She returned to a silent Compound.
There were no conversations, only a shower running in Elijah's room. She spoke quietly to Klaus and Kol, letting them know her work was done. She'd left Esther with a blood bag, giving her a choice they never received. Kol had assured her that now that she was in transition, Esther would not be able to body jump even if she didn't feed. No matter the outcome, they were safe. All that was left was to find Mikael. As soon as they were rid of him, Hayley could come home.
"You look upset," she murmured, noticing Klaus had a faraway look in his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"
He hesitated. "I spent the day with my father. My real father."
"He was out in the Bayou?"
"He helped me find the merlock orchid. Esther truly believed he could convince me to renounce vampirism. I suppose... I considered it. The thought of what I could be, had I been raised by him. Had I been nurtured. I think I might've known what a good father is like, I'd feel more prepared to teach my daughter. I think I'd have been more open to knowing the other side of myself."
"There is a chance," whispered Vivalda. "He wasn't being mind-controlled, was he? If he's not under Esther's influence, maybe you could know him?"
"I don't want to. It won't be safe."
"For who, Nik? For you? For Hayley? For the baby?"
"If he were to cause me to let my guard down..."
"Are you strong enough to kill him if you need to?"
"I would kill anyone who threatened their lives."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. With your permission, I can take that burden from you, should it become necessary. I think if there is an opportunity... you should at least entertain it. I think you are ready to become a good father. But there will be ups and downs. Some of those may be eliminated if you first learn to be a son who was loved, so you may empathize with your daughter as she grows up, so loved by you. You have been more open to knowing the wolves, but perhaps that curiosity may soar to new heights if you speak to Ansel about what he knows. It's okay, Nik. We support you. We love you."
She took his hand. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't kill Mikael."
"Don't be foolish," he muttered. "I ought to have done it myself. You dueled him when I fell. You took the white oak stake back for us. That kill is mine, I would have hated you if you did."
"Yet you hate me because I didn't."
"I don't hate you, sister. I hate Mikael. I hate that you were his golden child, that each time I did something wrong, you arrived and did it right." He laughed bitterly, "And you never realized it, either, you never knew because even your best wasn't good enough to you. Vivalda Mikaelson, the Destroyer's Daughter, needed to reach new heights to impress her father or it wouldn't be sufficient, it wouldn't mean anything. Yet all the while you were competing against yourself, I fell further and further behind. He made me realize it. I loathed you for it, but in reality I loathe him. For the way he treated me. The way the idiot could not even tell you he was proud of you even though he so clearly was. I... I once heard him say–"
"I know," she cut in gently. "Esther told me. I don't blame you for not saying anything. But I do blame myself for this. No matter what he means to me, it should matter more that I protect our family, that I protect you and your daughter. We have not always seen eye to eye and more often than not we bicker. But when Antonella called me... she was worrying her head off about me going to face Mikael. I told her you were with me and that I was safe. You do make me feel safe, Nik. During storms you comforted Rebekah and as soon as she was quiet, you came to me and though I pretended not to be afraid, you would caress my hair like Mother used to until I stopped trembling. You never told anyone, you didn't make me feel insecure."
"I will always protect you, sister."
She went up to see Elijah after his shower. He seemed on-edge, hands trembling as they struggled to fasten his tie. Kol had given her a run-down of what it seemed Esther had done to him. Spells to force forward memories of his worst deeds, torture to keep his mind open, all in the hopes of making him see that becoming human was the only way out.
That was certainly a more drastic approach than what she'd taken with Vivalda and Klaus.
Wordlessly, Vivalda hugged him from behind. He relaxed when he realized it was her, patting her hands gently. She didn't need to speak for him to know that she was worried about him, that she just wanted him to be okay.
Kol and Antonella were ready to return to Germany. Vivalda was hopping on the plane with them, intending to help with the de-linking spell they were now planning. Klaus and Elijah weren't fans of it, but Vivalda had stated as bluntly as possible that she refused to let Antonella die because of her own 'daddy issues.'
