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In the distance, a group stood, outlines clear enough, early evening light washing the shadows across the ground away.

Yet, a collection still remained.

They could remain as long as there were people to cast them.

Objects to make dark art along the floor.

MJ took Lafayette Park in carefully. She hadn't actually visited since the murders started, and, despite all the other dumping spots seeming to have a connection to her, it was the only one she didn't understand. Louis Armstrong Park was her favourite in the city, and Jackson Square was the home of the Youth Council she was now technically a part of for Wednesday At The Square.

It wasn't like there was something wrong with Lafayette.

MJ did like it.

She was just reading into everything now, trying to think of the last time she'd been there.

With her dad?

For advertising work with The Conservancy?

An open space, neatly cut white paths, blocked of red brick outlining the different statues and hedge art. Trimmed, pink flowers poking up among the shrubbery. Dark barked trees, orange and red leaves still just about hanging on to the end of October, fallen ones decorating the paths to create a blanket over the walkways, turning everything into the open land it had probably once been.

Tall white pedestals holding carved black stone statues overseeing all of them.

Marble stairs up to the plaques for history goers interested in learning about what the Lafayette Conservancy had built after Katerina had destroyed it.

A body left hanging on the skeletal-like branches pointed directly towards the centre.

Police tape blocked the entire centre of the park from view. Cutting off the public from catching a glimpse – smart, though complicated. There was only so long they could stop people from coming closer. Teenagers would be teenagers. Tape wouldn't stop them.

Permanent guards wouldn't either.

MJ spotted Cami and Vincent, no Pri, pushing right past the guard.

"You can't – "

"We can," Klaus compelled, walking backwards and then turning to face them.

Taking in the hanging form at the end of the path.

"You shouldn't be here," Klaus's eyes were on Cami.

She crossed her arms, "You didn't have any interest in this when I tried to get you to help, so you don't get to tell me to leave it alone now."

"And maybe I took your words to heart."

MJ didn't trust the edge in either of their eyes.

"The matter will be sorted swiftly."

"If it's so sorted," Vincent gestured, "Why do we have another body?"

"It's weird," MJ shook her head, "A week off, then two bodies?"

"Something you might not have been told," Vincent looked at her, "The police think whoever killed these ones kept it for a few days to avoid the press."

MJ considered it, "As in the morgue said it was a few days old?"

"Yep," He wasn't impressed, "Every missing person report is now being investigated as possible victims."

"But this one was definitely today," Cami looked sick, "The footage wouldn't be some coincidental swipe and feed."

"Which unintentionally clears your main suspect," Klaus's tone was unclear.

Cami crossed her arms, "Meaning?"

"Lucien just made me his alibi," MJ muttered.

"Um," Pri appeared in a rush of air, "What?"

A beat.

"I was talking to one of the officers," Pri answered the unasked question, "Lucien?"

"He's been with me for the past hour."

Vincent almost laughed, "Dragging you back into Kinney's firing line."

"And forcing us to work together and match our stories, or he could frame me."

"Incorrect," Klaus stopped, "We simply compel the detective."

"And every other officer on the case? And news outlets? And potential family members of victims?" Cami countered, "You compelled me for months, and I still figured you all out."

"Most people are not you."

An awkward pause.

Cami shifted, furrowing her eyebrows in an effort to remain tense, deliberately not letting her eyes jump to Vincent's tired and irritated expression.

"The next load of triangle points are covered," Pri killed the silence, "I'll start staking them out if that's what I have to do to prove Lucien did this."

"He was with Mira," Klaus repeated.

"Doesn't mean he's not behind it," MJ pointed out, "For all we know, he's compelling someone. Or a vampire is sired to him. Or, he's just got teammates covering his back."

"Why would he?" Klaus pointed out, "He needs to feed. Murders make that harder."

"You old ones never care about that," MJ mused, "And he supposedly has a witch, right?"

The prophecy Klaus had thrown into the air out of nowhere.

"He has a food source, and he knows the restrictions Marcel will put in place to keep vampires hidden will piss people off. Leaving them open to him as a new leader."

"Perhaps," Klaus's voice was distant.

Cami and MJ looked at each other again.

A longer, less awkward pause.

"You should kill him," Vincent said it.

"You can't execute someone without, you know," Cami was pale, "Due process."

Klaus's eyebrows went up, "Are we really going to have a legal debate about this?"

"I could've gotten more out of him," MJ shook her head, "As much as I'm Team 'Murder Him,' we need to get him chained up in the basement. Deal with the magic on his head and any vervain in his system."

"Bleed him of vervain," Pri agreed, "We get answers. Someone guts him, possibly me, possibly Kol, possibly you."

"Unless he is proven to be innocent," MJ doubted it, "In which, we either make him forget we ever doubted him. Or hope he gets where we were coming from because he's a reasonable guy."

Klaus didn't respond.

Creating another confused exchange of looks, Klaus was initially irritated with everyone morphing into something they didn't entirely understand.

"He's the first sire," MJ filled Vincent and Cami in.

The second of that list automatically shaking her head, "Klaus – "

"If he is targeting your kind – "

"But if he's not," She sounded all types of conflicted, "If he is really here to help you – you don't have to kill him."

"So eager to keep me from a mistake I might regret, Camille," Klaus smiled weakly, "It means more than you know."

"I still say lock him in the dungeon," MJ played middle, "Never trust a person who chooses to wear a suit every day."

Cami managed a smile at her, "Okay, Miss Anti-Establishment."

"You know I'm right."

"Does that logic apply to Elijah?" Klaus let his mood lift slightly.

"Man did snap my neck."

A beat as she thought over the key information Lucien had told her about.

"If your mind is in prophecy mode, we both know Elijah isn't the threat. He'd kill anyone going against you all."

"Prophecy?" Vincent asked.

"Lucien spins some interesting stories," Klaus started to look up at the body, "Looking into them further led to a collection of concerning visions."

MJ would ask to check his mind later.

"One of my family will fall to a friend."

Cami looked at MJ in a slight panic.

