𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 — the shock therapy

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐃 started with quite a racket. Niklaus had taken to rifling –and that was putting it mildly- through Elijah's office; hands pulling books and papers from their dusty shelves, some tossed to the ground in a heap, others gathering in a mountain-like pile on the table in the center of the room. 

Ophelia had already been perched on the couch, her bored eyes watching as the hybrid pottered about and continued to make a mess. It seemed as though Nik was very intent on reobtaining their mother's old spell book, and Elijah, predicting that his brother was up to something dastardly, had taken it and hidden it away. 

Though neither Elijah nor Ophelia had specifically eluded to the fact that the noble original had taken it... simply... hinted, rather sarcastically. It was a mysterious case indeed. Very mysterious.

Ophelia just had to roll her eyes when Klaus  — in defense of Elijah spouting that he knew of Nik's conspiring with the wolves — brought up that he was 'simply trying to help those wolves'.

The siphon had known them for almost six months and the thought of Nik wanting nothing more than to help a gaggle of wolves was almost laugh-worthy. There was something more, there had to be. 

Everything was a game to the hybrid, and he wanted to win. The wolves could only have been a pawn, a chess piece to securing whatever victory his heart craved.

He had brought up a fair point that with their mother's spellbook, the wolves could become stronger; they could protect Hayley. The only issue with that was the fact that the wolves and vampires had been at it for decades, and Ophelia knew that if the wolves had even a shred of hope that they could overpower the vampires; they would.

New Orleans would become a warzone, nothing but blood and bones left in its wake.

Eventually, the little tiff between the brothers ended, and the room plummeted back into silence. Ophelia's eyes refocusing on her book, Elijah on whatever he was writing, and Nik sunk beside Ophelia in a huff; eventually tearing the book from her grasp to read himself; earning a flick to the forehead.

⋆⋆⋆

The name that later popped up on Ophelia's phone screen made her heart fill with guilt.

CAMILLE

Ophelia and Cami had drifted apart after the mind-destroying hex had been placed on Father Kieran; hex's and curses were the siphons forte, but this one, this one wouldn't end well no matter what.

Her thumb hovered for longer than necessary. She didn't know what she'd say to the poor woman 'sorry I haven't bothered with you, my magic won't help, bye.' didn't exactly seem suitable.

The call ended but within seconds the screen lit back up and buzzed in her hand, drawing Elijah's eyes towards her in question.

With a defeated sigh, her thumb accepted the call, "Cami?"

"Ophelia! Finally!"

"Listen Cami, I'm sorry I haven't —"

"— You don't have to apologize, you live with vampires, you have your own stuff going on."

A slight laugh left her, though it stopped short; trust Camille to be the understanding woman she always had been and simply brush her friend's lack of communication away. Trust Cami to be as kind as ever, even through the turmoil she was facing.

"I didn't answer your calls because... There's nothing I can do, I didn't want to disappoint you Cami, I'm sorry."

There was a pause on the other end, "There's nothing you can do?"

The siphon leaned back, her back colliding with the couch as she slumped further into the chair at the heartbreak in Cami's voice, "That hex... It's a strong one Cami, it takes just hours to take ahold, to twist someone's mind and turn it against them; I think that's why the witches took me, they wanted to give it time, ensure that I couldn't interfere... If I take away the mark on his hand, I'm afraid it won't reverse the damage that's been done, I'm so sorry, Cami."

Ophelia closed her eyes at the sound of a sniffle, and Cami had to force herself to clear her throat before she spoke her broken words, "It's okay, this isn't your fault... I — There are some things I'm gonna try."

The tone in which Cami spoke made Ophelia's back straighten; the siphon had already told the woman that there was no magic that could help with Father Kieran's mental affliction. In the harsh reality, there was nothing medical that could be done; the mind was a tricky and oftentimes, evil thing.

"Cami —" Ophelia tried to coax, but before she could even string a sentence together, Camille had muttered her farewell and the line dropped.

Camille O'Connell was not somebody to give up and sit idle. She was a woman who found a solution to everything, she had to; Ophelia knew this well, and knew that from the grave tone in the blonde's voice, whatever Cami was going to try out... Well it wouldn't be good.

