Phoenix Rising
Ch. 54
Katie and Klaus laid in bed both awake, laying on their back staring up at the ceiling, lost in their own thoughts. But eventually Klaus broke the silence. "I have a confession to make." Katie turned onto her side to look at him with her head resting on his bare arm. "I called Bonnie yesterday evening." He admitted.
"Why?" Katie drawled with suspicious eyes.
"I asked if she could consult the witches on the other side before they are torn away and find out if you can be turned again." He told her with a tone that said he was worried she might get mad at him.
"And I'm guessing she was alive to give you an answer?" she asked and he nodded. "So can I be turned after this baby is born?"
"Do you want the short, yes or no, answer or the long explanation." he asked.
"Short then long." She answered.
"The short answer is yes, you can still become a vampire after the baby is born." He answered making her smile. "Turns out when someone takes the cure, one magic is replaced with another so they can not be turned afterwards. Even after that cure is taken from their blood by another who wishes to be human the essence of the magic is left behind rendering any other magic mute." Katie sat up and crossed her legs to look at him while he explained things to her. He placed his hand on her leg and rubbed it as he continued talking. "In your case one magic didn't replace another. The magic that made you a vampire simply faded away leaving no trace of it behind. Because, as a vampire you were healed of all ailments, your human body was in perfect condition to carry on as normal. Since your body is now magic free, you can be made vampire again."
"How do we know those witches are any more reliable than the witches here?" Katie asked suspiciously.
"Do you really think your best friend would rely on untrustworthy witches?" Klaus answered her question with a question. "She and I believe them, so perhaps you should too."
Katie took in a deep breath then let it out. "Okay, when our daughter turns one I will gladly let you turn me."
"That is another thing I wish to discuss with you." he told her as he sat up to be eye level with her. "I understand why you wish to wait that long, but I fear, after the multiple threats on your life here of late, that you will not make it a full year." He rested his hand on the side of her neck and looked her in the eyes. "I cannot, and will not, lose you."
Katie tilted her head and chewed on the inside of her lip, looking into his eyes as she thought about it. After a minute she took in a deep breath and bit her lips closed as she moved to straddle him. He held her sides in his perfect hands. "How about you give me three days with you two as a human, then you can feed me your blood and chose the best way to turn me."
"I think I can live with that." he told her with a crooked smile, happy she didn't fight him tooth and nail on the subject. He knew she wanted to breast feed their daughter for a year, but when push came to shove what was best for their daughter was to have a mother who was alive to help raise her.
"Thank you for talking to Bonnie." she told him with a gentle smile back. "Having our baby aside, I hate being human."
"Don't thank me yet." He told her making her smile fade. "I didn't just talk to Bonnie about you being able to turn. I also told her I didn't much like her leaving you to wonder day to day if she was alive or not. You're stressed enough as it is, you don't need to be left in the dark when it comes to your friends."
As if on cue her text tone chimed and when Katie didn't get it, expecting Klaus to keep talking he looked at her phone then back at her. So she grabbed it off the bedside table and looked at it to see a text from Bonnie. "Hey, I'm still alive. We're still looking for a way to fix the other side. What I didn't tell you was the girls don't know that I will disappear with the other side. I'll tell them when the time is right, I promise. I also promise to text you at least once a day and let you know how things are going here in Mystic Falls. Elena and Damon are currently off again, but other than that and this mess with the other side, we're okay. Love you girl, talk to you soon."
Katie smiled sadly and texted back, "It's good to hear from you. I won't tell the girls, it's not my place to. That doesn't surprise me about Damon and Elena. Love you too, Bon, please stay safe." she hit send then looked up at Klaus who was looking at her like he didn't know if she was going to be mad at him for putting himself in her business with her friends. "Have I told you how much I love you recently?"
The worried look faded from his face and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "No, but I never tire of hearing it."
She smiled as she moved back to sit in his lap with her legs wrapped around him and placed her hands on each side of his neck. "How many stars do you think there are in outer space?" she asked as she looked around in thought.
Klaus smiled and shook his head, taking in her sleep mussed auburn locks. "I have no idea."
"Well," she started as he picked her up and laid her back on the bed, hovering over her from the side as he placed random kisses over her chest, "whatever that number is, take it and multiply it by a million and it still wouldn't touch how much I love you."
Klaus pulled away with a smile on his face. "Well, that is a sizable amount, but I wonder," he looked around in thought, "if there are more tiny, little grains of sand on the earth," he held his thumb and pointer finger up in a pinching manner to show the size then dropped it to cup her cheek in his hand with his arm resting on her pajama tank top covered chest, "than there are stars in the sky, because you could multiply whatever that number is by a billion and it wouldn't touch how much I love you."
A smile spread over her face at his confession. Yes, they were being cheesy and they both knew it, but neither of them cared. The cheesy moments tended to be the most memorable.
While Klaus and Genevieve sat in the formal dining room where Genevieve worked on combining three spells from Esther's grimoire to make the enhanced moonlight rings, Elijah and Katie sat in the lounge, Elijah having a drink at the bar. "We've been building up to this for months. Is it crazy that I'm really freaking nervous now that the day to make moonlight rings is finally here?" Katie asked as she paced the room.
"No, any number of things could go wrong, but we will do our best to make sure nothing does." Elijah answered calmly.
"Klaus said Marcel has gotten word that we're planning something with the wolves, what if he decides to do something stupid and screw up our plan?" she asked still pacing.
