Chapter Fifty

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the Originals, but I do own my OCs.

Summary: Blair has been on the run for 400 years, trying to escape her past. She never stays in once place long enough, but she finds herself drawn to New Orleans and it is there that she meets the Originals. She soon finds herself drawn into their drama and ends up connecting with the Noble Original, Elijah Mikaelson. Slowburn.

ORIGINALS

Blair watched from the side, a glass of champagne in her hand, and a small smile on her face. She sipped slowly on the decadent drink as she watched the scene before her fondly. Rebekah's baby shower was upon them, the female Original had refused to wait any longer, and now she and Raphael sat before everyone and soaked in the attention. Raphael's bright eyes and loving smile were all directed at Rebekah – who positively glowed at all the attention.

Rebekah and Raphael were sat surrounded by a mass of presents as well as the guests. Wolves from the pack, quite a few Vampires – but most importantly, her family was there. Caroline had outdone herself for the event, the catering was excellent, the food delicious, the drinks were flowing and there was blood readily available for the Vampires. There was soft music in the background, and the atmosphere was relaxed – something that was really needed. Rebekah was the centre of the attention and she basked in it, as everyone congratulated her, and gave her presents.

It was a good time, as everyone chatted and mingled with one another. Kol and Elijah played security and peacemakers, to ensure that Rebekah and Raphael's day was not ruined. If there was even a single mutter against the Vampire and Fae couple, it was taken very seriously. The offender would be lucky to leave with their neck and heart still attached and in place.

The atmosphere was nearly perfect.

Nearly.

It had almost been twenty-four hours since Blair had issued the official Royal Challenge against Maeve and there was still no reply.

Klaus was twitchy and demanded updates every thirty minutes. If it weren't for Caroline who kept him distracted, Blair would have strangled the Hybrid for how annoying he had been.

"Any word?"

Blair nearly groaned in annoyance at the sound of Klaus' voice. She had felt his eyes on her during this event and had silently hoped he would stay away. Blair had hoped he would be too busy with his sister to even notice her, but she had been wrong.

"No," Blair answered him bluntly as she sipped her champagne.

"What is the delay?" Klaus questioned with a frown.

Blair seriously pondered this question for a moment, "Maeve is trying to make us squirm. There is no way she would ignore an official challenge, as that means she has forfeited the throne, something she's fought for," She also wouldn't put it past Maeve to pull something as a response to Tumas' head being delivered alongside the challenge. Blair grinned as she thought back, it had felt like poetic justice to send back the head of her sperm donor and she felt justified after what they'd done to Chloe. Blair almost wished she had been back in the Forest to watch Maeve's reaction and hoped it had been everything she had imagined.

Klaus hummed in response, he understood this tactic well. Though he did not appreciate it being used on him.

"She'll respond," Blair said confidently.

"She better, I want this over with," Klaus said as he grabbed a nearby champagne glass that a waiter carried around. He dismissed the waiter with a wave of his hand and the boy scattered quickly.

Blair went back to watching as Raphael and Rebekah were showered in compliments, "Who would have thought this would happen,"

Klaus snorted, "Now that is the understatement of the year," A few years ago, if someone had told him he'd had two Fae as in-laws, and Rebekah would become pregnant by one of them, he would have scoffed and ripped their head off for their ridiculousness.

"I literally threw a knife at a map of America and it landed here," Blair said as she found the situation amusing, "Even if I would have had a vision, I don't think I could have predicted this," Her life had been one thing after another, always on the lookout for the Hunter as she attempted to stay one step ahead of him. As she looked back, she wondered how much longer she would have lasted under this pressure. Would she have eventually given in or kept running for the rest of her immortal life? There had been a point in her life, around the two-hundred-and-forty-year mark of being excommunicated from the Forest, where she had thought about ending her life just to spite the Hunter and now, she was glad she never went down that path.

"That was quite the throw," Klaus said in amusement.

Blair hummed in agreement.

For a moment, Klaus looked awkward, "I will admit, that your presence here… has been… helpful," He said slowly, as if he tried to find the right words.

"Oh," Blair grinned which made the Hybrid roll his eyes at her wide grin.

"Don't let it go to your head," Klaus snarked.

"Never," Blair grinned.

