A/N:It has been a long time. I have no excuse other than life. I hope you are still interested. This is a long chapter but I felt like you guys have wait long enough you deserve it. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy this. Please forgive any mistakes. I do not own these characters, just playing with them. Continue to be good people and be good to yourselves. Enjoy!
Chapter 10 - All Roads
Bonnie sat silently buckled into the passenger side seat of Lucy's little car, Lola with anxious resentment. Desi drove in silence letting soft easy listening music play in the background in lieu of chatter. She knew Bonnie was in no mood to talk and there weren't any pleasant niceties to discuss. She herself was not too happy to be going to New Orleans, but when the flames of Gondor are lit one must answer. She chuckled to herself, now she was referencing LoTR. Lucy was a bad influence, indeed.
Bonnie still was not fully invested in going to the hybrid's aid and she didn't like being bullied into doing anything she did not want to, but there was something that pulled her. Above the dreams, besides the urging from her Grams, there was something pulling her, drawing her, calling out to her and she needed to go to it.
In Bonnie's magic there was a pulsating vibration , like a beacon strumming with energy and the closer she got to New Orleans the stronger the rhythmic beating became as it coiled and surged. It felt to Bonnie as if the closer she got to her destination her magic was growing stronger, ready to explode, unleashing a blinding and all consuming blast of energy.
Her magic was alive with intent and purpose, both Expression and spirit born magic flowing together unbeknownst to her. The sensation she was feeling was strange, unique and slightly thrilling, Bonnie wondered what she would find in New Orleans.
Desi watched the road, curiously glazing at Bonnie from time to time, wanting to ask her what was going through her mind. She could feel the magic rolling off her body in waves and she knew that her wheels were turning, but apprehension held her tongue.
Desi had no idea what she was getting herself into, all Lucy said was that she had a part to play in this epic story, whether Peregrin Took or Meriadoc Brandybuck no one could tell. Desi thought it was funny that she referenced her as one of the hobbits in the Fellowship. Desi didn't like to meddle in vampire business or any other supernatural business that wasn't her own, but Lucy could convince the stripes of a zebra to fall off if she wished for it.
To be fair, Lucy was the closest thing to a best friend that Desi had, the only friend really. Most people didn't like Desi, or more correctly didn't want to get to know her, to even become her friend. Being one of the five sisters made it hard for people, even other witches, to get past the hype of ghost stories, weird witch rituals and all around creepy things that go bump in the night, involving her family. Her family was an old and very strange lot, even by supernatural standards, so when Lucy asked, she readily acquiesced.
Thinking about it as she drove, listening to the music play, Desi hoped that she would not be the Borimir of this story, cause that would totally suck. Funkytown by Lipps Inc started to play so she shook the thoughts of impending doom away and lost herself to the music trying not to sing too loud as her body moved to the beat.
New Orleans - Abattoir
Henrik was restless, the small child would not be comforted. He wanted something but for the life of all the inhabitants within the room, they couldn't figure it out. While in the spacious living room the small child was passed from one set of arms to another, trying to calm his whimpers. Klaus paced while Rebekah rocked the child back and forth as she sat on the plush sofa.
"What do you think is wrong with him?" Klaus asked, addressing no one in particular, but still wanting an answer.
Elijah looked less than his usual best with his Armani jacket off and dress shirt sleeves rolled up over his firm forearms, "Maybe he is hungry," he offered while he watched his sister unsuccessfully sooth his fitful nephew.
"No, I can't get him to take anything. He has been like this for hours now. He woke this morning restless and irritable," Klaus snapped and suddenly felt ashamed for his response. He knew Elijah wasn't making judgmental assertions about his parenting skills.
Kol sat lounging one leg across the arm of the recliner with a glass of bourbon in his right hand, "Maybe he needs to be changed." At that suggestion Henrik squirmed and wiggled to be free of Rebekah's strong arms, making loud whimpers. Kol loved his nephew, but he was close to losing it. Any other child and he would have been a snack, Kol secretly considered.
