"Despite the spell I cast, the very integrity of the pendant is growing unstable. It won't be able to hold Elijah's soul much longer. We need to find a way to resurrect him tonight, or we could lose him forever." 

   Despite the fact Audrey had managed to find Elijah so Freya could fix the pendant, time wasn't on their side when it came to bringing him back. As she stood by his coffin that morning, she saw the pendant beginning to crack, and immediately took it to Freya to look at it. Which had led the two of them, Klaus, and Hayley stood in the living room, trying to find a solution.

   "To do that, we'll need more power." Audrey said knowingly.

   Klaus gave his sister an exasperated look. "Let me guess, a grand sacrifice."

   "I say we kill our enemy and sacrifice her, then I can channel the power from the Hollow's death, raise Elijah's body, and place him back where he belongs." Freya told them all as if it were that easy.

   "We've tried everything." Hayley pointed out in reminder.

   "And we've come close." Freya told them. "Labonair blood is her Achilles' heel. Hayley, your blood weakened her, but you've technically been dead for years. So it won't be strong enough to kill her. If we forge a blade using the blood of the last living Labonair..."

   Klaus shook his head, crossing his arms in refusal. "We don't want Hope involved."

   "She's already involved. Hope has been obsessed with the symbol that follows the Hollow: the serpent consuming itself." The Mikaelson witch said, placing down one of many symbol drawings Hope had created. "Now, I believe this is showing us the key, the only means to which she can be destroyed, her own blood. The Hollow's one end of the Labonair bloodline. Hope is the other. And we need to close that loop. The best way to do that is for Hayley to wield a weapon forged with Hope's blood. When she stabs her, it's only then the Hollow can be obliterated completely."

   Hayley nodded. "Then we make it work. I'll talk to Hope."

   "Wait." Audrey said before any of them could leave. "As much as I want to kill that bitch for what she's done, I think I need to sit this one out." She told them honestly, earning looks of surprise and disbelief. 

   "What?" Freya crossed her arms. "We need all the help we can get. If we don't pull this off, it's not only Elijah's life at risk, it's yours."

   "It's not just ours, it's..." She rubbed her face with her hands. "I'm pregnant." She blurted out, stunning the three into silence. "I found out the day the Hollow killed him, and it's still early. I don't know how it's possible, but the soulmate bond and the face we have Mira...I'm taking it as a miracle."

   "Oh my God, Rey..." Hayley trailed off, walking over and wrapping her into a tight hug.

   "Then she's right." Klaus spoke sternly, looking at his sister. "The three of us need to handle this. Elijah will have our heads if she or the baby were in harms way." He looked at Audrey. "Stay here, keep an eye on the girls."

   Audrey nodded and watched as the three left the room, her eyes falling to where Freya had left the pendant sitting on the table. Walking over, she picked it up and secured it around her neck beside her necklace, touching the fragile blue gem carefully. "Not much longer." She mumbled as she held it with her fingers. "You'll be home really soon."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "Hey girls." Audrey smiled as she walked into the room. "What are you up to?"

   Hope and Mira sat on the floor of Hayley's bedroom, Hope clutching a stuffed bunny toy to her chest, as Mira played with her white bear security blanket. An abandoned game of jacks laid scattered on the floor between them, and neither of them looked interested in finishing it, or trying to play any of their other usual games.

   "Nothing." Hope looked up at her aunt. "Have my parents and aunt Freya left?"

   "Yeah, sweetheart, they've gone." She nodded, moving to sit on the floor at the foot of the bed. Mira moved and sat herself in her moms lap, as Hope moved and sat at her left side. "They'll be back later though."

   "Aunt Rey?" Hope chewed on her bottom lip. "Is my mom going to be okay?"

   "You're worried about the Hollow, aren't you?" Audrey said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

   Hope sighed as she cuddled into her side, keeping her bunny tucked into her chest. "The Hollow can hurt her, and I don't want her to get hurt."

   "Hope, your mom is one of the strongest people I have ever met." She told her niece. "Since the moment she knew she was going to have you, she has fought to keep the pair of you safe. She won't let the Hollow hurt her, she will fight with everything she has to get rid of her and come home to you."

   "And then we'll be able to bring daddy home, right?" Mira looked up at her. "And the Hollow won't be able to take him away again?"

   Audrey gently cupped Mira's face in her hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Nothing is ever going to take your dad away from us again." She promised wholeheartedly. "He won't let that happen, neither will I, or anyone else in our family." She then pressed a kiss on Hope's forehead, making both girls smile as they hugged closer to her. "Okay, distraction time." She announced. "Why don't you two get comfortable, I'll go fix us a snack, and we can watch a movie on my computer?"

   Hope and Mira instantly exchanged looks, matching grins appearing on their faces. "Alice in Wonderland!" They shouted in stereo.

