A/N: Sorry for the delayed update! Life has been really hectic of late, and it doesn't help I've caught up with all my chapters so I'm writing them fresh every week. Sometimes one takes a day or two, then other times it takes up until Thursday night. I had this ready Wednesday, but didn't expect life to get in the way again. Next time I'll make sure to upload earlier! Remember to follow my tumblr, theoncelersunless, where I will post updates for chapters, previews, extras, and answer any questions you may have! Sometimes it is easier to get in contact with me on there also since I'm terrible about checking my PMs on here. Anyway, enjoy the newest update!

Beautiful Disaster ~ Chapter XXXVIII

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"Maybe I was destined to forever fall in love with people I couldn't have. Maybe there's a whole assortment of impossible people waiting for me to find them. Waiting to make me feel the same impossibility over and over again."

~ Tell The Wolves I'm Home, Carol Rifka Brunt

"Well, you've been quite busy of late, haven't you?"

Andy looked over to see she was standing with Dahlia in the Mikaelson's mansion back in Mystic Falls. She looked around the room, remembering the days she had spent in here so long ago. It hadn't even occurred to her to come here when she was in the prison world; then again, it would've been an empty lot since the home didn't exist back in 1994.

"What makes you say that?" Andy asked her as she turned her gaze back to the woman.

"I've not been able to reach you through dreams. Hope is the only one I've been able to—"

"Whoa, wait a moment," Andy scowled at the woman at her mention of the child. "What do you mean Hope?"

"If you would let me finish speaking instead of interrupting me, perhaps you would know," Dahlia said, a small scowl on her face as well. "As I was saying, Hope is the only one I have been able to reach through dreams."

"You stay away from her," Andy growled, lunging towards Dahlia but the woman dissipated when she tried to grab her.

"I haven't been able to pinpoint your exact locations," Dahlia spoke from behind her. Andy whipped around to see she was standing face-to-face with the woman. "I will, eventually. But I am a patient woman... for the most part."

"I will die before I let you or Freya get hold of that child," Andy snapped at her.

"Freya? She is there with you?" Dahlia's gaze soured, the light suddenly gone from her eyes.

"I figured she would be working with you, despite her claims," Andy said with a sigh as she folded her arms over her chest.

"No, Freya is not working with me, that I assure you of. She left me long ago and I have been unable to find her since," Dahlia's gaze shifted back to Andy. It was full of anger and hurt, strangely reminding her of Klaus. He looked the same way at her before. "But that's not why I am here, my dear. I am here for you."

"Oh, for me? How sweet. Now I can feel like shit whenever I remember another lunatic Mikaelson is using me against them and wiping my memory so I don't remember what happens until I'm back in her freaky dream world," Andy shook her head and went to sit down on the couch. She looked at the coffee table with a frown, realizing the weight of this situation. The Mikaelsons would think she was betraying them if they knew about these meetings that she couldn't control. Surely they would understand it was out of her control wouldn't they? After all they knew her more than anyone else. They should at least trust her with this. Besides, Andy was beginning to think this might be a way to trick Dahlia.

"I should have warned you that I am in your mind, Andrea," Dahlia spoke as she sat across from her. "Meaning I heard that last tidbit of a plan just then."

Fuck you, Andy thought, watching the witch's expression to see her lips pull tighter. "Heard that I guess?"

"Andrea, we have to work together."

"No, we don't," Andy sat forward and glared at the woman. "The one thing I will do right in my eternity is protect that baby girl. I would sooner die again than see her nearly fall again by the hands of an enemy."

"That is why we have to work together, my dear. Hope will be powerful and she will need a tutor such as I to help her control her magic."

"You mean to absorb it?" Andy snapped at her. Dahlia looked back at her, slightly offended. "I know witches. I've only met less than a handful of you that are good, others just want power. It's so easy to tell the good ones from the bad ones. And you, my dear, are one of the bad ones. You will use that little girl for your own betterment. So no, we do not have to work together. You want to protect Hope for power; I want to protect her because I love her."

"You do not understand," Dahlia shook her head. "But you will, soon. Until tomorrow night, Andrea." With a wave of her hand, Dahlia suddenly disappeared and the room around Andy did as well.

Andy woke up in her own bed, opening her eyes to find the ceiling above her. She looked out the window and saw that it was right before dawn, and she heard no stirrings throughout the house. Truthfully she had been avoiding sleep the last few days to avoid Dahlia. Every meeting further endangered Hope, but Andy couldn't stop the dreams from happening or break out of them. She was forced to remember Dahlia until she tried to tell someone or write it down, then the dream meetings would slip her mind and she couldn't recall what she was thinking about. It was even worse when she would look at Hope, her parents, or Elijah knowing what she did. They hadn't questioned her once about it, evidently deciding she just had a bad memory.

Looking over, Andy saw Sam was still asleep next to her. Ever since she and Klaus had talked it out a few nights ago and after Elijah's departure, Sam and she decided it was okay if he spent the nights he was on protection detail for Hope in her room. Klaus had been surprisingly civil when it came to Sam, even though the werewolf had been a bit less than that. Klaus had made an effort to speak with Sam but he had barely been receptive to the hybrid's conversation. When Andy confronted Sam about it, he said he really had "no desire to be friends with her ex who was an avid murderer." When Andy had shot back that she had killed people before as well, he had grown silent before changing the subject.

The past few days with Sam had been nice. They had gone on a date the other night to dinner and it had been relaxing with no interruptions whatsoever. She had felt like it was a normal night and enjoyed herself greatly. Sam was a sweet guy and they got along nicely. Still, Andy couldn't help at the end of the night but to think about someone else and wonder if they were thinking about her.

Andy stood from her bed and jumped in the shower. After a quick wash, she jumped out and towel dried her hair before changing into a pair of black leggings, a white shirt with a long sleeve denim button up shirt over it, and a pair of brown half boots. She took her time doing her makeup since she hadn't heard Hope stirring in the other room. Once she was finished, she went to check on the little girl.

Hope was wide awake, but distracted by a stuffed animal until Andy walked over. Hope smiled up at her and began cooing. Andy glanced over her shoulder, knowing Hayley and Jackson were asleep just in the other room and didn't want Hope's cooing to wake them up. She reached down and picked the young girl up before she left the room. She heard someone moving around in Klaus' study and decided to head over there, tickling and cooing at Hope as she did.

"Let's go see if your daddy's awake," Andy said as she got to the door. "His sleep patterns were always like mine."

Opening the door, she saw Klaus was seated on the couch with the sketch pad on his lap. He looked up as they entered with a smile. "My two favorite girls."

"You may not want to say that around Rebekah," Andy commented as she closed the door behind her and Hope. She went over and sat next to Klaus, having Hope sitting on her lap facing her father. She spoke in a baby voice as she tickled the bottom of Hope's feet. "Auntie Bex may get angry if she knew she was beaten out by a baby."

"Oh, and she wouldn't be angry about getting beaten out by the doppelganger?" Klaus questioned her.

"Oh please! I'm everyone's favorite, Nikki. It's common knowledge I'm the Mikaelson's number one gal," Andy said, throwing him a grin. He laughed and sat his sketchpad aside as he began to interact with Hope, who was enjoying her father's attention. Andy watched them with a smile, happy to see Klaus had really grown into the father she hoped he would've been when Hayley was pregnant. "She has your eyes, you know."

"That's the only thing, it would seem."

"No, I think she has your dimples as well," Andy pointed out, looking down at Hope before looking back up at Klaus. "Your eyes and dimples. They were always my favorite features of yours."

"Well, I would say my favorite feature of yours, but it's best to not say it with the children around."

"Klaus," Andy groaned though gave a short laugh before looking back at Hope. "You think her first words will be 'bloody hell'? Or maybe, 'bark, bark'?"

"I'm glad you believe my daughter will be a dog," Klaus said with another round of laughter.

"Well, she is at least half wolf, then had witch genes, and even potentially the vampire gene in her. I mean, we saw her heal herself," Andy said with a shrug. "I don't know, maybe the witch gene will be canceled by the vampire one? But then Dahlia wouldn't really have a reason to come after her."

"We all know she's special," Klaus said, watching his daughter with a smile. "We'll figure the rest out later. She must be hungry; I'll go fix a bottle." Klaus returned a couple minute later and gave the bottle to Hope, who immediately began downing it. Andy laughed, watching her in adoration.

"She's so amazing, Klaus," Andy murmured after a few moments. Her smile had fallen and her mind turned to Dahlia and the spell she had placed on her. "So much more than I ever could have imagined."

"Aren't you glad I didn't listen to you by sending you away? We're stronger with you here, Andy."

Andy stared at Hope for a moment before looking up at Klaus in worry. "No, I still think you made the wrong decision. But it's too late for regrets now," The thought of the witch Dahlia slipped her mind and her focus turned elsewhere. "I hear Elijah's doing well with Marcel."

"Yes, I believe he has helped Marcel quite a bit. From what I understood, the offer was made to you also." Klaus pointed out, his tone soft.

Andy sighed, looking over at him with a sad smile. "Elijah left because of me, I know he did. He knew Sam would be around and he didn't want to see it. He claimed otherwise, but I know it's because of that. If I went and helped Marcel, it would just be a punch in the face to him again. He wanted to escape it so he did; I'll still go help every now and again, but the bottom line is that I belong here with Hope. Elijah can help Marcel rebuild the vampire community and gain more allies for Hope while I remain here as Hope's personal bodyguard. When Hope is old enough to protect herself, I'll return to the community."

"There's no one else I trust with her safety more, love," Klaus confessed, glancing down at his daughter who was slowly falling back to sleep. "I know you will protect her no matter what. For that alone, I owe you the entire world. For other matters, I owe you tenfold, but we won't get into those right now."

