked an eyebrow. "In fact I find it strange that you're in a position to make rules."

"It's my city," Marcel straightened when he was released. "I make the rules, and one of the big ones is no magic."

Kol moved Freya to stand behind him. "Well, we were unaware of that," his eyes flashed with a warning, "you'll have to forgive Freya this one time."

"You expect me to believe you didn't know?" Marcel laughed. "That's rich what with three of your siblings in town. Surely one of them would have told you."

"Nik and I are not on speaking terms at the moment," Kol's mouth twisted, "Rebekah took his side in things. And I haven't heard from Elijah in over a week. That's actually why we're here. This is the last place we knew he was; Freya, she spent much of the passed millennium in an enchanted sleep, came down to help find him." The half-truths fell from his lips.

"The penalty for practicing magic is death," Marcel's hands found his hips. "I can't be seen to be going soft."

"Last I checked we were the only ones in this alley," Kol motioned to the deserted space. "Nobody knows we're here. Nobody knows Freya was practicing. Let it go Marcel. To get to her you have to go through me, and we both know you'll never get through me. A dozen vampires wouldn't get through me."

"Well," Marcel took a step back and smiled mockingly, "in deference to her ignorance I'll let it slide with a warning… this time."

"How merciful of you," Kol caught Freya's arm before flashing back towards the house.


Davina paused when she found the door to her bedroom ajar. Her panic rose when she felt the spell still in place on the entry.

Pulling the door open forcefully her eyes narrowed when she spotted them against the wall. The woman was pale.

Davina raised her hands when she saw the blood on his lips and the stain on her throat. There was a rush of air that sent the wind chimes into motion.

His body collided painfully with the opposite side of the room. The combination of clattering canvas, his pained groan and the loud chimes was enough to raise a piercing cry from the bed.

Davina blinked in surprise when the brunette moved faster than she could see. There was another rush of air before his 'victim' was crouched beside him holding a screaming child in her arms.

"What the…" Davina gaped at the pulsating veins beneath the brunette's eyes. "You're a… that's… the door…" Her eyes widened when the woman twisted in such a way that her hair shielded the child in her arms. "You're the woman in the drawings."

Elijah placed his body between the young witch and his family.

"Neither of us mean you any harm, Davina," he rolled his shoulders back and met her confused eyes. "I think we should talk."


He's back :).

Phew... I've been working on this chapter for a few days now. I kept getting inspiration for one shots and other short stories: Inadvisable and Unobtainable (KLAROLINE and ELEJAH respectively).