AUTHOR'S NOTE

Guess what, I finished another chapter before December is finished. Hope you like it!

Best wishes for the coming year and may it be filled with wonderful stories!

Stay safe, stay sane, stay healthy!

Eva sat down at the dinner table, a beignet in her hand. After her conversation with Marcel, she'd headed into the city to get some food. There wasn't much in the abattoir, so she had just followed her nose outside and found a wonderful bakery. The blank page in front of her appeared to be mocking her slightly. It shouldn't be so difficult to put it down on paper, she still knew the incantations that lay upon her hiding spots. No, what proved challenging was filling up the space with instructions that her brothers would understand. They did not have the magical abilities she had, which would prove tricky. Going over her list of items, she decided she would only send her brothers after three of them. The dolls, the athame and the book. The dolls would prove to be the most challenging, as those were the items that were most heavily guarded.

Nik and Elijah regarded her with disbelief. She gave them an encouraging smile.

"You expect us to do this?" Elijah inquired, pointing to the very long and detailed list of instructions.

"I need to get to Mystic Falls as soon as possible, you'll just have to wing it," Eva responded. It didn't clear the doubt from their faces. She sighed, trying to think of a different way to approach it. The witch knew she was asking a lot from her brothers, her magic had been very intricate and layered and breaking through the spells would be gruelling, to say the least.

"Eva, I know the Tower of London, I can get the item from there. Elijah has been to Topkapi Palace, so that wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the Palais de Versailles? Getting in and out is not the issue. Your enchantments are," Nik pointed out.

She raked a hand through her hair, biting the corner of her lower lip. She needed the dolls, it was impossible to succeed without them. The hall of mirrors had appeared as the ideal hiding spot. Enamoured with the room during her stay at the French court, she figured it could easily make something disappear. The mirrors served as endless refractions, combined with some lesser charms to keep onlookers at bay. However, the simple charms served only as a distraction. Curious spectators who would not be waylaid would find themselves confronted with some of her most intricate spells. And if they managed to bypass them all, they would have to face the most abhorrent of all - a confrontation with their mirror-self. A deft trick that no one could bypass. People would go mad, unable to confront the deepest and most heinous parts of themselves. This was exactly the reason that Nik and Elijah did not want to enter the room.

Eva almost regretted the intricate pattern of the spell. But the objects hidden away there were too valuable to have someone accidentally stumble upon them - or worse, gain access to them.

Maybe there was a different way to do this. She could send Rebekah up ahead, having her scout Mystic Falls. Get a feel of what is going on, though she was hesitant to send her up there without magical protection. Witches were in short supply, however. Davina might be up for it, but the girl was still young, unsure of her abilities. But, better than nothing. There was Kai, though she was unsure of whether releasing him from the prison world would do more bad than good. There were other witches that owed her favours, but she didn't trust them enough to actually go head to head with the vampires in Mystic Falls. Nadia might do as well, but a Traveler turned vampire was a poor choice if confronted with magic. Especially not with Markos potentially wandering about.

"Eva?" Rebekah's voice perturbed her thought process. She looked up, finding three confused Original vampires staring at her. It took a moment for her to figure out why her siblings were giving her such a look. Apparently she had been uttering her musings out loud.

"Oh, right," she muttered with a sheepish shrug, "sorry, I was just thinking of an alternative," she offered.

She clutched the amulet around her neck, mulling over her options. Time was not in her favour and if she disintegrated the Other Side, the balance would most likely tip - and not in her favour. The witch thought back on a conversation she'd had with Roxane before her "death."

"If you do come back, you'll have to face him, you know that, right?"

"Hallowed blood," Eva sighed. She was still unsure where they stood. Part of her loved him still, the other part of her hated him for everything he had done. For the lies, the half-truths and the broken promises. But, she knew that, if the burden fell to her, she would have to call him back. It had been sworn that fateful night. Magical bonds like that are impossible to break. Sure, enchantments could be stretched to their limits, but she had not been able to snap the ties that bind.

