METAMORPH ... k.mikaelson

✰ FORTY TWO - ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE ✰

"That was horrible," she giggled out, holding her cup back out to Freya to fill up after losing all her tonic to the table.

"You're laughing," he pointed out, leaning against the back of his chair.

"Just take the cup," she told him, deciding to down the tonic in one go so that she wouldn't lose it again because of Klaus' rubbish jokes.

"Our minds are far too strong to be invaded by kenning spells. No, what we experienced was a test, Dahlia's watching to see how we respond to aggression, she's preparing for battle," Klaus told them. Elijah rolled his eyes, sipping his own tonic. "My guess is sooner rather than later."

"If she was watching us she'd know we have our own army," Hayley shot back.

"She also knows where we are," pointed out Elijah. Lena rested her cup back on its saucer and went back to playing with Maggie's ear, causing the dog's tag to wag gently. "Given the immense nature of her power, we simply have no idea what to expect. What we need is to create a new stronghold, something that Dahlia knows nothing about, a sanctuary from any witchcraft."

"That's a fine strategy," cut in Freya, forcing Elijah to look away from his brother and to her. "I offer another. We could use Jackson to trace her magic back it its source, find out exactly where she is."

Everyone looked to Hayley. Jackson was her husband, if they were going to use him for magical purposes then she had to agree too. But then again, so did Jackson. Hayley glanced up at Klaus then, and he only rose his eyebrows in return.

"Fine," she grumbled, "do it."

"Good, then it's settled!" Klaus straightened, clapping his hands together. "Off you pop to your respective tasks. Me, I've always been of the opinion that the best defence is a good offence, so I'm gonna go find a way to murder that godforsaken witch, come along little witch, we have a child to talk to."

Lena jumped up from her seat, pressing a kiss to her dog's head and asked Rebekah to take care of Maggie while she was away. Klaus watched the endearing scene from the doorway before his girlfriend skipped up to him and took him by the hand, waving goodbye to everyone before pulling him out of the room. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the bounce in her step.

Lena Ricci was always the breath of fresh air in Klaus Mikaelson's life and to say that he loved it was an understatement.

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THE couple entered the cemetery. Klaus led the way to Kaleb Westphall's grave where they knew Davina would be despite the fact that she had never actually known Kaleb Westphall, she had gotten close to and fallen in love with Kol Mikaelson.

Lena let out a sigh at the scene of Davina running her fingers over Kaleb's name engraved in the ivory stone.

"What do you want Klaus?" she asked him, voice not taking on it's usual snippy tone. She sounded too sad.

"Perhaps I'm merely concerned about you," he queried, "you do spend an inordinate amount of time in graveyards for a teenager, it's a rather morbid habit." Lena rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, jabbing him in the ribs slightly but he only grinned down at her.

"Well, I am touched by your concern," the sarcasm rolled off Davina's tongues in icy waves, "anything else?" she asked, grabbing her shoulder bag from the ground beside her as she spun around to face the couple.

"Now that you mention it, there is one matter with which we could use your help, Mikael," he announced. Both Lena and Davina shared confused looks over Klaus' head after he moved closer to the younger witch. Lena hadn't known about Mikael. Why hadn't Klaus mentioned anything. "It appears my sister, Freya, has dispatched him to gather some items I require. Seeing as how you brought him back from the dead I'm guessing you have the mean to find him."