ELIJAH was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of Ingrid's desk in her office as she sat in her chair across from him. He had one leg crossed over his lap and wiggling his foot. Ingrid stared at him while tapping her fingers against the wood of her desk.

"What is wrong, Elijah?" She asked him in concern after they sat in silence for a few minutes. She grew impatient and uncomfortable with the thick silence surrounding them.

"I took it upon myself to punish Marcel and his band of filth for their violation." He informed her in a vague manner causing her to raise an eyebrow. He shook his head slowly as he recalled the events from the night prior. "I killed Thierry to make an example but I fear Marcel is not quite finished."

"He will never be finished until our family is gone and he has his throne again. Now whether that be leaving New Orleans or our death, either way it is all the same. I don't think he cares. Although, he definitely wants Niklaus dead and I would not put it past him to try." Ingrid reminded him with a pointed look. "Wait until he comes to the conclusion that killing an Original, kills the blood line." She added with a smug smirk then sighed and pointed a finger at him. "Just be entirely prepared for him to strike again."

Elijah was about to respond where there was a knock on her door. He smiled over at her and made a face. "Niklaus." He mouthed over to her and shook his head with a small laugh.

"Come in, darling." She called out to him with a warm smile and shot Elijah a warning look.

Klaus walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek before searching furiously for something on the bookshelf.

Elijah turned around in his chair and glanced at him in curiosity. "Can we help you find something?"

"Yes, in fact, I believe you can. I'm looking for a book, about yea big--" he motioned with his hands and smirked condescendingly. "--filled with our mother's most powerful spells. It appears to have been misplaced."

Elijah pretended to be surprised and spared a glance at Ingrid. "How very mysterious."

"Hmm." She mused lowly and sat back in her chair. She knew Elijah had hidden it but he refused to tell her where.

"Indeed. At first, I feared the witches had succeeded in their efforts to obtain it, but considering their last attempt ended with me relieving a rather large, tattooed gentleman of his hands, I began to wonder if the thief wasn't a bit closer to home." He sneered with a bitter smirk then noticed Elijah nonchalantly scribbling in the notebook in his lap. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, brother."

"Well, admittedly, I did have a theory that your sudden interest in mother's grimoire was in some way related to whatever foolishness you've been conducting with the Crescent wolves." Elijah smoothly replied then looked up at him with a smile. "Therefore, I took it upon myself to carefully place it where naughty little fingers could not pry."

Klaus walked toward him, an expression of annoyance. "And here I thought you, of all people, would understand. I am simply trying to help those wolves! Play Samaritan to the abused. Champion to the underdog, so to speak."

"How splendidly noble of you." Elijah remarked sarcastically.

"Have you ever considered that, like you, I am trying to keep Hayley safe? Using our mother's magic to empower her people so they are capable of protecting her?" Klaus questioned him with pointed look.

Elijah stood up from his chair and walked toward him. "Yes, unless, of course, they decide to seek retribution for decades held in exile, and Hayley will find herself in the middle of an uprising. One that will only provoke further violence. You see, you risk turning New Orleans into a war zone, brother. I won't let that happen." He assured him in determination.

"The drums of war were beating long before we returned. I suggest you use a little less of this--" Klaus responded and made a talking gesture with his hand. "-- and a little more of these." He pointed to his ears and smiled fakely before sitting on the couch.

Elijah glared at him slightly before turning toward Ingrid and smiling as best he could. "We will continue this later."

"Will do." She agreed and watched him walk out of her office.

Klaus stood up and walked toward her, taking the seat that Elijah had sat in. He looked at her in curiosity and smirked. "Look at you two. Planning away."

Ingrid sighed at his tone and glanced at him in confusion. "What else would I be doing?" She questioned him with a pointed expression. "Now that Marcellus has broken our treaty, Elijah and I are hoping to come to an agreement to keep the peace. While I do love war, I do not want to give birth in the middle of one."

Klaus chuckled and nodded his head before sobering up his tone and sitting up straighter in his seat. "There was something I wanted to speak to you about."

Giving him all of her undivided attention, she motioned for him to continue and listened intently. He leaned forward in his seat and licked his lips. "I feel that we are significantly behind with the baby planning. You're almost eight months pregnant and we have no nursery, no clothing, no supplies."

"I agree." She replied with a nod of her head and began fiddling with her wedding band. "I was thinking about that earlier. I feel unusually unprepared."

"I thought we could do our baby shopping and finally put the nursery together." Klaus remarked in a hopeful tone.

She smiled widely and glanced at him affectionately. "I would love nothing more."

The Mikaelson couple went shopping in the quarter for everything they needed for their daughter's arrival in a few short weeks. When they arrived home, Klaus ordered a few vampires to carry everything upstairs to the room he designated the nursery. He sped toward the passenger side of the SUV and opened the door. Ingrid unbundled her seat belt and swung her legs over to get out. He held his hands out to her and gently helped her out of the car.

Ingrid's feet hit the ground and she walked into the courtyard with Klaus following suit. She heard him chuckle behind her and turned around to face him, a confused look on her face. "What is funny?"

