-Elijah's POV-

They arrived at night. The cool fresh air a welcomed feeling after being stuck in a car for hours. Elijah hadn't liked that Klaus wanted to go back to their old home. The place was filled with so many bad memories, but Klaus wanted something familiar and safe. Needless to say, they weren't expecting it to be occupied. The deed was in one of Klaus's many allies, and he knew his brother had never sold it. It meant too much to him. So pulling up in front of their old home, hearing music and seeing people wander about, was a surprise. One his brother didn't take to well.

Klaus growled and jumped out of the car, moving towards the entrance. He was quick to follow behind hoping to save the intruders from a bloody death. Though like his brother he froze when he saw the host of the party.

A young looking man, dark skin and easy smile, was standing at one of the balconies laughing with a few others. He hadn't noticed them. Not yet. And Elijah wondered how this reunion would play out.

A short blonde male, vampire, was the first to notice them. He stood to the right of him and growled when he saw them. It was clear he was young in the way he attacked before trying to determine who they were or if they were a threat. He sighed. Not really worried about being attacked. But his brother growled low and as the younger vampire moved, Klaus intercepted him. Taking him by the throat and then snapping it without much effort. He let the vampire's body drop to the floor. The thud caught the attention of another vampire. A redheaded female. She growled and lunged at his brother. Who caught her and threw her across the room. She slammed into the bar set up in the center, causing a loud crashing noise followed by glass bottles shattering as they fell to the floor.

This caught the rest of the rooms attention. The music stopped and the vampires all came to a halt staring at them.

Wanting to avoid a fight, Elijah stepped in front of his brother. "You do not want to do that." He told the gang of vampires. Several growled and a couple took a step forward.

"Stop." Another voice called out. "He's right." Marcel said as he moved down a set of stairs.

"They are both Originals vampires. None of you would stand a chance." He quickly crossed the room. Stopping in front of Klaus.

"What are you doing here?"

His brother growled, "In case you have forgotten this is our house."

"This hasn't been your house in years." Marcel growled out. Elijah watched the younger vampire, his eyes were darkening and he sounded angry at Klaus.

Before his brother could step up and turn this into a fight, Elijah stepped between them. "We are not here for a fight."

Marcel turned his glare and anger at him, "Then why are you here?"

"There is a rumor going around about a group of witches, seeking us." He said, "The same rumor says they are unfriendly and they are here. We are here searching for them."

As the younger vampire eyed them, Elijah tried to make sense of how Marcel was still alive. He would have sworn their father killed him over a 100 years ago. And yet here he was alive and apparently leader of the vampires of New Orleans. He wanted to look back at his brother to see how he was handingly everything. Marcel was the closest thing to a son that his brother had ever had, losing him had been devastating to Klaus. He could only imagine how his brother must be feeling, knowing his son wasn't dead and hadn't sought them out.

"The witches here hate and avoid vampires, I doubt any of them would seek one out. Let alone one with Klaus' reputation." Marcel said glaring at Elijah.

"Why not?" He asked.

Marcel didn't stop glaring at him, but he did release an unnecessary breath. "We have been at war." The young vampire said, "We kill them on sight and they kill us. No way they would bring a vampire known for killing witches into town."

Elijah looked back at his brother. Klaus had his head to the side like he was thinking about something. Then he met Elijah's gaze and he knew they both had the same thought. He nodded and turned back towards Marcel.

"It seems New Orleans has changed since we were here." He said, "We have a house towards the edge of town. We will be there for several days." He told Marcel, because he was not going to ask a child's permission, even if it was his brother's favorite. "We will attempt to stay out of your way." Then he was gone. He waited by the SUV until Klaus appeared at the driver's side. They drove in silence as they headed towards the house he had bought earlier.

The realtor hadn't asked any questions when he asked her to leave the keys in the mailbox. He got out and stopped on the porch to grab them and felt the air shift as his brother stopped next to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, reaching into the small box to grab the keys. He didn't look at his brother, giving him the smallest bit of privacy he could.

