Bloodlines
Chapter 34: Farewell to Storyville
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.
"So, Audrey, I hear your Uncle Charlie is doing a lot better." Genevieve smiled before taking a sip of her drink. The pair were seated at the bar in the Ice Box, enjoying the atmosphere of a relaxing night; the band on the stage was playing a slow tune, coaxing the couples on the dance floor to rock back and forth in the comfort of their partner's embrace. It was times like these at the Ice Box that Audrey enjoyed the most. She wouldn't lie;she enjoyed a crazy party, but she craved the time of the night where things began to calm down. It was like the world around them didn't exist and there was just the usual crowd at the bar.
"You must be so relieved."
Audrey matched the redhead's smile, leaning her elbows up on the bar. "Yeah! Doctor says he can return to work in a few weeks."
"At the hardware store?" She joked amicably and her friend chuckled.
"The store and the bar, but the doctor doesn't know about the bar." She winked. "Although, knowing my Uncle Charlie, he probably invited the entire staff at the hospital down for a drink."
"You don't say?" Genevieve took another long sip of her drink. "Well, with Charlie back here, does that mean you won't be working here anymore?"
Audrey made a sour face and shook her head. "Nah, Uncle Charlie knows how much I love it here." God, she hoped her Uncle would let her stay and work. Hell, she'd work every day for free if it meant she could be at the Ice Box. "I couldn't stop working here. I'd miss it too much."
"You'd miss it or him too much?"
"Who?"
"Klaus." The redhead smirked knowingly and watched her friend sputter a bit. "I see how you two look at each other. You're in love with him and he is just starry-eyed over you."
Audrey's thin fingers curled around the base of her cup and her nails tapped against the glass anxiously. Her blue eyes lifted from her drink to the patrons in the bar and she managed to catch Klaus and Marcel engaged in conversation. She tilted her head, silently examining her lover from a distance and she couldn't help but blush at how handsome he was. Before she met him, she was a woman on her own with no plan or set path in life, but now something was different. She'd fallen in love with Klaus and she smiled inwardly knowing that he'd fallen for her as well.
"Of course I'd miss him." She turned her attention back to Genevieve who had been eagerly awaiting her reply. "But I don't think me not being at the Ice Box would keep him away."
"You two would find a way." Her friend agreed. "Even if it was in the storage room in the back."
The eyes of the Blood Witch suddenly grew wide as dinner plates and she choked on her drink. "What did you say?"
Genevieve's red lips turned upwards at the sides. "I was looking for you the other night and I wandered into the storage room because Vince said that you were taking inventory. Well, you were there and so was Klaus. Thank goodness the band was playing so loud because you were screaming."
"Oh God." Audrey palmed her face, her cheeks turning a bit red and she giggled girlishly. "You saw that? Gen, I'm sorry. We...he..."
The witch held up her hands, waving off the matter completely. "Please, I know how it is when a man just cannot control himself."
"Klaus is the prime example of that," Audrey continued to laugh and happened to look up feeling a pair of eyes on her. Klaus was now in tuned to their conversation and was no doubt listening to every word they were saying and enjoying it immensely.
"So, tell me. Is he...?" Genevieve's voice rose an octave, suggesting a hint on Klaus' prowess in the bedroom and Audrey's cheeks grew even redder when Klaus smirked at her from across the room.
"Genevieve!" Audrey batted her friend's arm. "I...I will not answer that."
"Oh, that good, is he?" The redhead winked at her friend before taking a sip of her drink.
The girls continued their chatter when suddenly, the door to the bar swung open and a scuffle of feet made Audrey rise up from her bar stool. The frantic voices of the other patrons reached her ears and she was now pushing her way to get up front.
"Easy does it!"
"Lay him down over there!"
"Get a doctor in here now!"
When she finally made it through, her icy gaze was looking upon Vince who was being carried in by Donovan and a few other of the men who worked for Charlie. Blood stained their clothes and they looked pretty beat up, but Vince was in far worse shape. A gaping bite wound adorned his neck and blood seeped into his white shirt. He was barely conscious, his lips moving slowly as if to mumble something, but no one could hear him over the commotion.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Audrey shrieked and rushed to Vince's side. "What the hell happened?"
Donovan immediately grabbed her upper arm and murmured something in her ear. She nodded to the cop before going back to Vince who was starting to come too. Donovan and the men who had brought Vince inside were now beginning to quickly escort patrons to the exits and Rebekah, Elijah and Klaus moved into their own places. They compelled each person as they got to the doors, making sure to erase the memory of Vince getting roughed up.
"Vince? It's me. It's Audrey." She told him softly, cupping his cheek. He coughed up a bit of blood and she took a handkerchief from the pocket of someone who was gathered around them to wipe his lips clean.
"Easy, you're okay." He looked up at her and mustered up one of his charming smiles. "What happened to you?"
"He came outta nowhere..." He groaned. "Took out a bunch of us."
