"You lied to me!" Malachai hissed at Avery as they drove up to the cream colored office building and parked. "You said that last time was the last time we'd have to make fools of ourselves in front of people you set up! Do you enjoy watching me suffer?"

"Well, not intentionally!" Avery replied. "I've spread so much love around, can you blame me for forgetting people? I promise that Arthur and Gabrielle are the end."

"Don't promise if you're not certain it's true," Malachai grumbled as he got out and went around the car to grab her door. "Don't get my hopes up!" He then stared at her as she stayed seated. "Well? This crazy jaunt is your doing. Aren't you going to get out of the car?"

She held out her hand to him. "Aren't you going to be a gentleman and help me out?"

Malachai scoffed. "You have legs and you can get out of the car yourself." He looked down at her heels. "And if you can't, maybe you shouldn't have worn those shoes."

When it was clear he wasn't in the mood to play chauffeur, Avery rolled her eyes, got out of the car herself and ran after him, her heels clacking loudly. "Okay, okay, fine. But you're really no fun."

They didn't speak again until they strode inside the building and reached the elevator. "And by the way," Malachai continued, "may I say that Arthur and Gabrielle are possibly the craziest pair you could have come up with! Not only is Arthur Selina's son, but his brother is Gabrielle's son in law! Way to make things awkward!"

"Oh, would you lay off? Everyone is related to everyone somehow, at least a little," Avery wiped the concern away. "Not that it has any truly bad effects; it's just strange. And if you want to talk truly awkward, let me tell you about Angelica and Sammy! My dad had to do so much work with them because-"

"Stop, I don't need details," Malachai rubbed his forehead. "I have a feeling this will give me a headache! I'll just say you have a point."

"Thank you," Avery said primly. "Was that so hard?"

Malachai breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors opened and they headed inside. "Now, can I ask what the game plan is for convincing Arthur about all this?"

Avery shrugged. "I don't see the harm in telling the truth."

"Oh, brilliant!" Malachai chuckled. "'Hello, Mr. Gray! I'm Malachai, this is God's daughter, Avery, and she paired you with a lady named Gabrielle, who's half ghost and anchored to you. She'll die if you don't date her! What do you think about that?'"

Avery pouted and pressed the elevator button. "I hate it when you're like this, you know. Why do you always have to make things so difficult?"

As soon as they got out of the elevator, Avery grabbed Malachai's hand so he couldn't run away, and then dragged him up to the front desk of the Gray and Associates office.

"Hello," the receptionist greeted them with a friendly smile. "Welcome to Gray and Associates. How can I help you today?"

"We need to see Mr. Arthur Gray, please," Malachai said. "It's a very urgent matter."

The woman sighed and pushed a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "I highly doubt he'll be able to see you without an appointment, but since it's urgent, I'll try for you."

"Thank you very much," Malachai replied and then gave Avery a look. "I can't believe you didn't make an appointment!" He hissed. "Did you think they would just let us in if we showed up?"

"I'm sorry but it didn't occur to me that I would have to make a damn appointment, okay?" Avery snapped.

Just then, the receptionist got off the phone. "I'm sorry, but-"

"Avery Morningstar is here to see him," Avery said smoothly and gave her a smile. "Mention that, please. We only need a few minutes."

Eventually, they were told to go in.

"Thank you very much," Malachai told the woman and then they headed in the direction she'd given them toward Arthur's office.

"Well, that was a close call," Avery whispered. "I don't know why I didn't think of introducing myself before. Probably because you always think you need to butt in and control everything. You think I'm incompetent. I hope this showed you!"

"Yes, I suppose it did," Malachai rolled his eyes, not wanting to argue with her. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

They nearly had to dive out of the way as Arthur's office door opened and they saw him standing there talking on his cell phone.

