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03.17 Behind the black horizon
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"THE BABY'S HEALTHY."
"Vina, that's great!" Aidynn beams, holding the phone to her ear with Kol entertaining Saint behind her as the three enter Saint James Infirmary with the toddler on his hip. "You ever find out the gender?"
The Claire sighs in relief; "No, we decided to wait. God, I can't believe I'm already five and a half months along already. Why didn't you tell me how liberating and amazing it is weighted out with agonizing and painful?"
"Uh, I did." She chuckles, her eyes carefully watching Kol who cradles Saint and makes her stuffed fox press its snout to her face like kisses, making her squirm and giggle. "Hey, I gotta go, talk later?"
"Of course. Bye, love you!"
"Love you!" Aidynn ends the call and pockets her phone as the Mikaelson saunters ahead of her.
"Seems your friend stood us up."
She rolls her eyes at his attitude shift, ignoring it since he'd been like that recently as she looks around, feeling the thick air tense. "Vincent isn't my friend, really. We're just allies and acquaintances, he hates the Mikaelsons, I have a Mikaelson soulmate and child. But that child is also a New Orleans French Quarter witch."
"Well, since we bothered to be the only ones who turned up." He sighs, sitting Saint on the bar's floor as he reaches behind and grabs a bottle. "It would be a shame to leave empty handed. Why not head back, put Saint down for a nap, and we get up to no good."
Kol leans down to kiss her when she dodges, glancing around as Saint walks around with her fox. "Something's off. Vincent wanted to meet 'cause we're up against a common threat, why would he lie and ditch? This is the only place in NOLA where a witch can't practice magic, so why would the Regent wanna meet somewhere he's powerless?"
The Original frowns, unscrewing the lid of the bottle as he gazes at his daughter, keeping her close as the hybrid looks over at the piano. Saint squeals, shaking her fox; "Go. Go. Go!"
The brunette narrows her eyes at the tarot card leaning on the tip jar, she moves it to see a phone and a vial of blood, which she quickly grabs and turns to her soulmate. "This is his cell." She sits on a stool, her daughter waddling a few feet from her as she clicks the video of the regent on.
"Aidynn, listen. I know we're not the closest friends but I need you to listen to me, ok? Um, we're in serious trouble. Now, I'm recordin' this here because it's free from magic and magic is our enemy." The man sits the phone on the piano as he stutters through his words. "The Ancestors got me on the hook doin' some pretty twisted magic and I want no part of it, but they're forcing me to help Lucien Castle. And if you don't help me, Freya Mikaelson's gonna die." Aidynn gulps, sharing a look with Kol as he abandons his drink, standing behind her with his palm on her back softly. "They forced me to take her then they had me put up a cloaking spell so we can't be tracked. Now, Lucien is takin' us outta town someplace. I don't know where but there's a loophole."
Aidynn pauses the video, looking at Kol. "Loophole...? Finn?"
"I assume so, love." He sighs in irritation at the name as she unfreezes it.
"And Aidynn that's where you come into play. I need a powerful witch that's off the Ancestors radar." Vincent slices his hand, explaining. "I want you to find a threat between me and Finn."
The hybrid turns her head, the Original's nose brushing her. "We have to go."
"Agreed." Aidynn scoops Saint into her arms, allowing Kol to sweep them away to the compound. As soon as they stop, Saint giggles while her dad rushes to find his brothers and her mother places her in a pack-and-play in front of a TV with cartoons and toys and blankets with her. Saint enthralls herself in her cars and dolls while Aidynn sits the study, Elijah and Finn listening to the video while Kol stands.
"Just how am I the loophole?" Finn huffs.
Kol notifies: "Last year when Esther first brought us back, I got put into the body of a gormless twit but you got housed in one of the most powerful witches in the city. Vincent's."
Aidynn coughs into her palm; "Favoritism."
"And even after all this time there's still an echo of a body-soul connection between you two." The youngest brother informs, holding in a snicker from his soulmate who's twisting the vial of blood while Elijah plays the rest of the video.
