AS promised, Klaus had the plantation stocked with all the food Ingrid could possibly need or crave. He also provided her with any activity she could think of.

Ingrid knew that despite her displeasure, she had to stay in the house if she wanted Klaus' plans to work. So much to her dismay, she did exactly that. For the past week, she had stayed within the grounds and did a series of boring activities. She read all the books in the house, watched all few movies, downloaded a few games onto the laptop Klaus had given her, and secretly planned out the nursery for the baby.

She didn't want to admit that she was excited and nervous to be a mother. When she was human, that's all she wanted but it was never within her reach. She was scared to admit it out loud because then it may be ripped away from her. She thought that as long as she kept it to herself, the hybrids' wish would finally be granted.

Ingrid was snapped out of her thoughts when Rebekah and Klaus walked through the front door.

Rebekah followed after Klaus with a disappointed pout of her lips. "I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me. You know how I love to set things on fire!"

Klaus turned to her with an amused smirk. "Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot?" He questioned incredulously then frowned in anger. "Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked my wife and child!"

Rebekah scoffed and rolled her eyes.. "Oh, I am so moved by your new-found sense of fatherly duties towards the woman carrying your hybrid bun in her oven."

"Rebekah." Ingrid remarked in a warning tone, joining them in the foyer. "What are we up to? Which plan are we on now?"

Klaus beamed at her and placed a welcoming kiss on her cheek before smirking mischeviously. "Well, that depends what plan you mean, love-- my plan for global domination, or Rebekah's plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world?"

Rebekah grabbed a pencil from the desk beside her and threw it in Klaus' direction. He caught it easily before it could embed itself in his face and glared at her. Ingrid rolled her eyes at their immaturity and clapped her hands together, getting their attention. "Hi. Yes. Hello. How does any of this help us get Elijah back from Marcellus? Or do what Sophie asks? And may I ask when you will stop drinking with your "mortal enemy" every night?" She questioned him with a raised eyebrow, putting air quotes around the world mortal enemy.

"Okay. Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy-- he's my friend." Klaus classified with a pointed expression. "Albeit one who is unaware that I'm trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community of the French Quarter, but a friend nonetheless. And secondly, I daggered Elijah in order to gain Marcel's trust. If I had known he would place my brother in the hands of a particularly nasty teenage witch, I certainly would have weighed my options a bit differently. And thirdly--" He turned to Rebekah and gestured for her to speak. "-- Sister, please."

"And thirdly, the plan, is for Niklaus to simply ask Marcel for Elijah back." Rebekah piped up with a blank expression.

Ingrid stood there, waiting to hear more, but when she realized they were finished, she blink repeatedly and gaped at them in disbelief. "Oh you're finished... please tell me that's not all you have, Niklaus."

Rebekah scoffed and rolled her eyes at the hybrid. "Please!"

Ingrid turned to her and brought her fingers down to her thumb, telling the blonde to stop talking in a nonverbal fashion. She then turned to the other hyrbid with a face of anticipation. "I do not need the theatrics or the boasting right now. I need you to be sure of your choices and be prepared to have another in its place."

"That's only the Plan A, my love! There's always a Plan B." He reassured his wife with a wide smile.

"Okay... so what is Plan B?" Ingrid questioned with a hopeful expression.

He smiled darkly at her and raised his eyebrows. "War."

Rebekah had gone to the quarter while the hybrids stayed at the plantation. Ingrid was sitting in one of the arms chairs in the office as Klaus paced the floor in front of her while she spoke.

"I need to be..." She trailed off while thinking over how to word her next sentence properly and tapping her fingers together. "... more involved in the choices that are being made." He stopped in his place, glancing at her in confusion, but she held a hand up and continued on. "We are a family. Which means we need to do this together as a family. You cannot leave me out of these choices and trap me in this house. You can't have both. So these are the choices... you involve me more and I will stay put in this house, pretending to be content without objections or... I become more involved by force and I mean, out there. Just like you and Rebekah." She said, pointing through the window and giving him a challenging face.

He stared at her through narrowed eyes but knew it was pointless to argue with Ingrid. If he denied to let her be involved, she would just do it herself. She was notoriously stubborn and determined. She didn't need him to give her permission but she wanted to ask first out of respect. However, she would still do it regardless of his choices. This had been a game they played for over a millennia.

He sighed to himself and kneeled down on the ground next to her. He grabbed ahold of her hand, feeling her small wedding band grazing against his palm, and smiled warmly. "As long as you promise to stay in the house, I will involve you in every decision I make." She nodded slowly with a face of reluctance and he placed his other hand on her cheek. "I know you're displeased with this arrangement but it's just for the safety of our child." He said with a smile and moved his hand to her small baby bump. "I would do anything for you two and right now, I just need some patience and support."