"Yes, I see," he said. "Those conditions are acceptable, William. Make it a million and we have a deal." He gestured at them to come with his free hand and as they entered, Avery's eyes widened at the sight of Gabrielle's shoe from the night at the opera just openly sitting on a table in the office. She gestured at Malachai to look but before he could take as much as a peek, Arthur grabbed their attention. "I apologize for the wait. I'm working on a big business deal. So," he sat down and they sat across from him. "Would you like some coffee? I don't usually drink the stuff myself but people like it and..." his mouth twisted..."Someone...told me that you should offer people something when they come to visit you."

"No, we're fine," Avery shook her head and Malachai agreed.

"Good, so," Arthur leaned forward, a strand of dark hair in his eyes. "You wanted to see me? What can I do for you? And I didn't catch your names."

"Oh, where are our manners?" Malachai asked as Avery twitched and fidgeted. He could tell she was just dying to ask about the shoe. "I'm Malachai McCullough and this is Avery Morningstar."

"Mala...chai.." he got out. "And you..." He gave Avery a look. "You're God's daughter and Lucifer's sister, right?"

"Yes," Avery smiled. "Do you know my brother?"

"No," Arthur sighed. "But we have a...a mutual acquaintance." He paused and cleared his throat. "Now that we've spent more than enough time on banal civilities, what can I do for you?"

Malachai chuckled. "Right to the point. Of course. We-"

"Where did you get that shoe?" Avery interrupted and pointed. "It's a very interesting thing to have in an office."

"Yes, it's...it's to remind me of a special night I had with someone," Arthur explained.

Avery grinned widely. "And this...this special night meant so much to you that you keep the shoe as a memento? Is it something you plan on parting with?"

"I...I don't quite know why, but...I don't think so," Arthur shook his head.

"Well, good," she said. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Gray, Jr. We'll just be on our way. Thank you for seeing us!"

"We will?" Malachai asked.

"Yes," Avery said through her teeth, very emphatically. "We will." Since Arthur already had the shoe and had no intention of getting rid of it, Gabrielle had her anchor and there was no need to trouble either of them further.

"Hang on just a minute, you two!" Arthur said suddenly, making them freeze as he got on his phone to talk to his father, who had recently mentioned in passing about them making a visit to his house. "Stay right there. I don't think I'm done with you!" He then called his father's number to get more information about their visit with him. "Hey, Dad! Yeah, I'm good! I have God's daughter and Malachai in my office. I know you said they visited you too but I wasn't really paying all that much attention to what you said after that. Can you repeat it, please? I want to know what they're up to!"

"It's good that you at least listened to one part of what I told you," Dorian chided him gently. "If they're at your office for the same reason they visited me, Avery is trying to join the souls who were brought back to living people through use of anchors so they'll stay alive."

"Really?" Arthur smiled. "How interesting. Thanks, Dad!"

"You're welcome!"

He ended the call, put the phone on his desk, and faced Malachai and Avery again. "Are you two here because that shoe belongs to one of the souls who came back?"

"Yes," Avery nodded and swallowed nervously. "Gabrielle Delacroix, to remind you of her name."

Arthur chuckled. "Oh, I remember her name. So...I'm her anchor? And without me, she'd disappear for good?"

"Yes," Avery nodded. "Basically."

"Good, you can go now," Arthur said and dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

As they left the office, Malachai shook his head. "I pity Gabrielle, being stuck with someone like that. What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking that underneath it all, Arthur Gray is not that much different from your friend, Mikael," Avery replied. "He's hiding a heart that wants love, and she does too. Believe me, they're meant for each other!"

Arthur straightened a couple of files on his desk after looking through them and went to look at the shoe. Prior to his meeting with Avery, he'd been about to send it on its way because he didn't like having to answer questions about why he had it, but now that he knew he needed to keep it because it helped him exert control over Gabrielle Delacroix...he was glad he hadn't thrown it out.

He started loudly and dropped the shoe on the floor. "What?" He barked. "It better be about Madame Delacroix, or..."

"Sorry," his secretary bowed her head. "But it is. Madame has arrived."

"Good, thank you," Arthur told her. "Let her in."

