Author's note: Sorry that this is a day late from my usual Saturday schedule! It is a busy time of year for me. With that being said, there will be no update next weekend. I know that I have prewritten the story so it's not that that is keeping me. I am transitioning back into work and the next two weeks are pure chaos. I want to thank everyone for their support of this story. Hard to believe we are rounding up to the halfway point! Lots of fun to come!

Part Six: an inherent bond between witches

Later, he will count himself fortunate that he had chosen that moment to walk into Hope's room.

Klaus' eyes widen immediately as he catches sight of what she is doing. Her head is bent, her eyes closed. Her fingers are twined together but he can see the faint glow pulsing beneath them. He moves swiftly, his fingers closing around her arms. "Hope!"

She opens her eyes, gasping in shock. The light retreats and her hands fall apart. She looks at her father with twin measures of guilt and surprise.

Klaus takes a deep breath, reminding himself that fear can easily mask itself as anger. He knows the difference; she may still be too young to fully comprehend such things. He finds himself kneeling in front of her. "What were you trying to do?"

Hope turns her head, looking towards the door. She is quiet for a time and Klaus forces himself not to ask again (because he will sound more frantic than he needs to). "I saw what she did," she finally tells him. "And it was amazing. I wanted to try…"

It had never occurred to him at that moment, as he watched Bonnie free her magic that he was not the only audience she had. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he hears Elijah's voice. It does not gloat but it comes close. He looks to the floor, noting that her shoes seem scuffed from too many hours of playing. He will have to see to it that she receives new ones. Finally, he looks her in the eyes once more, and he hopes that his face is soft (as soft as it can be all things considered). "Hope, what have your mother and I always asked of you?"

"That I only use my magic when you, Mom or Aunt Freya is there to watch," Hope repeats the worn down line quietly and then nods her head. "I should have waited."

Klaus echoes the sentiment, wondering how she even knew the makings of the spell in the first place. He is afraid to ask, afraid to fully understand what is going on inside his daughter at this moment (because he knows he cannot protect her from it like he wants to). "I am sure Aunt Freya will be happy to practice with you," he assures her. He realizes he is still clutching both her arms tightly and relaxes her grip. He feels his own kind of guilt when he sees the wounded look on her face. He knows that he has to be firm with her for her own good but in truth, it is one of the most difficult tasks he faces. He wants nothing more than to indulge her every whim, to ensure that a smile never leaves her face.

He stands, surveying her room. There are a great number of things to amuse her here but he senses that on this day, it's not enough. He extends his hand, which she easily takes. "Let's go for a walk."

"And ice cream?"

He smiles. "And ice cream."

X

"You've had but a taste of what kirarik can bring you," Lavinia says. It sounds like a garish line but she doesn't overdo it. She simply smiles and then gestures for them all to stand. "I want to give you a chance to experience it fully."

Bonnie practically shivers in anticipation. She has been waiting for this moment for what seems so long now (reality would tell her a different story). She knows that everything has a learning curve but part of her felt chained down. She is about to break free.

(and she knows just what she will do first)

Lavinia produces a knife. "There is an inherent bond between witches of all kinds. It has existed since the beginning. Others have done what they could to sever it - and unfortunately in some ways it has worked. It is sad to see a witch raise their hand to another." She steps forward, the knife now balanced on the open palms of her hands. "To ensure that they never have the chance to do the same to us, we must make our bond more overt. A constant reminder…"

Bonnie understands what Lavinia is asking of them. She slides her gaze to Sasha and Eve to see if they have come to the same conclusion. When Eve steps forward to take the knife from Lavinia, Bonnie smiles.

"The marking is of your choosing," Lavinia tells her. "A willing act to solidify the sisterhood between us."

Eve chooses to trace the knife over the skin of her forearm. A quick clean cut that she covers the moment she passes the blade to Sasha. Sasha looks less sure; there is a hesitation in the way she holds the knife, as if it will clatter to the ground if she is not careful. She looks to Lavinia but then repeats Eve's actions, right down to the location. There is a hiss and her blood is bright red against her pale skin.

"Now Bonnie," Lavinia instructs.

