Hey! Sorry about the wait, but this is a very long chapter. There are 2 episodes involved (I think?), and some scenes are skipped...but I hope you like it! :) A lot happens in this chapter, and I hope it's not too rushed. Either way, please let me know what you think. I know that nobody likes reviewing (even I don't haha) but it really does mean a lot!

With that being said, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, follow, favourite, and view this story!

BeaAdriana: Hehe I knew it would be :P hopefully this one is a bit better...and it's super long, so that's a plus :)

kykyxstandler: Thank you! It's a relief to hear that about Elijah haha and this chapter has plenty of Klaus/Addie, and a lot of changes. It's actually really weird because I totally didn't plan for them to have as many things in common as they do :P but I'm just going with it at the moment :D Thanks for the review!

Guest: Consider it done ;)

Brookeworm3: Firstly...I love the name haha, it's awesome! I think you'll like this chapter, because a lot of the things mentioned in your review come out. I'm glad you like Addie, Klaus needs a little happiness in his life, even though she'll be facing quite a few challenges of her own :P Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like this one!

Please let me know if you see any mistakes!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1...

Chapter 5:

It was Elijah's first day back with his siblings, and Rebekah was busy scrubbing the blood out of a 200-year-old carpet, while Klaus continued to read the book he had been reading before Elijah had left to speak with Hayley.

"Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees. Looks like someone's worried about impending daddy-hood." Rebekah shot Klaus a pointed look, but he merely shook his head dismissively.

"Nonsense. Elijah's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie-dust and float away." He smiled mockingly at his sister's glare, but Rebekah couldn't keep the small smirk off of her face.

"Strange, I don't recall any pixie-dust from the darkness of the coffin I was recently forced to endure." Elijah barely looked at his siblings, and instead walked over to the table behind the couch that Klaus was sitting on.

He opened the ancient book he had found, gently flicking through the pages, an action that instantly caught Rebekah's attention.

"What are you doing with Mother's spellbook?"

Elijah didn't remove his eyes from the grimoire, slowly taking a few pages out of it while he replied.

"Well, in exchange for my freedom, I promised the witch Davina that I would share a few pages from Mother's grimoire to help her learn to control her magic. I thought we'd begin with a little unlinking spell."

Klaus and Rebekah shared a look at their brother's last sentence.

"Wait, you want to use her to unlink Hayley from Sophie Deveraux?" Rebekah asked, stunned that this brother would do such a thing.

"Sophie brought us here under false pretenses. She doesn't just want us to take down Marcel and his minions, she wants to take Davina back. So, she yolked her own cause to ours with magic threats and half-truths! Well, no more. As of now, our deal with Sophie Deveraux is null and void."

Klaus smirked deviously, impressed at his brother's newfound determination to do whatever it takes.

"Niklaus, I need you to come with me. I need five minutes alone with Davina. You need to make certain that I am not interrupted." He pointed towards his brother as he spoke, and then gestured to Rebekah when he addressed her.

"You stay here and watch Hayley."

Rebekah's jaw dropped in annoyance, as Elijah strode out of the room determinedly.

"How did I get elected super-nanny?"

Her question went unanswered as Klaus placed his book on the coffee table in front of him, before hauling himself off of the couch and adjusting his clothing.

"More importantly, who put him in charge?"

Rebekah watched as he too left the room, begrudgingly following after Elijah.


"Hey, D? You need anything from the store?"

Davina looked over to her sister quizzically, knowing that Addie shouldn't be leaving. In fact, she found it strange that her sister was leaving so often in the first place…Addie had been as strict as Marcel at one point, and now she was using any chance she got to leave.

The reason for this (not that Davina knew it) was the fact that Addie no longer saw much of a threat in the Original vampires. She had a strange kind of understanding with Klaus and Elijah, and knew that Rebekah was vying for Marcel's attention…so she wouldn't harm her, unless she wanted Marcel to hate her for the rest of her immortal life.

Sure, the witches were still a problem, but they stayed out of vampire business, and Addie would avoid them at all costs. She just yearned for any sort of freedom, and she truly couldn't wait until the reaping passed. Soon, there would be no witches in the Quarter, and she'd be able to live freely.

If she could keep the small amount of power she had, that would be great, but it was regrettably the price she had to pay in order to be permanently allowed out of the attic. Or so she thought…

"Uh, no…oh actually, could you pick up some more candles?"

After taking a moment to think about it, Davina realised that this could be a blessing in disguise. She needed to perform that spell for Marcel, and the only way she could do it without Addie finding out, was if she wasn't present in the first place. So she decided to try and keep Addie distracted with a new task.

Addie's eyes shifted to the ridiculous amount of candles in the attic suspiciously, but she smiled brightly anyway, glad that she had an excuse to leave the church.

"Yeah, no problem."

The elder Claire was quick to get changed out of her pyjamas, and into a pale yellow playsuit. She wasn't patient enough to try and do something with her straight hair, so she just left it flowing down her back as it normally did.

"See ya soon, D. I'll be back in an hour or so, don't need Marcel kicking my ass!" She chuckled at the thought.

Davina smiled warmly at her sister's cheeriness, but it slowly dropped from her face as soon as the door to the attic closed. She felt a tinge of guilt; keeping this spell from her sister wasn't something she enjoyed doing, but she respected that it was Marcel's business and no one else's.

With a newfound determination, Davina gathered her candles and the flask of blood Marcel had given her. Flipping through the worn green book and finding the spell she needed, Davina set out the candles on the floor as it instructed, and opened the flask to draw the pentacle required. Apparently the spell itself was quite difficult to perform in terms of how quickly it could drain ordinary witches. But Davina was far from ordinary.

Another thing that made it difficult was the strength of the spell performed on Marcel's friend. The longer the spell had been in place the easier it would be to break. Time would wear it down, and the only thing that gave Davina a moment of worry, was the fact that it could potentially harm the other witch. Magic wasn't made to be suppressed, and there was no telling what the sudden influx that would surely come, would do.

When all five candles were lit and placed in each corner of the small pentacle drawn with blood from the flask, she placed the old book in the centre and knelt down on the floor. Holding her hands out above the set up, Davina read over the incantation she would need to chant. With a deep breath, her shoulders relaxed and she began.

"Reddentem furto."

Her brows dropped slightly in concentration when she noticed no change.

"Reddentem furto." She raised her voice from its previous whisper, growing somewhat impatient and increasingly stern.

Yet again there was no effect, and her hands dropped to her sides as she sighed through her nose. Davina knew she had the power to perform the spell, and she knew that the annoyance and tinge of failure she felt would only prevent her from doing so.

So she rolled her shoulders back, shaking out the tension that had built up, before once again raising her hands. With a soothing breath, she closed her eyes and tried again.

"Reddentem furto."

The soft whisper was carried away by the small gust of wind that flickered through her hair, and her eyes eased open hopefully. A victorious smile crossed her features as the flames from the candles were simultaneously snuffed out, leaving long trails of smoke rising to the ceiling. The beaming smile dropped with what came next, and her brows furrowed in uncertainty. The book said nothing about this reaction.

She watched intently as the blood if the pentacle darkened into a harsh black substance. The pentacle lines smudged into small webs, reminding her of what water would do to fresh ink when dropped onto a page of writing.

It was only then that she realised that the webs of blackened blood weren't just spreading, but creating a new symbol altogether. Well, not entirely new…the pentacle was simply inverted.

Before she could react to this new development, a small knock sounded from her now opened door. She smiled softly when she recognised the dark haired Original leaning against the doorframe.

"I made you a promise." Elijah held up the cloth-bound pages he had removed from his mother's grimoire, with a small smile on his face.

Davina's spell was forgotten at the sight of the pages, and she felt a swell of excitement inside her.

"Come in!"

Elijah entered the room, his eyes snapping downwards to the floor Davina had just stood up from. A small frown tugged at his lips as he took in the obvious ingredients of a spell, and the black sludge that made up the inverted pentacle on the floor. It was something he couldn't quite remember seeing before in his long life.

He handed the young witch the pages in his hand –which she eagerly accepted- while he further inspected the drawing on the floor with furrowed brows. It smelled of blood, yet it looked like oil.

Davina spread the pages on her table and looked upon what he had given her, slightly disappointed, but curious nonetheless.

"It's a spell of unknotting?"

Elijah walked over to her, as she stared at him with raised brows waiting for an explanation. It was only then that she noticed something else in his hands, that she had not previously seen.

"This is a sanguinum knot." He held the thick knot of rope as his explanation continued.

"The witches use it as representational magic. If you can unknot this using that spell, you will have taken a step towards learning control. This is one of my mother's later spells. It requires much more power than you realize." His knowing tone was somewhat lost on Davina, and he knew that she didn't think much of the spell, even with the explanation he had given her. She was most likely underestimating its difficulty regardless of his words.

He placed the knot onto the table, beside the pages from the grimoire, and turned to look at her once more.

"Now, if you can perform this, then I shall return with another page." He walked over to the door, opting to not ask her about her previous spell, Hayley would be unlinked from Sophie quicker without unnecessary chit-chat.

He paused for a moment and swiveled around to face her, knowing that the temptation of his next words would ensure that she would work on the spell instantly.

"A spell of your choosing, next time."