Rebekah, as expected, agreed to participate once the spell was prepared. Her brothers refused. Vivalda hoped she could eventually convince them, but figured there was a slim chance. She wasn't worried at all. Her sirelings thought she was a goddess walking among them; they'd never hurt her and if they tried, Tristan and Lucien would help her put them down without hesitation. Following The Strix merger, everyone was much happier. It wasn't her fault her brothers had made more enemies than friends. Though she promised she would help them defeat anyone who came for them, it wasn't a risk they were willing to take.
She had one more stop to make before heading to the airport, a private jet fueled up and waiting to take her back into Tristan and Lucien's open arms. She walked into St. Anne's Church with flowers and a small box, trudging up the staircase where Davina was waiting.
"I don't know what you're here to ask for, but I'm done doing favors," said Davina. "I helped Kol because he's wanting to make a dagger that'll work against Klaus. That is in my interests because it keeps Marcel and Josh alive and him out of the picture. He gave me dark objects. You brought... flowers?"
"And this," said Vivalda, tossing her the box. "Car keys. I've got a gift waiting for you outside. Not because I'm trying to buy your forgiveness but because I found out you recently turned seventeen and don't have a car. It helps to have freedom, trust me."
She leaned into the doorway. "Look, Rebekah and Marcel drew Mikael here because they hated how Klaus controlled them. I imposed my will upon people in your circle, as did Klaus, so you brought Mikael to hurt us. I understand it. I know I caused it. And I am sorry, I am. I've done horrible things I can't take back. I hurt a lot because I seek approval from someone who's never going to give it to me. It's become a habit."
She chewed on her lip. "I don't often regret it but I've thought a lot about what I did to Monique and Abigail. Even what I just did to Lenore, who didn't do anything to deserve her fate. I don't like being seen as soft, so I push people away. I pretend I don't care when I do. Sometimes I let what needs to be done overpower the few morals I have left. I stick to a code. I kill but never kids. Lately I've let that slip and I don't like it. I'm ashamed. I can't really justify it. I do everything in the name of family but I suppose I forget to think how it affects other people. How it hurts their families."
With a sigh, she finished, "I want to try and be more mindful of that. At least where kids in New Orleans are concerned. My niece will grow up here one day and I want to set a good example. Not to mention you are distantly family, too. I haven't been the kindest to you and I want to start by respecting you. I don't come asking for forgiveness, I just want you to know my apology is sincere. Keep being a good kid. Or as good as you can be, given the circumstances. You're already loads better than us. Just keep yourself out of trouble. And don't let anyone push you around."
Davina stared at her, perhaps still internalizing what she said. The fact she didn't blast her out of the doorway was indication enough that Vivalda had said something good. Something that mattered to her. The witch wasn't wanting to forgive, Vivalda knew it, but she didn't mind it. She was just glad that Davina listened. And hopefully, the next time she crossed paths, she'd hate her a little less.
She made two final recommendations to her brothers before departing.
First, she suggested Klaus go and spend some time in the safe house with Hayley even if Mikael hadn't yet been found. He couldn't just leave her to handle the pregnancy alone. The city was going to be peaceful. He didn't have to stay.
Second, she suggested that Elijah talk to Cami about what Esther had done to him. It hadn't escaped her notice that he was starting to like her, something Esther had very easily confirmed. With Cami's knowledge of the mind, there was a chance she could help him work through what he repressed. And she realized, when he mentioned an analogy of a red door, that it was possible he hadn't recalled a lot of the bad things he'd done. He'd pushed it away to protect himself from the truth.
And I kill to make myself think I'm not weak, because deep down I still think being kind is a bad thing. Screw you, Mikael.
She almost wanted to find him. Almost dared to ask Madison, who sat beside her on the plane, if she could locate him for a private chat. She wanted to ask him why he couldn't just blurt out that he was proud of her. Surely, he'd just tell her that he didn't want to coddle her because mothers loved their children and fathers made them strong. Maybe he didn't think she needed to hear it, maybe he never realized that she was convinced her parents hated her.
