Maddy decided she didn't need Lily.
She thought she did. But maybe, all she wanted was the extra comfort her mother might have provided if she still cared about her children. But obviously, her heretics mattered more to her, and that was fine. Maddy had other family members she could care about. Lily was nothing but blood to her.
She made a goal for herself to go through the rest of the pregnancy without giving her a second thought. She had Jo, she had Hayley, and soon she'd meet Cami, who she knew to be nice. Eventually, Elena and Bonnie would come to live closer to her, and her brothers could always pop by if they were in a good enough position to leave Mystic Falls behind for a bit. Considering they were its unofficial protectors, it was a bit harder for them to just take off.
Klaus worried she might end up stressing herself out too much by pretending Lily didn't exist at all. They'd gone to see Jo, and Maddy hadn't even mentioned seeing Lily, even though Jo had asked her how her trip to Mystic Falls was. All Maddy had responded with was, "Fine, I got to see my brothers," and then she'd quickly asked what the results of the karyotype were.
"Well," said Jo a bit nervously, "if these results are accurate... then you are having a tribrid."
This gave Maddy something else to think about.
"How do you know?" asked Maddy worriedly.
"We compared your genes, Klaus's, mine, and the old one I got from Enzo. Baby has the markers for the altered vampiric gene, the wolf gene, and the witch gene. Whether they're all going to be switched on is still... to be determined. But based on genetics alone, the baby is a tribrid. And since we live in a supernatural world, it's very likely that when it grows, the child will be able to tap into their wolf and witch abilities."
"Hang on," said Klaus, who was confused, "but how would the vampirism factor in? Would they still age?"
"This is another theory," said Jo, "but I think it's that they would just automatically become a vampire if they were to die. As in, their own blood would essentially turn them. I don't know how that would affect their wolf or witch abilities, but chances are, they'd manage to retain that power even after they turn."
Maddy looked at Klaus, as if silently asking him if this was still something he was interested in. He would always have an out, if he decided it became too much.
He was certain he still wanted to be a part of this. He took her hand. "If it is a tribrid, then we will... determine the best way to teach it how to manage all parts of itself."
Jo smiled reassuringly. "Any other questions before we start with the check-up?"
Maddy shook her head, and just started to undo her pants, lifting her shirt with her other hand so that they could proceed with the ultrasound.
The baby looked healthy, which was fine. Maddy appreciated that aside from the back pain and some mild discomfort, she still wasn't having major symptoms that would ruin her day. Still, she was instructed to get plenty of rest whenever she wasn't doing her exercises to try and stay fit.
When they returned home, Klaus left her in her room with a tray of beignets while he went into his study to call his siblings, to ask how they might proceed with dealing with Esther, despite the fact she hadn't made any moves. In that time, Maddy had started to watch a movie, but had been interrupted when a call came in from Kai.
"Hey," she said. "Are you settling in well?"
"Yeah," he said. "The apartment is nice. Monique thinks I'm hot, so..."
"Did she tell you that?"
"Well, she agreed to go on a date with me, and she was looking me up and down."
"She did sent a blushing emoji when I sent her a picture of you, so maybe she does find you attractive," replied Maddy, smiling at the sound of Kai genuinely happy with his new place. "What were you calling about? Just to talk?"
"Uh, no. So... you've probably figured out by now that I haven't yet killed the Gemini Coven."
"Oh, yeah... I almost forgot about that, to be honest. But I suppose if you'd done it already, I would have heard about it. What's the matter? I thought that you would have tried to do it as soon as you got away."
"Um... here's the thing. The emotions... the good ones... they make me feel bad. I felt really excited the other day when I did the spell to unlink Jo and Liv from the Coven. Like, it was nice. But then I started to think about what they'll feel when I actually take down the Coven. I was learning about something called 'survivor's guilt' and it was... a lot to take in. What if they feel that then they get mad at me and make me feel bad about something that I would normally feel good about? Like getting revenge on the people that hurt me would suddenly be really shitty. And like, what if they get angry at me for killing our dad? They'd hate me. And I don't want them to hate me."
