It was almost nine in the morning when Diane Boudreaux stirred from her slumber. When her eyelids opened up to the world she, at first, was confused of whereabouts and wondered where she was until memories of Niklaus Mikaelson flooded her memory and she smiled. Still so tired and her legs feeling like gelatin, she turned over in the enormous bed only to find it empty. She reached for her phone and when she saw that it was well past nine; she shoved the blankets off her body and moved toward the connecting bathroom to get a shower.

Diane turned the knobs and stepped beneath the shower head. It was Niklaus' bathroom and there weren't any of the proper feminine soaps, so she made for the bar of soap and used it on both her hair and body. The scent wasn't anything fancy and had more of a delicate smell to it. Not quite a flower scent, and yet, something she couldn't figure out.

When she finished, she stepped out of the shower and reached for one of the fluffy white towels on the rack and wrapped it around her body. Diane ventured back into the bedroom only to find someone she didn't recognize pushing a cart of food into the room like some hotel attendant. A gasp fell from her lips and she stumbled backward. "Who the hell are you?"

"Sorry," the man apologized, avoiding eye contact. "Klaus told me to bring you breakfast when you woke up. I'll go now."

"Yes, go, Will. You've got other things to do today," Niklaus said as he stepped inside the room.

The man, Will, glared at the original hybrid before leaving the room and closing the door behind him, causing Diane to raise an eyebrow.

"One of your little hybrids, I presume?"

Niklaus eyed her, for he didn't recall mentioning breaking his curse last night. "How do you know about that?"

"I ran into our old friend Stefan Salvatore at the Mystic Grill yesterday. He was the one who told me you were in Mystic Falls, and that you had broken your curse."

"Well, seeing as our old friend Stefan let the cat out of the bag, yes, I broke my curse," he said, lifting the lid from one of the breakfast trays. "And it was a rather irritating and long journey, but was worth it in the end, for I undid what my mother had done and become what I was always meant to be ─"

"The almighty hybrid," Diane finished, causing him to smile.

"Precisely," he replied.

With the towel still wrapped around her dripping wet body, she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "What did it feel like to phase for the first time?"

"It was like nothing I've ever felt before," he replied. The look in his eyes as he remembered running through the woods with the wind in his fur and the dirt on his paws made her smile. "It's a shame it only took so long."

Diane frowned. "I'm sorry your mother concealed that from you, Nik. And I wish I could have been there for you when you broke your curse."

"You're here now, love. That's all that matters."

Diane blushed, a smile growing on her face.

Niklaus removed another lid from the serving tray. "Now, are you hungry? I had Will fetch you some breakfast."

"Starving," Diane grinned. She got up from the bed and walked toward the tray. There were some waffles, bagels, cream cheese spreads and some fruit. She went with one of the delicious, fresh bagels, for the smell of them were calling to her.

He sighed in frustration. "I'm afraid Will didn't get any tea or coffee. No matter, I'll fetch that myself."

Diane flicked her wrist and the door that Niklaus was opening magically shut and locked. She smirked as he turned and stared at her in amusement. "I can deal without tea or coffee," she told him before grabbing a knife and spreading some cream cheese over the top of a bagel. She took a bite. "Mmm. It's no New Orleans bagel, that is for sure, but still fresh and delicious, though."

Niklaus chuckled. "Nothing comes close in comparison to the pastries of New Orleans. Well, perhaps a croissant from Paris, of course. Have you been, love?"

"To Paris?" she asked. He nodded. "No, unfortunately not."

He stepped around the cart of food and placed his hands on her waist, drawing her close. His eyes bore deep into her home, causing the air to leave her lungs at the intensity of his gaze. "I made a promise to you once that I would show you the world. I meant that, Diane. Just say the word and we'll be in Paris, Greece, the Bahamas, anywhere your heart desires."

Diane's heart filled with warmth. "You really know how to steal a woman's heart, don't you?"

Niklaus smirked before leaning down to kiss her. He felt her wrap her free hand around his neck and curl her fingers into his hair. When her bath towel slipped down, for she was no longer holding it up, she drew back and set her bagel on the table.

"I should get dressed."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Running off so soon?"

"Not yet," she replied while gathering her discarded clothing. Diane let her towel fall to the floor and started getting dressed. As she secured the straps of her bra, she felt his arms wrap around her waist and a pair of lips brush against her neck. She groaned. "Nik, we can't stay in bed all day, you know."

"We've done it before," he mumbled against her neck, causing her to shiver. "Or have you forgotten?"

Diane's cheeks flushed. "No." Her voice sounded small as he continued to kiss her neck, causing him to smirk. "I haven't forgotten."

His hands creeped around to the button of her jeans, lips never leaving the sweet spot behind her ear that only he knew about, and in that moment the Boudreaux witch seemed to forget every little care and worry in the world. Diane turned in his arms and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and smashing her lips against his own. She curled her fingers through his sandy blonde hair, surrendering to the passion and desire.