Precautions had been taken, her body had been buried in the most unsuspecting place, an unmarked grave in a derelict churchyard. Roxane had made a joke about consecrated ground. Decaying had not been an option as her body itself was a vessel, a site of containment for things that were too sacred, too important, too precious, to keep in another location. They had perfected the spells, calibrated the incantations in such a way that no one could violate the sanctity of her skin without the proper knowledge.

"It'll hold," Roxane had promised. Her body would be preserved - at least until her fate was decided.

It was decided.

Eva took the bundled documents from Elijah.

"Here's what we'll do," she said as she took out the instructions detailing the Versailles mirrors, handing the other papers back, before continuing, "Beks and I will head to Mystic Falls, taking the next flight out. You two," she said, gesturing to Elijah and Nik, "will fly to Rome tomorrow, once landed you have three days to head to Istanbul."

She explained the plan, telling her brothers that they could never stay in one place for more than three hours, given that this was the only secure window to block locator spells. They would be followed, so they had to be swift and stealthy. The centuries spent running from their father had luckily instilled such skills. The witch did not leave any room for questions.

"From Istanbul, you have two days to get to London. I will meet up with you somewhere between your arrival in Rome and before you arrive in London with further instruction, there's one more thing I'll need you to do." Eva remained extremely vague, divulging only the essentials of the plan. The timing wasn't completely fixed, but she would be on a tight schedule. A lot depended on how long it would take to break through the mirrors. And to get to Freya. Of course, she did not inform them of what exactly she would be doing.

"Nik, can you call someone in Mystic Falls to tell them that I need to meet with the Bennett witch? Tell them we'll head for the Salvatore home," Eva requested, switching the topic and not giving them time to utter a single word.

Her brother regarded her for a moment, waiting for more to follow, but Eva remained silent. With a glare, Klaus did as she asked. He told them that he had need of the Bennett witch and that someone would come along to pick her up. Hostility laced his words, making the message sound more threatening than intended, especially Nik's warning about adhering to the request - or else.

"Care to inform us of what you're planning?" Nik demanded. His was leaning on the table, a menacing edge laced his words.

She tilted her head slightly, regarding him for a moment, wondering whether to take the bait. Deciding that it wasn't worth a tantrum, she mustered a reply, "I won't leave Rebekah without magical protection, so I need the blood of the Bennett witch to free the vessel in which I can put Kol."

Three pairs of eyes bored into her, three voices clamoured a variant of "what?"

"It's a temporary solution," Eva stated, holding up her hands, as though to wave away their confusion.

"Is that even possible?" Rebekah asked in disbelief.

"I just need some kind of physical tether, maybe some hair, a bone, something that bound him to the earth," turning to Nik, Eva continued, "so you'll need to tell me where you buried him."

She slid him a blank piece of paper to detail instructions. Looking over his shoulder as her brother drew up a map, giving some small remarks as to the location. Turns out that Kol was buried near the Mikaelson Mansion, alongside the bodies of Finn and Esther. Mikael was not given the same courtesy - though she doubted that there was much of him left.

Once everything was arranged, the two sisters set out to the airport to catch the next flight out. Her brothers had to entertain themselves for one more day in New Orleans, probably making some arrangements for their prolonged absence. Marcel did not make a big deal of it, as he had an inkling of what the Originals would be up against.

Eva was adjusting to life again. It was a strange sensation, after being on the Other Side for five years. Bringing Kol back was a bit of a selfish act. She knew it was a risk to break Kai out of his prison world, but his powers were useful. And with Kol's soul in the Siphoner, Rebekah would have some magical protection. But, in all honesty, she just needed him. While she loved her other siblings dearly, it was Kol who understood. Over the centuries, they had mostly stuck together. Having adventures, raging across the land. The bond they shared had been forged when they had still been human. He was her twin and some experiences just forged unbreakable tethers. It would never be any different. Being in this world, alive, without Kol for the first time, it felt like an important part of her was missing. Like a cutoff limb. She had tried not to be too upset about the fact that he had not been there to welcome her back, to not take her anger out on her siblings - though they were partially to blame. It is what it is.

