Hello loves!

I'm not too sure if anything in my life is interesting enough to put in this disclaimer so… I'll just head along with the usual ones.

I own nothing even though I wish I did. I only own Aria and my OCs. Now let's get on with it!

~*•°•*~

Aria glared at the Hybrid – Tyler who sat on the other side of the room at the Abattoir as vampires crowded around them. Marcel had quickly called a meeting after Tyler's revelation that Hayley was carrying Klaus' child. Whilst her dad was most certainly a good leader, he had never quite mastered patience. Especially if it involved one of his enemies.

"You already knew that, didn't you?" A voice asked from beside her. She showed no other recognition towards the statement other than a barely noticeable nod.

Kol chuckled, "That was what you discovered the night you met 'Bekah for the first time, wasn't it? You were pacing your room like you'd gone mad. Quite frankly it wasn't as amusing after a while."

"Good to know that's how you view me." She muttered as she rolled her eyes, stopping his likely sarcastic next remark with a slight gesture towards her father as he began talking,

"All right, I'm here. Let's do this. I'll keep this simple. This kid is an old enemy of your favorite person Klaus. And he's got plenty to say about what that traitor son of a bitch has been up to behind my back. Now, for those of you faint of heart, there's the door. Because those who stick around, you're signing up for battle."

He smirked and gave a small, proud nod when no one left the room before gesturing to Tyler to begin speaking,

"You all know Klaus wasn't always the hybrid. When he broke the curse that kept his werewolf side dormant, somewhere in all that, certain parts were now able to trump his vampire side. Like the ability to pass on the werewolf gene. That's where the werewolf girl he's been hiding from you all comes in. She rode through my town, pretended to be my friend, and then end up hooking up with him. Now, she's pregnant with his kid."

Diego scoffed, "What the hell is this?"

"Just listen." Marcel pushed.

"When Klaus became the hybrid, he figured out a way to turn full-bred werewolves into creatures like him." He raised his hand, "You're looking at one of them. On the plus side, we had all the perks of being vampires. We're stronger, faster. And, the toxins in our bites could still kill a vampire. But on the downside, we were loyal to him. Like, supernaturally loyal."

"Right, and that's why you're here, spilling all his secrets?" Diego finished as Aria rolled her eyes.

"For God's sake Diego, that's the damn point. He's obviously figured out a way to break free of it." She sassed as he glared at her. She stuck her tongue out at him childishly before slouching down in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Come on Darling, there's no need to be so childish." Kol reprimanded, though Aria didn't need to turn around to know he was smirking at her, as he so eloquently put it, 'childish actions'.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please. You're a ghost, you can't tell me what to do." She muttered before turning back to Tyler who was nodding,

"And I helped the rest of them too. Then Klaus killed them for their betrayal." He explained, pausing when Rebekah walked into a room, drawing a large smile from Aria.

She hadn't been lying when she'd said that Rebekah was her favourite Original.

Rebekah spoke up, "Because that is what Klaus does." She announced as Tyler gave her a look, "Don't mind me, I'm fascinated by this story. Hello, Tyler."

"Rebekah. Long time no see."

"What Tyler was about to tell you is that my brother can use his baby's blood to sire more hybrids. What you will all figure out is that vampires don't stand a chance. So, Tyler, I assume you were trying to rally this lot into making sure the baby isn't born."

It wasn't a question. Rebekah already knew the answer.

"Yeah. You don't like it? Go on and take your brother's side. But you know I'm right."

Marcel chuckled, "I believe you've mistaken the lady's intentions."

Diego frowned in confusion, "Alright. What's going on?"

Rebekah sighed, "You were absolutely right, Tyler. My brother is a crap enough individual as it is. The last thing he needs is to sire a superior species." She turned to Marcel, "Go on, you can tell them."

"She's not here to fight us. She's here to help us." Aria murmured as Marcel repeated what she said a moment later and Kol chuckled in amusement.

"That's right. But first-" Rebekah sped over to Tyler and snapped his neck swiftly before sitting down in the chair he had previously inhabited, "That is enough talk about harming that baby. Klaus is the one we're putting a stop to."

Marcel made eye contact with Aria and, as if already knowing what he wanted her to do, she sighed in aggravation and stood up, leaving the room with a slight stomp in her step.

"Where are you going?"

Aria turned around to look at him as she continued to walk, "To check up on Josh obviously."

Kol frowned, "Josh?" He asked, tone trying to seem nonchalant.

He sounded almost… jealous? No wait, that couldn't be right. Aria sighed and shook her head slightly to get rid of the most obviously insane thoughts.

"A vampire I helped to un-compel from your brother's… well… compulsion. I'd like to pay him a little visit. Dad wants me to see if he has any entail on Klaus but, I won't stretch my luck."

Kol was silent for the rest of the journey.

