Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I had a great time with family. We saw the new Star Wars movie, which i enjoyed, and I was able get some much desired writing done. I was very pleasantly surprised by the number of people rooting for Elijah after the last chapter. I didn't really know what to expect after the crescent curse business. This chapter is ultimately why I had to include Cassandra in the curse. The fight and some events that follow were things that I needed to happen, and the only way for those to work was by including her in that curse. I know you guys have been anxiously waiting for this big fight, and I hope you are all happy with the result.

Thank you so much for continuing to read this and leave your responses. I can't believe I've been working on this entire saga for four years now. It's been one hell of a ride thus far, and I cannot wait to see what this year brings!

Chapter 52 - Hell Hath No Fury like a Hybrid's Rage

"AGHHHHH!" Cassandra and Hayley yelled in frustration as they banged their fists against the invisible barrier keeping them trapped inside Davina's spelled salt circle in a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. Davina had disappeared, to where they didn't know, nor did they have any idea when she would be back, and it only added to their aggravation. When she finally did return, she carried a bundle of clothing in her arms along with a blood bag for Cassandra.

"Davina," Cassandra glared at her and gripped the blanket that was securely wrapped around her body. "Let me out of here right now or I swear I will make you pay for trapping me like this!"

"Not if I kill her first!" Hayley added with a snarl.

"You could try," Davina remained calm and poised, tossing the clothes into the salt circle for them to wear. "Or we could have a polite conversation." She held up the blood bag.

"You magically kidnapped me and my friend on the one night that I can see my daughter. Do not talk to me about polite!" Cassandra snapped back at her. "I am so not in the mood for it right now."

"I drew you, both of you, here to help you," Davina told them.

"Elijah asked you months ago to break the curse and you said no," Cassandra pointed out.

"The Regent of witches can't be seen doing favors for the Mikaelsons," Davina replied. Cassandra's eyes flickered onto the blood bag which did not go unnoticed by Davina who tossed it to her. "But maybe we can help each other."

Overcome by her hunger, Cassandra dropped to her knees and scooped up the blood bag, slipping the small tube on the end into her mouth and sucking it dry in a matter of seconds.

"Look, I have access to the witch ancestors," Davina went on while Cassandra drank. "I can channel the power of the one who created the spell used to curse you. You and the Crescents can be free, Cassandra."

Cassandra rose to her feet once she'd finished the blood bag and continued to stare at Davina with cold eyes. "Under your terms, I'm guessing. I am also assuming you need both my and Hayley's blood to break the curse, otherwise only I'd be here. Start spilling. Now."

"There's a witch in the Ninth Ward who hates that I'm Regent. She tried to kill me," Davina told them. "If I retaliate, I'm starting a civil war, and I don't want to do that."

"Wait, what?" Cassandra was taken aback by the request. "You want me to kill a witch for you?"

"Yes," Davina answered.

Cassandra's stomach dropped. She had been willing to do just about anything for freedom—except taking a life.

Sensing her hesitation, Hayley folded her arms across her chest and spoke up. "Fine. You want us to kill a witch? I'll do it. Just tell me who you want dead."

"Cassandra!" Elijah yelled at the top of his lungs while he walked around the woods of the Bayou with Hope in his arms. After concluding that she was not amongst the dead wolves in the back of the pickup truck belonging to the Kingmaker hunters, he circled back to the shack where Freya was and relieved her of her babysitting duties so she could go back to her night out on the town.

He waited a beat, listening for a response, then yelled again. "Cassandra!"

He slowly came to a stop and stared at the ground where another one of the hunter's steel-clawed traps was. This one was covered in fresh blood that had also puddled on the ground around it. He tightened his jaw as he processed this when a familiar and unexpected deep voice called out from behind him.

"Where are they?" Jackson asked, prompting Elijah to spin around and find him hiding behind a tree, both to give him something to lean against for support and to block his naked body. He was covered from head to toe in blood and bruises. "Where the hell are Hayley and Cassandra?"

Elijah blinked in surprise and took in Jackson's injured state, his eyes moving down to the alpha's ankle where a wound from being caught in the hunter's trap was heavily bleeding.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out myself," Elijah answered in a soft voice. Jackson gave a silent nod, though his worry was apparent on his face.

Elijah led him back to the Crescent camp and secured Hope in her stroller while Jackson found a pair of jeans to put on before tending to some of the alpha's wounds which were from gunshots. With Jackson sitting on the edge of the picnic table that had been covered with the feast earlier that day, Elijah took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, then used a butter knife to dig out the bullets. Jackson did his best to remain still, though he could not contain his moans from the pain. Once he had the final one out of Jackson's chest, Jackson let out a sigh of relief. Elijah set the knife and bullet down on the table and used his handkerchief to clean off his hands. He set the cloth down when he was done and held out his exposed arm to Jackson.

"Take my blood," he ordered, not caring about the werewolf venom consequences.

Jackson stared at him and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm good," he declined. "We need to find Hayley and Cassandra.

"There's still no sign of them," Elijah sighed. "I've seen the bodies," he added in a grim voice.

