AN: *blinks in confusion and looks around* Why does everyone think Adrianas gonna be crawling back to Elijah? Did I say that? I don't think I said that… Okay there may have been some implications that might happen but seriously? You guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill... Anyway, Enjoy!
The Mafiay Family
In which there is always another chapter to be told
Adriana stared coldly at the charred corpse of Gia, her chipped painted nails thrumming on the chair she sat on. Her head tilted in contemplation as Elijah covered the body with a sheet. Cami's hand where still smeared with blood from trying to pull Papa Tunde's blade out of Elijahs chest, a cup full of Elijahs blood in her hands. Drinking it to heal after Klaus had attacked and fed from her, grimacing slightly at the taste as she swallowed it.
"So, now that you have healed, what do you mean, Niklaus had a plan?" Elijah's voice rose to a shout, clearly angry at the ordeal. Adriana watching him silently from where she sat next to Cami, worriedly glancing at the nervously shifting blonde. "We had a plan! A plan he has mercilessly destroyed-"
"Elijah!" Adrianas clear voice echoed around the courtyard of the Mikaelson Compound, all eyes turning to where she sat calmly. Staring back at Elijah. "Enough. You're scaring her."
"Your plan wouldn't have worked, Elijah." Camille explained, realising Adriana had gestured for her to explain. "When Klaus got into my head, he said your plan would fail, so he had to enact one of his own."
"And what might that be?" Elijah glared at her, equally stunned and frustrated by the revelation.
"He has to get her to link to him." Cami stated, the lifting of Adriana's head indicating the blonde had the petite vampires full attention.
"My brother wishes to bind himself to our enemy?" Elijah asked, not believing what Cami was telling them. "She'll be virtually indestructible."
"He said I had to convince you that everything he had to do, he had to do alone." Cami continued to explain. "You had the wrong ingredients to kill Dahlia, and he has to buy time before he finds the right ones."
"How?" Elijah asked, confusion clear in his face. Sitting on the edge of the fountain, Elijah stared at Gia's sheet covered, Cami standing up and looking at him sympathetically.
"I am sorry about your friend." She finally said after a few minutes of silence.
"Are you?" Elijah asked sceptically.
"I don't condone Klaus' actions." Camp confirmed, worry appearing on Adrianas features as she too stood up. "I'm trying to help you. All I know is Klaus will do whatever he has to do-"
Before Adriana could warn her, Elijah lost his temper at the human.
"Klaus will do whatever he does for Klaus." Elijah bellowed our, interrupting her.
"Elijah." Adriana said softly, staying in her spot with her body relaxed. Having been in situations like this a thousand times before.
"Now Hayley isn't answering her phone." Elijah continued to rant, the worry on Adriana's face increasing as he held up his phone.
"Warrior." Adriana tried to placate stepping forward as Elijah stalked towards Cami, overwhelmed with anger. "Warrior, she's just human. You'll break her."
"Now, what has he done?" Elijah continued to shout, ignoring Adriana and glaring at Camille.
Out of all options, Adriana took a deep breath in and set her jaw. Disliking that emotional manipulation was her only option. Throwing herself around Elijah, Adriana forced herself to cry quietly into his shirt.
His reaction was almost immediate.
Elijah immediately returned her hug, burying his face into her hair and inhaling her lavender scent. Purring softly, his anger seemingly forgotten, Elijah began to whisper into her hair.
"Who has hurt you gypsy girl? Who has made my goddess of red cry? I will destroy them. I promise you."
Hypocrite Adriana so desperately wanted to spit in his face.
Once Elijahs anger had seemingly melted into worry for her safety, Adriana ripped herself away from him. Thanking her superb acting skills for her ability to fake cry.
"That wasn't very nice, gypsy girl." Elijah frowned, finally realising what she had done.
"I'm not a very nice person." Adriana waved off, stepping away from him.
"Don't blame the messenger." Rebekah said sheepishly, her and Marcel joining the three of them by the fountain.
"Well, would you look at that." Adriana purred, tilting her head at the appearance of Rebekah in her original body.
"Rebekah?" Elijah asked, confused.
"Looks like Niklaus had a lot on his to-do list last night." Rebekah shrugged, glancing over at Marcel sadly before turning back to Elijah. Hesitating. "And, as for Hayley..."
"What is it?"
"When Klaus attacked me," Marcel spoke up, sighing heavily. "He stole the spell that I used on the Crescent wolves..."
"So he would condemn her to the body of a beast?" Elijah snarled out, his anger slowly returning.
