AN: *emerges from hibernation and throws this chapter at you*

CW: Sex in Elijah's section.


FREYA

"You seem far away today."

Freya scoffed at the therapist's remark. "I am a thousand years and an ocean away."

Goldie Martin crossed her legs and leaned back against the couch cushions. "Why do you feel that way?"

She sighed. "My brothers and sister are planning on killing our father."

"And you don't approve?"

"I… I have spent this last holiday season surrounded by family. Each movie we watch, every story they tell me, all the traditions they swear are important, it all just reminds me that I am missing someone. I know he has done horrible things, but he's my father," she shrugged helplessly. "My memories of him are all pure. I remember him rocking me to sleep. He used to sing me a lullaby that his mother had taught him. I don't remember the words anymore, but I remember the tune. It was the only thing I could think about in Elijah's office while my siblings plotted our father's death."

"You were close to him," Goldie observed. "Closer than any of your siblings."

"Yes… though I do realize that I spent the least amount of time with him. I ignored all the stories I heard about him during my years awake, did I tell you that? I heard tales of a vampire who hunted vampires, but the person sounded so foreign from the father I grew up with that I ignored it."

"That's understandable, Freya. Your last memories of your father were good memories," Goldie shifted her weight slightly, and her eyes became more focused. "We've talked a lot about the concepts of blame, choice, and survival during our time sessions. Your parents and aunt made choices that affected you. Your mother made the choice to give you up, and lie to Mikael. Your aunt made the choice to be an abusive guardian when she should have been a loving figure. Your father made the choice to attack his own children for hundreds of years. Your siblings made difficult, controversial choices. And you, Freya, made the choice to survive."

Freya couldn't help it; she rolled her eyes.

"No, you don't get to belittle everything you went through with your aunt and during your years after you escaped her. You did what you had to. By your own admission, you did not hurt anyone who wasn't a threat to you. As much as it might feel like it sometimes, you are not to blame for anyone's choices but your own, Freya."

"I am the oldest," Freya insisted. "I could have done-"

"Nothing. You could have done nothing to stop what happened to you. You were a child, then a teenager, then an adult on the run from a villain. You made the choices you made to survive, in the hope to one day return to your family. And you did, Freya. You are free of your aunt. Now you need to focus on the present. You can either fixate on the past, or focus on the choices you can make in the present."

Tears (of anger, frustration, sadness, she didn't know) welled up in Freya's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Crying had never helped her. And she certainly wasn't going to cry in front of the other witch.

"Shedding the weight of other people's choices is difficult, I know. But if you want to have a healthy relationship with the people in your life, you need to do so."

"How?" Freya snapped. "The weight of my family's choices are too heavy."

"But it doesn't have to be," Goldie's tone didn't change in response to Freya's outburst. "You are the one shouldering it. It is up to you whether or not you want to let that weight go and live your life the way you want to live it."

The session ended not too long after that. Goldie could tell that Freya was distracted, and Freya was happy to leave early. She quickly extinguished the magical candles that allowed for communication, eager to do something else.

She left her room and began to walk through the halls of the Hearth. It was the first week of January, so the home was still filled with Christmas and New Years decorations. The atmosphere was cheerful; the teenagers were still on break from school, the adults were still a little bit tipsy from the New Years party, and Freya was basking in the glow of community.

Freya had never been part of a community before. She could barely remember the village of her birth, before Dahlia took her. Once she was with Dahlia, her life became isolating. Dahlia had discouraged friendships, even with other witches. The few rare times they had ever interacted with another witch community was for Dahlia's personal gain- riches, power, or influence.

When Freya had finally escaped Dahlia's clutches she had been reluctant to involve any of the covens she came across. She spent the majority of her year awake running from Dahlia, learning the evolution of the language of whatever country she had hidden in, and trying to further her magical knowledge. Witches were covetous of their knowledge and suspicious of outsiders, so Freya would have to spend precious weeks attempting to convince them she was harmless.

The third year free from Dahlia had been Freya's worst. With two years free from Dahlia, Freya had become foolishly bold. She had stayed in one place for too long. The witches had been surprisingly open with her, and had welcomed her into their lives easily. Though she knew she should have, Freya hadn't left; she was too starved of affection. Dahlia had attacked suddenly, and with deadly intent. She slaughtered the witches that had so lovingly included Freya, and had come close to recapturing her.

After that Freya had been hesitant to make any kind of meaningful connections with other people.

