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There was a day of nothing after Kieran's death to give Cami some time to sleep before the funeral. During that day, MJ got to work. She took Esther's version of the moonlight rings and the version she'd made for Tyler, writing the new spell, aiming to give the wolves control over their shifting without tying it to anybody.

...She may have also written in a failsafe of sorts.

The rings would null them slightly. MJ didn't actually want rabid dogs running through The Quarter biting every vampire in sight, so the cap would help balance out the anger issues.

Once the spell was written, MJ had gone to the spell book she'd been crafting for herself over the past two years and rewrote it twice. One copy for her collection and one she ripped out and put inside of Esther's Grimoire, next to the original version of the spell, so it was safe. Copies were a lifesaver.

Then she'd gone out for a slight celebration with Diego since it was music night at Lafayette Square.

She couldn't explain why she was in a decent mood considering Diego wouldn't be okay with the rings, so she claimed it was just her need for a night off after the Kieran-hex-siphoning exhaustion.

The next morning MJ found herself in the Lycée, searching for Esther's Grimoire.

She didn't know why she thought it was there, but something in her stomach was just screaming that it was, despite the fact the rational part of her brain knew it was protected by fifty million charms at The Compound.

The Lycée was filled with plants in tubs and troughs, but there were an abnormal amount of roses Davina had grown still poking through the stone floor and hanging over the windows. Lilies and special types of daisies creating an enclave for her to spin in the centre of, basking in the life it all radiated.

There was also a tea set in the centre of the table.

MJ stilled by the tea.

She walked closer, staring at the two empty cups and the pot, her hand moving on its own, pouring the tea and then turning the cups on the saucers like she was waiting for someone to join her. MJ's first thought was Davina. Who else would she be in the Lycée to see?

Then she remembered she was supposed to be searching for a Grimoire she already knew the location of.

MJ's eye got caught on the hot water, watching a few leaves swirl, water becoming a light brown colour, her reflection on the surface.

Her face smiling up at her.

Watching two hands clasp onto her temples as she screamed.

It was like MJ's brain had been stabbed then held over a roaring fire to melt like a marshmallow, desperately struggling to stomp on the person's feet and free herself, knees hitting the floor and scrambling away when she succeeded.

MJ turned to look up as she moved.

Esther was standing over her.

MJ shoved up, hand going forward, telekinetically chucking her through the glass wall, ready for a fight.

Then she woke up.

She was panting, in her own bed, in her apartment.

She was safe.

MJ rubbed her eyes and forced herself to calm down.

Esther had been consecrated, meaning she was on the ancestral plane, and MJ had chosen to make herself an elder. She knew a haunting would happen eventually; she'd just hoped Esther would be bored of hounding the living after a thousand years of death already.

No one could hold a grudge quite like a witch or a Mikaelson, and since Esther was both?

Well, MJ was in for a long ride.

As she stood up to open the window closest to the bed, she rubbed her forehead. Whatever Esther had been trying to do in the dream had an after-effect. It was a similar feeling to when Bonnie had hexed her for Esther. It wasn't the same, Esther wasn't trying to drive her insane, but it was similar. She was still trying to do something to her mind.

Whatever it was, it didn't matter.

Esther wouldn't win.

MJ spent the rest of the night coming in and out of that nightmare.

It wasn't always in the Lycée, sometimes it was The Compound, or the Mikaelson Mansion in Mystic Falls, or the crypt Ric had transitioned in. No matter the location, Esther would appear behind MJ as she searched for the Grimoire. Her hands would go on MJ's head, the start of a spell would be muttered until MJ scrambled free and woke up.

Every time it felt more real, tricking her into thinking she was awake as it started again.

By the morning, MJ had probably slept about three hours max, so when she thought she saw a figure flickering on her balcony, she didn't properly register it.

Instead, she got dressed in black and headed into the city, planning to get to the wake early, walking through the park to clear her mind. It also reminded her of her mother, and she needed that feeling after an evening of nightmares.

Which, of course, meant Genevieve was waiting for her by the park gate.

"We need to talk."

"If you're still walking," MJ continued on her path, "It means the seventeen-year-old is still dead."

Genevieve took stride beside her.

"Which means I have nothing to say to you."

"Klaus told me you stopped the hex."

"I did."

"He still died."

"It'd done too much damage to his body," MJ kept her eyes straight ahead, "Congrats, I guess."

Genevieve rolled her eyes, "It's not like I cast the curse."

"But you had the means to heal him, and you didn't."

"He tried to stop The Harvest."

"A backwards ritual than never should've happened."

"The girls came back."

MJ stopped to look at her like she was crazy, "All of them?"

Genevieve faltered.

"You two took your time," Monique was walking towards them, Abigail and Davina trailing behind her, bored looks on their faces.

MJ finally turned to face Genevieve.

"I was going to invite you to join us on our walk," She explained, "Since you're an elder...whether I like it or not."

MJ held her head a little higher, "I'll join."

"Good," Genevieve smiled to The Harvest Girls, "Follow me."

They walked past trees and bushes, Genevieve leading the way, MJ at the back, listening to how she spoke, trying to work out what she wanted.

The only reason Genevieve would let her in on a meeting willingly was if she wanted something.

"New Orleans is full of ghosts," She started as they stepped onto a bridge, "Our dead are always here, hovering. When supernatural creatures die, they're doomed to spend eternity alone, watching the world go on without them."

"The Other Side," Davina looked to MJ.

"Yep," She nodded, "Two thousand years ago, a witch got cheated on and left at the alter, so created a whole new afterlife just to make sure the guy didn't get his happy ending."

"Good on her," Abigail joked.

"Everyone involved was a little off the rails," MJ nodded in agreement, "And, the spirits are alone until they find peace."

MJ felt the need to specify.

"Supernatural spirits can find peace, it can just take some time, and some even put it off because they want to watch their loved ones."

Lexi and Ric.

"Our ancestral witches are completely different," Genevieve continued, "We linger differently: consecrated in the earth, replenishing its power."

"What about humans?" Davina asked, probably thinking about Tim.

Genevieve momentarily glanced at MJ, "Some find peace. Some...don't."

"Their spirits can linger a little too," MJ rubbed Davina's back, "If they have unfinished business."

"We have to make an appearance at the priest's wake," Genevieve motioned to MJ and herself.

MJ crossed her arms, "No way in hell am I letting you go to that."

"You can't stop me."

"I certainly can," MJ's eyes were sparking slightly orange.

"It's a day of peace in the city – don't tell me you're going to make another scene at your friends funeral!"

"I'm not letting you go because you could've saved him," MJ glared, "You don't get to make today any harder than it has to be for Cami."

"I want to be there."

"That doesn't mean you should be."

Silence in the stare down.

"If you have any sense of decency," MJ wasn't going to start a fight at the wake, "You won't go."

"Maybe I want to apologise."

"Apologies don't mean anything unless you mean them."

"And how do you know I don't?"

"I don't. But I care about Cami."

"You're a siphoner," Genevieve scoffed, "You don't really care about anything."

MJ took a step back, having gone so long without having to hear that thrown at her.

The last person had been Liv.

No.

The last person had been Ryos guilt-tripping her.

"Your kind are a plague on our species. The only reason the ancestors accepted you as an elder was because they thought they could purify you," Genevieve's face went hard, finally trying to put MJ in her place, "You either get in line and stop acting out like a petty child."

"Of what?"

"Or you will be punished."

"I'm so scared," MJ mocked, "Now, I'm going to the service I'm actually invited to attend. You have fun with the rest of your day."

She looked to the Harvest Girls.

"You guys, genuinely have a nice day."

As she left, Genevieve took a long breath in to regain her composure, Monique staring after MJ, Davina and Abigail glancing at each other, not sure what to do.

"You three head back to the Lycée," Genevieve instructed, "Take some time to think about those spirits who might still be walking alongside you."

Abigail and Davina did as instructed, but Monique hung back to walk with Genevieve

"I don't know why we're supposed to care about Kieran O'Connell."

"We care because when a pillar of our community passes, Monique, you call a cease-fire and pay your respects."

"Or you just want to see Klaus," Monique called out, "You two are getting cosy."

"I need the Mikaelsons to trust me so I can get close enough – "

" – To kill their baby?"

"To fulfil my obligation to our ancestors," Genevieve sniped, "Go home, Monique."

