AN: Me? Updating? Is this real life?

Anyway, I took this chapter on an unexpected turn with a cute lil guest star. I was feeling very uninspired and decided to mix things up a bit by bringing in one of my favourite TVD characters who I never write for. Anyway, I hope it's not too crazy for yall. - Izzy


Klaus was beginning to go out of his mind. At least this time, it was his own and not the mind of a demon that was driving him crazy. Caroline hadn't been seen or heard from in twelve hours, and Freya said she hadn't been able to find her via cloaking spell. Finn had claimed the same. The latter was sleeping, the former was busy arguing with her werewolf hostage and would help him in the morning. Elijah and Vincent were busy trying to save Katerina from a certain death. None of them were too concerned considering that Caroline was unkillable.

So Elijah turned to Stefan and Hayley, who agreed with him.

"I'm not convinced Freya is completely loyal," Klaus raved, pacing in front of them angrily. "She's gone off the rails since our return – her hostage werewolf, for example. She's paranoid."

"Oh, she's paranoid?" Hayley asked, noting the irony.

"She's barely even tried," Klaus declared. "I've daggered siblings for much less. Now, I don't know what to do. If I can't trust Freya then I can't trust Finn and I need a witch on my side!"

There was a small pause before Stefan pointed out the obvious. "What about a witch on Caroline's side?" He asked. "Freya doesn't have enough motif but what about someone who actually cares about Caroline's wellbeing? And would do anything for her friends?"

Klaus slowly nodded, catching the drift and bringing out his phone to dial a number he hadn't used in years.

#

Bonnie Bennett awoke to a number of sensations, the best of which was the heat of Cairo hitting the skin on her back. She rolled over, letting it hit her neck and bare chest. It was light outside, but still early. The glass doors were open to the balcony overlooking Egypt and Bonnie probably should have covered herself more, but it was too hot to care. After a second's peace, she realised the reason for her abrupt wakening and checked her vibrating phone's screen to see who was calling at this ridiculous time.

Wait, who was saved in her phone as "Prick"? She thought back to the nickname, trying to put a face to it her eyebrows shot up in recollection. Why the hell was Klaus Mikaelson calling her?

Bonnie pulled on the first t-shirt she found (which didn't belong to her, but the naked man in her bed) and answered the phone.

"What do you want?" She demanded, getting to her feet and walking to the balcony so her bare legs could get some of the warmth of the sun.

"Caroline's gone missing and I need help locating her," Klaus said. "They'll be a private jet waiting for you at Cairo International Airport in an hour. Please don't leave it waiting long."

"How do you know-" Bonnie started, before stopping herself. "Don't you have witches in your family for this type of thing?"

"They can't be trusted."

Of course not.

"Well, isn't Caroline like, mega immortal? Can't she handle herself?"

"No."

Bonnie sighed, making sure that Klaus heard it before agreeing. "Okay, I'll be there. See you soon."

She hung up and looked around to find her own clothes, throwing everything into her suitcase and putting on a pair of shorts, which she tucked the t-shirt into. She brushed her teeth and washed her face before rousing the man in her bed.

"I'm going to New Orleans," she told him. "Caroline's gone missing and apparently I'm the only witch around who can do anything right."

The man rolled over and Kol Mikaelson hid a yawn behind his hand. "Going to yell at all my siblings?"

"Just the naughty ones," Bonnie said with a smirk.

"And you'll be wearing my t-shirt?" Kol asked.

Bonnie shrugged, innocently. "It's more expensive than any of mine. Now, this goes without saying, but this never happened, alright?"

"Deal."

Bonnie grabbed her passport and suitcase, heading through the suite to the door. But a different British accent stopped her before she escaped.

"Morning," Rebekah teased, sipping her coffee. The two siblings were apparently travelling together and had ran into Bonnie, much to all their dismay… at first. "Did you have a good night?"

"I wasn't here," Bonnie insisted, pointing at Rebekah, accusingly. "Get it? You owe me."

Rebekah snarled. "Fine, I won't gossip. But then we're even."

"Fine," Bonnie agreed. "Bye bye, Rebekah."

"Bye bye, Bonnie," Rebekah returned, smirking.

Outside, a cab was waiting for her, a chauffer holding a card with 'Bonnie Bennett' written across it. She scowled at the gesture – it must have been Klaus – and got in the back without argument.

It should have been a flight that was about ten hours, but was strangely reduced to eight. Bonnie did her make up on the flight and watched the second season of Breaking Bad on her phone. It was a luxurious private jet that Klaus had waiting for her, with champagne and couches and chicken for lunch.

