Disclaimer: Rights belong to their respective owners. A/N: Happy 2016 everyone! Thanks for your patience, aiming to conclude at ch16. Places & events will differ to show content. R&R x

Second Chances

14.

"Kol and Bonnie, who'd have thought?" Klaus smirked, turning away from their family photo album. He hesitated, worried by his wife's silence. "But I guess, a lot can change in four years," he murmured.

They lay together in a make-shift bed on their bedroom floor, listening to the rain outside.

"They look happy," Hayley whispered, taking in Liv, Luke and Josh's ridiculous poses behind the married couple. She recognised the white picket fence - they were standing in St Louis' Cemetery.

"Look, Hope's caught a fish," Klaus smiled, pointing at the photo below, the fish dangled from the end of her reel. "Must be about three here," he noted.

Hayley saw the tops of Hope's pink gumboots, the rest submerged in water. Oliver looked focussed, his hands stretched out around her shoulders, ready to catch her if she fell or got carried away by the current. Hope's gleeful smile, directed at Jack, sitting on a rock, feeding worms onto hooks.

"They look like they're having fun," she said, forcing Esther from her mind. Her throat tightened. Hayley moved the album aside - she should be grateful Jack taught them valuable survival skills when she and Klaus couldn't, but looking at the album just reminded her of everything they missed.

She turned away from Klaus, pressing her head against the pillow.

"We should go camping," he thought, pulling her hair behind her ear, and kissing her cheek.

He paused, tasting her salty tears.

Her breath caught in her lungs.

"Hayley?" he cupped the side of her face, trying to decipher her frown.

She leaned into his comforting hand, giving him half a smile.

"We should turn back time," she thought. "Bonnie's Regent, she could ask Sophie or the ancestors to find a way, then we could start over," she whispered, playing with his beaded necklace.

Klaus squeezed her hand, kissing the tips of her knuckles, and shook his head with pained eyes.

"Hayley, we can't change the past," he sighed.

"Why not?" she demanded. "It was your mother's spell which started all this," she snapped, throwing the blankets aside.

Klaus watched her shove her arms through his crumpled shirt, and reached for his underpants. "Hayley, I know you're hurt, but in the thousand years I've been alive, I've never once heard of anyone travelling back in time," he said.

She pouted, pushing the thought she was being irrational from her mind. New Orleans seemed so different - if there was a way to go back, to have a second chance, maybe things would be better.

"Even if there was a spell, there would be a price to pay, and I won't risk losing you again," Klaus muttered, his tone forceful. Hayley looked away first, wiping her tear-stained face on her sleeves.

"So, what? We just ignore it and move on?" she shouted. "We missed four years, how are you not furious about this?" she fumbled with her shirt buttons.

Klaus grabbed her arm. "Hayley," She looked into his serious expression. "Mark my words, I will do everything in my power to protect our family from Finn and Francesca," he insisted. "We fight our demons together, remember?"

She rested her forehead against his, breathing in his scent, and hating it whenever they fought. "I just wish we could go back, that's all," she broke their connection, assaulting her drawers for something decent to wear to breakfast.

Klaus tossed the sheets and pillows back onto their bed in an untidy manner. "You should wear that to breakfast," he said, admiring her bare legs, and smirking when a smile flashed across her face.

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Oh sure, that would go down well with Oliver," she said, digging for jeans.

"Come back to bed," Klaus persisted, hugging her from behind. "Smells like Rebekah's burnt the toast anyway," he mumbled against her collarbone.

She closed her eyes, recalling hot water cascading down their bodies; the way soap suds clung to his nose; his intense looks before he kissed her and her squeal when he carried her to their bed.

"We need to take down Finn," she said, dropping her unwanted clothes on the floor.

Klaus brushed her hair over her shoulder, leaving kisses against her already tingling skin. Her eyelids fluttered, and she forgot all about her clothes.

She recalled their heated moments in bed. How her kisses produced a lingering smile on his lips. Sometimes, she would even meet Klaus' inner child and fall victim to his tickling antics. The echo of her laughter rang in her ear and she felt the sting of bruises when they both fell from the bed.

"We will. The world may be darker, Hayley, but our kids are Mikaelsons, and they get their strength from their mother," Klaus murmured. "Eve told me they barely left our sides. Wear the red dress," he offered, pulling it free from the jumbled mess of clothes draped over her drawer, then he smirked and pulled his shirt from her arms.

