If you recognize it, I don't own it! I own the OCs and a lot of notebooks that may or may not be empty. But they sure are pretty!
*Be warned that I am on my way to throwing canon completely out the window. We ain't fully off-roading it yet, but that time is coming soon*
TW: Mild death and carnage, though not any named characters.
MIRIAM'S POV
Miriam watched from the window as Elijah and Jenna drove away.
She had wanted to witness the ritual, partially to support Jenna and partially to experience Klaus becoming a Hybrid, but Elijah and Klaus (and June and August) had shut that idea down. Everyone claimed it was too dangerous for a human to be in the center of a never-performed ritual with many unknown supernaturals watching. Miriam ceded her wish, if only to ease the lines on her mates' faces when she brought the topic up. Plus, she knew there were going to be issues that she was going to have to press in the future that neither of her mates were going to like, so she was choosing her battles. She was totally rocking this relationship thing.
But now she was stuck in a magically protected house until the morning. She didn't like the feeling of being trapped, even though she knew that she was only going to be doing the things she would usually do at night.
"Hey!" Caroline tapped Miriam's shoulder impatiently. "No moping! C'mon, get changed! We've got a busy night!"
Miriam laughed and turned away from the window to look at her young friend and soul-sister. Caroline had already changed into her pajamas: her long-sleeved top was a vibrant yellow that matched the colorful floral of her pajama bottoms. Her blonde hair was tied into a perky ponytail, and her face was free of make-up. She held up a DVD case for Miriam to see.
"I already picked the movie," the teenage vampire grinned, proudly waving Mamma Mia! in Miriam's face.
"Awesome movie; I approve," Miriam grinned back. "Let me get dressed quickly."
"Hurry!" Caroline encouraged playfully as Miriam retreated to her room.
The plan for that night was to eat dinner and watch a series of lighthearted, supernatural-free movies. The line-up included Mamma Mia!, The Princess Bride, and Back to the Future. Miriam's goal was to keep Jeremy and Caroline distracted from the ritual that was happening and also give them a break from the stressful life they were living. Miriam knew that the two teenagers rarely ever got to act their age. Both of them had been forced into adulthood too soon; they were now making choices that the adults in their life should still be making for them. Jenna had stepped up, in Jeremy's case. Armed with the knowledge of the supernatural, Jenna was now able to make decisions that she felt would benefit Elena and Jeremy the most.
Caroline's mom was another story. Sheriff Forbes knew about vampires and that her daughter was one. Caroline knew that her mom knew. Not able to reconcile that Caroline was now a creature that she had been taught to hate, the sheriff had all but kicked Caroline out of the house. To get away from her toxic household, Caroline had recently decided to move into the farmhouse with Miriam, who fully supported the decision. Caroline was slightly neurotic, a perfectionist, and insecure, but she was also developing a spine of steel. With Elijah's tutelage, June's badass but calming presence, August's cheer, and Klaus's connections, Miriam was confident that her soul-sister would be able to accomplish anything she wanted to in life.
Miriam shook off the invading thoughts and grabbed her new pair of pajamas. She quickly changed into a bright pink long-sleeved pajama shirt and flannel pajama bottoms with a cupcake print on them; the night was cold, and Miriam wanted to be as warm as possible. She tucked the legs of her pants into her new pair of Uggs (she was so glad the boots were more popular in 2010 than they were in 2021, because they were so warm!) and left her hair loose. She knew that Caroline would try to style her hair (Caroline was thrilled to have a sister to practice hairstyles on). She returned to the main room to find the others, including Jeremy and Bonnie, in the kitchen.
"Okay, kiddies, the baked potatoes will be ready in a half an hour. Caroline, Luka, can you help me put the fixin's on the counter?" August asked as he checked the oven.
"Sure," the two teenagers opened the fridge and pantry and began pulling out food items. Jeremy and Bonnie hovered uncertainly on the edge of the room. Miriam smiled at them as she entered the room.
"Luka, no one is going to want ketchup on their baked potato!" Caroline chided as she pulled out a collection of foodstuffs out of the fridge.
"No one wants green onions," he shot back playfully. Caroline made a face at him.
"Guys, I think we can all agree that the true enemy is salsa on potatoes," August pointed out.
Miriam gasped. "Shut your mouth! Salsa, black beans, and cheddar is the best combo ever!"
"Yeah, if you're weird. The superior combo is bacon, cheese, and butter," he shot back.
"Basic white bitch," Miriam teased.
"Says the girl wearing Ugg boots," August laughed, and Miriam joined him.
Jeremy cleared his throat. "Uh, the grossest topping is obviously broccoli."
"Agreed!" Everyone but Bonnie cheered. The witch frowned at Jeremy as he joined the conversation. Luckily, he ignored her pointed looks.
The next half-hour was spent making jokes and telling stories. Everyone had funny food disaster stories to share, and they all (minus Bonnie) took turns sharing. August told a story about when he and his roommates had an illegal stash of bagels in their dorm room in college, and how they had gotten caught by the R.A. because they accidentally set a toaster (also illegal) on fire. By the end of his story all the teenagers (minus Bonnie) and Miriam were howling with laughter.
"Okay, so once when I was like ten," Caroline began her story, "Mom wanted to make a cake for the Fourth of July block party. But you guys know my mom. She can't bake to save her life. So we got this cake mix from the store, you know the kind that only requires eggs, water, and oil added? So we're adding the ingredients to the mixing bowl, and she lets out this cry of disgust. 'There's bug eggs in the batter!' she screamed, and was about to throw the batter out, when I pointed out that we had bought vanilla bean cake mix; the black 'bug eggs' were the bits of vanilla bean!"
"Oh my god!" Miriam cackled. "That reminds me! So when I was eight or so my Abuela went to Mexico to visit a sick relative, so it was just me and my Pops. Pops didn't cook, but he tried that weekend. My abuela left directions to 'set the meat out to thaw' before cooking, so Pops took the meat out of the freezer, took it out of the packaging, and placed it outside, uncovered, on the patio table."
"No!" August gasped and snorted into his beer.
"It gets worse! He forgot about the meat until that night when I told him I was hungry and he jumped off the couch and went '¡Mierda! ¡El pollo!' And we ran outside to find a family of rats feasting on the chicken he had laid out," Miriam chortled.
"Oh my god!" Jeremy doubled over in laughter.
"What did you do?" Luka wanted to know.
"We let the rats eat the chicken and went and got McDonald's for dinner," Miriam giggled.
"Speaking of dinner, it's done," August announced. "Let's eat, folks!"
They all got potatoes and loaded them up with their favorite toppings. There was a lot of teasing and laughing as the group settled in the living room with their dinners to watch the movie. The movie was just about to start when Bonnie couldn't take it anymore.
"I can't believe we're just sitting here watching a fucking movie while her boyfriends are killing Elena!" Bonnie exclaimed and pointed an accusing finger at Miriam.
"Bonnie," Jeremy scolded gently.