"I believed he was dead." his brother said in a cold flat tone. Elijah sighed and closed his eyes. That tone could be dangerous, it meant his brother wasn't handling his emotions, which normally led to an angry outburst. He quickly opened them and put the key into the lock.

"He let us believe he was dead, brother." He pushed the door open. "You cannot blame yourself. He could have sought us out but he chose not to." He walked inside and flipped on the first light switch he found. Then he turned and looked at his brother.

"Be angry." He said, "but don't let it blind you to what is going on here." He reached out and took his brothers shoulders in his hands. "Marcel lied to us. Now he is in the middle of a war and we have been dragged into it. He is mistaken if he thinks a witch would not reach out to you or us to try and stop him. After all, while you have been known to kill witches, you have also been known to work with them." He said and let go of Klaus.

"We need to figure out the cause of this war and which witch wanted us here." He turned to walk away, but a blast of cool air from his side had him reacting. He spun around and wrapped his hand around a soft thin throat, then he slammed the smaller body against the nearest wall. He felt Klaus move to stand behind him, and deep growl in his chest.

"I can… help you." The woman forced out through her restricted airway.

"Who are you?" He demanded, hand loosening just enough for her to speak.

"Alana," the woman muttered, "And I know who is looking for you." For someone with a vampire's hand around her throat she seemed surprisingly unafraid. It irritated him, but he had dealt with enough witches over his long life to understand most overestimate their abilities and tended to think themselves invincible right up until one of his siblings killed them. With a sigh, he dropped his hand and stepped back.

"And who might that be?" his brother asked.

"Her name is Evie." The witch said, "She came into town about a year and a half ago. Young, brilliant and powerful. It didn't take her long to get people to follow her, especially when she started blaming vampires for all our problems. Tensions between us and the vampires have been high for years. She saw an opening and used it. She started talking about how New Orleans was a haven for witches not vampires and that they needed to be gotten rid of." The woman's hand came up and she started twished a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger.

"We split. A small but powerful group follows her. And the rest of us tried to keep living our lives the way we have always done. It was okay at first. But then vampires started to disappear or die. And the vampires retaliated. Evie made no secret of her beliefs over the first few months she was here. So it wasn't a leap for the vampires to assume she was behind their deaths. Only the vampires didn't just go after her and hers. They kill any witch they can get ahold of." She paused, looking up at him and then over his shoulder at Klaus.

"We had to defend ourselves. My coven…" A shaking breath, "We don't want anything to do with Evie or the vampires. But we couldn't just let our people be killed. So we started to fight back. But now it's gotten so bad. Vampires and witches dying everyday. Even the wolves have been dragged into it. It's become a bloodbath. My leader Vincent, he has tried to reach out to the vampires, asking for a truce between our coven and the vampires. But Marcel won't listen. He sees all witches as his enemies. When Vincent heard that Evie was seeking the Original vampires to kill. He figured an enemy of his enemy might be an ally." There was a shrug of her shoulders and she then stopped talking.

"Stay." Was all he said before he turned around and motioned for his brother to follow him.

"You believe her?" Klaus asked once they were out of the witch's hearing range.

"It makes sense. Marcel's anger at the witches and the rumors we have heard." He said.

They both fell silent for a moment. Thinking about what they had learned and what they should do. Elijah was tempted to just leave. Let Marcel and the witches fight it out. But if the young vampire lost, then the witches would come for them anyways. And it didn't matter how hurt Klaus was about his protege keeping himself hidden, if Marcel died at the hand of a witch. No witch would ever be safe again. He sighed.

"I'll talk to Marcellus. See what his side of this is. While you met with this Vincent. See if he truly desires a truce with the vampires." Klaus said, breaking the silence. He nodded to his brother and walked out of the room.

"I want to meet with your leader." He told the witch.

She released a breath, "Thank y–."

He held up his hand, before she could finish. "We only want to hear his story. If this war of yours is coming after our family, we want to be prepared." She nodded.

