I'm so so so so so sorry! I'll get right to it. Probably not the best of chapters, but I felt so bad for leaving it this long so I probably didn't include as much detail as usual. But hopefully it's not too bad.

And you get your big reveal!

Amazeballs96: An interesting theory! Sorry for the lack of Addie/Klaus, but it should start taking off soon :P

glynnismta: Hmm…I'm not sure, I guess you'll find out in this chapter ;) let me know what you think! :D

lilnightmare17: I'm really sorry for the wait, life has been hectic these past few months!

blue Wren: Sorry about how late this is, but I hope it doesn't disappoint J

kykyxstandler: I'm glad you liked it! Ahh The shadowy figure-thingy :P that is revealed in this chapter and I hope you like it :D As for Hayley, she will be dealt with in the next chapter (which hopefully won't take as long as this one did!)

justanotherguest: Thank you for the questions and praises! I don't think I will be bringing him back just yet, unless people really want me to, just because I have some of it already planned out. But I definitely like to listen to suggestions so feel free to send any my way! I'm willing to incorporate anything you guys want to see so don't worry about it :D

BeaAdriana: Someone familiar, huh? ;) Thank you for the kind words!

Xo-StoryTeller-oX: Gotta hate cliff-hangers. Especially when I'm an ass and leave it for months! I guarantee I won't abandon this story, even if I might sometimes take a little long to update, I promise! Thank you for reviewing, I love em! Haha

1508: You'll finally get to see who it is in this chapter, hope it's someone you like!

Guest: Thank you! It's always good to hear that people enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! :D

Ok, so I've change a little bit of the order in this chapter, namely when Davina goes to the church. But that shouldn't matter too much.

Disclaimer: See chapter 1...

Chapter 7:

It was early in the morning, and Klaus had decided to make good use of the spare time he had. So here he was, wearing his usual simple long-sleeved shirt, a paintbrush in hand and concentration on his features as he painted.

It was an image that flashed through his mind every now and then, and he figured that if he finally put it on a canvas, it would leave his mind. So far…

No luck.

Dabbing the thin brush in black paint, he suddenly froze. In the flash of an eye the easel was turned away to face a wall, and he tried to act as inconspicuous as possible when the faint footsteps finally made their way into the room.

Addie shot him a tired smile, having just woken up. After carrying out her usual morning routine, she decided to come downstairs to pass time. When Davina finally woke up, they'd be having breakfast and having a long overdue chat about recent weeks.

But as the elder Claire made her way down, she had felt another presence close by, and the power coming off of it only came with one person she knew.

"Morning, Klaus." She sent the Original hybrid a smile, but her brows furrowed lightly when she saw him awkwardly standing in the middle of the room with a paintbrush in his hand. Her eyes flickered around the room, not quite understanding why he would be holding a brush if there was nothing to paint on in the first place. But she quickly located the easel.

As soon as he saw her pale eyes zero in on his hand and then shoot around the room, Klaus inwardly cursed his stupidity at having forgotten to put down the brush.

He knew she liked to observe artwork, hell, he had seen her pay a small fortune for a bunch of drawings she had hung up in her new room. So he wasn't surprised to see the curious and somewhat excited smile on her face as she took a few steps forward. She came to an abrupt halt when Klaus shot forward in an unseen run that had him placed directly in front of the easel.

She raised a brow at the movement, and couldn't quite make sense of the unreadable look on his face.

"Can I see it?"

"No." He was oddly stiff, as if she would make a sudden lunge for the easel and he'd have to fight her off. She almost laughed at the thought, but settled for allowing him this bit of privacy. If he didn't like sharing, then she wouldn't make him…but that didn't mean that she wouldn't mess with him a little.

"Why not?"

"It's not finished yet." It was a lame excuse, and he knew it. But he didn't want her getting the wrong idea if she saw it. She wouldn't understand, at least not yet.

"You know…" she walked forward innocently, lifting up one of his stray paint brushes in inspection, but her stunning eyes met his own as she spoke her next words. "I could just make you show me."

He actually laughed at the challenging brow she had raised, and slowly approached her. She'd become more daring when she received her new power, something he quite liked, but he knew that she wouldn't even attempt to force him into anything.

Addie watched the mischievous look replace the previous apprehension on his face as he suddenly came to stand directly in front of her. He was so close that she had to mentally will herself to not give in and move back. She knew it was some form of intimidation.

