Time Jump, kind of!

(If anyone comments 'home renovations take longer than three months' I'm going to lose my shit, because I KNOW they take forever; our home [a very small house, btw] reno last year took 6 LONG months and it was horrible. I was not going to make my characters or my audience suffer through that.)

Also, shoutout to SourPatchJaz, who suggested naming the Roanoke house the Hearth. I've changed it slightly to Hearth Hall, but I wanted to make sure they were credited! Everyone had great ideas, but I thought Hearth Hall fit the vibe I was going for.

ALSO, my first attempt at smut is in this chapter!

(Yes, it took me four days to write just the sexy scene. Yes, I felt awkward the entire time.)


MIRIAM

August 23th, 2010

(Three months after moving to Roanoke.)

It was an early morning on Monday, August 23rd, and Hearth Hall was a whirlwind of activity. Finn, Elijah, and Maddox were in the kitchen by the time that Miriam made her way downstairs. Maddox was diligently cooking eggs while also making toast. Finn was flipping pancakes and cooking bacon while Elijah was filling thermoses with blood. Through the kitchen window Miriam could see Kol in the fully enclosed courtyard/greenhouse watering his plants (Kol and the witches absolutely adored the enclosed courtyard, because it was in the middle of the house and right next to the kitchen, which allowed for easy access for brewing potions and other witchy things). Klaus was in the dining room, pouring over maps of the area. Miriam could hear the other inhabitants of Hearth Hall walking around and making noise.

"Good morning," Miriam greeted as she sat down on one of the many chairs that lined the gigantic island.

"Good morning, vorgyðja," Elijah responded warmly.

"Good morning," Finn echoed as he set a plate of pancakes, bacon, toast, and eggs in front of Miriam.

"Is Luka up?" Maddox asked as he set a jug of orange juice next to her plate.

"I think so. I heard him and Caroline arguing over the bathroom," Miriam took a bite of her eggs. "These are really good!"

"Thanks! I've been practicing," Maddox grinned.

"He's getting better," Greta noted as she came into the room. She kissed her fiancé's cheek before going to the coffee machine. "The eggs no longer taste like rubber."

Maddox stuck out his tongue at her once her back was turned, making Finn chuckle.

"Hey," Luka greeted as he wandered in.

"Who won for the bathroom?" Greta teased her brother.

The teenager rolled his eyes. "Who do you think?"

Despite having her own bathroom, Caroline was convinced that the bathroom that Luka and Jeremy shared had better lighting for make-up. No one could convince her otherwise.

The early birds were able to eat their breakfast in relative peace before the front door burst open and the majority of the Roanoke pack spilled into the house. All but the former alpha/current mayor, and her wife, entered the home.

The pack consisted of six members: Wanda Ryan (the mayor), her younger sister Michelle Ryan-Booth, Herculano 'Herc' Rodriguez, Alicia Lee, Pilar Osorio, and Hayden Molina. Their ages ranged from twenty-one (Alicia) to fifty (Wanda). They were a colorful bunch. They all came from different backgrounds, had different occupations, and had different reasons for triggering their werewolf curse. Despite the differences, none had balked at becoming a Hybrid. The pack wanted to be strong, stronger than any other pack, and they had succeeded.

But they were still people. Being a Hybrid didn't stop Pilar from being a mom, or Herc from loving music. And being a hybrid definitely did not stop the school year from happening.

"Good morning!" Michelle Ryan-Booth, the sister of the mayor, greeted as she and her son TJ entered the house. Michelle and TJ both had the werewolf gene, but only Michelle had activated hers. She was a founding member of the Roanoke pack, and currently one of seven hybrids in the world.

She was also a typical mom, and tried to straighten her son's hair before he shied away from her and snagged a piece of Luka's bacon for himself.

"Good morning!" Miriam responded. "One of the three teenagers has made it downstairs. We're waiting on Caroline and Jeremy."

"Michelle, come look at this map," Klaus called from the dining room. "Would this area work for a run tomorrow night?"

Michelle and Alicia joined Klaus, while Herc and Hayden helped themselves to breakfast. Pilar and her young daughter Laura went into the courtyard so that Laura could look at the exotic flowers. There were a million conversations going at once, interspersed with typical sounds of the toaster popping, the tea kettle whistling, and doors opening and closing.

Miriam loved it.

The last three months had been hectic, to say the least. They had moved in mid-May to Roanoke. The mansion had to be worked on, so for the last two and a half months the entire group had been living out of a hotel. They were only able to move into the mansion a little less than two weeks previous.

Though they had to wait for the house to be finished, Klaus wasted no time in working with the pack. He turned the six pack members in June, and none of them had looked back. They had all taken the transformation well, and all were thriving. To celebrate how well things were going, Klaus and the pack were going to go on a run as a pack during the full moon, which was the next night.

Miriam was extremely proud of Klaus. He was doing his best with running the pack. There were strong personalities in the pack, but he had managed to refrain from killing any of them.

The large grandfather clock in the hallway rang seven times, and the entire household was spurred to action.

"Jeremy, if you're not down in five minutes, I am leaving your ass here!" Jenna called up the grand stairs.

"Coming!" Jeremy's faint voice yelled back.

"What is that boy doing up there?" Jenna shook her head as she walked back into the kitchen.

"He's deciding on what shirt to wear," Caroline said as she sped into the room. "Unlike me, he chose to pick his outfit the day of, which you should never do!" She looked perfectly put together in an outfit that had been lucky enough to win the Survivor-esque tournament Caroline had held in her room the night before to decide what her First Day of School Outfit should be. Her hair was perfectly styled, her make-up perfectly applied, and her backpack perfectly packed. She graciously accepted the thermos of blood that Finn handed her.

"Jeremy's a Gilbert alright; they never think things through," Jenna bemoaned. Miriam and Caroline laughed.