But now…

Now it was so different. She had finally found her siblings, her family. Violent though they may be, they were hers. She had hoped she might one day be reunited with her family, but the reality was so much better than her dreams, because with her siblings came a community. There was steady, sweet Miriam who knitted soft things for her friends and gave away her time freely. There was the hybrid pack who were loud and joyously protective. There were the witches- August and the Martin family- who shared their magical texts and grimoires with her and taught her new things. There were the vampires; ancient June, infant Caroline, the few family members of the hybrid pack that wanted immortality, and despite their undead status they lived with such abundance that it sometimes left Freya breathless. There were the humans, the ones from Mystic Falls and the human relations of the hybrid pack, who had no special talents but still loved fiercely. And then there was Keelin.

Keelin, her mate. Keelin was good, untainted by Freya's awful family. Freya wanted her to stay that way. And, she realized as she turned the corner and saw her mate laughing with Miriam and Jenna, she would do anything to keep her safe.

"Freya!" Keelin exclaimed when she saw her. "Come over here! You have to listen to Jenna tell her college story."

The three of them looked at her happily and expectantly. They truly did want her presence. They wanted to tell stories and laugh with her.

It was a foreign feeling… but a good one nonetheless.

"I'd love to hear it," Freya said, and she stepped into the room and joined her community.


A day later found Freya at the graveyard Elijah had gifted everyone for Christmas. The air was bitter and biting, and every time she exhaled she could see her breath. Even though she was wrapped in warm clothes, the chill seemed to seep into her very soul.

There was a choice to be made in a day's time, and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to make it.

She had fled the house after breakfast. The easy comradery of the day had disappeared in the face of the upcoming task. Rebekah had announced at breakfast that she, Jenna, and Caroline were going to go through Jenna's closet with a fine-toothed comb. Her eyes had been slightly manic, and Freya knew that her sister was desperately trying to distract herself. Their brothers had chosen other, non clothes-related distractions. Elijah had locked himself in his office, pouring over plans. Kol had left the Hearth early that morning for parts unknown, and Freya didn't expect him to reappear anytime soon. Klaus was in his art room, no doubt painting away his anxiety. Finn was baking up a storm, to the delight of all the inhabitants of the home. Her favorite brother was quiet at breakfast, but Miriam was with him, so Freya hadn't felt as bad about leaving.

The tall headstones stood unyielding in front of Freya, just like the choice before her. While she and her siblings had officially decided on a path forward concerning their father, alternative plans and spells circled in Freya's mind.

"Oh, Matthias, what should I do?" she murmured to an empty grave.

"I never knew the chap, but I am sure he would say 'kill your father'."

Freya whirled around. Klaus was standing a few paces behind her, arrogance oozing off him. She wasn't a werewolf or vampire, but she was tempted to snarl and growl at him for invading her private time.

"Leave. You aren't wanted right now."

He put a hand over his heart and pouted at her. "Dear sister, you have wounded me! I just want to spend time with you."

"Liar."

He shrugged and moved closer. "Lies are just the truth in pretty wrapping. I do want to spend time with you. We can chat over the grave of your lover. I'll even pick the topic: Mikael."

"You don't think I'll actually follow through with the plan," Freya accused.

He walked past her to Matthias's headstone and casually brushed the top of it, as if dusting. Freya gritted her teeth at the action.

"I believe you see Mikael in a very different light than the rest of us do," Klaus said conversationally.

"You have always known this. Why continue to question my motives?"

"Have you heard of the expression 'seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses'? It refers to a person who views the world in a more idealized way than it is in reality. You, sister mine, see Mikael through rose-tinted glasses. You see him as a loving father, and not as the monster that he truly is."

"I have listened to your testimony, as well as that of our siblings, about Father's behavior. I know… I know that he changed after I was stolen-"

"Ha! 'Changed', you say, as if he didn't become one of the most heinous killers of all time, and yes, I do count myself in that list." Klaus's tone became vicious as he continued: "He is a monstrous, vile leech that should never have breathed air in the first place."

"Stop!" Freya cried. "If you want me to say that I will betray you, I will not. But I love him, Niklaus. I know you hate him, but he is still my father. He is still your father!"

"He is my tormentor!" Klaus roared.

Freya flinched back in the face of his anger. Her magic rushed through her skin, ready to help her defend herself.