"Don't 'Bonnie' me! Your sister is dying right now-"
"God, Bonnie, just shut up!" Caroline snapped. She stood up to her full, impressive height. "Stop scaring Jeremy! Elena is not going to die tonight, not permanently. By tomorrow she'll be fine and everything will go back to normal."
"If you really believe that then you're an idiot," Bonnie shot back. "Look at what's happened! They took my magic, they've killed people-"
"Enough," Miriam said firmly. She stood up as well, though her height wasn't as impressive as Caroline's. "We're not going to do this now, tonight, not when Jeremy needs a relaxing environment. Your powers aren't gone, they are just suppressed for a couple more days. Elena will wake up. The Mikaelsons haven't killed anyone in Mystic Falls, the same of which cannot be said for Damon. End of story. We aren't going to debate those things. You have three options: one, you can stay and watch the movie with us. Two, you can go upstairs to Caroline's room and cool down. Or three, you can leave the house."
"I would advise against leaving the house tonight," August said seriously. "Once you leave the barrier will not allow you to get back in. Remember, you are currently powerless, and there are many people in Mystic Falls that would love to get their hands on a Bennett witch."
Bonnie looked around the room for allies. Caroline just crossed her arms. Luka, after learning that Bonnie had planned on breaking into his mind, wasn't too happy with the witch. He met her eyes and shook his head. Jeremy refused to meet her eyes because he was too busy blinking back tears.
Miriam's heart went out to the boy. He was only fifteen years old (Jenna had said that his birthday had been in October) and he was dealing with so much. Miriam hoped that once Elena woke up, Jenna would take the kids somewhere else free of drama. It couldn't be healthy for the two young teenagers to continuously face life-or-death situations and stressful events.
When Jeremy refused to come to her defense, Bonnie hmphed and marched upstairs. After a moment a door slammed.
"Hopefully she went into your room," August said to Caroline, "because if she went into mine Imma hex her ass."
"Forget it," Miriam said. "Let's just eat and watch the movie." She sat down next to Jeremy on the couch. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he looked angry, which Miriam interpreted as embarrassed that he had been caught showing emotion. "I just… I just don't want her to be right about Elena."
Caroline sat down on the other side of Jeremy. "Bonnie isn't right," she said fiercely. "Her and Elena, and Alaric and Stefan, they're all so blinded by what they think is right that they won't accept any other truth."
"For Klaus, his truth is that a vital part of himself has been locked away without his consent. He wants to be free to be himself, all of himself. To do that, a select few people, including Elena, need to be hurt," Miriam explained. "In this instance, he's not being evil for the sake of evil. He's just trying to free himself. Bonnie and the others think that Klaus is the villain, but in his story they are the villains."
Miriam kept her knowledge about Klaus's checkered past to herself. She didn't want to add more details and confuse poor Jeremy. He was nodding thoughtfully, like he could understand her point, and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.
August caught her eye. "I think we've been serious enough for tonight," he said with forced cheer. "Everyone, eat before your food gets cold. Though, in Miriam's case, cold salsa might be an improvement."
"Asshole," Miriam said without any heat, and smiled gratefully at him.
The group ate dinner and watched the musical that Caroline had chosen. The mood had lightened considerably, especially when the kids discovered that August knew the words to every song. The witch had them all in stitches with his singing and his commentary to the movie.
"Donna's entire problem would have been solved if she collected men reverse-harem-style like Miriam," August noted, causing Luka to choke on his soda and Caroline to nearly fall out of her seat laughing.
Miriam just nodded wisely, "Harems solve every romantic problem."
The odd group was halfway through The Princess Bride (and Miriam on her third hairstyle from Caroline) when August flinched violently in his seat. Luka let out a shout and clutched his head.
"What's happening?" Jeremy said warily. He paused the movie and set aside his bowl of popcorn.
"August, what's wrong?" Miriam asked from her spot on the ground in front of Caroline.
"Someone's trying to break down the barrier," August said from between clenched teeth.
"They can't get through though… right?" Caroline said nervously.
Jeremy went to the windows that faced the back of the house. "There's people in the backyard!"
"Fuck," Miriam whispered. She got to her feet and rushed to the window. Sure enough there were maybe half a dozen people walking towards the house. They looked like they were chanting.
The others joined her by the window.
"Witches," Caroline hissed.
"They can't break down the barrier," Luka sounded like he was trying to convince himself instead of the others.
"Any spell can be broken," August corrected grimly. "Though it will take more than six average witches to get through."
Bonnie thundered down the stairs and ran into the living room. "There's vampires in the front yard! They're trying to get near the house!"
"Double fuck," Miriam clenched her teeth.
Caroline sped to the front of the house. "They don't have witches with them!" she shouted.
Miriam and August ran to the front. Miriam peered through the window and gasped.
"That's Aya!"
"Who?" Jeremy asked.
"She's a top member of this society of vampires called the Strix. They're wickedly intelligent and have a lot of power behind them." Miriam looked at Aya's demeanor. The powerful vampire was relaxed, as were the other five vampires with her. "They aren't attacking…"
"It's a trap," Bonnie insisted.
"Maybe… I'm going to talk with her," Miriam decided. She moved towards the front door, but August caught her around the waist and pulled her back.
"The fuck, Sanchez?!" he snapped. "You ain't leaving this house."
"The barrier extends past the front porch, I can stand there and talk with her without any creature laying a hand on me," Miriam reasoned. "August, she isn't attacking. We need to find out why. I'll be safe, I promise."
August ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. But I'm going with you."
"Are you sure you want to meet with her dressed like that?" Caroline questioned, motioning to Miriam's bright pink cupcake pajamas, Uggs, and her hair, which Caroline had braided into two Dutch braids on either side of her head.
Miriam lifted her chin defiantly. "I'm not changing to greet someone who is invading my privacy. If she doesn't like the way I look, that is her problem," Miriam said, half-hoping that Aya could hear her.
August sighed and went to the coat closet and pulled out one of Elijah's long winter coats. It was black, high-collared, and high quality. He shoved it at Miriam. "Put it on."
"Okay," Miriam didn't understand why she was putting on Elijah's coat, but she shrugged into the heavy coat regardless. It was warm, at least.
Caroline wrinkled her nose. "That makes you smell more like Elijah than you usually do."
"That's the point," August winked at Caroline. Then he pointed at Jeremy, Luka, and Bonnie, "You three, make sure that every door and window is locked. Don't forget the basement. Luka, draw repel symbols on every window and exit. Teach Bonnie. They shouldn't be able to get through the barrier without a nuclear bomb, but better safe than sorry."
"Yes, sir," Luka said, and he and the other two hurried to do what the older witch had said.
August turned to Miriam. "You don't step outside the barrier."
"Pff, I'm not an idiot."
He snorted. "Yes, you are."
Miriam rolled her eyes and opened the front door. She stepped out onto the porch, and August and Caroline flanked her.
Aya had come as close as the barrier allowed, which was several yards from the porch steps. Her fellow Strix members were spread out. All of them looked serious and deadly, but not outwardly threatening. Their posture was relaxed and their faces were human, not vamped out.
"Hello," Aya greeted, a small, feline smile on her beautiful face.