Gabrielle was gently pushed into the office, immediately glowering at him when their eyes met. "What do you want?" She asked. "I don't like being summoned anywhere. Make it quick!" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"So snappy," he chuckled, sitting on his desk chair with one leg crossed over the other. "What's the rush? I hope your being so stubborn doesn't lead to you disappearing on me!"

Gabrielle flinched briefly, then, hoping he hadn't seen, raised her chin and put her hands on her hips. "Why am I here?"

"Well, I have a proposition for you," he got close to her, his eyes roaming over her body before he put a hand on her cheek, his finger gently tracing her jaw. She didn't put up with this for long before slapping his hand away and taking a few steps back.

"Whatever it is, I don't want it!"

"Don't be so quick to turn me down," he advised her. "What I have to offer will give you an income that I know you sorely need. Have you had any job offers since you arrived back on Earth?"

"You're an ass!" She spat. Then her eyes widened as she looked around the office and landed on a glass cabinet containing something very familiar. "My shoe!" She cried. "That's my shoe! Why do you have it?" She rushed over to the cabinet and tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Open this!" She demanded. "Or give me the key! You have a key, I know it!"

"I don't think so," Arthur shook his head and waved the key in front of her, keeping it just out of her reach. "And by the way, I promise that you want me to keep your shoe. I'm doing you a favor by not handing it over."

As her jaw dropped, he grabbed a paper from his desk and dropped it on the visitor chair. "Read that."

"I don't like to be ordered around," she told him, making him grin.

"Are you sure? I'm usually very good at reading people and you seem like someone who wants to be dominated, even if you keep it to yourself."

She closed her eyes as her hands became fists, then stomped over to the chair and read the paper, against her better judgment, her jaw dropping as she reached the end.

"And in case you're wondering," Arthur said as he paced around the room and then came to stand behind her. "It's been checked by a lawyer. Multiple lawyers, in fact, and it's completely legal."

"It's a sex contract!"

Arthur shrugged. "I don't see what the problem is; it's a chance for you to live a life of opulence and be well paid for it. Lots of women would love to be in your shoes right now."

"Well, then get one of them!" She spat, throwing the papers down on his desk, striding over to him, and giving him a good, hard slap. "Go to hell!"

As she turned on her heel and strode toward the door, the sound of his voice stopped her. "All right, fine. Have it your way. I guess I'll just have to get rid of the shoe since I have no real reason to keep it. Then you'll die all over again." He heaved a dramatic sigh. "And what a shame that would be, considering that you just reconnected with your daughter and her family and found your son."

She turned. "What? What do you mean 'Then you'll die all over again'?"

He grinned widely. "Avery Morningstar came to my office today and told me that I'm your anchor person. It means that as long as I have it, you'll disappear less and less into ghost town. With that out in the open, you can either accept my proposition and stay on Earth, or reject it and disappear for good when the shoe ends up in the garbage."

Gabrielle swallowed, went over to snatch up the contract again, and headed back to the door. "You are truly a despicable man, you know that?" She started to turn the door handle.

"Think about my offer," he told her. "But don't take too long to give into the inevitable. I don't like to be kept waiting."

"And...peppermint would be good," Sybil said to herself, pulling a tea bag out and getting the hot water ready. "This will be so tasty."

Just then the doorbell rang, followed by a soft knock. There weren't very many people who came to visit her, so Sybil was very curious. The fact that there was a knock meant that it couldn't be Mikael. Why knock when he could just barge in?

Erring on the side of caution, she tiptoed toward the door. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's me, ma chere! Gabrielle!" Called the voice that made Sybil feel as warm as the tea that was coming. She quickly opened the door and hugged her old friend.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just didn't want to let a stranger in when I'm here by myself."

"It's nothing to worry about," Gabrielle waved this away. "So nice to see you! How have you been?"

"Okay," Sybil nodded. She and Gabrielle had bonded in heaven over their lives and deaths and had mused about what a second chance at life would be like. And now that Gabrielle was here to see it, she was a bit embarrassed. "I know my place is small. Sorry." She paused as the tea kettle whistled. "Would you like a cup?"