"Who?"
"I...I didn't see his face. Knocked me out and the next thing I knew, Donovan was carrying me here." He said and frowned. "Audrey, I lost...I lost the shipment. I'm so sorry."
"God, Vince, I don't care about the shipment. You could have died." She took the handkerchief and pressed it to the wound. "You're gonna be alright. I promise." He winced, but tried to hide it by grinding his teeth and putting on a brave face.
"Audrey," Donovan took her by the arm gently and moved her away from Vince. The cop was also pretty beat up, but not in as bad a shape as Vince was.
"Donovan, what the hell happened tonight?" She asked him.
"Everything was going fine, but then we were attacked." He spoke and took up some ice cubes in a napkin, placing it against his swollen lip.
"Did you see them?"
"Them? No, just one of them."
"And?"
The cop popped his jaw into place, making Audrey shudder. "A vampire. No doubt in my mind. He was too fast to shoot at and he managed to get some shots on our side."
"Any survivors?" She wondered.
"All the rum runners are dead, but the guys from the Ice Box managed to stumble back alive. We're all pretty beat up," he told her.
Audrey's frown deepened and she looked around at the men who had come back from the failed deal. All of them look like they had a brush with death and were on their last legs. "We'll take them to the hospital."
Donovan stared back incredulously at her. "Are you out of your mind? The folks at the hospital are gonna ask questions, Audrey."
"They need help, Donovan. Help that I can't provide."
"Call Cliff,then; he's a doctor."
"To take care of all of these men?" She gestured to the lot of them that were nursing bite and bullet wounds. Many looked sickly pale and others were moaning in pain. "They need help and I'll be damned if I won't help them."
"Audrey—"
"Get the ones you can into the car. I'll take some and you can drive Vince's car." She ordered and the cop knew there was no way he could fight her on this. "If any of them are just a little banged up, they can stay behind and I'll call Cliff to come take care of them."
Donovan heaved a heavy sigh and took a cigarette from his pocket, clutching it in between his lips and lighting it up. "Fine. Let's get moving."
"I should have known," the witch murmured definitively while sitting perched in her nest of blankets and pillows up on her bed. Last night during a pleasant slumber, her subconscious was recalling a lot of her memories from the 1920s and she found herself blissfully reminiscing about her time spent there. While she was living, not a care was to be had, but shortly after Klaus had accepted Rebekah and Marcel as an item were when the problems began to occur. The memory of that deal going bad and people getting hurt immediately made her think of Mikael Mikaelson.
Of course; it all made sense. What better way to shake up your stepson by causing quite the public ruckus on the street? Yes, even though Donovan was on the police force, he was able to fabricate the events of what happened on that night to keep everyone covered. He played it off as a gang fight and the rest of the cops bought it quite easily since gang fights were a regular occurrence, especially in dark alleys. Everyone who had been hurt that night made a full recovery and it left Audrey wondering what had happened to her friends following her death. While she was on the Other Side, she could only observe what was going on in the physical word and had to watch as her friends weaved their own lives, grew old and ultimately died after living long, happy lives.
The reason for her resurrection was still unknown to her, but she vaguely remembered whispers of a child that was to be born of a hybrid father and werewolf mother. She hadn't believed it, even she knew the rules of the supernatural world, but those same whispers that were present on the Other Side were alive and well in the physical world. Audrey couldn't help but feel sorry for the expectant mother to have her child born into a family of psychopaths, but in her eyes, a child was a blessing. Perhaps the baby could actually bring some bit of wholeness to the Mikaelson family.
Audrey pushed aside her blankets and traipsed to the bathroom where she flicked on the shower and waited for the water to run hot. When steam billowed in the room and fogged up the mirrors, she stepped inside the stall and began her routine to prepare herself for a new day. While passing a washcloth over her body, she could feel the scars from ninety years ago etched into her skin. In some places the tissue felt numb and she wouldn't know that someone was touching her unless she saw them while other parts of her scars would be overly sensitive and would ache in pain if touched. She would preferably ignore prodding at the scars that caused her pain, because she would find herself reliving the memories of when her father would punch her skull in.
She never liked to talk about what happened to her as a young girl, but after leaving her home to the flames and starting her new life in New Orleans was just what she needed to renew her confidence and cleanse her soul. She became very comfortable with the people of the city and even cozier with the Original family of vampires soon after that. She only wished that she could have lived a full life rather than it being severed by the stake Mikael drove into her chest at the opera. Even after only meeting Mikael for a few moments, she felt her blood boil at how similar he was to her own father. Ruthless, manipulative, cruel, and unforgiving, Mikael was the reason why Klaus never trusted anyone—not even his own family.
Sometime later, she was seated at the table eating the breakfast she had prepared when a second set of footsteps descended the staircase. Audrey stabbed a strawberry with her fork and plopped the sweet fruit in her mouth while Genevieve took some leftover food from the skillets on the stove.