Addie had barely made it out of the store, candles and all, when she felt a piercing pain in her head. She dropped the bag in her hands to the ground, her hands instinctively moving to grip her head tightly in a feeble attempt to ease the pain.

She cried out at the feeling, drawing the attention of a few passing pedestrians, but she could barely hear anything beside the high pitched ringing in her ears.

The words of the middle-aged man that approached with a concerned expression, were entirely muffled as if they were underwater. She jerked back roughly when he tried to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, and he held his hands out in surrender, trying to reassure her that he wouldn't harm her. She couldn't take anymore of the muffled words and startled gazed being thrown her way, and despite the pain and haziness…she ran.

She didn't know where she was going, she had no control over her stumbling limbs whatsoever…the only thing she knew was that she needed to get out of there. She needed to get away from everyone.

Sweat covered her forehead as she ran. She had no idea how much time had passed…she would have guessed that it had been hours. Maybe 2 or 3. And that's how she found herself in one of the many places Marcel had warned her to never go in.

The Bayou.

Still, she barreled through the area, sticks and branches cutting into the exposed skin of her legs as she ran. The ringing in her ears only seemed to grow, and she dropped to her knees in exhaustion when she entered a clearing.

She grit her teeth as another cry threatened to leave her lips, but this time when she went to grip her head, she cried out in shock instead of pain. Holding her arms out for inspection, she watching in disgust as blackened veins bulged out from her hands and wrists, and she could see them slowly spreading upwards.

She trembled in both fear and pain as it spread ever closer to her chest. Addie gasped in shock when the ring on her left hand shot away from her and into the dry leaves, as if repelled by a magnet.

The pain in her head had lessened slightly, but she would have welcomed it back like an old friend had she know of the ear-splitting screams that would echo through the Bayou as soon as the veins reached her heart.


Meanwhile, Klaus had just given the human faction one hour to find Agnes for him. There was no question about it, the old hag was dying this day. Not only because she had the nerve to try and kill his unborn child through the link that the little wolf had with Sophie Deveraux, but because she had been the one to hex his new friend's brother.

Cami was becoming someone he could vent to, and he sometimes felt bad for disrupting her entire life when she obviously didn't want to hear it in the first place. So he decided that he would kill the witch elder to compensate for his constant compulsion.

It hadn't yet been an hour, but if he knew how petty the human mind was –and he did- he knew to get back to the church earlier. Despite his title, Father Kieran didn't strike him as someone who would let bygones be bygones when it concerned his family. He was much like Klaus in that respect…and the fact that Klaus wanted to kill Agnes for attempting to kill his unborn child, left him thinking that Kieran would most likely do the same for his nephew.

And he almost laughed at the predictability when he stepping into the church, after seeing the realization on Father Kieran's face as he looked at his phone. He decided to make his presence known when the human reached for his jacket in preparation of his departure.

"Going somewhere?"

Father Kieran wasn't counting on Klaus' presence, and looked at him nervously before answering.

"You're early."

"Well, it's a good thing I am. You seem hell-bent on enacting vengeance all on your lonesome." He paused for a moment, before holding up a finger as if making a point.

"The trouble is, I need something from Agnes before you send her off to meet her maker." Klaus slowly strode towards the human, before sitting down in one of the pews. "So, I propose we strike a deal…bring her here."

He watched as Kieran closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh, obviously not wanting to see whatever the hybrid before him had planned. Noticing his reluctance, Klaus sweetened the deal.

"In exchange, I'll even ensure your niece, Cami, remains safe. Oh, I'd so hate for her to get caught up in all of this." He looked down in pity and his tone of faux concern almost made Kieran sick. He'd do anything for his niece, and the small condescending smile on Klaus' face showed that he would take full advantage of that fact.

Kieran knew that it was wrong, but he couldn't care less at the moment. The death of his nephew, and the events that led up to it, had tormented both his own mind and his niece's for a long time. The woman deserved to pay for taking such a young and innocent life, and soiling Sean's good name as if that wasn't enough already. She deserved it for mentally and emotionally torturing his niece, and she deserved it for the others that were slaughtered that night.

So he found himself waiting for the two officers he sent to pick Agnes up, and he was sure that Klaus was milling about somewhere out of sight. The man had a thing for dramatic entrances, in Kieran's opinion.

"This is outrageous! What is the charge?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of her affronted voice, and looked towards the elder witch. The officers leading her inside sat her down on one of the pews with her hands still cuffed.

"Please, Agnes. You know that Marcel runs the vampires in this town." An officer approached him and handed him the dark object used against Sophie Deveraux, and therefore, Hayley as well.

"Who do you think runs everything else?" He unwrapped the Needle of Sorrows from the cloth it was bound in and held it up, no longer addressing Agnes with his next words.

"I believe this is what you were looking for?" Before he even finished his sentence, Klaus had sped over to him and raised the needle with a fake smile on his face.

"Hello, Agnes."

The witches eyes widened at the sight of the Original Hybrid, knowing that she had just been placed in a very sticky situation. Her gaze slowly moved back to Father Kieran.

"You made a deal with him?" Her tone was a mix between shock and disgust, but her voice remained leveled. Anger flashed across Kieran's face, and he marched towards her.

"After what you did to Sean, I'd deal with the devil himself just to make you suffer!" He hissed as he bent down over the pews to glare at her. Agnes rose from her seat, determined to find away out of this.

"You can't hurt me. The entire witch community will turn against you!" Her words were said through gritted teeth, and Klaus had lost his patience.

"Enough! Please, enough." The hybrid approached the two. "I don't care about witch politics. I don't care about your ridiculous little Harvest ritual. What I care about is this trinket." He held up the needle in his hands, as he leaned against a small table. Agnes simply looked between the hybrid and the object with a blank expression.

"Undo its curse, or I'll show you things worse than death." His condescending tone and matching smile drew a smirk from the witch, knowing that there would be no reversal for the curse.

"Dark objects don't come with an off-switch! The curse took root in Sophie, she's linked to your devil child. It's just a matter of time."

Klaus' jaw tightened at the smug look on her face…he'd wipe it off real soon.


The relief of having Hayley and Sophie Deveraux unlinked had evaporated entirely by the time Elijah reached St. Anne's. He felt a swell of gratitude for the witch up in the attic, knowing that without her help, Hayley would likely be dead at the moment.

But more than anything…he felt anger.

He would do anything and everything for his family, and the fact that Agnes had even dared to try and rob them of a new member –a miracle child- left him murderous.

He stepped through the doors just in time to witness Klaus grip the elder witch by her throat.

"Leave her."

At the familiar sound of his brother's voice, Klaus turned Agnes around to face him, and arm wrapped around her throat as he held her in a headlock. If Elijah thought he wasn't going to kill the hag, he had another thing coming!

"I gave my word."

Klaus' lip curled in distaste. Of course he did. How could the fool even think about letting her go unpunished?

Elijah kept his eyes trained on his younger brother, entirely ignoring the men that were obviously there to help the witch. They were merely human, and right now, his primary focus was the elder witch in Klaus' arms.

"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother." His harsh voice rang out in the quiet church, but Elijah remained unfazed.

"We've been doing things your way all day. Come on! Just one little snap and it's 'Toodle-loo, Agnes.' She deserves it!" He enjoyed listening to the woman struggle as he taunted her, and knew that there was nothing Elijah could say to talk him out of killing her.

"Niklaus, don't make another move." Elijah's hands were clasped behind his back as he strode confidently towards his brother.

"You have asked for my forgiveness. I will grant you that forgiveness…" Klaus' sinister expression faded, and he was surprised that Elijah would forgive him so easily. "But do not make me break my word."

And just like that the distaste was back, and he looked at his brother in disgust, not believing that he would truly allow the witch to live. They stared at each other for a long moment, and when Klaus realised that there would be no changing his brother's mind, he begrudgingly released the witch.

Lesser men would have run for the hills with the glare that Klaus was throwing his way…but Elijah wasn't a lesser man.

"My noble brother," Klaus muttered sarcastically, holding his hands up in surrender as he slowly backed away. "How was that for personal growth, eh? Still, it is just like you to spoil all of my fun." Elijah's lips quirked up for a moment at his brother's sarcasm, but his eyes flickered over to the witch that was eyeing him warily.

"Oh, not necessarily."

Klaus watched in amusement as his brother shot out like a bullet and tore the hearts out of the men that had come to protect Agnes. He turned to face Agnes with his arms outstretched at his sides, and a heart in each hand.

He dropped them both and pulled the handkerchief out of his front pocket, wiping most of the blood off his hands.

"Now, I swore you would not die by my brother's hand." Klaus' amused gaze flickered between the two, wondering if Elijah was truly going to surprise him. Agnes simply stared at the Original with a look of terror on her face, knowing that things could only get worse.

"I said nothing of my own." He threw the handkerchief to the side and flashed forward. His grip was tight around her throat, and he pushed her backwards toward the alter.

"Nobody hurts my family and lives." With that said, he jerked her head to the side and a loud crunch was heard as her neck broke. Klaus watched her body drop to the floor in a heap, his mouth opened as if to say something, but it turned to a devious grin when his brother walked away from them.

"No one."


They had honestly believed that after their little run-in with Agnes, and the unlinking, that things would be running smoothly for the rest of the night. The witches were dealt with, and Hayley and the baby would be safe. Needless to say…

That was not the case.

