Hello loves!
Thanks again for the support on this story and just for anyone who might be wondering (Even though I have no clue why anyone would be) I've already written up to season 3.
And before I forget, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It really sucks my family can't go trick or treating this year but then again I've never really been much of a fan of it.
Now let's get on with it! I own nothing.
~*•°•*~
Aria sighed as she watched the party below her before turning away and looking over the streets below her from the spot on the balcony, shivering when the cool air brushed against her skin not only from the night air, "Hello Darling." Kol greeted.
"Hello, Mikaelson."
"Mind telling me Marcellus' little arrangement here? Those vampires seem far too happy."
She could practically hear his smirk.
Aria smiled to herself and turned to him, lifting herself up so that she was sitting on the banister, "The city of New Orleans. People of all stripes and flavors from all over the country come here to party on our streets. Some are just looking for fun whilst some are looking for something just a little bit darker, a little bit more dangerous. So what we do, is we invite them into my home and, well, we give it to them." She shrugged, picking up a flyer off of the ground and showing it to Kol,
ABATTOIR
WHERE THE PARTY
NEVER ENDS
"Then, at the stroke of midnight, everything changes, and it's time for the vamps to feed," She gestured to the inside, "That is how my dad keep our guys happy. The occasional all-you-can-eat buffet. The night-walkers love it. We've got 'em working hard, trying to earn a daylight ring. Dad thinks they deserve to blow off a little steam. Personally I don't really care much for the lot of them, they all seem far too entitled even though most are only a few decades old. The day-walkers, well, they just like the party."
"It's quite an operation. Tell me, what about the victims? Seems like a lot of graves to dig even for a powerful witch like yourself."
"Well, you can't kill 'em all. If too many folks go missing, tourism drops. So, they heal them with a little vampire blood, those whose injuries need healing a little faster I'll tend to, we erase their memory and send them on their merry way. No muss, no fuss. Rather simple really."
"Well, I will admit, I'm impressed."
"Nothing dad didn't learn from your Hybrid brother back in the day." She murmured, looking behind him to watch Marcel, Klaus and Thierry. She narrowed her eyes as Marcel clenched his jaw and Klaus looked away before Thierry walked away from them and, coincidentally, closer to her. She hoisted herself off of the banister and walked over to him.
"Hey T."
"Hey Aria. Everything okay?"
"Yeah everything's fine. Although I did want to talk to you about something. You just told dad something he found clearly frustrating. Mind telling me?" She asked, expression hopeful before it turned slightly annoyed.
"Aria, you know the rules. I can't involve you if it might be dangerous."
Aria's smile slipped and she frowned but giving him an understanding look, "I get it T. It's just… with the Originals here… I guess I've been a bit on edge."
"I get it, Aria."
"I just…" She leant closer to him as if telling a secret, "Something happened last night. I don't know what it was but it had me freaked. All night I could barely sleep. You know how dad relies on me knowing what happens in the Quarter."
Thierry looked around, "Alright, alright. I'll tell you but only because you already know… Six night-walkers were killed in a bar outside of the Quarter. No one saw who. I think it was one of The Originals but… your dad's been hard to persuade."
"I get it. Thanks T. Really, I just don't really want people keeping things from me especially with the Originals in town."
Thierry gave her a nod and smile before he walked away and went back to the party. Aria waited for a moment before grinning in victory and returning to the balcony, "You little liar," Kol announced, a wide smirk on his face as she sat back down. She gave him a look and he gestured to Thierry, "You had no idea about what happened. Your friend obviously thought the fact that your heartbeat sped up was due to you being scared. Of course, it didn't actually speed up that much, seems you're a professional when it comes to lying. I daresay even I wouldn't have noticed unless I weren't paying such rapt attention."
"What can I say? I don't like secrets. Especially when Thierry or dad are the ones lying."
Kol gave her a funny look, "You're a mystery, little witch. There's something about you I just…" He trailed off and shook his head, the look from the day previous flashing in his eyes for another moment before disappearing like it was never even there at all.
"Why me?" She questioned as he turned to her, "I'm the only one you can talk to but I've been nothing but cruel to you since you began talking to me. Don't say that you just want someone to talk to."
"Contrary to what you believe Aria, you haven't been cruel to me as you so put it. Cruel is putting me in a coffin and stealing decades sometimes centuries of my life at a time. Cruel is my half brother Klaus. Compared to my family's betrayals… you're not cruel at all. Besides, no one - not even my family has ever had the gall to stand up to me like you already have. I enjoy you."
Aria cocked her head to the side as she watched him turn away from her and look out over the city, arms resting on the balcony, "Did it hurt?" She asked quietly, trying to appear nonchalant.
