~•⚜️•~
10th Century
New World
The village was holding a bonfire, where Esther and a young Klaus Mikaelson were dancing around the fire with some villagers while others play music on their various instruments.
"Your father may teach you to hunt, but I will teach you to win the heart of the prettiest girl in the village!" Esther told Klaus, who looked at his mother in joy.
The two spin around happily but Klaus stopped dancing when he saw the young Imogen Avery sitting beside the young Finn Mikaelson watching the older boy as he cleans his flute in his hand. Klaus smiled happily at the pretty noirette and looked up at his mother, who happily smiled back.
"You have a good eye, my son. She is the prettiest girl in the village."
The young Imogen looked up and saw Klaus and Esther looking at her. She gave them a big smile and a small wave. Klaus' eyes widen in surprise and shyly smiled back before looking down at his feet in embarrassment for getting caught staring while Esther chuckled softly at her son's reaction and smiled at the noirette.
"He likes you."
Imogen turned to find Finn looking at her with a small smile on his face. She grinned happily. "I like him too." she said innocently.
Finn chuckled softly. "Not like that, Imogen." he said, amused.
Imogen frowned. "Huh? What do you mean, Finn?" she asked, confused.
Finn smiled softly as he affectionately pats the noirette's head. "You will understand when you grow older, Imogen. Just understand this, friends can be more than friends."
~•~•~
In the courtyard of the compound, both Imogen Avery and Hayley Marshall stood in front of a table full of food as they happily munch on an array of fruit.
"Whoever compelled a chef for this, thank you." Imogen said and plucked a grape before putting it on her mouth.
Hayley nodded in agreement and continued eating as Imogen turned around when she heard footsteps and saw Klaus walking towards her with a confused look on his face when he saw the table full of food.
"So, which restaurant's missing a compelled chef again?" Imogen asked him before turning to pluck another grape.
Klaus laughed softly as he stood beside Imogen. "It's certainly a card I've played for you in the past, my love, but I had no hand in this." he said and gestured to the food on the table.
Hayley turned to him with a quirk an eyebrow. "Trying to woo Imogen with food that was made by a compelled chef from a five star restaurant? How genius of you." she said in a mocking way.
Klaus scowled at her. "At least I'm doing something to woo her rather than just watch her from afar and doing nothing." he shot back.
Hayley laughed. "And it only took you how many centuries again?" she mocked him again.
Klaus looked pissed off as he took a menacing step forward towards the brunette. "Mind saying that again?" he said threateningly as Hayley just smiled sarcastically at him.
Imogen sighed and quickly stood in front of Hayley and softly pushed Klaus back. "Nik? Relax, Hayley's teasing." she said.
Klaus relaxed as his eyes soften when he met Imogen's chocolatey brown eyes while Hayley smiled softly at how Imogen easily calmed down the tempered Original hybrid.
"Hmm, if Nik didn't do this, then, I guess we have to thank Elijah." Imogen said as she, Hayley and Klaus turned to the food on the table.
"This wasn't my doing, Farien."
The three looked up and saw Elijah descending the stairs, walking towards them with a confused look on his face.
Hayley frowned. "Then, where did this all come from?" she asked.
The silver lid on the platter suddenly began to rattle, which startled Imogen and Hayley so much that they jump in fright before instinctively stood closer to one another as Klaus and Elijah exchanged looks. Klaus looked uneasy as he lifts the platter, which released two starlings that fly up toward the ceiling, causing the four to reflexively duck to avoid being hit before they all looked puzzled and nervous at each other.
"What the hell was that?" Hayley asked, confused as she looked up the starlings.
Imogen, Klaus and Elijah exchanged looks before the noirette reached for the folded paper on the silver platter.
"Dinner. Your Home. 8pm." Imogen read and her eyes widen, realizing who it was from and looked up at Klaus and Elijah. "An invitation from Esther."
Klaus and Elijah exchanged looks of concern as Imogen burned the invitation in her hands with her magic.
"I guess this is another family reunion with a hidden agenda."
~•~•~
Klaus was standing outside on the balcony of his bedroom, staring at the French Quarter while Imogen was inside the room, lying flat on her back on the bed.
"Nik? I can feel that Esther's invitation earlier is troubling you. Come here, let's talk."
Klaus sighed heavily before doing what he was told and heads inside his room. "We have enough enemies here. And now, the war for our home is to be fought against our own family, my love." he said with frustration in his voice.