"You are letting your fears get the best of you." Elijah pointed out.
Klaus walked in and Katie was glad Genevieve wasn't with him. "Genevieve is working on combining the spells as we speak." He grabbed Katie by the shoulders stopping her pacing. "Everything is going according to plan." He told her with a pointed look and Katie nodded then took in a deep breath and let it out in an attempt to calm down.
"We have a problem." Hayley announced as she walked into the room. Klaus rolled his eyes and let his shoulders fall at her bad timing. "Jackson and Oliver were supposed to be back with the stones hours ago."
"You were saying?" Katie asked with a look at Klaus.
He sighed and gave Hayley the evil eye. "Hello, Hayley, come on in. Make yourself at home." He told her as he watched her flop down on the couch in the room. He looked at Katie and cupped her chin in his hand. "I will take care of this." He gave her a pointed look. "Do me a favor and stay here?" he asked and she nodded. "Try to stay calm."
As Klaus pecked her on the lips Nate walked in. "Did I miss something?" he asked with a look between Klaus and Katie.
"Katie will fill you in." Klaus answered as he walked past Nate and out of the door.
Nate looked at Katie with raised brows. She stuck her head out the doors and looked around to make sure Genevieve wasn't around then closed them. "Klaus and I never broke up." she told Nate quietly. "It was all a lie, a part of a plan that is coming to a head today." She told him the whole plan while Elijah listened at the door, making sure they weren't overheard.
"So you're telling me that Klaus never cared about Genevieve, it was just an act to soften her up and trick her into doing a moonlight ring spell. And the rings will make the wolves more powerful and put them above vampires on the strength scale?" Nate asked. "Why?"
"This baby needs a safe environment to grow up in." Katie answered. "None of us were fool enough to think the factions would adhere to this peace treaty for long. Getting them to see that they can all live in peace was just the first step. Once the wolves get their rings they will be the army needed to ensure the factions stick to the treaty. As long as everyone plays nice, the factions can live their lives freely and the wolves will no longer be outcast to the bayou. The only time the wolves will be utilized is if anyone comes after me or if they're stupid enough to come after them."
"You people are crazy if you think Marcel will go down without a fight." Nate told her seriously.
"We're hoping that he'll see that he can't beat us and join us." she replied.
Elijah's phone started ringing so he answered it and put it on speaker phone. "We've located their car on a back road in the middle of nowhere. I suspect they've been shanghaied."
"Really what gave you that idea?" Hayley, who Katie had honestly forgotten was in the room, replied.
"The only person who would be bold enough to snatch my wolf allies is the one who has the most to lose." Klaus continued, ignoring Hayley.
"Marcel." Elijah surmised.
"No, he'll kill them." Hayley pointed out the obvious.
"Genevieve assures me that Marcel has procured a cloaking spell. The only witch that will aid Marcel is Davina. I just need to get one last bit of leverage before I pay her a visit." Klaus told them.
Katie took the phone from Elijah and took it off of speaker, "What exactly are you planning on doing?"
"I'd prefer not to say." He told her sounding like he was afraid she might find a way to reach through the phone and punch him if he did.
"We are partners, remember." she reminded him.
"Joshua is my leverage and I plan on biting him." answered matter-of-factly.
Katie sighed. "Fine, but only bite him if Davina won't answer you willingly then cure him as soon as you get what you need from Davina and not a second later." Klaus didn't respond. "Please, Klaus."
"Fine, I will try it your way." Klaus agreed with a sigh and she was pretty sure an eye roll.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." He hung up and Katie handed Elijah his phone back.
"Why would you allow him to hurt Joshua?" Elijah asked having listened to their conversation, worried about what Klaus was planning.
"Because, unfortunately, a few eggs need to be broken in order to make an omelet." She answered with a sigh not liking it even though she understood it.
Thirty minutes later Klaus called and told them he knew where Marcel was with Jackson and Oscar. He also assured Katie that while he did have to bite Josh, he had healed him and he was okay, but Davina was still pissed. She expected as much, but hoped there was some way they could make it up to them later.
So Elijah met up with Klaus, leaving Katie with Nate, Hayley and Genevieve. Katie paced the common room while the others sat around patiently. "Klaus should have called by now." Katie complained as she slipped her hand over her dark grey shirt dress covered stomach.
"You should sit down, try to keep calm." Genevieve spoke up.
"Yeah, worrying raises blood pressure and high blood pressure is bad for you and the baby." Nate spoke up.
"Says Doctor Nate." Katie quipped still pacing. "I hate not being able to help."
"Don't you get it?" Genevieve asked making Katie stop pacing to frown at her. "You're the point of all this. Klaus and Elijah running all over town…it's all for you. I'm actually a bit envious." Genevieve told her with a shrug.
"You take what's mine and yet you still envy me." Katie popped off with a sarcastic tilt of her head then took a sip of the bottle of water in her hand.
"I may have Klaus's love, but you're still the mother of his child and as such he will always care about you. Not to mention Elijah has a soft spot for you." Genevieve pointed out. "Nice bracelet by the way." Katie took in a deep breath and cracked her neck in an attempt to calm herself and talk herself out of finding something to shove into Genevieve's carotid artery. As she did she noticed Hayley giving her a look that could've caught her head on fire.
"I need fresh air." Katie excused herself to the balcony as Hayley stood up with her phone in hand and left the room. Not long after, Nate joined her on the balcony and told her that the building Klaus, Elijah and Jackson were in exploded while Hayley was on the phone with Elijah.