Bonnie takes the knife. She thinks it will be easy to do as Eve and Sasha have but in the end, she finds hooking her thumb in the waistband of her pants. She pulls down enough to expose her hip bone. It is there that she marks herself - a small thin line, a reminder of her commitment to both the women in this circle and her craft. Although it stings as she does it, the moment she hands the knife back to Lavinia she feels it.

Those chains that have held her back simply fall away.

X

At the same time Klaus is filling Hope full of sugar, Freya is tossing clothes over the top of a dressing room to Bonnie.

She stands clad only in her underwear, a finger idly tracing the scar on her hip. She can't seem to take her eyes off the reflection she sees in the mirror before her. She looks nothing like she remembers. She looks beaten down.

(never, she will never surrender)

Her hands run over her skin, still littered with scrapes and insect bites from her midnight bayou run. She feels each bump, each knick and promises herself that when this is over she will never let herself fall this far again. She will pull herself back to her full height and that is where she will stay.

"I think this is rather lovely," Freya's voice calls. A moment later a brightly patterned dress is draped over the door.

"I am beginning to think you find everything lovely," Bonnie calls back. Nonetheless, she drags the dress the rest of the way. She takes a moment to hold it to her body. It is pretty. Almost too pretty. She would certainly stand out in a room in it.

She lets her fall to the floor.

"Not for me," she says quickly. She glances at the carnage in the dressing room. Some have made the cut - they are laid out on a bench. Each piece has purpose - muted colors, utilitarian style. Things she can dress herself in for battle. "I think I have enough."

"Oh, okay." Freya sounds disappointed. Apparently, Klaus had not been exaggerating when he spoke of his sister's love of shopping.

Bonnie gathers the rejections together in a neat pile, feeling too guilty to leave them littered across the dressing room floor. She then picks up her purchases and opens the door. Freya is quick to look over her shoulder, no doubt noting the pattern in what Bonnie has turned down.

"I appreciate your help," Bonnie says. And finds she means it. This is the first genuine nice thing that a Mikaelson has done for her - unless there is a catch somewhere.

Freya sort of shrugs. "It's no hardship believe me." She can't help but push past Bonnie, rescuing the dress at the last moment. When Bonnie opens her mouth to protest, Freya smiles. "If you won't wear it, I am sure I will."

Freya pays for the clothing with a credit card in her brother's name. There is a mischievous look on her face. "I figured since he is your host, his card should take the hit this time. Besides, he never looks at the thing. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

It is a bit strange to hear Freya talk of Klaus in the same manner she would talk of having a brother. Playful, loving. She files it away with all the other strange occurrences she has had since she crashed landed back in Klaus' life (brother, father, protector - each word seems hard to reconcile even though they are plain as day).

They leave the store, the bag tucked under Bonnie's arm. She feels more herself somehow, as if picking out clothes has given her back a small piece of her identity (or maybe it is the magic, the fact that after all these months she has set it free as it should be). She has to sidestep two teenagers, who seem hellbent on running down the sidewalk at breakneck speed. Glancing over her shoulder, she can't help but comment. "This city is something else."

Freya hums in agreement. "My first real look at New Orleans was in 1914," Freya says as they turn the corner. They are closer to the heart of the French Quarter. "It's complicated but I had been separated from my siblings for centuries. They didn't know me but I knew them. I had this...need to see them properly for the first time. So I snuck into one of their parties…"

"An exercise in excess, no doubt," Bonnie states before she can help herself.

Freya does not look offended. Instead she nods her head in agreement. "When you have few limits, you tend to show off." She makes a face, caught somewhere between apologetic for her siblings and amused. "It was Kol that I spoke to first. So angry at his brothers."

"Some things never change," Bonnie interjects.

"Apparently not," Freya retorts. "Then Rebekah. Straightforward and unafraid to speak her mind. I knew then that I wanted nothing more than to be a proper family - and this city, it seemed the perfect place for that. New Orleans is outrageous I know, yet...there was something about it, the history maybe. I felt as if it would understand the intricacies of our family." She glances around and Bonnie can't help but do the same.

She agrees. Despite her focus being elsewhere, she cannot deny that she has felt something from the very moment she came close to this city. "Maybe it is the magic that called you," she points out (she thinks that is it for her). "The ground is practically teeming with it."

