Chapter 37
After her talk with Ayana, the original witch should have known the Bennett line was up to something. Ayana had walked away; one moment, the blonde was looking down at her family, then she briefly closed her eyes. The next moment Esther opened her eyes and found herself in the plantation home that her children had taken as their temporary home. The witch felt a flare of irritation well up inside at the sight of the old plantation.
Irritated at the Bennett line's interference, Esther murmured, "impatient much, my friend?" The witch could hear the cackling on the other side. Esther internally rolled her eyes at the flicker of emotion that rushed through her human body, keeping the connection to the other side intact.
"Fine. Never knew you to be so much of an active player Ayana," Esther murmured to herself. The matriarch smirked at the anger that rushed to the back of her mind. Suited the interfering witch just fine, Esther thought.
Momentarily halting her passage towards the house, the witch took a centering breath. Esther took a step into the hallway where she could see her eldest child walking with that redheaded vampire of his. The harlot was touching her eldest son freely with no sense of proper etiquette. Esther's nose twitched; the woman was too strong-headed for her son. Finn had always been a gentle soul, needing a soft hand to guide him.
"Finn, where are your siblings? We need to talk."
The two vampires paused in their stride. Finn's eyes widened as his enhanced eyesight spotted her far more quickly than that of a typical human. The witch ached at the painful "mother," he whispered. Had she strayed so far? The red-haired beauty stared at the long-haired witch; Sage placed a hand on his arm that brought Finn back to the present. Sage allowed her eyes to turn towards a closed door.
"I'm not here for Niklaus's girlfriend. I've already spoken to Caroline. I'm here to speak to my children. Alone," Her blue eyes that matched her middle child narrowed at the redhead. Despite her best efforts' memories of a time where she was the first woman in Finn's life flashed through her mind.
Sage didn't like the way Finn's back straightened as if trying to make himself appear taller. She sneered at the witch, " Esther, your children don't want to speak with you."
The Original witch kept her eyes on her son, her voice barely rising above her average pitch; "They will if they wish to save the first-born and every future first-born of our family."
"Sage go collect my siblings," Finn demanded quietly.
Sage looked over at Esther Mikaelson's distrust all over her face, "are you sure? I'm sure they already know."
"Sage is right, brother. We could smell sulfur from a mile away" Niklaus's voice filled the hall. The hybrid's tone would have seemed jolly except for the hardness in his eyes. Both women noticed how Finn relaxed slightly as his younger brother stepped into place beside him. Esther looked at the two with a flicker of pride showing in her eyes. Her children were no longer children now. Not that she could have called them children for a thousand years. To Sage, it was another physical sign that this time, the originals seemed to be changing.
"Can't say it's a pleasure to see you, Mother" Niklaus's tone held no apology. Sage's mouth tilted up a smidge. Okay, so maybe the changes were small.
"You always were one for dramatics," Esther's gaze warmed at the sight of her children, "it's good to see you, Niklaus."
"Mother, here I thought you were dead. We had a party and everything" Kol walked into the hall soon flocked by the rest of his siblings.
"No need to be rude, Kol," Elijah scolded. "Just because we have an unwanted guest."
Esther's body stiffened at the harsh welcome she had received. While logically, she understood where their heads were. The last time they had seen each other, she had tried to kill them. A mild sense of righteousness filled her; it had been the only option she has been able to see at the time. It was before Caroline had entered their lives, truly in their lives.
Before, Niklaus had shown the capability of loving without so much destruction in his wake. "At least listen to what I have to say," Esther tried again, looking towards Elijah. "Elijah, I know you. You would do anything to protect this family. I'm sure even Caroline has spoken about a danger coming to the newest members of our family."
Niklaus's eyes narrowed, "you've spoken with Caroline?"
"She's still in one piece, is she not?" Esther defended herself. "I'm here to help you, not end you."
"Niklaus," Elijah voiced his opinion, his eyes holding a calculating edge, "perhaps we should listen. Think of it as a negotiation."
Kol chuckled gleefully, "Llijah, I think your forgetting Niklaus does not know what the word negotiate means."
A feminine voice could be heard from down the hall, "Neither do you, Kol."
"Rebekah, my darling girl," Esther smiled brightly at her youngest.