"We could," Andy answered with a small grin on her face. "I mean, I'm always up to collect."

They laughed together, but were interrupted by a knock on the door. Andy and Klaus both looked in the direction of the door as it opened to see Sam was in the doorway.

"I was wondering where you went," Sam commented, glancing from Andy to Hope before his gaze bored into Klaus'.

"We were just having a chat," Klaus said, and Andy realized he had put his arm around the back of the sofa behind her and that Sam had taken note of it. "Feeding the baby, talking about life; you know the normal things."

"Huh, well, I guess I'll be upstairs," Sam said, avoiding Andy's gaze as he turned around.

"Running your patrol, correct? I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Jackson for slacking off," Klaus said, causing Andy to look over at him. She had heard the challenge in his voice and gave him an exhausted look. She wasn't in the mood for this alpha shit.

"I'll follow the orders Jackson gave me, not a hybrid that is not even a part of a pack let alone ours," Sam snapped before he stomped away.

"Klaus, really?" Andy sighed as she passed Hope over to him. He looked up at her with his eyebrows raised as if he didn't realize he had done anything wrong. "You've been on good behavior these last few days towards him. I thought it was going to be a permanent thing."

"Well, if he's going to be protecting my daughter, then I've got to be strict with him. He didn't accept the friendship I offered him so I'm taking a different approach to ensure Hope's safety."

Andy shook her head wearily as she stood to her feet. "You know I hate that alpha stint you pull. It's not attractive when you do it over me."

"Perhaps I am just trying to protect you from heartache, love. Samuel doesn't seem like the type you take home to mother."

"Well, you made sure of that, didn't you? I mean, having Isobel kill herself right in front of me really did the job for that one, not counting the other mother figures in my life you offed just as quickly," Andy snapped at him. He looked away from her, clearly ashamed that he had brought that up. She sighed and looked away from him. "Just take care of your kid, Klaus. I'll see you in a bit."

Without looking up at him, she walked out of the room and followed after Sam's lingering scent. He was back in her room, shirtless, standing out on her balcony as he looked out at the city. The sun had now risen and the streets were not yet busy but were slowly getting there. It was the period right after all the parties had ended and people were headed home while others were heading out for more or for their day jobs.

Andy wrapped her arms around his torso and placed a kiss on his back before leaning her forehead against it. "I'm sorry. Klaus has a serious alpha complex and he doesn't know when to stop sometimes."

"Even when he's an ass, you still defend him," Sam said turned to face her. She dropped her arms to her side and looked up at him in confusion. "You honestly believe him when he said he wanted to be friends with me?"

"Yes, I do."

Sam laughed, though no humor was in it. "Right. Because making me look like the one unwilling to cooperate doesn't make you frustrated with me."

"What are you saying, Sam? That Klaus is trying to make you turn against me?"

"What else would I be saying, Andy? He's your family, they all are. You know one word of them not liking me and you'd cut me out quicker than you did before."

Andy took a deep breathe before she spoke in a calm voice, doing her best to not lose it. She knew it would just make matters worse. "First of all, Klaus knows he cannot manipulate me and if ever did, he knows I would beat the ever loving shit out of him. Second of all, while I do hold their opinions in high esteem, I wouldn't cut you lose without a second thought. They don't own my emotions or my feelings. If I like you and they don't, too bad. I'm not going to breakup with you just because they don't like you. Third of all, if my friendship with Klaus or Elijah or my relationship with any of the other Mikaelsons is going to be a problem with you, then this is going to end quicker than it started. The Mikaelsons are my family. I appreciated you not being involved with the Mikaelson drama, but now your pack is and that's something we can't change. I will protect you with my life, Sam, but the same goes for them. I care for you so much... but I love them all and if you make me choose between you and them, it's going to be them. I chose them over my own blood before, don't think I'll hesitate to make a decision if given one."

Sam was looking at her with an unreadable expression. She couldn't tell where his mind was. Their relationship had gone through a good bit in the past couple months, she hoped he could see where she was coming from. At the end of the day she was a Mikaelson, and she wouldn't give that up for the world.

"If you had to save me or Klaus, who would it be?" Sam asked after a few more moments of pure silence.

"Klaus is a hybrid, he can protect himself. I would protect you," Andy answered, folding her arms. "And if you've got any more hypothetical situations to throw at me, don't. If this thing between us is just going to be you worrying that I won't protect you—"

"I can protect myself quite fine now," Sam snapped at her. "I'm strong and I don't need any protection from a baby vamp."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Alright, whatever you say, Mr. Macho. Good for you, protect yourself. But like I was saying, if my relationships with the Mikaelsons are going to get in the way of this, then it needs to end now. I was hoping we could make it work, Sam; I want to make it work. But we have to both work at it and you're going to have to accept my relations with the Mikaelsons."

Sam sighed and turned to look back at the city. "I knew you were a Mikaelson. I mean, even back in Portland I saw the hold Klaus had on you, now I've seen them all… Andy, I'm sorry. I know I'm acting like a jackass. But you have so much history with both of them and whenever I see you with them I just feel an uncontrollable jealousy that's provoking me to rip both of their throats out."

Andy put her hand on his back and rubbed it soothingly. "I know. Your senses are heightened now and… I assume I'm your first relationship since you turned?" Sam looked over at her and nodded in affirmation, his puppy eyes giving her the most pitiful look. "I felt the same way over Marcel. I mean, we weren't romantically involved by any means, but I was possessive over him for a bit there. Him and Davina both. I can imagine how it's like for a werewolf with you lot being all alpha like already."

"Which makes it even harder to see you under Klaus' thumb."

"I'm not under his thumb," Andy argued, grabbing Sam's hands. "Listen, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to me and Klaus, or me and Elijah. I'm with you, okay? I would never want to hurt you in that way in a thousand years."

Sam had a smile that slowly pulled at his lips. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips against hers. He leaned back, his smile wider now. "I know, A. These past couples of months with you have been idyllic. Unreal… It's the happiest I've been since Portland and you don't realize how much that means to me."

Andy leaned down and placed a kiss on his knuckles. "And you've been good to me, Sam. You've been there when I can't sleep, you've been there when I disappear for a few days, and you know when to leave me alone or let me spend time with my family or my friends. You're perfect."

"What can I say? I hardly try," Sam joked, causing Andy to giggle at him.

"Alright, alright. I get it. One tiny compliment and your head instantly grows ten sizes," Andy said with a shake of her head.

"That's not the only thing that grows," Sam said, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a long, deep kiss. After a moment, Andy leaned away from the kiss and playfully hit him on the chest.

"Okay, stop acting like a horny teenager. I'm dressed already and don't really feel like having to get dressed all over again," Andy laughed, grinning up at him.

"Oh, come on! We can get you dressed just as fast." Sam nuzzled into her neck, nipping at her skin slightly.

"Shut up!" Andy continued laughing at the ticklish feeling against her skin. "I'm really not in the mood, Sam."

"Okay," Sam leaned away, pecking her on the lips before he sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the city. "I better get ready. I hear Jackson getting up, I'm sure he'll have some stuff for me to do today."

"I'll see you in a bit, Sam. Don't work too hard," Andy said as he began to walk away, giving his butt a quick slap. Sam rushed back over to her and gave her a long, passionate kiss before he gave her a big grin, seeing that she was clearly fazed by it. She watched as he walked into the bathroom with a smile, realizing that she was actually happy with Sam and she hadn't been this happy with someone in a long time.

Hearing Andy and Sam talk to one another upstairs made Klaus realize exactly why Elijah had chosen to escape the first chance he got. At first, their conversation had been going the way Klaus had wished it to, up until Sam conceded and apologized to Andy.

Honestly Klaus was growing tired of her little dalliance with the werewolf; it had been two months, had she really not grown tired of him? He was simply a nuisance at this point. Klaus knew that his own relationship with Andy had improved greatly in the past months, but Sam was, well, he was a inconvenience. Klaus knew if he and Andy would ever have a chance together, Sam needed to be gone as soon as possible. He knew the best way to do that was to increase Andy's interactions with the vampire community again, so he had convinced Marcel to include her more in the new community's training. Klaus' own role was to manipulate Aiden, Jackson's second in command. If he could increase Sam's suspicion of him, the werewolf would eventually lose it on Klaus and with Aiden as the new leader once Jackson was dealt with, Sam would soon afterwards be dealt with.

At times, Klaus felt like Sam and Andy weren't an item. She would look over at Klaus and for a moment he would believe that she still loved him, that perhaps Sam was a ploy to see if he still cared since his relationship with Camille. However, Andy had not backed down even when Klaus showed his affection for her. Elijah had abandoned the pursuit, but Klaus was determined to get his Andy back.

Klaus was overlooking the courtyard as four of werewolves in Jackson and Hayley's packs were sparring with one another. He was speaking with Rebekah and Elijah on the phone over keeping Hope safe when Klaus had made a comment about Elijah's noticeable absence.

"Enough already with the family squabbling!" Rebekah interrupted. "Come on, Nik! Even you can see that the situation has become awkward!"

Klaus sighed. "There's nothing awkward about it! Andy and Hope belong in the compound where they are safe. As much as I would like Elijah's help to kill Finn, if his delicate sensibilities are offended by the presence of Andy's new boy toy, then he's welcome to continue sulking across the river. Last I heard, he had vowed no harm would come to the poor lad by my hand, but yet he flees given the first chance."

Elijah's tone was full of irritation and frustration. "As I have explained to you repeatedly, brother, my presence here in Algiers is purely to assemble allies. And given all the enemies we have afoot in the form of wayward siblings and ancient, maniacal aunt Dahlias, I would think that you would applaud my efforts."

"Well, if it's my applause you seek, you shouldn't have dashed off in a bloody huff!" Klaus said back mockingly.