"Oui," Gabrielle smiled and looked around with satisfaction. "A very nice place. I had a little pied-a-terre like this back in Paris." She sighed. "It was so wonderful. You would have loved it."

"I'm sure," Sybil scoffed as she came back with the cups. "But the difference is that yours was fashionable; mine is because I'm broke!"

"But wait a minute," Gabrielle replied as she accepted her cup and sat down. "You texted me that you accepted a scholarship from the Council that was paying your expenses! What happened to that?"

"I still have it," Sybil assured her. "But it's not a big fortune. I can't have a lot of big expenses. Not that I would anyway."

Gabrielle nodded. "Bien sur. Je comprends. Et Mikael? I know so little of him except that he's the first in a long line of vampires, you hated him, you hated him a little less, and then he put up the money for that scholarship of yours."

Sybil sneezed and tears ran down her cheeks. Gabrielle quickly noticed this and handed her friend a tissue. "Oh lala, ma cherie. What is going on? A woman never cries for a man!"

"I'm pregnant!"

Gabrielle's jaw dropped. "Because of him? Mikael?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess you don't really hate him anymore," Gabrielle replied with a laugh as she tried to put humor in to the situation and failed.

"He doesn't know about it," Sybil shook her head. "He keeps saying he's no good for me and I would be better off without him so...so I don't want to force him into this."

Gabrielle sighed and gently took her friend by the shoulders. "Listen to me, cherie. Are you listening? When a man is saying too much, it means he is feeling too much also. I will respect your decision, but I still think you should tell him anyway because since you're a demon, you'll show pretty soon. In as little as three days!"

"No I won't," Sybil shook her head resolutely. "Apparently, his genes are stronger than mine and I'm having a normal pregnancy."

"I'll be damned," Gabrielle shook her head and laughed. "What a fish you've pulled out of the sea!" She gave Sybil a wink to try and make her laugh and, knowing this, Sybil gave her friend a small smile.

"What about you?" She asked. "What's going on?"

"Oh, so much!" Gabrielle grinned. "I saw Kai again. We're friends, of course. I met my daughter and my beautiful granddaughters."

"Mikael told me about them."

"How does he know?" Gabrielle asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sybil made a face. "Well, it's kind of complicated; he's not really Adrian's grandfather, but he raised Adrian's father, Klaus. They didn't get along well at all."

Gabrielle nodded. "I see. And I was able to find my son again."

"Ludovic?"

"Yes, and of course it's all a big mess!" Gabrielle winced. "Well, if what I've told you isn't bad enough, I've also made friends with Elijah Mikaelson and his wife, Selina, who is Adrian's mother. And now that I think of it, Mikael is..."

"Yes, he's Elijah's father."

Gabrielle shook her head. "What a small world! I went to the opera one night and had a fling with a young man and later, I learned that...that it was..."

"Yes?" Sybil leaned forward.

Gabrielle winced. "It was Selina's son, Arthur!"

Sybil's eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Tell me about it," Gabrielle nodded. "And now he's being a pain in my ass, blackmailing me, threatening to tell his mother if I don't comply with his demands, and hanging this over my head." She handed Sybil the contract.

As Sybil read it over, her jaw dropped in horror. "This is a sex contract! Will he seriously tattle on you to his mother and get rid of the shoe if you don't agree to be with him?"

"He's my anchor, Sybil. He can hang it over my head and he knows it!"

"What's an anchor?" Sybil frowned in confusion.

"From what I understand, every person who came back was linked with an already alive person to help them stay on Earth."

Sybil shook her head. "No, that can't be true!"

Gabrielle nodded. "And yet, ma cherie, it is."

Suddenly, there was a loud and insistent knock at the door.

"Were you expecting someone?" Gabrielle asked, grinning into her tea. "I can leave if you were. I wouldn't want to get in the way."

