THE next morning, Elijah watched from the window in the kitchen as Ingrid walked side by side with her two children. He could see that she was talking to them but he couldn't quite make out the words. He watched their dog, Monty, running toward them with a large stick in his mouth until Ingrid took it from him and tossed it out into the woods causing the blue heeler to go running after it.

He smiled at the sight and mused lowly to himself. Ingrid had created a life for herself in their absence and on the outside it would appear that she was thriving however, he knew better.

Ingrid walked toward the house with the children following close behind and held the door open for them. The trio entered the house and Ingrid turned to see the four Mikaelsons waiting patiently in the kitchen. Grinning at her family, she knelt down behind her children and whispered to them. "Ready?"

They both looked at her and nodded eagerly. Ingrid laughed and stood straighter on her feet before addressing the four adults standing there in anticipation. "Alright. Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Hope and Eirik."

Upon hearing her son's name the three Originals beamed happily while Freya didn't hold any recognition. Ingrid then pointed to each member of their family as she spoke. "These are your uncles Elijah and Kol and your aunts Rebekah and Freya."

Hope smiled widely and waved her hand while Eirik hid behind Ingrid's legs, peaking barely at them. "Hi." He whispered sheepishly.

Ingrid bent down next to him and smiled widely in encouragement. "It's okay, baby. They won't hurt you. This is your family."

Eirik took a step away from Ingrid and looked at his aunts and uncles. Hope walked over to him and grabbed his hand before guiding him toward the Mikaelson family, who immediately grinned happily and began conversation with their niece and nephew.

Ingrid stayed back and smiled while watching her family get to know one another after five long years. Elijah studied his nephew and was almost in awe at how much he resembled Klaus. Eirik had sandy blond curly hair and dimples when he smiled. The only feature he seemed to have inherited from Ingrid was her dark brown eyes. He then looked over to Hope and noticed how she was growing up to look more like her mother while bearing resemblance to Klaus with her light blue eyes.

Kol walked past the group and straight toward Ingrid with a proud smile on his face. "They're beautiful. You should be proud."

She turned to him with a smile and nodded in agreement. "I am." She then cleared her throat to get everyone's attention and spoke in a kind tone of voice. "Children, the adults need some time to talk. Why don't you go play with Monty out of the front lawn?"

Hope and Eirik nodded in agreement and called out for the dog in exciting before running out the front door onto the porch. Ingrid walked toward the door and yelled loudly for them to hear. "Stay close!" She ordered sternly earning a chorus of yes in understanding. Closing the screen door, shs turned toward her in-laws with a serious look on her face. "How do we get Niklaus back?"

"It's going to need a lot of strength and calculation." Freya answered with a pointed expression.

"How do we know Marcel didn't lie and kill Nik already?" Kol questioned curiously, leaning against the counters.

"Because killing him would mean killing an entire sireline." Ingrid answered and raised an eyebrow at them. "Also I know the Salvatores are still alive."

"How do you know the Salvatores are alive?" Rebekah asked in confusion, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sighing heavily, Ingrid rolled her eyes at the memory she was about to share. "Five years ago I saved Damon's life after he got bit by a werewolf doing something stupid. Stefan asked me to save him and I agreed but I would be collecting a favor in the future. A few days ago, I cashed in that favor." She explained then noticed their perplexed faces and decided to answer the unspoken questions. "He procured the last vial of venom and now we're payed up. I met with him yesterday so I know for a fact Niklaus is still alive."

Elijah wandered the living room across from the kitchen as they spoke and observed all the pictures hanging along the walls. There were several pictures of the children on special occasions, some of them from their infant stages, and a few of the children with Ingrid. He was surprised to see photos of Klaus and the rest of their family hanging amongst them. He smiled to himself and turned back toward them to join in the conversation. "It'll have to be a surprise."

"Marcellus' not a moron." Ingrid commented sternly earning more confused expressions. "Elijah didn't die meaning his sireline didn't die. Marcellus' knows Elijah's alive and I'm assuming those vampires from last night have something to do with it." She commented with a pointed look.

"So the question isn't if we're coming for Niklaus but when." Elijah concluded with a far off look before nodding his head.

"I'm not bringing the children to New Orleans and we can't exactly leave them behind." Ingrid pointed out sternly. "Someone has to stay with them. We're saving my husband so I'll be damned if I have to be the one to stay home."

They all spared glanced, non-verbally debating who was the easiest to leave behind. Rebekah nodded her head and took a step forward. "I'll stay with them."