Kieran was a symbol in the city of New Orleans; he fought for peace within their home, and offered an ear, advice and hoped to also bring peace to people's minds. He didn't deserve to suffer from the hex, but even less so did he deserve to suffer before his inevitable death.

He deserved a piece of the peace that he brought to others.

"Are you alright?" Elijah's soft voice broke her out of her thoughts. He had heard the call and knew that the siphon before him — despite the cold exterior she'd offer to others — did care for Cami, and by extension, Father Kieran. He had witnessed the look of defeat upon the siphons face when she had heard of the priest's affliction; the look of hopelessness.

Ophelia swallowed as she placed her discarded book onto the table and shoved her phone back into the pocket of her jean jacket before she stood, "I think I should check on her."

His pen was discarded, cursive letters coming to a pause, "Ophelia, you know what this hex brings."

She knew what he was eluding to; the fact that within hours Father Kieran would go insane; he would lash out just as his nephew did. She could tell that he wanted to ask her to stay behind, keep herself safe, and usually if anybody even hinted at such a thing, she'd shout.

But just knowing that somebody cared enough to even slightly suggest staying behind... It didn't feel as if she was being called weak, that her strengths were disregarded; he just cared for her.

Her chest rose as a deep breath was inhaled and her hands moved to brush some stray hairs from her face, "I do. And I also know that Cami needs somebody... Somebody who's been there for her." a delicate smile blossomed, the edges turning sly, "I'm sure Nik would love to accompany me on my visit."

"I'm certain he would." the original chuckled, knowing that his little brother had spent a rather... Extended amount of time with the blonde bartender.

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

Ophelia moved towards his desk, her hip leaning against it as she huffed, "I was supposed to go to the bayou —"

"— Ah yes, to attend your 'wolf bonding sessions' as you named them."

"Well that's what I say they are... Would you go for me? To check on Hayley?"

Throughout the time that Hayley had spent away from the compound, Ophelia would venture out to the treacherous, bug-filled, and muddy bayou all for the she-wolfs sake. The siphon would say that it was to simply spend time with her friend, see Jackson, and piss off Oliver, and whilst those things were true; Ophelia also made sure that Hayley was happy. 

She knew the wolf was struggling to come to terms with being a mother; abandonment and rejection weighed heavily on her mind; she feared that she would be the same as those that had cast her aside. But Ophelia knew that Hayley Marshall would be the mother that her baby girl deserved and needed. Hayley was a leader; she was strong and courageous... But she was kind, caring, and she put those she cared about above all else.

That alone already made her a good mother.

Elijah had joined her on occasion; needing his own peace of mind when it came to the wellbeing of his niece and her mother; he and Hayley weren't close, but he cared about her, made sure that she knew that the compound was always ready to welcome her, be it for a night or more. 

There was tension when Elijah was there, obviously. He was a vampire, and he was Niklaus' brother; just those two facts made the wolves jittery, though Eve and Jackson never failed to welcome him. 

Jackson and Ophelia had become fast friends and Elijah couldn't deny the twisting of his stomach when he had first seen the two together, laughing, joking and chasing one another around like children; the sensation seemed to have settled once his eyes had caught the minuscule looks that were shared between Hayley and Jackson; looks of longing, yet also looks of hesitance.

He knew those looks well.

Eve was considered to be a sort of mother to the gaggle of wolves, and Ophelia had taken to her, often joking about her 'mommy issues' when people brought up the quick friendship. The white-haired woman had never triggered her werewolf gene but nevertheless, she cared for her own with an intensity that rivaled even the Mikaelsons. She had been quick to usher the siphon forward to join them on nights where they would simply drink by a fire and share stories; they were nights that Ophelia favored.

Elijah nodded, his hand slipping forward to cover one of Ophelia's that rested on the sleek wood, "See to Camille, I'll ensure that Hayley is doing well. Try not to worry yourself."

⋆⋆⋆

The moment Ophelia had entered Nik's studio and had uttered her request for him to join her for her visit to Camille, well, Nik couldn't say no. The 'yes, of course' had slipped from his lips without an ounce of hesitance and he had quickly discarded the brush in his hand, gathered the siphon into his arms, and sped his way towards the church.