~*•°•*~

Aria walked through the large open doorway of the small building by the docks as she listened out for Josh, hearing clanging, she smiled and walked towards it. She gently tiptoed over to him and waited patiently behind him as she waited for him to turn around. When he did, she spoke, "Hello Josh!"

Josh visibly flinched and dropped the spanner he was holding as he let out a small sound of surprise, "God, Aria! What the hell?" He demanded, though there was no anger in his voice. She heard Kol let out a soft growl at his words and rolled her eyes slightly, filing away the unusual behaviour for later as she smiled unabashedly at Josh.

"You're a vampire, Josh. You should've been able to hear me coming from the moment I stepped into this building. Hell, from the moment I stepped foot on this street."

"I'm still kinda new at this if you didn't realise. I'm not all… well you get it." He finished lamely as Aria smiled sympathetically at him.

"You're doing good already, Josh. Don't worry. Maybe I'll have someone help you! Not Diego though, he'd sooner discard his daylight ring than do anything I say. He never really liked me."

"And what a pity that is for him." A voice from behind her said. Josh flinched once again however Aria only raised a delicate eyebrow as she turned to look at Klaus.

"Hello Klaus."

He tipped his head slightly in greeting, "Aria."

"Tell me, why do I get the feeling you studied theater?" She asked as Kol snorted and the corner of Klaus' lip twitched slightly.

"All the world's a stage, Aria. Now run along, I have to talk with young Joshua here."
Aria narrowed her eyes but did as he requested and began to walk away after a quick goodbye to Josh, before she left however, she stopped by Klaus' ear, "We have an agreement. But if you hurt Josh, it'll be null and void. I think you'll soon find that all your talk of 'I'll kill you, Aria' is a hell of a lot harder than you thought. I am the single most protected person in this entire city, after all. So please, listen to me before I'm made to do something I'll regret. I have nothing against Hayley or… well you know who else I'm referring to." She smiled pleasantly at him before leaving.

After a moment or two of silence as she walked back to the Quarter, Kol spoke up, "What did you mean back there?"

She shrugged as if it weren't an issue and he moved to stand in front of her, eyes searching her face with that look back in his eyes again, "Did he threaten you?"

"When doesn't your brother threaten someone, Kol?" She questioned as he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes for a moment as he took a breath.

"I'm sorry."

Aria softened slightly, "It wasn't your fault. Besides, I've warned him what'll happen should he hurt Josh considering he knows that I know about his unborn baby and have known since… well months ago. He won't hurt me and he most certainly doesn't scare me."

Kol smirked softly, "So brave. I'm not sure if it's foolish or not."

Aria smiled, "I would sooner stake myself than be foolish, Kol. Surely you must know that by now." She teased as he laughed slightly, "Besides, somewhere inside that… cold lifeless exterior of Klaus Mikaelson, there's an actual human soul. And I aim to help bring that out. And before you say I sound sappy, I only say that because I'd really just like not to see the vampires who raised me die at his hands when he has a tantrum." She clarified as he smiled.

"But anyways. I have to get back to the Compound." She smirked, "Apparently there's a plan involving Klaus and whatever it is, I want in."

~*•°•*~

Aria leant back on the cold stone wall of the second storey of the Abattoir as she watched Klaus walk in. Knowing she was securely hidden away in the shadows at least for the moment, she thought about how this moment had actually begun.

She and Kol had walked to the Abattoir and had had a surprisingly good… no… decent conversation considering their unspoken agreement not to talk of Klaus and his threats towards her which had managed to elicit an abnormally strong reaction from him. And a negative reaction if she'd ever seen one.

Then when she'd actually found out the plan, she'd been torn between pure and utter elation and wanting to bang Diego's head in (He had been unfortunate enough to explain the plan to her) but the rage had quickly been dispelled.

She didn't by any means like Klaus after all.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Klaus entering the compound only to find Marcel waiting for him.

"Klaus." Marcel spoke, voice void of emotion.

"You've been avoiding my calls." Was the first thing Klaus said as Aria rolled her eyes.

"Little pissed off lately."

"Apologies for my behavior can come later. You have something of mine. I want it back."

Marcel pulled out a silver dagger and held it up. The silver dagger.

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

He held the dagger out to his side and Rebekah walked over to him as she took it. Klaus' eyes narrowed and he looked between them, unamused and most certainly suspicious.

"What is this?" He questioned.

Rebekah scoffed, "Apologies for your behavior? You don't apologise, Nik. You just act. I've had enough. We have had enough. "

"Look at you. Finally in possession of the one thing that can take you down. How does it feel?"

"Great."

Marcel whistled, and Aria watched as a dozen or two vampires come out of the woodwork to fill the balconies. Klaus took a look around in faux concern before he laughed,

"So this is it? The evil bastard Klaus has gone too far, must be punished. And by his own sibling, nonetheless. How positively biblical. And you, Marcel, is this." He gestured around the room as he pointed to the vampires, "Your idea of a hit? I taught you better than this… paltry excuse for a take down. Do you think you can subdue me with this!?"

