Elaine rarely had nightmares.
After a thousand years, she'd learned to cast them away. Block them out. Most of the time, it worked. But ever so often, one creeped back in. Usually from the same cluster of memories which pained her the most.
All of them surrounding Finn's departure, and what followed after the birth of her son.
"Push, darling, push," said Aurora, holding her sister's legs. Elaine had gone into labor unexpectedly, and they had no choice but to find the nearest forest clearing. "There— now stop pushing for a moment."
"Breathe, Elaine," said Tristan, holding her hand tightly as Elaine looked up at the night sky, trying to count the stars to distract herself from the discomfort. "Breathe."
"Tr— Elijah," she corrected herself weakly, not wishing him to fly into a panic because she used his true name, and not the name of the person he believed himself to be. "I cannot... I cannot do this anymore..."
"Yes you can, Elaine. You will give birth to your child. The pain will not last much longer."
"No," she breathed, shaking her head. "No... something is wrong. I can sense it. When I push, it hurts differently." She choked out a sob. "Something is wrong with my child... please do not let it die, please..."
Tristan nudged Lucien. "Niklaus, examine her."
Lucien moved forward, placing his hands on her stomach. He felt around, putting pressure with his fingertips, causing Elaine to whine. "Something does feel strange," he said, tilting his head, eyes flickering toward Tristan and Aurora as if he had a feeling what was wrong, but didn't want to voice his suspicions until he was sure. "Elaine, forgive me, I must examine you further."
She was too tired to protest. He slid his hand inside, frowning as he felt around, blanching when he realized his suspicions were right. "That is not a head," he whispered. "Those are... feet. Your child is facing the wrong way."
"No," Elaine started to sob. "No, no, no..."
"The head," said Lucien, withdrawing his hand and letting it hover over Elaine's stomach, close to where her chest was, "I feel it here."
"Do not push anymore," urged Aurora. "We must determine how to remove the child first."
"Perhaps we could cut her," suggested Lucien. "I saw it done once."
"Did the woman survive?" asked Tristan.
"I cannot say she did."
Elaine moaned in pain, squeezing her brother's hand. "Promise me you will take care of my baby, please... please!"
"I will," promised Tristan. "You have my word." He nodded to Lucien, who went to fetch a knife. "Rebekah—" he faced Aurora, "you will heal her when the child is out. Our blood will mend her wounds. It will stop her from dying."
She assented. Lucien returned with the knife, and started to cut, causing Elaine to howl in pain, writhing on the ground and screaming her lungs out.
"Almost, darling," said Aurora. "Almost— Niklaus be gentle..." Lucien made his cuts thinner and thinner. "There!" She stopped him, opening the rest of the path with her hands, and beginning to pull the child out. With a swipe of the knife, Lucien cut the umbilical cord. The child began to cry, and Aurora quickly placed him in Elaine's arms, biting into her wrist and dribbling the blood into her sister's mouth.
"It is a boy," said Tristan. "You have a son, Elaine."
"A son," she whispered, carefully caressing the baby's head while Aurora tried to wrap him in the only thin rag they had in his size.
Suddenly, all the horrid memories of the weeks they spent in hiding, the weeks they spent running from Mikael, the weeks where her siblings and Lucien broke down when she accidentally referred to them by names other than 'Klaus,' 'Elijah,' and 'Rebekah' were forgotten.
All that mattered was the little boy in her arms.
"Hello, little one," she said, pupils dilated in wonder as she gazed over her son's face. "You are so handsome... and so tiny..." her breathing started to become ragged. "I do not feel better. My arms... they ache. I cannot hold him..."
"She is still bleeding," noticed Aurora. "The blood has not yet healed her."
Elaine's eyelids were starting to flutter. "His name," she said hoarsely. "After his father... Lord Reynard de Artois... and..." she panted, "Finn... Finn, son of Mikael...." her eyes began to close. "Reynard.... Finn... de... Martel..."
"Elaine," said Aurora fearfully when she shut her eyes. "Elaine!"
"Her heart, I can hardly hear it!" said Tristan.
Her hand abruptly dropped to her side, and the child began to bawl again.