The suited brother's brown eyes look to the brown-eyed hybrid star-fished on the sofa, querying; "Have you ever done anything like this?"
Aidynn shrugs. "I don't even know the spell, let alone how to do it. But I have Vincent's blood, if I can take Finn's blood, I'm sure I could figure it out and track 'em."
"I should've sense something was wrong when Freya didn't call." Finn scolds himself. "Now, Lucien has a head start." The eldest brother snaps his fingers at her, the youngest tensing with narrowed eyes. "Go, half-breed. Tend to your spells. I won't rest until she's found."
Kol scoffs; "Behold the selfless martyr. First he wants to chase Aidynn off in Mystic Falls, then he wants to rip her head off for trapping him in his body, now he can't wait to be spelled."
Finn steps toward Kol and Elijah calls, rising from his seat behind the desk; "Finn. You and I should go together. Kol, you should stay here with Aidynn and Saint-"
"You're going with him?!" The Mikaelson rages. "So the two people responsible for not destroying the White Oak when they had the chance, thus putting us in this bloody mess, are now off to try and fix it! That's just marvelous. I mean, what could possibly go wrong!"
Sensing the fight about to break out, Aidynn jumps up and grabs his wrist, jerking him toward her so they look into each other's eyes. "Hey, Kol. I don't know the spell, I need your help. Come on."
He sighs as she tugs him behind her, pulling them into their room where Saint is engrossed in Scooby-Doo that's playing as she cuddles her silk purple blanket and fox. Aidynn pulls out her world map and tools as Elijah brings the cup to the room, leaving with a silent pat on his niece's head. Aidynn dips the spindle on the bowl of blood, wrapping the string around her hand as she spins it; the spindle keeps going the same way for a long time.
"Keep going North east, it's connection is strong there."
Pacing the floor, Kol splutters: "W-Northeast? They've been driving Northeast for an hour, Angel. We need to get a tad more specific before they hit the Atlantic Ocean."
"The Soul-Blood connection isn't as strong as a locator spell, which they're cloaked from." She huffs. "The closest I'm getting is Virginia. Northern Virginia."
"You're bloody joking." He breathes.
"Mystic Falls, of course." Aidynn sarcastically smiles, rubbing her palms over her eyes.
He turns around, anger flooding his system. "Where we were turned into vampires. That's too much of a coincidence. Could you please be a little more precise?"
"No, signal's to weak, it needs a boost. Maybe some black cohosh w-"
The hybrid reaches for the herbs when the Original loudly snaps off: "Black cohosh won't do it!" He takes a step back, inhaling deeply as his face softens at her hurt expression. "Sorry. I've got a better idea; a Blood Rider. A Tibetian singing bowl I had cast into a dark object in the 1800s."
Aidynn crosses her eyes, mumbling; "Like an echo chamber?"
"Correct." Kol nods, his breath more evened out. "Alright, with Finn's blood we can amplify the connection he has with Vincent." Anger slams back into him, Aidynn narrows her eyes at the shift, familiarity she ignores vining in her belly. "But, like everything of mine, Klaus's ex has it now. I guess I'll just have to pry it out of her hands."
Slamming the spindle on the map, Aidynn rounds the table to face him. "Cami is my friend, someone who's gotten me through rough times. If you can't behave, I'll spell you in here, and Saint and I will go to Cami's."
The Original steps forward, their faces inches apart as he stares in her eyes, the ice melting away into warmth as he grasps her hands. "Ok. I'll behave. Let's go."
With a glare, Aidynn turns away and lifts Saint from the pin, putting her on her hip and snatching the to-go back, throwing it at Kol who shoulders it silently. Quickly, they get to the O'Connell's apartment door, the vampire smiling. "Hey, Aidynn, Saint."
"Hey, Cami. Kol, Cami, Cami, Kol. We need a small favor." She smiles and Cami lets them inside.
Kol huffs; "Is it really a favor it-"
The Parker grits out; "Shut it."
