HAPPY 2021! Here's to hopefully a better year than what 2020 was. We can all agree that it was a cosmic roller coaster. I am just ready for things to get better for those who were suffering and struggling with all the craziness that the Covid-19 had brought. Dang me and my kind heart.

I can definitely say that it's my goal to finish out this story and finish LTT before the end of this year. I am in a better mental place finally after so many years and just started my health journey and getting myself better and feeling better about myself. Inside me, the worst critic is myself, and that's been tough to let that go. I feel better now, but it's an everyday process. Now let's get down to some questions.

So just to answer a question from the reviews:

Will Rebecca learn magic now since she is human?

Oh yes, we will definitely see more of that as time progresses. Since in the lore of TVD, she and Kol were originally witches and Esther turning them into vampires negated all their magic potential until the cure worked for Rebekah. Little bits of her magic are going to be shown and her power is going to grow. Just because she's not a vampire, I am not going to leave her totally defenseless. Still, doesn't mean I am not going to have fun making her go through the troubles of being human. Gotta love character development.

PART 6: GAMECHANGER

It was so safe and warm. The comfortable darkness wrapped around her like a warm blanket. She didn't want to wake up. She was too deep into her slumber, but a voice kept pulling her away. The voice kept beckoning gently for her to arise.

Wake up. Wake up, my daughter.

The voice coaxed her from the darkness; light slowly piercing her dark womb. Why? Why couldn't she sleep?

It's alright, little one. Come out.

The darkness crumbled away, leaving nothing but bright white light all around her, frightening her of the sudden intrusion. No, it's too much. TOO MUCH!

Don't be afraid, little one. I'm here.

Everything became too much. She cried out in fear and pain from the light. Make it stop. Make it stop.

That's it, little one. Let it out. I'm here...your Father is here.

She cried her heart out, seeking out for any comfort. There was so much, too much around her. Little by little though, a new presence started to surround her, keeping her afloat. She tried to open her eyes, but it was all just a blur. A kaleidoscope of colors she couldn't discern.

But she could hear her Father's voice.

Soon enough, her cries dwindled down to soft whines, curling her little body against the source of the comforting voice. The swaying and rocking also helped to soothe her. The soft singing in words she couldn't understand slowly melted any fears she had before, coaxing her into a sweet bliss at last.

Welcome to paradise, my little one. My Ariel.

BING! BING! BING!

"Go away, you bloody moron," she groaned as she shifted more under the covers, trying to avoid the day.

BING! BING! BING!

"I SAID GO AWAY!" Rebekah yelled angrily, reaching over and throwing her clock alarm across the room.

"Come on, Becca!" Another voice called out from beyond her bedroom door. "You can't avoid the clock forever."

"I can bloody try." Rebekah said, muffled into her pillow. She buried herself more into pillows, avoiding the inevitable of another day coming in. All she wanted to do was sleep in and maybe stop by the beach later to relax. Today was her day off, and she wanted to enjoy it.

"At least come for breakfast. I've made breakfast and I think I did too much again. Too much of a frenzy after what happened last night."

"You were emotionally baking again?" The blonde asked through the door in bewilderment, finally stretching her tired muscles so she could get out of bed.

"...not gonna confirm or deny that."

"How does that even make sense?"

"Do you want you free food or not?"

"Hang on, Alex. I'm going to be right down. I need to get dressed."

"Thank you, Becca. Don't take too long. You will want to eat the pancakes while they're still warm." Alex - her roommate - despite her quirks was a pretty decent person to live with. A little too loud and pushy, but genuine and has a warm heart was the best way Bekah could describe her. Alex always grabbed everyone's attention with her loud mouth, not her looks. But that was okay because she made up for it with her cooking skills and kindness, which was something Rebekah was eternally grateful for. Not having to deal with ulterior motives was a breath of fresh air.

"Something's telling me that she is going to go overboard today."

