A/N: my mom and I watched the series finale of TVD for the first time and we were sobbing for an entire hour
September 2, 2012
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Mikaelson Compound
"Once upon a time, there was a majestic king who lived with his noble brother in a kingdom where music and art were celebrated. The king did not foresee having another child, but he lived in an enchanted land where all things were possible. In time, he was blessed with a beautiful baby daughter, for whom he wished only peace. Still, the king had demons who pursued him. There was a ruthless beast who wanted to take the kingdom for her own. Armed with a pack of untamed creatures, she drove the other magical creatures from the land. And, there was a wicked sorceress with enchanted stones that weakened the king every full moon. Seeing the shadow his enemies cast upon his home, the king was driven to send his beloved princess away, convincing all who remained that she was forever lost."
Poppy sat at the bar of the compound as she usually did during the day, as she had every day of the summer. She felt empty, ruined, broken. No bourbon would help, or tequila. Earlier in the summer she had given her friends her number, but she had been ignoring them, except for Alaric, who had been brought back, and Stefan. But she came to realize that if she had called Stefan, his voice would be the same as her fiancé's, so they only texted. Slowly, she lowered her head into her arms and closed her eyes.
"The king and princess, in their sorrow, turned away from the world. The castle closed its doors, and the kingdom fell. Some say that the only light that shines in the castle illuminates the shadow of the once majestic king in the room meant for his child. But, as the ruthless beasts took rule over the fallen king's realm, little did they know that he and his brother would not rest until their enemies were vanquished. For they believed that one day, they would heal their kingdom and bring their precious princess home so that she might live happily ever after with her sister."
A/N: Italics are her dream from here until it reads September 3
Her phone vibrated on the bar top, and a notification popped up from 'Ansel'. Poppy looked down at it to read it.
It's a full moon tonight. Will you be joining us?
The tribrid rubbed her eyes, quickly looking out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon, giving the sky a pink and orange color. She grabbed her phone and opened it up.
Yeah, I'll head over now.
She texted in reply before leaving the bar and heading into the courtyard.
"You've been absent at night," Klaus spoke quietly from behind her, causing her to stop her turn around. His blue eyes were brimmed with tears, and his hair was messed up on top of his head.
Poppy cleared her throat. "Yeah, I've been going to the Bayou.."
"Please stay." He pleaded, his voice just above a whisper.
"And do what?" She asked. "There's nothing here to do except drink and think." Letting out a soft sigh, she ran fingers through her curls. "Look, I already told Ansel I'd go with them tonight...plus it doesn't seem like you know what to say to me.."
"Fine." Klaus spoke as he watched his daughter turn and walk to the doors. "Go be with your so called werewolf family. You know they don't actually care about you, right?" He bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying any more.
Poppy stopped and turned around once more. "Do you even use your brain before you speak?" She inquired, holding back tears. "Or do you just not care? Makes sense because you haven't cared all summer."
"Poppy-"
"Save it, Klaus." She cut him off before leaving, then locking the doors behind her with her magic. When she stepped outside, she was in the Bayou at the Crescent Wolf encampment.
Poppy walked to the bonfire, which had already been made, its flames licking the air around it, providing warmth on the cool night. She stood next to it, rubbing her arms. The werewolves around her walked around, preparing for the night; hanging up clothes on the clothesline, laying out blankets, a few were having a drink.
"You make a fire every night you come here, so I figured I'd make one for you." Ansel spoke, approaching her from behind and standing by her side.
Poppy flashed him a small smile. "Thanks," she looked back at the fire. "I think I might be staying the day here tomorrow also."
"How come?" The werewolf asked.
"My dad and I," she let out a sigh "I don't even know where we're at right now...but you guys make me feel safe and welcome. Plus you actually talk to me." She stopped. "I'm sorry this is so depressing..um, I'm going to go find Aiden.." Backing away from the fire, Poppy walked to the cooler, which was next to the porch of the small home. She grabbed a beer and opened it with a sigh.
"You're still not 21." A voice spoke, and a man just a little bit older than her walked over and took her beer. "I think at this point you're using beer to summon me."
Poppy smirked. "You caught me, Aiden. I got the memo that you don't want me drinking back in June."
Aiden smiled and brought the tip of the beer bottle to his lips, pouring some into his mouth. "You ran away from the old man. What's up?"
"Hey," Poppy nudged him a bit, jokingly. "that old man and I are actually friends. I had made the conversation depressing right from the start and I hate doing that. He's taught me a lot this summer, I owe him a little happiness from my end."
Aiden let out a soft sigh. "Well, I know that you can't force it. So don't. Everyone knows you're mourning, and we're not going to rush it."
Poppy gave him a faint smile. "Thanks."
He smiled and looked up at the moon. "Did you hear that your dad defeated the Guerrera's?" He asked.
"No," the tribrid replied. "but that explains why everyone was in and out today."
