Alex slept restlessly on the plane; her back was aching and she wasn't able to find a comfortable position for more than 30 minutes at a time. Elijah watched over her worriedly, knowing that the stress of the past day and the months before that had taken a deep toll on his wife.
He smiled faintly; it still astounded him from time to time that he got lucky enough to marry the incredible woman whose head was resting in his lap. He had known from the first moment he met her how extraordinary she was, and had fallen completely and thoroughly in love with her.
He would forget everything he ever knew just to be with her. He had left his family behind in New Orleans to keep her safe, and he'd follow her anywhere in the world to continue to do so.
When she had suggested they return to New Orleans to help the supernatural community there fight back against the witch hunters he had been reluctant; the last thing he wanted was to place her and their children in further danger.
The gynecologist witch had told them that in addition to her powers putting the babies at risk, the fact that she was carrying twins made for an unpredictable pregnancy with risk factors that would have to be carefully watched.
He had contacted his sister to let the family know they would be returning, but each mile they flew closer he regretted their decision to go back more. He knew he couldn't leave his family alone to fend against these people, but he worried that he and Alex were being pulled back into the darkness that surrounded his family.
Running his fingers gently through the wild mass of dark hair on her head he sighed softly and closed his eyes, uneasy anticipation running through him as they began their descent into New Orleans.
Alex woke when the wheels of the plane touched down, jostling her gently. Her back cramped as she sat up, her ribs being assaulted by the twins. She smiled softly at Elijah as the plane taxied across the tarmac, her stomach grumbling loud enough for him to hear and laugh at softly.
"We can get something for you before we go to the compound," he murmured, resting a hand on her belly.
Alex shook her head, "I'll wait till we get there, I'm sure Christophe and Rosaline are hungry too. We can have a real meal together with the family and talk," she told him.
Elijah frowned at her softly, "Are you sure? I'm not certain that's a good idea," he mused.
Alex lifted a brow, "Well, since you're the one who's carrying two children the size of bowling balls in your uterus, getting absolutely no sleep and dealing with exhaustive nausea and headaches, then by all means, it's not a good ideas."
Elijah sighed and smirked faintly, shaking his head at her. "Are you annoyed with me my love?" he asked, tugging on one of her curls gently.
"I'm annoyed with everything babe, and I've still got three months left," Alex sighed, rising wobbly to her feet, Elijah's hand at the small of her back to steady her. "I'd also be happy if you remembered that I have the ability to determine my own bodily needs and have been able to do so for, oh I don't know, the past 20 years?"
Elijah chewed the inside of his cheek, fighting a coy response. He knew his wife was being short with him because of the stress they were under and the even more immense stress her body was under carrying twins.
That didn't mean her snapping at him didn't annoy him, he simply chose to brush it aside and murmur a soft apology, his hand holding her elbow gently as they walked down the stairs of the plane.
A short limo sat on the tarmac, a gift from Klaus to help bring them home safely. Alex sighed and waddled across the blacktop, a chilly breeze hitting her face and sending a shiver over her skin.
She smiled tiredly at her husband as he settled in beside her and leaned her head on his shoulder as Christophe and Rosaline slid into the car. By the time they pulled out of the airport and were on the highway, she was asleep again, her hand resting on her stomach where the twins moved softly.
She woke, disoriented, when the car pulled into the compound driveway and came to a halt. The chilly air flooded the cabin of the vehicle as her family exited and began gathering their bags. It took three good tries before she was able to stand from the car, her center of gravity leaving her entirely unbalanced.
As they entered the compound Alex smiled widely as Hope ran up to her, wrapping her arms around Alex's bulging waist. Her chestnut colored hair haloed her head as her face turned up to smile at Alex.
"Aunt Alex!" she squealed, squeezing her waist tightly. Her small hands cupped Alex's belly and her eyes grew wide when the babies within kicked and flipped. "Does it hurt?" she asked her voice filled with awe.
Alex laughed softly, "Sometimes. There are two babies in there fighting for space so it can get a little crowded," she told her niece.
"When will they come out?" Hope queried.
"Three more months, hopefully," Alex said smiling wryly.
Hayley stepped forward and lifted Hope into her arms, smiling warmly at Alex, "Come on baby, why don't we let Aunt Alex sit down, I'm sure she's tired after her long flight."
Alex gave her a grateful smile and glanced up at Elijah, "Why don't we unpack before dinner," she suggested. He nodded and took her hand, holding onto her carefully as they walked slowly up the stairs.