It was a way of making someone back down…a way of making them feel uncomfortable. But she was too stubborn to give up.

She still couldn't prevent the shiver that ran through her body as soon as his right hand came up to gently grasp the wrist of her left hand – the one holding the paint brush. Nor could she tear her eyes away when his face hovered over hers.

The mood in the room had suddenly changed from playful to…something else. He had done it intentionally, yet another way of making her nervous, but this time she couldn't help it. She knew exactly what he was doing, but she was in foreign territory.

This wasn't something she had experienced before…the shift to a more seductive approach had genuinely thrown her off and she didn't know what to do.

He innocently raised his brows, a small smirk on the corner of his lips when he noticed the quickening heart beat, and the blush that spread across her cheeks, it only deepened when she heard his deep whisper.

"Is that so, love?" His fingers skimmed down her wrist and to her hand, before slowly drawing the brush out of her grasp. Without even looking, he placed it down in a jar behind him, before leaning down even closer and tilting her chin back with a thumb and forefinger.

"I'd like to see you try…"

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Her lack of response was enough to make him smirk, but she'd never know what would have happened after that.

"Ehem."

Addie's head quickly snapped to the left, her wide eyes meeting the new figure that stood in the doorway. For the second time in the space of 60 seconds, she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

Oh god.

She knew exactly what it looked like, and the fact that Klaus hadn't even bothered looking away from her made it look even worse. He knew exactly who had interrupted them, and he could have backed away a long time ago thanks to his hearing. But apparently he wanted to embarrass her.

"Good morning, big brother."

Elijah offered Klaus a small and somewhat forced smile, his hands resting comfortably in his suit pockets.

"Good morning, Niklaus…Adelie." He gave the young woman a nod in greeting, and quirked a quick smile when she hastily corrected him.

"Addie…please." She smiled sweetly, subtly trying to inch away from the hybrid whose breath she could still feel fanning the side of her face.

"Of course…" He accepted politely. "Do you mind if I have a private word with my brother?"

Even if she did mind, who in their right mind would deny an Original? But she truly didn't, because that meant getting out of her current position, and now she had the perfect excuse. Thank god for Elijah.

"Oh, yeah, of course. I'll um…see you guys later." She awkwardly tucked some hair behind her ear, her eyes quickly glancing at Klaus –whose smirk was ever present- before she rushed out of the room as calmly as her mind would allow.

Elijah watched the girl leave, an unreadable look on his face. This wasn't the first time he had questioned the nature of his brother's relationship with the elder Claire. He still remembered when he was undaggered in St. Anne's, and she had Klaus' scent all over her. Not to mention the fact that there was a spare room at the plantation that was covered in Addie's scent.

"Why are you toying with the girl, Niklaus?"

Klaus' smirk dropped at the accusation. Trust his family to always think the worst of him.

"So quick to misinterpret my intentions, Elijah."

The brunette's brows quirked upward for a moment, an anticipatory expression on his face as he crossed his arms and waited for an explanation he probably wouldn't believe.

"By all means, feel free to correct me."

Klaus hummed in amusement, turning his back to face his brother as he picked up a piece of cloth from the table behind him, wiping at the paint on his hands.

"Mélanie and I have come to a bit of an arrangement, brother. You of all people know the importance of allies in war. They may just tip the scale in one's favour."

Despite the long explanation, there was only one particular thing that had caught Elijah's attention.

"Mélanie?"

Klaus shot him a short glare, before returning to the task at hand. He didn't own his brother an explanation. He didn't own him anything.

"Yes. Mélanie. It is her name after all."

And with that, he promptly left the room.

"What the hell do you mean 'Davina is missing?!"

After waiting hours for her sister to wake up so that they could enjoy breakfast and have a long overdue talk, Addie was stunned to find her sister's bed empty when she finally had enough and decided to wake her.

Upon asking around, it was Marcel who had broken the news to her, and to say that Addie was angry, was a severe understatement. Klaus and Elijah watched on silently, the former smirk slightly at the earful Marcel was about to get.

"Look, Ads, I promise I'm doing all that I can to find her-"

"If it wasn't for you lying to her she wouldn't be gone in the first place." Marcel looked down with a slow nod, knowing that she was right. Klaus hummed out a quiet chuckle, wonder how a young woman could make a vampire as old as Marcel look like a scolded child.