"No," Sybil shook her head and gently rose to her feet. "Not that I know of. I have no idea who it could be!"

Gabrielle smirked. "Maybe it's your lover, Mikael."

Sybil shook her head. "It can't be because we promised each other that aside from stuff with my classes, we'd never see each other again!"

Gabrielle snorted. "Says the woman who passed a week in his penthouse!"

"Stop it!" Sybil tried to shush her friend as she got up to get the door. She shouldn't have been surprised to see who was on the other side, but she was. "Mikael, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, darling," he greeted her, before pulling both her arms up around his neck to bring her lips in full contact with his.

"Well, this is nice to see," Gabrielle smirked and chuckled into her cup.

Sybil moaned, kissing back for a little bit, then grabbing his wrists to detach herself from him. "Mikael, what are you doing here?" She asked him again firmly.

"I was worried about you disappearing on me again," he said matter-of-factly. "Has it happened today?"

"No, no," she shook her head and stepped away. "I'm fine." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I think what you're wondering is, if the anchor isn't close enough, will I disappear?"

"Who told you?" Mikael demanded. "Was it Malachai? I swear, sometimes he has such a bit mouth!"

"No, it was moi!" Gabrielle called. She shifted in her sitting position and held out her hand. "Gabrielle Delacroix. So nice to finally meet you."

Mikael looked at her hand for a few seconds before crossing the threshold and striding over to the sofa.

"Well, yes, Mikael," Sybil muttered under her breath. "Please enter my place without permission and make yourself at home!"

But for once, Mikael wasn't focused on her. He was looking at Gabrielle instead. "You're the Gabrielle?" He asked. "Eloise's mother?"

"The one and only," she nodded and shook his hand. "Such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mikaelson."

"Likewise," Mikael nodded and shook her hand too. "You have such a wonderful daughter. She makes Adrian very happy."

"I guess we demon women have a way to make men happy," Gabrielle shrugged and winked discreetly at Sybil. "Wouldn't you say, Mr. Mikaelson?"

For the first time in his long life, Mikael blushed openly. "What's bringing you here?" He asked to change the subject, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I thought I would visit my good friend Sybil," Gabrielle explained. "We were very good friends before we came back to Earth."

Mikael nodded. "What a wonderful choice. She's definitely someone you would want to have as a friend."

"Or something more?" Gabrielle decided to push.

"Not like I have a choice about that," Sybil interrupted. Then she narrowed her eyes at Mikael. "Gabrielle just told me about the anchor thing and let me say, it makes me very uncomfortable!"

"Here we go again!" Mikael rubbed his temples. "I thought it would be less stressful for you if you didn't know I was your anchor."

"How do you figure that?" Sybil shot back, counting on her fingers all the ways he'd made her look like a fool. "You paid for my scholarship!"

"I gave a sum of money to help educate present and future adult students," he corrected.

"You told me you would redraw that sum if I didn't register."

"That's a technicality!" He brushed off her words and rolled his eyes.

"You offered me your home for an entire week!"

"Because your entire building was on fire!" He cried in exasperation. "Where else would you have lived?" He growled in frustration. "For God's sake!"

"Steve has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, you bet he did!" Mikael cried. "Him or his daughter, Avery!"

"You offered me a cashmere sweater!"

"You chose the cashmere sweater," he corrected. "And that was a gift. I hid the rest of it away, just like you asked."

"And now you're my anchor," she finished.

"Well, I'm sorry, but there's not really anything I can do about that!"

As she watched Sybil and Mikael spar, Gabrielle tried not to laugh at her friend; or, at the very least, laugh quietly behind her hand so Sybil wouldn't hear.

"You two are so adorable!" She said at last.

"What's adorable about this man?" Sybil cried. "He came into my...place, and he just...acts like he still owns me for twenty four hours."

"Oh, like you would mind if he did!" Gabrielle winked.

"I like her," Mikael grinned.

"You know what?" Sybil said to quickly change the subject and try and regain control of the situation. No way would she be ganged up on in her own home. "You know...Gabrielle is having a problem and she could use some of your lawyering expertise. You...you can still do law, right?"

