I'm flattered by the amount favorites and follows this has received. Thank you so much.
-4-
Blackwood Hills, Louisiana.
April 23rd, 1992.
Rebekah
Be it a thousand years ago or today, witch induced aneurysms were still a pain in the ass.
Rebekah and her two newly freed brothers had run the length of the United States in three days. They'd stopped periodically to quench the ravenous hunger being daggered in boxes had left them with. Kol had compelled as much information out of their victims as he could in the time they'd let themselves stop– an attempt to catch up with the rapid cultural and technological developments in the last century.
Finn had been in 'awe of the evolution of mankind.' He'd said as much with each new tidbit they learned on their way to find their mate. Lingered, even, over their victims and saddened that they'd not given him more information. Rebekah's guilt was compounded with each passing moment she watched her eldest brother struggle to reconcile the lost time.
But they'd been beginning to wonder if their mate was in South America– they were quickly running out of continent, yet convinced that she was in the direction they were running. She may not have been the best with geography, but Rebekah was certain if their mate wasn't in the US then she was somewhere in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico or El Salvadore based on their trajectory.
And if she were that far away they would lose her to Nik.
Their worries proved to be unfounded when they finally felt the connection bottom out. They'd stopped right at a cracked window on the east side of a rundown old plantation house outside of New Orleans. It was nearly midnight, if the height of the moon were to be believed.
They'd not had a chance to lay eyes on the baby when they were dropped by some witch who'd been hiding around the corner.
"I'll stop if you swear to me you'll not harm that baby." The witch said, cutting through the pain.
"We're not here to hurt the child you bloody twit," Kol growled even as his knees hit the ground and he clutched his head, "release us."
The pain let up and the blonde witch came fully into view, the light from the baby's room illuminated the woman's features.
"Finn, Kol, and Rebekah." The woman said, smiling at them as though they were familiars. She turned to Finn. Perfectly in the old language, she spoke words they never could have guessed would come from a stranger. "It's been a very long time, brother."
Finn took a hesitant step forward, eyes wide. "Freya?"
"Yes." Freya smiled, stepping up to Finn and laying a hand on his face. Finn's hand rose to clasp her wrist. "The child freed me from Dahlia's spell– a spell that linked us. We slumber a century at a time and wake for only a year before the cycle repeats."
"No bloody way." Rebekah breathed, stepping over to where Kol was standing with his arms crossed looking surly. "Our sister who was supposed to have died of illness?"
Freya removed her hand from Finn's face and turned to look at the youngest Mikaelsons. "So that was mother's lie to cover her sin? I died from illness. I should have guessed as much– father would've fought until the last to find me otherwise. Have you any idea where I could find him?"
"Long lost sister, finally found. How wonderful, welcome back." Kol clapped thrice, his sarcasm evident and eyes cold as he circled the elder Mikaelsons. "But do not delude yourself– Father continues to fight until the last to find each of us, this is true. But he is no rescuer, do not occupy your mind with a fruitless fantasy of a joyful reunion."
"Father is still alive?" Finn whirled around, turning to follow Kol as he circled them. "I thought Niklaus would've found a way to murder him by now."
"Mikael was in Chicago when I was daggered and subsequently abandoned in a warehouse with the two of you. That's the last I know, so unless Nik has killed our father since I was daggered– he is indeed still around to torment us." Rebekah tried very hard not to give anything away with her facial expression.
She'd brought Mikael to New Orleans, after all. After so long having escaped him. It was her fault. And then he'd been able to find them in Chicago soon afterward.
It was all her fault.
"We cannot allow him to catch wind of this child." Finn said, looking at all of his siblings.
"None will harm her, brother. Not while there is air in my lungs. Not even father." Freya vowed, a hand on her chest as she moved around all of them to look into the illuminated window.
Finn moved to stand beside Freya, looking into the room and seeing a little bundle in a cradle. Rebekah did the same. The colors of the room were shockingly bright– like spring flowers on the first sunny day after a series of rainstorms. Lettering, above the cradle, was arranged in a half moon.
"What does it say above her cradle?" Finn asked quietly, eyes never moving from the little bundle.
"Bethany." Kol stated without inflection. Better than the sneering and the sarcasm he'd been throwing about since they woke in Chicago. Kol wasn't happy about their situation, Rebekah knew, but his anger was not directed at the baby and that was the best they could hope for from him for now.
"Her name is Bethany Graves," Freya put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "An only child, born with a full head of blonde hair, whose parents are young for what I've gathered is considered young for parenthood these days. Only eighteen and extremely overwhelmed. But she is loved. People have been by all day– dropping off food and gifts."
Rebekah felt some of her tension slip away. The little girl was loved and people from the community showered her with their well meaning gifts on the day of her homecoming. "How long have you been here?"
"Since a few hours after her birth. I followed the connection to the hospital and then followed it here today. I've hardly slept– waiting for any of you to arrive." Freya removed her hand from Finn's shoulder and glanced at Rebekah. "'I'm glad it was you three who arrived first. I don't relish explaining myself to Elijah or Niklaus."
"How did you know Bethany wasn't just yours?" Kol asked. He'd looked into the window for a moment and then he'd turned to lean back against the side of the house with his arms crossed.
Freya looked back through the window at the child. "A witch of such considerable power– there was no doubt she belonged to more than one. She'll have threats coming the likes of which she couldn't begin to fight off, especially not so young. I had an intuitive feeling that she would draw all of us. It seems I was correct, as you are here."