But he wasn't as quiet as he thought. Addie's head snapped in his direction, and she shot him a glare. If she was going to have any chance of finding Davina before the other witches, she'd need to move quickly. So she strode towards the exit with purpose, only stopping to point an accusing finger at Klaus, who simply gave her an innocent look in return.

"Don't think you're off the hook either, Niklaus."

The hybrid's lips quirked up for a fraction of a second, unwilling to give anything away to the other men in the room. And they all watched the brunette storm out of the compound.

Oooh full name. Now he's really in trouble.

She huffed in irritation, the last thing she needed now was him to deal with.

Oh, shut up.


"And you're sure this will work? I mean, you said she was-"

"I know what I said, Sophie. But trust me, if we catch her off guard, I can reverse the spell and then we have a free shot at Davina."

Sophie Deveraux gnawed at her bottom lip. She didn't have anything against Adelie Claire, in fact, she hadn't even known that the elder Claire was a witch at all until Sabine had told her. That wasn't the only thing that she had learnt recently.

Apparently Davina was out and about, and this was their best chance at completing the Harvest. But Sabine mentioned a vision she had that included Addie now having a considerable amount of power, and they'd need to get her out of the picture or getting to Davina wouldn't be possible.

So the older witch had devised a plan. Sabine knew she wouldn't be able to rebind Addie's power, the dark magic would be far too strong now. The only thing she could try to do was reverse the process, but working against dark magic was tricky. It didn't mix with ancestral magic, and a whole variety of things could go wrong if performed incorrectly.

"If you say so…what do you need me to do?"

Sabine smirked darkly, cutting into her palm with a sharp knife.

"Just follow my lead."


Addie had been weaving her way through the French Quarter, moving through the bustling crowds in search of her sister. She had felt an abundance of magic being channeled, and hoped that she would find the teen hanging about amidst the Casket Girl celebrations.

Funnily enough, it was Davina that had seen her sister first.

Cami and Davina had stepped out into the streets after a long day of removing Klaus' compulsion, taking care to not be spotted by any of the hybrid's lackeys.

What they didn't know just yet, was that Klaus had already compelled Tim and was currently waiting for Josh to tell the young witch. He was expecting her at the compound, and he knew she'd come if she wanted to see her little friend alive and well.

Cami was leading Davina through the crowd when the teen suddenly came to a halt.

"Wait, wait. Is that Addie?" The younger girl's brows creased in worry, and Cami followed her gaze to the brunette that was staring suspiciously into an alleyway.

Before Cami could reply, her cell phone rang and she hastily answered. Her stomach dropped at the news, and she saw the matching look of fear on Davina's face.

"I have to go, I can't let Klaus hurt Tim."

Cami grasped her elbow before she could march away.

"Wait, you can't just go in alone. Head over to the church and find my uncle, he'll help you."

Davina looked at Cami in confusion.

"What about you?"

Cami's eyes travelled back to the elder Claire, knowing that she could be of help in this situation. Davina hadn't mentioned anything about her sister's powers, but the blonde assumed that it ran in the family.

"I'm going to go get Addie. We'll meet you at the compound, ok? Do not go in without us."

Davina looked back to her sister and nodded determinedly. She knew that taking on the Original family would be difficult, but with Addie's magic helping her, it would be a whole lot easier.

"Yeah, ok. Be careful."

Cami smiled at the girl's concern, and worriedly watched her head towards St. Anne's.


Addie had picked up on the traces of magic that were calling her. It was dark magic, and she knew that no one in the Quarter was meant to be practicing. Davina would have picked up on it.

She was so focused on the strange alleyway, that she hadn't even noticed someone come to stand beside her.

"Hey, Ads!"

Her startling grey eyes shot over to her friend, a smile on her face when she noticed the woman she hadn't seen in too long.

"Cami!" She pulled the blonde into a welcoming hug. "Hey, I haven't seen you in ages."

Feeling another wave of power come over her, Addie frowned and looked back to the alley.

"Do you feel that?" She knew it was stupid to ask. Cami wasn't a witch, of course she couldn't feel it…but she just wanted to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

Camille looked at her friend in confusion. Clearly there was something bothering her, but she had no idea what it was. The younger woman had been staring into the shady area for a while now, and that didn't sit well with the bartender.