"I'll need to go and speak to him." She said, "See where and when he wants to meet." He wanted to demand the meeting now. But unlike his brother he knew how to be patient. That didn't stop him from trying to intimidate her. He took several powerful steps towards her, watching as she backed herself against the same wall he had slammed her into before. Then with vampire speed he reached into her jacket and pulled out her phone. He heard her gasp and felt the air buzz around him, though she didn't attack. He didn't step away as he clicked on her screen and added his number to her contacts. Then slowly he placed it back in her pocket.

"24 hours." He said, finally taking a step back. "No longer." Then he waved his hand towards the door. She hesitated for a second, then turned and rushed out the door.

He heard a chuckle from behind him and turned to see his brother leaning against the doorway, a smug satisfied look on his face.

"What?" He asked.

"You have been hanging out with Kol too much, brother."

"Probably." He said with a shrug.

"When are you meeting with Marcel?" He asked.

He let his eyes roam over the entryway. The house was old but well kept. He had purchased it over the phone, with only a handful of photos and the realtor's word on its condition. He wanted to look around and make sure the house was in as good shape as promised. It was a habit that started hundreds of years ago, him walking through wherever they were staying and checking it out. Making sure that it was secure, safe, and comfortable for his siblings. Kol and Rebekah had often teased him about it but Klaus somehow understood it was important to him. So, instead of mocking him like their siblings, Klaus followed him as he started to move throughout the house.

"I'll reach out to him in the morning. His followers should all be passed out from their partying tonight and he won't have to put on an act like he did earlier. Plus, I'll have had time to calm down." Klaus stated. Elijah looked at his brother and could see the anger in his eyes still, but the hurt in his voice was what stood out. He didn't say anything, knowing it wouldn't do any good at the moment.

They entered the kitchen. It was larger than he expected and with all modern appliances and he was grateful for the renovation.

"Do you think he will talk to you?" He asked, running his hand along the marble countertop and moving towards the double door fridge.

"I think he will," He looked over his shoulder at the hopeful tone in his brother's voice. Klaus just glared at him. So he turned back to what he was doing. He opened the fridge. Empty of course but clean. He made a mental note to look up grocery delivery services, if they had to stay longer than a day or two. He closed the door and walked towards the stairs. He needed to check the bedrooms and bathrooms. The rest of the first floor of the house could wait.

"What do you plan on asking him?" He asked at the bottom of the stairs.

His brother sighed, "Why his vampires and the witches kill each other. And about the different factions in the city." He hummed in agreement as he reached the top stair.

"And the witch?" His brother asked him.

"The same." He said while opening the door closest to the stairs.

It was a small bedroom with a queen size bed in the center and two night stands, one on each side of the bed. One held a lamp and the other bare. There was a large dresser against the far wall, with a double window above it. The mattress was bare and the small reach-in closet was empty. While there was very little furniture, it was all made well-crafted and solid wood, which he approved of. It also meant he would have to send someone to go shopping. He sighed. He hated using humans to do his shopping. They tended to have horrible taste. But if they weren't staying long he would just have to deal with it. He turned and walked out of the room, his brother right behind him. The next three bedrooms were similar to the first, along with two decent sized bathrooms.

Klaus walked silently behind him as he assessed each room. It was comforting in a nostalgic sort of way. They hadn't done something like this in a very long time. They had spent too many years recently at odds with each other, bickering and fighting. As for picking a house, they hadn't done that since before the 20's when Klaus and Rebekah had gone off together without him. Klaus had picked and remodeled the house in Mystic Falls while he was daggered, and when he moved in he did a quiet walkthrough... alone.

They had made their way to the third floor before Klaus spoke again.

"Elijah?" Klaus whispered as Elijah opened the door to what appeared to be a master bedroom. He stopped and turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What if we are here longer than a couple of days?"

"We call Kol and Jeremy, and see what they want to do. But we know them, if we are here for too long, those two will either show up unannounced or pester us until we tell them to come." Klaus chuckled, then sighed, "I don't like the idea of dragging Jeremy into another fight."

"Me either, but telling him not to come will only piss him off, you know that." His brother nodded, then muttered, "Stubborn human."