When they stepped into the room that had been Elijah's and then theirs, Alex sank down onto the bed with a groan, rubbing her stomach as she reclined against the pillows. "I'm surprised Klaus wasn't here to welcome us back," she told Elijah, wincing as one of the twins jabbed an appendage into her bladder.
Elijah smirked faintly as he hung up and put away their clothing. "I'm sure my brother will be around for dinner. He relishes the opportunity to rub it in my face that I'm mortal now."
Alex laughed softly, "You know he's just terrified that something is going to happen to you. He doesn't know how to be him without you," she told him.
He paused in hanging up one of her dresses and glanced over his shoulder to her, his brow furrowing. "You truly believe that?" he asked softly.
"Of course I do Elijah. Every twisted decision he ever made and ever will make is to protect his family. He doesn't know any other way to be and it's going to take some terrible event where his actions hurt someone he loves for him to realize he needs to change," she replied.
He nodded slowly and hung the last of the clothing, shutting the closet door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and lay down next to her, propping his head on one hand while the other reached out to rest on her belly.
When one of the babies kicked and rolled under his touch he smiled softly, "I never thought I would have this," he told her quietly. "I never thought I would have a family with a wife or that it was possible to be this happy."
Alex sighed deeply and reached out to rest a hand on his cheek as he settled into the pillow, his arm tucked under his head and his eyes filled with sorrow. Her fingers brushed over the stubble on his cheek, smiling softly at the feel of it against her skin.
He had never had a beard before and she kind of liked the way it looked on him. Easing herself closer to him she smiled when his arm wrapped around her waist and held tightly to her, his head coming to rest on her chest with a heavy sigh.
Her fingers combed through his hair and she exhaled softly, "I know darlin, but you do have those things, and you can't hold back from embracing what you have because you're afraid something terrible will happen. There will always be terrible things that happen because that's life. We have to accept that because otherwise we'll never be happy, we'll always be looking over our shoulders, waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Elijah's arm tightened around her, "When did you get so wise my dearest wife?" he murmured, a faint smile on his lips.
Alex laughed and stroked her fingers through his hair gently, "When I met a man who had about a thousand years of experience, knowledge, and intelligence on me," she replied teasingly.
"I might have had more years and knowledge than you, but you're by far the more intelligent one in this relationship," Elijah responded softly. "You've taught me more about life and love than I ever knew and made me a better man for it."
Alex bent her head down and brushed her lips against his temple, "I could have told you that," she whispered, her lips curling into a soft smile against his skin.
A knock at the door interrupted their murmured conversation. Elijah sighed and gently rolled himself off the bed, tugging his sweater straight as he opened the door. Klaus leaned against the door frame languidly, a soft smirk crossing his lips as he glanced over Elijah and Alex.
"Welcome home Elijah. You're looking older," he drawled teasingly.
Elijah's lips quirked as he reached out to embrace his brother, "I'm told I look distinguished," he replied, enjoying the way his brother laughed, sounding genuinely happy.
Klaus clapped a hand on his shoulder and glanced over to Alex, a grin breaking out on his face. "Alex, you look positively enormous!" he declared, crossing the room as she levered herself off the bed.
"You try having two small human beings grow inside of you and we'll see how you do retaining that waistline," Alex replied sassily; grinning as Klaus hugged her gently. As he pulled away he rested a hand on her belly, his eyes widening in excitement when a small foot kicked against it.
Alex grinned at Elijah and held still while Klaus stood by her, apparently entranced. "Those are your nieces in there," she reminded him softly, smiling when he glanced at her, "We only have one name picked out so far, Juliette—after my grandmother," she told him.
"Maybe you can help us think of another?" she suggested.
Klaus's eyes softened and he nodded before clearing his throat and stepping back, his fingers leaving her stomach reluctantly. "Dinner is ready, why don't we join the rest of the family?" he suggested.
When they had made their way into the dining room Alex gratefully sank into her chair, tired and hungry. Everyone around the table chattered softly, different conversations taking place at the same time and Elijah smiled softly, taking a moment to enjoy the reunion.
When the meal ended and Hope had been put to bed Klaus leaned forward, interlocking his fingers beneath his chin. "So what can you tell us about who these hunters are and why they came after you?" he demanded.
Alex sighed and wrapped her fingers around her mug of tea, warming them as she spoke. "They are witch hunters primarily, but their objective seems to be killing any supernatural creature they can. One of the women I spoke to told me they are being led by Anders Mikaelson, your mother's brother," she revealed.
Elijah looked at her sharply; she hadn't told him this.
She glanced over at him for a moment before continuing. "Apparently your mother put a curse on him, which is how he's still alive. He seems to believe that he needs me and my babies to break this curse, but I wouldn't put it past him to have something far worse up his sleeve," she murmured.
