Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals! I only own my OC, Juliet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

Author's Note: Trying to finish this really soon!

Enjoy!

"That's it," Eve coached, and I nodded along with her as I took deep breaths in and out. Eve, Hayley and my Aunt Jennifer were helping me with my breathing exercises that I'll have to do during labour. It was hard to believe it had already been almost nine months since I found out I was pregnant. Baby Gilbert would be here soon. "Inhale and release."

"Somehow I doubt I'm going to be as calm during the actual childbirth," I admitted after my last breathing exercise. Due to my enormous belly, Hayley had to help me into a sitting position. "Does this home style labour practice mean that I'm not hosting this showdown in a hospital? You know, the places with the doctors and the nurses and the medicine?"

"Honey, the werewolves have been having babies out here since before you were born. Stop worrying," Eve comforted me.

"One problem with that: I'm not a werewolf," I muttered.

"The werewolf gene is in your blood, so that makes you part werewolf," Hayley pointed out. She leaned forward a little. "Now, I know you, Juliet Gilbert. What's really bothering you?"

I huffed. I couldn't hide anything from this girl, could I? "I'm scared to death," I rushed out. "I mean, my own mother-both my mothers-died before they could even teach me what to do to be a mother."

"Trust me, when the time comes, you'll know exactly what to do," Aunt Jennifer told me as she rubbed my shoulder. I had connected right away with Aunt Jennifer, missing a parental figure desperately. "I felt the exact same way when I was pregnant with Rick, and even with Kayla. It's just something that a soon to be mother feels. Besides, I know how you feel. I've been doing this alone too."

That was right. Aunt Jennifer's husband Uncle David had been killed by vampires when he had accidentally wandered into the French Quarter. Surprisingly, she didn't hate the vampires as much as I thought she would. Or at least, she was putting up with them for my sake since her great-niece would be half-vampire.

Hayley nodded in agreement. "Besides, it's not like you'll be doing it alone. You'll have me."

"I sure hope so," I huffed. "Klaus doesn't seem to be the type to change dirty diapers. I don't want to be in this alone, and if you weren't here, I probably would be."

"I somehow doubt that," Eve commented.

"Pardon the interruption," I heard, and I looked over to see Elijah standing at the doorway. "I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising."

"You're making a grave mistake," Elijah shook his head as we tried to explain the situation.

"So, you're just worried about us. Is that it?" Oliver snorted.

"Look, Elijah. We know all about your brother's reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse-" Jackson started.

" -Our gift-" Oliver interrupted.

" -Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after," Jackson went on as if Oliver hadn't said anything. "Won't have to."

"I see," Elijah nodded. "There are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation."

"Apparently, most of them see us breathing the same way," Oliver barked.

Elijah turned to Hayley. "You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so."

"We don't want a fight, Elijah. We just want a better life," Hayley tried.

"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee you anything but that," Elijah explained.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," I finally spoke up.

A sound from outside alerted us to someone coming, and we all stepped outside to see a motorbike approaching.

"What the hell?" Jackson wondered as the man on the motorbike rode into the camp and came to a stop as we approached him.

"Which one of you is in charge?" the man on the bike asked.

"Who's asking?" Jackson asked defensively, immediately walking in front of Hayley, who in turn walked in front of me.

Elijah pushed me far away from the man and rushed forward, tackling him off of the bike just as it exploded. The blast was so strong that it blew everyone in the vicinity backwards.

I tried shaking the pain off as I shakily lifted my head off of the ground, trying to ignore the ringing in my ears and the pain in my joints. All around me people were injured or passed out.

"Juliet, are you okay?" I heard Oliver ask me, but I ignored him in favour of the war zone that had been made of my home. I picked myself up off of the ground as I rushed towards my family. I came across a little girl, who couldn't be more than four or five, who was standing next to a severely injured man. My heart instantly broke for her when I realized that that had to have been her father.