"Of course," Mikael nodded.

"Good," Sybil nodded, trying to push him toward Gabrielle. But he didn't move. Man's muscles were as hard as rocks. She quickly moved her hands and stepped away.

"Now, what's your trouble?" Mikael asked Gabrielle. "Not a man harassing you? Do you need a restraining order?"

"It's nothing like that," Gabrielle shook her head. "You're kind to offer, but I can really take care of myself."

"Selina's son, Arthur, is her anchor person," Sybil blurted out. "He made her sign a contract that is...beneath her dignity. Threatened to keep her dead if she didn't."

Mikael shook his head and sat down at the small kitchen table. "If that boy is anything like his mother, you'll need all the help you can get. She used to be a real killer back in the day, and I have no doubt he'll play you good if you're not careful. What kind of contract is it? May I see?"

"You can show him," Sybil encouraged.

Gabrielle handed the contract over without another second's hesitation.

Mikael read it over, nodded, and grinned. "Yep, this boy is his mother's son, all right. Let me see if I can find..." he began rummaging around in his wallet for a business card and when he found one, he handed it to her. "This is a card for my law firm. Take it, present yourself at the address listed, and someone will help you take care of this contract."

Gabrielle shook her head. "No, thank you. It's very kind of you, but...at the moment, I have no way to pay back such generosity."

Mikael rolled his eyes. This was definitely Sybil's friend. "I don't care if you pay me back," he said. "What is it with you demon women and feeling like that about money?"

"Well, thank you," Gabrielle inclined her head and stuck the card in her purse. Then she stood up and looked back and forth between the pair, locking eyes with Sybil. "And you, dear, maybe you should tell him. Au revoir!" She strode out the door without another word and shut it softly behind her, leaving Mikael and Sybil alone.

"What did she mean by that?" Mikael asked. "Tell me what?"

Sybil blushed and shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. Don't pay attention to her!"

"Sybil.."

"All right," she sighed. "She wanted me to admit to your face that maybe, just maybe, I miss you."

He smiled, light in his eyes as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him to sit on his lap. "I miss you too," he said. "More than you know." Then he crashed his lips on hers and soon, their hands were all over each other as they continued to kiss, neither pausing for breath.

Gabrielle slipped on a nice pair of heels and curled her hair a little, then stopped to look at herself in the hall mirror as she headed out the door. She wanted to look amazing when she showed up at Arthur's office and threw the new contract in his face. He wouldn't be happy at all; her lawyer had made sure of that.

As she drove, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. This was gonna make him so mad, but it had to be done. If he honestly thought she would just mindlessly sign his stupid contract, he was sorely mistaken. Although, she mused as she paused at a stoplight, it was a shame he was so pushy because he wasn't bad looking and she wouldn't mind, at some point that wasn't now, going to bed with him again. Not now, of course. Some time far away when he'd learn to treat her like a person or, Steve forbid, an equal. But she knew that was a long way off, so all either of them could hope for was some evenings out and a passionate celibacy. The rest was up to him.

A grin curved Arthur's lips as Gabrielle strode into his office after she had been announced, contract very visible in her arms. "So you decided to sign it," he told her. "And relatively quickly too, considering how stubborn you were being." He got up and circled her. "You look very...wonderful. I didn't think you'd want to start the deal so early, but...then again, why wouldn't you?"

"Here is a contract I signed," Gabrielle grinned. "Read it over and you'll see everything is in order." She waited for him to read it over, biting her lip on a grin and bouncing on her heels a little as he did so. Then he looked up, eyes narrowed.

"What the hell is this?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently.

"This is not what I gave you!" He told her. "What did you do with the contract I gave you?"

"I treated it like the garbage it was!" She snapped. "But not before I showed it to my own lawyer, who was more than willing to make some adjustments on my behalf."

"How the hell did you get a lawyer?" Arthur asked. "You have no money!"