Jackson shook his head sadly and let out a breath of air. "Hunters set up traps all over the bayou, mowed us all down with gunfire. Any wolf that wasn't taken out, scattered." He paused and looked down, wincing as he braced himself for the answer to his next question. "Elijah, how many bodies?"

Elijah pressed his lips together and looked away from Jackson, unable to give him an exact answer, but providing one nonetheless with his silence. Jackson looked away, momentarily stunned by this news, and took a moment to regain his bearings before turning back to Elijah again.

"A trap wouldn't hold Cassandra after she'd turned back," he let out a breath, his eyes landing on Hope who was cooing softly. "Nothing would stop her from seeing that little girl. Hayley must have gone with her to help her in whatever way she could. Something's wrong."

Elijah walked a few steps over to the middle of the table where his jacket lay and picked it up.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm taking my niece home," Elijah answered as he walked over to the stroller. "Then I'll continue the search." He spun around to face Jackson. "You stay here, you tend to your dead."

"No. No," Jackson slowly pushed himself up onto his feet. "I got five hours until I'm a wolf again. Elijah, my wife is missing. I'm going to help you look for them."

-o-

Klaus stood on the balcony outside of the parlor room with glass of bourbon his hand. He heard the sound of two sets of approaching footsteps and, with one whiff of the air, knew exactly who was coming to see him.

"I thought I smelled swamp," he spoke and turned around to face an approaching, cleaned up and fully dressed Jackson who stopped a few feet short of the balcony doorway

"What did you do with Hayley and Cassandra?" Jackson asked in a deep voice, glaring at Klaus.

"Tell me what you know," Elijah added, stopping behind Jackson.

"Has Jackson misplaced both his bride and the mother of my child?" Klaus slowly walked back inside the room, an amused expression on his face. "Come to think about it, I did read that global warming has disrupted migration patterns. Try Georgia."

"I just left the bodies of people I care about to rot in the woods because you left them defenseless against poachers," Jackson growled "Sent by Kingmaker Land Development. That ring a bell?" Klaus chuckled silently, proving he knew exactly who Jackson was talking about, but he made no effort to admit it.

"Yeah," Jackson gestured at Elijah who had already told him the answer. "the CEO is Lucien Castle. Elijah tells me you two go way back."

"So I will ask you once again," Elijah stepped forward so he and Klaus were face to face, with Elijah circling so his back was to the balcony and Klaus stood in front of Jackson. "What do you know?"

"As it happens, I just came back from a romp with our good friend Lucien. You can find him in the penthouse of the gaudy new construction on Canal." Klaus replied. "And while you two are catching up, be sure to ask him about the prophetic vision he showed me of our family's spectacular downfall. You could use a good laugh."

Elijah eyed Jackson. "Stay here," he murmured to him and began to walk past him. "Niklaus and I will deal with this." Jackson rolled his eyes in protest.

"Actually," Klaus held up a finger, stopping Elijah when he reached the doorway. "As long as Cassandra's prowling about on two legs and unaccounted for, I am staying with my daughter. And should I discover that this is yet another cockeyed scheme for Cassandra, Hayley, and you to abscond with her," he approached Jackson. "The paltry remains of your beloved wolf pack will be sniffing at your entrails come morning."

Jackson scowled at him which made Klaus smile as he turned around and began to walk away. After only a few steps, Elijah whooshed in front of him, blocking his way.

"This doesn't frighten you, brother?" Elijah asked in a soft, amused voice. "That one day, your daughter will know exactly the kind of man her father is? If anything should happen to Cassandra, you mark my words, no one will have to take Hope from you. She will, without question, leave you of her own accord."

He walked off with Jackson, leaving a stunned and more-worried-than-he-let-on Klaus to think about everything he'd just learned.

Fully dressed in a light gray long sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans, and black boots, Cassandra used a blade provided by Davina to cut off a lock of her hair and fill up a small bowl with her blood. Hayley, dressed similarly in a darker grey shirt, jeans, and boots, did the same.

"You're completely cloaked," Davina took the locks of hair and blood from them and carried them over to a wooden table where she set up a big, white candle. "No magic will be able to track you. The witch's name is Kara Nguyen."

She broke the locks of hair into smaller pieces and placed them into the bowl containing Cassandra and Hayley's blood, mixing them together. "She runs the Café Chim Lac in the lower Ninth Ward. She'll be there before dawn." She raised the bowl and poured it over the large, unlit candle. "As long as the candle burns, your curse won't be active."

"And when a strong wind comes along?" Cassandra asked in a calm voice. She watched as Davina waved her hand over the candle, causing it to absorb the hair and blood, leaving a blood-red crescent moon and fancy letter "L" side by side on the outside of it.

Finished with her spell, Davina turned and walked back toward Cassandra and Hayley. "My magic will protect the flame," she told them. "Of course, you'll have to work with me." She stretched out her hand, magically breaking the salt circle on the boundary spell with a gust of air.

Realizing she was no longer trapped, Cassandra whooshed forward and lunged at Davina, pinning her back against the table where the spelled candle was and holding the tip of the blade to her throat. "I'm doing this for my pack," she muttered in a low voice. "If I turn into a wolf tonight before seeing my daughter, I will come for you, Davina. And I will tear you apart."