Pushing herself out of bed, the blonde tried to shake off the weird dreams, putting in the back of her mind as she tiredly and slowly went through her human routine that she'd create for herself now. Two months have passed since her human rebirth and there are always new challenges coming for her, but...she's Rebekah Mikaelson. She can get this down pat - of course as Becca the human.

Stepping out to her balcony, she could see a whole blanket of blue and white crashing against the sand below. The lullaby of the waves, the consistent sounds of people enjoying the clear day, and the quiet from being away from the hellhole gave her the much needed peace that she needed for a long time. Living right off of Santa Monica, Rebekah achieved the dream she had in mind. The sea-salt of the water filled her nose and lungs every day, creating a therapeutic effect for her. Now, Santa Monica was not that easy to get into. With her living in one of the expensive states in the US, Rebekah needed to have a plan. With her new identity, she was starting brand new, and the cost of living is tough when you're fresh meat.

However, money does go a long way when your brother lives for almost a thousand years. With Nik letting the money spread and grow, the Mikaelson family had numerous financial sources to spare. Little by little, Rebekah withdrew under her brother's nose. She had accumulated enough to where she would be well off for a good amount of time, but it didn't stop her from wanting to fully make it out on her own. A majority of her funds were in a savings account untouched except for emergencies. She kept a smaller portion for checking to be able to live on until she accumulated better income for herself.

Aware that Silas probably still has eyes looking for her, she made herself even more scarce by blending more with the background. Rebekah sold her classic car to a collector who paid a good fortune where that money can be placed for more necessities. She ditched the name-brand designer clothes from before and bought a wardrobe of clothes that made her feel more down to earth and less high posh. Although she still had good tastes, she curbed her habit of the glamourous items to keep her freedom intact.

That had brought her to another dilemma. Where was she going to live?

Bloody hell.

She needed something more permanent instead of staying in hotel rooms. She wanted a home. Rebekah had found a hotel for a few days and decided to see what this place was all about. This beautiful town had a lot that surprisingly filled her needs. This place vibrated with life with the sunny skies and clear waters so close by to her. There was always something to do, especially a lot of active things like walking your dog or playing volleyball and even doing yoga. Rebekah was used to moving around a lot anyway so she saw herself keeping up with the same lifestyle. Then there was the food. Glorious food. So many options for her to try and she didn't know where to start. So far the people weren't too bad as long as there weren't any other Elena Gilberts or doppelgangers in relation nearby.

Of course, Santa Monica had its downsides. The traffic was horrible in the morning starting at 8 AM, and good lord. Don't even mention the afternoon disaster of people trying to get home. The prices of living here were high, and you needed to keep your wits to keep up with the cost of expenses, especially if you live in an apartment.

Rebekah was never one to back away from a challenge, though. It took a little bit of wrangling, but she managed to find something. A front desk job for a condominium. It was a little bit of above minimum wage, and there were some perks that went with the job. Of course, some of the staff were...a little poshy, but that was alright. She had way more experience that these humans would never know.

But her best stroke of luck came in the form of her roommate: Alexandria Rose Lopez or Alex for short.

Trying to hurry to dress, Rebekah threw on a pair of ripped denim blue skinny jeans and a brown floral tank. The blonde grabbed a white cardigan before leaving the bedroom, holding a cute pair of block heel ankle booties to wear later when she ran her errands. No need to go tripping before she could go out the door.

As she came to the kitchen, she noticed her Latina roommate, cooking in the kitchen as if she were in her natural element. She walked to the bar in the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools as she tried to put on her boots. The enticing smell of buttermilk pancakes filled Rebekah's nose, letting her sigh in contentment. Vampire or not, Rebekah knew the smell of good food coming soon. And looking at the stacks on a couple plates on the bar, Alex had been cooking for more than two people. More like four or five.

And each plate also had scrambled eggs and bacon too.

Something must have really happened for her to start emotionally cooking again.

"You're going to get me too fat for my trousers if you keep tempting me with all of the food." Rebekah remarked jokingly, hoping to cheer up her roommate's mood.

