𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉
ミ★ ( reign of wolves, act one ) ★彡

Elijah shot up with a gasping breath. His skin was covered in a thick layer of sweat and he could feel his heart racing as if he had just ran a marathon. His sudden movement causing Rhea to wake up in a fright, her hybrid face on display as she could only have assumed that it was a threat. She relaxed slightly when she noticed they were alone and Elijah had his head in his hands, panting from holding his breath out of fear.

She gently rested a hand on his shoulder, "Elijah?" She asked softly, "Are you okay?"

Elijah grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Forgive me for waking you up, my love. Bad dream." He said but refused to look at her.

Rhea gnawed on her lower lip, unsure of how to help him when it seemed like he was trying to pull away from her, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later." He said as he laid back down, pulling her down with him as he cuddled her into his chest, "I just want to hold you right now."

"I'm here." She whispered, placing her hand on his chest where his heart was, feeling it race under her hand.

The two of them laid in silence with Elijah tracing his fingers up and down her back without any real pattern or rhythm that made her eyes lull, the motion making her fall asleep again. She missed moments like that—where they weren't risking their lives for the sake of their family and so they could just enjoy each other's company. It made her realise and solidify how much she wanted to marry him and be with him forever. Rhea just wished life wasn't so complicated and they didn't have to jump through so many hoops so they could be happy.

"I dreamt of my father." Elijah admitted after a while and it made her tilt her head upward at him, "He invaded my dream and—and he... hurt you."

Rhea frowned, "He's gone now, Elijah. Klaus killed him a long time ago." She reminded him, "Even in the extremely unlikely chance he rises from the dead, I know you wouldn't let him hurt me. You have nothing to worry about."

"I know." He whispered. Mikael would never get the chance to get near her; let alone hurt her. But the way his dream felt so real like it was a message—a warning, even. It was as if Mikael himself was telling him that he will come for her to punish him for taking Klaus' side and defending him.

The way he practically dangled Rhea's dead body in front of him made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it. His taunts caused him so much pain because of all the ways he was going to defile her and how she would never know peace because of him. His dream made him feel like any efforts he made to protect her and keep her safe were pointless because anything he did wouldn't work; that Mikael would always find a way to get to her and hurt her.

It made him feel like a failure.

Rhea was the most important thing in his life, literally nothing meant more to him than her. He didn't show it often, but she knew it—and so did Mikael.

She was his weakness... not that he minded. But, she was a weakness that could be exploited.

Elijah just had to remember that it was a dream, and in real life, anyone that dared to harm her would die painfully and mercilessly by his hand.

The day of Father Kieran's wake rolled around quickly. Rhea wasn't exactly in her right state of mind to be present when he died, but she heard it was a painful experience. He had been hexed by Bastianna when she returned to the land of the living as punishment for his involvement with trying to stop the Harvest. It had made him slowly lose his mind, exactly like how his nephew, Sean, did.

The witches assumed it would be fitting.

Cami had done everything she could to save her uncle; including electroshock therapy, herbs, compulsion, bribing witches, before she had turned him into a vampire. It had worked momentarily and Kieran decided he wouldn't go through with the transition until his dark side returned and he attacked her; completing the transition and becoming stronger and more deadly than before until Klaus stopped him.

Cami was in the kitchen of Rousseau's, leaning on the table trying to catch a moment to herself when Rhea finally found her. Rhea walked in, "Hey." She said softly and Cami looked over to see the hybrid in all black attire with a bottle of tequila in her hand. She held it up, "Drink?" She offered, "You look like you need it." Cami looked relieved by the offer and nodded her head. Rhea offered her a smile before she entered the kitchen and grabbed two shot glasses. She poured them both drinks and handed one to Cami, "Bottoms up." She said before throwing back the liquid.

Cami made a face from the shot, quickly grabbing a lime and cutting it so she could bite into it. "Gah! That was horrible." She gagged, "But, you're right. I did need that."

"I thought so." Rhea chuckled as she poured another just in case.

Cami then raised en eyebrow as she mused, "You know, I haven't heard you say 'I'm sorry for your loss' once."

Rhea shrugged, "Because I'm sure you don't want to actually hear that." She responded and Cami looked surprised, "I might be wrong; but, when my parents died, that's all I heard and I hated it. They don't really mean it—they don't actually care. It just feels like salt being rubbed into the wound."

"You surprise me every day, Rhea." Cami said with raised eyebrows, "You know exactly how it feels. So, thank you for not saying it."

