-•-•-

The first humid June morning of the year had finally come around, and the distant chirping of the cicadas had made it's way into the girl's room; the harmonic buzz ringing melodically throughout all of New Orleans. Remi's balcony door was slightly ajar, letting in the moist morning dew cascade into her room. 

As per usual, her state of rest was intruded upon by the booming of her alarm. eeh, eeh, eeh! The vampires of the household could very much hear the alarm as well, to which they yelled across the hallway for it to "shut... up!" Remi giggled as her legs slid off the sleek silk sheets, yawning as her fingers grazed over the 'stop' button. 

After changing into a baggy cotton t-shirt and shorts, Remi lazily dragged her feet along the cool tile floor. She looks around the courtyard, but there was no one in sight. 'I guess summer makes vampires hibernate,' she thought to herself.

Remi hopped up onto the countertop and eyed the top cabinet for any remnants of food that Klaus had bought several weeks ago. Seeing a cereal box, she sighed in relief and plucked it from the shelf. She then shimmied over to the opposite side of the counter to grab a bowl, rolling her eyes at the measures she had to take just to get a freaking bowl of cereal. 

Just then, the four originals entered the kitchen, and stopped in their tracks upon seeing Remi standing on top of the counter, scooping Cheerios into her mouth. The corners of their mouths lifted up into an amused grin and Elijah walked over to give Remi a hand in jumping down. 

"You guys have really tall cabinets, you know?" Remi said, plopping down in a seat at the island table.

"Architecture was much different three-hundred years ago," Klaus replied, moving to close the open cabinets. 

"So, why are you up so early? Usually you're practically dead until one in the afternoon," Rebekah questioned, moving to take a seat next to the girl. 

"I really don't know. I guess I'm just in a good mood," Remi said as Cheerios still filled her mouth.

"So... Are you ready for your final magic lesson today?" Freya said with a smirk forming on the corner of her mouth as she casually stared down at her hands.

Remi ceased to chew, her eyes widening slightly. "My what?" she blurted out.

"You've been practicing everyday for almost eight months, Remi. Your control is unbelievable; I think you'll be unstoppable on your own from here on out," Freya replied, her voice ever-so-slightly cracking at the fact that Remi was growing up so fast.

"You really think that?" the girl replied, a faint smile appearing on her face as she absentmindedly twirled the spoon in her hand.

"I do. Meet me in the study in thirty minutes, okay?" Freya said, turning on her heels and heading towards the courtyard. Remi nodded and bit the bottom corner of her lip, trying to contain her excitement. In just a short amount of time with the older witch, Remi had learned so much and she could only imagine what Freya had in store for her final lesson. 

Rebekah and Elijah congratulated her immensely, their pride for Remi's achievements bursting through their smiles. 

"Congratulations, little witch," Klaus said and held out his hand for a high-five. "You'll be rivaling Freya's magic in no time."

"I'm not so sure about that, but thanks," Remi responded, letting out a small chortle as she emptied her bowl of cereal into the marble sink.

"You can do anything you put your mind to, after all, you are a Mikaelson witch," Klaus said, a faint outline of a smile beginning to form on his lips once he saw Remi's hazel eyes look up at him. 

"What?" the girl asked, her voice barely audible. 

"Of course you are... our family hasn't been the same since you arrived into our lives, and, believe it or not, that's a good thing. You're a part of the Mikaelson legacy, you have been since the day Elijah and Marcel brought you here after fainting in Rousseau's. And, although my actions have been nothing if not questionable, you didn't let that scare you away. So, yes, Remi, your magic has infinite capabilities." Remi's eyes welled with happy tears as she ran to embrace Klaus in a hug. Elijah and Rebekah stood back, grinning from ear to ear as they watched Klaus act human for the first time in a millennium. 

-•-•-

"Are you ready?" Freya asked as Remi took at a seat next her in the study.

"Readier than I'll ever be," the girl replied, rolling her shoulders back a few times. "What's the spell?"

Freya waited a moment before replying, inwardly fighting with herself over whether or not she should continue forward. After all, she had no idea how Remi would react. "A spiritual connection spell." Remi furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head in curiosity. "It gives the practicer a temporary medium ability; to be able to contact the deceased," Freya continued, her voice soft and warm, knowing she was treading on a touchy subject.