They were still standing on the balcony when Elijah, Klaus and Jackson came into the common room. Jackson was injured, but Klaus and Elijah, being quicker healers, were fine.
Since Genevieve had left to check on the harvest girls and their training Katie rushed to Klaus and hugged him. "I'm invincible, Love, no need to worry about me." he told her then kissed the top of her head.
"Just because you're invincible doesn't mean I don't have to worry about you." She countered as she pulled away from him then went to the ice bucket and decanter set in the room and made a drink. When she handed it to him he gave her a look considering he usually made his own drinks. "I forgot for a hot minute that I can't have it."
"So where are the stones?" Hayley asked with a look between Elijah, Jackson and Klaus.
"Scattered across the bed of the Mississippi, I imagine." Elijah answered.
"Marcel is no fool." Klaus spoke up as he hugged Katie from behind. "He knows an empowered werewolf army would mean the end of vampires in New Orleans. The explosion was his way of saying he means to prevent that, for all the good it'll do him." he took a drink from the glass Katie had handed him.
"So it was Marcel that bombed the bayou?" Katie asked with a look at him over her shoulder.
"The explosives in the building today matched those used in the Bayou." Klaus answered.
"Well," Hayley spoke up, "it did him pretty damn well, didn't it?" she said with a look between the originals before she went back to checking Jackson over for injuries.
"This is my fault. I will find a way to fix it." Jackson spoke up for the first time.
"No, Jack, you're hurt, and no one is blaming you." Hayley told him.
"I'm blaming you." Klaus spoke up. "Those stones will be hard to replace. Fortunately, we always have a back up plan." He looked down at Katie making the rest of them look at her.
"I called Francesca as soon as I heard that Marcel had gotten his hands on Jackson and Oliver." Katie answered. "It was a failsafe we discussed a few days ago and one I hoped we wouldn't have to fall back on, but we had no choice."
"Seriously? The woman is literally a gangster." Hayley argued.
"I see her more as a means to procuring rare items at short notice." Klaus commented and Katie's phone dinged.
"She's about to walk through the courtyard doors." Katie informed them so they all headed down.
"Greetings, Ms. Correa. I see you've brought company." Klaus said as they walked down the stairs to meet Francesca and four men who stood behind her like body guards.
"These are my brothers." Francesca informed them. "I always include them in delicate business matters." She glanced back at her brothers. "Fellas, meet Mr. Mikaelson and Miss Finnegan."
"Please, call me Klaus, all my friends do." He told them as he tucked his hands behind his back.
"I don't know if I'd call us friends, but if you and Marcel are planning on having a little throw down," Francesca turned to one of her brothers who held up a metal briefcase and opened it for her. "I'd prefer my family be on the same side as the inevitable victor." She turned back to Katie and Klaus, who stood side by side while Hayley, Elijah and Nate stood behind them, a small felt drawstring bag in her hand.
"Then you have what we asked for." Klaus assumed.
"Not enough for an army at such short notice," she put the bag in Klaus's hand, "but it's a start."
"Strange," Elijah walked up to stand next to Katie, "I wasn't aware that she was familiar with our plan."
"My price for doing business is full disclosure." Francesca spoke up as Klaus took out a black stone and examined it. "Your brother and his partner complied."
"And what does the human faction expect to benefit from all this?" Elijah asked.
"I only want to solidify our allegiance to the ruling class." Francesca answered. "It's good for business."
"If only everyone shared your capacity for reason." Klaus told her with a smirk.
"Sadly they don't." Francesca said with a tone that was more serious and harsh than her already hard tone. "Marcel is being especially vindictive. I'm worried he might come after me or my family just for meeting with you." She stepped closer to them. "It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts."
"So be it." Klaus told her then looked at Katie. "The more bodies we have to defend the compound, the better. Right?"
"I don't have a problem with it." Katie shrugged so Klaus looked back at Francesca.
"Let's get started shall we?" Klaus asked as he held his hand out to the formal dining room where Genevieve would be performing the spell.
Katie, Elijah, Klaus and Hayley stood around the table in the formal dining room while Genevieve chanted a spell over the stones that were scattered in a circle of salt with a three legged swirl in the middle of it.
Francesca let herself in. "My people say Marcel is on the move and he's bringing friends." she told them sounding a bit scared.
Klaus looked at Elijah, "Get Katie to safety."
"No." Katie told them making Klaus stop. "She's not leaving my sight until the spell is done." She told him referring to Genevieve.
"Mine either." Hayley spoke up.
When a few seconds of silence passed Francesca spoke up. "You two should go. My brothers and their security detail won't be much against a vampire army." When the two brothers shared an unsure look Francesca said, "I'll stay with Katie and Hayley. We will be fine, go."
Nate let himself into the room and looked at Klaus. "You know I'll protect her with my life."
Klaus sighed and went to Katie. "You do not leave his side for anything." Katie nodded so he and Elijah left to protect them from Marcel and his vampires.
Not too long after Klaus and Elijah left the room the sounds of fighting in the courtyard floated into the room. One of Francesca's security men came in and informed her that they needed to go and her brothers were already leaving. "Not yet." Francesca told him not taking her eyes off the stones. Something about the way she was looking at them rubbed Katie the wrong way, but she brushed it off considering she just didn't like Francesca.