"When the sun comes up tomorrow and you're still you, you'll owe me an apology," Davina replied calmly.

Cassandra stared at her for a long moment before releasing her with a little more force than was necessary. "Fine. I'll be more than happy to give you one if your spell works." She held the knife up. "You have two hours. Get it done." She set the knife on the table before turning around and walking out of the tomb with Hayley.

Lucien fed hungrily on a young woman sitting cross-legged in a chair in his penthouse. She wore lacy gold and black lingerie and sat completely still and silent, having been compelled to do so. The doorbell rang, making Lucien pull his mouth away and sit back with an annoyed sigh. He grabbed a napkin that was on the end table beside him and quickly wiped his mouth before walking over to the french doors and opening them.

"Elijah," he smiled at the Original. "What a glorious pleasure."

"I do apologize for the hour," Elijah replied.

Lucien wasn't bothered by this. "Oh, it's no matter. I've long been nostalgic for the days when vampires conducted business in the dark."

Elijah started to take a step forward to enter the apartment when an invisible barrier blocked him, causing Lucien to chuckle softly.

"It's a boundary spell. No vampire from another sire line can enter without an invitation." Lucien cleared his throat awkwardly. "Given the circumstances, you know."

"Lucien, I didn't come here to chin-wag," Elijah's murmured impatiently. "Your little corporation has been butchering wolves in the Bayou Lafourche."

"It's population control," Lucien pointed a finger at him. "There's viable land out there. Viable, that is, once the sudden influx of mangy wildlife has been eliminated."

"I take it you are alluding to the Crescent Pack," Elijah tilted his head slightly. Lucien shrugged like he didn't know about them. "Hayley Kenner, one of the alphas, is missing, along with another member of the pack, Cassandra Forbes."

Lucien narrowed his eyes, realizing the significance of the second name. "The, uh, human turned hybrid Nik knocked up?" He turned around and walked farther into his apartment, unable to see the offended glare Elijah was giving him. "I'm surprised by your concern, Elijah."

He paused to pick up a glass of bourbon and turned back around to face Elijah again. "When your family left her to prowl the woods all these months, I just figured she was persona non grata. Fair game," he smirked, raising the glass.

Elijah's lips twitched in a weak smile before he whooshed over to a table out in the hall and broke off one of its legs, throwing it at Lucien and impaling him in the throat. Lucien groaned and coughed as he slowly pulled it out. Before he could do anything with it, Jackson came running into the room with amber wolf eyes blazing and a loud yell as he lunged at him. He tackled Lucien to the ground and viciously bit him on the arm, making him yell out in pain.

"Now, he asked you what your hunters did with my wife and our friend," Jackson towered over him, his wolf eyes still visible and with Lucien's blood dripping down his chin. "Answers. Now."

Lucien vamp-sped onto his feet and stared back at Jackson. "I'll have them inspect the roadkill in the morning."

"Jackson, your time is short," Elijah called out to the Alpha. "You go to the compound. Fetch the chains from the carriage room." Jackson glanced back at him and gave him a curt nod, then turned toward Lucien to glare at him one last time before leaving. Lucien sighed as he left and glanced down at his injured arm, wincing and flexing it slightly.

"My darling Lucien," Elijah eyed him in amusement. "I'm quite happy to stand here and watch you die. Or you can invite me in. The choice is yours."

Freya walked arm-in-arm with a young man she picked up at Maison Bourbon. She'd been dancing with him when Marcel showed up to give her a heads up that it was approaching feeding time for him and his vampires and to leave unless she wanted to become a meal. She obliged, taking her date with her.

"Nightcap?" She gazed up at him as they walked into the courtyard. "You'll find bourbon on basically every horizontal surface." She waved her hand around.

"Or," the young man brought them to a stop once they were nearly halfway through the area. "We could skip to the fun part."

Freya grinned and chuckled as he leaned toward her and met him halfway, kissing him.

"Freya," Klaus appeared beside them, making the young man promptly pull away from her. "It is about time you brought a gentleman home to meet the family," he stared at the man, raising his eyebrows in amusement. "I'm Freya's brother. And you are? No, don't tell me. Let me guess. Brad? Chad? Brody? Let's go with Brody. What are your intentions for my sister? Shall we discuss a dowry?" He briefly flashed his hybrid face at the man, successfully frightening him.

"Bro, what the…" The man gasped and stared back at Klaus.

"Leave. Now," Klaus ordered in a low, menacing voice. The man didn't hesitate to turn and rush out of the compound. Klaus grinned in amusement at Freya who pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh and nodded at him. "He was drunk! No one will believe his story."

"Not three months ago you utterly despised me. Now you're playing protective brother," Freya smiled at him.

"I'm sure you're quite capable of protecting yourself from the scourge of fraternity row," Klaus smiled back at her. His voice shifted to a more serious tone. "I need you to perform a locator spell. Cassandra's missing."

Freya stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "You're worried about her."

"Of course I am. Despite our differences and all that has happened as of late, I still care about her very much and can't fix things and earn her forgiveness if she's not around to grant it."