"Here." Elijah handed Jenna a thermos- of coffee, not blood- and a packed lunch. "Don't forget this."

"Oh my god, thank you!" Jenna took a long chug of the coffee. "I'm weirdly nervous about going back to school."

"Don't be," Miriam said. "You'll do great."

"I'm going to be the oldest one there," Jenna moaned.

"That's not true. And no one cares that you're getting another bachelor's degree," Miriam argued.

They were just repeating an old conversation, but Miriam didn't mind. Jenna had decided to stop her master's degree in psychology and instead try for another B.A. This time she was going to go slow, and take a handful of classes at the local community college. Pack member Alicia was also taking classes at the community college, so the two women tried to get into the same classes. But despite all of the support and encouragement that Jenna had received, she still believed that she should be doing more. More to provide for her and Jeremy, more to earn her degree, more to be a functional adult. Just… more. It was a feeling that Miriam was acquainted with.

Miriam had briefly flirted with the idea of pursuing a college degree, but she ultimately decided against it. She had spent the past two years working her butt off- she deserved some down time! She was going to spend the next few months knitting, reading, learning Old Norse, and eating good food. There was a large part of her that wanted to be constantly busy, but she was trying to combat that by doing things that she enjoyed. She was in a unique position in that she didn't have to worry about money, so why not enjoy it?

"I'm coming!" Jeremy thundered down the stairs.

"Let's roll out!" Jenna encouraged.

"Don't forget about the potluck tonight!" Miriam called as half the people in the house moved towards the front door. "Attendance is mandatory!"

"We won't forget!" Caroline promised. "I'm looking forward to August's cornbread."

"It's going to be fabulous!" August said happily.

"Your cornbread has no chance of beating my arepas," pack member Herc taunted.

August gasped like a seventeen century lady of the court. "How dare you!"

"Guys, guys, we both know that Finn's homemade rolls are going to win," Jenna said. "But we'll find out tonight, for sure. Right now, let's go! You kids can't be late to the first day of school!"

So grumbling and laughing, Jenna, Jeremy, Caroline, Luka, TJ, Pilar, Laura, and Alicia filed out of the house to go to school and to work. Those remaining finished up their breakfast.

"Vorgyðja, the others should be here soon," Elijah reminded her.

"Okay. Let me go get dressed," Miriam took a finishing gulp of her orange juice before hurrying up to her room.

Her room was in between Kol and Finn's rooms and across from Klaus and Elijah's rooms. Her bedroom had two doors on either side of the same curved wall. Both were decorated with flowers that Klaus had painted on her doors himself. Elijah, with her input and opinion, had picked out antique furniture to fill the large space. This room was similar in decoration to her old room at the farmhouse, with bright colors and an abundance of fairy lights. Her bed was an Alaskan king bed, and she was in love with it. She could do a freaking cartwheel on it and still not fall off. An army of pillows and blankets covered the massive piece of furniture, making it the coziest place on earth. The bedframe was a custom-made canopy, with gauzy white curtains. Behind the bed on the wall was a mural of a garden that Klaus had painted for her. The witches, led by Kol, had sketched protective sigils into every wall and piece of furniture. A variety of potions- ones for good health, good dreams, energy, etc.- had been made into candles for Miriam to burn whenever she needed. A container (charmed to keep its contents fresh) of chocolate chip cookies from Finn sat on her antique dresser.

There were still a few boxes in the corner of the room that she needed to unpack, but for the most part her room was perfect. It had its own walk-in-closet and bathroom, and Miriam was itching to run a luxurious bubble bath in the claw foot tub.

Miriam went into her closet and shuffled through her clothes. The day was going to be hot and humid. But just as she was pulling out a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt, her eyes found the half-a-dozen shopping bags in the corner of the closet.

Waiting for a mansion to be fully renovated was a long, boring process, and to relieve that boredom, Miriam had gone shopping with her various mates and friends over the last couple of months. She had been hesitant at first, not wanting to spend too much money. She had grown up on hand-me-downs and clearance items and the occasional full-price piece of clothing (if it was under a certain dollar amount). Shopping without any regard to the monetary value of the clothing was a radical idea, and one she was still struggling with. Elijah had given her a credit card with her name on it, and told her that she could try to spend as much money as she could, but she would still probably spend half of what Rebekah was known to spend on a shopping trip. Miriam had made a valiant attempt at shopping without constantly looking at the price tags (Caroline, who had no such hang-ups about spending Mikaelson money, would slap her hand if she reached for a tag), and had accumulated six bags worth of clothing over the past few months. And in one of those bags was a sundress.

Miriam warred with herself for a moment, but then nodded resolutely. She put back the shorts and t-shirt and pulled the sundress from the shopping bag. It was a seafoam green, with a tiny white floral print. It went to her knees, but that was the only modest thing about the dress. The spaghetti straps, plunging neckline, and thin material definitely disqualified it from a church gathering.

It was a flirty dress. And now that things had calmed down- the pack had been changed, the house had been renovated, they had all moved into the house- maybe she could be flirty. Maybe she could be brave enough to flirt and tease with her mates. They were slowly opening themselves up to her. Klaus had told her he wanted to actively pursue a relationship with her. Finn was willing to learn English and Spanish and teach her Old Norse in return, so that they could talk and share their experiences. Kol was a secret provider, and constantly left useful gifts- like the charmed candles or new charms for her protection bracelet- for her. Elijah was lowering his guard for her and allowing her to take care of him. If her mates could do all that, she could open herself up and accept their care and attention.

Before she could second-guess herself, Miriam put on the dress. She looked at herself in the floor-length mirror and grinned. She felt pretty. And sure, in the humid heat she would be sweating and the dress would be sticking to her skin, but for a few minutes she could feel pretty and girly and young.