Rebekah sighed and tried to get them back on track. "Alright, can you two at least try and stay focused on what's best for Hope's safety?"

"I would like nothing more!"

"I am doing exactly that!" Klaus shot back.

"See? You're on the same team," Rebekah pointed out, her tone patronizing. "Conflict resolved, crisis averted."

Klaus and Elijah both sat in silence for a moment before Klaus spoke up. "She's doing well, by the way. Just if you were curious. I heard you weren't really picking up your phone for her. Heard you're not that good of a texter—" Klaus was interrupted by the dial tone. With a chuckle, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. He looked up and saw that Ansel was approaching him now.

"Niklaus," Ansel said, stopping by his side as he looked down at the four sparring werewolves.

"Ansel."

"I've not seen much of you the past few days. How have you been?" Ansel asked after a moment.

"Are the pleasantries necessary, father? I don't think we have much to speak of anyway."

Ansel sighed, turning to look at him with a frown. "I'm tired of waiting for you to speak with me, Niklaus. I wanted to give you your time, I know it is overwhelming… but even after I prove that I am on your side you are still avoiding me. Andrea says give it time, but I can see if I don't speak to you, you won't even acknowledge me."

Klaus didn't respond at first, he just continued watching the werewolves spar. What was he supposed to say? That he had been avoiding him because he was scared to bring someone else into his life? Someone who may end up disappointing him and he'd have only himself to blame as he killed his own father? He didn't want to take that risk; Ansel's presence now was just a slap in the face of the relationship he would never have with him. He was doing his best not to care, but it was hard to when all you wanted for so long was your real father.

"Well maybe I don't think you're worth it." Klaus said, looking over at his father in disgust. He was doing his best to displace his hatred of Mikael onto Ansel to push him away. This needed to happen now; their alliance had gone on long enough.

"Or maybe you're scared I'll betray you or that I'll leave you," Ansel countered with, causing Klaus to look at him in shock. "Whatever it may be, I'm not going anywhere. I'm protecting my granddaughter just as I promised I would. You may not trust me until the day I die, but I love my grandchild. So get used to my presence because I'll always be here for your daughter, Niklaus. I was hoping I could be here for you as well."

With that, Ansel walked away from him down the stairs. Klaus watched him with a longing in his chest, wondering if it were too late to have a healthy relationship with his father. Klaus was distracted by Hayley and Jackson stirring around in their room. He told someone to pass the message along that he wished to speak with them both before heading to the upstairs lounge for a drink. After a few minutes, the newlyweds walked into the room.

"You wanted to speak with us?" Hayley said as she stopped, her hip popped out to the side and arms folded across her chest. Jackson took a seat on one of the couches, looking up at Klaus warily.

Klaus turned to face them, his glass of whiskey shaking in his hand. "It's time to use our werewolf army. Finn and the woman who calls herself my sister are in this city. The wolves can help us pinpoint their location."

"No, we need all hands on deck here with Hope," Jackson said in a gruffly voice. Klaus' eyes widened in annoyance. Of course the alpha wouldn't be willing to take orders. "I think you can compel humans to track your enemies."

"Do my ears deceive me? Or did you just give me an order? In my own home?" Klaus asked him, taking a few steps towards him.

Jackson shook his head with a scoff. "This ain't about your ego, Klaus! It's about what's best for that little girl."

While Klaus did begrudgingly admire Jackson's loyalty to his pack, he also despised anyone ever questioning him about his child. "How dare you question my intentions for my daughter!" He snapped furiously.

Hayley stepped in before other harsh words were traded, albeit reluctantly. "Jack, Klaus is right. Finn's body disappeared from the morgue, which means that he's either powerful enough to heal from that explosion, or Freya's powerful enough to save him. Either way, we're not finding them unless we... send our best people out there."

Jackson sighed in frustration as Klaus looked at him and spoke patronizingly. "I'm sure you and all your merry men will find them post haste."

Jackson stood to his feet and stared Klaus in the eye. "Just to be clear, I'm giving this order because Hayley is asking," Klaus opened his mouth to speak, but Jackson cut him off before he could say anything. "Don't think for one second that I take orders from you."

Three days since he spoke with Andrea Gilbert. Elijah had to admit, it was a lot tougher than he thought it was going to be.

When Marcel offered to have him come help with training the new vampire community, Elijah had taken it because he did want to have more allies to protect Hope. However, he also saw it as a way to distance himself from Andrea. They had become increasingly closer since her return and he knew that it was best if he stood away while she was in the new phase of her relationship with Sam. All that mattered was that she was happy. He knew he wouldn't get over her, he had accepted that fact long ago; still, he wasn't sure if being away from her lessened the pain or just caused more for him. That wasn't even counting his absence from his other family members such as Hope. He hated he was missing her even after they fought so hard to bring her home.

Avoiding her calls weren't so easy. She called every morning and every night, just as he woke up and right before he laid down to sleep. It was honestly right on time that he was sure she was watching him. He still ignored the calls, but he would answer her texts, though the responses tended to be brief and one or two words.

Now Elijah was on his way to Marcel's loft where he had Rebekah after she was attacked. As he rushed in, he heard Marcel speaking. "One tiny saved-your-ass-from-certain-death moment?" Marcel questioned to Rebekah presumably.

Before Rebekah could respond, Elijah rushed into the loft, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Rebekah walked over to him while Marcel pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Barely. They attackers knew me, Elijah. Not me-me, but—" She gestured at her body. "—this. Her. Whoever she is..." She looked at Elijah anxiously. "They want her dead."

Elijah was by no means pleased by this news and walked over to Marcel. "Then we find them and show them why their anger is unwise."

"You don't want to mess with that crowd, alright? We want answers, we need to ask Josephine LaRue. She serves as matriarch to the covens outside the Quarter. She'll know who wants Rebekah dead."

"How can you be sure?" Rebekah questioned.

"She bankrolls Fauline Cottage," Marcel explained, causing Elijah to look at him in surprise. "She'll know who you are and why you were locked up in there."

"And what if she wants to lock me right back up? I won't go back to that horrid place—"

Elijah quickly interrupted his sister and her worries. "The two of you go and see what you can find about this body you now possess. I shall pay a visit to Josephine," He cupped Rebekah's face with his hand. "A warning—you are not who you once were. This body is all too vulnerable." Rebekah rolled her eyes in frustration as Elijah headed for the door.

"Elijah," Marcel called out, causing him in pause in his step. He turned to see the vampire was looking anxiously back at him. "Josephine is an eccentric old bat with no love for vampires. Your charms might not work as well as you think."

Elijah smirked in response. "My charms are quite adaptable, Marcellus, I may assure you."

Before doing anything else, Elijah decided to find out some more information about Josephine LaRue. He discovered she had been a violinist until an undisclosed accident happened to her hands. Also that she had a rebellious streak at one time. He only had to think for a moment who he could bring along with him in case his charms were not enough for the older woman. There was Andrea, but she constantly made her hatred for New Orleans witches known. Then there was Gia, who also happened to be a violinist with a rebellious streak and a tongue of her own. As much as he would love to spend time with Andrea, he knew this particular move was one he shouldn't bring her to.

Elijah immediately headed to where all the other vampires were and where he knew Gia would be. He was surprised to find that the other vampires were in a circle, watching others brawl. As he made his way through the crowd, a part of him was surprised to see Andrea, while the other part of him was not.

She was also fighting Gia, the both of them going back and forth with their hits. Gia was holding up her own against Andrea decently, even landing a few blows onto her. They both had hard scowls on their expressions as they faced off. He wondered if one had insulted the other and provoked the fight. Finally, Andrea landed a blow that caused Gia to hit the ground with enough force the air was clearly knocked out of her.

Andrea was breathing heavily as she walked over to Gia. For a moment, Elijah nearly intervened thinking Andrea was going to continue beating on the young vampire. However, instead she reached a hand out to her and Gia immediately took the help. The two women laughed and hugged as the crowd cheered and slowly began to disperse.

"Elijah taught you well, Gia," Andrea said to the other vampire, her hand on her shoulder. "You're a natural, seriously. I would never want to pick a fight with you."

"Um, I think that goes for you too. Your punch made it feel like I was being smacked around by Hulk on cocaine," Gia replied, a smile of her own gracing her lips. Elijah was watching them in shock. He truly wouldn't have guessed the two were on good terms during the fight with the looks they had on their faces. Now, however, they looked as if they were the best of friends.

"Anytime you wanna go for round two, hit me up," Andrea insisted, a grin on her face.

"Are you sure you'll be ready for it then?"

Andrea chuckled. "I guess we'll see," She looked over and saw Elijah watching them from the sidelines. A smile ghosted her lips for a moment before dropped. "Well, looks like we had an unknowing admirer, Gia."

Gia turned to look at Elijah. "Not really who I was expecting it to be. Where's Marcel?"

"He's tied up in a few things with my sister," Elijah answered as he walked over to them, meeting Gia's gaze before looking over at Andrea. "He didn't mention you would be here, Andrea."

"Am I not allowed here? Last time I checked, I was involved in Marcel's vampire community before you. Besides, I was offered the position as consultant. Basically I know how Marcel wants things run since I was an integrate part of the design before," Andrea put her arm around Gia's shoulders. "Now you have no way of avoiding me. But I do have to admit, you did a good job teaching Gia the basics."

"She's a natural learner."

"So I can tell," Andrea dropped her arm from around Gia, turning to face Elijah with her arms folded. "What's this business with Rebekah?"

Elijah gave them the quick rundown on the events of this morning, ending at Marcel's suggestion to visit Josephine LaRue. Andrea was biting her lip and looking at him in concern. "Of course she was put into a wanted witch's body. Kol has… had a funny sense of humor."