Upon returning to the plantation, Elijah had noticed Hayley's absence and Klaus had informed him of Marcel's visit. So now they found themselves with a newfound anger, and only one person to direct it towards.

They knew they'd find the self proclaimed 'Vampire King' at the Abattoir, so that's exactly where they were. Klaus and Elijah were out of sight while Marcel rambled on about some pathetic fight night he was hosting. These fools were so desperate for a daylight ring…they'd truly do anything.

"Our first two contenders: Felicia and Otto!"

The behemoth of a vampire started things off, beating the woman down, but in the end Felicia broke his neck with a savage cry. Marcel watched from the balcony above with an impressed and entertained grin on his face.

"Damn, girl! Not bad!"

Felicia spread her arms wide, bowing jokingly. All the cheer came to an abrupt halt when Klaus seemingly entered from nowhere and snapped the young vampire's neck. The -now silent- vampires looked upwards to see what Marcel's reaction would be.

"Good evening! I'd like a word." The faux pleasantness in the hybrid's tone rang out throughout the area, but Marcel could hear the anger in his sire's voice, and see it on his face.

But he didn't really care for Klaus' mood at the moment. After realising that he was responsible for setting Thierry up, and that he had lied to him about his residence –not to mention the werewolf living with him!- Marcel was all out of favours when it came to the Mikaelsons.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel glared at his sire, his voice stern.

"It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs." Several nightwalkers murmured in shock and fear as Elijah walked through the crowd, towards his brother.

The Original hybrid alone would be impossible to defeat, but with Elijah there too…it was unthinkable.

"We've come here for the girl. Give her to us, or we kill everyone here... starting with you."

Klaus sent Marcel a challenging look, but all he got in return was the same stern expression as before.

"You two got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands." Klaus growled through a fake smile at Marcel's own nerve.

"Your home, is it?"

"The girl. I will not ask again." Elijah ignored his brother. He cared little for the competition between sire and protégé, he just wanted Hayley and the baby safe.

"I assume you're talking about Hayley? Yay high," Marcel held up a hand, roughly showing her height. "Dark hair, bitchy attitude? Who is she, anyway?" He gave them a small smile, enjoy the fact that he had obviously found a weakness. Klaus didn't miss a beat in replying. In fact, Marcel thought he replied a little too fast.

"She's an old friend. You know how sentimental I am about old friends." Klaus' tone was taunting once again, and Marcel leaned forward against the railing as he replied.

"Well, I ain't got her." He smiled and pointed at the hybrid knowingly. "And before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the plantation where I used to be a slave." Klaus and Elijah watched the vampire in anger, knowing that if they didn't like what came out of Marcel's mouth next, he'd be dead by the end of the night.

"And, imagine my surprise when I realized that the Original family of vampires had taken up residence." He continued to smile throughout the sarcastic words, and he looked forward to informing them that he had nothing to do with her absence. They would surely panic, and he was glad. They had caused him more than enough problems since their arrival.

"Your girl, Hayley, answered the door, we exchanged hellos, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around. Hell, I'll even help you find her. But the question that I'd ask is…if Hayley isn't here, then where is she?"

Klaus snarled at his protégé, while Elijah's eyes narrowed. That was a good question indeed.

Eventually they had come to an understanding and Marcel agreed to allow the witch, Sabine, to use a locator spell to find Hayley. The witch was working her magic (no pun intended) while the two Originals watched Marcel walk into the courtyard.

The younger vampire now found himself answering a late phone call. The ID said it was Davina and his brows furrowed when he read how late it was. Why would she be calling now?

"Hey, D. What's-" but before he could ask, Davina's frantic voice interrupted him.

"Marcel, I need you to come here right now. Something's wrong and I can't-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Breathe, D!" His brows furrowed in concern, wondering what in the world could scare the young witch so much. "Ok, now start again…what's wrong?"

He heard her take a deep breath before she started talking once more, this time calmer.

"It's Addie. She went out to the store and said she'd only be gone for an hour…she's not back yet, and I tried using a locator spell but it's not working! Something's blocking it."

Panic seized him for a moment, but he stopped to think and realised that she could just be taking a little longer because of a delay. It didn't mean that she was missing…she was fine…right?

"Relax, Davina. I'm sure she's fine, she probably just got held up."

Davina responded instantly, her tone solemn.

"Marcel…she said she'd be back in an hour…that was nine hours ago."

His face was blank, and the grip on his phone tightened. But he had to remain calm for Davina.

"D, I want you to relax and get some rest. I'll find her. Hell, I'll send out every vampire I have until she's found, ok?"

Davina sighed impatiently, knowing that she wouldn't be able to rest until her sister was found. "Ok…I-I'll try. Just…please find her."

"You got it, sweetheart. Goodnight."

He didn't wait for a reply before he hung up, anger flooding his senses as an idea hit him.

Klaus and Elijah were sitting down when Marcel marched over to them. They were surprised by the anger on the young vampire's face, and Klaus let a pleased smirk slip onto his features when he noticed Marcel's displeasure.

"What? You think I took your girl, so you take one of mine? Is that how this works? 'Cause that's not gonna fly, I want her back."

Both Elijah and Klaus raised their brows in surprise, sharing a look. Marcel had rarely addressed them with so much anger before, knowing that he was severely outmatched against either of them, let alone both.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." As usual, Elijah's words were spoken calmly, but he too was wondering just what had gotten Marcel so riled up.

Marcel released a short and mocking laugh, growing more and more impatient by the second.

"Look, I get it. You're mad because your little girlfriend skipped town...fine." He spread his arms out with a look of understanding on his face. "But this has nothing to do with me, and more importantly, it has nothing to do with Addie. So I'm going to say it one more time. Give her back to me."

The mention of the young woman's name had Klaus leaning forward in his seat and the pleased smirk was gone, something Elijah didn't miss. Klaus entwined his fingers together as his elbows rested on his knees.

"Are you saying that you've lost your little witch, Marcel?" Marcel simply gave him a stern and accusing look in return, making Klaus chuckle humorlessly. "And of course, it must have been us! Apparently, everything is always is."

"Niklaus."

Klaus calmed somewhat at his brother's warning, but they both knew that Elijah really had no power over his actions. He merely wanted to see what Elijah would have to say on the matter.

"Marcel, I assure you that we played no part in Adelie's disappearance."

If Klaus had been the one to say it, Marcel would have remained skeptical. But the fact that Elijah had done so, was even worse. He was partially hoping that the Originals had taken her, at least that way he'd know where she was…now he had absolutely no idea. Karma was a real bitch. Moments ago he was reveling in the knowledge that this was how the Originals were feeling. Now? Not so much.

His eyes flickered between the two Originals for a moment, and he release an annoyed sigh before marching towards Sabine.

"I need you to try a different locator spell." Sabine was currently in the process of the one required to find Hayley, and she went to protest but Marcel shook his head before growling. "Now."

If it were up to her, she'd be finding the young Claire. She had met Addie before, and she was a sweet girl. She didn't even know the werewolf girl, and she had no reason to want to find her before Addie. After her vision, she'd hope that the girl was long gone.

That didn't please Elijah very much, and the Original stood from his seat and approached the witch and vampire with a stern look.

"She's finding Hayley."

Marcel looked at him with a mocking smile, but Elijah could see the panic and anger in them. It wasn't enough to deter him though, Hayley was his priority.

"I don't give a damn. These witches answer to me, and she'll do as I say. The sooner she does, the sooner you get your girl back."

The two stood toe to toe, and Klaus cocked an amused brow at the display.

"Well then, she'd better hurry up."

Elijah froze and looked to his brother in disbelief. He was allowing this?

Sabine swallowed hard, taking Klaus' words as an approval, and she looked to Marcel.

"I'll need something personal. Something linked to her, or something that belongs to her…"

She trailed off as Marcel clenched his jaw in thought. He didn't have anything of hers in his possession. Elijah could clearly see this, and knew that if Marcel didn't find something quickly, it would only prolong the time in which Hayley was missing.

He sighed silently, pulling up his sleeve and walking closer to the witch. He knew it was a long shot but it was worth a try.

"What are you doing?"

Marcel's confusion was mirrored by Klaus, who watched in masked surprise as his brother bit into his wrist before holding it over an empty scotch glass that sat on the witch's table.

"She fed me her blood. I do believe there is a small possibility that some remains in my system."

Klaus' jaw clenched at the revelation, and Marcel shook his head, stunned.

"Wait a minute…she did what?!"

Elijah simply ignored the barked question, and slid the glass over to the witch, before readjusting the sleeve over his newly healed wrist.

He quirked a brow at Sabine, nodding slightly towards the glass across from her.

"Try it."

She swallowed dryly once more, and hesitantly reached for the glass with a shaky hand. Marcel flashed to her side as soon as she released a loud gasp. Her eyes clenched together and a pained expression covered her features as she cried out. Apparently she wouldn't even need to do a spell, if the vision was anything to go by.

Klaus had moved towards them, curiosity filling him as all three men stared at her in varying levels of concern.

Klaus himself wasn't very concerned for her, but he was slightly concerned about what she was seeing. Elijah frowned, hoping that this vision wasn't related to the elder Claire that had shown him kindness…obviously there was plenty of pain involved, and he wouldn't wish that upon the young woman. Marcel was almost losing his mind at the thoughts running through it.