Maybe some part of him was failing to kill her, too. He could have, so many times. Was it possible he did love her? Was it possible that this entire time, his own ego– the same need to kill and be cruel to hide a soft interior, something she must have inherited from him– was all that prevented him from telling her that she mattered to him?
She wondered what he'd say about her situation. Esther had been understanding. Vivalda wanted to believe her mother still loved her enough to want her to be happy, even if it was for her own twisted reasons (which they suspected, in hindsight, to be her wanting to kill them again. If they were in mortal bodies, they didn't need their vampire forms. They'd be vulnerable and free to die).
But Mikael? There's no way he wouldn't shame her way of life. He'd call her an imbecile for giving into love, especially with two men. He'd tell her that she ought to be ruling the world, commanding armies, he'd accuse her of abandoning her pursuits because of two boys. He'd say it was disgusting, she was sure of it. And in the end he'd never stop hating Klaus. Even if he loved her, even if he was proud of her, he'd always want to hurt him.
And because of that, she couldn't forgive him. She could only ever be happy away from him, without his opinions. She didn't need his love or his pride. The only validation she needed was her own. Maybe a tad from her siblings. A teensy bit from her friends.
All she wanted from Tristan and Lucien was their love. Something she was sure she felt for them.
Next time, she wouldn't hesitate to kill Mikael.
And this time, she wouldn't shy away from telling her boyfriends that she loved them.
They peppered her with kisses as soon as they saw her in the terminal. It was difficult to know who was kissing her where, and she couldn't help but giggle, Tristan's stubble tickling her cheek at the same time that Lucien's fingers sneakily tapped her side.
"I missed you both," she said, kissing each firmly. "I'm ready to begin the process of unlinking. I don't think my brothers will fall in line anytime soon, but one can hope. Maybe one day they will understand what it means for the sirelings. And if anything, we find a way to unlink just you two and Aya. I do care for the others in the Strix but if they do not submit, I will not force them– they are my brothers after all and I do not wish to make them uncomfortable– in which case we will need to prioritize certain things and people."
"I hope it does not come to that," said Tristan. "But if it does, am I a horrible man for being glad you are selfish enough to prioritize us over all others?"
"Not at all," said Lucien, putting his arms around them. "I like being selfish. You should be selfish more often. In fact, I'm going to be selfish now and tell you that I wish nothing more than for us to head right to my apartment. The Strix can wait until tomorrow to see you, love."
"I am selfish enough to agree to this," said Vivalda sweetly.
Tristan rolled his eyes when they both looked at him. "I am selfish, too."
She waited until after they were all done to cuddle up to them, lacing her fingers with theirs and alternating where she looked. "I want you both to know something," she said. "I think I love you both. What I feel now is unlike anything I'd experienced. I thought I knew what love was but it only scratched the surface. You two have made me feel seen and adored in ways I didn't imagine. You mean the world to me."
Tristan smiled immediately. "And I love you, my beautiful Vivalda." He cupped her face, kissing her.
Lucien waited for them to be done to tug her toward him, at first only letting her rest on his chest. "I love you," he whispered. "More than I thought it was possible to love a person. I am yours for eternity, Vivalda, if you'll have me."
"I'll have and love you both always and forever," she promised. "Until forever ends."
The few uninterrupted months of bliss that followed were the very best. New Orleans was at peace, the wolves and vampires thriving as the witches did whatever the hell they wanted (though thankfully leaving the Mikaelsons alone and finally treating Davina with a bit more respect). Vivalda and Rebekah were unlinked from their sirelings with Kol's help, and he'd completed his personal project of turning Vivalda's silver dagger into a golden one that would work on Klaus. Elijah reported improved symptoms and had apparently thrived under Cami's counsel, though Vivalda was sure the majority of that healing happened outside of therapy, on one of their many way-too-elaborate but also cute dates.