Her gaze went down for a moment and she took a couple breaths to regain her composure. He watched her with his own pain in his mind; she had been close friends with Kol and once again felt his death. This time she hadn't been able to save him like last time. He knew she had been going through a lot of emotions in the past few days and regretted abandoning her at such a pivotal moment.

"Anyway," Andrea cleared her throat and glanced between him and Gia. "Marcel has Rebekah, Klaus and Hayley have Hope, and Elijah's handling Josephine. I should head with you, Elijah."

"Actually, I was going to extend the offer to Gia to go," Elijah did his best to keep his expression blank as he saw the clear hurt and confusion over Andrea's expression. "I don't require your assistance for this particular mission. Perhaps you could go help Marcel figuring out whose body Rebekah now inhabits."

"Drea's a lot better with people than I am trust me," Gia insisted, glancing between the two of them. She had since the looks exchanged between the two just then. "You'd be better off taking her."

He expected Andrea to fight with him and tag along despite his request especially with Gia's argument. However, she watched him closely for a few moments before she nodded her head, the hurt still on her expression. She turned to look at Gia. "No, Gia, he's right; you can help him today. Good luck… I'll, uh, talk to you guys later."

Andrea quickly marched off without a glance back at them. He sighed as he watched her go, knowing that he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings but it was best if they stayed away from one another so he could focus all of his energy on Marcel's vampire community and not be distracted by her.

"Okay, if that is how you talk to a girl you're in love with… I think I figured out why you two aren't together," Gia said as she came to stand by Elijah. He looked back at her, unamused. "Just saying. I mean, you completely shut her down when she was offering her help. Honestly we both could have just come with you."

"Gia, I think Andrea Gilbert is one topic we need not to approach anymore. After all, there are more important things to be done. Come." He said as he walked towards the door, his mind heavy with the thoughts of the doppelganger.

"So, what are we now? Errand boys?" Aiden questioned Jackson as they walked through the halls of the compound as they were discussing the situation of finding Finn and Freya within New Orleans.

"I told you—Finn is powerful. If we're gonna find him, we need numbers, strength, and speed," Jackson argued back.

"And we have to find him because Klaus is incapable of doing the dirty work himself?" Sam shot back, earning a warning look from Jackson. Aiden quickly stepped in, grabbing Jackson's arm as they halted in their haste.

"Wait, Jack," He said. "These new abilities of ours—people are already talking about what they can do individually. And they need to feel respected, not like cannon fodder! We're gonna lose good men—"

Jackson raised his voice. "We're not gonna lose anybody if you stay alert! Hunt Finn down as a pack. Catch him off-guard. The sooner we find this freak, the sooner we can all relax." Aiden was conflicted, but nodded in agreement. Jackson looked guilty for losing his temper and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Also guys? I appreciate your concern. But why don't you let me worry about the pack."

Jackson walked away, leaving the two alone in the hallway. Sam scoffed and shook his head. "He's too blinded by Hayley to realize this is a terrible idea," He said, looking over at him.

Aiden looked back at the taller wolf with a sigh. "Much like you are with Andy? Don't be hypocritical when it comes to that."

"Surprising how little he values your input, Aiden," They both turned to see Klaus was approaching them from behind. "Especially since it was you who led the wolves during his self-imposed exile."

Aiden sighed as he turned to face Klaus completely. "What do you want, Klaus?"

"Merely to offer advice that may save the lives of the good men," Klaus admitted, keeping his gaze solely on Aiden. "My brother Finn is not entirely sane, but he is clever. If you approach him en masse, he will see you coming, and he will destroy you en masse. Instead, be strategic. Move quietly. I'll handle the rest."

"You're not actually going to believe him, are you?" Sam demanded, moving to stand next too Aiden.

"Ask your girlfriend, Samuel. She'll say the same thing I will about my brother. As a matter of fact, I believe I'll give her a call to see if she'd like to join the witch hunt," Klaus said as he walked away. Sam began to move toward Klaus, but Aiden quickly caught his arm.

"It's not worth it, man. Let it go," Aiden said with another sigh. "You stay here with Hope as instructed, okay? I'll make sure that none of us are hurt while we still take the son of a bitch out."

Gia was sitting on the couch of Elijah's new apartment in Algiers, where they were discussing Elijah's arranged meeting with the witch Josephine. Elijah paced around in front of the couch while they spoke. Gia was putting her violin back in its case, and Elijah was looking through a file full of papers of an arrangement Josephine had played back in her day.

"Can't we just bring wine? Or coffeecake? Bundt cake? Any kind of cake?" Gia questioned, looking up at him incredulously.

"From what I can gather, Ms. LaRue was something of a musical prodigy in her youth. However, in her heart is the music she loves the most—" He sat down several pieces of sheet music. "Beethoven's Sonata No. 9, Opus 47."

Gia looked back up at him, clearly unimpressed with the choice. "How about I bring my laptop, speakers, and a drum beat?"

"I promise, your performance is what will open the door for us. If this fails, the life of someone I care for deeply will be in jeopardy, and that will displease me immensely," Elijah said, snapping his fingers and heading for the door. "Shall we move, please?"

"No," Gia said, confusion in her voice. He stopped walking with a roll of his eyes. Things could never be easy. "Why don't you make both our lives easier and just compel someone from the symphony? Or get Andy? I'm sure she has some musical talent up her sleeve."

Elijah sighed, turning to face her. The great ones never did trust in their talent enough. "My darling Gia, you are an artist far more gifted than anyone from any local symphony," Gia seemed genuinely touched by this compliment. "Furthermore, I have heard Andrea's singing voice from her shower shows and the road trip I endured not too long ago. Unfortunately Ms. LaRue despises vampires, so we need to show her that our community is comprised of a different breed," He winked at her. "With a new sophistication."

Gia smiled back at him. "Sophisticated, huh? I suppose you want me in a dress?"

Elijah smirked back at her. "We should adapt to our audience, yes."

"And you? Dark suit on the left side of your closet? Or—" She gasped mockingly. "—identical dark suit on the right?"

"I prefer the one in the middle, thank you so much," Elijah replied snappily, his smile still on his face. Gia stood up and smiled as she walked toward Elijah.

"Man, if anyone needed a woman to mess his life up a bit..." Elijah frowned slightly, and Gia realized what she just said. She scratched her head awkwardly. "Right. Uh, your girl actually went and—"

"—she did—"

"—chose your..."

"...my brother." Elijah finished, feeling a bit awkward by the whole thing. He was a bit unsettled to know that every supernatural creature in the world evidently knew about his family's relations with Andrea Gilbert and hers with others.

"Um, for what it's worth, I thought Marcel and I had a thing," Gia confessed, which honestly surprised him. He looked over at her and watched her closely. "But, that didn't work out," She took a deep breath and shrugged. "We might not be in the exact same boat, but it's the same ocean." Gia got up to leave, and Elijah turned to watch her go. He hadn't realized before now how much he found himself relating to Gia. He, after all, thought he and Andrea had something multiple times only for her to go back to Niklaus every time. Not that she was obligated to be with him, Elijah knew Andrea would do whatever she wanted.

"So I left and I came here," Andy finished explaining to Rebekah her last encounter with Elijah just a bit ago where he totally blew her off for Gia. She wasn't mad at Gia, it was certainly not the girl's fault, but she was a bit upset that Elijah hadn't even wanted her help. He was so blunt about it and almost seemed adamant to not want her there.

"I'm sure he has his reason, Andy. You know Elijah, he always does," Rebekah reassured her, putting her hands over hers. "He probably wants to give you space with Sam. I mean, Nik has been crowding in on you enough. He knows you'll get overwhelmed if he's there as well."

"I wouldn't though, that's the thing. Klaus has slowly been showing me that I can trust him when it comes to Sam… for the most part. They may exchange heated words, but I know that Klaus would never hurt him because of me. Elijah said he'd be there to make sure Klaus never would, but he jumped ship when the first lifeboat showed up."

"Perhaps he's hurting over you. He has always loved you, you know. They both mourned you after your death. Elijah searched with your sister to find a way back for some time… but gave up," Rebekah admitted. "But that doesn't mean he stopped loving you. Seeing you love another was a bit of a punch to the gut for him, but to date another before Elijah? Even after Klaus? That probably was another blow dealt. The good thing is that whenever you realize that he's the one, he'll be willing to welcome you with open arms."

Andy gave Rebekah a weary look. "I'd never do that to Klaus, Bex."

"Oh, come on, Andy. Klaus has done so much to you. I know he's changed recently especially for Hope and I do believe his child will make him into a better man but… if you wanted to be with Elijah, then you need to go for it. Do not let his feelings block yours," Rebekah insisted, squeezing her hands tight.

"I love Klaus still, Rebekah. I might not be in love with him, but I know that if I ever were to be with Elijah… it would break something in him," Andy shook her head. She had been thinking about Elijah a lot recently and had considered all angles of dating Elijah. At the end of the day, she wouldn't be able to do it because she knew it would hurt Klaus and she didn't want to cause that kind of pain to him. "I don't wanna think about it. Tell me about you and Marcel instead."

Rebekah gave a small laugh with a roll of her eyes. "There's not much to say."

"Oh, come on, Bex! Don't hold out on me. If you don't tell me, I'll just get the details from Marcel later," Andy pointed out. "But he's less likely to include his feelings on the subject."

"I was honest in my words. He saved me this morning, we have chatted a bit, and he went to get the items his friend asked for. Nothing juicy involved."

Andy groaned and flopped back on the couch. "You're no fun! What happened to the Rebekah who would have pounced on her old flame like a black widow?"

"She is in someone else's body," Rebekah responded, her tone low and broke towards the end of her words. "Who she didn't have the permission from."