"If it's any consolation, I do feel terrible that I wasn't there to help." Rhea offered.

"Likewise." Cami said back before shrugging at her confused look, "I heard about the whole trapped as a werewolf thing."

Rhea shrugged herself, "I mean, it had its perks." She said as she held up her hand, letting it transform into her werewolf paw and then back to normal. Cami's mouth dropped, "I have more control than ever."

"I guess that's good."

Rhea smiled as she took another shot, "I better go. But, come find me if you need me. I know you're the therapist here but I'm always here to talk." She says before walking out of the kitchen and back out into the main dining area where everyone was drinking and partying.

She sat down at the booth where Klaus and Elijah were drinking, pressing a kiss to Elijah's cheek when she was sliding into her seat, "Seems rather uncivilised to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one." Klaus grumbled to himself, almost glaring at everyone that was enjoying themselves.

Elijah poured himself and Rhea a drink; by this rate, she just might get herself drunk before noon, "Yes, far better to practice your process of grief, Niklaus—denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements." Rhea snickered at him but didn't say anything further. All she knew was that she would be so pissed if everyone threw a party if she died—but she didn't wish to say it out loud as the thought of her death was a sensitive topic after Elijah's dream the night before.

Hayley joined them at the table and sat down beside Klaus, "I will warn you, Hayley, Klaus is in a spectacularly shitty mood today." Rhea said to the werewolf, "It's one to top the history books."

"Sod off." Klaus grumbled again.

Ignoring Rhea's warning, Hayley turned to Klaus, "What's the deal with these moonlight rings?" She asked him, "Oliver's trying to set a revolution every five seconds. People are scared, angry, and frankly, I'm tired of stalling."

"It's a day of peace, Hayley. Try and enjoy it." Klaus deflected, "And in the meantime, with all manner of unknown enemies conspiring against our family, you'll move back in with us."

"Awesome!" Hayley muttered sarcastically, "Then, we can do that thing where you lock me in the tower, I escape, there's drama, and then you all realise I'm very capable of looking after myself."

Klaus grew frustrated at her stubbornness, "The rings are in progress. I will live up to my word. We will find and punish whoever launched the attack on the Bayou, and you will return to the compound for your own safety!" Hayley sighed and rolled her eyes at him. Klaus then reached for the bottle of scotch and opened it, "But, right now, I'm gonna finish this bottle and the next, in the hopes of drowning the demon who has chosen today to haunt me." He looked up at the ceiling before chugging right from the bottle, "Cheers, Mikael. Impeccable, Freudian timing."

"Elaborate." Elijah demanded, completely stunned at the mention of Mikael, as did Rhea—there was no such thing as a coincidence these days—so him even saying that he dreamt of Mikael after Elijah worried her, "Have you dreamt of our father?"

"Go ahead, have a good laugh." Klaus scoffed.

"I can assure you there is no piece of this that I find even remotely amusing, Niklaus. Especially considering I've been dreaming of him, too." Elijah admitted.

"What?"

"If you are also seeing him..." He brainstormed, stopping mid-thought when he noticed Genevieve enter Rousseaus's. The witch caught his eye and smiled at him, "Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating a further attack?"

Klaus stared at Genevieve, "Well, then. What better way to punctuate a day of peace than by killing someone?"

He and Elijah continued to look at Genevieve as he smiled and waved at her.

Genevieve wandered into the Jardin Gris, closing the door behind her. She sensed someone's presence, and was startled when Klaus appeared behind her. She gave a weak smile, "You disappeared from the party."

Elijah and Rhea entered the room, Elijah was examining an athame as he said, "Do you care to explain why you would choose to torment us with visions of our father?"

Genevieve seemed genuinely surprised as she gasped, "Your father?" She looked in between their unimpressed expressions, "I didn't—I wouldn't!"

Elijah scoffed, "Of course, how foolish of me. It must have been that other witch that's been parading through our house in scraps of lace."

"I know how talented you are with your tongue, Genevieve." Klaus stated and Rhea made a disgusted face, "Might I recommend you use it to provide answers? I would so hate to tear it from your mouth."

Genevieve laughed nervously, "As much as I enjoy these repeated accusations of wrongdoings, I don't know what you're talking about." The witch denied, "But, if you've both been seeing your dead father, I can try to get you answers."

Klaus reached over and stroked Genevieve's neck menacingly and she flinched from his touch, "Fine." He said, "Go."