The Mikaelson 'hmphs' as the O'Connell states; "Anything, name it."
"A dark object, a singing bowl of Tibetan origins." The brunette tells, placing her daughter on the cushion chair as she plays with her Green Arrow action figure.
The three adults rifle through the many boxes until Cami sighs: "I know it's here somewhere."
"Hard to keep track of all your stolen goods?" Kol quizzes sassily.
Aidynn kisses her teeth, hissing; "Kol, enough."
"My family did not steal these." The blonde informs, turning to face the two; the man angry and the woman annoyed. "They just kept the very deadly toys you left strewn about the city falling into even deadlier hands."
He slams a ball down, causing a clatter as he steps toward her. Saint whimpers and Aidynn props her on her hip, letting the toddler bury her head into her mom's shoulder "You know what, love? I'm here now, so maybe I should take back what's mine."
"Let's see what happens when you try."
Kol mumbles as Aidynn rubs Saint's back as she trembles: "Oh, that sounds like fun to me."
"Kol!" The Parker hisses, him instantly calming as he turns to where his love is holding their scared daughter who sensed the tension. The woman bites her lip to keep from yelling as she bites out at her love: "Go to the compound. I don't wanna look at you right now."
Kol's eyes look down at the ground in shame before he speeds out, Aidynn rubbing her palm not holding her toddler on her forehead in stress. "I'm sorry, he's just, he's just readjusting. You understand that, right?"
Aidynn stumbles closer to her friend, the bags under her eyes becoming evident to the newbie vampire who mutters; "Yeah, that's his problem."
The hybrid swallows thickly, shaking her head in confusion. "What'd you mean?"
"I've seen that look before, Aidynn." Her eyes soften. "My uncle after he was cursed. "
"Kol's not-Kol's not cursed, Cami." She denies, switching her child to her opposite hip. "I'd know it."
The vampire leans over a box, coming back up with the bowl. "I think you do but don't want to accept it because you've been waiting for Kol for a long time. You know him probably better than anyone and even you're concerned. Look, maybe I'm wrong, but...be careful, ok? Especially with Saint around him."
"He wouldn't..." Aidynn weakly defends and Cami raises a brow, handing her the bowl that she stuffs in her bag.
"I didn't think my uncle would hurt me and he did."
Aidynn inhales sharply and deeply. "Thanks, Cami."
Cami leans in and kisses the toddler's cheek. "Always, feel free to bring this sweet girl over anytime."
"I will."
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
Having put Saint in her room for a nap on arrival after she conked out on the ride to the compound, Aidynn places the bowl on the table and takes a seat while Kol watches her like a wounded puppy, he whispers; "I'm sorry."
"I know, Kol." She mutters tiredly, pouring some of the blood into the bowl.
"With Finn's blood, we can amplify the connection he has with Vincent." He informs her, his tone softening as she fists the striker, bringing it to the bowl. "Alright, let go of everything, feel the vibration. Now harmonize with the cadence of the drone." Aidynn hums as she swirls the striker, Kol stands and moves behind her. He sits on the bench, his front pressing her back as his hand clasps over hers, murmuring to her: "Now once they're both in harmony, it should continue by itself." Aidynn turns so their lips are inches apart, their eyes locked as she swirls, his voice growing softer; "Then it's all up to you to concentrate, to amplify it."
Electricity jolts her system as she hums, his touch growing warmer as he kisses her neck. She arches into him, telling him lowly; "It's working, I can feel it."
"Good." He coos, his hand rubbing her arm with the other stirring the striker, she moves it and sits it on the table, flipping around so their thighs brush. She blinks up at him, grasping his cheeks and pulling him down so their lips crush on each other. She moans at the heat flickering through her body as he nips her lower lip, yanking away when Saint begins crying.
Aidynn rubs his shoulder as he pouts, getting up and opening her door to see her sitting on the bed wailing. Aidynn kneels, pulling Saint into her arms. "Hey, Peanut, what's wrong? Hey, it's ok, mommy's here. You ok?"