"Hello," Miriam replied. "What brings you to my neck of the woods tonight?"
"Oh, just a moonlight stroll. I can hear the South Dakota coven trying to break down your protection barrier," Aya noted.
"'Trying' being the key word," Miriam pointed out.
"Yes, they are trying. And there are several groups of vampires also preparing to attack," Aya said in a conversational tone, as if they were discussing lawn care and not the possible deaths of everyone in the farmhouse.
"The vampires have less of a chance of getting through the barrier than the witches, I am sad to say," Miriam wasn't all that sad, "so that's a moot point."
"All magic has its limits, though. How long is the barrier supposed to stay up? Twenty-four hours? Until dawn? Whatever the time limit is, your enemies are willing to wait you out."
"Do you count yourself amongst my enemies?" Miriam asked, desperately hoping that Aya couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating in her chest. She tried to channel Elijah and project an air of ease and boredom.
Aya grinned sharply. "Not at this moment, no. Did you know that the Strix have never considered Elijah having a mate, not after one thousand years without one? You have changed many plans, young one. When we received the delightful film of Elijah and Klaus executing those werewolves, we were informed of your importance to Elijah, and also to Klaus. The Hybrid is no friend to the Strix, but he has suddenly become stronger than all of the Originals. That type of power is not to be ignored or belittled. You are not to be ignored or belittled. You, Miriam Sanchez, are a queen in the making."
"I'll be sure to polish my crown," Miriam said dryly.
August made a choking sound next to her. She ignored him.
Aya just tilted her head, her eyes shining with mirth. "You are an ideal mate for Elijah. However, I wonder if your compatibility with Klaus Mikaelson is equivalent."
"Klaus and I would rather the nuances of our relationship be kept private," Miriam dodged Aya's pointed statement. "There's already three people in this relationship, no need to add more."
"Yes, relationships are difficult enough with two people, but three? And even more disruptive is the fact that you three are not a triad… they must have initially fought over you. Tell me, how do your parents approve of your unconventional relationship?"
"My parents have been dead for a number of years now," Miriam said. "But I would like to think they would support my decisions."
"Hmm. After I met you, I had my people look you up. There is very little on 'Miriam Sanchez'."
"A girl's gotta keep some mystery," Miriam hedged.
"You are very mysterious, indeed. No family, very little paper trail… even vampires who have compelled their way from identity to identity leave a faint trail of evidence. Pictures are still taken, documents are still written, descriptions still written in diaries or books. The concept of 'vampire' has existed for as long as the Mikaelson family has existed, partly because vampires as a whole are not subtle. But you, young one, have less evidence to your existence than even the most secretive of vampires. It's as if you fell from the heavens two years ago."
Well, shoot. She swallowed the lump of panic in her throat. Chanel Elijah, she reminded herself. Be steady, aloof, unmovable. When Miriam spoke her tone was even, "I assure you, I did not fall from the heavens, or anything as fanciful. My life, until very recently, has been dull and unremarkable. Really, your lack of evidence can be attributed to a boring life."
Aya let out a chuckle that sounded as perfect as she looked. "Your life cannot possibly be boring."
At the moment, Miriam wished her life was super boring, and not full of potential danger. The old adage 'may you live in interesting times' flashed through her mind. The expression had originally been a Chinese curse, June had told her once, and Miriam was feeling the effects of the curse now.
"The first twenty years of my life beg to differ, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," Miriam said diplomatically. No use pissing off an ancient vampire.
"I can guarantee that the next twenty years will be interesting, Miss Sanchez," Aya said with an enigmatic smile, and Miriam couldn't tell if her words were a threat or not. Aya shifted her weight, and her fellow vampires started to walk away without a word. She dipped her head towards Miriam. "We will meet again, little queen."
The Strix disappeared into the night.
Miriam, August, and Caroline stood in the chilly air for several minutes, until Caroline couldn't contain herself.
"What did that prove?" Caroline said, frustrated. "She didn't attack, but she didn't help us, either!"
Miriam wanted to know that, too. She didn't understand why Aya would show up at the farmhouse. Was it an intimidation technique, to encroach on a piece of land that should have been safe? Was it curiosity? Could it possibly be a snub at Elijah or Klaus? Miriam didn't understand. Aya had nearly one thousand years on her, Miriam couldn't possibly hope to compete with her cunning. Miriam hadn't studied warfare or psychological techniques. She didn't have years of experience of failures and triumphs that Aya or Elijah or Klaus had. But Miriam did have a feeling that Aya hadn't come to mock her. She needed to run their conversation by her mates, but later, once they were out of danger.
"That's for Elijah to figure out," Miriam said. "We've got other matters to worry about, like the witches in the backyard."
"Let's go inside," August urged as he peered into the trees that surrounded the farmhouse. "I know that no projectile can pierce the barrier, but I still feel too exposed."
Inside they found Luka, Bonnie, and Jeremy huddled around the windows that faced the backyard. The two witches were arguing fiercely with each other while Jeremy stood by awkwardly, looking worried.
"Just give me back my powers and I can take them all out!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"I've said this a thousand times, I can't!" Luka said through clenched teeth. "Your powers will come back in a couple of days. Nothing I can do will speed up that process!"
"Bullshit!"
"Kiddos, am I going to have to put someone in the time-out corner?" August said with forced cheer. He peered through the window and frowned.
"She won't listen to reason; she's fucking crazy," Luka hissed.
"He won't give me my powers back!" Bonnie defended herself.
"Bonnie, we both have told you multiple times that we cannot give you your powers back before the suppression spell wears off. Think of it like a bruise: it heals on its own time," August said. Bonnie went to speak but he cut her off. "Enough! We've got more to worry about than your stubborn refusal to accept the truth!"
With a wave of August's hand, Bonnie's jaw snapped shut. Her face turned scarlet as she tried to fight against the spell that kept her mouth shut. Her eyes, dark and furious, glared at August, then Miriam.
"Don't look at me; you're the one causing problems," Miriam said.
Bonnie stomped her foot, but seemed reluctant to leave the room while the house was still under siege. Miriam ignored the bratty witch and turned to August.
"I know that the barrier should hold for twenty-four hours, 'til tomorrow night, but does that remain the truth even with witches trying to take it down?"
"No," August seemed to loath the word. "With constant attacks, the magic keeping every creature and object away from the house will be strained. They won't be able to force their way in, but they can wear out the magic."
"With continued attacks, how long are we talking?"
"I'm not sure," the witch was frustrated. He looked out the window. "Sometime early tomorrow morning? Maybe dawn, if they amp up their attacks."
"That is not ideal," Miriam acknowledged grimly.
"No, it's not," August agreed.
"What about your dad?" Caroline asked Luka. "Can't he come here and help?"
"I texted him while you guys were talking to the Strix vampires. Him and Maddox are diverting from the safe house to the Gilbert house to protect the girls," Luka said.
"That's the right call," Miriam said. There were probably witch covens and vampire groups that would love to get their hands on Elena or Greta. If the Gilbert house was attacked, Elena was still dead, Jenna was still human, and Greta wasn't trained in defensive magic. They would be sitting ducks. "We have a shield, Jenna, Greta, and Elena do not."