The time suddenly jumped to after all of the wolves had returned to normal and Poppy walked to a blanket and swiftly wrapped it around her body, which was naked and somewhat dirty, especially her feet and legs. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around, hearing that someone was approaching. She held the blanket around herself tighter, but didn't feel she was in danger. She figured it was one of the Crescent Wolves, going to retrieve their clothes after turning back into their human form.
Walking over to a rock, she knelt down and slipped on her daylight ring and then her engagement ring. She stood back up and turned around, face to face with Klaus.
She placed a hand over her heart, startled. "Dad! Hi!" She greeted, and walked to the clotheslines.
"You turned," Klaus observed.
"Yeah, I did." Poppy replied, looking around for her shirt and shorts.
Klaus followed her to the clotheslines. "Poppy, I'm proud of you," he told her, finding her shirt and taking it off of the clothesline. "and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you this summer.."
"It's fine, Dad. You lost your baby." Poppy took her shirt and unclipped her shorts from the line with one hand.
"You lost more than I did." Klaus reached out and took her hand, and Poppy was thrown into a vision.
Klaus walked to his sister Rebekah, holding a sleeping baby in his arms. Gently, he passed her over.
"What's her name?" Rebekah asked.
"Hope. Her name is Hope."
Poppy opened her eyes, blood dripping from her nose the slightest bit. With anger, she pulled her dad closer to her. "You've been lying to me this entire summer? Is this why you've been avoiding me? So I wouldn't find out?" She asked, her voice low in case anyone was listening.
Klaus's eyes widened a bit, and his mouth gaped open with silent words. He didn't know what to say.
"Let's get this straight: I come home after a long few days of losing three of my friends, two of those being my brother and my fiancé. I need good news, but you give me bad news, which I believe. You knew what it would do to me, yet you did it anyway." She kept her arm, which he held onto, close to her shoulder.
"What was I supposed to do? Let you get tortured for the location?" Klaus asked, his voice also a whisper.
"Yes! I would do anything to protect her."
"Which is exactly why I didn't tell you. I did what I had to do as a parent, something you wouldn't even begin to understand."
Poppy narrowed her eyes, and she was unable to keep her chin from quivering and the tears from forming. "I could've had the chance to if I hadn't let my fiancé die!" She took a breath. "And I couldn't bring him back before the Other Side collapsed because Damon had me drugged through the next day so that I would be safe and I would be out of harm's way." She let out a broken sob. "I miss them so much, Dad.."
The hybrid let go of his daughter's arm and wrapped his own around her trembling body, pulling her against his chest as she cried. Poppy squeezed her eyes shut, her heart shattering for the thousandth time that summer. She felt lost, and tired, and broken.
"I could've saved them..." She breathed out quietly through her tears.
The time jumped again. Poppy sat next to the fire late that night, her back leaning against the back of the camping chair, which was warm from the heat of the flames. Her hands were in her lap, and her fingers fidgeted with her engagement ring.
"I figured you'd still be awake." Ansel said, holding a jacket in his hand as she walked to her side. He held it out to her.
Poppy looked up at the werewolf, and, hesitantly, she took the jacket. "Thanks," she leaned forward in her seat and put it on, then leaned back. She watched as Ansel sat next to her in a different chair, then looked back at the fire.
"Was there a funeral?" The werewolf asked.
"No...it's a long story.."
He looked at her. "I have time."
She looked at him before letting out a sigh and looking back at the fire. "There were these people called Travelers, they were a nomadic group of witches that infiltrated Mystic Falls, where I lived for ten years. The Travelers wanted our home, so they cast this spell that stripped away all magic there. When that happened, my fiancé and I were just in a car wreck-um..it'll be easier to show you.." She turned and placed her hands on the sides of his head, then closed her eyes.
"Is that Liv?" Silas asked, seeing a girl with curly blonde hair in the road, watching the people from the wreck, his shadow self and Elena, and another woman.
Poppy closed her eyes and placed her hand on the car, lowering her phone onto her lap before muttering spell. She furrowed her eyebrows, being rejected by opposing magic, blood dripping from her nose.
"I can't stop the car." She frowned, grabbing her phone. "Dad I'm gonna have to-" she was cut off when Liv raised her hand at the car, creating an invisible wall for it to slam into.
"No hard feelings.. just following our coven's orders." Poppy heard Liv say over the ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes to see the wreck she was in.
The front of her car was smashed into itself. Glass was broken and shattered. Her body was aching in pain, a large shard stuck deep in her leg, to the bone. Blood dripped from her nose and ear. Letting out a hiss of pain, she grabbed the glass and ripped it from her leg, then watched as she healed. She looked over at her phone, which was towards the back of the car, turned off by Liv's Magic. She turned her head and looked at Silas, her eyes widening at the sight of his body, which was bloody and smashed in between the air bag and the seat.
"Stefan...?" She breathed out, the ringing in her ear coming to a stop.
"It's okay, baby, I've got you," Stefan told her softly.
"What? Did your magic sputter out?" Elena asked, keeping a tight grip on Liv's arm.
