New World, 10th century:

In Dahlia's cottage stood a grown Freya who was both furious, confused, and horrified as Dahlia prepared herbs for a spell at the side of the cottage.

"This is impossible," Freya declared after concluding everything, "You stole a child!" she accused her aunt.

Dahlia merely rolled her eyes and glanced back at her niece, "I can assure you the child is part of our bloodline. Do you think me stupid enough to willingly carry off a child that isn't my family? more importantly to travel so far just to have him?"

Freya seemed unable to believe her even then, "It's not possible. My siblings are all vampires! This cannot be true!"

Dahlia put down her herbs to turn to face Freya, "And yet, here we are. We have made the voyage to the new world for this very child who will give me what is rightfully mine. It seems the universe wants me to have more power. I have no desire to know how it happened, simply happy to see my cluster beginning to form."

"You cannot put a child under the life we live, under the life you've forced onto me," Freya crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing, "Return the child, Dahlia. You have all the power you want from me, but return the child."

"No," Dahlia said after feigning to consider the idea. She sent a smirk to her niece as she went for the door instead.

Freya angrily watched her aunt leave but dared not follow for she knew there was nothing she could do anymore. Instead, she turned away from the door and went to the small room in the cottage. It was old and dusty, but it was the only one she and Dahlia found after their long journey. She stopped at the threshold and peered inside the barely furnished room. She sadly smiled as she saw, on the edge of the dusty bed, her newest companion - a seven year old, little boy. Quietly, Freya made her way into the room and when he felt the presence of her, the boy hopped off the bed and dashed for the corner of the room.

"I will not hurt you," Freya assured as she went to the corner where the little boy had pushed himself to.

The boy was in tears, his sniffles clearly heard, "I want to go," his soft English voice pleaded her.

"I know," Freya knelt down in front of him, reaching to stroke his light, dirty-blonde hair, "and believe me, if I could help, I would. But our aunt will never let us go."

For a minute, the boy paused and scrunched his nose, "Aunt? I have only one aunt and my mummy says she was blonde."

Freya assumed he spoke about Rebekah and nodded, "Well, Dahlia is like your great aunt. She's your grandmother's sister."

The boy's bright blue eyes now studied Freya from head to toe, "And who are you?"

"Well," Freya smiled, "I'm your other aunt, Freya."

"No," the boy shook his head, "My mummy said you died before my daddy was born. Who are you!?"

"I'm Freya, but Dahlia took me away - like she did with you. I suppose my mother made the others believe I died. But it's me," Freya gently reached for the boy's hands, "and while we're here, I promise to protect you. Now, what's your name?"

The boy was reluctant to answer but after a minute he replied quietly, "Nicolas…" he looked down then, "Nicolas Mikaelson," he took a deep breath and looked Freya in the eyes, suddenly brave, "And I know what you think, that I'm not supposed to be here. But my mummy said never let anyone tell me I was not a Mikaelson."

Freya's smile grew at the child's boldness, "I like your mummy, then."

In present time, there was a wave of unsettling resignation among everyone who had listened to Freya's revelation. Night had turned to day and even then they were still struggling to believe in such a story.

Maleny sat motionless on the couch, her gaze stuck on the floor and partially blurred by tears. She was racking her head, her entire mind, for just a scrap of a memory that would allow her view of…

She couldn't even think the word properly.

Unlike her, Klaus was far from being motionless. He threw a drinking glass across him, letting the shards splatter against the wall. No one scolded him, no one told him to calm. There was nothing anyone could say that would make anything better.

He angrily turned around, glaring daggers at Freya, "Absolutely not!" he shouted at her.

Freya remained calm and replied with, "It's true."

"No it's not!" Klaus shouted once more, threatening her with a finger not to insist on her story.

"It is and you know it, because you know best of all what happens when someone wants power!" Freya rose her voice loud enough to match his and quiet him for a moment. She sighed after a couple seconds and started her explanation again, regardless of the fact she had already explained countless times before. "The witches that took Maleny were like Dahlia - they wanted to grow a cluster of witches and warlocks that they could control like Maleny. So in their sleep curse they ensured that you-" she looked at Maleny sadly, "-would become impregnated at least once."

"Because one time is all they would need to create their group," Maleny said in utter disgust.

"But they failed," Freya said as some sort of comfort.

"Because your delusional aunt took him?" Maleny scoffed and looked at everyone else in the room, blinking rapidly to contain her tears. "I can take anything, I will take the kidnappings, I will take the danger, the stand offs, anything...but now you're telling me that somewhere in my past, in a life I can't remember, I let someone hurt my...son?" the word was like soap in her mouth. The entire sentence was one she should never have had to say in her life.

"It wasn't like that-" Freya tried to say but Maleny didn't want to listen anymore.

"It was exactly like that! I wasn't strong enough - I was useless like always! But this time, my errors hurt...hurt..." Maleny swallowed hard, but in the end she couldn't do it. She pushed past Freya and hurried out the room before anyone could call for her.

Klaus intended on following after her but not before he had the answers he needed. He stormed up to Freya, who did her best not to shrink under his furious glare. "Dahlia's coming for Hope because you and..."

"Nicolas," Freya softly said, understanding it was just too hard to even call him by the name just yet. "He and I made a plan, centuries ago, to escape from Dahlia. It went a little awry in that we had to split but...she hasn't caught us yet."

"But you haven't had contact with him?"

"Not really..."

"Then how do we know he's even alive right now? What if Dahlia has already captured him again?"

"No, because this time, Dahlia will forget about he and I until she has Hope in her hands. She wants to free herself from the cycle and Hope is enough power source to do it."

"She's not gonna touch Hope," Klaus swore to her and practically everyone else in the room.

"We can protect Hope," Freya tried to assure, "but we must work together for it to work. Now, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry for what I have brought upon you, but you needed to know before Dahlia came. I know you think it's impossible, and you have a right to be, but you know how witches can be. They did this to you and Maleny, they're the reason Dahlia traveled over the seas to find Nicolas...but if we work together we can make sure the same thing doesn't happen to little Hope."

For a moment, it looked like Klaus had something to say, but in the end the overwhelming sensation made him back off. He stormed out of the room as well, leaving the awkward silence among the people left.

Freya didn't bother going after either parent. She understood it was a lot to take in and process. The impossible had happened - twice - but this one just happened to be a little more complex. How was it possible? She had asked herself the very same question everyday since the day little Nicolas Mikaelson had arrived at Dahlia's cottage.

"Come back!" Dahlia's screams could be heard from the room of the cottage where Freya was in.

"No!" she then heard young Nicolas's shout back.

Freya quickly rushed out to see what was going on. Nicolas and Dahlia were across from each other, both glaring daggers at each other which surprised Freya as she had never seen such fury in a little boy's eyes before.

"I said come back, we have yet to finish practicing the spell," Dahlia said, her teeth gritted in anger.

"And I said no," Nicolas repeated, just as angry himself, "I don't want to be here! I want to go back!"

Dahlia sneered, "You mean to where your lifeless mother is?"