She woke with a start, clutching her stomach, right where she'd felt the last stinging pain of her human existence. Closing her eyes, she drew several deep breaths, and turned to the clock. It was already six in the morning, and time for her to awaken.
As she got ready for her day, she thought back to what came after Reynard's birth.
Stress. A whole lot of stress.
She'd been a newborn vampire, suddenly blessed with many new powers, but also stuck in a corpse that could not breastfeed her son. She'd resorted to milking cows and hoping her child would not grow ill from it.
She took care of all of them, the best she could. Kept her siblings and Lucien (who became a brother to her) sane. Used their fake names because they grew very agitated whenever they were called by their real names.
She helped them hide, helped them run, all while raising her little boy. Reynard would be on her hip while she tended to the others, talking to them and being careful not to trigger any violent episodes. Compulsion granted them everything they could ever need while on the run. He led a healthy life, and they never had to wonder where their next meal would come from.
He was what kept her sane. It nearly drove Elaine mad, trying to juggle all sorts of responsibilities that she never imagined she'd have. She learned to wash by hand when she'd never needed to in the past. She learned to hunt and cook, doing it while simultaneously washing all the clothes and praying every other second that Mikael wouldn't find them, that Reynard wouldn't get hurt, that her siblings and Lucien wouldn't go mad. She, a first time mother, was practically raising four children at once. Entirely in charge of making sure they didn't perish.
Reynard grew very loved, though confused as to why his uncles and aunts acted so strangely. What mattered most was that he'd been safe. He had no scars on his body, as someone had always been there to heal him. Elaine calmly explained everything to him when he was eighteen, and able to understand more about the world. He decided he wanted to have the ability to heal and protect as well.
He asked her to turn him. She refused. But Tristan gave in, and Reynard became one of them. Nearly a century later, the three First Sired were freed of their compulsion, and they swore to get revenge on the Mikaelsons.
She joined them in their quest for revenge despite not having been personally compelled. Both Tristan and Lucien had had a very difficult time readjusting to who they truly were, and given the strength they had over Elaine, she'd put herself at risk every time she tried to talk them down from their panic attacks. Several times they'd choked her, slamming her head into stone walls and insisting she was the crazy one. Reynard always managed to pull them off, leaving Elaine afraid. Not because she feared for her own life, but because she feared her siblings would kill her son without meaning to.
Aurora had had it worst of all, emerging from the compulsion erratic and often attempting to harm herself. With the others, it had worked to have them enter Elaine's mind and see themselves through her eyes. Who they were before the compulsion. A few witches had been able to ease their minds with spells, and soon, despite their vengeful nature, they were back to normal. But Aurora felt broken. Insisted she was broken. The episodes she'd already had as a human became far more severe.
It didn't help that they were still hunted by Mikael for some time afterward. Elaine often had vampires fighting alongside her to buy time for her siblings and Lucien to run, with Reynard in tow. She would have done absolutely anything to keep Mikael from hurting them.
Despite his pursuit, they survived. They returned to France to reclaim their riches. Elaine acquired all the Artois lands and money, granting them entirely to her son while Tristan took control of the de Martel riches. Lucien went his own way, but remained in contact with Elaine, who had always been kind to him. She gave him money ever so often, and helped him establish his businesses later in life. She was the sister Lucien never had. And she saw him as a little brother. A trusted friend. Even a thousand years later, he still showered Reynard with birthday presents.
Around that time, Tristan learned of The Strix, an apparent society that Elijah and one of his sirelings, Aya, had created. The group of vampires had been attacked by Mikael, who slaughtered many in their ranks. Tristan arrived in the aftermath, and ascended into the position of leader, caring for them and helping them to develop in their own way. Reynard chose to join, and along with his uncle, ruled The Strix. Reynard specialized in training the vampires as mercenaries and overseeing The Strix Coven while Tristan handled upholding The Strix Charter, recruiting, and conducting operations to seize control of certain lands and people that would grant them information on their enemies.