When she landed in New Orleans, it was still seven in the morning, the time it was when she departed. Thanks, time zones. Of course, Bonnie wanted to redo her morning.

Klaus was waiting for her at the airport, of course, and loaded her bags into his car. He sped to his home, a broken-down little apartment compound in the French Quarter, where he had candles and spell books and talismans all waiting for her. He'd put his time to good use.

Bonnie couldn't help but find it cute. He was worried about Caroline and was doing everything he could to help Bonnie locate her. Maybe Caroline wasn't in the worst relationship ever. Besides, it wasn't like Bonnie could judge, considering who she spent the night with.

But Bonnie didn't need the alter waiting for her. She just pulled the map closer and took off the pendulum that hung around her neck. Klaus handed her Caroline's hairbrush, from which she plucked a long blonde strand and tied it around the gem, chanting quietly.

The point of the gem found it's place on the map of New Orleans and Klaus turned to Stefan and Hayley, their audience.

"I told you so," he said, as if winning an argument. "That's where Freya resides. She was the last to see Caroline. She's grown paranoid and Caroline is a greater entity than us. She's letting Katerina die and keeping that poor wolf hostage. She needs to be dealt with."

"We can't put her down," Hayley claimed. "We need to be able to reason with her. Call Finn, he's her favourite."

"We need to get her first," Bonnie chimed in. "Can you take Freya? Because I've heard about her, and I'm not convinced I can. She didn't even cloak Caroline because she obviously didn't expect you to bring in another witch."

Klaus hesitated. "With some help."

#

Elijah found Vincent in his apartment across the river, studying maps of New Orleans with pin-pointed murder scenes, trying to establish a timeline of The Hollow. Elijah waited on the balcony for Vincent to notice him and open the door with a harsh scowl. The poor man must be getting the worst wrinkles around his mouth with all of the scowling he did lately.

"What do you want?" Vincent demanded.

"Can't we at least pretend to be civil?" Elijah requested, politely.

"We're supposed to be civil?" Vincent asked. "I wish I could tell Marcel that very joke but he's had that stake in his heart for too long now."

Elijah rolled his eyes and decided against the bitter back-and-forth. "Katerina's dying," he told the warlock. "She has been forced to take on all the dark magic of the Hollow and according to my sister it's going to tear her apart. I think we found the one thing that may just kill the devil. Now, I know you have a soft spot for her, so please. Help us."

Vincent scowled again. "I have no such thing," he determined. "Katherine's been a real help but if her time has come then her time has come. I'm not going to stop it."

"Vincent, please," Elijah begged. "I'm finding myself to be quite desperate. More so than I think I've ever been. Please will you help her?"

"Why?!" Vincent demanded. "What is there in it for me?! One more monster roaming around New Orleans like a disease on our soil? No thank you."

"Why does anyone do anything for my family?" Elijah asked. "You think you're the first warlock to refuse to help us? You have to leave this little… I suppose you could call this an apartment, sometime. And when you do I could either snap you in half or I could take you to my Katerina to help her. I could burn this apartment complex to the ground. I could burn New Orleans to the ground. I could become a worse monster than you've ever imagined. I've done worse before. Now, I suggest you save the monster who is on your side before you create one who will show you no mercy at all."

Vincent paused before finally shaking his head with defeat. "Bring her here," he ordered. "I have my totems here. Go, before I change my mind."

Elijah returned ten minutes later at Vincent's front door this time. Katerina had lost consciousness that morning and so Elijah carried her, her head leaning against his chest. She wore the same jeans and blouse that she had on last night, but he'd taken her jewellery and stilettos away in an attempt to make her more comfortable.

Vincent laid a pillow at the arm of his couch so Elijah set her down there, perching himself on the edge by her knees and holding her hand. Vincent set up as many totems as he could on his coffee table and sat himself down there.

"This thing has been haunting the city for a very long time," Vincent mused as he started grinding herbs. "All I knew about it was that it's a spirit who practises very dark magic and is trying to get back into our world. It tried to sacrifice those kids for it. Klaus and Katherine too. Now it's got her it's either going to kill her or use her as a vessel. If she dies it absorbs all of her power. However, if its all together in one form, it may just absorb her power, become infinitely stronger and then use her body as a physical form."

"How do we stop it?" Elijah demanded.

"I can try and exorcize it," Vincent suggested. "But that's outdated. I could siphon the magic and put it in something else but that requires a sacrifice that I cannot perform. I'm going to try and use Katherine's connection to Hell to send that thing there, but there's no telling if that will work. While I get started, call Freya and beg for her help because I have a feeling she knows more than I do."