"Don't talk about my mummy!" Nicolas charged for the woman, something Freya quickly sought to prevent by running to catch him. She managed to grab the boy back but even then he kicked and tried swatting at Dahlia, "You don't get to talk about my mummy! You don't know her!" he continued shouting.

Dahlia meant to retrieve the boy from Freya but the young woman stood in front of Nicolas, ready to protect him as she vowed, "Clearly now is not the time to force a practice session. He's no good if you force him."

Dahlia growled in frustration, "This boy has the temper of the devil. But I will tame him," she promised and fled the cottage in anger.

A couple minutes later, Nicolas peered around his aunt and saw Dahlia truly gone, "Thank you, aunt Freya," he politely said afterwards.

Freya had a hard time believing it was the same boy with the booming shouts. She took Nicolas's hand and led him to a chair, "Nicolas, I know you're angry, but you cannot do this anymore. You cannot try to hurt Dahlia."

Nicolas crossed his arms and puffed, "Then she needs to stop talking about my Mummy like that. Just because she's gone doesn't mean no one will defend her."

Freya smiled at that, "I can tell you will defend your Mummy no matter what. I like that about you. But what we need to work on is your temper," she tapped his forehead, getting a small smile out of the child, "It is plain awful and aunt Dahlia will only tolerate so much more."

"Mummy used to tell me I got that from my Daddy," he shared sheepishly, "She said he would get angry really fast and shout really loud."

"I bet he would," Freya ruffled Nicolas's hair.

"Mhm," Nicolas nodded, slowly forgetting about his mean old aunt Dahlia, "She used to tell me that I could have a competition with him to see who could shout the loudest."

Freya laughed, "Really? Would you like that?"

Nicolas's excitement faded at the question, but he still kept a smile for her, "Yeah, but my Daddy doesn't know anything about us. And my Mummy doesn't even remember either."

Freya tilted her head quizzically. She was aware her siblings were on the run from their father, but really knew nothing of Nicolas's mother. She had been so focused on making Nicolas feel safe at least with her. "What do you mean sleeping?"

Nicolas sighed, "Mummy was taken away by the bad witches one year ago. They make her soul go 'wooo!'" he mimicked something coming out from his chest with his hand that would then fly away. Freya smiled and listened attentively. "But keep her real body asleep in a room in their village."

Freya's interest peaked at that moment. All of it sounded completely sinister, perhaps even moreso than Dahlia. She wanted to know more about this "sleeping mother" that had beared the miracle child.

Cami awkwardly walked into Marcel's loft where the now free Vincent Griffith was resting in one of the rooms. She cleared her throat to grab his attention and once achieved she sheepishly smiled.

"Hello," she slowly walked into the room.

Vincent looked up wearing a glare, "That's the way you want to greet me? A simple 'hello'?"

Cami could understand the way Vincent had been treated would lead to this kind of behavior, "How are you feeling?"

Vincent's glare deepened, "Nauseous. Can't concentrate. I can't really do any magic, but I suppose that was the point," he motioned to a plate on the nightstand, "... seeing as I can smell the lobilia flower you've been putting in my food."

Cami's sheepish smile widened, "Sorry, but you have to understand we can't really have another wayward witch after us."

Vincent stood up from the edge of his bed, "So what's this trick now? Send in the blonde to what?"

"Can we not address me as the 'blonde'?" Cami made a face, "It's so stereotypical. I came in here because we need your help."

"Ha!" Vincent scoffed, turning away from, "And what makes you think I'm going to help you now? All you've done is kept me locked up in this stupid loft."

Cami sighed, she hated what she was about to say next. She backtracked to the living room, all in the meantime she listened to Vincent's rambles of warnings.

"I know you can't keep me here! I'm from the Treme Witches from there, *whew*, they're a little bit of a harder breed than what it is I bet you're used to," he looked back at Cami, "Yeah, they're gonna want me back."

Cami re-entered the room holding a newspaper in hands, "Actually, they already do want you back. Actually, they wanted you back for nine months now," she watched Vincent's eyes widened. She walked up to Vincent and held the headline of the newspaper to him, "Check the date."

Vincent snatched the newspaper from her to check for himself. Sure enough, the date he saw was nine months after the one he remembered, "What''d you do to me?"

"We didn't do anything to you," Cami sadly said, "See, this is all Finn Mikaelson's fault. He took possession of your body, got into all kinds of trouble, too. Made some nasty enemies, I might add. I'm willing to tell you everything but you have tell us about a Treme witch that you know of: Eva Sinclair."

Vincent once again turned away with an almost huff that Cami heard with her super hearing abilities. She didn't like playing mean cop and she most certainly wasn't going to follow Marcel's nor Elijah's nor Klaus' means of attaining information.

"Listen, Eva is not herself right now. Her body is inhabited by a Mikaelson, just like you were," and before Vincent could go off on her, Cami quickly added, "But Rebekah is not doing bad deeds. It appears Eva is trying to regain control of her body and it's not good. We really need your help. Please?"

Vincent faced her with a glare that seemed to falter upon Cami's honest plead.

~ 0 ~

When Klaus finally gathered enough courage to see Maleny again, he found her inside her bedroom, tinkering with a small, ornate golden jar. Although her eyes were intently staring at it, like it had all the answers to the questions she now had, there was something of a distant look in her eyes. Her mind was somewhere else.

"We once made so many plans when we were humans," she began so quietly, despite Klaus' superhearing he still had to strain a little to listen. "From where we would live when we got married - because we would - to what we would name...our daughter." She slowly turned around and sighed. "Do you realize that we didn't even get the daughter part right?"

"Maleny, there is-"

"Don't," she pleaded, shaking her head, "There is nothing you - nothing anyone - can say to me that is going to make any of this better." She only mildly succeeded in keeping her sob in, letting out a noise near to it. "Klaus, there is a boy - a man now - somewhere out there, and he's ours," she sniffled, no longer able to keep her strength, "and we don't know him! I can't remember him!"

Klaus came into the room, straight for her, and cupped her face. "But this isn't your fault..."

"It is," she corrected him. "It's all my fault. Because I'm the one that went out to find those stupid Dawsons, and I'm the one that agreed to their curse. I subjected him to my curse."

"He's not part of your curse," Klaus said, wishing he could stop her from feeling this sort of pain. He rubbed some tears from her face then took her into a tight hug. "You're only mistake was agreeing to the curse without fully understanding. But what happened with Nicolas was something else. And know this, wherever it is he's at right now, we are going to bring him home."

"So, then you believe it completely then?" Maleny sniffled, tangling her arms around his neck. "Because, for a moment, I thought you were gonna strangle Freya after the third time she explained to us."

"Well, to be honest, I haven't really stopped considering the idea to strangle her, but not for her explanation," Klaus admitted, making her roll her eyes.

"Klaus," she said, warningly.

"Let's keep it between us, love. I don't trust Freya, but I do have to give her some points for sharing with us about Nicolas. Whether I like it or not, she will help us get Nicolas back."

Maleny hugged him tighter, needing to feel him at the moment. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and allowed a minute to pass before speaking again. "I named him Nicolas," she whispered, having him chuckle afterwards.