Liv winced. "Luke, it's started. The spell's started." She stated as a group of Travellers gathered around, all chanting the same spell.
"We trusted you!" Elena yelled, pulling away.
"It doesn't matter. You're going to be dead any second." The witch told her.
Poppy closed her eyes and let out a whimper as her skin began to burn in the sun's light, as did Stefan's and Elena's. "Agh!" She cried out, starting to blister.
Elena frowned, her skin sizzling. "Stefan! Our rings aren't working!"
"Let's get inside! Run! Now."
"The whole town's square is filled with travelers." Stefan said as Poppy leaned her head onto his shoulder. "We've gotta get out of here." They stood inside of a bar and grill, the Mystic Grill.
Matt nodded. "The tunnels! They're in the stockroom. Come on. Let's go."
Poppy rubbed her forehead, no longer needing Stefan to hold her up as they ran through the tunnels beneath the town. She stopped, placing a hand on her chest before coughing. Water dripped from her mouth before she spurted it out as she coughed. Elena began doing the same, and Stefan winced, placing his hands on his abdomen, his shirt forming a spot of blood.
Stefan looked away from his bloodied hands and up at him. "The spell unravels the witch magic. It's spreading and without the magic, I'm just someone who was shot by his dad. And my sister is somebody who drowned to save me."
"Alright. Come on, let's keep running. Maybe we'll stay ahead of it."
Poppy pulled her hands away and leaned back in her chair, wiping away a stray tear. "We couldn't go back into Mystic Falls. We just..left him there. I convinced myself I was going to get him back from the Other Side.."
"But it collapsed before you could." Ansel finished.
"It collapsed because of the Travelers. They needed doppelgänger blood and that's exactly what they got." She wiped another tear.
"Why doppelgänger blood?"
Poppy took a deep breath. "Do you know how the doppelgängers came to be?" She asked the werewolf, who shook his head in reply. "Okay, well it dates back two thousand years, with the Traveler group. In the group were three witches: Amara, Qetsiyah, and..." She held back her tears, and clenched her jaw momentarily. "Silas. There was this whole affair thing going on and Qetsiyah had found a way to immortality with a drink kind of thing. She gave it to Silas and Amara, and they were immortal. The universe couldn't have that so it created doppelgängers of them, and the two would be drawn together or whatever, that part didn't really work. Silas was calcified, and Amara was the anchor to the Other Side, which Qetsiyah had created.." She wiped her tears once more.
Ansel looked at her. "You know a lot about these people."
Poppy looked back at him. "They were all in Mystic Falls a while back. Silas wanted to die, there was this whole thing with fighting for the cure for immortality..my families were both involved.."
"Let me guess: then one day your path crossed with this Silas guy and that eventually led to that ring on your finger." The werewolf said.
She looked down at her ring, her lip trembling. "We loved each other more than anything. He gave me a vial of the cure before he went to die in case I wanted it..I don't make the best vampire.." She sniffled. "He was dead, but I was still able to see him. I used to be able to cross into the Other Side...and then I brought him back. We dated and then he asked me to marry him."
"What would you say to him if he was still alive? If you two were together right now."
Poppy turned her eyes to his. "Well, we wouldn't be here for starters,"
"I've been trying cake all night, and I think this might be the worst." Poppy set her fork down on a glass plate.
She sat at a round table in the back of a cake shop, plates of cake slices in front of her. Moonlight poured into the room from the window, she had compelled the owners to let her have reign for the night so she could find the perfect cake.
A hand reached in front of her and took the plate. "Let me try." Silas took a piece with his own fork and put it in his mouth. He shrugged and looked at his fiancée, who sat next to him. "I think it's fine."
"Fine?!" She asked. "That's absurd, I can taste the amount of granulated sugars there are in one bite!"
Silas smirked. "So it's too sweet?"
"Yes. Way too sweet." She looked at him, her blue eyes piercing into his brown eyes. "Is it bad that I want to go with classic vanilla?"
The witch furrowed his eyebrows. "No, I think it's a great idea." He reached his hand up and wiped a crumb from the corner of her lip with his thumb. "Sometimes a little classic is good. It's balances out with the elegance. Just like you,"
Poppy, a bit taken back, smiled. "You think I'm classic?"
"Of course, you're definitely the most amazing woman I've ever met." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
"And then we'd go home, get some sleep, and then spend the day in our new home." Poppy's smile faded, and she pulled her eyes away from his.
"Poppy, do you know who I am?"
"You're Ansel. A werewolf, Jackson's mentor." Poppy replied, confused.
Ansel leaned towards her and took her hand. "Look into my mind. You've been suffering for too long. Go to the Lafayette Cemetery. He'll be waiting for you there."
Poppy nodded and turned around, suddenly in front of a crypt in the Lafayette Cemetery. She rushed into a crypt, her curls pulled into a bun on top of her head. She took a breath, looking around. Holding up her arms next to her body, she clenched her fists and, narrowing her eyes, watched as a brick wall exploded into dust and small rock. She walked into the once hidden room and looked around, then raised her arm in front of her body and tore apart the cloaking spell.