Vincent got to work, chanting and banging rocks together and using every totem he had. For hours, it was all he did.

Vincent eventually took a break to make some tea. While he retreated to the kitchen, Katerina began to wake up, her eyes flickering. Elijah kissed her hand, rousing her until she woke.

"Look at you," she mused, her voice getting croaky and weak. "Finally by my deathbed."

"I'm sorry, I came here as fast as I could," he replied with a smirk. "It does help that you're dying in New Orleans this time, it makes it so much more convenient."

"Maybe next time I can die in Paris," she joked. "In jeans that aren't last season's."

Elijah shook his head. "You're not going to die," he assured her. "I give you my word."

Katerina raised an eyebrow. "I heard Vincent talking, you know. I couldn't move or open my eyes, but I heard you. He said he can siphon the spell into another powerful creature but then he'd have to sacrifice them. I don't know if this is something you're considering-"

"If that is what it takes to save your life then that is what I will do," Elijah claimed. "But I will entertain other possibilities first. I would like us both to come out of this alive."

"I couldn't live with you dying for me," Katerina claimed. "Klaus would never let me here the end of it. Either we both live or you live without me."

"The great survivor willing to die to save me," Elijah mused.

"I'm not dying to save you, I'm dying because Freya tricked me into saving Klaus," she reminded him. "I was stupid. I trusted too easily. It's not like me. But now I have to take my medicine."

Elijah touched her cheek, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "We'll both survive this," Elijah assured her. "I am sure of it."

"And then what?" Katerina asked.

"Marry me."

She paled, clearly taken aback. She laughed for a second before spluttering and raising her eyebrows. Then she tried to form a sentence and came out with: "I… I mean… after… serious… what?!"

"Marry me," Elijah repeated. "I don't have a ring, but I'll buy you one. I'll buy you them all. Every diamond ring I can find, I will buy them all for you if that's the proposal you'll accept. I love you. I have loved every version of you and I'm sure I will love everyone you'll become. Katerina Petrova, will you spend forever with me? Will you marry me?"

There was another pause as everything in the world just seemed to stop existing except them and then eventually he got his answer.

"Yes."

Before they could rejoice for too long, there was a few harsh knocks at the door and upon Vincent's request, Elijah answered it to an unlikely duo.

"We're taking Freya down," Klaus claimed. "Now."

"We have a plan but we need your help, she's powerful and I'm not convinced we could do it just the two of us," Bonnie Bennett added.

Elijah took a few seconds to process this before turning to his brother. "Why?"

"She's taken Caroline," Klaus explained. "And you must be eager to avenge Katerina. You've consented to daggering Kol for much less."

Elijah nodded slowly. "Katerina…" He mused. "Freya has left her to die. I will not leave her side. Vincent's been working for hours, Katerina hasn't shown any improvement. I could be here for days."

Bonnie scoffed and stepped into the apartment like she had been invited. "Days? Give me ten minutes."

And sure enough, to Vincent's astonishment, in ten minutes, Katerina was back on her feet. Apparently, Bonnie didn't think an exorcism was old fashioned, and she expelled the spirit from Katerina.

"It's more of a band aid, really," she explained. "I've sent the spirit up into the air, it could affect anyone next. But Katherine's – unfortunately – fine. So, Elijah, if you want to come with us…"

#

Freya Mikaelson. A witch. A victim. A sister. She'd found her family at long last and then had them all in captivity. She remembered how helpless she'd felt when Katherine Pierce betrayed them. When she sentenced them to five years of torment. She made a vow on that day, out of love and fear, that nothing like that would ever happen to her family again. And so, she couldn't let an entity more powerful than them survive. And she didn't want to kill them.

She didn't feel sorry for what she did to Katherine. You do not hurt Freya's family and then trust her. But she was sorry for what she was doing to Caroline. But the risk was too high. What if Caroline turned off her emotions one day? She was too unpredictable.

When Lucien Castle returned to town, she had him join Caroline and Marcel in her pentagram as she began the spell. It took hours of agonising magic. Spells she'd never thought to touch before. Totems she didn't dare use. Sacrifices that almost killed her. She worked through the night for hours and hours. Keelin kept watch outside, alerting Freya to any of her family coming forth but no one did. All night.

Until finally, it became morning. Freya sat back and sighed, finishing her chant and holding up a little bowl of her blood. It was her blood that created this mess in the first place and it was her blood that finished it. Her magic called to her blood until it was all channelled into one little bowl. Three regular vampires lay sleeping in front of her, all their old power drained into one little bowl of blood.