The Fae and the Hybrid fell into a comfortable silence and they continued to sip their drinks. They both watched as the party progressed in front of them, as Caroline co-ordinated the staff, and mingled flawlessly with the guests. Kol and Davina danced with one another, Freya sat a bit further away and Elijah held Hope as he drifted around the room, as he greeted people.

"You've picked a good one," Blair said.

Klaus watched Caroline, adoration in his blue eyes. "I have," He said proudly. His heart had longed for her when he left Mystic Falls and he was happy now that she was by his side. She now wore the ring he had designed for her on her finger. When they were married, he would also wear a ring, showing the world he was Caroline's.

Blair smiled at Klaus, genuinely happy for him. She could see how happy Caroline made him, and he made the Baby Vampire happy in return. Caroline was a genuine person – could be a little nutty especially when it came to organising things – but she was a warm person.

"I still worry for her safety," Klaus admitted with a sigh, "But we have made a compromise. We've agreed to bind ourselves with magic, so she has the strength and resilience of an Original,"

"It's smart," Blair agreed. With Caroline set to become Klaus' wife – and the only woman for him – she would need to be on her toes. Klaus and all the other Originals had made many enemies over the years and they would love it to know the Hybrid finally had a weakness. By binding each other, it would allow Caroline to have access to the perks of being an Original. More strength, speed and fewer weaknesses. Caroline's only weakness would be a white oak stake, which she had hidden away.

Klaus nodded his head in agreement, "I will still worry, but not as much," He'd chosen a strong woman who could protect herself, but he would always worry.

"Elijah is the same," Blair said as she watched her partner with loving eyes. Elijah caught her eye and smiled back at her. Words did not need to be exchanged between them for each to know they loved one another.

"I'm surprised my brother has not produced a ring just yet," Klaus commented with a slight grin.

"How do you know he hasn't?" Blair playfully challenged.

Klaus' eyes immediately darted down to Blair's hand, but did not find any jewellery, then he looked to her neck and did not find any jewellery that would suggest an engagement. He knew his brother well, and he would want everyone to know that Blair was his. Elijah would have thrown a party by now and announced it to everyone, but that had not happened.

Blair laughed when she saw his confused expression, "I and Elijah have spoken about marriage and all that jazz. He knows I will say yes, I am just waiting for him to pop the question," They were also waiting for the matching custom rings that they'd designed together. Blair had argued that if she was going to wear this piece of jewellery for the rest of her immortal life, she wanted to absolutely love it and have a say in it. She also told Elijah that he would also be wearing a ring to show all the other women that he was taken. They'd spent a few afternoons going over the designs and now it was up to the shop to deliver, and if not, heads would roll.

Before Klaus could say anything else, he was cut off by Caroline as she shouted her orders.

"Time for presents!" Caroline directed everyone's attention as she looked down at her clipboard. She had scheduled several different events for the day and made sure to include everything Rebekah had insisted upon. It was only the beginning of the night, and there was much to get through.

"That is our cue," Klaus downed the rest of his champagne and walked over to his sister and Raphael.

Blair followed close behind him.

The first to present their gift to the couple was Davina, who gave a lovely silver rattle that would never break or tarnish, and a few cute outfits for the baby. Rebekah seemed happy with these gifts and Raphael gave Davina a hug. The next person was Freya, who gave the couple an enchanted music box and some nappies for the baby. Kol was next, who gave the couple a Polaroid camera and Rebekah nearly cried when Kol said it was for making memories with their baby. Elijah gifted them a handmade crib, he'd spent time crafting, as well as a small teddy bear, one that resembled the one Rebekah had as a child, which did actually make Rebekah cry and hug her brother. When it was Klaus' turn, he showed them the nursery he had made for the baby, the room right next to Hope's room, all decorated and painted. This made Rebekah happy and Raphael gave his thanks, and Rebekah nearly jumped up and would have toppled over with how fast she tried to get to Klaus to hug him, but Raphael steadied her.

Finally, it was Blair's turn to present her gift. She walked over to Rebekah and handed over a large bag. It contained a photo album, a few items for the baby and a care package for Rebekah. There was also a book 'Parenting for Dummies' which gained a few laughs and a playful glare from Rebekah.