Freya frowned, "Do you know anything of the spell?" she asked urgently.
Alex shook her head, "I don't. I don't even know if the woman was telling the truth about any of it. But witch hunters have been around almost as long as your family, so it makes a sort of sense that if they are being led by Anders, it's because of something that happened long ago."
"Then we have research to do," Freya answered crisply.
Alex nodded, "I would suggest that we make contact with your mother in the spirit realm. It's dangerous I know, but if anyone knows what happened between them it'll be her."
"Christophe and I will help. You shouldn't practice magic unless you have to Alex," Rosaline reminded her, a gentle smile on her face.
It stuck in her craw that she was being pushed out of the magical workings, but she also knew that she had more experience researching the paranormal and supernatural than anyone at the table.
They might have lived the history she was an expert on, but she knew all the right names in academia to find answers to her questions. "That's fine. I'll visit my old thesis advisor and see what he knows. He always seemed tuned into the supernatural community," she told them.
They slowly formed a battle plan and continued talking until Alex could no longer hide the yawns that were coming thick and fast. Elijah supported her as she rose from the table, smiling tiredly at the people who had become her new family.
As they walked slowly down the halls to their room, she leaned against Elijah, her eyes barely open. He glanced down at her and smiled fondly before stopping and wrapping his arms around her shoulders and under her knees, sweeping her into his arms.
"I'm too heavy," she protested softly, but secretly she was glad to be in his embrace.
Elijah ignored her and carried her easily to their room, depositing her on the bed before shutting the door behind them. Crouching over her, he removed her shoes and socks and then gently plucked her glasses from her face, setting them aside.
She watched him through hooded eyes as he undressed and joined her in their bed, pulling her against him a moment later. His fingers curled through her hair and drew her face towards his for a sweet kiss.
"Sleep my love for tomorrow we have mountains to climb and monsters to slay," he whispered.
Alex laughed softly and snuggled into his embrace, "You're such a poetic nerd," she murmured.
"Only about you," he replied softly, a smile curving his lips.
Elijah rose early the next day, leaving Alex to sleep. Her rest had grown more fretful as her pregnancy progressed and with the added stress he worried that something would happen to her or their daughters.
They hadn't discussed if they would be returning to Ålesund, but he secretly hoped she wouldn't object to the idea. As much as he loved his family, he loved the home they had begun creating for themselves and he wanted to raise their children in that home.
He met Christophe and Rosaline in the dining room, already making plans for contacting his mother in the spirit realm. When Freya joined them they began to discuss the wards that would need to be in place and what ingredients were needed for the spell.
They agreed that only one should go to buy the things necessary for the spell—they had no idea if the witch hunters were in New Orleans, but if they were they weren't about to let all of the witches protecting Alex and the family be taken.
That was how Rosaline found herself wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses on a day that was grey and overcast as she hurried to the shop that Freya frequented for her spell supplies. The man behind the counter watched her suspiciously as she gathered the ingredients they needed, lifting a brow as he rang them up.
"Contacting the spirit world?" he murmured, handing the bag over.
"My grandmother," Rosaline replied shortly, hurrying back out of the store.
By the time she made it back to the Mikaelson compound it was raining and the temperature had dropped at least 5 degrees. A thick fog began rolling in, masking the streets in a murky darkness.
Rosaline found Alex in Hope's room, playing with the young girl and her action figures, their laughter bright and happy. Alex glanced up at her and nodded when Rosaline showed her the bag of ingredients.
She quietly explained to Hope that she had to go help with a spell, but that she would be back very soon. The young girl frowned but nodded, turning her attention to her toys as Alex rose slowly to her feet and went to meet Rosaline.
"The covens were suspicious of my purchase. I saw at least three people watching me and another following me back here," Rosaline confided as they went to the basement to conduct the spell.
Alex hated it down here; it was where she had found Elijah daggered and had taken his memories of her. She could see that Klaus had made some improvements, minimal though they were. The walls were lined with candles and bare bulbs hung from the ceiling, casting a haunting glow over the entire room.
"I'm not surprised. We told the covens that they wouldn't have any more trouble because of this family and now they're under attack because of us," Alex murmured, "though something else would have come along to threaten them if it wasn't this. There will always be people who want to kill other people, especially supernatural people."
"Yes well, they can't see much of that from where they sit, trying to protect the only home and way of life they've ever known," Rosaline replied.
Alex lifted a brow at that and nodded, easing herself down onto the floor beside Rosaline with a soft groan of effort. They set about forming the spell, scrawling chalk on the dusty stone under their knees and arranging candles and crystals until the scene was set.