Remi immediately looked up into Freya's eyes through her thick brown lashes. "My mom..." she breathed out, her heart skipping several beats.

"I'll understand if you aren't up for it, especially since it's your mother. But, it's never a bad trick to have in your back pocket for when the time comes that you do feel ready," Freya said, swiping her thumb underneath Remi's eye to catch a stray tear.

"Thank you, Freya," Remi responded as she leapt into the woman's arms, burying her head into her shoulder. Freya embraced the girl back, closing her eyes for a moment to keep even herself from shedding a few tears. Soon, Remi pulled away and chuckled at herself for being emotional.

"So how do we start?"

-•-•-

"They're been in that room for four hours now, what kind of spell are they working on?" Rebekah sighed, sinking deep into the couch in the courtyard.

"I got bored listening to it after thirty seconds. It just sounds like 'boopity boppity bleh bleh bleh'," Klaus replied, rolling his eyes.

"We can hear you!" a voice yelled from the study, which the originals snickered at.

After nearly an additional hour of practicing, the two witches emerged from the study, Remi's cheeks now a glistening pale red and the faint remains of a smile adorned her lips.

"How did it go?" Elijah asked as Remi took a side beside him and Rebekah. 

"It was amazing," she said as she rubbed the corners of her droopy eyes. 

"Well, then I guess congratulations are in order, litte one," Elijah said and embraced her in a hug.

"Thanks, 'Lijah," she replied.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Rebekah said, wrapping a warm arm around the girl. Remi looked up at Rebekah with thankful eyes and smiled.

Suddenly, a knock echoed throughout the abattoir. The hollow sound appeared to be originating from the entrance, so Klaus sent his siblings a look and sped to 'greet' whoever was there.

As his gaze struck that of a strange man, Klaus' dark veins and golden eyes appeared unwillingly. He knew who it was, and he was not happy. Although the man had a very un-intimidating look, the hybrid could feel his dark energy, as supposed to Remi's and Freya's magic which felt pure and light. 

"You must be the family that's been taking care of my daughter. Nice to meet 'cha, I'm Armand DeMarco," the man said, his voice sly and smug, but inwardly intimidated.

"I know. I could tell by your scent," Klaus replied, studying the man's facial expressions to the point where it could be a little creepy. 

"You're... Niklaus, then? The hybrid? I've sure heard a lot about you in the supernatural community," Armand continued, his eyes seeming to be glazed over and unfazed by the hybrid's studious glare.

"Enough with the small talk. What do you want?" Klaus asked as his voice descended into a low growl.

"My daughter."

"Klaus, don't yell at the Jehovah's Witnesses—" Remi barely managed to blurt out as she jogged to the entrance, but suddenly stopped in her tracks. "...Dad?"

The man tried his best to smile, but it came out as a strange grimace. "Um, come on inside I guess," Remi offered and looked up at Klaus with unsure eyes.

As Klaus and Remi walked back into the courtyard, Rebekah, Freya and Elijah noticed their new companion and immediately stood up, narrowing their eyes at the man.

"Elijah, Freya, Rebekah, this is Armand DeMarco, Remi's biological father," Klaus said, his voice led with venom.

"Ah, I see," Elijah said. Armand held out his hand, but Elijah paid it no attention and shoved his hands into his suit pockets.

"Pardon me, but what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Rebekah asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll say it again: I am here for my daughter," Armand replied, taking a step closer to Remi. The originals were ready to pounce on the man and rip his head off once and for all. They did not trust him... at all.

"Can we just, um, have a minute, guys? Five minutes at most, I promise," Remi spoke, her voice shifting to it's nervous and soft nature that they hadn't heard in a long while. All four originals hesitantly nodded and flashed into another room.

"Why? Why are you here after missing almost seventeen years of my life?" the girl asked, taking the same stance the Rebekah formerly had, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase, Remi. I want to get to know you. Now that two of your legal guardians have passed away, I think it's time that I finally step in."