"Scary." The mini Mikaelson sobs into the Parker's shoulder.
Hearing his bawling daughter, the vampire rushes inside in confusion. He sits beside Aidynn, rubbing the back of Saint's head. "What's the matter, love?"
"I think she had a nightmare." The hybrid whispers, cradling the baby to her chest.
He narrows his eyes, his brows pinching. "What could she possibly be frightened of?"
Saint slurs, pulling from her mom, pointing at her eye; "Scary."
Aidynn tilts her head, slapping Kol's arm. "Kol, you're eyes. Show her your eyes."
"Angel, I-"
"Please?" She begs and his brown puppy eyes fade into a blood red with purple veins under them. She turns his head to Saint who's widened at her dad's appearance, her lips trembling in fear, Aidynn questioning; "Like daddy's?"
She shakes her head, the small pad of her finger running from his cheek to where the veins under his eyes, poking his eyelid. "Red." She taps his lip and he parts them, she blinks at his fangs unfazed, looking at her mom. "More."
Aidynn sighs, parting her lips to reveal four sharp pearly white fangs on top and bottom as her eyes glow brilliant yellow. "Like mommy's?"
The toddler nods instantly, her finger tracing her mom's lip in wonder. "Hurt him."
Kol's phone rings and Aidynn tenses, Kol excuses himself to answer his brother while Aidynn assures Saint she's safe and no one will hurt her, she relaxes enough to play with her toys. Aidynn closes her door, the silencing spell reactivating as the lock clicks and Kol ends his call.
"Freya's fine, Finn's in a bad way." he mutters, pocketing his cell. "Lucien has bitten him."
"Well, at least your sister's safe..." She winces, dragging her fingers through her brown hair. "Sorry, emotions make me uncomfortable."
"And the man that pretended to be a family friend but actually hated us for an eternity has turned himself into some creature. Yeah, for all we know could be the bloody beast the prophecy said could end us!" He rages, slamming his fist into a mirror and she flinches in shock as it shatters.
Carefully, Aidynn approaches him; "I've been noticing your odd, out-of-character behavior for days and Cami only confirmed it wasn't just me bein' paranoid. It's not vampirism. Kol, I think there's something magically wrong with you. Baby, you're not like yourself."
The Original whips around, his lips curling and his eyes bearing such an intense hatred the hybrid could almost cry of how he's looking at her. "Not myself? And which self am I supposed to be?" He walks forward and she walks back as he shouts; "I have been a witch, a vampire, ghost, a witch in someone else's body, and now I am a bloody vampire again." The Mikaelson roughly grips her biceps and the Parker inhales sharply at his tight grip, him spitting in her face; "Alright, you think that I'm cursed, but I think it's everybody else getting into my bloody business and not knowing when to back off."
With tears in her eyes, Aidynn jerks her head to the side, Kol's neck turns before he falls in a heap on the ground by her feet.
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
Saint and Aidynn ate nuggets with some hot sauce and cheesy fries for dinner alone. Kol stayed up stairs until Aidynn went up and played with Saint, then he skedaddled downstairs. A few hours later, Saint was bathed and had her teeth and hair brushed, now leaning on Aidynn's side as she yawns, hugging her mom's waist with her head on her pillow.
"'Thou hast quarreled with a man for coughing in the street, because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before Easter?'" She attempts to read the second line when the door creaks open, Kol closes the door and sits beside the bed, grasping the snoring toddler's palm and running his thumb over her soft baby skin of the back of her hand with teary eyes. Aidynn carefully closes Kol's original copy of the play, whispering; "You ok?"
"I've been better." he mumbles back, twisting Saint's anti-magic bracelet that Aidynn had found lost in the pack-and-play around. "Finn's dead."
"What?" She blinks, noticing Saint stir she prys her off and stuffs a pillow in her place, carefully getting up and pulling Kol into their room, crossing her arms in concern. "What happened?"
