•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It's been an entire summer since Klaus and Arabella decided to worm their ways into Marcel's inner circle, and learn the workings of his mind and city. Two months, where they slowly but surely made plans on how to stop him. Two extremely slow months. In those two months, Arabella has stayed out of Mikaelson business as much as possible. 

When she is home, she spends most of her time either calling Damon out of boredom (who has been slowly considering blocking her) or texting back Caroline (who loves to update her with every bit of news going on in Virginia). She's also begun to journal much more frequently. Stefan used to be the person she would share all her problems to, seeing as he was the most understanding of the Salvatore siblings. However, considering he hasn't called, and Arabella is too petty to be the first to break the silence, journaling is the next thing. And when she isn't home doing any of those, she's with Marcel, right next to Klaus.

The relationship between the hybrid and her is... complicated, to say the least. It's almost annoying. Arabella knew coming here with him to New Orleans was not the best for getting rid of feelings, but it doesn't change the fact that she's still trying to do just that. However, his constant flirts and suggestive comments help no one. It's hard to avoid him outside, but at home, she tries to spend more time talking with Hayley, and seeing that the Original and the werewolf rarely ever get along, he leaves them be. Besides, it allows her to learn more about this phenomenon of a pregnancy, and also talk with another member of the female gender for once.  

As for Marcel, he's still iffy about her, as she is with him, but the vampire-witch can tell he's slowly warming up. Slowly trusting her again, if even in the slightest. It's not much, but it's something. She understands why, too. Having the Sorceress on his side makes him all that more powerful, and if there is one thing Marcel loves, it's power. It's odd how alike he and Klaus are, however, Arabella pushes that thought aside and decides that he just gained influence from Klaus during their friendship years ago.

It's nighttime in New Orleans as a sleek, red convertible pulls up to the Mikaelson Mansion, a certain blonde Original stepping out and slamming the car door in frustration.

"Elijah, if not picking up the phone is part of your clever plan to get me back into this godforsaken city, then well done. I'm here, and I'm worried," She stops, scowling up at the house. "Now pick up before I kick in your bloody door," With those final words, she hangs up and stuffs the phone away, marching into the Plantation.

As Rebekah Mikaelson steps through the doors, she's met with a series of horrible, and some good, memories. But mostly horrible.

"Who the hell are you?" Hayley wearily walks down the stairs, wielding her trusty fire iron for protection.

"Oh, you must be the maid," Rebekah observes without really paying her any attention. "My bags are in the car-- get them, will you?"

Hayley smiles sarcastically, lowering her weapon. "Hello. Not the maid."

"Right," Rebekah clicks her tongue. "You're that werewolf girl my brother, Klaus, knocked up. I was expecting to see some kind of supernatural, miracle baby bump. Guess you're not showing yet. It's Hayley, isn't it?"

"You have your brother's manners."

"And his temper too, so watch it. Where's Elijah?"

As Hayley explains that Elijah just disappeared, assuming that he packed up and left, Arabella jogs down the stairs. She was meditating in her room, and is now famished. Unfortunately, Klaus isn't a big fan of blood bags, so she'll just have to drink straight from the source. AKA, the maid.

"Oh, hell no," Arabella halts in her tracks, her face falling as she sees Rebekah. The older vampire looks up, smiling wryly.

"Hello, Arabella. You must be the maid. Be a dear and get my bags?"

"I thought you would be in Europe with Matt for at least another month?" Arabella ignores her, speeding the rest of the way down and standing beside Hayley.

"Cut it short."

"So you came here?"

"This is my house, you little--"

"Rebekah was just asking about Elijah," Hayley cuts in, sensing the tension. Arabella scoffs, catching the blonde off guard.

"You know where he is," Rebekah accuses.

"No, I don't. Elijah wasn't here when I came."

"Well, our little pregnant wolf says he made promises, and then just left. So," Rebekah crosses her arms. "Tell me. Does that sound like Elijah?"

"Nope, but I'm not getting involved with Mikaelson drama," Arabella jabs a thumb behind her. "Take it up with your brother."

And she does. Rebekah screams for Klaus, following his name with a series of insults. Hayley flinches at the sudden tone change, while Arabella just watches with amused eyes.

"I-is this normal?" She asks quietly to the youngest vampire.

"You ever have siblings?" Hayley gives her a look. "Oh, right. Orphan. Yes, this is normal, and if Rebekah sticks around, you can get used to mornings just like this."

"Oh, great."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"What's going on?" 

The next day was rather uneventful-- Arabella had spent some time with Marcel's group, getting to see him add a new addition, Josh, who Klaus later compelled. Then she had come back to the mansion to safely practice some magic, until the sounds of Rebekah, Hayley and Klaus filled the outdoors. She had come out, only to find Klaus angrily piling bodies while the two girls watched.

"Hayley here, in her infinite wisdom, went for a stroll in the Quarter, and now, we have three dead vampires on our hands," Klaus replies to Arabella dramatically, motioning between the pregnant girl and the dead bodies. "This should settle well with Marcel."

"Are you okay?" Arabella leans and asks Hayley, who seems rather embarrassed and shaken up. She nods, pressing her lips together tightly.

"Of course she's okay," Klaus snaps. "Marcel's men, on the other hand, are very much dead. Arabella," She rolls her eyes at his theatrics. "Please set up the torture room. I need to bleed one of these imbeciles dry and compel him to cover for us," He points to the only breathing one of the bunch.

"Yeah, okay," Arabella sends Hayley a look that says, He's extra, before turning on her heel and walking back into the house.