"Niklaus, don't you dare let her—"

"Go!" He insisted and Genevieve quickly ran out the door. Klaus walked toward his older brother and his soulmate, "You don't trust her, and you're right not to. Only a fool would. But, she certainly wants us to, doesn't she?"

Rhea crossed her arms expectantly, "Let me guess, there's something of benefit for you in all of this, isn't there?"

Klaus shrugged his shoulders, "I need a witch to make those rings for the wolves. Perhaps we'll get both answers and cooperation?"

Rhea had walked upstairs and back into the compound to wait for Genevieve when her phone buzzed with a text. She looked at her phone and her face contorted to one of confusion as she looked at the text.

BONNIE: Can u tell me why Klaus has been spamming me?

Rhea immediately sighed and dialled her number, "Hey, Bon."

"What the hell is going on?" Bonnie asked her, "Klaus has been spam texting and calling me for the last hour. I didn't want to call back in case he was trying to blame me for something."

"It's a little more... complicated than that." Rhea grimaced, "Last night, both Klaus and Elijah dreamt of Mikael. And normally I'd chalk that up to coincidence but with everything that's happened these last few years, I know it'd be extremely stupid of me to just assume that."

"You're right." Bonnie sighed, "That would be stupid."

"Do you happen to know why this would be happening? Rhea asked her, "Elijah's really freaked out about it and I don't want him to worry too much."

"To be completely honest with you, Silas happened." She answered and Rhea's eyes widened. Of course it was Silas. "He set out to destroy the other side—which is where all of the supernatural souls go when they die—and he succeeded. The Other Side is imploding, and the dead are being torn away into nothingness. But, they're not interested in going slowly... it's happening here in Mystic Falls, too."

Rhea let out a sigh, "Thanks, Bon." She said to her before she bit her lip guiltily, "Hey, Bonnie?"

     "Yeah?"

     "You've been okay, right?" Rhea almost hesitated to ask, "I mean, since the Mikaelsons left Mystic Falls, you've been okay? Like... you've been safe?"

     "Yeah, we've been safe, Rhea." Bonnie said breathlessly, like she was lying through her teeth, "It's been kind of boring, to be honest with you."

     "Yeah, boring." Rhea repeated back as she rocked on her feet, "That's good."

     "Look, Rhea, don't beat yourself up about what happened here. It wasn't your fault and we forgive you." Bonnie told her and Rhea smiled, "We were all caught up in something bigger than we could handle, but, it wasn't fair that you were in the middle of it. Just let go of any guilt you're feeling and just be happy, okay? Promise me."

     "Okay." Rhea whispered. That was the Bonnie she knew and loved so much. She was glad that Bonnie didn't hold any resentment about what went down in Mystic Falls. She wasn't so sure about anyone else besides Caroline.

     "Promise me." Bonnie demanded.

     "I promise you, Bon." Rhea said, "As long as you promise me that you don't throw yourself into anymore dangerous spells that could kill your for the sake of everyone else."

     "I promise, Rhea." She could hear Bonnie smiling through the phone.

     Rhea then let out a breathy laugh, "I just hate that I can't see if you've crossed your fingers behind your back."

     "Don't sorry, I feel the same way." Bonnie laughed also, "I guess we just have to trust each other."

     "I guess we do." Rhea said with a smile, "I better go. But, I love you and thank you."

     "I love you, too." Bonnie said before hanging up the phone.

     Rhea then let out a sigh and walked toward where Elijah and Klaus were on the balcony, waiting.

     Genevieve approached them both and said, "I asked around. It's not just your father. The purgatory where supernatural souls are trapped is disintegrating." She explained.

     "What do you mean, 'disintegrating'?" Elijah asked her.

     Rhea then entered the room, "She's right... more or less. It's actually imploding. Bonnie called me from Mystic Falls who said the same thing. The dead are being torn away into nothingness. And, they're not interested in going quietly."

     Elijah's eyebrows furrowed, "So, you're saying that our father, faced with permanent extinction, has decided to spend his remaining tormenting us? How delightful!" He said with a disappointed sigh.

     "Well, on the plus side, we'll soon be rid of his abhorrent soul forever. And what a good riddance that will be!" Klaus grinned happily.

     Genevieve sighed, "So, am I in the clear, Elijah? Or is there a new conspiracy you would like to threaten me over?" She asked him sarcastically.

     "Nothing springs to mind at this precise moment..." Elijah shrugged and Rhea chuckled at him.

