YOUNG BLOOD
i. new orleans

HARSH BREATHS ESCAPED Erin Gilbert's lips as she heaved a cardboard box into the back of her car. The entirety of the vehicle had been packed to the brim, not a single space clear of other boxes, bags, or loose items. Everything she would need when she made her way to her new home away from home, New Orleans.

For the last few months, Erin savored the time she had with her family. The miracle that came to pass when the veil between their world and the Other Side fell. The resurrection of her brother, Jeremy. She failed to believe it most days, until she crawled out of bed and found him sitting in the Boarding House parlor or at the kitchen's island counter. But even as the shock faded, she learned to appreciate the gift she had been given.

So, Erin spent as much time as she could with her siblings. After all, they wouldn't be able to see one another when she left for Tulane and Elena for Whitmore. They watched movies, binged at The Grill, and visited with the few friends that were still around throughout the summer.

But all too soon, August reared its head and they were forced to say their goodbyes. Not permanently, of course. They would be just a simple phone call away.

Erin huffed, stepping away as the box remained in place without a lot of shoving. She might not be able to see out the back window, but at least she managed to fit everything inside. Luckily, her apartment was already furnished.

At least Klaus Mikaelson was good for something.

As the back hatch of the car lowered, Erin turned to where her siblings stood beneath the front awning of the home. "That's everything," she voiced, facing them with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Jeremy pointed at her and exclaimed, "hey, we talked about this. No crying."

"I know. I just - maybe I should stay until you get settled into school," Erin rushed out, realizing what she was about to do. Leave her family and friends for the unknown. "You know, the whole 'burning down the house and faking your death' thing is gonna be hard enough. I could put off going for a few days."

"Stop," Elena replied and moved forward to grasp Erin's arms. "You're going. You're gonna go to class and pull all-nighters, and party on Bourbon Street. But, only on the weekends." She smiled, bringing Erin to laugh.

"Elena's right," Jeremy stated, stepping up to their sister's side. "We'll talk all the time, and we'll see you for Thanksgiving."

Erin knew they were right. It wasn't like she would drive off and never speak to them again. She would just be in a different town, a different state several hours away. But she could always come back whenever she got the chance.

"Snacks for the road," Damon called out as he exited the home with a canvas tote bag held in his hand. He approached Erin and offered it for her to take. "Should last long enough for you to make it in time for the dinner rush. And you have nothing to worry about. I am gonna take care of your little brother." He reached out and patted Jeremy on the shoulder.

Jeremy just gave him a look.

The doubt that pooled in Erin's stomach didn't lessen, but she tried to push it aside. She needed to go. She needed to do something for herself, even if that meant potentially hurtling toward a feud between Klaus and a coven of witches.

With a deep breath, Erin nodded. "Alright. Okay, I, uh, if you need anything, call me. I don't care if it's three in the morning or in the afternoon. And if I have to come back just..."

"Hey," Jeremy interjected and captured her gaze. "We'll be fine. And you're not coming back until Thanksgiving. Promise?"

Erin sighed, knowing that she couldn't argue with Jeremy or Elena. They were just as stubborn as she was. "Okay, promise. Thanksgiving it is," she agreed, before she pulled him in for a hug.

They held one another for a long moment, before Elena took her brother's place and squeezed Erin tight. "This'll be good. For you, and for me," she said and leaned away with a bright smile. "Call me when you make it there."

Erin nodded, blinking rapidly to rid the tears threatening to form. She wouldn't cry. "I will."

After she gave Damon a quick hug, Erin turned and headed for the driver's side. She popped the door open, but she paused and cast one last glance toward her family. Their proud and encouraging smiles were the final push she needed to climb behind the wheel.

It was time to start a new chapter of her life

__________

"Could you drive any slower?" Rebekah exclaimed from where she claimed the passenger seat, fiddling with the phone in her hands.

Erin began to regret letting the Original carpool with her. The backseat driving had only increased when they left the French Quarter, and it quickly grew on her last nerve. And they hadn't even come across what would prove to be their most annoying part of the day.

"Are you in that big of a hurry to fight with your brother?" Erin questioned as she slowed the car, turning down a long driveway that curved through the thick Louisiana landscape.

Rebekah scoffed. "I'm in a hurry to figure out what my bastard brother had done to Elijah," she shot back with a sharp glare. "I can't believe you kept this from me. Two whole months of my brother rotting in a box as I wined and dined my way through Europe."