"You're starting to get your third trimester waddle." He answered with an amused face and placed a hand on the small of her back. "It's adorable."

She scoffed and shoved him by the shoulder as he laughed loudly. He wrapped his arms around her and gazed down into her eyes lovingly. Ingrid rolled her dark eyes and shot him an unamused scowl. "It is not funny." She scolded then threw her hands up in the air. "Now, I feel like a penguin."

He laughed harder and pulled her close to him, hugging her. "My penguin."

"Niklaus!" She said in disbelief and pushed him away, scowling at him.

He held his hands up in defense and calmed down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, love. You're not a penguin." He reassured her with a wide smile and they began walking toward the stairs again. "Although, did you know penguins mate for life so technically..." he trailed off while she glared over at him and walked further ahead of him. "Oh, come on, love. I was joking." He called out to her in a teasing manner and followed after her. "Ingrid!"

"Sod off, Niklaus!" She yelled back while walking toward the nursery causing him to laugh loudly again.

Later on, Ingrid was sitting in the rocking chair they got for the nursery while watching Klaus put the bassinet together. She had a hand on her bump and was rocking in slow, soothing pace. She smirked at her husband and laughed to herself. "Niklaus, it cannot be this difficult."

He growled lowly and threw the paper instructions down on the ground. "Well, it's not my fault that someone of low IQ wrote these instructions." He snarled in frustration and motioned to the pieces of crib all over the floor. "What moron designed this?"

"You speak several languages but can't read instructions." She remarked incredulously then snorted. "That actually sounds about right. Here, let me help." She offered while attempting to stand up.

He shook his head and held a hand up, signaling for her to stay put. He then picked up the paper and handed it to her. She took it from him and began reading it silently to herself, her eyes moving back and forth. "Okay, I see the problem." She mused then turned it to show him and pointed. "It wasn't written in English. It was translated into English so some of it isn't correct. But here---" She said while reading the directions and reiterating them in a way they made sense. "---take pieces A1 and A2 and attach them to B1 and B2."

They spent the next hour putting together the bassinet and when it was finally finished, Klaus smiled proudly and clapped his hands together. "There. Finished."

She smiled over at him and folded the piece of paper. "It's beautiful, darling." She complimented emotionally then rocked the chair forward, giving herself the momentum to stand up without struggle.

Ingrid walked over to the dresser and began folding and putting away the baby clothes. Klaus was standing over the crib, putting up the crystal mobile. They decorated the rest of the nursery and Klaus stared at the empty space above the dresser with narrowed eyes. He mused to himself before walking out of the room and down the hall. She watched him leave in confusion but didn't have time to question him because a few seconds later he walked back in with a large canvas in his hands.

"Close your eyes." Klaus advised her with a smile and she did as told but not without giving him an odd look first. She wiggled herself side to side in anticipation and waited for his surprise. After what felt like forever, he placed a hand on her shoulders and whispered in her ear. "Okay, open them."

When she opened her eyes, she immediately saw the painting Klaus did of the New Orleans skyline. She smiled widely with tears in her eyes and grabbed his hands. "It's perfect. It is all so perfect."

"Just like you." Klaus whispered emotionally and turned her to face him. He placed a hand on her cheek and brush the stray tears away with the pad of his thumb. She leaned forward and kissed him affectionately on the lips.

Hours had passed and Elijah returned home in a singed suit and ash covering his face. He walked straight into Ingrid's office and she froze in her seat before standing up and rushing toward him. "Elijah!"

"I'm fine." He reassured her and sighed heavily, a grim expression on his face. "I, however, cannot say the same for our friends in the Bayou."

"What happened?" She questioned him in concerned yet stern tone.

"Someone took it upon themselves to blow up the Crescent wolves." He explained to her in a dark voice and looked down at his feet. "There were many casualties. I am afraid to admit who I think may be the sole contributor."

"That is a serious allegation." She reminded him then sighed heavily. "You must be absolutely sure because if not, then this will wage a war. We need to tread lightly."

"I know." He replied with a nod of his head. "We cannot afford any mistakes at this moment."

Klaus knocked at the door but didn't wait for permission before strolling in to join them. "First Marcel's massacre, now bombs in the Bayou. I'll assume you're ready to give up this doomed treaty." He remarked with a smug look as he sat down on the couch.

"This alliance with the wolves, well... If it is to succeed, I believe you'll want this." Elijah said smoothly and walked over to one of her desk drawers. He unlocked it and handed Klaus their mother's grimoire.

Klaus smiled over at him with a suggestive look. "Seems I have Hayley to thank for your change of heart."

Ingrid shot him an unimpressed look as she sat down in her chair. He knew she wasn't approving of Hayley and the more Elijah pursued her, the more likely his heart would end up broken.

Elijah walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of liquor, pouring the brothers each a drink. "The rifts in this city run far deeper than I even imagined, Niklaus. These tribes, these factions-- they're families, families who choose to fight. Mayhem has descended upon our home, and if I'm to choose a side..." He handed Klaus a drink and held his out to toast them. "To our victory, brother."

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