INGRID walked into the courtyard and joined Klaus, who was sitting in one of of armchairs. He looked up at her and held his arms out, inviting her in. She climbed onto his lap, straddling his waist, and cuddled up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She sighed heavily and sunk down in his embrace. "What's wrong, love?" He asked in concern, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Hope's flight lands in a few hours." Ingrid replied sadly with a deep frown. "I need to start packing but I can't bring myself to."

"I don't want you to leave." He whispered ruefully and kissed her forehead.

"I don't want to leave either but I can't risk it." She explained, turning her head to look up at him. "We've already pushed it. How many more times can we risk it before it ultimately implodes on us?"

Klaus was about to respond when the plants around them started to wilt. He sat forward and studied them in concern. "If these houseplants gasping for life is any indication, there's another Mikaelson in New Orleans."

"Hope is in Mystic Falls with Freya. Kol would rather die than return to New Orleans and Rebekah has been strict about following rules." Ingrid mused, thinking over all the possibilities as she climbed off Klaus' lap. "That leaves--"

"Elijah." Klaus finished for her with a knowing expression on his face.

Ingrid was packing her belongings when Klaus returned to the compound with with suspicious look on his face. She studied him and placed her hands on the back of her hips and narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?" She asked in a knowing tone of voice.

He was about to respond when Marcel angrily stormed into the room. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Elijah had to go." Klaus replied pointedly then shrugged his shoulders with a small smile. "I did the city a favor."

"By inflaming Greta's vampires? She's already their martyr. What do you think they're gonna do when they find out you've murdered her daughter?" Marcel asked incredulously.

"Let them come. I'm in the mood for a fight." Klaus encouraged smugly as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He picked up the call and greeted them. "Yes."

"Elijah says he wants to talk to you." One of Ingrid's hybrids explained from the other end of the call.

"Put him on." Klaus replied quickly.

"What did you do?" Elijah breathed out in horror.

"That's a question you should be asking yourself, isn't it?" Klaus sneered bitterly.

"Her family was in danger." Elijah defended himself, his voice quiet and shaky.

"And what a hero you turned out to be." Klaus remarked sarcastically and Ingrid rolled her eyes as she taped up one of the moving boxes.

"This is revenge. You force me to watch her die just to show me how it feels." The older brother snarled angrily.

"I'm taking great pleasure in knowing how terribly she'll suffer." Klaus mused with a wide smirk.

"You listen to me, okay? Anything happens to her, I will never forgive this." Elijah sneered out slowly, his tone threatening.

Ingrid laughed loudly to herself at the irony and shook her head. She stifled her laughter after Klaus shot her a look and she placed a finger to her lips, giggling quietly.

"One doesn't need forgiveness from enemies. And that's where we are, you and I. We're certainly no longer family." Klaus remarked with a heartbroken look on his face and Ingrid's laughter stopped as her face softened.

"I want to make a deal." Elijah offered quickly.

Klaus smiled in amusement and shook his head. "Nothing you have is of interest to me."

"What if you could have me back?" Elijah asked curiously, desperate to save Antoinette.

"You've made your choice on that matter perfectly clear." Klaus reminded him darkly, his face falling into a furious sneer.

"No, no, no, no. My memory." Elijah clarified.

"No! No! No, Elijah." Antoinette rejected his offer and her voice echoed through the call.

"Marcel Gerard and Vincent Griffith cast the spell to take it away. My guess is they can bring it back." Elijah continued on, ignoring her pleas.

Klaus turned around to look at Marcel, who kept his face blank, and clenched his jaw. "You would do that for her?"

"Without hesitation." Elijah answered immediately.

Klaus pondered this for a moment and a devious look crossed his face. "Your offer is rejected." He responded before hanging up the phone and walking over to help Ingrid, who stared at him in confusion.

Marcel looked over at her, meeting her expression, and gaped at Klaus I'm disbelief. "What are you doing? This is exactly what you wanted. You can get your brother back."

"My brother's dead to me." Klaus dismissed sternly, setting items down in the box.

"Oh, come on." Marcel scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You say that, but you don't mean that."