"One to a foe."

His eyes returned to Pri.

"And," Klaus focused on MJ, "One to family."

She hated herself for saying it, but, "Daggers exist for a reason."

Since, even though Klaus had a habit of screwing them over, she knew he'd never actually leave them to genuinely die, meaning it had to be one of his siblings.

The prime contender for 'first to abandon ship' being her boyfriend.

"Kol isn't gonna screw you guys over."

"Unless something were to happen to you," Klaus wasn't stupid, "He would betray us all in a heartbeat if you were the reward for doing so."

"And the only way I'd be 'a reward' was if we somehow ended up on opposite sides," She spoke firmly, "Which isn't going to happen."

"Or you are kidnapped."

"In which case, I'd like to think you'd all be pretty mad and determined to save me."

Klaus and Kol, at the very least.

"Which means working together, not betraying."

He really looked at her.

"Unless, of course, Lucien's point," She teased, "And this prophecy takes place in a few years. And you've all found some newer witch to dabble with."

"I'd box my brother before I'd box you."

"Wrong attitude," She smiled, "Teamwork."

Pri snorted at the pep in her tone.

"He is not your enemy. Elijah's not your enemy."

Vincent's expression was unreadable.

"Freya and Rebekah are not your enemies – and your parents are officially dead."

"And yet the prophecy – "

"Prophecies aren't real," Pri said Beni's message.

"Tc," Vincent shook his head, "Bold statement."

"Complicated one," MJ pointed at him, "And you know it. Visions can be misleading."

"Especially in this city."

"See!"

"But they also shouldn't be ignored," Vincent reasoned, "The ancestors show specific things for a reason."

"To screw with us," MJ thought back, "Come on, Klaus."

He couldn't be that gullible.

"The last time we listened to ancestral whispers, they told you to kill Elena to make more hybrids."

He considered it.

"Which was a manipulative lie!"

"They also warned you about spirits replacing the Harvest Girls. That was true."

"That was different," She shook her head, "That wasn't a prophetic vision. That was someone literally casting a spell, manipulating city-wide magic I'm unnaturally tuned into."

In reflection, MJ had probably been hearing the spiritual preparation spell.

"Yes, witches can have intuition. But a stranger telling you what's going to happen?"

"Hayley and Marcel may count as family. It's easy to see one of them in the role."

"Fine," MJ felt them talking in circles, "One of you is gonna die. Please tell me how?"

He tilted his head.

"Dahlia destroy the white oak."

Discounting the two she had hidden away, which only Kol and Tyler knew about.

Technically, Stefan, Bonnie, and Damon knew about at least one. Bonnie and Damon had seen her summon the double in the Prison World, and Stefan had been there when she'd referenced having white oak during Katherine's first false passing.

...And Davina knew about both from MJ's 'Return To New Orleans' coffee session...

"Isn't it your motto that the universe likes to be balanced," He finally picked an answer, "More could be growing as we speak."

"True," She had to think it wouldn't be that simple while she still had some, "So we find it, and we destroy it first."

He let his head bob.

"Question," MJ realised something, "Where's Kol?"

Klaus's eyes momentarily went wide.

"He texted he was worried – "

"Lucien – "

And Klaus was gone with the wind.

"I'm taking that to mean," Pri's arm went over her shoulder, "You guys were unintentionally keeping Lucien occupied while your boyfriend checked something out."

"Yep," MJ sighed.

"A prophecy?" Cami checked.

"Supposedly."

"Great," She looked ready to hit something, "More reasons for fighting."

"Right."

Her phone started ringing.

"I need a new ringtone," She was sick of it after the mess of a week, "Dale – "

"Not to add to your list of problems," Marcel's voice, "But you know anything about The Strix?"

MJ glanced about, "They've moved to town and might be planning a surprise cou."

"Surprise completed," A woman's voice, "MiMi Pasare."

"Fuck anyone else who calls me that today!"

A gentle laugh, "Task complete. You may leave."

"Sorry about that," Marcel was back, "Meet me at mine."

He hung up.

"What the hell?" MJ stared at the now disconnected screen, "I – "

"Go," Pri encouraged, "Kinney can't know you were here, and he'll be on his way."

"He can't see you two either," Vincent reasoned, "Someone needs to compel those watchers to forget we were ever here."

"On it," Pri grinned, "Then – "

"You two are talking me through why you're tracking triangles," Vincent's eyes on MJ, "'Cos that screams witch. Not vampire."

THE VAMPIRES
Demons of Bourbon Street

Elijah took one long breath in, then returned to facing them, seeing Alexis sway.

"You need rest," He spoke like nothing had happened, "Here."

Moving with speed to pull a chair as she half-collapsed into it.

"Elijah," Kol spoke pointedly.

"Her magic was stronger than anticipated," He pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket, using it to wipe his mouth.

"That was all her visions?"

"What else would it be?"

"I don't know," Kol watched Alexis's shut eyes, "A wooden structure? Swings in two directions? Oddly similarly coloured to that?"

A point to the red-stained fabric.

"I assure you," Elijah curled his lips in to get the last staining, "It was not."

"...Sure."

"Kol."

"Okay," His hands up, "I..."

His eyes caught on Elijah's feet.

"...believe you..."

Alexis's breathing was steady.

In and out.

For longer than the average, implying she'd fallen into some kind of sleep following the state of panic and power used to see his future.

"Kol?" Elijah took a step closer, "What's – "

"It's nothing," He had been looking at their shadows, "What did you see?"

"If you wanted to know, perhaps you should have drunk."

"I make a restraint choice," He complained, "And you punish me for it?"

"Tell me what you're hiding first."

"I'm not hiding anything," He lied, "I'm simply bored and overthinking."

Elijah half-smiled, "And I will happily summarise as we move. But now her blood is in my system, returning to Freya so she can share with everyone seems slightly more important."

"Indeed," Klaus arrived, looking around in panic, "...Lucien hasn't returned?"

The brother's shared a look, then a glance at Alexis.