Katie's phone started ringing, but she silenced it when she saw that it was just Cami. After chanting the spell a few more times Genevieve stopped and picked up one of the stones, looking at it. "The stones are finished. I've done my part. Now it's up to you."
"I'll get them to the bayou." Hayley said as he walked over to collect the stones.
"Actually, she was talking to me." Francesca cut in as she walked over to Genevieve and held her hand out.
"Excuse me?" Katie asked as she walked around the table to stand next to Hayley and Nate followed.
"What the hell is this?" Hayley asked.
Genevieve turned her back on Katie and Hayley and placed the stone in Francesca's hand. "Call it a side deal. Point is I'm taking the stones." Francesca told them.
"First of all, like hell you are and second what do humans need with moonlight stones?" Katie asked.
"You can't tell me you seriously think the human's can go up against the originals." Hayley added.
"No, I don't, but I'm not human." Francesca grabbed the knife off the table and slit the body guard's throat, making him fall to the floor. Francesca bent over in pain, holding her stomach before she stood up showing them her yellow werewolf eyes. "I'm like you, Hayley. And now I'm gonna take back my town."
Hayley started for Francesca, but Genevieve cast a spell on her and she fainted. Nate whooshed to her and grabbed her by her neck, but she brain pained him making him let her go before she knocked him out too. Katie, who kept a magic muting bomb in her pocket anytime Genevieve was around, grabbed it and threw it at her then tried to run for the doors, but the bomb had no effect on her and with a twist of Genevieve's hand she too passed out and fell to the floor.
Katie woke up, cradled in the arms of a man, a searing pain shot through her back and around to her stomach making her scream out in pain. Genevieve was walking ahead of the man. "What the hell did you do to me you psychotic bitch!?" Katie yelled at Genevieve's back.
"I had to subdue you, when I did the trauma caused a placental abruption. You're having your baby tonight." Genevieve answered not bothering to stop walking to talk to her face.
Katie mustered her strength and elbowed the guy holding her in the face. He dropped one arm to grab his bleeding nose and as soon as she tried to run anther wave of pain rendered her unable to even move. Two men grabbed her by her arms and started dragging her into Saint Ann's. "Let me go!" she fought with all her might to get out of their grasp, but it was no use.
"Get her on the floor." Genevieve told the three female witches that took her from the men and sat her on the steps at the front of the sanctuary.
"We should take her to the city of the dead." Monique argued with Genevieve.
"We won't make it. The baby is coming now." Genevieve argued back.
Genevieve made a move toward Katie and Monique grabbed her arm. "The plan was to induce her when the sacrifice was ready."
"I don't know how much you know about the human body, but when a baby is coming there is no stopping it, even with magic. We'll just have to adapt." Genevieve told her condescendingly.
"What sacrifice are you talking about?" Katie asked as Genevieve and Monique walked over to her and kneeled down.
"To be reborn, we must sacrifice." Monique told her.
"I'm sorry," Katie said as she tried her best to breathe through the pain, "I don't speak bratty teenaged witch." She visibly tensed and gritted her teeth when another wave of pain rolled over her.
"The ancestors demand an offering in exchange for power." Genevieve told her in human talk.
"And your child will be a fine offering." Monique added.
"If you so much as lay a finger on her I will murder every witch in this hell hole of a city!" Katie yelled at Monique.
"No, you won't, and neither will Klaus or Elijah." Monique told her. "When your baby is born, we will offer it up to those who came before us."
"Screw you!" Katie yelled and head butted Monique making her fall on her ass and grab her head in pain.
Another witch took her place and put pressure on Katie's shoulder keeping her from head butting anyone else. "I'm sorry." Genevieve told her making Katie look at her. "If I don't sacrifice your baby the ancestors will kill me and I am not ready to die."
Katie sat up as much as she could, glaring at Genevieve with a searing hatred in her eyes. "You will pay for this." Her words came out as a growl and Genevieve actually looked a little scared for a second.
When another wave of pain rolled over her, Katie threw back her head and screamed Klaus's name as loud as she possibly could, not caring what it was doing to her vocal cords. She hoped with everything in her that he would hear her.
A few minutes later, when Katie was all screamed out and had been moved to the alter table of the church, Klaus finally showed up. Katie, weak from fighting just turned her head to the side and watched as he beheaded the male witch that tried to stand in his way then as Monique, Abigail and Genevieve used their powers to pick him up, move him across the sanctuary and pin him to the wall over the alter. He fought it, but he too had been weakened and couldn't fight their spell.
Most women cursed and screamed as they gave birth, but Katie didn't. She simply kept her eyes on Klaus and breathed through the pain knowing the baby was coming, there was no getting out of their current predicament and now that Klaus was there and just as powerless as her, screaming wouldn't help.
Genevieve picked up a silver dagger off of a nearby table and looked up at Klaus. "You should know this brings me no joy. I promise I'll make it quick." Katie still kept her eyes on Klaus as the two harvest girls tossed a sheet over Katie's bent knees. "Let's begin, shall we." Genevieve moved to the foot of the table.
Feeling her body telling her that it was time to push Katie did as it said. The whole time Klaus yelled profanities and threats at the witches. "I will bring hell to your doorstep!"
"I can see the head." Genevieve told Katie between pushes. "The baby's almost here." Katie pushed again but couldn't do it for long before she had to stop.
"I will bathe in rivers of your blood!"