"Maybe not, but I have some very generous acquaintances," Gabrielle assured him.

Arthur scoffed. "Probably got his law degree from somewhere in the Caribbean," he said. "Mine went to Harvard."

"What's your point?" Gabrielle asked. "Am I supposed to care?"

"I'm just saying that my lawyer is most likely better than yours," Arthur replied. "And I am completely prepared to get this thrown out and put the original deal back in place."

"What's wrong with this contract?" Gabrielle asked. "I'll still make sure that you're not being made a fool of in front of your associates. I'll pretend to be your adoring date in front of everyone you feel needs to see it for a period of six months."

"And that's it?"

"Yes," Gabrielle nodded. "Other than that, hands off. Until you've proven worthy to earn anything else, that is."

He reached out and pulled her to him, hand on her butt. "You mean there's a chance...?" He began slyly.

"Perhaps," Gabrielle returned and slapped him. "But certainly not now. Now you're lucky I'm even agreeing to go to dinner with you."

"You do remember that I can very easily get rid of the shoe, right?" Arthur reminded her. "And I won't sign your damn contract!"

"You do remember that I'm friends with your mother and can very easily show her and your father how you plan to take advantage of me." Gabrielle shot back. "Wouldn't want her to see that you're choosing to treat a woman like garbage. Or you could sign this, take my deal, and I won't. Your choice."

The color left his cheeks and he stepped back for a moment. She was getting the upper hand. He had no immediate response to that.

"You bitch," he muttered at last.

"Oh, I'm so hurt that you called me a name," she taunted. "It stabs me like a knife."

"You want me to stab you?" He growled. "I will! And it will hurt!"

"If you stab me, how will you win?" Gabrielle questioned. "I'm winning now, and enjoying it immensely." She pushed the contract toward him. "Are you sure you won't sign this? I think it would be easier on both of us if you did. I truly have no desire to ruin your relationship with your mother."

"Don't worry about that," Arthur sighed. "She already ruined it herself."

"So...so you agree then?" Gabrielle asked, amazed that he seemed to actually be mellowing and agreeing to her side of things. "You'll sign the contract? It really won't be as painful as it seems."

"Just leave it here and go," Arthur snapped, not meeting her eyes.

She watched him for a few seconds, kept the contract where it was, and headed for the door. But as her hand turned the knob, she felt his arms around her waist and his lips against her ear as he inhaled the scent of her neck. Then he bit her earlobe, kissing her neck and cheek while she tried to stay still and not gasp.

"You have your little victory now," he whispered. "But we both know that regardless of how...chaste you want this deal to be, sooner or later, you'll end up in my bed. You know it and I know it. You've had a taste already and whether you admit it to yourself or not, there's a part of you that wants more. More that you won't get from any other man, whether they be human, vampire, werewolf, whatever. I'm the only one who can satisfy that appetite of yours."

"Oh, just shut up and sign the contract!" She spat. Then turned, took a pen out of her purse, and handed it to him. "Sign it and leave me the hell alone!"

He quickly signed it and she snatched it away. "Goodbye, Mr. Gray."

He spanked her bottom as she made her way out the door. "Goodbye, Madame," he said. "There's a little something to remember me by."

"God this is humiliating!" Selina cried as Elijah lugged her out of the car for what she hoped was her last check-up before the baby came. "Good thing there's not many people here to see you do that."

"Well, I know it hurts your pride, but how else will you get out?" Elijah questioned. "Now, are you firmly set on your feet?"

"Yes, thank you," Selina replied, rolling her eyes as Elijah reached for her hand. "I can walk on my own," she said. "I don't need your help."

"Would you just indulge me, please?" Elijah asked. "I don't want you to fall over."

"Well, we're at a hospital so if I were gonna fall, this would be the perfect place to do it," Selina pointed out.

As they made their way inside, they just happened to meet Sean. "Hi," he said. "Are you...are you here to have your baby? Do I need to have someone get you a chair to rush you to labor and delivery?" He asked.