Imogen narrowed her eyes with a dangerous glint in them at the thought of Esther. "Well, Esther and her disciples tried to put a carving knife through both to our daughters' hearts. I will happily add to the body count." she said in annoyance as Klaus smiled proudly at her.
"You will do no such thing, Farien."
Imogen pouted childishly while Klaus laughed in amusement as they turned to the door to find Elijah entering the room.
"Esther's a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host." Elijah told the two.
Imogen frowned at him. "Well, her last invitation, our last reunion was an assassination attempt on all her children, which doesn't include me. We can assume she'll do something as similar as that tonight." she said.
Elijah shrugged. "Well, then. We have," he trailed off and checked his watch. "thus afternoon to prepare for the worst."
Elijah glanced at Imogen before walking away from the room as the noirette sighed and rolled her eyes.
Klaus noticed the tension between the noirette and his older brother and smiled in amusement. "The bloom is off the white rose, I see. Fortunate for me then." he mumbled.
Imogen sighed and stood up from the bed. "Oh, shut up, Nik." she muttered and walked away to leave the room.
Klaus looked at her confused. "And where are you going?" he asked.
Imogen turned and smiled. "It's a reunion, Nik, unfortunately, and as much as I loathe it, a woman needs to prepare." she told him and walked away.
Klaus quirk an eyebrow with an amused smile on his face as he watched Imogen saunter away from his room.
~•~•~
"This is ridiculous." Imogen muttered as she stared at the dresses in front of her.
The noirette went dress shopping for the family reunion tonight with Esther and she certainly wasn't happy about it. She hated her for trying to kill her children and when she found out she was responsible for trying to sacrifice her twin daughters, that hatred grew.
"Hey you."
Imogen tried to hide her smile but miserably failed as she turned to find Kaleb Westpall standing behind her with a charming smile on his handsome face.
"Hey yourself, stranger."
Kaleb laughed softly before noticing the dresses behind the noirette with a troubled look on his face, realizing what it was for. "So, dress shopping?" he asked.
Imogen glanced at the dresses and smiled shyly. "Yeah." she mumbled.
"What's the occasion?" Kaleb asked, nervously.
Imogen felt Kaleb's nervousness and noticed the troubled look on his face. "Nothing important, just some boring family reunion." she told him and frowned. "Hey, you alright? You look nervous."
Kaleb cleared his throat and forced out a smile. "I'm fine, I'm fine. So, a boring family reunion?"
Imogen sighed heavily. "It's not really the whole family." she said, shrugging. "Just the mother, the two brothers or three and me, maybe."
Kaleb stood closer to the noirette and stared intently at her. "Imogen, listen to me, don't go." he said with seriousness in his voice.
Imogen furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't go what? Where?"
Kaleb sighed quietly and tightly placed his hands on Imogen's shoulders. "Don't got to that reunion." he said.
"What are you talking about Kaleb?" Imogen asked, confused.
"Just don't go, Imogen. Please, don't." Kaleb said almost pleadingly.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" Imogen asked softly as Kaleb continued staring pleadingly at her. "You're panicking and you're nervous. Are you really---"
"Imogen! I've been listening to you my whole life and it's time you listen to me. Just this once, you need to listen!" Kaleb said loudly.
Imogen's eyes widen at Kaleb's sudden outburst before realizing what he just said and stared suspiciously at him. "Your whole life?" she asked, completely confused.
Kaleb's eyes widen when he realized what he just said and noticed the look on the noirette's face and immediately withdrew his hands from her shoulders. "Just remember, always, that whatever happens, I'm on your side." he quickly said before walking away but then stopped and turned back. "Pick the red dress. It's perfect for the reunion, it goes well with your black hair. You'll make even the wildest man fall for you."
With that, Kaleb rushed away leaving a confused Imogen. Imogen turned to look at the red dress Kaleb meant with a frown on her face.
"Red? It's the same color I wore at our last reunion."
~•~•~
Imogen immediately returned to the compound after getting a call from Oliver to update her about Esther. She entered the courtyard and rushed to the dining room and found Klaus making arrangements for the dinner tonight with a group of compelled caterers.
"Skip the salad, the soup, the appetizer and dessert, Nik." Imogen said as she walked over to Klaus, who turned to her. "Let's not make this dreadful evening any longer than it needs to be."
Klaus laughed in amusement. "That makes the both of us, my love." he said and turned to the caterers. "You heard the lovely lady, go on."