Before Genevieve could storm off, Monique shook her head, "And what about MJ?"

"What about her?"

"She isn't loyal enough. Not to us."

"What about it?"

"The ancestor I spoke to said she would deal with her," Monique scowled, "Why haven't they?"

"Clearly, she has a better hold on her mind than they anticipated."

"You know," Th girl smiled a little, "You were told I needed to make a powerful sacrifice in exchange for Cassie and your own life. Surely Mira would count?"

Silence.

"If you don't want to kill the baby, kill her."

Genevieve shifted.

"She's done nothing but stand against you," Monique reminded her, "But you have a problem with killing her?"

"She's..."

"She's what?"

"She's a siphoner," Genevieve shook her head, "She's a manipulative defect destined to be the end of all of us."

"Exactly."

"But killing her will bring Klaus's wrath down on us all."

"I don't care about Klaus."

"If you don't want to end up dead, you should," Genevieve gave up reasoning with her, "I'll see you later, Monique."

~***~

When MJ reached Rousseau's, she could hear music playing inside. Music, and people, and a casket.

She paused by the door and yawned.

A quick wake-up charm helped, but then there was a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Marcel.

"Yeah," She walked through the door as he held it open for her, "Didn't sleep well."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Witch dreams."

"Warning ones or...?"

"There's an ancestral spirit that really doesn't like me."

"Oh...fun."

"Yep," She stayed near him as they walked to the bar, "You have any clue who bombed the Bayou then?"

"None."

"That's a fun mystery for us to all deal with tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," He nodded, ordering them both a drink, "I actually need to talk to you about something, but it can't be here."

"Okay?"

His hand rested on the bar, "You seem to have made quite the impression on a lot of people."

"Not sure if it's a good one," MJ leant next to him.

"The vampires seem to like you."

"I think they like the fact I don't like witches that much either," She managed a smile, "And they like me because I've been dishing out daylight rings for the last month."

MJ had stuck to her word about helping people who wanted it.

"That's part of it, sure," He admitted, "Apparently, you one-upped my show and stabbed Elijah?"

"I wasn't gonna let anyone die, and if we weren't at a wake, I'd be hitting you with something sharp and vervain laced for pulling that stunt with the drummers."

That made him smile, too, knowing she meant the threat but also knowing he had a certain level of safety with her.

"And the Elijah thing was to make a point," She justified, "It's not like I'd actually hurt him, and it's not like he'd really hurt me."

"That's a sweet spot to be living in," Marcel took a long sip of his drink.

Silence.

MJ looked at him, "I'm sorry about Thierry."

"You didn't like the guy."

"I don't need to like him to be sorry for your loss," MJ opened her cider can, "Diego told me that they all went to watch you burn the body."

"They did."

"Loyalty...it's nice."

Then MJ spotted Klaus and Cami having a conversation across the room, Klaus clearly watching them, a concerning look in his eye. It wasn't an angry one, but he didn't look like he'd slept much either. An agitated Klaus was a Klaus who ripped hearts out.

MJ pointed, "I'm gonna make sure that look doesn't turn to murder."

"Sounds like a plan," He patted her on the shoulder.

Rousseau's was completely packed with people enjoying the Irish music, string instruments and songs MJ actually really liked but couldn't let herself enjoy given the situation. The coffin was in the centre of the room, and it felt a little weird to think of Kieran's body inside while all of them got wasted.

MJ had to push through the crowd to join Klaus at the table he'd selected.

Cami had just walked away, and he was drinking a glass of scotch.

MJ put her drink down, "You doing good?"

"Fantastic."

"Wow," She laughed a little, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly."

"Klaus – "

"You just saw the professional leave, Mi – "

"Nik."

He quietened down.

"What's going on?"

"I'm going to be a terrible father."

MJ blinked.

Then she smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" He sulked.

"That's the most normal problem I think you've ever had, and I'm enjoying it," MJ pulled his drink out of his hands, "It's a super great fear to have."

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"Klaus," MJ took the second bar seat opposite him and rested her hands on the table, "You know for a fact that if you start to be a terrible parent, I will beat your ass."

He looked down, fighting off a slight smile.

"Hayley will beat your ass. Elijah will probably preach in some super overdramatic way after having some blowout fight that breaks a few walls with you – and Rebekah would come home to pamper the kid's brains outs while it happened."

She grabbed his hand.

"You're not doing this alone, and you are not your father."

"What makes you so sure? You only knew my father for a day."

"What you value," She squeezed his hand, "She's a baby, not a hybrid slave you'll take advantage of and mistreat – didn't I already quote Little Red Riding Hood at you about this?"

"You did."

"No pile-up of baggage, just a baby. And, you'll make mistakes and missteps, but all parents do that. Just don't let the violence touch her."

"My violence touches everyone."

"Have you lain a finger on me since the sword incident?"

Klaus paused.

"You knocked me out to get me to Italy. You cut my hand with your sword after the Hybrid Massacre."

Which had terrified her a little.

"But other than that, nothing physical," MJ really thought about it, "You've done the dramatic wrist grabby thing a few times, but you haven't hurt me because you don't want to. Because you told me you wouldn't. So, unless you want to hurt your kid, I'd say you're in the clear."

The musicians halted the song as the sound of a cup tapping a bottle signalled for silence.

Marcel was sitting on the bar with a bottle of bourbon, getting everyone's attention for a toast.

"I know I haven't been around these parts lately."

If Marcel had learnt anything from Klaus, it was how to be the centre of attention when talking. He was probably better at that part than Klaus, considering he could actually talk people into taking on the impossible with him, the loyalty Klaus wanted.

"It's a testament to Father Kieran that we could come together and share a drink and a story or two," Marcel knew Kieran the most, "Kieran rolled into town on a rusty old cruiser after his daddy died twenty-five years ago. And...that guy could party!"

The people closest to him laughed in agreement.

"That was, of course, before he took his vows. But, even then, he was committed to The Quarter. He knew that this town needed him. And, we still do," Marcel poured himself a glass then lifted it high, "To Father K!"

"To Father K," Everyone called back, taking a drink.

MJ tried to spot Cami, and she saw her rushing into the back room as the flute player started up the music again, clearly overwhelmed.

"I'll be back," She let go of Klaus's hand, "Try not to get lost in the dark part of your brain."

MJ went through a side door into the kitchen, thinking Cami would head to the freezer area to get away from the noise, only to find Francesca standing by the chopping station; Cami halted on her route.

"Looks like we had the same idea," Francesca motioned to her drink, "It's Cami, right? I've been informed that Kieran's necklace is missing. The key that he always wore? I assume he left it for me."

"Excuse me?"

"Cami!" MJ interrupted, coming properly into the room and to her friend's side, "You okay?"

Her friend blinked, tears clearly on her face, looking from MJ to Francesca.

"Miss Jung-Ruiz," Francesca nodded towards her, then back at the confused Cami, "How rude of me. I'm Francesca Correa."

"She took over Kieran's position as leader of the Human Faction," MJ explained.

"Someone had to represent us when his," Francesca paused to phrase it, "Mental faculties were compromised."

"His faculties weren't compromised," Cami pushed her tears away then crossed her arms, "He was hexed."

"Hexed by one of our enemies," Francesca nodded, "Present company excluded."

"No, don't exclude me," MJ held herself carefully, "If you're gonna hate the witches, hate the witches, or just admit hate isn't worth it, and focus on the few bad eggs every group have."

"Look," Francesca sipped her drink, "I'm invested in protecting the people of this city, and to do that, I need the key."

Cami started to get mad, "It must have fallen off during the events that led to his untimely death. I am so sorry."

"I think it's best if you return to the main area," MJ gestured for Francesca to move it.

"And leave her alone with a witch," Francesca commented lightly.

They were joined by Sam, a big coat on, having clearly just arrived, "A witch who's her friend."

Francesca stared at him.

"Also, a friend – who really recommends you leave her alone."

She smiled slightly, "One of the wolves."

He nodded.

"I heard about what happened at The Bayou...so sorry."

"More sympathy for me than the host of the wake?" Sam's position on the matter was clear, "Leave willingly, or I will escort you out."

Francesca put her hands up innocently, "I'm just trying to lend a hand to my fellow human."

"The witch is the one who was helping Kieran in his time of need," Cami's eyes were harsh, "Not using the situation like 'my fellow human' clearly has."

