The witches of New Orleans forgot one very important thing when they began to meddle with the old magics and rituals they didn't completely understand.

You.

An Original vampire turned with your husband a thousand years ago. Even then it had been whispered that the two of you were soulmates. Destined to be together for an eternity as it turned out. But that bond had consequences the Original witch hadn't foreseen when she wove her treacherous spell.

Though all the Mikaelsons were loyal to one another, your loyalty knew no bounds. Not only with your husband but his siblings as well. Your need to protect your family had turned you almost feral on more than one occasion with only your Elijah being able to center you and keep you from destroying the world around you. There was a time when you were the most feared amongst them. There was no length you wouldn't go to, no line you wouldn't cross to protect your family.

And you seemed to have a preternatural sense for trouble brewing on the horizon. But that hadn't been enough to save you all those years ago. Mikael needed you out of the way and the witches wanted all the Mikaelsons gone, so they'd come to an agreement. You'd been trapped, subdued and locked away deep in a crypt in one of New Orleans many cemeteries. Bound and hidden with magic, you'd been vaguely aware of the world passing around you. Of time ticking, oh so slowly away.

Until the day the spell weakened. At first, it was subtle, barely noticeable, but every day it seemed that you had more freedom. And then you were free. The crypt lay in a pile of rubble behind you and you resisted the urge to laugh. Now was not the time. You had witches to kill and a family to find.

It didn't take you long to locate a witch. This was New Orleans after all. You smiled at her and tilted your head as you looked her over. As much as you wished to simply destroy every witch you encountered, not all of them were self-serving evil creatures. Just most of them.

"I don't think we've met," the other woman said, her voice hesitant.

"It is unlikely unless you are far older than you appear. Tell me, witch. What know you of the Mikaelsons?"

A sharp pain pierced your head as she cast her spell. It had your knees buckling temporarily but pure rage drove you forward. One quick movement had her heart in your hand. More of her kind emerged from the shadows and you moved through them with quick precision. "Fools," you snarled as you grasped the last witch by the neck. Her fingers clawed at your hand as you pulled her forward and sunk your teeth into her neck.

Your eyes nearly rolled back in your head as you drank the sweet elixir from her veins. It had been far too long. And to think, if they had used a different spell to contain you, you would have been too weak to fight them. Irony at its best.

You left the bodies where they were, more interested in sending a message to the rest of the magic population of the city than in being caught. The sights around you had changed but not to the point you were unable to find your way to your former home. A cold rain began to fall as you prowled the streets. It didn't take long for you to arrive at the Abattoir, but you kept your distance and observed.

Your family wasn't here. There were too many vampires roaming about for one thing. For another you didn't feel them. They were nearby, but not here. When a lone vampire made his way to the streets, you followed him a short distance before grabbing him. He tried to fight but you simply kept your hand pressed to his chest so he was pinned to the wall.

"Are you finished?" you asked with a raised brow.

"Who are you?"

"Where are the Mikaelsons?" You had no intention of answering his question but he would answer yours, one way or another.

"Who's asking?"

You curled your fingers, digging the tips into his flesh. One quick movement was all it would take to rip out his heart just as you'd done to the witches. "Mikaelsons?"

"The plantation outside of town. It used to be the governor's place."

Interesting. You knew the house. Had been there more than once before your imprisonment. You considered letting the man go, but decided against it. He was so uncooperative after all. His heart splashed in a puddle at your feet before you flashed away.

***

The house was dark, empty, and for a moment you worried you had been led astray. You met with no resistance as you entered the house and it didn't take long for you to ascertain that your family was simply out of the house for the moment. Their scents were everywhere. Well, Niklaus, Elijah and Rebekah at any rate. And...a wolf? Two wolves, perhaps? Odd.

You located the kitchen and used the bar of soap to scrub the blood from your hands. A bath was in order but first, the blood. When you were mostly clean, save some discoloration under your fingernails, you headed up the stairs. Your bare feet sank into the carpet and you trailed your fingers along the bannister. In moments you found yourself in Elijah's room. A quick search and you were in possession of one of his shirts and a pair of loose pants. You were unfamiliar with the material, but it appeared comfortable enough.

After ascertaining how the shower worked, you washed, feeling clean for the first time in nearly a century. You dressed in Elijah's clothes then sat on the stairs to await the return of your family. When the door opened you stood, your hand grasping the railing to give you strength. There they were. Klaus, Rebekah and, most importantly, your Elijah. A visibly pregnant brunette was with them, Elijah's hand resting on her back. Your eyes narrowed at the familiarity, but you remained silent.

It was Rebekah who spotted you first. Her laughter faded and her eyes grew wide. Her hand flew to her mouth with a gasp and tears pooled in her eyes. Your own teared up in response.

"What the devil is wrong with you, Rebekah?" Klaus snapped as Rebekah had some to a sudden stop in front of him. He followed her gaze until he too found you. His jaw went tight as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Elijah's attention had been drawn by Niklaus's exclamation and he glanced back at his younger siblings. His brow furrowed in concern as he turned to see what had captured their attention. His hand immediately fell away from the brunette as he took a step forward. "Y/N." Your name was little more than a breath on his lips.

"My love," you responded, the tears now flowing freely down your face.

In a blink, Elijah was in front of you. His hands cradled your face as his thumbs wiped away your tears and his eyes ran over every feature. "You're here." His brow furrowed again as he snatched his hands away and took a step backward. "You can't be. This is a trick." His voice broke and your heart along with it.

It pained you to see the ever stoic man so uncertain. You reached out to touch his face and he leaned away. You closed your eyes and sucked in a breath before opening them again. "It's me, Elijah. I'm free."

"What do you mean free?" Rebekah asked as she moved closer to the stairs. "You died. We all saw it."

Your gaze darted between the three siblings and you shook your head. "No. I was captured and imprisoned in a crypt here in the city. The magic lost it's hold and I escaped." You focused your attention solely on your husband. "I came home to you."

He shook his head again, took another step away from you. "It's not possible. It can't be."

"Elijah—" Klaus started only for his brother to cut him off.

"No. It can't be her. She can't be here," he yelled, his hands fisted at his sides.

"Why not?" you asked, quietly.

"Because if you are my Y/N, then I failed you far worse than I ever imagined. Your death was a hard enough burden to bear but the thought of you imprisoned for a hundred years while I did nothing to save you is too much." Your heart had never felt as heavy as it did as you watched your husband sink to the steps beneath him and drop his head into his hands. His shoulders heaved as he sobbed.

The sound tore at you and you closed the distance between you. Your arms wrapped around him from behind while you tried to quiet him with comforting noises. When his tears had subsided somewhat you moved around so you could see his face. You cupped his face in your hand while his eyes followed your every movement. You smiled though you still shared his pain. "You could never fail me, Elijah Mikaelson. Even if I remained in that crypt for a thousand more years, it would never be your failure, my love."

His dark eyes studied you as you comforted him and you could see the hope building in them. You kissed him then. A soft press of the lips. A promise of more later. A touch you'd been waiting a hundred years for.

"Y/N?"

Your smile grew as you nodded your head. "It's me, Elijah. I'm home. I'm here."

His arms wrapped around you and pulled you to him. If you'd been human you would have suffered at least a broken rib or two. But you were made sturdier than that and simply returned the gesture with the same strength and love as he poured into you. "You came home to me," he said finally.

You pulled back to look at him and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. "Always, my love. Always and forever."