Imogen sighed heavily. "This is not what I imagined our reunion with Esther will be." she said with frustration. "I didn't even expect to have another one after what happened back in Mystic Falls."
Klaus turned to her and shrugged. "She's making everything worse than it already is." he muttered.
Imogen chuckled. "So, Oliver called me earlier. I guess letting him live paid off. He informed me that Esther has a partner-in-crime, another witch." she said.
Klaus quirk an eyebrow. "Building alliances in her quest to destroy us, I imagine." he told her.
Imogen placed a gentle hand on Klaus' cheek. "I told you this is a bad reality show. But every show needs drama. Family drama." she joked and winked at Klaus. "It'll be all better once Esther's gone again."
Klaus chuckled softly at Imogen as he stared lovingly at her while Imogen just grinned when suddenly her phone vibrated.
Klaus groaned in annoyance. "Who is that?"
Imogen chuckled at him before looking down on her phone and saw Oliver's name. "It's Oliver. He's keeping me updated, remember?" she said, amused.
"What did he say?"
Imogen turned around and found Elijah and Hayley entering the dining room. The noirette read Oliver's text and her eyes widen in shock.
"Marcel's witch is being held captive in the City of Dead."
Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh, perfect. Mother's a step ahead, as usual." he muttered, annoyed.
"Oliver's with her. Hayley and I will go." Imogen said, glancing at Hayley. "I'm a fellow witch, I can persuade her to do the spell."
Klaus quirk an eyebrow at her. "If you're leaving now, you couldn't return in time for dinner and miss it." he said.
Imogen sighed. "I'm not prepared to face Esther. You know what happened last time. I became my alter ego because of her." she said and glanced at Elijah. "I decided to change but I'm afraid that I'll be like her. I'm not ready. I'm scared."
Elijah looked sadly at Imogen while Klaus wrapped his arms comfortingly around the noirette.
"You don't have to attend dinner then, my love. It's alright. Let's not push it." Klaus said comfortingly and pulled away as he stared softly at Imogen.
Imogen smiled. "We need to know whose body Esther will jump into the next time she does." she said and stared softly at Klaus. "But, I need your starling necklace, Nik."
Klaus sighed, taking his necklace out of his pocket and handed it to Imogen. Imogen smiled softly at Klaus before talking his necklace.
"Thank you."
Elijah looked worriedly at Imogen. "Farien, I don't like this whatso---"
Imogen turned to Elijah and lifts a finger. "No, Elijah. You don't get to say anything. We're fine one day, talking and you being there for me and vice versa then the next thing I know, you're ignoring me then suddenly you're acting like you're concerned. Just tell me straight in my face that you see me differently now because I can't stand this situation." she said loudly, trying to hold back her tears. "We both promised that we would always have each other's backs, wherever, whatever, whenever. And what happened to that now?"
Imogen glared at Elijah before turning to leave. Hayley sighed sadly before following after the noirette.
Klaus frowned as he walked towards Elijah. "She's never been like that to you before." he said, confused. "What's going on with you two?"
Elijah continued staring the direction Imogen took. "Nothing." he mumbled and sighed unhappily. "She's stronger. That's all that matters."
Klaus smirked. "You hate her decision to change, don't you?"
~•~•~
Imogen and Hayley quickly arrived at the Lafayette cemetery and went inside a crypt, where they saw Oliver and Lenore inside. The witch was chained up by her wrist. Imogen noticed a python, one of the two ingredients for the spell, wrapping itself around the hourglass as Hayley quickly breaks the chains binding Lenore.
"They worked her over pretty good." Oliver told the two Labonairs.
"We need to get her out of here." Imogen said and turned to Oliver as Hayley finally freed Lenore.
Oliver stared at the noirette with a panic look on his face. "Huh? Then what? They'll know that I let her go. Look, you asked me to infiltrate Cassie's coven, I'm not gonna blow my cover for some has-been hippie-witch!" he complained.
Lenore groaned and gave Oliver a side-eye glare while Oliver glanced at her slightly guilty.
"No offense!"
Imogen and Hayley exchanged knowing looks before smiling mischievously.
"You know what I'm thinking?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
Oliver frowned as he stared at the two women. "What are you two talking about?" he asked suspiciously.
Imogen turned to Oliver and smiled innocently at him. "We could always make it look like you got jumped." she suggested.
Hayley nodded and turned to Oliver. "Tell Cassie that Lenore got rescued by her people." she added.