"To be fair," said Maddy, "Stefan killed our dad, and I don't hate him. Giuseppe was a terrible man. And your dad wasn't a saint in any way."
"Then another thing," Kai continued, "is that they'll get mad at you. You helped me get Jo's blood without her consent. You helped me go through with unlinking my sisters from the Coven. If Jo or Liv finds out... well, it might ruin Liv's relationship with Enzo 'cause obviously he'll understand why you did it and probably take your side. But the bigger problem is Jo. She's your doctor. She's helping you with your baby. She's gonna get mad at you and she'll feel hurt and you'd need to find another doctor and that's only gonna hurt you. I don't want to ruin that for you."
Maddy half-smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Kai. I hadn't thought of that. What are you going to do, then?"
"I'm thinking that maybe, I could get the heretics out. If I tell them my plan, they can help me execute it and also teach me what to do when I become a heretic. That way, you won't be involved, really, and I can say I used my own blood to unlink my sisters. Bam. Then, you don't suffer for it."
She winced. "You don't have to do that to protect me."
"Hey, you helped me, I help you. Plus, you've got a kid on the way and it needs the kind of care that only my sister can provide. You don't sound too excited about this idea, though. Kinda thought you'd be a bit happier."
"I don't know how I feel about you releasing the heretics."
"Why?"
"It's just..." she figured she might as well tell him, "my mom wasn't what I expected her to be. She was honestly really shitty. Cared more about her other family in there than us. She wasn't even excited to see me, really. Or excited to know she was gonna be a grandma. She feels nothing for us. And I feel like being cruel. Like denying her a chance to see her family. It's just conflicting though, because Stefan really wants to see one of the heretics, 'cause I guess he knew her back in the 1860s. I don't know... I think they deserve their freedom, but knowing how much my mom prefers them over me makes me really, really jealous." She sighed. "Whatever. You know what, I can't be selfish here and decide they need to stay in there just cause I want to hurt my mom. It's fine. Let them out, if you would like. Just be careful... they might hurt you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Whatever is best for you, Kai. Honestly, I appreciate you considering this solely to protect me. I don't deserve that. I honestly didn't think of how fucked up it would be if I played a part in killing your dad after how kind Jo has been to me. It's like me betraying Rebekah Mikaelson all over again. I guess I can still be a really shitty person even if I'm not a vampire."
"To be fair, you did it to keep Jo from dying when I enact my revenge. You did a good thing. I'm the one that's making the decision to kill everyone in my Coven. I'm the one hurting them. I just worried Jo would see you as an accomplice. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Anyway... I gotta go. Monique is gonna show me around this town."
Maddy smiled. "Alright, Kai. Have fun."
He hung up, and she drew a deep breath, holding it before letting it out. She felt ashamed, not having considered how her actions were going to affect Jo. How could she claim to want to be this perfect mother when she'd go behind her friends' backs to enable a mass murder? She pressed her palm on her tiny baby bump, gulping and hoping that she wasn't going to become just as awful as her own parents. Already, she was off to a bad start.
She had gone back to watching her movie, but hadn't really been paying attention. At one point, Klaus had come back in, and she'd hardly registered the fact that he was there, until he touched her shoulder, causing her to flinch.
"What is it, love?" he asked. "What's bothering you?"
She told him, of course. And naturally, he was confused about why she felt bad.
"You are not the one delivering the blow," he said reasonably. "You aren't actually the one killing her father. You knew that there was no way of stopping Malachai from going through with his revenge. Thus, you simply helped to ensure that Jo and Liv would be spared. The murder is a stain on his hands, and his hands alone. Jo may have been hurt that you kept it from her, but she would have had to understand. At the time, you couldn't simply hurt Kai to stop it from happening— you needed his help to retrieve your mother. And now, you see him as someone worthy of a second chance. He is intending to be a better man after he enacts his revenge. I see nothing wrong with it. Perhaps it is because you gave me a second chance, where most wouldn't believe I deserved one."