Alex sat back on her haunches smiling at Christophe and Freya as they joined her and Rosaline. She wasn't participating in the spell given the delicacy of her pregnancy, but she would be around to make sure they got the answers they needed.
She listened to her family chant the Latin phrases of the spell, feeling the power of it grow with each syllable. The lights flickered around them and the air grew thick and cold, Alex's breath frosting in the air.
The light bulbs began to pop, one after the other as the spell grew to completion, shattered bits of glass scattering to the floor. Alex flinched and covered her head, waiting until the bulbs had finished shattering to look up, her stomach flopping at the sight of Esther Mikaelson glowering at them.
"What the hell do you want?" Esther snapped, her eyes narrowed in rage.
"I don't give a shit if you don't like me Esther, you're going to tell me what I need to know or I'm going to make sure your soul is torn to shreds," Alex hissed, her eyes narrowed in exasperation.
Esther glared at her and slammed a hand against the spirit barrier holding her captive, "I'll rip you to pieces," she snarled back.
Alex rolled her eyes and flipped a hand towards her, the resulting sparks billowing into Esther's face, burning her skin through the spiritual realm. Alex could feel the muscles of her pelvis tightening as her power flowed through her and she cut it off with a faint grimace.
Freya glanced over at her, worried, silently asking if she was okay. She nodded back and rested a hand on her stomach, silently rubbing away the ache within.
Esther's eyes narrowed on where Alex's hand rested. "Is that my grandchild?" she asked sharply.
Freya stepped in front of Alex and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, "Keep your eyes off Alex, mother. She's only here to see that you give us the information that we need. None of us want anything more to do with you after we're done," she snapped.
Hurt flashed on Esther's face for a moment before she smoothed a hand over her hair, her expression straightening out into one of cold indifference. "Very well. What do you want?" she asked coldly.
Freya glanced back at Alex before responding. "We need to know everything you can tell us about your brother, Anders."
Esther's face blanched at the name and she stumbled back a step, shaking her head vehemently. "No…" she whispered, her voice tremulous.
Alex pushed past Freya and frowned deeply at the woman who had made her family who they were. "What? Why do you fear him?" she demanded, "I've heard you placed a curse on him. It seems he has greater reason to fear you than you he."
"Is that what you heard?" Esther replied sharply, a low laugh barking out of her. "What I did to my brother was to protect myself and Dahlia. Our brother was cruel, vicious, and violent. When we were young he pinched us, slapped our faces, and knocked us to the ground so we were bruised and in pain. As we grew and our parents died, he would beat us until we blacked out. Being taken by the Vikings was one of the best things that ever happened to us because it got us away from him."
"Why would he do this to you?" Alex asked, frowning deeply.
"Why do men do anything to women? Because they are jealous of our power when they do not have it themselves," Esther replied tartly.
"So you placed a curse on him in revenge for him abusing you?" Alex asked dryly, "I could understand that," she murmured.
"No. I placed a curse on him because he tried to kill us when we returned from captivity and I had married Mikael. He was enraged to find Dahlia had so much power and he tried to kill her for it. I stopped him and cursed him to lie in torture for a thousand years, a length of time I thought sufficient to make him think upon his actions with regret.
"It seems that didn't work," Freya murmured wryly.
"Indeed not. He wore an amulet that blocked the spell, changed it. He only fell under the spell for one hundred years at a time and in the intervening years he gained a following. People who hated the vampires and werewolves that ravaged their towns; people who feared the power witches have and they did not."
"Witch hunters," Alex said softly.
Esther nodded sharply. "Though that is not the name they should rightly be called. Alis Mortis we called them—wings of death. They would come through towns at night, burning and murdering until the places were scoured of any supernatural beings."
"All because he was jealous of the powers you and Dahlia had," Alex murmured thoughtfully.
Esther nodded again, her brow furrowed with curiosity, "What do you need of me to stop him?" she asked. "I do not wish to see any harm befall my children or grandchildren because of a choice I made long ago."
Alex stared at her, pondering silently just what the woman who stood before her could offer her and her family. She nodded slowly and adjusted her stance, her hand pressed tightly to her stomach.
Esther bowed her head under Alex's scrutiny, her jaw tight. Alex felt her children moving under her hand, a not so gentle reminder of what she was fighting for.
"Very well, tell us what we can do to stop him," she ordered.
AN: I am SO sorry it's taken me so long to update! I had to get this story back in line and figure out how I wanted the last few chapters to finish out. I truly hope you will enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading! Song for this chapter is "Darkest Hour" Charlotte OC.