So many questions came to mind but Rebekah found herself unable to ask any of them when Bethany began to fuss and cry. Rebekah longed to go comfort the child. To sit with her in the rocking chair in the corner of her room. But such things were not her place– and the child's mother burst through the door looking haggard and so very young.
Rebekah and her family stepped back from the window so that the young woman wouldn't see them.
"I just got you down for a nap. How are you up already, baby girl?" The woman asked with a slight hysterical tone, deep purple bags under her eyes. "We'll getcha some food and then you'll let mommy sleep, deal?"
Bethany's mother lifted her out of the crib– Rebekah winced at how aggressive the move was. The mother hardly supported her head! First chance Rebekah had she was going to compel this woman to take care of her daughter's physical needs far better than that. Rebekah was lost in her annoyance and nearly missed when the woman stumbled over a bag of diapers that were on the floor. 'And watch where you're walking with such precious cargo– you daft imbecile.' Rebekah thought.
"Are you sure she's a witch child?" Kol questioned, looking troubled. "I'd have to better investigate but I don't see any magical items in the house."
"I'm sure– I felt the surge of her magic. You don't see any hit of it because her parents are as mundane as they come. Bethany seems to be the first in her recent bloodline to have magic, but she is of an ancient line. How far back and what bloodline remains unknown." Freya explained, she stretched her arm out, gesturing toward the woods on the south side of the house.
They followed Freya into the treeline, where a small pack was laid at the base of a large tree. "This is where I've been camped out, and where I will remain until we're all together and can discuss how to move forward."
"I don't think there will be quite so much discussion with Nik." Kol huffed, looked around for a moment, sneered, then disappeared.
"Kol!" Rebekah hissed. "Get back here."
Kol reappeared a few seconds later with a rocking chair from the Graves' back porch and sat down. "Did you think I was leaving? I'm just as involved as you are Bekah– don't insult me."
"Wanker." Rebekah grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.
"Will Elijah be on our side?" Finn asked, leaning against a tree. His eyes were still trained on the house. Looking, Rebekah understood why. The mother was feeding the child a bottle at the dining table, which looked to be just outside the kitchen at the back of the house and the drapes were sheer enough that they could be seen through easily.
"Yes." Elijah's voice cut through their revere and they each jumped as the well dressed Elijah revealed himself, walking slowly toward them through the trees from deeper in the woods.
When he got closer, and the light from the house reflected across his face Rebekah could see the sorrow that was written there– warring with joy. He stepped forward, dragging her close to him in an embrace that was nearly crushing.
"He told me he dropped you all into the sea," Elijah's voice was rough and Rebekah could smell the tears that were welling up in her brother's eyes, saw one when he released her and dropped his hand upon Kol's shoulder, who shrugged him off with an eye roll immediately. Undeterred, Elijah carried on. "I thought you were lost to me." Elijah looked to Finn, who was staring at the noble brother with thinly veiled rancor. "Finn- I'm glad to see you awake."
"I'm sure it makes you feel better to think you're glad to see me." Finn grumbled, looking away from Elijah. "Freya has returned to us."
Elijah's eyes fell to the witch, discreetly dabbing the tear that had slipped down his cheek away. Rebekah waited on bated breath for Elijah's reaction to this news. His eyes narrowed and widened again, jaw ticking. "It seems there's much that has been withheld from us. Please, tell us your story."
"Tell me you're not going to harm the child and I'll tell you everything you wish to know about where I've been and what's happened to me these last ten centuries." Freya responded with lifted brows and a wide, defiant stance and a grim frown.
Elijah tisked. "It is not my intention to harm the child. I seek to protect her. I give my word."
"Noble Elijah gives his word and that's all there is." Kol huffed, angry eyes glaring at Elijah.
Evidently this was the wrong button to push and Elijah trained narrowed eyes upon Kol. "And for what self-serving reason are you here, Kol? This seems like something you'd rather leave to the rest of us."
"She melted the dagger in my heart, the least I can do to return the favor is ensure Nik doesn't rip hers out for the inconvenience of my return." Kol spat, rising from the chair and kicking it backwards. It shattered against one of the trees behind him.
"The daggers are gone?" Elijah's brows rose, ignoring Kol's tantrum. "And the ash?"
"My guess is that Nik has it. We checked the warehouse we were stored in, not a drop of white oak ash in sight." Rebekah informed him, eyeing Kol to make sure he wasn't reaching for a part of that splintered chair to stab them with.
"We need to get that ash so he can't just make more daggers to use against you all." Freya stated, exhaustion clear in her voice. She leaned back against the tree and slowly sunk down beside her back, heaving a sigh. "And we need a plan. Convince Klaus to leave Bethany be or-"
"Her name is Bethany?" Elijah interrupted, now looking towards the house.
"Bethany Graves." Finn stated quietly.
As if she'd heard her name whispered in the woods, they all heard her shrill cries and flashed back to the window– this time Elijah took up the space. Rebekah watched many emotions war across Elijah's face as he watched Bethany's exhausted mother come back into the room with tears in her eyes, asking what Bethany could possibly want. She'd tried everything already.
"Her mother has little patience." Elijah said, stepping away from the window.
Freya nodded. "She's young and tired. Newborns do that to their parents."
"Her father?" Elijah asked, now turning fully from the window to face his family once again.
"Working. Night shift– I don't know where."
Elijah looked between them all, eyes settling on Finn with a tight jaw and a determined glint in his eyes. "We'll persuade Niklaus to leave the child be. Or we will find a way to stop him from harming her."