With a final gasp, Sabine's eyes shot open and she blinked the moisture away rapidly.

"What is it? Did you find her? Is she hurt?"

Sabine slowly turned her head to look at Marcel.

"I don't exactly know where, but she's in the Bayou. She…"

She clamped her eyes shut, remembering the feeling that she had channeled. Her face crumpled slightly, and she sniffled lightly. That only made Marcel worry more, and Elijah was surprised to hear his brother ask the next question, while Marcel called out for Diego.

"She-what? Is she hurt?"

He wouldn't admit it, but there was something about the elder Claire that drew his attention. And it wasn't just her appearance, despite what Marcel probably believed.

Sabine took a moment to compose herself and looked back up to Marcel as Diego approached him.

"Marcel, find her. Quickly."

With a determined nod, the 'Vampire King' turned to Diego and started barking orders. Every day-walker was to go with Diego into the Bayou and find the girl. As soon as they found her, they'd call Marcel. He would be searching around the border, just in case she headed home.

Either way, they'd find her. They had to.


Klaus was beyond pissed as he marched away from his ass of a brother, and the wolf that was carrying his unborn child. The nerve of them! To accuse him of such a thing. He honestly thought Elijah knew him better than that, but the fool was so obsessed with the wolf and child, that he'd put them before anyone else. Klaus didn't even know why he bothered talking any more…it's not like they believed a word he said anyway. He hoped the bloody bite he had given Elijah hurt like hell, and he smirked when he remembered that it did.

After Sabine had roughly located Hayley's whereabouts, Klaus and Elijah had trekked it through the Bayou in search of her. Eventually Klaus stumbled upon the familiar scent of Tyler Lockwood, and after a slight scuffle, he let the boy go and met up with his brother and Hayley at a small cabin.

He just couldn't understand the level of stupidity required to believe Tyler Lockwood –of all bloody people- over him. He was a bitter little child who hated Klaus, granted, he did kill his mother and ruin most of the good things he had going for him in his life (semantics). It was only natural that he would try to return that favour, and what better way to do that than turning his own family against him.

But it was ok. Klaus was used to being the villain. In fact, he preferred it…it was easier when everyone had the lowest possible expectations of him. It meant that he could get away with doing whatever he needed to do, no matter how unspeakable, simply because it was expected of him.

He was snapped out of his bitter thoughts by shouts in the distance. He knew it couldn't be Elijah or Hailey, because it was in the entirely opposite direction from where he had left them.

He silently sped towards the sound of a commotion, and immediately recognised a particular voice -Diego. He hid his body behind a tree a little further away, but he could still clearly see and hear what was happening in front of him. Apparently the six other vampires in the area had been too distracted to pay attention to their surroundings, and he took full advantage of the lapse in their focus.

"Addie! Hey, hey, hey…it's alright. I gotcha, baby."

Diego had knelt down beside a body that Klaus would have never identified as the beautiful young woman that had peaked his curiosity over the few months he had been in New Orleans. The inner-circle man looked terrified, and for good reason. At least they had finally found her.

The body was shaking so hard and fast it might as well have been vibrating. The only sound other than the crunching of dried leaves beneath the convulsing body, was the strained and wheezing breath leaving it. Her eyelids were clenched shut so tightly, it was only too obvious that she was in pain.

Klaus' eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of her. Her normally tanned skin was as pale as his own, but that wasn't why it stood out. It seemed as if every vein in her body had been drained of blood and filled with ink. They covered every inch of skin. Her arms, legs, face. Everything.

Her head was lolled sideways in his direction, and he had to force himself to blink when he felt his eyes go dry from staring too long. He hadn't know her that well, but she intrigued him, and he couldn't wrap his head around what was happening before his eyes.

Diego stared at his friend in shock. The twigs and leaves in her hair, the dirt on her bright yellow clothing, and the unnatural veins protruding from her skin. He didn't know what to do…he didn't know what the hell had happened to her, but he knew she was hurting. A lot. He needed to help her, and he needed to tell Marcel.

"Call Marcel. Tell him we found her, and that we're on our way." He instructed one of the vampires behind him, who nodded and obliged.

Diego looked back down to the gasping girl, knowing that any type of movement would probably hurt her, but they couldn't leave her there.

"Addie, you're gonna be ok. I promise you. But I need to move you, and that's probably gonna hurt…" he stopped talking when he realised that she wasn't paying him any attention. So he did the only thing he could think of, and bit into his wrist before gently tilting her head to face him.

Her eyes were clamped shut, but her mouth was already open while she gasped for air, so it would be relatively easy to give her the blood. The moment enough had been given to her, the vampires in the clearing seemed to still in anticipation. She had stopped shaking and for a moment they sighed in relief. If Marcel had seen this, he'd go on a rampage.

Even Klaus seemed to release a breath he'd been holding in, curious to see whether it would work. His brows shot up when Diego staggered back on his knees. Even though the darkness of her veins had lessened, something had caught him off-guard.

Diego's tense shoulders relaxed when Addie stilled, and he honestly thought she'd be as good as new after that. He hadn't anticipated her eyes finally snapping open, and what he saw was enough to make him recoil. The usually pale grey was hidden, caged beneath identical black veins that covered both her sclera and iris.

As soon as her eyes opened, her body was overcome with violent coughs. She arched off of the floor with the strength of each cough, and Diego was quick to push her onto her side when he realised the problem, not wanting her to choke.

Now facing him, Klaus watched the young woman choke on Diego's blood, as her body rejected it. He found himself staring at her once again, brows furrowing as he observed the nightmarish eyes looking directly at him. But that's all they were doing. Looking, not seeing. Her face crumpled in pain and she gave a tortured groan. He didn't know if it was because of the sound, or because she was staring right at him, but Klaus had trouble keeping himself rooted to the spot. He clenched both his jaw and fists, never breaking eye contact with the struggling woman.

"Shit. I need to get her to Marcel, we're gonna need witches. Lots of 'em."

"He's on his way." The vampire who had called the man in question informed him.

Diego was rarely scared, he was a vampire, after all. Addie may have been a witch, but above all else, she was his friend. He trusted her, he protected her, and right now…he was failing her. And that scared him. What scared him even more, was how Marcel would react to this.

"Addie, I'm gonna move you now, ok? Just hang in there." His tone softened, and he hoped that she could understand him.

Diego placed an arm beneath her knees and the other beneath her shoulders, wincing at the whimpering that followed. The whimpering only got louder as Diego lifted her from the ground, and the rest of the day-walkers shifted nervously when the previously sunny sky was darkened by rain clouds.

Addie couldn't see. She couldn't hear. She couldn't feel anything but pain, so when she managed to somehow feel unfamiliar arms wrapped around her, she panicked, wanting whoever it was away from her.

Klaus' eyes drifted from the girl in Diego's arms, to the newly overcast sky when the familiar grumbling of thunder sounded, before returning to her form with a small smirk on his face. This certainly was an interesting turn of events.

He could see the panic take over, and almost stumbled back when wisps of darkness shot out from the shaking body and knocked the vampires in the clearing back off their feet. Even Diego was sent flying while her body landed on the ground in a heap.

It was in that moment that the 'Vampire King' of New Orleans decided to make his appearance, and he shot straight over to Addie with concern on his face. Klaus had imagined how Marcel would react to such a scene, but his true reaction was nothing he had expected. His concern melted away into understanding and he nodded slightly as if he had accomplished something.

"She did it…" he had said the words under his breath, but Klaus had heard them clearly.

"Hey, sweetheart…you're ok. I promise, it'll be over soon." His tone was gentle as he passed a soothing hand over her hair, stroking it as if she were a child. "I'm gonna take you home now, ok? You're not gonna hurt me, are you?" His eyes scanned the vampires stumbling onto their feet around him.

This time it was Marcel who tried to pick her up, and he stilled when he heard her groan in pain, not wanting to end up like Diego had.

"Hey, hey, hey…it's alright. It's me. It's Marcel, I'm not gonna hurt you anymore, pretty lady."

"G…?" Despite the coarseness of her voice, Marcel gave her a small smile, glad that she had recognised him.

"That's right, sweetheart, it's G. I'm taking you home now, ok?" Her small nod was all the encouragement he needed, and he was out of the clearing in the blink of an eye.

Diego and the remaining vampires shared a confused look, wondering what the hell had just happened, before they followed after their sire. They were sure that he would be frantic at the sight of her, but he had acted as if it were completely normal.

Klaus on the other hand, came out from behind the tree and slowly walked into the clearing. He had so many thoughts racing through his mind.

It looked like the little secret Marcel was keeping from him, was finally coming to light. The witch wasn't useless…not at all. But what had Marcel done to her? His words echoed in Klaus' mind.

"She did it…I'm not gonna hurt you anymore."

Anymore. Obviously he had been responsible for her…condition. But Klaus wanted to know how he had managed to do such a thing to her, especially considering that his other witch –Davina- would likely be able to tell if her sister was on the receiving end of a spell.

His hands were clasped behind his back as he paced the clearing in thought. He'd figure it out eventually, he just had to be patient. His eyes caught a glint of gold in the dirt as he turned to leave, and his brows furrowed when he approached it. His look of interest morphed into a sly grin when he recognised the ruby ring he had seen her wear at the gala. He inspected it for a moment and pocketed it for later.

He'd see her soon enough.