"I like it!"

"I thought you would - or at least I did think you would. Nick, for short. I don't remember him, but I already love him so much. Is that what you felt like before Hope was born?"

"Yes...in a way, yes," Klaus slowly answered, although recalling the very first moment he had learned about Hope's existence. "But scared," he admitted, and quietly, only to her.

"Yeah, me too," she mumbled.

Little Nicolas swung his legs back and forth in his chair while Freya went around making preparations for a spell. She had proposed to Dahlia to allow her to make an attempt with Nicolas's powers seeing that Dahlia was getting no where the child. He was a lot more stubborn and temperamental than Dahlia had assessed from their early days. While Freya prepared for a spell, Nicolas explained to Freya the condition about his 'sleeping Mummy' he talked about so much.

"See, my Mummy's last body had black hair and really dark eyes but in reality she has pretty blonde hair and blue eyes," Nicolas was smiling widely, clearly content with the topic of their conversation. When he got to studying his aunt he gasped at a realization, "Almost like you!"

Freya stopped working for a minute to glance back at the boy, "She looks like me?"

"Mm, sort of," Nicolas tilted his head, "I only ever saw her true body once and it was for a very short time before the bad witches took us away."

"Why was your mother's soul placed into a different body?" Freya had long assumed the condition in which Nicolas's mother was something to do with a body-jumping spell. From what she had gathered so far, the body she had jumped into was that of a witch, as had been her original body.

Nicolas sighed sadly, "Mummy says she was trying to live as long as my Daddy, but the witch tricked her. Now she's stuck jumping bodies, meeting my daddy every now and then. But she forgets who she is and can't remember until much later."

Freya made a face of disgust at such a cruel spell from the witches. She assumed the woman had been trying to match Klaus' lifespan in some way but was taken advantage of the witches who had tried to 'help her'.

"Auntie Freya," Nicolas's voice broke her out from her thoughts, "do you think my Mummy will ever remember me again?"

Freya turned around to find the boy with a small pout, "What do you mean?"

"Well, my Mummy says that she won't remember much when she body jumps. When the witches put her to sleep again, she told us - me, that the chances of her remembering were very small. It's been a year now so she's probably in a different body again. Do you think there's a way to unlock her mind?"

Freya bit her lip genuinely trying to come up with an honest answer. She didn't quite know if there were, considering she didn't even know the spell used on the woman.

"Tell you what, Nicolas," Freya grabbed a couple of herbs off the table and walked for the boy, "if you channel your powers to your Aunt Dahlia and I, then I can help you with your mother's case."

Nicolas didn't quite believe that and made it known, "But that mean aunt Dahlia said I would never see my Mummy again. I don't like her, aunt Freya. I want to rescue my Mummy, but she says I can't go back."

"This will be between you and I," Freya promised him and bent down in front of his chair, "When I was taken away, my mother just let her. But your case is different, your mother wasn't there to see this happen. I'll help you find her, regardless of what Dahlia wants."

Nicolas brightened up and nodded, "Okay!" he jumped off his chair to give her a hug, "Thank you, auntie Freya! I like you," he planted a kiss on her cheek and pulled away with a wide grin.

Freya smiled back at the boy and fixed a strand of his hair, "I like you too, Nicolas. We'll get along just fine."

"My son knew that I wouldn't remember him anymore?" Maleny was even more distraught than earlier after hearing yet another of Freya's story.

Freya felt guilty for causing the brunette woman to burst into more tears, but she felt it necessary for her and Klaus to know all about Nicolas. It was justice after all.

"I'm sorry," Freya whispered.

Maleny tried restraining herself but it was simply impossible not to cry for her forgotten son, "Klaus!" she exclaimed just as the man entered the room holding Esther Mikaelson's spell book, "We have to do something!"

While Klaus shared Maleny's despair for the apparent missing son, he was holding up far better than she was - at least that what he made it appear. He couldn't have the luxury of dwelling over something he had no control if. If he did, that would put Hope at a risk.

"I believe you," Klaus straightforwardly said, startling Freya so much he felt the need to elaborate, "I believe I have pinpointed the time in which he was born that would coincide with the body Maleny inhabited that disappeared mysteriously."

"You did?" Maleny rose from her seat on the couch, "How!?"

"I have a vast memory, Mal. Plus, she was…" it seemed to be a struggle for him to explain, "...the first woman I met after your first, original disappearance."

Maleny's eyes widened, unable to help herself from asking, "And how long was that, exactly?"

"I promise you it was many, many years…"

"Hm," Maleny considered the gap a decent amount but it still pained her, as ridiculous as it sounded, to think of him actually going after another woman.

For Klaus was it was no easier to talk about, "She was also the only woman I was ever with that disappeared with pregnancy rumors behind her," he held the book over to Freya who soon raised a brow in confusion, "Clearly I have to trust you in this so I'm relinquishing Esther's book for you use it in our cause."

"Thank you?" Freya slowly took the book from him and opened it up, skimming a couple pages.

"Now, the woman of the time I speak of went by the name of Iris Velden," Klaus went on to explain to Maleny and Freya, "She was the daughter of some noble we were residing with at the time."

Maleny made a motion with her hand for him to stop talking, "Wait a minute, you didn't even bother learning my then-father's name?"

"I was a bit busy doing other stuff, love," he flashed her a smirk that left her face crimson red in a blush.

Freya made a face from her spot while mumbling, "Well, I can see how Nicolas was brought up."

"Shut up," Maleny pointed at her then looked back to Klaus, "And what happened to that 'me'?"

"We only saw each other for a couple of months then, one night, she just disappeared," and it was still evident in Klaus' face the event beguiled him.

"Just like that?"

"In the middle of the night. Apparently some guard saw you but mistook you for one of the workers."

"That's stupid, why would I leave?"

Freya's eyes flickered up from her book, quickly realizing what they hadn't, "Daughter of a noble, infatuated with a visitor and had relationship with him? Maleny, it's clear you knew you were pregnant or at least had a suspicion and ran off."

Maleny made a face as she considered the idea, "But...but I wouldn't just runaway."

"You didn't know who I was," Klaus spoke up, grabbing her attention quickly, "You didn't know what I was."

Freya closed Esther's spell book and spoke the details they were realizing, "Meaning if Iris Velden believed she'd gotten pregnant by a normal man, while unwed, it would be the perfect reason to leave. Or," she considered another idea, an idea perhaps that would strike problems, "you knew you were pregnant and sought the help of someone who could get rid of the problem."

And just like that, Maleny grew furious, "You think I went out to kill my own baby?"

"You weren't yourself back then," Freya shrugged, "It would have been any other woman's reaction-"

"Do not mistake me for some other woman, then," snapped Maleny, "I would never get rid of my baby."

"Like I said before, it was rumored she was pregnant but of course I discarded that right away," Klaus shrugged but sighed, "If only I had known it was actually possible."

"Or that it was me," Maleny added.

"Freya," Klaus sharply called upon as he glanced back at his blonde sister, "I would assume what ever gimmicks you and Dahlia have used to keep yourselves alive was also used on Nicolas?"