"Guess there is such a thing as karma." Adriana couldn't help but smirk, raising an eyebrow when Elijahs annoyed eyes turned to her. "Oh, did I say that out loud? Whoops."
"Elijah." Rebekah stated, turning Elijahs attention to her as she rushed forward and grasped his shoulder so she could look him in the eye. "Hayley will be human once a month. We will find her and we will help her."
"No-" Elijah said, shaking his head and trying to push Rebekah away
"We need to focus on who needs saving today." Rebekah said gently. Looking at her brother sadly, hating the statement as much as he did. "Freya called- Dahlia is... incapacitated. They are two hours north at an orchard near Pale River. She has Hope."
Before Rebekah could continue, Elijah had vamp-sped out of the courtyard.
"And the duty of babysitter fall to me." Adriana sighed, meeting Rebekah's pleading eyes and rotating her neck. "I'll make sure no one dies."
With that, Adriana disappeared from the compound.
Stumbling onto the scene seconds after Elijah, Adriana rotated her limbs with a scowl.
"If you were human." She sneered at Elijah, walking to stand next to him. "I'd be worried you'd drop dead from exhaustion in a few seconds. Christo, I'm a vampire and I think I'm going to collapse any second."
"Well, my adage holds-" Freya laughed, finding the humour in Adrianas annoyance. "Nothing good ever happens in a clearing in the woods."
"Nothing good ever happens where my brother is concerned." Elijahs scoffed. Watching Adriana accept Hope from Freya, the small baby stopping crying at the appearance of Adriana's motherly smile. Elijahs face softened at the sight. "With one exception."
"Hello bambina." Adriana giggled softly, bouncing the sniffing Hope in her arms. "I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. You probably don't remember me, I'm Adri."
Stepping closer to them, Elijah rubbed Hope's back soothingly. Adriana cooeing as the girl whimpered and rubbed her eyes with her small hands.
"How is she?" Elijah asked.
"She's a Mikaelson." Freya stated calmly, glancing back at Klais and Dahlia's bodies. "She's resilient. When I woke, they were like this. Rebekah tells me Klaus has a plan to kill Dahlia, that he knew our plan would not work?"
"Yes." Elijah confirmed. "According to him, our ingredients were incorrect. Niklaus infiltrated Dahlia's mind. You didn't break her heart. We needed the blood of the witch she loved the most, and you are not that witch- that honor goes to our beloved mother."
"So, we need Esther's blood?" Freya asked, sighing in frustration. "Well, that's impossible- I killed her."
"One incarnation." Elijah stated, not seeming upset by Freya's revelation. The older Mikaelson looking at her sibling in shock. "Our mother is buried in New Orleans. Niklaus wants us to revive the original body."
Back at the compound, Adriana knelt in front of a neutralised Dahlia and daggered Klaus. Marcel next to her, both of them carefully examining the bodies.
"Nik is demented." Rebekah spoke up. "Are we really to dig up our mother, burn her to ash, swap said ash with Kol's, and then trick Davina into using up her last chance to bring someone back from the dead? Not to mention we lose the opportunity to save Kol if Davina doesn't turn us inside out!"
"Or, we dig a deep hole and leave both our problems at the bottom of it." Elijah replied sarcastically.
"I say we choose a more permanent option- find the white oak stake, kill Klaus, Dahlia dies with him." Freya said, unhappily staring at Dahlia.
"Well, yeah, and so do I, and every other vampire that Klaus has turned." Marcel scoffed.
"And I'm sure that would be a terrible thing for the world." Adriana stared sarcastically. "I like you Marcel, you're a good friend, but make a more convincing argument."
"The dagger! It's bloody melting!" Rebekah suddenly screamed, Adriana stepping back away from it and staring with wide eyes.
"We have no choice but to finish the task that Niklaus has set." Elijah sighed, all of the, watching as the daggers continued to melt.
When everyone but them had left the room, Elijah slowly turned to face a furious Adriana.
Adriana stared. Elijah stared back.
"No." She finally growled out, already knowing what he was going to ask of her. "No. No. No! I refuse!"
"Adriana…" Elijah tried to placate.
"No, Elijah." Adriana continued to growl. "You want me to deceive my daughter. No, I refuse. I won't let you."
"How else do you think this is going to end Adriana?" Elijah asked. "No, you wanted drama. You have it, now you can help us."
"You're asking me to betray my family." Adriana stated furiously. "Davina loved Kol, and you're ripping a chance of a happy ending away from her. I can't allow that. How would you react if I asked you to betray your family?"