"Let me try," Lucy said, thinking that maybe her magic would calm the little guy. She walked over to Rebekah leaning over to take Henrik into her arms. Immediately he stopped fussing. Everyone looked to her when silence fell upon the room. Klaus smiled grateful that his child was not in distress any longer, but in his feelings because he wasn't the one to settle his own child.
"Maybe he just needed a witch's touch", Lucy mused.
Kol rolled his eyes, but extremely thankful for the silence. Rebekah smiled at the witch and child, getting up to fix a drink. Once at the wet bar she poured Elijah, Klaus and herself shots of bourbon.
Henrik sniffled, catching his breath, relaxing his body, his blue eyes, tinged red, looking up at Lucy. And as he snuggled in her arms and found comfort there was blessed silence in the room for all about twenty minutes.
As his eyes looked up, his baby face scrunched as if he was looking at something not quite right or what he wanted so he began to fidget and squirm, arms moving about. He seemed to be trying to find a certain feeling or connection that he thought he had at first. Henrik couldn't understand that his magic was reaching for something and it was lashing out because it could't find it, causing him discomfort.
Klaus sped to Lucy's side to take his discontent child, rocking him and talking to him in his mother tongue. "Rólegur núna er pabbi kominn." "Segðu mér hvað þú þarft." Klaus pleaded with his son. His heart was breaking into pieces because he couldn't fix what was wrong, he couldn't even understand what his son was trying to communicate to him. His worry was creating anger.
"Klaus call the…" Rebekah's words were interrupted when Klaus swiftly walked out the room with his child.
The anger in his heart stemmed from his fear. Caring for anyone much less a child was not a skill set he had readily available in his wheelhouse, although he was learning. He could kill and maim; he could terrorize and stalk, but he was woefully unequipped to comfort his weeping child. This glaring fact caused rage and anger to swell within him with no outlet and no one to direct it towards, so he blamed the one person that came to mind, the one person not there to defend herself…the Bennett Witch.
Klaus blamed Bonnie Bennett. He laid down at her feet the provocation of Henrik's ill-ease as a wicked offering. He did not care that his reasoning was flawed and without merit, he did not care that even as he blamed her for his son's hurting, he still secretly longed for her forgiveness.
A few hours later…
Klaus stayed in Henrik's nursery walking him in his arms as he cried, face red, eyes puffy and tear stained, he continued to cry. Only when he could not draw louder cries did he fussed and struggled against Klaus' strong arms. Klaus had done everything he could think of. He put him in his bed and rubbed his back and then his tummy, unmoved by his father's attempts to soothe, Henrik continued his wailing. Next Klaus put him in his jumper, hoping that jumping would distract him, but this just caused the young child to wail out even louder.
He wouldn't eat and stayed still only long enough to have his diaper changed. Nothing would appease the small tyke. Finally, Klaus called Henrik's pediatrician only to be told that sometimes babies get restless and with Henrik being a hybrid, it might be more expected as he grew more accustomed to his environment.
"Keep an eye on him for a fever that grows extremely high and wont come down or anything that seems out of the normal," she said encouragingly as she reassured him that his child was fine. Dr. Addison Montgomery was a great peds doctor as well as a fine witch. Klaus trusted her, mostly because she had been a trusted friend to Geeta, and she didn't look at him as if he was an abomination or unworthy to be a father.
The doctor knew he had the first time father jitters and rightly so due to Henrik's birth, of course he wouldn't admit his trepidation…he is the King of New Orleans, Klaus Mikaelson never admitted deficits, challenges or fears, so she patiently explained to him, to his aggravation, that she was out of town and wouldn't be back for a few days.
"Klaus, if he gets worse, call me no matter the time and I will come back immediately, but you have to realize I have other obligations and I can't be at your beck and call." She reproached sternly as he cursed and threatened her to return with haste. "Trust me," were her final words and she hung up leaving Klaus listening to a dial tone for a few seconds.