"I guess so," she murmured. "I still feel bad."
"Don't, love. Jo needn't ever know."
"I kept a secret from Rebekah and it went really badly for me."
Klaus sighed. "I recall. That was my fault, love, not yours. Please, do not blame yourself. Speaking of Rebekah, she believes she may have a plan to keep Esther from doing magic."
Maddy raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"She believes that if she feeds Esther vampire blood, then she will trap her in her host body, and render her unable to do magic. As she is not a siphoner, she will not be able to perform spells once she has been turned."
"Wait, but how would Rebekah get close enough to Esther to manage that?"
"She would pretend to take her deal. I have already sent the cure to her. Esther, however, needn't know that Rebekah has that. Rebekah will not be taking it for several more years, as she wishes to be able to protect our child if there is need for it."
Maddy raised a brow. "Does this mean you finally forgave her for what she and Marcel did, luring Mikael to New Orleans?"
Klaus bit his lip. "Yes, I have forgiven her. I said it to her, directly. She was pleased to hear it. Still, she prefers to live with Matt in Virginia."
"I'm glad you two are on better terms now. I really want Rebekah to feel comfortable being close to us so she can be a part of the baby's life, too."
Klaus glanced down at her stomach. "It will have many individuals dedicated to protect it. My siblings, as well as yours, and all the others you consider family."
Maddy tried to do the math in her head. "Three of your siblings— since Finn hasn't stated whether he's explicitly on our side— plus my three brothers, plus my brothers' girlfriends— that's two— then your siblings' partners— that's three— and then Ric, Jenna, Jo, Hayley, Caroline, Tyler, and the whole Crescent Pack, basically... jeez, there's so many people I genuinely don't know if I'm forgetting anyone. Oh, yeah, Jeremy and Davina, probably wouldn't let anything happen to it. More than seventeen people, that's for sure."
Klaus hummed. "Tyler Lockwood has had an idea that may help the Crescent Pack win back the wolves that still serve the witches. However, it would all require testing a theory."
Maddy raised a brow. "What theory?"
"He believes that our child's blood can sire hybrids. Jo confirmed that it has the altered vampire gene. I can sire hybrids. Surely, it could, too."
"Wait, so are we going to get the baby's blood?"
"We would need to draw some blood from you, yes. Only a small amount. If it works, then, they believe that either Hayley or Jackson could choose to turn and perform something called a 'Unification Ritual.'"
"What the hell is that?"
"Jackson learned of it from Ansel, who spoke to him when they came across one another in the Bayou. I had heard of it, but never witnessed one. It was a marriage between wolves, which blessed attendees with the abilities they had. It was more important back when each original pack had different blessings. Different gifts that others lacked. If, for example, Hayley were to become a hybrid, and she were to wed Jackson, any wolf present would have the ability to control their turning. They would not need moonlight rings."
"Holy shit," said Maddy. "That's... actually really good. That could help them a lot. We should do it."
Klaus raised a brow. "Are you certain?"
"Yes. I think that if it could help them... we should. I mean, if Ansel mentioned it, and he was alive to witness it back when it was more magical... then they might as well trust them. I can handle some blood being drawn."
"In exchange," said Klaus, "the Crescent wolves would always be dedicated to protecting our child."
"Well, that's really nice of them. They kinda already promised that when I was in the Bayou for those few days. I get along with basically all of them. There were only a few I never met."
"There is, of course," added Klaus, "associated risks."
Maddy made a face. "Risks? What, like side effects on me? This all seems like such a good idea."
"It will not sit well with the vampires if the wolves suddenly had complete control of their abilities."
"Um, it kind of levels the playing field, so I guess that can seem like a threat, but it's not fair that the wolves had to be tossed out into the Bayou lacking control over their powers. Survival of the fittest, honestly. I'm sure if they discuss it with Marcel, they can come to an agreement. He seems like an understanding guy. I like him."
