ELIJAH arrived at the cemetery with Sophie Deveraux to discuss a plan to stop the unlawful murder of witches in the New Orleans quarter. "So, how do you propose this will work?"

"Your brother needs to cement his place in Marcel's world. His inner circle, the daywalkers-- that's where we begin. They're his friends, his family. We'll be hitting him where it hurts." Sophie explained as she and Elijah arrived to the gate. Sophie opened the squeaking gate and entered the cemetery. Elijah stopped in front of the entry with a frown and Sophie turned around with a face of realization. "This is sacred ground, which means vampires have to be invited in. But, since I'm desperate... Come on in." She invited him then turned her back on him, walking away.

Elijah hovered his foot over the threshold then took a successful step forward, able to enter the cemetery as he pleased. "We can talk freely here." Sophie informed him with a pointed look.

Elijah followed her, his eyes narrowed impatiently as they came to a stop in front of a mausoleum. "I suggest you start talking. What did your sister want with Niklaus?"

Sophie scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Isn't it obvious? We have a vampire problem, and we need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back. We haven't had much luck, until my sister Jane-Anne met a girl, one with a special connection to your brother." She informed him with a slight smile.

Elijah's eyes narrowed as she spoke and he took a step toward her. "What kind of connection?"

"A hybrid – she's pregnant. And the father of the child she's carrying is your brother Klaus." Sophie explained to him.

Elijah paused for a second as his eyes darterd back and forth and he shook his head. "That's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, especially not when it comes to your brother." Sophie argued sternly and shifted in her feet and changing her tone to amazement. "Think about it – they call him the hybrid, right?" She raised her voice and turned her head. "Bring her out!"

Two witches then carried out a certain brunette, who was wearing handcuffs on her wrists, by the elbows. She pulled out of the grip and sneered furiously at them. "Get your filthy hands off me."

Once she came into view, Elijah let out a loud, deep breath and glanced at her in confusion and concern. "Ingrid."

"Elijah." Ingrid greeted him in genuine relief and walked toward him. "I am pleased to see you. A little help?" She questioned with a sheepish smile and held her wrists out. When she noticed the witches glares, she gave them an annoyed expression. "I'm not going to kill you." She remarked causing them to give her unconvinced faces. "On my word. I would like to have my free will please!"

Elijah snapped his fingers at them and turned to Sophie with a nonegotiable expression. "Unchain her."

Sophie stared at him for a moment then at the hybrid before nodding to the witches. She then turned back to Elijah with a hopeful face.

Elijah glanced at her for a second before taking a step forward and giving her a stern expression. "I need some time alone with Ingrid and I need it now."

The Mikaelsons were in one of the mausoleums, Ingrid was pacing back and forth frantically while Elijah sat down on the bench with a composed manner. She turned to him with her hands raised up in the air, her face holding so many emotions at once. "Tell me they're lying. Please. Please. There is absolutely no way that I am pregnant."

"Well, Ingrid, it seems it is possible." Elijah remarked with a small smirk and paused for a moment. "What are you doing in New Orleans?"

"Katerina left a letter about a witch conspiring to kill Niklaus so, naturally... he made us came all the way down here to look for her." Ingrid replied with an eyeroll and stopped pacing. "He and I got separated when I got jumped in the bayou and they stole my phone."

"We need to inform Niklaus of this news." Elijah reminded her and she felt her heart drop into her stomach and she began to stutter along her words.

"No---n--no." She replied in an absolutely terrified panic and shook her head slowly. She held her finger up, her hands vigorously shaking in nerves. "No... I--I can't tell him this."

"Ingrid--" He began to argue but she walked toward him, waving her arms, and cut him off.

"No, Elijah. I have absolutely no idea how he is going to take this. I cannot tell him. Not when I myself am having a hard time grasping the concept." She explained with wide, terrified eyes. "This... this is a disaster. Elijah, he and I were not meant to be parents. Remember?" She questioned him with tears in her eyes.

When Klaus and Ingrid were humans, they had attempted to have children many times, only to have the misfortune of having over ten miscarriages. They had given up the idea of becoming parents years before becoming Originals. It had broken their hearts too many times and it was decided it would be best just to give up that dream.

"Elijah..." she called out to him after they sat in silence for a few minutes. "What... what if this is just like the last few times. I don't... I can't..." Ingrid trailed off as she broke down into tears. "I don't want to get his hopes up. Not again. I can't live through that again."

Elijah frowned deeply and reached over to pull her in a tight embrace. He allowed her to sob into his shoulder while rubbing her back in a soothing manner. He knew she was terrified for many reasons. He knew that once they told Klaus, she had to be the stronger one so he allowed her to have this time. He didn't let go of her but he spoke softly as he hoped to himself. "I wonder if perhaps this baby might be a way for my brother to find happiness. A way to save him from himself."

Sophie entered the mausoleum, causing them to break apart and face her. "I'm glad you feel that way, because we need your help."