"Hey, Cami? Wait here for a second…I need to check something."

Despite her instructions, the blonde would be damned if she let her friend walk into a creepy alleyway alone. She was still unaware of the younger woman's power, but even if she knew about it, her loyalty wouldn't allow her to wait behind. She still needed Addie's help too.

Addie slowly walked out of the bright street full of celebration, and stepped into the shadow of the alleyway, making her way further and further as the feeling became stronger.

She felt the air shift suddenly, but unfortunately she wasn't quick enough to prevent the spell.

Cami, who had been eyeing the walls around her warily, was quickly snapped to attention when she heard a piercing wail coming from the direction her friend had walked in. The blonde hastily made her way forward, and her eyes widened comically as she took in the scene before her.

Two women – who she recognised as Sophie Deveraux and Sabine, were gaping at something on the floor.

She followed their line of sight and her own shock registered when she finally realised what was making the sound.

A baby.

But not a normal baby. The child couldn't have been older than 6 months, and was sitting nude in a pile of…clothing?

"Oh my god…Addie?!" She gaped at the sight incredulously, her own expression matching that of the witches.

The dark haired baby stopped wailing at the sound of Cami's voice, and clumsily turned to face the blonde. If there were any doubts about the child's identity, they sure as hell didn't have any when her teary eyes finally opened. They were still the same striking grey that they used to be.

Cami quickly rushed forward, some kind of maternal instinct kicking in as she wrapped the baby –Addie- in the T-shirt that had pooled beneath her.

By the time she had her cradled to her chest, the witches had snapped out of their shock induced frozen state, and realised that the woman was about to leave with Addie.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Cami."

Sabine stepped forward threateningly, her eyes glued to the bundle in Cami's arms, and the blonde instinctively tightened her grip and took a step back.

"Well you're not taking her anywhere. I don't know what the hell you did to her, but she's not going anywhere with you…not like this."

Her strong words were admirable in the witch's opinion, but they'd do nothing to deter her.

"It wasn't meant to be like this Cami…" Sophie stepped forward too, but in more of an understanding way. She had already contacted Hayley, asking her to retrieve a certain piece of information for her, now all that was left was to make sure Addie couldn't stop them.

Sabine had a vision, back when she was searching for the elder Claire when Marcel was eager to find her, and things wouldn't end well for them if they hurt Davina while Addie held so much power. However, removing her dark magic was impossible, so they had decided to instead send Addie's body back in time, to before she gained her power a few weeks ago.

It was meant to be completely unnoticeable. She would still look the same, but her power would be locked up. What they hadn't realised, was just how incompatible the two types of magic were.

"We didn't mean to-"

"I don't care what you wanted to do, she's not going anywhere with you." She repeated.

But that wasn't acceptable to Sabine.

Muttering a silent spell under her breath, she watched as Cami winced, trying to shake the haze out of her mind.

The elder witch darted forward, but before she could get anywhere near the blonde, she collided with a wall of power that had her shooting back into a brick wall…hard.

Cami's eyes widened at the dark wisps floating around her, but she had caught onto the fact that it was baby-Addie's doing. Without even bothering to glance at Sophie, she bolted out of the alleyway and into the busy street.

She must have looked like a mad woman, speeding through the crowd with a baby held tightly to her chest, but she didn't care. There was only one family that she knew could deal with this, and that's exactly how she found herself at the compound, despite not wanting to even look at Klaus ever again. Davina had successfully restored her memories, and now she owed it to the girl to save her big…er…little? Sister.

"Klaus!" Her voice was frantic and out of breath, but she continued shouting until she received a response. "Klaus?!"

"What the bloody hell is all that racket?"

Unfortunately for Cami, her shouting had alerted anyone and everyone in the compound, and the first to react was Rebekah.

The anger on the Original sister's face quickly softened when her sharp eyes dropped to the small bundle in the human's arms. Cami jerked back in surprise when Rebekah was suddenly in front of her, peering down at the now sleeping baby.

Cami curiously watched the longing look in the vampire's eyes, before it was quickly hidden. That still didn't stop the Original from asking if she could hold the little girl.