It was the next morning by the time Addie came to. Marcel had kept an eye on her the entire night, watching as the darkness receded from her veins and her skin regained its usual hue.

He called Davina and let her know that Addie had been found, and that she was fine. The younger witch insisted on seeing her sister, but Marcel was against it. Not only did he not want Davina finding out about the death of Agnes and her sister's new power, but he also didn't know how Addie would react when she awoke. Needless to say, he was grateful for the distraction Josh was providing.

After finding out that he had been compelled by Klaus to spy for him, Marcel had taken the youngster to Davina and told her to wipe away the Original's compulsion. It gave Davina something else to think about, and allowed his attention to remain on her sister and his plan to finally trap Klaus.

He had conspired against the hybrid with Rebekah, and they had Josh tell Klaus that Marcel was in possession of one of his daggers. All they had to do now, was wait for Klaus to turn up at the compound, and they would finally be able to rid themselves of him. It gave Marcel a hopeful feeling, knowing that he could finally be carefree when it came to his sire.

Addie on the other hand, had been in a foul mood…which was understandable. But Marcel hadn't been prepared for her snappiness, or her short words. She would simply nod or shake her head, and if words were required she'd make sure to use as few as possible. He was slightly relieved when she finally decided to initiate conversation.

"Do you know what happened?" She cleared her throat after hearing how coarse her voice sounded, and looked to the vampire sitting in the armchair on the other side of the room.

Marcel stood up from his seat, just as she slid out of bed to stretch her limbs. She noticed that someone had taken the time to redress her into some loose running shorts and a baggy grey sweater.

"Nah. I have no idea, Ads."

She stared at him for a moment, frowning subtly when she heard something that Marcel seemed to miss.

Liar.

The whispering voice was foreign to her, but she listened to it nonetheless.

"You're lying."

Marcel's expression did well to not show his surprise, but he could easily see from the anger on her face that there would be no way of deny her claim. He sighed in defeat, closing his eyes for a brief moment before finding her hard gaze.

"Addie, just let me explain-"

"What did you do?" Her temper was barely restrained, and she knew that he had done something wrong. She knew what spells were like, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been a victim of one. The question was: what did the spell to her?

He stayed silent, searching for the right words to say. But that was enough to set Addie over the edge.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" She didn't know where the anger had come from. She had never yelled at Marcel before, but she couldn't contain it. She had to know what happened, and she hated that he was lying to her. What hurt even more, was the fact that only her sister could have been the one to cast it…so much for no lies or secrets.

Marcel's reply was instant, his own anger rising as when the light bulb of the bedside table lamp shattered.

"I BROKE THE BARRIER, OK?!" His own yell matched hers in volume and anger, the stress of the day before finally getting the better of him. He watched with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes, as her own anger evaporated from her features, leaving a blank mask. He could work with anger, but he had no idea how to deal with indifference.

Marcel sighed sadly, running a hand over his head and rubbing the back of his neck. His tense shoulders slackened, his own anger replaced by guilt. He knew she would react badly to the news, but he had hoped that he would have more time to ease her into the idea. Obviously that wasn't going to happen, and he'd have to take the brunt of her anger.

"Look, Ads…things are getting out of control with Klaus." His tone turned imploring as he continued, and he walked forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "But with your power we can-"

He abruptly stopped when she harshly pushed his hand off of her, and looked at her in surprise.

"So you want to use me? You want to use me, like you use my little sister!" It wasn't a question, because she knew it was true, but Marcel didn't see it that way. He simply thought that they could work together. If they did this together, New Orleans would be safe for all of them, and they could live without fear.

But he had instantly noted the newfound anger that had warped his friend's personality, from the moment she woke up. He easily recognised the lack of control. Her temper and overall emotions were getting the best of her, and he hoped that the same couldn't be said for her power…though the state of the lamp said otherwise.

"Addie, that's not-" Again, he was interrupted before he could explain himself.

"Did you even stop to think for a minute, what this could do to me?" His gaze dropped to the floor, and she had her answer.

"I could have died, Marcel! How co-operative do you think Davina would be then, huh?"

The sneered words hit home, and he hadn't even considered the possibility of her death. What would have happened? Davina would have been distraught. She'd kill anyone involved in her sister's death…including him. But more importantly, they'd have lost Addie for good.

"I know I messed up, but Ads, you don't understand…Klaus is gonna-"

"Is that all you care about? You go on and on about the Originals like they're the worst thing to happen to New Orleans…but newsflash, Marcel, they haven't done anything wrong!" He wanted to refute that, but she kept going before he could get a word in.

"And while you're so busy focusing on taking Klaus down, you seem to have forgotten something…"

His brows raised slightly, and his eyes drifted to her own darkened ones.

"You promised to make the witches pay. That was our deal. Davina keeps them in line, you make them pay. You're not doing a very good job of it, so until that's dealt with I don't even want to look at you."

Menedek qual suurentaa.

Before he could even blink, the loud crunch of a neck snapping echoed through the room, and Addie stepped over his fallen body to make for the door. It was a spell she had read over a million times, but she had never been strong enough to perform it. The only thing she could really do in her spare time was read through grimoires…even if she couldn't use magic, she liked knowing about it, and the different spells out there. It had helped her feel useful, knowing that she could suggest and explain spells to her sister even if she couldn't perform them.

But that wasn't a problem anymore.

She needed to get out of there, and she had used her knowledge to her advantage.

As soon as she managed to leave the Abattoir, the guilt and sadness flooded her. She didn't know why she had reacted in such a way. It was never like her to get so angry without hearing an explanation, but she figured that it had something to do with her newfound power.

Addie knew that she couldn't go on like that. The risk of harming someone was far too great if she didn't learn to control her temper and new power. So she'd need help…and lots of it!

The only problem was that there was no one that could help her. The witches would kill her, the vampires would take her back to Marcel, and her sister was out of the question.

It was her fault that this had all happened in the first place, and the anger she held for Marcel was easily passed on to her sister as well. No…it'd be a while before she could forgive Davina for this. Not only did she go behind her back to perform the spell, but there was no telling what the spell unleashed in Addie.

So that only left one other person she could think of. The one who had promised to help Davina learn control as well…

She needed to find Elijah.


After their delightful breakfast, Rebekah had left Klaus alone. She had a meeting with Marcel and his lackeys to get to after all. Klaus on the other hand, was planning his next move against Marcel. He wasn't a fool, he knew that Rebekah clearly cared about Marcel, but she knew what would be at stake if she were to go against her brother. Little did he know of her real plans for him that night…

He had found himself painting for the first time in what felt like years, when a quiet knock sounded from the door downstairs.

He pursed his lips, wondering who could possibly be on his doorstep. Elijah and Rebekah wouldn't have bothered knocking –especially the former, who was most likely in no shape to be up and about. It was unlikely that Marcel would be visiting him at the plantation, and he definitely hadn't called for Cami.

However, as he neared the door he could clearly smell Marcel's scent…but it was mixed with something else.

His brows shot up when he swung the door open, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." His eyes locked onto the familiar grey that had been tainted the previous day. "What can I do for you, love?"

He gave her a quick once-over, and though she was dressed in what he guessed was one of Marcel's sweaters (judging by the scent) and a simple pair of shorts, it didn't do anything to lessen her appeal. It was a massive improvement from the state she had been in the day before. Pain was something she didn't wear very well, in Klaus' opinion.

Addie's tongue darted out to lick her lips nervously, and she played with the hem of her oversized sweater absentmindedly. She had been walking on eggshells after she left the Abattoir, not wanting to accidentally lose control.

Then there was the fact that she kept hearing that unfamiliar whisper, as if someone was talking right beside her ear. It was the only reason she had managed to find the Original residence in the first place. The voice was a guide, and despite the fact that she was unaccustomed to it, she decided to trust it. And it lead her here.

"Klaus. Hi."

She really shouldn't have been surprised to see him here, it was his home after all. But she was surprised nonetheless, and quickly schooled her features into a small smile.

A silence stretched between them, and he cocked an amused brow, still waiting for her to reply to his question. She seemed to catch on a moment later.

"Oh, um…I was wondering if Elijah was home…"

His smirk faltered at her response, irritation eating at him. Of course she'd be looking for Elijah. He was everyone's knight in shining armor! Before he could offer what he was sure would be a rude response, it was her turn to surprise him.

"But if you're not busy…" she took in a deep breath and wrung her hands as she trailed off, not knowing how to ask such a thing of him.

Klaus didn't allow his smugness to show, and his previous irritation was once again replace by amusement. It was obvious she needed something from him, and depending on her request, he would most likely oblige. It would be quite worth having the young witch in his debt.

Addie released a defeated breath, deciding to just get to the point.

"I need your help."

She almost instantly regretted the words, the moment the familiar wolfish grin came forward. She almost scowled at his dimples, knowing that he was really going to enjoy making her repay him for any favours.

"Well, why didn't you say so, love?"

He held the door open wider, holding his arm out in a gesture for her to enter. She glanced at him warily as she slipped past him, and gave him an eyeroll when she noticed his smug smirk.

He would bet that Marcel had no idea that she was there, and the fact that she had willingly sought out an Original for help was reassuring. Perhaps she'd be easier to take from Marcel than he originally thought.