Her little sister had been quiet since they had departed New Orleans. Rebekah took the time to observe Eva, taking in the minute details of her figure. The witch's appearance had remained unmarred by her time on the Other Side. For hundreds of years, Eva's body had withstood the test of time. Blood was one form of sustenance, the same that sustained her and other vampires. Yet, Eva was different and did not share the same weakness, yet participating in the power that came with being a vampire. Magic still baffled her.

Rebekah had always wondered about how her sister became immortal. She'd never had the courage to ask. She'd come close once, when the subject of Keira and Killian was broached, but the haunted look in her sister's hazel eyes had told her enough. A transition she would not want to recount. Half-truths were all Rebekah ever got, and she clung to them, because they were better than nothing. Over the centuries, she had only sporadically spent time with her sister. They'd had their fair share of sisterly bonding, roaming around Europe, stirring up trouble and looking for love in all the wrong places. Eva had the uncanny ability to show up when it was the most dire. Whenever Mikael was hot on their trail, when some supernatural threat skidded a bit too close to them, or when human suspicions would reach a fever pitch and threaten their very existence. Her younger sister had protected them and had watched over them, more often from afar than up close. Eva had alway had her own interests, her own concerns. Kol had probably been the only one privy to most of them. The blonde wondered how many secrets Eva had yet to share, how many things that had been left unspoken, hidden away in some dark recess, collecting dust.

Just when times seem most dire, the family threatens to unravel, her sister swoops back in and helps to set the balance. But Rebekah sensed that this time around, the stakes were much higher. And that some things that had long been buried might just be unearthed, though she wasn't sure whether she was ready for the truth to finally come out.

"Are you angry with me?" Eva asked as once they had boarded the plane. She was fidgeting with the amulet again, not quite daring to meet Rebekah's eyes.

Her sister turned to her, her brow furrowed, head slightly tilted to the right.

Rebekah had not anticipated that question. The vampire opened her mouth the respond, then closed it again. Eva met Rebekah's stare, waiting for a reply.

Around them, people were bustling around, taking a seat, chatting excitedly. Eva tuned them out, forcing them to the background. Unsure what to expect. It had been a long time since she'd inquired into the feelings of her siblings. Hell, it'd been a long time since she'd cared enough to ask. It had been five lonely years of reflection and her own thoughts. She knew that she had been careless, ego-centric and selfish. Sure, she had kept a constant eye on her siblings for the past millennium and kept them from harm's way, but she had not always been there, both physically and emotionally. Her secrets had never weighed as heavy as they did now, though she could not yet share them.

Rebekah tried again, "I'm not-" she lingered for a moment before saying, "angry. I'm just," she trailed, running a head through her hair. Straightening in her seat, she turned her head fully towards her younger sibling.

Eva shuffled in her seat, licking her lips, waiting for Rebekah to finish the thought.

"It's just, you're you," her sister uttered, gesturing around, as though hoping the words she needed could be plucked from the sky.

"I think, disappointed would be a better way to put it?" She suggested, "you're used to having your secrets and we've given you that space, and I get that you wanted to protect us and not give us false hope that you might not remain permanently dead, but it hurt, losing you so suddenly and it hurts knowing that you decided that we could not know the truth."

Eva let Rebekah ramble for a moment, understanding her sister's position. She wasn't sure how to respond to it.

"I'm sorry," Eva offered, "just know, it was never about me deciding for you. It was about me, and me not having the strength to say goodbye to you," she admitted.

Bekah gave her sister a small smile, grabbing the her hand and giving it a slight squeeze.