"And it sucks that I am not even hungry to eat all of this either." Alex joked back, but Rebekah recognized the lightly veiled sad tone.

"Alex, love, slow down." The blonde urged her gently.

"At least let me finish this plate, okay?" Alex requested with those pleading brown eyes.

"Fine," Rebekah relented. "But I'm watching you."

Her shorter roommate rolled her eyes as she finally flipped one more set of pancakes in the skillet before finally setting them on a plate of their own. And almost with vampire speed, she whipped up the butter and added on the syrup as if it were a work of art. She couldn't stop the routines that were trained into her since she was in culinary school.

When she finally finished moving, that's when her emotions kept up with her. Bringing her own plate of pancakes to her spot at the bar, Alex couldn't stop the heavy sigh. "Ugh. I still don't know how I am going to eat." She groaned in bewilderment.

"How about one piece at a time?" The blonde suggested, handing her a plastic fork that Rebekah sometimes kept a collection of in her bag.

Alex scoffed, taking the fork, trying to cut into the pancakes. "Let's see how that goes."

Soon enough though, Rebekah was given the rundown.

"She broke up with you because you were too busy for her?" Rebekah finally put into words.

"What about you, Becca? Any special guys in your life?"

"No one that is worth mentioning."

"I'm shocked. A woman as gorgeous as you, I'd imagine you got all the looks or someone at least after you. You can have anyone in cali."

"Dont count yourself out, love. You're plenty gorgeous yourself."

"My looks aren't the problem."

"None of what you did was your problem. You are in a critical period of taking care of your family, especially with your little sister still so young. There is a difference between missing time together because of something you can't control and the total opposite of that. You did the best you could."

"I hope so."

"Besides, the woman sounded toxic, anyway. Lack of spending time together, that I get. But willingly cheating on someone is where I draw the line in the sand at least for me. You need all your mental energy with the stuff you juggle."

"Hmmm, too bad you're not available. If I was attracted to blondes, I would go for you. You're totally gorgeous and plus Marisol loves you already." Alex remarked, trying to work a jokingly suggestive smile towards her.

Rebekah blushed, not sure how to process that kind of compliment. "I'm flattered, really," she replied almost shyly. "Thank you for saying that to me, love. I appreciate it, but...please don't take this the wrong way, but I would rather keep what we have platonic."

"Don't worry, no pressure. After the disaster with my ex, I'm not ready for anything beyond friendship right now, anyway. Plus it's nice to have the feeling that someone has your back." Alex explained as she took a bite of her pancakes. "By the way, why are you single if you don't mind me asking?"

Rebekah chuckled herself before trying to finish her food. "No really special reason."

"Come on, there's always a reason." Alex pushed, scooching over as if she were getting really good gossip.

"You would probably be bored." The blonde deflected again, a smirk coming to her lips as she watched Alex get on edge with excitement.

"Come on! Please! I'll even eat more food than just one plate." She tried to offer.

"I'm telling you, it's not a big deal."

"I'm your roommate/friend, you are a big deal. You should be. Now, as part of our roommate agreement, you are required to tell me therefore, you need to get it off your chest."

Rebekah sputtered in laughter. "We don't even have a bloody roommate agreement?"

"Besides the lease, I can always make one."

"Fine, fine." The blonde relented, taking a breath before explaining. "I'm single because I want to be. For a long time, I...I was one of those who was always looking for a relationship and ending up something that was hurried and superficial. I haven't really enjoyed...just being with me for a while. Stepping away from my family, being on my own with my own thoughts, helped to show me that I wanted to take my time and enjoy life again. If a relationship happens for me, it happens. Right now, I'm just focusing on being happy."

A bubble of silence enveloped between them before anything was spoken. Reaching out to the blonde, Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Okay, now I understand." She said quietly, before looking back towards her plate. "Maybe that's the stance I need to take with this too, just try to focus on being happy despite how crazy it's been. I'm still guilty as crap right now since I've been so busy and missing out on Marisol's special events."