"Come on, Katie, one last push." Genevieve prompted so Katie gathered all her strength and pushed once more.
"You will die screaming!"
As the pressure and pain finally eased, Genevieve took the baby into her hands. "It's here." she announced as the cord was cut with the silver dagger and the baby, covered in placental fluid and blood was wrapped in a white blanket. Genevieve, holding his daughter looked up at Klaus who had gone silent. "You have a beautiful baby daughter." For the first time Katie took her eyes off of Klaus to look at their baby. "We must start the sacrifice as soon as the moon sets with the morning sky."
"Please." Katie begged weakly, "Please give me my baby."
She was surprised when one of the witches helped her sit up and Genevieve placed the tiny girl in her arms. Overwhelmed with love and the relief of finally holding her blue eyed baby in her arms, tears slipped down her sweaty cheeks and she looked at Klaus. His blue eyes were wide as he too was overwhelmed by the sight of his daughter. Katie saw something in his face change a split second before a sharp pain shot across her neck and warm sticky blood flowed from her neck and down her chest. "No!" Klaus screamed.
Her eyes stayed on Klaus as she held on to the feel of her daughter in her arms as long as she could. Klaus had no other option but to watch as the fire in her eyes, that he loved so much, disappeared and they slipped shut. She fell back on the table as Genevieve took the baby from her limp arms.
Klaus screamed at them in anger as Genevieve, Monique and Abigail started out of the church, but Monique put a stop to it with a twist of her fist in the air, breaking Klaus's neck as he fell to the floor.
When he woke, he whooshed to Katie and slipped his arms under her, holding her bridal style, cradling her into her chest as tears slipped down his cheeks and sobs shook his body. No longer able to stand he slipped to the floor and leaned against the alter table.
"Bonnie?" Katie asked making Bonnie, who was standing in her and Elena's college dorm room, turn to look at her. "How did I get here?"
"No." Bonnie sighed, not answering Katie's question.
"No what?" Elena asked turning from where she stood putting clothes away in her dresser.
"It's Katie." Bonnie answered with wide eyes. "She's dead." Her words came out in a whisper.
"No. I can't be dead." Her eyes went wide. "Besides I'm human why would I go to the other side?" Katie argued.
"You're a reincarnation." Bonnie pointed out.
"How?" Elena asked with wide shocked eyes as she walked over to stand beside Bonnie.
Katie thought about it for a second before she remembered. "The witches…" she whispered as she placed her hand on her neck. "They took my baby then slit my throat…" Bonnie told Elena then held her hand out for Katie to take and pass through her. "No." Katie shook her head and took a step back. "I can't go to the other side. Not until I find out what happened to my baby."
Bonnie took her phone out of her back pocket and called Klaus. When the call went to voice mail after a few rings Bonnie hung up and tried again. He once again ignored it. "He keeps sending the call to voicemail."
"Then keep calling until he picks up." Katie pushed so Bonnie kept calling.
"Take a hint, love." Klaus answered then hung up.
Bonnie called him back and he picked up again. "Don't hang up. Katie's here."
"What do you mean?" he asked with a voice that told her if she was joking he would murder her.
"She's a reincarnation. So I can see her." Bonnie told him then put the phone on speaker so that Katie could hear him.
"Prove it." He told her. "How much did I tell her I loved her this morning?"
Katie answered the question and Bonnie repeated. "More than all the grains of sand on the earth." Bonnie paraphrased.
"Katie…" Klaus sighed.
"Ask him where the baby is, please." Katie told Bonnie, but before she could relay the message Katie's ghost disappeared.
"She's gone." Bonnie said with a look around.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Klaus asked.
"I mean she's disappeared and I don't' know where she went." Bonnie told him and Klaus hung up on her.
Katie gasped as she sat straight up on the table in the sanctuary of the church and looked around to see that she was alone. Her hand went to her blood crusted neck, remembering everything that had happened, the harvest girls pinning Klaus to the wall as she had the baby, holding her daughter while Genevieve slit her throat, then seeing Bonnie and Elena before she woke up here. "How am I back?" she asked herself as she slid off the table.
A woman walked into the church most likely to worship or to have a peaceful moment to herself. Instead her eyes landed on Katie, her hair clumped with sweat and blood wearing a dark grey, blood stained dress. "Oh lord…are you okay?" she asked as she rushed over to Katie, ready to help her. That's when Katie realized she could smell the blood that coursed through the woman's veins and the hunger that burned her veins.
"I am…so sorry." Katie told her making the woman give her a confused look before Katie grabbed her and sank her teeth into the woman's neck and drank a few gulps of blood then tilted her head back with a smile. This time when the pain of her fangs coming in pulsed through her mouth and sinuses she embraced it and the power and strength that came with it. She force fed the woman her blood then looked into her eyes. "Forget everything that that you saw and everything that happened after you set foot in this church."
As she walked out of the church and into the early morning light she looked down at her hand, happy she never stopped wearing her daylight ring. Then she realized she felt something. It was almost like her link to Elijah, but not as strong or detailed. It was more of a feeling than a link, but it was one that she needed to follow, so she did. When it led her to the cemetery she realized it was her daughter. "We've passed through here twice already." She heard Elijah saying nearby. "We're running out of time."
She heard glass break before Klaus said, "Then we move faster."
She whooshed to them. "Or you could follow me." Katie spoke up as she walked into the tomb Elijah and Klaus were in. Both of them looked at her as if they thought they were hallucinating, but when Katie ran to Klaus and threw her arms around him he realized she was really there.
