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Candice Parker strolled through the city of San Francisco, enjoying the scenery and smell of the ocean nearby. She just wished Kol could be with her. It had been a while since she was in Mystic Falls. Having left the minute the spell was dropped. She had been searching up and down for a spell to bring him back, performing all kinds of magic. Her mother made attempts to stop her. Which led her to go on a rampage, killing any and every witch that conspired with her dreadful witch of a mother.

This didn't make Candice very popular with the witches, leading them to target her any chance they could. If they didn't know about her before, they certainly did now, and could say to the very least that they didn't like her. Therefore, why she is currently in San Fran, to kill a bunch of witches who were plotting against her. Being a heretic, most people liked to get on her good side, so word traveled quite fast about their scheming.

Candice knocked on the doors of the church, seeing as she couldn't walk in, she needed to get invited in. A young woman opened the doors, her eyes immediately widening at the taller woman. Candice smiled, waving her fingers. "Hello love. May I come in? I just want to have a little civilized chit chat if that's alright with you."

More witches approached, the leader was probably in her early thirties, staring down Candice. The young woman turned to look at her leader, searching for instructions. "It's okay, Emily. Invite her in." Candice raised a brow, knowing what they were up to. Emily nods, stepping aside, "come in." Candice slowly stepped inside, the witches gathering around her, she chuckled at that. "I was hoping for a truce, Kayla. This doesn't seem to be headed in that direction."

Kayla, the leader, held her sharp glare on the heretic. "My coven will not come to a truce with an abomination to nature. Your mother informed me, you were looking to resurrect an original vampire. We won't let that happen." Candice pursed her lips, looking down at the girl. "You wound me, Kayla. But, I am not here for a spell, not this time. I'm just here to give you a message."

Kayla raised a brow, "and that would be?"

"Tell my mother to rot in hell." Candice threw our her hands, throwing back every witch that surrounded her. It didn't take long to kill them all, leaving Kayla remaining. The girl shot out her hand, holding Candice into the air, she chanting, blood soaking the heretic's shirt where her heart was. Candice crashed to the floor all of a sudden. She looked up, watching as Kayla's body dropped. Rebekah Mikaelson stood, the witch's heart in her hand as she gave Candice a disappointed look.

Candice glared at the blonde, quickly getting to her feet as Bekah drops the heart. "What do you want, Rebekah? Come to kill someone else I care about?" She chuckles, her tone holding no fondness. "Oh right, you already did that."

Rebekah sighed, wishing Candice would stop blaming her for that. But she knew Candice would get over it eventually, she just needed more time. "I need your help, Candice." She said desperately. Candice scoffed, pushing past her until Bekah grabbed her wrist to hold her back. "It's not for me. It's for Niklaus. He needs you to do something for him. I would not be here if it wasn't important. Please, hear me, Candice."

Candice exhales, nodding. Rebekah smiles softly, leading Candice outside. She follows the vampire to the car, furrowimg her brows when she hears a small gurgle from a baby. Rebekah opens the door, revealing the baby to the heretic. "Candice, this is Hope Mikaelson. She's Nik's daughter." Candice smiles, letting out a small chuckle, she reaches her hand out, Hope wraps her hand around the woman's finger with another gurgle. She wasn't surprised Nik had a child, she had been watching him with her magic without him knowing.

"Hi, sweet girl." Candice leans over to pick her up, cradling the baby in her arms. For the first time since Kol died, she felt happiness. She felt an emotion that wasn't anger or sadness. All because of the sweet little girl named, Hope Mikaelson. Candice looked up, her face getting more serious, "What does Nik need from me?"

"He needs you to put a cloaking spell over her." Rebekah explained.

Candice nods, looking back down at the small baby. "Of course. Anything."

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Six long months later, Candice found herself driving in the direction to Louisiana, still contemplating on turning around or not. It was odd. Something was drawing her to the place. She didn't know what it was, but she was more than curious to find out. Candice furrowed her brows, feeling an odd sensation beginning to seep through her chest, a familiar sensation. Quickly, she reached for her necklace, holding it up, it had a ring attached to it. The gem on it was glowing.