Miriam paired the dress with her grandmother's cross and simple gold hoop earrings, and a pair of comfortable brown sandals. She dabbed on some perfume before heading back downstairs.

Klaus was in the dining room with the rest of the pack, but Finn and Elijah were in the kitchen when she walked in.

Both of her mates' eyes darkened at the sight of her, and she flushed under their attention. The heat in their gaze made her decision to put on the sundress worth it. Finn approached and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Beautiful. Very beautiful."

"Flatterer," she giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Truth," he argued. His English had greatly improved over the last few months. His main problem was getting his mouth to form the sounds that he wanted it to (languages were hard). His progress with English was slowed by him also learning Spanish at the same time. Their house was now a trilingual mess of English, Spanish, and Old Norse. Even Caroline was attempting to learn Spanish and Old Norse. Languages didn't come easy to her, but her enthusiasm and need for perfection made her a great student.

"I must agree with Finn. You look beautiful," Elijah kissed her forehead. "Mayor Ryan and Ms. Peters have arrived. Would you alert Kol?"

"Of course," she kissed his cheek in return before heading to the courtyard.

Inside Kol was cataloging the growth of his plants. He and the witches had filled the enclosed garden with plants and herbs that were most useful in potions in spells, and they were even planning on building a greenhouse in the backyard. Kol was invested in keeping their stores well stocked. Miriam believed it was his way of caring for the family and for the pack.

"Good morning," Miriam greeted as she stepped into the courtyard.

"Good morning, love," Kol set down his notebook and focused his dark eyes on her. "You look lovely, as always. Have the hellions gone to school?"

"Yes, and Wanda and the others are here to plan our next move," Miriam said. "Want to join us?"

"Would I ever miss an opportunity to push Nik's buttons?" Kol grinned.

Miriam rolled her eyes. "Would it kill you to be less annoying to him?"

"Absolutely. Let's go."

Miriam and Kol went back into the house and made their way to the dining room, where everyone was setting up. Klaus, Elijah, and Finn were there, and so were the witches: August, Maddox, and Greta. The remaining pack members Michelle, Herc, and Hayden were there, as well as Mayor Wanda Ryan and her wife Janet Peters.

The Mayor was a tall, heavier-set black woman in her early fifties. She had an iron will and a friendly smile that made her a charismatic politician. In the four years of her being mayor, she had lowered crime, helped house many who were experiencing homelessness, and made the city of Roanoke overall a better place to live. On the supernatural side of things, Wanda had triggered her curse when she was a teenager. Since then she had devoted her life to protecting her community, werewolf and human.

"Thank you so much for waiting for us to arrive," Wanda said as everyone settled into their seats. "I've got such a busy day today, it's insane."

"Will you be able to make it tonight?" Miriam asked. Everyone began to pull out seats and sit down. Miriam, unsurprisingly, found herself sitting between two of her mates. Klaus put his arm around her seat and Kol grabbed her hand.

"Of course she will! We wouldn't miss it," Janet promised as she sat down next to her wife. Janet was Wanda wife of over twenty years (Miriam knew that same-sex marriage would not be legalized in the U.S. until 2015, but the two women had been partners for decades, and referred to each other as wife. Everyone who respected the two women said they were married). Janet was an elegant woman in her mid-fifties, with long black hair and kind dark eyes. She was Korean on her mother's side. When her wife became a hybrid she had chosen to be turned into a vampire, so that they would never have to be parted.

"How goes the hunt?" Klaus asked once everyone was settled.

"The California pack refuses to give me any information on the runaways, but they did tell me that they would be willing to shelter any wolf that is running from Lucien Castle," Janet said. "I put out some feelers in the South and the North West, but I am no longer the best person to send as a representative, per my now vampiric status. I suggest sending a pack member, or one of the witches."

Klaus wanted to search for people who had triggered their werewolf curse and were pack-less. There were only a few packs in the continental U.S. that came from ancient bloodlines. Most werewolves now were scattered to the wind. Klaus wanted to gather up as many of these wolves as possible. The problem was that the pack-less werewolves were extremely good at hiding and evading enemies. Many of the wolves had triggered their curse accidentally, like in a car crash or a fight that became too violent. Other wolves had killed people in self defense. There were some, like Roanoke pack member Herc, who had been forced to use extreme violence to save another person's life. However they triggered their werewolf curse, these people did not have a community to support them.

The Roanoke pack was composed of people who had been pack-less. Wanda, after triggering her curse when she was young, had searched far and wide for other wolves that were not born into a pack. She had found some, but none were willing to stay in Roanoke permanently. She was okay with that. She helped the wolves move on to other packs that were established, like the California pack or the Colorado pack. It was only within the last ten years or so that she had begun to form a permanent pack of her own.

Miriam was certain that Klaus, whether he admitted it or not, felt a sense of connection with those that did not have a werewolf community. That, coupled with his desire to have more power and control, led to the current discussion of finding other wolves to join the pack.

"Did you talk to Ron and Kay from the Florida pack?" Miriam asked.

"Yes, and they said they would send any werewolf our way if they want to be turned. They are having a better time finding runaway werewolf teens than we are, but that could be because they aren't as threatening to scared, hiding wolves."

"We don't need to be too picky with hybrids, though I would like to have some kind of vetting process," Klaus said.

Before leaving Mystic Falls, Elijah had kidnapped Elena and drained her of a good portion of her blood, giving Klaus dozens of vials of doppelganger blood to use to make his hybrids. Klaus wanted his army, and he was going to get it this time around.

"The wolves are a small, cautious population," Wanda said. "Give them time, and they will realize that they would be better off as hybrids."

Klaus nodded. He turned to Greta. "How is your father's mission going?"