Marisol was Alex's younger sister who she'd been taking care of after things with their parents fell into disarray. That happened when both their mom and dad got into drugs. Having no choice, Alex had to step up to make sure Marisol was raised in a good environment. She lived with their abuela since Child Services of Santa Monica felt it would be more of a stable home for her for now. So Alex was always coordinating with her grandmother on when they're good days to spend time with Marisol and her schooling.

Rebekah had her a few times on her way back from work, and she could tell Marisol was a sweet kid, but a smart cookie. Pretty cute too.

"Your sister is going to be fine, love. Do you have a lot saved up before you get her in here?"

"I have enough saved up for now. I'm waiting for a promotion at the job I want with the more flexible hours. It's so close, Becca. I can feel it."

The blonde sent her a reassuring smile her way. "I have every confidence in you, Alex. Give them hell."

"Thanks, girlie." Alex thanked her, her smile coming back to her more now. Finishing her plate, her eyes peered down at her watch, making her eyes widening like saucer plates. "¡Mierda! I need to go! Can you do me a favor and put everything in the tupperware containers? I have so much to do."

"I've got you, love. Now go make more "moola"." Rebekah waved goodbye, trying to use more of the American euphenisms to blend in.

"Hmmm, it needs work!" Alex said before grabbing her purse and heading out the door, leaving Rebekah on her own.

After seeing Alex off to work, Rebekah had the apartment to herself for the day with her work days being from Monday to Friday. Coming into the kitchen and observing all across the apartment, she could see the state of disarray from the daily grueling hours from Alex's jobs and Rebekah's own leaving them tired and both just doing the minimum on getting by. Until Alex finally transitioned from working both her day job as a chef in a restaurant near the Promenade plus working as a bartender near the Pier, Rebekah was helping her out. It was the least she could do after being allowed to live here. Plus she also admired the woman's efforts to pursue her passion and being determined to make things better for herself too. She was working hard to prove to the social services that she can provide and have a stable place for her sister.

California was one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, and to survive out here, you needed to make sure you had a plan.

Witnessing the video chats between her and her sister, it brought a sweet pang to Rebekah's heart to see them have a close bond. She was willing to go the extra mile for Alex if it helped to get her closer to her goal.

Rebekah finished with packing the food and putting them back in the fridge, she figured she could start working on the chore she'd dreaded the most: laundry. Ugh, one con she detested as a human. She did miss having the perk of compelled human maids taking care of her laundry. Oh, well.

After taking the load of clothes from the dryer, before folding the laundry, she put an old movie on to have something occupy the silence while doing her task. She found a dvd with something called "Where Are You, Scooby Doo?", which often was the choice of movies Alex's little sister chose while she came over. There was an even moment where Rebekah got to be able to spend time with the two as a nice friend of Alex. Rebekah tried to keep her distance though since she didn't want to intrude.

She had to admit. Alex's little sister was too cute.

Before she could turn the volume on, her phone went off bringing up a familiar name on the caller id.

"Hello, Elijah," she greeted before bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello Rebekah," he parroted back. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Kind of wondering about what craziness Nik could be up to now." Rebekah muttered, watching the cartoon a bit before padding over to the kitchen and taking one of her energy drinks from the fridge.

"If we are going to be honest with each other, "craziness" doesn't even begin to scratch the surface." Elijah vented as he released a heavy sigh.

Rebekah's eyes widened. Elijah never vented. Never. And he never spoke like this. She was not going to miss this. So...now that she didn't have to deal with Nik's bullshit any more, hearing stuff like this almost put a new pep in her step. Grabbing her energy drink, she eagerly sat down in the recliner close to the sofa, placed the energy drink close to her side and situated herself comfortably.

"Tell me what happened, Elijah."

She couldn't have him see how she was almost giddy like a schoolgirl, almost enjoying the karma being dished out to her family. However, this is a long time coming.

"Should I even start?" Her eldest brother asked unsure.

"I'm giving you permission to. How about you start on what happened after I left?"

The beginning was always a good starting point. At least this way, she will be caught up with all of the gossip.