Oliver narrowed his eyes at the two. "Let me guess, you two, uh, wanna beat the hell out of me? Make it look convincing?" he said sarcastically.
Imogen and Hayley grinned at each other. "Well, we can't say we wouldn't enjoy it!"
Oliver laughed weakly before sighing in defeat. "Okay, I know you two will really enjoy this but just, just not the face, okay?" he said as he braced himself.
Imogen and Hayley smirked at each other before smiling mischievously at Oliver.
"Pleasure in beating up your annoying ass for the second time."
"Oh! We will take our time to enjoy this while it lasts."
"Sad, that the lovely Imogen isn't joining us for dinner. I was expecting to meet her again. Oh, yes, we bumped into each other the other day and my, my, my, she's as stunning as ever. Rumor has it that she has changed? But I think she just became braver, stronger and bolder than she already was."
Imogen dusted the invisible dirt on her dress while Hayley stretched her arms after enjoying beating up Oliver, who was laying unconscious on the floor of the crypt while Lenore was kneeling beside him, checking him over .
"Well, that was fun." Hayley said with a pleased look on her face.
Imogen looked at Lenore. "He'll be okay, I promise. He's a tough wolf. He's a Cresecnt." she assured.
Lenore looked at Imogen, immediately noticing the noirette's white oak necklace that was hanging around her neck and stared at her in shock when she realized who she was. "I know you." she mumbled in awe.
Hayley frowned as she rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't know Imogen?" she said sarcastically.
Lenore ignored the brunette as she continued staring at the noirette. "You're Imogen Farien Avery. The Immortal Being and the newly turned witch-werewolf hybrid, the first of your kind. You're a Mikaelson yourself." she said.
Imogen smiled at her. "That's me. So, listen, can we do this spell or not? Or do I have to persuade?" she asked.
"After what that bitch and her lackey did to me? I'll do any spell that you want!" Lenore said with a fierce look on her face before walking out of the crypt.
Imogen and Hayley turned to each other with smiles on their faces before noticing the hourglass and the python.
"I'm not touching it." Imogen muttered, referring to the python.
Hayley quirk an eyebrow as she glanced at her. "You're branded as the most powerful supernatural and you're scared of a snake?" she asked humorously.
Imogen glared at her. "Shut up! I didn't say that." she said loudly as Hayley laughed in amusement.
"Ah, yes, Kol. The wildest of us Mikaelsons. Wildest yet but very tamed when Imogen's around. She's the only one he sees, his whole world revolves around her. Such love, wouldn't you say? You know, he has his own agenda for being back. By the looks on your faces, you know it involves the lovely Imogen. Oh! Look at those jealous eyes you both have right now. But this long time rival? He's determined."
Imogen, Hayley, who was holding a sack with the python, and Lenore entered the witch's shop towards the back room. Lenore quickly prepared everything for the spell as Imogen and Hayley watched her sets up a small cauldron.
"So, will this take long?" Hayley asked as she handed Lenore the sack with the python.
"You want me to soul-brand the resurrected spirit of a thousand-year-old witch? It's best I take my time and do it right." Lenore said sarcastically and looked at Imogen. "Unless the powerful witch with us has completed her training, it will be faster."
Imogen sighed heavily. "I got no one to teach me." she said sadly. "It's either the witch teaching me died for being a traitor or no one's good enough."
Lenore looked at her with amusement in her eyes. "Oh, honey, no one will ever be good enough compared to you." she said as Hayley nodded in agreement. "I think it's not the right time to let everyone know how powerful the Immortal Being, the witch-werewolf hybrid really is but I assure you, Imogen, that you will find a teacher. Someone who has great knowledge and experience of being a witch."
Imogen smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Lenore."
Lenore smiled as her face softens into a sympathetic expression. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. No one should ever have to lose a child, especially yours. Your twins." she said.
Imogen forced out a smile but it was a sad one. "No. No one should." she mumbled and turned to Hayley, who smiled comfortingly at her.
Lenore returned to preparing the spell. She lights a bundle of sage and wafts the smoke around the room before looking at Imogen. "You have the talisman?" she asked.
Imogen nodded. "Yeah." she said, lifting her hand as she untied the necklace that was around her wrist before handing it to Lenore. "Here."
"So, how does this work? You brand Esther with the spell, and then what?" Hayley asked.