He started to walk away when Freya spoke again, stopping him in his tracks. "You're afraid she's truly lost." He slowly turned around to face her with an unamused, tight-lipped expression on his face. Though she knew she was right, she dropped the matter. "I'll need the best connection to Cassandra. You'll have to wake Hope."

While Klaus went to retrieve his daughter, Freya collected the items she needed for her spell, a map of New Orleans, a bunch of candles and crystals, and a jar of black sand. She set the map, candles, and crystals up on one of the tables in the courtyard. Once Klaus arrived with Hope, she used her niece's connection and poured the black sand into her hand, then began to recite an incantation and sprinkle the sand in a circle on the center of the map.

She let out a loud, startled gasp and opened her eyes after a few moments. "I can't find her," Freya whispered and continued to stare at the map in disbelief. "There's nothing. It-it's like she doesn't exist." She glanced up to meet Klaus's eyes. "Or—"

"Or she's dead," Klaus murmured in a low voice, his eyes widened in alarm.

Cassandra and Hayley quietly followed behind the dark-haired, Asian witch Kara Nguyen as she made her way through a large open market area to get to her little café. There were a dozen different booths bordering the area, all securely covered up with blankets and tarps for the night. There was light coming from strands of twinkle lights that hung through out the space, along with a couple of dim street lamps.

A delivery man as waiting for Kara and handed her a clipboard to sign. Cassandra and Hayley stopped behind one of the booths to watch. After Kara handed back the clipboard, the delivery man walked off. Cassandra took a deep breath and turned to Hayley.

"I can't let you do this, Hayley," Cassandra whispered.

"Why not?" Hayley whispered back. "I'm not going to feel any guilt over it."

"I know that. But you could get killed with a flick of the wrist. I can't…I won't let you risk your life like that. It has to be me. I'm immortal. Obviously I don't want to do this, but Davina's given me no choice so, please, just stay put," Cassandra pleaded with her eyes.

"Okay," Hayley nodded.

Cassandra turned her focus back to Kara. She saw her moment when Kara began to examine the box containing new bottles of wine that had just been dropped off. Cassandra began to take a step when her bones began to crack. She let out a gasp and glanced at Hayley, finding she was experiencing the same thing. Her neck was flung back as more bones cracked, then swung sideways. She grabbed her arm as it snapped, gasping for breath.

And then, as quickly as it began, it stopped. Cassandra grabbed her neck for a moment and let out a breath. Realizing Davina's spell worked and they were no longer transforming, she turned around and vamp-sped over to Kara, biting her in the neck from behind. Kara let out a loud scream. After only a couple of seconds, Cassandra leaned back and snapped Kara's neck, instantly silencing her. She let the woman's body slump to the ground and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She turned away and started to walk back to Hayley when an explosion of pain erupted in her head, causing her to grab it and double over.

"Ahh!" She cried out, dropping to her knees as ten more witches emerged from the shadows, their hands outstretched while they each cast a pain-inflicting spell on her. "Ahhh! Aaaaaaahhh! AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Jackson let out a groan and tugged at the chains shackled to his wrists that hung from an ivy-covered brick walkway in the courtyard at the compound. When he'd begun to turn, Freya had taken Hope from Klaus so that he could restrain Jackson before he could hurt anyone. Now, with Hope safely in her playpen and being watched over by her father, Freya cautiously approached the Crescent Alpha.

"Can I get you some water or something?" She asked in a gentle voice.

"Let me out," Jackson glared at her. His eyes flickered upwards onto the pale blue sky that grew lighter as the sun continued to rise. "It's dawn. I haven't turned back yet. It doesn't make any sense. I need to find Hayley and Cassandra."

Freya placed a hand on Jackson's chest and closed her eyes for a moment to try to sense what was going on with him. "I can still feel the curse in your blood," she looked up at him while listening to the sound of his beating heart. "Something's restraining it, but you could transition at any moment."

Cassandra whooshed out of nowhere holding onto Hayley by the arm and let go of her, giving Hayley the split second she needed to shove Freya hard into the brick wall she was standing behind. Freya gasped and crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Jackson stared at her limp body for a moment before looking at Hayley and Cassandra, who was covered in blood from head to toe, in shock.

"Where is he?" Cassandra growled, meeting his eyes.

"Cassandra, what happened?" Jackson asked.

"Cassandra," Klaus called out, making her spin around to find him walking towards her. "I'm glad you're—"

"Do you have any idea what you have taken from me?" She growled and rushed over to him.

She made a fist and swung at his face, but he was quick to dodge it in a burst of vamp-speed and grab her wrist, pinning her arm behind her back. She yelled in frustration and swung her leg as hard as she could, kicking him in the side of the head and effectively getting him to let go of her and briefly fall to one knee.

"The very thing you sought to take from me—the chance to raise our daughter," he replied after rising to his feet again and walked back to her. "Your punishment fits your crime."

"I was gonna come back once it was safe!" She yelled at him. "How many times do I have to say it?! And you! I waited for you to keep your word and break the curse so that we could be together again and finally be the family we both wanted to be with our daughter, but you lied to my face. You never came back!"