"Josephine LaRue is interested in a trade, but she is hesitant due to Marcel's war with the witches," Greta said. "The power that would be needed to get Freya's coffin out of the Dowager Fauline Cottage would be substantial, and she wants something of equal value in return. My father has also reached out to his contacts in other countries, looking for siphoners. June called late last night and said her child October would be willing to help with the search. Apparently October has connections in Central America. June and October will be heading down to Brazil tomorrow."

"Good," Klaus said, something like relief in his voice.

They had been trying to find a way to retrieve Freya from her self-imposed prison and wake her without waking Dahlia. Dr. Martin and Maddox were reaching out to their witch friends and contacts, and combing through old grimoires looking for answers. It was proving to be a difficult challenge, since many of the 'old' texts were younger than Dahlia. The working plan was to get a siphoner coven to help them siphon the curse out of Freya, or at the very least siphon the remaining two years. Freya would (hopefully) work to help them defeat Dahlia before their evil aunt even woke up.

"Greta, If Dr. Martin continues to struggle with Ms. LaRue, tell him that I would not mind going down to New Orleans to help," Elijah said.

"Threatening Josephine LaRue is not going to help your case with the New Orleans witches," Greta warned.

"Threats are not what I had in mind," Elijah said slyly, then looked at Miriam.

"By helping, even slightly, with the Marcel problem, the witches will owe us," Miriam said. "I also know how to keep one of their witches from becoming possessed by an ancient evil spirit. I know how to win Josephine LaRue over. For once, my knowledge is useful in a diplomatic context."

"Your knowledge is always useful, vorgyðja," Elijah kissed her on the cheek.

Miriam beamed at him in response. The four of her mates were being more physically affectionate with her. Not that they had ever held back their feelings about her, but the physical contact- a kiss, a hand on her back or her shoulder, etc.- was given more freely. Miriam tried to match their level by reciprocating the touches. She wasn't ready to go all the way with any of them, but she liked this new level of affection.

"And Father's coffin?" Kol asked.

"Pickett Mausoleum has been sealed with Miriam's blood. No one can get in except for her," Maddox said.

Mikael, at this point in the timeline, was desiccated and trapped in a coffin in North Carolina. The only reason the Mikaelsons hadn't immediately killed him was because they could not find the white oak stake Mikael had been threatening them with for a thousand years. The stake wasn't with his body, because Abby Bennett would have taken it if it had been. The guess was that Mikael had hidden it somewhere. So the Mikaelsons had decided to seal the mausoleum until they found the stake. Their main concern was the Mystic Falls gang, or any of their other enemies, releasing Mikael.

Her mates could kill Mikael at any time. While they had destroyed most of Wickery Bridge and the sign, the four of them had agreed to save enough white oak for a stake. The stake was in a box under Miriam's bathroom sink (hidden underneath a bunch of feminine hygiene products), spelled shut with her blood. None of the Mikaelsons would get ahold of the super deadly weapon unless she agreed to let them have it. And so far only Kol had asked for it: Klaus had accidentally crushed a rare plant while in his wolf form, and Kol had been angry enough to try to get Miriam to give him the stake. She had said no, of course. She wasn't going to let her mates kill each other (that was their sisters' job).

The group touched on only a couple more points- security for the town, the successful capture of Professor Shane, and the growing vampire presence in Chicago- before they all dispersed. Wanda had to go do mayoral stuff, and the others had to go to their respective jobs.

Miriam, the Mikaelsons, and the witches spread out to do their own thing in the house. Kol went back to his plants, Finn began to bake, Elijah took August and Maddox to his study to try to find a solution to finding Mikael's white oak stake, and Greta settled in the family room with a bunch of magazines and photos and folders to continue to plan her wedding. Klaus retreated to his painting room, and after grabbing her knitting supplies, Miriam joined him. There was a comfy couch against one wall, and Miriam settled into the cushions with her nearly-completed rainbow blanket project. Klaus sat on a stool and continued to work on his latest painting; though he allowed her to be in the room, Miriam wasn't allowed to look at his unfinished works. She didn't mind. She liked the comfortable feeling of sharing solitude.

And so the afternoon passed peacefully.


The Hearth was strumming with life as its rooms filled with people. It was evening, and those that worked were now finished with their shifts. The kids (teenagers Caroline, Luka, Jeremy, and TJ, and third-grader Laura) had finished their first day of school, and were now back at the Hearth. Mikaelsons, witches, and pack members filled the rooms and spilled out into the expansive backyard. Dinner was a pot-luck, with each person bringing their own dish (most were store-bought, but no one was snobby enough to refuse a KFC drumstick or Lays potato chips). All the food was spread out onto the massive kitchen island. People milled in and out, snagging a handful of chips or a piece of fruit before moving on.

Herc, one of the pack members, was in the kitchen making fresh arepas. He had also commandeered the sound system and was playing whatever music he wanted.

A familiar song came on, and Herc whooped. "Yes! Miriam! Pilar! Little Laura! Get your Latina asses in here!" Herc turned up the volume: "Ladies up in here tonight, no fighting…"

"I love this song!" August exclaimed, and began to dance horribly to the beat.

Miriam laughed at his attempt and began to move her own hips to the beat. She couldn't sing very well, but she could dance.

"Oh, baby, when you talk like that, you make a woman go mad…"

"Yes, go crazy, lil Laura!" Herc encouraged as Laura danced, which looked more like a rabbit bouncing around than an actual dance move.

"Dance party!" Caroline hollered. She and TJ started to dance, and after a moment Jenna and Pilar joined in.

As they danced, Miriam could feel Klaus's eyes on her. There was still courage in her from that morning, when she picked out the flirty dress, so she put some extra attitude into her movements. His eyes flashed with heat, and Miriam smirked.

"Burgers are done!" Maddox hollered from the back door.

"Yay!" Laura dashed outside, and the entire group followed.

Before Miriam could step outside an arm hooked around her waist and she found herself facing Klaus.