It was quiet; not a single person was perched upon the pews, not even an echo of a voice filtered around the room. Ophelia stood beside Klaus, each of them staring forward and towards the altar where Father Kieran would often stand and bring words of wisdom to the people of New Orleans.

"They're upstairs," Nik spoke as his enhanced hearing picked up the voice of Cami, his voice softer than Ophelia had ever heard, barely loud enough for it to echo in the empty room.

With a silent nod, Ophelia began to make her way forward, following the path towards the attic where Davina had resided for so long; good memories ready to be tarnished with blood.

The sight they were greeted with as they entered the creaky and cobweb ridden attic was not what Ophelia had been expecting, though in all honesty, she had no idea what to expect in the first place but she was certain that having newbie vampire Joshua stuffing a gag into the priest's mouth as Camille and a doctor stood to the side, beside an ECT machine... That would have been the last thing her mind would have conjured up.

But Cami was insistent on pulling her uncle back to sanity.

It seemed as though Ophelia's words to both Nik and Cami had gotten through to the bartender; rather than trying to rid Kieran of the hex, she was trying to rid him of the demons that resided within his mind. It wasn't exactly what Ophelia had in mind... But Cami believed she could fix him.

Klaus was the first of the two to speak up, jolting the other members in the room as he piped up, eyeing the scene with curiosity, "Well, isn't this a gruesome little scene?"

"Klaus, Ophelia —" Cami breathed in shock, "— What are you doing here?"

"Ophelia here was worried about you and whatever plans you were to come up with. Practically insisted I join her." He spoke, lying through his teeth on the last sentence; he wanted to be there, for her. "I also received an urgent call on your behalf. It seems I've been tasked with doing what your coward of a boyfriend could not. Which, by the looks of things, is dissuading you from whatever madness it is you're about to attempt."

Ophelia watched on as Camille grit her teeth, her jaw becoming tense as she stared them down before finally turning to the doctor who looked about ready to flee, "Are you ready?"

The doctor stepped back, his hands held before him in surrender. He was a healer and despite the small number of times that ECT had managed to clear the mind and banish its demons... this wasn't right. "Please, I'm begging you, don't force me to do this."

"Fine. I'll do it myself." Cami spoke with determination, her hands darting to grasp the ECT handles before she moved to stand behind her uncle who was bound to a chair.

Ophelia moved towards her friend, slow and cautious movements that made no sound against the aging wooden floor, "Cami, you don't want to do this to him —"

"I have to. You said magic won't work."

"Then let me." She breathed; arms outstretched for Camille to pass over the handles. She knew that whether Cami's plan succeeded or failed, she'd never forgive herself for putting her uncle through such an immense amount of pain. Ophelia was used to it. She hurt people for bad reasons... This time, she could at least take the guilt from her friends' shoulders.

Cami was reluctant. Her hands visibly shaking as she shifted on her feet. Her eyes latched onto Ophelia's palms; small scars and cuts marring her skin; a contrast to her own, entirely spotless ones. She knew what Ophelia was, it had all come out and into the light... At first, she hadn't believed that Ophelia could steal magic, she couldn't believe that Ophelia was helping Marcel, helping the originals. She couldn't believe that her friend was a complete façade.

It hurt. Knowing that one of the very few people she actually had a relationship with, had been lying to her, God knows what the siphon had been doing when she wasn't draining Roussos of its alcohol. She'd been hesitant to speak to the woman, but they texted, they spoke... and when her uncle fell 'sick', it stopped.

Now it was explained; Cami could see that the woman before her wasn't a completely different person to the one she had gotten to know... She was better, happier, and more open. She could hear the guilt that dripped off her tongue on the phone call they had earlier and knew that Ophelia had simply been avoiding her in the hopes that she wouldn't have to reveal that she was powerless and unable to help a friend in need. Not quite the cold-hearted woman she had gotten to know.

She was different, yes. But that wasn't a bad thing. She was with her and willing to inflict pain on her uncle just so that she didn't have to. 

Ophelia reached forward just an inch as Cami handed the handles over. The objects felt heavier than they looked, or perhaps that was the eyes that rested upon her bright form. It was a scene indeed; a woman who looked to be twenty-two, dressed in a baby pink dress standing behind a man who was thrashing against his binds whilst she held two paddles capable of inflicting immense pain.