"Enough!" Klaus raised his voice, cutting Marcel off. "He almost let Hope die. I could have saved her, but he stopped me. Had Ingrid not been there, my daughter would surely be dead." He explained emotionally then sighed heavily. "We don't have time for this. Hope will be landing soon and Ingrid needs to be gone before then. Excuse me." He dismissed himself, carrying one of the empty boxes out of the room and walking down the hallway.

Ingrid sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair stressfully. "He's angry and he didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I know." Marcel replied softly with a nod of his head. "You're really leaving?" He asked sadly, walking over to join her.

"Yeah. I have to. I can't keep putting everyone in danger by being selfish." She replied with a frown then looked at him with a warm smile and placed a hand on his arm. "You can always visit me and when Hope's at school, I'll come back. It'll be a trade off for a while and it sucks. I know. But it's better this way."

"Do you know where you're going yet?" He asked curiously and began to help her back. He held up two items, nonverbally asking her if she wanted to take them. She pointed at the book in his left hand and he placed it in the box before setting the picture frame back down.

"Not yet." She answered honestly and closed the box. "With Rebekah in New York and Kol in Belize that leaves the west coast open. I don't want to go too far so I'm planning in staying in the states."

"How about Washington State?" He offered an idea, handing her the roll of packing tape. "You love the rain. Plenty of hipsters to feed on."

Ingrid laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." She entertained the idea and began writing the contents of the box with a sharpie.

"Hey, ma." He called out to her after a silence fell between them. She stopped writing and looked up at him curiously. "I'm glad you're sticking around this time. I really missed you when you were gone."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She apologized with a sympathetic frown. "It was for the best."

"I know." He mused in understanding, nodding his head. "Promise to be more involved this time?"

"I promise." She replied honestly with a smile and held her hand out. He chuckled and grabbed ahold of her hand, shaking it.

Ingrid was packing the boxes into the back of her car when Eirik walked toward her with a sad expression on his face. "Do you really have to go, mom?" He asked and handed her one of the boxes.

"Yeah, baby." She replied grievously then tried her best to smile reassuringly. "But it'll be okay."

"Is it going to be like last time?" He inquired with a mixed expression.

"No." Ingrid replied softly, shaking her head in rejection. "Listen, we can talk all the time. I got a new phone so we can do those video calls and there's always Skype. Whenever you need me, you can call me and I'll answer." She promised and ruffled his curls with a wide smile.

"Okay." He agreed, nodding his head, and hugged Ingrid tightly in his arms. "I love you, mom."

"I love you, honey." She expressed affectionately and kissed the top of his head.

Klaus walked up from behind them and broke their moment. "Hope's flight landed, my love." He informed her and she nodded curtly.

"Okay." Ingrid acknowledged quietly and hugged Eirik again. "I have to go. I love you. Be good for your father. Remember, I'm only a phone call away."

"Okay, mom." He whispered and hugged her back. "I love you."

She smiled warmly while pulling away and turned toward her husband. "I love you. You be good for the children." She ordered sternly with a playful glare and pointed a finger at him.

"I'll try" Klaus assured her with a laugh and slowly frowned. "I don't want you to leave."

"I know." She replied softly and grabbed ahold of his hands. "It'll be okay. You can see me any time and you can always call me. This is only temporary. Once the children go back to school, I'll come home."

"I love you, Ingrid." He said emotionally and rested a hand on her cheek. She melted into his touch and leaned against the palm of his hand. He leaned down and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Be careful." He requested after pulling away.

"I love you, Niklaus. I'll call you when I get wherever it is I'm going." She promised and backed away from him with a heartbroken expression. "I have to go." Forcing herself away, she climbed into her car and drove out of the driveway.

"I'm going to miss her." Eirik remarked sadly while waving goodbye.

"Me too, buddy." Klaus whispered back and wrapped his arms around Eirik's shoulders. "Me too."

Ingrid was standing in the bayou, checking her phone and tapping her foot impatiently. A silver SUV pulled up a few feet in front of her and IVY climbed out.

"You're late." Ingrid commented gruffly and put her phone away.

"By five minutes." Ivy excused herself with a roll of her eyes.