"Shut up, you old hag," Rebekah's nose twitched, "you just tried to kill us a few months ago."
Kol shrugged, "What's a little murder between family?"
Elijah's hand went to his forehead, a sign of a migraine beginning to form. His only saving grace being that his enhanced healing would allow the migraine to pass without any effect on him at all. "Let's convene in Niklaus's office."
"Don't want yours smashed to pieces, brother?" Kol teased.
"You can't hide the bat behind your back forever, Kol" Elijah nodded towards Kol, who held his bat behind his back. Rebekah and Niklaus openly smirked at the youngest Mikaelson before the hybrid offered his arm to his sister. Rebekah smiled genuinely at her favorite siblings allowing Niklaus to lead the way towards Elijah's office. Kol brought the bat from behind his back sighing as he gave himself a few swats of the hand.
"What does a man need to do to earn a little appreciation around here?" He asked following his siblings very much like a lost puppy. Leaving the eldest Mikaelson with their mother.
"The office is this way, Mother," Finn said, stiffly offering his arm to the woman. Esther gingerly took her eldest's elbow.
"Does no one in this family get me?" They heard Kol whine as they watched Esther's youngest son chase after his siblings. The young man quickly matched pace with the others once it became clear that no one was listening to him. That didn't stop him from pouting the entire time occasionally looking back over to see Finn looking like he would rather be anywhere else.
"Dearest Finn, I realize escorting Mother is the worst job imaginable but she looks much nicer than Sage-! OW Elijah!" Kol cried out rubbing the spot on his head where Elijah had swat at him on the head as the noble original allowed others' entry into his domain.
XX
Down in the French Quarter, the witches mingled with their human counterparts, avoiding Marcel's minions. One witch made her way quickly towards her place of employment, paying close attention to the vampire minions on the streets. Sophie promptly made her way towards the back room, knowing that her sister waited for her. The black-haired witch looked at her older sister, standing over the chalk drawing and various supplies on the ground. Sophie had never before been grateful when her older sister listened to her for once.
She just wished that her sister wouldn't risk her life.
"Jane-Anne," Sophie Deveraux called softly.
Opening her eyes, the elder Deveraux, Jane-Anne, turned towards her younger sister. Sophie winced at the determined look in the woman's eyes. It was just a sense of knowing that overwhelmed her—watching her sister's suffering over the terrible loss of her daughter for the harvest only for the entire ceremony to backfire. Marcel had walked into their ceremony stolen their fourth harvest girl, ultimately keeping the other three asleep.
Only Sophie was unsure if her coven was right. They practiced ancestral magic. It was meant to be a sacrifice. Did they have to kill the girls? Could a prick not suffice? That's what they had told the girls to calm them. Because of that lie, now their fourth harvest girl was in hiding. Marcel, of all people, was hiding her.
Now not only is Marcel a self-made king. He had the power to control the witches. Sophie watched as Jane-Anne's dark eyes fluttered close. The witch rushed towards Jane-Anne, who held her stomach when Jane's gift activated once again. There were signs for the past few weeks, but when it came to her gift, one never knew if it would become significant. Now it was official; the witches knew the Originals were back in town, bringing with them a human.
A human who Jane-Anne Deveraux knew was pregnant. An opportunity they could not pass up. Her younger sister, Sophie, looked up, "I can't believe you are going to perform the confirmation spell. Marcel will kill you."
"This is our chance," Jane-Anne insisted, thinking about her daughter, who would never come back to her unless they are able to complete the Harvest ritual.
"I miss her too, sis," Sophie murmured, "but risking your life to confirm this pregnancy? You heard the others. Rebekah Mikaelson was seen with the human entering the hospital. What if they already know?"
"The girl's a few months along. She's barely of age. I doubt she even understands she is pregnant."
"Marcel has Davina. He is going to know," Sophie hissed, "the girl was in the hospital. Wouldn't it be simpler to go to the hospital?"
Jane-Anne sighed, "They took my daughter, Sophie. I have to do everything I can. The spell will also link you and the girl. They will have to help us."
"Or, you know, kill us."
Jane-Anne waved her hand, and a fire soared to life. Opening her palm, Jane-Anne found a bottle of blood with the hospital logo on it. Jane-Anne rolled her eyes, "I couldn't get my hands in the girl, but a coven member managed to swipe this. Apparently, the Mikaelson's have decided to buy a hospital."