Hayley recalled pulling it from his back and watching it fall to the floor; how she pushed his auburn curls between her legs; writhing in delight when he swirled his tongue over her sensitive nub. With flushed cheeks, she tore her gaze from his bed-hair, pulling her dress down over her head.

"What are we going to do about Finn and Francesca?" she asked, watching Klaus do up his shirt buttons with ease. Her tongue brushed over her parched lips, before looking away. He pulled on his leather jacket - his 'this means business' jacket, used whenever he had a diabolical plan.

"Bonnie and Gia tried to locate Finn, he's using a powerful cloaking spell. We need to outsmart him. Craig and Jackson are patrolling the bayou, Nadia and Aiden promised to report back if they hear anything on the streets and you and I, are going to spend the morning sparring at St Louis' Cathedral, whilst Bonnie and Kol talk with the ancestors."

"Sparring?" Hayley queried, completely thrown off. Klaus smiled, holding up her own jacket, where she obliged, grateful because she was getting a chill from the open window.

Klaus nodded. "Yes, because we just lost four years of our lives, and I think you could really benefit from it," he said. "We'll take breakfast to go," he added, stealing a kiss, and making her heart patter.

Before she could pull him back, Hope came running into their room, having unlocked the door with magic. She carried honeyed crumpets in her sticky hands, giving them to her bemused parents.

"We've been playing chess," she beamed, licking her sticky fingers.

Klaus and Hayley looked up and saw Kol blowing his nose into a grey handkerchief.

"Cheating at chess, more like," Kol said, stuffing his handkerchief into his pocket and indicating towards the necklace around his niece's neck.

Hayley remembered the Labradorite stone had psychic abilities, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course, you would find it amusing," Kol retorted. "You're just like the rest of them," he said.

Hayley liked that she was just like the rest of them. She liked their extended family, and arguing with Kol, or just annoying him in general, seemed to be everybody's favourite pastime.

"You used to cheat against Sophie all the time. You've only met your match," Klaus grinned.

"Listen, tell Bonnie we'll meet her at the cemetery," he added, with a mouthful of crumpet.

"Fine, don't be late," and Kol took his leave, mumbling about his 'blasted head cold' and how they were all so mean to him.

"Are you and mum really going to do some sparring, dad?" Hope scrutinised, making Hayley snort with laughter, and Klaus' face to turn beetroot red.

"Of course," he said, trying to compose himself. "What else would we be doing?"

Hayley, Klaus and Hope descended the stairs to the courtyard in high spirits. Oliver wasn't in his room, and Hayley concluded he must have gone for a run. Matt and Rebekah dined at the table alone, and she noticed the depleted pile of crumpets Hope had helped herself to.

Rebekah leapt from her chair, startling Matt, who spilled his coffee.

"Nik, where the bloody hell are you going, I made a sit down breakfast? I didn't even burn the sausages this time," she yelled as they came to inspect the table.

Klaus scrutinised the toast nearby. "No, just the toast by the smell of things," he frowned. "And we already ate," he said, moving towards the archway.

Rebekah slumped against her chair. "I just wanted a nice family breakfast," she huffed.

Hayley wrapped some sausages in serviettes and dropped them into her dress pocket for later.

Klaus' impatient nod at the archway was her call to hurry up while Hope tugged on her arm.

Matt grimaced after swallowing a charcoaled piece of toast. "Nadia hasn't called with any leads, but she's keeping us updated on the markets - I told her to keep an eye out for a new copper pan for next Solstice's Gumbo competition," he grinned.

Hayley noticed flecks of grey in Matt's receding hair she hadn't noticed four years ago.

Rebekah sat up. "Where are you going anyway?" she asked over Matt slurping his coffee.

"To pay our respects to the ancestors," Klaus grunted, after receiving a meaningful look from Hayley.

Rebekah picked grapes from the vine, chewing them one by one. "If you see Elijah, or anyone else in this family, tell them to swing by?" she said, swallowing her mouthful, and reaching into the middle of the table for more.

"Where is Elijah?" Hayley asked, last she'd seen of her brother-in-law, he'd vowed he was staying in Vincent's body as a penance for his sins, and did not want anyone meddling with his decision.

Matt wiped his charcoaled fingers on his napkin, whilst Klaus pulled open the iron-gates, impatient to leave. Hope stood on the bottom rung, giggling at him through the gaps.