But...here was the story.

So after Rebekah left Mystic Falls, Klaus was given an unexpected letter from the first name of his enemy list: Katerina Petrova, which Rebekah wasn't surprised about given the circumstances. However, the interesting tidbit was what came inside the letter itself. Good Lord, this was too good. It all started with a rumor that a witch named Jane Devereaux was plotting against him (surprise, surprise) in the place they used to call home before their father drove them out. (Thank God, she didn't stop in New Orleans on her way to Cali.) The plotting was meant to take out the current king of New Orleans, Marcel, who is basically Klaus' son in a way and another complicated romance for Rebekah, which ended a long time ago.

Power struggle in New Orleans? What else is new?

Well, here was the new bit that rattled Rebekah to her core. She was enjoying everything else, quietly laughing to herself up until now.

Klaus had gotten someone pregnant.

"You're joking, right?"

"No, I wouldn't be humorous about a fact such as this, Rebekah." Elijah explained sternly, slowly breathing through his nose on the phone.

Rebekah couldn't help the string of questions coming out. "How was this even possible? We're vamps - I mean both of you are vampires. We can't procreate! Ugh, I feel sorry for the poor girl stuck in his mess."

"That girl has a name, Rebekah." She could practically hear him giving her etiquette manners through the phone. "Her name is Hayley."

"Hayley?" the blonde parroted. "Who the bloody hell is Hayley?"

"She's a werewolf and one...of Nik's previous acquaintances."

She released a bitter scoff, sipping her energy drink as she processed everything. "In other words, one of the poor girls on his list of past affairs that somehow my brother can have like a whore and yet when I rarely had a lover, they all had to die. Gee, Elijah, I really do feel sorry for him and for her too. To be stuck together in this mess, that's got to be hell."

"I wouldn't joke about such things if I were you. I was shocked by this myself when I heard about it, but there is a silver lining in this, Rebekah."

Ah, here comes the white knight in all of his goodness. It took all Rebekah could not to throw up at the sanctimonious crap. "I have my doubts, but go ahead and speak your piece."

"This baby is not a curse, Rebekah. It's a gift." Elijah explained. "It's a second chance for Niklaus, a chance for redemption."

Rebekah couldn't help the bubbles of laughter coming up through her chest. She started snickering, which escalated to giggles, and then moved up to full blown cackling. She knew she probably sounded like the mad hatter on the phone, but she didn't care. This. Was. Too. Damn. Funny!

"So you mean to tell me that you're going to help Klaus take over New Orleans and help him regain his reign, and then on top of that you truly think a baby - a baby is going to redeem our brother? Oh of all the backwards stuff you've said to me, this takes the whole cake!" she bellowed out in laughter, her stomach hurting from the spasms. "Oh, my God I can't breathe! Ha-Ha-Ha!"

Silence was their only company for a few moments before Rebekah finally calmed down. At least her drink was going to give her the energy she needed today.

"Are you finished now?"

"Yes. I've had my fun."

"It still puzzles me a little why you would laugh at this, but I'm going to refrain from commenting any further. I…" his voice trailed off, almost unsure of himself. And hearing that slight drop, her victorious smile dropped. "You're still my sister, and I don't want to drag your day by mentioning stuff with Niklaus. We should talk about something else."

"No, Elijah. I told you to talk, and here we go. I opened the can of worms there." Rebekah explained, trying to be a decent person a little. "But you know my words are true, Elijah? And I am saying this from experience, not from a bitter sister's point of view. A villain or a character such as Nik and the notion of redemption through a child? It doesn't mix well, brother. The last thing I want to see is you getting burnt out like I was and going mad."

"I've got to try. I have to do something." Elijah argued back quietly, his normal resolute stance crumbling bit by bit.

"Who says you have to do anything at all? This is Nik's mess! Nik's problem. Let him deal with it. Give yourself a break and get away from him."