"You are playing with fire, my flower," he growled against her lips before kissing her fiercely. A thrill went through her as they kissed. The two of them were growing closer as the months went on, but even after dozens of kisses Miriam still felt overwhelmed by him.

"Hey!"

Miriam and Klaus broke apart as a blast of witchy wind hit them. August frowned at them from the doorway, his hands on his hips.

"No canoodling. It's dinner time. You two can canoodle in the privacy of your own rooms, where we don't have to see that shit." He shuddered as he turned to go. "So gross."

Miriam giggled. "We should go outside."

"Yes, we should," Klaus agreed, but he didn't move. She looked up at him, challenging him to act. Would he take the bait or-

Miriam's thoughts were cut off by hands in her hair and his lips on her lips. He kissed her with intensity and sincerity. Klaus never did anything halfway, and that included making her feel desired. She melted against him and let him lead. She was content to stay with him and his passionate kisses, but once again they were interrupted.

"Do I need to douse you two with ice water?!" August shouted from outside. "I'll do it, so help me god."

The pair finally pulled apart.

"Do that, and I will make sure your ghost feels pain for one hundred years," Klaus promised.

August had long ago become immune to Klaus's (very real) threats. "Yeah yeah. My ghost will haunt your ass. Come eat! We're all waiting for you!"

"We're coming!" Miriam called. She took a step back from Klaus and patted her hair down.

"Don't tame it; it looks good wild," Klaus said with a roguish grin.

Miriam rolled her eyes. "You're as bad as Elijah."

Elijah had a thing for her hair, Miriam had slowly realized. He liked touching it and playing with the curls. When they kissed (passionately, not the chaste little kisses he would give her as a greeting or as a goodbye) he liked to grab a handful of her curls. Miriam didn't mind; in fact, she liked it.

"Elijah is a smart man," he said, and held out a hand. "Let's go join them before August makes good on his threat."

"Finally!" Kol exclaimed when Miriam and Klaus walked outside hand-in-hand. "We were going to start eating without you two."

"You've already started eating!" Miriam laughed, pointing to the arepa he was holding in his hand that was missing a bite out of it.

"Semantics," Kol shrugged before motioning to the seat beside him. "Come, sit."

Miriam- unsurprisingly- found herself sitting between two Mikaelsons, Kol and Elijah. The pack, witches, and various friends and family were crowded around the table. They all began to eat once Klaus arrived. Stories about the weekend were swapped, food was passed down the table, and the laughter was loud. It wasn't perfect. There was still an invisible line between the Mikaelsons and the other supernatural creatures; the super powerful family on one side, their underlings on the other. But in moments like these, with all of them sitting around the same table and eating the same food, Miriam believed that perfection could almost be attained.


It was the next day and the night of the full moon.

The entire pack congregated at the Hearth a couple of hours before sundown. The non-hybrids (the witches, vampires, and humans) would be staying together at the house while the pack frolicked in the woods. One of the spare rooms had been set up for Laura, in case she fell asleep before the pack returned around dawn.

All of the hybrids were keyed up and ready to run. While they no longer had to turn during the full moon, they all still felt a pull to turn during that time. Even TJ and Laura seemed more on edge, and neither had triggered their curse yet.

The full moon didn't fully rise until midnight, but Klaus and Wanda had decided to take the pack out early and run drills and check the perimeter of the town. In the meantime, the non-hybrids would hang out, and Miriam, Finn, and Elijah would go out on a date. It would be the first true date Miriam would have with two of her mates. She had been totally fine with dating them all separately, but Finn had specifically asked to spend a night with Miriam and Elijah, and Elijah had agreed to his brother's request.

She wasn't entirely sure how the night was going to go. On one hand, Finn and Elijah had a good relationship- especially compared to Mikaelson standards. On the other hand, the Mikaelson brothers weren't known for their amazing sharing abilities. The night could end in a deeper bond between the three of them, or with someone getting daggered.

As long as the daggered person wasn't her, Miriam would call the night a success.

"You should wear that sexy dress with the thigh high slit," Caroline suggested. She, along with Greta, Jenna, pack members Pilar and Alicia, and little Laura were scattered on Miriam's enormous bed. Bowls of chips, candy, and fruit were being shared between the women (and Laura) as Miriam tried to pick her date outfit.

Miriam had already showered and now stood in front of the other women in a robe, with half a dozen outfits spread over the bed.

Greta snorted at Caroline's suggestion. "That dress is for the red carpet, not Olive Garden."

"They're not going to Olive Garden," Jenna rolled her eyes. "Elijah is too classy for Olive Garden."

"What's wrong with Olive Garden?" Miriam and Pilar asked at the same time.

"It's basic," Greta explained.

"The breadsticks are shit," Alicia pointed out.

"You all are snobs," Pilar said. "Olive Garden is a good expensive restaurant for a lower middle class family."

"Before this debate becomes too heated, can we figure out my outfit?" Miriam interrupted.

"This green one is pretty," Pilar commented.

"It has long sleeves; she'll be sweating all night," Greta argued.

Miriam groaned. "You're all useless."

Jenna smiled slyly, "Since you're bringing up the topic of useless things, when are you going to use this gigantic bed?"

"Ooh, I want to know that, too!" exclaimed Caroline.

"And how do we know she hasn't used it?" Greta asked.

Alicia snorted. "The hybrids and vampires can smell that nothing has happened yet."

"That's so freaking invasive," Miriam muttered.

"That's pack life," Alicia grinned cheekily. "Now spill! Why are you and the Mikaelsons waiting to use this bed?"

Why indeed. Miriam had only known them for a few months, and despite the mating bond pulling them together, the five of them were still people with baggage. Miriam's past romantic relationships had been brief, and with boys her age. Now she was facing four men ten times her age and experience, and that was scary. She wasn't one for comparing herself to other women, but it was hard not to with the knowledge that her mates had been with amazing women. Heck, Finn, Elijah, and Klaus had all been married before. The thought of being the only woman in their lives was daunting, especially since Miriam's dating experience was slim.