"You don't have the right to talk about mom or Amelia. You left us! When I was a baby!" Remi shouted, feeling the beginning of hot, angry tears building up.

"I know... I don't ever think I'll be able to forgive myself for that. I tried to come back- after your mom's death- but your aunt Amelia wouldn't let me. I promise, Remi... I just want to make up for lost time," He stated, practically pleading, although his eyes didn't seem to say the same thing.

"Why should I trust you?" Remi asked, shrugging her shoulders, but silently hoping with all of her being that he would give her a good reason to care.

"Because you're my blood, and because I don't give up when it comes to blood," Armand replied and the two stood in silence for a short moment. "I want you to get to know my side of the family; your grandparents, uncles, aunts, all of them. I want this to work."

Remi darted her eyes up to his and stared in shock. "What?! But what about my life here? I can't just pack everything up and leave," she replied. She felt utterly conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to spend the rest of her life in New Orleans around the people she cared the most about: the Mikaelsons. She wanted to grow up in the same town she was born in, get married, and raise a family of her own. But on the other hand, a part of her wanted to give her father a chance. She thought about it, pondering what the four originals would tell her to do. Her mind wandered back to something Freya had said a while back: "It is better to at least catch a glimpse of family facing uncertainty than run forever and know nothing of family." In the next few seconds, she did something completely unlike her, and something that she never thought she would do in a million years.

"I'll do it," she said. Although she sounded confident and clear-minded, she was internally screaming. 

-•-•-

As another night in New Orleans came to a close, the familiar seating arrangement of Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Freya and Remi formed one last time. Wind swept throughout the courtyard, blowing the occasional leaf across one's shoe. Armand had left shortly after his and Remi's conversation, and the Mikaelsons heard every word. At first, they were ready to sever his head and serve it to his parents, but Remi had promised them numerous times that she was ready for this. 

"Have I ever told you guys that I love you?" the girl asked, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

"Hmm, doesn't ring a bell," Klaus replied, tilting up his nose and crinkling his forehead.

"The words sounds quite familiar, but I suppose you'll have to say them again, just to be safe," Elijah added.

"I love you, and you, and you, and you, and you too, Marcel!" Remi shouted, knowing that Marcel would probably be somewhere outside with his lackeys.

"Ditto, kid!" a voice called from outside as everyone chuckled.

"But really; thanks for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. I don't even think I'd be alive if it weren't for you guys."

"You'll always have a home with us, whether you like it or not," Rebekah said, sending a smile Remi's way.

-•-•-

Remi's head hit her pillow with a soft thud, the multiple events of the day finally taking their toll on the young girl. She had wanted to stay awake as long as humanly possible, because she knew that once morning came, she would have to say goodbye to the people she loved. Remi knew that she made the right choice, but why did it feel so wrong? Family is supposed to feel safe, but she was leaving her safety to chase after the unknown. She had no idea if it was going to work out in the end, but she was willing to give it a chance because she knew that she had people who would be there for her, people who she cared about, and people that cared for her.

As soon as the originals standing outside Remi's bedroom door heard her heartbeat slow to a peaceful beat, they knew she was safe, and off they went into the night. Klaus, however, chose not to go for a midnight snack. Instead, he stayed outside of her door for a short while longer.

"Tonight, you shall sleep, and you will dream of a world far better than this one; a world where there is no evil, no demons, and all people desire only to be good," he muttered softly, hoping that the young girl he had come to view as family would find her place in the world. And if going off with her biological father meant that she would find some sort of closure, then he damn well would support her along the way, even if it meant saying goodbye. 

-•-•-

aaaand we're back! I'm so sorry about the monthlong hiatus, but it felt really good to just focus all of my attention to finishing up 9th grade, so now I'm free to update as much as humanly possible! Just as a psa, I've already started on a little teaser for act 2 of this book (which will be coming out soon!), so keep your eyes peeled. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, so I just want to say, as always, I love you all so much, and thank you for 50,000 reads on this. I can honestly say that I never imagined that this fanfic would reach that number. You all mean the world to me <3 :,)

(also, this was straight up 2500 words, probably the most I've ever written for a chapter! I really hope you guys enjoyed!)

-charley