Her eyes widened, "No, that can't be." Candice pulled over, taking a deep breath, she rested her head against the steering wheel. A small smile tugged on her lips, "I can feel you." She started the car back up, driving towards the place she once knew as her home.
New Orleans.

Candice Parker walked the streets of the French Quarter, finding it to be oddly calming if you blocked out the wet dog smell. She glances behind her, seeing three men watching her, and they all smelled like a bunch of mutts. Sighing, she walked towards an alley that had only one exit. Feeling the wolves surround her, she smirked, turning around with arms stretched slightly. "Boys, boys, boys. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

More wolves jumped down from the buildings, clearly making it seem as she had no other choice but to surrender. The shorter blonde wolf stared her down, his eyes glowing a yellow color of a werewolf. "Francesca Guerrera wants to meet you, Candice Parker. I suggest you come with us." Oliver stated.

Candice raised a brow, "Ah, Francesca. I remember her family quite well. I killed a few of them. It's a shame, honestly." Oliver furrowed his brows in confusion as she held up her hands. "I haven't even been here for a day and already I have people trying to kill me. It's just not my year." She huffs, snapping her fingers, three of the werewolves dropped to the ground with snapped necks.

"Get her!" Oliver orders.

Candice yawned, easily killing the rest of the wolves, leaving only Oliver left. She threw out her hand, forcing him on his knees. "Do me a favor, tell Francesca Guerrera that if she ever disrupts my vacation again, I will find her, and put her head on a spike. Now get out of my face, you're a waste of my time." She let him go, seeing him quickly retreat.

Candice groaned, realizing she would have to discard of these bodies. Halfway into dumping them into a garbage can, a voice makes her tense for a slight second. "Isn't it a crime to murder in public? Pretty bold of you." She squint her eyes, turning around to look at the man who leaned against the wall. She could feel the magic radiating off of him, leaving her to believe he was a witch. "When you've made as many enemies as I have, it's just any other day," she replied.

He chuckles softly, enjoying the humor that came with her. "It must be exhausting to be you."

She smirks, shrugging slightly. "Hasn't exactly been a picnic." He smiles, nodding as she threw the last body into the dumpster. "What's your name, witch boy? I presume you already know mine, which also brings me to believe that you're here to charm me on coven's orders." He raised a brow, wondering why she would think that. It also concerned him. "The name is Kaleb, and actually I'm here to charm you on my own orders." The witch sticks out his to the girl.

Candice walked over, about to take his hand until she paused, her eyes landing on the ring that was around his ring finger. Her expression turned cold, a sharp glare present. "How did you get that? Where did you get it?" Candice immediately pinned him to the wall, veins traveling under her eyes. Kaleb groaned at the pressure on his chest, really hating the mortal part of being in this body. "Uh, family heirloom?" 

She paused for a moment, her mind lost in thought as she stared at the ring. She remembered the day so clearly. It was almost like it was yesterday. She remembered making the ring, it took her weeks to get it right. They were sitting atop a building, just laying there and holding each other. She recalled being the one to ask about marriage, he wasn't opposed to it, and neither was she. Candice just didn't believe in it. So instead of marriage, she gave him a ring. It was her dedication of love to him. He never once took it off.

Candice snapped out of her thoughts, letting Kaleb go, he coughed, rubbing his newly sore chest. She didn't get it. Kol died with the ring on his finger, she knew that. So how did this man get his hands on it. "I just, I seen it before, a long time ago." Kaleb nods, still a bit surprised by her actions but it wasn't all that shocking. "It's okay, it's probably just similar or something. Definitely not the same. I forgive you." He said, trying to change the topic.

Candice scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wasn't apologizing." Kaleb raised his brows, a smile tugged on his lips. "Well, aren't you the charmer. I gotta say, you're the first girl to shove me into a wall and still make me want to ask for your number." Candice bit back her laugh, trying to hide her smile but he could see right through her. She cleared her throat, "I have to go. You're distracting me." Candice walked over to the dumpster, ready to set alight to the bodies.