Freya nodded, "It's the sleeping spell that Dahlia cast. It puts all of us to sleep for a century. We wake up and get only one year of life but with our powers at their strongest."

"Where is Nicolas then?" Maleny quickly inquired, "What happened to him?"

"Nicolas is alive, I can assure you that," Freya began with what she called the only good news, "He's bound to this spell. His whereabouts are unknown, remember? But listen, Dahlia will come and she will kill anyone in her way if they try to protect Hope. Now I'm willing to make that sacrifice but are you? Klaus, will you put your son's life on the line to protect your daughter's?"

"Don't you dare ask that ever again," it was Maleny that warned her, actually angry the question had ever been formed. "I will gladly put my life on the line for both Nicolas and Hope, as would Klaus, but never one above the other."

Freya nodded, and tried again. "Let Nicolas live in the little peace he can harbor in this year and when we defeat Dahlia and break her spell he'll know. He'll either come for you, or we'll come to him. It's all on you two, but the thing I would advise you to leave him be for the time being."

"You tell us about our long lost son and now you want us to forget about him?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"Nicolas is like my own son as well," Freya admitted, "In your absence I raised him from his seven years into his adulthood," and while she received confused looks she continued on, "I love him too and I am only seeking for his well being. Let him be answered when it's all over I will help you find him. It's your choice."

"How do you mean all in one year?" Maleny called before Freya walked away.

Freya seemed unsure if she should answer but of course Klaus wouldn't let her leave without answering their questions, "Speak," he said in his dark tone that warned of grave consequences if she didn't obey.

With a sigh, Freya turned back to the two, "The way the sleeping spell worked in the beginning was it'd put us to sleep for a couple of years then wake us up. It was a way to ease us into the transition. So, when Nicolas came to live with us-"

"When Dahlia stole him, you meant," Maleny sharply clarified.

Freya nodded and continued, "Nicolas was only seven when Dahlia had him. He was too young for the spell so Dahlia accommodated the spell by fast forwarding his age."

Enraged by the revelation, Klaus took a step towards the witch, "You allowed that woman to alter my son's age!?"

"Yes, but I'm sorry there was nothing I could do!" Freya exclaimed, taking a step back as it didn't seem Klaus would be backing down any moment soon, "Dahlia is far more powerful than you could ever imagine."

Maleny latched her hand onto Klaus' and used her force to at least tell him to back down. As much as she hated it, even with her newfound strength it was no match for his, "Freya, what...what age did Dahlia get him to?" she asked meekly.

"Twenty five," Freya replied guiltily.

"In one year?" Maleny's voice shook at the idea of her son practically losing his entire life.

"I'm very sorry," Freya apologized though knew it meant nothing to the two, "There was really nothing I could do."

As he heard Maleny slip into her tears again, Klaus could only simmer so much of his anger, "Give us a moment," he told Freya who nodded and left promptly without a word back.

"Mal…" he only got the nickname out before Maleny turned from him and headed for the couch.

She plopped herself down, burying her face in her hands, "Just when I thought nothing else could happen to us…"

"Mal," Klaus went after her, stopping in front of her and bending down to her meet her gaze, "I know this is bad, this is...no where near what we ever planned."

"No, what are you talking about, I so planned on having a kid with you while being cursed and in a different body," Maleny looked at him with a small smile, "It was my absolute dream."

Klaus let slip a small chuckle of his own but sobered up to say, "In this deranged cycle of a curse we actually had a child, Mal," Maleny's face softened at the implication, "And it may not have been in the most orthodox way but he is ours like you said."

Maleny couldn't help tearing up again, "But...will we bring home now or...later?"

That was the question of the day wasn't it? Klaus would be more than willing to find Nicolas and bring him to the Quarter, at least for Maleny to feel better in the midst of everything else. But in doing so, Nicolas would be at a risk if he went against Dahlia along with them. In the end, what Freya asked was true. Would he risk the life of his son for the sake of his daughter?

Maleny could see the ongoing battle in his eyes and felt awful for the position he was being placed in, "We should focus o-on Hope," she managed to say without breaking down.

The offer wasn't much use as it only made Klaus feel more guilty, "We can't..."

Maleny pulled off a smile as she cleared her tears and settled her hands on either side of his face, "I won't ask you to pick between Hope and Nicolas. Yes, I would love to meet my son whom I can't remember but what Freya says has some truth. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him because we brought him into a war zone. We should…we should focus entirely on Hope and make sure Dahlia doesn't get her like she did with Nicolas. She won't take this child from us either."

"I am so sorry," Klaus said and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Maleny gave a small chuckle, knowing those words so rarely came out of his mouth, "Hope may not be mine but I will fight for her as if she were. You're right, this is an unorthodox family but it's OURS our family."

Klaus then helped her up to her feet, "Thank you, Maleny."

"For what?" she gave him a sarcastic look, masking her pain only mildly. Her insides were screaming for her to go find Nicolas. She was actually surprised of herself, that in only a matter of hours the maternal instincts were kicking in and pushing her to act as if she were a true mother.

Klaus wouldn't let her sarcasm make everything feel as if it were better. He rested a hand on her cheek, "I know I make you many promises but I will come through. I will get him back very soon."

Maleny leaned in his touch, "I know you will. And trust me, if I were in my original body I'd be kissing you right now and show I believe you."

The smirk was a natural instinct for Klaus as he replied back, "I've got no problem with that, love."

And when he leaned to prove his statement she laughed and jerked away, "Excuse me but I am done having you kiss lips that are not mine."

"Is that jealousy I detect?" he put a finger under her chin and raised her gaze up to him.

"Well, how would you like it if I kissed Alton? Or," she knew it would get him all riled up, "Riley?"

Indeed that had angered him. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled him against him, "Don't talk about him! He's dead and he remains dead forever more!"

The moment served to sway them from their terrible moods. As Maleny laughed and dragged him out of the room to find the others, Klaus cursed Riley Dawson until he could come up with no other words. They found Elijah and Freya conversing downstairs in the courtyard about the newest revelations. Upon seeing them walking downstairs they hushed down to greet them.

"Freya told me her advice," Elijah began with an air of sympathy for them.

"Spare us the pity talk, Elijah," Klaus was prompt to say before laying eyes on Freya, "Maleny and I decided to hold off on finding Nicolas."

Freya was clearly pleased with the decision, "You'll see it's far better when we meet Dahlia."

"That doesn't mean we don't want to start looking for him," Maleny added.

"Well, it'll be complicated knowing that Nicolas must have already cloaked himself, but I promise you it will start right away," Freya gave a half-smile in return.

"Now to start we need you to tell us all about Dahlia," Klaus said, though his words sounded more like an order, "You claim she is all powerful but we have been able to kill our fair share of evil witches."

"Not like her," Freya almost swore to them.

"What are her weaknesses?" Elijah inquired then.

"She's paranoid, obsessed with power. She hungers constantly for what's been denied her, be it love or revenge."

Elijah found it impossible to not remark, "Yes. I think I'm familiar with the type," and cast a glance over to Klaus who smirked in response.