She came to an abrupt stop a few feet from the door, not knowing where to go, and unwilling to barge in like she owned the place. Klaus marched past her as she let her eyes wander around the beautiful interior, and he glanced back at her over his shoulder, letting her know that he wanted her to follow him.

He led her into the spacious living room that was furnished with things that were far older than Addie herself. Once again her gaze drifted around the room, curiously taking in the décor, before settling on the Original hybrid.

Klaus eyed her with a small smile as he sat with his arms thrown along the back of the plush couch. She was a curious little thing, that was for sure. But then again, according to the file Josh had put together, she was a scholar…much like Elijah. She liked knowing things, and that was something Klaus intended to take advantage of.

"Please." He gestured to the sofa opposite him, and she did as he suggested, smiling in thanks.

Klaus observed her for a moment as she shifted awkwardly, wondering how one night could so drastically change her appearance. When he had last seen her, she was writhing in pain on the damp Bayou ground, barely coherent and covered in black veins. Now she sat before him as if nothing had happened at all, and yet he could see the change in her. He could tell by her twitchy behaviour that she was on edge, yet he knew she wasn't scared…well, she wasn't scared of him.

No, but she was impatient. She wanted to talk. Get it out of her system, and ask him for whatever help she needed. If his assumption was correct, she was depending on him. The witches couldn't help her, she had obviously abandoned Marcel, and for some reason, her sister was a no-no too.

"So…what's this about then?"

Addie leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and entwining her fingers together.

"Ok, first I need you to promise me that this stays between us."

She gave him a pointed look, and his brows inched upwards in amusement. He decided he'd humour her, and he too leaned forward, mimicking her posture.

"Very well, love. You have my word."

He was about a foot away from her, and she eyed him for a moment, judging his sincerity. When she saw no traces of a lie on his face, she nodded slightly before sighing. Where to begin?

"Ok, well, this is kind of a long story…When Marcel first took us in, I ended up trusting him…and because of that, I told him something that I realise I shouldn't have told him." She toyed with the sleeve of her sweater nervously, wondering if she should really be telling Klaus this information. But she needed his help, and he had to know what he was helping with. Not to mention the fact that it was only a matter of time before news spread between the vampires. Soon enough, everyone would know what she was anyway.

Despite his impatience and curiosity to know more, he didn't want to force it out of her, so he simply stayed silent.

"I didn't tell anyone. Not even my sister. But I trusted Marcel too much and now…" She shook her head sadly, still disbelieving of the fact that the two people she trusted more than anyone, were the only ones that let her down in the end.

Realising that her host was waiting in anticipation, she decided to just get it over with. Like a Band-Aid, just pull that sucker right off, she thought.

"When I was 15 my mom suppressed my powers." Klaus' face was blank, his mind reminding him of a similar event in his own past.

"That's why I've never been able to do things that other witches can do. Klaus, I…"

Tell him.

The voice hadn't mislead her yet, so she did as she was told.

"I don't have a connection to nature. At all."

Klaus' brows furrowed for a moment, before evening out in realization. His face showed nothing of his inner thoughts, as they flew through his mind.

Oh she was special indeed. This was why Marcel was so protective. This was what the younger vampire was desperate to hide. And more importantly, this was exactly what he had just failed to keep from Klaus.

"You're a dark witch."

Her gaze dropped to the floor at his words, and she was so exposed that Klaus could read her easily.

"And you're ashamed of that." Her eyes met his own, and he could see that he was right. "Why?"

She let out a small humourless chuckle.

"It's not exactly natural…the witches don't approve of the darkness."

"I'm not exactly natural either, love." She smiled a little at his words, even if he hadn't meant to do so, they had somewhat comforted her. Knowing that she wasn't the only 'thing' out there that the witches didn't approve of, made her feel a bit better.

"In my experience, witches care very little for anyone that's not of their own kind. You'd be best to avoid them altogether."

He leaned back into the couch, his eyes still trained on her as she nodded in understanding. He could see that it wasn't simply a mindless nod. No, she was actually determined to heed his advice.

"I know. I can't trust them, and apparently I can't trust Marcel either…that's why I'm here. I want to know if I can trust you."

Klaus cocked a brow, not expecting her to admit such a thing. He was sure that she would have killed anyone who threatened Marcel, but the anger in her eyes at the mere mention of the younger vampire's name told him that had changed. Not to mention the fact that his own family didn't trust him…why on earth would she want such a thing? Of course she couldn't trust him!

"I should probably tell you the rest of the story, huh?"

And with his attention on her, she launched into an explanation of the previous day and all that had occurred. She told him of the memory she relived the night he had saved her, she told him of how she trusted Marcel and how he had betrayed her, she told him the suspicions she had about her sister's involvement, and she told him how she had broken Marcel's neck and come to visit him. Once she had started, she couldn't seem to stop. It had been a long time since she had anyone to confide in, other than her sister.

"I just feel so much…something. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it all the time, and it terrifies me because I know that I can't control it."

Klaus had been silent for a remarkably long time as the young woman spilled information he was sure he shouldn't be hearing. Nevertheless, he welcomed it with an inward grin.

"I'd assume that's your newfound power."

He studied her for a moment as she nodded with furrowed brows. Everything had fallen into place. He knew why Marcel was so protective of her, he knew why she had seemed so powerless when they had first met, and he knew exactly what had happened to her the previous day.

"How about we make a deal, love?"

Addie lifted her gaze from the ancient carpet to his handsome face, and cocked a curious brow.

Klaus clasped his hands together like a true businessman and looked at her confidently.

"I'll help you." She perked up at his words. "I'll help you control your powers, I'll help you break free of Marcel's hold, and I'll even protect you as promised during our second meeting…"

She narrowed her eyes as he gave her a charming grin. If it wasn't for the mischief beneath it, she would have returned it.

"And in return?"

Klaus grin dropped to a smirk, glad to see that she wasn't foolish enough to simply dive in head first without knowing what she was getting herself into.

"In return…I want your loyalty."

She looked at him quizzically, thinking that there was more to it than that.

"You see, love, I have everything I need…except for a willing witch on my side." He sighed in false discontent. "And I have no doubt that you've heard of Marcel's contempt towards me. So, I have to broaden my list of potential allies." He held his hands out in explanation, and she mentally admitted that it seemed like a good deal.

"And well…what better way to do so, than to have you with me?"

Addie mulled it over for a long moment.

So far, despite Marcel's warnings, she had yet to see any of the Originals do anything wrong. In fact, she had only witnessed them do good things. Klaus had saved her life, he had saved Marcel's life, and he offered them freedom. Not to mention the fact that Elijah had both resisted the temptation of her blood (and Davina's), and offered to help her little sister learn control from his own mother's spellbooks.

So no, she didn't really have much in the 'cons' column of the mental list she was preparing. While Marcel was willing to use Addie and Davina whenever he wanted while they remained locked up in an old attic, Klaus had offered to help Addie and in return have her loyalty. That meant that she would no longer answer to Marcel, and that she was free to do as she pleased.

Of course she wasn't foolish enough to think that Klaus wouldn't ask for her assistance every now and then, but at least she would be allowed to actually live her life under his supervision. If Davina chose to do so, she could join them eventually…but right now, Addie was far too angry at the younger girl to even think about talking to her.

It was that same anger that had driven her to snap Marcel's neck. A harsh and unforgiving anger that she hardly had any control over. It was the only thing that kept her from going to see her sister. Knowing that she could potentially lash out at any moment put her on edge, and she wouldn't risk her sister's life, no matter how mad she was. 5 years of suppressed darkness would take a while to control.

Klaus watched the internal battle that was taking place in her head. It was clear that she was weighing her options, but the look on her face showed that she wasn't against the idea of joining him. She wasn't looking for another way, or another excuse…she was simply deciding if it was what she truly wanted.

"Ok, I'll do it."

Well, that was relatively easy.

"I'm going to need your word, love." He smirked at her challengingly, knowing that she was far too much like Elijah to break her word once she gave it.

She smiled slightly at his expression, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"Alright then…Klaus, you have my word. I'll help you do whatever you need to do, as long as you keep your own promise." Her words were spoken with sincerity and Klaus' lips tugged upwards slightly in a victorious smile.

"It's a deal then."

He slapped both hands on his knees, before leaning on them to push up onto his feet and walk towards the door. Addie could tell by the determination in his stride that he was going somewhere.

"Hey, wait…where are you going?"

Klaus simply sped upstairs and into his room before Addie could even blink, and when he returned a second later, he was pushing an arm through the coat he had retrieved.

"We are going to pay our little friend, Marcel, a visit."

Addie tensed slightly, knowing that the younger vampire would probably be pretty mad at her.

"Um, I'm not sure he'd want to see me right now."

Klaus looked back at her with a smirk. "He won't hurt you, love. We have a deal, remember?"

She rolled her eyes at his smug expression, but was a grateful to have his protection nonetheless. Though, only time would tell if she would really need it.

They made their way out into the night, driving to the compound steadily. When they arrived, Klaus looked to the young woman in the passenger seat, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

"I want you to wait here until I say so."

Her brows shot up in disbelief. "What? Why? I thought-"

He shook his head impatiently, cutting her off in order to save time.

"Marcel currently has something of mine in his possession. I wish to retrieve it, and if he sees that you've had a change of heart, he'll most likely try to kill me. 'Try' being the key word." He almost scoffed at the thought.