"So, it's a no to the number?" Kaleb spoke, causing her to look back at him with a raised brow. "I admire you're spirit, but it's never gonna happen." He chuckles, quite happy with himself that she would decline his offer. "How about a drink, or dinner? I'm just gonna keep asking until you say yes." Candice huffed, rolling her eyes with a small smile at his persistence. "I'll think about it. Now will you go?"

Kaleb grinned, knowing that she was going to come around eventually. "See you around, love."

Candice turned back towards the bodies once he left. She lit the bodies on fire, going to leave until she spotted a ring on the man's finger. It was magic, clearly. She recognized it to be a moonlight ring. It prevented werewolves from turning on the full moon, sparing them the pain that came with turning. She pulled it off, looking down at it with a hum. "Looks like I have a little competition." Candice tucked it into her pocket before leaving the scene.

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Back in the Mikaelson compound, it was awfully quiet. So the only sounds being heard were the clicking off Candice's heels as she entered the solemnly empty compound. Before the heretic could take another step she was thrown into the wall with suddenness. "Bloody hell. That's no way to treat your guests!" Candice stood back up, brushing off her clothes with a frustrated expression. "I just bought this outfit."

"Who the hell are you?" Candice looked back up at the woman who threw her.

"Candice?" Elijah spoke from the balcony before rushing downstairs to greet the woman. "You know her?" Hayley questioned. Elijah didn't answer, instead pulling the heretic into a hug, genuinely happy to see her. He hadn't seen her since he left Mystic Falls. He hated that he wasn't there for her when Kol had died. Candice returned the hug, a sparkle of amusement in her eyes when she spotted the jealousy swirling in Hayley's eyes. "It's good to see you, 'Lijah."

Elijah cleared his throat, gesturing to Hayley. "Candice, this is Hayley." Candice nods, not exactly fond of her yet considering she was throw into the wall at her hands. "Hayley, this is Candice Parker. She's the woman, Niklaus speaks so highly of." Elijah explained. It finally hit her, Hayley realized this was the same woman who had been protecting her daughter. "Right. I'm sorry for throwing you. I should've recognized you, there's paintings everywhere with you. You just look a bit different in this century."

Candice smiles, shrugging, "No big deal. I can take a little tussling. Now, where is Niklaus? I need to speak with him." Elijah furrowed his brows, wondering if this was something that had to do with Hope. "Is there something wrong with her?" Hayley now grew worried hearing this, but Candice was quick to dial back the fear. "No, everything is good. She's alright, she's wonderful. I just want to check up on him. He needs someone who understands his pain."

Elijah nods, knowing exactly what she meant, "He's painting. I'm sure you remember your way around."

Candice nodded, offering one last smile before heading towards the room Niklaus was always painting in. Candice cleared her throat, setting down the moonlight ring on the canvas. "You want to explain to me why this moonlight ring was attached to you?" Candice pulled off her heels and sat down next to him. "Is she okay?" Nik questions, continuing his painting which just so happened to be of Candice and Kol. He planned to put it up in Kol's room next to the one of Candice in 1002 France.

"She's marvelous, Nik." He smiled for the first time in months. He places his hand in hers, giving it a grateful squeeze. "How long are you staying?" Candice pursed her lips, laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm not sure. Something just drew me here. I want to find out what that is." Klaus glanced at her, also curious as to what was drawing her into New Orleans. It couldn't have been the werewolves, so rest assured it had to have been Esther.

"So, I got surrounded by a bunch of wolves. Care to explain why that is?" Candice questions.

"We have got a lot to catch you up on."

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a/n: the line where candice says nik needs someone who understands his pain will be very important later on!

candice meets kaleb 😍 i honestly had zero clue on how they should meet but it was perfect in my eyes bc it was screaming KOL and CANDY moments 🥲

hayley and candice meet <3 candy and bex reunion 😭 i miss them

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