"No. But I think I can with this." He said as he whistled once more and dozens more vampires appeared out from the darkness.

Aria smirked as Klaus' smirk faded ever so slightly as he looked around.

"And it begins." Aria murmured, oblivious to the concerned glance being sent to her from the very brother of the one they were trying to take down.

"Don't do this, little witch. Please. He'll have no mercy towards you." Kol murmured desperately.

The other vampires slowly began closing in on Klaus in a circle. Klaus let out a small scoff and spread his arms, "Let's end this charade, shall we?" Klaus offered, "Vampires of New Orleans! Do recall that I am an Original - a hybrid. I cannot be killed. Eternity is an awfully long time. How long do you think Marcel will stay in power? What if one of you lot were to release me, knowing I will be eternally in your debt? Oh, I would pity those of you who dared to cross me. I can assure you; your ends would be spectacular. To borrow a trick from an old friend." He held out his hand and revealed a large gold coin, "Whoever picks up this coin gets to live." He dropped the coin in front of him before standing back up, "Now, which of you magnificent bastards wants to join me?"

Marcel shrugged, "Anyone wants that coin, pledge allegiance to Klaus. Take it now. Go ahead. The choice is yours."

When no one moved, Klaus' confident smirk slipped slightly once again. Aria smirked, he was obviously expecting someone to join him.

Before Marcel could say anything, Aria whispered a single command, knowing they would be able to hear her, "Take him."

Some of the vampires straight up lunged for Klaus, but they were easily taken out. However, when Klaus stretched his arms wide on either side, two other vampires wrapped his wrists in chains. Aria looked triumphant for a moment, before her smile dropped as Klaus' hybrid face came out. He growled and broke through the chains before viciously biting and killing every vampire who began to get anywhere near him. Aria stumbled backwards in surprise before narrowing her eyes and clenching her jaw.

Marcel had told her to stay out of the actual fighting but to hell with that if innocent vampires were going to continue being killed.

She began muttering the curse under her breath and watched as Klaus began to drop to his knees as his bones began to break, she ignored the yells for her to stop from Kol. All she could focus on was the pure and blinding rage she was feeling.

The only reason she began to stop was when she saw someone else standing in front of her and blocking her view,

"What are you doing?" She growled, absentmindedly noticing that the vampires began fighting again, "I had him!"

"You would've died." Kol hissed, his expression scared for the first time in which she'd known him.

She looked at him oddly before she felt it. Her hand pulled away from her side and she tentively reached up to her face. She pulled her hand back and let out a shaky breath once she saw bright crimson soaking her fingers.

"You would've killed yourself." Kol repeated, his voice now gentler.

"I-I didn't-"

"You didn't know what you were doing but you did it anyway. You have to stop."

"You only care because you don't want to be alone again!" She hissed.

"I care because I don't want to lose you!" He hissed back as she froze. She vaguely heard the fighting stop beneath her as her father picked up the coin and surrendered but she wasn't focusing on that. She couldn't focus on that.

She wouldn't.

Not with what Kol had just said.

Kol. Kol Mikaelson. The wild card of the Originals. Quite possibly the most dangerous out of them all next to Klaus.

And he'd just said he didn't want to lose her.

It felt like hours passed as the duo just stared at each other, neither knowing what to say and each at awe with what was running through their own minds.

She blinked and looked behind him as she slowly walked over to the edge of the banister, choking back a sob as she looked at all the dead vampires laid out on the floor as others walked around them.

"I'm sorry." Kol murmured, gesturing to the vampires.

"All they did was fight. And now they're dead."

"You should know that your father picked up the coin. My brother won't kill him."

Aria released a sigh of relief she didn't even realise she was holding, "Thank God."

"However, he's taken back the Abattoir for himself."

"As long as dad's alright. Then everything'll be fine. Besides, we have something Klaus never will. Loyalty. You can't buy it, you can't own it and you can't force it. It comes only out of love and respect for the people who believe in you. Klaus taught Marcel Gerard many things, but that he learnt himself. And it is something that he'll never know. I hope he enjoys his kingdom." She murmured.

~*•°•*~

Aria walked into Davina's attic and smiled softly when she saw the girl in question sleeping. She made a move for the bathroom and washed her face fresh of all the blood before gently drying it off with a soft towel. When she walked back into the room, Davina was awake and smiling at Aria.

"Are you alright? I heard what happened."

"Dad's fine. That's all I could hope for." Aria replied as she went to lie down next to the witch on her bed.

"I found a spell to get rid of the spirit if you want it." She commented offhandedly after a moment, "I mean, Kol Mikaelson. That can't be too pleasant."

Aria smiled, "You know what? I think he's starting to grow on me."

~*•°•*~

As Always, SecretMidnightRose