Andy sat up and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She reached over and grabbed her hands tightly. "We'll find a way back into your body, okay? Once we get Kol back, us three will be as thick as thieves again and be the best of role models for Hope."

Rebekah laughed, her eyes misty as she leaned over and grasped her tightly in an embrace. "Bloody hell, Andy, I missed you so much. It's so good to be back and to have you back."

"I think my welcome back with Andy was the best," Marcel said as he walked through the door with a box in his hand. "I mean, I did get the biggest bear hug of all time."

"Andy! When you saw me I barely got a hello!"

"In my defense, there was an adorable baby two feet away who I thought was dead," Andy pointed out with a smile. "I mean, my own brother wasn't even as excited as I thought he would be. Guess I deserved that one after the whole Kol incident." Andy turned to see Marcel was opening the box to take out the tea pot and cups to set them up. "Last time I was at a tea party I think I was like, seven?"

Marcel chuckled. "Well, this isn't gonna be quite like those. Good news is, this guy who's coming is dialed into witch business like you wouldn't believe. If anyone can tell us about what body Rebekah's occupying, it's him."

Just then, Andy's phone rang and once she saw it was Klaus, she stood and walked away to answer it.

"Couldn't stay away from me for too long?" Andy said as she answered the phone.

She heard him chuckle. "I never can, love."

"What can I do for you, Nikki?"

"Well, I have a lead on Finn. And since you can sense the Mikaelsons, I thought it'd be useful to have you come in and help lead the attack if you wished."

Andy glanced back at Marcel and Rebekah, seeing that they were speaking with one another and were sitting quite close to one another. Suddenly, she felt like she was a third wheel in this scenario. Besides, she owed Finn a good death after what he did to Kol.

"You had me at hello."

Elijah and Gia arrived to Josephine's home; Elijah was in his usual suit, while Gia was wearing a formal purple cocktail dress and was carrying her violin. They were let in by a butler, who led them inside where Josephine, an older, dark-haired woman with ice-blue eyes, was seated in the living room.

"Ms. LaRue," Elijah said, giving her a smile. "An honor. I am Elijah Mikaelson."

Josephine's blue eyes were studying his expression closely. "I see you brought a friend with you."

"I did," Elijah turned to Gia. "She has something special prepared for you."

"Please, take a seat, Mr. Mikaelson." Josephine offered to him, which he quickly did.

With great reluctance, Gia set her case down and took her violin out. She began playing Beethoven's Sonata No. 9 while Elijah and Josephine sat and listened. Once Gia was finished, she put down her violin and looked at Josephine nervously. However, Josephine instead turned to Elijah.

"You are as calculating as I've heard, Mr. Mikaelson. Having your companion play the very piece I once performed to great acclaim," Josephine said, her tone flat.

Gia looked at Elijah, obviously uncomfortable. Elijah was quick to step in before Gia could say anything… yet. "Is it not also a piece that you enjoy?"

"It's best not to insult those more powerful than you, which is the only reason I allowed you into my home. Now, if you will excuse me, I have many things to do," Josephine stood to her feet with Elijah quickly following suit, putting a smile on his face.

"My goodness, I had expected a more cordial welcome here," He said to her.

"And why would I be cordial to you?" Josephine demanded, raising her thin eyebrows at him. "Since your family has returned to this city, our Elders have been murdered. Promising young witches have been inhabited against their will."

"I can put an end to all of it," Elijah promised her.

"With all due respect, I can believe that... as much as I believe I will play my violin again someday," Josephine looked down at her hands, which were shaking and extremely swollen. Her fingers and joints were stiff, disfigured and painful-looking. Elijah became guilty and discouraged, while Gia looked on, shocked. "Because, Mr. Mikaelson, beneath your formal attire, and behind the lovely Beethoven—" She nodded her head to Gia. "—you are all the same. Liars. Monsters wearing the skins of humans. Good day to you both."

Elijah looked at her unhappily. He glanced over to see Gia was clearly offended by her words. "Ms. LaRue, we needn't be unpleasant!" Elijah argued, desperate to convince the woman. If Gia would react like he needed her to, this would all go a lot smoother.

"I hold no animosity, nor do I want to do you any favors. I simply want you to leave my home."

Gia, frustrated, finally lashed out. "Screw her, Elijah. I don't see a friggin' crown on her head."

Josephine spoke calmly, but her eyes were ice cold. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're not the Queen of the witches. You don't speak for all of them," Gia sighed with a quick shake of her head. "You know, I can't believe I dressed up and learned how to play Beethoven. I hate Beethoven."

Josephine was watching Gia in amusement, and Elijah knew he had the older witch hooked. "And what do you like, young lady, if not for Beethoven? Then, what?"

Gia cleared her throat and picked up her violin before she began to play a more upbeat jazz piece than the sonata she performed earlier. Elijah smiled as Gia plays, and Josephine seemed surprised by her talent. When she was finished, Gia put down the violin and looked at her expectantly. Josephine smiled widely at the young vampire.

"Eddie South. That makes you a true jazz girl!" The witch remarked.

Gia looked back at her incredulously. "You know Eddie South?"

"One time, I nearly eloped with a jazz musician," As Josephine spoke, she frowned at the memory. "Um, my mother learned of my plans, and…" She looked down at her swollen, arthritic-looking hands. "Let's just say she wasn't pleased." Gia looked back at her sympathetically. "Your candor is refreshing. I find most vampires more calculating," She turned to Elijah with an apologetic expression. "No offense."

Elijah smiled in return, looking over at Gia. "None taken! I also, on occasion, admire her candor."

Gia smirked at Josephine. "He has great taste," Josephine laughed at her joke, but Gia's expression turned serious. "He's also a man you can trust. And I say that as someone who doesn't trust easily," She looked over at him now and he was watching her in surprise with a small smile on his face. He was impressed by Gia's response and her willingness to help him. "Or, at all, really."

"I suppose I should just hear you out, Mr. Mikaelson."

Elijah, Gia, and Josephine retired to the living room to discuss their arrangement. Josephine's butler handed Elijah a stack of files, which he took and began to skim. They were the files from those in the Fauline Cottage, as requested. They were of one person specifically.

"Thank you," Elijah said to the butler before turning his body to face Josephine. "One of the witches that escaped the Fauline Cottage is of particular importance to my family. My request is to you—tell your people to leave her to me."

"You have no idea how dangerous these witches can be."

"She will cause you no further trouble, I can assure you that. In return, I shall find all of the remaining witches and deliver them safely back to you," Elijah said, flipping through the file he was given, which contained psychiatric evaluations of Eva Sinclair, along with a photograph of her. The evaluation detailed her violent tendencies, criminal and antisocial behavior, numerous arrests and incarcerations, and a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He pulled out the page with the photo of Eva and handed it to her. "Consider this the first step in a new and mutually beneficial alliance!"

Josephine looked at the photo and file and looked surprised. "Eva Sinclair. Powerful and sadistic. If I am to relinquish someone like her into your custody, I will require someone equally powerful in return," Elijah looked at her expectantly. "The Tremé Coven wants Vincent Griffith returned. How you expel your brother Finn from his body is your concern."

"Consider it done," Elijah immediately responding. He knew this was the only way to ensure Rebekah's safety until they found a way to place her back in her body.

"There is someone else I would like to speak with," Josephine said, glancing over at Gia. "In truth I expected her to be your companion when I heard of your visit."

Elijah knew who Josephine meant and his fists involuntarily clenched. "What would you need with Andrea Gilbert?"

"Well, she is a doppelganger, which is enough for her to be a target of any witch looking to empower themselves. However, she also has a connection to your family including your newest addition. She cheated death. Since her return, she has been almost a beacon of magic for witches, but it not one similar to our own. I'm sure her friend Davina Claire has been benefitting from her presence," Josephine stood to her feet, folding her hands together. "I would like the chance to speak with Miss Gilbert at her earliest convenience."

Elijah stood as well, his expression hard. "I think you mistake Miss Gilbert's friendship with Miss Claire as an admiration for all witches. She may not be willing to meet with a New Orleans witch for quite some time considering the last encounter she had with one of you."

"Yes, well, I suspect that she may yet change her tune," Josephine turned to look at Gia. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to hear more of your playing soon."

Gia smiled at her. "Of course. Anytime."

Josephine exited then without another word. Elijah knew that they needed to get in contact with Klaus as soon as possible before he killed their brother and the body he inhabited.

"Oh hell no," Andy said, pushing Ansel out of the cemetery. "You go back to the compound, old man. I'm not worrying about you."

Ansel looked back at her, clearly frustrated that she wasn't letting him stay. Klaus and her had just arrived after they tracked Freya and Finn to Lafayette Cemetery. Needless to say, Andy hadn't been happy when she saw Ansel was there, especially because she felt Mikael had woken up. The last thing she wanted was to put him in a situation where they would have to worry about him.

"I can handle myself, Andrea. I am much, much older than you." Ansel pointed out as he stopped moving.

"But I am much, much stronger than you. I might be the special hybrid breed that you are now, but trust me when I say that Mikael will wipe the floor with your ass just as he did a thousand years ago," Andy argued back, putting a hand on his shoulder and looking at him pleadingly. "Just please go back where I know you're safe and away from Mikael, Ansel."

"She's right," Klaus spoke up from behind her, surprising them both. Andy knew he hadn't been interacting with his father much, to see him want him not to get hurt showed that he cared for his father even if he wouldn't admit it. "Hope needs more protection and you'll just get in the way here."

There was the Klaus she remembered. She sighed and shot him an annoyed look before looking back at Ansel, who was staring at Klaus intently. "Fine, but you give me your word you will not allow our people to get hurt, Niklaus."

"You have my word."