He swallows, sitting on the bed. "Finn's dead. Lucien bit him, he's turned himself into some sort of bloody hybrid with a bite lethal enough to kill an Original. Niklaus's blood didn't even heal him. I said awful things, darling, I did not know..."
She steps between his parted legs, kissing his forehead as she pulls his head under her chin, caressing his hair. "I know. It's alright, I got you."
"Nik and Elijah are cremating him now." He whispers, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'd prefer if you and Saint were not in a home any one can enter whilst we leave."
Aidynn nods, hugging him tighter. "I'll take her to the apartment, ok? Just, not right now."
The hybrid could sense his need for comfort isn't only about Finn, but she didn't know what else. Probably how he snaps so quickly now, worry for hurting Saint or herself. She knows it isn't intentional but she didn't want Saint alone with him, fearing the curse would make him hurt her. She hates that feeling of mistrust between them and so does Kol.
After a bit, Kol pulls off and decides to take a shower before him and his siblings bump Finn's ashes, so Aidynn exits the room, knocking on a door that swings open. She smiles at the Original, asking: "How are you?"
Klaus puffs out a breath, closing his door and walking beside her. "Vengeful. Is my brother ok?"
Sensing him wanting to switch topics, she sighs in concern. "No, Nik. Kol's far from ok." She grasps his forearm, looking around to whisper; "He's been cursed, Nik. I tried to siphon it, it's rooted too deep and I have no clue why he's cursed."
"Have you told him?"
"Earlier I tried and he got so enraged." Aidynn's eyes cloud over as she recalls a moment. "His eyes, they were so hateful. I hated how hateful they were at me."
Klaus's face softens, gripping her shoulder. "My brother would never harm you."
Aidynn swallows, tears lining her eyes as she murmurs; "I wouldn't bet on it."
The hybrid pats his arm and walks away, pulling out her phone to text a number who responds. She quickly gathers the sleeping Saint in a thick jacket and into her carseat, driving across town where she enters the bar with Saint in a stroller, snoring cozily. Aidynn pours a glass of water, sitting beside her daughter as she sips it. She looks up, blinking the tears away to force a smile at Vincent who says; "Got your message. I don't know what's more surprising, you savin' my ass today or wantin' to see me afterwards."
Aidynn sighs, rising from her seat to face him. "I wanna gag admitting this, but I need your help."
"Aidynn, I don't know if I'm your guy. Outside these walls the Ancestors have a pretty strong say on what I can and cannot do."
She rubs her arm where the Original held her and left bruises. "They, uh, they got their hooks in Kol, too."
He tilts his head in pity, nodding with a faint; "Yeah."
She chuckles humorlessly, her eyes turning to her daughter. "I tested his blood, it's rooted so deep, I can't even siphon it, which means they messed with the spell I used to resurrect him. They couldn't get to me for killin' so many of their own, they're using him to do it; makin' him lose control. Most of my life has consisted of self-planning, being ten steps ahead of anyone after me, but I don't know what to do. What if he...what if he loses control around Saint?" The hybrid's lips tremble as she covers them with her palm, her wet eyes looking at her feet. "I couldn't live knowing I allowed her own dad to hurt her, accident or not."
The man steps forward, informing the woman; "Aidynn Parker. You know, I used to respect the 'em, the Ancestors. The more and more I watched 'em the more I saw them just usin' people for their own needs. And then when they're done they just...toss 'em aside, like they're trash. And if you disobey 'eh, ooh. If we disobey 'em then they're gonna shun us. If we disobey 'em then they're gonna cripple us, they're gonna kill us! They've gotta be stopped, Aidynn. They've got to be stopped. And it looks like it's just gonna be on us to do it."
Dryly, she sighs; "Thrilling."
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
Wiping tears from her eyes, Aidynn breathes deeply as she hops from the car, sliding Saint's car seat out with the three bags over her shoulders. The brunette walks a few parking spaces over to where Davina is leaning on the car bonnet with Ashton sliding boxes in the trunk. She bites her lip as she kisses Davina's cheek, muttering; "Hey."