"Lucky I'm here now to keep him on check, then," Maleny added afterwards, teasingly looking up at Klaus.

"Don't think I'll follow your every order, love," he warned her, but received a scoff back.

Freya was glad to see the story would not repeat itself within the group and continued to explain more of Dahlia's past, "When I was a child, she would tell me tales of her own youth, of being victimized by those stronger than her. Dahlia vowed never to be weak again. She bargained for the firstborn of Esther's bloodline, intending to raise us in her own image, forming a coven of her own from which she could draw endless power. That plan was foiled the day she learned that Esther had ended her bloodline by turning her children into vampires. And so the burden fell to me. Dahlia demanded I bear the firstborn that would add to her power, but I would not allow a child of mine to live as I did, as a slave. So I vowed never to love, never to have a child of my own. Of course, the more I resisted, the harder Dahlia fought to control me. It ended the day she cast that spell that put us to sleep. While it started off as a couple of years that gradually turned into a century, it was the starter point of my prison."

"And Nicolas went through this as well?" Maleny couldn't help herself asking.

"Yes," Freya answered, "Each time we woke, we were filled with immense power and allowed to live a single year of life. That has been the existence we have suffered for the last 10 centuries."

"So what's the problem then?" Klaus suddenly demanded, confusing the others momentarily, "Why not end it yourself?"

Appalled by such a question, Maleny hit his arm, "Klaus!"

"It's a reasonable question," he tried to explain himself to her, "A high enough bridge, a tight enough noose. Surely Freya must have considered it."

"I did," Freya admitted guiltily, "And while Nicolas did try to stop me, I went through with it. However, the sleeping spell made us immortal and impervious to harm. You see, I am like you, a creature of great power cursed for all time."

It was during that moment that Elijah's phone went off and politely excused himself to go answer on account of the caller being Rebekah. A couple minutes later, he returned wearing a distraught face and interrupted Freya in the middle of her words, "We have another problem," he told Klaus.

"What now?" Klaus couldn't see anything else that could possibly be going wrong at the moment. Unfortunately, there was, and even more unfortunately it required him to leave Maleny for a minute.

"If it's Rebekah then go," Maleny told him and Elijah, motioning to the upstairs, "It's okay," she softly added for Klaus' comfort.

"Brother," Elijah urged him to follow.

Before leaving, Klaus glared directly at Freya, "Simply because I need your help does not mean I trust you nor like you."

Freya understood she was being threatened and took it with a calm, cold stance, "I know I have to earn my trust. But rest assured I wouldn't try anything in your own house."

Klaus' glare deepened but he left before unnecessary words left his mouth. Maleny watched the two brothers head upstairs and waited until they entered the lounge room to address Freya.

"I need a favor, Freya," she announced quietly. As Freya opened her mouth Maleny grabbed her by the wrist and took her into the dining room. She slid the doors shut and turned to face the blonde witch, "Remember how you once said 'nothing is ever really forgotten'?" Freya nodded silently, "Think we can find those memories of Nicolas in my head?"

Freya raised an eyebrow, "You want me to perform a spell?"

"There has to be a spell to help for this, right?" Maleny walked up to the witch, the extreme hope in her eyes making Freya shift uncomfortably as it made her feel like quite literally the world rested on her hands, "Help me remember Nicolas, Freya. I want to remember what he looked like. Did he have my looks? Or did he have Klaus'? You said he was seven yeas old and it had only been a year since I was 'put to sleep' so that had to mean the Dawson witches allowed me to live longer for my son. Please?"

Freya bit her lip nervously, "Maleny, I can attempt to do a spell but know that I would have to go through your mind. I would see things that you perhaps wouldn't want me to. Plus, there are consequences that could arise. Further loss of memories, unconsciousness, the lack-"

"Can you please just do it?" Maleny nodded with understanding, "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Freya sighed, clearly unsure if she was making the right decision as she said, "Okay, fine."

Maleny couldn't help the squeal of hope that escaped her mind, "Oh, thank you Freya!" she encased the witch blonde in a tight hug.

~ 0 ~

Still in Marcel's loft was Vincent and Cami, both sitting at the couch where Vincent was explaining his side of the story concerning his reawakening after Finn left his body.

"I woke up last night. I didn't know where I was or how long I'd been there, let alone that I'd lost 9 months of my life. Now you said the guy who possessed me, this Finn, he made a lot of enemies. What'd he do exactly?"

Cami could feel and see the genuine fear in the man's eyes and so answered with nothing but the truth, "He...terrorized the city. He threatened and manipulated his enemies, tried to steal an innocent child, and executed his own brother. Vincent, what you experienced was a violation of a profoundly personal nature, and whatever you're feeling, I am here to listen."

"That's just it," Vincent rose from his spot, "What do I say?" he faced her angrily, "Am... am... am I... Am I supposed to feel bad for these people that I hurt, am I... am I supposed to feel guilty for this...for this man I killed?"

"You, Vincent, didn't do anything," Cami reiterated calmly, "I know what it's like being caught in a Mikaelson crossfire, alright?" she got up as well and gestured to herself, "That's kind of how I died, actually. Before this I was just a simple psychology student trying to pass my classes."

"And now you're a vampire," Vincent finished for her, unsure how to take that. Though he could admit easily out of the few vampires he'd met since last night Cami was his favorite. She hadn't used none of the rude, superior talk most vampires did when talking to mortals. She hadn't tried any threats whatsoever.

"Did he hurt you?" he found himself asking before thinking it quite well.

Cami warmly smiled, "No, he didn't. But listen, the only thing you can do now, after everything, is just move on. You can move on and try to help us. Please."

~ 0 ~

Abigail Rowan's spell book laid open on the dining room table and Freya and Maleny sat beside it. Maleny had her eyes closed and was in a deep trance that Freya was conducting to induce memories. So far, she had no luck. She was doing her best to follow the neatly laid out spell but the magic was a little complex, and the memories were - as she had found out - locked away by the Dawson witches themselves. It was apparent by the struggle to even get into Maleny's mind that the witches had purposely locked away that entire life in an assumed attempt to keep any memories of Nicolas from resurfacing in Maleny's later lifetimes.

"Freya, it's not working," Maleny said with a hint of impatience.

"Just think, think of Iris Velden," Freya instructed calmly inbetween her chants of a spell.

"How do I think of a woman that I don't remember what she looks like?"

"Because you're doing it for Nicolas."

With a low grumble, Maleny shut her eyes again and focused entirely on that missing page in her life - a very important page.

"Think about Iris Velden," Freya said once more, her voice soothing enough for Maleny to relax, "Think about that life, all that you had, whom you loved, and whom you lost. Think…"

A woman with shoulder-length, straight black hair and dark brown eyes leaned against a tree in the middle of a courtyard. She was intently watching Klaus finish up a small wooden craft of his.

"And this is what you tend to do in your free time?" she meekly asked him as he walked back to her.

"Does it sound like a waste of time?" he looked up from the craft to meet her glistening eyes. The smile breaking across her face told him otherwise.