"I will always support you, Niklaus." Ingrid sighed heavily and frowned while placing her hand on top of his. "I know I am significantly lacking in the patience department and I will attempt to be more patient. For you.  My apologies if I have made this difficult for you."

He shook his head with a reassuring smile. "You haven't made this difficult in any way. I can't imagine how frustrated you are right now and I'll do what I can to make this easier. This is just temporary, alright, my love?"

She cupped his face in her hands and gave him an understanding face. "Yes, darling." She then leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, his soft curls brushing against her face causing her to wrinkle her nose and laugh slightly. "I love you, Niklaus."

"I love you." He replied back in an affectionate manner. "Both of you." He added, rubbing her stomach. Klaus then stood to his feet and began peppering her face with adoring kisses while she giggled and jokingly pushed him away.

Throughout their conversation, Klaus' phone had been buzzing relentlessly. He growled lowly to himself in aggravation and held a finger up to his wife, who waved him off and encouraged him to answer his phone. Klaus grabbed it from the desk and looked at the caller ID. "Well?" He greeted in rough anticipation.

"You were right about the traitor. Luckily, she's just a kid and she doesn't know anything about us and what we're up to. Do you want to hear the part that's gonna please you the most?" Rebekah questioned with a smile in her voice.

Klaus smiled to himself, loving the drama. "Oh, do tell!"

"She's in love with someone in Marcel's inner circle. Guess who it is?" Rebekah asked, making it into a game.

"Right-hand-man type, favors silly caps?" Klaus guessed with a wide, pleased smile.

"Two points for you." Rebekah remarked, amused. "Thierry is fraternizing with the enemy."

"Well, that means he just unwittingly became the key to our entire plan." Klaus replied, excitement lacing his voice, and Ingrid sat back in her seat with an adoring and amused smile.

"I told you you'd be pleased." Rebekah stated, happy to have made her brother's day.

"Oh, to be young and in love in a city where witches and vampires are at war. How very tragic." Klaus teased with a smirk causing Ingrid to chuckle to herself.

It was later on in the day and Ingrid, Sophie, Rebekah, and Klaus talked amongst themselves behind a closed door in the study. Sophie gaped at them incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? No way."

"It's very simple-- We need you to perform a teeny, tiny locator spell to help us find our brother." Rebekah requested and brought her fingers close together for demonstration, a sarcastic smile on her face.

Sophie scoffed and glared at them. "Witches who practice magic in this town get caught, and then they get killed."

Klaus cleared his throat and took a step toward her. "Yes, about that. It seems you left out a crucial detail when we made our deal--Marcel's secret weapon, the way he knows when a witch is using magic..."

Rebekah smirked at him and held her hand up in the air. "Girl about yea high, cute as a button, anger issues?"

Sophie looked shocked when she realized who they were talking about. "Davina? Where have you seen her?"

"I don't know. The little brat erased my memory right after she threw me out a window with her bloody mind." Rebekah snarled furiously, clenching her hands into fists.

"Let me cut to the chase. Davina has Elijah. You witches, I assume, want to get Davina away from Marcel. We don't know where she is. Ergo, we need magic."

"Davina would sense it." Sophie argued, shaking her head frantically with wide eyes.

Rebekah nodded her head then pursed her lips with a smile. "Unless, of course, another witch—- say, a traitor to the cause, Katie for example—- was to perform much more powerful magic at the same time. That would create a smokescreen, concealing your very small spell from Davina."

"Katie doesn't deserve to die." Sophie jeered at her.

"It's either her or you." Ingrid threatened with a dark smirk, folding her hands together.

Klaus angrily slammed his hands on the table and stood on his to face her. "Sophie Deveraux! You're in no position to be so principled. You can't win a war without a few strategic losses, no matter how regrettable they may be."

"There must be casualties." Ingrid agreed, glancing at the witch with a raised eyebrow. "Will it be you or her?" She questioned, sitting forward and grew out her claws from her fingernails. She then positioned them above her heart and smirked. "Your move."

"No!" Sophie yelled in protest and looked at Klaus, willing to listen to what he had to say.

"How many times have the vampires been one step ahead, known something they shouldn't? Your sister, executed in the public square for practicing magic-- who knew she'd be caught? Did she even attempt to flee?" Klaus questioned in rapidly, holding his hands out at his sides and looking at her with a pointed expression.

Sophie's face slowly revealed that she was stunned in realization "...She was caught hiding in a cargo hold of a freighter before it set sail down the Mississippi."

Klaus smirked as he pressed her further. "And who, pray tell-- of Marcel's valued inner circle-- manages his business at the docks?"

Sophie sighed heavily and looked down at her hands. "Katie's boyfriend, Thierry."

Night had fallen around them and Ingrid was sitting in the backyard by the pool. She had her feet in the water and was gently kicking back and forth while listening to music. She had the record player nearby and was listening to music from the romantic era. She had her eyes closed and her hands behind her on the concrete, leaning on them slightly. She was humming along to the music when an unfamiliar witch approached her with a smile. "You're not supposed to be out here."