"Hey, A." The witch stares at her in sympathy as the hybrid sits the sleeping untriggered tribrid on the hood, tucking the purple silk farther under the toddler. "I know this is hard for you."
"So very hard, but I gotta get her out of this city." Aidynn leans down and kisses her daughter's nose as her chin wobbles.
Ashton shuts the trunk, rounding the car, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry."
Aidynn nods, tears sliding down cheeks, biting her wiggling lip as she sobs. "I just love her so much. Her dad's curse, her aunt's and uncle's supposed to be dead at the end of this year, her mom, too. I never wanted this for her."
Davina cries, hugging her. "You know we'll protect her."
"I do." The Parker nods, wiping her eyes, handing her bags to the Woods. "These two are her things, clothes and toys and stuff." Aidynn hands the third bag to Davina who fists it curiously. "Money I drew from a Mikaelson account. Fifty-thousand in fifties, twenties, tens, and fives. I don't know how long you'll be gone, but..."
Davina hugs Aidynn, rubbing her back. "Not long. You'll fix it like always."
"I hope."
"What about Kol?" The wolf crosses his arms, looking at the hybrid.
Aidynn rubs her neck, her eyes dim in sorrow. "He doesn't know yet, so it's my choice."
"B-"
The Parker snaps: "Look, I've been the sole caregiver of my child for basically her whole life, Kol was dead and I kept her alive, so I'm doing that. He trusts you, Davina. You're his friend, he'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I don't want him to, like, hunt us."
Aidynn glares at Ashton, crossing her arms. "Kol won't, his head isn't clear enough for that. With everything that's comin', I trust you both more and you're leaving town."
Davina smiles. "Not close but not far."
"Houston, Texas, we'll send you the address to the new apartment." Ashton wraps an arm around Davina with a slight smile. "If it's still bad here, just know we plan to come back here for the birth."
"Hospital or bayou?" She grins through her tears at the witch's horrified face.
"Hospital."
"Bayou."
Davina turns to him with raised brows. "If you aren't pushing out this baby, you have no say."
"Hospital." The wolf nods which appeases the witch.
The hybrid smiles. "I'm happy for you both." Her smile falls as her eyes turn back to Saint, she walks forward and kisses her head again, mumbling; "I-I love you, always and forever, Peanut." Aidynn turns around, telling them; "If somethin' happens, call me, ok? And, and, and she needs her fox most of the time, she loves Scooby-Doo and Charlie Brown and Monster High. Also loves DC superheroes and cars. And, and, she loves fries and pizza and chicken nuggets."
"Ok." The Claire whispers, nodding at the bawling Parker. "She'll be safe and cared for, I promise."
With cold eyes, she glances between the couple, warning; "If anything happens to my baby, your kid will grow up as an orphan after they're born. And that isn't a threat, it's a promise, 'cause I can't live with Saint."
Aidynn stomps to her car, tears falling as she watches the couple load Saint in the backseat and drive away out of sight before pulling away. Sobbing her heart out, Aidynn arrives home, she wipes her eyes and walks inside her home, seeing Kol reading on the couch. Hearing her sniffles, he stands, dropping the book without care and vamping to cup her cheeks; "Angel, what's the matter?"
"Don't hate me."
"I could never." He assures, the pads of his thumbs over her cheekbones.
Tears slide down her cheeks, looking in his warm brown eyes. "I sent Saint away with Ash and 'Vina. I did it to protect her, Kol."
"What?" He pants, pulling away in hurt, his eyes filling with tears. "Why?"
"You're cursed, Kol, and everyone else is on a hitlist for Lucien, not to mention Aurora's joined him. If something happens and we can't protect her, at least she's out of harmsway."
The Original stumbles back, leaning on the back of the couch, rubbing his face. "Why not talk to me?"
"'Cause it was hard enough alone, let alone both our grief." The brunette whispers, wiping her tears on her sleeve and Kol yanks her into a hug.
｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.