"If the barrier gets too weak I'll call Dr. Martin," August promised. "We're not- Fuck!"
The witches all flinched.
"What now?" Caroline groaned.
Miriam looked out the window. "The vampires Aya mentioned have arrived. They are throwing things at the barrier like damn barbarians."
"It fucking hurts," August groused. "Okay, that's it. Kiddos, who knows how to shoot a gun?"
No one knew how to shoot a gun.
Miriam had some experience with a shotgun (she was still proud of shooting Jules when she was a werewolf), but the teenagers did not. (August and Miriam agreed that Bonnie probably shouldn't be around guns, so August put her to sleep with his powers. She was now resting comfortably on the couch in the living room.) Despite Caroline having a cop for a mom, she had never shot a gun before. Luka used his powers as a weapon, and Jeremy had never needed to defend himself with something other than his fists.
All in all, they were a sad, skill-less bunch.
"Wait, which one is the safety?" Caroline asked as she held the rifle in front of her.
"Oh my god, we're all going to die," Jeremy muttered.
"This one- don't point the gun at anyone!" August leapt back from the vampire as she turned to face him.
"I'm not an idiot!" she complained, and gave Jeremy an angry look when he snorted.
"No one said you're an idiot, but let's not die by friendly fire," Miriam said, and smothered the smile that was threatening to crawl across her face.
"Okay, the gun is loaded, but the safety is on. Once it's flipped, you point this gun only at people you want to permanently kill," August coached. He had given the teens a crash course in gun safety and how to use the dangerous weapons. The lesson wasn't as in-depth as the adults wanted it to be, but Miriam hoped it was enough to keep the teens from accidentally shooting themselves or each other.
"Yeah, I've got it," Caroline nodded. She looked odd, with her bright yellow shirt, perky ponytail, and holding a rifle. But Miriam couldn't make too much fun of her because she was wearing pink cupcake pajamas and a men's winter coat.
"Okay, I want you on the back porch, shooting at anything moving too fast for us humans. Boys, go with Caroline. Aim for the witches."
The teenagers nodded and went outside.
"Did you try Elijah again?" August asked once the kids were gone.
"Yeah. No answer," Miriam's brow furrowed. "I hope he's okay."
August scoffed. "He's a thousand years old and practically unkillable. He's fine. It's us you need to worry about."
"I know, I know. I texted Jenna, and she said that the witches are setting up a protection barrier at the Gilbert house, just in case they're also attacked."
"We should have had Greta bring Elena and Jenna here," August pulled at his hair in frustration.
"That wouldn't have helped much," Miriam pointed out. "Even if we hadn't raised the barrier until the girls arrived after the ritual, we would still be in the same situation. Greta might have been able to help, but Dr. Martin and Maddox wouldn't have been able to enter. We did what we thought was the best option."
"It's still a sucky situation," August said as he picked up a shotgun of his own. He had raided the basement of the farmhouse that had, unknown to Miriam, a stash of weapons. Apparently she had been living in a house that had its own armory without even knowing.
"I agree, but we've got to do the best we can. If it seems like we're about to get overrun, call Dr. Martin and have him come here."
August inclined his head in agreement. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Miriam had a feeling it would. She grabbed a rifle and marched out the door.
The teenagers had taken positions at the edge of the patio. The three nodded grimly at Miriam and aimed their guns at the invaders. The witch coven had been joined by two dozen vampires, all of whom were attempting to get inside the barrier. The witches were still chanting whatever spell they believed would work to dissolve the barrier. The vampires were throwing things- rocks, small trees, each other- at the barrier in hopes of penetrating it. They didn't seem to realize that nothing, dead or alive, could get in, save a person with Mikaelson blood. But their efforts were wearing down the magic that kept the barrier up. Once dawn approached, the barrier would dissolve, and the residents of the farmhouse would be sitting ducks.
"Okay, just because we can shoot them and they can't shoot us doesn't mean we need to waste bullets," August said as he aimed his weapon at the witches. He fired once, and a witch fell to the ground, dead. "If we're still fighting at dawn we'll need all the ammo we can get."
"Gotcha," Caroline nodded, then rapidly shot her gun at seemingly nothing.
"What the hell I'd just say?!" August shouted once she had stopped.
"But I got one!" Caroline pointed. Her seemingly eccentric shots had actually taken out a vampire. He lay on the ground, dead from a wooden bullet through the heart.
"Way to go, Caroline!" Miriam cheered.
Their moment of triumph was soon smothered. Once the witches and vampires realized that the group could defend themselves, they began to move faster ( the vampires), or put up magical shields (the witches). After Caroline's fantastic shot no one was able to hit any of their attackers.
An tense hour went by.
"I'm going to call Dr. Martin," August said, and set down his gun. Sweat beaded his forehead and his limbs were drooping. Luka wasn't in any better shape. The teenager had stopped shooting five minutes earlier and was sitting on the ground doing breathing exercises.
"Good idea," Miriam agreed. Her arms were getting tired and she had developed a headache. She had called and texted Elijah several times, but her mate wasn't answering. She hoped that he was just busy following Klaus through the forest, and that Klaus hadn't attacked him. Klaus hadn't attacked his brother in the show, but Miriam now knew better than to think that events were following the show's script.
"Holy fuck!" Jeremy dropped his gun and jumped back.
"Jeremy!" August scolded.
"Look!" the teenager pointed.
A large creature had stepped out of the forest behind the attacking witches. Miriam had only seen one werewolf, Jules, so she didn't have the largest pool of examples to draw from. But based on the creature's shape and features, Miriam guessed that it was a werewolf as well. It was double the size of Jules and stood nearly six feet tall at it's shoulder. It's hair was dark and shaggy. Even from far away Miriam could see the moon flashing off it's massive white fangs.
The werewolf didn't hesitate before attacking the witches. He- Miriam believed that the werewolf was male- moved too fast for her human eyes to track. In a matter of moments the remaining five witches were dead. Limbs had been ripped off bodies and tossed carelessly. A head rolled until it reached the barrier that surrounded the farmhouse. The face on the head was frozen in terror.
A triumphant roar filled the air. The werewolf began to chase the vampires that had been trying to breach the barrier. The vampires were fast, but this werewolf was faster. He chased them around, and with each kill he put the body in front of the barrier that Miriam and the others faced.
"Is… is that Klaus?" Caroline asked in shock as another vampire body was tossed in front of them.
"I think so," August replied nervously. He looked at Miriam. "We should get inside."
Her heart beat fast in her chest. She understood the desire to hide in the house (and hide under the bed) but she knew it would be useless if Klaus really wanted to attack them. "You're forgetting that he can go through the barrier and into the house; you invited him in."
"Shit!" August cursed.
"Guys, he's coming back," Jeremy said nervously.
Sure enough, Klaus had finished killing all of the vampires and was now making his way towards the farmhouse.
"Jeremy, help Luka get inside," Miriam ordered. Luckily the boy obeyed without question. As he was helping the witch into the house she added, "Caroline, you should go with them."