MJ went to pat Francesca on the shoulder, but she stepped back.

"I'm going."

"I wasn't going to hurt you," She narrowed her eyes, "Was just gonna guide you..."

Francesca kept an eye on her hand as she left them alone in the kitchen.

"That's was weird, right?" MJ asked.

Cami sighed, "I don't even know anymore."

"It was," Sam agreed, "Something's not right about her scent either."

"What do you mean?"

"It's human," He looked at the drink she'd left, picking it up, "There's just...I don't know."

MJ really thought about that.

Then she saw Cami's shaking hands move to her face like she was going to start crying.

MJ wanted to focus on how Francesca seemed desperate to stay out of her reach and how that if she smelt iffy to Sam, it probably meant she wasn't entirely human. Except it was Cami's day of mourning. That was more important.

She and Sam shared a look.

"Distract me," Cami asked.

"I'm telling my parents tonight?"

Both women spun to look at him.

The announcement a pretty good distraction, their entire friend group having spent the past few months watching him hide the hybrid status from everyone but them.

"I'm going home more regularly, and so I'm gonna tell them about the pack and the hybrid stuff."

"Finally!" MJ cheered, "I know it's gonna cause a panic, but they'll be better off once they know."

Cami looked down, "Will they?"

MJ took her hand supportively.

"Because, right now, knowing about this world doesn't feel too great."

"Except," Sam softened his tone too, "This is already their world."

"He'll just be making it a little bit bigger."

"Let's get you a drink," He suggested as MJ wrapped an arm around Cami's waist, leading her back into the mess of people.

She once again missed the figure in the corner of her eye.

They got two shots in before Cami was a little happier to talk to people, Sam acting a sober companion as he stayed firmly camped in his alcohol-free life. He was also making it incredibly clear he wasn't going to be leaving Cami alone, especially when he pointed out Klaus's still less-than-pleased face in the corner, wanting to stay as far from it as possible. MJ went back to handle that while he helped Cami deal with the people wanting her attention.

Elijah had sat in the third seat while she'd been done.

MJ took hers back, "Welcome."

"How is Camille?" Elijah asked, noticing where she'd come from.

"Managing it."

Klaus frowned at the people, "Seems rather uncivilized to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one."

"Yes, far better to practice your process of grief, Niklaus," Elijah had brought a bottle with him, pouring them all a drink, "Denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements."

"He adds a little variety sometimes," MJ swirled the drink, "When the coffins go in the attic."

"Very funny," Klaus took the glass from her, "You're cut off."

"Why?"

"You're technically underage, and you've mixed too many drinks."

"I've had two shots – " She reached for the glass, so he downed it then his own.

"Wow," MJ looked to Elijah, "Okay then."

Before he could make a remark himself, Hayley sat on the fourth and final chair between Klaus and Elijah.

"I will warn you, Hayley, Niklaus is in a spectacularly foul mood today."

Klaus spoke lowly towards his brother, "Sod off."

"What's the deal with these moonlight rings?" Hayley got to the point, "Oliver's trying to start a revolution every five seconds. People are scared, angry, and frankly, I'm tired of stalling."

"It's a day of peace, Hayley," Klaus dismissed, acting as a voice of reason, "Try and enjoy it."

"I have the spell ready, but we need a full moon to cast it," MJ gave her an actual answer, "And if they're planning a war, they're not getting them."

"MJ – "

"Hayley, your due date is like, next week," MJ reminded the group, "You can't genuinely want to encourage a fight right now."

She looked down at her stomach.

"And now that the due date is nearing," Klaus tapped the empty glass, "With all manner of unknown enemies conspiring against our family, you'll move back in with us."

"Awesome!" Hayley cheered sarcastically, "Then, we can do that thing where you lock me in the tower."

Elijah and MJ looked at each other over the discussion.

"I escape. There's drama, and then you two both realise I'm very capable of looking after myself."

"The rings are in progress," Klaus gestured to MJ, "I will live up to my word. We will find and punish whoever launched the attack on The Bayou, and you will return to The Compound for your own safety."

Hayley rolled her eyes and looked to the metal debate Elijah and MJ were having about which of them needed to stop his rant before it got too far.

"But, right now," He snatched Elijah's bottle, "I'm gonna finish this bottle."

He opened it.

"Do you need to be cut off?" MJ waved her hand, flying the lid back on and taking one for the team.

His glare turned to her, "I'm hoping to drown the demon who has chosen to haunt me today."

"Which would be?"

It seemed more than just self-doubt pushing him over the edge.

"Cheers, Mikael," He forced the bottle open, chugging a mouthful before lifting it to the ceiling, "Impeccable, Freudian timing."

Elijah sat forward, mood completely changing, "Elaborate."

Hayley looked between the three of them, momentarily concerned.

"Have you dreamt of our father?"

"Go ahead," Klaus's eyes were dark, "Have a good laugh."

"I can assure you there is no piece of this that I find even remotely amusing," Elijah rubbed his hands, "Especially considering I've been dreaming of him, too."

MJ tensed, "No, no, no..."

"Why are you panicked?" Elijah's somehow got more nervous.

"Because your mum is ghost harassing me."

"What?"

"All last night," She explained, "I assumed it was a witch thing, but if your dad is out to play..."

"Wait," Hayley put two hands up, "All three of you are being haunted by 'the family'?"

"Seems so."

"If you are also seeing him," Elijah shifted in his seat, "And you're seeing her – "

His voice stopped.

He was staring at something.

Genevieve walking through the door and heading towards the bar.

She noticed them watching and tried for a smile.

"I told her not to come," MJ hissed.

Before she could get up, Elijah grabbed her wrist.

"I'm not starting anything. I'm finding Cami before she has to see – "

Elijah pulled her back down.

"You're seeing an ancestor, and we're being haunted," He said slowly, "Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating a further attack?"

"Well, then," Klaus stared at her, "What better way to punctuate a day of peace than by killing someone?"

He smiled and waved at her carefully – a fingers only wave that made him seem anything but happy to see her.

Genevieve smiled back.

MJ swallowed nervously, thinking about what Genevieve had said about the ancestors wanting to purify her.

She didn't even know what that meant.

Purify was such an odd word since it didn't necessarily mean death.

She turned her head to look out the glass windows into the street, and her heart jumped when she saw the figure in the back of her head finally came into focus, looking right back at her.

Klaus noticed, "Mira."

She didn't dare blink.

"Mira," Klaus snapped his fingers in front of her face.

She stood up, "Kol."

"Mira," Elijah was still holding her wrist, stopping her from walking away.

She rubbed her eyes.

She could see him through the glass – she was sure of it.

And he hadn't just vanished when she'd closed her eyes.

"Your father," She said carefully, "He's not a witch. He shouldn't be able to haunt you, and if Genevieve is using him to torment you, that's not the ancestral plane. That's The Other Side."

"And?"

"I gotta make a phone call," Her voice sounded a million miles away as she walked straight out of the bar.

Looking around the street as she pulled her phone out, she couldn't see Kol anywhere, but she had.

MJ knew she had.

She hadn't been able to reach him at the end of her last bit in Mystic Falls, and she'd never tried to reach out for him in New Orleans, but Bonnie had been able to see her in the city, so maybe he could too. He hadn't been able to – but maybe he'd found a way to watch her.

She drew on the rune while walking out of sight.

It flashed on.

"Kol?"

He was standing in front of her, "Mira?'"

"Are you here?" She turned, looking around, "Or am I sleep deprived?"

"You're usually sleep-deprived," He sighed, "But I'm here...please – "

She was still just looking.

"You need to see me."

The rune smudged on its own, deactivating.

"Seriously," MJ complained to herself, "What is it with that?"

"Connect the dots," Kol watched her redrawing it again, eyes taking in the exact way it fell apart, "It lets you see through and interact with the veil. If it's no longer working, it's because – "

"Something happened to The Other Side."

The spell wasn't the problem. There just wasn't anything to keep the spell active, meaning The Other Side wasn't where it was meant to be, or – or, it'd changed?

As she dialled Bonnie's number, Kol lost his momentary foothold and flickered away again.

"MJ, hey!"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Bonnie," MJ could hear the hesitation in her voice, "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Mikael is haunting Klaus and Elijah, and vampires shouldn't have the power to do that unless something's up with the veil."

Silence.

"Bonnie?"

"So..."