"Mira and I were forced to leave him."

"Perhaps he had other business," Elijah straightened up.

"If that's the case," Kol crossed his arms, "With who?"

"Later," Klaus decided, "You've drunk?"

He registered Alexis's state.

"Here's to hoping I've not just interrupted two siblings plotting my downfall."

"I didn't drink," Kol scanned him, "What's happened?"

"Another body – we need to leave."

"The witch will tell him we were here."

"It doesn't need to be a secret," Klaus reasoned, "We just need to leave before he can claim he caught you."

i.e. one-upped them.

"I want to know what you saw."

Targeted at Elijah.

"Now."

"Nik," Kol sighed, "Where's MJ?"

"Probably on her way back to The Compound."

"Probably?"

"I left her with Camille," Klaus rolled his eyes at Kol's unconvinced look, "And here, I thought you trusted me."

"Only when doing so pisses him off," He jerked his head to the eldest brother, "Elijah had a red door moment!"

"I did not," Elijah scowled, Klaus spinning to face him, "And here is not the place to discuss it."

"Fine," Kol gave in, letting Klaus lead them out of the apartment.

Leaving Alexis passed out, one bite mark clear.

~***~

Marcel and Josh were the only vampires left in his apartment. Well, Josh was the only one who'd stayed after they'd all healed, Marcel traipsing in hours after the attack, unhappy with the mess Aya had made. Leaving Josh to do all the work while he poured himself a drink.

Their earlier fight had left most people attending his vampire 'council' injured, blood everywhere. Still, Marcel wasn't too bothered about that part, focused on what had happened when he'd be drugged and taken elsewhere.

"Dude," Josh semi-gave up, "Is it just me, or is vampire blood, like, a thousand times harder to get out than normal blood?"

Marcel lifted his brows, pulling out a black business card for The Strix.

Josh could see what he was staring at.

"You okay?"

"I'm not sure what's more annoying," He twiddled it between his fingers, "The Strix coming into my home or them dismissing me like some kid after Elijah didn't make an appearance."

"Interesting sentence," MJ arrived, scowling, "Elijah might be the one person I haven't heard from today. And I'm almost too tired to care about what he's been up to."

Josh snorted.

"But here I am anyway."

Josh actually laughed at the detestation in her voice, "Lovely to see you too, roomie."

"Not you," She winked, "Why did you phone me just to have someone else call me the wrong name?"

"Her name's Aya."

MJ narrowed her eyes, "Kol's mentioned her."

"He has?" Marcel looked pissed, "I've never been told anything about her or her boss's stupid society."

"To be fair, I barely know anything about The Strix too."

"Well," His hand on his drink, "I met a few of them today."

"They cause this mess?"

"One woman took us all out," Josh answered.

"Drugged me," Marcel added, "Took me to some house on the city's edge. Spoke to me like I was some kid. Then made me phone you if I wanted to leave."

"Weird," MJ admitted, "If she wanted me, why wouldn't she have you ask me to come?"

"Because that would drag Klaus and Kol into it," Josh stood up.

"Anything with me drags them into it," MJ pointed out, "However, let's not get riled up about the whole 'spoke to me like I was some kid' thing."

"It's insulting."

"All vampires talk to me like I'm a kid. Well, no. Elijah talks to me like I'm a cat – not the point."

"You're twenty-one. You are a kid."

"Two hundred is twenty when you're a thousand."

He clicked his teeth, realising she had a point.

"Vampires gonna vampire. Why get pissy over it when you can use it to your advantage? They think you're a dumb kid? That's how you pull one over on them. Like, that's literally what I did to you."

"I guess," Marcel still seemed annoyed, lifting the second glass towards her.

"Make it A-negative, and I'll consider letting you involve me in your problems."

"Oh," He chuckled, opening the blood bag fridge for her, "I didn't involve you in this."

MJ cautiously walked forward, picking the bag up and sucking through the plastic drip wire eagerly, slowly feeling her energy quick back in. Magic low felt like a thing of the past now, but blood low was something she wanted to avoid.

"The Strix asked me to phone you," Marcel shifted, "We're lucky no one ended up dead – and they just wanted a phone call!"

"Very much the vampire equivalent of a drive-by," Josh came to join them at the table.

"Then they let me just leave?"

"They were making a point," MJ assumed, "In a way, this run-in's helpful."

Josh pulled a face, "How?"

"Lucien's whole pitch at me was that The Strix were going all Secret Invasion on us. Gonna stay quiet until we blamed him for everything, then kill us all."

"But they're not lurking in the shadows if they're drugging me," Marcel finished.

"Uh-huh."

"All Elijah's line?"

"Infiltrating a city of Klaus," MJ mused, "Very much trying to drag us into their sire-line in fighting."

"That's not a new thing," Marcel admitted, "The number of vamps in this city practically doubled after Kol's death."

A second original acting as real confirmation of the sire-line.

"People wanted to be with like-lines."

"And most of those people are now dead, or in New York?"

"Yup," Marcel still hadn't had a chance to talk to Pri, "The guys I still talk to didn't know she was here. Not happy about the unplanned trip."

"It's Pri," MJ shifted, "Just because she's pretty and loud doesn't mean she's stupid. Nothing she does is unplanned; people just assume that because of stereotypes."

"Good to know."

"If she's here, and it's not something the people still in contact with you knew about in advance, it means she's trying to be subtle."

"Because of the wolves? Or because of something we need to be worried about?"

Pri was Elijah's line...

She'd shown up around the same time Lucien was implying The Strix started their move-in.

And she was targeting them on Lucien, the line's supposed enemy.

"If Pri had been seduced to the vampire-dark-side, she would've told me," MJ had to believe it, "You meet Tristan DeMartel today?"

"Yup."

"He paid her a visit years ago. Got thrown out a window by Selene for it."

Marcel smiled fondly.

"She wouldn't join someone Selene hated."

Pri had spent their conversation in New York making fun of Tristan.

"And she doesn't believe in anything that encourages elitism started by the wealthy – and – "

MJ's biggest point.