Elaine and Aurora were not invited to join, given they were from Rebekah's sireline. Neither minded. The two sisters preferred to have no obligation of attending meetings. Elaine cared for Aurora for centuries while the others went their own way. Tristan had wished to try many remedies to mend her mind, but Elaine had not allowed it, knowing it would only cause Aurora more harm. And so, whenever Tristan would get particularly worried about Aurora, she'd take her sister on a vacation. Reynard was always invited, but chose to remain with his uncle, having a responsibility to The Strix. Often, however, he did pop in to see his mother and his aunt just for a day or two, to give them news and to make sure they were both alright.
What Elaine found helped Aurora most was letting her anger out through physical training. Thus, the two women took part in rigorous programs of their own creation, always improving their skills in one way or another. Aurora had set a goal for herself, to learn how to compel other vampires. Though Elaine knew it wouldn't be possible, she supported her in many meditation exercises that were meant to strengthen the mind. At least then, Aurora was happy.
But she was never satisfied. And Elaine knew why. The removal of the compulsion plagued her with the memories of what she'd been forced to say to Klaus, and every day, Aurora hated herself and Elijah more than anything else in the world. Elaine had encouraged her several times to approach Klaus, to tell him the truth. But Aurora had a reasonable fear that Elijah would catch them before they could find Klaus, and would either reinstate the compulsion or kill them, so as to not reveal his great sin to his brother.
Elaine respected her wishes to wait until they could find Klaus alone, out of Elijah's company. The opportunity would have arisen after 1933, when the three siblings had been vampires for over a thousand years. However, Klaus had disappeared. No matter what they did or where they searched, they couldn't find him. Tristan had even had The Strix tracking him down, but it seemed all the siblings were gone.
They figured most were daggered. Elijah, perhaps, somewhere hidden. Klaus had literally vanished off the face of the Earth. The Mikaelson name became a true legend. Only they, and a few others, knew that the Mikaelsons actually existed. Newer vampires and even some ancient ones that never crossed paths with the family wondered if the Originals were even real.
But news spread quickly when they resurfaced in Mystic Falls. Elaine had been making her way there when they learned Finn Mikaelson was dead. And all around the world, vampires had dropped to the floor, desiccated. She turned around and went back the way she came. Not long after, it was confirmed with Kol's death— all of them had a magical link to the Original who begat their line. Tristan and Reynard would die if Elijah had white oak shoved into his heart. And if anything happened to Rebekah, the two de Martel sisters would be no more.
They started to look for witches that might remove that link. All across the world they searched for a way to protect themselves. They knew that a human boy and a Hunter had killed Finn and Kol. In their eyes, the Originals weren't as strong as they were once rumored to be. If it had been that easy to kill Finn and Kol, then what were the chances that Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah would die soon, too? They didn't want to risk it.
They searched for years, and came up empty handed, all while a war between the remaining sirelines raged, as all tried to eliminate one another by searching for white oak.
Elaine began to get desperate and frustrated. And so, she made her plan. To go and see Rebekah, to speak to her about the conflict and to find out what she could about Finn's death. To know if he left anything behind that she might be able to keep, to remember him. All she had were memories and her necklace.
And, funnily enough, despite Reynard not being his biological son, their eyes were exactly the same. Each time she looked at her son she was reminded of the two men who would have been amazing fathers for him. Neither of which he got to have.
It hurt her, emotionally and physically, to look at Reynard. Each time, she recalled what he'd had to endure in his childhood. What he'd missed out on. She blamed herself despite knowing there was nothing she could have done to keep Reynard and Finn in her son's life. Her husband's death had been out of her control. So had Finn's departure. She felt there was so much more she could have given him. She wondered, despite his insistence that he had a good childhood, if there was more she could have done for him.
She was thankful she hadn't been completely alone in raising him. Yet, because of the condition her siblings and Lucien had been in due to the compulsion, some part of it had been quite lonely. She couldn't really talk to them about her troubles. She cried often, hugging her own body and quickly composing herself if she heard them approaching.
She denied herself any other relationships beyond the occasional hook-up for her sanity, fearing that if she brought anyone else into Reynard's life, they'd just leave. Or hurt him. Either way, no one could compare to Finn.