"Jane," Sophie pleaded, "Marcel will kill you. Why can't we just go to them?"
"Since when have vampires helped witches? Besides, who do you think they will side with? Klaus Mikaelson turned Marcel. He uses that against the others as if that protects him. He has enough power; no one would contradict him. Until now…the Mikaelson's care for this girl connects the two of you, and our problems are solved, Sophie."
Sensing that she had won, Jane-Anne stood over the small circle she had created. Sophie watched as her sister began the familiar chant. The witch opened the vial of blood and opened up her hand for Sophie to take. Hesitantly Sophie used a knife to open up her hand's palm, silently praying to the ancestors that this human woman had no disease. Wincing as the knife cut her skin allowed Jane-Anne to take it.
Jane-Anne continued to chant as the fire grew a quarter in size. Sophie closed her eyes as the magic bubbled up around them. Her sisters chanting continued when the witch felt it when the magic took hold. Taking a chance, Sophie opened her eyes; the fire was gone. Only her sister stood before her, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
"It worked."
Her sister's aura suddenly warmed—her entire being relaxed for the first time in months. Sophie felt the tears well in her eyes. Davina would have surely felt the magic, and sooner or later, Marcel and his gang would come for her.
"You know we will still need to get the girl," She told Jane-Anne.
"Well, it is lucky that the girl is caring for Klaus Mikaelson's children," Jane-Anne answered, eyes gleamingly a tinge of madness about her. The spell had told her far more than usual.
"Klaus, of course, he's-" Sophie shook her head.
"Nature's loophole and the human girl will find herself in need of supernatural gifts to help her through the pregnancy. Sooner or later, she will come, and that is when you will act. Promise me, Sophie," Jane-Anne grabbed her sister's hands.
"Jane-Anne." Sophie looked closely at her sister, who stared at her intently. They had no guess as to when Marcel will be alerted to Jane-Anne's spell. Jane-Anne's grip tightened the longer Sophie held back speaking. How could Jane expect her to be okay with this?
"Promise me, Soph," Jane pleaded, "don't let this be for nothing. Get Monique back."
"I promise," Sophie whispered.
Laughter could be heard outside. The backdoor slammed open, allowing Marcel and his gang entrance into the establishment. Marcel looked around the closed up shop before looking down, spying the magical items on the floor. His nostrils flared up.
"My my, what do I have here?"
"This is my restaurant Marcel," Sophie spat, standing in front of Jane-Anne as the vampires circled around them.
"I think someone has been doing magic. Now I don't believe I permitted you to do any more magic. You witches lost that privilege."
"Go to hell, Marcel," Jane-Anne spat, "this is all your fault. You interfered where you didn't belong."
Sophie knew immediately that was the wrong thing to say as Marcel's playful gaze turned to ice. "I have one rule that can never be broken. Any vampire that breaks it dies. Do you recall what that is?"
Sophie felt her throat close up, "you don't harm children."
XXX
Niklaus waited until Elijah closed the door before glancing over to the woman who birthed him. Esther Mikaelson was as solid as any of his siblings, truly back in the land of the living. For the first time since June, when Caroline had first transformed back into her human body, had Niklaus been grateful for it. Otherwise, she would be well within his mother's rage. As it were, as a human, the blonde's nosy tendencies and need to stand beside him could not potentially risk her very fragile life at the moment.
When would her ridiculous witch friend arrive? His mother's voice brought him back to reality with a simple sentence. "I'm sure you have many questions."
"We'll take turns," Elijah announced, interrupting the avalanche of questions on both Kol and Rebekah's lips. Niklaus smirked as both shut their mouths and glowered at their suited sibling.
"Very well," Esther let out with a tight smile, "Finn, you may go first."
The irritated way she stared at Finn as he immediately looked towards Elijah and Niklaus as his real superiors told of her annoyance. Finn, as his eldest sibling, used to bring a sense of awe to Niklaus. It quickly turned to a mixture of love and annoyance. Love for a sibling who helped distract their father and annoyance that Finn never actively stood up to either parent. Finn was the definition of a dutiful son. The complete opposite of himself.