Freya nods. "Maybe you're right," she says and there is a sort of sigh. "Because in all truth, this city has not been kind to my family."

Bonnie wonders just what hardships an alpha family like the Mikaelson's can face. She soon realizes that it probably comes from within. That instant denial that fell from Klaus' lips when she had brought up the prospect of Rebekah reclaiming her room rings in her ears. "Does Klaus have Rebekah daggered somewhere?" She blurts out.

Freya stops in her tracks. Her eyes widen slightly but then she shakes her head. "No, no," she says firmly. "If he had done such a thing to my sister I would have instantly corrected it. I am afraid it is more complicated than that."

This is the second time that Freya has used that word in under five minutes. Bonnie supposes it is fitting but yet it seems like a cop out.

"Rest assured that she is alive and well. She just chooses to be elsewhere." There is pain evident in Freya's voice.

She misses her sister, Bonnie realizes.

Waiting a beat or two, Bonnie says what she feels she should. "I'm sorry. For bringing her up like that. Klaus just left me with the impression…"

There is a wave of Freya's hand. "No need to apologize. Or explain. I am well aware of how my brother operates." She tilts her head, eyeing Bonnie in a way that almost makes Bonnie shift uncomfortably in her shoes. " - look, I know Klaus is not helping you out of the goodness of his heart. Whatever it is that he has asked of you, be careful." The sadness in Freya becomes more apparent. "He's not thinking things through as he should."

Bonnie wants to make some sharp comeback questioning whether he ever does. But she holds back, not only because she does not want to step wrong with Freya but because despite everything, she gets that sense too. She knows what Klaus is asking of her (well, the bare bones of it anyway) and it seems almost beneath her abilities in some ways. She had expected a far steeper price. Part of her cautions not to look a gift horse in the mouth - the other part is waiting for Klaus' web of deception to catch her properly, as if his request is merely the honey to lure her in.

She will be careful. She has to be. She refuses to allow herself to take a step forward before stumbling back two.

If Klaus thinks he will get the best of her, he will be in for one hell of a fight.

X

She is waiting for them when they get home.

Bonnie has let her guard down just enough not to realize it. Freya senses it first, her hand shooting out to block Bonnie's entrance. She tenses automatically, setting down her new purchases on the stone floor. She glances at Freya and when their eyes meet, she finds herself nodding.

They walk into the courtyard together.

The woman stands in the middle, her back to them. Her head turns slightly, long brown hair falling over her face. She pivots through a series of jerky movements (that seem almost inhuman) so she can face them properly. Stare them down with her milk colored eyes.

Bonnie is looking directly at her fate. What she will become if this all fails.

For a moment, she shrinks back.

"Bonnie Bennett," the shade says. "I am your warning. If you come now, no further blood will be shed. If you choose to surround yourself with filth…"

"Watch yourself," Freya hisses between clenched teeth.

It's a useless statement to make. This woman stopped hearing, stopped thinking a long time ago (Bonnie can't help but take some solace in the fact that she does not know her, that she is not Eve or Sasha).

"But then again, I suppose it is fitting that you are here," the woman continues without even so much as an acknowledgment of Freya's presence. She is looking at (through) Bonnie. "For all the talk of the sisterhood of witches, you always chose to lie with vampires in the end." There is an unnatural curve of her mouth at this statement, as if someone has placed a hook at the corner and pulled it back.

Those words - they are pure Lavinia, designed to cut into her.

Bonnie straightens to her full height. "I am not coming with you. To you," she corrects because in reality she is speaking to Lavinia.

An almost inhuman cry erupts from the shade's mouth. She moves more quickly now, her arms shoot out. A wet bar and the couch on which Bonnie had made her deal from explode into pieces. Bonnie shields her face from the debris and then moves forward. She doesn't realize it at first but Freya has fallen into step beside her. Together. They will take her out together.

She doesn't go easily. Lavinia uses her with little care and as a result, Bonnie finds herself pushing back hard to avoid being struck down. Her magic is strong but Lavinia's is tinged with the abilities of hundreds. Finally, she is able to throw the shade against the hard stone of the courtyard wall. It is Freya who keeps her pinned there.

