I sat back on the couch beside Hayley as I watched Klaus yell and lecture Sophie Deveraux about how she managed to fail at protecting his unborn child. The poor girl just sat back and listen to every word he said, flinching at every time his voice got louder.

"We had a deal!" my brother shouted, "You protect my unborn child, I dismantle Marcel's army. And whilst I've been busy fulfilling my part of the bargain, you allowed Hayley to be attacked and almost killed by a gaggle of lunatic witches."

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear." Sophie replies frantically, "Hayley and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die."

"Then who were they?" Rebekah asks, confused.

"They are a faction of extremists." Sophie sighs, "Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the baby."

"What kind of vision?" Klaus asks, suspiciously.

"She has them all the time." Sophie answers, "They are totally open to interpretation. I'm guessing she's wrong on this one."

"Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?" Klaus asks, crossing his arms.

Sophie hesitates, "Pretty much that your baby would bring death to all witches."

"Ah, well. I grow fonder of this child by the second." Klaus smiles.

"Sophie, look." Rebekah begins, "Isabella and I promised Elijah that we would protect the Mikaelson miracle-baby whilst he tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty. Why don't you tell us just how extreme this faction is?"

"Elijah's talking to Davina?" Sophie asks, shocked.

"Yeah. As we speak, I imagine."

"I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd." Sophie says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, intrigued.

"I...wasn't always an advocate for the witches." Sophie replies.

"My sister was devoted, like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts." Sophie begins, "The minute I turned twenty-one, I left the Quarter to travel... and play. But, I wanted to be a chef, so I came back to Rousseau's."

"And one day Jane-Anne came to Rousseau's and told me that the elders called a vote. They were moving forward with the harvest." she finishes.

"What the bloody hell is a Harvest?" Rebekah asks.

"It's a ritual our coven does every three centuries so that the bond to our ancestral magic is restored." Sophie answers, "We appease our ancestors, they keep our ancestral power flowing."

"And why haven't I heard of this?" Klaus asks.

"Because a Harvest always seemed like a myth." she says, "A story, passed on through generations like Noah's ark, or the Buddha walking on water. The kind some people take literally, and some people don't."

Sophie then proceeds to tell us about how the harvest ritual is done. How a dozen young witches kneel down and an older witch cuts their palms.

"They had the girls of our community preparing for months." Sophie says, "Four would be chosen for the Harvest. They said that it was an honor, that they were special. I thought it was a myth."

"Was it?" Rebekah asks.

Sophie looks guilty, and opens her mouth to reply but Klaus's cell phone rings. He looks at his phone and huffs, before answering it and putting on a fake smile.

"Marcel." Klaus greets, "Bit early in the day for you, isn't it?"

I listen to their conversation.

"I know, I make this look easy, but I still have an empire to run." Marcel says from the other end.

"Rather you than me. All that responsibility seems like such a bore." Klaus replies.

"Well, this might spice things up." Marcel says, "I just heard about a bunch of dead witches out in the Bayou. The kinda damage a werewolf might do, only there was no full moon. I have an informant out there I need to meet, and I would love for you to go with me."

"Dead witches in the Bayou. Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration."

Sophie's head rises in alarm.

"Well, something killed them. And may still be out there. And with your blood the only cure for a werewolf bite, I would love for you to accompany me." Marcel says.

"Oh, why not? Haven't been to the Bayou in ages. I'm on my way."

"Peace out, brother." Marcel says before he hands up.

"You can't go out there now." Sophie says, standing up. "I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we'll lose the link to their magic."

"Those witches tried to kill Hayley. I'd prefer for Marcel's informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us, to her, or to... you know..." He points at Hayley's stomach, "That."

"You are all class." Hayley says, rolling her eyes.

"Stay put." Klaus says, pointing at Sophie. "And save the rest of your story 'til I return."

—

"You told Klaus to stall Marcel, right?" I ask Rebekah as her, Hayley, Sophie, and I walk through the woods of the bayou to look for the dead witches.

"Yes." she nodded, "He was not happy. But hopefully he listens and doesn't come after us himself."

I nodded, letting silence fall over us before I spoke again.

"I can't believe I ever liked Marcel." I said honestly, "He used to be the little boy that gave us hope to make Klaus a better person. But now he's the jerk competing Klaus for the empire."

We continue walking throughout the woods, swatting and slapping away bees and tree branches.

"So, this Harvest thingy." Rebekah spoke, "Tell me more."

"Klaus said to wait." Sophie replied.

"Yes." Rebekah nodded, "He also said to stay out of the bayou and yet here we are, amongst the crawly, buzzy creatures."

"We're here." Hayley says just as we reach the place where the witches were killed.

Dead witches are scattered everywhere, their bodies bloodied and ripped apart. Sophie, who looks sick, kneels down to dig around her bag for the ingredients she needs to consecrate her fellow witches.

"Whoa." Hayley says, looking at a huge paw-print in the mud and three bloody scratches on a nearby tree.

"Is that a wolf track?" Sophie asks.

The sound of crunching footsteps are heard nearby and I look around in alarm, listening in.

"Who's there?" Rebekah calls out.

A male vampire approaches us and I eye him. He looks at us before his eyes land on me and Rebekah, his eyes frantically looking between us.

"What the hell?" he exclaims, "Originals?"

The vampire immediately runs away with vampire speed, leaving us standing and gaping in shock.

"Must be a fan." I mumbled, frowning.

I turn to Rebekah, "He seems like one of Marcel's vampires searching the bayou. Call Klaus and tell him to make sure the boy doesn't rat us out."

Rebekah nods and walks away, pulling out her phone. A few minutes later, she returns as she swats a mosquito from her arm.

"I've gotta go." she says.

"Where?" I ask.

"To Klaus." she replies, "He needs to me distract Marcel while he takes care of that scrawny vampire."

"Okay." I nod, "You go. I'll stay here with them."

"Okay, thanks." she smiles at me, "Don't die."

I chuckle and watch as she vamp-speeds away. I sigh and turn to Hayley and Sophie, watching as Hayley leaned against a tree and Sophie starting the ritual.

—

Rebekah, Hayley, and I were finally home after the long day we had. We sat in the living room and drank, except Hayley, and talked. All the while, I felt worry for Klaus since he hasn't been home for a long time.

Finally, the front door opens and I stand up, sighing in relief.

"Finally, Klaus you had me – " I cut myself off when Elijah walks through the door after Klaus, his face lighted up with a huge smile.

"Elijah!" I exclaim happily before running to him and crush him into a bear hug.

Elijah laughs, "It's good to see you, Isabella."

"God, I've missed you like crazy." I sighed as he pecked my forehead softly.

I step back just as Rebekah pulls him into a tight hug. Elijah smiles at her before his eyes fall on Hayley, and they smile at each other before Hayley walks out of the room.

"Elijah! You're safe!" Rebekah sighs in relief, "Now that you're home, is your first plan to kill Niklaus?"

Elijah smiles, "Excuse me just a moment."

He walks through the living room toward the backyard, leaving a confused Rebekah behind.

"Where's he going?"

"Probably reuniting with our baby mama." I said, smirking to myself.

Later, we all sit in the study where Elijah stands behind the desk and explains everything that he had learned from Davina.

"Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie." Elijah begins, "This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over Davina."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my face turning up in confusion.

"Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant." Elijah begins, "Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister can use you to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family."

Elijah steps forward, "In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone."

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