"Morning. How did you sleep?"
"Well enough. Considering I didn't have to look over my shoulder all night." The red head sat herself down at the table. She and Bastiana had been attacked by Rebekah and Marcel in an effort to bring back Davina. Bastiana perished in the fight, but Genevieve was able to escape with her life. She sought refuge from her good friend who was too happy to oblige. Whether or not they practiced the same magic, witches would typically help their own.
"Poor Bastiana." Audrey tutted. "Now there is a resurrected Harvest girl running around in New Orleans. Lovely."
"You should be happy that they weren't coming after you." Genevieve pushed the food on her plate around with her fork.
Audrey's eyes lifted from the bowl of strawberries in front of her and smirked knowingly at her friend. "See, if that were me in that situation, Marcel would have been dead before you could say—"
"Say what?" Marcel's voice made her turn herself in her chair while Genevieve shrunk in the corner.
"Oh hello, Marcel. We were just talking about you." The blood witch smirked widely. "All good things. I promise."
"I'm sure." The vampire scowled and Audrey tapped her foot impatiently against the floor.
"Can I help you?"
"Rebekah is in trouble," he stated.
"Hmm," she pursed her lips. "The very same Rebekah that plotted to kill my friend to bring back Davina?"
Marcel didn't reply. It was plan he had formed while he and Rebekah were on the run from Klaus. He figured that if he killed a Harvest witch, or all of the witches that had been resurrected, that it would increase his chance of bringing Davina back to life. They would then take Davina out of town so she could perform magic to hide them all from Klaus' wrath. Everything had worked up until the point where Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah were stuck in the Lafayette Cemetery and Davina's magic had run dry.
"Word on the street is, Davina's back. Ask her to help you." She rose from her seat and moved to stalk away, but Marcel vamped himself to stand in front of her, blocking her path.
"She can't. She suffered too much trauma on the Other Side." The vampire turned to the other witch. "That's why I need your help."
"The last time you wanted a meeting, I was almost killed," Genevieve finally spoke up.
"I learned my lesson; if you can't beat them, make them an offer. So, here's the deal. You help me right now, you have my word, and vampires stay out of the Cauldron, no more executions." Marcel hoped that the redheaded witch would take his offer.
"A nice start, but if you want my help lowering that spell, you're going to have to give us Davina Claire," she said.
Marcel's gaze hardened. "Haven't your people done enough to that girl?"
"You must know it's your fault she suffered in death. She was shunned by the ancestors because of her alliance with you, but all that's over. Now, we can welcome her home. She will be revered by her people and I will teach her how to control her power. Give her a home where she's safe; not surrounded by vampires." She implored. "Bring Davina to us and I'll find a way to break Celeste's spell. If not, well, let's just say that I won't be the one to mourn Rebekah."
"Actually, if you want to get technical, I was the one who put up the boundary spell in the cemetery." Audrey piped up, earning a glare from Marcel. "And I won't remove it until those three learn to talk."
"Talk?" Marcel raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. Talk. Like adults," she added. "All that family has done is stab one another in the back and quite frankly, it's grown very old, very quickly. It's gone on for centuries."
"And why do you care?" The vampire asked her. "Why do you concern yourself with their family drama?"
"Why do you?" Audrey countered smartly. "Marcel, you and I were both accepted into their family because they trusted us. Without them, we'd both be nothing but the dirt people walk upon. When Genevieve revealed to Klaus that you and Rebekah slithered behind his back, I swore I'd never seen someone so broken. You did that to him."
"I did it because Klaus wasn't going to let us live our lives," he justified.
"Oh, but he did. That night at the Ice Box where he publicly announced that all he wanted was happiness for you and his little sister." She saw the vampire shrink back a bit. "But by then you'd already summoned Mikael."
"Look, I tried to—" Audrey curled her hand at her side and Marcel bowed in pain. He clutched at his heart, groaning and moaning as he fell to his knees before the witch.
"Your efforts to call off the spell failed. You had no idea of the kind of monster you had released on this city." She flicked her hand and a fork from the table embedded itself into Marcel's chest. "Because of you, New Orleans nearly burned to the ground. Your city. Your home. My home."
Marcel slowly leaned up, placing his hand on the edge of the table to pull himself up. "I'm sorry—"
Another fork was now stabbed through the back of his hand, pinning it to the table and Audrey used her magic to twist both pieces of cutlery like screws into him. "Too late, Marcel. You're apologies mean nothing to me now." She crouched in front of him and took his chin in her hand, making him look up at her.
"That barrier will fall when I want it to fall and when it does, I only hope that I can watch as Klaus rips you limb from limb for what you've done to him." In a gust of wind, Marcel was thrown backwards, crashing into the wall and denting it. The vampire stumbled to his feet and vanished from her home in the blink of an eye, making Audrey grin to herself.