"What? No!" Caroline shook her blonde head. "I'm staying with you."
August eyed Miriam. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm hoping that the mate bond will be more powerful now that he's unlocked and that he won't care about you all if I'm in front of him and you are out of sight," Miriam said, and nervously shifted her weight. "He should have complete control of his actions right now, unlike other werewolves."
"Or maybe his first shift is completely disorienting and he doesn't recognize you!" August argued.
Miriam started to reply, but at that moment Klaus passed through the barrier. August flinched. Now that Klaus was close, they could all see him clearly. Blood dripped from his mouth and blood coated his front two legs and claws. His eyes were golden, and had a deep intelligence behind them. His golden gaze swept over the three of them, assessing them. Caroline sucked in a breath and pressed close to Miriam. Miriam grabbed a hold of one of Caroline's hands and squeezed. Caroline practically glued herself to Miriam's side as she tracked the Hybrid's movements.
Klaus stalked across the grassy yard towards the patio Miriam, August, and Caroline were standing on. His movements were slow and calculated, and his gold eyes locked onto Miriam's dark ones. A deep rumble left his throat.
His eyes were wild, yes, but also cunning. With one look in his eyes Miriam could tell that Klaus had retained his intelligent mind, unlike other werewolves during their shift.
As Klaus came to a stop only a few feet in front of Miriam, August moved. Miriam didn't know if his intention was to stand in-between her and Klaus, or to attack Klaus, or to grab Caroline and get her to safety, but regardless of his intentions, Klaus let out a low growl. August froze only a few steps from Miriam.
"I wouldn't do that," Miriam addressed August, but she maintained eye-contact with the Hybrid in front of her.
"Yeah, I realize that now," August hissed as he remained frozen in place.
When the witch didn't move Klaus growled again.
"I think that was werewolf for 'back the fuck away'," Miriam said tightly, and waved August back with her hand. He reluctantly took several large steps back.
Klaus let out a grunt, seemingly pacified now that the witch was away from Miriam. He brought his large head closer to hers and let out a burst of air. He sniffed at her neck, and the action reminded her that she was wearing Elijah's coat. Would the scent of his brother on her appeal to Klaus or make him angry? He had been getting along with Elijah, and he had kept his mind, but he was currently a werewolf, and Miriam doubted that reckless, wild Klaus would be level-headed in his werewolf form...
A whine broke Miriam out of her nervous musings. Her mate was looking at her with doleful eyes. She gave him a weak smile.
"Hi. I'm glad you're a werewolf now," she felt silly addressing werewolf-Klaus, who couldn't speak to her, but she also felt rude for not talking to him (other couples had money issues, currently she and Klaus had a unique form of communication issues). Klaus's eyes shone with mirth at her awkward tone.
He reached out with one of his front legs (the front two legs had more dexterity than the back legs; they were almost like arms) and wrapped it around Miriam. Very gently he pulled her closer to him. Miriam let out a small 'eep' as she stumbled forward. Caroline, who still had a death grip on Miriam's arm, unwillingly came with her.
Klaus made a sound that was more displeased than angry when Caroline moved with Miriam.
"Car, I think he wants me to go with him," Miriam said as Klaus nudged her and Caroline again.
Caroline shook her head. "It's not safe." The vampire wouldn't stop staring at Klaus, and Miriam could feel the girl shaking. Even when Miriam nudged her, Caroline still wouldn't look away from the Hybrid. She reminded Miriam of a deer caught in headlights.
"Is this a vampire-werewolf thing?"
"I-I think so?"
June had been mentoring Caroline as much as she could between guarding Miriam and preparing for the ritual. The two blondes had spent many hours together talking about vampirism and all that it entailed: lifestyle, diet, everything. June was teaching Caroline aspects of being a vampire that Damon and Stefan hadn't taught her (or didn't know to teach her). Miriam knew that Caroline was also glad that a woman was teaching her these things (Stefan had done an okay job at teaching Caroline about being a vampire, but June had centuries of additional experience being a vampire, and being a female vampire). But despite June's tutelage, there was much that Caroline still didn't know or understand. Apparently reactions to Original Hybrids was one of those things.
"I'll be alright, Caroline. You need to let go," Miriam coaxed. Finally, after another few minutes of wheedling, Caroline released Miriam and stumbled back towards August.
Now that she was free, Klaus let out a happy rumble. He nudged Miriam with his head, and she hesitantly scratched behind his ears. He practically melted into her touch.
"You're just a big puppy dog, aren't you?" Miriam laughed.
Klaus grumbled but didn't move away from the pets he was receiving.
"Would you let Elijah pet you like this?" Miriam teased, and got a nudge that almost knocked her off her feet in retaliation.
"June will never believe that you petted the big bad Hybrid," August said from somewhere behind Miriam. Klaus bared his teeth at the reminder that he and Miriam weren't alone. Miriam felt him pull her closer.
In a flurry of motion and a scream from Miriam, Klaus swept Miriam away from the farmhouse and retreated to the woods.
ELIJAH'S POV
Elijah was over one thousand years old. He has experienced much in those years. He has created and killed a multitude of enemies. He has known the love of men and women and lost them all. He has known pain; he has walked through a desert, been drowned, and been bitten by a werewolf. He has seen the expansion of his family with the birth of his child, of Finn's children, and he has seen them all perish. He has survived enemies and family. He has feared no one or no thing in centuries, with the exception of his father.
Elijah only ever feared his father. The man had terrified him as a child with his loud, mean words and unapologetic fists. The physical abuse had been horrible, but the mental abuse had been worse. Some might think that Klaus was the villain in Elijah's story, but that was incorrect. Klaus was unpredictable, yes, but Elijah was never truly afraid of his brother. He had never been afraid of any of his siblings. Finn had been too depressed after the death of his family to pose a threat, Rebekah had loved him too much to attack him, Kol had been too concerned with his own business, and Klaus was too afraid of being alone to actually follow through with any of his threats.
But now…
As Elijah looked into the eyes of his furious brother, a sliver of fear hit his heart. Kol had angry moments in the past, usually when the anguish of losing his magic became too much. Those episodes had been tainted with the pain of a deep loss, and he hadn't known how to deal with his heightened emotions; he had been barely a man when he had been forced to become a vampire. Elijah had always viewed Kol as a perpetual angry teenager (though Kol had been just twenty when he became a vampire) moping over his past life. Kol's angst hadn't been as all-consuming as Finn's, and their responses had been wildly different. Kol had let their new diet control his actions, and once they had discovered compulsion, Kol realized that he did not have to answer for any of his violent actions. Finn's angst had sent him spiraling into depression, and their eldest brother had become melancholy.
But now Elijah saw a new emotion behind the anger in Kol's eyes: steady determination. His hands did not shake, nor did they allow Elijah to move an inch. The tree bark dug into Elijah's skin, and he could hear the wood creak from the force of Kol pressing him against the poor tree.
"Take us to our mate," Kol growled deep in his throat. Elijah would never admit it to another soul, but a shiver went down his spine at the threatening noise. At that moment, Kol sounded like their father.
