Hell or High Water

Aria always knew that crazy ran in her family considering that her adopted father Marcel had been raised by the infamous Original Vampires right here in her home of New Orleans. What she didn't count on however, was that when they returned after years, they were bringing a little more than before with them. One thing being the ghost of an apparently not so dead Kol Mikaelson.

~*•°•*~

Hello loves!

I am so sorry that I've been absent from this site recently but you will not believe the past two months of my life right now.

Firstly, the amount of homework my teachers have been giving me it utterly ridiculous! We already have to suffer through six hours a day and they expect us to do more? Honestly, it's driving me crazy.

Then, my social life is severely struggling right now. All my friends are just… Ugh I don't even want to think about it.

Lastly, I've been having the worst migraines lately. I mean seriously, one sudden movement and I feel like I'm being hit over the head with a bloody frying pan. As such, I haven't really been able to get to my computer much.

So, I will be putting Family Is Interesting on a hiatus but only because my computer's been glitching all of my documents up and I don't want to start writing again only to have it all deleted.

So, moving on with this Fic…

I hate Hayley Marshall-Kenner. However, re-watching the first couple of episodes of The Originals, I find myself hating her slightly less which caused me to revaluate my entire life. Then I go back to watch her in TVD and I go back to hating her. It's a sort of love hate relationship in which I feel both things at the same time. I do think that TVD did a horrible job with her character and I think she is much better developed in TO but that's beside the point for now. As such, Hayley won't be featuring in this for as much as possible. Of course, I'll have to have bits of her in this considering she is kinda what the entire first season of The Originals revolves about but yeah. Sorry not sorry.

Also, if you don't like OCs then I recommend not reading this fanfiction considering the main character will be… well… an OC.

I really hope that you guys like this fic, I can honestly say that I've never had this much fun writing something before.

Now let's get on with it!

I own nothing, if I did, Klaus, Aiden, Josh, Cami, Elijah and many, many others would still be very much alive and Kol wouldn't have died in the first place.


PROLOGUE


1994 May 17th

Marcel Gerard should have known by now that New Orleans was and probably always would be the capital of the Supernatural when he stumbled upon three witches of whom he vaguely recognised to be from the French Quarter Coven holding a seemingly human baby and discussing how they were going to 'be rid of it'.

Now, if there was one thing in the world that Marcel hated, besides werewolves, it was people-no matter their species-that would not only harm children but kill them. Before they could sense him, he ripped their hearts out, not even waiting for an explanation. After all, how could you excuse killing a child? He carefully picked up the baby before taking the little girl with him to the church to meet up with the priest – his trusted friend Father Kieran O'Connell.

It took them five days of having the little girl - who Marcel had affectionately named Aria - tested and sent through the database to see if anyone had reported a missing baby girl.

But there was nothing.

No reports, no… anything. It was like she appeared from thin air and to Marcel, that meant she had appeared for a reason. That very thought alone inspired something deep within him. For what Klaus-and begrudgingly Elijah had done for him, he would do for this little girl.

For his new daughter - Aria Rebekah Gerard - that he adopted that very day after she was set in his arms.

This'd be… interesting if nothing else.

Interesting indeed.

~*•°•*~

16 years later

Aria Gerard stood on the rooftop of a building, watching impassively as her father, Marcel, killed Jane-Anne Deveraux for using magic. It was a shame, really. If Jane-Anne hadn't used magic and Davina hadn't drawn her when she sensed the now dead woman using magic, she'd be alive.

Then again, her father had other reasons for killing the bitch.

Reasons she wholeheartedly agreed with even if he was being a little showy.

Although she wouldn't lie, she was certainly curious as to what spell Jane-Anne been doing. After all, ever since Marcel and her had saved Davina, the witches had been too scared to even think about using magic.

So… what exactly had changed?

"May God have pity on your soul," The witch murmured, "Cause I don't."

"And why is that Darling?" A voice asked from her left. She turned to see a man that looked like he blended in well with the darkness. It almost seemed like he was a part of it. He had short dark brown hair, casual clothes, dark brown eyes and a very… very cold and dark aura.

He was leaning against a wall, clearly not expecting a response but looking over to her none the less as if to amuse her.

Or rather… to amuse himself.

But there was something else about him, something that was strangely familiar. It was as if a lightbulb went off above her head and after a moment's mental debate, she spoke up.

Spoke up to an Original.

A dead Original.

"Because, Mr Mikaelson, Jane-Anne went against Marcel's rules." Aria spoke calmly, lip curling upwards at the edge when his eyes widened and he lost his footing, suddenly standing straight as he stared at her.

"You can hear me?"

"I can see you too. Am I correct in assuming you're dead?" She asked innocently, when he didn't reply, she nodded to herself, "Thought as much."

He stared at her in shock. Ever since the Gilberts had killed him in order to complete Jeremy's Hunters Mark, he'd been trapped on the other side. When Bonnie had put the Veil back up however, he'd managed to get himself trapped in the human world. He'd been elated at first before he realised that no one was able to see him.

So how was it that this girl in front of him could not only see him, but hear him too? It was unsettling but he wouldn't lie, Kol Mikaelson loved a good challenge.

Even when dead.

"What's your name Darling?"