I bent down in front of the little girl. "Hey, it's okay, come here." I picked her up when she held out her arms to me, and I turned to see Jackson walking over to me. "Jack!" I called out, and I went over to him, holding the girl out. "Here, take her away from here."

Jackson nodded as he took the child from my arms and began walking away from the sight.

"Juliet!" I heard from behind me, and I turned around to see Elijah running over to me. He quickly assessed me to make sure Baby Gilbert and I were okay, and then we both knelt to the ground next to the injured man.

Elijah carefully lifted the shirt, and I nearly lost my breakfast at the sight and smell of the burned skin.

"Wolfsbane," Elijah deduced.

"It must have been in the gas tank, it's the only explanation," I deduced. I looked over to Elijah. "You're a vampire, you have the speed. I need you to take him and anyone else who can't walk on their own." Elijah shot me a look of concern, but I waved it away. "I'm okay, Elijah, I promise. These people need your help."

I ran over to Oliver and Eve, who were helping a girl who had a branch stuck in her thigh. Oliver was about it pull it out, but I stopped him before he could, putting my hands on top of his to stop him. "Oliver, don't!"

The werewolf girl screamed in pain. I reached over and grabbed Eve's hands, pressing them on the wound. "Keep pressure there," I instructed to her, then I turned to Oliver. "Shirt, now, don't ask questions."

Thankfully, Oliver listened, and I used the shirt to create a tourniquet. "Hey, it's okay," I told the girl when I noticed her lower lip trembling. "You're gonna be fine, just try not to move."

"How'd you learn how to do that?" Eve asked, impression clear in her tone.

I blushed a little. "My adoptive father was a doctor, and I was always a Daddy's girl. You learn a few things." I turned back to the girl. "This should help control the bleeding until the healing starts. I also know a spell, but I don't know if it'll work." I put my hands on the girl's leg and closed my eyes. "Asinta Mulaf Hinto, Sho Bala."

Instantly, the girl's face relaxed. "Thank you," She mumbled.

"I don't know how long that's gonna last for," I warned her as I stood up.

Oliver stood up and threw a nearby trash can in his anger, making me jump a little. "Vampires. They don't even have the guts to do their own dirty work themselves. I mean, why bother when you can just compel some poor son-of-a-bitch to do it for you? I say we hit them back! Hard."

I stopped him by using all my strength to throw him against a shack. Surprisingly it worked, since I wasn't really a physical person. "Oliver, stay here and help Hayley take care of everyone until I get back."

"Where the hell are you going?" He demanded.

"If vampires orchestrated this attack, I'm gonna go show them that they can't mess with werewolves," I reached down and grabbed a branch. Using magic to add more strength to my arms, I snapped the branch in half. "I think it's time Marcel and I had a little talk." I turned around to walk away but stopped in my tracks. "And if you tell Hayley that I left to go confront Marcel, I will use the other half of the stake on you, got it?"

Oliver nodded quickly, and I ran for my car. I performed a little locator spell to find Marcel, and then I called up Elijah.

"Juliet," He said as he answered.

"Listen, I gotta go do something, I'll be back soon," I told him. "If Hayley figures out I left, keep her back at the camp."

"Where are you?"

"I'm fine," I insisted. "If I have to be able to take care of a baby, I need to prove that I can take care of myself. Just look after the pack while I'm gone, please?"

I hung up before he could answer, trusting that my faith in Elijah wouldn't be proven wrong.

I barged into the vampires hideout, not caring if I made a lot of noise. Diego and a bunch of other vampires were there. Diego narrowed his eyes at me. "You done got some nerve coming up in here, mama," He spat.

In response, I simply lifted my hand and my magic lifted Diego into the air. I then thrust my hand out, and Diego ended up against the wall. I used my other hand to push the stake into Diego's chest, just missing his heart.

"My pack in the Bayou was attacked this morning," I informed him. "And since you're all not smart enough to plan a hit like that, I need you to tell me were Marcel is and we can all go home."