"If they got you to phone me? If they have any interest in me, why not use Pri?"

Blackmail her through Pri's captivity?

Have Pri call her for them?

MJ would not turn on her friends because of ancient vampires!

Clapping her hands, she made the blood across the floor dissolve into tiny fireflies, needing the overload of smell gone.

Josh sped to open the window, letting the bugs fly away, "Thank you."

"You were with the Lucien guy today?" Marcel followed.

"Yup," She sighed, "He's fed Klaus some prophecy about how The Mikaelsons are going to die."

Instantly tense.

"They won't!"

Josh and Marcel shared a look.

"As people who have tried to defeat them, you think these guys can?"

"They kicked our butts," Josh motioned out.

"You think they can kick mine and Klaus's?"

"Good point."

"If they try anything, they'll end up dead," MJ stressed, "We do not need to run around like chickens chasing a prophecy."

"You have the gift," Marcel's words caused a chill.

"I don't."

"Your 'feelings' are never wrong."

"That's not the gift of prophecy," MJ promised, "That's logic, paired with a weird connection to magical networks."

"And prophecy isn't a magical network?"

"It's a specialist skill set – especially for Floare. I am an Aonso, not a Pethane."

The only people MJ really believed when it came to future-telling purely because they'd given her one. A vague one. ABOUT MULTIPLE PATHS. That had already come to fruition, meaning she could stop worrying about it! Her brain could shut up! It was over. She'd gone down the path that lifted her up, giving her further to fall, screwing up the Aonso magic.

But it was over.

And she was okay.

Further proving prophecies wrong!

The magic wasn't screwed for eternity by her dying with it; she had time to fix that mistake. Something their prophecy had left out!

"Prophecy does nothing but divide people," She wrapped up, "We need to stick together."

"All we're trying to do," Marcel assured her.

"Then it doesn't matter if it's real or not. We'll figure it out."

"Okay."

Trust in her.

"MiMi Pasare," He teased.

"Stop!" MJ whined, " I shouldn't hate being called it this much, but like?"

"It's better than 'The Mikaelson Witch.'" Josh pointed out, "Actually, about you."

She nodded warmly at him in thanks.

She'd needed that reminder.

It wasn't a bad thing to be defined by herself. Not Lucien's twisted 'server' thought planted in her brain like a weed she would kill the second she'd had a moment with Kol.

"Though it does make you a massive target," Josh never failed to lack tact.

"I can live with that," She had to, "Especially when I have people on my side."

"Um..." Their huddle was interrupted by Sam, lingering in the doorway, "Hey?"

MJ blinked slowly, "Hey?"

"For a second, I thought I was hallucinating," He breathed out, "And I really didn't need that today."

Since no one had seemed to hear him arrive, his senses all jacked up.

"I thought you were out of town for a few days," MJ smiled.

"Josh texted that there was a meeting..." His voice was quiet, "...For vampires...I am technically one..."

Marcel and MJ exchanged a look as Josh put his drink down and moved forward, opening his arms.

"It's really good to see you," He tackled him in a hug, "Not in the dark. Not in The Bayou Bar, or the swamp, or the shacks – "

Sam laughed, rubbing his friend's back and breathing in slowly before they released each other, him instantly gravitating towards MJ's outstretched hands. Even if he and Marcel had been hitting it off pre-curse, and pre-wedding, it wasn't like they'd been friends.

As Lucien said...they were all souls lost in the Mikaelson Orbit, trying to survive.

MJ kissed his cheek lightly, "You look better."

"Thanks."

Still pale, but no longer stick thin.

It wasn't the right amount of lean muscle yet, and his shoulders sagged heavily, but it was something.

"I'm assuming the meeting was just about the murders?" He squeezed her hand while facing Marcel, "But still thought I better check in case there was anything else?"

"Nah, man," Marcel's voice was slightly softer, "You good?"

"Not really," He admitted, "Part of the hate I grew up having towards you was reignited."

He moved the linked hand over MJ's shoulder to simultaneously lean on and side-hug her.

"You're the person who originally had that spell made."

Marcel grimaced, watching the gesture.

"But, whatever," He put his other arm out, "About an hour ago, I killed sixteen people in fifteen minutes."

The flat tone of voice had MJ's heart lurching.

Silence.

Um?

"Then I had an anxiety attack, so...not gonna be a five-year-old and blame you."

She kept waiting for the end, but Sam seemed to be locked into word vomit mode.

"That's my fault for not listening to MJ when she told me that giving me a sense of humanity while trapped wouldn't end well."

A tight swallow.

"...I shouldn't have starved myself..."

She shook her head, "I'm so sorry – "

"Not blaming you," He tightened his hold, "I'd much rather have the meltdown now than spend eight months with no control and constant bloodlust."

"What happened?"

"I was having a pretty good feeding trip, but then my mum and me ended up in a pub for food for her, and there was just...so much noise."

She could feel his nail turn sharper in their linked hands.

"Next thing I know," He winced, "Blood everywhere."

"You compel the survivors?" Marcel checked.

He nodded.

"Any evidence?"

"My mum kinda handled it."

His mum had technically gotten away with murdering his birth father – rightfully so. MJ was the only one who knew that; Josh and Marcel were somewhat confused by the announcement.

"Hence, I'm here," His head was low, "I think I've put off being a vampire for a little too long."

Even if he'd started helping the vampires out pre-the-wedding, he still hadn't fully embraced himself. Hiding with Davina. Opening up to her. Partly because he hadn't wanted to be a puppet and partly because he cared more about being accepted by the wolves than living like a hybrid.

"If I start coming to some of these meetings, are your vamps gonna have a problem with it?"

"We will welcome you," Marcel promised.

"...Thank you."

~***~

Leaving Sam was weird, but MJ had her day to wrap up. The Mikaelsons were at The Compound, wanting to talk about the prophecy, something MJ was entirely uninterested in engaging with.

She would not make the same mistake twice.