The abattoir was filled with tension caused by Henrik's magic as it saturated the air with electric tendrils that spread throughout the compound, disturbing supernaturals and humans alike. The human servants were tense and moved around the house swiftly and quietly, doing their tasks inconspicuously lest they become collateral damage.
The atmosphere had the Originals' tiny hairs standing and their senses haywire as the tiniest Mikaelson's magic flooded the spaces with surges of power. Rebekah sadly could not bear the cries of her nephew as the day wore on or the feeling of unease, so she and Marcel left to stay at his loft apartment near the docks. Kol had left earlier, deciding to seek refuge at Rousseau's as to escape for his wails and wayward magic.
Freya and Lucy were in the kitchen trying all sorts of remedies and potions to relieve some if not all of Henrik's discomfort when Finn walked in wearing black skinny jeans, black Polo shirt and a tan micro-suede sport jacket. He looked distressed, but they all were weary and concerned for the baby.
Lucy discreetly looked him up and down, only averting her eyes when she realized she wasn't as stealthy as she thought when his eyes meant hers. At that moment the contents of the pot became very interesting, indeed.
Freya watched the interaction and smirked. "So, brother, are you jumping ship along with our other siblings?" Asked Freya, assuming he had reached his limits.
She had to admit that the power that was flowing out of Henrik was causing her magic to be on alert as if it felt a threat. Several times throughout the day she had to meditate to calm her anxious magic. She watched Lucy mixing ingredients and wondered how she was so calm.
"No, I thought it was time to change the guards, as it were. Klaus has been with him all day and I was going to take charge for a while so he can try to rest, maybe eat and shower." As he spoke he observed the care in which Lucy added more herbs and spices to the already simmering pot. She looked comfortable in what she was doing. "Lucinda, you seem quite versed in potion and tonic making, is that your specialty?"
She looked to him as she began speaking, but rapidly turned her attention back to the task at hand. "Our Grams made us practice potion making almost as often as combat, but I have to say that although I am good at it, Bonnie is a master. Hell she is a master at just about everything she puts her mind to," she said proudly.
"Are there many Bennett witches, living, I remember hearing tales of their numbers and how their power only rivaled their beauty," Freya questioned, very curious about the Bennetts and wanting to see Finn's reaction to the last bit.
Not missing a beat, Lucy said straight-faced, but with a glint in her eye, "Well the beauty part is very accurate." Lucy chuckled then winked at Finn. She turned the eye of the stove down low, covering the pot with the lid.
Now she turned to lean on the counter, facing the Mikaelson siblings. "Seriously though, Bennett witches are all over the place but since our bloodline is matriarchal with more girls being born than boys, most are married and in other covens." Lucy turned to check on the simmering potion.
"What about the male Bennetts? Do they help with the Bennett coven?" Finn was intrigued, plus he loved listening to Lucy speak.
"There isn't a Bennett coven."
Freya's mouth opened in a gasp, "Really? I had no idea, why is that?" Freya moved around to the cabinet that housed Henrik's many sippy cups, retrieving one, in preparation of the brewing tonic.
"There is no coven because there is no leader." Lucy smirked and continued knowing Freya's next question. "The Bennett Witch isn't meant to rule over or govern the Bennett witches, she is meant to keep balance." The potion was done so Lucy turned the dial to off and removed the pot from the hot eye all the while talking as she did so.
"See, here's the thing, covens are for witches, to stay connected to and learn from other witches, to appease their ancestors, to gain protection or to gather extreme power through the collective. Bennett's are directly descended from the First Witch, we need no coven for protection, we commune with our ancestors for direction or guidance and we have an abundance of power."
"Then why must the Bennett witch keep the balance?" Elijah asked as he sauntered into the kitchen, hearing the conversation. He was wearing his trademark dark gray Armani suit with a red tie, white dress shirt and diamond cuff links.