"It's about time." The man before her sounded. "I was thinking maybe you were dead."
"I really wanted to be." Poppy told him, lowering her arm, but before she lowered it completely, the man took her hand and pulled her close to his body. She looked up into his chocolate eyes, and melted into his touch, which she felt at the small of her back and on her cheek. "Is it really you?" She asked quietly, though she knew the answer. Of course it was him, she felt it--the electricity between the two, and his magic, the life radiating from his skin. She saw it in his eyes.
He looked into her sad ocean eyes, and brushed his thumb back and forth against her cheek. "I have a million ways to say yes." Closing his eyes, he quickly brought his lips to hers in a few moments of passion, and when he moved his lips away he pressed his forehead to hers, watching as she took a few breaths. "God, I missed you," he told her softly.
"Don't you dare ever leave me again." Poppy kissed him once more, bringing her hands to the back of his head, her fingers in his hair. She closed her eyes to hide her tears.
Silas pulled his lips away, furrowing his eyebrows the slightest bit. Gently, he reached behind him, the cool air replacing where his hand was on her cheek. He took her hand and looked at the ring he had given to her on the mountain. "You still wear it.."
"I thought you were dead," the Mikaelson moved her hand to his cheek "but that doesn't mean I stopped loving you." She sniffled the slightest bit, swallowing to ease the dryness of her mouth. "Have you-"
"You shouldn't be here." An accented voice interrupted her from the entrance of the crypt.
Poppy quickly stood in front of Silas in protection, holding her hand. "Who are you? Why have you been holding him here?" She asked, slight anger slipping into her tone.
"Not me, darling." The young man told her. "My name's Kaleb. Take him, I don't care, but you need to get out of here."
Poppy furrowed her eyebrows a bit in confusion, and looked at Silas, who seemed calm. He gave her a small nod, and she looked back at Kaleb. "You'll see me soon."
Kaleb smiled a bit. "Oh, I don't doubt it." He watched as the pair disappeared with a whoosh, and his smile faded. "You've made her happy," he spoke as two witches entered the crypt--a teenage girl and an adult man.
"Good, hopefully in lifting the adopted daughter's spirits, we can win over Niklaus." The girl said.
"Why does he feel the need to keep her?" The man asked. "Is it to ease the pain of losing his daughter back in the 1900s?"
"Perhaps." The girl let out a soft sigh. "But if he is capable of loving her, then he's capable of being saved."
Kaleb looked at the girl. "Don't ruin her, mother. You don't want Poppy on your bad side."
"Ooh, is someone attached to this replacement of our niece?" The man asked him.
"No," Kaleb lied, and he took a step towards the man "but unlike you, Finn, I mind collateral damage."
Poppy blinked to see that she was back in the Bayou, and she took a breath, looking around.
"Why are we here?" Silas asked quietly, confused.
"To see someone." His fiancée replied, moving her hand away from his. She walked towards the fire, which was slowly burning out, the air no longer as warm as it once was. She stepped in front of the chairs, and in one Ansel was sleeping. She looked up at Silas before shaking the werewolf's shoulder gently. "Ansel, wake up." She whispered.
Ansel turned his head and rubbed his eyes before opening them. "Poppy, you're back." He stood up from his chair, and Poppy backed up a bit.
She nodded. "Yeah..I just wanted to thank you."
"I wanted to see you happy." Her grandfather looked into her eyes, which were almost identical to his own, color wise.
Poppy took a few steps forward and hugged him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. Slowly, she felt him return the hug. He was surprised. "I'm sorry for earlier.." she told him softly.
Ansel let out a soft chuckle. "For what? Reacting the way I expected you to?" He asked, pulling away from the hug. "Poppy," he placed his hands on the sides of her arms "anyone in your shoes would've reacted the same way, it's not your fault."
She gave him a slight smile. "Goodnight, Ansel."
"Goodnight, Poppy."
Poppy moved away and walked to Silas, who stood a few feet away, waiting. She took his hand gently.
"Hey, Poppy?" Ansel asked, and she turned to look at him. "If it's okay..I'd like to be in your life more."
"Come on, old man." Poppy smirked. "Seeing me every night isn't enough?" She teased, then smiled sincerely. "I'd like that."
The scenery changed to the streets of New Orleans. Poppy walked down the road, her hand in Silas's. It was dark, and the lights of the buildings reflected off of the pavement.
"Who was he?" Silas asked her. "Ansel, I mean."
The tribrid looked at him, then looked back at the road ahead of them. "My real grandfather." She told him. "How are you back?" She stopped and turned to face him.
"Some witch, Cassie, brought me back before the Other Side collapsed." Silas replied.
"So you've been here this entire time?"
The witch furrowed his eyebrows. "I wanted to see you, Poppy. But Cassie wouldn't let me." He reached forward and cupped her cheek.
