Buckle up buttercups. The plot is zooming in and the breaks are broken. I'm using Arabic in place of ancient Egyptian unless one of y'all can help me write in hieroglyphs lmao. Any issues are because of google translate.

-20-

New Orleans

"Get the witches!" Rang through the streets of the French Quarter. "You can't hide from us!"

Vera huffed a breath, rolling her eyes as she grabbed the hands of her two companions and pulled them along. She reached a door to a vacant home, likely used for vacation rentals, and blasted her way inside. She didn't stop moving until she and the girls were hidden in an upstairs hallway.

When she released the two women they were both puffing for breath, the blonde holding her side and doubled over with strain. With a quick glance to be sure the coast was clear for the time being, Vera headed down to the kitchen, waving a hand to reassemble the broken door.

"They're just going to burn it down," Freya said once she caught her breath, eyes following Vera, the feeling she had when they first met settling like a rock in her belly and she wasn't sure how to address it, "I appreciate your rescuing me but it need not come down to all three of us getting captured."

"We're so not leaving you behind." Bonnie huffed, back pressed against the wall. She slid down until she could sit and hug her knees. "I've met your family, they're crazy. No offense."

Freya shrugged. "They are crazy."

"It doesn't matter." Vera said, returning with a container of salt and popping the metal top off, tossing it over the banister haphazardly. She leaned forward and began to dispense salt in an intricate circle around Freya and Bonnie. "I'm getting the two of you out. There's nothing these idiots can do to me."

The weight in Freya's belly doubled and she felt like she'd be sick, she opened her mouth to protest but Bonnie beat her to it.

"You can't be serious. Your siblings will kill me!" Bonnie exclaimed, wide eyed as she reached out to grab onto Vera's arm. She'd gotten a horrible impression of Isolde and Theon from Caroline's sobbing testimony the night before and Vera had been doing damage control ever since. "Vera-"

Vera discarded the empty salt container and leaned forward with a smile, touching both Bonnie and Freya's shoulders. "Listen," she began, looking between both their faces, "all will be well. I'm sending you both to my sister. Tell Isolde level four code green. I have a plan, trust me, trust my family. They know me well, they'll know what I'm doing and how to help me. And Bonnie-" Vera patted the young witches cheek affectionately "- despite what you think my siblings aren't nearly as mean as Freya's. You will be fine."

This drew a surprised laugh out of Freya, who'd just been feeling quite left out of the conversation and a little… jealous of the affection that Vera seemed to have for the young witch that had helped to rescue her.

Vera dropped her hand from Bonnie, but held onto Freya a moment longer and gave a small squeeze. Freya met her new soul bond's stunning hazel eyes.

"All will be well. Isolde will know what to do. Level four code green." Vera held eye contact with Freya as the two younger witches' entire world went upside down.

Mystic Falls

Elijah

Elijah could think of thousands of different ways to spend this morning. Most of these ideas involved sequestering Isolde to himself somewhere, preferably tropical, and his brothers wouldn't be able to find them for a minimum of two weeks.

Kol sauntering in the door looking particularly smug, bathed in the scent of their mate nearly sent him into a frenzy. The sexual frustration, the urge to claim Isolde and replace Kol's scent on her was so strong he had a hand on the door before he realized it.

He might've already been besid her had it not been for Kol's swift statement that Niklaus was already with her.

After how Elijah and Finn had seen Niklaus the night before, Elijah would rather his hybrid brother spend time with Isolde for her to quell what she could of his paranoia and rage.

So rather than burst in on his brother and their mate during their time together, Elijah sat quietly at the kitchen table with the day's local newspaper open in front of him (if only as a buffer to Kol's incessant chattering) and a mug of coffee.

Of course, in the Mikaelson household one couldn't be left in peace for long.

First it was Kol, still unshowered, sitting beside him and pestering him about things that had changed over the last century. Elijah gave him some of the answers he was looking for, but was growing increasingly tired of the mundanity and tediousness of Kol's chosen topics. (Who in their right mind cared about how exactly the refrigerator and freezer operated at different temperatures despite being the same appliance?)

Soon after, Rebekah and Theon waltzed in and started making a ruckus with pots and pans. Elijah watched the two of them closely, concerned they would burn the house down whilst attempting to boil eggs and make pancakes. Judging by the smoke rising off the burner as Rebekah cackled at something Theon said, Elijah was right to worry.