"Because I'd not yet found a way to break the curse!" Klaus roared back. "I always intended to keep my promise to come back for you."

"So you drag your feet and take your sweet time looking, punishing me in the process," Cassandra snapped. "You didn't just curse me or Jackson and Hayley, you cursed all of us! Every wolf that I fought for, everyone that was willing to stand up for our daughter, you took them all away from their families! You kept me from the only connection to my mother that I have left…Caroline!"

"What about fighting for this family?" Klaus argued back. "Our family! You could have stayed and fought along side me for our daughter, but instead you chose to run with your precious pack, the family you chose over us, and in doing so, you chose over Hope!" He turned and pointed up towards the parlor room where their daughter was.

"Is that what you were planning on telling her when she got older? That I abandoned her!" Cassandra shrieked and spun around, grabbing the top wooden part of the closest chair and breaking it off. She gripped it in her hand and charged at Klaus with a yell, swinging the stake at him.

He was quick to stop it and grabbed it out of her hand. He threw it over her head to the opposite side of the courtyard. Cassandra turned and leapt onto the nearby staircase, then made a giant jump onto the second-floor balcony. Her goal was to get to the parlor where Hope was. She took a few steps, then leapt across the courtyard to the opposite balcony. Klaus whooshed up to her and blocked her path. She marched up to him and swung her fist at his face which he dodged with hybrid speed. She swung her other fist, and he dodged it like he had her first swing.

"I stood by you when few would!" She yelled "I loved you! I gave up everything for you! My home, my family, my human life! Everything!" She hit him in the chest with both hands, then grabbed the lapel of his jacket and shoved him backwards. "Look at us now, Klaus! Fighting again and again. People who love each other should not fight like we do!" He stumbled backwards a few steps but kept his arms at his sides and did not retaliate.

Cassandra shoved him backwards again until he was a few feet away from the end of the wall at the end of the walkway. "All I wanted for our daughter was for her to have what I had—parents who love her unconditionally, encourage her, and support her!"

"Niklaus!" Elijah came running into the courtyard and yelled out to his brother to no avail.

"That is all I wanted for her!" Cassandra growled and punched him in the jaw. "All I have ever wanted for her!"

She punched him again. Both times he made no move to defend himself. When Cassandra realized he wasn't fighting her anymore, it only aggravated her more.

"Fight back!" She smacked him in the chest over and over. "FIGHT BACK!" She yelled at the top of her lungs and slapped him across the face.

Klaus's head turned slightly from the impact of the slap. When he looked back at Cassandra again, he stared at her wide-eyed and speechless for she'd made perfectly valid points. His eyes shifted past her and he tightened his jaw. Sensing he was staring at something, Cassandra spun around and let out a gasp. Hope was standing at the opposite end of the walkway after having heard their loud voices.

A wave of emotions rushed through Cassandra. She stared and covered her mouth momentarily in shock. "She's walking," Cassandra murmured, on the verge of tears. "When did she start walking?"

She slowly walked over to Hope and scooped her up into her arms, not caring that she was still covered in blood. "I missed it," she bounced Hope in her arms and breathed in her scent as she began to cry. "I missed everything."

She sighed and pressed her lips against the side of Hope's head while she rocked her back and forth. Holding her close, she made her way down the stairs to where everyone else was. Jackson and Hayley were the first to rush over to her.

"What happened? Is the curse broken?" He gave her and Hope a quick hug.

"Hayley can explain it to you later. We're safe for now," Cassandra told him.

"Good for you," Klaus walked up from behind her, making her glance over her shoulder in his direction. "I'll have your old bedroom made up." He smiled.

Cassandra stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "There is no way I am staying under the same roof as you right now."

"If you think I will allow Hope out of my protection for a second—" He stepped towards her.

"What you'll 'allow' doesn't matter, Klaus," Cassandra snapped back at him. "You don't control me."

"If I may," Elijah spoke up and calmly approached them. "The apartments across the street have recently been renovated. I might pay a visit to the management. The fact that Hope will never be out of earshot should dissuade your incessant paranoia," he directed his words at Klaus.

"So we are to listen as my daughter is raised in a single parent household?" Klaus sneered at Elijah.

"Brother, you created the problem. This might well be the solution," Elijah told him.

Cassandra flashed a small, grateful smile at Elijah, then turned back to Klaus with a serious look on her face. "Guess it's a good thing I know all about growing up in a single parent home, then, huh? And, not for nothing, but I turned out just fine."

She paused and recalled what Tyler had done with his house a couple of years back. "Put it in Jackson's name," she added, much to Klaus's dismay which showed in his eyes. "Klaus won't be invited in."

With nothing left to say she turned around and headed upstairs to get cleaned up so that she could pack her things. Hayley and Jackson followed right behind her while Elijah left to take care of the apartments.

-o-

After showering and dressing in clean clothes, Cassandra grabbed out all her clothes from the dresser and closet and piled them onto the big bed she once shared with Klaus. She set her big duffel bag down beside the pile of clothes and began putting them inside. She let out a breath as her mind went back to what had happened with the ten witches in the Lower 9th Ward after she'd killed Kara Nguyen.