　
✧ ✦ ✧
　

When Diane first met the Mikaelson family, she was a little frightened of them. After all, they were the most powerful vampires in creation and even though she had magic, any of them could easily drain her of every drop of her blood or rip her heart from her body in the blink of an eye. But, over time, she grew fond of them, most of all Niklaus. He was charming and handsome and seductive, albeit stubborn and temperamental, but she had grown to love him anyway. He had charmed in her but two years' time and the rest was history. She'd sneak out of her home and away from her family just to wander into his bed chambers and underneath the sheets.

Diane smiled as she lay curled into his side, her head resting against his shoulder and her arm draped over his bare chest. "I missed this," she whispered.

Niklaus kissed the top of her head. And it was silent for a moment before he asked, "Where did you go?"

She glanced up at him. "What?"

"Where did you go after you woke up?"

"Back to New Orleans," she replied. "I visited my parents, who were less than pleased with me, as I'm sure you're aware. They never were fond of you, or your family. When I told them what happened to us in Chicago, my father actually vowed to hex you into oblivion if he ever saw you again."

Niklaus chuckled. "I would expect nothing less. Your father was a . . . possessive man."

"Look whose talking," she teased lightly. "But can you blame him? I was my father's only child. His only daughter. He had every right to care and protect me as much as he did."

"Did you stay in New Orleans the whole time?" he wondered.

"No," she shook her head. "At least not the entire time. After my goddaughter's parents were killed, I took her and left the city so she would be safe. We traveled a bit but eventually settled in Colorado so I could raise her properly. I've been there for the past two decades now." Diane leaned back on her elbow. "What about you?"

"Europe mostly," Niklaus replied as she got up from the bed and head toward the untouched food. He sat up against the headboard and watched her. "A little time here in the states, but never in Colorado. Eventually I was drawn here when word got out about the new doppelgänger."

Diane licked the cream cheese from her finger, but before she could say anything, the sound of glass met their ears. She whipped around toward the door before turning back around and looking at him with furrowed her eyebrows. "What was that?"

He growled lowly. "Probably one of my hybrids. They tend to break things around the house. You'd think having enhanced senses and agility that they'd be able to see where they are going."

She chuckled and watched as he moved around the room to get dress. "How many hybrids do you have, exactly?"

"Lets just say I've lost count."

Diane raised an eyebrow. "And they all live here?"

"None of them live here," Niklaus replied, slipping his shirt over his head. "But they come and go." Before he slipped out the door, he stepped toward her and placed one last kiss to her lips.

"Hurry back," she called after him.

When the door closed behind him, Diane moved to collect her discarded clothes. When dressed, she plopped down on the bed with her bagel and reached for her phone. She unlocked her screen and her eyes widened when she saw that she had voicemail from Andrea. It was left a little over an hour ago, which meant . . . damn it, Diane, you had to give into your desires!

She clicked play and put her phone to her ear to listen to the voicemail. Diane, it's Andrea. I found something interesting about my family a few days ago. You know that strange birthmark on my shoulder? The one that looks like a crescent moon? Well, apparently it has some significance, after all. I'm in New Orleans right now, trying to look for this Crescent wolf pack. I know you said you've lived here before, so I thought maybe you could join me? I'll see you soon. Or maybe not. Either way, talk soon. Love you.

"No, no, no, no, no," Diane whispered. New Orleans was the last place she ever wanted her goddaughter to be. If the people there found out who she was, it wouldn't end well for anyone. She had to get there before anything bad happened to her. She got up from the bed and went searching for her shoes. When she found them, she slipped them on and left the room.

Diane ventured down the hall and just as she was rushing down the stairs, Niklaus rounded the corner with two hybrids hot on his heels. They glanced at her before walking out the door to do whatever it was Nik wanted them to do.

Niklaus noticed the shoes on her feet and his heart sunk. "Where are you off to?"

"I have to go."

"You didn't have to leave just yet."

"I know I did, but I have a voicemail from my goddaughter. She needs me right now, Nik. I'm sorry."

"Allow me to join you," he offered.

"I can't," Diane denied, though not too harsh and not too quickly. "I would love for you to come, I would, but this is something that I need to handle on my own. She's my responsibility and mine alone." She took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not sure how long I will be gone, but I promise that I will return to you, Niklaus Mikaelson."

He kissed her then, long and hard and passionate, and she felt everything that he wanted to say but didn't have the time to. And when he drew back, lips swollen and breath fanning her cheeks, he whispered, "Don't be gone too long, love."

.･:✦ ────────────── ✦:･.

a/n: We're moving along guys!
Little Hope, as you've probably
already asummed, has been
conceived, and Andrea is off in
New Orleans trying to find her pack.
And in case you're wondering ─
Diane purposely didn't tell Klaus
her goddaughter's name because
while Andrea isn't the baby mama,
she still had that conversation
with Klaus about her birthmark
where he told her about the Crescent
Pack. So, if Diane had told Klaus
her name, he'd know she is going
to New Orleans and we can't
have Klaus in New Orleans just
yet.