Still, as nothing was yet on fire he didn't feel the need to impede on his sister's time with her mate.

If he were being honest Elijah was quite jealous that Rebekah had her mate all to herself with no competition for his time and thus they'd been together almost non stop since the night of the ball.

Elijah had only had a few hours alone with Isolde. A few hours was nothing, even without considering their extended lifespans. What he found considerably aggravating was how much time Kol (the Mikaelson with the least responsibilities) had been able to snag.

And in those mere hours difference the youngest Mikaelson had cemented a space in Isolde's life for him. Elijah wanted… no, he needed his place carved and confirmed as well. He hated being stuck in a limbo and despite how much he wanted his relationship with Isolde to develop at whatever pace would be natural for them, he couldn't help but want that pace to be much faster.

As if knowing exactly where Elijah's mind had gone, Theon was suddenly in the chair right beside him with the coffee pot pouring refills in both Elijah and Kol's mugs.

"I don't know you all that well but you seem broody." Theon said, glancing over his shoulder at Rebekah who was plating the mess they'd made into something that resembled food. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Elijah. "Am I right?"

"Yes." Rebekah deadpanned.

Elijah just sighed, flipping to the next section of the newspaper he wasn't reading.

Kol snatched it away from him.

"There is literally nothing of import in this paper, Elijah. Do stay with us."

"It's probably Isolde." Theon said after a deep sip of piping hot coffee. Elijah wondered how he could drink it when it was near boiling. The Alexander accepted his plate of… mush… with a smile as Rebekah laid plates in front of them all.

"Chin up, Elijah." Rebekah chirped as she set his plate in front of him, "You can't always be the one to get the girl first. Nik rarely sets his sights on anyone, and it's been such a long time for Kol." She swung into the open chair beside Theon, leaning in to kiss her mate on the cheek before leaning her elbows on the table and picking up her own coffee.

Elijah would like to reiterate that he'd rather spend his morning a thousand different ways.

"I have advice, if you want it?" Theon offered around a mouthful of food, pointing his fork at Elijah. Like this Elijah had trouble reconciling that Theon was five times his age. Elijah just stared at his sister's mate until the man shrugged and kept speaking. "She won't insert herself into your day to day life unless you make it a habit to insert yourself in hers. Isolde doesn't chase."

"What do you mean, love?" Rebekah asked, turning slightly to face Theon.

Theon swallowed his food before responding. Apparently he had manners when it came to Rebekah, at least. "I mean that my big sister doesn't force anyone to do things they don't want to do. Take Kol for instance," Theon gestured at the youngest Mikaelson brother, who raised a brow and smirked, "he's been up my sister's ass since he laid eyes on her. It's an observation, not an insult. Get over it," Theon rolled his eyes as Kol narrowed his, "and a few days in you're so far the closest to her, right? It's because you're taking the initiative. She's not sought you out. In fact the only one she contacted herself was Finn. I'd imagine that was because she figured he didn't know what was expected of him so she likely spent the whole time assuring him there were no expectations. Or something of the sort."

"You're saying she's letting them go at their own pace, then?" Rebekah questioned, brushing a few stray curls out of his eyes, smiling as Theon lifted his hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

"Pretty much. And she's going to give back what she gets–" Theon stopped speaking abruptly, head swiveling to look out the window with a nit brow as thunder cracked overhead. "- Oh, no," he shook his head, releasing Rebekah's hand and rubbing it over his chest, "no I don't like the feel of that." He dropped his fork and fished his phone from his pocket.

Every Mikaleson was at attention now. Elijah speaking for the first time. "What's happening to you?"

Distractedly dialing a number on his phone, Theon held up a finger while Rebekah scooted closer and rubbed her hand up and down his back. Kol's leg started to bounce. Whoever Theon called didn't answer and he hung up without a word- dialing a second number.

This time, Isolde's voice came over the receiver and Kol was now standing, his anxiety now skyrocketing and Elijah was afraid to admit that his own anxiety was climbing at Theon's bizarre behavior.

"Did you feel that?" Theon asked, more serious than Elijah had yet to hear him.

'I did. Did you try Vera?' Isolde asked, she sounded… worried. And that set off every one of Elijah's protective instincts as he too joined Kol in standing in case they needed to bolt.