"Impressive." Genevieve applauded. "Although, I don't know how much talking those Originals will get done."
"Well, they'll have to if they want out. I say we take bets on who makes it out of that cemetery alive." She smirked.
"She, what?!" Giuliana's screech was so piercing that it made Marcel want to cover his ears.
"I know..."
"She's refusing to take down the boundary spell because she wants them to talk?! Who the hell does she think she is?"
"Apparently she thinks that this could help them," Marcel stated. "I don't know what else to do."
"Well, I'm a Blood Witch, so let me try to take the barrier down," she suggested.
Marcel looked pensively at her. "I don't think it's such a good idea, Giuliana. Audrey is a really powerful witch and I don't want her going after you."
"We don't have any other choice, Marcel. You want Rebekah out, I want Elijah out, and Klaus..." Her voice trailed off once she couldn't think of anyone who would want the Original hybrid out in the open. "Well, regardless, this whole thing is madness and should be stopped."
"Look, you guys, maybe that witch is right," Hayley murmured from her spot on the couch. Marcel and Giuliana both raised their eyebrows at her. "Maybe its better that they hash everything out. I can only imagine the family drama that builds up over a thousand years."
Giuliana rubbed her eyes thoughtfully and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Here is the thing; Elijah would hash it out, Rebekah wants to ride off into the sunset with Marcel, and Klaus wants to kill his sister and her vampire lover. Those three all have their own ideas on what they should be talking about."
"But maybe this can work. They know that they can't go anywhere," Hayley said.
"Klaus has both the white oak stake and Papa Tunde's blade. That means one of them is making it out alive while one burns and the other is put into a state of agonizing pain." She fought and the expectant mother rubbed over her stomach. "You two can bang your heads together about this, but I'm actually going to do something to fix this." Giuliana shook her head and stormed out of the room, leaving Hayley and Marcel to talk amongst themselves. She slammed the door to her room in the compound closed and rifled through the chest where she kept the books she'd found on Blood Witches, hoping that she'd stumble upon a page that mentioned something about a boundary spell.
Her ears picked up the faint whispers of Marcel and Hayley talking downstairs about a plan, but the Blood Witch knew that this was something she had to do on her own. She didn't care who she had to go up against, she just wanted Elijah home. Flicking through the pages, her search had led her to a spell that could possibly help things, so she took out her phone and dialed the one person she wanted to hear from the most.
"Giuliana." Just hearing Elijah's voice was enough to comfort her.
"Elijah, please tell me that you're alright. How are you holding up?" She asked him worriedly.
"Rebekah and I are getting nowhere with Niklaus. He is too blinded by his rage to see his sister as anything more than a traitor." His reply didn't bring her any ease, but she hoped that what she had to tell him would.
"Just keep yourselves alive. I'm looking for a way to get you guys out of there." She propped the book in her lap. "I'm going to try to break the spell."
"If you do that, then Klaus will be free as well."
"Maybe I can just lower it so that you and Rebekah can sneak out." She said.
"And make Niklaus even angrier than he already is?"
"I'll take my chances." The brunette's nose wrinkled. "Audrey was the one who put the spell up. She said she wants the three of you to grow up and start acting like adults."
That remark made Elijah chuckle and Giuliana smiled a bit. "Even after all this time, she is still concerned about our family."
"Yeah, well, she's asking for trouble after putting this spell on the cemetery," she mumbled. "I'm going to try to break it."
"Your magic isn't strong enough, Giuliana." That cut her deep and she actually felt it stinging her. "I don't want you putting yourself in danger for Rebekah and myself. We are Originals, we can handle our brother."
Giuliana gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed with his belief in her. "You know what, Elijah? I'm trying to help you out because I'm the only one who can. Davina is back, but she is out of commission. I'm your only hope on getting out of that cemetery, so if you want out, I suggest you stop acting like a jerk."
"I trust you. You know that. I am more concerned about you getting hurt." He defended.
"Don't worry about me. I can handle myself." She spat and hang up on him quite angrily. Tossing her phone on the bed, she went back to the spell and figuring out how she could drop the barrier.
Elijah frowned to himself hearing the mocking sound of the dial tone in his ear and he looked to his little sister who was standing across from him with her mouth agape. The two siblings had hidden themselves away from Klaus' wrath by ducking inside a mausoleum and waiting it out while their brother stomped around outside. It was now morning and their fears were growing larger at the thought that no one was coming to help them.
"She hung up on me," he finally spoke after a few moments of silence. Those words sounded even harder to vocalize than when Giuliana eliminated his doubting presence by pushing a single button.
"Great," Rebekah huffed. "Now what do we do?" She was pacing nervously inside her temporary prison. The blonde Original suddenly whirled on her older brother. "Why did you have to do that?"
His eyebrow rose up a bit. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about."
"Why did you doubt Giuliana's magic? She's probably the only one who can get us out of here and you basically tell her she can't help us." She ranted.
