Alaric's return filled a void that no one had realised was still empty. He and Jo stayed in Mystic Falls for a few days but ultimately retuned to New Orleans - after all, he had a job to return to and all of Mystic Falls remembered him dying.

Jo was due to start work again soon as well, in the emergency room at the local hospital, but they had been good enough to delay her start date to give her time to figure out what to do with the twins.

Caroline had not seen either of them since the fateful meeting in the park, but she wasn't particularly surprised. After all, they had formed a truce with the Mikaelsons; Alaric hadn't.

And she could hardly blame Alaric for not trusting them

One warm June morning, Caroline was taking a five minute break from her latest college assignment (and for once, she was doing the assignment, not wedding planning), when her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.

"Caroline Forbes speaking."

"Caroline, it's Jo - I'm so sorry for calling out of the blue, but .. I don't know what to do!"

Caroline closed her laptop. "What's happened?"

"Nothing's happened; I just … Lizzie, please stop crying, sweetheart! I can't do this, Caroline; there's one of me and two of them and Ric's at work and I … I can't do everything!"

"Okay, take a deep breath," Caroline said. "Do you know Rousseau's bar?"

Jo sniffled. "Yes."

"Take the girls there," Caroline said, "then take the first right. You'll see a huge building up ahead with M's on the ironwork. I'll meet you at the door."

Ten minutes later, Caroline opened the front door to see Jo rounding the corner of the street, two sets of lungs screaming.

"I can't," Jo said, looking thoroughly frazzled.

"It's okay," Caroline said, reaching into the crib and lifting one of the girls out. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's okay."

The baby settled in her arms and Jo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much for this."

"Not at all," Caroline said. "Why don't you come on in? You look like you need a break."

"I do," Jo admitted. "I just … Even just five minutes for a cup of coffee would be amazing."

"That, we can do," Caroline said, taking her through to the room Davina and Sophie had borrowed for spell-work.

She tapped on the door first, just in case, then let themselves in. "How are we doing, ladies?"

"Mama, mama, look!" Hope cried, running over. "Look!" She waved her hands and little streams of light sparked from her fingertips.

The baby in her arms focused on them and reached out.

"Careful, Lizzie," Jo said.

"It's okay," Caroline said. "Hope loved those when she was that age. Good job, baby girl! Are you having fun with Auntie Sophie and Auntie Davina?"

Hope nodded, her little curls bouncing. "Uh huh."

"She's doing very well," Davina said. "Caroline?"

"Oh, sorry," Caroline said. "Davina, Sophie, this is Jo. Jo, this is Davina and Sophie; we adopted them."

"I'd argue with that," Sophie said, "but it's true. Do you need a babysitter?"

"If you don't mind," Jo said, almost sagging with relief. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. Although I should warn you … they're siphoners. It's hereditary."

"Unusual," Sophie said, "but we can deal with it. Are you …?"

"No, I'm a …" Jo hesitated. "I don't like using the phrase 'normal' witch."

"You're an inherent witch," Sophie finished. "At least, that's what I was taught."

"Out of interest," Caroline said, "you've mentioned siphoners before; what exactly is the difference between a siphoner and an … inherent witch?"

"Most witches have magic inherent within them," Sophie said, "hence the name. Siphoners don't have that; they draw magic from things or places or people around them."

"Some inherent witches consider them abominations," Jo said quietly. "Because they 'steal' magic."

"Which is ridiculous," Sophie said, bending over the stroller to coo over the baby.

"They're probably the same people who consider my daughter one as well," Caroline said. "I won't pay them any attention. If you're happy for us to leave these two with Sophie and Davina for a bit …"

"Absolutely," Jo agreed readily. "That's Lizzie, in Caroline's arms, and this is Josie. They've both been fed and they've both been recently changed, so they shouldn't be any bother, except they won't sleep."

"Okay," Caroline said, recognising the note of exhausted hysteria from her own nights with a crying baby, "time for a break." She handed Lizzie to Davina and steered Jo out of the room and to the kitchen.

"The only reason I coped," she said, pouring Jo a cup of coffee, "is because I had a whole group of people around me. You're doing this more or less on your own. It's okay to ask for help."