"How are you here?" Elijah asked.
"I don't know for sure, I just know I woke up in transition, fed on some poor woman then found my way here." Katie explained then pulled away from him. "I can feel her, I can feel our baby. So I need you two to follow me."
"Lead the way, Little Phoenix." Klaus told her with his hand held out to the doorway of the tomb.
They followed her straight to the three witches that were chanting around an alter, the baby lying in a basket of blankets in the middle of it. Genevieve had the dagger in her hand, raised over her head. "No!" Katie and Klaus yelled at the same time.
Elijah picked up a vase and threw it at Genevieve, knocking the dagger out of her hand. While Genevieve ran to retrieve the dagger Monique and Abigail joined hands then held their other ones up flinging Klaus, Katie and Elijah back. An army of ghost witches appeared between them and the two harvest girls. "You fools, to come against us in our place of power in our strongest hour." Monique told them. "You don't face three, you face us all."
"You handle them. I've got her." Katie told Klaus then ran in the direction she'd seen the dagger fall. She found it just as Genevieve was picking it up and kicked it out of her hand before she punched Genevieve twice. Thinking she had knocked her out Katie ran for her baby, but was stopped with a resounding pain in her head that made her stop and cry out and sink to the concrete on her knees. When Klaus threw a wrought iron spike from the cemetery fencing and impaled Abigail, the army of ghosts faded away.
Monique ran by Katie and grabbed the dagger. Katie managed to grab her ankle and trip her, but it didn't do much good because Genevieve intensified the pain making Katie let go of the girl's ankle. Katie yelled out in frustration as she fought against the pain, whooshed to Genevieve, grabbed her head and slammed it into the tomb beside them, knocking her out.
No longer in pain, Katie turned back to the alter to see Monique with the dagger raised above her head, but before Katie cold even whoosh over to stop her, a throwing star was imbedded into the young witch's chest. Two inch cuts covered her body and blood slipped from her open mouth before she fell to the ground.
As her eyes followed the direction the star had come from she saw Marcel, who whooshed to the alter, grabbed the basket and whooshed away. Klaus gave her a look that told her to stay with Elijah then whooshed away. Katie walked over to Elijah looking like she was ready to break.
Elijah wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. "You needn't worry. Marcel would never harm a child."
Katie pulled out of the hug. "Yet he bombed the bayou."
"I believe Francesca has been biding her time, stirring things up, waiting for her moment to strike." Elijah told her. "Regardless, Klaus will handle him. We have to take care of her." Elijah told her as Genevieve started to stir. Katie whooshed over and grabbed Genevieve by her arms that she quickly bent around behind her back in painful manner making Genevieve cry out. Katie brought her into a tomb and Elijah chained her up. "Why?" Elijah asked as he stepped back. "Was killing an innocent baby for more power really worth it?"
"Not just power. It was the ancestors' decree. It was her decree." Genevieve answered.
Elijah grabbed her face roughly in his hand, "I was whose decree?"
"I'm surprised you have to ask." Genevieve laughed. "After all, you were the one who convinced your siblings to consecrate her in New Orleans soil."
"Have I mentioned I hate your mom?" Katie asked from where she stood behind Elijah.
Elijah let go of Genevieve's face in disgust. "So, not even death can stop my mother from seeking the annihilation of her own flesh and blood."
"This isn't the end." Genevieve told them. "As long as that child lives, the witches of New Orleans will never stop coming for it. Ester will never stop coming for it. Is has been decreed. Your baby will be consecrated among her ancestors. She will not live." Genevieve started crying. "Tell Klaus I'm sorry."
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Katie asked as she walked over to stand face to face with Genevieve and Elijah gave her space to talk to Genevieve. "Klaus never cared about you. I told you…Klaus…loves…me. He loves his family, but you…? You are nothing more than the woman who drove a wedge between him and his family and the pathetic, naive bitch that severely underestimated me."
Blood replaced the tears that were freely slipping down Genevieve's cheeks. "They're coming for me." she sobbed.
"I've been dreaming about doing this for months now." Katie told her as she grabbed her neck in her hands. Genevieve's eyes went wide as her airflow was cut off. "Allow me to save the ancestors the trouble." She squeezed Genevieve's neck until her head fell to the ground and her headless body, dripping in blood, went limp in the chains. She stretched her neck with a sigh and rolled her shoulders. "God that felt good." When she turned around she saw Elijah looking at her with a concerned frown and when he looked down at her hands coated in blood and bits of flesh and bone she looked down at her hands, unaffected by the sight. Elijah whipped the handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it too her. She took it and wiped her hands as she walked past him headed to the compound.
Katie, now showered and wearing clean clothes, held her also freshly bathed baby in her arms as she rocked her in the chair in the nursery. "We should have felt our mother's hand in this." Klaus told Elijah where he and his brother sat on the bedroom. "We should have known she would not be bound by anything as obvious as death and now she has control of the witches. They will never stop."
"No they will not." Elijah agreed.
"Nor would I expect the Guerrera wolves to back down. Everyone knows the child can create hybrids and as such is a threat to the wolves and Francesca's claim to leadership. She will never be safe." Katie looked up from her daughter to Klaus. "What was it you said to me earlier, that I have made enemies every day of my miserable life? Well, the worst of them are within these borders, Brother." Elijah sighed and dropped his head. "I have brought into the world a weapon they can use against us."