"Elijah's at Lenore's Spice shop with Gia and Ansel, " Matt explained.

"He feels indebted to Vincent, and Ansel thought it wise to search our mother's belongings. Maybe they'll find something of use," Rebekah added.

Hayley exchanged an interested look with Klaus, before Kol teleported into this brother, leaving a furious Klaus sprawled across the flagstones. Rebekah and Matt rose in alarm.

Hayley noticed several injuries Kol had sustained, not that he seemed bothered. He was more concerned over the snot dripping down his chin, and snorted it onto the concrete much to everybody's disgust.

"Sorry Nik, I'm a bit off-target, it's this blasted head-cold. Listen, Bonnie asked me to get you, it's about Sophie," he held out his hand with a pained expression.

"What happened to your handkerchief?" Klaus stared at Kol, pulling himself to his feet.

"Lost it," Kol said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Come on, we've got to go," he urged.

"Klaus, you go with Kol. We'll follow," Hayley promised, turning to Hope, who nodded.

"What about Sophie?" Rebekah called out, annoyed when both brothers ignored her.

"Fine, let's get this over w-," Klaus grimaced, reaching for Kol's hand and vanished.

"Our turn," Hayley squeezed Hope's hand, watching Matt and Rebekah's shocked expressions melt into the distorted compound walls.

Hayley watched Hope skip towards Marie Laveau's mausoleum without a worry in the world. The cemetery had been a sanctuary during Marcel's reign; and now was Esther's tomb. Had Sophie known Finn would resurrect the former King of New Orleans? Would he be in conversation with Marcel? Could Marcel overthrow Finn if he gained control? Would he?

So many thoughts bombarded her brain as she followed hope inside the mausoleum, relieved to find it in good condition despite Finn's landslide turning their lair to rubble; the lair she had spent twenty years, gone in seconds. If it weren't for Gia helping Klaus, Elijah too, might have been buried alive.

Candles flickered from the breeze whistling through cracks in the walls and Hayley looked upon offerings people had brought for Marie Laveau - wishes for a better future.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" she hissed, hearing Hope's chalk pieces scrape against the floor. "Is Sophie okay?" she touched The Regent's shoulder, flinching when Bonnie's chants ceased.

Bonnie rose, dusting dirt from her black dress and slipped into her red heels. Hayley admired Bonnie's perfectly plucked eyebrows, as she indicated towards a small wooden table.

"Tea, whilst we wait for our husbands?"

"Congratulations," she noticed the gold wedding band on Bonnie's left hand. "I'm sorry we missed it," Hayley checked on Hope, drawing on her stomach, with legs kicking in the air.

"Thank you," Bonnie tipped some tea leaves into the tea pot. "Did you see the photos?" she added.

Hayley nodded, and watched the steam rise from the kettle, with folded arms. "As for Sophie, what I need to say requires an audience."

Bonnie poured their teas, pushing the cup and saucer across the table. Grateful for something warm to battle against the cold breeze, Hayley wrapped her hands around the blue and white porcelain.

"A wedding present from Rebekah," Bonnie smiled.

Hayley had taken a sip when two large thuds rocked the mausoleum, knocking moss from the rafters.

"That sounds like them," an undeterred Bonnie said, stirring sugar into her tea.

Unfazed by the dust in her hair, Hope continued with her interlinking chalk circles as Hayley rose from her seat to witness an injured Klaus stumbling inside, rubbing his arm and knee and cursing Kol, who supported a black eye and a cut lip.

"That better not be camomile tea?" Klaus grunted, and Hayley relaxed a little.

"Where the hell have you been?" she knew Klaus' wounds would heal, but Kol's were more permanent and maybe she could cure that dangerous head cold, she thought.

"Drink," Hayley pulled her jacket up and bit her wrist, offering it to a wary Kol, much to Klaus' uneasiness.

Bonnie pushed Klaus' tea towards him. "It's lemongrass and ginger, good for your health," she said, then handed Hayley a napkin to stop the bleeding - her injury would soon heal, as Hybrids' did.

"You had news from Sophie?" Klaus asked, seating himself beside Hayley on the stone step.

Kol wiped the remnants of blood from his mouth, and exchanged a serious look with Bonnie, then collected his tea. "As you know, we consecrated Esther, removing Finn's power source. But the fact remains, he will source more children with gifts, like the wolves from the bayou," he sighed.

Klaus nodded in agreement. "And he wants Hope whose powers are equivalent to that of a hundred children," he growled.