When Elijah nodded, Finn voiced his question, "How are you here? I know you have no spells to reverse your death, mother."
"It's a temporary corporal spell allowing me to interact with the world of the living. The Bennett line wished to help their descendent."
"Bonnie," Kol interrupted, "her name is Bonnie."
"I'm here to inform you of a deal I made over a thousand years ago. She'll come to collect soon enough."
Niklaus's eyes narrowed, signaling for Elijah to question their mother next. Elijah turned to their mother cordially and said, "Tell us everything about this deal. What was it?"
"You have to understand that this was before you were born. I had just married Mikael a few years ago, but I had yet to become pregnant. So I turned to my sister-" Esther began only to be interrupted by Rebekah.
"You have a sister? Wouldn't she be dead? Unless you turned her into a bloody vampire too."
Esther smiled ruefully, "No. As you know, I am a witch, the village to which as I born held a few of us. My sister was the naturally talented one, so talented that she turned to dark magic."
"You made a deal to become pregnant," Finn whispered.
"For the ability to have children," Esther replied. " When she informed me I was barren, I knew that Mikael would never forgive me."
"The Vikings were progressive for their time. You could have had a surrogate," Elijah reminded their mother. He was silently keeping an eye on Niklaus, who had his forehead pressed into his hands.
"What was your price?" Niklaus demanded to know, "for your ability to have children. What terrible price did you agree to?"
"The price was my first-born, Freya," Esther whispered. The silence was deafening as the Mikaelson's processed what she told them. Kol licked his lips, "I know witches. You wouldn't be here if it were only Freya. Clearly, you allowed our bloody Aunt to take her."
"She tricked me. I had thought it was just for Freya. We could have more children, or I thought perhaps my sister would have mercy on us. She said that for that kind of magic to give life where there was one… every generation of Mikaelson's would have to pay."
"Every first born" Rebekah spat as Niklaus stood slamming his fist into Elijah's desk. The wooden desk crumbled into pieces at the fierceness of his anger. Elijah didn't bother to complain. The original simply brushed off the dust.
"She's not dead, is she?" Niklaus growled.
Esther shook her head, "she's not on the other side. My sister practiced dark magic. Dahlia is alive and will come for your child Niklaus."
XXX
Caroline knew something was amiss. The entire Mikaelson brood had disappeared early in the morning and had yet to make a reappearance. The blonde hoped Niklaus did not have another bender. Caroline's nose twitched at the idea of her boyfriend collecting a higher body count than average. Automatically her hand went to her stomach; he had a reason to be on edge. Caroline was no idiot, no matter what she may portray to outsiders.
Niklaus only ever cared about one thing, and that was family. Now how he showed his affection and concern was another matter altogether. The Niklaus of her time had more years with his child taken away from his child and family than anyone would have believed. He had never once considered turning towards her.
Now they were dealing with their own shitstorm in Mystic Falls for years, but after? He only came when all his other options were up. She never got to talk to him about how he was dealing with Hayley and the pregnancy. Caroline only knew that he threw a fit when the witches had done something with Hayley. So, it stood to reason finding out that they were going to have four… oh god, that was hard to swallow.
She was pregnant with four children, instead of shrieking in fear. Caroline did what she did best, and that was plan and organize. The blonde sat in the armchair with a notebook in her lap and a large medical textbook on the chair's arm, digging into all massive library. That was how Rebekah found her when she walked in. The original stayed silent for several minutes as she watched the pregnant woman read.
"Find anything interesting? I thought you were going into Theater, or have you officially changed it to Journalism now?"
Caroline's blue eyes looked up, "I'm trying to figure out if my pregnancy is a freaking Supernatural IVF experiment or if I am having two sets of twins at once, which does occur naturally. Or so I have read."
Rebekah sighed, sliding into the chair beside the blonde, "I see the panic has begun to set in. Have you changed your classes yet?"
Caroline winced, "Yes, I was just in time to the window for switching classes was closing. I refuse not to attend college for a year. I am pregnant, not invalid."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, "of course you do not h a disability. Whatever gave you that idea."
"I don't know the fact that my family decided to keep just what I was carrying a secret from me for days!"
"We all agreed that it was for Klaus to share with you. Or your doctor, but as vampire senses are more advanced than that stupid machine we knew earlier."