"Absolutely not," she shook her head, "Most men around here tend to pass their leisure time doing the stupidest of things. I like what you do best," she pointed at his craft, "and I sure wish others followed in your suit."

Klaus had a good laugh upon hearing all that. If only she knew what he and his siblings tended to do when people weren't around - feed on the innocent for survival. When he looked at her again he found she never stopped gazing at him. Her soft eyes were boring into his, awaiting for his response. He looked to his craft, feeling like it didn't belong to him anymore.

"Iris, you mentioned before you would love to leave this place and see the world," he held the wooden craft made to be two stars bounded to each other by one of their tips.

Iris' eyes flickered from the craft to Klaus, "You...you're giving this to me? But...but why?"

"Because out of everyone in this place you are the only one that makes these days bearable," but as soon as the words left Klaus' mouth he felt the inevitable guilt rise within his heart.

Iris felt her heart swell at those words but it didn't take long for her to see something was wrong with Klaus, "What is it?" she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek.

But the mere action sent Klaus back a couple steps from her, startling the dark-haired woman. Iris blinked but didn't follow his steps.

"You're sad…" she assumed, "...why? And don't tell me there is nothing wrong because I have very well noticed from the day you and your family arrived that you carry a burden in you. I would like to know what it is."

"You really would not," Klaus looked up with a grim look on his face.

"Do not tell me what I want, Klaus. I know what I want but it appears he has trouble of his own," Iris continued and with sudden bravery she marched up to him and took his wooden craft, "and since he is gifting me such a beautiful craft with meaning then the least he can do is tell me what is bothering him so much that every time we have a nice moment he puts distance between us and purposely pushes me away. I think, after a month of this, I deserve to know what is going on."

When Klaus faced her in the eyes he was met with the inevitable reproach he knew he was at fault for. Elijah had warned him from the start to stay away from Iris Velden. It was clear Klaus had taken a liking to Iris but with it only being five years of Maleny's disappearance there would be a prominent conflict.

Once more, Elijah's theory had been correct.

Maleny gasped and broke through the trance. "Oh my God...I saw her…" she blinked with wide eyes.

"Did you see Nicolas?" Freya quickly inquired.

"No," Maleny sighed, mildly disappointed her vision hadn't included Nicolas, "but I did see Klaus, and he…" she started biting her nail as she thought, "...it's weird but...he made this carving thing - they were stars - and it was frankly small and pretty useless but...I don't know…it feels like there's something more behind it."

"A carving?" Freya raised an eyebrow, wondering why she was choosing to focus on something so insignificant.

"It was two stars but...it feels like there was more, I promise," Maleny could see why Freya would think of it as a waste of time, "Can you make me see it again? Another memory?"

Freya nodded, "If you saw one then it's easier to see more. Just focus," Maleny smiled and excitedly awaited for her to do the spell once more.

"Klaus?" Iris' voice brought the man back from his thoughts. The two were still standing in the midtst of the courtyard, "Will you tell me what is wrong or will this be just one more of our torn moments? Because I must say it is getting tiring and I don't think I can keep doing it."

With a sigh, Klaus resigned to tell the truth, for once, but would be sure to compel if it got out of hand, "I like you, Iris, I think that's clear," he began and momentarily Iris shared a smile with him, "but before you, there was…" his eyes trailed to the side as he released a sigh, "...there was her."

"Her?" Iris repeated, already assuming what he was going to say.

"Maleny. She was...this beautiful woman that I knew long ago. I knew her since were kids, actually. Although during that time she was nothing more than my sister's close friend. Together we grew up and when we were older…"

"You fell in love with her," Iris couldn't help the tears that began welling in her eyes.

"My life has not been the happiest, but when I spent time with Maleny it was all different," Klaus continued, avoiding Iris' eyes in the meantime, "But one day, we had a foul argument - the biggest we ever had - and she ran off…" and clearly the disappearance hadn't quite been processed for his own eyes had brought up tears, "...and that was the last day I ever saw her."

Iris' brow furrowed as she tried deciphering exactly what that meant, her tears subsiding, "...she...is she dead?"

"I would assume so," Klaus shrugged, the anger also inevitable to feel, "I searched, I swear I searched under rocks, the bottom of the lake, caves, everywhere...but I never found her. I never saw her again. She disappeared."

"I'm so sorry," Iris felt a hint of guilt for her demanding. She would have never guessed this was what he carried with him.

"I like you, Iris, I do," Klaus felt the need to reiterate with more urgency, "but I cannot help think of her when I see you, when we have these 'moments'. I can't."

"Because you feel like you're betraying her," Iris could understand that and was more certainly not upset with it. Instead, she grabbed his hand and put the two-star craft in his palm, "But if she truly loved you then she would want you to be happy. What happened was a tragedy and I express my deepest condolences to you, but I also express my affections for you. I do not wish to be someone's replacement - she does not deserve that nor do I. These stars," she tapped one of the carved star's points, "are her. She is stars we are under-" she gestured to the starry sky, "-and she looks over us. And most importantly, she is at peace."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Klaus asked with a decent amount of doubt his tone.

"Because if I was these stars I would want someone telling you these exact words," Iris flashed him a smile. She wrapped her hand over his craft, her smile growing when his hand closed over it and her hand, "So, what do you say? I'd like if it our moments surpassed words. How about you?"

Klaus looked up to the sky that was covered in those stars Iris now identified as Maleny. A part of him wished he could go to wherever Maleny was at the moment - he missed her terribly. But, when he looked back to Iris standing in front of him, the other part of him yearned to stay right where he was.

"Well?" Iris gently whispered, unable to keep the sense of fear from lacing her one word.

Klaus' answer did not come in words - he surpassed words as she'd wanted. He placed a hand under her chin and raised to his lips to capture a kiss between them.

Maleny took a big breath after Freya stopped the spell. Freya watched the unreadable expressions on Maleny's face in silence for as long as she could hold her curiosity in. She hadn't been able to see the memories thankfully but she still wanted to know if she'd gotten a glimpse of Nicolas.

"What did you see?" she finally asked.

Maleny raised her eyebrows as she slowly replied with, "I think...I saw me," she pointed at herself, "persuading Klaus to stop thinking about me...so that he could...think about me…"

Freya tilted her head, wondering if the spell had frazzled Maleny's mind instead, "Um…"

"Believe it or not, that's the least complicated thing I've learned about us so far," Maleny released a sigh. Freya seemed troubled and was easily picked up on by Maleny, "What is it?"

"I forgot to mention a side affect from this spell," the witch admitted, for a minute scaring Maleny, "Now that you opened up a locked memory, there is a chance other repressed lifetimes may start resurfacing in your mind. I suggest we stop right now and give you a rest."

"Oh Freya," Maleny had a good laugh, "That's not a problem. I imagine it's going to be like when I first came to the Quarter," she shrugged carelessly, "So I'll be having sex dreams again, big deal."

Freya crinkled her nose and shook her head, "Really did not need to know that."

Maleny smirked, "If I have to suffer with the embarrassment then so will everyone else," Freya made a gag face while Maleny laughed in return.