"The witches may also dislike this greatly."
"Well, yeah, it keeps them from being able to control the wolves. But, if Rebekah were to enact her plan and turn your mother into a vampire before we do this, then the other witches probably wouldn't do anything. They were all following her lead."
"I worry that my mother will try to retaliate. So far, she has done nothing. She clearly is concerned that Dahlia will come for our child. And she was willing to induce a miscarriage in you by turning you permanently human as part of her plan to have me accept her deal. She may very well have her witches attack you."
"Hey—" she took his hand, "I'm next to you. I'm safe. Hayley and Jo will be here often. Those witches won't get to me."
"Ansel mentioned that they were concerned about prophecies regarding the child. Marcel confiscated many items from the witches in the past, one of which was a dark object called 'The Needle of Sorrows' that would induce a miscarriage. Perhaps they might have used it on you if they still had it now."
"Nik, I promise, I'm gonna be fine. I won't really be able to leave the house to explore the city whenever I want until we ensure Esther, Mikael, and Finn aren't going to be a problem. And even then I couldn't go alone in case Dahlia suddenly shows her face. I'll be okay. I'm just going to let you guys handle it. Even though I want more than anything to pitch in, I'm not really able to, so the best I can do is let them stick a needle in me, we'll see if Tyler's theory is right, and then, we can get the wolves fully on our side. Just as long as you don't start bossing them around, everything will be fine. I have people looking out for me. Marcel told me the other day that he has his vampires under strict instruction to keep an eye on me if I leave the house. They'd protect me if anything bad started to happen. You don't need to worry. We're gonna get through this."
Klaus wondered if maybe he was worrying too much. Then again, it was in his nature to believe that anyone and everyone was out to hurt him and his loved ones. He wondered if the baby would also share his propensity for paranoia.
They let her rest for two days while they gathered a volunteer to be turned into a hybrid, and looked deeper into the Unification Ritual to understand every single step they needed to take the instant they proved whether the baby could or couldn't sire hybrids.
"This might hurt a bit," said Jo, who was helping with the blood extraction. Maddy nodded, and she inserted the needle into the woman's belly, making her wince. She extracted only a little bit of blood, then drew back, quickly placing a band-aid over the tiny puncture hole. She then moved toward a werewolf named Dwayne, a friend of Tyler's who'd offered to be the test subject.
Jo slowly inserted the needle into his throat, and as soon as all the blood was in, Klaus stepped forward and snapped the man's neck, letting him crumple to the floor.
"Now, we wait," Jo said, discarding the needle, and replacing it. "He'll need to feed on your blood to turn, if this works, so I'll need to extract just a bit more blood."
Maddy removed the band-aid, allowing Jo to return through it, taking a bit more blood before she bandaged her up properly.
"If this works," said Hayley, who was standing off to the side with Jackson, "I'll be the one to turn."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Maddy.
Hayley nodded. "It should be me. I'm newer to the Crescent Pack. Jack has been there for them for so long. They might not respect him the same if he's the one that turns. But if it's me, I think it'll be fine. Eventually... Jack would turn so that we can be immortal together."
Jackson nodded, to show that he was fully on board with what Hayley was saying. "We've gone through everything in my journal of notes from when I spoke to Ansel. We need a wolf Elder to help us. So, we'll be going to my Grandma Mary to have her help us with all the trials we have to do. If all goes well with this, we're gonna give Hayley two weeks to get adjusted to the hybrid life before we go through with the preparation. Ten days of pre-wedding rituals and then, by the end of the month, we'll be married."
Maddy made a mental note to get a dress with a loose skirt, since she didn't know exactly how much her belly would grow in that time.