     "Oh, gee. Thanks." She remarked sarcastically again and she stopped in front of Klaus before she left, "I have to get back to the girls. Perhaps tomorrow, after the funeral, you and I could spend some time together. Alone?"

     Rhea gagged at her shameless flirting as Klaus said, "I suppose we'll have to see."

     Genevieve only sighed in annoyance before she left, "Please tell me you've designed a stronger method to control the witch than playing hard-to-get?" Elijah asked his younger brother.

     Klaus smirked, "Well, I've always been partial to the classics..."

     It was the next day and hundreds of community members had gathered in the streets of the French Quarter after the funeral, as Father Kieran's casket was placed in a horse carriage to begin the parade in his honor. Outside, the funeral procession was walking down the street to the sounds of the jazz music being played behind the priests acting as pallbearers for Father Kieran. Near the end of the parade was Klaus, Elijah, Rhea and Hayley, the latter of whom is flushed, and kept having coughing fits.

     "You alright?" Elijah asked her, "You look—"

     "—A hundred months pregnant and pissed off at the world?" Hayley finished for him with a snapping tone.

     "I wasn't going to say that." Elijah smiled.

     Hayley then noticed Francesca a couple yards in front of them, who was pretending to wipe tears from her face with a tissue, "Do you think I was the target of those bombings?"

     "Of course you were the target!" Klaus answered her, "Were I to wage a war on the wolves, you'd be my first kill!" Hayley sent him a glare, "I would string you up, for all your worshipers to see." He said fondly, pointing up at the balconies of the other houses in the French Quarter as they walked by them.

     "I believe that was my brother's way of telling you he'd like you to return home with us." Elijah said before he turned to Klaus, "Perhaps try a different approach, Niklaus, with fewer references to murder?"

     "As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder, and drag you kicking and screaming to the compound, we both know I will—" He smiled sinisterly, "—for the sake of my child."

     "One bad dream, and suddenly, you want to be a responsible daddy!" Hayley remarked.

     Klaus wrapped his arm around Hayley and pulled her close, while Rhea and Elijah continued to walk beside them hand in hand. Klaus whispered into her ear, "Let me put this into perspective: my father lived to torment me. It is not my intention to become him. This cycle of misery ends with my child." He told her.

     Hayley hummed and she yanked his arm away from her with a fake smile, "You forgot one thing in your little attempt to plead your case—she's not your child. She's ours."

     Hayley then walked away from them and started to walk down the sidewalk.

     "Very heartfelt, Klaus." Rhea said sarcastically, placing a hand over her heart, "Really touched the heart. I'm sure you convinced her to come home."

     "I bloody hate funerals." was the only thing he said in return.

     Rhea then noticed that Hayley was eyeing Cami—who was up the front of the parade, walking alone—like she wanted to bother her. She quickly ran over to her, "Hey, whatever you're doing, you better say it gently because she's really not in the mood." Rhea warned her, "Because your belly might be pregnant, but your face is not, and she will hit you if you bother her at a time like this."

     "I appreciate your concern but I just want to ask her about Francesca." She said before she ran off to catch up with her, "Cami!"

     The blonde turned to look at her, "Hayley, hi." She greeted her.

     Hayley crossed her arms over her chest, using her cardigan to warm her up as she awkwardly said, "Hi, I know you don't know me, I just wanted to say that—" She coughed and cleared her throat, "—I'm sorry about your uncle. He was really... good to people like me during the storm, and I really appreciated that."

     "Thank you." Cami smiled before it dropped when she realised why Hayley was talking to her in that moment, "You want something, don't you?"

     Hayley blushed and smiled awkwardly, knowing she had been caught out especially after Rhea's warning, "I'm sorry about the timing... I was just wondering, if before he died, your uncle said anything weird about Francesca Correa? I think that she may have been involved in an attack in the Bayou. If you hear anything—"

     Cami sighed and stopped walking, "Look, Hayley? I'm trying—mostly failing—to stay out of all this stuff, but... she's a real bitch." She changed course after her small encounter with her at Kieran's wake about the mysterious key she wanted, "So, yeah, if I hear anything, I'll let you know."

     "Thanks." Hayley said before adding, "Thanks. And again, sorry about your uncle."

     As Hayley walked away, she started to cough, and looked woozy. She leaned against a lightpost as she began to cough up blood. Horrified, she continued to cough, and Genevieve, who had just noticed Hayley's condition, shouted for Klaus to come help her.