"Giuliana's magic is not as strong as Audrey's. She recently learned of her powers and has not had enough time to train." He explained to her. "If she challenges Audrey, there is a chance that she will lose her powers or possibly die."
"She is a lot stronger than you think. I wish you had a little more faith in her," she said and Elijah was silenced. He did have faith in Giuliana and he did trust her, but the fear of her getting caught in the crossfire was emerging like a giant black cloud. "I know you love her, Elijah, but please let her try." Her voice wavered, she was practically begging at her brother's feet.
His eyes softened at his sister's pleading gaze and he took her hands in his. "I will fix this, Rebekah. I will make certain that we escape this."
"Thank you." She squeezed his hands tightly and looked up at him. She'd taken notice to the fact that Elijah hadn't said a word about what she had said concerning his love for Giuliana, but she knew that her brother was not the type to openly talk of love. Perhaps his memories of Celeste's death were making him rethink things, but Rebekah could see how he looked at Giuliana and there was no doubt in her mind that he loved her.
"Rebekah!" Klaus' taunting voice shattered their tender moment and Elijah moved away from his sister to draw closer to the entrance of the mausoleum. He peered out the stained glass window on the door and could see his brother searching the grounds of the cemetery, the white oak stake in one hand and Papa Tunde's blade in the other.
The Original looked back to his little sister. "You must leave and find another place to hide. I will lead him as far away from you as possible."
"No! I refuse to leave you alone with Klaus. It's me that he's after, so let him come for me."
"Sister, please. You must—" His argument was foiled by the door being kicked in and it was now hanging off its hinges. Klaus stood in the doorway, his amber eyes glowing dimly.
"You're time has come, dear sister." He growled at her and lunged for Rebekah, but he was met with Elijah's shoulder butting him in the chest. Both men tumbled out into the cemetery with Rebekah close behind them and they wrestled one another for the weapons that Klaus possessed. The hybrid shoved his brother off him and scowled when he stood in front of their little sister.
"Walk away, Niklaus." Elijah held a hand out.
"Step aside, Elijah." Klaus pointed the white oak stake in his direction. "I refuse to have that traitor spend another day on this earth." He spat at Rebekah who was hiding behind her brother.
"And I refuse to have you harm our little sister. I will give you one last chance to surrender your weapons and walk away from this." Just as Klaus charged forward, he was stopped by an unseen force and he roared out loudly. His body bowed and he fell to his knees, writhing and growling. Pain etched across his features and Elijah and Rebekah took their chance to run.
Giuliana's green eyes snapped open at the sound of Klaus' screams and peered through the bars of the cemetery to see him vomiting blood onto the ground. She was thankful that the compound wasn't far from the cemetery and that she was able to sneak out of her window to avoid Hayley and Marcel's questions. Her magic was able to disable Klaus quite effectively and she was bubbling with uncertainty as she readied herself to attempt to break the barrier spell that Audrey had put up. Reaching inside her bag, she took out the book she was reading over earlier and a sharp knife she'd kept in her room just in case. Sitting cross-legged, she opened up the book to the page she had folded and set it in her lap.
She took up the knife and held her hand palm up. She gently dragged the very point of the knife along her olive skin, following the life lines in her hands. In one movement, she slashed her palm quickly and winced to herself as deep, red blood seeped out of the wound. She did the same to the other hand so that each palm was bleeding freely. She held her now closed fist over the book and let some droplets dribble onto the page. Her green eyes scanned over the words one final time before closing her eyes and chanting them aloud.
Ex potestate, ne venit. (From blood, comes power.)
Da mihi virtutem frangere murum. (Grant me strength to break the wall.)
Adiuva me, tendentes vectes. (Help me bend the prison bars.)
Extending her hands forward, she placed them on the barrier and she felt her hands tingling as she continued to chant. The blood crawled along and up the invisible wall, spreading itself thinly over the surface. Where the ribbons of blood seeped into the wall, it began to thin itself out as if the blood was eating away at the barrier. Giuliana could feel her power churning inside her and peeking an eye open, she grinned widely seeing the barrier crumbling. It would only be a matter of time before the Originals would be freed. Granted, she'd have to seal Klaus inside before he could get out, but she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.
"Elijah!" She called, hoping that in the midst of his running that he'd hear her and run for the barrier, but someone else had unexpectedly joined her. It started as a tingle in the back of her brain which then quickly escalated to a searing pain that made her let go of the barrier and clutch her head. In dismay, she watched the holes in the wall seal up and her blood dribbled onto the cobblestones.
"Let me guess," Audrey slowly sauntered forward, keeping her magic trained on the young witch. "Marcel sent you to save his one true love?" Giuliana couldn't answer; all she could do was claw her scalp as the sensation of pain crippled her. "Hmm, or you came to save your own?"
"S-Stop..." She finally mumbled.
