The street was long and narrow, long shadows being cast thanks to the only now rising sun. Rebekah led the way ahead of us, making sweeping gestures as she showed me all the places that she loved. Klaus kept close to me, his hard face a mask as he looked around, his arms twitching. When I turned back to look at something Rebekah had pointed out and I'd missed, Klaus's arms had wrapped around me and jerked me back into his body.

"I'm just looking at that shop." I hissed at him, jerking forward in an effort to release myself. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy. However, since I wasn't allowed to use magic here in New Orleans, I was forced to stay trapped in Klaus's arms. "Can't I even do that?"

His breathing was rough next to my ear.

"As long as you don't think of fleeing. I wish the witches could put the same curse on you as they put on Hailey. Then I wouldn't have to bloody panic every time you move."

He released me suddenly, taking two steps back with his entire body tense like he was getting ready for a shoot out, like he was in some Wild West film or something. But I knew he could be a lot more dangerous than that.

"Move along, you two." Rebekah called behind her. "We have a lot to do today."

Klaus's eyes locked on mine and held for a moment. It felt like we were locked in a furious battle and I was loosing. When I wasn't able to use my magic, I felt powerless. I was powerless. The only thing that stopped Klaus from killing me was his baby that was growing inside of me. It was the only thing that had saved Hailey and it was the only thing that was saving me.

Then, Klaus twisted around aggressively and stalked after his sister. I now had a choice. Granted, I wouldn't get far, but I could run now. He was giving me the chance. And I doubted he'd follow me if I did run. I looked down the road, towards the main road that led right out of this city, and then back at the road Klaus and Rebekah were still walking down.

I followed them.

-0-

"Rebekah, what do you think you're doing?" Klaus hissed at his sister as she dropped down into the dark tunnels that ran all under the city. I heard a slight splash and shuddered to think what was down there.

Rebekah, as usual, ignored him.

"Okay, its okay to jump down now. I've gotten rid of all the rats."

I glanced nervously around, but, when Klaus cocked an eyebrow challengingly at me, I realized I couldn't wiggle my way out of jumping. Slowly, I swung my legs into the hole and braced my hands against the pavement. I shifted slightly towards the edge so half of my bottom was hovering over the dark abyss.

"Are you coming?" Rebekah demanded from below.

"We're just waiting for the witch to jump." Klaus called down to her, still smirking at me.

"I have a name you know." I told him stiffly, but my mind was more focused on the jumping part of my challenge at the moment, and not the stupid, idiotic, mad father of my child.

"I'm know you do." He gestured towards the hole. "Now are you going to jump or am I going to push?"

I glared across at him, trying to put all my hate into words.

"You wouldn't push the mother of your unborn child into a dark, bottomless hole."

He shrugged, and the smirk seemed to widen.

"I have a feeling I would. Ask Hailey. I tried to strangle her. You aren't any different from her. And besides," He leaned forward with a hand reached out to me as if to push. "I know there is a bottom."

I moved away from him before he could push, and childishly stuck my tongue out at him. Then I looked down at the hole, squeezed my eyes shut, and felt myself drop down into it.

There was a brief moment when all I could feel was myself and the air, like I was apart of it, and in that moment I felt like I had my magic back and I could breathe easily for a moment. But then my body hit something solid and my entire movement stopped and that feeling danced away from me like a flighty pixie.

Rebekah set me on my feet and looked at me nervously, pushing her blonde hair away from her face.

"You're not going to throw up, are you?" She demanded of me. "Because I've seen pregnant women before. And they throw up."

I waited for a massive wave of nausea to hit me, and though there was a little twinge, I felt nothing else. I shook my head as I felt a whooshing behind me and a light thump as Klaus landed like a cat— on his feet.

"No," I told Rebekah, ignoring Klaus. "I'm not going to throw up."

Rebekah eyed me a bit more, seemed to believe me, gave a firm nod and turned around into the gloom. Only the sun from the hole above us was providing any sort of light, and I knew the further we ventured in there the less we could see. Obviously, that wouldn't be a problem for them, but without my magic, I was basically just a mortal. In the dark, these Original vampires could sneak up on me. They could bite me. They could murder me, and who would know down here? I shuddered as I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other, following Rebekah into the darkness.

-0-

I stumbled and reached my hand out towards the wall, feeling the cool, lightly damp bricks, chipped from age, and used them as a way to guide myself. I trusted Rebekah was still in front of me, as I was fairly sure I could see her silhouette just up ahead of me, but, then again, I could have been imagining things. When my foot caught on something and I stumbled again, I sighed in frustration. The thing I had tripped over, coincidentally, had squeaked.

"Rat?" I asked nobody in particular, my voice echoing around the tunnels, and both brother and sister made an amused agreeing noise.

"So, how far is it?" I asked, my hand still sticking to the brick walls in an attempt to stay on the right track.

"Not far now." Rebekah answered. "I guess you're going to stumble five more times before we actually get there, though."