     As Klaus, Rhea and Elijah rush to help her, she collapsed on the sidewalk, completely unconscious.

     Klaus and Elijah carry Hayley into the compound and lay her on a table with Genevieve and Rhea follow after them in hopes of helping, "I can help—" Genevieve tried.

     Rhea's head snapped to hers with fury in her eyes, pushing her hand away from Hayley, "Don't you even touch her!" She snarled. For all she knew, she was at fault for Hayley's condition.

     "Let it be, Rhea. She was a nurse." Klaus said.

    "There's a spell I can do." Genevieve told them, "Klaus, get chamomile from the pantry." Klaus quickly ran to the pantry and she looked back at Hayley, who was barely conscious, "She's trembling. Your jacket, Elijah."

     Elijah removed his jacket and laid it over Hayley as Rhea listened in, "She's not breathing." She realised when she couldn't hear her breathing or her heartbeat, "I can hear the baby's heartbeat, but not hers."

     Genevieve checked Hayley's pulse right as Klaus returned and handed her the chamomile. She dipped it into some water and pressed the damp bundle of chamomile against Hayley's forehead and chanted a spell in French-Creole.

     Klaus was clearly frustrated and scared, and he bit into his wrist, dribbling his blood in into Hayley's mouth in hopes that it will heal her, "Come on!"

     Klaus looked at Elijah in fear, "She's still not breathing. It's not working." Rhea realised and Klaus angrily threw a table against the brick wall, shattering it into pieces.

     Elijah paced around Hayley's side as Genevieve continued her spell.

     "I'm taking her to a real doctor." Elijah decided and went to move her.

     Genevieve narrowed her eyes onto the Original, "If you move her from here, my spell will break. There won't be enough time to get her to a hospital."

     "Will the baby survive if delivered now?" Klaus asked frantically before he lunged for Hayley's body, only to be blocked by Elijah and Rhea, "I'll rip it out of her myself!"

     "Are you crazy?" Rhea snapped, "Hayley will bleed to death! Not to mention the idea is completely barbaric!"

"I won't lose that baby." Klaus told her.

"And we won't lose either of them." Elijah told him.

Genevieve only continued muttering her spell since Rhea and Elijah wouldn't let Klaus interrupt it any longer. She got a vision of Monique using the poppet to cast the spell on Hayley. She stopped her spell and opened her eyes in shock, "I know what to do." She told them before ordering them, "Get my bag, the gris-gris pouch! Now!"

Elijah grabbed the bag and Rhea took over dabbing a wet cloth on her head.

Genevieve went to spread a circle of salt around Hayley while she continued to get visions of Monique casting the original spell that put Hayley in her current state. She continued to chant before she crushed herbs with her fingers and spread them over Hayley's body.

Seconds later, Hayley awoke with a loud gasp on the table, Klaus' blood still covering her mouth and neck. Elijah helped her sit up, and Klaus rubbed her shoulder affectionately while Rhea looked over her worriedly, "You're alright, love. You're alright."

"I saw him. He tried to kill me." Hayley whispered in fear before she looked at Klaus, "I saw Mikael."

It was night time and the celebration of Father Kieran's life was still going strong as people drank and danced in the streets to the marching band that was playing jazz music. Elijah and Rhea were watching the action from the balcony of the compound when Genevieve found them, "Hayley and the baby are fine. I'd take her to a doctor once she's gotten some rest, if you want, but, she's in the clear." She assured them and Rhea smiled at her. She waited for a response from Elijah, but when he remained silent, she sighed, "I'll see myself out."

Rhea sent him a pointed look and he sighed back, "Genevieve. Thank you for your help." He relented.

"You're welcome." Genevieve said, surprised.

His eyes then narrowed onto her, "You tore my sister from my family. I cannot forgive that." He said but relaxed as he added, "However, I may be inclined to show a degree more kindness since you helped Rhea and Hayley today. But, only if you could help me with a slight... issue."

"Anything." Genevieve nodded.

"When the baby arrives, Hayley will once again transform with the full moon. Now, I would like to create for her a gift—a ring of empowerment, something to control this... curse."

"What kind of spell would—"

"—A spell of my mother's, from her grimoire." Elijah cut her off, "Which, as I understand, you have been rather eager to obtain."

Genevieve grinned slyly, clearly interested in his proposal while a sinking feeling settled into Rhea's stomach, telling her she was going to regret this.