He tensed up, clearly knowing what she was talking about and released a small nod, his jaw clenched. Aria grimaced before she heard a call of her name from inside and she turned to see Diego, another one of her father's vampires walking up to her, "Apparently some guys were found. They had vamp blood in their system. Marcel doesn't want you to go, not when they'll be craving blood. So… he's lifted your ban of terrorizing witches on the one condition you try to find out what they have on Klaus. He doesn't trust him. Not yet."
Aria smiled, "Thanks Diego."
He gave her a small nod before walking off, "Don't tell me you're falling for that Darling?"
She smirked, not turning around, "Of course not. Dad's clearly planning something," She turned around, "But that doesn't mean I'll pass up the chance to terrorize the witches."
"My turn for twenty questions now. What've they done to you that's so bad? You don't just hate them because you've been taught to and it's not because three tried to get rid of you when you were a baby. It's something else."
Aria clenched her jaw and sucked in a sudden harsh breath before glaring at the intrusive ghost, "What happened doesn't involve you. All you need to know is that because of them…" She sucked in another breath and blinked her eyes rapidly, desperately trying to get rid of the moisture that had begun to grow. She hadn't thought about it let alone cried about it in years, "Someone who didn't deserve to get caught up in the supernatural almost died. I had to have dad compel them to forget me. End of story." She spat before turning around and leaving the Abattoir.
She'd have to ask Davina if she had found anything to get rid of him sooner than she'd thought or else she'd find herself spilling secrets she couldn't afford anyone to know. Least of all Klaus Mikaelson's brother.
But in the meantime, it was about time she went for a little visit to the Lafayette Cemetery.
After all, the Ancestors hadn't talked… more like screamed to her in a while.
~*•°•*~
Aria walked into the graveyard and furrowed her eyebrows when she heard less than quiet arguing from within the graveyard. She gently walked closer to the voices and peeked around the side of a statue to see Sophie and… a vampire.
Why would she allow a vampire into the graveyard?
"So, if I had to guess, knowing Klaus's history, Elijah has a dagger in his chest. It's a magical object, you're a witch. Do a locator spell, locate the dagger, locate Elijah." The woman said simply.
So Elijah was daggered…
That could be useful info.
And this very clearly wasn't just any vamp.
"I can't use magic, Rebekah. It's punishable by death. Marcel's rules." Sophie replied, tone slightly bitter.
"Marcel? What do you think I'm going to do to you if you don't give me what I want?" Rebekah fired back as Aria smiled. She was an Original.
"Not much. I've been linked, so anything you do to me, you do to Hayley."
Hayley… who in hell was Hayley?
"Who?" Rebekah asked, confused before Sophie gave her a look, "Oh, right the mumsy. Well, luckily for you, Elijah seems to care about her, otherwise I'd break your neck right here."
Mumsy? She was clearly missing something and it was something important, "Damn those witches." She murmured to herself.
"How did Marcel get so bloody powerful, anyway? He wasn't like this when I left a hundred years ago." Rebekah continued.
"Marcel has a couple of ways to tell whenever there's magic done in the Quarter. The 'how' isn't relevant."
Rebekah scoffed and Aria had to stop herself from laughing at the next words that came out of her mouth, "I'll tell you what's not bloody relevant. A coven of witches who can't do magic. Here's an idea: move away."
Yes, she already liked this one.
Sophie sighed impatiently, "We practice ancestral magic. This cemetery is filled with the remains of our witch ancestors. Without access to them, we're powerless. If we run, we're leaving our legacy behind. Our home, our family."
"Well, family's overrated. Look at me. I'm back in a city that's given me nothing but heartache, looking for a brother who's hell-bent on protecting a baby I don't care about."
Baby? Why would Elijah Mikaelson care about some baby?
"I find that hard to believe. You're here, aren't you?" Sophie continued, oblivious to the other witch watching them.
"I'm here for Elijah. The instant I find him, I'm gone. He was the one who idiotically believed this baby would be Niklaus' redemption. And now he's missing, probably at the hands of Klaus himself. And you were foolish enough to believe that Elijah could convince Klaus to go against Marcel, when everyone knows that they have a history."
"Klaus sired Marcel. I'm aware."
Rebekah sighed impatiently, "You don't understand. Marcel is not just some guy that Klaus turned into a vampire. Klaus loved him like a son." The vampire began before she was interrupted.
"As much as I hate to break it to you sweetheart, I'm afraid that dear old Sophie here won't really care much for the details." Aria spoke up, walking around the grave, all trace of emotion from the previous moment gone.
"Who in hell are you?"
"Aria, get out of here." Sophie said, speaking at the same time as the vampire.