"Then we will arm ourselves." Elijah argued. "Brother, we have fought every adversary in this town, and we have won, and we'll fight them again. No matter who they are. We will make this home a fortress."
Katie frowned and looked down at her baby who cooed at her. "I will not have her live her life as a prisoner." Klaus argued back saying what Katie was thinking.
"Then we leave here together, all of us." Elijah tried.
"Wherever we go, however far we run, those who seek power and revenge will hunt us, they will hunt her." Klaus pointed out. "She has inherited all our enemies with none of our defenses."
"So whether we stay or we leave, we condemn her." Elijah surmised.
The men got quiet, trying to come up with a solution. As Katie, looked at her daughter's blue eyes, chubby cheeks and her tiny hand that held her pinky, she realized if they wanted to keep their daughter safe there was only one thing they could do. Tears slipped down her cheeks at the thought of leaving Klaus and Elijah. "Katie?" Klaus asked as he walked over and kneeled by the rocking chair. "Are you alright, Love?"
"Yeah." She sniffled and the baby jerked at the loud sound, but didn't wake up. "I think I know what we need to do to keep her safe, but I don't like it and neither will you." Klaus and Elijah waited for her to continue. "Other than Marcel, no one knows this baby and I are alive and everyone knows our heads have been on the chopping block since we first sat foot in this town."
"What are you suggesting exactly?" Elijah asked with a frown.
"She wants to fake their deaths." Klaus guessed with wide eyes.
"Yes." Katie agreed. "We can leave town and find somewhere safe to hunker down or we'll stay on the move, whatever is the safest. We will stay away until the two of you fix this broken city and make it safe for the princess to return to her kingdom."
Klaus sighed and looked down, trying to hold back tears. "You will need someone to cloak you." he told her as he stood up and looked down at her. With the baby asleep Katie stood and laid her in her crib. Klaus walked over and stood beside her, looking down at his beautiful daughter. "But you can't do it alone." Katie looked away from their daughter to give him a questioning look. "Okay, you could, but you don't have to. I'm sure Rebekah would love the chance to be a true aunt to her niece."
"Is this really what we want to do?" Elijah asked and Klaus and Katie looked at each other then looked at him and nodded. "Then, I believe there are preparations to be made." Elijah left giving Klaus and Katie a few minutes together before they started making arrangements.
"What happened to Nate?" Katie asked and Klaus's eyes fell. "He didn't make it, did he?"
"He was amongst those bitten and finished off by the Guerrera's." Katie sighed and rested her forehead on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back comfortingly.
Klaus held their baby while Katie finished packing her bag. "So the witches killed me, the wolves killed our baby and Marcel has agreed to let you compel him to forget what he knows in exchange for vials of your blood?" Katie asked just wanting to make sure she had things straight.
"And Rebekah is on her way." he added. "You and I will meet her on the outskirts of the city tonight. Also Elijah and I took our grieving public. There is now a picture of you and something to represent baby Mikaelson on the memorial wall the city's residents have put together for the loved ones lost in last night's so called gang violence."
Katie put a shirt of his in a zip lock bag making him give her a curious look. "Call me weird, but I can't be away from you and not have something that smells like you."
He smiled and shook his head at her. "There are a few things left on our check list." He pointed out with a look down at the little nameless girl in his arms.
"I thought something would come to mind when I saw her face, but…nothing." Katie answered.
"Elijah said something to me this morning that stuck with me." Klaus told her. "He said that you and our baby are this family's hope. I think it a fitting name."
"Hope Dorothy Mikaelson." Katie said putting the names together as she slipped the back of her finger down her daughter's cheek. "I like it. What about you, Hope?" The baby squeaked making her parents laugh at her.
"I think she likes it." Klaus said with a smirk at Katie. "There's one thing I want before you have to go." He told her as his smirk fell and he handed Hope to her then sat down on the foot stool and motioned to the rocking chair so she sat down. "I want to see you sing to her."
Tears slipped down her cheeks and he reached out and wiped them away. She took a deep breath them let it out. "Hormones have nothing on heightened vampire emotions." She sighed and Klaus smiled. She leaned back in the chair and propped her feet up in his lap. When she was sure she could sing without crying she started, "Midnight moonlight shining through the curtain lace paints a perfect picture on your perfect face. One sweet angel sleeping in my arms." She kept her eyes on Hope as she sang, because if she looked at Klaus she would remember that this would be one of the last moments the three of them had together for a while. If she thought about that she would cry and she didn't want to ruin it. "And you'll never know how much we love you, but we'll keep on loving you our whole life through. Now I believe in miracles and you're the reason why. So dream on while I sing you my angel's lullaby."
When she looked up at Klaus she could see trails on his cheeks where he'd let a few tears fall. "Thank you, Little Phoenix."
"You're welcome, Big Bad Wolf." She told him as they stood up and he placed a tender kiss to her lips. When it broke and they pulled apart, he saw that her true face was showing. "I swear your kisses taste better than they used to." she told him with a smirk as she pushed back the urge to bite him.
"It's time." They heard Elijah say and they turned to see him standing in the doorway.
"What?" Katie asked with a look out the window to see the sun had set.
"Already?" Klaus asked as he too looked at the window.