"Ah, Camille…I was wondering what all that wailing was abou-"

Klaus' condescending tone was quickly brought to a halt when he zeroed in on the scene before him. He didn't know what had startled him more. The presence of a baby, the presence of Rebekah with a baby, or the fact that his sister was fixated on the bloody thing as if it were pure gold.

Elijah, who had followed after his brother, bypassed Klaus and walked over to his sister's side. His eyes softened and a small smile graced his lips when the bundle squirmed in its sleep. He knew how much she loved children, and it was bittersweet to see her holding one so gently. But the main thing on his mind, was who the baby belonged to and why it was there in the first place. It certainly wasn't Hayley's.

"What the hell is going on over here?"

All eyes shot upward to where Marcel was leaning on the second railing, peering down at them. He couldn't make sense of the situation at all. But he felt something clench within him when he saw the woman loved and how happy she seemed with a child in her arms.

However, Rebekah's eyes had shot over to Cami in question. She was the one who had been screaming bloody murder…it was a miracle that the baby was asleep at all!

"We have a problem."

Oh great. Another to add to the long list. Klaus rolled his eyes, confidently marching over to the group that had huddled around the child.

The baby squirmed uncomfortably once more, and Rebekah switched from cradling her, to resting her head on her shoulder in an upright position.

She gurgled tiredly, bringing yet another smile to the blonde's face and everyone seemed transfixed on the sight.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?"

Elijah snapped out of it, acknowledging that there was obviously something wrong.

"What's the problem, Camille?"

The panicked woman looked grateful that he was paying attention, as it also seemed to draw Klaus' and Marcel's attention too. They were the ones who would be most affected by it.

Her gaze dropped down to the baby, who was now wide awake. She nodded her head towards the unmistakable eyes.

"That's the problem."

All eyes settled on the baby's face, and she gave a dimpled grin at the attention. Klaus' would have paled if he wasn't already dead.

Without even asking for permission, he gently removed the smiling child from his sister's grasp, hooking his hands beneath her small armpits and raising her so that her face was level with his own. There was no mistaking it…he'd know those eyes anywhere.

"Mélanie?"

She gave out a squealing laugh in response to her name, her tiny arms and legs kicking about happily.

"What…?" Elijah, who was usually so composed, watched the scene with a look of shock.

With his mind racing a mile a minute, Klaus wordlessly handed the baby back to his stunned sister, trying to make sense of the situation.

There was a baby. The baby was in fact the elder Claire. Mélanie is a baby…again.

"What the bloody hell is this?" He waved an irritated hand towards his sister, eyes boring a hole into Camille.

"I-I don't know! She just, she's a baby!" Cami didn't know what to say, her mind was reeling, blanking whenever she thought about what happened.

Strangely enough, she could remember everything that had happened, except the identity of the witches responsible. There was a dizzying pain in her head, every time she thought about what had happened, as if something was trying to discourage her from thinking about it.

"Yes, I can see that, Camille!" Klaus didn't know whether to be yell or laugh at the ridiculous situation.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that someone would be paying dearly for this, but before he could think to much on it, he came to another startling discovery.

The discovery that this could be a blessing in disguise.

With Mélanie currently indisposed, he wouldn't have to worry about her interrupting his plan for Davina. Klaus wasn't foolish enough to think that she would side with him over her little sister, so perhaps it was for the best that she was like…this.

"How did this happen?"

It was Elijah who had asked what was on everyone's mind. Cami shook her head frantically, her eyes clamping shut as she tried to remember who had done this.

"I can't remember who it was, but I know it was a witch."

Klaus scratched at his chin in thought. This wasn't something he could deal with right now. He had Timothy compelled here, and it was only a matter of time before Davina made her way over.

"Cami, I need you…" He took Addie from his sister's arms again, before continuing. "…to take her, and get as far from the compound as possible, yes?"

Camille could only nod in agreement, not knowing what else to do.

"Make sure she's safe."

The other's watched on in confusion, finding Klaus' protectiveness for baby-Addie curious. Elijah couldn't tell if he was displaying such things due to the fact that he would soon have a baby of his own, or because of who that baby was.

Cami just nodded, all thoughts of Davina and their current situation put on the backburner when she took the baby into her arms again. She felt responsible for her, probably because she was there when it had happened. But she wouldn't allow any harm to come to her friend.


1914…

It was a gloomy night.

The rain was heavy and the indiscernible clouds made sure that there wasn't a star in sight.