She wouldn't have left, had it not been for Klaus letting her know that his daughter had been born. Seven pounds and six ounces, and about forty-nine centimeters long. She was beautiful, and she'd been named Hope Andrea Mikaelson after Klaus and Hayley heard Elijah say that that their little girl was the family's hope. It felt fitting.
She and Kol had flown to New Orleans within a day to meet their niece, having received permission from Klaus to tell Finn that if he wanted to come by, he was welcome. (Vivalda had a feeling Elijah had talked him into it, to be courteous.)
But unfortunately, Finn didn't come bearing good news. He wasn't as enthusiastic as his siblings, though his expression did soften at the sight of the adorable little girl that Klaus had somehow managed to create. (Everyone attributed her cuteness to Hayley, but they knew Hope's eyes came from Klaus and Klaus alone.)
"I never thought we'd need to have this conversation," Finn said tightly, stressed by what he'd learned regarding the past months. All that'd happened with Esther and Mikael that they hadn't let him find out about until it was too late for him to do anything about it. "We weren't meant to have children, we shouldn't have."
"Yes, yes," said Klaus, rolling his eyes. "We've been through this enough already, you despise us and you don't think we should further our lineage at the risk of creating children that are like us."
"It's not that at all. Our mother was barren when she married our father. She grew so desperate for a family that she begged one of the most powerful witches in history for help— her sister, Dahlia."
"Her what?" said Vivalda. "Since when do we have an aunt?"
Finn's nostrils flared impatiently. "We've always had one, but there is a reason you all do not know her. Dahlia's price for helping our mother was high. She agreed to make her fertile, but in exchange, she sought the first-born as sacrifice. Having no other choice, our mother gave away our beloved Freya."
Elijah frowned. "Our sister died of plague."
"No, she did not. Esther gave her away. Think about that. The pain, the grief. She loved us more than you all could ever realize."
Klaus sneered, "And is love the reason she wanted my child dead? That she wanted us all dead?"
"She was trying to protect us all from Dahlia's curse!"
"What curse?" said Kol, confused.
"Dahlia demanded the first-born of every generation. Because you let your daughter be made and born, she will pay the price. And, if anyone tries to protect her, Dahlia will come and destroy us all."
"Not another word," snapped Klaus. "No more fairy tales about witches and curses."
Finn frowned. "If you think it's a fairy tale, then why do I see fear in your eyes?"
Klaus tightened his jaw, refusing to admit he might be afraid. Elijah spoke up, "If what you say is true, another enemy may yet come for Hope. She is a child, an innocent child. We will protect her."
"Then you will die and Dahlia will still manage to take her."
"You've felt left out and now you're making things up," accused Klaus. "Desperate to be included."
"Actually," said Finn tightly. "I'm happy to be as far away from you all as possible. I've enjoyed the past months since I was brought back to life. Sage and I are happy. Vivalda is the only one of you who bothers to keep in contact. I came here to warn you. What reason do I have to lie about this?"
Rebekah let out a dry laugh, which everyone (except Finn) could clearly interpret to mean, 'No wonder he hates us. He lost the sister he adored and instead got a judgy pack of siblings.'
"My question is if Dahlia could even still be alive," said Vivalda. "Should we expect her to body jump like Esther? How powerful could she possibly be in another form? And if Dahlia is somehow alive, doesn't it stand to reason that Freya could be, too?"
"I considered all this," said Finn. "I do not thinks we should expect her to be any less powerful than she was when she took our sister. I want to know if Freya could still be alive. If we could even find her. It's another reason I came here instead of telling you all this over the phone. I want us to try and find her."
Klaus snorted. "You are as delusional as our mother," he said coldly.
"Let's take a walk," said Vivalda, shooting Klaus the stink-eye. "Just you and me, Finn."
With his arms tucked behind his back, he followed her. Told her about the beautiful cottage he and Sage lived in, how he'd made a garden for them, how the two of them were enjoying their solitude. All details Vivalda knew but was glad to hear again while able to see a smile on his face.
