A/N: After work today, I couldn't walk because my feet hurt too badly so I've postponed leaving until the morning. So I decided to do you guys one more chapter before my trip, albeit a short one.
One of my guest reviewers asked if the Mystic Falls crew are going to make an appearance. I do have a chapter involving Jeremy but that's not for a long time and then the others will probably show up in the second to last chapter.
Aya collected us from the ground and took us to a small apartment in the city. It had two bedrooms and, after much arguing between Lucien and Tristan, it was decided that Aurora would take one and I would share the other with the girls while the men slept on the sofas. Lucien was far from happy about this, not used to slumming it. We spent the next few days there while Aya helped Tristan to make arrangements for our travel to the US and our accommodation. I learned that it wasn't just our small group that was making the journey but also the sisters and a few members of the Strix that Tristan trusted the most.
The confined space limited my interactions with Tristan but it also meant that Lucien was forced to maintain a level of good behaviour. The girls seemed relatively okay after everything that had happened, a little shaken but mostly alright. I tried to talk to Lilah about what had happened that night but she refused to communicate in anyway when I brought it up. I knew that she had magic in her but I hadn't expected it to come out so soon.
It was October 28th when Tristan told us that we were leaving. We packed up the few things that we'd purchased since the fire, along with the twins bedraggled, mildly scorched toys that they'd been clutching when we'd fled. We travelled to the airport and loaded ourselves onto the plane. Aurora chatted away but I kept quiet and so did the girls. I was excited, although I tried to hide it. I was going home. I was one step closer to my family. I knew that I couldn't let Lucien know I was planning anything or he'd take away the girls and lock me up. Which meant when we landed and reached the city, I had to try and prevent myself from sprinting off to the Mikaelson house.
As the plane got closer to New Orleans airport, I felt a churning sensation start up in my stomach. It was a mixture of nerves and excitement. Tristan glanced over from his seat and smiled slightly.
"You okay Elena?"
"I am…"
"How does it feel to be going home?"
"Painful. It's been five years and I'm so close to the people I love… and I can't do anything."
"Quite right," chimed in Lucien. "Remember Elena, when we land, you have to follow my rules. No talking to anyone, no leaving the house. Or I'll lock your little girls in a shipping container and send them off to god knows where."
"I know the rules Lucien. You don't need to keep reminding me. I'm still your prisoner and I know we're only there until you get the answers you need."
"Speaking of that," said Tristan. "I may have found a possible starting point."
"Oh?" Lucien asked. "Why are you meddling in my affairs?"
"Because they became my affairs when you showed up at my door, made use of my resources and forced me to hide you and your prisoner. Which led to my house being burned down. So shut up. And put up with it."
Lucien scowled.
"Fine. Where would you suggest we start?"
Tristan fished a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Lucien.
"My contact in New Orleans sent this over."
I peered over the headrests, trying to see what it said. Lucien eyed it, a slight smile forming on his lips.
"As tempting as this is, there's one flaw." He held up the paper and tapped the bottom of it.
"Well there's a way around that. Distraction. Which I'm sure Aurora and myself could provide. Maybe even Elena."
"What? I'm not taking her there!"
"Can someone tell me what's going on?" I asked.
Tristan plucked the scrap of paper from Lucien's hands and passed it over. I looked down and saw that it was an invitation, written in cursive.
You are cordially invited to a Samhain celebration in honour of the witches of New Orleans.
The theme of the evening is fables and fairy tales. We invite you to bring your characters to life.
Masks and formal attire are required.
9pm, All Hallow's Eve, The Mikaelson Manor
"A masked ball?" squealed Aurora, having come up behind my chair to read the invitation over my shoulder. "Oh yes! Lucien, don't be mean. Let us come along. I'm just dying to see Niklaus again."
"It's a masked ball Lucien, Elena will be hidden. And as long as the girls aren't with her, she's not going to run off. Aurora will keep Klaus occupied, I'll speak with Elijah about the destruction to my property which should keep him distracted. You can find the witches, be your normal charming self and get the answers you want. Simple. And having the queen of the city might help the witches to do what you want."
Lucien slumped in his chair, scowling like a child. He clearly didn't want to do it but he could see that Tristan was making sense. And I could see what Tristan was trying to do for me. If this wasn't my chance to get back to the siblings, it was at least my chance to get the rings and stash them somewhere else where Lucien couldn't get them.