Lenore sets the necklace on top of the cauldron so that it lays across the diameter of it while the ends hang over the rim.
"The next time she jumps into a body, she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand." Lenore explained as she pulled the python out of the sack. "This way, you'll always know who she is."
Imogen frowned unhappily. "We still don't know why she's here again." she said in frustration. "When Esther held you captive, did she give you any idea why she's doing all this?"
Lenore puts the python around her neck for as she stared at Imogen with a serious expression on her face.
"Love."
Imogen frowned while Hayley rolled her eyes before chuckling. "How hard did they hit you?" The brunette asked in amusement.
Lenore took the python from around her neck and held it in front of her with one hand. "What besides love can inspire such pain and cruelty? And Esther?" she asked and took a knife with her free hand and sliced down the length of the snake with it before disemboweling it and squeezing the entrails in her hands, dripping the blood in the cauldron.
Lenore looked at Imogen and stared directly into her chocolatey brown eyes. "Her love is very, very strong. Just like your love for your family, for the Mikaelsons."
"Ever since Imogen was born, I only have her best interest at heart. My intentions with her are pure as the feelings you three have for her when you were younger. I only want to protect Imogen from the greater evil."
Both Imogen and Hayley watched as Lenore continued to cast the soul-branding spell on Esther.
"Aux sa ah ça le vous de le vous l'inspir non do set."
Lenore finished the spell and fell forward, leaning against the cauldron to keep her from falling onto the table as Imogen and Hayley exchanged worried looks.
Imogen stood up and placed a gentle hand on the witch's arm. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern.
Lenore looked up, something was different about her. "Yes." she said in a daze before looking around the room. "Just getting my bearings."
Imogen looked at her unsure. "You sure--?"
When Lenore lifts her hand from the rim of the cauldron, Imogen's eyes widen in horror when she saw a brand on the back of Lenore's right hand in the shape of a triskelion and quickly stepped back before grabbing Hayley's arm, pulling her away from the witch.
"Esther."
Hayley's eyes widen in shock and looked at Esther in Lenore's body. "It's you." she mumbled horrified.
Esther glanced at the brunette before looking at Imogen and smiled. "Hello, my darling child."
"Run!"
Esther smirked as she flicked her hand towards Hayley, making her fall to the floor, unconscious. "This is a reunion between Imogen and I." she said and turned to Imogen. "We have a lot to talk about."
"Hayley!" Imogen yelled worriedly and knelt beside the unconscious brunette. "Hayley! Hayley!"
"Oh, she'll be fine. Just unconscious, don't worry." Esther said nonchalantly.
Imogen stood up, glaring at Esther when suddenly her phone rang in her pocket and quickly pulled it out to check it and saw Elijah's name as Esther washed the snake's blood from her hands.
Esther smiled softly at the noirette. "Go ahead. You can answer it." she said.
"Elijah! Nik! I'm at Lenore's shop. Esther's---"
Esther thrusts her arm forward and used her magic to kill Imogen's phone as the noirette gasped in shock.
"That'll be enough."
Imogen glared at Esther. "They're gonna come for me." she told her.
Esther smiled at her. "My darling child, that's been the idea all along."
"She will use of Hayley to get to Imogen. She wants her! She's gonna use her against me, against us! To punish us or to learn the truth about the twins. For one of any number of reasons, all of which will be rendered moot when I send her screaming back to hell!"
"It's so lovely to see you again, my darling child. Pity you weren't at dinner. Tell me, do my sons even acknowledge the good you've been bringing into their lives? After all, it was you who gave them love and hope." Esther said as Imogen continued glaring at her. "The promise of a child shows us all the possibilities of a future that could be. Children are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic, wouldn't you say?"
"I don't pity you, Esther." Imogen said coldly.
Esther looked hurt at Imogen's attitude towards her but shrugged it off. "It's a terrible thing, for a mother to fail her child." she said and saw the starling necklace still laying over the cauldron and picked it up so she can look at it closely. "As you well know."
Imogen rolled her eyes. "You want to talk? Talk."
Esther chuckled softly. "You've grown stronger, not as an Immortal or a hybrid, but as a woman, as an individual." she said with a proud look on her face.
Imogen glared at her. "After you decreed to kill my twins? I'll do anything when it comes for them, even if I had to kill." she said with seriousness her eyes.
Esther smirked. "Yet you're still afraid." she mocked.
"I know what I have become, Esther. I'll learn not to be afraid of it and embrace it." Imogen said earnestly.