Ansel walked off from them and climbed into his car. Once he was gone, Andy looked over at Klaus with a frown. "You could at least try, you know. I mean I get why you don't want to seem eager, but Ansel does care for you," Klaus went to snap at her, she could see him open his mouth to and his eyes harden, but she put a finger over his lips. "Don't. You know I would never lead you astray, Klaus. You know you can talk to me. I may not have a degree in psychology, but you and I don't keep things from each other ever again, okay? Promise me."

Klaus sighed and she dropped her finger from his lips. His gaze bored into hers finally with a small smile forming. "Fine. I promise you. Now, can we get onto the Finn hunt?"

They began to walk around the cemetery, listening in for a sound but not hearing a peep. Klaus' phone began to ring, and when he checked the caller ID and saw it was Elijah, he straight up ignored it.

"Don't you think you should've answered that?" Andy asked him as he pocketed his phone again.

"No, he can leave a voicemail. We have more important things to focus on."

"Like killing your other brother?"

"Precisely."

Andy suddenly felt Finn nearby. She stopped, grabbing Klaus' arm as they came to a small clearing within. "He's nearby, Klaus."

"Finn!" Klaus shouted as he turned to look in every direction. "I know you're here! The wolves tell me you've been quite active robbing graves and violating corpses! Sounds like you," Klaus turned around to see if Finn was lurking out of sight. "Why don't you just come out so we can finish this?"

They stood in silence until they heard a voice from behind them. "Hello, Niklaus." They turned to see he was standing at the end of the aisle they had just come from. Finn started to walk toward them. They didn't hesitate in doing the same.

"Such a pedestrian greeting. How unfortunate those are to be your last words." Klaus remarked.

"Your hubris truly knows no bounds! You attack a witch in the very place the Ancestors call home!" Finn wagged his finger at Klaus and clicked his tongue as they stopped about five feet from one another. "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"You're a fool if you think the Ancestors give a damn about you," Andy snapped at him. "You are a Mikaelson after all."

Finn held up his hands. "They may not care for me, Andrea, but they hate all of my siblings."

Finn used pyrokinesis to shoot a humongous stream of flames toward them. Klaus hopped in one direction while Andy went the other way. They both climbed on the roof of a nearby crypt on either side of Finn.

"You lost a step, brother. But, them being blown to pieces will do that, I suppose," Klaus taunted from the top of his crypt. He glanced at Andy and gave a nod before they both lunged at Finn.

As they lunged towards him, Finn used telekinesis to throw a piece of wrought-iron fence toward Klaus. The pikes of the fence embed themselves in Klaus' chest, but aside from some discomfort and a small amount of blood coming from Klaus' mouth, it did little to anything to hurt him; all Finn could do was use his power to keep the fence pinned in place so Klaus had to struggle to remove it. Andy, however, was able to get Finn into a headlock before he could use any witch tricks on her. He dropped his hand and Klaus quickly removed the fence from his chest.

"Move and I'll snap your neck, asshole," Andy hissed in his ear.

"My spell… didn't work on you," Finn breathed out. He grabbed her hand and muttered a word over the back of her hand, revealing the protection spell Dahlia had placed on her days ago. It had vanished before anyone noticed it, so Andy had just assumed it had vanished. However it seemed Dahlia was prepared for everything. "You're working for her…"

"No, I am not. But even so you judge me? You who cursed Kol to death?" Andy tightened her grip on him, ready to snap his neck. Finn at least had the decency to look bothered. "But, you didn't stop there, did you? No, there's a fucking encore—you sought the death of an innocent child. For what you would have done to Hope and what you did to Kol, I'm going to make you wish you had stayed dead. And then I'm going to enjoy killing your mother and your father."

Klaus walked over to them, watching her with an unreadable expression, but Andy didn't care. Esther, Mikael, and Finn had each tried to kill Hope at some point and she was done with all of their bullshit. She wanted Hope safe and the only way was to eliminate the three members of the Mikaelsons.

"Why don't you let Finn feel how painful that fence was, Klaus?" Andy questioned, looking up at him with a smirk. "I'm sure he'll enjoy it as much as you did."

Klaus smirked back at her finally, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He stabbed his brother in his abdomen with the pike. Finn groaned in pain, and Klaus twisted the pike in his stomach, pulling him away from Andy as he pinned him against the wall of one of the tombs.

Andy walked over and watched Klaus for a moment before she tapped on his shoulder. Klaus reluctantly stepped to the side as Andy stepped in, pushing the pike up so that it causes even more internal damage, but she was choking Finn so hard he can barely even moan from pain. Finally she yanked out the pike from Finn's abdomen, and Finn falls weakly to the ground. She held up the pike and was about to stab him with it again when she was suddenly yanked back and slammed against a tomb wall. She was about to push the person off of her until she saw it was Elijah and was a bit taken aback by his sudden appearance. He was clearly out of breath.

"You two didn't answer my call," Elijah said, looking between her and Klaus in annoyance.

"Well, we was a little bit busy," Klaus said, kicking Finn's body. Elijah looked her up and down noticed the blood on her hands.

"What, can't handle a little blood?" Andy demanded, angry at Elijah for stopping her from getting revenge for them all. They were so close to having Finn out of their lives even for a little bit.

She saw the look in Elijah's eyes; he was surprised to have seen her so bloodthirsty. Personally she didn't feel ashamed about it. Finn helped Esther, who had tried to kill Hope and had killed her. Moreover, he had killed Kol, something she knew was unforgiveable just as attacking Hope was. She wanted him gone, yet here Elijah was stopping her.

He finally looked over at Finn, who was bleeding out on the ground a couple feet away. "I need him alive."

Klaus scoffed, clearly on the same page as Andy. "We've no time for your soft-hearted sympathies," He said. Andy tugged her arm out of Elijah's grasp, but Elijah planted himself between them and Finn so they couldn't go after him. However, Andy knew they could easily overtake Elijah if they needed to.

"Stand aside, Elijah. Let us take care of him," Andy said, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't want this to come to a fight, but she knew she was ready if it did. When Elijah refused to move, she knew it would. Meanwhile Finn still laid bleeding on the ground, coughing and sputtering up more blood as time went on.

"Let him die, Elijah!" Klaus exclaimed, throwing up his hands in anger.

"The witches want that body returned unharmed," Elijah admitted.

"And what else do they want? A parade? Free broomsticks for all? Oh, maybe to kill half a dozen teenagers again?" Andy shot back.

Elijah sighed, looking at her with frustration. "This alliance could be greatly beneficial to us all—"

Klaus was quick to interrupt him. "Yes, well currying some witch's favor does not concern me!"

"It should."

They all froze when the new voice spoke. Turning, Andy saw this younger white woman with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She was pretty for sure, and her gaze was direct. When it landed on Andy, she saw them light up in recognition and also a quick glimpse of fear and curiosity. The woman walked up to them and stopped, her gaze going between them all with a smile.

"Witch allies can prove valuable," The woman continued speaking as she walked over to where Finn is laying as Andy with the two brothers gaped in confusion at the stranger.

"Freya. Freya. Help me," Finn pleaded, sitting up the best he could. Andy glanced nervously over at the two brothers. So this was the Freya she had heard of. Oddly enough, she could see how the witch fit into the Mikaelson brood already with her looks at least.

Freya knelt next to him. "Don't worry, brother. I won't let them hurt you," She used her fingers to lift the blue pendant on her talisman toward him as she started to cast a spell. "Yovara vimuna virael." As she chanted, her pendant started to glow bright blue, and Finn suddenly started to scream in agony. Andy saw his wounds healing and she began to rush toward them to stop it from happening, but Elijah grabbed on to stop her. "Yovara vimuna virael."

Once the spell was done, Finn sat up in shock and stared up at the three Mikaelsons in horror. "Who are you?"

"What do you mean, asshole? You—" Andy began shouting but was cut off when Freya held up two fingers and made a sweeping motion over his face.

"Sleep," She said. As she spoke, Vincent suddenly fell unconscious onto the ground. Andy gaped at her in shock, confusion, and anger for healing Finn.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Klaus asked after a moment when Freya turned to face them again.

Freya held up her pendant for him to see. "Finn is now safe from harm. And his hatred of you can no longer do to damage to our cause."

"Oh, trust me, we have no mutual cause as long as Finn is safe from harm," Andy snapped, yanking herself from Elijah so she could step around him. She glared at Freya. "Not that you care since I assume you helped him, but he tried to kill your niece. Not only that, but he killed your brother."

"Kol wasn't—"

"I swear to God if you say shit about Kol I will stab you with this so fast," Andy said, lifting up the pike in her hand again. Freya's gaze went to Andy's hand, noticing the rune on the back of her hand.

"Andrea, restrain yourself," Elijah said, putting his hand on her shoulder. He looked back over at his sister. Andy clenched her fists, tired of Elijah ordering her around today. "Now. Our cause?"

"Yes. Ours. And now, if you two can stop arguing long enough, perhaps you'll allow your older sister to offer you a deal," Freya said, her gaze going to her brothers before falling on Andy again. "Unless you've already made a deal with someone else."

"What could you possibly offer us besides fairy tales and lies?" Klaus questioned as he stepped forward so he was next to Elijah.

Freya looked over at Klaus. "Whatever you think of me, brother, know this—when I speak to you, it is the truth. If you have any doubts, remember that it was I who rescued Rebekah from the Fauline Cottage."

"And was it not also you who led Finn on his vile mission to take Hope's life?" Elijah pointed out, glancing over at Andy.

"The threat to Hope came from Finn. Not me," Freya said, looking at the ground, seemingly upset by the thought. "The brother I knew would never have stooped to threaten a child. Our mother destroyed him. Like she did me," She turned to Klaus. "You. Everything she touched."

Klaus looked back at her, appalled by her words. "Do not talk speak as though we are familiars! We know nothing of you."