Diego struggled against the hold of my magic but that just made me concentrate my magic harder, keeping him firmly against the wall. "I'm not playing around here!" I growled. "There are families out there. Children!"

As if I struck a cord, Diego sighed. "He used to keep a place. 1917 Patterson. If he's still around, he'll be there."

"Thank you," I said as I used my magic to yank the stake back out of his chest and let him drop to the ground before barreling out of there. I couldn't believe I had just done that! My entire time I'd been in New Orleans, people had always been looking after me-be it Hayley, Elijah, Rebekah, or even Klaus-and today was the first time I had ever truly done something myself. And it felt good.

Speaking of Klaus, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called him. He answered on the first ring. "Klaus, where are you?" I asked him.

"I'm in a bit of a situation here, love," He responded.

"Somebody sent a suicide bomber out to the Bayou today," I informed him.

"What?" Klaus asked, his voice rising with concern. "Where are you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I responded, feeling a bit warm inside at his concern. "I'm in the city now, I should be fine. I'm going after Marcel, I think he's the one behind the bombings. According to everyone around here, Marcel's hated the wolves since like...forever, and after what happened with the witches..." I trailed off before shaking my head. "Anyways, I tracked him down. Thought you might have a little fun helping me kick his ass."

Klaus said something to someone (he must not have been alone) but he turned back to the phone and said, "Hey, listen. I assure you, once I am finished here, you will have my undivided attention. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble."

I rolled my eyes, but if I didn't lie to Klaus, he'd be mad at me for going after Marcel alone. "Don't worry, Elijah is with me." I hung up before he could say anything else.

I found the place Diego had said, and I banged the door open using my magic. Marcel was already there, sitting down on a chair.

"Come on in," He said as he stood up. "Have a seat. I'd offer you a drink, but..." He gestured to Baby Gilbert.

"How thoughtful," I rolled my eyes, then looked around the apartment. "This place ain't half bad," I said sarcastically.

"Oh, it's just temporary," Marcel waved off. "Friend hooked me up. Believe it or not, I still got a few of those kicking around. I need friends to keep me informed, to warn me when someone is coming looking to blame me for things that I didn't do." He smiled at me. "For the record, you didn't have to work Diego like that. You and I are long overdue for a chat."

"I'm here," I crossed my arms. "Now, talk before I decide that you're not worth my time."

"Tough girl," Marcel nodded. "That wasn't you before, but you were forced to grow into it. You're a lot like your dad in that way."

My heartbeat picked up. My Dad? As in my biological father?

Marcel picked up my peaked interest. "Oh, yeah. I knew him. I knew your whole family. In fact, if you knew them like I did, you'd know just how many enemies they have. Back in the nineties, it was the Crescent wolves, along with the help of a few witches, who took over the city. Or, tried to. They lived to throw down, and they were good at it, too. They didn't care who they killed as long as they got more power."

"So the Crescent curse was your way of trying to stop them?" I shook my head. "How...pacifistic."

"It was either that or kill them all, and I'm not big on indiscriminate slaughter," Marcel answered. "See, I have this thing about kids."

I rolled my eyes. "I've heard."

Marcel smirked. "Oh, you did more than hear about it, Eumelia Christos.. You and your cousin, Hayley, are living proof."

"What?" I blurted. "How long have you known that about me?"

"I saw how interested you were in those Crescents. After your little family reunion out at the old plantation house, I started to put two and two together," Marcel responded. "Plus, the way Hayley was all over you was enough for me to figure out that she was the missing pack member that would have brought out your magic and werewolf gene."

"Answer me something, Marcel," I started. I clenched my fists together. "Did you kill my parents? Did you kill Hayley's parents?"

"There was in-fighting among the wolves. Your folks and Hayley's folks were laying low. Somebody turned on them. I honestly don't know who. I got there afterwards, found you in your crib and Hayley by your side. Even as a kid, she refused to leave your side."