Bonnie cannot resist moving forward until she is standing mere inches from the fallen witch. She can see nothing in those cloudy eyes but she does not look away from them. Instead she leans in. "I am not yours."

When the woman tries to lash out, Bonnie tightens the magic that holds her there. She glances over her shoulder at Freya. "Should we?"

Freya takes a deep breath. "She is not at peace. We cannot leave her like this."

Bonnie nods.

And together they ensure that she will get the rest that she deserves.

Elijah enters the courtyard moments later, his mouth slightly ajar as he surveys the damage, the body pooled at Bonnie's feet. He looks to Freya, blinking away his surprise and letting that controlled facade fall into its place.

"What on earth happened here?"

X

Klaus has been warned to keep Hope away for now. There has been an incident. As much as he wants to return to see the aftermath for himself, his need to shield his daughter from it is much stronger. She is well aware that something is amiss. She pins him with those eyes of hers as she eats her ice cream. He only smiles in return. If (when) she asks, he will not tell her.

It is for her own good.

She waits to do so only after Elijah has given him the all clear (or at least a body no longer is in plain sight in their home). Klaus has taken her hand once more and they are moving along Dumaine Street, near the voodoo museum. He finds that he is looking beyond the tourists for any signs that the trouble at the Abattoir has spilled beyond its walls.

"Everyone is okay, Dad?" she asks again, tugging on his hand to catch his attention.

He cannot ignore her question a second time around. "Yes, Hope. Everyone is fine. You needn't worry about a thing. I promise you that you are safe."

"I know," she replies automatically. "You'll protect everyone else just like you protect me, right?"

He considers that for a moment. He will always do what is necessary to keep what remains of his family safe (and in truth, those that have fled also will remain safe if he has his way). But he will not watch any of them the same way he watches Hope. He cannot. He can only give that to her. Of course, he lies. "I will."

When they arrive home, there is a flurry of activity in the courtyard. People work to clean up the shattered glass and remove the damaged furniture. It does not bother him to see any of it destroyed. They are only things, easily replaceable. He moves his gaze over Elijah (whose mouth is set so tightly Klaus worries he will snap his fangs), to Freya and then finally Bonnie. They will need to talk about this latest development.

But first.

Hayley is standing on the balcony. He knows she wants nothing more than to run down the stairs to embrace their daughter but she holds back. Doing so will alarm Hope. So instead she stands with her hands curled around the railing, waiting until Klaus brings Hope to her. She smiles widely. "You had ice cream," she reaches out, her thumb brushing away the remnants of Hope's treat from the corner of her mouth. "What kind?"

"Chocolate chip cookie dough," Hope says with a grin. "Dad had vanilla."

"Dad is boring," Hayley teases and Hope laughs in agreement. She then looks over Hope's head, her eyes locking Klaus' in place. "We'll talk later."

Klaus can do nothing else but nod.

Hayley keeps her promise, finding him after he has spoken to both Bonnie and his sister. He stills, a drink gripped tightly in his hand. Hayley slides into the seat across from him. "I am glad that she was with you when this happened. I am glad she didn't get to see the blood being washed away from the courtyard floor," Hayley begins. "But she could have been here. Playing with her toys. Just being a kid, Klaus."

"I know," Klaus assures her. "But you and I both must realize there are enemies that would like nothing more to rip us apart."

"I am not discounting that. Lord knows just how many things want to see you suffer for what you did to them at some point in history," Hayley muses aloud. She says it so casually that he cannot help but be wounded. "But that woman and everything she represents...she's not our enemy. She's Bonnie's. So I have to question why you would want to bring that into this home when we struggle for a moment's peace as it is."

It is an effective argument. Much more concise than the broad strokes that Elijah wants to paint the situation with. He already knows the answer to her question but he will not give it to her. He can predict her reaction (because he has seen hints of it before). Instead he leans forward, bowing his head a little. "Hayley, I will not let this touch Hope," he vows. "This witch wants Bonnie and she is not going to wait around before trying to take her. Bonnie is the bait - and I will stick close to her from here on out. This will be over before you know it, and our lives can go on as they were before."

Well, not entirely.

Not if he has his way.