Elijah chuckled. "Stubborn hunter." He corrected. There was a difference and his brother needed to remember that. Jeremy was stronger, tougher and better equipped to hold his own in a fight than a regular human. He could protect himself. Even if Elijah hated the idea of him having to.

He turned back to what appeared to be the master bedroom and smiled. The bedroom must have been updated recently because the far wall was floor to ceiling windows, a style he had seen become popular in the last few years. Each window had a dark brown mahogany wood frame, causing them to stand out. Towards the center of the room sat a large California king size bed at the end there was a chaise lounge with a black cushions. Across from the bed a large antique dark wooden dresser with a mirror on top. The mirror had metalwork and what looked like ivy running around it. And along same wall a set of French double doors that lead to a small balcony. The room had a perfect view of the forest behind the house. All together it was beautiful. He silently decided this would be Klaus' room.

It was all he needed to see. He looked at his brother. Who was standing in front of the walk in closet with a contemplative expression.

"This is yours." He said, walking past his brother to investigate the rest of the rooms on this floor.

The next room had a bathroom attached. It was larger than the first few bedrooms, but not as large as Klaus'. Though the walk-in closet was the size of a small room itself. It would be perfect for Rebekah, if she had been living with them. He sighed. And debated taking it for himself. He ended up deciding to wait and see the rest of the rooms.

He ended up picking a room that was attached to a large bathroom that was attached to another bedroom. Both bedrooms were large, but slightly smaller than Klaus'. But it was the bathroom that had him deciding on this room and the other for Kol.

The large grey and white marble bathroom, had a massive Jacuzzi bathtub and separate standing shower. He had seen it and had a guilty thought about him and Jeremy in the tub. So needless to say he had to have this bathroom. And he knew of Kol's fondness for showers with Jeremy. He placed Kol in the attached bedroom. He should have felt a little silly choosing a bedroom for the bathroom and the dirty thoughts about his boyfriend, but he didn't.

He quickly looked over the last two bedrooms on this floor. Both were good sized with beds and dressers. A large bathroom was located at the end of the hall. It had a set of double sinks, a smaller bathtub then his but a larger shower. It was a good spare bathroom. It also had a toilet separate but its own door and a small storage closets for supplies. He would have to add it to his list of things he needed to buy. He figured these two would work for Caroline, Tyler and Matt, as one had a walk in closet for the feisty, blonde, baby vampire and Tyler and the other had a small balcony of its own for Matt. He sighed to himself when he thought about how easy it was to add the three to his mental calculations but he figured if Jeremy and Kol ended up coming the others would follow.

With an idea about what would happen if the others came and knowing the house was perfect for their group. He quickly made his way outside to the SUV and grabbed Klaus and his bags. He dropped his brother's on the floor of his empty bedroom and tossed his on his bed.

It took him a minute of searching before he could find Klaus. His breath caught when he entered a large room. The high ceiling, wooden floors, and a grand piano in the corner said all he needed to know that this room was for entertaining.

He smiled, remembering rooms just like this in his past. The number of parties his siblings and he had attended over the years. Sometimes they hosted, but more often than not they were guests. The humans in whatever town they were staying always trying to earn their favor. Klaus and Rebekah thrived at those parties. While Kol always seemed to find trouble and Elijah, he spent those parties watching his siblings, enjoying seeing them happy. He missed those days.

The soft music from the piano brought him out of his memories and towards his brother who was running his fingers along the keys.

Klaus had always loved the piano. He said it made the purest music and he always enjoyed playing. Never for an audience, but for himself. Klaus was talented sure, but if one could get Kol to sit down long enough to play, their younger brother was awe inspiring.

"It's out of tune." Klaus said, removing his fingers from the keys and turning to look at him.

"I'll add it to the list." He said with a smile.

"Now," He said, walking towards his brother, "I needed to find some people to get supplies for us while we are here. And you need to go snoop and see if you can get a feel for this town before you speak to Marcel tomorrow." Klaus smirked.

"Do try to stay out of trouble brother." he said with another smile before he vanished.