"Because witches are like any other species, supernatural or human, they allow arrogance and power to corrupt them, sadly even some Bennetts, although far and few in between. When all else fails, when everyone forgets the old ways, when vice is allowed to rise up and fester there must be a fail-safe and the Bennett Witch is that fail-safe… well she is supposed to be."
As Lucy spoke Freya handed her the sippy cup. Lucy waved her hand over the broth cooking it down then she poured it into the sippy cup.
"Thank you for the lesson, I am eager to learn more… at a later date," Finn softly took the cup from her, letting his thumb caress her index finger, "I will take this up to Henrik," he looked at the beguiling witch, then to his siblings and walked out the kitchen.
Damn, Lucy thought as she watched him saunter out the room. How had she thought he didn't have swagger, because he had it in spades and she was melting.
About an hour outside of New Orleans
Bonnie's dark glasses slightly slid down her button nose as she dozed off taking a short nap. Eyes closed, body tense, sleep restless, she dreamed…
Standing in the middle of tall sawgrass blades Bonnie found herself frantically searching for the child she could hear crying nearby. The sound, full of anguish resonated in her body, digging deep under her skin, shaking her to the core with a feeling that she was all too well acquainted with… solitude. Each wail, a toll ringing out, she felt a stabbing pain in her heart, the sheer force driving her to her knees as she clutched her chest.
Crawling through the grass with tears cascading down her face, Bonnie dug and clawed through the grass, cutting her hands, leaving blood on the blades as she touched them.
Hopeless she called her magic forth to assist her in her agonizing undertaking but neither Expression or spirit born magic surfaced. She then realized that she couldn't feel her magic no matter how she called for it. In distress, bloodied hands went to her eyes. In horror Bonnie only felt wet empty sockets…
Bonnie woke with a start, knocking her glasses off as fumbling hands reached to her eyes.
"Hey are you okay?" Asked Desi worried by the sudden way Bonnie awoke. The truth was the sudden, unexpected movement startled her, causing her to swerve slightly.
Bonnie blinked several times, "Yes," she said, still shaken by the dream, "Just a bad dream."
She wiped her mouth, hoping she wasn't drooling. She flicked her wrist and her glasses returned to her hands. She placed them back on her face, wanting to hide her eyes. "Are we almost there?" Bonnie asked as she readjusted in the seat.
Desi scrutinized the tiny witch, not believing that she was alright. How could she be, Desi thought, but she didn't press the matter, just slowly turned her gaze back to the road. "Yeah… I mean yes. We will be there shortly."
"Desdemona, how many times have we told you it is yes, not 'yeah'? You will speak properly in this house." The tall thin woman in black commanded as she magically held the young girl upside down over the barrel of water. "You will learn this simple lesson or you will die. This is your last warning." Immediately the young child's head was submerged in water as she struggled in vain to free herself.
Desi shook her head, trying to dispel the painful memory. They drove in silence, neither witch wanting to talk.
The abattoir
Lucy knew Bonnie was on the way, she had felt it, plus Desi had called her while Bonnie was taking a nap, saying they would be there that evening. She kept that news to herself for two reasons, first she wanted to get the Mikaelsons' blind reaction. She was petty that way, although it wasn't pettiness, not really, it was curiosity.
They had been waiting on Bonnie, hoping that she would come to their need, yet they had no idea what they were in for and she was going to love it. The time she had spent with the Mikaelson's really opened her eyes about them, and Klaus in particular and she had come to care for them, all of them, even Kol and his annoying ass. She wanted Bonnie to embrace them as well, but Bonnie would be all business.
Since Lucy had been there nothing happened, which they were all glad about, but Lucy knew it was a matter of time. So they strengthened the wards around the house, kept Henrik close and all of the siblings started staying at the compound, even Marcel just in case of an attack.
Lucy figured that once Bonnie got there things would get real, real fast. If the threat was from within New Orleans, once the Bennett Witch arrived they would make their play. I would, Lucy thought. They would have to because Bonnie would flesh it out quickly.