Aria held her hand up to her heart in mock hurt, "I'm a witch, 'Soph. I'm welcome here. More so than the vampire here, again, no offence sweetheart. Now let's get back to story time. May I fill in the rest?" Without waiting for an answer from Rebekah, she turned back to Sophie, "The Hybrid Klaus saw himself in the boy. He remembered how his father used to be cruel to him. He, too, was the bastard child of a man who saw him as nothing but a beast much like Marcel. So Sophie," Aria's tone softened slightly, "That is why your plan will fail. All you've done if bring back together two long lost souls. Get out of town whilst you can, don't stick around. It will do more harm than good. I don't want to see you get caught in the crossfire."
"I have to get my niece back," Sophie spat, "Because of your father, her mother, my sister is dead. I will not lose Monique!"
Aria's eyes narrowed and all semblance of kindness disappeared from her face, no trace of the previous emotion there anymore, "Well then. I'm afraid I'll have to cut this little heart to heart short." She said ominously. The duo sent her confused looks before their expressions turned dazed and they both collapsed to the ground.
Aria walked over to the two forms and knelt down between them. She first turned to Sophie and sent her a sad look. She truly hadn't wanted the witch to get caught up in any of what was to come. She didn't deserve it. But she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't leaving until she got her Monique back, "I'm not sure if you're brave or foolish Sophie. I truly hope it's the former," She murmured before turning to the vampire, "Alright. Time to wake up, love." She whispered before stretching out her hand and watching as Rebekah's eyes snapped open. She blinked to get rid of the fog that clouded her vision for a moment before Aria found herself slammed against a gravestone.
"Who the hell are you?"
Aria smiled, "Lovely to meet you Miss Mikaelson. I've long wanted to meet my namesake. My name is Aria Rebekah Gerard," Aria tilted her head slightly and smiled again at Rebekah's surprised expression, "How are you?"
Rebekah continued to stare at Aria in pure surprise and the witch sighed, "If you would release me, I'd be very grateful. I'm not particularly fond of choking to death."
Rebekah looked down at her hand, surprised it was still wrapped around Aria's throat before she let go and Aria gulped in air, "Thank you."
"What did you say your name was?"
"Aria Rebekah Gerard. I believe you knew my father?"
"Marcel." She spoke quietly.
Aria gave her a small smile and nodded, "Yes."
"How…" Rebekah searched for the right words, "I thought he was dead."
Aria had to admit, the vampire was certainly doing a good job of acting like she no longer had feelings for Marcel. Sadly not as good as she would've hoped.
"That's beside the point for now. Now, I'm sorry for this but I have no time to explain right now. Don't worry. This won't hurt."
Rebekah eyed Aria curiously before her eyes glazed over and she collapsed once again. Aria took a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket as well as a pen before she began to write on it, "She won't be happy about that Darling." Kol said from behind her. Aria flinched at the sudden voice and continued writing, "Well, this note will hopefully explain… everything." She said as she placed the pen back in her pocket and placed the paper on the ground next to the female vampire.
"What's stopping the witch from taking that paper?"
Aria turned to Sophie who seemed to be waking up if the movement of her eyes underneath her eyelids was anything to go by and sighed before walking back over to her and muttering a few choice words under her breath, watching happily as Sophie fell asleep once more, "Rebekah will wake up first, notice the paper and hopefully pocket it. Only then will Sophie wake up." She replied flatly as she walked away from the duo.
"Listen, I don't say this a lot so this'll be the only time you'll hear it," Kol began, wincing at the words he was about to say as Aria turned to him, slightly curious, "I'm sorry. Your business is exactly that. Yours. I won't ask about your vendetta against the witches anymore."
Aria gave him a blank look before she smiled slightly. So slightly he almost didn't catch it before she turned around.
The last thing he heard before she left his sight was the quiet, 'Thank you' that she whispered.
For the first time in a long time, a smile graced Kol's face.
His witch was playing a dangerous game.
And how he loved to win.
~*•°•*~
Aria watched from the corner of the attic room hours later as Marcel opened the door and entered, someone she then realised to be Rebekah following behind him. The vampire's eyes immediately found Elijah's coffin, and she moved to enter the room only to find herself barred from doing so.
"Invite me in." Rebekah demanded.
Marcel smirked, "Gotta ask the lady of the house," Marcel raised his voice slightly, "Davina, come on out, sweetheart."
Aria watched as her friend walked over to Marcel's side and watched Rebekah, the look of curiosity reflecting on Rebekah's face.
"Invite her in." Marcel instructed.
After a moment of slight hesitation, Davina spoke up, "Come in."
The first thing Rebekah did was walk over to Elijah's coffin and open it, seemingly letting out a sigh of relief when she found him inside. She moved to grab the dagger and began to pull it out when Aria sighed. With a lazy flick of her wrist, Rebekah's hand was forced back down.