"You may dream of the lullabies he used to sing to you, but I dream of his fists against my face! His love never touched me, and I bore the brunt of all of his anger and pain. Even before he knew of Mother's transgressions, even before I took my first life, he hated me. And after, he hunted us," Klaus looked away, his eyes suspiciously wet. "Miriam says that in the timeline that she knows, we defeat Mikael. But this is not that timeline anymore. I cannot rely on her platitudes that everything turns out fine. I need to get rid of Mikael; he is the biggest threat to my life. To Miriam's life. To our lives. You want me to help you defeat Dahlia, who abused you and hunted you for years? Well, dear sister, you have to do the same for me."

"That is different!"

"How?" he demanded. "How is it possibly different? Dahlia is your worst nightmare and Mikael is mine."

"I cannot defend his actions against you, but he is my father. I'm sorry he hurt you, but what if we took his memories from him, like we did with the Bennett witch? Please, Niklaus, show mercy," Freya begged.

Klaus's eyes went hard. "No. And to make the choice easier for you, I'll make it simple: if you do not kill Mikael, I will kill Keelin and her entire family."

Freya went pale. "Y-You wouldn't. Miriam and Elijah wouldn't let you."

"Miriam can be deceived and Elijah is used to cleaning up my messes."

"If you touch a hair on Keelin's head I will kill Miriam," Freya vowed.

Klaus had the gall to laugh in her face. "But you won't. Miriam isn't just my mate, is she? She's also Finn's mate. You kill her, you will harm your favorite brother. Are you really willing to go to that extreme? And do you believe that Finn would survive Miriam's death? I don't. I think he would follow her as soon as he could. Could you let your dearest brother die for a man you only knew for five years of your life?"

"You're as despicable as you claim Father is," Freya hissed.

"Maybe," Klaus grinned, all sharp teeth and threats. "But you had better decide which devil you would rather live with. The choice is yours, sister."

He sauntered off without a care, as if he hadn't just devastated her.

Freya collapsed on Matthias's grave and screamed out all of her anger and sorrow. Her decision had just become more complicated. Could she really trade Keelin and Finn's life for Father's? Could she actually help kill her father, the only parent that ever cared for her?

As much as she hated him at the moment, Niklaus was right; she had a choice to make.


ELIJAH

The first week of the new year passed by in a haze of celebration and recovery for everyone who lived in Hearth Hall.

Elijah had enjoyed it all. His siblings, as burdensome as they could be, were pleasant to be around when they weren't all secretly plotting against each other. Freya was coming out of her shell and bonding with Rebekah, as well as Miriam and Jenna. Niklaus and Rebekah's interactions still had an undercurrent of tenseness, but there had been moments over the holiday where they would be cordial with each other.

Niklaus had mellowed after bonding fully with Miriam. Not all soulmates needed to have sex to cement their relationship, but Niklaus did. After their first time together Elijah could tell that something had relaxed inside of Niklaus. He and Finn had monopolized all of Miriam's nights for the past two weeks- sometimes together, sometimes separately. Now Niklaus had a stronger bond with both Miriam and with Finn, to the surprise of everyone.

Yes, the holidays had been good to the Mikaelson family.

But now it was time for reality.

Unfortunately for their family, reality meant planning patricide.

Elijah had been planning for months to kill Mikael. Their father was one of their biggest threats, and he was a formidable one. There was a reason they had been running from him for a thousand years. But they had Freya now, and Miriam's knowledge of a possible future.

Elijah sighed. It was midnight, and in a few short hours they were going to implement the first stage of their plan. Everything hinged on Freya's willingness to kill their father. It was too big a risk, for both Elijah and Niklaus. He had a backup plan… and a backup plan for his backup plan, but he did not want to use either.

A light knock on his office door snapped his attention away from his schemes.

"Come in, vorgyðja."

She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. The rest of the house was quiet, but by no means calm. His family and the Roanoke pack were anxious about the next day, and the parts they would all have to play. In the morning, all vulnerable members- the children and the humans- of the Roanoke pack would be sent away. Jenna, Jeremy, Keelin's family, little Laura, would all leave the moment Freya left the Hearth.

Miriam wasn't exempt. She, Finn, Kol, and Caroline were also leaving. Elijah wasn't sure where, though he had a feeling they would be at the local airport. The instant it was confirmed that Mikael was free and Freya had betrayed them, Kol was to get them out of the country and to safety.