Hayley felt a chill rise in her spine.

"Well, he's not getting her," she hissed.

Klaus squeezed her hand in agreement, and they both glanced at their daughter, who hummed a tune, chalk all over her hands and dress.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "Sophie told me Esther has been punished by Laveau for her crimes, and as a dept to the coven, the Original Witch revealed it was she who brought Finn back from the Prison World, in 1993."

Hayley and Klaus raised their eyebrows. "The Prison World?" they echoed, confused.

Bonnie nodded. "I, myself, spent time in that formidable place for witch-souls. It's a desperate place which would turn anyone mad," she frowned.

Kol caressed Bonnie's hand in an understanding way.

Klaus pondered Bonnie's explanation. "And what of Sophie?" he asked, as Hayley finished her tea.

Bonnie tapped her nails against her tea-cup. "Sophie Deveraux has been appointed the new Laveau," she smiled. "Therefore, the uprising Finn hoped for has been quashed."

Hayley's phone rang. She pulled it from her dress pocket - it smelled like sausages.

"It's Jack, calling with an update. I'll take it outside," she said, clambering over him to the exit. "Watch Hope," she instructed.

She leaned against the cold stone wall, looking out at large tree overshadowing Kol's grave, thinking they should remove it now her brother-in-law was a permanent resident.

"Jack, any leads yet?" she asked, hearing her brothers crunching through the bayou. She could hear Craig singing '99 Bottles of Beer on the wall' in the background.

"Nothing yet, wherever he is, he's keeping his head down," came Jack's frustrated grunt. "We're going to do one more circuit of the bayou before we pack it in," he said.

"Be careful, and if you hurry, Rebekah might still have breakfast for you," Hayley said.

"I'll tell Craig. You stay safe too. How's Hope?" he asked.

"Fine, Klaus is watching her," she said, picturing Hope drawing on the mausoleum floor.

"Good, because if anything happens to her..." his voice trailed into nothingness.

"It won't," she interrupted. "See you at home?"

"See you at home, little sis," came his warm reply.

Hayley ended the call and rubbed her arms to keep warm. What did it mean for Sophie to be the next Marie Laveau? Would she have access to spells Bonnie didn't have? Could there be a spell to turn back time? No, Klaus had already told her it didn't exist. But what if it did?

"I need you, Davina, I need my Angel to guide me." Distracted by Oliver's heartbroken voice, she looked up to see her agitated son crouched opposite his girlfriend's headstone. "I, I don't know what to do," he croaked, so unlike the boy Hayley had hugged in Rousseau's the previous night.

She grew nearer, the pebbles crunched beneath her sandals , aware she had stumbled upon a private conversation, but the epitaph had caught her eye -

Here lies Davina Claire, friend and Angel

b. 1997- d. 2033

"When I saw you I fell in love, and

you smiled

because you knew"

- William Shakespeare

Oliver hurried to compose himself as Hayley cleared her throat, disheartened to see him struggling.

"Come here a lot?" she ventured, remembering the day they'd buried Davina beside Sophie, as she'd requested.

"Yeah, since Elijah, you know..." Oliver adjusted the daisies on his beloved's grave. Hayley noticed identical flowers on Sophie's. "It helps me think," he murmured, falling silent.

Hayley squeezed his shoulder. "It's not your fault, Ollie. We'll figure something out," she promised.

He stared at his feet. "You know, I've told myself that a thousand times, but this city, the bayou explosion, the Correa's, Esther and Finn, all lead back to me, or at least, our family," he frowned. "Our home is suffering because of a war we've never resolved, and it's up to me to fix it," he said.

"Ollie," Hayley gave him a pained look, feeling the weight on his shoulders.

"No, mum, listen, I'm supposed to be the King of New Orleans, and lead by example, but how do I rebuild a city from scratch when its people have been blown to shreds; its buildings reduced to rubble and a powerful enemy like Finn, threatening us?" he hung his head, ashamed, and Hayley kneeled beside him, lifting his chin.

"You're not alone in this war," she pulled him in for a hug. "Things will get better, Ollie, we just have to believe they will," she murmured, breaking apart. "Have faith," she whispered, helping him stand.

"Sorry for missing breakfast," Oliver said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hayley remembered the cold sausages in her dress pocket.

Elijah Mikaelson stood in the middle of Lenore's Spice Shop, frowning at his inabilities to perform magic to the standard Vincent Bennett was used to.