"It's not that Ric isn't helping," Jo said hastily. "He's amazing. He just can't be there all day."

"Of course not," Caroline agreed. "And you've only got two hands. You need at least six to handle one child, let alone two, I think. Just take a breath and let yourself relax for a moment. Dare I ask about the wedding?"

Jo gave a slightly shrill laugh. "Don't - I haven't even started thinking about it." She took a sip of coffee. "Honestly, I would have settled for a courthouse ceremony, but Ric said I'd regret it one day."

"The fact that you used the phrase 'settled for' suggests that he was right," Caroline said. "Do you want some help?"

"Caroline, you're planning your own wedding," Jo protested.

"I know," Caroline said. "Look, if I can plan a prom, a graduation celebration and a wedding simultaneously to take place within days of each other, I can certainly manage three weddings. Well, two technically. One's been taken out of my hands."

"Whose is the other one?" Jo asked.

"Still mine," Caroline said, looking a little sheepish. "I'd always dreamed of getting married in the church in Mystic Falls, where my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents got married, but there are a lot of people here who I want to be at the wedding, and it's not really fair on them to expect them to travel all the way to Virginia. So we decided that we'd have the church wedding in Mystic Falls, and then a traditional hand-fasting here in New Orleans."

"That's a nice idea," Jo said. "So which one has been taken away?"

"Rebekah's dealing with the hand-fasting," Caroline answered. "She knows more about that sort of thing anyway. So if you're happy, leave the wedding with me."

Jo breathed another sigh of relief, the remaining tension in her body seeping out of her. "Thank you."

"Not at all," Caroline said. "I'll need your input on some things, obviously …"

"There's not much," Jo admitted. "I'd like a church wedding, we decided on April because of the weather - other than that, I don't have much of an opinion."

Caroline sat down opposite her with her own drink. "What about the guest list?"

Jo smiled sadly. "I don't have anyone. Not really."

Caroline reached across to take her hand. "You said you had an odd family history."

For a moment, it looked like Jo might change the subject. Then she heaved another sigh. "My last name isn't Laughlin. It's Parker. I changed it to hide from my parents. Twins run in my family. I'm a twin, and my younger siblings are twins as well. Growing up, my twin brother and I were best friends. We were always together … playing … laughing … having prank wars."

Caroline smiled. "Who won?"

Jo laughed. "We never agreed on that. As we got older, we started fighting more and more. We both went away to college separately, and our relationship got a bit better. I guess it was easier over the phone. Then I went home for a weekend. My parents weren't expecting me and I overheard something - they had been intentionally driving a rift between me and Kai."

Caroline frowned. "Why?"

"Because they believe in the old ways," Jo said heavily. "Our coven, the Gemini coven, are quite unique, because we are made up almost entirely of one bloodline. Most covens are made up of several families that have come together, but ours isn't. All covens have their old rituals, as I'm sure you know, living in this city. There used to be a very old ritual, known as the Merge."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Caroline said cautiously.

"It's bad."

Jo jumped and even Caroline started. "For the love of God, Kol, wear a bell or something! How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear the name of a ritual that I thought got shut down five hundred years ago," Kol said, sauntering over to retrieve a blood bag. "Was I wrong?"

"Not entirely," Jo said cautiously.

Caroline sighed. "Jo, this is Kol Mikaelson, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, for my sins. Kol, this is Jo, the soon-to-be Mrs Saltzman."

"You love me, Caroline," Kol said. "Lovely to meet you, Jo."

"So for those of us not raised with magic," Caroline said, "what's the Merge?"

"It's an ancient ritual," Kol said. "And not a very nice one. In fact, and I mean no offence, Jo, I would say it is a pretty barbaric one."

"None taken," Jo said. "I agree with you."

"Okay, well you hardly shy away from anything like that, so that worries me," Caroline said.

"It stems from the old belief that twins are actually one person split into two," Kol said, "one good and one evil. The Merge is essentially what it sounds like - it's a ritual that merges the two into one, therefore forming one functioning human. Basically, the weaker of the twins dies and is absorbed into the stronger twin, who takes on their magic as well."

"That's horrible," Caroline said, her mind turning to the two beautiful girls she had left with Sophie and Davina. "But it was stopped?"