"You have, and I did." Elijah reminded coldly, stepping in front of her when she tried to leave. "Adriana, please."
Throwing her hands up, Adriana turned away from him, her hands balling into fists as she stared at the floor angrily.
"You need to have Rebekah distract her." She finally whispered meekly, continuing to stare at the floor. "That's the only way she won't notice."
"Adriana." Elijah called, placing a hand on her shoulder before she could walk away. "Thank you. I know you couldn't do that lightly."
"Don't involve me in your stupid deceit plan." Adriana spat, stepping away from him, and walking further into the house. "My debt to you is paid."
Watching her go, Elijah shook his head, sighing lowly.
"There was never any debt." He muttered to himself, contemplation crossing his face for a second before he called out to her once more. "Adriana, one last thing…"
"What did you do?" Davina growled, stomping over to Rebekah when she entered. The blonde flinching slightly, reminding a little too much of Adriana when she looked Davina in the face.
"It wasn't Rebekah." Elijah said quietly, walking into the tomb with a pair of cursed shackles in his hand, Adriana quietly entering behind him. "It's rather a simple matter, actually."
"That was my only chance!" Davina exclaimed, tears of frustration filling her eyes. "That was Kol's only chance! Now I know why he hates you."
"Little light." Adriana said softly, wrapping her arms around Davina and stopping her from casting a spell on Elijah. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him. I'm so sorry."
"It's not you fault Mama." Davina sneered, glaring at Elijah over Adrianas shoulder. "It's his."
Kissing the top of her forehead, Adriana smiled warmly at her daughter.
"We'll get him back." She cooed, her hand slowly trailing towards her neck. "I promise. Just not today."
With a pained smile on her face, Adriana pushed two fingers against the pressure point on Davina's neck, her daughter quickly slumping in her arms. The second Davina fell unconscious in her arms, Adriana snapped her head towards Elijah. Her pupils expanding as his compulsion finally left her.
"I hate you." She spat, her eyes narrowing as she gently set down Davina. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"
"Welcome back, Mother." Elijah stated, ignoring Adriana and slamming the cursed shackles onto Esther's wrists.
Sat in the back of the jazz club, Adriana watched Esther carefully.
"Let me guess," Esther finally spoke up, clearly amused. "You brought me back from the dead to torture me."
"My dear mother, we simply need your blood." Elijah said, rolling his eyes. "Though, in the event that you should suffer horribly, I can't promise I won't enjoy it immensely."
"Ah, Mother." Klaus smirked, entering the room. "I've arrived just in time for another one of your deaths, and as much as I appreciate the front-row seat, I'm afraid I'm going to have to postpone the festivities."
"You're in excellent spirits." Elijah growled lowly, stepping forward only to stop when Adriana stepped in between them.
"Now, now, children." Adriana said calmly, raising her hands to separate the two further. "Let's play nice with each other."
"Lucky for you, as I'm the one needed to save the day." Klaus only smiled, both of them blatantly ignoring Adriana but not advancing any further.
"Is that what it's called?" Elijah snarled, unamused.
"Why not? My plan's worked perfectly."
Becoming even more enraged, Elijah moved to lunge at him only for Adriana to stretch out her arms once more, pushing them away from each other.
"Honestly," Adriana muttered to herself. "Ulrik has more self control than this."
"Easy, Elijah-" Klaus smirked. "I can see your red door swinging wide open, but our job's not yet done."
"Don't provoke him." Adriana hissed, her head snapping to Klaus, staying between them. "The minute I step back, he's going to come charging at you. Don't make me want too."
"So, we kill her and be done with it." Elijah sighed, stepping away from Adriana and straightening his back.
"To be clear, I do want her blood, but I want it on this blade-" Klaus held up a large silver knife, Adriana stepping back when he started to walk closer to Esther "-Which I've had bound with the soil from Dahlia's homeland, not to mention Viking ash. Mother's demise will have to wait. You see, I need her to weaken Dahlia's defenses. Bit of psychological warfare before I slaughter the both of you."
"Ah, yes." Esther scoffed. "You expect me to walk willingly to my death."
"Well, your willing participation would have been a bonus, but it's far from necessary." Klaus grinned. "If needs be, I'll drag you there myself."
"Yes, dear Mother, you do not have a choice." Rebekah said, joining the group. "Then again, why should you be any different from the rest of us? We're all dancing puppets in Nik's end-of-days marionette show. He forces every move we make."