Dwayne gave a sudden gasp, much sooner than they'd been expecting. Jo quickly had him sit up, prying open his mouth and pouring the contents of the syringe down his throat. He drank, and immediately after, groaned in pain, jumping back and starting to yell. His body twisted in an awful way, bones snapping loudly, before suddenly, he looked up, his eyes glowing golden, with his sclera completely back. Dark veins were running over his cheeks, his face just like Klaus's when he tapped into his extra power.
"Holy shit," said Maddy. "It worked."
She could tell Hayley was nervous, but she put on a brave face, and nodded. "Alright, then," she said. "I guess it's my turn."
Dwayne held up his hand before they could do anything. "Wait, is my part done?"
"One more thing," said Klaus, narrowing his eyes. "Madeleine, love, give him an order."
She made a face. "An order? What do you mean?"
"Tell him to do something."
"Do you think there's a sire bond?"
"I would expect so."
Maddy didn't know what to say. "Um... well, I really want some wat—"
Dwayne immediately walked right toward the kitchen without even a second of hesitation.
"Hold on," said Hayley, "does that transfer over to the baby when it's born? Like, right now that Maddy is pregnant, Dwayne feels like he has to do whatever she says, and he wants to make her happy. But what happens after she gives birth? Will that sire bond only work when the baby gives him an order?"
"I guess we won't know til we get to that point," said Jackson. "You helped other wolves break the sire bond before, though. I could help you. We can add an extra week to give you even more time to adjust."
Hayley pursed her lips, of course not wanting to remember the way she'd betrayed those hybrids to find out about her parents. She could tell it was still a sore subject for Klaus, because he refrained from looking at her when this was mentioned. "Yeah, uh, sure, we can do that. Three weeks for me to adjust, which is... a lot, of course, but it gives us time to spread word to the wolves that we're gonna be doing the Unification Ritual. We might even get wolves from smaller Packs who might want to reap the benefits. It might make the wolves abandon their moonlight rings sooner, just knowing it's gonna happen for sure."
"One problem, though," said Jackson, "what if they come here wanting to be turned into hybrids instead? Or what if the witches get word of it and they come after Maddy to make sure the baby can't be used to sire anymore hybrids?"
Hayley cast Maddy a reassuring look. "The wolves will make sure the witches can't get to you. They're gonna have to deal with it. I say we keep this lowkey in the meantime, then. I'll take my three weeks but we won't reveal anything to those outside our Pack until we're certain we have what we need for this ritual. That way, the witches won't get word of it until it's too late. The wolves will be loyal to us, and in turn, there will be an army willing to protect this baby. Even if it isn't a Crescent, it's kin. By then, the witches will be powerless against us."
"So be it," said Klaus, who figured he might as well get Rebekah to start preparing to make her way here so that they could turn Esther and remove her from the playing field. "If that is all, then we ought to prepare the blood for Hayley to take to the Bayou. It will be better if she transitions out there, where she can be comfortable from the beginning. I will be by every day to check your progress."
Maddy gave two more syringe-fulls of blood before sending Hayley and Jackson on their way. Klaus was able to compel Dwayne to keep his condition a secret, and to not tell anyone about what had happened in the Compound that day.
"How are you feeling, love?" asked Klaus once they were in bed for the night.
"I'm feeling a lot better," said Maddy, cuddling up to him. "You?"
"It pleases me that you're doing well. And thus, it makes me feel perfectly fine."
She kissed his cheek. "When the wedding happens, I'll be four months along. According to the count we have so far that's around... seventeen weeks. Jo said they didn't get a clear reading on the karyotype for the sex of the baby yet, since they were looking at such specific genes, but at that point we should be able to find out. Elena thinks it's going to be a girl."
Klaus hummed. "Well, if she seems so certain, perhaps she has a sixth sense that we lack. I did not think of it as anything in particular. I have no preference. I would be proud all the same. If we do have a daughter, however..." he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "then I would have my two girls, who I would adore more than life itself."
Maddy smiled. "I have three brothers, you have three brothers, and only one sister. We need another little girl in the mix."
"Just be prepared for Rebekah to spoil her rotten."