"I wouldn't do that." Aria announced as Rebekah unwillingly shoved the dagger back down into Elijah's chest. She turned around almost instantly and her expression of anger turned to mild annoyance as she sent the young witch a pointed look.
"You. You're the girl from the graveyard. The one who knocked me out. Twice."
"That I am," Aria replied, a small smile on her face, "Lovely to see you again Rebekah."
"She's an old one, isn't she?" Davina murmured as Rebekah then turned to look at her.
"Yeah. Rebekah is an Original, which means she can't be killed."
"She doesn't seem very nice." Davina mused.
"She can be… but she hasn't been very nice to me tonight." Marcel agreed.
Davina narrowed her eyes, "Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave."
Barely even moving a muscle, Davina propelled Rebekah across the room, slamming her against walls several times before sending her through the window which soon slammed shut behind her.
"Little melodramatic wasn't it?" Aria commented from the chair in the corner of the room after her father left. Davina turned to look at her, a small smile now gracing her lips.
"I prefer the term incredible. But I'll agree that looking back on it now it might've been a little… exaggerated." She agreed mildly as she took a seat on her bed and Aria rolled her eyes.
"You propelled her out of the freaking window."
Davina shrugged, "I need some fun. So what did she mean about the graveyard?"
Aria sighed, "Long story. Short version: A bunch of night walkers have been being killed around the Quarter, dad needs new recruits, apparently he's just found two new teens who died with vamp blood in their system. He doesn't want me going near them, not when they'll be craving blood so his solution is to lift the ban that says I'm not allowed to terrorize the witches for now. I decide to take a lovely little stroll around the Quarter and my legs take me all the way to the Cemetery! A few arguments and spells later, I have temporarily knocked out both a witch and Original vampire. I then wake up my namesake, she interrogates me, I knock her out once more, leave her a charming little note explaining the very bare minimum, get stalked by the ghost following me around, leave the cemetery and walk here. On my way, I find out that a werewolf was sighted in the quarter, a few nightwalkers were killed by who I can only assume to be the very werewolf they tried to kill and here we are." Aria took a deep breath before she smiled at her friend who was staring at her with slightly wide eyes at her rant.
"Hang on, this ghost that's been… stalking you. You mentioned it before."
"When I asked you if you had a way to get rid of him, yes. But let's not dwell on that, I need something to do." She spoke as Davina smiled.
"I have the perfect idea."
A few hours later, the door to the attic opened once more and the two girls, both of whom had previously been laughing at Aria's horrible attempts to draw on Davina's easel went silent as Marcel entered the attic.
"I'm sorry about that unpleasantness." Was the first thing he said. The two girls smiled fondly at him.
"She doesn't scare me. None of them do." Davina scoffed.
Marcel smiled, "I didn't think they would, honey. But the thing is, it seems like they're here to stay."
Davina frowned, "They don't belong here." She snarled.
"Might be kinda tough to convince them of that... which is why I need to ask you and Aria for a favour. I'm gonna need you two to figure out how we kill an Original."
~*•°•*~
It was only a few hours later as Aria stared up at the ceiling of her canopy bed in the Abattoir that what she had heard in the cemetery hit her. She sat up suddenly and winced slightly as all the blood rushed in her head but she didn't pay it much mind.
Rebekah had been talking about a baby.
But why would Elijah – an all powerful Original vampire care about some random baby?
Unless…
No. No it couldn't be.
Bloody hell.
Aria covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from letting out a noise that would alert any other vampire in the building as her face surely turned ashen. She threw the covers back, suddenly finding herself warm as she stood up and began to pace, thinking over everything she'd heard. Paying no mind to the now familiar coldness that took over the room nor the mildly concerned accented voice that was calling out to her.
Rebekah had said that Elijah believed this 'baby' would be Niklaus' redemption.
Klaus' redemption.
She'd called this 'Hayley' girl Mumsy.
Elijah wanted to protect this girl's baby.
But it wasn't just hers, was it?
He wanted to protect Klaus' baby.
Aria's eyes widened and her blue eyes met Kol's dark brown ones.
"Shit."
~*•°•*~
I'm fully aware that Rebekah might've seemed a little OCC so far but come on. You meet the teenage girl claiming to be the daughter of someone you love, what do you do? I mean, from episode 1 It was obvious Rebekah and Marcel still loved each other even if Marcel liked Cami at that time. Also, Rebel (Rebekah and Marcel for all those who are pure idiot fools, ahem, excuse me) is my cannon OTP for sure in the Originals. They will most definitely be paired together in this fic and Aria will most definitely be manipulating little places for them to 'bump into each other'. Hehe.