MJ paused on the street opposite Rousseau's.

"Someone escaped."

MJ didn't fully understand what that meant, "What?"

"The Travellers," Bonnie spoke like she was dropping a bombshell, "They committed mass suicide to overwhelm me so their leader could come back from the dead, and The Other Side's been disintegrating ever since."

"What!"

"Yeah..."

"When?"

"The day you left?"

"That was two months ago!"

"I know..."

"Bonnie!" MJ blinked rapidly, "Wait."

She was hit over the head with what that meant.

"If it's collapsing, what's gonna happen to you?"

"I...I don't know yet."

"Bonn – "

"I'm more bothered about what's going to happen to my Gram, and Ric, and...um, Matt was briefly on The Other Side. He got stabbed by Liz, who was possessed by a passenger...people are getting sucked away into an abyss."

MJ froze.

"Vicki did."

"Oh my god, is Matt okay?"

"It was a bit much to handle, but he's doing better."

There was a pause.

"And since you know now, um, he saw Kol."

MJ looked around again.

"Kol came to talk to me after their run-in."

She'd seen him without the rune, and if he was watching over her, he was in the city.

If he was in the city, MJ could find another way to talk to him.

"Asked him to pass on a message to you."

MJ's planning halted, "Matt hasn't said anything recently?"

"We decided not to."

MJ bit her lip, "Why?"

"Because it was about your brother, and we didn't want to panic you for no reason."

MJ kept her calm.

"We handled the brother stuff, Kol misinterpreted something – "

"Bonnie, tell me exactly what he told you."

"It's all – "

"Tell me."

Bonnie took a breath, "He wanted us to tell you that he thought your brother was trying to kill you."

She bit her cheek.

"And that he didn't want you to spirit walk in case you got stuck."

"I need to talk to him!"

"MJ...do you know that every time you use the rune, you technically die?"

She didn't respond.

"MJ!"

"It's fine! I wrote a healing spell in so I don't go insane!"

"You're playing with fire, and you know it! And Kol knows it too," Bonnie scolded, "And the Ryos things is complicated."

"Kol thinks I should kill him."

Silence.

"Kol also thinks," Bonnie was trying to be delicate, "That Ryos hasn't found a workaround for The Traveller's Curse. That you would have to die."

MJ focused on her breathing.

"But Ryos gave me the spell, and it checks."

"Great," MJ hoped she sounded believable.

"I'll send it to you – since it's not like a master of Floare magic."

"You should've sent it when you got it."

"I didn't want to put you in danger."

Which was nice of her.

"I wanted to solve a problem without making it yours."

"Thanks...but it's my brother," MJ tugged on her necklace, "Send it."

"Only if you promise not to try summoning Kol."

"But – "

"MJ!"

"Fine," She hid in the cold feeling between her fingers, "If the walls are unstable, coming in and out isn't a smart idea."

Doing it could also make it collapse quicker, and she needed time.

"Promise me you won't?"

"I won't," MJ closed her eyes, "Bonnie, I'll find a way to keep you alive."

"You really don't have to."

"Yes, I do."

"You don't."

"I want to, and I will."

"Liv said there wasn't anything I could do."

"I don't believe in declarations like that, and you know it."

Bonnie accepted that there wasn't anything she could say to make MJ stand down, "Stay safe."

"You too," MJ ended the call.

She needed to finish her resurrection spell for Kol and find a way to also do it with Ric. Then, she needed to find a way to get Bonnie to safety.

MJ needed The Other Side.

Ghosts were her safety net and way to avoid grief – she couldn't let it collapse.

Popping her head back inside Rousseau's, Klaus and Elijah had vanished, and so had Genevieve; Hayley and subtly keeping an eye on Francesca and Sam still with Cami. MJ went looking for the Originals. She spotted them standing on the balcony of The Compound as she walked down the street, so she headed inside.

"I asked around," Genevieve was talking to them in the upstairs living room, "It's not just your father."

Klaus and Elijah turned to face her.

"The purgatory where supernatural souls are trapped is disintegrating. "

"What do you mean, 'disintegrating?'" Elijah asked.

MJ entered the room, "Remember that trip I took to bring Bonnie Bennett back to life?"

They nodded.

"We didn't actually resurrect her. We made her The Anchor to The Other Side."

"Anchor to the..." Genevieve was staring at her, completely shocked.

"My knowledge during our walk," MJ rubbed her hands together, "I was talking from personal experience with the woman who made it. Qetsiyah. Not the point."

She stopped her slight flex.

"The last anchor was an immortal, so The Other Side was safe. She took the cure and became human and was trying to kill herself every five seconds, so we made someone else The Anchor to stop it from collapsing," She went back to Klaus and Elijah, "Bonnie wasn't resurrected. She was just holding the spirit world together with a permanent foothold here. She could touch and be seen, etcetera."

Klaus shook his head, "What?"

"Don't think about it too hard," MJ put a hand up, "Somone broke out of the afterlife through her, literally tearing a hole open, breaking The Other Side."

The Travellers leader.

She would be having a much longer conversation about the situation with Bonnie once she got a chance too.

"The dead are being torn away into nothingness, and they're not interested in going quietly."

"So, you're saying that our father," Elijah didn't even sound surprised, "Faced with permanent extinction, has decided to spend his remaining time tormenting us?"

She nodded.

"How delightful!"

"Well, on the plus side," Klaus smiled, "We'll soon be rid of his abhorrent soul forever. And what good riddance that will be!"

"Speak for yourself," MJ rubbed her tired eyes, "Esther's safely tucked away on the ancestral plane, able to torment me for as long as she wants to."

Not her biggest concern either.

"And, you forget something important."

Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"You have other family members over there, Klaus."

Elijah and Klaus both froze.

"Kol was the one who went to talk to Bonnie, and who knows where Finn is at."

Genevieve sighed, disinterested, "Am I in the clear, Elijah? Or is there a new conspiracy you two would like to threaten me over?"

MJ assumed they must've told her they thought she was tormenting them.

"Nothing springs to mind at this precise moment."

"Oh, gee. Thanks," She went to leave but stopped in front of Klaus, "I have to get back to the girls. Perhaps, after the funeral, you and I could spend some time together. Alone?"

He didn't smile back, "I suppose we'll have to see."

Genevieve was clearly annoyed by his comment and left out a huff.

All three of them watched her go, MJ counting down from five on her fingers.

"Please tell me you've designed a stronger method to control the witch than playing hard-to-get?" Elijah commented while closing the blinds.

MJ chuckled a little.

"Well, I've always been partial to the classics," Klaus looked to her, "Is there something you can do about The Other Side then?"

"There has to be," She stretched back to click her spine, "If I can't save it, Bonnie's dead and everyone who's died is lost into a potential abyss of hell."

"You need rest, Mira," Elijah countered, "The way you spoke to me while I was daggered was a variation on how you commune with spirits, I presume?"

"It was."

"You came into my version of reality."

"I did."

"If The Other Side is collapsing, you can't risk stepping into it."

"I know," She grumbled, "But I'm figuring something out."

"After the funeral."

"I can get Kol out," She stressed, "I'm so close to figuring it out."

The brother's exchanged a look.

"But another resurrection might damn everyone else to hell."

And MJ couldn't do that until she found a way to save Bonnie and anyone else she could.

"After the funeral," Elijah repeated.

The funeral was the next morning, and MJ spent the night tossing and turning again. Esther was getting a little more creative with her haunting the second time. Instead of planting an urge to Grimoire search, MJ was just doing daily things, walking to the church or through the park. Then chanting would start in the back of her head like a bird song, and she'd wake up screaming and clutching at the top of her neck.

Inside the church, MJ expected to start seeing spirits. She had to think the ancestral plane protected her from her enemies on The Other Side while acting as a springboard for torment.

When she'd been growing up, she'd seen a few ghosts around New Orleans. There were a few poltergeists that all witches could see, then there were the ancestors. Her childhood whispers had always been in her head, with a few in-person sightings. That was why she'd grown up thinking she was crazy. Now she was back, she'd had no visitors or awkward 'why are you talking to air?' moments.

The Other Side didn't have as big of a sway on the city thanks to the ancestral plane.

She'd sat at the front of the church, holding Cami's hand and listening as a friendly face when she'd gone up to do the reading. But once the funeral was over, Cami wanted some alone time to light candles while the men carried Kieran's coffin into the town car that would lead the parade down the streets.