"Bonnie's still gone..Damon's still gone." His fiancée moved away, taking a step backwards. "No one can fill that space."
September 3, 2012
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Mikaelson Compound
"Hey, Damon, it's me again. Not much has happened since I last called..but I did have a wild dream last night. A bit of it was me reliving the events before I lost you guys..the rest is what could've been.."
"It's been an entire four months since you've been gone."
"I don't know what I'm going to do...I love you.." Poppy lowered her phone and hung up for the 130th time that summer, then pressed her forehead against her knuckles. After taking a few breaths, she grabbed another shot glass and dumped the contents into her mouth, and she swallowed, scrunching her nose from the burning, awful taste.
"Okay..I'm done..I'm done.." She told herself before taking another shot, then standing up, keeping herself standing by pressing her hand against the seats at the bar as she walked towards the exit of their bar. The floor swayed beneath her, and the world around her seemed to spin and, spinning with it 180°, Poppy collapsed, slamming her head on the corner of a chair before landing on the ground, her curls creating a curtain over her rosy cheeks. She closed her eyes, and blood dripped from her nose and onto the floor.
"Poppy, wake up." She heard a voice calling, but it was distant and faint, and she was far too comfortable in her present state to wake up. "Please, my love, wake up." Internally, she groaned. It was her father calling, meaning she had no choice but to wake up..she just had to find the will power to move. "I need you, Poppy, wake up."
Barely, she opened her eyelids, which were heavy and tired. She saw her dad's eyes looking down at her, and she felt that her torso and head were in his arms.
"That's it, open your beautiful eyes.." Klaus brushed the curls away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. His eyes were filled with worry and regret...guilt for not being with her.
"Dad..." She whispered, closing her eyes and furrowing her brows due to the pounding pain in her head. She brought her hand to her temple, which was heavily bruised, but slowly healing -- she was a somewhat slow healer because she was only third vampire. "Gah...it hurts.." She winced as she sat up.
"What happened?" Her dad asked, his eyes filled with worry. He watched as she managed to stand, and he followed suit. "Did you have a vision?"
"No..unless you want to count my dream last night...it was weird as hell.." His daughter opened her eyes, which quickly adjusted to the brightness of the room.
"You slept in here?" The hybrid looked at the bar counter, which had several shot glasses and a few empty bottles.
Poppy turned her head to look at the counter, then looked back at her dad, rubbing the side of her head in attempt to ease her pain. "Yeah," she took a small breath. "I'm surprised you didn't notice.."
Klaus watched as she took a step forward, and he caught her before she could hit the floor when she collapsed again. "How much did you drink?" He looked into her eyes, his pupils dilating. "Be honest."
"I only had about eight shots yesterday, two today. Those bottles are from the entire week." Poppy moved to rest her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She felt her dad kneel a bit and lift her feet off of the ground, holding her bridal style with her arm draped loosely across his chest to his shoulder.
"Let's get you to bed." The big bad wolf kissed the top of her head and left the bar of the compound, walking in the direction of the courtyard down the hall. "You'll get some rest, and then when you wake we can go into town. We'll watch the painters and the singers, then we'll go to lunch..get some beignets perhaps."
Klaus stood in the room of his daughter, watching as she slept soundly, his hand holding hers. He turned his head to the sound of footsteps entering the room, and his brother stood in the doorway, appearing displeased.
"You took her on a witch hunt?" Elijah asked in disbelief, her meaning Hayley.
The younger brother let out a soft sigh and moved his hand away, turning completely to face him. "I simply wanted to persuade those witches to locate the white oak stake for me. When they proved unable to do so, I let Hayley have her fun."
"She grows more savage by the day!" The vampire narrowed his eyes the slightest bit, and kept his voice in a hushed tone. "Can you not see that she is falling apart?"
"Perhaps the problem is your high standards? Hayley is one of us now. Being a vampire only exaggerates what you truly are, and wolves are wild things. She knows she can never live up to the pretty little picture you paint of her in your head. Your judgment only hurts her more."
Elijah stepped forward. "And what of your daughter? Do you wish her to be as savage as us? You already let her drink her summer away. I am trying to help Hayley, and I asked you to help her, brother.
Klaus clenched his jaw and stepped closer. "I am helping!" He exclaimed angrily. "You should have seen her last night! Covered in witches' blood and smiling from ear to ear! She is embracing this. A little less criticism from you, and Hayley will be just fine, as will Poppy. She's gone through this before, and she'll get through it again!"
"Niklaus!" Elijah raised his voice. "The mother of your child deserves much better than just fine! Your daughter, my niece, deserves much better than just fine!" He glared into the eyes of his brother, who glared back. "You'll take Hayley to the Bayou. Find any remaining wolves. Perhaps her people can reach her. Now, more than ever, she needs a connection to something, some of her humanity, some degree of dignity."
"I can't, I'll be going into town with Poppy when she wakes." Klaus stated.
"No, I will take her, and I alone."