Katie took in a deep breath as she laid hope in her crib then went to the vanity in the room and pulled three CD cases out. "I uh, honestly didn't know if I would make it through this pregnancy in one piece, so as soon as Klaus gave me my studio I started working on these." She handed one labeled with his name on it to Elijah then another to Klaus. "Most people probably would have just written letters, but that's not me, so…" she shrugged then looked at Klaus. "Just keep in mind I thought I would be dead when these found their way into your hands." She handed Klaus one with Baby M. written on it. "You might get more use out of this than Hope will. The song I sang earlier is on there." With those handed out she grabbed the car seat and sat it on the foot of the bed while Klaus went for Hope.
Elijah held his arms out for the baby to say his goodbye and Klaus passed her to him. "So I hear your name is Hope." He told the now bright eyed baby.
"We actually have you to thank for her name, Brother." Klaus pointed out.
"Our family's hope." Elijah whispered recalling what he'd said to his brother.
Not wanting to, but knowing they couldn't keep stalling Katie grabbed her bag and Hope's and threw the straps over her shoulder. Elijah kissed Hope's forehead then handed her to Klaus. While he put her in her car seat and strapped her in Katie went to Elijah. He took her hand in his and slipped his thumb over the infinity sign. When their eyes met she threw her arms around his neck not able to hold back her tears. "I'm gonna miss you, Button Pusher."
Elijah laughed as she let go and took a step back. "This house is going to be quiet without you, Songbird." He told her as he wiped her tears and she gave him a sad smile. She turned from him to Klaus who held the handle of hope's car seat in one hand and the other out to her.
They were both quiet as they drove out to the middle of nowhere and they ended up getting to the agreed meeting spot before Rebekah. So while Klaus got out and took Hope from her car set, wanting to hold her as much as he could before they had to go separate ways, Katie made a bottle of formula then brought it to him where he leaned against the hood of the car. Words didn't feel appropriate for the moment so she just leaned her head on his shoulder and watched him feed her.
Hope had finished her bottle, been burped and Klaus had his now free arm wrapped around Katie's waist when Rebekah pulled up, got out of her car then walked over to join them. Rebekah and Klaus looked at each other with small smiles, a huge contrast to the last time they'd seen one another. "Hello, Sister."
Rebekah looked down at Hope in Klaus's arms and moved the blanket she was wrapped in so that she could see her face. "She looks like her mother." Katie smiled when Rebekah glanced at her then back at Klaus. "Maybe there is a god after all."
Klaus quietly chuckled as he looked down at his daughter. "Well, she has a hint of the devil in her eyes. That's all me." they all smiled before Klaus got serious. "You'll need a witch you can trust to cast a cloaking spell."
"We'll find one." Rebekah told him.
"No one can ever find her." he replied.
Rebekah placed her hand on his arm. "I know what to do, Nik." Hope cooed and they looked down at her. "Perhaps we'll get a white fence. I think that will be lovely."
Preparing to hand Hope over to Rebekah, Klaus moved her around in his arms to hold her in both of his hands facing him. "This city would have seen you dead, but I will have it your home, and every soul who wishes you harm will be struck down." he whispered to his daughter. "Just as sure as my blood runs through your veins, you will return to me." he kissed her forehead and cheek then passed her over to Rebekah. When he pulled the carved knight out of his pocket and placed it on Hope's blanket Rebekah looked up at him with wide eyes.
Katie chose this moment to dismiss herself and grab their bags. She was putting them in the trunk of Rebekah's car while Rebekah put Hope in a car seat that was already strapped into the back seat, when Klaus walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Losing the battle with heightened emotions Katie wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into the bend of his neck, wetting it with tears. After a few long seconds she pulled back and looked into his watery blue eyes as he brushed away a tear from her cheek. "I had a plan, you know." He told her as he took her hand in his, fiddling with the tiara ring on her finger. "During your three human days, I would propose to you. I was even planning on inviting Rebekah to the wedding. Then, after we were wed and on a night of your choosing, I would give you my blood, let you fall asleep in my arms and when you woke up I'd have a glass of fresh blood waiting for you to drink so we could spend the rest of our lives together, raising our daughter in our home surrounded by our family."
His confession only made her cry harder before she pulled herself together enough to say, "I would have loved that."
"Instead, as it tends to do, fate decided otherwise." He told her as he slipped his thumb over her wet cheek. "But, I promise, one of these days you will be my wife and we will have our big happy village." Katie threw herself into his arms catching his lips in a kiss that told him all the things she couldn't stop crying long enough to say. When it broke he pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you," he pulled back and picked up the pendant of the necklace she never took off, "My Phoenix Queen."
A smiled pulled at the corners of her lips as she took his hand in hers and looked at the ring on his finger. "I know you have to sell your grief, but please, don't ever take it off."
"Never." He answered.
She kissed him one last time then hugged him. "I love you too, My Wolf King." she forced herself to let him go then got into the back seat of Rebekah's car and drove away.
A/N: Just so everyone knows, because a guest reviewer asked, I try to update every Friday, central standard time. I skipped last Friday because every time I tried to proofread this chapter I ended up changing something or adding something and would have to proof read for typos all over again. (I probably still missed a ton like I always do) If I'm being completely honest I was nervous to upload this chapter. There's been so much build up to this moment I felt like it would be a let down. Also, FreakingLEM, I was going to use your idea of Katie having a few wolf traits since it was Hope that turned her, but it actually gave me a different idea that will come into play later, after Katie, Hope and Klaus reunite. So for that I thank you. Also, thank you to kykyxstandler for your help.