Rebekah filled in her sister on some of the events that happened in the past years, providing her with information on the Mystic Falls gang, especially on a certain mortal that goes by the name of Matt. There was affection in her sister's voice when she spoke of Matt and Eva was going to find out if there was a future there for the both of them. Fulminating about the pest that is Damon Salvatore, and the latest doppelgänger drama, there were some kind words about Stefan intermixed. Bekah also mentioned Nik's interest in a certain blonde baby vampire that goes by the name of Caroline, "I swear, I don't think I've ever seen Nik as smitten as he is with her," she admitted, in between backhanded comments on the populace of their birthplace. In her sister's defence, most of them had - at one time or other - tried to manipulate her, kill her or hurt her in some other way. Her sister deserved better, and Eva was not inclined to let bygones be bygones. She secretly hoped that they would cause trouble, trying to double-cross them or try to stop her from getting what she came here for. Fun was what she needed, to unleash some of the tension that had been building and to extract some revenge for past indiscretions.

"So, uhm, Kol?" Rebekah asked, changing the subject to their dearly departed brother.

"It's a risk, I am aware, but, I need him, Beks," Eva said truthfully.

"I figured," she responded, her shoulders slacking a bit, "what is it, exactly that you need from the Bennett witch?"

"Her blood," Eva responded, "to release Kai Parker from his prison world."

Rebekah repeated the last two words in question.

"Long story short, Kai is a bit of a psychopath, murdered half his family for power, his father entrapped him in a kind of parallel dimension with the help of Sheila Bennett. I can easily circumvent Joshua's spells, but the blood is a necessity," Eva said with a shrug.

Bekah let out a chuckle, "you make everything sound so easy."

The plane had started its descent, and Eva was glad to be back on solid ground. Being airborne, away from the earth and in some metal box, did not sit well with her. But flying was swifter than running or driving, and as time was ticking mercilessly by, she needed all the moments that she could spare.

It was a short ride from the airport to Mystic Falls. Eva could almost feel the town coming nearer. She was glad Rebekah had compelled someone to drive them into town, she wasn't sure whether she would be up to driving. Fiddling with her necklace again, Eva was jittery all the way through the ride. Waiting for the magic to hit. Expression leaves an imprint, and as soon as they would enter the triangle, it would hit her in full force. Trying to relax, she leaned her head back against the passenger seat. If Rebekah noticed her fidgeting, she didn't remark on it. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her breathing. When she had just found some semi-comfortable position, her eyes shot open. The headache came first, pressure building around her temples. Flashes of blood and screams, death gathered around her. The magic slowly invaded her body, a tiny onslaught within her veins, a clash between magics. It prickled, titillating every nerve ending. It was exhilarating, but it also hurt, as though a thousand cuts were dealt in one single blow. She was falling, the magic enticing her, drawing her in deeper. Promises and wishes, past and future coming together. One gesture and the world would be at her feet. Her breathing became laboured. Resisting temptation became a battle of wills.

There was a slight pressure on her knee, a whispered, "I'm here."

The touch and the words brought her some clarity, an anchor. Tugging on it, she relinquished the magic, feeling it deflate, running wild once more. It stung, its loss. Her breath hitched a moment and she almost felt like crying out. The bereavement as sudden as its recovery.

"It's decided. I officially hate this town," she mustered up, the words an effort to produce, but there they were.

"Yet, all roads always lead back here," her sister sighed.

The rigidity left her body, her shoulders slumped a bit, her fingers uncurled. Her nails had bitten into her skin. It might leave a mark. Breathing was easy again. The magic had accepted her, and backed off, as though realising that she would not yet harness its energies, that it would have to wait until she was ready to command it. It lingered, though, ready when she called. Eva resisted its lure, pushing it to the background. Not yet.

They pulled up at the Mikaelson Mansion. Eva admired the driveway and was impressed by the grandeur of the residence.

"Nik's hybrids were good for something," Eva uttered as she took in the exterior.

"Wait until you see the interior," Bekah stated, coming to stand next to her sister. Her sister made a move to walk inside when she suddenly turned back towards Eva, "no way in hell," she exclaimed, gesturing a hand toward Eva.

Quirking up an eyebrow, Eva wondered what her sister was going on about. She folded her arms in expectation.