"You're still late." Ingrid replied sternly and waved a hand in the air, brushing off her attempt to explain. "I'm not interested in whatever it is. My daughter is waiting for me."

"Watch your tone." Ivy snapped at her in a warning fashion. "I'm doing you a favor." She reminded the hybrid, who rolled her eyes and smirked, and set up the spell on the hood of her car. "Remember, if you touch her, she'll just feel an ugly chill, so I'd avoid any sort of physical contact."

Ingrid nodded in understanding then shot her a skeptical look. "How can I be certain that you and the covens aren't planning this as some ill attempted vengeance against me?"

"We have no reason to mess with you." Ivy pointed out and held up her hands. "Give me your hands." She ordered sternly.

"Be sure not to reroute me to somewhere ugly, yes?" Ingrid commented and placed her hands on top of the witch's

"I'll do my best." Ivy replied passive-aggressively then started her spell. "Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille..."

When nothing happened, Ingrid looked at her in concern. "What's wrong?"

"It's magic, not pay-per-view." Ivy snapped and Ingrid raised an eyebrow with a warning look. "Voye à sa fille. Voye à sa fille."

Ingrid was transported to the compound to see two black vans driving straight through the front door and into the courtyard, crashing into the fountain. Everyone rushed out onto the balconies to see what the commotion was about and Ingrid entered through the wreckage. "Niklaus!"

"Ingrid!" He yelled out in surprise but before he could respond again, she began to give strict orders.

"Get the children out of here. Now." She commanded sternly and he rushed to collect them.

Josh pulled back the black curtain from the back of the van to reveal three men sitting there with furious expressions. "Emmett. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Where are Antoinette and Elijah?" Emmett demanded in a dark tone.

"Probably under a rock somewhere. Maybe you should join them." Josh snarled out furiously.

Emmett ripped off a cloth to reveal six wooden stakes connected to a series of explosives. "We're not going anywhere till they're returned to us safely."

Ingrid was suddenly transported back to the bayou and she stared at Ivy in horror. "No! I need to be there." She said frantically and began to storm toward her car.

"You can't." Ivy called out, trying to stop her.

""Can't" or "shouldn't."?" Ingrid sneered impatiently and glared at her. "Because there's a difference. Either way, I need to protect my family."

Ivy held a hand up and used magic to stop the hybrid. Ingrid fell to her knees against the dirt and growled furiously. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go." Ivy explained frantically, fighting against her.

Ingrid flashed her golden eyes at the witch and growled animalistically. "I am going to kill you."

Ivy refused to let up and shook her head with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, but there are things you don't know yet."

"My family is in danger!" Ingrid bellowed furiously.

"They're in more danger if you go." Ivy snapped back.

"I don't care about the blood or the hail!" The Original sneered, narrowing her eyes. "Let me go."

"You'll care about this." Ivy said knowingly then walked back to her car and pulled out a book from the front seat. She set the book on the hood of her car and used magic to pull Ingrid toward her. "Read this. "And thou shall know the signs of blood from water, vipers from the rivers, larvae from the soil, ice rain from the skies..."

"Fire across the water, monsoons from the sea. The death of all firstborns." Ingrid finished for her then chuckled humourlessly. "Great... more first born prophecies." She commented sarcastically.

"We're all in danger. Freya, me, and every firstborn that calls this city home." Ivy stressfully pointed out

Ingrid closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hope."

"Bottom line, every moment your family spends together takes us one step closer to our deaths and as you can see, there isn't much more left until the end." Ivy explained, motioning to the book. "I'm sorry." She said sympathetically and watched the hybrid pace in a panic.

"I'm trying to leave." Ingrid informed the witch and shook her head with tears in her eyes. "But I cannot do that until my family is safe. So send me back." She requested, holding her hands out.

Ivy looked down at her hands and took them in her own before starting the spell again. "Voye à sa fille."

Ingrid walked into the courtyard to see the burned remains of the vans and several pieces of furniture thrown across the room. She carefully made her way into the compound and called out loudly. "Niklaus!" She ran up the stairs and found him in the den, pacing in front of the fireplace as their children watched anxiously. "Oh, thank Odin." She breathed out in relief to see that they were safe. "Is Marcellus alright?"