While she was on her knees, Hayley came charging at the witches with a ferocious yell. One of the witches raised their hand and began to cast the same pain infliction spell at her, stopping her in her tracks.

"NO!" Cassandra growled and mustered every ounce of strength she had to fight back. She managed to get back on her feet and vamp-sped over to the witch casting the spell on Hayley, snapping their neck with a flick of her wrist. While Hayley caught her breath, she whooshed over to another witch and bit them in the neck.

"OW!" She gripped her head as more explosive pain from their spells hit her. She muscled through it and grabbed the arms of two of witches who were casting the spell, ripping them clean of their bodies. Then with a growl she whooshed over to another one and ripped out their heart. She whooshed over to another one who was trying to run and wrapped her arm around his neck while she pulled his head by his hair until it was separated from his body. She tossed it down with a loud growl and looked around at the remaining witches, making quick work of ending them.

There were eleven total bodies in all when she was done. She didn't want to just leave them there, so she found some oil and matches in the nearby booths and burned them all to ash.

Overwhelmed by guilt, Cassandra pinched her eyes shut and covered her mouth, choking back a sob. A light tap on the door made her eyes pop open. She lowered her hand and glanced over her shoulder to see Elijah standing in the doorway.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a gentle voice.

She turned back to the bed. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, I am not okay."

She slowly turned around to face him. "Davina…sh-she used me. I had to kill a witch for some messed up purpose of hers in exchange for her casting a spell to stop the Crescent Curse. But then, ten more witches came out of the shadows after I killed the first one and…" She blinked, making fresh tears trickle down her cheeks. "They would've killed Hayley and me. I had no choice but to finish them first. They never should have been there. They were innocent in all of this. I have the blood of ten innocent witches on my hands!"

Elijah walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face against his shoulder and cried. "You did what you had to do to get back home to your daughter. The witches knew exactly what they were walking into when they chose to defend their own. You've nothing to feel guilty over," He murmured in a soothing voice.

Cassandra took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and lifted her head to meet his eyes, giving him a small nod in appreciation of his encouraging words.

He let go of her and reached into his pocket to pull out a small key ring containing two keys which he held up with one finger. "You should be quite comfortable."

"Thank you for this," Cassandra reached out and took the keys from him. She gave him another little smile as she slid the key ring into her pocket. "You know, while I was a wolf, all I would dream about was Klaus breaking the curse and coming back for me so we could be the happy family we both wanted. I hate him for taking that away from me."

Elijah started to open his mouth, then shut it and slid his hand into his inside jacket pocket. When he removed it, his hand was in a fist. He gently reached for her hand and placed what he was holding in her palm. "This belongs to you. I recovered it after you turned."

A new wave of emotions hit Cassandra when she stared down at her open hand. "My necklace!" She whispered, her eyes wide in shock. "I thought it was gone forever." She quickly put it on and smiled a genuine smile for the first time since she'd made her return.

"Well, I'll leave you to your packing," he turned around and walked back over to the door, stopping once he reached it. "I thought only of you," his voice full of emotion while keeping his back to her. "Every day, I fought for your return and…" he trailed off and shook his head slightly. "…searching for a way," he whispered, his emotions beginning to get the better of him. He paused and swallowed before turning his head to speak normally over his shoulder. "You were not forgotten."

He started to walk again, but before he could take more than a step, Cassandra whooshed over to him, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, then turned her head and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Elijah. For everything. It means the world to me."

When she stepped back from him and lowered her arms, she could tell she'd surprised him, but he was quick to recover and gave her a warm smile. "You're welcome. When you and Hope are ready to leave, let me know and I'll help you with your things."

Cassandra nodded and went back to her packing. After gathering all of her belongings, she went into the nursery and packed up the majority of Hope's clothes and toys and anything else she'd need. After she was finished, she picked up the diaper bag which she'd filled to the brim and looped the handles onto her shoulder with one hand and picked up a second bag with her other. She walked out into the hall and found Jackson walking toward her.

"Here, let me help you with those," he flashed her a friendly smile and took both bags from her before she could protest.

"Oh! Thank you," she gave him a grateful smile.

He nodded and walked off to take the bags to her new apartment. Cassandra quickly retrieved her duffel bag and large suitcase and stared to make her way down the hallway when Elijah appeared with Hope in his arms.

"Why don't you take her, and I'll get your bags for you," he offered.

"Okay," Cassandra nodded and reached out to take Hope. She held her above her hip and kissed the top of her head while Elijah picked up the duffel and suitcase.

They walked from the compound to the apartment across the street in silence and went inside to the second floor. Jackson was waiting for them halfway down the hall. Cassandra quickly pulled out the key ring with the keys to the apartment and handed it to Jackson to unlock the door. He put the key in the door and opened it before leading the way in. After a few steps, he turned around.

"Cassandra, come on in," he beckoned her with a smile.

"Why thank you kind sir," Cassandra chuckled and stepped through the doorway.

She took a few steps and glanced over her shoulder to see if Elijah had followed and frowned when she realized he was still unable to enter.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Jackson. "Please invite Elijah in, too."