She looked him straight in the eye, expression bored before sighing and turning back to watch the street below where all the vampires continued with their cheering at the sight of Jane-Anne's dead body. Unwillingly, she shivered slightly when she felt cold breath ghost over her shoulder.

You just had to open your big mouth didn't you Aria?

"I'm waiting."

"And you can keep waiting." She murmured, knowing full well he could hear her if the small chuckle was anything to go by.

"Come on Darling, it's just a name."

Aria sighed and turned around, eyes narrowed, "Aria. Alright?" She snapped before turning back around.

Kol grinned. After what had been months and months of loneliness and solitude, a chance visit back to his old home of New Orleans finally gave him his challenge, his game. And oh, how he loved to win.

"Who are you, Aria?" He questioned before she spun around, hands on her hips and a less than impressed expression on her face.

"All you need to know, Mr Mikaelson, is that I don't take kindly into being pressured to do things. And I think you'll find, that even dead, I can still make you bleed."

The smirk and what would likely be a sassy retort was stopped immediately when he felt a searing pain burst in his head. He let out a sudden yell of pain as he clutched both sides of his head and crouched over, moving away from Aria as if it would stop the pain.

"You feel that? That's your non-existent blood starting to boil. So I will tell you one last time if me previously ignoring you wasn't clear enough, leave me alone." She commanded before the two Supernaturals heard footsteps nearing them.

Even though he knew it wasn't likely to have more than one being able to see dead in the Quarter, Kol flashed to the opposite building where he'd still be able to hear the conversation between the witch and the mystery person approaching her but would be out of sight.

He watched in curiosity as someone jumped up off of the side of the building and landed next to Aria, someone he quickly realised to be a vampire.

"Hey Thierry." Aria grinned as the vampire smiled slightly.

"Hello Aria. Marcel would like to meet you at the church." He said as Aria's smile widened.

The first thought that popped into Kol's head was that that name sounded familiar.

Marcel… Marcel… Marcellus?

And what was so exciting about a church? Kol thought to himself as he continued watching curiously, on guard should the vampire try anything. He felt his eyebrows raise in surprise, why was he so protective of her?

I'm just curious. He assured himself. That's all.

"Alright, so let me guess, he called you to take me there?"

The vampire-Thierry-gave her a look, "Of course."

"Has it ever occurred to him that I am completely able to defend myself?"

Thierry nodded, "He also knows that he's just executed a witch. Her Coven will be angry with him and he doesn't want you to get caught in the crossfire."

Why would she be caught in the crossfire? Kol wondered.

"Thierry, I've been in the crossfire my entire life. The witches would've killed me if dad hadn't saved me."

"All the same, Marcel would kill me if a hair on your head got harmed."

"Dad's so overprotective." Aria muttered, "Alright. Tell me Thierry, oh great protector, give me one good reason I shouldn't just go there on my own."

"I've just given you one. The witches want to kill you."

"Not good enough." She sung before his face turned serious.

"I'm sure you noticed Marcel greet an old friend down there? The Hybrid is-"

Aria winced, "Back in town. I know. I suppose that reason's good enough," She held her hand out to him, "Well then Thierry, if dad is so eager to have someone accompany me, I'm glad it's you."

He gave her a small smile and sped away with her as Kol continued to watch from the shadows.

This would certainly be fun.

~*•°•*~

Thierry dropped Aria off at the entrance to the church and after thanking the vampire, she walked inside, smiling when she saw Father Kieran O'Connell, "Aria. How are you?" He greeted warmly as she gave a small smile.

"I'm alright. How-how are you?" She asked, voice slightly nervous.

"Doing as well as can be expected. You know that Cami has moved back here, we're all finding it a little hard."

Aria smiled sympathetically at the man without any trace of pity. That wasn't what he wanted, it never was when someone brought up her own past. Rather, brought up her lack of parents. After all, Marcel was all she wanted. All she needed.

And he had a point, her and Cami had been fast friends so far.

"Is dad here? He asked Thierry to bring me."

Father Kieran's smile turned thin, "He's in the attic."

"Thank you, Father Kieran." Aria smiled before walking up the rickety steps. She looked around the cramped walkway until she saw the attic door she'd entered so many times in the past half a year. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Davina sitting on the bed.

"Hey D." She said quietly as Davina turned around with a large smile.

"Hey 'Ari."

"Uh, Jane-Anne's dead. Thanks for the heads up." Aria said as she walked over to sit next to Davina as the girl in question nodded at her,

"You're welcome."

"Hey girls." A voice sounded from the doorway as both Aria and Davina turned around with a small smile.

"Hi dad."

"Hi Marcel." They chimed at the same time as Marcel's lip quirked up slightly.

"Everything okay?"

Aria nodded, "What about the Hybrid? You're not really planning to let him stay, are you?"

Marcel let out a sarcastic laugh as he smirked, "Nah. I'm going to see why in hell the witches thought they were brave enough to conspire against Klaus and then, I'll either stop them or I'll help them for once-depending on my mood." He quickly added as Aria's lips twitched upwards into a rather sinister smirk.

"And I'll be all too pleased to help."

~*•°•*~

Welcome to the dark side of New Orleans.

A supernatural playground where the living are easily lost, the dead stick around to play and the undead rule.

The Mikaelsons are back.

And they're planning to stay.