Caroline deflated, knowing that she was not truly angry at them, "I respect that, but you all treated me like glass, and all I had to go on was you were all super paranoid about pregnant women."
"You have to understand, dear sweet Caroline. We come from a time when childbirth was the cause of death for most; despite knowing the advances of technology and better hygiene quality, that fear does not go away. Especially in our family," Kol's voice floated through the air as he popped his head against the armchair.
"You could have told me," Caroline argued.
"Would you have listened?" Rebekah rebutted, "even if we did keep some facts of your pregnancy from you because it wasn't our right to tell you, doesn't mean our fears are not founded. We are vampires, Caroline, and you are human."
"I know that! Why do you think I'm reading up on everything I can about multiple births'. I'm not afraid of dying been there, done that. I worried and that this pregnancy won't buy Nik and Bonnie enough time to create a workaround," The pregnant blonde admits rubbing her head with her hands.
Rebekah rubbed the girl's back soothingly, "I was a nurse once, during the Influenza pandemic. They did a crash course on modern pregnancy techniques of the day, but I watched as my mother birth Henrik and all my brothers watched as our siblings were born. Elijah also just bought you an entire hospital. You are in safe hands."
"Good news is Bonnie won't admit it, but she is close to finding her answers," Kol grinned.
"How on earth do you know? The Bennett witch hates your guts," Rebekah questioned, her eyes wary.
"I happen to be the most knowledgeable vampire in magic. I simply offered my services, sweet sister."
Caroline watched the interaction between the siblings with more than a comfortable amount of dread. She had seen her fair share of sibling fights and interactions. It drove her mad with the ease they could argue, even dagger each other for centuries, then get back on with it as if it was nothing more than a teasing facial expression.
"I'm starting not to be jealous of the whole you have a ton of brother's thing, Rebekah" Caroline shook her head. "I'm starting to think siblings are more trouble than having a playmate is worth."
Rebekah giggled into her hands, "finally seen the light have you?"
"I think Mikaelson's blow any sibling interaction's I've seen out of the water."
"I admit we can be a bit much," Kol shrugged, taking Caroline's medical journal in hand. "I don't see why you bother with this rubbish. We can be more helpful than this."
Caroline tugged the textbook out of his hand, glaring at him, "shut up and be helpful!"
Kol sighed, turning towards his sister with pouting eyes. "Don't you even think about it, Kol," Rebekah snarled.
"It could hit two birds with one stone!"
"You heard what mother said!"
Caroline looked up from her texts, yelling out, "Esther was here?"
Kol's mouth tugged into a smile, "came with miserable tidings as always."
"Something is wrong, isn't it?" Caroline's arms automatically wrapped themselves around her stomach.
Rebekah hit Kol in the shoulder, "now you've done it, you bloody idiot."
"Bekah, tell me," Caroline demanded. She crossed her arms as Kol and Rebekah once again shared a look.
"You do it," Rebekah crossed her arms, "no way am I getting Nik mad at me."
Kol rolled his eyes, "such a baby."
"Kol," Caroline forced his attention back to her, "What is it?"
"Seems like mother made a deal with her lovely sister because she was naturally barren. Agreed to give up her first-born for the ability to have children. Then our dear Aunt went and took our eldest sister, Freya, before announcing that the deal was for every first-born. What a shocker a family member betraying another," Kol said sarcastically.
Caroline gripped her stomach tighter as if that would protect them, "I need to see the witches."
"Caroline," Rebekah warned. "Marcel is still in control of the city. Perhaps it would be best if we…." She trailed off, seeing Caroline's determined expression.
"If we are going to be dealing with a thousand-year-old witch. Most likely two. After all, Freya came into the picture last time, and then I need to talk to the nearest witches. I'd talk to Bonnie, but I've put way more than enough on her."
Kol gleefully clapped his hands, "Fieldtrip!"
XX
Have I said thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, subscribed to this story? Thank you so much for your continued support! Now is where we get to the tricky part combining both shows in a reasonable manner….
Have I mentioned that I am looking for a Beta-Reader? Someone who gets 1. To Read this early 2. Gets the evil joy of pointing out my grammar mistakes and plot holes 3. Also can give suggestions, tell me where they think we can flesh the story out?