"I also enchanted your clothes to change size to match your body size at any point, so you don't have to get any maternity clothes," Blair added. She had seen Rebekah's unhappy face when she saw the selection for maternity wear and she'd complained about stretching out her current clothing.

"I love you," Rebekah announced immediately.

Raphael laughed and sent a grateful look to Blair.

Moving on, Caroline came over and announced some party games.

Blair backed off and went to her original position as she watched everyone join in some games. There was a guess about the baby's weight – with Kol estimating that the child would weigh fourteen pounds – that gained a punch in the arm from Rebekah. There was a guess when Rebekah was due – which was a guess for everyone as no one knew. Most people guess Rebekah would give birth within the next three months, but Elijah predicted Rebekah would give birth within the next eight weeks.

As the games continued, and the laughs got louder, Blair watched with a fond smile. She watched as Klaus took Hope back to her room so she could sleep, it was past her bedtime and Hope tended to sleep through the night but needed a lot of sleep otherwise she was cranky the next day.

"What?" Blair said when she felt Freya walk up to her.

Freya stood by the Fae, a few feet away, "I want to up our training,"

Blair turned to face the Witch and arched a brow, "Why?" They had met nearly every other day and trained for a few hours in the morning. Blair had Freya try and build up her resilience and her magic reserves. In every lesson, Freya would always push for more spells, more practice, and longer lessons but would never give a reason as to why she wanted this. Blair always rejected the idea and had plainly told her that Freya was not her only student and that she had other things to do in the day. If Freya did not make it worth her while she would not do it. This would always make the older Witch storm off in a huff, but she'd always come to her next lesson on time.

"I just need it," Freya said.

"No,"

Freya huffed, "I'll find another teacher,"

Blair snorted, "Is that meant to be a threat? Go right ahead,"

This made Freya frown and she tried to think of something else but fell short. She had tried for days to get the Fae to speed up her training but nothing worked. Blair would laugh at any threats and she couldn't be intimidated or tricked. Nothing Freya did fazed the woman and it frustrated her to no end.

"Please," Freya begged.

The Fae looked at the Witch for a moment as she considered her words. This was a new tactic, one that made her curious. Freya was so desperate that she resorted to begging, now this intrigued her. In a flash, her eyes glowed purple and she snapped her fingers, and then the glow in her eyes faded, "I have placed five magical locks around the compound. You have five hours to do it. If you succeed, I will speed up the process,"

Freya scoffed, "This will be easy,"

"We'll see about that," Blair grinned. The locks she made were one of her best. If Freya even managed to unlock one, she'd be impressed. At Freya's current level, she would not be able to do it. But maybe the Witch needed to be humbled, and Blair was more than happy to deliver. Any training she delivered was carefully catered to that person, she knew what her students' limitations were. Davina, her best and favourite student could probably only unlock three of the locks within five hours. Freya was nowhere near that level.

Confidently, Freya walked off to find the locks.

Blair rolled her eyes and set a timer on her phone. She couldn't wait to see the results – which she would then throw in the Witch's face and remind her of her place and to stay in her lane. She should understand that there were no shortcuts when it came to magic, and if anything was tried, it would not end well.

The Fae was soon snapped from her thoughts when she sensed a presence at the front of the compound. It was a presence she did not recognise. It belonged to a Fae. While she had lowered the barriers around their home to the supernatural community for this baby shower, the barrier was still in place against another Fae besides herself and Raphael. This was so no unknown Fae could sneak it without them noticing.

Blair slipped away from the party and headed towards the entrance. She made sure that no one noticed this either, the last thing she wanted was to take the attention away from Rebekah – something the female Vampire would not forgive her for.

She opened the door and stepped out, her eyes landing on the creature that stood out like a sore thumb.

Outside stood a single male Fae, with a white envelope in hand.

"A message from the Queen," The male Fae said, his blank gaze locked directly on Blair.

Blair watched him, her gaze cold. She snatched the envelope from the Fae's hand and opened the letter with a flick of her wrist.

To my traitorous daughter,

Challenging accepted. We will meet on the outskirts of New Orleans in twenty-four hours times.

Queen Maeve.

Blair crumpled the letter and with a snap of her fingers, the paper was set alight as it burned away.

"Tell you Queen I accept the terms. Leave," She commanded the Fae in front of her. The message had been delivered.