"I have them in there for a reason," she stated. "And unless you want them running amuck throughout the streets of New Orleans, I suggest you leave them where they are."
Giuliana's fingers curled around a large rock and using all of her strength, she hurled it at Audrey. The witch glared at the projectile and it liquefied to blood before forming a puddle on the ground. Audrey then waved her hand, making Giuliana flew backwards into the barrier and pinned her there. The two women struggled with one another, each trying to force their powers on the other.
"You've been practicing, I see." Audrey grinned at the weaker witch.
"Well, when a crazy witch drowns you in a bathtub, you start to catch on that you're low on the food chain." Giuliana pushed Audrey off her and kicked her in the shin. "I bet Celeste's little send off came right from you."
Audrey looked up at the woman through squinted eyes. "On the contrary, Celeste did that all on her own." She swung her legs, knocking into Giuliana's ankles and she too fell on the ground. "I'm glad Elijah finally killed that crazy bitch."
"Yeah, right. So you're gonna tell me that you didn't have me killed to absorb my powers? That's a laugh." She grumbled and tried to get to her feet, but Audrey pounced on her. She pinned her down to the ground and wrapped her hands around her throat.
"Let's make one thing perfectly clear, Giuliana. If I wanted your powers, I would have killed you myself."
Giuliana wrapped her own hands around Audrey's trying to alleviate the pressure there but that only made Audrey dig her nails harder into her skin. She clenched her teeth as she struggled to breathe. "So do it then."
Audrey chuckled to herself watching the witch attempt to wrestle with her, but she had to give credit where credit was due. Giuliana certainly didn't go down without a fight. She leaned down so the two of them were face to face and Giuliana prepared for the worst of her magic, but what came out of Audrey's mouth was enough to shock her.
"I don't want to kill you." She spoke softly, making Giuliana stop her fighting. "There are bigger problems to worry about than the two of us fighting over power."
Sensing that Audrey's grip had loosened and she stepped off her, Giuliana moved to get to her feet and was surprised to see Audrey's hand extended to help her up. She hesitantly took it and was pulled up to stand, eyeing Audrey cautiously.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" She wondered.
"It's never been about you, Giuliana," Audrey stated. "The way I see it, a war will be waged over the birth of that miracle baby and I'd rather be on the right side."
"So, you want to just help us now? Is that it?"
"I'm sure you know my history with the Mikaelson family, but even if you don't, I'll have you know that I grew to love them very much. They became my family when I came here with nothing but the clothes on my back. I believe that I was brought back, not because of the Harvest, but because I was given a chance to help them. And I'll be damned if I don't take it."
Giuliana stood in silence for a few long moments, pondering the idea that she didn't really know who Audrey was as a person or her history with the Mikaelsons. Perhaps by letting her in, she'd learn that there was more to her.
"I can train you." That offer struck the young witch quite well. "You're magic will become stifled if you aren't trained properly and I want to help you. The choice is yours." The young witch didn't know which side to take. Should she offer her trust to a woman she barely knew? Or should she take a chance and learn more about her magic? She was torn and unsure of what to do.
"I'll give you time to think, but my offer still stands," Audrey finally said and extended her hands towards the barrier. A gust of wind blew over the cemetery, rustling the leaves in the trees and Giuliana's hair before slowing down and stopping. The barrier was falling just as the sun was beginning to fall in the sky. Giuliana pulled her jacket tighter around her body and looked over her shoulder to thank the Blood Witch, but she was gone. Taking a few wary steps forward, she pushed the gates of the cemetery open and they creaked loudly. She spoke her thanks to the winds and inhaled deeply before walking inside the cemetery.
"You're still weak," Giuliana murmured under her breath to Elijah who had recently woken up from the slumber that was forced upon him from Papa Tunde's blade. He remembered being stabbed by Klaus in the cemetery and then...pain. His body was crippled by it and he experienced a sensation of agony that he never knew that he could feel. He prodded the area where the blade had entered him with his fingertips, wincing at the slight twinge along his now healed skin. His eyes lifted to see Giuliana rubbing her bloodied hands with a towel, making sure to clean in between her fingers and under the nails.
"You removed the blade?" He asked her.
"I had to. Klaus wanted to make you suffer just a bit longer, but I wouldn't have it." She replied and began wiping down a butcher knife she had undoubtedly used to reopen the wound and pull the fatal blade from its resting place.
"How did I get here?" He wondered.
"You ask a lot of questions." She rolled her eyes and the Original picked up on her attitude. "I carried you here. I told you, Elijah. I can handle myself."
Their rough conversation from earlier struck a chord with him and he rose from his place on the bed. He knew that he'd dug himself into a hole by insulting her, but it was not his intention. Now he had to make the situation right and admit his faults. He walked to stand beside her and gently grasped the hands that held the sharp knife that had just torn through his chest.