My jaw was tight, and I wanted to believe what Marcel was saying, but this was Marcel. "Tell me why I should believe you," I finally said.

"Believe whatever you want, but you and Hayley were the last Labonairs, even if you were technically a Christos first. I mean, could've been a lot of leverage for our side, but instead, I took you two to Father Kieran. He thought it would be a good idea for the two of you to be adopted separately. The further away you were from each other, the better."

He pulled out a duffle bag and handed it out to me. I eyed it precariously before asking, "What's in there?"

"Money, mostly," He answered. "Stuff you need to start over someplace safe. Whatever happened in the Bayou, I'm not your guy. But, the way things are going? Eventually, I might have to be."

I scoffed. "What kind of plan is this? Get me out of town so that Klaus and Elijah will follow closely behind?"

"I can't say that wouldn't be a positive side effect," Marcel allowed.

"Then why don't you leave?" I demanded. "Follow your own advice?"

"I was born here, Juliet," He reasoned.

I looked him dead in the eye as I said, "So was I. And as long as I'm here, I will continue to fight for those who don't have a voice."

I turned around, intending on a dramatic exit, but Marcel stopped me just as I got to the door.

"Guy on the bike? The bomber? Word is, he had a gambling problem. Owed money to the casinos-more importantly, to the humans who run them," Marcel relented. "And Juliet? When things get bad, remember, I tried to get you clear of it again."

When I got back to the bayou, Oliver was by a bonfire and surrounded by a lot of people. I walked over to where Elijah, Hayley, and Aunt Jennifer stood off to the side, gently cradling my belly as I did so.

"You stayed," I said to Elijah.

When Hayley heard my voice, she instantly pushed Elijah to the side and enveloped me into a hug. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you go after Marcel by yourself?"

I groaned. "Oliver is so dead," I muttered.

"It wasn't Oliver who told me," Hayley answered as she pulled back. "It was Elijah."

I turned to said vampire. "What the hell, man? This chick is worse than my mom!"

Aunt Jennifer pulled me into a hug before Elijah could respond. Before I could insist that he respond, I picked up on what Oliver was saying, "Come morning, they will know that we are not cowards."

"What the hell is Oliver doing?" I asked.

"We are not afraid!" Oliver lectured.

"He's making a move for power in the wake of tragedy," Elijah explained. "He's not alone. There was another attack after you left."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. I looked over at the tears starting to build up in Hayley's and Aunt Jennifer's eyes, and my stomach dropped. "Who was it?"

Aunt Jennifer pulled Hayley into her side as tears began sliding down their faces. "Eve..." Aunt Jen said quietly.

I nearly fell over as the grief struck me. Eve was one of the first friends I made out in the bayou, who didn't care that I was half witch and an untriggered werewolf, or cared about the fact that I was pregnant with Klaus's kid. And now she was dead.

As if I couldn't believe it until saw it myself, I pushed past Aunt Jennifer and Hayley as I ran into the shack, where I saw Jackson sitting with Eve's dead body.

I fell down on to the ground next to Jackson, tears falling freely from my face. I reached over and grabbed Eve's hand as I pressed a kiss against the back of it, my tears staining her skin. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "This is all my fault."

Even though it wasn't really, I had to blame myself for Eve's death. If I hadn't have gotten pregnant, if I hadn't have come to New Orleans, if I hadn't have come to the bayou...

If the vampires hadn't have tried to strike against us...

I felt determination ripple through me as I laid Eve's hand against her stomach and stood up.

I would make sure that Eve's death wasn't in vain. I would make sure that her death would serve a purpose, fighting for what she died believing in.

Freedom for the werewolves and peace amongst New Orleans.

And if I had to do the one thing that I have been terrified of doing since I first heard of my true origins-take charge and become a leader, then I would do it, or die trying.

TBC...

So as you can see (or as those who have also read Ripples of Reality can see), Juliet is forced to start to take on more leadership roles here than in Mystic Falls.

Hopefully finish season 1 soon!

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