Sure, MJ hadn't thought about her Floare warning that intently, but the point still stood. Believing the siphoners are evil narrative – believing her brother's view on what their future might end up being, had pushed her to make bad choices. Most of Ryos's manipulation had been seeped in 'fate' lording. Scaring her into submission and self-hate.

SHE WOULD NOT BE SCARED OF A PROPHECY.

Her destiny had not been to kill her brother.

It was not fate.

It was tragedy.

Hayley's phone call gave her the perfect excuse to put off another conversation about it.

Panicked breathes about how Hope wouldn't go to sleep.

Leading MJ to their new apartment, Jackson inviting her in quickly, eyes tired, Hope screaming from her cot, until MJ's arms scooped her into her chest, Hayley curled up on the sofa, shaking and clearly having had a bit of a breakdown.

"Hey, hey," Her eyes jumped between mother and daughter, "Lovely."

Hope's whine quieted.

"What's wrong, lovely?"

"Why is she stopping now?" Hayley's voice cracked, "I tried everything."

"Hey," MJ turned her soft tone to her, "Don't do that."

Jackson was heating up water in a pan, watching them from a respectable distance, seeing how MJ held Hope to her chest, the baby now relaxing, pressing her cheek into the shoulder, the other hand up to stop Hayley from bolting as she sat down with her.

"Hayls..."

"I knew I wouldn't be good at it."

"You were great at it."

"Was I?" She curled into the back sofa cushion, "Or was I just lucky?"

MJ didn't know what to say.

"I mean?" Hayley seemed on the brink of laughing, "Look."

Gesturing out to MJ and Hope on the other half of the sofa.

"Look at how much more she likes you."

"Don't let Klaus win like that."

"But it's true!" She lurched forward, "I've been here all day, and she won't sleep."

Breathing picking up, grating throat as the tears refused to fall but were clearly forming.

"I stood on the balcony, and Jack got her to stop crying, but she still wouldn't – "

Hayley's hand, half a fist, shooting to her mouth as her teeth dug into her top lip.

"I – I – I – "

"Okay," MJ needed to be careful, Hope's eyes very open, "You a bit out of place?"

Her baby voice took over as she lifted Hope up.

"New place means new things to discover, doesn't it, Hope?"

"Cover!"

"Cover indeed," MJ grinned, "You want mommy to show you around?"

"Around! Around!" She grabbed forward towards MJ, "Now!"

MJ didn't let herself look at Hayley as she shoved her head into the pillow, sound vibrating through her throat at the indirect diss.

"Hope," MJ locked eyes with the baby, "Auntie."

"Auwntie."

"Yeah," She smiled softly, "Me, right?"

"Auwntie," Hope continued grabbing forward, "Meera."

MJ almost froze, "Yeah..."

"Ra-Ra."

"Like a lion," She whispered, "Hear that, Hayley?"

"That was her first word, right?" She spoke into the pillow, "I missed it."

"Hayley," MJ knew she would never understand Hayley's pain, "You're gonna hold your baby."

But she had to try and help.

She'd been called to help.

Not for Hayley to give up being a mother and let her take the role over.

MJ didn't want that role.

"Hayley..."

"I know how to hold her, MJ."

"I know," She skirted closer, bringing Hope back to her chest rather than flying, "You're gonna hold her."

"She hates me now."

"That's not true."

"It is."

"Hold her."

She pushed back to glare at her, "You think I didn't try that earlier?"

"I think you would have, but I think I have something, and I need you to hold her so I can grab it."

Hayley paused.

The new place may have been opposite The Abattoir, but it didn't look anything like it. Instead of industrial materials, hard corners, and winding corridors leading to unused rooms, it was just an apartment. 'Just,' in the best way. Dark wood floors, matching furniture, red brick – almost like Ric's old place. MJ's place, technically. Even if everything in MJ's name was now in Tyler's.

Open living space into kitchen, dining table part of the kitchen.

Large windows lead to a thin but long balcony overlooking the street. Natural light was exactly what it needed to stop any potential stuffiness and let all the noise leak in. Noise MJ loved, but that probably kept Hope up and drove Hayley and Jackson's wolf senses a little crazy.

Most of their belongings still in The Bayou, neither really having the time to grab it while adapting back to full-time parenting.

"Would you mind holding her?"

After a moment, Hayley's head bobbed, letting MJ place her gently in her arms.

There hadn't been any problems on full moons, but Hope had also been so young at the start. And, when you only had a night together, you didn't get the screaming, and the feeding, and the complicated inadequacy issues, knowing Klaus was across a street listening in.

"I can't spell all the sound out," MJ stood up, glancing at Jack as he used the water to make tea, "Klaus would start throwing glass out of panic."

Hayley almost smiled at the insanity of it.

"But I can buffer it."

"Thank you."

"And," MJ walked to the balcony, eyes closing and leaning forward.

The air swirled around her fingers until material formed on her palm.

"This," She turned around, presenting it, "If it makes you more upset, you can burn it."

Jackson crept closer, watching as MJ opened the photo book up.

"But...I thought it might help."

A homemade photo album documenting all the big moments, not just for Hayley, but for Hope. When she was older. For when she learnt the ins and outs of her family and needed a reminder that they could be happy. Normal. Filled with love.

Hayley couldn't look away from it, "You made this?"

"...Yeah..."

Hope was staring at Hayley's face.

"Again, feel free to burn it," MJ encouraged, "Therapeutic burning of the past and all the missed bits but – "

"I never got a baby book," Hayley broke into tears, Jackson swooping forward to take Hope as she crashed into her arms sobbing, "I – I – "

MJ's arms went around her, "Hayls – "

"Thank you," She sobbed into her shoulder, "That – that was – "

All she'd ever wanted was for Hope to have it better than they had.

"I – I – "

"It's okay," MJ whispered, brushing Hayley's hair back, "I've got you."

"MJ – " She was shaking into the nook of her neck, "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything I said."

"Hayley..."