~ 0 ~

Day was passing into dawn and Cami and Vincent remained in Marcel's loft talking. Vincent had taken to looking out of the windows which gave a perfect view of the lit skyline of New Orleans and the nearby Mississippi River.

Cami walked up beside him with a smile across her face, "Leave it to Marcel to have the best view in the city."

"Sometimes, I forget what a beautiful city it is, especially with all the ugliness that comes with it."

Curiously wondering, Cami asked, "Have you always lived here?"

Vincent nodded his head, "Mm-hmm. Born and raised in the Treme. Lived through its ups and downs. Then came the trouble with the vampires and some troubles that was even worse. I gave up on being a witch, walked away from my coven. I guess that's why I was easy prey for your friend Finn."

"Oh Finn was never my friend," Cami assured him, "He's done some bad things to people I care about. He stuck my surrogate cousin into another body when she literally just got out of a horrendous curse that had her living in bodies for centuries. That guy, can rot in hell for all I care about."

Vincent seemed surprised at the revelation, though also felt that much more guilt on his hands. With a deep sigh, he gently advised Cami, "You were asking about Eva Sinclair...there's important things you need to know about her."

Cami nodded, "Okay, I'll call the others, then," she pulled out her phone to dial for Elijah and do the task.

In about half an hour Elijah and Rebekah arrived at the loft, Marcel coming in minutes later. As soon as Vincent laid eyes on Rebekah, in Eva's body, he was stunned.

Rebekah quickly noticed and cleared her throat awkwardly, "Right. Well, I can tell from your face that you knew the previous occupant of this body. Rest assured, you're now speaking to Rebekah Mikaelson. So who are you? I mean, now that you're not my brother Finn."

"Vincent Griffith. I would say, "at your service," but, uh, that implies I had a choice in the matter."

The response seemed to amuse Rebekah, "Ooh! He's witty. Wonderful. Now I hear you have some information for me."

"Just give me a second," Vincent walked up to Rebekah and took a good look at her, "When they put Eva in the fauline cottage, I never thought I'd see her again."

"How exactly is it that you knew Miss Sinclair?" Elijah asked after a moment.

"She was my wife," Vincent promptly responded, something that left the entore group in awe.

"Well, that is bloody fantastic, isn't it?" Rebekah blinked, now the awkwardness soaring through the roof.

"Okay," Cami spoke up, also feeling the awkward tension, "but if you know Eva then surely there's a lot you can tell us."

Vincent agreed with a nod, "Yes, but when I do I want nothing to do with raised afterwards. If Eva's coming back I want to be no where near this."

"Understandable," Marcel said, "but you will tell us all that we need to know," Vincent sighed but in the end agreed to the terms.

~ 0 ~

"So her condition is getting worse," Maleny sighed after hearing what Klaus had to say about Rebekah's situation. She and Freya were intently listening for anything they could do to help.

"The witch is busting out of the lock Finn's spell had, and if we don't come up with a solution soon there's not going to be a Rebekah anymore."

Freya bit her lip nervously, "Perhaps there is something I can do. I don't know the exact spell but maybe I can try to find one."

Klaus scoffed at the idea, "The same one you're supposedly attempting to find for Maleny?"

Freya rolled her eyes, "I will find the spell. I just need to get to work now."

Maleny felt a light pain start at the side of her head, "I think we can leave me out of this for the moment. At least Yamilet is nice and quiet - Eva Sinclair is the problem here."

On that, both Klaus and Freya had to agree on.

"Do you think Amarrah would be willing to help us in this case?" Klaus looked over at Maleny and noticed her fingers frantically rubbing at her temples, "Mal?"

"I'm sorry," Maleny groaned as the pain grew inside her head, "My head hurts and I don't know why!" Her legs began to wobble until they eventually gave out and she nearly fell forwards if Klaus hadn't grabbed her by the waist. Maleny shrieked as the pain turned into harsh jabs, "What's happening!?"

At the same time she started hearing different voices in her head - she recognized one being of Iris Velden.

"You all need to stay away from me!" Iris angrily shouted, but there was a clear fear in her words, "Stay back!"

"Freya! Freya, I can hear Iris!" Maleny exclaimed but no longer was able to see much in the real world. Her mind was being overtaken by Iris Velden with each second.

Freya's eyes widened in horror as she started fitting the pieces together. Maleny finally gave out and fell unconscious. Klaus scooped her up entirely and headed for his room to place her on the bed.

"FREYA!" his angry roar left Freya flinching and running after him. He put Maleny down and glanced back at the witch in fury, "What did you do to her!?"

Freya was clearly scared for Maleny as well, "I just...I did a spell-"

"What spell!?"

"She asked me to!" Freya defended herself before she found herself attacked, "She wanted to remember so I did a spell but it had side affects which she agreed to!"

"So now what!?" Klaus wouldn't stop shouting at her.

"I...I don't know!" Freya meant to go check on Maleny but Klaus blocked the way, promptly pushing her away, "Klaus-"

"NO!" his body echoed in the room and possibly the building, "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Freya was in equal distress as him but more collected in mind than he was, "I can help her but-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he pushed her away again and turned to Maleny.

Freya watched with amazement and curiosity as Klaus' fury simmered when tending to Maleny. His hand grazed her cheek and he whispered words of comfort despite the fact there was a very good chance she couldn't hear them anymore. Freya thought back to the last time she had seen something similar in which the ferocity of a man died the moment they had laid eyes on Maleny Rowan.

A small village consisting of very few cottages were in fatal conditions. There were bodies everywhere, some dead and some injured. Everyday objects were turned over and destroyed. Inside the cottages was the same situation. Freya looked around in heavy distraught while Dahlia was in more of amusement and impressed by what she saw.

"This one has the fury you never showed," she remarked to Freya who took the comment with disgust.

"I should have never agreed to this," Freya promptly responded before starting for the very last cottage. She flung open the door and found Nicolas in the middle of his attack against a middle aged woman, "Nicolas!"

Nicolas ignored the shout of his aunt as he fisted the woman's dress' collars and nearly raised her off the ground, "WHERE IS SHE!?" he demanded in a loud roar.

"Nicolas!" Freya called again but was ignored once more.

"Where is she!?"

The victimized woman cried in despair as Nicolas violently shook her her, "I don't know! I don't know!"

"Nicolas, stop it!" Freya ran up to young man in order to pull him away but it proved useless. She sighed and saw an open door in the cottage and ran for it, smiling widely when she saw a coffin inside the lonely room, "Nicolas! You found it! That's your mother! "

But it didn't seem to make Nicolas feel much better. Freya turned back, confused as Nicolas kept threatening the woman over and over.

"Nicolas, stop it," she angrily called at him now, "Your mother is here. Who else are you looking for!?"

Nicolas angrily pushed the witch woman to the ground, "WHERE. IS. SHE?" he demanded of her.

Freya watched the witch on the ground merely smile, "Ran off!" she replied back.

Now furious, Nicolas dropped to his knees and grabbed the woman by the head and began to chant a spell that soon had the woman crying as blood oozed out from her eyes, nose and mouth.

"Nicolas!" Freya shrieked in horror just as Dahlia entered the cottage.