MJ found Klaus and Elijah as they walked from the church, both the men scanning for Hayley as they moved with the procession.

Just as MJ spotted her, she was bumped back.

Monique had walked right into her, holding a rose that had scratched MJ's hand in the rush.

"I'm so sorry!" Monique said, more polite than she'd been for months.

"It's okay," MJ brushed it off, "Are you okay?"

"Wonderful."

MJ didn't stay to chat, quickly catching up with Klaus and Elijah as they made their way to Hayley at the back of the group.

"You're bleeding," Klaus commented as she pulled up next to him.

MJ looked at her palm and realised he was right, "That's annoying."

She quickly healed it up, then looked Hayley up and down.

Her face was unnaturally flushed, and she was coughing.

Elijah stood on one side of her, "Are you alright? You look – "

"A hundred months pregnant and pissed off at the world?"

He smiled, "I was going to say you look lovely."

Hayley was staring ahead of them instead of responding to the compliment, watching Francesca as she pretended to wipe tears away with a tissue.

"...Do you think I was the target of those bombings?"

"Of course you were the target!" Klaus was speaking in his performance voice, "Were I to wage war on the wolves, you'd be my first kill!"

Hayley glared at him.

"I would string you up," He used a hand to draw it out, "For all your worshipers to see."

MJ took the arm he'd been using and looped it with her own to ruin the air drawing, "Dial it down just a tad?"

"I believe that was my brother's way of telling you he'd like you to return home with us," Elijah spoke slightly more casually.

MJ made a suggestion, "Perhaps try a different approach, Nik."

"With fewer references to murder," Elijah agreed.

He sighed, "As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming to The Compound."

He smiled at her pissed off expression.

"And we both know I will, for the sake of my child."

"Not just yours," MJ corrected.

"One bad dream," Hayley mocked, "And suddenly, you want to be a responsible daddy!"

Klaus used his other arm to wrap it around Hayley's shoulder, pulling her in closer and leaving Elijah on the side to awkwardly watch.

"Let me put this into perspective: my father lived to torment me," He whispered intensely, "It is not my intention to become him. This cycle of misery ends with my child."

"Mmm," Hayley pushed his hand off and smiled fake-ly, "You forgot one thing in your little attempt to plead your case – she's not your child. She's ours."

Hayley sped her pace up to get away from them, and MJ gripped Klaus's arm tighter to stop him running after her, rubbing it slightly to try and calm him.

"Very heartfelt, Niklaus."

"I bloody hate funerals."

"Wouldn't have thought that," MJ mused, "Given how often you cause them."

"Shut up."

MJ gave him a look, "I'm gonna run out of ways to give you the same lecture. You do realise that, right?"

"Maybe that's my goal," He put on a cheery voice, "To see all the different ways I can get you to dance for me."

"Never phrase it that way ever again," She cringed, "Or I will just get you professional help instead of listening to you myself – or letting you make Cami do it."

He scoffed.

"You'd love it!" She grinned to the blue skies, "Someone whose one purpose in life is to listen to your monologue, and they're paid to keep your secrets."

Elijah chuckled at her commentary.

Klaus motioned after Hayley, "Please explain to me why the guard pet created to follow her orders is letting her wander freely?"

Sam was up the front with Cami.

"Hayley told him to 'act undercover,'" She snickered, "Flaw in the sire-bond."

He grumbled.

"Sam will keep her safe in The Bayou."

"Just reason with her."

"I'll see what I can do," MJ let go of his arm and rushed the sidewalk to manoeuvre in and out of the crowd quicker.

She caught up to Hayley.

"You and Klaus are quite the pair," Hayley's first comment, "But he can't just send you to play nice for him. He needs to learn to be nice himself."

"Eh," MJ shrugged, "Baby steps."

Hayley looked her up and down, then relaxed a little, "You said Kol at the table yesterday."

"I did."

"If the three of you are getting haunted," She coughed, "Should I assume you saw him?"

"I thought I did."

"Do you...you know, talk to him a lot?"

"When I'm in Mystic Falls, yeah."

"How come you don't do more?" Hayley was face scanning, "If I had a direct way to talk to someone I cared about, I'd be using it."

MJ shrugged, "It's complicated."

"Everything in this family is complicated."

"Understating it," MJ's voice went up slightly, "But one, he's dead. It's not healthy for me to be talking to him every five seconds."

But she would've been if she could.

"Two, talking to him every second might stop him finding peace, and that would suck."

Hayley paused, "You think an Original deserves to find peace?"

"I think everyone does."

"Genuinely?"

"Okay," MJ put her hands forward, "Let's use the Originals as an example. Yes, they're all serial killers with the highest kill counts in history, but they didn't ask to be vampires."

Hayley watched her talk.

"Their parents – k, pause, their dad demanded that their mum found a way to make them immortal after they lost a child, and then the pair of them drugged their drinks and stabbed them through the heart – like, sorry, Esther's a witch, she could've killed them less brutally if she wanted too."

"That is kinda screwed."

"It's incredibly screwed. Mikael stabbed all of them."

Klaus had a point. MJ had only me Mikael once, but she had a pretty detailed mental image of him MJ thanks to Elijah's panic at the idea of him in Mystic Falls, to Klaus's occasional childhood tale, to everything Kol had told her.

"He was already abusive, physically with Klaus, and in more subtle ways with the others, then he killed them and dedicated his immortal life to hunting them down. Burning all the cities they tried to settle in because his wife had had an affair. Another thing they had no control over."

MJ took a pause as Hayley coughed a few times.

"They became manipulative killers to hide from Mikael. They didn't know about compulsion at the start, so everyone they met or fed on had to die so they couldn't rat them out."

Actually, MJ didn't know if that was true since she'd never asked about the early days, but she assumed.

"If you're living like that, you're gonna go insane," MJ had another point to make, "Obviously, having a bad childhood doesn't excuse everything Klaus has done."

"Killing Ty's mum."

MJ nodded, "He knows he can never get forgiven for it, but I don't need to forgive him for it. He just needs to do better. They've had so long to grow and do better, and they haven't really...this isn't me trying to justify it, it's me trying to give you some understanding for why I might want them to find peace once they do die."

Hayley was letting her talk.

"In death, there's no one trying to kill you or take away the things that make you happy. There's no more running. Why shouldn't they get to find peace once they're finally in a place like that."

"Take away the things that make you happy?"

"Rebekah told you that Klaus has killed everyone she's ever loved."

"This baby is never gonna be allowed to date, is she?"

"Probably not."

Hayley rested a hand on her stomach fondly before coughing again.

"It's not just Klaus. Elijah's done it before. Rebekah's done it before."

"Had Kol?"

"Most definitely. And he didn't just kill people they liked. Kol used to kill off all the people he was interested in to make sure no one else could."

"And the story somehow gets even more screwed."

"Yep," MJ nodded, "Klaus killed the first friend Kol made post turning and the rest of her witch troupe. He didn't bother trying after that. Didn't want to make it seem like he could be controlled."

"He told you that?" Hayley couldn't help but think that was the type of information she would've kept to herself.

"No. I read Elijah's notes and some of Kol's much briefer ones. I spotted the pattern because I knew him," She got back to the topic, so she didn't start to panic about Kol being in a hellscape, "They've all had a thousand years of torment and darkness, and hating each other, and being hated by everyone else. If there's a chance for them to find peace, yes, I'm going to want them too. Even after everything."

And peace would be her bringing him back for a happy life.

Hayley seemed like she was considering it, "I guess I would too."

"Exactly," MJ's shoulder relaxed, "We've all had tough lives. Now it's just about making sure your daughter knows she's loved."

"I'd hate for her to feel the way Klaus and Elijah do about their parents."

"She won't, I promise you that Hayley," MJ couldn't actually spot the Mikaelson's near them, "Klaus is gonna love that kid more than anything. You've just gotta have a little faith in him, and you've gotta remember that if your water breaks in the Bayou? That's not gonna be a fun experience."

Hayley managed a laugh, "We've been doing training, actually. It's werewolf tradition."

"Tradition, my ass. You really want your cervix opening up in a swamp?"

She properly laughed, "You could've just said 'giving birth'"

"But where's the fun in that," MJ winked.

Hayley was about to say something else but spotted Cami near the front; Sam and her chatting under their breath and started to speed walk towards them without any explanation.