"Sadly no," Selina shook her head. "This little miss isn't ready to come out yet and we're here to find out why. Usually I would have given birth in the barn by now. My children seem to love surprise entrances at inopportune moments."

"Have you talked to anyone about inducing?" Sean asked.

"Only a few more days til that's an actual option," Selina replied.

"Good," Sean said. "Good luck with your appointment, and I hope you get good news! Then we'll see each other again!"

"Thanks, Sean!" Selina called after him.

They continued to make their way to the ultrasound appointment and as the technician ran the scanner over her belly, he froze.

"What?" Selina asked. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, but we need to get you into labor and delivery right now. The baby's coming."

"Are you sure?" Selina asked. "Usually when that happens, it's really obvious. But I haven't felt any of the usual things: No pain, nothing like that. I mean, she hasn't been kicking as much and that worried me a little, but-"

"That's because she was positioning herself to come out." The technician went to the phone and called over the intercom: "We need a wheelchair in ultrasound room 3A. We have a woman in labor."

Not long after, Selina was in a chair and being wheeled into a room.

"This is an interesting change," Elijah remarked as they got her in bed. "Nice and clean and...not a barn or a stable! So kind of Mackenzie to let you give birth here."

"This is so weird!" Selina cried, the white, sterile room making her very nervous. "Get me out! Take me home!"

"No," Elijah said firmly. "It'll be all right. You're surrounded by professionals."

"Well, when I said we'd see each other again, I didn't think it would be less than an hour later," Sean remarked jovially as he strode into the room. "How are you doing?"

"Not terrible, but...this is the first baby I've had in the hospital since forever so...it's a change."

"Are you in pain? Do we need to get you an epidural?"

Selina shook her head. "I would love to say 'Yes', but with my past drug habits I don't think I should have anything to do with morphine. I'll do what generations of women before me did: Scream, curse, think happy thoughts, and hope I don't die."

Sean chuckled. "Well, it's good you have a plan."

Continuing her good planning and good manners, it didn't take long for Selina to deliver her and Elijah's latest daughter.

"Less than ten hours," Elijah said at last as he smiled down at her, newly cleaned and wrapped up. "Marvelous!"

Then he looked at Selina. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Can you still hear?" Selina asked. "I tried not to scream very loud."

"I'm fine," Elijah told her. "Good job, darling. I'm proud of you." Just then, his phone rang and he quickly handed the baby to her mother so he could answer it. "Hello?"

"Grandpa, where in the world are you?" Ricky cried. "I can't find you anywhere!"

"Oh, your grandma went into labor and we had to leave quickly," Elijah replied, realizing that he and Selina hadn't left a note or anything. "Sorry for worrying you. But you have a new aunt now."

"I do?" Ricky asked. "What's her name again?"

"Mackenzie," Elijah replied. "Mackenzie Amelia Mikaelson."

"That's beautiful!" Ricky told him. "So...will you be in the hospital tonight?"

"Probably," Elijah nodded. "Especially since this is your grandmother's first hospital delivery in a while, the doctors want to keep an eye on her for a bit. But she pulled through it beautifully, so I don't think there'll be a problem."

"Good!" Ricky told his grandfather. "Give my best to Grandma and Aunt Mackenzie!"

"I will," Elijah assured him. "Thank you, Ricky. Love you."

"Love you too, Grandpa. Bye!"

Elijah then ended the call and headed back to his wife and new daughter. "Ricky says congratulations."

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Selina remarked. "How are they doing? I hope they didn't worry too much since I think we forgot to leave a note about where we went."

"Once I explained everything, it was okay," Elijah smiled and gently patted the dark spray of hair on Mackenzie's head, a loving look in his eyes. "How about I take her back for a little bit and you can get some sleep?"

"All right, thank you," Selina nodded and handed her over. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well," Elijah told her, watching her fall asleep, and smiling down at Mackenzie, who was doing the same. "And goodnight to you too, my darling Mackenzie. I love you and I'll watch over you always, I promise."