"No," She could barely talk through the shivering, "You were right, and you were helping, and now my daughter doesn't even recognise me! And I took it out on you – and I – I – when you tried to talk me out of it, I blamed you – and – "

MJ had honestly forgotten most of that part, given the neck snap that followed.

"And I shouldn't be phoning you to teach me how to be with my daughter."

"You're a new parent. You're allowed to phone whoever you want for help."

If they'd had parents, they would've been called.

MJ almost considering offering that.

Ryan Jung was a neutral third party on his fourth kid – and he was a ridiculously good dad.

But MJ wasn't ready to offer that yet.

And if they couldn't call their parents, why shouldn't they call on each other?

"And of course, you're gonna panic that Hope likes me more; I've had more time."

Hayley managed to pull everything back to light sniffles, Jackson and MJ sharing another key look as he rocked Hope – mouth opening and closing. Clearly unhappy. Making a collection of sounds signalling that she was about to burst into screams about her nighttime routine again.

"Which doesn't even factor in the 'witch' of it all," MJ reminded her, pushing Hayley back to hold her shoulders, "If Hope's anywhere near as sensitive to magic as I was growing up, she can feel the dark magic in you."

"She's fine with Klaus."

"Because she's used to it," MJ stressed, "And when she had nightmares, he brought me in too."

The part Hayley was forgetting.

"When you're scared, you want familiarity. For Hope, that safe place is friendly magic."

Hayley let herself nod.

Needing to believe that was the reason.

Hope's gargle turning to a higher pitch.

"Did you grab her Fuddlewuddle?"

"Do I look like I know what that is?"

"Her dragon toy."

Hayley perked up, "It's in a bag."

"Find it," MJ stood back up to face Jackson, "Thank you."

"No worries," He watched Hope cautiously, "This is not a happy baby."

"It is not," MJ stretched out, "Bring her here."

The second she was back in MJ's arms, she took longer breaths, staring at the room with a scrunched-up face.

"Hope – "

"No."

MJ's lips twitched, "No, what?"

"Uh-oh."

"Don't like your new bed?"

"Nu-uh."

"Um," Hayley was holding a fluffy green toy the size of her hand, "This?"

"Yes," MJ grinned, spinning to show Hope, "You want Fudder?"

"Fudder!"

"Fudder, indeed," MJ rocked her slightly, coming towards Hayley, "Fudder helps you feel more at home?"

"Dada!"

"Dada isn't here right now."

"Meerma," She complained.

"Why don't you," MJ spoke quietly, lips against Hope's cheek, "Give Mama and Fudder a hug."

Hope blinked, MJ and Hayley now standing less than a centimetre apart.

"Talk to her," MJ spoke faster.

"Hey," Hayley tried, "Hope..."

She offered the toy out.

"Fudder?"

"Fudder!" Hope instantly snatched it, "Fwank you."

MJ grinned, "I love babies."

Hayley managed a smile.

"I'm gonna hand her to you, and you're gonna walk her around the room seven times."

"Seven – "

MJ didn't give her a chance to ask anything, handing Hope off, causing Hope to panic – snuggling straight into her mother's arms for safety while glaring at MJ.

"Sorry, lovely," MJ stuck out her tongue at her, "You'll thank me for it when you're – "

The dragon was chucked at her, the tiny un-fluffy wings just missing her shoulder, plastic eyes making a slight noise against the wooden floors.

"Hope!" Hayley scolded, "No."

Her big eyes on her, "No?"

"No."

"Swowwy," Hope waved at her, "Bye-bye."

MJ laughed, "Mean."

"Fudder?"

"Here ya go," MJ picked it back up, "But if I give this to you – "

Two fingers pressed into the neck, making the toy's head move like it was the one talking to the baby.

"You're gonna be nice to your mum."

"Nice!"

"Nice," MJ nodded, "Start walking."

Hayley jolted into action, heading straight to the longest wall.

"Jack," MJ smiled at him, "Nice seeing you; I hope you're settling in well."

"I'm – "

"In Hope's room, lift the blanket and shake it out to make it cooler, then fold it diagonally so she can be tucked straight in."

"On it," He mock-saluted, "Anything else?"

"The white chess piece, as weird as it sounds, place it by the blanket so she can grab it."

Hayley shot her a concerned look.

"We don't get it either," Her hands went up, "But I can't judge considering I sleep with a blanket the wrong way round because when I was a kid, I literally needed to play with the edges, where, like, the buttons and seams are, or I wouldn't sleep."

Oversharing had always been a part of MJ.

"Ryos once stopped me mid-scream by letting me sniff paint."

Did that say more about MJ or him?

...Ryos...

The ancestors had been in MJ's head, giving her nightmares...

That can't have been what was happening?

MJ would've felt something when she picked Hope up, and her nightmares hadn't started until she was four, so surely they had a little longer before she needed to go into overdrive to make sure Hope didn't have the same problem?

The seventh lap neared an end, Hope's head resting softly on Hayley's shoulder, eyes struggling to stay open.

"Any book with rhyming," MJ watched as Jackson scanned the bag they'd filled up from Hope's room in The Compound, "Literally any."

"This?" He checked.

"If it's rhymes – "

"It rhymes," He scanned the pages, "It rhymes!"

Hayley placed her into the crib.

"Start reading," MJ watched as Hope squished her dragon toy in her arm, grabbing the chest piece as Hayley pulled the blanket over her properly, "And tuck in tight."

Hope's mouth opened.

"Ten little fingers!" Jackson spoke incredibly expressively, "Ten little toes!"

MJ fought back her laugh, watching his face.

"Two little ears," He pinched Hope's, making her laugh, "One little nose."

A tap she closed her eyes too.

"Two little eyes that shine so bright."

Hayley let her finger rest under Hope's chin.

"One little mouth to kiss mother."

The couple unintentionally locked eyes.

"Good night."

"Another," MJ whispered, Jackson, flipping the page.

"Rabbit, Rabbit, one, two, three,
Will you come and play with me?
Camels, Camels, four, five, six,
Why do you have a hump like this!?"