"Cami!"

"Hayley, hi," Cami nodded to MJ too.

"Hi," Hayley touched her throat, "I know you don't know me too well..."

She was suppressing another cough.

"I just wanted to say that – "

Cough.

MJ was starting to get concerned.

"Hayls?" Sam was staring at her too, "You look sick."

"I'm fine."

"The protective sixth sense disagrees."

"Not the point," She was really focused on Cami, "I'm sorry about your uncle. He was really..."

A glance around to check for eavesdroppers.

"Good to people like me during the storm, and I really appreciated that."

"Thank you."

When Hayley didn't then back away, Cami sighed.

"You want something, do you?"

Hayley smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry about the timing."

Cami looked to MJ, who just shrugged.

"I was just wondering that if, before he died, he said anything weird about Francesca Correa? I think that she may have been involved in an attack in the Bayou. If you hear anything – "

"Look, Hayley," Cami stopped her, "I'm trying, and mostly failing, to stay out of all this stuff..."

"But she's a real bitch," Sam finished.

"Agreed," Cami almost smile, "So, yeah, if I hear anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks. And again, sorry about your uncle."

"If you need anything," MJ agreed, "Just text."

"Will do."

"You sure you're good?" Sam didn't seem comfortable not following Hayley, but they were trying to work around the sire-bond, "Hayley – "

"I'm fine."

Sam and MJ shared a look.

He was on Cami duty. She was on Mikaelson (Hayley) duty.

They left Cami and paused to let the procession past them slightly, Hayley swaying slightly. She was rubbing her eyes, squinting a little like the footsteps and crowds were making her drunk. MJ didn't actually know what Hayley was like drunk, so dazed was maybe the better word to use – but it felt like drunk, pushing her way to the sidewalk, MJ a second behind her.

When she stumbled, Sam appeared out of nowhere, catching her the same time MJ grabbed her arm.

"Okay?" He repeated, the coughing getting too strong to ignore, "You think this is okay?"

"Oh my god, Hayley," MJ followed them to the sidewalk after finally making contact, "You've been hexed."

Hayley continued coughing, Sam lowering her to the ground, "What?"

"I can feel it," She pressed her hands onto Hayley's shoulder, "Okay – not hexed...just..."

A beat to process the magic.

"Cursed – okay – I can work with a curse."

Hayley's hand came away from her face, blood covering it.

"Klaus!" MJ yelled.

"What's going on?" Genevieve had stopped by them.

MJ growled, "I swear if you had – "

More blood came up.

"Klaus!" MJ yelled louder, spotting his head on the opposite side of the street.

"Klaus!" Genevieve yelled too as Hayley completely collapsed, "Elijah!"

"I'll find them," Sam vanished.

By the time the three came back, MJ had already started the first healing spell, trying to work out who'd cast the curse and what it might do. Elijah and Klaus were low-key fighting to pick her up and rush her to The Compound, Sam moving faster to lay her on a table in the middle of it.

MJ's hands were back on Hayley's shoulders, one of them having picked her up to, eyes closed, chanting.

Genevieve had followed them in too, "I can help – "

"Don't you touch her," Elijah shoved her back.

"Let it be, Elijah," Klaus said surprisingly, "She was a nurse."

"Sus Pendre, Pendra," MJ began to chant, placing her hand over Hayley's heart, "Ngākau Cora Iraceus."

"Mira, that's the spell – " Klaus's voice cut out as MJ focused.

When she was thinking, she liked background noise; when she was working, no.

"Sus Pendre, Pendra,. Ngākau Cora Iraceus."

Hayley's breathing was feint, but it was there.

"Sus Pendre, Pendra. Ngākau Cora Iraceus."

There was a gasp in from Hayley, then her shoulders relaxed.

MJ stepped back, "That just brought us time."

She needed to work out what was going on.

"There's a spell I can do," Genevieve said, keeping herself calm, "Klaus, get chamomile from the pantry."

"I'm not leaving her."

"On it," Sam rushed to get it.

Genevieve looked Hayley over.

"She's trembling. Your jacket, Elijah."

"She's not breathing," Elijah did as instructed, placing it over her like a blanket, "I can hear the baby's heartbeat, but not hers."

"That would be me," MJ spoke up.

Sam was back with the chamomile.

"That's the spell MJ uses to talk to spirits," Klaus filled in the blanks.

"Not exactly," MJ didn't want them to panic, "It's a spell that suspends your heartbeat. I chose to use it as a way to step between life and death because I'm a witch."

Genevieve started to make a bundle of chamomile, "You stopped her heart?"

"It was already stopping. I just preserved it in a state where it still had a few beats left."

Genevieve nodded, "Good idea."

"Her breathing while start again the moment she's no longer dying, so listen out for it," MJ instructed the guys, "Mix the chamomile with this."

With a wave of her hand, a small potion she'd picked up from the Essí Floare flew into her hand from her room.

"Tibetan Lunas Daawo."

"Wow," Genevieve blinked, "Okay, that's something you just own."

"I've travelled," MJ clicked the lid off and let a few drops fall to the cloth over the chamomile, "And Aonso Floare are healing specialists."

"What is it?" Sam knelt down to be the same height as Hayley on the table, listening.

"Lunas for moon, i.e. wolf," She waved her hand over the cloth, "Daawo meaning antidote."

They still didn't know exactly what was happening, so MJ would use anything specially targeted towards werewolves and mothers to help Hayley. Genevieve took a moment to really look at her before she nodded slightly and started to damp the bundle onto Hayley's forehead.

"Coeur Blessé, Battre Avec Mwen," The once dead witch chanted, "Coeur Blessé, Battre Avec Mwen."

Nothing was happening.

Klaus bit into his wrist and placed the blood on Hayley's mouth to try and heal her using it.

"Come on!" He complained, none of it going properly down her throat.

"Asyǒu Vindeca și Arată, Curar Hēl Loto," MJ put her hands over Hayley's stomach, " Asyǒu Vindeca și Arată, Curar Hēl Loto."

The wind picked up around them, the plants in the courtyard wilting, their life force transferring to her, powering her up to help.

"Asyǒu Vindeca și Arată Curar Hēl Loto."

"She's still not breathing," Elijah picked up a chair and tossed it into a wall, "It's not working!"

"Asyǒu Vindeca și Arată Curar Hēl Loto."

MJ had grown used to working through the tantrums.

"I can feel her energy a lot more now," Genevieve looked at MJ.

"Same..." MJ moved to put a hand on her forehead, "Can you do a linkage check? I got a weird reading a second ago."

"On it."

MJ placed her hands onto Hayley's temple while Genevieve tried to find the source of the problem.

"Come on, Hayley," She closed her eyes, "Let me in."

There was an odd cloud over Hayley's heart.

"Dic Mihi, Hva Du Vet."

"On the contrary, my darling...This is very real."

MJ felt her body go stiff.

She recognised the accented voice.

She couldn't hear everything, it was all too muffled, but she could feel Hayley squirming and fighting, trying to escape.

"She's not dead. I'm not dead," Hayley's voice, "If I was dead, you wouldn't be trying to kill me!"

"Oh," MJ removed her hands, "We have a problem."

Elijah's voice went up, "What else could possibly be happening?"

"Hayley just joined the 'A Mikaelson Is Haunting Me' Club," MJ waved her hand to get candles and her herb box, "Mikael's trying to kill her."

"What?" Klaus froze.

"He won't succeed," MJ's voice was flat, very sure of it.

"She's been cursed from a doll," Genevieve spoke before Klaus could do anything, "That's why you felt a link between her and something."

"Can you kill the link and heal her on your own?"

"Yes?" Genevieve looked at Hayley's head, "I need to work out what type of poppet it was – I can do that."

"Good," MJ put a candle on either side of Hayley's head, "Because I need to make sure Hayley doesn't die in limbo."

"Do you have any Hawthorn on you?"

"I do," MJ tapped the herb box, and a small draw opened, "All the rose-based stuff for circulation and hearts is in there."

She snapped her fingers, and the candles lit.

Genevieve started to add the flower to the chamomile wrap while chanting again, "Coeur Blessé, Battre Avec Mwen."

As she started to dab, Elijah began pacing, watching them.

He shook his head, "I'm taking her to a real doctor."

"If you move her from here, my spell will break," Genevieve put it simply, "There won't be enough time to get her to a hospital."