"If at any point today, I made you doubt yourself, I am sorry." His words flowed from his lips like a sweet honey that seemed to melt her from the inside out, but she wouldn't let him see that.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to piss off a woman with a knife in her hands?" Her green eyes flicked up to meet his and she caught the ghost of a smirk just leaving him. With skill and precision, he very careful removed the knife from the grip of her fingers and placed it on the end table. With her hands now free, he took them and pondered how small and delicate they looked nestled inside his strong ones.
"My mother has taught me a lot of things, but one lesson that always stuck was to apologize for when I was wrong," he continued, running his thumbs along the backs of her hands. He noticed that she was no longer looking at him; she too had become mesmerized at their joined hands. Elijah then took her chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting her head so their gazes met and for a split second, he saw her guard drop.
"I am sorry, Giuliana. What I said was out of line and I ask for your forgiveness."
"You doubted my magic and you didn't have faith in me." His heart clenched hearing her say that. "You hurt me today."
Elijah visibly frowned, worry lines creases his handsome face. "I know that I did, but please understand that I did not want any harm to come to you. If something was to happen to you, I don't know what I would have done."
"You can't keep me away from danger, Elijah," she said. "Danger is all around us in New Orleans. I knew the choices I made by coming here with you and I fully accepted them."
"But if I can protect you in any way that I can, I shall." He leaned in closer, the tips of their noses just barely brushing up against one another. "I won't lose you, Giuliana."
"I'm not yours to lose, Elijah." Hearing her speak those words slashed him deeply. "I understand you want to keep me safe, but let me fight my own battles." She stood quite abruptly, detaching herself from his hold and he could immediately feel her warmth disappear. With one last longing look, she exited the room, leaving Elijah alone with his thoughts and an uneasy pain in his chest.
Klaus pushed the doors to his balcony open, letting the crisp night air wash over him. He leaned against the metal railing, staring out over the compound and the kingdom that was now his. Thanks to some assistance from Elijah, the privileges of the Quarter vampires had been revoked, forcing them out of the compound. Marcel had been exiled, thereby thwarting his attempts to try and take his city back. Klaus knew that Marcel and the Quarter vampires wouldn't stay away long, but he made his point clear by warning them to step cautiously. He guessed that Marcel would spend his last few moments in the Quarter with Rebekah before she left New Orleans for good since she was now free to do as she wished. It was hard for Klaus to forgive and let his little sister go, but he knew that she would be happiest if she were free to do as she pleased.
In the distance, he heard someone moving about inside his room, but he was not alarmed by it at all. He knew that if it was a threat, they'd be dead before they took another step. Perhaps the Quarter vampires had come for him? Or maybe Marcel had come to grovel at his feet? Either way, Klaus wouldn't stand for their nonsense.
"You handled those vampires like a true king." The presence of the person in his room was now at his right shoulder, the voice lingering in his ear. He turned his head just so to see Audrey leaning her back against the metal railing, bracing her hands behind her and grinning regally at him.
He should be angry with her. After all, it was her fault that he was trapped in the cemetery with his brother and sister. She was the one who caused him pain listening to his siblings argue. But in all fairness, because of her spell, he and his siblings had grown even closer together. Her magic helped them to mend the bonds of family that were torn by betrayal and doubt. Because of her, he and Elijah were able to banish Marcel and his vampires without so much as throwing a single punch.
His silence baffled her, so she jutted one hip out and smirked at him. "Well, if you're going to continue to stare, take a picture. It'll last longer." She eased herself off the railing and sauntered past him into his room, feeling his eyes trained on her the entire time. She removed her coat and placed it over the back of an armchair, revealing her tight black ensemble underneath.
"Or the least you could do is draw me," she added coyly and kicked off her heels.
Making herself at home, she opened up his liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of red wine along with two long stemmed glasses. She set the glasses down and began pouring them when she felt Klaus behind her. He took her upper arms in his tight grip and yanked her body back to press against his. Audrey tensed up, knowing of the damage that he could do but she knew wholeheartedly that he would never lay his hands on a woman to hurt her. She could feel the stubble on his chin against her jaw line and the vibrating of his body when he growled in her ear.
"I should kill you for that stunt you pulled at the cemetery today." His breath was hot on her skin.
"But you won't," she practically whispered. "You know that you walked out of that cemetery today with your family and your pride intact, so as angry as you are with me, you won't kill me."
"That's a charming answer." He mocked. "I can't help but wonder why you put the spell up. You told Marcel and Giuliana that it was because you wanted my siblings to discuss our problems, but I can't help but think there is more to it."
"No need to wonder." She chuckled under her breath. "You could have just asked me."
Klaus whipped her around and her body was pinned to the wall by the balcony. She hadn't aged a day since the last time they saw each other back in the twenties. Granted, he saw her with Genevieve, but he was incapacitated by Papa Tunde's blade that they could have been a mere delusion of his twisted mind. Modernity suited her very well, but a piece of him missed the short, tight dresses that she would traipse around in.