"And how long are you gonna stand there and pretend you don't need me to?" Klaus asked. "The both of you have fought me at every turn, leaving me no choice but to act alone! We're no strangers to disagreements on the battlefield, but we also have a very long history of doing whatever it takes to win the war."
"And what of Gia?" Elijah asked furiously. "Hayley?"
"Collateral damage." Klaus shrugged, his eyes flickering to where Adriana was watching from the shadows of the room. "Besides, you're one to preach nobility. What about your darling little Adriana?"
Adriana was fast, but Elijah was faster. Adriana was a second too late to stop Elijah from punching Klaus in the face. While she started to tug Elijah back, Klaus blinked, taking a moment to recover.
"You claim your actions are part of some ruse, this was punishment." Elijah spat, resisting Adrianas discouraging pulls and whispers.
"Punishment?" Klais asked, playing dumb. "Whatever for? Perhaps the dagger you put in my heart?"
"You brought that upon yourself!" Elijah said, his voice raising to a shout, allowing Adriana to pull him back from his brother. "No, we have fought together for centuries, and once again, to break your enemy, you broke your family. Well, know this- whatever the outcome tonight, you will no longer see me by your side. You want to be alone? Well, congratulations. You have your wish."
Finally letting go of him, Adriana watched as Elijah grabbed his Mother by the shackles and pulled her up.
"Come, Mother."
As Elijah left, Adriana's eyes flickered between Rebekah and Klaus.
"Never in my life," She finally spoke up, something indescribable coating her voice, "Have I been so disappointed in this family."
With her head held high, Adriana left the room, following Elijah. Her simple words somehow did more than Elijah's speech.
"Are you sure about this?" Adriana asked him, tilting her head to the side once Elijah joined her alone outside. "Your resent toward Klaus worries me."
"Don't tell me you're starting to care Adriana." Elijah smirked, his shoulders relaxed and his hands in his pockets. "Now you're starting to worry me."
"Don't act cocky." Adriana scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You die and I die remember? And I'm not really planning on kicking the bucket anytime soon."
"Go home Adriana." Elijah sighed. "Go back to Ulrik, go back to Tayte. This is not your fight."
"If anyone's starting to care between the two of us, Elijah." Adriana smirked, turning around and beginning to walk away. Her six inch heels clicking sharply against the tarmac. "I'd say it was you."
"Don't act cocky." Elijah echoed her, his voice loud and clear even as she disappeared into the crowd of people.
Her laughter and the tap of her heels was clear, even as she walked further away.
Gently closing the door behind her, Adriana softly walked into the penthouse.
"Hey Adri." A male voice spoke up, Tayte appearing with a large bowl of toffee popcorn resting on the kitchen counter. "Ulrik is refusing to sleep, so me and Davina are putting on a film and hoping he will eventually collapse of exhaustion. You in? You look tired, did everything go alright?" Letting a sad smile fall onto he face, Adriana ran into Tayte's arms, pressing her tan face into his chest. "Okay, you're smiling but this whole thing makes me think you're gonna cry. I'm only me Adri, stop giving me mixed signals. I'm not good with multitasking."
Allowing a loud laugh to escape her lips, Adriana smiled when Tayte finally hugged her back.
"Davina told me what happened." Tayte whispered into her hair. "She understands, but she still hates that family with her very bones. I think she gets it from you."
"Heard my name." Davina's voice called out, the teenage witch looking over from browsing Tayte's large DVD collection. "Don't you have anything more appropriate Tayte? Silence of the Lambs isn't exactly the best thing for a eight month old to watch so they go to sleep."
"Check the lower shelves." Tayte called back, Adriana stepping away from him and grabbing a handful of toffee popcorn. "I must have something we can compromise with."
Taking the popcorn bowl before Adriana could eat it all, Tayte set it in front of the television. The black curtains were drawn across the large windows, a lamp illuminating the whole space. While Tayte helped Davina, Adriana scooped up Ulrik form where he lay on his play blanket. The boy desperately trying to stay awake.
"What you doing up, soldatino?" Adriana cooed, Ulrik frowning deeply in protest. "You are supposed to be asleep, no? Don't give me that look, I'm not stupid."
His frown growing deeper, Adriana had to laugh at her sons expression.
No Mama. He seemed to say. I'm not tired, what would make you say such a silly thing?
"See!" Taytes voice rose, Adriana glancing over to where Tayte and Davina were still searching through the shelves. "I have loads of classics."