He spoke of his own death as casually as if he were discussing the weather, but she couldn't fault the logic behind his thinking. Marcel was always looking to one up the Original, and he'd be beyond pissed when he found out about the deal they made.

"Ok, fine. But what if you get hurt?"

The fact that she was genuinely concerned about his well-being was flattering, but he simply chuckled at the question.

"Don't worry about me, love. I'll handle it."

With that said, Klaus opened the car door, lightly slamming it shut before making his way into the compound.

It was dark when he entered, and quiet jazz music could be heard as he stopped in the centre of the dimmed courtyard and looked around. It was deserted, just like Josh had said it would be.

"Klaus."

The familiar voice of his protégé drew his attention, and he turned around to face Marcel, speaking lowly as he did so.

"You've been avoiding my calls."

Marcel's face remained passive, he noted the danger in his sire's tone, but there would be no backing off tonight.

"Little pissed off lately."

Klaus inwardly smirked, wondering just how much of his anger was directed at him, and how much was directed at his newest recruit.

Marcel was more than a 'little' pissed. He had sent his guys to look for Addie, and they couldn't find her anywhere. Davina was nagging the hell out of him, wondering where her sister was, and to top it all off, he was mad that the elder Claire had snapped his neck in the first place.

Granted, he kinda deserved it. But that wasn't the point. The Addie he knew, would have never done something like that, no matter how angry she became.

And now he had to deal with his pain-in-the-ass of a sire.

"Apologies for my behavior can come later. You have something of mine. I want it back."

Just as Klaus had finished speaking, Marcel pulled the dagger out of the inner pocket of his jacket, looking rather self-satisfied as he held it up between his thumb and fore-finger.

"Sorry, but I can't do that." His tone showed that he wasn't sorry at all, and Klaus watched as his sister seemingly came out of nowhere and took the dagger that Marcel held out to her.

"What is this?" He glared at Rebekah, knowing full well that she actually had the nerve to betray him.

"Apologies for your behavior?" She raised her brows in disbelief. "You don't apologize, Nik. You just act. I've had enough. We have had enough." The finality in her words drew a condescending smile from her brother, and Klaus walked towards them slowly.

"Look at you. Finally in possession of the one thing that can take you down. How does it feel?"

Rebekah didn't miss a beat in her response. "Great."

Marcel brought a hand to his mouth and whistled loudly as the siblings stared each other down. The noise called forth twenty or so vampires, and Klaus looked around himself, unimpressed.

"So this is it?" He held his arms out in question. "The evil bastard Klaus has gone too far, must be punished. And by his own sibling, nonetheless." He pointed to Rebekah mockingly.

"How positively biblical. And you, Marcel, is this-" he gestured to the vampires around him with a chuckle "-your idea of a hit? I taught you better than this paltry excuse for a take-down. Do you think you can subdue me with this!?" What started off as a calm sentence escalated to an angry yell by the end of his question.

How dare Marcel insult him like this. How dare Rebekah even think about going against him. Were they truly so foolish as to think that they stood a chance at all?

"No. But I think I can with this." Marcel smiled sardonically at his sire, before bring his hand up once more and whistling even louder.

Klaus' eyes drifted around the courtyard once more, and he watched as even more of Marcel's pathetic little followers came forward, leaning on the railings of the second storey and entering the courtyard. He looked back to Marcel giving him a more impressed nod.

"Let's end this charade, shall we?" A small smile tugged at the hybrid's lips as he continued in an amplified voice, holding his arms out as he spun in a slow circle and addressed the surrounding vampires.

"Vampires of New Orleans! Do recall that I am an Original. A hybrid. I cannot be killed. Eternity is an awfully long time. How long, do you think, Marcel will stay in power?" He pointed to the man in question, who simply gave him a stony look in return.

"What if one of you lot," he pointed his finger around the circle, "were to release me, knowing I will be eternally in your debt? Oh, I would pity those of you who dared to cross me." His tone darkened, promising the harshest of punishments.

"I can assure you, your ends would be spectacular." He stared at Diego with his final word, and the young vampire look as if he were restraining himself. It was no secret that he hated the hybrid.

"To borrow a trick from an old friend…" Klaus held up a coin, looking back at Marcel, who wasn't impressed with his sire's display. "Whoever picks up this coin gets to live." He shrugged slightly, showing that it was as simple as that, and dropped the coin onto the ground.

"Now, which of you magnificent bastards wants to join me?"

Marcel stepped forward, addressing his vampires. "Anyone wants that coin, pledge allegiance to Klaus. Take it now. Go ahead. The choice is yours."

The small and mocking smile dropped from Klaus' face when he realised that no one was willing to do so, despite the choice Marcel had given them. Marcel tilted his head slightly as if saying 'what can you do?', when Klaus glared at him.

"Take him."

At Marcel's words, the two vampires standing beside him shot towards Klaus, only to be swiftly dealt with. Klaus adjusted his coat confidently, a smirk on his face as he challengingly held his arms out wide.

Rebekah gulped nervously, watching as two vampires behind Klaus successfully wrapped heavy chains around each of the hybrid's outstretched arms. They tugged him back onto the ground while the vampires around them cheered in approval.

Meanwhile, Addie sat in the car impatiently, he knee bouncing rapidly in nervousness. Why was he taking so long? What was going on in there?

He told her to wait in the car, and she would respect his wishes…but he never said anything about helping him from the car…

Ostende mihi. Ostende mihi…

She closed her eyes, watching as images flashed through her mind. She almost gasped when she realised what was happening. If her assumption was correct, she was observing from Klaus' perspective, and things weren't going so well…at all.

He was strung up, and she watched as vampire after vampire approach him, stabbing, slicing, hurting him in any way possible. She couldn't believe that Marcel was truly allowing them to do such a thing. It was when she caught sight of Marcel's smug face, next to the bitchy blonde that he had claimed was an enemy, that her newfound anger made an appearance.

The asshole was actually enjoying this, and to top it off, he was working with one of the people he told them was a threat. Was he ever going to be honest with her?!

Klaus' cry of pain snapped her back into reality and she scowled when Diego stabbed him harshly, a satisfied look on his face. She had to do something. Anything…

Focus. This is child's play…

The voice was right. She had done this before…draining life had always been the easy part, and even though the distance from her targets was larger, she now had plenty of power to use. She could do this.

Inside the compound, Klaus' head hung limply as anger coursed through him. He lifted his head slowly with a growl, his hybrid features taking over his face for the first time that evening. His anger was so overwhelming that he didn't even show his surprise when the chains that bound him dissolved into nothing but dark wisps.

Marcel and Rebekah didn't miss this, and they watched in both fear and shock as the hybrid went on a rampage, killing anyone he could get his hands on, while others simply seemed to drop dead on their own –desiccated.

Klaus reminded himself to thank the young witch later. She had come in handy after all, and in all honesty, he had doubted how willing she would be to go up against Marcel in the first place. Obviously their former friendship wouldn't be a problem.

He was unstoppable as he made his way back towards the courtyard. Anyone who approached him met a bloody end, with the sound of breaking bones, spilt blood, and his vicious growls echoing through the area.

"Marcel! Come and finish this!"

Hearing the savage yell from his sire, Marcel decided to do the honorable thing and fight alongside his followers. However, before he could do so, Rebekah frantically latched onto his arm.

"No! Take the coin…"

Marcel looked at her like she had two heads, his brows furrowing in both confusion and distaste.

"What?"

"He won't stop until everyone is dead. And he will kill you too. End this. Pick up the coin." Marcel looked back to Klaus in understanding, realising that he was fighting a losing battle and watching as Klaus killed vampire after vampire.

"Enough!"

Everyone seemed to still at Marcel's yell, and Klaus dropped the body of his most recent kill to the ground. He strolled forward slowly, the beginnings of a smirk playing on his bloodied lips.

Marcel's own face was downcast, showing a variety of emotions that made Klaus even more smug. It served the younger vampire right. Who the bloody hell did he think he was? Challenging him of all people?

"Well, well, well. The great Marcel, self-proclaimed 'king' of New Orleans, bowing before me."

He was referring to the fact that Marcel was still kneeling on the ground, and the younger vampire tossed the coin at Klaus' feet, with his face crumpled in defeat.

"There. I hereby pledge my allegiance to you. You have the keys to my kingdom. It's yours."

Marcel looked to be on the verge of tears, and he sounded it too. Everything he had built, everything he had worked for…gone in a matter of months. Klaus had succeeded, as he always did, and the smile on his face showed just how happy that made him.


Addie was almost sick when she saw the state of Klaus when he returned to the car. Despite his grin, he looked like an extra from the set of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'! Though it helped that he had cleaned his face up during his 'loyalty' chat with Marcel.

"Oh my god! Are you ok?"

Klaus shut the car door, turning to look at the wide-eyed girl beside him. She continued to surprise him. How could she genuinely worry about him? No one worried about him. She knew what he was capable of, and she knew what he had done…yet she didn't really seem to care. Perhaps this was what Marcel was speaking of.

"Never better…though you do deserve some praise." He looked at her knowingly, and she quickly shifted her eyes to her lap.

He hadn't noticed it before, but two bulky chains were hanging off of her lap and spilling onto the floor of the car. He cocked an inquisitive brow.

"Oh…uh, well, it was the first thing that came to mind." She gave him a sheepish smile, and he chuckled good-naturedly. At least that answered the question of how she removed the chains from him.