When Poppy woke in the afternoon it was quiet, and her room was lit up by the sunlight pouring in from her window. She sat up tiredly and swiftly she got dressed into shorts and a maroon colored long sleeve shirt. On her dresser was a jewelry box, which she opened slowly, and inside was her red pendant necklace. It was pretty, so she put it on. She slipped on her flats and walked into the hallway. "Dad?" She called out before walking to the balcony. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked around, using her supernatural hearing to see if anyone was home.
She was alone. Especially since the vampires of New Orleans no longer resided there.
She let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll go on my own." Lazily, she began to walk down the hall, but then she stopped and walked to the railing. She figured it'd be easier if she just jumped down, so she stood on the railing and fell to the courtyard floor, landing on her feet with ease. And so, she stepped out into the warmth of the day, into the sun, and into where the world was happy, yet in ruin and decorated with blood, hidden from the naïve eye. She was unsure of what she would do, she had lost herself and she had lost some of what had made her happy. What was left she did not know how to get back to.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Streets/Rousseau's
"I find shelter in this way--Under cover, hide away--Can you hear when I say--I have never felt this way--" A soft voice sang into a microphone, and a young woman stood on the edge of the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, singing to a small crowd of both locals and tourists alike. In the crowd stood Poppy, with her arms folded over her chest and her eyes closed to just listen. "Maybe I had said something that was wrong--Can I make it better with the lights turned on--Maybe I had said something that was wrong--Can I make it better with the lights turned on--"
Nearby on the street stood a young looking man named Kaleb. He looked around the street at the people, his eyes scanning the faces for some sort of familiarity, for a certain person. He just didn't know who.
"Could I be, was I there--It felt so crystal in the air--I still want to drown whenever you leave--Please teach me gently how to breathe--"
Poppy clenched her jaw for a moment and brought her hand to the tip of one of her braids (she had done two Dutch braids after leaving the compound), her fingers fidgeting with the black band. She opened her eyes and reached into her brown leather cross body purse and pulled a one hundred dollar bill from her purse, then walked to the open guitar case next to the singer and placed it in. After, she began to walk down the street, squinting a bit from the sun's light. She brought her hand to her brow to shield her eyes.
Kaleb looked in her direction, and their eyes met for just a moment, and he then realized that she was the one he was looking for. Not just a random person, but a witch like him..except more than a witch. A tribrid, and a Mikaelson, the daughter of the feared Klaus. He noticed her eyes meet his once more, and he could read the confusion on her face, in the way she scrunched her nose and squinted a bit more. Kaleb began to walk to her, careful not to bump into anyone.
Poppy averted her gaze and began walking once more, not afraid but not in the mood for social interaction. She let out a soft sigh when he joined her at her side.
"Pardon me, but uh, you were staring.." Kaleb told her with a faint smirk. "..thought maybe you were lost."
"I'm not. I just thought you looked familiar." The tribrid replied, looking at the street ahead of her.
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. "Where would you have seen me? I'm uh..fairly new to the area."
"In a dream." Poppy stated simply, which resulted in an awkward laugh. She stopped and turned to look at him. "You can cut the act. I know you're a witch, which means you know who I am. So, I recommend you leave me alone." She turned back to the street and continued to walk.
"Wait-wait!" The witch took her hand. "Darling, please. I haven't come to upset you. I've come as a friend." He looked into her eyes as she stopped walking and looked back at him, then down at their hands.
Poppy furrowed her eyebrows and took a deep breath, looking back at him. She felt a wave of emotion rush through her body, and she knew that he felt it to in the way that he changed his posture. And that's when she knew.
"Kol?" She asked quietly, afraid that she may be wrong, afraid that her emotions had gotten the best of her, but then she saw a smile spread on Kaleb's face, and his eyes lit up.
"Hey, Pops."
His niece clenched her jaw to hold back her tears, then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck, nuzzling her face into his neck, standing on her tip toes. She felt his arms envelope her, and she felt safe and at home.
"I've missed you so much." She told him before pulling away from the hug. She thought for a moment. "Does that mean grandmother and Finn are here too? Is that why you have a new body?" She asked with a slight frown.
Koleb (Kol/Kaleb) cupped her cheek gently. "Yes, and yes. Don't worry, they won't hurt you, I won't let them." He took a small breath. "But Finn still believes you are adopted."
"Of course..I'm supposed to play along.." Poppy nodded a bit, then suddenly her eyes lit up, and an overwhelming emotion brought tears to her eyes at the thought of him being back. "Does that mean..does that mean that he's back too? That-"
"He's in the cemetery. We'll go soon but first I have a very important date to go on with your friend Davina.." Koleb informed her gently. "She's hiding something and mother is dying to know what."
The girl gave him another slight frown. "Don't hurt her, okay?"
"Hurting her is not my intention, darling."
A bit later, at Rousseau's, Koleb sat alone at a table..Davina had stepped away to answer a phone call from Marcel, who had been calling repeatedly. A man, the body of Vincent Griffith, chocolate skin and an overall nice appearance, approached the table.