The second reason for her silence was because she had thoughts as to why Henrik was acting out. When the elixir didn't work, Lucy started wondering… with the amulet on him, she knew that his magical signature would be damn near impossible to locate, so for now she was sure it wasn't any outside influence wanting to do harm, at least not yet.
But her Spidey senses were tingling and not just because of Finn, although she had to admit there was something about him. Earlier in the kitchen when Elijah walked in looking so dapper, she checked him out. She couldn't help it. He was appealing to the eye, a challenge cloaked in Armani, but it was Finn's stoic reserve and pain filled eyes that drew her in. And he totally caught her off guard with the gentle touch of his thumb. It was simultaneously a tentative and bold move and she dug it.
Henrik's Nursery
Klaus had been grateful for Finn making him leave for a few hours, even if it was the hardest thing he had ever done as a father. Henrik had still been fussy, but Finn had brought the sippy cup with the elixir to the room and told him not to worry he would get him to drink it.
Everyone had been on edge, himself included, but Finn didn't seem bothered by the magic in the air or the restless cries of his son. There was an inner peace or calmness that seemed to cocoon him in its loving embrace. Whatever it was Klaus was grateful. He had needed to take a break and he didn't want to burden Elijah.
Elijah would have stayed to help, and although he was an Original, he was still a vampire sensitive to the currents of magic within the house. He didn't fault Kol, Rebekah or Marcel for leaving when they did and he urged Elijah to leave also.
As the Original hybrid, Klaus had a higher threshold to the adverse effects of magic and pain. Of course, he attributed the latter to Mikael's constant abuse.
Now, hours later, the sun had set and he could hear the French Quarter coming alive with sounds of melodic soulful music acting as the backdrop of the city's many nightly activities.
Henrik stopped crying, clearly exhausted from the exertion, now he whimpered fitfully in his father's arms as they rocked back and forth in the rocking chair Klaus had made for Geeta.
New Orleans
Passing the welcome sign, entering New Orleans Bonnie felt the magic coursing through the city, different magic, all magic, the city was aflame with magic. It was intoxicating and caused Bonnie's skin to tingle. She felt strange, a bit off, she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a small amount of excitement growing in her. She would never admit it to Lucy or anyone else.
"Do you feel that?" Bonnie asked, facing Desi, trying to hide her amazement.
"Yes," Desi smirked, "This is why this place is a Mecca for supernaturals but not like that shithole of a town, Mystic Falls."
Bonnie's magic also sensed the other magic. It acknowledged the magic different from itself, it flowed from her, currents pulsed out in tendrils spreading throughout the city. Expression and Spirit born Bennett magic, in unison, enveloped every magic, supernatural and human seeking out threats, measuring strengths and searching for kindred.
Expression withdrew back into its mistress finding the Ancestor magic inferior, however Spirit born magic continued to explore and to seek out.
Rousseau's
Kol, Rebekah and Marcel sat at a corner table enjoying a few drinks while quietly speaking. "I really feel awful for not staying but I just couldn't take it any more," Rebekah sadly admitted. Marcel squeezed her right hand.
"He understands love."Marcel tried to comfort Rebekah.
"I know but…"Rebekah stopped short, frowning as the hairs on her back stood up and currents of magic passed through her. "Did you feel that?" Her eyes searched Marcel's and then Kol's.
"Yeah," Kol said as he looked around the bar, many supernaturals were acting the same way and even the humans could feel something even if they couldn't name it. Then as quickly as the intrusion came it vanished and everyone seemed to go back to their affairs as if they believed they imagined the brief eerie sensation.
"What the hell?" Marcel exclaimed. He started moving his chair, "I think we better go back to the compound," he declared.
They all nodded in agreement, Kol threw a hundred dollar bill on the table and they got up and walked out, once outside they moved with vampiric speed.