"You are in no condition to see her," Elijah countered, and portrayed a level of calm that he didn't particularly feel. "You both are dressed from bygone eras and sport matching blood stains on your clothing from where you were daggered. You all need to clean up and change into modern clothes."
"I could care less about my clothes!" Kol snarled and bared his fangs.
Elijah let out a growl of his own at the threatening action.
"Oh for the sake of the Goddess!" Rebekah cursed. Faster than Finn could react, she twisted out of his hold and zoomed over to Elijah and Kol. She shoved Kol away from Elijah, and he went flying into a tree a dozen yards away. "This male posturing has never been attractive to the female population. Now, can we discuss matters like civilized adults?"
Kol had recovered and sped back over to the rest of the siblings. "There is nothing to discuss. Elijah seems intent on keeping my mate from me, so that means he will have to die."
"Brother, he is also Miriam's mate," Finn chided, and put a restraining hand on Kol's shoulder. Surprisingly, Kol accepted the touch.
"What do you mean 'mate'?" Rebekah asked, understandably confused. "You have been daggered for a century, according to that vampire woman who undaggered us."
"I do not fully understand how Finn and I came to this knowledge," Kol admitted. "I have chalked it up to my inherent magic and Finn's extended time daggered. We both dreamed of her, and I could sometimes visit her in the physical world, though she could not hear me. We do not think she remembered the dreams."
"She does not, at least not until she has met one of us face to face," Elijah revealed. "I can visit with her in the dreams now, and we can both recall them the next day. She knows that she has two more mates, but she cannot remember your faces."
"Someone explain!" Rebekah snapped and stamped her foot in impatience.
"We all share the same woman as our mate," Elijah said to her. "Niklaus, Finn, Kol, and I are all the mates of Miriam, a human woman I met over a month ago."
"Now that Bex is caught up, let us go to our mate!" Kol demanded.
"Wait, wait!" Rebekah held up her hands. "You cannot just tell me life-altering news like that and just expect me to be fine!"
"You have nearly a century of news to catch up on, little sister. We cannot wait for you to be hysterical over every single detail," Kol snarked.
"There is another piece of information you all must know," Elijah met the eyes of each of his siblings. "Tonight Niklaus released his werewolf side and became the first Hybrid."
Rebekah's eyes teared up in joy. "I cannot believe he accomplished that! He found another doppelganger?"
"Yes, and everything went smoothly. Sister, he is so happy," Elijah beamed at Rebekah, who smiled broadly back at him.
Kol made an impatient noise. "Yes, yes, Nik has finally taken the form of the dog we always knew he was. Now take us to our mate, Elijah."
"I agree. I could care less what form our brother now takes. All I care about now is my mate," Finn said. His face was set in a deep frown, as it had during the one hundred years he had walked on the earth as a vampire. Yet… the darkness that had clouded his eyes, the bone-deep depression that had weighed him down, was gone. Though certainly not happy, Finn's eyes were almost as light as they had been when he had been a human man with a loving family.
"What is your plan, Finn?" Elijah asked, hoping that his older brother could be reasoned with. "Do you suppose that Miriam would take kindly to the two of you barging into her home, disheveled and bloody? And what is the plan after you meet her? Did Kol convince you to take her from Niklaus and me?" At Finn's guilty look, Elijah pressed his point, "How do you think she would react to being kidnapped from the only security she has experienced since landing in this universe?"
"What?!" Rebekah questioned, but all her brothers ignored her.
"If you have truly watched over her for the last two years, you would know every trial she has been through, and you would not want to cause her any more trauma," Elijah insisted.
Finn visibly deflated. "I understand your point. We will bathe and change before seeing her. But you will not keep her from us."
"It is not my intention to keep you from our mate, I just wish for a moment for you and Kol to calm yourselves. I would also like to talk to you all," Elijah added, looking at Kol and Rebekah. "Our family has been fractured for a long time, and I would see us whole."
"That all depends on Nik, and his propensity for daggering innocent siblings," Kol said sharply.
Rebekah scoffed. "You were never innocent."
"Let us go," Elijah urged, desperate to keep his two youngest siblings from fighting.
"We will go with him," Finn told Kol sternly. "We will change and become presentable for our mate. Our presence will already cause her anxiety; we will not add to it by appearing in ancient and bloody clothing."
Though it seemed to pain him, Kol nodded in assent.
Elijah tried not to show his blatant relief. He reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone to call June (she was probably still in Raleigh), but found it gone. He surmised that it must have fallen out of his pocket during one of Niklaus's many roughhousing moments. The loss of the communication device was annoying, but Elijah knew he wouldn't need it for the rest of the night. Miriam was safe at the farmhouse with August and the children, Greta and Jenna were with the doppelganger at the Gilbert house, and Dr. Martin and Maddox were laying low at the safe house in the woods. None should need him for the rest of the night.
"Come," Elijah beckoned his siblings to follow him. He looked once more at the dense woods around them for Niklaus, but the Hybrid was long gone. He was probably wreaking havoc on campers in the forest, but Elijah had more important things to deal with than cleaning up after his destructive brother.
Elijah led his siblings through the woods and headed for one of the many safe houses that he had set up in and around Mystic Falls. Some houses and apartments had August as the owner (and thus were vampire-safe places for Miriam), but a good portion were owned by Elijah. He led his siblings to one of the houses he owned on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. This house had electricity and running water and was stocked with a multitude of spare clothes. The house also had the added benefit of being far away from the farmhouse. Elijah didn't want either of his brothers accidentally catching Miriam's scent. He doubted that he could contain them if they really wanted to go find her.
Elijah was glad that the house was remote, because he and his siblings looked very suspicious with their messy and bloody clothes. Elijah was quick to retrieve the hidden key (even ancient beings hid spare house keys under pots) and let his siblings into the house.
Finn, Kol, and Rebekah looked around the house with varying degrees of interest. Finn was the most interested; he was fascinated with the light switches. Though the house was small (only two bedrooms and two full bathrooms) Elijah was sure that his siblings were interested in how different it looked from the houses they were used to.
The first stop for the brothers was the master bedroom to change. Elijah pulled articles of clothing out of the closet for his brothers and for himself. He showed his brothers how to work the shower, then led Rebekah into one of the spare bedrooms, which had a closet full of women's clothes.
While his brothers had readily accepted his offering of clothing, Rebekah was proving to be a touch more difficult.
"I hate this," Rebekah announced, and tossed the offensive shirt onto the bed.
Elijah sighed. "I'm sorry 21st century clothing does not appeal to your eye, but you do need to wear something besides your bloody dress from the 1920s."
Rebekah pouted. "Everything in this closet is cheap, ugly, and offensive. Where is the lace? The femininity?"
"These clothes were meant to blend in, not stand out. And this top is lacy," Elijah pulled out a white blouse that was simple and delicate. "It would look fetching with those brown trousers you were eyeing."
Rebekah considered it. "Fine. But after we get this 'mate' business sorted, we are going shopping. I need proper clothes, and more importantly, proper under-things. The two bras that you have here won't fit me."