"I'm hopeless," he sighed, lacking in faith, and skill. Bonnie had suggested he harness his magic, hoping it would take his mind off his suicidal thoughts, and off Katerina Petrova.

Vincent encouraged the honourable Elijah to perform, staying calm, despite every failed attempt.

You can do this Elijah, you just need an incentive, the Bennett witch pressed.

"Like what?" Elijah hissed clenching his fists open and closed. "I'm a lost cause Vincent, there's no point in teaching an old dog new tricks." Elijah dropped his hands by his side in defeat.

Gia and Ansel glanced up from Esther's shop counter where they'd been searching through old documents, grimoires, and product records.

I think you know, you're just afraid of letting her in.

"I'm not afraid," Elijah yelled, stroking Vincent's wiry beard and ignoring Gia and Ansel's alarmed looks. He pointed to a jar with lavender inside, and willed it to implode.

You can't force it to oblige. It must come naturally, came Vincent's exasperate voice.

"There's nothing here!" Gia threw the books aside, sharing Elijah's frustration.

Ansel agreed, running his hand through his short silver hairs. "If there was, we'd have found it," he sighed. "This was a waste of time. I'm sorry for suggesting it," he said.

The door opened and Luke, Liv and Josh entered, ladled with fast-food in brown paper bags. "Breakfast," Liv smiled at Elijah, sorting the chips and burgers, her cheeks flushed from the cold.

Josh wore a green woollen scarf and a wary look as he perused the condiments on the back wall. Gia bit into her burger, a little sweet-chilli sauce dribbled from her chin and onto the floor. Ansel handed her a serviette with an exasperated frown.

Luke dug his hands into his jacket pockets and asked, "Anything yet?"

Elijah took his burger from Josh, peeling the tissue wrapper away.

Onions disagree with me, Vincent muttered.

"Fine, I'll remove them," Elijah mumbled.

"Nothing," Gia sighed, leaning against the counter. Elijah realised he'd been staring at her, and hurried to take a bite of his burger, the onions squashed into his serviette.

I've an idea. To Elijah's surprise, Vincent gained control of his body. He transferred the serviette to his right hand holding the burger, and clicked his left hand, igniting a fire-ball in his palm, then he threw it straight at Gia, who dropped her burger - the cheese oozing to the floorboards.

"HIDE!" Josh shoved Ansel aside, squatting behind the counter.

Luke acted, about to deflect the fireball to save Gia and their breakfast but his twin intercepted him.

"It's a test," Liv warned, pushing him towards the window seat.

"What?" Luke demanded, giving her an incredulous look. "How do you know?"

Liv shrugged, "I just do, okay?"

Luke and Liv exchanged worried looks with Ansel and Josh, whilst the fireball lit up the documents inches from Gia's stunned expression.

"ENOUGH!" Elijah manipulated the fire, diminishing it and pulling it back to him, then sending it straight to the fern he had been trying to set alight for the last hour. It disintegrated and turned to ash in under three seconds. You just found your trigger.

"What the fuck was that?" a furious Gia addressed Elijah and Vincent. She slammed her fist against their chest, making him stumble backwards, her beady eyes scrutinising him. "You owe me a burger!" she hissed. Elijah focused on the sweet-chilli sauce she had missed with her serviette.

"Please accept my sincere apologies," he murmured, debating whether to wipe her face clean with his handkerchief or to leave it, and let her walk away without knowing it was there.

Whenever you to need to tap into my magic, think of Gia.

Elijah thought of the music she used to play at Rousseau's and let the violin notes ease his pain and his heart. Gia's angered gaze gave him chills, but he raised his left hand, again, ignoring her flinch, and wiped the sauce from her nose.

Sophie wouldn't mind, you know, if you did choose to stay...

"No," Elijah snapped, lifting his head to see the near destruction of Lenore's Spice shop.

Nadia and Aiden had crossed through Bourbon street for the fifth time, bored out of their minds.

They had exhausted most topics of conversation and only eaten a tomato and cheese bagel each.

Nadia scratched a mosquito bite on her shoulder. Aiden's stomach grumbled, and he avoided puddles with great strides so as not to wreck his new converse shoes.

"I don't think Finn is going to show his face," Aiden turned to Nadia, frowning.

"Do you see that?" she said, pointing to an emerging figure some distance away.