Jackson glanced from her to Elijah who stood patiently outside the barrier and sighed as he folded his arms across his chest. "Are you sure? I thought the whole point of the place being put in my name was to keep it vampire free."

"To keep Klaus from entering. Elijah is different. Please, Jackson," she pleaded with her eyes. "Just him. That's all I'll ask you for, I promise."

"Well, as long as you're sure," he paused and looked past her at Elijah. "Elijah, you can come in."

"Thank you," Elijah nodded curtly at him and stepped through the threshold.

Cassandra smiled gratefully at him and continued past him to a small stairway leading up to the main floor. She looked around in wonder at her new home, pointing out everything to Hope. The place had a rustic feel to it, with dark wooden panels making up the walls and ceiling. There was an iron spiral staircase that lead to two bedrooms upstairs. Behind the stairs in the corner was a quaint little kitchen with country-style appliances which Cassandra found to be adorable and perfect, a taupe granite countertop, and gorgeous wooden cabinets. The area was set apart from the rest of the room by a brick wall which went well with the wood floor and other wood panels in the room. The wall across from the kitchen had two sets of french doors that lead to a balcony that faced the Mikaelson compound across the street.

"Alright, I'll just leave you guys to get settled. If you need anything, Hayley and I are right next door," he added with a sly grin.

Cassandra blinked in surprise and stared at him. "Wait, what? You…you're my neighbors?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "For now. Eventually we'll head back to the Bayou, but we didn't want to just leave you and Hope hangin' so we decided to stick around for a while."

"That is incredibly generous of both of you. I really, really appreciate that," she walked up to him and gave him a one-armed hug. He hugged her back and gave Elijah a nod before walking out of the apartment.

Cassandra walked over to the small playpen that had been set up in the middle of the room and carefully laid Hope down inside it. She let out a big sigh and gazed down at her daughter with a joyful smile. After a few long moments, she found the strength to pull herself away and began to wander around again.

"What are these?" She stopped at the kitchen counter and placed her hands on top of a couple of big, brown boxes while glancing over at Elijah.

"Just a few house-related things to get you started. China, some pots and pans, a state-of-the-art coffee maker," he finished with a grin.

"Which I definitely can't wait to try out," she grinned back at him. She turned around so that she was facing him and leaned back against the counter. "It still feels surreal to be here with Hope, with you, in human form."

"Well, you did what you had to do to save your friends," he walked over to stand beside her.

"Davina's not going to let us forget she's the reason why we're here," Cassandra muttered in a softer voice. "Our freedom comes with a price."

"Perhaps, but for now the worst appears to be over and you are reunited with your daughter," glanced over at the playpen where his niece was. "Now then," he looked back at Cassandra, "Why don't we get some of these boxes unpacked and then, if you'll permit me, I can make us something for lunch."

Cassandra followed his gaze and felt her lips curl into a smile. "That would be great. What do you think, Hope? Shall we accept your Uncle Elijah's offer?"

Hope gazed back at her and let out a soft coo which made both Cassandra and Elijah chuckle.

"I think she agrees with me that we should." They shared a soft laugh and walked over to the playpen to play with her for a moment before tackling the boxes on the kitchen counter.

From across the way at the compound, Klaus stood in front of the window in the parlor, resting his hand on the glass while he stared across the way at Cassandra and Elijah inside her new apartment fawning over his daughter, a glass of bourbon in his hand and a scowl on his face. He was fuming! It was supposed to be him, Cassandra and Hope building a life together as a family. Instead, both of them had moved out and Elijah had taken his place by her side. The longer he stared at them, the angrier it made him. He turned away from the window and took a few slow steps forward, stopping when his anger became so intense that he squeezed his hand that was holding the glass so tightly it shattered into tiny pieces. He sighed and hung his head in despair before wandering off to find a broom to clean up the mess.

-o-

Cassandra quietly shut the door to Hope's room and made her way down the spiral staircase to the first floor and sunk down onto the small leather sofa that had been brought over from the compound. She stared out through the open french doors that lead to the balcony at the dark night sky. She'd silently been dreading nightfall, knowing it meant Elijah would be leaving and she would be on her own. She'd been enjoying his company and felt more at peace while he was around.

"How'd it go?" Elijah finished drying off his hands with a towel and set it down on the counter before walking over to her. He was referring to putting Hope down in her new room.

"She's fast asleep," Cassandra murmured. "Which, considering she didn't get her nap today, doesn't actually surprise me all that much."

"Good. You should get some rest, too. It has been an impeccably long day for you," he murmured. She nodded and stood up to walk with him over to the door.

"Thank you again for today and for everything," she whispered as she hugged him.

He smiled and gently kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well," he murmured lightly.

She let go of him and watched him turn around to reach for the doorknob. She bit her lip as his hand wrapped around it, but before he could turn it and pull the door open, she reached for his arm and pulled him back.

"Wait!" She blurted out, making him glance back at her curiously. "I…um…could you…," she stammered and let out an exasperated breath. She let go of his arm and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Would you stay? I don't really want to be alone tonight."