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Great. Then I might fall and kill myself. That sounds like fun."

"I'd rather you didn't do that, luv." Klaus's voice suddenly sounded from behind me, and I squeaked as I stumbled again. He hadn't said anything for the fifteen minutes, I thought, we'd been down here and somewhere in the back of my mind I'd forgotten about him. "The most powerful witch dies in our presence whilst carrying my baby? That might not go well for anybody involved."

"Well, we don't know she's the most powerful witch." Rebekah started from the front, cutting me off when I might have said something. "Davina still might have that title."

I looked between them, not really seeing them but imagining them there anyway.

"Davina? Who's Davina?"

Klaus growled when he name was mentioned, and there was a pause as he tried to figure out what to tell me about this Davina.

"Hopefully, a witch you never have to meet. At least whilst you're..in the state you are in."

"For fuck sake!" I stumbled suddenly, and stopped still, trying to regain my balance. "Is that all you think about? My pregnancy? I hate to remind you, but I'm not just a walking incubator! I am a real person you know!"

"Oh, I know."

Suddenly, before I could make any sound, or protest or otherwise, I felt myself being scooped up into his arms and held close to his chest, his strong arms wrapped around me quite firmly. I tried to struggle but discovered I couldn't move and glared up at his face, which I could partly see now it was so close to mine.

"Let go, I can walk by myself!"

"You were taking too long, luv. And it makes me nervous having you out here, away from the house, in Marcel's territory."

Something soft in my heart gave way, and I looked up at him in wonder.

"You're worrying about my safety?"

"No." He answered shortly. "If he should find us, not only fraternising with a witch, but housing her because she's pregnant with my child, all our plans could be ruined and we could all be dead." On that note, he looked towards the shadow that seemed to be Rebekah. "Now, we can run. Take me to where we're going."

"I wanted to go home." I pointed out quietly, hurt by his words but I didn't know why. "Then you wouldn't have worried."

He ignored my words, staring straight ahead. We set off in a blurring motion down the tunnels. And, for some reason, I wanted to cry.

-0-

"Here we are!" Rebekah announced happily, as she stood with her hands on her hips in a courtyard of some kind. I struggled with the steps, pulling myself out of the tunnel with Klaus's hand on my back, pushing me upwards and into the sunlight.

"I don't like this, Rebekah." He growled, volting up the ladders and appearing next to me. "I don't like this at all. He already knows there's a werewolf in town— to tell him there's another witch? I don't like it. He'll get Davina to sense her powers, I know he will."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, running some fingers through my hair.

"Are you going to tell me who Davina is, or are you just enjoying being cryptic?" I snarked at him, moving forward to admire the courtyard. It was old, and I liked old things. I felt like I could draw my power from things long since past. Of course, I didn't need to, like the ancestral witches here did. I just enjoyed doing it.

"Oh, I'm very much enjoying being cryptic, luv." Klaus told me with a smirk.

I ignored him, continuing to step along the cobbles and turn on my heel to admire all that I could see. People were stopping to stare at us, a mixture of hate, awe and fear in their faces. Of course, I could sense these as being vampires. This was a vampire city, after all. They were staring at Klaus and Rebekah, and whilst both brother and sister seemed to be enjoying the attention, I couldn't help but notice both stepped closer to me. Klaus even slung his arm around my shoulders as if to claim me as his territory.

"It's beautiful." I breathed, still looking around, pretending I didn't see all the looks the vampires were exchanging.

"It is, isn't it?" Rebekah nodded with satisfaction, grinning from ear to ear. "I always loved it here. I was devastated when I thought it had burnt."

"Then, I'm glad to see you back!" Though I had sensed him approaching, it still made me shiver with some sort of creepy hate when I saw the gorgeous black man quickly take the stone steps down to where we were all standing.

The man, flanked by two other extremely pale vampires, strode across the courtyard with his hand outstretched towards us, and my instinctive reaction was to back away, my hand dropping protectively to my stomach. The two things that kept me still was my own realization that backing away would not help the situation, and Klaus's warm hand slipping to the small of my back.

"Klaus, my old friend." The black man, who I could only deduce as being Marcel, grinned brightly at Klaus, reaching forward to clasp Klaus's free hand in his own. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me, I haven't seen you in a while!"

"Forget you?" Klaus grinned, flashing his teeth, and shaking Marcel's hand with equal vigour. "Who could? I've just been a bit tied up with...family affairs."

You got that right. I thought, internally rolling my eyes as I forced my hand to move away from my stomach. I couldn't have Marcel knowing anything. There was a possibility he may even be more dangerous than Klaus.

Marcel turned to Rebekah and held his arms out wide.

"And Rebekah," He smiled, reaching forward to hug her.

I saw the choice in Rebekah's eyes. She could either embrace his hug, or side step it.

She side stepped it.

"Marcel." She greeted coolly. "I don't suppose you've finally snapped out of your idiotic mind and decided to give us our brother back?"

Marcel laughed, a care free laugh, like he didn't care about anything.