"Talk," he commanded.
Audrey stared back into his eyes that were so much like her own, realizing how much she had missed them. "Your child deserves a family that is whole. Not like the ones we were born into."
It took a few moments to sink in, but he knew that she was right. They had both come from the most broken families and were completely changed because of them. For his entire eternity, he swore to himself that he would not be like his father and when Hayley had become pregnant with child, he kept that promise even closer to his chest. He knew of Audrey's past as well and she had said on multiple occasions that she would never end up in a marriage like her mother's. They both had their promises to keep.
"She should know her family, no matter how crazy they are." She added with a friendly smile and Klaus moved back from her. "You know that as Hayley's due date approaches, your child gains more enemies; I want to help keep her safe."
"That's a tempting offer, love." He handed her one of the glasses she had poured for them. "But I'm guessing you'll want something in return."
The Blood Witch took a long sip and shook her head. "No, I don't want anything, just your trust."
"And you expect me to just give it to you?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No," she placed the wine glass down and began to unbutton her shirt, making Klaus nearly choke on a big gulp of wine. "But you and I both know the lengths I would go to for the people I love."
Only the first few buttons had come undone, but she pulled the sides of her shirt open to reveal a large scar just over her heart. It was where the white oak stake had pierced her skin the night Mikael stabbed her at the opera house. She willingly placed herself in harm's way knowing that if Klaus was staked that he would have died. The scar bared a striking resemblance to the silvery veins that wrapped around the stake. The entry point of the stake could be seen and veiny tissue had formed around it, spiraling outward from the center of the scar.
Klaus had set his own glass down and moved closer to her, all the while his eyes locked on the scar. His hand reached up to gently pull aside the fabric of her shirt a little bit more while he ran his fingertips against the raised tissue with the other hand. Her sacrifice for him all those years ago and she had to be reminded of it every day of the rest of her life. He'd never met anyone who loved so fiercely as Audrey and who would put her life on the line for him. Before her, he never knew that kind of love.
The simmering fire from the fireplace was slowly dimming, casting dark shadows upon their faces which were growing closer until they finally touched. His hands found her waist which was still covered by her shirt and he pulled her closer to him. Kissing her now brought him back in time to when they'd steal kisses at the Ice Box or make love in his bed till the morning hours. Audrey melted into him, kissing him back and placing her hands on his chest. Perhaps this would be the start of a new alliance between them, but emotions long buried were beginning to rise to the surface.
Well, well, well. Things are taking an interesting turn in New Orleans ;) Elijah and Giuliana are on the outs, Audrey has offered to train Giuliana, and Klaus and Audrey have rekindled their romance. But how long will it last? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this chapter and I hope that you had a wonderful holiday for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving.
Leila: Thanks so much for reviewing! Cassandra is between the 5-6 month mark of her pregnancy.
Guest: Hmm, well flashbacks for TVD or TO? There is a possibility for flashbacks, but I can't be completely certain. Thank you for reviewing!
Shining Ruby: Oh, please don't be sorry! I know how life can get hectic and crazy, but I am so happy to hear from you again :) I am glad that Damon and Cassandra aren't infected with the ripper virus anymore either! Yeah, that first scene with Cassandra and Stefan was funny. There will be more updates about the baby as the story goes on, so I am excited for that! Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope to hear from you soon :)
Guest: Hello there! Which story are you referring to? I know that I haven't been updating my other stories as much as this one, but I am working on them :)
elisesellas: Thank you so much for reviewing, girl! Oh gosh, I don't like to read smut pieces in public because I think that people are staring at me LOL! Elijah and Giuliana will have their time, don't you worry ;) The baby will certainly inherit characteristics from both mom and dad. So glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and that you liked this one as well!
SomebodyWhoCares: Yeeeaaahhh, it's coming to the end. I know, it makes me sad too :( But just think, I get to start writing on seasons 2 and 6 ;)
NicoleR85: Thanks for reviewing, girl!
Guest: You'll have to wonder what Damon was saying to his daughter lol! Damon has a very cute way about him and I like to write that. I can't wait when his daughter is born - can you imagine how cute he'll be with her?! Thank you for reviewing!
Lostgirllove: Thank you for reviewing, you fabulous person! So glad you liked reading this chapter! Yeah, Damon and Cassandra are back!
binks13: I have been keeping up with both seasons and have been taking notes on how I will write the chapters when the time is right :) Enzo is an awesome character, however Cassandra doesn't like him too much because of what he and Damon did. The banter between them is so fun to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for reviewing as always xoxo
Guest: Thank you! Here's your update!
Guest: Hehe, Damon might be telling his daughter that. I'll leave it up to your imagination :) Thank you for reviewing!
Gues: Thanks for reviewing! Well, this child is something they have wanted since they have been together. I think that they have wanted a family even when they were humans back in the 1800s. So, this could possibly be one of the best things that ever happened to them.