She started her day with a cold shower to wake herself up properly. She had a plan to watch the Compound, to try and track Rebekah's movements. After walking past the building casually to look at the surrounding balconies and where she could set herself up, she opted to go into the apartment complex across the street, settling into the attic with only a small window to look out through. It was enough for her needs.
Her phone began to ring after an hour of her sitting, listening to very muffled conversations. She had a feeling the Compound had been spelled somehow to prevent anyone from listening in. Probably wise considering how often Klaus yelled people's ears off.
"Rey," she said, propping up her phone to video chat with her son. "How was your day?"
"The same as always, Mother," he said, leaning back in his usual armchair, where she could see the Parisian night sky behind him. "I'm meeting with a witch who might be a good addition to the Coven."
"How old?"
"Twelve."
"Oh, sweetheart," Elaine sighed. "Why so young?"
"She has immense power, and she's showing it earlier than the other witches I've recruited. I received word that she's being abused. I wish to get her out of that home as soon as I can. Not to worry, she will be comfortable, and the other girls will give her the family she deserves."
"But she is so little to be dealing with the black magic your Coven works with..."
"Ariane was younger when she was recruited."
"Ariane was a special case. Your Aunt Rory found her already performing dark spells just to earn a living. Has this girl dabbled in dark magic?"
"No. But she has great potential for it. She needs to learn to hone it while her magic is still very flexible. Once they're older, it seems their magic becomes stubborn. It's harder for them to learn new forms."
"Likely because the spells are so taxing on their bodies."
"I'm working to protect them from any adverse effects. It's not easy, meeting The Strix's many demands while keeping the girls free of all forms of harm. We need a Coven, mother. And it's essential we innovate, no matter how dark the magic, to keep ourselves safe. To keep you and my Tante Rory safe. These girls are selected because the dark magic will not harm them as easily as with other witches. They will be just fine. None have ever died. I've always cared for them, retired them early and given them generous compensation."
Elaine sighed. "I suppose a Mother always over-thinks things such as these. You are thinking as a leader. I am thinking as a parent."
Reynard shrugged. "Aside from Esther Mikaelson, I believe you're the only person alive who has been a mother for over a thousand years. Now that that woman is dead, you're the last one left."
"You make me sound ancient. Like a dinosaur."
"You have been saved from having wrinkles, Mother. You are no dinosaur."
Elaine shrugged. "If I'd turned even just a year later in life, I might have had a few. People seemed to age much faster in that time. Why, your father had wrinkles before..." she trailed off. "Just a few on the sides of his eyes. He smiled all the time."
"Well, to be fair, mother, he was thirty-four years old at the time that he died. You were only twenty-five when you turned. I do not think you'd have been so wrinkled."
"One never knows..." She noticed the man from the night before at the bar, walking by the Compound and looking in with great interest. More than what was typical from a simple passerby who saw the fountain in the courtyard. He had even slowed down his walk, pressing his fingertips together, staring for a moment before quickly scurrying away as Elaine heard movement in the house. As if he didn't wish to be spotted lurking outside.
Reynard noticed she was distracted. "Everything alright, Mother?"
"Yes," she said. "There was a man yesterday. He kept staring at me. And now he's just walked by the Mikaelson Compound as though he has something sinister planned for it." She mimicked the hand gesture he'd made. "Doesn't this seem villainous? Why stop and look in like this? It's almost like..." she shook her head. "Nevermind."
"What is it?"
"Finn used to stand that way. We'd be talking and there he'd be, pressing his fingertips together and fidgeting. I'm surely going insane. I came into this city to find what is left of him, and now I feel as though I'm seeing him everywhere."
"It's only natural, with how sudden his death was. You never had a chance to speak to him again. The last thing you heard of him was that he'd been with that woman, and even turned her."
Elaine tsked. "I hold no anger towards Sage. She is one of the First Sired, just like your Aunt Rory, and Uncles Tristan and Lucien. She is special. I do not feel jealous that Finn loved another. He likely thought the same as I... that we would never see each other again." She shook her head. "Forgive me, I ought not speak of him."