Hayley laughed at Jackson's enthusiasm, finger tracing up to ring around Hope's ear.

The baby's face twitched slightly, eyes no longer fluttering but firmly shut.

"Monkeys, Monkeys, seven, eight, nine,
Will you teach me how to climb?" Jackson shook his head slightly, unable to stop grinning, "When I counted up to ten, the elephant says, 'now start again.'"

"Another."

"One, two, one, two, let's go, visit a zoo!"

Hayley glanced at MJ, mouthing 'animal theme?'

"She's a wolf," MJ shrugged innocently, "And animals are cool!"

"Three, four, three, four, hear the lion roar," Jackson mouthed a 'shh' at her, "Five, six, five, six, watch the monkey's tricks."

MJ backed away, pretty sure they got the gist, listening to Hope's heart rate slow.

"Seven, either, seven, eight, peacocks look so great.
Nine, ten, nine, ten, we shall come again."

MJ opted to look at the messy kitchen, only just noticing it. The apartment was so bare without most of Jackson and Hayley's belongings. They'd grabbed some of Hayley's things from The Compound, but the things she'd cared about the most she'd packed up when she'd gone to run.

All those clothes in the wolf apartment complex, MJ having grabbed most of it with Aiden's brother and Josh the week following the curse.

The apartment had been fully furnished, and Elijah had clearly bought plates and cutlery for them, which MJ had had on her to-do list for the upcoming month, most now covered with mess from half-finished meals and attempts to get Hope to eat. MJ could remember Klaus's struggle at the start. While it had been pretty smooth since he didn't have the detachment side, it's not like a thousand years on the planet taught you how to make baby food or get a baby to drink formula milk.

Hope had only gotten used to it, thanks to MJ and Freya.

So MJ began to clean.

She'd always loved cleaning. She did it to destress when situations felt like too much – whether it be Stefan de-ripper-ing, or the month hiding with Kol, fearing Kai and Mikaelson's wrath about Rebekah. Reorganisation. Jeremy may have had a point about how MJ's first place in Mystic Falls was always a mess, but she thought that said more about that time than her as a person.

Scrubbing the plates and leaving them to dry until Jackson appeared, tiptoeing.

"Thanks."

"No worries," MJ smiled, "You guys will figure it out."

He nodded.

Quiet.

The tap turned off as the last piece was clean.

"And I'll always be here when you need me."

Feeling watched in their apartment wasn't a new feeling. The place had been picked for its watchability. A way to keep Klaus calm. Making it easy for any of them to brush off the unease in the air. Hope's crying was a sign of displacement and new parenting rather than her sensing the thing that had been on MJ's mind since Levi Ajan had arrived.

Eyes on the small moments of their lives.

Watchers didn't tend to miss anything. It was partially why MJ should've noted the difference between spiritual watching and what she'd felt that week.

It was impressive she'd noticed them at all.

Not the eyes of Klaus, but across the street just the same.

The Mikaelsons standing in the courtyard, having heard MJ arrive at Hayley's and taken that as a hint to start without her. No one wanted to look at Klaus's momentary smugness around Hayley's struggle or confliction over MJ's easy involvement.

Freya had set up the spell for them, Kol instantly eyeing it up as Elijah cut his hand, blood dripping into a bowl.

"If there's a weapon that can kill you," Freya scanned her own words, "We need to know."

Kol really didn't like the implication there was anything out there that could kill him again.

Not when he was finally pretty happy with his life.

"The visions were not particularly clear," Elijah admitted.

Klaus was staring at the table, "Mine weren't either."

"Hopefully, I can get us more," Freya put on a smile, lighting a tall black candle in the centre, the smaller white ones surrounding it sparking up in canon, "If not like this, I'll find another way."

"We can always recreate her spell," Kol pointed out, "See what changes when we drink the same concoction from someone else's blood."

The air in the courtyard was different that evening; the Mikaelson's a little too focused on each other and their task, not how shapes turned to silhouettes as Freya picked up the bowl of Elijah's blood.

Since the prophecy was supposedly about the remaining sire lines, she'd written out Rebekah, Elijah, and Niklaus in Norse runes in preparation for the spell, Kol not sure how to feel about that. For once, it felt pretty nice to be left out, but he could already hear the 'he can't be trusted' arguments coming as his siblings found reasons to assume he wouldn't care over the coming days.

Process of elimination.

If he wasn't on the chopping block, it had to mean it was him, right?

Freya stared at the candle, almost nervous, dunking her fingers into the blood and beginning the chant, the flames turning white – practically invisible.

"No Mentre Le Prophecie Que La Otra Ve."

Kol straightened up at the colour change.

"No Mentre Le Prophecie Que La Otra Ve."

"Freya..." His hand pointed at it, "Freya – you need to stop."

"No Mentre Le Prophecie Que La Otra Ve," Her right ear started to drip blood, Elijah shooting Kol a panicked look, "No Mentre Le Prophecie Que La Otra Ve."

Her voice turned louder, straining at the spell sapped at her strength.

"No Mentre Le Prophecie Que La Otra Ve."

"Freya," Kol repeated, "Someone's hijacked the spell."

"Freya?" Elijah grabbed her arm, "Stop!"

Unfortunately, Freya couldn't stop, three shadows seeming to encircle them.

Stepping closer and closer.

The visions starting.

- Elijah's painting covered in blood.

- A figure with long and sharp fangs roaring, coated in shadow.

Kol snuffed the candles out with his fingers, Freya jolting awake in Elijah's arms, Klaus pressing into the table to check that she was okay, only to move back as the pieces of paper across the table turned to ash.

Then burst into the flames.

"It's true," Freya gasped in, "You have a terrible shadow over you."

Evening sky once again an unfriendly sight.

"Rebekah, too."

Kol rubbed the black wick between his fingers.

"If this prophecy is fulfilled, you will all fall."

The word 'all' though.

Kol didn't like it.

Not one bit.

"One by friend," Freya glanced at the elder two, "One by foe, and one..."

The cold grew stronger.

"One by family."