"You're stalling." He stated.
Koleb rolled his eyes. "No, that's not creepy at all, watching me on me own date."
"Stop complimenting her and find out what she's hiding." The man demanded with a tone of annoyance.
"I'm wooing her, Finncent. It requires charm, and personality. Something you'd know nothing about."
Finncent, not amused with the nickname, looked down at his brother. "Our mother wants answers, and if you can't get them, we'll do this my way."
"Oh, what are you gonna do? You gonna bore her until she can't help but tell you everything?"
"If you want to find out if someone has a weapon, you provoke them into using it." Finncent looked up at the door to the bar as it opened, and he watched as Poppy Mikaelson walked in, wearing a pair of new sunglasses. He raised an eyebrow as she looked over at the pair and walked over. She gave Finn an awkward smile before looking at Kol.
"Hey Kol." Poppy greeted bluntly. "Is this-?" She removed her sunglasses and looked back up at Finncent.
"My annoying brother Finn?" Kol replied, leaning back in his chair. "Yes. He was just leaving, and so should you."
Finncent looked at his niece. "Perhaps you should stay." He told her, and Kol stood up and watched as people began to clear the bar. "Test of strength." He walked out of the bar past Davina, who pushed her way inside.
"Kaleb? What's happening?" Davina asked when she walked to them. "Poppy?"
"Some fellow just announced they were closing for a private party." Koleb grumbled with annoyance.
"We should leave now." The Harvest Witch said, her voice hinting her anxiety of the situation. She turned around to face a group of werewolves.
"And what's your rush, sweetheart?" One of the werewolves asked. "Why don't you stay and party with us?"
Poppy narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "Get out of our way. Now." She raised her arm when he didn't budge and chanted a quick pain infliction spell. "Ah sha lana." The werewolf cried in pain and fell to his knees, and his friends surrounded around the trio.
"Can you do that with the rest of them, or...?" Koleb asked nervously.
Poppy looked back at him. "Not all at once." She stepped back. Though she herself was part werewolf, she was also part vampire. She didn't want to know how it felt to be on the receiving end of a bite.
The werewolf she had knocked down stood up and grabbed Poppy, throwing her across the room into a wall. She let out a groan and fell to the floor, feeling pain in her upper back. Standing up, she watched as her uncle was thrown behind the bar, and the wolves began to creep up on Davina. The tribrid sped towards one and bit into his neck, throwing him aside before letting out a cry of pain as her arm was twisted behind her back. She slammed the back of her head into his jaw and spun around, punching his throat and knocking him down. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when she saw Davina twisting her bracelet around as a werewolf bared his fangs at her, ready to lunge.
Poppy raced forward and stood in front of her, feeling the fangs dig into her shoulder, and she squeezed her eyes shut from the pain.
"Jwen mwen vennez ça maintenant" Davina chanted, and Poppy felt herself thrown into another wall. When she fell to the floor and laid there, the bite on her shoulder throbbing with pain.
When Poppy looked up, a new man grabbed a werewolf off of Davina and he threw it aside.
"You filthy dogs." He grumbled, and Poppy froze, the blood draining from her cheeks.
She heard the voice, crystal clear, and recognized it in a heartbeat. Of course, she could never forget the man who had made her father's childhood a hell. The man who had made her own filled with fear.
Mikael. In the flesh.
Poppy stood up slowly as Mikael snapped the neck of a werewolf and ripped the heart out of the others. She watched as Kol hid behind the counter in fear, which only made her own worse. She backed up against the wall, her eyes wide, as Davina's bracelet slipped off of her wrist and fell to the floor next to her head. Davina looked at it, then looked up at Mikael who smirked and picked her up off of the ground by the front of her shirt. His face transformed and her bared his fangs.
"Well, now. What an interesting turn of events. I'm going to enjoy this, girl."
Before he could sink his fangs into her neck, Poppy whooshed at him and pushed him away, standing in front of her friend to protect her, even if she was scared and shaken to her core.
"Leave her alone, Mikael." She transformed her own face to mask her fear.
Her grandfather only chuckled. "Poppy. I'd hoped to see your father first, but we have some unfinished business as well."
Poppy growled and stepped forward, swinging her fist at Mikael, but he caught it and twisted her arm and shoved her aside. She used her magic, and, with a flick of her wrist, he was thrown into the wall.
Mikael narrowed his eyes and swiftly pulled the white oak stake from the waistband of his pants before vamping at a Poppy and pinning her to the bar, the stake aimed for her heart. She held onto his wrist tightly, holding it still with trembling hands to protect herself. Her eyes were wide with unshed tears, and Mikael glared down at her, struggling to stake her. With a great deal of strength, he managed to pierce her skin with the stake, pushing it in a bit.
"You are weak. A girl with your power wouldn't be here." He told her as he pushed the stake in farther.