Ingrid nodded in appreciation and glanced at them with a face of determination. "Who's up for a good, old fashioned hunt?"

In the woods a few miles away from the house, a prisoner was running for his life while panting for breath. He turned around to see Kol standing behind him and jumped in fear.

"I admit, I do like a good chase." Kol teased him with a wide smirk. "However, I am quite famished so." He said with a fake pout before feeding on the prisoner.

A few moments later, a pile of corpses lied on the ground while a prisoner was screaming at the top of his lungs. Elijah sat on the ground with the corpse of a prison guard on his lap. Ingrid rolled her eyes and looked at Kol, who's meal was the one causing all the disruption. "Must you drag it out?" She questioned in annoyance and dropped her corpse carelessly to the ground.

Freya glanced at her family and the mess they've caused in disgust. "Is this absolutely necessary?"

"That depends." Ingrid responded dully with a shrug of her shoulders. "Do we want to rescue Niklaus or die trying?"

"Well, death rattles are distracting, and I'm trying to break a cloaking spell." Freya explained with an exasperated expression.

"Kol, would you please?!" Elijah snapped in aggravation and the screaming stopped abruptly causing him to sigh in relief. "Thank you. You were saying?" He questioned his sister in curiosity.

"I can sense Klaus is still in New Orleans. Most likely somewhere underground. I can't get a read on exactly where, unless I'm in the city itself." Freya answered with a deep frown of frustration. "Ingrid." She called out for the hybrid's attention. "I barely had enough venom to make a cure the first time, I need to know where exactly to get each of the venoms so I can make more."

Ingrid nodded in understanding and replied immediately. "I have a list at the house. I will give it to you when we get back. The only issue we may have is that there is only one Malroux werewolf left and Stefan said he a bitch of a time finding her."

"I'll find her." Freya assured them all in determination.

Kol walked over from his feeding as he joins them, a face covered in blood from his chin down his neck. Ingrid turned to him and gaped in disbelief. "How are you so bad at eating? You look like Carrie."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kol scoffed with an eye roll and held his hands up in sarcastic surrender. "Not everyone is as prissy and pristine as you, Indy."

Ingrid narrowed her eyes at him and held a finger up in response earning a laugh from both brothers. She looked at Freya with a blank face and titled her head to the side. "I fear going back is going to be a bit of a problem. Everyone hates us and I can't imagine they'll be too keen on us just strolling right in and taking Niklaus. Whatever the plan is, we need to do it fast and precise."

"Well, I wasn't planning on a pub crawl." Freya commented with a heavy sigh. "I don't want to stay any longer than we have to. But we need to go."

"Whoa. Wait... Wait, we're not doing this today?" Kol questioned in confusion and surprise.

"Niklaus has suffered enough." Ingrid pointed out, almost impatient to save her husband.

Kol nodded his head in agreement. "Yes. And I've died. Twice. I'm not about to give Marcel a shot at a third. Now, I say, we draw that Muppet out of town. And when he's gone--" he began to suggest but was cut off before he could finish.

"If you are that afraid..." Ingrid was about to hint at him staying behind but he glared at her in anger.

"It's called being sensible." He snapped defensively. "Until Freya can make enough cure, Marcel can basically chew through our bloody throats."

"Enough. We're all in danger." Elijah pointed out, standing to his feet and breaking up a potential fight between them. "We free Niklaus today. Even if I have to burn that city to the ground."

When they were done feeding they returned to the house and Ingrid explained what was happening to Hope and Eirik while saying a brief farewell. "Do you really have to go?" Hope questioned in a small while, throwing her hands up dramatically.

Ingrid laughed in amusement and knelt down in front of them. She grabbed both of their hands and smiled widely in excitement. "I will be back. I swear it. And when I do come back... I'll have someone special with me." She explained and kissed both of their hands affectionately. "I need you to be on your best behavior for auntie Rebekah, okay?"

They both nodded in agreement while giving her simultaneous: "yes, mama."s.

She kissed their hands again then kissed them each on the forehead. "I love you both. Please be good."

Hope and Eirik wrapped their arms around her neck and gave her kisses on the cheek. Hugging them back, she squeezed them tightly and closed her eyes. "Alright... I have to go. Be good." She ordered sternly while pulling out of the embrace before walking toward the van where the other Mikaelsons were waiting for her.

They both waved goodbye and watched the van pull out of the driveway until it disappeared upon the line of the trees along the road leaving their property.

When the Mikaelsons arrived to New Orleans, they gathered in the old dusty bell tower of St. Louis Cathedral. Kol looked around with a raised eyebrow and glanced at his sister for clarification. "This is where you absolutely had to do a locator spell?"