He turned to face her and sighed heavily in relief himself. "Yes. He's okay. What happened?"

Eirik and Hope ran toward her but when they touched Ingrid, their hands went straight through and they experienced that cold feeling Ivy warned about. They looked at her in confusion but she smiled reassuring at them. "Astral projection."

"You're here but not." Hope commented with an understanding nod of her head. "That's why you disappeared."

"Yeah. The witch helping me didn't want here so she yanked me away. I'm sorry." Ingrid apologized genuinely then looked at Klaus with a dark expression. "Our problems are more severe than I thought. I'll explain later but I need a moment with Hope."

Klaus nodded in agreement and gestured for Eirik to follow him out the door. Once they were alone, Ingrid smiled sadly and held her hand out. Hope went to hold her hand but once again it just went straight through.

Sighing, Ingrid looked at her hand and shook her head. "Even if I'm not physically here, I'll always be here for you. Even if I can't truly be by your side or hold your hand. I promise I'll call and I'll write. This time it'll be different." She promised her daughter with a reassuring smile. "Freya said she'll allow us some time together with the help of magic. But you have to know, I can never come around again. I cannot risk it anymore."

"I'm gonna fix this for us." Hope emotionally promised, crying softly. "I'm going to bring you home, mom."

"I love you more than life itself." Ingrid said tearfully and smiled warmly.

"I love you, too." Hope whispered affectionately and watched as her mother faded out of view.

Ingrid was standing by her car in the bayou, speaking on the phone with Klaus and Freya.

"I looked into the prophecy and as far as I can tell, it's real." Freya informed the hybrids and Ingrid sighed heavily, staring down at her feet. "Every moment our family spends together leads us one step closer to our deaths."

"The decision we made to take the power from her was to save her life. I had no idea it would ruin her in this way." Klaus commented in guilt and anger.

"Our family is a curse. Not only to each other but to our home." Ingrid sadly replied and ran a hand across the back of her neck. "We can't risk this anymore. No more slip ups. I want her to live and grow up. I want her have a life and that's something she can't have if we keep doing this."

"She's in her room, searching for a spell that doesn't exist to fix a problem that can't be solved. I feel like I can't do anything right today. Just... feel so..." Freya trailed off, unable to put into words how she was feeling.

"Powerless." Ingrid finished for her and nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah. I know the feeling."

"Listen, um... we're going to be heading to the bayou in a few minutes. Are you..." Klaus asked curiously, hoping that their children could say goodbye to their mother properly.

"I can't stay." Ingrid replied softly and looked down at her feet.

"I know." Klaus said softly in an unhappy tone.

Ingrid cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "I should start heading out now..."

"Okay." Klaus whispered, unable to bring himself to hang up the phone. "I love you."

"I love you. This isn't forever." Ingrid reminded him in a watery voice and smiled slightly to herself. "Goodbye, Freya."

"Goodbye, Ingrid. I'll visit when I have time." The oldest Mikaelson promised and Ingrid nodded to herself before hanging up the phone.

She began walking toward her car when she suddenly her neck snapped to the side and Ingrid fell lifeless onto the dirt ground.

Groaning, Ingrid opened her eyes and pulled herself off the ground to see that she was in Abattoir. She looked around in confusion and walked toward the front door only to find that she was stuck inside. She pounded her fists against the invisible barrier and sneered in frustration.

A smooth, male voice called out from behind her. "It's no use."

Rolling her eyes, she spun on her heel to face him with an unamused expression. "Of course I'm stuck with you of all people."

Suddenly, Klaus walked out from one of the rooms and saw Ingrid. He was concerned for a second until he saw Elijah and glared at him. "You stay away from me." He snarled furiously with narrowed light blue eyes.

Elijah walked toward them and stopped a few feet away. "Oh, believe me, I'm not here 'cause I enjoy the pleasure of your company." He insulted in aggravation.

Thunder and lightening struck the sky above them and Klaus looked around in concern. Ingrid began to circle Elijah while she mused darkly. "So why are you here?"

Elijah turned his head over his shoulder to look at her. "There's no way out. We're trapped."

---
Comment
Vote
Share
Xoxo
-the1andonlytifftiff