Esther quirk an eyebrow. "How about your alter ego?" she mocked again as Imogen's eyes widen. "We both know she never left. She's still there, inside you, waiting. Feeding on your anger."
"This was all your fault!" Imogen yelled angrily at her as tears formed under her eyes. "You made me like this! If it wasn't for you, I'd still be me!"
Esther walked around the table towards Imogen and stood in front of her. "You're still you, Imogen!" she said seriously.
Imogen's eyes widen. "No, you're lying. That was never me!" she said angrily. "I'm not me anymore and Elijah hates it!"
Esther looked at her with pity in her eyes. "That son of mine could never hate you. If he truly loves you? He'll learn to accept your decision for yourself." she said and placed her hands on Imogen's arms. "You've experienced so much, yet never gave up. So much love you have for my children."
Imogen stared quietly Esther as she shrugged her hands away from her. "Speaking of children. You're back, so that means Finn is too?" she asked.
Esther nodded. "Yes. Yes, Finn's in his new body. He was with me a while ago at dinner." she answered and smirked. "You've met him already."
Imogen frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.
"Oh, he's currently inhabiting Vincent Griffith's body." Esther answered.
Imogen's eyes widen in shock when she realized the man she bumped into the other day was Finn Mikaelson and remembered him caressing her head just like he always did when they were younger.
"That man, your witch accomplice."
Esther nodded. "That was Finn, child." she said, confirming the noirette's thoughts.
Imogen's shock face turned to a serious one as she thought about Esther's other son. "Can I ask you something?"
Esther noticed the noirette's serious face and smiled. "Anything, my darling."
Imogen closed her eyes took a deep breath before opening her eyes and looking at Esther. "How's Kol at The Other Side?" she asked quietly.
Esther's face softens and chuckled. "He's been quite well. He's been keeping an eye on you." she said, smiling. "He's been missing you."
Imogen smiled happily. "I'm glad."
Esther quirk an eyebrow. "As much as you've been missing him." she said slowly in a teasing manner.
Imogen's eyes widen and shakes her head. "What? No, no." she protested.
Esther chuckled softly in amusement. "You can lie with your mouth but not with your eyes, Imogen. I can see it in your eyes that you missed him as much as he missed you." she said with seriousness in her voice. "And you shouldn't have to anymore."
Imogen frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously.
"All you wanted was to unite my children as a family and live in peace and I will offer it to you. I will give you the freedom, the gift of a new body. As such, I can return Kol back to the world of living to be with you." Esther said as Imogen's eyes widen in shock. "We both know I have the ability give you all that you have lost, Imogen. I can give you the one thing you wanted. To make it so that you could be a family with my children and have a family your own with one of my sons, as well as more children of your own. Wouldn't that be nice? All you have to do is give up this body of yours, your powers and you could live a normal life."
Imogen stared at Esther in disbelief. She couldn't believe Esther would really make her one wish come true. The Mikaelsons can finally be together as one, as a family. She hates to admit it but the offer was tempting, really tempting.
Imogen stared at her suspiciously. "Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly. "Why are you offering me a new body? A new life? What could you possibly gain by doing this?"
Esther sighed heavily. "I'm doing this for your own safety, my darling child. I only want what's best for you. You don't know the danger your own family has brought upon you. You don't know what you've inherited since the day Mignon had you, what she has brought upon you, what she left you."
Imogen looked confused. "What my family, my mother brought upon me?"
"I assume you've had the misfortune of speaking to our mother, my love?"
Imogen quickly turned and saw Klaus entering the room and towards Esther with a dangerous glint in his dark blue eyes.
"Nik!"
Esther picked up a handful of unidentified powder on the table behind her and threw it towards Klaus, creating a magical barrier to keep him from coming any closer to her.
"You hide behind your spells like a coward." Klaus said, annoyed as he pushed Imogen behind him.
Imogen quickly knelt beside the unconscious Hayley and waved her hand over her face as Hayley slowly waked up.
"You're alright, you're alright." Imogen whispered comfortingly.
Hayley groaned as Imogen helped her up. "These crazy witches." she muttered, annoyed.
"I did not come here to wage war!" Esther said loudly and picked up another handful of unidentified powder and threw it sideways towards Elijah, who had just tried to run toward her from behind to catch her off-guard, preventing him from coming any closer as well.