"Fine. I don't suppose your contact will be able to get us suited up in time?"
"I'll look into it. It shouldn't be too difficult."
I looked away from the two men and smiled to myself. I was going to be back in my old home. I'd be able to see my friends, my family. I couldn't wait. It wasn't getting to go home properly but it was as close as I was going to get for now and that was a good place to start.
We landed and got into the waiting car which drove us into the city. As we entered the French Quarter, I felt a strange rush of warmth. I rested my hand against the window, looking out at the streets that were oh so familiar to me. The girls fidgeted beside me and I wondered if they felt it too. The sense of coming home.
As we drove, I noticed a few people on the streets pause and look over at our car. I bit my lip, wondering whether my people could feel me in the same way. Would they realise I was here? Would they come and find me?
We drove to a large apartment building and Lucien led the way to the lift, up to the penthouse suite. There were people already there, witches casting spells and two familiar hulking vampires that I recognized from his security team. Oh great, they were back. Looks like I was officially back under house arrest and Lucien's thumb.
The girls were starting to lag and I could tell that they were in need of a rest so I headed straight to the bedroom that Lucien identified as theirs. I set them down on their beds and went to the window, looking out at the bustling town below.
"Mama?" Blair said softly.
"Yes Blair?"
"Will we get to see our daddies soon?"
I smiled slightly and turned to look back at her. I nodded slowly.
"Yes. Yes you will. I promise you."
I came over and gave them both a kiss on their foreheads, tucking them into their beds. They snuggled down, clutching the toys that Kol had given them. My determination, which I'd been sheltering like a dying flame over the years, was finally starting to shine brightly once again. I was close. I couldn't let anything stop me now. In a few days, I'd be in my home and then it would be easy enough to separate myself from Lucien.
There was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in."
I knew that it would be Tristan even before the door opened. Lucien wouldn't bother knocking, he'd just walk in and start tormenting me. I smiled slightly and he gave me a small smile in response. He shut the door behind him and came over to me, gently taking my hands in his.
"How do you feel?"
"Good. I'm… I'm ready. I'm excited, I can do this. I just… I want to get home more than anything now."
"I know. You just need to be patient for a little bit longer. I want to thank you for trusting me with this. I know that it's not easy for you."
"Having you around makes it a little easier."
"Glad to hear it." He kissed my forehead. "I got my witches to make these for your girls, so that Lucien can't hide them from you again."
He let go of my hands and pulled two small lockets from his pocket. Two chains with a tiny heart attached, one in silver, the other in gold. I took them and examined them carefully. There was a symbol carved into the surface of the heart, a fleur-de-lis, with a tiny diamond set just below it. When I lifted the clasp, I found that there was a small bundle of herbs inside which let off a pleasant aroma when they came into contact with the air.
"They'll work?"
"As long as the girls wear them, they can be found."
I smiled and went over to the beds, carefully fastening the necklaces around each of their necks, before returning to Tristan.
"Thank you for doing all of this. I'm… I'm sorry about your house."
"That was hardly your fault. And you don't need to thank me, I just want to see you safe and happy. I suppose I should call you your majesty now that we're back in your kingdom?"
"Please don't. I never got used to that."
He chuckled softly and pulled me close to him, wrapping his arms tight around me. I felt safe and happy in his grasp.
"One day, we'll both be in this city. No Lucien, no nothing to get in the way. And we can walk and talk and just… be without fear of who might see or what might happen." I said. The words sounded silly and sentimental but I couldn't help how I felt. No matter how hard I tried, my feelings for Tristan got stronger each day. It wasn't love. But it wasn't just friendship. It was something else. A powerful sense of loyalty that was different from anything I'd felt before. If he asked me to do something, I would have done it. After everything he'd done for me, I owed him.
"I'd like that a lot."
He touched my cheek and gave me a light kiss. They weren't kisses of romance or lust, they were just brief moments of companionship and comfort. The night we'd slept together, he'd said that humans needed physical contact, that they needed affection. There was no shame in the brief moments of intimacy we shared, it was just a necessary act to keep me sane. I wasn't sure where I'd be without Tristan.
A/N: Next chapter we get some originals action at the Halloween party!