Elijah's face instantly softened. "Of course. Let me go retrieve an overnight bag and then I'll come back."

Cassandra nodded and let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. Thank you."

He nodded and left the apartment to head back to the compound. When he made his way upstairs, he was walking past the parlor when he noticed Freya standing in front the balcony, holding a cloth ice pack to her head. He was reminded of something he wanted to speak to her about and walked toward her, his footsteps alerting her to his presence and making her quickly turn around to greet him.

She let out a sigh and leaned back against the railing. "I suppose I was misguided to believe Cassandra's return would ease tensions in this house," she smiled weakly at him.

"Misguided, delusional," Elijah spoke in a serious voice, then grinned at her. "Refreshingly optimistic." Freya smiled back at him, appreciating his words. "You're new," he added.

Freya chuckled lightly, then realized something was wrong. "What is it?" She asked, concern on her face.

"I received some unsettling information from Lucien Castle," he walked the rest of the way over to her. "I don't trust the source, but I trust you."

A few minutes later, Freya and Elijah met Klaus in the courtyard. After Klaus told her of how he had fed on Lucien's seer and glimpsed visions of the prophecy, Freya gave him a bowl and instructed him to fill it with his blood. He bit into his hand and held it over the bowl, letting his blood drip into it while Freya set up a bunch of white candles on the table along with a single black candle.

"If you fed on this prophetic witch, her blood is still in your system," she explained while she lit all of the candles with a match, then laid out three strips of paper in front of her which had Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah's names written out in Norse runes. "If there is a weapon that can kill you, we need to know."

Klaus carefully placed the bowl containing his blood in front of her. Freya stared at the black candle and took a deep breath before placing both of her hands into the bowl. She closed her eyes and began to chant an incantation. As the spell intensified, she began to bleed from her ears. Elijah noticed and exchanged a worried glance with Klaus, both of them growing concerned for their sister. They looked back at her, watching and listening as her voice grew louder and the table began to shake.

"Freya?" Elijah reached for her arm. "Stop!"

She gasped and coughed as the papers containing Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah's names burst into flames. She quickly put out the flames and took a few shallow breaths.

"It's true," she murmured in a low voice while she stared at the flickering flames of the candles. "You have a terrible shadow over you. Rebekah, too. If this prophecy is fulfilled, you will all fall. One by friend, one by foe, and one…by family," she finished in a shaky voice and finally met their eyes.

Klaus stared back at Elijah, a look of extreme dread on both their faces. It was not what any of them wanted to hear and only left them with more questions that needed answers.

After helping Freya clean up, Elijah put a clean suit in a garment bag and laid it on the bed before walking over to the dresser. He set a smaller bag on the top of the dresser and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a tank top and pair of grey pajama pants. He was placing them inside the bag when he sensed someone watching him.

"Going somewhere, brother?" Klaus asked, leaning against the door frame.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Elijah answered without turning around. "My niece and her mother have invited me to stay with them tonight."

He shut a second drawer after getting what he needed and picked up the bag. He turned and went into the bathroom, only to reemerge seconds later with the bag fully zipped up. He walked over to the bed and reached for the garment bag, draping it over his arm before finally meeting Klaus's surprised face.

"Is that so?" Klaus raised his eyebrows. "Well, you certainly aren't wasting any time, are you?"

"Goodnight, Niklaus," Elijah answered before walking out of the room, ignoring Klaus's remark and its implications.

When he arrived at Cassandra's apartment, he found her in her pajamas, a cotton t-shirt and pajama pants, and sitting on the couch with her phone in her hand.

"Caroline's still not answering?" He asked, shutting the door and walking up the stairs.

"No. She's probably cramming for finals. I'll try again tomorrow," Cassandra answered with a slight sadness in her voice, though she did her best to conceal it. "I did talk to Tyler, though." She added with a small smile. "Explained what was going on. He's in New Mexico with Jeremy Gilbert. Apparently Jeremy got accepted into this art school out there and Tyler decided to go with him and be his roommate. He needed to get some space from Mystic Falls. They're living in an off-campus apartment."

"I'm glad you were able to connect with him," Elijah nodded in approval.

"Me too. I wish he didn't have to go through turning during the full moon again, but at least it's the normal transformation into a wolf and not the other way around. Anyway," she noticed the garment bag in his hand and rose to her feet. "Let me show you where you can put that."

She led the way up the staircase to her room and pointed out the closet. He walked over and hung up the bag on the door frame before excusing himself to the bathroom right outside her room so that he could change. When he returned a couple of minutes later in his pajamas, he stopped in the doorway and stared at the four-poster bed. Cassandra had climbed in and was laying on her side facing outward, with her arms relaxed at her sides, and she was fast asleep. His lips curled into a smile as he stood and gazed at her. He quietly set his bag down by the closet and turned off the lights before making his way to the other side of the bed and climbing in. Once he was situated, he leaned over and lightly pressed his lips against the side of her head.

"Sweet dreams, Cassandra," he whispered before laying down and rolling onto his side so that he was facing her. He closed his eyes allowed her soft, steady breathing to lull him to sleep.