She had not been expecting her day to pan out in such a way.

Ophelia stepped closer to the man, her hands hovering beside his temples as she glanced towards Camille. The blonde nodded, her face fierce, not a trace of hesitance written within her features, and with a breath, Ophelia connected the electrodes with Father Kieran's temples.

⋆⋆⋆

They were all waiting for the man to awake. The shocks had knocked him out completely, forcing him to slump against the chair he was bound to.

Ophelia stood to the side, Klaus beside her as Camille fretted over her uncle, using a cloth to wipe away the sweat that beaded on the man's forehead.

"That was good of you," Klaus spoke, his eyes never straying from Camille and Kieran.

Ophelia blinked. Sure, it was a 'nice' thing to do, but in all honesty... She had felt guilty that she was unable to do a damn thing to help the man. Her magic would be useless, siphoning would rid the man of the mark upon his flesh... But she could do nothing to fight against his conjured demons; she couldn't even fight her own. It was guilt that pushed her to take the burden from Camille. 

If Ophelia had simply brushed away Celeste's words back in the cemetery... Well, she could have gotten away. She could have rushed to Kieran the moment the hex was placed upon him. She could have saved him.

But Ophelia had taunted the witch, just as she always did. 

But it wasn't only that. The sniffles and the hoarse voice that had echoed through the phone earlier that day had tugged at Ophelia. She had deemed herself to be cold, emotionless and evil... That was an easier cover story, an easy façade to upkeep when she had nobody that she cared for, nobody that cared for her.

Now she found herself rushing from one side of the city to the next just to save those that she... That she let in. To save those she considered, well, family. She had been alone for so long, all hope of finding anybody else to care for had been snuffed... Davina was the one to light the fire, she sparked those small and warm embers that gave Ophelia something to fight for. Elijah, Rebekah, Hayley, Camille, hell both Klaus and perhaps even Marcel helped those embers grow into a roaring fire that would consume anybody who dared to harm them.

She really was like a Mikaelson. She'd do anything for them all.

A snap of Klaus's fingers snapped her out of her daze, eyes lazily dragging to stare up at his, "It was the least I could do."

"Love —"

Before Klaus could utter his sentence, Ophelia's phone buzzed inside of her pocket, prompting the woman to pull it out, eyes narrowing as Elijah's name lit up the screen.

"— Seems my brother can't leave you alone for even an hour." Klaus chimed, an underlying meaning in his sly tone as a smirk pulled at his lips.

"Shut up," Ophelia muttered as she pushed his arm, barely moving the man as he practically snickered beneath his breath. Using her other hand, she quickly swiped her thumb across the screen and brought her phone to her ear, "Elijah?"

"Ophelia." He spoke with hesitance. 

She could hear the racket that surrounded him, shouting, crying and groans of pain reaching her ears even without supernatural hearing, "What happened!?"

"There was an explosion. Multiple. A man on a motorcycle came, wolfsbane in his tank."

Her eyes blew wide, and upon stealing a look towards Klaus, his were the same. Her heart thudded, the thought of Hayley, Jackson, Eve... "How is everyone?"

"Eve was injured and refused my blood."

Her teeth felt like they were going to shatter as the siphon gritted them together. What could she do? There was nothing she could do to help any of them. "Stay with them, keep them safe, please. I'll —" her voice lowered, eyes on Camille, "— Cami needs me here, you can help them more than I can."

"Of course Ophelia, I'll do everything I can. Please, give Camille my best."

"I will. Thank you, Elijah."

Her back lightly thudded against the wall as the call ended. Her mind couldn't begin to fathom who would have been out to get the wolves; Elijah wished for peace; Klaus was seemingly just as shocked as she was upon hearing the news, plus it was no secret that he was conspiring with them, willing to make them stronger... It wouldn't have been him; yes he killed, but he kept assets alive. 

It left Marcel or the witches.

But she saw absolutely no reason for Genevieve and the Harvest girls to make such a move; Davina would have played no part, that much was certain. As for Marcel; Ophelia knew that the vampire wasn't happy with being banished from 'his' city, but if there was one thing that Ophelia knew about the man, it was that he would never harm a child.

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02-07-2021

This is update 2 if you didn't read the previous chapter, make sure you go back!

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