The plan, should the worst befall them, was simple: they would try to lure Mikael to Florida to give everyone the chance to escape. Elijah had contacts and compelled humans who would notify him if Mikael made it to Florida or was heading to Roanoke. Once Miriam was safe, Kol would return and help Elijah, Niklaus, and Rebekah finally kill their father… and attempt to kill Freya.

Elijah hoped it wouldn't come to that. Freya's betrayal would mean a powerful enemy for the rest of the Mikaelson siblings. He wasn't sure if they would be able to survive if Freya was against them.

His morbid thoughts were cut short when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You look deep in thought," Miriam murmured.

"Tomorrow weighs heavily on my mind," he replied. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. Miriam nuzzled into him, pliant and soft.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Their future days hinged on tomorrow, and all his planning couldn't guarantee success. Freya would save them, or Freya would damn them.

"Hey," Miriam said softly, focusing his attention back to her. "I can't say that everything will be alright, because we have pretty much diverted from the timeline that I knew. But I want you to face tomorrow knowing one thing: I love you."

Bliss.

Pure bliss.

The tension of the day merged with the joy her revelation brought him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight, then kissed her with all the passion that he could infuse into an action. She responded enthusiastically, and within moments the beast that resided within him was struggling to break free.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he promised against her lips.

"I love you, too," she smiled before ducking to nip at his jaw. He shuddered.

"Vorgyðja, please, I need you," he gasped as she boldly bit his neck with her blunt teeth.

"Whatever you need, 'Lijah," she swore.

Permission granted, Elijah attacked.

He bit into her neck, one degree short of vicious. Her hot blood filled his mouth and he moaned. The taste was exquisite. He took several liberal gulps of her blood before healing her.

She gripped his chin and he allowed her to force his mouth back to hers. They came together almost violently, with too much teeth and an intensity that could only be born by desperation.

But he wasn't satisfied with just kissing her mouth.

He made his way south, ripping cloth when it came between him and his prize. He spent a few moments at her breasts, sucking and laving at her nipples until she was gasping.

"Are you sure- ohmygod!- that you want to defile your desk?" Miriam panted as he nipped and worked the skin under one breast. With the amount of their blood she drank, she wouldn't bruise for long, but that didn't stop him from trying to mark her skin.

"Vorgyðja, we are going to positively befoul this desk." He looked up at her, eyes no doubt shining with lust and rare mischief. She studied him for a moment, then nodded and smiled.

Permission granted, Elijah shoved the various papers and things off his desk before he picked her up and set her on the hard surface. They worked together to get her pajama pants and underwear off, with minimal tearing on his part.

When she was finally uncovered, he wasted no time in spreading her legs and diving in. He licked into her happily, enjoying the tangy taste of her on his tongue. Need rose up in him, so he quickly and efficiently began to prepare her. One finger, then two, worked her open. Miriam shouted out an obscenity as he delicately teased her clit with his teeth. And then she gasped out his name.

"Elijah!"

His name was a prayer and a plea coming from her mouth. What else could he do but obey?

It was only another minute or two of his dedicated ministrations before she climaxed on his fingers.

After only a moment of rest, she kicked at him with her foot. "Pants, off, now!"

"Your way with words never fails to thrill me," he teased her, feeling younger and lighter than he ever had.

Miriam rolled her eyes and grabbed his sweater to pull him in for a filthy, fervid kiss. "Shuddup."

The fire officially back in his blood, he quickly shed his clothes before returning to her. He gave her one last kiss, and then flipped her onto her stomach. She gasped but sent a wickedly delighted smile over her shoulder. Her legs spread and Elijah took his place between them.

In one fluid movement he thrust in until he was buried at the root in her.

"Elijah!" She moaned and pushed back against him.

With her approval, he set a relentless pace. The room filled with the scent and sound of sex. All he could smell was her blood rushing under her skin and the salty tang of her sweat on her forehead and all he could hear was her mewls and breathy moans. She was divine. She was slick and tight, and it was easy to lose himself in the feeling of her.

She met his thrusts as best she could, but she was only human and he felt borderline feral. It took every bit of his control not to use his vampire strength. He wrapped an arm around her torso to keep her in place and used his other hand to brace them against the desk.

"Fuck! You feel good," she moaned.

"You feel better. Vorgyðja, my love, my love," he murmured into her skin. His hips snapped into hers as he chased his pleasure.

Miriam gasped suddenly and clenched tightly around Elijah as she peaked. "God!"