"And why not? Mother, you went a thousand years telling me almost nothing about this man. Everything I learned, I learned from Tante Rory. And then, suddenly, he dies and I find you sobbing your heart out, clutching that necklace you always wear. You're so far from us, Mother, all for this man. I want to know more about him. You needn't be embarrassed to mention him to me."
"I'm not embarrassed, Rey, I simply prefer not to burden you with my troubles. It was such a complicated time. Your father had just died and I had a secret to be kept... and he became my friend."
"I don't judge you for it, Mother. I have the same wish you do. That if I couldn't have my biological father, I might've at least had him. You named me after him. I wanted to meet him, too. I wish for you to tell me the whole story."
"I will... soon. If you would truly like me to. I'm your Mother, Rey, I don't wish for you to see me all sullen after losing a man I loved for a thousand years."
"You denied yourself love to prioritize me, and Tante Rory. Now that you've lost him... I don't wish for you to continue shoving aside that part of yourself that cared for him. I know not if Rebekah will be able to give you much. Knowing that hybrid bastard, he'll have gotten rid of all of Finn's possessions."
"Shh, do not call him that, Rey. It is not his fault he was born out of an affair. Niklaus has many bad aspects, and I do not feel safe around him, especially not after a thousand years of stories regarding the evil Original... but no matter what he is like, it doesn't make it right to call him such a thing. Do you know why Finn offered to marry me?"
"Because he wanted me to have a father."
"No. Because he didn't want you to be marked a bastard. My father would never have believed you to be your father's son. Finn wanted to protect you from that shame. You'd have still had a title. And a father to care for you." She frowned as she caught sight of Elijah and Klaus exiting the Compound. "The brothers have left. But no Rebekah. I haven't seen her this entire time. That girl is always out and about. She's not one to stay cooped at home. Unless she's spending the night elsewhere?"
Reynard tensed. "I know what you're thinking, and you should not pursue that lead."
Elaine smirked. "Worried that I will be bested by Marcel Gerard, of all people? Oh, Rey, it's like you don't know me at all. Who taught you to fight, mom bébé?"
"You'd risk exposing yourself. You have no idea what he knows or what he's seen of Niklaus's past."
"I suppose I'll have to take that risk, Rey. You've been trying to learn to compel other vampires for a thousand years. Any tips for me?"
He huffed. "You know I haven't managed it. He's likely on vervain, and getting him off of it wouldn't be easy. You could enter his mind, but a man that grew up with Original surely will know when his mind has been tampered with. Even if you used the ring to poison him, he would sense lost time no matter what illusion you placed in him. What if he is no longer with Rebekah?"
"That's what I aim to find out. I'm only going to watch him from afar. What I learned yesterday is that he runs a community of vampires. He's attempting to bring Elijah into it. I will observe from a distance. None of them will sense me."
"And if Elijah does?"
"He won't. We have been safe from Mikael for a millennium. And he is the most notorious of all hunters. He found his children, but not us. Elijah isn't the best at hiding, but I am. I hid your uncles, your aunt, and you. All by myself. I am good at making myself truly invisible. Elijah will not sense my presence."
"He'd better not. He will kill you. To keep you from telling Niklaus the truth about what he did, to get revenge because my uncle and I led The Strix after he abandoned them. Elijah is your biggest enemy here, not Niklaus. You risk too much going anywhere near him."
"Please, Reynard, give me more credit than that. You may lead The Strix, and you may train them... but let's not forget who birthed you, raised you, and helped you become the man that you are. I am one of the strongest vampires on this planet. Just as strong as your uncles and your aunt, and right up to par with the Originals. It's going to take a lot for Elijah to kill me." She saw Hayley Marshall exiting the Compound. "They're all out of there. I should get going to find Marcel. Goodnight, my darling."
Reynard sighed. "Say the word, and I'll fly to New Orleans."
"Don't worry about me, Reynard. Tend to your little witch. Keep her safe. Update me in the morning."
"I will. Be safe, Mother." He hung up.
She cracked her fingers as she sat up. "Alright, Marcel Gerard. Let's see what you can tell me about Rebekah Mikaelson."