"Hey, witch bitch," Keelin mused, poking her head around the door. "You've got company."

"It's too late," Freya claimed. Keelin ran into the room, backing into the corner as the door was broken down. Before Freya could explain herself, she was knocked with shear forced into the wall. She felt her muscles bruising and something cracked.

She stretched her hand forward to the bowl of blood, spilling it and trying to evaporate it, so it couldn't be used to turn Caroline back. Before it was all turned to gas, however, magic was used to break the bones in Freya's arms. Elijah waked towards her, clamping something on her wrists.

"What did you do?" Klaus demanded, kneeling by Caroline's side. "Tell me how to fix her, Freya, now!"

"She's fine," Freya claimed. "She's a vampire again. Nothing more. Not a threat. All of them." She raised her hands again to evaporate the blood, but found her magic stunted. Metal was clamped around her wrists, connected by a chain. A Dark Object that prevented magic. "Take this off me!"

"I don't think so," a woman said, moving forward and looking down at her. "Freya Mikaelson, right? Caroline called me a few years ago to cure you, and I did. And here I am now, saving her from you. You can suffer without your magic."

"Who-"

"I'm Bonnie Bennett," she said with a proud smirk. "It was my family that taught yours how to do magic." She looked up to Keelin, who was cowering in the other corner of the room. "Who are you?"

Elijah chimed in here: "Keelin Malroux, the werewolf whose blood saved us. Freya's been holding her hostage since."

"I gave her free will back-" Freya started.

"I'd be very quiet if I were you," Bonnie suggested. "I gave your life back, I can take it away just as easily." She walked over to Keelin and helped her up.

"Freya offered me protection," Keelin explained, hastily. "I have vampires hunting me down-"

"We can protect her," Elijah promised, nodding to Bonnie.

Freya was dragged back to the compound by Bonnie's magical leash. Klaus carried Caroline like she was some wounded deer. Elijah went to find his villainous Katherine. Keelin joined them to the compound. Everyone ignored Freya's protests and requests to have Lucien and Marcel locked up before they retaliated.

Everyone was distracted by the two guests who lounged around in the courtyard.

"Finally!" Klaus exclaimed. "It's about damn time you two made an appearance."

Rebekah sipped her martini as she observed the situation. "Where's Elijah? Why is Caroline unconscious? And why is our dear sister in chains?"

"It's a long story and I need a drink," Klaus claimed before excusing himself to his room to lay Caroline down and nurse her back to health.

"Well, that's alright," Kol mused, looking around the room before his eyes landed on Bonnie. "I, at least, am going to be here for a while."

Bonnie looked like she wanted to throw up.

#

Katerina drove them to the big old sign that said "Welcome to New Orleans" before pulling over on the side of the road and running her hand through her hair. "I'll stop in Mystic Falls for a little bit," she mused. "Pay a visit to my doppelganger."

"I'm coming with you," Elijah said, adamantly.

"No you're not," Katerina contradicted with a low chuckle. "Eight years ago I asked you to leave you brother, who was battling a few pesky witches and a major life decision for me, and you didn't. The Hollow's still out there, threatening your niece. You won't leave New Orleans for long until she's safe."

"We weren't engaged back then," he reminded her.

"No, maybe not," Katerina relented, smirking. "Listen, Elijah. I can't believe I'm saying this but as much as I would love a road trip with you, your family needs you. I'm going to find out what this damn thing is, and then I'll find you. But Freya's on a witchy acid trip and I'm her next target. She wants me dead, we know that. And if I'm left alone with you… It'll only make her paranoid. She'll come after me. I need you to stay and watch her, so I don't have to run."

"She'll never harm you," Elijah promised. "Not for as long as I live."

Katerina leaned over and kissed his jaw, feeling his stubble against her lips. "I love you, Elijah Mikaelson. I promise, I'll see you soon."

He nodded, leaning into her until his lips were pressed against hers. Then they moved up to her forehead. "I love you too," he swore, before getting out of the car and letting her go.


AN: Am I foreshadowing? We'll see.

Anyway, I hope you guys like a bit of Kennett. If not, I'm sorry.

Are you guys reading my new Klaroline/Kalijah/Kennett story set between Season 4 and Season 5 of The Originals? If not, what are you doing with your time that's more important than my ego? But seriously, please check it out if you have a free minute. Lots of love, Izzy xx

(and review. please. I promise i'll update faster)