And she wasn't the only one going into the relationship with trepidation. Finn still wrestled with his depression. He missed his human life: his wife, his children, the home he had built. Most days were good, but there were some days when he retreated from the family and fell back into old patterns.

Elijah still struggled with his own inner demons. He admitted that he didn't want to 'taint' Miriam. He kept his self-loathing to a minimum, but Miriam knew it existed. His past haunted him, and no amount of exorcisms could get rid of his past.

Klaus carried deep insecurities about his place in the family, even with the addition of the pack. The acceptance of his brothers, gained from the day the five Mikaelson siblings had talked, had gone a long way in healing Klaus's wounds, but sometimes Miriam still saw flashes of insecurity in his eyes. His desire for unconditional love ran deep, and he would need countless reassurances to even make a dent in his hurt.

Kol was open about his fear of being shut out by Klaus and Elijah. With Finn at his side, he was confident, but there were times when Miriam could tell that he was doubting that he would ever really belong with his family.

Her men were weighed down by centuries of depression, self-loathing, insecurities, and doubts, and were justifiably taking their relationships with Miriam slowly. She didn't mind. The mating bond ensured a connection, but it wasn't love at first sight. It wasn't that easy. The five of them would need to work at their relationship. And honestly, she liked the slower pace. She enjoyed their courtship gifts, and the way she was steadily getting to know them as people, not characters in a TV show.

They were slowly getting to that point where their chaste kisses and demure touches would turn passionate and fiery. The huge bed in her room was her men hinting at wanting something more with her. She had accepted the bed, because really, what girl didn't fantasize about having a threesome? (After she moved into Hearth Hall and her big bed, she may have gotten herself off to the idea of her in the middle of a Mikaelson sandwich… but that was between her and God.)

But Miriam didn't want to explain all of this to the girls, not when she only had a limited time before her date, so she just said, "We're waiting to get to know each other better before jumping into bed."

"Do you and Kol have sleepovers?" Laura asked with all the innocence of an eight-year-old. To everyone's surprise, including Kol, Kol was Laura's favorite Mikaelson. She had no fear of him, and pestered him endlessly on his knowledge of plants.

"No, not yet," Miriam said with a smile.

"Oh." Laura was disappointed.

Grinning at her daughter's behavior, Pilar pointed to a periwinkle dress and said, "You should wear this dress to your date tonight."

"I like it!" Miriam grabbed the dress and hurried to her bathroom to change.

Caroline jumped up, excited, and sped over to Miriam's vanity and started to go through her jewelry. "The dress would look amazing with the diamond set that Klaus got you," Caroline exclaimed.

"Anything looks amazing with diamonds," Alicia rolled her eyes.

"You guys are the worst at agreeing at anything," Miriam called through the semi-closed door. She got dressed, then threw open the door. "How do I look?"

The knee-length dress was satin, and swished pleasantly around her legs. The straps were thin and the v-neck was tantalizing instead of scandalous. The periwinkle shade looked good with her brown skin, and the fabric felt nice to the touch.

"Pretty!" shouted Laura.

"Sexy," Jenna winked at her. "They aren't going to know what hit them."

"Come sit," Caroline beckoned. When Miriam followed her instruction and sat down at her vanity, the young vampire placed the necklace around Miriam's neck. Miriam put on the matching earrings herself. The diamond set was understated, but Miriam knew that it cost more than the yearly rent she had paid on her shitty apartment. She would have refused them, but Klaus had looked so reluctantly hopeful when he had given her the jewels (an apology for biting her without her permission during the Big Talk), and the jewelry itself was so pretty that she had said yes before she had even known what she was saying.

Pilar and Greta came over to help Miriam finish getting ready for her date. Pilar applied make-up to Miriam's face while Greta manipulated her curls into a Dutch crown braid. When they were done, Miriam put on a pair of wedge heels to complete her look.

"How do I look?" she spun in a circle for her audience.

"So pretty," Laura cooed. "I can't wait until I can date Kol."

"That's going to be a long wait, Laura," Pilar said to her daughter as seriously as she could while the other women laughed.

Before Miriam knew it, it was time for her date. She said goodbye to the others, and met up with Finn and Elijah in the foyer.

"You look lovely, vorgyðja," Elijah said, and he kissed her cheek.

"You look quite dashing yourself. Both of you do." And they did. Elijah was in black slacks, a black jacket, a cream-colored dress shirt, and a maroon tie with a cream pocket square. Finn wore a light gray suit with a light blue dress shirt and pocket square, and a dark blue tie.

"Let us go," Elijah said, and held out his arm like a Regency era gentleman. Miriam accepted, and he led them outside where his car was waiting. Finn opened the passenger side door, and Elijah motioned for Miriam to get in.

"Where are we going?" Miriam asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"That is for us to know and for you to find out," Elijah smirked and closed the car door.

In no time at all they were on the road that fed to the main road, but instead of turning right and towards the main road and town, Elijah turned left, towards the cabins that were on the property. They passed the four cabins and continued on the dirt road around the lake. They stopped only a couple of minutes later, and Miriam was vastly confused.

"Your nose crinkles adorably when you are trying to figure something out," Elijah chuckled as the car came to a stop. Miriam unashamedly stuck her tongue at him in response. Once fully stopped, Finn helped Miriam out of the car.

She gasped when she saw what her lovely mates had done. A trail lined with lit lanterns led down to a large gazebo that overlooked the lake and Hearth Hall, which resided on the opposite side of the lake. The gazebo was covered in soft yellow lights and white curtains. Inside the gazebo was a built-in bench that had a plush blue padding and a multitude of pillows and blankets. In the middle of the gazebo was a round table with three chairs. Human staff stood discreetly to the side, and through the trees and darkness Miriam could see a van. She could smell something delicious in the air, along with the unique magical mosquito-repelling candles that August made.