"Everything you do is an act of war." Elijah told his mother and glanced worriedly at Imogen, who has her arms wrapped around a daze looking Hayley. "If you touch her, so help me---"
"I've spoken my piece, she knows why I'm here." Esther said as Klaus, Elijah and Hayley glanced at Imogen. "I have come to heal our family, Elijah."
"Well, that's a grand sentiment, coming from you." Klaus said sarcastically as Elijah walked towards him and stood protectively in front of Imogen.
Imogen turned to Hayley. "Hayley, go! Now!" she said with urgency in her voice.
Hayley nodded and quickly left as Esther explodes a light bulb with magic towards Hayley but Imogen quickly deflected it with her own magic.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Imogen said protectively.
Esther smirked at her before looking at her sons. "My intent was never to harm! Only to heal, as I have already healed your brothers Finn and Kol." she said as Imogen furrowed her eyebrows at the mention of the name of the witch's fourth born son. "For you, I will undo everything that has been done, thereby giving you a new life. One without the vampire curse I inflicted upon you."
Esther waved her hand above a cauldron, and the earth began to shake, rattling all of the inventory on the shelves of the store.
"Ask Imogen to share with you my loving proposition." Esther told her sons, glancing at the quiet noirette.
Klaus walked protectively in front of Imogen and stood beside Elijah. "You're a fool if you think we'll accept anything that you offer!" he spat angrily.
"Oh, you are wrong, Niklaus!" Esther said and spreads her arms out as the earth continued to rumble below as more light bulbs exploded. "There will come a time, my darlings, that you will beg for it!"
The glass in the windows shattered inward as hundreds of starlings burst their way inside. Klaus and Elijah quickly turned around and shielded Imogen with their bodies from the broken glasses and the starlings.
~•~•~
"Oh my god, Imogen! I'm fine! Esther just knocked me out, that's all. I wasn't hexed or anything. Will you relax?" Hayley said in disbelief and amusement as she watch Imogen pace around her room in the compound.
Imogen returned to the Abbatoir with Klaus and Elijah after their talk with Esther and quickly went to Hayley's room to check up on her but she was mostly freaking out.
Imogen sighed, finally calming down and flopped on the bed beside Hayley. "I'm just worried, alright? Esther could have done anything to you." she explained.
Hayley chuckled. "I'm fine. I'm stronger than before. Don't worry about me." she assured the noirette.
Comfortable silence enveloped the two Labonairs as they looked up the ceiling of the room.
"Imogen?" Hayley quietly called out.
Imogen hummed. "What is it?" she asked.
Hayley sat up from her bed and turned to Imogen. "You and Elijah need to talk." she said seriously.
Imogen sighed heavily before sitting up on the bed and frowned at Hayley. Hayley laughed softly at the noirette's frowning face.
"Frowning doesn't suit you, Imogen but I'm serious here. You and Elijah need to talk. This whole I-don't-like-the-new-you-so-I'm-not-talking-to-you-fine situation." Hayley said as she stood up from her bed to face Imogen with her arms crossed.
"It's how it is, Hayley. If he doesn't want this change, then I should accept it." Imogen said sadly.
Hayley smiled sadly. "Just try talking to him. Start there."
~•~•~
Imogen sat on one of the chairs in the courtyard while Elijah stood in front of her and Klaus was pacing around.
"Of course she used those damn birds to make her offer!" Klaus said angrily.
Elijah looked worriedly at Imogen. "Besides the offer of rebirth, what else did she say?" he asked.
"I don't know. She rambled a lot. She blamed the two of you for what happened to Love and Hope." Imogen trailed off and looked down. "To me."
Elijah quickly glanced at Klaus, who immediately stopped pacing around and turned to Imogen with an appalled look on his face.
"Well, I hope you're not thinking of taking her offer, my love?"
Imogen barely glanced at Klaus and Elijah before quickly looking down again. She couldn't bring herself to look at either of them because of guilt.
"Imogen!"
Imogen stood up and faced Klaus, feeling overwhelmed with her situation. "What do you want me to say, Nik? I lost my daughters. So, yeah, when Esther offered something I couldn't just turn down and ignore, excuse me if I'm tempted!" she yelled at him then turned to Elijah. "Oh right, thanks for your help tonight, Elijah. I'm sorry that it takes me being in danger for you to even talk to me."
Imogen angrily stormed past Elijah. Elijah quickly grabbed the noirette's arm, pulling her back and stared into her chocolatey brown eyes.