Klaus seemed on the verge of a panic attack, "Will the baby survive if delivered now?"

He lunged forward, but Sam moved to meet him, hands up and keeping him back.

It was clear he hadn't meant to put himself in the firing line, which meant his brain thought doing anything would genuinely hurt either Hayley or the baby.

"I'll rip it out of her myself!"

"Hayley will bleed to death!" Sam's eyes were flickering yellow.

"Stand down," Klaus twisted his arm so hard that it broke, "I am the Original."

"But he's right," Genevieve protested, half watching MJ force herself to swallow a collection of herbs dry.

"I won't lose that baby."

"I won't lose either of them," Elijah gripped his shirt as Sam picked himself back up.

"Guys!" MJ separated them, then put her hands on Klaus to force him to take a step back, "I've put a protection spell on my room. Sam can get Genevieve whatever she needs to heal Hayley on this side."

Sam and Hayley were the two people she'd given access to.

"I will make damn sure Mikael doesn't kill her on the other."

"But – "

"No 'but,'" MJ shook her head, "I'm about to collapse. Get me on a sofa or at least lower me to the floor."

"Wha – "

"Té Rien Boka."

She started to sway.

"Té Rien Boka."

Her eyes shut as she started to collapse, Klaus's arms going around her back and under her legs, somehow panicking even more than he'd been already.

"Coeur blessé, Battre Avec Mwen," Genevieve was hit by the image of exactly what Monique had done to Hayley.

And how she'd tied it to MJ after getting a blood sample.

"I know what to do. Get my bag, the gris-gris pouch!"

She was snapping at Elijah, Klaus staring at MJ's body in his arms, processing how her heart wasn't beating either while Sam returned to Hayley's side.

Klaus had seen MJ stop her heart before, more than once, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned about it.

It also didn't help that it was a different spell to usual.

Or that they'd recently learnt about The Other Side situation – even if they didn't know just how risky it was letting MJ mess around with spirits given the rune on her hand.

Genevieve dapped the cloth on Hayley's head one final time, "Now!"

MJ woke up in a world she was somewhat familiar with.

The heightened blue colour of everything around her was closer to the Floare Plane than the Other Side, but she put that down to whatever was going on with the collapsing walls. The Other Side was probably melting into the other afterlife's around it, meaning the Ancestral Plane and the Floare one.

MJ spun, searching for Hayley.

She was staring off against Mikael in the centre of the room.

"You're dead, Mikael," Hayley taunted, "Your son already beat you!"

"He is not my son!" Mikael bellowed, "He's a scourge, a walking symbol of weakness!"

Genevieve started to spread salt about the body, getting hit with more visions to tell her the exact spell Monique used.

Hayley kicked the bannister to break it so she could use part of it as a stake as Mikael came towards her, and that was when MJ was hit with a problem. She went to cast a spell, but she didn't have a strong enough foothold to just use magic.

If she wanted to help, she would have to break through first, which was going to take an awful lot of power.

Hayley was backing up the stairs.

"There is no saving that atrocity festering in your womb. Klaus will destroy it, one way or another," Mikael jumped up to the second floor to cut her off, "Better he dies now, and you along with it!"

Hayley jumped down to the courtyard, MJ slamming her hands forward just as Mikael landed behind her and grabbed her throat.

He was squeezing, and the stake fell to the floor, clattering unnaturally loud, like it was inside MJ's eyes, blurring them as pressure built and built, the rune she'd drawn on earlier heating up like it might brand her.

MJ screamed.

It rippled out from her hands, the air around her shattering, letting her into limbo.

She was hit with a rush in her lungs.

"Motus."

Mikael was flung back.

Hayley dropped back to the floor, panting, spinning to look at the next potential threat, and smiling when it was revealed to be MJ.

"Enchonis," She walked forward, blowing over the palms of her hands, fire-spewing out from her fingers to keep Mikael down as Hayley kicked the stake back up to her hand.

"Ahhhhhh!" Mikael roared.

MJ killed the fire as Hayley drove it through his heart.

"My daughter has an advantage Klaus never had," Hayley growled, "She will never, ever know you."

They both woke up in a flash.

Hayley on the table, Klaus blood staining her lips, a salt circle over her body and hawthorn making a shape in the middle of it as Sam helped prop her up; MJ in Klaus's arms.

He let her get to her feet, and she automatically went to collapse, so he kept a hand to support her.

"You're alright, love," Klaus breathed out, moving them over to the table so he could reach for Hayley too, "You're alright."

"I saw him," Hayley panted, "He tried to kill me."

Klaus and Elijah were not happy to saw the least.

"I saw Mikael."

Sam was breathing out slowly in relief, "Who's Mikael?"

"Our father."

"And he lost," MJ said the important bit, "Once again, Klaus, he lost. Two for two."

Klaus kissed her temple, "Little bird..."

Then he straightened up, looking her over.

"Wha..." MJ couldn't finish the question as the world went a little blurry, "Oh my – "

Her first assumption was magic overuse until she saw the mark on her hand.

The same place she'd been cut on Monique's flower.

She'd healed the scratch and failed to notice the odd brown colour it had turned, like a birth mark. She'd been so focused on everything else and now she couldn't focus at all.

"Mira," Klaus was shaking her as her eyes started to bleed.

She felt like she was on fire.

"Mira!"

"Step back," Genevieve said softly, "She was tied to the spell."

"Wh – " MJ was tugging on her shirt, half tempted to take it off as she felt it sticking to her skin.

MJ blacked out before she could get an answer.

~***~

When MJ woke up, she was lying on the hood of her car, just outside of New Orleans, Klaus sitting next to her. The sun hurt her eyes, setting in the distance, a bag of things in the passenger seat.

Her automatic instinct was to look at her hand, the brown mark still there.

"Monique," MJ spat out.

"The young witch will be dealt with as soon as possible," Klaus's tone was dark, "I assure you."

"Where's Genevieve?"

"Tending to Hayley."

"Just how hexed am I?"

"We don't know."

"Did Genevieve give you an idea?"

"She gave me a number for you to call so she could explain it. But, from what I could gather, if you step on New Orleans soil while Hayley is alive, your blood will boil, heart shutting down."

MJ pushed off the hood of the car, eyes wide.

"I've tested it twice while you were out."

MJ stepped towards the welcome sign, stretching her hand over the line, fingers going stiff instantly like a curling iron was pressed into them.

"Okay," She pulled it back and retreated, staring into the city, "I'll figure it out."

"Do you think you can break it from here?"

"I..." MJ felt her body fidgeting, "It's not tied to me, it's just on me. If it was tied to me, I would've felt it the moment it was cast."

"What does that mean for us?"

"It's gonna be tied to an event or a witch – I'm assuming Monique since she cast it, but it could also be The Harvest Ritual."

"Meaning?"

"Monique wants me out of the way, so I can't stop something."

A probably correct assumption.

"She wants Genevieve dead so the fourth girl will rise. My betting is, if it isn't tied to her life, it'll be tied to Genevieve's. Waiting for her to complete whatever task the ancestors want her to complete."

"I'll kill them both."

MJ paused, "You need to be smarter than that."

"Mira – "

"Hayley's going to give birth any day now, Klaus. That baby is going to be a massive target, and you already know the witches want her dead," MJ made a choice, "Get your wolf army and make peace with Marcel, so you don't need to be worried about the vampires."

"I need you back to do that."

"You don't," MJ tried to keep her practical brain on, "My spell is in Esther's Grimoire, ready to be used on the next full moon. Five days."

"You're the only witch I trust to do it."

That was a fair point.

"Mira, I'm going to be a father," He shook her head, "You can't leave."

"Okay. We'll make a deal," MJ took a breath, "We defeated Mikael today."

A ghost problem...

"You can't kill the dead, so he can come right back – and I don't even wanna know what your mum's trying to do to my head when I'm asleep," She felt like she was being watched, "I'll go to Mystic Falls, I'll fix The Other Side, or destroy it completely. Or I don't know. Whatever I need to do, and then I will be back."

Resurrecting Kol came under 'whatever I need to do.'

"And the wolves?"

"I...I don't know..." MJ hated giving up some control over the situation, "Just make sure that whatever witch uses the notepad page, not the scruffy one from my first attempt – and not Esther's, my version."

Esther's version gave the witch control of the stone.