Theon deflated and rubbed a hand over his face. "I did, no answer."

'That's not good… oh shit, Em's calling me.'

"Fuck, that means it is Vera." Theon pushed his chair back and stood, Rebekah doing the same. "Answer him the-"

Theon was cut off again when what sounded to Elijah like heavy wind sounded over the speaker of the phone. Elijah heard Niklaus say Isolde's name and then a loud 'thunk' followed by Niklaus' grunt.

"Sol?" Theon said. No response. "Isolde?" He tried again, this time in a deceptively calm baritone none of them had heard from him before.

There was a rustling sound, a brief pause, Elijah grabbed Kol's shirt as his younger brother tried to bolt.

There was some conversation between Isolde and Niklaus they could barely make out and what sounded like leaves crunching before they heard 'Theon,' as Isolde's shaky voice came over the speaker and Elijah gasped a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. 'Push.'

"Understood." The younger Alexander said, shoving his phone in his pocket and looking around the room. "I'm going to Push, I'll explain it later, are you three with me?"

"Four." A voice from outside the kitchen said as Finn pushed the door open and stood beside them. "All four of us will be going with you."

Klaus

"... and the sword went right through Rebekah's favorite blanket. Needless to say, she didn't speak to me or Kol for weeks."

Isolde laughed. "Couldn't she mend the blanket?"

"Oh, of course," Klaus tossed a sly grin toward her, watching fretfully as she jumped up onto a fallen tree. Klaus offered his hand as a balance and she easily slid hers into his, "she did mend it. It was the principle of the blanket being caught in the crosshairs after she'd warned us not to touch it."

"Siblings." Isolde said with an eye roll. She put pressure on his hand while she jumped off at the end of the tree. He pondered if he should release her when he was certain she was safe. Isolde took the decision away from him, threading her fingers with his.

Isolde hummed noncommittally, gazing up at the storm clouds that were still rolling in. The wind had begun to pick up, too, and she'd already swept her hair up into a clip to keep it from tangling and Klaus had a faint idea that her hair would look quite nice in a braid.

There was no reason to take their time walking at a human pace to get to the clearing Isolde's people were assembled in, but despite the storm Klaus couldn't help dawdling. He wanted to cherish this small amount of time spent with her where he wasn't upset, or worried about how she would see him. It seemed they were both more relaxed now than he had been earlier, in fact.

This walk was much like that brief moment at the grocery store. Klaus was content to walk beside her and just talk and so he did, and Isolde seemed content to walk beside him and swap stories about their youths.

He found himself wanting to peel back her layers and get to know her. In fact, he wanted to be the one to know her best, of all his siblings. And he would, he decided, he would know everything.

Isolde was staring off into the woods, eyes far away during a brief lapse in the conversation. Klaus squeezed her hand, sensing her mind drifting away from him already and desperately curious he broke through her thoughts. "What's on your mind, love?"

She inhaled sharply, focusing back on him and gave him a happy little smile that made his chest squeeze. "You, actually. You're an excellent storyteller."

Klaus swallowed hard and looked away. "Well," he started softly, "I have a great many stories to share."

"How did you get into painting?" Isolde asked, causing him to look back at her with a soft smile.

Reluctantly, Klaus let go of Isolde's hand as thunder cracked above them. Ignoring it, he crouched down to the forest floor and plucked a spattering of little orange wildflowers, hanging on to life desperately though most of the trees had already begun losing their leaves. He twirled it between two fingers.

"I've been painting since I was a boy." He began. Stepping directly into Isolde's personal space behind her. "I discovered how to mix my own colors quite early, purely by accident and I never looked back. Painting is a metaphor for control." He reached up and threaded his fingers through her long hair, twisting the silky strands together and weaving the flowers in expertly. "Every choice is mine. The canvas, the color. As a child I had neither a sense of the world nor my place in it but art taught me that one's vision can be achieved with sheer force of will."

He stepped back to look at his handy work, brushing the tips of his fingers down the back of Isolde's neck, eliciting an interesting shiver in his mate. He vowed to himself to explore that area better at a later date as she turned to meet his eyes. It was clear she was hanging onto his every word.

Yes, he thought, a braid suits her quite nicely.

Isolde opened her mouth to reply just as her phone started going off. Much to Klaus' disappointment the spell broke and she reached in her pocket.