Freya looked around with fondness and shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, well, when I first moved to New Orleans, I primed this space. Marked it with my magic, made it mine."

"This dusty bell tower may be your own, but this is Marcel's city, and we're nothing but targets." Kol reminded her sternly while pacing the floor impatiently.

"Exactly. So leave her be." Ingrid commanded strongly and looked out the large window with uneasiness. "The sooner we rescue Niklaus, the sooner we leave. Got it?"

Kol held his hands up in surrender and scoffed but then smirked in amusement. "You're such a mom, Indy."

"Remind me why I woke you up?" She questioned in annoyance.

"Because you like me a lot more than you like Elijah." Kol responded with a smirk.

Ingrid gave a face that let him know he had a point then rolled her eyes and glanced at Freya. "How long is this going to take?"

"It won't take long." Freya replied and groaned in pain while cutting her finger, drawing blood for the locator spell. "I need you to go make sure Marcel doesn't kill Elijah." She requested, looking directly at Ingrid.

The hybrid raised an eyebrow in confusion and glanced at her with an odd expression. "How are you certain I can?"

"Because Marcel would never kill his mommy." Kol mocked with a loud laugh and Ingrid gave him a condescending smile before punching him harshly in the arm. He hissed out in pain and held his arm, glaring at her. "Alright, touchy."

Ingrid gave him a glare back then looked at Freya with a hopeful expression. "Let's make this quick." She remarked with a low sigh and sped off toward the compound.

She arrived just in time to see Elijah and Marcel fighting each other and sped toward them, placing herself in the middle at arms length.

Elijah glared over at his nephew and spoke coldly. "Ingrid, leave us."

Marcel was shocked to see Ingrid and nodded his head in agreement. "He's right. This is between me and him." He growled furiously, glaring back at the Original before turning back to her in concern. "I'm not going to hurt you, ma." He informed her in an emotional voice, taking in her appearance after five long years of not having seen or heard from her. "Let me deal with this and then we can catch up, okay?"

Ingrid turned completely toward Marcel and gave him a confused yet offended expression. "And what would happen if I stayed? Would you really kill me to get to Elijah?"

"No... I'm not having this discussion with you right now. Please move." Marcel pleaded with her in calm manner.

"It's not your fight, Ingrid." Elijah pointed out to her darkly.

Ingrid scoffed and looked at him in a slight amount of anger. "No? This is my son. I won't let you hurt him again." She said strongly then looked at Marcel again. "And Niklaus is my husband and your siblings need their father. I need him."

"Yeah?" Marcel replied with a humorless laugh. "I had Klaus as a father. It didn't turn out so well, did it? They are better off without him. You can do so much better without him." He assured her in a small whisper and walked closer, grabbing her shoulders. "Come home. I'll help you."

Elijah pulled her out from Marcel's grip and pleaded with her desperately. "Get Niklaus and go."

"Oh, he's not going anywhere, Elijah. And neither are you." Marcel sneered furiously at him before charging at the Original again.

Ingrid stepped between them again and held her hands up with wide, bewildered eyes. "Marcellus, stop! Please." She implored emotionally as her dark eyes glistened against the light. "Please... let us go. I am practically begging you to stop."

Marcel's face softened for a moment until he looked back at Elijah and fury built up inside of him again. "Why? Why!? Because you think that would be justice for our family? They were my family, too and Elijah tore my heart out and threw me off a bridge. And his brother just stood by and watched. There is only one justice left." He snarled out, enraged beyond belief.

Suddenly, Klaus sped toward them and stabbed Marcel with Papa Tunde's blade. Marcel cried out in pain and fell to the floor in front of Ingrid, who watched him in horror.

"Niklaus." Elijah breathed out in relief upon seeing his brother.

Klaus appeared to be weak and exhausted. His eyes were sunken in and his hair disheveled. He had been beaten, chained, starved, and toyed with for the past five years and that was was sure to pay the price.

Not the Klaus wasn't happy to see his brother but he had eyes for someone else. He stared at the woman before him with tears falling down his cheeks. "Ingrid..."

"Niklaus." Ingrid stared back at him, gaping at disbelief and unable to process what was happening in front of her eyes. The world slowed around her and time came to a stand still. This was the moment she had been praying about for five years and it was finally happening. It almost didn't seem real and she was sure she was about to wake up at any moment.