"How?" Bekah motioned from Eva to their surroundings, as if trying to put something together, "I mean, magic, but how?"

"Use your words, Beks, I can't help you make sense of whatever is going on in that pretty head of yours if you do not give me more information," Eva said.

"Katherine and Caroline, they were with us," she trailed, "when we were still human."

Nodding, Eva understood her sister's reaction, it was a lot to take in. Her arms fell to her sides, waiting for Rebekah to voice her question.

"How is this possible, why didn't I remember?" Bekah asked, grabbing hold of Eva's hand. The Original's eyes were wide, a slight hint of hurt and desperation in her tone.

"They came after the search for the cure had unleashed Silas from his tomb. He was an opponent they could not quite overcome. Their solution," Eva paused, as a stray strand of magic passed through her, her eyes following it for a moment until it disappeared, "was to travel back in time to inform Elijah that the hunt for the cure was a horrible idea and should not be attempted."

The corner of her lips lifted somewhat, as she remembered her first encounter with the two vampires.

She'd been wandering about the woods. Ayana had sent her in search of wolfsbane, a rare herb in these parts of the forest. The soft glow of an autumn sun offered her some warmth as she meandered through the trees. A hint of summer was still in the air, the leaves on the trees had not yet given up on their green hues. Eva knew that in the coming weeks, the leaves would change, their colours brightened, as the branches slowly thin. She smiled, autumn had always been her favourite time of the year. As she was observing the ground, carefully plucking the herbs, she felt a tingling. Straightening herself, she glanced around the forest. There wasn't an immediate change, yet she knew something was happening. Carefully, she stretched out her senses, gliding through the forest. The witch ignored the signs of life that were going about their business. Instead, she reached out and stopped dead in her tracks. Magic exploded, forcing her to reel her spirit back in. The power burst had made her stagger backwards, but she had still managed to retain her balance. Blinking, Eva gathered her bearings and headed straight for its source. She knew this was a risk, but her curiosity overruled her common sense. When she closed in on the space, she halted upon hearing voices. Taking cover behind a large oak, she hid behind the foliage.

"Any other great ideas, Katherine?" An exasperated voice asked.

"Please, Blondie, this will work out. We just need to figure out where exactly we are." There was something familiar about the voice belonging to the girl called Katherine.

Eva dared to sneak a look at the two women. They were standing in a clearing. There was something strange about the two of them. Their clothes were weird, seemingly fabricated from an unidentified fabric. Intrigued, Eva sent out her magic, mindful of the potential threat they could pose. She had expected to find some kind of resistance, but she eased into it. What she found, however, was beyond her knowledge. Witches they were most certainly not. Human, doubtful.

The brunette did look an awful lot like Tatia, but Eva just knew that this girl wasn't her.

Before she could stop to think, Eva emerged from behind the tree, greeting the two girls. They immediately turned to look at her.

The Tatia look-a-like stepped closer to her, a sweet smile on her face. Involuntarily, Eva took a step backwards. She was a bit too much reminded of a predator stalking its prey.

"Hello, my name is Katherine and you're going to tell me where I can find Elijah Mikaelson."

Eva tilted her head slightly. Katherine's tone of voice was giving off some kind of charm. Meeting the other girl's stare, Eva tried to resist the command to tell her where her brother was. She didn't dare whisper a spell under her breath, but her magic had become so attuned to her, that it had acted of its own accord.

"What do you need from Elijah?" Eva asked in return. The sweet smile dropped, the girl's composure turned feral. Before she could blink the girl had her up against a tree, choking the life out of her. Breathing had become almost impossible, and her survival instincts kicked in. Her magic stirred, pushing Katherine away.

Eva took a large breathe, trying to take in as much air as she could. The other girl was by her side.

"Hey, are you okay?" Eva looked up, confused and surprised by the sincerity in the blonde's tone. The blonde gently reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about Katherine, she's used to getting her way."