She tried to plead with him and from the silence on the phone, she knew the words were buzzing in his mind. Rebekah could hardly do anything to control him since she was human now, but Elijah was still part of the family. One of the few she had left in the world.

"I can't part away from that, Rebekah." He finally spoke, the words ringing bells with her, reminded her of her last conversation with her newest friend only a few months ago. Rebekah didn't know where to think or what to think when it came to her family anymore. This only proved to her that distancing herself from them was a smart move. "He's my brother. I have to-"

"I know, Elijah." She cut him off, the sharper edge slowly coming back to her. "Trust me, I know."

"I'm sorry, Rebekah." His words went through her and out the other ear. There was nothing she could do now, but be a willing ear if he needed that. But their situation was not going to hold her back. They can have their kingdom. She already had one of her own.

"I'm sorry too," she whispered quietly, suddenly feeling tired and a dark cloud hanging above her head. She had her fill of her family for the day. Going back to sleep sounded all too tempting for her right now. "I'm going to need to go soon, but before you go, let me give you some things to consider. It's not about Nik."

"I appreciate anything you can give me."

"Keep an eye on this Hayley girl." She warned him, her instinct telling her something was not right. "If our brother was a full werewolf when those two slept together, I can see it happening. But with our brother being part vampire, it doesn't add up. Before you go further into this pregnancy, use your resources to check her out. That's all I'm saying."

"I highly doubt we would need to do that, sister."

"Just think about it, okay. That's all I'm saying."

Elijah chuckled darkly. "Let's say, it will be on my mind. Satisfied?"

"Meh, that's enough." Rebekah shrugged. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, stay safe. I love you, okay."

"Love you too."

Ending the call, she placed the phone on the coffee table. Unpausing the cartoon, she allowed it to become white noise in the background while she finished folding the clothes. Rebekah took the moment to just appreciate the normalcy. As much as she hated the chore, she actually liked being able to do it. Being human, just being herself, being away from all the chaos that was her old life.

Speaking of humans, there was one person she wanted to call. But...it went to voicemail.

She let out a light sigh, strolling into the bathroom near the open window where she could see her next door neighbors. There was another girl next door, a blonde young woman who was a stay at home mom, but also worked from home. She was playing with her cute little boy in the living room. She watched them in the background as she tried to ring him again. "Hey Dean, it's Bex. Call me back when you can I -"

That's when she saw it. A black flash.

She gasped as two more flashs zoomed their way to the next door living room. Two dark figures.

"What the hell?" she muttered in horror.

Another flash. She recognized those flashes anywhere.

She was one of them. Vampires.

Three dark figures too, their characters too nondescript to tell. But she knew a bloodbath when she saw one. She watched as a man ripped the son from the mother's arms, their fangs inside the boy's neck, drinking him like it was their last before snapping their neck.

Rebekah brought her hand to her mouth, trying not to scream. Tears started to burn in her eyes as she tried to talk. "Dean, someone's draining them. There's vamps killing them. Oh, god. Oh fuck, what do I do?" she asked herself desperately more than anything right now.

She could vaguely hear the other blonde's screams through the window before they placed black bag over her head and took her with them.

Then another pair of eyes looked straight at her in the window.

They got her.

She knew it wouldn't be long now.

Her paranoid Mikaelson instincts went up.

Just because she was living her human life didn't mean she was completely blind. Rebekah knew that Silas was after her, and she definitely made an effort to stay ahead of him. So far, it has helped at least until now.

"Dean, when you get this, please come as soon as you can. Santa Monica. Vampires. I need you to come and get me. Hopefully, I'll see you soon. Goodbye."

Trying to stomach the horror and keep herself together, the next few seconds would could

Rushing to her bedroom, she secretly pulled out a gun she'd hidden in the drawer of her nightstand, sliding the wooden and vervained soaked bullet into the chamber, and pushed herself underneath the bed, the bedskirt hiding her just enough to where she could only see a crack between the floor and the outside of her bed. It wasn't long now.

Rebekah took a long breath.

She could hear vague sounds of the door breaking in down the hall.