But still he looked every bit the wealthy gentleman as he made his way through the dark alleyways, with his dark hair neatly combed beneath his hat, his dark suit impeccably tidy beneath his wet overcoat. Gloves of the finest leather on his hands, and his handsome features clear for all to see.

There wasn't a single person who could ignore his presence. Women swooned, and men envied him. And not a single one of them would ever think him to be the monster he was.

But his family had made a cozy little home in New Orleans, one that they were unwilling to leave. New Orleans felt like home, even he had to admit that, but a war was coming and he wanted to be on the winning side.

So here he was, making his way to a strange little shop that belonged to the most avoided witch in the French Quarter. Madame Lorraine was simply put…a complete nutcase. Well, that's what the other witches liked to believe.

But to him, the old hag was the best ally anyone could ask for. She had an incredible talent for predicting the future, and she was never wrong. Never. The fact that she was incredibly powerful often went forgotten by the covens, as no one wanted to associate with 'insane Lorraine'.

But he'd been an associate of hers for years, and she had yet to let him down. So he waited as patiently as possible when he tugged on the string in front of her store and heard the chiming coming from the inside – a signal to the occupant of the store.

The heavy wooden door was enough to ward off anyone who came close enough to see it. Large symbols and markings covered its entire length and width, some for protection, others for evoking harm…but each with a purpose. It looked like a madhouse either way.

The large door creaked open a fraction, and the 4'9'' woman peered at him suspiciously until recognition crossed her wrinkled features. She cracked the door open further, ushering him in impatiently. The striking blue eyes that held too much knowledge, shot around the dark alleyway suspiciously, ensuring that no one had followed her guest.

"I like what you've done with the place…" His nose crinkled distastefully as he noticed the pigs feet hanging from the rafters. He could practically feel the hard stare pinned on him, but he couldn't care less. Taking the hat off of his head, he shook the rain drops onto the ground carelessly before placing it on a free tabletop – well, as free as a it could get in her presence.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Mikaelson?"

He tore his dark gaze away from the grotesque decorations and rested it on the little old lady instead. His brows rose innocently when he replied.

"Can't I just be here to visit an old friend?"

Madame Lorraine rolled her eyes in exasperation, shuffling past him to get some tea started. His lips twitched in amusement when he noticed her usual outfit. It always reminded him of an old gypsy woman. Her hair was hidden beneath a purple patterned head wrap, with a matching long sleeved dress hanging to the floor. She had gold around her neck, wrists and fingers…and let's not forget her ears!

"If you weren't a Mikaelson, I might just believe you."

He hummed in good humour, knowing that she had a point. But before he could voice a response, she continued.

"Where is that brother of yours? The handsome one…" She smiled fondly. "Such a lovely boy."

He didn't even try to suppress the eyeroll that followed, before cheekily replying.

"I am the handsome one. But to answer your question, I have no idea. Probably off cleaning another one of Nik's messes." He scowled lightly at the thought.

Elijah was the good brother. Always fretting about Niklaus as if the very world revolved around him. Something that had bothered him to no end. Elijah had never paid that much attention to him. None of his siblings had.

"Ah yes, that troublesome brother of yours. I don't like him. He has the devil in his eyes!"

"Well, you're not wrong there…which is exactly why I'm here."

She raised a brow at his words, her forehead crinkling with the action. Her pale eyes watched him curiously, as his gloved hands skimmed across the worn books he was now examining.

"As you know, there is a war coming." Even though his usual cheeky smile was tugging at his lips, she could see the irritation hidden beneath the surface. "My brother and his witches are becoming quite the nuisance, and I aim to put an end to that."

"I know what it is you search for."

He shot a smirk in her direction, glad to hear that she would be helping him once more.

"Then you know where to find it, no doubt?"

She waved him over to the alter that sat in the centre of the dimly lit room, and he didn't have to be told twice. He had witnessed her do extraordinary things at this alter, and he knew that it was a good sign of cooperation for her to be shepherding him in its direction.

"You seek an end to your brother…you seek your own witches, no?"

Indeed, he did. He was tired of being daggered and left to rot in a bloody coffin, while his pathetic brother dragged his dead corpse to all corners of the world. He wanted Nik to know what it felt like, he wanted him to feel the same helplessness, the same emptiness.

And in order to do that, he'd need witches that were willing to help him achieve that.