When she saw what Nicolas had done she became even more impressed, "All this for a lifeless mother?"

Nicolas got up and dried the blood on his hands on his pants, "You be quiet!" he angrily told Dahlia before making way for the room that held the coffin. Dahlia raised her eyebrows, once again smiling in amusement.

Freya followed him in but stayed at the doorway, watching Nicolas shakily open up the wooden coffin to reveal a pretty blonde woman fast asleep. Nicolas's anger subsided the moment his eyes laid on the blonde.

"Mum," Nicolas breathed as his hand touched his mother's cheek, "Mummy, it's me," he whispered, "I look different now...but I promise you it's me, it's Nick..."

But the woman remained asleep.

"She won't hear you," Dahlia's voice made Nicolas look up from Maleny, "The curse placed on her is far stronger than you imagine."

"Then fix it," Nicolas gritted his teeth, his anger returning monetarily, "I have done all that you have asked. You have aged me in one year, you took more from than you can even imagine. Set my mother free, I beg you."

Dahlia seemed to take little interest in the case, "Even if I wanted to, I cannot. The spell requires the current host body your mother is inhabiting. We do not have it, therefore the spell cannot be broken."

Nicolas's blue eyes glistened with hot, prickly tears as he returned his gaze on Maleny, "If you cannot break the spell then she will not stay here with this family to be their prisoner."

"Oh please, she cannot hear you!" Dahlia scolded him, "It does not matter where you put her, she will never notice."

But Nicolas was ignoring her as he gazed upon his mother, "Mummy, I will take you away from these bad people," he whispered to her, "I will find you people who will care for you...and hopefully find you a cure."

Freya slowly walked up to where Nicolas stood and looked down at Maleny, "She's very pretty," she remarked nicely.

Nicolas smiled and ran a hand through Maleny's long blonde hair, "She used to say my dad would called it her pretty blonde hair."

Freya put a hand on Nicolas's back, "Your mother will rest peacefully now. But we must leave before the other witches return."

"I will not leave her," Nicolas immediately announced, glancing back at Dahlia as if warning her not to disagree, "She may not be awake and she may never remember me again, but she will be free of these monsters that have imprisoned her."

Dahlia upheld his look with boredom until she rolled her eyes and turned away, "Very well," she waved a hand at him, "Do as you please with the woman - she is of no use to me. But do remember you will fall to your first slumber in only 3 months."

Nicolas glared momentarily then looked down at Maleny, unable to stop smiling, "I've forgotten how pretty you looked," he went back to his one-sided conversation. "I wish I could see those blue eyes you told me about...I would gladly take your dark ones too, any you...I just want to see you again..." he started to sniffle, and Freya bent down beside him, gently rubbing his back, "Because even though I look older, I am still just a little boy who needs his Mummy."

"Where will you take her?" Freya whispered to him after a moment.

"My mother said...once...that, um, when she was Iris Velden, there came a group of, um...witches - French witches - to her home. Nobody knew the Veldens were witches too, so they had to keep the other visiting coven a secret from the mortals. They'll believe me."

Freya nodded with his plan. She would bring Maleny anywhere he wanted so, when he would fall to sleep for the first time, he would do so in peace.

And so, one month later, they had tracked down the French coven that would occasionally visit the Velden residence a long way from the noble house. A middle-aged ginger woman stood over a fire under the dark night. Behind her were several children running around and playing while other adults chattered and did daily tasks. It was only until the woman heard several children gasp in fear that she turned from the fire.

"Who are you?" she demanded of Freya and Nicolas as the two carried in the wooden coffin of Maleny.

"We mean no harm," Nicolas said as he and Freya lowered the coffin to the ground.

"We ask for help," Freya motioned to the coffin behind them.

"You are not welcomed here," the ginger declared and motioned for the children to be gathered up.

"Please," Nicolas begged and came forwards, "You know of the Veldens?"

The ginger suspiciously looked at the young man. "There was a time we did, yes, but no more. They have ceased to practice and wanted nothing more to do with us."

"Their loss," Nicolas said quick and moved on with his explanation. "You knew of my mother then, Iris Velden. She was pregnant, and...and she sought to confirm it with you...but she was captured by another village of witches."

"Iris Velden disappeared long ago," the ginger shook her head.

"I know, because she was captured, please," Nicolas sighed, "You have to believe me. These witche cast a terrible curse on my mother, forcing her to switch bodies with no memory of her past. She inhabited Iris' body and met my father, Klaus Mikaelson." He stopped at the sudden reaction in the woman's face, that of horror. "You know of him?"

"There were rumors the Mikaelson siblings were creatures of the night," the ginger said with mild disgust. "And if you are here to claim you are one of their sons, then you can walk away."

"He is not lying," snapped Freya who now came forwards to stand beside her nephew. "The witches that took his mother want to form a cluster of new witches and warlocks they can subject to new curses for power. A witches' life pact is to always care for each other. Help this man - help this innocent woman who has done nothing but love a man and her son."

"Why can't you take care of her then?" the ginger challenged, looking at Nicolas.

"Because I have my own curse to deal with. She took care of me for years and now it's my turn to look for her wellbeing. Please, just look after her. She is one of yours and that is what witches do in the end, no?"

The ginger nodded, "We look after our own."

Nicolas half-smiled, "Her name is Maleny Rowan. Care and love her, please. And, maybe, brush her hair once in a while," he glanced back at the coffin, "If she wakes up one day, I'd like her to see her pretty hair once again."

"I am Sara Collins," the ginger introduced herself, "We shall look after her. Maybe, try to help her."

Nicolas felt relieved to hear that and looked over to Freya, "We should go."

Freya agreed and started on her way. Nicolas bent down before Maleny's open coffin and sighed, whispering so low no one would hear, "Goodbye, mother," he kissed her forehead and walked away with Freya without looking back.

Author's Note:

Oh my God this one was such a long one to edit lmao. But anyways, there we go: I presented to you a young (although older looking) Nicolas Mikaelson. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this particular chapter to finally come up! I'm just so excited!

And, I hope it went unsaid, but even if it didn't here we go, I disregarded the show's 'canon' thing with Klaus' werewolf gene and substituted my own explanation. Because really, if I kept it exactly how the show does everything it would be boring and just a plain rewrite of the story. I believe that fanfics should unleash the impossible in a neatly written way with reasons, and as long as you give those reasons that sound plausible it goes.

For the reviews:

so done and done lmao, hope you liked it!

Well, two weeks went by fast no? I believe I gave another little cliffhanger in the DW story so it was a win-win lmao. We find out exactly what they did to Maleny in the next chapter, but you kinda got the basic explanation in this one too. Hmm, what would you deem this new sleep as? Good or bad? ._. Stick around cos the next one has a little twist too ;)

So, on another note, happy belated Thanksgiving to my American readers! I kid you not I have been eating Thanksgiving leftovers for 3 days straight now xD. Next stop, Christmas!

Next chapter we have more flashbacks of Nicolas, Maleny as Iris, and...a special little twist in the end that I think you might like ;)). Guesses?