The perfume of ecstasy flowing through her blood was too much for Elijah. He sank his fangs into her neck. Miriam swore again, but held still as he took several pulls from her throat. As soon as she stopped flexing her muscles around him, he healed her neck and began to thrust into her at a slower pace.

"If I could, I would keep you in my bed for a week," he said as he adjusted his grip on her to hold her impossibly close. "I would keep you naked and sated and safe. Just you and me, and this tight little quim."

Time slipped by as he slowly drove into her. He took his time, as if they had an entire future ahead of them, as if they weren't going to be separated the next morning. He kept the slow, steady pace until she shuddered around him once more.

"Elijah, Elijah!" Miriam babbled.

It was too much. Elijah snarled and hunched over her. She tried to arch against him, but he kept a firm grip on her, except for where she was tightening around him, threatening to milk him for all he was worth. He picked up his pace until he was slamming into her. He lasted a handful of thrusts before he followed her into oblivion.

In the aftermath everything was silent. It was euphoric. Elijah's heart was racing but his head was mercifully silent.

He nuzzled into the crook of Miriam's neck and pressed kisses into her skin. She hummed happily and tilted her neck to give him better access.

After a little bit of rest Miriam wiggled against Elijah. "Okay, time to move. I'm losing feeling in my toes."

"Easily remedied," he assured her. He eased out of her and pulled her gently to her feet. He then picked her up and zoomed up to his bedroom. Once inside, he walked into his bathroom at a normal pace. He set her down gently on the bath mat before quickly shedding the remainder of their clothes. The beast inside him wouldn't stand the thought of a shower washing away the scent of happiness and sex, so Elijah settled for cleaning the stickiness off the two of them with a warm, wet washcloth. When they were relatively clean, they made their way back into his bedroom and into his bed.

"Just so you know, I am taking a shower when we wake up tomorrow," Miriam teased as she pulled the covers up around them.

"Whatever for?" He said dryly.

She just rolled her eyes and snuggled into his side.

They had shared a bed before. Their closeness wasn't foreign to Elijah. But to lay together in the afterglow, safe, warm, and sated, was different in the most unique of ways. Part of him wished their first time hadn't been the night before a horrible day, but he couldn't bring himself to fully regret it.

They were quiet for a while. Elijah's head had finally stopped spinning from stress, and Miriam was relaxed in his arms. Tomorrow would be a challenging day, but right then, in that perfect little moment, Elijah was at peace.


FREYA

Freya stood above her grayed father in Pickett Mausoleum.

To her immense relief, she recognized him, even after all these years. There were more lines in his face, carved out by many laughs and frowns over the years. He looked… small. She knew that she had grown into a tall woman, but even then he seemed less than what she expected. And despite herself, something akin to disappointment stung her heart.

She shook her head, clearing it of the odd thoughts that were floating in it. Stop it, she told herself sternly. Focus on the present, not your stupid expectations.

She took a deep breath, then tipped the vial of Caroline's vampire blood into his mouth.

Color filled his face shockingly fast. His eyes opened in a snap. Vivid blue eyes locked on her, confused but angry.

"Please, do not move," she said in their native tongue. She raised her hands. "I am going to get the chains off of you."

With a surge of power and a sharp hand motion the chains shattered.

Mikael stumbled out of the coffin. His eyes scanned the rest of the mausoleum before returning to her. His gaze was suspicious, and though he held no blood relation to Niklaus, Freya could see a resemblance between the two men.

"What devil are you?" Mikael demanded.

Freya smiled, happy tears in her eyes. "Someone you once loved deeply, my father."

There was a moment that Freya thought he would automatically believe her. But then he growled and vamp-sped towards her. In a second she found herself with her back against the wall and his hand around her throat. His eyes were burning in anger. "I've no time for your riddles, witch!"

"Do you not recognize me? Can you not see the daughter you thought died so long ago?"

"You lie!" her father was furious.

Freya shook her head weakly. She knew she would have to convince him. "You named your sword 'Rathul', after the early morning sun."

Stunned and overwhelmed, Mikael slowly let go of her neck.

She took a breath before continuing, "It's hilt was golden, like the color of my hair. You said it would remind you of me while you were in battle, that I'd be by your side no matter how far afield you traveled."

He took a step back. She refused to let him walk away from her, and with every step back he took back, she took forward.

"It can't be," he said quietly.