"What, precisely, is it that you want and what does it have to do with Ingrid?" Elijah questioned sternly, a sudden wave of overprotectiveness for his sister-in-law bubbling to the surface.

"We want to run Marcel and his vampires out of town. Klaus is the key. Everything Marcel knows about being a vampire, he learned from Klaus. Marcel trusts him, looks up to him, and he won't see the betrayal coming." Sophie conjured up her plan, feeling pride and confident.

"Yes, well, as I'm sure you're aware, my brother Niklaus doesn't like to be told what to do." Elijah reminded her then smirked ever so slightly and turned toward the pregnant hyrbid. "Neither does Ingrid."

"That's why I brought you here. Marcel drove the werewolves out of town decades ago. Do you really think he's going to welcome a hybrid baby to the neighborhood? Convince Klaus to help us, and no one has to know about the newest member of the Original family." Sophie threatened them with a challenging expression.

The Mikaelsons glanced at each other before turning back to her and Elijah took a small step forward with an equally challenging expression. "That sounds remarkably like blackmail."

Sophie sighed and shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Like I said, I'm desperate."

"Your desperation is not our problem." Ingrid sneered harshly then shot the witch a bitter smirk. "I will not allow you to use myself or my unborn child for your petty problems. Mind how you speak to us if you wish to keep your tongue."

Elijah looked at her in amusement then back to Sophie with a blank face. "Well, then, I have my work cut out for me, don't I?"

Ingrid remained in the vault while Elijah convinced Klaus to come with him to the cemetery. After they arrived to the cemetery, Sophie explained everything to Klaus, who gaped at his wife in shock as she bounced her leg and cried anxiously. "No. It's impossible."

"I said the same thing myself." Elijah remarked in understanding.

Klaus turned to everyone in a series of emotions but choose to lash out in anger. "This is a lie. You are all lying. Vampires cannot procreate."

"But werewolves can. Magic made you a vampire, but you both were born a werewolf. You're both Original hybrids. And this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." Sophie explained strongly then glanced at him in small amount of sadness. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of your wife and her baby are now controlled by us." Sophie began to threaten and Ingrid let out a loud laugh through her tears. "We can keep them save. Or we can kill them. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Ingrid won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."

Ingrid slapped her leg while laughing hysterically then turned to Sophie with a dark, menacing expression. "Are you a moron? I am an Original. You cannot kill me but I can kill you. I have made myself explicitly clear about how I feel about your exploitation."

"Enough of this." Elijah snarled, cutting off the aggression between them. "If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."

Sophie shook her head, rejecting his plan. "No. We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules."

Elijah looked at Klaus, awaiting his reaction, and wasn't surprised when it was harsh or rage.

"How dare you command me, threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses. This is a pathetic deception. I won't hear any more lies." He sneered furiously at all of them, refusing to believe it for his own sanity. If he believed it, he would simply get his hopes up again just to have them crushed.

"Niklaus!" Elijah called out to his brother in annoyance then paused for a second and gestured to Ingrid. "Listen."

Klaus did as he was told and tuned out every sound in the vault except for Ingrid. His eyes widened when he heard the heartbeat of the baby. He looked at Ingrid, an unreadable expression to everyone else but a mixed one of amazement, fear, and excitement to Ingrid. She glanced at him with a matching expression and began to chew on her once perfectly manicured nails.

He never once believed it to be anyone else's baby but his. He knew that Ingrid would never betray him in that manner and that he, in her own words, was the only one worthy of someone like her.

The witches began talking amongst themselves as the Originals listened in closely. "Marcel and his vampires are out of control. Something had to be done." Sophie defended herself against the older witch, Agnes.

"And the solution is to bring in more vampires?" Agnes questioned her incredulously.

"These aren't just any vampires, Agnes. They're the Originals." Sophie argued with a hopeful smile.

"What makes you think you can control the hybrids?" Agnes asked her, not exactly trusting her judgment.

"She can't. I'm not entirely certain that I can, either." Elijah admitted, causing them to look at him. "But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question: What prevents my brother, or Ingrid, from murdering you instead of cooperating?"

Sophie took out a needle and showed it to the him before sticking the needle into her hand. Ingrid furrowed her eyebrows and mused lowly in annoyance. Elijah looked over at her to see that there was a drop of blood on her hand, exactly at the same point where Sophie hurt herself. "The spell my sister performed, the one that got her killed? It didn't just confirm the pregnancy. It linked me to Ingrid. So anything that happens to me, happens to her, which means her life is in my hands. Klaus may not care about his own child, but it's very clear what it already means to you. If I have to hurt Ingrid – or worse – to ensure that I have your attention, I will."

"So, your response was to bind yourself to me. An Original hyrbid who cannot die." Ingrid replied with a wide smirk then tilted her head to the side. "What's stopping me from driving a stake through my own heart to kill you?"

"You'll survive but will the baby?" Sophie questioned her with pointed expression and Ingrid's face fell as she realized that she wasn't completely invincible anymore.