Aiden squinted into the distance. He used his wolf senses - eyes, bright yellow.

"It's Hope," he said, alarmed. "She's alone?"

"What the hell...?" confusion washed over Nadia's paled face, and she and Aiden hurried forwards.

They came together outside Rousseau's, Nadia dropped to her knees and hugged Hope, with Aiden keeping a close eye on their surroundings, in case Finn tried something.

"Hope, what are you doing here?" Nadia brushed her hands through Hope's brown bob, and studied her chalk-stained dress, before turning her attention back to Hope's determined blue eyes.

"It's dangerous," Aiden added, his expression grim.

"I'm trying to find someone," Hope replied.

"Who?" Nadia exchanged a worried look with Aiden.

Hope pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her dress pocket and gave it to her cousin.

"She's trapped in the Dowager Fauline Cottage. Help her," Hope pressed, before turning around.

Aiden blocked her path, his wolf-eyes flashing.

"It's too dangerous for you to be alone, Hope," he growled.

Nadia started, looking up from the piece of paper with only the word, 'attic' on it. "We have to take you home," she murmured, spotting dark rain clouds rolling in.

Hope sighed, her body shifted like interference on the television.

"What was that?" Nadia demanded.

"Bonnie's calling me," Hope said, her mind elsewhere.

"You're projecting?" Nadia remembered Oliver telling her about it in their emails. "An advanced magic Bonnie and Kol taught her," she explained to Aiden.

Without warning Hope grabbed both their hands and the damp streets of New Orleans became distorted and blurred.

They stood on a sinister welcome mat with missing pieces of straw. Above the doorbell, a little plaque read: ring for assistance.

"Where are we?" Nadia removed a stray piece of blonde hair from her face and looked beside her, but only a very confused and slightly pale, Aiden stood there. "She's bloody gone and left us! Hayley is going to kill me!" Nadia said, looking back at the padlocked iron gates behind them.

"Who are we looking for?" Aiden sighed, squinting at the piece of paper in her hand.

"Whoever resides in the attic?" she shrugged.

Aiden extended his finger and pressed the bell.

Luke, Josh and Ansel picked through the singed documents, while Gia dumped her burger into the bin, glaring at Elijah, who sat alone on the window seat.

As kid I remember playing about in the shop, keeping myself entertained. See that drawer, there's a false bottom in it - I used to hide all sorts of creatures in there. Once, an alligator...

"Elijah, are you okay?" Liv said, offering him an iced tea, whilst he stared at his burger.

"That drawer, beneath the condiments, there's a false bottom in it," he reported.

Liv acted, opening the square drawer filled with thyme. She popped the base of pine, giving a shout and dropping a small scroll tied with string into Elijah's outstretched hand.

He read it aloud.

Dearest Esther,

You promised me your first-born, and every Mikaelson first-born thereafter, in exchange for the gift of fertility. I have held up my bargain and expect you to hold up yours. Give me Freya - say she died in the plague; thus, any questions to her disappearance can be directed to the hardships of this land. I will arrive by the next full moon. Should you refuse me, I will take what is mine all the same, and kill anyone who attempts to stop me.

Your sister, Dahlia

"She seems nice," Luke muttered in a sarcastic tone.

Liv and Josh nodded in agreement.

"Freya was your sister?" Gia asked, understanding Elijah's awed silence.

"We thought she died, Freya was Finn's twin sister, they used to be inseparable-" he rasped.

The door banged off its hinges, the rusty bell at the top crunched beneath a black boot belonging to Marcel Gerard, or as they all knew, Finn Mikaelson.

"It's nice to hear you remember our sister, Elijah, after all, you were only a baby," Marcel's voice cut through the tense silence. "Freya and I had five glorious years together, before she was snatched away by our Aunt. You think I'm a monster, I see it in your expressions, but as Esther foresaw, the rise of Dahlia is upon us."

Ansel stepped out from the counter, his wrinkled face full of surprise. "I saw her, Dahlia. It was snowing, I remember screams, they chilled my heart. She wore an emerald cloak. "

Finn looked around at them all. "Help me with Hope, help me save Freya. I can harness Hope's powers, and use them to stop Dahlia, once and for all," he stressed.

"And what will happen to Hope, my grand-daughter?" Ansel murmured.

Finn turned towards Liv, Luke and Josh who had linked their hands, chanting. Blood dripped from Marcel's nose. Finn wiped it away. Blood oozed from the corners of Marcel's eyes. Finn scrutinized the teenagers, then he dropped to his knees, hacking up blood.