He, unlike the others, never judged for a moment when he saw she was finally happy. It didn't matter to him who it was with. And she realized she had spent a thousand years trying to make her father proud of her when all along, Finn had given her his approval. He'd always believed in her. She never needed the man who sired her to say he was proud. The man who actually raised her had been proud of her from the moment she was born.
He told her all the things he remembered about Freya. She was a playful child, she always wanted to roam around and be free. It was then that Vivalda realized why both he and Mikael had treated her even the slightest bit differently from the others. She was every bit like Freya. The wild child behavior that Mikael had only tolerated from her was that of her older sister. Finn had cared for her because in a way, he was doing what he could not the first time around: keep his sister safe and sound.
"Excuse me."
They turned when they heard a woman calling out to them. About as tall as Vivalda, with the same thin face and eyes eerily similar to Finn. Perhaps the two of them knew who she was from the start, yet Finn still asked, "Who are you?"
She smiled. "I was wondering if you'd recognize me. I still remember the look of mischief in your eyes, a look shared... across the family, I see. How we would climb into the trees... never wanted Mother to hear what her little Huginn and Muninn were whispering about."
His eyes welled up with tears. "It can't be. Freya?"
She giggled, lunging toward him and pulling him into a tight hug. "And you must be Vivalda," she said, after what felt like an eternity paying attention to Finn. The girl squeaked as her sister wrapped her arms around her, not having been expecting it.
They moved away from the main street, seating themselves at a bench near Jackson Square after Vivalda had purchased an ice cream for Freya, seeing how the woman eyed one of the cones carried by a smaller child. She wondered if her sister had ever had ice cream before. Better to soften her with a treat first.
Freya wasted no time in explaining her situation, perfectly happy with her strawberry cone. "I'm here because of a spell Dahlia cast, placing me in a deep sleep for a century, only to then wake for a single year of life. I've repeated this cycle for hundreds of years. It started as a way for us to stay young and beautiful. She said if a witch can't be immortal, this was the next best thing. But, in time, I realized that all her stories were paired with lies."
"So she's alive," said Vivalda. "Wonderful."
"She doesn't just live," said Freya, "she hunts. I fled from her long ago, and I've been running ever since. To Dahlia, anyact of betrayal is punishable by death. But you do not need to worry. Dahlia is my cross to bear. She has no grudge against anyone but me."
Finn hesitated. "Did she ever speak to you about the curse she placed on this family? The one that says she can take the first-born of every generation?"
"Yes. But why should that concern you? Our siblings are vampires, there are no first-borns for her to take."
He looked at Vivalda, who shrugged. "Niklaus," said Finn. "The hybrid. He just had a daughter. Our mother filled my head with the terror of what would happen to all of us if we had any offspring."
"We're not hurting that baby," said Vivalda firmly, unsure why Freya's eyes were narrowing. "We will fight Dahlia. If she has a grudge against you, we can protect you, too. We can work together and get rid of her. No more restrictions. That way Hope can grow up safe and Finn can eventually have kids with Sage. Maybe Rebekah will find a loophole to do the same."
Freya sighed. "If Dahlia has sensed Klaus's child, she's already on her way. We'll need to protect each other, and her. I was taken when I was only five years old. I had just started to display a potential for magic. It is the magic that will draw Dahlia. It will serve as a beacon, calling her. Dahlia will come, and she will take what's hers."
"How long do we have?" said Vivalda. "Hope is a newborn. She can't possibly..."
"Born of a hybrid, with a werewolf mother, and of our bloodline," murmured Finn. "Her power will be immense."
"It won't be long before Dahlia comes," said Freya. "We must begin planning. Finn... if you may accompany me, there is something I must do. I would like for yout o help me. Vivalda..." she took her hands. "I slept a hundred years, trapped in a coffin within the Fauline Cottage, and now, finally, I'm free. I am eager to see the rest of our family. Tell our siblings I'll be coming to see them soon, and I expect nothing less than their best behavior."