"No, I'm afraid not. But good try." And now he turned to me.

I kept my chin up and my eyes locked on his, trying to keep my confidence and not show him any fear. I doubted he could sense I was a witch, most vampires couldn't, but I was worried and nervous underneath my calm, confident exterior.

"And who, pray tell, is this?" Marcel smiled at me, grabbing my hand from where it was hanging limply by my side and lifting my knuckles to his lips. Though his skin was cold, the kiss was very warm and heated. It felt like he was snogging the back of my hand and it was all I could do not to pull away from him. I had to play to his game, or my baby and I would be killed.

"This is—" Klaus and Rebekah started, but I cut them off with a coy smile at him.

"My name is Kataleena. I'm from England." I told him, not sure where this confident person was coming from. Could pregnancy affect somebody's confidence too?

Marcel smiled against the back of my hand and gave me one final brush of his lips on the skin of my knuckles before releasing my hand.

"And how do you know my dear friends here?" He now gestured to Klaus and Rebekah in turn. "I didn't think either of them had been back to England in a while."

Was he presuming I was mortal? I didn't know.

"I came over here for a holiday." I told him quickly. Well, that was the truth, at least. "And I met them whilst I was here." And this was partly true too. I had met Klaus whilst on holiday to Mystic Falls. "We made a...connection." Yup, still true. "And they invited me here to see more of this beautiful city. I've always been fascinated by New Orleans."

Well, I had been fascinated by New Orleans, and it's magic past and its culture and history. I hadn't been invited, however. Nor had I arrived willingly.

Marcel glanced between us all, before looking pointedly between Klaus and I.

"And is there something...?" He implied with a smile, turning to give me his full attention.

I grinned at him, shaking my head.

"Oh, no. Nothing at all." I told him. Well, there wasn't. Not now anyway. Well, apart from a baby, but what was a baby between supernatural creatures?

When I glanced at Klaus, waiting for him to back up my story, all I could see was him frowning.

"Well, I wouldn't say that luv." He started, when, now, Rebekah cut him off.

"What Klaus means is all they really do is argue. I was in fact the one who invited Kataleena to New Orleans. Klaus knew nothing about it."

Marcel's eyes had never moved from mine, and I had forced myself to keep staring.

"Is that so?" He murmured interestedly. The vampires shifted by his side restlessly. "Well, I can't imagine why. You are a very beautiful young lady."

I now couldn't help the blush that rose to the very top of my hair line, and now I ducked my head. I knew I wasn't very beautiful. I was on the...abundant side, really. About to get more abundant as the months go by. My mind reminded me with a certain amount of dark humour.

"Thank you." I murmured nervously. Rebekah elbowed me in the ribs and I jerked my head up again to meet Marcel's gaze.

Suddenly, he clapped his hands and spun around to his vampire body guards, grinning at them.

"Well, then, if this is Miss Kataleena's first night in New Orleans, we best give her a night she will never forget, right boys?" He turned back to us, clearly very impulsive and excitable. I eyed him with suspicion. His words worried me. "You all must come to my party tonight. It's going to be a blast. It'll be a night to remember."

Of that I had no doubt. That was what worried me.

Klaus had his hand back on my body, seeming to be prepared to get us both out of there if we needed too.

"Oh, we couldn't impose on you like that." He started. "No, it's okay we'll just—"

"We'd love to come." Rebekah cut over him, with a toss of her blonde curls and a seductive smile. "I'm sure we'd love nothing better." She turned to look at me, her eyes glinting in the light. "Right, Kat?"

Okay, so the nickname she gave me threw me off course for a little bit, and I was too busy wondering why she'd given it to me that I didn't really comprehend what she was saying until I'd absent-mindedly agreed to it.

Klaus's jaw clenched as Rebekah turned back to Marcel, still with that big smile.

"So, it's settled then? We'll be here."

Marcel chuckled.

"I'm sure we'll all know the moment you arrive. You always knew how to make an entrance." He looked back at me, glancing at Klaus's now relaxed face before giving me an apologetic smile. "Now, I'm sorry to love you and leave ya, but we really do need to get going. Tourists need keeping in line, you know how it is. But I'll see you tonight, and undoubtedly we'll have some," Teasingly, he ran his eyes up and down my body. "Fun."

And then, he and his buddies sloped off into the sunshine filled town, not even looking back.

When they'd vanished from sigh and, no doubt, were no longer within hearing range, Klaus turned furiously on Rebekah.

"Why the fuck did you agree to that?" He hissed at her, right in her face. "That's a dangerous move, they could discover Katie's a witch and then we'd all be dead!"

There was that nickname again. What was it with Vampires and giving me nicknames.

But Rebekah just smiled up at him.

"Relax, big brother." She told him. "Trust me. Tonight's party is where all the fun's going to be, and I guarantee you'll want to be there when it goes down." She slid her eyes over to me. "It might even prove what value Kat is too us now."

I gulped. I really did not like the sound of that.