As she sets up some chains and tools in the basement for the vampire, Arabella hears a loud thump come from upstairs, followed by Klaus' yells, Hayley's screams, and Rebekah's protests.

"What the hell?" She mumbles, dropping the knives and speeding upstairs. Her eyes widen in shock as Klaus holds Hayley against the wall, strangling her, while Rebekah attempts to get him to lay off. The younger Mikaelson clearly scared to stand up against her brother in fear of a dagger to the heart. "Motus!" Arabella, however, is not scared of him.

Klaus flies back and hits the stairs banister, Hayley dropping to the floor. She rushes towards the werewolf, but not before glaring down at Klaus.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snaps, turning around and helping Hayley up. "Are you okay?" Hayley nods mutely, her hands covering her throat as she takes in deep breaths.

"She is pregnant, for God's sake!" Rebekah storms up to her brother. "All this bluster about wanting a child, and then the second she tells you she's ready to get rid of it... ?" She trails off, and Klaus' glassy eyes drift over to Hayley, regret seeming to swirl in them. His gaze snaps to Arabella, opening his mouth to say something, but she pays him no attention. Instead, she slings an arm protectively around Hayley's shoulder and ushers her out of the home.

"You didn't bruise," Arabella observes with knitted brows as herself and Hayley go into the backyard, taking seats on the pool chairs. The younger shrugs, still shaken up from earlier. "Hayley..."

Arabella sighs looking down at her hands. She has a sneaking suspicion she is seriously going to regret saying what she's about to say, but it has to be said.

"There's a spell," She begins in a hushed tone, catching the brunette's attention. "It... it'll make it look like a miscarriage. An accident, caused by stress, or something. I'll talk Klaus into letting you go, alive, and you'll be free of all of this... crap."

Hayley stares back at Arabella with wide eyes, her hands instinctively drifting up to her stomach. "I thought you're on Klaus' side? You guys were friends--"

"We are," Arabella cuts in with a small sigh, playing with the chain of her Talisman. "And I honestly don't know if Klaus is going to be good father, or if he even wants to be a dad... but I do know one thing-- no one should be forced into motherhood. You can get rid of the fetus, live a normal life..." She trails off, raising a brow. "It's your choice, Hayley."

"No," She honestly didn't expect that answer, but Hayley shakes her head firmly. "I- I had a chance, today. And I didn't take it, because... I don't know. Maybe I'll make a crappy mom, and I know for a fact chaos will break out as soon as this baby is born, but... I do want it to be born. I want this baby," Hayley's voice trembles, and she quickly clears it. "B-but thank you. For offering," Arabella nods, with a small smile on her lips.

"Of course," She replies. A small pang of guilt hits her, realizing Klaus probably feels the same way. Despite all his rants about not wanting to be a father... perhaps he truly does. And she almost took that away from him.

"What if Klaus finds out?" Hayley suddenly frowns. "He'll kill you--"

"He won't touch me."

"How can you be sure? I mean, I thought I was safe, at least until I had this baby, but he just strangled me," Hayley points out. "I know I put up a tough cover, but honestly, Klaus terrifies me. Even his own siblings are scared of him, how are you not?" Arabella purses her lips, looking up at the starry sky.

"When you get to see a side of someone... a side that you can understand and relate to... you start to realize that they're not exactly the monster everyone else thinks them to be."

"And you don't think Klaus is a monster?" She opens her mouth to respond, but another person cuts in.

"Niklaus is quite a monster, thank you very much. And I would hate to see his reaction to the offer you just made, Salvatore," Arabella's blood runs cold at the voice, looking up to see Rebekah walking towards them, seeming quite exasperated.

"Are you going to tell your brother?"

"No. I wouldn't have stopped you, to be honest," Rebekah admits, taking a seat on Hayley's other side.

"Look, I know neither of you know me very well," Hayley sits straighter. "But thanks. I appreciate what you both did in there."

"Us girls have got to stick together," Rebekah shrugs, looking over Hayley to Arabella. "I know you and I were enemies in Mystic Falls, but we are allies now, whether you like it or not. Let's agree to put the pettiness behind us?"

"Agreed," Arabella sighs tiredly, leaning back against the chair. She doesn't trust Rebekah, but she won't turn down her alliance either. Seeing as she basically got herself involved in Mikaelson drama tonight, it's good to not be at odds with any of them.

"Marcel has Elijah," Rebekah says suddenly, catching both the wolf and vamp off guard. "My arse of a brother traded him in as a peace offering."

"So why don't you go get him?" Hayley asks eagerly, clearly worried about the eldest living Original.

"Daggers and coffins," Arabella explains for her, earning a nod in agreement from Rebekah. Hayley looks between the two, before sitting up and reaching behind her back, pulling out something wrapped in black cloth that she had tucked into her waistband. She unwraps it, revealing two sliver white oak ash daggers. Both vampires stare at it in shock. "Holy crap."

"I found them under your coffin. So, if a couple of antique steak knives were the only things stopping you from getting Elijah back, then here you go."

"Damn," Arabella raises a brow as Rebekah takes them in awe. "I'm really liking this alliance."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Author's Note:

Hello! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

So, as you can see, the Klaus and Arabella content will be a little slow for the first few chapters, only because I want to follow the Originals storyline. And season 1 was PACKED, so while I'm trying to build my own storyline involving these two characters, I also want to write Arabella into the show storyline. So bear with me haha, I promise things will get more interesting between them very soon ;)

Don't forget to vote and comment!

-Athena