"Not only that, but you are clearly more powerful than Finn. If you wished to stop him from harming Hope than you could have stopped him," Andy stepped forward, looking Freya up and down in disdain. "Had he been successful in his attempt, you can trust I would have hunted every witch in New Orleans down and made them burn.

Freya stared back at her for a moment before holding up each of her hands so that they were facing Klaus, Andy, and Elijah's faces, and they received a vision or memory of Freya being taken away. The picture was blurry, but the woman carrying the young blonde girl looked oddly familiar. Watching them was a distraught blonde woman, who looked familiar as well, with a young boy clutched to her side. The blonde girl the dark haired woman drug away was hysterical and screaming.

"I cannot give up my child! No, Dahlia, please!" The blonde screamed, watching as the dark haired woman rushed away.

"Mommy! Mommy!" The young girl shouted with tears down her face.

Andy was suddenly staring at Freya again, her mind no longer filled with the images Freya had wanted them to see.

"Do you still think me a liar?" Freya questioned them, pointedly looking at Andy and Klaus.

"That proves nothing but your ability to conjure illusions," Klaus argued, a clear distrust and anger towards the woman in front of them now. Andy was glad she was not alone in her feelings.

"Before you dismiss me, you should know this—if I've woken from my slumber, Dahlia has as well. Once she's sensed your child's magic and Andrea's as well, she will come for her. And she has the power to kill anyone who stands in her way and to turn your sidekick against you..." Freya looked at Andy for that last sentence. "…unless we kill her first."

"'Andrea's as well'?" Elijah questioned. "What do you mean, Freya?"

Freya looked straight at Andy, her gaze not breaking for one heartbeat. "She's a doppelganger of Anastasia, the woman who was supposed to give birth to the first child in our generation of Mikaelsons. She was supposed to be Hope's mother, as was Emmeline before she was turned into a vampire. Dahlia knew if you broke the curse Esther placed on you, then you'd be able to have children. Hence why she helped you from behind the scenes when she could with as much time as she had. Andrea has a stronger connection to Hope than she does to any of you. No matter where Hope goes, she will always be able to find her because of her Mikaelson blood. I'm sure you've noticed some differences in your abilities as well, Andrea. More strength, easier compulsion, and higher endurance for certain witch spells and other physical injuries?"

Andy stared at her blankly for a moment. "Can't say I have."

"No matter of that; we know of Andy's allegiances. But yours... it is quite convenient, isn't it? You show up in the nick of time to help us kill the woman with whom you've spent a thousand years!" Klaus said, changing the subject.

Freya's expression turned dark, showing her frustration and anger. "You have no idea what it took to escape her! Or what I lost in the trying. Her punishment will be profound." Andy recalled Dahlia's anger at the mention of Freya's name. Suddenly, Andy couldn't lie that a part of her wanted to step back and reevaluate all of this.

"And you know how to stop her?" Elijah questioned, her tone sympathetic.

"Given the proper materials, yes. I've sent Father to procure them," Freya explained.

Klaus scoffed angrily. "You put the life of my child in the hands of Mikael?" He threw his hands up and began to storm off in a fury, but when Elijah called his name, he stopped walking.

"Niklaus. This woman has knowledge of the threat we now face and is willing to share that information," Elijah said calmly.

Klaus turned back to face them, the anger still on his face. "Well, you'll excuse me, Elijah, if I'm not inclined to trust the mysterious sister we only just met! But, by all means, if you wish to entertain this idiocy, have at it." He sped away right after he finished speaking before Elijah could argue any further.

Andy sighed, walking over the body Finn had just inhabited. A part of her was tempted to kill the body just to be sure Finn wouldn't be jumping back into it anytime soon, but their conversation gave her pause.

"Thank you," She heard Freya say to Elijah behind her. "Your kindness is much appreciated."

"I may be willing to accept your identity, Freya—it doesn't mean I trust you." A smile pulled onto Andy's lips, glad that Elijah had some sense about him.

"Then I will look forward to earning that trust." Andy heard the footsteps as they walked away. She heard footsteps come up behind her. After a moment, she spoke.

"I have noticed the abilities she mentioned," Andy admitted, staring at the lifeless body. "It wasn't much, of course. I nearly hurt Sam once during sex. I did feel stronger since I got back… but I just thought it was because I was dead," She turned to face Elijah, her anger at him for earlier coming back. "You should have let me kill Finn."

"I needed the body alive for Josephine LaRue."

"Oh, fuck witches," Andy threw the pike at the tomb, causing it to go through and break a hole in the stone. She pointed at finger in his face, her expression hardening. "I was protecting Hope. Finn will always be after her. She needs to be protected no matter what the cost. If you ever interfere with what I do for her again—"

"You would shed innocent blood in a child's name?"

"You know that's not why I am doing it!" Andy snapped at him, shoving him. "I am doing this in my name. If I make some enemies, fine. I'll never have as many as the Mikaelsons have on their own. Besides, if I get to kill a couple witches while I'm at it I count it as a bonus. They've done nothing but fuck with our family and I'm tired of it." She turned and nudged the body with her foot.

"Where did this anger come from, Andrea?" Elijah questioned her. She looked at him over her shoulder. "This irrational behavior when Freya shows up, and you claim this is all in the name of Hope?"

"You slaughtered an entire diner of innocent people to protect her," Andy argued back as she spun around to face him. She would feel bad about bringing that up later, but right now she was fuming. "I have done so much shit for your family, and just because I don't wanna kiss some witch's ass you start calling me out on it? Kol is dead because of me, Elijah! Hope nearly was killed because of me! Hayley is a hybrid because of me! Excuse me if I needed to find a catharsis to deal with all of my emotions."

Elijah studied her for a moment. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her arm. "Kol was not your fault."

Andy rolled her eyes as they involuntarily began to water up. She focused on a point past Elijah, not wanting to look him in the eye. "He was my responsibility. I was supposed to watch him like I promised Bonnie I would. The whole reason he wasn't in his indestructible Original body was because of me, because he wanted to get revenge on his mother for me."

"Andrea, we are not your responsibility," Elijah said, grabbing her arms tightly. "Do you hear me? Under no circumstance should you assume responsibility for us or the things we do."

"I've been doing that since day one, Elijah. There's no way to break habits that have been instilled for over three years," Andy shrugged out of his grasp and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry but I'll do whatever it takes to protect Hope. Just because you say I shouldn't doesn't mean I won't. You don't own me nor does Klaus. If you two were upset seeing me nearly kill Finn," She held up her bloodied hands to show him. "That is nothing compared to what I am willing to do. I'm not who I was before. I understand that death is a necessary evil for our enemies to ensure they're gone, at least for a while. I understand that you would've done the same if it was I who paid a visit to Josephine and you were the one to attack Finn. I understand that I'm a vampire and it is in my nature to be bloodthirsty. I understand that you don't want to be at the compound because of Sam and I."

"Andrea—"

"Don't deny it. I'm not stupid so don't act like I am," Andy shook her head. "But you could at least pick up your phone when I call you. If we're going to be friends, then we need to get comfortable with one another again. I thought we had... I understand you also need time. If you need it, though, tell me instead of straight up ignoring me. Tell me you want me to stay away for a bit and I will, just communicate with me is all I'm asking."

Elijah stared at her for a moment, the sadness evident in his gaze and frown. "I love you, Andrea," She looked up at him, surprised at this response. "As long as I shall live I will always love you. I am not telling you this so you feel obligated to show me some affection or to remove yourself from my life. I amtelling you this because I wanted you to know you are appreciated as well as communicating with you. I know Niklaus has made his feelings clear as well, but… I wished you to know where I stand. I've always been in love you since the moment I first laid eyes on you in that house in the middle of nowhere."

Andy swallowed and nodded, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious of the blood on her hands. Her anger faded away, and she felt small as she stood in front of Elijah, though she was sure he felt the exact same in the moment. "I can't reciprocate those words to you at this moment, Elijah," She said, looking at her feet. "I'm with Sam and I like him. He's nice and funny. Klaus finally accepted it and I don't feel like I have to worry about him doing something to mess it up…"

"I don't need you to say those words back, Andrea." He insisted as he pulled his handkerchief out. He grabbed her hands and began to clean them. "And I certainly don't want you to feel the need to break up with Sam because of me."

Andy was quiet as he worked. His hands were soft and she wanted more than anything to be able to reciprocate those words to him. She knew she needed to be honest with him, even if it hurt. "But I think I have feelings for you, too, Elijah," He stopped cleaning her hands, though they both kept their gazes down. "But you know I can't do that to Klaus… it would destroy him. And I'm sorry that I told you that. It's not fair to you to say 'in another life.'"

Once her hands were cleaned he leaned down and placed a kiss to her hands. "No, I appreciate it, Andrea. I know not to have hope for us, and I know not to expect anything. I have accepted this long ago before you arrived in New Orleans. I want you to be happy, and Sam is clearly that for you right now."

"It isn't fair to you, Elijah. None of this is. It's not fair to Sam that I'm with him while I'm feelings stuff for other people. It's not fair to Klaus that I can't bring myself to feel anything for him but for his brother it's another story," Andy sighed and her shoulders fell. "I'm complaining over my love life. I have officially regressed to my teenage self."

"I think you need some rest," Elijah said after a moment. "Go home and sleep. Get your mind off of everything. This matter never has to be discussed between us ever again." He walked around her, but she quickly grabbed his hand so he'd look back at her.

"For what it's worth, Eli… If it wasn't for Klaus—"

Elijah smiled sadly at her. "I know."