The Abattoir
Klaus felt it, the strange and powerful magic. So did Henrik. The child's whimpers turned into moans as Bonnie's magic softly caressed him, mixing with his magic, warming his tiny body. Suddenly Henrik was full of anxious need, his soft moans now morphing into wails and he struggled against his father, arms reaching out and legs kicking.
Lucy, reading a steamy romance novel in her room, jumped up, dropping the book as she threw on a short pink dressing gown as she felt magic rush through her and heard Henrik's agonizing wails. She knew instinctively that it was Bonnie's but it was different and familiar at the same time.
Klaus, holding Henrik met Lucy on the landing. "You felt that," he stated, looking at her with questioning eyes. She nodded. "By the gods," he muttered in amazement. He had once felt Bonnie's magic and this was on a whole other level. Lucy grinned watching him with amusement.
Minutes later they both turned to see Kol, Rebekah and Marcel burst through the doors. Finn and Freya had been in the garden talking, upon hearing the commotion they also rushed into the house. The only Mikealson sibling not at the abattoir was Elijah. He had been gone for a while tending to important city matters while Klaus was tending to his son.
"What the bloody hell is going on Nick? Rebekah demanded , looking up at him and Lucy with concern and mild irritation.
"Sister, I believe Bonnie Bennett is in the city." Klaus answered tensely.
"Bloody fuck can you bloody quiet him down?" Kol snapped. The incessant crying was grating his nerves and the tendrils of magic still in the air was making him itch. He didn't realize what he said until Klaus was in front of him, taking up all his personal space menacingly staring into his eyes. "What did you say?" He hissed, blue eyes tinged amber.
Kol swallowed, darting his eyes, searching for someone to help him, he stammered, " I didn't mean to… I'm sor.."
"I should dagger you where you stand," Klaus interrupted Kol's attempt at an apology.
"Brother, calm down."
"Klaus, he didn't mean it that way."
"Nik please don't."
All at once everyone started talking over each other trying to calm Klaus' deadly temper. The room erupted into chaos as Henrik cried still in Klaus' arms.
Finn and Rebekah vamped next to Kol trying to block him from Klaus. Marcel shook his head, staying out the way. Leave it to Kol to let his mouth write a check that his ass was going to have to pay, Marcel thought with a smirk. Freya stealthily removed Henrik from Klaus' arms, concerned that the child would get hurt.
Lucy also shook her head, everyone knew that Klaus was tired and on the edge and he would not tolerate cussing anywhere near the baby on an average day, what made Kol lose his mind? She had to admit, it was almost funny, but she was seriously concerned for Kol's well-being.
For all his restraint, once his hands were free Klaus had Kol by the throat ready to snap his neck for daring to not only use the word fuck around his son but to refer to Henrik as 'him' as if he was unimportant and insignificant, that was the breaking point.
Finn grabbed his arm, "Let go of him Klaus, please, he meant no harm, it's not his fault." Finn calmly urged.
"So this is how you all plan to stop the threat that is coming," a new voice retorted sarcastically.
Two things happened almost simultaneously. First, in an instant all commotion ceased as all eyes turned towards the direction of the soft, yet authoritative voice.
The supernaturals never sensed the two witches standing in the foyer too caught up in their petty squabble.
Yet there stood Desi, a statuesque, dark-skinned witch with a short curly afro and riveting dark blue eyes, standing next to the diminutive witch wearing dark shades holding onto her upper arm with her left hand and a walking stick in her right. Bonnie Bennett, the person they had all been waiting for was standing there in front of them witnessing their less than finest moment.
The second thing that had all eyes turning from the newly arrived witches to the tiniest member of the household.
Henrik, still in Freya's arms squirming and wiggling, unconcerned with the activities of the adults around him save one, stretched out his arms towards Bonnie, heavily leaning his upper body in her direction, causing Freya to adjust him so he didn't fall.
In a sweet tiny voice began to babble, "Ma… ma… mama."
xx