Erin sighed, glancing away from the high-beam lit drive to the agitated blonde. "Nothing good would've come from you charging down here. You really think he's gonna undagger Elijah because you ask nicely? I doubt that's gone over well in the past." Her eyes returned to the asphalt lane.

"Who said anything about asking?" Rebekah countered, before her attention shifted toward their destination.

A large plantation home sat nestled amidst the sprawling forest, drawing them closer with the warm lights along its white façade. Erin had seen her fair share of them back home, but the one before her seemed grander and far more luxurious. She expected nothing less from the Mikaelsons.

Klaus's Range Rover remained outside, parked closeby for easy access. The hybrid was definitely home.

Erin pulled her car up to the entrance, coming to a stop by a circular patch of grass. She barely had time to switch the ignition off, before Rebekah hopped out and stormed toward the front door.

Great. Why did Erin agree to come with Rebekah?

Right, the Original did haul all her belongings into her apartment. She guessed the least she could do was help interrogate Klaus. Although, she had hoped to wait a day before she started to search for Elijah. Driving for seven hours straight was a lot harder than it seemed.

Erin exited the car and hurried toward the home. She arrived in time to find Rebekah in the foyer with a familiar face. Hayley, Tyler's werewolf friend from the Appalachians and the girl carrying Klaus's unborn baby.

Oh, how Erin found that thought so strange. Klaus Mikaelson, the Original hybrid, managed to father a child. It sounded absurd. Impossible, even.

But she supposed that had been the case, as of late. The impossible turned possible. Her brother did miraculously come back from the dead not too long ago. A magical child, though? She supposed no one would've ever imagined that could become a reality.

Rebekah appraised the werewolf girl from head to toe and voiced, "I was expecting to see some kind of supernatural, miracle baby bump. Guess you're not showing yet. It's Hayley, isn't it?"

Hayley crossed her arms as she faced the Original. "You have your brother's manners," she retorted.

Rebekah gave her a flat look. "And his temper, too, so watch it. Now, how long has Elijah been gone?"

Hayley shrugged. "Disappeared the day after he saved me from that coven of witches," she answered.

Erin huffed with a shake of her head. Not long after Elijah arrived in New Orleans. Klaus certainly didn't waste any time getting rid of his brother.

"One minute he was here making epic promises about protecting me in this predicament that a bottle of scotch and some bad decisions got me into," Hayley continued, scratching at her hair as the topic of her surprise pregnancy came about. "He was all poetic about how we're family – and then Klaus told me he bailed. Guess that's what I get for trusting a vampire."

Rebekah's expression hardened. "Elijah is not just any vampire, and he doesn't break promises. Niklaus has just done something dastardly and Klaus-like." She turned on her heel and strode into the adjoined sitting room to yell, "Klaus! Get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother, you narcissistic, backstabbing wanker!"

Klaus emerged from somewhere inside and replied, "enough with all the shouting, little sister."

Erin ignored them for a moment and turned to where Hayley lingered. "I would say you get used to them, but you never really do," she supplied in what she hoped was a kind manner. She seriously needed a nap, and the bickering siblings began to give her a headache.

Hayley looked her way with furrowed brows. "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in Mystic Falls?" she asked curiously.

"Moved here for college," Erin relayed, before her expression scrunched. "Although, I might've decided against it if I knew the city was overrun with vampires and vindictive witches."

On the drive down to Louisiana, Erin got a call from Rebekah. Boredom had apparently struck the Original, seeing as how they traveled separately for a majority of the trip, which prompted her to speak with the one person who was about to launch into the same world. A world ruled by a vampire named Marcel Gerard.

In the hours it took to reach the city, Rebekah told her everything she knew about the current state of New Orleans. After she and her siblings fled over a hundred years ago from Mikael, Marcel rose to power with a group of wayward vampires and somehow managed to gain control over the witches who resided there. Witches who wanted to use Klaus's unborn child as leverage against him.

Why? Erin didn't know, but she figured the reason would eventually reveal itself. Ulterior motives always seemed to.

Hayley pressed her lips together and nodded. "Probably would've been the smart choice."

Erin began to think the same thing.