"Most covens stopped using it about five hundred years ago," Kol answered. "They realised that the twin theory was what is scientifically known as bullshit. The only coven that kept going was the Gemini coven - I assume that's yours?"

Jo nodded. "They stopped it about a hundred years ago. But my parents honestly believe that because it's a coven ritual, it's fine. So they started driving a wedge between me and Kai in the hopes that we'd go along with it."

"Oh my God …" Caroline murmured, squeezing her hand. "What did you do?"

"I went back to college without speaking to them," Jo said. "The next day, I changed my major, changed colleges and changed my name. The ritual doesn't work once you're over 22, so as soon as we were safe, I called home to warn Luke and Olivia, our younger siblings, and I know they did something similar - changed their names and ran for it."

"How old are they now?" Caroline asked.

"They turned 25 a few months ago," Jo answered, wiping her eyes. "After we found out I was having twins, Ric and I decided to move somewhere with a lot of magic, so it would be harder for my parents to find us. New Orleans seemed a good bet."

"Unfortunately, we have experience in protecting children from their grandparents," Kol said. "If you do get any indication they're in danger, let us know. We'll do the dirty work for you."

"Thank you," Jo called after him, as he disappeared. "I think."

Caroline smiled. "It's a good thing," she said. "Just don't ever ask what he meant. Where are your brothers and sister now?"

"I don't know," Jo admitted. "I know that Kai became a doctor as well, but I don't know where any of them are."

"Would you like them at the wedding?" Caroline asked. "Or would that put the girls in danger?"

"It wouldn't put them in danger," Jo said immediately. "Mother found me - that's why I was at the storage unit when Ric woke up; I was moving my stuff out to move again, with a new name. She was furious with me, because we've all deserted the coven, in her eyes. So no, they wouldn't put the girls in danger if they knew about them. But they wouldn't come."

"Why not?" Caroline pressed.

"I left them," Jo said with a sad smile. "I left first. Part of me wants to find them, but the rest of me couldn't deal with it if they didn't want to know. So if you want to find them, be my guest but … please don't tell me." Her phone ring and she turned a little pale. "Oh dear God, I forgot to text Ric and tell him where I was going; he must be worried sick!" She answered hastily. "Hi Ric - I'm okay! No, I know - I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you."

Caroline rose to make another cup of coffee - she had a feeling that Ric was already halfway there.

"I'm only human; I needed help. Caroline offered hers."

"Tell him to ring the doorbell," Caroline said. "There's too many people here who are overprotective for him to come bursting in."

"Did you hear that?" Jo asked.

The doorbell rang.

"Take that as a yes," Caroline said, raising her voice a little. "Josh?"

"Got it!"

Alaric appeared in the kitchen doorway a few moments later. "Jo, please don't do that."

"I know, I'm sorry," Jo said, handing up the phone. "I wasn't thinking. I'm just … There's only one of me and there are two of them."

Ric's expression softened almost immediately. "Honey, you said you were okay."

"I thought I was," Jo said with a sniffle. "I had to be."

"You don't have to be," Caroline said softly, handing Alaric a coffee. "Ric, the girls are fine; my friends are looking after them. They're witches; they're currently teaching Hope."

"Thank you, Caroline," Ric said. "I don't mean to be so … paranoid."

"You're in the belly of the beast," Caroline said with a slight smile. "Ready for a reunion?"

"Not even close," Ric said with a sigh.

"Even with me?"

Ric turned with a smile. "It's always good to see you, Matt."

Matt grinned, clapping his former teacher on the back "Welcome back, Mr Saltzman. And you must be Jo."

Jo smiled. "Nice to meet you, Matt. It's nice to put another face to a name."

"Bex wants to say hello," Matt said to Ric. "If that's okay?"

"Absolutely," Jo answered for him.

"Jo …" Ric began.

"No," Jo said firmly. "I've met Kol and he more or less promised to kill to protect our daughters. If these people are going to protect them, I want to meet them."

"I'll follow on," Caroline said. "I need to make a quick phone call."

Matt led Jo and Alaric out of the kitchen and Caroline waited until they were out of earshot before she dialled.

"Katherine? I need a favour. Yeah, I need you to find some people for me."