Klaus pushed past his brother and rushed toward his wife, grabbing her face in his hands and kissing her passionately on the lips. Ingrid immediately kissed back and held onto his face in turn. He pulled away and began to speak frantically. "I have missed you so much. I love you. My God, you're so beautiful. How's Hope? And the baby? Oh! The baby!"

Ingrid laughed giddily while sobbing in pure happiness and ran her shaking hands across his face repeatedly. "I never thought I'd see you again! I love you so much. The children are perfect. The baby is perfect. His name's Eirik." She answered him in the same frantic manner.

Klaus beamed happily and kissed her repeatedly all over her face. Elijah stepped toward them and awkwardly cleared his throat. "While I know this is long overdue and you deserve to catch up. We don't have time."

Ingrid nodded in understanding and frowned slightly in disappointment before grabbing Klaus' hand and leading them quickly through a drainage pipe underneath the compound, meeting up with Freya in the cellar.

Klaus, Elijah, Freya, and Ingrid exited the drainage pipe to find Kol waiting for them oitside by the car. Freya began to rush him with urgency. "Marcel's right behind us."

As they attempted to flee, Marcel blocked their path to their car. "Actually, I'm right here. You shouldn't have come back none of you."

"Marcellus, this is what our family does. We fight relentlessly for each other." Ingrid defended their family to her son and tried to break through to him.

Marcel shot her a bitter smile and tilted his head to the side. "So, I've heard. Though it didn't really work out for me, did it?" He commented both jealous and furious.

"I tried so many times---" Ingrid began to explain but was ultimately cut off.

Kol groaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sake, you were never a Mikaelson, get over it."

Ingrid gaped at him incredulously and snapped in disapproval. "Kol!

"Don't you have a city to run? Vampires to boot out of town?" Kol taunted the enhanced vampire, ignoring Ingrid completely.

Marcel stepped toward him but Ingrid blocked his path, holding her hands out in front of her with a somber expression. "If you want to kill any of them, you'll have to kill me first."

Marcel frowned at her statement and shook his head. "Don't make me do this."

"I can't let you kill our family. I'm... I'm sorry. But I can't." She whispered with a shake of her head and saddened look on her face. "I understand the rage. Believe me, I do. But this won't make you feel better. It'll only make you feel worse."

Klaus stepped out from behind her and moved to protect his family. "That's enough. That's enough, Marcel, you've won. New Orleans was our city once. Now it's yours. For good." He guaranteed the new king of New Orleans.

Marcel crossed his arms over his chest and laughed mockingly. "Is the great Klaus Mikaelson accepting defeat? Or is this all just another distraction?"

"Neither." Klaus answered honestly then paused and scoffed in disgust. "In fact, despite your appalling behavior, I'm offering you a chance at peace. Attempt to kill us all, and you will be making a mistake. Any who survived would no doubt return to seek revenge, bringing our enemies back to your city in our wake. And even if you did manage to eliminate us all, one day my daughter and my son would come for you." He threatened harshly causing Ingrid to tug on his arm, trying to stop his rambling. However, he grabbed her hand and continued on regardless. "And their children after that. On and on for all your days An endless cycle of violence you will bring upon yourself. Or..." he trailed off, offering Marcel a different option. "Or we leave and we never come back."

"After all that time buried in a hole, you still got some nerve." Marcel commented, almost impressed, then nodded his head and glared at them. "Yeah, well, you stand there with a straight face and try to sell this like it's your choice. But here's the truth. I could kill all of you right now. And tonight I would sleep like a baby. Hell, that's what you would do. You've destroyed more people, taken more lives, ended more families than anyone who's ever lived. All because you can." He yelled while gesturing toward the family in front of him in disdain.

"But here's the other truth. Despite being raised by you people I am nothing like any of you. In fact, I'm proud as hell I'm not a Mikaelson. I beat you all without turning into you. And now you can live the rest of your lives knowing that the only reason that you exist is because I am showing you mercy. Now go. And don't ever come back." He commanded harshly then walked toward Ingrid. However before he could reach her, both Klaus and Elijah stepped in front to block her. Rolling his eyes, he stared past them and gave her a heartbroken look. "Don't come back, Ingrid. I don't want to see you again."

They made the long drive back to Montana and by the time they made it home, it was dark.

Klaus climbed out of the van and stared at the house with an unreadable expression. Ingrid walked around to stand next to him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Sighing, she shifted on her feet and prepared to defend her choice of residence. "I know it's nothing like the mansions and kingdoms you've overthrown, but--" She said causing him to laugh loudly beside her.