With a sigh, Erin turned and entered the lavishly decorated sitting room where Rebekah and Klaus faced one another. She caught them amidst their conversation, empty formatlites already forgotten.

"I do have friends. I have Marcel. You remember him, don't you?" Klaus retorted, causing his sister to stiffen. He grinned. "Yes, of course you do. He fancies himself 'King of the Quarter' now. It'll be fun to see what sort of punishment he comes up with for you."

Rebekah's expression hardened. "I don't care about Marcel or his rules. Elijah doesn't welch on deals. What did you do to him?"

Klaus's lips pursed as he leaned back to rest against the couch behind him. "Perhaps he's on holiday, or taking a long autumn nap upstairs." He pointed toward the ceiling, indicating to the level above their heads.

Erin scoffed and stepped forward with her arms crossed over the light fabric of her tank top. "You mean a forced nap with a dagger in his chest," she spoke up and captured his attention. "You had two, almost three, months to fix this thing with the witches and wake him up. Why haven't you?"

Klaus met her narrowed gaze and produced a smile. "I don't know what you're talking about. But, feel free to have a look around. Rebekah remembers this house as well as I." His eyes flickered back to his sister.

Rebekah kicked off the hardwood floor, heading for a set of double doors at the edge of the room. "I remember everything," she stated and tore them open to step through.

Erin followed after her, as did Klaus. The door led to a hallway that jutted off from the foyer. A few more doors lined the walls. She thought Rebekah would start with one of them, but she remained in the corridor as a reminiscent look flashed across her face.

"I remember how the drunken fool of a governor hid away all of our vampire sins in exchange for gold. I remember the lavish parties the governor threw, as if to impress you," Rebekah recounted from their days in the city. "I remember finding a moment of affection with the governor's son, Emil. And I remember that even Elijah was happy - before you killed what little happiness I had."

Erin snapped to the hybrid with wide eyes. Did he always destroy what little joy his siblings ever gained? It was no wonder they grew to despise him more than love him.

Klaus simply dropped onto a sofa along the wall, free of remorse or guilt. "Well, he wasn't good enough for you."

"No one was ever good enough for me, Nik," Rebekah's stare bore into him. "You made sure of that. Now, where's Elijah?"

Instead of answering, Klaus pulled out his phone that began to buzz in his jacket pocket. He glanced toward the screen and stood to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Rebekah questioned as he moved for the front door.

Klaus paused and turned to her. "It appears the night is not quite over yet. I'm off for another drink with Marcel."

"Elijah told me about your plan to take apart Marcel's empire piece-by-piece," Rebekah voiced in return. "I don't remember it involving you two drinking New Orleans dry together."

Erin couldn't say that she was surprised when she learned that Klaus wanted to take the city away from Marcel. He always needed to be on top. The most powerful and the most feared. And he couldn't have that with Marcel on his metaphorical throne.

Klaus stopped before her and said, "I know you don't have many friends, Rebekah, but what some friends do when they get together is - they drink. And when they drink, they tell secrets. Marcel somehow found a way to control the entirety of the witches in the Quarter, and I aim to uncover the how so I might take it for myself. Finding Elijah didn't make my to-do list today." He spun on his heel and moved to throw the door open. Before he stepped outside, he paused and looked back. "Oh, and welcome home, little sister."

Erin rolled her eyes as the door clicked closed with his exit. The reaction was expected, but it still annoyed her to no end. Klaus treated his siblings like objects, locking them up when he didn't want to deal with them anymore. He held no regard for what they felt, what they wanted in life. If it didn't aid Klaus in some way, he failed to care.

Fine. Klaus didn't want to wake Elijah. That just meant Erin and Rebekah would have to do it themselves.

Erin turned to the sole Original with a quirked brow. "Can I say I told you so, or...?"

"Shut up," Rebekah exclaimed and strode toward the foyer. She paused, scanning the space, until her gaze lifted to the second landing of the central staircase. "You, wolf girl. I'm going to search this house inch-by-inch until I find what my evil brother has done to my good one. You're helping."

Hayley stood from where she sat on the stairs, descending them with a huff.

Erin gave her a sympathetic look, before she followed after Rebekah. They stepped through one of the doors within the connected hallway, finding a spiral staircase that led deep into the ground.

A creepy basement under a plantation home. No surprise as to what lurked in the shadows.

Erin pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight option. The small beam led their way until Rebekah did the same.