He didn't think he'd ever cursed technology so thoroughly as he did in his heart at that moment.

That was until she fumbled and dropped the phone, clutching her chest with a sharp intake of breath. Klaus laid a hand on her shoulder and bent over to meet her eyes, remembering the feeling of having his throat slit and hoping desperately that his brothers were alright. "Love?"

A shadow fell over them and lifted the phone back into her hands. Isolde stepped closer to Klaus until she was in his arms and he obliged the silent request, wrapping himself protectively around her. She exchanged a few alarming words with her brother before another call beeped in. Klaus tried not to sigh in relief upon realizing it wasn't his own siblings that were in trouble.

Isolde glanced at the screen and cursed. "That's not good… oh shit, Em's calling me."

"Isolde." As she wasn't paying attention, Klaus noticed something forming just behind her. Seconds later the rip roaring sound of what seemed like a tornado pervaded the area as the wind and debris picked up around the newly formed mass and Klaus' brow nit together. Still wrapped around Isolde he pulled her into his chest more tightly just as a blast of magic and wind slammed into them both, knocking them forcefully into a tree. Klaus grunted, having taken the brunt of the incoming assault and shielding her from the impact.

"Are you okay?" Isolde asked, trying to pull back but Klaus tightened his grip. Observing their surroundings to ensure nothing was readying an attack.

"Fine, love. Takes more than whatever that was to bring me down."

She pulled back again, trying to get a better look at his face to ensure he wasn't lying. Judging that they weren't yet under threat he let her go, dusting debris off himself as she stepped back, searching the forest floor for her phone. "That was an uncontrolled blast of Vera's teleportation magic." She found it. "Theon? Push."

He raised his brow at her (uncontrolled, yes quite) intrigued as the wind began to die down and debris settled. Two figures emerged from the residual effects of the magic and Isolde strode forward to meet them head on with absolutely no sense of self preservation. Klaus quickly overtook her and stood so he could be just in front of her.

Whatever came through wasn't necessarily her sister, after all, and Klaus would be damned if he allowed anything else to happen to Isolde when he was with her.

He needn't be so worried, he realized, when out emerged young Bonnie Bennett, clearly exhausted and disheveled. Bonnie's blonde companion (alarmingly not Vera Alexander) was no less exhausted but she looked to be in better condition.

"Well what do we have here? Bonnie Bennett back from her trip south already?" Klaus snarked with a flippant gesture towards the young witch. "And yet the only Alexander in sight is beside me, what have you done?"

"Klaus." Bonnie breathed. For once she didn't seem angry to see him, a novel experience. "It's not-"

The air shifted around them and everyone took a step back as another mass formed near Isolde. Klaus was once again right there, tugging Isolde to him in case this one also had an incredible push force.

This mass seemed much more controlled, there were no leaves, dirt, or other swirling around in the air. Just a small mass that was becoming larger by the second until all of them had to take several steps back to accommodate its size.

Then, just as quickly as it began forming it burst and what remained was Klaus' siblings and one Theon Alexander.

"Push?" Rebekah shrieked, glaring at Theon, who rubbed his neck and shrugged as she continued. "That's what you call a 'Push?' It felt like being squeezed into a too small space and forced through."

Theon just patted Rebekah's shoulder awkwardly. "For me it feels like pushing off the wall of a pool. I like that feeling of resistance I get initially. I'm sorry it wasn't a good experience for you."

Kol was in Klaus' space, hands on Isolde's face (utterly ignoring that she was wrapped tightly in Klaus' arms) as soon as he was done shaking off the feeling of Theon's magic, ever quick to bounce back. Elijah was next, running a hand down the back of Isolde's head to set himself at ease, Klaus figured. Finn stood awkwardly beside them all, but Klaus noted his eldest brother's attention was set on the two witches before them.

Everything stopped when Finn took a tentative step forward, his voice cracked, eyes wide, a shaky hand reaching out towards Bonnie's travel companion. "Freya?"

This one was getting long so I cut it off here. Sorry! I stole some lines from The Originals in this one. Also- I have never written Freya. I've barely watched episodes with her in them. So if I'm totally off on characterization let me know and I'll do some further research and adjust a bit! Gosh, writing is hella chaotic when I've got all the Mikaelson's together. Lmao