Freya kept going. "The night before you left for war, you christened that sword with goat's blood. When I awoke, you were gone. I never saw you again."

He was near tears now. "It's been a thousand years. You are a witch, not a vampire. How is this possible?"

"I was taken by Dahlia. I'll explain everything," she promised. She took his hands in hers and knelt in front of him. "Please, just say you believe me?"

To her shock and joy, he knelt down with her and took her face in his hands. Now they were both crying.

"My beautiful Freya. My daughter."

Sobbing openly, they embraced each other.

An eon later, they finally separated.

Freya's face felt puffy, and she knew her eyes were red. Mikael's eyes were also red, and there were drying tear tracks on his cheeks. But they were both smiling so wide that Freya was sure their faces would stay in that position.

The two of them climbed back to their feet but didn't stray too far from each other.

"Tell me what happened to you," Mikael said as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"It's not a happy tale," Freya admitted.

"I do not care. Tell me everything."

Freya told her pathetic story. She stuck to the facts: Dahlia had taken her, Dahlia had used magic to keep them young, Dahlia was the enemy. She told him about finding her siblings back in 1914. She didn't have to lie about her repulsion at how horrifically Klaus and Elijah had treated Kol. She did fib a bit about how she was free: she said that Klaus had found out about her existence from a witch who was blessed by visions of the future, and had been working for years to set her free. She told Mikael that once she was free from her sleeping curse, she had realized that she had become trapped in an entirely different way.

"He is using your mate against you?" Mikael seethed.

Freya nodded tearfully. "August is a witch that Niklaus has magically tied to him. I can't make a move against him!"

She didn't know why she lied about who her mate was. Something inside her told her to protect Keelin from Mikael. She tried to open her mouth and correct herself, but found that she couldn't. She wasn't cursed, she knew that. And her emotions were real; she truly was worried about Klaus doing something to Keelin if she didn't obey him. But the truth remained sealed in her throat.

"You have me now to protect you, dearest," Mikael assured her. "We will free your mate, don't you worry."

"And Finn," Freya added.

A shadow crossed over Mikael's face. "And Finn," he said slowly.

It was a lie. She knew it like she knew the sky was blue.

"Tell me the rest of your tale," Mikael said, obviously hoping to distract her.

Heart aching, Freya let him.

She continued to talk about her experiences. It was easy to talk about how her siblings were power-hungry. Elijah, for all his pressed clothes and perfectly cut hair, was making alliances with the Strix and other supernatural factions all over the world. Kol hoarded knowledge of the magical arts to an almost unhealthy degree (Freya had to begrudgingly admit that he knew more about magical theory than she did). And Klaus had managed to become a full Hybrid and create many others like himself.

Mikael was shocked that Klaus had transitioned into his true form.

"The bastard actually did it?!" Mikael's eyes flashed blue fire.

"Yes, but it was before they woke me, so I cannot tell you how they did it or who aided them," Freya fibbed. She had referred to Miriam as a prophetic witch earlier, and despite her anger at Klaus, she wasn't going to put Finn's mate in danger-

Father is not dangerous, she reminded herself. At least, not to the people I love.

"Klaus has created an army of hybrids," Freya said. "When he woke me he only had half a dozen or so. Now he has at least two dozen. It won't be long until he sets his sights on New Orleans."

"And the rest of them? Where do they stand?"

"Elijah will not abandon Klaus. Rebekah is hesitant to stay, but now that he is a Hybrid he might force her hand. And Kol and Finn are still imprisoned in their coffins." Yet another lie. Why wasn't he picking up on them? Couldn't he tell that she was keeping things from him? Or was he so blinded by happiness that he was ignoring the signs of a lie? Guilt, along with shame, churned in her gut.

"That is good. Two less obstacles for us to face."

"Let us talk about something other than my siblings," Freya insisted. "Please, Father? I don't want to talk about them when we could talk about us."

She smiled at him, and he returned the action. "Of course, Dearest Freya. Whatever you want," he analyzed her like he did when he first had woken, but this time there was fondness in his gaze. "Oh… how strange it is to see you again!"

"Do I look anything like you thought I would as an adult?" She couldn't help but ask.

"You are taller than I expected you to be," he admitted. "But this pleases me. Despite your mother's betrayal, your time in captivity, and your years on the run, you grew up tall and strong. Surely the gods have blessed me with you as my daughter!"

Freya blushed under the praise. "You flatter me."