"I've never even heard of half of these." Davina deadpanned, shooting Tayte a disgruntled look while Tayte stared at her in shock.
"You, lille kattunge, have not been educated in the arts of good movies." Tayte whispered, his eyes wide in mock-horror, only to burst out laughing and expertly dodging the pillow Davina magically threw at him.
Settling into one of the beanbags dragged into the room, Adriana watched the two with amusement clear in her eyes as she buried her nose into Ulrik's blonde hair.
Their playful arguments about choosing a film slowly turned into arguments how one of them was hogging the popcorn, Ulrik slowly drifting of to sleep in her comforting arms a quarter of the way into the film. The lull of darkness and the comforting hum of noise around him slowly lulling his to sleep.
Smiling to herself, Adriana finally joined into Davina and Tayte's argument by reaching back and snatching the bowl from both of them quicker than the young could blink.
"W-what?" Tayte spluttered when the bowl suddenly disappeared from his hands.
"Mama!" Davina whined playfully, Adriana only smirking back at them.
"Mine now." She shrugged nonchalantly, shoving a handful into her mouth.
When she returned from putting Ulrik to bed, both the bowl and the rest of the popcorn had mysteriously disappeared. Not questioning it, Adriana collapsed next to Tayte, the male wrapping a comforting arm around her waist while she rested her head on his shoulders.
It wasn't much. There would still be bad days. There would be still fights and days she would just sit down in front of the floor to ceiling window and just watch the city move. There would be blood. There would be several issues she still had to address.
Gods help her when Ulrik grew up and starting questioning the levitating objects around his sister.
But, this was Adriana's family, the Mafiay clan. The Mafiay family.
They don't have any promises of Always and Forever but they will turn out just as well, most likely even better.
Adriana would protect this feeling of belonging till her last breath.
"Once upon a time, there was a wolf king who fought a war for the most precious treasure in all the kingdom... his beautiful little princess. But, victory came at a price. Allies lost... New enemies made..."
Walking quietly through the city late at night, Adriana stopped to stare up at the wind chimes that softly twinkled above her head. Smiling gently, she continued on her walk, staring mesmerised at the soft lights and music of the city.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." A low voice commented, Adriana not showing any signs of her surprise.
"Freedom is always a nice thing." She smiled, not allowing Elijah's presence to dampen her good mood. "My daughter has decided to raise hell on your family."
"A shame." Elijah nodded, walking beside her. "Dahlia is defeated."
"How nice."
"So, in light of recent events, I've decided to fix some things that have long needed my full attention."
Stopping suddenly, Adriana stared at Elijah, who walked several more steps before realising she wasn't walking by him anymore.
"And?" Adriana asked hesitantly, the street filled with music and warm lights did nothing to help the freeze of panic gripping mercilessly onto her heart.
No. He couldn't take this away from her. He couldn't snatch it all back like he had done a thousand other things. She wouldn't let him.
"We are not good for each other." Elijah admitted, turning around to face her but not stepping any closer. "We have not been for over five hundred years."
"Are you only just realising this?" Adriana deadpanned, the soft smile disappearing from her face.
"Maybe." Elijah admitted, staring at his hands before lifting his head to look into her eyes.
"You being humble, who would've knew." Adriana smirked softly, laughter lighting her arms and melting away the cold grip on her heart. "Certainly not me."
"We need a new start." Elijah continued, standing straight and ignoring her comment. "A reset. We, and this city, will never survive if we continue the way we are going."
"I fail to see where this is going."
Tilting her head in curiosity, Adriana stood perfectly still as Elijah stepped forward and looked her in the eye.
"Hello, Adriana Mafiay." Elijah smiled, nervously holding out a hand. "My name is Elijah Mikaelson."
She didn't move. She ripped her eyes away from Elijahs and openly stared at the hand in shock. Her lips parted, and her brown eyes flickering between him and his hand.
It was only when Elijah hung his head and was about to retract his hand did Adriana move.
"Hello, Elijah Mikaelson." Adriana smiled back, hesitantly taking his hand and shaking it. "My name is Adriana Mafiay. I hope we can be friends."
For once in their lives, they were on equal footing.
They will never go back to the way it was once upon a time. They will never go back to the fairytale, the fights, the cheating, the screaming, and endless pain.
But, Adriana contemplates, they could be friends.
"And so, the wolf king stood alone. Happily ever after, it was not. But, sometimes, even the worst endings are not really endings at all. And, you should know, my littlest wolf, that even when all seems burnt to ash- in our story, there is always another chapter to be told."