"As long as they're using that version, it should be fine."

Klaus didn't look happy, "I need you for this."

"And I will be back, but I don't know how long it'll take me to figure this hex out."

The spell that saved Keiran wiped magic completely, which would kill her.

"And if the choice is Hayley or me?" She shook her head, "I'll stay out of this city until I figure it out – because I might be wrong, and killing Monique might just make it permanent."

Klaus's eyes went wide at the realisation of that.

"We don't need anything else to stress about, so I will be back with a solution as soon as possible, and know that while I'm gone, I'll be dealing with the ghost problem."

"I'll...okay," He wasn't a witch, "I'll see you soon."

He couldn't do anything.

Neither could she.

They were both control freaks, which meant the situation was a bit of a nightmare.

"You can call me if you think you're about to do something stupid," She felt the need to remind him that the internet existed, "And make peace with Marcel."

"No."

"He's your family, Klaus. You need as many people on your side as you can if I'm not there to keep the peace."

"I'll think about it."

She nodded, then looked at her car, "I'll text you when I'm at Mystic Falls."

"You'll be home soon."

"I know."

She had one final message.

"Show Hayley the nursery," MJ knew Klaus had been getting it sorted during Elijah's renovations since she'd made a few of the prints on the wall and the gemstone mobile, "Show her you want her there. If you're not gonna make peace with Marcel, promise me you'll make peace with her."

"I'll make peace with Hayley," He promised.

She climbed into her car, happy to see that Klaus had grabbed her the Bennett Grimoire to take back, her main travel magic things, as well as her phone and her notebook. As she drove, she plugged her phone in, dialling the number Genevieve had given Klaus first.

"Mira?" Genevieve's voice.

"Yep. Explain?"

"I don't know what the hell Monique was thinking," Genevieve sounded genuine, "But she went too far, and – and I'll get her to reverse it."

"Will you?"

Genevieve paused, "I – I know we've hardly seen eye to eye, but..."

"But what?"

"I may have been too harsh."

"I've threatened to kill you in almost every conversation we've had," MJ reminded her.

"Because I'm stealing a teenagers life," She finally sounded remorseful, "I hated you because of what you were born as."

"Little used to it as this point."

"And I'm sorry."

MJ went to make a sarcastic comment but stopped herself.

"Today, today felt nice," Genevieve's throat was a little croaky, "Doing good and working with another witch."

MJ didn't trust the sudden change in attitude but was also scolding herself for trying to see the worst in somebody when she usually tried to see the best.

"You know what you're doing, and the collection of things in your little box...I flicked through while Klaus was moving you out of town, and it's incredible."

"Thanks," MJ shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the praise, "I like collecting stuff, especially healing remedies."

"Which surprised me, given your company, and your...special skill...but it shouldn't have – you're right. Your kind are healers...And I wanted to apologise for that."

"Then I guess I'm sorry too, ish," MJ pulled a face, "Still don't like the fact Cassie is in purgatory."

Genevieve cleared her throat, "The hex."

"The hex," MJ nodded.

"Monique said she pricked you on a rose flower, then used the thorn to stab the doll, so that if the spell failed, a hex she'd cast on the doll would activate on the 'blood donor'"

"I kill the doll, I kill the spell?"

"You can't hex an object. She was lying."

MJ had transferred the magic to one, so didn't completely agree with that.

"It's anchoring it, but the magic is coming from her."

If Monique died, MJ could get back in, "Good to know."

She was a teenager.

Klaus would kill her to get her back, but could MJ be okay with that?

She was murderous, vengeful, and clearly a little stupid, but she was still a teenager.

She could grow into a good person, couldn't she?

"Thank you for that information," MJ tapped the wheel, "It was nice working with another witch today too."

She still didn't like Genevieve, and she didn't trust her in the slightest, but it had been nice.

"Bye, Gen."

"Goodbye."

She hung up and dialled Marcel next.

It was going to be a long drive of phone calls.

"Whatever you wanted to talk to me about, well, I'm currently unable to be on New Orleans soil, so..."

"Wait, what?" Marcel sounded like he did a double-take.

"Got hexed. As long as Hayley's alive, I can't be in the city without dying, and it'll break when Monique dies."

"You're gonna find a workaround."

"Hopefully."

"Where are you then?"

"Driving back to Mystic Falls – what did you wanna say to me then?"

"Eh...it doesn't matter anymore."

"You sure?"

"If you're not in the city, it doesn't matter."

MJ didn't like the sound of that, "Marcel..."

"Yes?"

"Make peace with Klaus. Make peace with Hayley and the werewolves. You know it's the right thing to do."

"Not a chance."

"Maybe not the wolves, but Klaus, yes."

"No."

"That baby is technically your sister," MJ said bluntly, "Well, no, she's your sister if you and Cami last. She's your niece if you and Rebekah find your way back to each other."

He laughed nervously at the mess of that relationship.

"The witches are after that baby, and playing war is gonna give Klaus too many things to focus on, and that baby will be the one to suffer."

Silence.

"Don't let her get caught in the middle."

"I won't."

"You better not."

"You've just been hexed, and you care more about what I'm planning?"

"I'm really nervous that now I'm not there, things are gonna go wrong, and I don't want them to go wrong."

"They're already going wrong."

"Because you did a hate graffiti terrorist attack."

He made a sad thinking sound.

"Marcel, I'm a product of this city's constant war status. We can't live at war forever, and even if coming back to the city burns my body up, I will turn this car around right now to talk some sense into your face to face," She meant it too, "Our communities can get along if you let them. If you make up with Klaus, he would let you come home to lead the vampires. He would."

"I don't believe that."

"I will bet money on it. One day, you will be with your little vamp cohort, Klaus will still be here and looking after his daughter, and you will owe me twenty."

"Deal," He said confidently, "And what do I get when you're wrong?"

"I won't be wrong."

"What makes you so sure?"

"The day I let Klaus and you properly be at war with each other is the day I'm dead," She changed lanes, "Now don't do something stupid, makeup."

"I'll think about it."

"Good."

"Have a safe drive."

"Will do, see you soon."

Her next call was Cami, which was an odd one. Cami had been hoping to have MJ pop around that night for an after-funeral drink since she really needed a friend, and they ended up doing the conversation over the phone. An hour and a bit of Cami talking about Kieran. MJ was happy to listen as she drove, it helped pass the time, and once she was finished, she reminded Cami that she'd be back as soon as possible and sent her off to bed.

Then she called Diego for a very brief 'don't be stupid and start a war when I'm not there to save your ass from Klaus' conversation, which she then repeated with Josh and then Davina.

"Monique did that to you because of Klaus!" Davina snapped, "If you weren't with them, you'd be fine!"

"Davina, that's hardly Klaus's fault; I choose to poke the bears."

"No! It is!"

"D – "

"This freaking ancestor is talking to Monique, and she has some vendetta against Klaus and that baby, and she's been telling Monique all about how you're the reason Klaus is a problem – as if it's your fault!"

Esther.

It had to be Esther.

"Davina, listen to me," MJ spoke sterner than she ever had before, "Do not help the witches with anything anymore."

Davina stopped her rant, "Why?"

"Just promise me, you will stay safe and out of Monique's scheme. Whatever war she's planning will get her killed."

"If she's taking Klaus down, I want in."

"It's not about taking Klaus down, though! It's about destroying everything around him."

No response.

"Do you want Hayley dead?"

"God no."

"Then stay out of it until I sort this hex thing out."

"Okay," Davina nodded, "I don't even want to be in the coven at the moment...especially if you're not there...I'll stay away."

"Good girl."

"If I can find the poppet, I'll find a way to break the hex."

"If you can't, don't stress too much about it."

"MJ, I need you here."

"D, you're a great witch, you just need a little confidence, and you need to remember to have fun with it."

"See you soon?"

"Hopefully."

Her last call was with Sam, and it was pretty brief since his attitude was very much 'see you soon, it's not like we can't text.' Which made her laugh. He was a lot more with it than a lot of people.

She settled into her seat and plugged on her music once the conversation was finished when she started to feel shivers. It wasn't a foreboding shiver, more one to tell her that she wasn't alone, and when her eyes glanced in the front mirror, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

There was a ghost in the back seat of her car.

One she didn't recognise, and one that wasn't acknowledging her.

She was just sitting there, enjoying the ride.

MJ swallowed nervously.