Andy slowly dropped his hand from his before she walked away from him, feeling her anxiety rise. What had she just confessed to Elijah? That she had feelings for him? She couldn't deny she had been feeling something, but for all she knew it could have been the stirrings of old feelings she never really got over. Moreover, she realized what this meant for her and Sam. She had essentially just figured out that she cared for Elijah more than she thought and knew she was beginning to feel some of the old feelings for Klaus again. It wasn't fair to Sam if she was with him and involved with the Mikaelsons; despite their conversation this morning, she knew it wasn't possible without him feeling jealousy. She didn't want to do that to him. She knew she needed to speak with him, and reluctantly headed to the compound where she knew he would be and so she could change out of her bloodied clothes. He was actually at Rousseau's having a drink with Aiden, so she went there, shocked when she ran into Klaus at the entrance.

"Fancy meeting you here," Andy said, giving him a wary smile. "Here to see your psychologist?"

"Actually, meeting a friend," Klaus said, returning her smile. He nodded in the direction of where Sam was. They could see him through the glass and Andy turned her head to look at him with nervousness. "I assume you are as well?"

"Something like that," Andy murmured, biting her lip as she watched Sam enjoying his time with Aiden. She didn't want to hurt him and in fact cared a lot about him, but she knew she had been stupid to believe this would ever work out between them. With Dahlia coming, it was best if he wasn't involved with her. She would use him against her and unlike the Mikaelsons, he could be killed by simply ripping his heart out... which she was figuratively about to do.

"I know that look."

Andy looked over at him in curiosity. "What look?"

"You're feeling guilty, aren't you?" Klaus questioned her as he looked in at Sam briefly. His blue eyes met hers again, his expression not giving his emotions away. "Wondering if you should tell your boyfriends things he doesn't need to know about someone else in your life. From all the poems written on the subject of unrequited love, there are so few on the pain of being the object of that affection. The truth is, Andy, it's not love on which the strongest foundations are built. It's the decency of merciful lies."

"I don't want to lie to Sam anymore," Andy confessed, feeling herself growing more upset. "I don't want to hurt him or anyone else. I don't want to deal with others getting their feelings hurt or feeling like I'm Bathsheba or something. Why are you even giving me advice about this when you're in love with me?"

Klaus sighed, closing the distance between them and cupping her face in his hands. She stared back up at him, shocked at his gentle touch and soft gaze. "Because I love you, Andy. Be with the bloody werewolf if you want, but that doesn't mean I will ever give up on you. Of course I won't court you when you're with someone else, but it doesn't stop how I feel."

Andy felt for the briefest of moments the same feeling she used to get around Klaus. It was the feeling where she would be drunk on happiness as it was just the two of them late at night spilling their secrets to one another and talking about everything and nothing all at once just to hear the other's voice. Just as soon as she felt it, she had a longing for those nights again when they didn't have to worry about anything else… except now she had Sam to deal with on top of the impending doom of Dahlia and Elijah confessing his feelings for her.

"Andy?"

She looked and saw that Sam had walked out of Rousseau's and saw them close to one another. Klaus sighed, dropping his hands from her face. "That is my cue. I'll see you at home later, love." Klaus turned and walked into Rousseau's but not before Sam gave him a stare down. Once he was inside the building, Sam looked back at her, hurt in his eyes.

"What was that about?"

Andy took a deep breath and forced herself not to start crying in front of Sam. She needed this to be as painless as possible. "We need to end this, Sam."

Sam stared at her a moment, dumbfounded. He glanced in the window over at Klaus who was sitting with Aiden now. "Are you getting back together with Klaus?"

"No," Andy shook her head, her gaze fixating on a shop across the street.

"Then why?" Sam asked, walking over to her. "Because we talked this out just this morning and now you're ready to jump ship. What on earth happened today?"

"I have feelings for other people," Andy confessed, though avoided divulging the names. She knew Sam knew, though. How could he not? "I wouldn't ever let them get in the way of our relationship, but it's not fair to you if I feel as if I am emotionally cheating on you just by associating with them."

Sam was looking at her, she felt it, but she kept her gaze away. She knew that she would lose it if she looked up at him. "I'm in love with you."

"Oh, Sam, don't say that."

"Why not, Andy? It's true!"

"Because you are the third person to tell me that today and I am tired of hearing it!" Andy shouted back at him, finally meeting his gaze. "And every time I cannot say it back because I don't know what the fuck I'm feeling for any of you, just that you're all so insistent on telling me how you feel!"

Sam's eyes were misty and she hated herself for doing this already. "So it is Klaus and Elijah. Big surprise there."

"Don't hate them, hate me."

"They're the ones saying it to you when they know you're in a relationship with me! You think the noble Elijah doesn't want me gone? At least when it was just Klaus he had a chance because Klaus fucks up all the time. They were bound to do something that ended our relationship."

Andy's bottom lip quivered and she folded her arms over her chest. She was a mixture of anger and sadness at the moment, fluctuating between them both she wasn't sure which to go with. "We knew this wasn't going to work out, Sam. I'm a Mikaelson at the end of the day and you're not. To them, you're cattle fodder. We had a good two months… and we should end it while we're ahead. I have responsibilities and so do you. We were a distraction for one another."

"Andy, did you just not hear me say I love you? I don't think you're a distraction if I'm in love with you."

"I'm so, so sorry, Sam."

Sam walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "If you don't care for me, fine. But I don't want this to end. I know you never wanted anything serious with me. I understand what you went through and I wouldn't want a serious relationship either. However, if even an inkling of you does want to continue a relationship with me… I'm still willing to, Andy."

"Sam—" He was no longer crying and cut her off before she could speak.

"Sleep on it tonight, Andy. We'll talk tomorrow, but I want you to know I'll be campaigning twice as hard as Klaus to show you that you and I have something special."

"Whoa, whoa," Andy shook her head. "As much as I like you, I don't wanna be on the Bachelorette now, okay? I'll go crazy if you and Klaus actually start fighting over me. Plus, I've never really been attracted by the whole alpha male thing... which I've said at least twice today already."

"I'm not doing this to dominate Klaus, Andy. I'm doing this for you and me. I want us to be a thing I have since the moment I met you in Portland," Sam leaned down and placed a kiss to her temple. "Go get some shut eye and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" With that, he gave her one last longing look before he walked away from her.

Andy watched him as he left, wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.

"So, I take it you got your man?" Gia asked as Elijah took off his coat and helped Gia take off hers as well before going to hang them up. He had placed Vincent, the witch Finn was occupying, under surveillance in his apartment. After Andrea had departed him in the cemetery, he really wasn't up to doing much else.

"Vincent Griffith is alive and free of my brother Finn's influence," Elijah answered absentmindedly. "Once I've questioned him to my satisfaction, I shall release him once again to the witches."

"So, it all worked out!" Gia called to him as he walked over to his fridge. He grabbed two bottle of beers out for them. "And yet, I don't recall hearing, 'Nice job, Gia! Really appreciate the help!'"

"Yes, forgive me. I was a little tied up, trying to prevent Niklaus from being... well, Niklaus," Elijah responded as he walked back into the room. She had taken a seat on the couch. "Yes—nice job, Gia! Really appreciate the help."

He handed her a bottle of beer before sitting down next to her with his own bottle. Gia looked at him incredulously before opening the bottle and taking a sip. "You like beer?"

"I'm adapting to my audience," He said cheekily, taking a drink of his own beer after examining the bottle for a moment.

"Hmm," Gia paused for a moment in thought. "You knew she'd like me."

Elijah smiled at her. "Once upon a time, Josephine was rather rebellious. This is a trait you seem to exhibit in spades. However, circumstances all but extinguished that quality in her, and had she known that you were coming, she never would have welcomed us into her home." Gia looked impressed. "Nor would she have been swayed by your... what was it she called it?"

Gia grinned back smugly. "Candor!"

Elijah chuckled. "Candor." He took a long sip of his beer.

"Andy's got a mouth on her as well. Plus, the witches are clearly interested in her as much as you guys are."

Elijah looked over at her, seeing she was scrutinizing him closely. "Andrea will not be meeting with those witches until I speak with Vincent first. I in no way trust their intentions for her."

"Is everything always ten steps ahead of the game with you?" Gia asked him.

"Well, often victory is allowing your opponent to believe that they are triumphant... until they're not."

Gia smiled at him. "Okay. Just remember who sealed the deal!"

"Credit where credit is due," He held out his beer in cheers to her, and they clinked their bottles together. He felt tense as he thought back to the words Andrea were saying to him earlier. He was tense, a bit distraught, and needed some way to blow off the steam but wasn't sure how. He began to tug at his tie to loosen it.

"I told you—you needed a woman to mess things up for you," Gia said, and began loosening Elijah's tie with her fingers. He looked back up at her, surprised at the touch. The two stared at each other for a long moment as Gia stood up and faced him. "You never told me if you like me in this dress."

Elijah felt time freeze. He had two options. One, he could have sex with Gia tonight and blow off the steam that had built up within him since discovering what was behind the red door… but he knew he would pretending that Gia was someone else, the true object of his desire. He didn't wish to lead her astray, not that Gia would necessarily fall in love with him. Option two was to let her down easy, to even compel the thoughts of tonight away so she wouldn't be embarrassed of his shut down.

"You're right, I didn't." Elijah responded, realizing he was sitting in silence and sounding like he was hesitating, which in all fairness he was.

"Zipper's stuck," She turned so her back was to him. "Help me out of it?" When he didn't move, she spoke again. "I'm not stupid, Elijah. I know you're in love with Andy. That still doesn't mean we can't blow off some steam."

Anxiously, Elijah stood up and moves so he was right behind Gia, staring at her back for a moment. He was still throwing option one and two up when he realized that he did need this. A night with Gia would help him what happened earlier. He stared at her and played his options over in his mind, hesitating before he made his decision.

~ * • ° • ° • * ~

The End of Chapter XXXVIII