The small gesture of kindness was all she needed. The blonde's consciousness brushed against hers and just like that, Eva jumped in. Her mother had told her it was rude to peer into another's mind, but they had attacked first and Eva was not about to get herself killed when she could easily avoid it.

She caught a glimpse of the girl's personality – kind, trustworthy, loyal, but she dug deeper, pulling at the tread of magic that cursed through her veins, Eva got what she needed. Vampires. Immortal beings who need blood to survive. Sunlight would burn them, but apparently they had protection from it. A witch, most likely. She was about to pull back, when she caught sight of something else.

The witch shrugged the blonde's hand off. Time travel. She stepped back.

"I'm Caroline," the girl offered, a kind smile on her face. If she was bothered by Eva's behaviour, she didn't show it.

Unsure of whether they were trustworthy, Eva eventually provided her name, "Eva," she muttered. Turning to Katherine, the witch mimicked the feral expression the girl had given her earlier. "You ever try that again, I will do much worse," she threatened. The brunette did not seem impressed, but didn't try anything else. Letting her features relax, Eva feigned ignorance and asked how they had wound up in the middle of the forest.

Caroline looked at Katherine, but both were obviously having trouble with coming up with a story.

Eva raised a brow, "you know, for people traveling back in time, you sure are unprepared," she stated.

Both pair of eyes fell on her. Katherine appeared hostile, whereas Caroline seemed to be more anxious and slightly curious rather than angry.

"Who are you?" Katherine almost spit out the words.

She gave a moment's pause, "I'm Eva, and as I'm sure you've deduced by now, I am a witch. You on the other hand, are not, so, how did you wind up here?" She tried her best be imposing, but it wasn't an easy feat, being a sixteen year old girl lacking the ability to crush someone's windpipe in a single try.

Caroline pulled Katherine back, "well, a friend of ours is a Bennett witch," the girl started, "she is the one that got us here, though I'm not sure when and where we are," Caroline trailed, gesturing towards the surrounding foliage.

"You're around the year thousand, we're in the New World," Eva stated, wondering how they were unsure of this, "I mean, you did come to this time on purpose, right? You knew Elijah was going to be here?" Eva hesitantly inquired. She suddenly wasn't so sure about this. They seemed to have come from centuries in the future, she figured. Yet, they had been looking for Elijah.

Caroline was about to say something, when Eva cut her off.

"Don't answer that, you said a Bennett witch send you, so I'll take you to one," she offered instead. Eva feared the truth. Meddling with time was extremely dangerous and she had a feeling that these two women knew things that she wasn't ready to face.

A hand hovered in her field of vision, pulling her back to the present, "sorry, lost in a memory," she stated with a shrug.

"You spelled us to forget, right?" Rebekah asked, trying to put the pieces together.

"It sort of," Eva hesitated, trying to find the right word, "backfired? My intent had been for you to remember when the search for the cure started, but for some inexplicable reason, only Kol remembered, and you shot him down."

The blonde stared at her feet for a moment, before meeting Eva's eyes, "he warned us, but we didn't listen, I was …" Rebekah took in a gulp of air, before admitting, "too caught up in the idea of being human again."

Eva tilted her head, looking at her sister more closely. She wanted to say she understood, the want to be human again, but truthfully, she didn't miss it. But for Bekah, she tried, for a moment to imagine, to understand what would drive her. It wasn't difficult to figure out. Children.

"I'm sorry, Beks, you didn't deserve this." It was all the comfort she could offer. Honestly, she hadn't given children much though, had never quite thought of nieces or nephews, never considered that her siblings might want children. Their circumstances had never invited children, Marcel was the closest they ever got. With Mikael on their tails, it seemed tedious to even think about involving a child. However, as everything had settled somewhat, she could understand Bekah's wish. Eva had her run, she'd had Keira and everything she was doing now, she did for her baby girl. Maybe, when this was all over, she could try. Figure out a spell, a cure, or something else that would allow vampires to bear children.

The vampire shook her head, squared her shoulders and offered a shadow of a smile, "it is what it is," she said, before heading inside the mansion.

Eva followed her in.