"Once we get back to the farmhouse we will find you more clothes," Elijah promised. "Between Miriam, June, and young Caroline, you will find a suitable outfit and a proper-fitting bra to go shopping in."
"I am holding you to that promise, dearest brother," she smiled evilly. "And I will be spending a small fortune on modern clothing, that I can promise you."
"Do what you must," Elijah replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. After so long without her, he would be glad to lose money if it meant that she was close to him. "I am glad you are here, Rebekah."
She smiled back at him. "Thank you for finding me. I know you have worked hard to retrieve us, and that Nik probably hadn't helped you."
"He hasn't exactly been the model of brotherly love," Elijah agreed. "But I still have hope that he will come around. Now, let's put that to the side for now. Shower and change, and meet us downstairs in an hour."
She nodded and went into the guest bathroom to shower. Elijah, Finn, and Kol took turns in the shower and changed into fresh clothes. Finally, they were all clean and in clothing that matched the time period. There were still issues; Rebekah needed a new bra, Finn's hair was too long, the shoes Elijah had in the house wouldn't fit Kol ( as a result he was wearing the shoes he had been daggered in). But those issues could be easily fixed with a little time and a little money.
With damp hair and clean-smelling skin, the four Mikaelsons congregated in the small living room. Elijah and Rebekah claimed the sofa while Finn and Kol sat in the two chairs across from them. Elijah didn't want to acknowledge the divide, but he knew that eventually the five siblings would need to talk about it.
"Do you need to feed?" Elijah asked his siblings as a whole.
"No. We ate before finding you, because despite your belief that I am a reckless libertine, I did not want to approach my human mate with an empty stomach," Kol groused.
Elijah shot him a disapproving look.
"Please, Elijah, tell us what is happening," Rebekah reached out and grabbed Elijah's hands into her own. "This entire ordeal has been very confusing. You three share a mate with Nik?"
"Yes. Her name is Miriam Sanchez, and she is an extraordinary person," Elijah smiled slightly before launching into the story of Miriam's arrival into their universe. He skipped over the trials she had faced (that topic she would have to bring up on her own with Finn and Kol) and instead focused on her otherworldly knowledge, and how she had been aiding Elijah and Niklaus in their respective pursuits.
"Nik must have loved the fact that she has knowledge of the future," Rebekah said.
"Yes, well, to be honest, he doesn't seem to know what to do with her," Elijah disclosed to his siblings. "He is fighting the mate bond, and is reluctant to be in the same space with her. At the same time, his instincts are telling him not to leave her alone. Once we ironed out the details for the ritual, Niklaus avoided her… to the extent that his instincts would let him. I am hoping that now that he is fully vampire and fully werewolf that both sides, both sets of instincts, will override his stubborn nature."
"Will our brother seek to punish you for undaggering us?" Finn asked. "And will he keep us from Miriam?"
"I don't believe he will seek retribution or seek to keep you from our mate," Elijah said cautiously, not wanting to give false hope but also wanting to be truthful. "He had hidden your coffins so well that I could not find you, not even with my considerable resources. However, a few days ago, I received a tip about your location. I believe Niklaus orchestrated the tip. As for the second concern, he could have kidnapped Miriam at any time. Despite easy access to her, he left her in my care, and under my roof. That is not the actions of a man unwilling to share. We have a long road ahead of us, brothers, but I believe we can work together to create a better future for all of us."
"What is your vision for our future, brother?" Finn asked.
"I see our enemies dead at our feet. With Miriam's knowledge, Niklaus's strength, and our support, we could carve out a place in this world where we would not have to fear our father or anyone else, for that matter. Free of fear, we could spend the rest of eternity with our mate by our side."
"And what of Nik?" Kol challenged. "Despite your promises that he wants to be one big, happy family, I doubt that he wants to share his mate with his three brothers. You speak pretty words, 'Lijah, but that's all they are: words."
"What would you have me do?" Elijah demanded. "Hurting Niklaus would hurt Miriam. She already shares a tentative bond with him. And I do not think my words are nonsense. He hasn't tried to take her from me, and he hasn't tried to dagger me. He wants us to be a family again."
"No, you want us to be a family again," Kol corrected spitefully. "In case you have forgotten, the trio of 'always and forever' never included me or Finn! At the first valid excuse Nik left Finn in a box for 900 years. And even with all of Nik's claims that he and I were alike, any mistake on my part earned me a dagger in the chest."
"You weren't the only one he punished via dagger," Rebekah pointed out, though her tone held little heat. "Any time I found someone to love me I was punished by our lovely brother. But even I want to reconcile with him. I don't want to spend the rest of my miserable life running from both Father and Nik."
"So Nik just walks away and doesn't answer for his crimes?!" Kol seethed.
"I agree with you, Kol, that Niklaus's crimes cannot be allowed to go unpunished," Finn said. "Even so, I would rather avoid conflict. We both know that Elijah would side with Niklaus, as would Rebekah. You and I have no allies, no resources, in this time period. Starting a war would not end well for us."
"That isn't fair!" Kol jumped up and punched a hole in the wall. The other three watched, unbothered as their brother threw a spare chair out the window. Once Kol calmed down a fraction, Elijah tried a different approach.
"Life is not fair. We all know this. And would you really want to drag Miriam into a war between her four mates?" Elijah questioned his youngest brother. "She is young, and human. Would she even survive the four of us fighting? And even if she did survive the fighting, do you think she would thank you? Do you think she would love you for taking two of her mates away?"
Incensed, Kol vamp-sped over to Elijah. "Using her against me is uncalled for!" Kol snarled in Elijah's face.
"I disagree," Elijah stood and pushed Kol away from him. "She is vulnerable and the one to lose the most if we fight amongst ourselves. Would you really take away two of her mates?"
"You are asking me to forgive Niklaus unconditionally," Kol said from between clenched teeth.
"No," Elijah denied. "Let Niklaus know of wrath. Let your anger burn hot and bright. Level towns, turn rivers red. Try to stake him, if you can. What I ask of you is this: do not let Miriam become swept away in your fury."
Kol huffed like a wild bull, but didn't make a move to destroy more furniture. Elijah took the inaction as an agreement. Elijah approached Kol and pulled him into a hug. Shocked at the display of affection, Kol froze and allowed the hug.
"I spent decades believing that Niklaus had damned you all to a watery grave," Elijah said, his arms still around his youngest brother. "I believed all of you were lost, forever. I mourned for you. My future was bleak, and during that time I can honestly say that I hated Niklaus," he finally released Kol, but kept a hand on his shoulder. "I do not criticize you all for holding resentment for our brother. He has well-earned your negative feelings. All I am asking is that you withhold action until the five of us can speak openly and honestly together."
Rebekah, so starved for affection, was the first one to consent to Elijah's terms. Satisfied that at least one sibling would not cause trouble, Elijah turned his eyes to Finn. Poor Finn. He was arguably the sibling who had been the most affected by Niklaus's actions. Out of all of them, he had the most justification for anger. But while Kol's anger was like flighty, temporary flames, Finn's anger was an ember, hot and long-lasting. Kol might cause trouble in the moment, and Elijah knew that he would, but he would eventually be swayed from his anger. Finn, on the other hand, would seemingly let go of his anger, only to stoke it at a devastating time.