As if the Mikaelsons weren't paranoid enough about each other.

Klaus shook his head sharply, facing Kol, "You said it was hijacked – why?"

Kol didn't quite respond, slowly turning to take in the room.

"Any idea by whom?"

He narrowed his eyes, the shivers turning into something else.

Something almost invasive.

Like invisible hands running up and down his body, searching him for weaponry or money to steal, checking every inch of skin or slightly blocked pore. Ready to use it against him.

"For your mind to go there," Klaus frowned, "Mira."

Kol glanced back at him, "What?"

"You went straight to a magical problem influencing this prophecy – "

"Nothing interfered with my spell," Freya assured him, "Everything I saw was my magic."

"But he said – "

Funnily enough, Klaus stopped himself, realising that he was about to imply he trusted Kol's word and not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Especially in front of two other people who would hold it against him. His acknowledgement of Kol's knowledge had been for when they'd been alone and then only.

"Mira's odd feelings."

Kol didn't answer.

"Her dreams."

Kol stilled, staring forward, "Are you going to come out?"

The rest of his siblings went into high alert, trying to see what he'd noticed.

"Seven shadows. Count them."

They all did.

Multiple shadows weren't that unusual, especially at night, with multiple light sources across surfaces and walls and drifting in from the open ceiling. But that wasn't the thing Kol meant. None of the tables, chairs, or stair railing left any trace of existence, yet the four of them had seven shadows around the table.

"This happened while we were at Lucien's too," Kol's second pause, "But it vanished so quick I doubted myself! Come out."

"Someone is watching us," Elijah looked ready to attack.

"Indeed," Kol wasn't sure whether to smile or not, "Should I assume you're here as a show of good faith?"

Silence.

The shadow closest to him started to hiss, the hand peeling up, turning from two dimensions to three, nails digging into the stone of the courtyard like a hook, wrist and elbow soon after, wrapped in linen but crawling out of nothing into existence.

The two on the opposite side started to buzz a millisecond later, following suit until the Mikaelsons were faced with three Egyptian mummies, the aged white wraps filled with worms and spiders falling to the floor in small piles. It was almost graceful, gentle drops, three pairs of eyes tilting to take the family in, wooden flesh creaking into soft, plump skin.

Glowing purple eyes.

Kol was using all his strength to not smile at the sight of the witches.

Without the covers, they looked perfectly human, hair catching bits of dirt and stone from the ground they'd crawled out of, but simple linen outfits. Wrapped pants and loose tops, scanning the Mikaelson's. Two of them lost their outfits, clothes turning themselves inside out and morphing into smooth shirts, jackets, and jeans.

Snake like skin left coiled on the floor, thing spiders racing out. The shedding freeing them into the city. Crawling into any crevasse they could, including the figures shoes.

The woman by Kol didn't bother updating her outfit.

"You could call it a show of faith..." She spoke, accent not easy to place, "...An offer of peace."

Cracks through her body as she stretched out her limbs.

"Or simply, a hello."

Klaus had a growl making its way out of his throat, "Am I meant to know who you are?"

"You should," She smiled slyly at him, "But you won't."

It was not the day to try and mess with him; the only thing stopping Klaus from attacking was Elijah's hawklike stance over the situation – and the excited gleam in Kol's eye. Excited, not mischievous. An important difference.

"They're here for Mira," Kol didn't dare look away, "May I introduce three members of The Pethané."

That didn't really mean much to him.

"Guardians of The Floare Magic."

"Precisely," The woman offered him a slightly warmer smile, "Mira Floare-Ruiz currently hosts two-sevenths of our power."

"We want it back," One of the men behind them finished, "Now that the pathway has been reopened."

Kol's smile vanished, "MJ hasn't done anything yet."

"She became a hybrid."

The phrase seemed to echo.

"A transformation into something new," The woman took over again, a calmness to her the man didn't have, "We have been monitoring her abilities, and she is nearly ready."

"For what?"

"The power to be extracted."

Klaus clenched his jaw, "You're not allowed near her."

"We mean her no harm," The woman didn't look like she cared about his opinion, "That is why we have been forced to wait."

Elijah wasn't letting himself move a muscle, "What are you waiting for?"

"For her to see the light."

A phrase that almost seemed to have a second voice beneath it.

A man's.

A phrase sending Kol's mind into a spiral as he tried to place it.

"Her transition reset everything," The woman took two steps back, "The Floare Ancestors will forgive her the moment she gives up her host status."

"We are here to ensure she doesn't die in the process."

"And that the magic has not been corrupted by the vampirism."

A look exchanged between the three witches made it clear another statement could've been made to explain their presence, but they weren't about to share it with the family. Simply smiling and backing towards whichever wall was closest to them.

"This is a hello."

"An assurance that we are only here to help."

"And that we are no threat to your family."

"Unless you prove to be a threat to ours," The woman had the final message, her two assistants pressing into the stone walls and moulding into it, "Parakolouthoúme pánta."

None of the brothers liked that phrasing.

"Min epanalávete to istorikó, Nikláous."

And she was gone too.

Seven shadows.

A breeze.

Only four again.

The rest of the room fading in, feint images across the floor to bring them back to what was natural and expected.

Klaus had murder in his eyes.

"Am I the only one here who wasn't taught Greek?" Freya assumed, "If it was Greek?"

"Parakolouthoúme pánta," Elijah spoke the first warning, "We are always watching."

"Min epanalávete to istorikó, Nikláous," Kol recited the second, "Meaning, 'do not repeat history, Niklaus.'"

Freya raised an eyebrow.

"I may have slaughtered a few Floare in my past."

"A few?" Kol called out.

"You give Mira the honest number of children you've killed; I'll see if I can remember the size of the troupe."

"Stop," Freya was not about to let another fight break out, "Can we deal with one problem at a time?"

The brother's stood down from their weak verbal sparring match.

"They are here for MJ and her magic," She tapped her pocket, "So, phone her."

Since she clearly wasn't eavesdropping on them the way they'd been eavesdropping on Hayley and she.