"No. It's... it's perfect." He reassured her with a wide smile and reached over to grab her hand, squeezing it lightly.

Ingrid stared at him emotionally while her eyes started to water. She brought his hand to her lips and placed her lips on his knuckles. Closing her eyes, she took a shaky breath of air.

He squeezed her hand again and genuinely smiled at her. "I know."

She opened her eyes and motioned to the house with an excited grin. "Let's get you cleaned up and then you can meet the children." She then gently pulled him up the steps of the porch into the house. When she felt his arm tug because he had paused in place, Ingrid looked at him in concern. "What?"

Klaus began studying the inside of the house, at the life his wife had made for herself while he was gone, and noticed some of the photos on the wall. His light blue eyes landed on a series of pictures from what looked like the children's birthdays and a tear fell from his eyes.

Ingrid glanced down at their hands and intertwined their fingers. "Hey, it's okay. You're here now."

He tore his eyes away and met hers before walking over so they were merely inches apart. He leaned down, his lips hovering above hers, and kissed her gently.

She kissed him back and reached up to place her hand on his cheek. He deepened then kiss and rested a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. Ingrid moaned softly and tangled her fingers in his mess of curly hair.

He sped her against toward the nearby foyer table, knocking over all the trinkets she had sitting on top. She pulled away with an amazed face and gave him a fake pout. "Two minutes in and you're already breaking stuff."

Klaus laughed in amusement and bent over to pick it up. When he did, he was surprised to see that it was the wooden horse he had carved for Hope when she was a toddler and a framed drawing made by Eirik that was dated two years prior. He brushed the broken glass away and glanced at it in affection. It was four poorly drawn stick figures with their names written at the bottom. He turned to drawing around so she could see and pointed at the figure labeled "daddy". "How'd he know how to draw me?"

"Well, I'm not art critic but I don't think you're that tall." Ingrid joked and hoped off the table. In the drawing, Klaus towered over his family and had wild curly hair. He laughed lightly and she looked up at her husband with a sad smile. "Because I made sure he knew who you were. I promised they would know you and they do. They ask about you all the time."

His fingers traced the stick figure drawing as he sniffled back tears. Ingrid rubbed his back soothingly and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you a nice, long well deserved shower."

Klaus nodded in agreement and set the picture back down on the table before kissing her on the top of the head. "I could have never gotten through that without you."

"I didn't do anything." She commented in confusion, pulling her head back slightly.

"Yes, you did." He responded sternly and glanced down at her in a serious manner. "Knowing you were out there, raising our children... was enough to keep me from giving up. The hope that one day I would return to you three was everything I needed. I love you."

"I love you." Ingrid whispered back with an affectionate smile. "I never gave up on you."

"I know." Klaus smiled at her and kissed her forehead again. "How about that shower?"

Ingrid laughed and shook her head before leading him up the stairs toward the master bedroom. On the way down the hall, they past the children's room and Ingrid peaked in quietly. Klaus managed to sneak a glance through the crack in the door and breathed out nervously. Ingrid closed to door with a small frown. "They're asleep. Did you want me to wake them?"

Klaus stared at the closed door for a moment then shook his head with a small smile. "No, it's okay. I'll meet them in the morning. I'm sure they had a long day."

Ingrid smiled and continued the journey toward her bedroom. When she opened the door, she revealed a small room with a queen sized bed and one small dresser. "We'll have to share closet space and the dresser."

"Oh, how will I live?" Klaus commented sarcastically causing her to laugh in amusement. He watched her grab a towel from the closet and smiled widely to himself. This was the life he had wanted for her. The simple, calm environment to raise their children. He never pictured that she would have to do it alone but she did. He was more than pleased to finally be able to step back in and be the devoted husband and father he hoped to be.

Ingrid saw that he was deep in his own thoughts and called out to him softly. "Everything alright, my love?" She asked in concern with a frown on her face.

He snapped out of his world and turned his attention to her. "Yes. I'm perfect, darling. I swear it." He assured her honestly and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

She melted into the embrace and almost lost herself until she wrinkled her nose in playful disgust. "As much as I would love to proceed. I can't get over how much you reek of old blood and dirt."

He gaped at her feigned offense and placed a hand over his heart. "Well, excuse me."

"Go." Ingrid giggled happily and pushed him toward the bathroom while he pretended to be hurt by her comment. She watched him storm into the bathroom and playfully slam the door. Laughing to herself, she flung herself down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling with a blissful look on her face.

Her family was finally complete after five years and she couldn't have asked for anything more.

---
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-the1andonlytifftiff