   The Gilbert vampire couldn't help but chuckle. "Alice in Wonderland it is." She told them. "I'll be back shortly, alright?" As she left the room, she could see both of them starting to clean away the toys they'd gotten out in preparation, making her shake her head with a smile.

   Making her away across the balcony toward the stairs, Audrey slowed to a stop and looked around the compound carefully, sensing a presence nearby. The mere thought put her on edge, knowing the Hollows followers had managed to gain access before. Closing her eyes, she brushed her behind her ears as she listened carefully, her face going cold as she pinpointed where it came from.

   Without a word, she rushed and grabbed the intruder by the throat, pinning them back against the nearest wall. "Calm down, darling!" Kol let out quickly. "It's only me."

   Audrey dropped her grip around his neck, hitting her fists against his chest in disbelief. "For God sake, Kol!" She let out in annoyance. "Now is not the time to be sneaking around here!"

   "Well, I feel this was far more fun." He shot back with a grin. "Besides, I think you proved you can handle yourself no matter who it could have been." 

   She hot his chest once more as she shook her head. "What are you doing here? I thought you were helping Rebekah track the totem?"

   Her words made his grin falter slightly. "About that..." He began, reaching inside his jacket. He pulled the glowing blue totem out, making her eyes widen. "I can't let that happen."

   "What?" She blinked, Kol pulling it from reach the second she went to grab it from him. "Kol! They need that destroyed kill her!"

   "She brought Davina back." He blurted out, making Audrey freeze. "But she linked herself to her. If I don't do what she says, she'll kill her, Audrey. I can't lose her again. I just need the link broken and then I promise you, you can do to the Hollow as you wish."

   "Kol, if we don't kill her tonight, we'll lose our shot to bring Elijah back." She said, her voice wavering. "The pendant isn't stable enough to hold him."

   "Then I best get this link broken soon, hadn't I?" He said calmly. "This way we both get the people we love back."

   As she went to nod, Audrey narrowed her eyes on him. "But if you need the link breaking, why are you here? Freya isn't--" Realization dawned instantly. "No. Absolutely not."

   "They're the strongest witches in this city." Kol pointed out to her. "Quiet possibly the most powerful witches this world has ever seen. They'll be able to break the link, I'm certain of it."

   "No!" She snapped firmly. "We'll find another witch, okay? The girls aren't being involved. We don't want them using their magic right now."

   "I'm afraid there isn't a choice, love." Before she could process what was happening, Kol grabbed her head and snapped her neck, catching her in his arms before her body could drop. "I have to do this. I hope when you wake you'll understand." He carefully carried her into the study and laid her body down on the couch, before he left to find his nieces.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "Hey buddies." Kol smiled toward his nieces as he leaned in the doorway to the bedroom.

   Hope and Mira looked up at their uncle with wary expressions, both of them hesitating to speak. Compared to everyone else in their family, Kol was the one they knew the least. The family hadn't been back together long before he left with Rebekah, and he hadn't hung around to say goodbye like she had. 

   "Where's my mommy?" Mira piped up, clutching her bear blanket closer.

   "She just had to pop out. But she'll be back shortly. She asked I watch you until then." He informed them, making his way further into the room to bend down in front of them. "Hey, you know what I used to do, when I was bored at your age? Magic." He said, holding up a big rope knot for them to see.

   Hope slowly shook her head. "We're not supposed to do magic with strangers."

   His smile dipped into a frown. "What? I-I'm family."

   She tilted her head at him curiously. "So why did you go away?"

   "Ours parents say family sticks together, always and forever." Mira told him as she stood beside her cousin. "But you left."

   Kol smiled sadly as he looked between his nieces. "I went away because I was sad. And I thought I'd never be happy again." He admitted honestly. "And I didn't want to make everybody that I loved around me sad, too."

   The two girls looked from their uncle to each other, not needing to say anything to know what the other was thinking. Moving closer, Hope took the rope knot from his hands and held it up so she and Mira could exam it, making a smile twitch at corners of Kol's lips.  

    As he explained to them what it was for, Mira raised a brow at him. "So if we untie this knot, your girlfriend will be free from the Hollow?"

   "I hope so." He nodded.

   "And you really love her?" Hope asked him.

   "Yes." He nodded, his smile growing more as he thought of Davina, and looked toward Mira. "Kind of like your mum loves--"

   "My daddy." Mira finished with a small grin.

   "Exactly." He ruffled his hand in her hair.

   Mira giggled before she slipped her anti-magic bracelet off her wrist, Hope doing the same as they put their focus on the knot. Mira took hold of one end, and Hope took hold of the other, both of them closing their eyes as she began to try the unlinking spell. Kol was unable to watch them for a minute when he heard footsteps in the courtyard downstairs, and his face fell slightly, knowing what that meant. 

   He pushed to his feet, giving the pair a reassuring look. "All right. Focus on the knot, loves. It's very important, and I'll be right back." He said before he sped out of the room, stopping in the courtyard in front of a furious Klaus. "I imagine right now you're rather cross with me. You should know I have my reasons."