"The governor had lots of secret rooms," Rebekah told them as they headed further and further below the home. "I'll show you his favorite."

The pristine stairway morphed into grey brickwork, covered in thick layers of dust and grime and riddled with tangled webs. Erin cringed, stepping into the darkened room. She shone her light across the stone floor, pausing when she came across three maroon coffins with the Mikaelson emblem on the surface.

"You think Klaus killed him?" Hayley questioned, taking in the sight of the coffins with wide eyes.

Rebekah sighed as she stopped closer to the wooden banes of her existence. "We can't be killed, silly girl. That doesn't stop Klaus from finding ways to to torture us. He has a set of mystical silver daggers. One in the heart sends us into a deep slumber. Klaus gets his jollies from keeping us in a box until he decides to pull the dagger out. Erin assumed that's what he has done to Elijah." She pointed toward one of the coffins with her light. "This one's mine."

Hayley looked at the Original in shock. "He keeps your coffin on standby?"

"He likes to be prepared for when his family members inevitably disappoint him," Rebekah in a nonchalant manner.

Erin drowned out her long-winded explanation and swept her light across the room. One of the coffins was missing. "Elijah's isn't here," she stated.

Rebekah nodded. "He must've stashed him elsewhere."

Hayley's expression slacked as she stared blankly toward the coffins. "I feel sick," she muttered.

Erin turned to the werewolf girl, a pang of sympathy spread throughout her chest. She never even considered what Hayley felt about her place in everything.

Just a few months ago, Hayley had been free to do as she pleased without a miracle baby inside of her. Albeit in an untrustworthy alliance with Professor Atticus Shane and then Katherine Pierce, but free nonetheless. Now, she had to worry about bringing a child into the world and dealing with the Mikaelsons.

Erin couldn't even imagine how strange and terrifying it happened to be. Hayley hadn't grown mildly accustomed to the Originals and their toxic dynamic. She hadn't dealt with scenarios that bordered apocalyptic. And there she stood, smack dab in the middle of it all.

"Welcome to the family, love," Rebekah told the young wolf. "You should've run the second you realized Elijah was gone."

Hayley released a long breath. "Yeah, well, the witches have put some sort of hex on me. As long as I'm carrying this baby, I can't leave New Orleans. If I do, they kill me."

"Well, knowing Klaus, he's planning a box for you the second you give birth to whatever's cooking in your tum."

Erin's mouth dropped open as she snapped toward the Original. "Rebekah!"

Rebekah simply shrugged. "You know as well as I that it's true," she replied, before she looked away from Erin and back to Hayley. "I'm leaving as soon as I find Elijah. Being daggered in a box for decades sucks, trust me. You'd best find a way to break that hex and run." She moved around them and left the room without another word.

Erin glared at the Original's back until she was no longer in sight. She then set her attention on Hayley, finding her in a thoughtful daze. "Don't listen to her," she voiced and forced the werewolf to look her way. "Klaus is psychotic, but he's not completely heartless. You should see the way he is with Caroline. You remember her? Blonde, perky, Tyler Lockwood's girlfriend." Hayley nodded. "He's like, in love with her. And if he's capable of that, he's not gonna kill the mother of his child."

Hayley quirked a brow, clearly skeptical. "How're you so sure?"

Erin pressed her lips together and remained silent for a moment. She wasn't, not really, but she found it hard to believe someone who could love Caroline Forbes would kill the woman who gave him a child.

"I'm not, but just - call it a feeling," Erin replied and then held out her hand. "Give me your phone." Hayley's brows creased further, but she reached into her jacket and gave her the device. Erin scrolled on the screen, opening up the address book to type in her number. "Here's my number. Call me if you need anything, or if you just wanna talk."

Hayley took back her phone when she was done, but her skeptical expression remained. "Why are you being so nice to me? This is basically the second time we've talked," she questioned.

Erin smiled lightly and said, "someone once told me 'my compassion is a gift.' I've decided to lean into it."

__________

For the rest of the night, what little of it was left, Erin devoted to her apartment. It turned out to be more spacious than she expected, especially so close to the French Quarter. She hadn't wanted a place so deep inside the city at first, but she realized the proximity would help her commute. Tulane wasn't too far, meaning she could practically walk wherever she needed to go. A massive change from Mystic Falls. She guessed all her training with Alaric and then the work she put in after his death would pay off.