"It is a father's duty to flatter their daughters," Mikael insisted with a grin on his face. "You deserve flattery and all the praise I can heap upon you."

"You are good with your words," Freya complimented. "It is not a talent I have ever possessed."

"I shall teach you how to say pretty words," Mikael promised. "I know you are a woman grown, but I feel compelled to teach you anything that I can. How I curse your aunt for taking you from me! I could have taught you many, many things. You are no doubt a formidable witch, but with me as your teacher you could have been a great swordsman and a phenomenal hunter."

"We have time now," Freya said happily. "We have all eternity for you to teach me anything you like. I've always wanted to know how to track animals through the forest. And how to sail on the rivers and oceans." An image of Elijah, Caroline, and Miriam sitting at the piano at Hearth Hall flashed through her mind. Community. Family. It was everything she ever wanted. As almost an afterthought, she added, "And I want to learn how to play the piano."

If Mikael was confused by her desires, he didn't show it. "I cannot help you with the last request, but the first two are within my purview. You will be the best tracker and sailor the world has ever seen."

"I have no need to be the best," Freya insisted. "I just want to spend time with you."

His intensity eased. "Oh, my sweet girl."

The two of them hugged again.

His arms were supernaturally strong, but they held her softly. He treated her as something precious, and Freya truly wanted to believe she was priceless to at least one person who walked the earth.

Keelin thinks you're precious.

Finn thinks you're priceless.

Freya ignored the nagging voice in her head and held on tighter to her father.

"How did you get here?" Mikael asked eventually. The two of them pulled away from each other as their conversation began anew.

"I had one of the witches in my brother's arsenal drive me away from the city, and then I had a taxi-" Freya's tongue tripped over the unusual word- "deliver me here. I sent him away, so we do not have a way to leave this awful prison of yours."

"Do not worry, my daughter," Mikael said. "I shall procure us transportation. I have kept up with the various methods of travel that humans have come up with, and I haven't been imprisoned long enough to forget how to drive a car. I can get us away from here."

"Then let's go," Freya insisted. "Away from this place, away from our horrible family. Let's grab my mate and just leave. We can travel the world without fear, for we are some of the strongest creatures that walk the earth. Please, Father. Take me away from here and show me how to live."

Mikael's eyes softened. "My precious daughter, there is nothing I desire more. There is much joy to be had in this world, and I cannot wait to show you every little bit of it… But there is something I need to do first."

Freya's heart dropped. "What could possibly be so important?!"

"Daughter, there is still a threat to our lives-"

"My siblings will leave us alone! Once we grab my mate, Niklaus will have nothing over my head and I will be free- we will be free!"

Mikael shook his head. "Freya, we will never be free as long as Klaus lives. You said he has an army! The bastard is paranoid, relentless, and he holds a grudge. He will not let us go."

Freya crossed her arms and nervously bit at her thumb's nail. "Fine. But later, please? We need to free my mate first. Taking down Niklaus can wait."

Mikael nodded. "Yes, we cannot allow him to have any leverage. He will kill your mate to hurt you."

Yes, yes he would. Freya didn't doubt that.

Mikael reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "Do not worry, precious one. We will soon be rid of those horrible mistakes, and it will just be you and I."

In a shocking act of trust, Mikael pulled away and turned his back to her. Guilt swarmed Freya like angry hornets, but she knew she had to move.

Please, give me a reason to save you, she thought.

And then she struck.


AN: HE HAS RISEN, BABY GIRL!

I know it's been almost a year since my last update with this story. I promise I will never abandon it, and in fact, I have most of the next chapter written! I am seriously in awe of the authors who can churn out a chapter a week; I don't have that kind of discipline.

Anyway, life update: I turned 27, my grandmother died, I went to a Bridgerton-themed birthday party for a friend (I bought a "Regency-era" dress for the occasion), a couple of cousins had babies, and my favorite cousin is getting married next month so we will have to journey out to the foreign land of Dallas, Texas. I live on the West Coast, and everything is on fire right now (we don't have fall, we have summer part 2). We're safe, but I can smell smoke on the wind, which isn't a comforting smell, I gotta say. Also, I'm going to my first concert later this month! I'm so excited!

How are you guys? Read any interesting fics lately? I've really gotten into the Teen Wolf fandom, and I've probably read dozens of fics by now.

Some dialogue from Freya and Mikael's reunion is taken from TO 2X15.