Ingrid didn't open her eyes or change her position. "Hmmm? And you are?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She apologized sincerely causing Ingrid to snort out a laugh. "I'm Sabine. We met. I'm one of Sophie's friends."

"A witch." The hybrid mused, uninterested, and finally opened her eyes.

"Sophie just asked me to come keep you company while everyone's out." Sabine looked at her curiously and smiled again. "The child you're carrying is part vampire, part werewolf. You and Klaus made something special."

Ingrid glanced at her, unconvinced by her kindness, and sat forward to glance at her closer. "I do not need the poorly, feigned compliments. Do not waste either of our time. You do not care about me or my child. You just want to use it as a way to manipulate Niklaus into doing your biding. So, please, spare me the concern. I would be having this child regardless of your involvement. So, state your business then leave."

Sabine nodded at her in understanding. Sophie had told her that Ingrid was harsh and to the point. The Original wasn't keen on having her time wasted and wasn't too accepting of liars. Especially since Ingrid would never lie. "You know, if you want. I mean, find out if it's a boy or girl."

Ingrid was intrigued for a moment then glanced at her with a blank face. "It was my understanding that magic was not to be done without Marcellus' permission."

"It's not magic, just an old trick my grandmother taught me. Come on. You have to be a little curious." Sabine coaxed with a wide smile.

Ingrid rolled her eyes and looked at her with a warning expression. "Try anything and I will kill you where you stand. Understood?"

"Understood." Sabine agreed with a brief nod of her head.

"Great." Ingrid remarked with a wide smile, allowing her eyes to flash gold for a moment with her fangs peaking out from jaw for a second. She then stood up and shook her feet dry before slipping her loafers back on and walking into the house.

Ingrid climbed on top of the kitchen counter and lied down flat on her back. Sabine held a crystal hanging on a chain over her womb and smiled warmly. "I think it's a girl." The crystal started to swing in the other direction and she frowned. "No... wait."

Ingrid glanced up at her, distrustful, and sneered. "Do you know what you're doing or not?"

The crystal suddenly glowed with a bright light, which caused Sabine to drop it. All of a sudden, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she began to chant in a low voice. "Hoc est infantima malom. Nos omnia perditu el eam."

Ingrid sat up quickly with furious eyes and sped off the counter. "You tell lies!" She slammed Sabine against the wall, growling animalistically.

Sabine snapped out of her trance and looked at Ingrid with a panicked expression. "No! No, no! It has to be a mistake."

Ingrid backed off slowly, a dark expression written across her face. "Correct. It was and so was this. Get out and do not ever come back. If I see you again, I will kill you." She snarled and let go of the witch.

Sabine panted heavily in fear and collected her pendant before rushing toward the door. She spared Ingrid one last glance and frowned deeply in regret. "It is a girl. That wasn't a lie." She whispered in a sheepish voice, half-lying about what she had said, then left the plantation in a huff.

Klaus had returned home with a wide smile and it widened when he saw Ingrid playing the piano. She stopped and looked up at him with an affectionate face. "Keep playing." He requested and she glanced at him in confusion before playing again. "I thought you might like to know, Elijah is returning to us." He informed his wife, sitting next to her on the bench.

"Good." She remarked in genuine happiness. "How was the gala? Plan work?"

"The gala was... eventful." He paused for a moment and ran his tongue across his teeth. "Katie died before the spell could finish but that is alright. We got what we needed. Thierry is locked away in the garden and Marcel agreed to give Elijah back to us." He stated in a proud manner then glanced at his wife with an interested face. "How was your night, my love?"

"Well, it was less eventful as yours but..." She trailed off and stopped playing, her fingers paused on the keys as her face involuntary curled up into an overjoyed smile and tears pooled in her eyes. "I found out that we are having a girl."

Klaus looked over at her in surprise, his mouth hung agape and happy tears welding up in his eyes as well. He engulfed Ingrid into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. She chuckled while wrapping her arms around his torso, squeezing slightly. She enjoyed this blissful moment just for a bit before having to explain to him what had been said about their child.

She pulled out of the embrace and glanced at him with a frown, anger boiling inside of her. "Sabine said our daughter is evil and will destory them all."

He slammed his hands down on the keys causing a loud, disorganized sound from the piano and glared at the wall in front of him. "She should mind her tongue."

"I told her should she ever show her face again, I will murder her." Ingrid remarked in a dull tone and went back to playing the piano. "It is my assumption that she meant the witches."

"So our daughter should be the end of the witches?" Klaus questioned with a confused face then smirked darkly. "That'll be a pleasant sight." He mused happily and joined in with her.

Ingrid chuckled in amusement and reached over to kiss him on the lips. He leaned down and kissed her back passionately.

---
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