Erin flipped open one of the cardboard boxes on the floor, revealing the kitchenware she stole from the Boarding House. It wasn't like a bunch of vampires needed it anyway. She picked up a stack of ceramic plates and placed them in an overhead cabinet, listening to Elena's voice as it escaped her phone.

"It's weird, Erin. It's like they're covering it up. There's no way our roommate killed herself. She had a vampire bite on her neck and was thrown from a second story window."

Erin turned to grab some mugs from the box, placing them in a separate cabinet to the plates. "Sounds like some Founders Council stuff to me," she replied loud enough for her sister to hear.

"That's what I think," Elena agreed. "But that doesn't explain how we even ended up with her as our roomate in the first place. A housing office mistake is one thing, but pairing us up with someone who has vervain? It can't be a coincidence."

No, it certainly didn't sound like one.

"And that picture she had with Dad."

That continued to knock around in Erin's brain. Why would Elena's college roomate have a picture with herself and their father? She could've been a patient of his, but along with the vervain and the strangeness that surrounded her death, the simplest option didn't seem very likely.

Erin sighed and moved to lean against her island counter. Her phone sat on the surface, glowing with the active phone call. "Honestly, she's probably a former patient of his, but something else is definitely going on at that school."

Elena's exhale could be heard through the speaker. "Tell me about it. I'm starting to think I should've applied to Tulane with you," she retorted.

Erin scoffed, pushing back from the counter to approach the fridge. After she left Klaus's mansion, she swung by a grocery store to pick up things she would need. Her kitchen was obviously empty and takeout would've only been enough for one meal. It wasn't as much as she wanted, but trudging back and forth from her car at night didn't seem like a safe option.

Erin pulled open the door and grabbed a soda, before she popped it open and shut the appliance with her hip. "Something tells me college is gonna be the easy part of my life now," she said, sipping the fizzy drink.

"Let me guess, Original drama already?" Elena questioned curiously.

Erin snatched up her phone and strode across the room to the living area. A sectional couch rested in the corner with a coffee table before it. One arm chair sat catty-corner to the large piece of furniture, and the television did the same along the wall. Simple, but more than enough for her.

Once she dropped onto the cloth cushions of the couch, Erin set her soda on the coffee table and grabbed her television remote. She forced the screen to flare, putting it on a quiet volume, before she put her phone on the armrest. "Not just Original drama. Apparently, Klaus is trying to overthrow some vampire who has control over the entire city," she relayed to her sister.

"What?" Elena exclaimed, before her tone lowered. Caroline must've been asleep. "How long have you known about this?"

Erin pressed her lips together in a slight wince. "Since Rebekah told me on the drive down here."

"Erin!"

Erin sighed and slouched further into the couch. "Elena, it'll be okay. I'm not gonna get involved. The only thing I'm worried about is undaggering Elijah and maybe helping out Hayley here and there."

Elena scoffed. "Yeah, like how all I was gonna do was have a nice normal freshman year."

Erin paused. Maybe Elena had a point, but she wasn't about to let her know that. "And you still can. It's not too late. Just - try to stay away from whatever shady stuff is going on there, and I'll ignore Klaus's plan for world domination," she relayed with a smile, even though her sister couldn't see it.

Elena chuckled. "Yeah, easier said than done." A beat passed and she continued, "now, go to sleep. It's midnight here, which means it's one there and you have freshman orientation in the morning."

Erin shook her head, but her smile remained. "Okay, Mom," she quipped, before her demeanor softened. "Talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too. Night," Elena replied, prompting Erin to respond, and then the dial-tone filled the air.

With a long breath, Erin lounged across her couch and watched the scenes of a show play until her eyes grew heavy. A tired yawn escaped her lips, but she didn't even attempt to drag herself to her room. Instead, she laid there with a throw blanket and let sleep take her on her first night in New Orleans.

<July 10, 2022>

Welcome to Young Blood!

We've finally made it to the sequel! We're here! Now the real fun can begin.

Also, let's not forget that I hate when people comment for updates, or even allude to it. Y'all think you're creative, but you're not. I'll delete them without a moment of hesitation.

Now, for my Elin shippers, don't worry. Elijah will be back before you know it. Promise.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

- Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter. And the gifs I use in this book are not mine, I get them from Google.