"Oh, it's wonderful!" Miriam gushed. She had seen the gazebo from a distance from Hearth Hall, but Elijah had told her that it was unstable, and she had been too focused on the Hearth itself to even think twice about the gazebo.

"I am happy you like it," Elijah beamed. "Finn and I have been fixing it in our spare time, and we finally finished it a few days ago."

"It looks amazing," Miriam assured him.

"I am glad," Elijah repeated. "Now, let's go eat."

Miriam was led to the charming gazebo. Finn pulled out her chair for her, and Elijah poured her a glass of wine. The staff brought out appetizers that were delicious and their date began. Normal small talk was exchanged: Finn talked about his excitement about perfecting a pretzel recipe, Elijah revealed that he had bought a piano for the formal living room, and Miriam shared her anticipation for the upcoming holiday season. While Miriam understood that their situation was unusual (not many people had four boyfriends), the date felt normal, and right.

The staff would discreetly move the trio to the next course whenever it seemed like they had tired of the food in front of them. Everything they set on the table was delicious. The wine paired perfectly with each dish, the seasonal vegetables were seasoned perfectly, the salad was refreshing, and the bread was buttery. Miriam could find no fault in the menu, and she was glad to see that her mates seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.

They were halfway through their main course- creamy spinach stuffed salmon in garlic butter- when Finn brought up a topic that Miriam hadn't given much thought to since she had discovered who her mates were.

"I am curious," Finn began, "about our other selves. In your world, who were the people we were romantically connected to?"

"Oh." Miriam took a thoughtful sip of her wine. "What do you want to know?"

"Names."

"Well, you and Sage were a couple." Miriam wasn't going to tell him about the details of his death; he already knew that he died in her version of their reality, and she didn't want to sour their night with talks of death. "You also had a crush on this college girl, Cami. Kol was involved with- and eventually married- a witch named Davina Claire. She's like fourteen-ish right now, though."

Finn shook his head, a sardonic twist to his smile. "Kol has always liked powerful women."

"Davina is certainly powerful," Miriam nodded. "Maybe a bit too young for him right now."

"Yes, but you are of age," Elijah noted. "And even though you doubt your own power, you do possess it. Your influence over our world cannot be diminished just because you are not a witch."

"I am working on my self-worth and self-image," Miriam said slowly, "and I am trying not to put myself down as much. But anyway, we are getting off track," her smile became sharp. "Elijah, do you want to know who your epic love was in the reality I knew of?"

"I want to know," Finn smirked at his brother.

Elijah sighed. "Tell me."

"Besides a brief fling with Katherine, you fall in love with Klaus's baby mama."

"Oh, that must have caused some drama," Elijah laughed.

Miriam laughed as well. "So. Much. Drama! When she was pregnant, Klaus accused you of attempting to take his child away from him so that you could be their father. And then she married a werewolf… and then you two got together after the husband died. It was a whole mess that spanned over fifteen years."

"My brother," Finn shook his head in fake-rebuke. "You must know better than to get involved with any woman that Niklaus has interest in."

"Miriam being the exception," Elijah pointed out.

"Yes, Miriam is the exception," Finn agreed.

"Who does Niklaus get involved with?" Elijah asked Miriam.

"Well, he had a one-night stand with his baby mama, but that was it with her. He also loved Cami, the girl that Finn crushed on."

Elijah was too elegant to shout 'Ha!' at Finn, so instead he threw him a look. "What was that about not getting involved with any woman Niklaus is interested in?"

Finn threw up his hands. "This is not the real me we are talking about!"

Elijah hummed skeptically. "Any other woman catch Niklaus's interest, Miriam? Are there any more entangled romances? Did our brother perhaps seduce Kol's lover away from him?"

Miriam giggled. "No, nothing so scandalous. Klaus's other great love was Caroline."

Elijah went slack-jawed and Finn fumbled with his fork. Miriam had to laugh at their shocked expressions.

"Our Caroline?" Finn confirmed.

"Yes, our Caroline. Caroline Forbes. Her and Klaus were my favorite couple," Miriam said, and she promised herself that she would never tell her mates about the existence of fanfiction or the fact that she had watched many wonderful fan edits of clips set to romantic songs. She had some dignity to preserve.

"How can you stand having her so near Niklaus?" Elijah asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Do you not believe Caroline will shift her attention to Niklaus, or vice versa?"

"Are you jealous?" Finn asked bluntly.

Miriam thought over their questions. She took another bite of her meal while she gathered her thoughts.

"No, I am not jealous of Caroline," she said slowly, measuring the truth of each word as it left her lips. "There was a moment, after I found out that Klaus was my mate and Caroline had become my friend, that I wondered if some people are destined for each other. That maybe the bond that Klaus and I had would be platonic, and that he and Caroline were going to end up together. And I was fine with that! But then he brought me flowers, the day he returned from his first time as a hybrid," Miriam smiled softly. "Daffodils. The flowers were thoughtful, but it was Klaus's eyes that convinced me he was truly interested in pursuing a relationship instead of just competing with his brothers. His eyes were hopeful, and honest. So no, I'm not jealous of Caroline."

"Are you certain?" Elijah wanted to know. "Because we can send Caroline away."

That was something that wasn't going to happen, Miriam would make sure of that. "Yes. I… I'm not sure how I'll feel if any of your other love interests enter our lives, but I am confident of Caroline and Klaus's loyalty."

And that was all that needed to be said on the subject. The three of them finished their main course while talking about first kisses and other light topics. Dessert was brought out: chocolate covered strawberries. Though full, Miriam shamelessly indulged in the delicious fruit.