The male Fae said nothing but he turned away and walked away, and soon, it was like he had never been there.

Blair breathed in deeply and vanished the ashes from the letter.

ORIGINALS

Twenty-Four hours later

Blair and Raphael stood at the edge of New Orleans, where it was quiet and away from prying human eyes. They waited in sombre silence as they waited for Maeve to make her appearance so this could be finally sorted and laid to rest. They were alone, despite strong protests from the Mikaelson family, as Blair did not want to risk anything. She also wouldn't put it past Klaus to say something that would set off Maeve and make the situation worse. Blair knew that Elijah had wanted to be by her side, and it had been painful to turn down his request, she thought it best that this be dealt with outside of them.

This was a Fae matter and needed to be handled by the Fae.

Raphael was in an equal position as his female friend. Rebekah had argued fiercely that she wanted to be by his side when they killed the Fae Queen, but he had been against it. He did not want Maeve anywhere near their child and refused to risk it. He knew that Rebekah could defend herself, but the Queen was cunning and would do anything to possess their unborn child.

"She's here," Blair announced, which made Raphael stand straighter.

In the distance, there was the sound of footsteps, but only two sets. Blair inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment to calm her magic that was dying to be unleashed. She had promised that if she ever met Maeve again, she'd make her pay.

And she planned to keep that promise.

Maeve walked into the clearing, her head held high and regal. She'd not aged a day since the last time Blair had seen her, but there was a heaviness around her. The serious expression on Maeve's face matched Blair's, and it was at that moment, she could see how much she looked like her mother and she hated it. Behind Maeve was Marie – her second.

When Blair saw Marie, she hid her facial expression. She wondered whether her mother was aware of Marie's trip to warn them, but soon dismissed this. If Maeve had been aware of this, Marie would have been killed straight away.

"Daughter," Maeve greeted in disdain.

"Bitch," Blair replied back with the same disdain.

Maeve's eyes narrowed at the disrespect, "Your time away has turned you into a savage,"

"You mean when you offered me to the Hunter?" Blair quipped back venomously and watched in satisfaction as surprise flickered in her mother's eyes, "I know all about the deal you struck with the Hunter. A single Fae in exchange for peace. That sacrifice just happened to be your daughter,"

Surprise and horror flashed in Marie's eyes – she had not been aware of this.

Maeve glared in response, "How did you learn of this?"

"Tumas," Blair grinned wickedly.

"He would never betray me," Maeve dismissed this with a wave of her hand.

Blair nodded her head, "That is true, he wouldn't," Her sperm donor's personality revolved heavily around Maeve and her protection, he was devoted almost unnerving to the very end. "But, before I sent his head to you, I delved in and discovered some secrets,"

The Queen's whole demeanour changed, tense and on edge. Maeve facial expression gave away nothing, but Blair could sense her horror. She could sense Maeve's worry for what had been discovered, and this brought her so much satisfaction.

"So, while you accuse me of being barbaric, I would remind you to watch your tone after everything you've done," Blair sarcastically reminded her.

Hate burned in the Fae Queen's eyes, "I will kill you,"

"Come and get me then," Blair grinned as she motioned Maeve to come closer. Blair's eyes glowed purple as she channelled her magic.

ORIGINALS

At the compound

The rest of the Mikaelson family were congregated in the front as they waited for the return of Blair and Raphael. All except Freya, who refused to be moved away from the infernal locks Blair had conjured. The siblings thought it was best to leave their eldest sister to these tasks, as she'd snapped at them for breathing too loudly at one point or when they offered her food.

Klaus had passed around drinks, confident that the Fae would win the match, though he was not happy that he could not be present. Though, he was no worse than Elijah, who was tenser, as was Rebekah. Both his siblings were confident that Blair and Raphael would come back victorious, but they worried for their respective mates in case anything happened to them. Klaus, Caroline, Davina and Kol had tried to distract the two Originals from glancing at the door as they waited for their respective partners to return, but it was a lot harder than anticipated.

"What is taking so long?" Rebekah muttered lowly as she nursed a blood bag. She'd been through at least three within the span of twenty minutes as she needed to be distracted and her craving for blood had skyrocketed. However, she did not know if this was linked to her nerves, but she did not care to find out, much too preoccupied.