"You are children, yet you are powerful, you three," his bloodied hand shook as he pointed to them.

"You remind me... of someone. Someone I met in the Prison world... his name was Malachai. He was bloodthirsty, calculative...killed his entire family...except one, one sister he was fond of..."

Luke and Josh glanced at Liv whose chants had ceased.

"Kai," she whispered. "But he won't find Jo, she's in witness protection," Liv hissed to Luke.

Finn picked himself up, tasting his bloody tears, and smiled, turning his attention to Elijah and Gia.

"Freya and I were inseparable. There's a bond between twins, some say our souls are entwined and when we lose a twin, a piece of us is lost forever. Dahlia knew, being the first born herself, each Mikaelson first born would harness incredible power, she sought to claim it, making herself immortal. I will care for Hope, teach her control. Give her to me, and I will stop this war."

Josh looked over Liv and Luke, and mirrored Gia's sceptical look. "Where's Francesca?" he asked.

"I let her go," Finn turned around to face Josh. "You do not believe me?" Josh stood his ground, shaking his head.

Finn's boot nudged the cheese stain on the floor, before answering. "She's gone, far from here," he sounded nostalgic. "Much like, dear Freya," Finn murmured.

Elijah examined his dirt-ridden nails, thinking his idea to refuse Finn, insane, but then, there was no other option. "Well, as you can see, Finn, Hope is not here, she is with her parents."

Gia squeezed Elijah's hand in comfort, leaning against his shoulder.

"Hybrids, you remember?" she added to Finn.

The elder Mikaelson snapped out of his thoughts, and turned to look out at the rain-drenched windows. Elijah followed his gaze, his heart leapt. Hope beckoned Finn to join her.

"I told you, we first borns are connected," Finn smiled, showcasing Marcel's wide grin.

Elijah grabbed Marcel's arm. "I will not let you take her," Elijah warned, blocking his exit.

Finn laughed, then Elijah felt his head yanked forwards, and his brother's fangs sank deep into Vincent's neck. Finn halted the others, freezing them to their spots, with a wave of his hand.

"I am saving our sister," Finn hissed, raising his blood-stained face and dropping his brother's body.

The shop door slammed and locked as soon as Finn crossed over the threshold. Ansel used his werewolf weight against both doors, but they were stuck tight. He even punched the window glass, but his fist bounced off as if the glass was made of rubber.

"Help me to the window," Elijah rasped, wrestling beneath Gia's firm hand to stay still.

"You're not going anywhere! Vincent, did Lenore have any vampire blood stored here?" Gia hissed.

Yes.

Elijah felt the tickle of his handkerchief against his chin, and smelled the blood pooling over his shirt.

"S-should be in a vile, there-" Elijah indicated to the far wall, top shelf, and Josh darted to fetch it.

"I can't hear what they're saying...?" Liv turned to Ansel in hope.

"Me either, this is double-glazed glass," Ansel sighed.

Luke pulled at the door, muttering his knowledge of spells, but none unlocked it.

"Finn's locked us in," Luke shouted, losing his patience, and kicking the door.

Josh slid across the floor, kneeling over Elijah, and tipped the blood into Elijah's delirious mouth.

"It wasn't Finn," Liv whispered, squinting through the lashings of rain. "It was Hope!" she gasped.

"It looks like they're channelling their powers-" Gia said, helping a healing Elijah to his feet.

"That's not channelling," Luke said, alarmed. "They're merging! Whoever is the strongest will win. It's a Gemini coven tradition," he muttered.

It's time.

"I know," Elijah said, starting towards the door.

"Elijah, it's no use," Gia said, but assisted him.

"It's a force field, it will lift..." he murmured.

Water gushed from the drains, parting over Hope's sandals, splashing her knees. Finn's hands crossed over Hope's like a fireman's hold - he chanted to the skies. Hope's brave smile faded, and Elijah estimated when Hope's heart beat would slow, seconds before it would stop. He clicked his fingers, threw his ignited fireball against the door, burning it to ash, and stepped through it.

For Hope.

A/N: Ok, I've hit 5600+ words, I'm stopping for now. It's taken about 3 weeks to edit and write, and for me to be happy-ish. Reviews welcome, hope you liked this chapter :) Tell me your favs parts, point out any typos, and discrepancies, my maths isn't the best. x