"I seek justice. My brother has wronged me far too many times already, I think it's time he knew what it felt like to be betrayed by his own blood."

She wasn't fazed by the dark look in his equally dark eyes, and merely proceeded in gather the materials needed. Without even asking him, she swiped a blade across his wrist, a thin sliver of it exposed between his glove and sleeve. He didn't flinch at the action, but sent her an irritated look anyway.

She pointed the tip of the knife downward in the direction of her stone mortar, tapping it twice for good measure. The drops of blood sizzled lightly as soon as they came in contact with the bowl's contents, but the old woman smirked triumphantly.

"Are you ready?"

Before he could even ask her what she meant, he felt his mental barriers explode painfully, a sharp cry unwillingly leaving his lips at the feeling. It felt as if hundreds of tiny claws were tearing his brain apart, and there was nothing he could do about it.

His own groans muffled the sound of her chanting, and his hands gripped his head tightly, trying –unsuccessfully- to rid himself of the pain.

But it was over as soon as it had become too much.

Madame Lorraine gasped suddenly, her eyes now entirely white in colour. He had seen this before, but she had never used him in one of her…experiments. He could only assume that she had directly pushed her way into his own future, and his eyes narrowed curiously while he regained his breath.

Her gasping gradually grew in intensity, until her wrinkled face crumpled in fear. A startled cry escaped her, her head shaking frantically at the darkness entering her mind. The white of her sclera was slowly overcome by dark tendrils of black, and for the first time, Kol actually feared for her life.

His attention was abruptly torn from the old lady, as soon as a tremor ran through the building. The walls shook lightly, eventually growing to an unstable level as she continued to thrash about in her chair.

"Lorraine!"

His shout went unheard, the building continued shaking as dust and sand trickled down from the ceiling. He needed to snap her out of it before she destroyed the whole store.

"Lorraine! LORRAINE!"

This time his roaring voice was enough to startle her out of whatever trance she was in, and her eyes returned to their natural pigment before she slumped back into her chair, barely able to control her breathing. Her eyes were tightly clamped shut, as she tried to regain her composure.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

His bewildered words were enough to get her to open her eyes, and she could only look down in exhaustion.

"Shunned by the light…darkness we shall call her…"

His enhanced senses allowed him to hear the mumbled words, but yet again he couldn't quite make sense of them.

"Who?"

The old lady's gaze finally rose to meet his own, and he was surprised to see the fear in it.

"The one you need…the Claire witch." She swallowed dryly. "Find her, and you will destroy any chance your brother has at happiness."

Kol perked up at the words. There was a witch out there who could destroy Klaus? Who could destroy everything he had built and come to enjoy?

It was the first he had heard of it, but he'd take it.

"Where can I find her?" He knew how eager he sounded, but he couldn't care less. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"When the shadows seek the light, you will find her…at home."

His face crumpled in confusion, brows furrowing at the cryptic answer. What shadows? Did she mean the vampires? And at home? Was she referring to one of Klaus' witches? Perhaps she meant that he needed to turn one of Klaus' witches against him…

All he had to go on was a surname…Claire.

But things didn't go as planned.

He had been daggered eventually, and even with the Claire witch that he had managed to find, he hadn't even put a dent in Klaus' plans. He never found out that the shadows were ghosts, that she was the light, and that home…well, home was the bed that Marcel had laid her body to rest in when her powers had been returned to her.

Of course, it would only be 100 years later when he finally figured out that Mary-Alice wasn't the Claire witch that the old bat was talking about at all.

It would only be 100 years later that he finally realised that this witch, would tear Klaus apart…from the inside.

Kol stared down at the makeshift crib that the blonde human –Camille- had fashioned for the wide-eyed baby staring at him with a drool-covered fist in her mouth.

He smirked when she gave him a dimpled grin, accompanied by a joyful gurgle. It was good to know that she could still see him, even like this.

"Oh, darling…what am I going to do with you, hm?"


Alrighty! Please let me know what you think, especially about the baby-Addie thing haha! It was kind of an impulsive move to write that but I hope you like where it goes either way. The hardest thing was about the upcoming episodes was 'how do I get Addie out of the picture while Klaus is trying to kill her sis?' This is what I came up with, so hopefully it's not too bad :P Thanks for reading, and I'd like to apologise for the long wait again!