   "Rebekah suggested I hear them." He told him. "I'd rather rip out your vocal chords." He snarled and rushed at his younger brother, throwing him across the courtyard.

   Kol jumped back to his feet and kicked him away, sending Klaus flying until he landed on his back. The youngest of the pair held his hands up calmly, as Klaus growled, pushing up to attack him once more. "Now stop and listen. I did what I did for Davina. The Hollow brought her back, and now they're linked. I just need a bloody second to set her free." 

   Klaus spend punched him to the ground. "Lovesick imbecile. The Hollow preys upon your weakness. She raised Davina to get you to betray your family, and you, pathetic as you are, leapt at the chance." He shouted angrily. 

   Kol looked at him desperately. "Our family owes Davina that much."

   "I owe her nothing." He shook his head. "Nor to you."

   As the pair attacked one another again, Audrey suddenly sped into the courtyard and pushed the two apart, keeping herself between them. "Enough!" She yelled, Kol's eyes widened as the blue orb fell from his hand and rolled across the floor.

   Klaus looked at it and walked closer, hovering his foot above it, ready to destroy it. "No, Nik, please!" But Klaus ignored Kol's protests, and stamped his foot down, shattering the orb into pieces. Without saying a word, he brushed past Audrey and pulled a dagger from his pocket to use, but Kol gripped it as he held it above his heart. "No, Nik. I need a little time. I just need to know she's alive. Please, grant me this small mercy."

   Klaus pushed harder. "Mercy is a privilege reserved for family. Your status has been revoked."

   "Nik." Audrey placed a hand on his shoulder and grabbed the dagger with the other, giving him a look. "Let him go." She told him, and he looked at her in disbelief. "I'm not happy with what he's done either, believe me. But he's done what the rest of us would have done if it was someone we loved." She softened her gaze. "If it was Cami..." 

   Klaus swallowed hard at that as he looked down, unable to say that she was wrong. If the Hollow had brought back Cami, he knew he'd have done the same thing in Kol's position to keep her with him. Closing his eyes, he let go of the dagger and handed it to Audrey, who simply gave Kol a look. He looked at her gratefully and didn't waste any time, pushing to his feet and rushing out of the compound.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Despite the totem taking longer to be destroyed than they would have hoped, Hayley was able to kill the Hollow like she and Freya left to do. What happened had taken a toll on Hayley, enough that she asked Audrey to keep an eye on Hope while she went down to the bayou, saying she had something that she needed to do. Audrey didn't question it and agreed with ease, knowing Hayley would talk to her when she was ready. A while after he'd left, Audrey got a call from Kol on the road, rambling out a mixture of gratitude and apologies for everything that had happened, and Davina soon took over to talk to her. It felt strange, being able to talk to the Claire witch again after so long, but she assured them both that it was okay. She was upset Kol had used the girls in the way that he had, but she could understand it. 

   She told to go and start making up for the time they lost, and that was exactly what they were going to do.

   Once Mira was tucked into bed, Audrey read to her until she fell asleep, completely exhausted after the day she'd had. Certain she was asleep, Audrey turned off the bedside lamp and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her. Making her way toward her own room, she rubbed her face with her hands tiredly, feeling some relief for the first time in a while. The Hollow was finally gone, and she'd given Freya the pendant back so she could work on the spell to bring Elijah back. Everything finally felt good, and good seemed to be hard to come by lately. It always seemed to get overshadowed by the madness trying to engulf their lives.

   She paused as she walked through the doorway, seeing a familiar suited figure stood at the end of the bed. Instantly, his brown eyes met with hers, and tears began to cloud her vision as she covered her mouth with her hand. 

   "My love..." Elijah breathed at, gazing at her with awe in his eyes. 

   "Elijah." Her voice cracked.

   She quickly strode forward and threw herself into his arms, and Elijah held her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck to take in the scent he'd missed so much. The second they touched, it felt like it did that very first time they kissed. They felt whole, the bond that had been frayed and almost pulled apart healed. 

   Lifting his head up, he said nothing as he crashed his lips onto hers, kissing her as if his life depended on it. Audrey's arms snaked tighter around his neck as she kissed him back, the pair stumbling back onto the bed so she straddled his waist. Breathless, Elijah pulled away and his eyes fell onto her stomach, taking in an emotional breath as he rested his palms flat on her stomach. And just like inside the pendant, that small, strong thudding sound filled his ears. It was real, it was happening, and this feeling of immense joy warmed his heart.

   Audrey pulled herself from his waist to lay beside him, placing her hands on top of his as she rested her forehead against his. They didn't need to say anything to know what the other was thinking. They weren't going to let anything pull them apart like this again. They were finally going to get to build that life that they wanted together. Just the two of them and their children. 

Elijah's back! And we are into the final two episodes of season four, which means we are coming toward the end of Absolution. My aim is to have them written and posted this week. 

I hope you all enjoyed!