She made a happy sound as she took another large bite of her third strawberry. The dessert was perfect; the strawberries were sweet, juicy, and the perfect shade of bright red. The chocolate was rich, smooth, and perfectly decadent. Like everything else that she had eaten that night, the chocolate covered strawberries tasted wonderful. Elijah shifted next to her, and Miriam turned to comment on the spectacular meal, when she saw the look on his face. There was a dark, smoldering look in eyes as he watched her mouth move.

Oh. Miriam swallowed hard.

She couldn't deny that she found her mates attractive. But she was hesitant to take their relationship to the physical level… or, at least she was. Sitting there, warm and comfortably full, with the taste of chocolate on her tongue and the heat of Elijah's gaze on her, Miriam felt ready.

In a bold move that made her heart beat rapidly with nerves and second-guesses, Miriam rose to her feet and grabbed Elijah's hand to pull him up as well. In her heels she was taller than normal, so she pushed down her feelings of insecurities and kissed Elijah with abandon.

He willingly met her lips and matched her enthusiasm with his own. After a few passionate kisses Miriam pulled away and took in their surroundings. The gazebo had a padded bench and was littered with throw pillows, and Miriam had an idea. She gently pushed Elijah back towards the bench. He went easily, and sat down. Miriam took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and climbed up onto his lap.

Elijah made a surprised, but appreciative, sound and grabbed her hips to steady her.

Miriam looked over at Finn, who was still sitting at the table, and used her limited knowledge of Old Norse to say, "Finn, please join me and Elijah."

"I would love to, flower," he responded with a big smile.

Miriam grinned at him before returning her attention to Elijah. She draped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, slowly and intently. They made out for a couple of minutes, and she loved every second of it. And then the touching started. Elijah's hands on her hips went from a firm grip to rubbing and kneading and pulling her closer. Finn's hands swept across her shoulders, down her sides and over her stomach before traveling up to her breasts. His touch was more hesitant than Elijah's, as if he was afraid she would shoo him away. But she wouldn't. And to make sure that he knew that, she used one of her hands to guide one of his into squeezing her harder. Finn took the hint and began to touch her with more confidence.

Elijah was growing more fierce in his touches and his kisses. His arms pulled her tighter against him, and she could feel him grow hard underneath her. To know that she was affecting him, this strong and powerful man, gave her a rush that she hadn't felt with her previous boyfriends. She liked it a lot.

Elijah broke their kiss, breathing heavily. "Please, vorgyðja, may I drink from you? Your blood calls to me. I need to have your taste on my tongue, please, my goddess, please."

Miriam hesitated. She had been bitten four times so far, with the last time being by Klaus. No bite had been enjoyable, and in fact, some of them had been purposely painful. To knowingly let a vampire drink from her, even if that vampire was her mate, went against her self-preservation.

But then Finn began to press kisses into her neck, shoulders, and her exposed back. His fingers found their way under her dress and into her underwear.

"Oh," Miriam sighed happily as his fingers explored the wetness between her legs. "Be gentle, Elijah. I… I need you to be gentle."

"I will, I will," he swore, and kissed her deeply to seal his promise.

Miriam's heart threatened to burst out of her chest when Elijah kissed his way down her face and to her neck. She felt him remove the necklace she wore, which gave him unfettered access to her neck. He sucked on the skin at the juncture between her shoulder and her neck, and she tilted her head to give him more room to work with. Finn's fingers were still moving, pushing her towards her peak.

"Relax, vorgyðja," Elijah whispered against her skin before Miriam felt a prick of sharp pain. The pain was comparable to the pain from a shot, which Miriam was thankful for. Her arousal also lessened the pain.

As Elijah took languid sips of her blood, Finn continued to kiss every inch of exposed skin. He whispered sweet words into her skin: he praised her bravery, her intoxicating scent, her beauty. His fingers moved deliberately between her legs, spreading her wetness around and teasing her clit. All Miriam could do was moan and clutch at Elijah's jacket.

All it took was a handful of insistent pressure and direct touches for Miriam to shudder through her release. She went boneless between her two mates, and was only brought back to awareness when Elijah disengaged from her shoulder. He licked the spot he had bit, and out of the corner of her eye Miriam could tell that the bite marks had been healed.

"Lean back," Elijah whispered.

Miriam went willingly, letting Finn support her upper body. Finn wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted the other arm up to his mouth. Miriam heard him bite into it before his bloody wrist was brought to her mouth. She drank freely, knowing that all of her mates enjoyed it when she drank from them.

When Finn was satisfied, he removed his wrist. The three of them existed in peaceful silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company and the sounds of night bugs. Miriam was content, and her two mates were relaxed. Everything was perfect.

A howl shattered the peaceful mood.

Miriam felt Elijah tense underneath her, but in anxiousness, not pleasure.

"Something has happened. Niklaus needs me."


List of pack members and their families:

Wanda Ryan: 50, hybrid, mayor, wife of Janet, black.

Janet Peters: 55, vampire, wife of Wanda, Korean American.

Michelle Ryan-Booth: 45, hybrid, Wanda's younger sister, Thomas's wife, TJ's mother, black.

Thomas Booth: human, 44, husband to Michelle, father to TJ, white, redhead.

TJ: 15, son of Michelle and Thomas. Hasn't triggered the werewolf curse yet, mixed.

Pilar Osorio: 28, hybrid, single mother to Laura, Mexican.

Laura Osorio: 8-yr old, daughter of Pilar, Mexican.

Herculano 'Herc' Rodriguez: 26, hybrid, Columbian.

Alicia Lee: 21, hybrid, Chinese-American.

Hayden Molina: 24,hybrid, white.

The pack won't be main characters, but I thought this list would be helpful in picturing them.

Question: is Olive Garden a fancy restaurant? It was to my family: we would go once a year on promotion night as a treat.

Second question: Are Olive Garden breadsticks good? I don't really like them.