Ingrid grew furious and stood up, glaring at the witch. "Never assume you understand everything because it makes you look stupid." She snarled, referring to her comment about Klaus' disinterest in their child.

Elijah held a hand out to stop Ingrid then turned to Sophie, slightly amused. "You would dare threaten an Original? Let alone two?"

"I have nothing to lose." Sophie answered simply and the grin disappears from Elijah's face. "You have until midnight to get Klaus to change his mind."

Ingrid and Elijah arried to a huge, white plantation. Ingrid strolled around the house and ran a finger along the banister of the stairs, grimacing at the state of the house.

Elijah noticed her face and looked at her in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I am far from alright." She answered with an overwhelmed expression. "When was the last time anyone cleaned in here?"

Elijah laughed slightly and took a step toward her. "It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. Right now, you are the most important person in this family." He noticed her eyeroll and gave her a scolding tone. "Believe me if you wish. So I'm curious... in all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?"

She looked over at him with a confused face and raised an eyebrow. "I've been asked too many questions today and I don't recall that one being on the list."

"No, Ingrid, has anyone asked you how you feel about being a mother?" Elijah softly reiterated causing her to bite her lip and walk further from him.

"I... honestly..." She trailed off, unsure how to respond as she began to truly ponder how she felt about the whole situation.

"You don't have to know at this precise moment. You needn't worry. We will always protect you. You have my word on that." Elijah promised with a kind smile.

Klaus walked through the door and joined them. He covered up his true emotions with a mocking smile. "And noble Elijah always keeps his word."

Elijah ignored his teasing and turned to face his brother with a stern expression. "Is it done?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. His man, Thierry, yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French Quarter." Klaus replied with a smirk then growled slightly in aggravation. "My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches."

"I believe them to be honorable. They did release Ingrid to me. Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don't want him dead. There must be a reason why." Elijah concluded with a thoughtful expression. He sensed the couple's moods toward one another and excused himself politely. "You two need some time. Pardon me." He said in a dull tone before walking out the front door.

Once he was gone, the couple rushed toward each other and hugged one another in a large embrace. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, placing one hand on the back of her head.

"I didn't know where you were and you weren't answering your phone. I was so worried!" Klaus emotionally expressed then let out a deep breath of relief. "I am so glad you're alright." 

She gripped onto the back of his shirt tightly in her hands and sobbed quietly into his chest. He tried to pull away so he could look at her but she was terrified to face him. Terrified what his reaction would be to her pregnancy.

"Ingrid." He whispered softly, hoping to catch her attention. "Ingrid, love, it's okay."

She didn't remove herself or look at him. She simply shook her head and pulled herself closer. "I--- I can't." Ingrid mumbled into his chest, her voice breaking ever so slightly.

Klaus could feel the fear irritated off of her and frowned deeply. "Ingrid." He called out to her again in an affectionate manner. "We have to talk about it. Even if you don't want to." He then grimaced at himself and wrinkled his nose. "See? You have me being the rational one and I don't like it. How can you do this all the time? Uck!"

She laughed slightly and pulled away from him, wiping the tears away in hopes he wouldn't see them. "I don't particularly enjoy being the emotional one. I feel unhinged. Can we please switch back?"

He laughed and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. He then held her face in his hands and wiped away any tears that managed to escape. "Can I ask what you, of all people, are so petrified of?"

She licked her lips and stared up at him, not exactly match his eyes. "Your reaction to... this."

He frowned again and glanced at her apologetically. "I never want you to be scared of me. The world, yes. But you, Ingrid, you're my wife and I want you to be the one person who isn't terrified of me."

"I'm not scared of you." She clarified and finally met his blue eyes. "I'm scared of your reaction mostly because... because I'm scared to get your hopes up just to be the one to let you down. Again."

"You have never let down." He answered strongly and grabbed ahold of her hands. "You have never once let me down."

"But all the times we tried and failed... I mean it was my fault. My body gave up on them." She replied emotionally, tears rolling down her cheeks against her permission. "I can't do that to you again. It is unfair."

Klaus realized that she wasn't terrified of making him angry, she was terrified of miscarrying again and breaking their hearts. He grabbed ahold of her hand and led her toward the couch. He sat down and patted the seat next to him, gesturing for her to join him. Once she sat down, he grabbed her hands and placed them on his face, holding them there. He stared deeply in her eyes as he spot with certainty and seriousness. "It never has been nor will it ever be your fault. You have never let me down. If it would make you feel better, we can keep our emotions detached from this pregnancy until viability. You and I can remain undecided about it until then."

She thought about it for a moment and ran her thumbs across the stable on his face before nodding slowly and glancing up at him. "Okay." She whispered in the quietest of voices and let out a shaky breath of air.

He then leaned forward and kissed her passionately on the lips then pulled her into a comforting hug. He kissed her shoulder then smirked slightly to himself. "Can we go back to you being the rational one?" He questioned jokingly causing her to laugh in amusement.

---
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-the1andonlytifftiff