"Farien---"
Imogen shrugged her arm away from Elijah's hold. "Don't even!" she muttered, annoyed and walked away, leaving a distraught Elijah and an amused Klaus.
"Follow your Farien, brother. As much as I want to be there for her, who she needs right now is not me but you. Talk to her about this conflict you two are having. She needs me, Hayley, you right now. She needs us to be there for her, to help her with this change she's facing. If it's hard for you to accept who she is now, what do you think she's feeling this past few months? Whatever happens, Imogen will always be Imogen."
Imogen returned to her room and slammed her door shut before walking towards balcony, which was overlooking the French Quarter. She leaned by the stone pillar of the her balcony and stared at the dark night sky as she tried to hold back her tears from falling.
"You've always been so strong, Farien."
Imogen didn't even turn around to know who was behind her. She didn't even know he followed after her.
Elijah looked hurt when Imogen didn't acknowledge him. "I know you're angry at me and you have all right to but I just wanted to say I'm sorry." he said, apologetically and sincerely as he walked closer to the noirette. "I apologize for being selfish, for not thinking about your feelings."
Imogen finally turned to Elijah and stared quietly at him. Elijah stared back with his apologetic and sincere eyes.
"You asked before, what happened to both our promise that we would always have each other's backs, wherever, whatever, whenever? I must confess that I lost sight of its true meaning."
Imogen bit her lower lip, trying her best to hold back her tears. Elijah saw how desperate Imogen was trying holding back her tears and smiled slightly, she was trying to be strong again even if she couldn't anymore. How could he almost break his promise to this strong and beautiful woman standing in front of him? How much of a fool he must have been? And now, he will do everything he could to earn her forgiveness and make things right.
"I was so full of myself that you'll always be there for me and you are but I didn't think about how I'll always be there for you, even when I know I'm always here."
Imogen sighed and took a step closer to Elijah and stared directly into his eyes. "Look me in the eye and tell me right here and now, everything and don't lie." she said with seriousness in her voice.
Elijah sighed softly and nodded before staring into Imogen's serious eyes. "I admit that I was rather surprised with this change. I was shock when you killed Genevieve, killing someone for the first time. I wasn't sure what to think after that. I didn't know you would even dare kill."
Imogen quirk an eyebrow at him. "I did try to kill Mikael before, Elijah. Have you forgotten?" she asked quietly.
Elijah sighed. "Yet, you didn't do it. There's a difference, Farien. Planning to kill someone and actually doing it." he said.
"It's the same. Planning it and and actually doing it, you wanted to kill someone, the thought ending one's life." Imogen told him. "I saw the way you looked at me before and now, Elijah, and it's hurting me. You looked at me now as if I could never make a mistake, as if I'm perfect in your eyes."
"Imogen---"
Imogen shakes her head. "No, I'm not perfect. I'm a person too, Elijah. I'm human and I make decisions, mistakes." she said loudly as tears formed under her eyes.
"I understand." Elijah said quietly and placed a gentle hand on the noirette's shoulder.
Imogen smiled sadly at him. "You don't, Elijah. Because if you do? We wouldn't have this problem. You wouldn't distance yourself from me. We wouldn't be talking about it right now." she told him.
Elijah's stared at Imogen as tears formed under his eyes. "You've been so strong until this moment and I'm sure you'll continue to. Maybe it's time for me to be strong for you." he said, smiling. "You've been strong for our family for so long. It's time that Niklaus and I would do the same for you."
Imogen's eyes widen in surprise. "Elijah." she mumbled his name under her shaky breath.
Elijah smiled softly. "Change is good but the process is difficult with fear as your enemy. I made a mistake not thinking about how hard it must have been for you to decide and not considering your feelings about it."
"I'm sorry and I'll make sure to make it up to you for my foolish mistakes and all those months wasted not being with you, Farien."
Imogen stared softly at Elijah as a small smile appeared on her face. Elijah smiled back and cupped the noirette's face with his hands.
"I will be with you, along the way to find yourself, to overcome the fear. You have my word." Elijah said with seriousness in his voice and affectionately kissed Imogen's forehead.
Imogen's tears finally fell down her face as she smiled happily at Elijah before tightly wrapping her arms around him. A tear ran down Elijah's face as he affectionately kissed the noirette's forehead before embraced her tightly, pulling her closer to him.
"You have Hayley and Niklaus as well as I, Farien. You will always have us. You are not alone."