"Everything is fine, Rebekah," Klaus attempted to soothe his sister, but the glare that was sent his way made him back off slightly.

"It's probably Blair just being dramatic," Kol suggested as he drank his scotch.

Elijah glanced at Kol, and for a moment, the Wildest Original thought his brother would scold him, but instead, Elijah merely looked amused, "She does have a flair for the dramatics,"

"They're probably having a grand old time, killing the Queen," Klaus joined in with a grin. He had wanted to see this all play out but had been warned by Blair that this could not happen. Blair had made it clear that Maeve might try and pull a stunt if the Hybrid made his presence known and tried and accuse Blair of cheating somehow and they did not want to risk it. Klaus had not been happy to be told this but relented nonetheless.

Rebekah muttered under her breath about wanting to kill something, but no one commented on this.

Davina looked at the clock and began to feel anxious.

Just then, there was the sound of footsteps and everyone turned their heads when they felt the presence of Blair come closer. Rebekah frowned when she did not feel Raphael's presence. This made her worry and slight panic squeezed her heart, had something happened to Raphael?

Blair walked into the room, her face blank of all emotion. She stood at the entrance and did not move, her posture stiff.

"I expect you won?" Klaus asked, a grin on his face when he saw the female Fae.

Elijah walked closer, a drink in hand. He thought after everything, she would want a drink to celebrate, but as he got closer, he noticed that something did not feel right. He stopped when he was a few feet away from Blair and he stared at her. He properly looked at her and noticed that something was off about her – it was her eyes. They were blank of all emotion, dead and void.

"Blair?" Elijah questioned.

At his cautious tone, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the two. Something in Elijah's voice made them worry.

"Blair, what happened?" Davina asked as she came closer, but was stopped when Kol grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Davina looked up at her partner and frowned, "Kol, what are you doing?"

"There is a magic around Blair, that does not belong to her," Kol muttered lowly, his body tense. All jovial thoughts and actions were gone, especially when he sensed danger around his partner.

Davina examined her mentor and frowned when she realised Kol was right. There was something wrong with Blair.

Klaus manoeuvred himself in front of Caroline ever so slightly, the grip on his glass tight.

Before anything more could be said, a smirk appeared on Blair's face.

With a snap of her wrist, her eyes glowed purple and her magic roared to life. Before anyone could even react, everyone's necks – minus Rebekah and Davina's – snapped loudly and they all fell to the floor, lifeless.

Rebekah's eyes widened as she moved back, and Davina stood there in shock.

Blair looked at Davina and snapped her fingers again, and this time, the Witch fainted on the floor, unconscious.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Rebekah yelled out, unsure of what was happening. This had never happened before and she did not know what was happening to the Fae. What made it worse was that Raphael was nowhere in sight.

Blair disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then re-appeared, with a sleeping Hope in her arms.

Seeing this, Rebekah paled, "No…" It was at that moment that she'd worked out what had happened. Blair had fallen prey to Maeve's mind control – that was the only thing that could make sense at that moment. However, she could do nothing, as before she could even react, her vision went dark and she crumpled to the floor. Her body never hit the floor, as magic suspended her in the air.

Blair walked over to Rebekah and placed her hand on her shoulder. Within the blink of an eye, she, Hope and Rebekah were gone. Using her magic, she reappeared on the outskirts of New Orleans. She reappeared in front of Maeve and Marie, a blank expression on her face.

Once Maeve saw Hope and Rebekah, her eyes lit up, "You've done well, daughter of mine,"

"Thank you, mother," Blair replied back, her voice monotone.

Maeve walked up to Blair and took Hope from her arms. The moment Hope sensed she was in someone else's arms, she began to wake up and cried in distress. Maeve stared at the baby in disgust and she handed Hope to Marie.

"And what should we do with him?" Maeve asked as she looked at the unconscious form of Raphael on the ground.

"He is weak, he is no threat," Blair answered back, her face emotionless.

Marie nodded her head in agreement, "There is no role for him in the Forest,"

For a moment, Maeve said nothing, but she soon made a noise of agreement, "Of course, we'll leave him there. If any Vampires find him, they'll have a feast," She laughed loudly as she turned and walked away, expecting Marie and Blair to follow.

Blair and Marie followed wordlessly, with Rebekah's floating body following behind them.