Okay! I am back.

The fewer clandestine meetings we can have, the safer we will all be. We know that Celeste must be involved, but as neither of us yet know which face she wears, we must be careful.

"I think the most likely candidate is Sophie Deveruax," Klaus says.

I shake my head. "Celeste tends to be more subtle and I don't think she would choose the same witch family twice. She's already inhabited a Deveruax witch." My tone turns dark as I remember what she did to the pack when she was said witch.

When Klaus and I part ways at that first meeting, he heads to inform Elijah that they will agree to the witch's terms and that Klaus will make peace with Marcel. The latter is one he is particularly against at first, but he is a strategist above all, and this is a necessary step to taking back New Orleans.

The Mikaelsons move into the plantation house that once belonged to Marcel's blood father. I enter the house through the back door the next day to discuss with the two brothers.

Elijah and Klaus are speaking quietly so as not to disturb Haley. "In addition to the secret weapon he uses to control the witches, Marcel has assembled a small army of vampires. Working together, we can destroy them from the inside," Elijah states.

"And what of Rebekah?" Klaus asks. "Has she stopped her pouting long enough to join the fun?"

Elijah's mouth forms a hard line. "She has made her disinterest quite clear.

"One too many times daggered and shoved in a box, I gather? Or perhaps she doesn't share your unwavering belief that I can be saved."

I lean in the doorway and speak. "Rebekah will get over it. She always does."

Elijah looks up in surprise. Klaus smiles in amusement at his brother's reaction and leans back against the covered piano. "You're alive," Elijah sputters out.

"You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?"

He smiles softly at me then and welcomes me with open arms. "It's good to see you, Julia."

I give him one last squeeze before pulling away. "It's good to see you too."

Klaus rolls his eyes. "If you two are done, we have some pressing matters to get on with."

I nod. "Yes. I don't have long. We need to make this quick."

Elijah looks at us curiously. "You knew she was here?"

"She came to see me the other night. I believe she will once again prove to be a formidable ally."

Elijah raises an eyebrow. "Right. An ally," he says dryly.

I choose to ignore the implication. It has been so long, I do not know where Klaus and I stand. I wasn't quite sure where we stood even then. There is so much he doesn't know that could destroy any trust we still have. I've been married. I've had a child. He is about to have a baby. We're about to stage a coup. There's too much else to focus on at the moment.

I clear my throat. "Marcel is not as good at hiding his secrets as he thinks he is. The witches are not good at lying either. They hate Marcel because they feel he stole from them. His secret weapon. A young witch named Davina."

Already having heard this information from me the night before, Klaus looks at Elijah. "Marcel is keeping her somewhere and using her augmented powers to know when magic is being performed in the quarter. In addition, Marcel is uncomfortable with having two Original's back in town. Perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone."

"How do you mean, brother?"

"Marcel wants you as a sign of my willingness to cooperate. A gesture of good will."

"Marcel will no doubt give you to Davina once he has you. Marcel saved her. She trusts him. I doubt she knows just how he is using her. Even if she does, you being on the inside will provide an advantage," I explain.

Elijah seems to understand. "It makes sense." He looks at his brother. "I'm glad to see you are willing to communicate and work together rather than attempting to do this all yourself."

"Perhaps you're not the only one feeling nostalgic, brother." Klaus pulls a silver dagger out and steps toward Elijah.

They each rest a hand on each other's shoulders, as Klaus readys the weapon. Elijah looks towards me. "It's good to have you back."

"We've got a ways to go. I'm not back until our enemies are on their knees."

He nods and looks at Klaus. "Do it."

Klaus takes a breath to steel himself, and then plunges the dagger into Elijah's heart. The ashen color spreads up his neck quickly, his veins standing out as his eyes close and he slumps to the floor.

Once he is tucked away in the box that will be delivered to Marcel, I ask, "Do you think we should have told him about Celeste?"

Klaus shakes his head. "Not yet. I need him to be focused."

"Right." I pause and glance at the clock. "I need to go. I've been here too long as it is."

"Right. Yes."

We both pause as we look at each other before I turn on my heel and make my silent exit out the back. I huff a sigh of relief when I make it home without incident.

A few days later I receive a call. "Hello, Love."

I roll my eyes and try not to be affected by the sound of his voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'd thought you'd like to know, if you don't already. My sister is here. She's looking for Elijah."

I adjust the phone to my other ear. "That could prove to be problematic."

"Just what I was thinking," he says in that way of his. The tone I have come to associate with scheming.

"Now don't do anything rash."

"I'm not inclined to involve her," he says lowly.

I hum in agreement. "Nor am I." I sigh. "But she's going to press. You may need to give her something. Anything really."

"As long as it keeps her out of my way."

"Has she meddled?"

"She killed some of Marcel's nightwalkers and I need to find a way to explain that. Not to mention the vampires that came after Hayley."

I stiffen in surprise. "How did they find out about her? I though we agreed she should stay out of sight."

"Yes well she didn't listen did she," he says with more anger than I've heard in a very very long time. "She had to go off to a bloody witch shop as she contemplated killing my child." He pauses while I digest what he just told me. "She didn't," he says more softly.

I breathe a sigh of relief. "That's...good. That's a lot but I'm glad. But it doesn't surprise me. Wolves are fiercely loyal. Mothers even more so." I swallow and make a decision. "I'll set someone to keep an eye on her. You can't be everywhere at once."

"No. I suppose I can't.

When we disconnect the call I turn back to the wolf standing behind me and kneel before it. His head nudges into me as a gesture of comfort and understanding.

"I need you to keep an eye on Hayley as much as you can. And...eventually I know she'll want answers. It will be good if she begins to build a connection or a trust in us sooner rather than later."

The wolf doesn't need to answer me with words. Not when I helped raise him.

I stay out of events in the quarter as much as I possibly can. Klaus sends the occasional update via text and I can't help but marvel at the advancements technology has made in the last century. Such devices would've been quite useful back in the day.

He's not the only one that keeps me abreast. Father Kieran informs me when Rebekah enters his church. He reveals that Marcel had made a home in his attic and it's then that I realize where Davina is being kept. Before I find the chance to inform Klaus in a way that I think would keep him from acting hastily, he already has a plan and things are set in motion. He informs me that he had a chat with the powerful witch child and I hope by chat he means something that involves discussion and not threats.

A few days later I receive a text. Hayley thinks it's a girl.

I smile at the thought of Klaus holding his newborn daughter. I can't say it's not a thought that's crossed my mind before.