"I suppose I should thank you, I was in a bit of a pinch for a moment there."

She snorted at the understatement, much to Klaus' amusement.

"What was it you said? 'Don't worry about me, love. I'll handle it'?" She adopted an acceptable English accent, but when her voice dropped to what he assumed was meant to be a 'manly' level, he let out a small but genuine laugh.

"And before you say that's not what you sound like, it totally is. Trust me."

He chuckled yet again, surprising himself with how easily it had managed to slip out of him. "I'll take your word for it, love."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, as he continued to drive them back to the plantation. He noticed her staring, but he kept the smirk off of his face.

"So, what now?"

Klaus sighed at the question. It wasn't a weary sigh, but an exasperated one. There was so much to do, that he didn't really put much thought into it. He hadn't anticipated the night ending with him regaining the keys to his kingdom, but it was a welcomed change.

"Now, we get some sleep, and in the morning we're moving into our new home."

This caught Addie's attention immediately.

"New home?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"The Abattoir. Well, I suppose it's not really my new home, considering Marcel originally took it from my family…but that's not important at the moment."

The car pulled up just as he finished his sentence, and Addie followed him into the house. He showed her around and gave her a guest room, pointing out his siblings' rooms in the process.

"You're welcome to use anything here. I'm sure Rebekah wouldn't notice if you took a change of clothes."

Addie nodded with a grateful smile, and he took that as a dismissal. But she called out before he could leave her.

"Klaus."

He turned to look at her, brows raised in question.

"I know that I kinda just popped up out of nowhere, and you really didn't need to help me at all if you didn't want to…" She trailed of with a small sigh. "I just want to say thank you. I don't really have anyone else, and I really appreciate the help. So thanks." She nodded awkwardly as he stared at her, unable to discern what he was thinking. She felt her cheeks grow warm under his intense gaze, and decided to make a break for it.

"Goodnight, Klaus."

His eyes never left her as she disappeared within the comfort of her temporary room. It was rare for anyone to genuinely thank him. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time anyone did so. It seemed as if she was doing a lot of things he hadn't experienced in a while. She had trusted him, defended him, and even made him laugh. What was she?

"Good night, Mélanie." He whispered to the wooden door between them.


When morning finally arrived, Klaus was up early. He could hear the steady heartbeat coming from upstairs, signaling that Addie was still asleep –not that he expected her to be up so early, after their late arrival in the night.

But she wasn't the only one in the house. He had known the exact moment his traitorous sister stepped foot into the house, and he could even hear Elijah's car in the distance.

He stood beside one of the many windows, though the curtains were hardly open, and fiddled with the dagger in his hand. His jaw clenched when his sister decided to finally gather enough courage to confront him.

"Elijah's home. There's only one dagger. Which one of us will you be punishing today?" He could hear the fear in her tone, no matter how hard she tried to mask it beneath her snide words.

"I contemplated a game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe." He sped away from the window, holding his sister in a headlock with the dagger in his right hand pointed at her throat.

"You betrayed me. My own sister!" The hurt in his growled yell was clear for all to here, but before it could escalate, his brother decided to make an appearance.

"Niklaus, don't you dare!"

Klaus spun around, releasing Rebekah as he pointed the dagger at Elijah.

"Perhaps it should be you, brother!" Rebekah backed away, and Elijah slowly and protectively stepped forward. "Stealing my child away with every fawning moment of tenderness you show to Hayley!"

Elijah was calm despite his brother's growing temper.

"This has nothing to do with Hayley."

"It has everything to do with her! She's adored you since she arrived. And now my child, my blood, will grow up to call you father!"

Elijah's gaze softened, and he couldn't help the feeling that swelled within him. He felt sorry for his younger brother. Sometimes it was difficult to remember that the man who hid behind animosity and arrogance was as untrusting and unstable as the youngster that suffered at the hands of Mikael for all those years.

"Is that what it is? You are once again worried that you will be left behind? Has history taught you nothing? We don't abandon you, Nik, you drive us away!"

Klaus' arm dropped back to his side, as his gaze flickered between his siblings.

"Is that so?" His voice was quiet, and he finally decided to release all of the thoughts that had been bottled up within his mind.

"What have I done lately, other than cooperate? I bow down to you, brother, to make up for daggering you." He pointed to Elijah once more, and the eldest sibling looked away in sadness when tears began to spill from his little brother's eyes.

"For the greater good of our plan to reclaim our home." He shifted his hand to point at Rebekah, tears still falling. "Looked the other way, sister, while you repeat the same cycle with Marcel. Falling again for a man you shouldn't be with, while he controls the empire that we built! That he took!" His voice was shaking with emotions he hadn't felt for a long time, but he wasn't done just yet.

"Now, I make no excuses for past sins. But in the one moment when you two could have chosen to stand by me…to believe in me, to believe my intentions for my own child were pure…you chose to stand against me, to side with my enemies." Elijah's brows drew together, ashamed of the fact that he had so easily condemned his brother.

Klaus walked towards his elder brother, stopping right in front of him.

"I wanted our home back. Now I have it. So, I'm going to live there. And the two of you... you can stay here together and rot." He twisted the dagger around, so that the hilt was facing Elijah, and the dark-haired Original accepted it, speechless after his younger brother's words.

Klaus wiped the tears off his face, trudging up the stairs. He knew that Addie was now awake, he'd probably woken her up himself…but now it was time to go.

Elijah and Rebekah were completely stunned, neither knowing what to say, or what to do. It was moments like the one they had just witnessed that made it so difficult to want to harm Klaus. It was in those moments that they realised –remembered- just how fragile he was, no matter how superior he was physically.

The sound of two sets of feet coming down the stairs had Rebekah and Elijah sharing a confused look, before making their way into the foyer. Elijah's brows shot up when he noticed a familiar face, and Rebekah glared at the young woman when she finally reached the ground just after Klaus did.

"You! Marcel's turned the city upside down looking for you!"

Klaus made his way out the door, a silent way of telling Addie that he'd be waiting in the car. She had heard the yelling match earlier (well it wasn't much of a match), and she looked at the blonde disapprovingly as she went to leave without so much as a single word response. What sort of person would try to kill their own sibling?

When Rebekah shot out towards her, in order to demand answers for Marcel no doubt, Addie didn't hesitate in blasting her into the railings of the second floor. She fell to the ground in a heap, and Addie turned her attention to Elijah.

He allowed his astonishment to show on his face, finding it hard to believe that this was the same woman who willingly fed him her blood.

Either way, she offered him a warm smile, despite the fact that he had done some pretty crappy things to Klaus as well. He had left a good first impression, so she'd let it slide.

"Nice seeing you again, Elijah."

The corners of his lips tugged upward. Oh she was the same girl, she just didn't like Rebekah. He couldn't really blame her…not many people did.

"Likewise, Adelie."

He shook his head slightly as she closed the front door, wondering what in the world Adelie Claire was doing there in the first place.


When Addie stepped out of the house, two sets of eyes were on her, and she smiled at the new face.

"Is this the baby-mama?" She pointed a finger in Hayley's direction, and Klaus' brows furrowed in thought, wondering how she knew about the baby. She seemed to catch on and quickly explained. "You guys aren't as quiet as you think you are…"

"Who the hell is she?" Hayley looked at Klaus in discontent, and then glared at the young woman. Just looking at the new girl she could already tell what kind of person she'd be. She had enough of all these newcomers, and she really didn't need more of Klaus' little slaves following her around. The fact that she –as a complete stranger- had addressed Hayley as a 'baby-mama' pissed her off even more.

Klaus wasn't in the mood to deal with the argument that was surely about to begin. From what he had seen so far, Addie liked to joke around. Hayley…not so much. They weren't very similar, and he just hoped that Hayley didn't provoke her. Apparently her power flared up when she was angry, and he really didn't want his unborn child paying for Hayley's mistakes.

"Ugh. Ya know, you have got to find yourself better company. I mean seriously…first your sister, now this?" Klaus watched in amusement as Addie rolled her eyes at Hayley, brushing straight past her and into the car. She obviously wasn't too fond of the werewolf's attitude.

Hayley's mouth dropped open, her brows scrunching together, as she looked at Klaus.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?!"

Hayley flinched, and Klaus did well not to, when a loud honk came from the car. Addie rolled down the window.

"Come on! I'm hungry!"


So I don't want you to think the inverted pentacle was used as a satanic symbol. I honestly don't know much about these things at all, but I wanted to go with the more traditional meaning of it, and I really liked this one explanation I saw that said:

The pentacle the right way up is more positive and denotes light and good health, protection etc…and represents the 5 elements. While inverted = negative and associated with chaos, and is apparently used for breaking barriers, dismissing bad luck, and represents a new beginning.

So I felt like it would be symbolic of the changes that just happened in Addie's life. Just to be clear, this is not my information (if you want the site let me know and I'll PM you), so don't quote me :P

Also, I don't know Latin very well…so anything I write in Latin might not be right, or reliable. So I'm sorry to all those who know it well, and feel free to correct me if you see anything wrong :)

Be honest with me now, did I rush the whole Addie/Klaus alliance thingy, or was it good timing?

Either way, thanks for reading and I'll see ya soon :D (I might take a little longer because I haven't updated my other fanfic in ages!)