Disclaimers: I do not own TO or the characters.
Spoilers: season 4
Rating: T

Notes: This is a sort of flashback chapter. Keelin is out with Freya and the family. Jonathan shows up for the first time, and it is a prelude to his unwelcome visit from chapter 1.

Notes 2: Thank ypu to the guest and Boris Yeltsin for reviewing. And I am sorry about the late update. I wanted to finish chapter 4 before posting this one and it took me forever, but here it is!

Enjoy! :)

1 week ago – May 18th

"Keelin, watch me!"

The Mikaelsons and Keelin are walking back to the Compound. They've just left from a restaurant; a dinner which was an official apology from them all but Hayley, specifically, for how Keelin was treated in the barn.

They have been back in New Orleans for almost 5 days, but, as family crises seem to be happening all the time, this was the first free night they all had together.

Elijah and Rebekah have already apologized on Freya's behalf for her behavior; Hayley, for kidnapping her in the first place.

And Freya, well, Keelin figures the badass Viking witch is not exactly used to saying she's sorry for protecting or helping her family, so Keelin is not expecting one at the moment.

Klaus is… He's definitely a hard nut to crack. He's not expressed it verbally, but Keelin has come to understand he is sorry for what Freya did to her.

Hope is the youngest. At 7 years old, Keelin doesn't know how much she knows, if anything, about what her Auntie Freya did to Keelin in the barn.

She's not going to question it though.

"What are you doing, Hope?" Keelin asks the little girl who has boundless energy.

"This!"

She takes a few steps forward and then cartwheels her way to her parents, Elijah, and Rebekah. Hope spins back around to face Keelin and Freya.

"Did you see?"

"I did see." Keelin holds out a hand and Hope skips back over, resuming her place between her aunt and her new friend. "That was very cool."

"Can we watch a movie when we get home?"

"If it's ok with your mom and dad," Keelin responds, not wanting to overstep by agreeing to something without Klaus or Hayley's ok. "And if it's not too close to your bed–"

Her words are suddenly cut off when she feels a hand wrap around her upper right arm and yank her backwards. Hope let's out a yelp as Keelin's hand detaches from hers, and Keelin's eyes go amber, as she turns to face whoever this dumbass is.

"Who the hell- What the fuck are you doing?!" She tries to yank her arm from his grip but he just it tightens the more she struggles. "Let go of me! What are you doing?"

"You're coming home with me, Keelin." The man states, starting to tug her further. "What are doing with them anyway. They kidnapped you, Keelin! And here you are going out to dinner with them?! Why the fuck are you not trying to make your escape? Why are you making promises to this dumb little kid–"

"Hey, I am not dumb!"

"Jonathan, let go of my arm, take a step back, and I suggest shutting your mouth. Now." She growls out, looking him directly in the eyes.

"No."

Fucking hell, she thinks.

"No. I am not going anywhere without you. We are going to walk away, and we get will in my truck, and we are going to leave these-these fucking monsters behi-"

The grip on her arm is loosened before he can even finish the sentence. At first, Keelin thinks he saw her eyes and got the hint she is not messing around.

But as he goes to speak once more, he collapses to his knees, gripping his head, and suddenly moaning in pain.

Keelin understands immediately.

"Fuck." She mutters. "Freya, stop." She steps in front of her and holds her hands up without touching, however, when Freya ignores her, and Jonathan's moans turn to actual screams, she grabs her hands, their palms touching.

"Freya. Stop."

Freya's eyes flit to her, blazing with anger. "Let go."

But Keelin is unfazed. She doesn't find Freya nearly as scary now that she's watched her share a hot fudge sundae with rainbow sprinkles on top with her 7-year-old niece.

"No."

"Keelin."

"Freya." Her lips curve up in a smirk. "I would like to do this without you melting his brain. Can you do that, please… for me?"

Freya's posture does not change, her eyes do not lose their anger. But her fingers do relax, and wrap around Keelin's, and the wolf decides to take it as it is.

Nodding to it, she continues, "I am going to walk over there to him, and I am going to speak to him, and then I am going to come back, and we are going to go home–"

"Keelin–"

"–Keep your ass over there, Jonathan." Keelin looks at Freya's eyes, the green in them darkened, and her stance still in defensive mode.

"Keelin!"

"I said-" She spins to face him. "Stay over there, or I will let go of her hands and show you exactly what this ring does for me. Understood?"

Maybe it's her eyes, or the sight of everyone else, save for Klaus, who has Hope in his arms, stepping towards them, or maybe Jonathan is not as stupid as he appears to be.

Either way, he raises his hands, takes a step backwards, and another, and then a third. And he stays there while Keelin turns back to Freya.

"Stay here. Okay?"

"Keelin-" Freya's voice is softer than his; less demanding. Her line of sight is tracked to behind Keelin, though, watching him over her shoulder. Her posture does not soften, but Keelin does detect some kind of change to it.

Her eyes then fall back to Keelin. "Be careful. Please." She requests.

"Oh, I'm always careful." Keelin quips, smirking. She lets go of Freya's hands and steps backward. However, Freya tightens her grip and pulls her back.

"I mean it, Keelin."

The tone of her words make her straighten up. Expression taking on a seriousness she is unsure why she feels is appropriate and needed right now. But if it lessens the look in her eyes that's making Keelin nervous, then…

Keelin nods, making eye contact, squeezes her hands, and slowly steps away. She keeps walking, their hands slowly detaching, until she gets to him.

"Now," Keelin snips, turning to face Jonathan, straightening up to her full height. "Can we have a civilized conversation about what the fuck you were thinking, or do I need to let my Viking witch friend here melt your brain again?"

So this was short but I wanted to actually show what Jonathan did, that makes Hope and Freya have a not-so-secret hatred for him.

Would you guys like a chapter 4? It would be during season 4, episode 5, when Keelin is supposed to leave. And chapter 5 would be a follow up. After that, it'll go officially AU as I have Keelin in Austin.

Let me know what you thought. :)