"Finn?" Elijah prodded.
"I will not make trouble until I talk with Niklaus," Finn said.
The promise was full of loopholes, Elijah could plainly see that. However, he was willing to let Finn's wording slide in order to keep the peace. Reluctantly appeased, Elijah turned to Kol.
"Brother? Will you keep the peace for just a little while longer?"
Kol clenched his teeth before relaxing. "Fine. Fine! I will not do anything until we talk with Nik."
Relieved, Elijah smiled. "Thank you, brothers. Your words mean a lot to me. I am hopeful that we can come to a solution that is agreeable to us all."
"Yes, yes," Kol waved away Elijah's words. "Now enough stalling, brother. I wish to meet my mate," Kol said, his wild eyes promising pain to any who stopped him.
Luckily for the Mikaelson siblings, the safe house had a detached garage that had a car inside. While they could run across the county to reach the farmhouse, Elijah knew that using a vehicle for transportation would be less conspicuous. And so the four Mikaelson siblings piled into the small car and Elijah drove them towards the farmhouse and their mate.
"Everything looks so different," Finn whispered as they drove through a neighborhood. Dawn was coming, and the pale light enabled them to see the houses that they were passing. "Clothing, architecture, it has all changed so radically. The very air I breathe tastes different. I feel as if I have entered a world that is not my own, and I have no idea how to return to familiarity."
Something that felt suspiciously like guilt clawed at Elijah's stomach. He looked at Rebekah, who sat in the passenger seat, and saw that she had a similar look of guilt in her eyes.
The siblings spent the remainder of the drive in silence. Finally, they arrived at the farmhouse. Dawn had arrived, bathing the house in a gentle light.
As Elijah parked the car, August came storming out of the house, furious.
Elijah sighed and got out of the car. "I apologize for my siblings leaving June stranded in Raleigh. I will-"
"Where have you been?!" August hissed. "We have been calling you for hours!"
"I lost my cell phone in the woods after the ritual," Elijah said, confused at the witch's hostile tone.
"Is that Elijah?!" Caroline sped out of the house and slammed her hands against Elijah's chest, sending him flying back into the car, denting it. "You dick! We've been trying to reach you all night!"
"I like you, young one," Kol laughed.
Luka, Jeremy, and Bonnie came out of the house, all looking worse for wear. Elijah, who had pulled himself out of the car's indent, looked at the collection of witches, vampires, and the young hunter. All looked positively exhausted. Young Luka was swaying on his feet and had to lean against Jeremy to stay upright. Caroline's blonde hair was coming loose from a ponytail, giving her a disheveled look. Bonnie looked the most rested, but she still sported an unhappy look on her face.
Miriam was nowhere in sight.
Dread filled Elijah. "What happened?"
"We were attacked last night after the ritual," August said. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked worried. "The barrier held against a witch attack, but the coven was joined by a group of vampires who also attempted to enter."
"The Strix were also here," Caroline added.
"The Strix took Miriam?" Elijah was going to kill Aya.
"No, they didn't…" August exchanged a look with Caroline. She nodded at him and he continued the story.
"The Stix arrived during the witch attack, though they didn't attack themselves. Miriam talked to Aya, and the Strix left. Afterwards, we were attacked by the vampires. Their combined attempts drastically weakened the barrier. A few hours ago it was about to fail when Klaus arrived. He killed all the witches and vampires that were attacking."
"Where is Nik now?" Rebekah asked. She was eyeing her brothers like they were going to explode. Elijah felt like exploding, and he knew that Kol and Finn did too. They were tense, coiled like snakes preparing to strike.
"He went back into the forest, but…"
"Speak, damn you!" snarled Kol.
"Klaus took Miriam with him," August finally said. "The barrier lowered an hour ago, and we've been searching for them since. We've been trying to track them, but he's too fast to pin down."
"Great!" Kol threw his hands in the air. "While we were swapping stories and participating in sibling bonding exercises to assuage Elijah's fear that Finn and I would steal Miriam, our bastard brother was stealing Miriam." Kol pointed at Elijah, "I blame you for this!"
"Peace, brother," Finn said, his voice calm, although there was tension in his tone and around his eyes. "Have you tried a locator spell yet?"
The younger beings looked confused at the old language that Finn spoke, so Elijah translated.
"We were just about to try a locator spell for Miriam," August said. "We've been a little busy re-spelling the protection barrier, dealing with the dozens of dead bodies in the backyard, and trying to track the world's first Hybrid."
"Focus on finding Miriam," Elijah ordered. "She is the priority."
"Yes, sir," August mock-saluted.
"Is anyone injured?" Finn asked, his eyes darting to Caroline and Jeremy. Elijah could see paternal concern in his elder brother's eyes. Finn had been the eldest brother of a pack of children and a father of his own group of kids. Concern for the well-being of those younger than him was ingrained into his very core. The fact that Jeremy had the same coloring as Elijah and Kol had when they were younger, and that Caroline was blonde-haired and blue eyed, like Rebekah and Finn's daughters, probably did not help his paternalistic instincts.
Elijah dutifully repeated Finn's question.
"No, we're all okay, though me and Luka are tired from the constant attacks on the barrier, and re-spelling the barrier. We never had the chance to fight, thank goodness. Klaus killed them all before fighting became necessary," August said.
"Was Miriam injured at all?" Elijah asked, wanting the extra reassurance that she was alright.
"No, but she did talk to Aya Al-Rashid before the fighting started. I have to note that Aya and the Strix vampires did not fight. They didn't help, but they didn't do anything to help the vampires and witches that attacked."
Elijah wanted to snap that any inaction was still picking a side. But he knew how Aya and the Strix worked. They never backed a side unless they were sure of the outcome. He had taught them that. He knew that the Strix were still feeling out Miriam's position as his mate, as Niklaus's mate, as Finn and Kol's mate. She had the potential to cripple the entire Mikaelson family… or make them stronger. That power was a lot for the Strix to consider.
Despite Elijah's desire to know the words said during Miriam and Aya's conversation, politics could wait until Miriam was in his arms.
"Come," Elijah said to his brothers. "Let's go find our mate."
A/N:
Hey all! Happy Pride Month!
SO SORRY for the late update; I meant to have this out early June, but finals, the house reno, and a week-long funeral/family trip across four states (not as fun as it sounds) completely took up all my time.
Does anyone have any fic recommendations that deal with therapy? Or sources I can look up? Because I want to include at least a theme of mental health, and Miriam's progression, but I want it realistic (or at the very least non-offensive for people who have actually gone to therapy for similar issues).
(Whit's reno update: WE FINISHED! In the month and several weeks since the last chapter, the kitchen backsplash was put in for the third and final time, my mom, sister and I painted the entire downstairs, and now everything is new and clean! All we have left is to sand, stain, and paint our staircase banister, and then work on the backyard. Our deck is deteriorating, so we're going to build a new one. We also need to re-plant flowers and other cosmetic stuff like that.)