Poppy let out a few cries of pain, the area of the wound erupting with pain, but she continued to fight against him until the door swung open and Mikael was ripped away from the tribrid, who let out a shaking breath of relief.
"Father?" A voice spoke with disbelief, Elijah.
Mikael scowled. "Son." He averted his eyes to look at Davina, who stood with Marcel and was holding her bracelet. He sped to her, but she put it on.
"STOP!" The witch yelled. "Go back, NOW."
Poppy watched, her vision blurred with tears, as Mikael complied and sped out of the bar. The trio all look at Davina, who shook her head at them. Elijah held a look of horror, Marcel a look of disappointment, and Poppy a look of pain. Davina stormed out.
Elijah, who was shocked by the revelation that Mikael was alive, looked at his niece, who was struggling to recover from the events. His eyes turned to Kol, who hid before the bar, also in shock.
"Something to say?" He asked the witch.
"Not me, mate. Not a bloody thing."
The Original nodded and walked to his niece, gently kissing her forehead and moving her away from the bar and into his arms. He felt her body tremble from adrenaline and fear of the fight and Mikael, and he rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Are you okay, little one?" He asked softly.
"No.." She whispered in reply, squeezing her eyes shut.
"She was bitten." Koleb spoke from behind the bar. "Her shoulder."
Marcel walked to the pair with worry as Elijah pulled away and moved the collar of her shirt to reveal a nasty wolf bite. "Elijah, you need to get her to Klaus."
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Mikaelson Compound
Elijah entered the compound with his niece, holding onto her arm to keep her close. He stopped when they entered the courtyard.
"Go up to bed," he told Poppy softly. "Your dad will be up in a minute." He told her before heading to the wine cellar, where Klaus stood with a glass of liquor in his hand. Elijah was upset, and anxious, but his brother was distracted, and didn't notice.
"It is worse than we thought." Klaus stated before taking a large drink of from his glass. "I met the witch, Cassie. I studied her; her presence, the way she carried herself, the fervor with which she voiced her hatred of our kind. I looked into that girl's eyes, and, I swear to you, Elijah, she's not just guided by our mother. She is our mother." He stated with a hint of disbelief in his voice. He watched as his brother became overwhelmed.
"What is happening?" Elijah asked with confusion.
"I'm going to kill her. I will boil her bones and feed them to the dogs, if that's what it takes." Klaus huffed with fury.
"Niklaus-"
"What?!" The younger brother exclaimed with panic. "What could possibly be more important than the return of our mother?"
Elijah gave him a sigh. "Our father. I saw him standing there in the flesh as you do now. He was enslaved with some spell cast by Davina. He holds the stake. If she chooses to release him..."
"Well, then there's only one question we need to ask, isn't there? Which of our parents do we kill first?"
"Before we start," Elijah stepped forward and softened his tone, but he still kept the urgency in. "there was a fight with werewolves at Rousseau's where Mikael was. Niklaus...Poppy was there."
"Where is she?" Klaus asked, beginning to leave the cellar with his brother close behind.
"She should be in her bedroom." He replied.
The hybrid entered the courtyard where Hayley stood with a group of Crescent wolves.
"Take any of the rooms on the first floor." She told them, and they began to walk away.
"Are we running a kennel now?" Klaus asked as he made his way to the staircase quickly.
"I'll handle them." Hayley said.
"Our family is under siege. It is not the time for guests." He made his way up the stairs and walked quickly to his daughter's bedroom.
Poppy laid on her bed with the blankets covering her up to her waist. Her skin was pale and glistened with sweat from the werewolf bite, and her eyes were closed. The bite throbbed with pain, distracting her only the slightest bit from the pain in her chest from the white oak stake. Her breathing was slow and shaky, and every breath she took would only make the pain worse. She turned her head a bit when she felt the bed dip next to her legs, and she opened her eyes tiredly to see her dad, who took her hand gently.
"Hey, my little flower." Klaus spoke quietly, moving her other hand to her forehead. "Elijah told me you had a run-in with a group of werewolves earlier at Rousseau's."
His daughter nodded faintly and cleared her throat. "Did he tell you that Mikael was there?" She asked him quietly.
Her dad looked down at their hands then at her eyes once more. "Yes, he did. I promise you that the next time Mikael comes around, I'll be there to protect you. Now, where are you hurt?"
"I was bitten by a werewolf.." She breathed out after clearing her throat once again, her voice weak from her cries of pain and from the bite. "..on my shoulder."
Her dad looked down at the bite, which was nasty looking and a deep red color, then back at her eyes. He moved his hand from her forehead and gently he helped her to sit up.
He noted how she winced in pain and brought her hand to her upper chest, the area of her shirt spotted with blood. "Did Mikael hurt you?" Klaus asked, moving to sit behind her. He leaned her back against his chest.
"He had the white oak stake." She told him, and his eyes widened a bit. "If Elijah hadn't gotten to us when he did, it would've gone in a lot farther than an inch or two."
The hybrid lifted his arm and bit into his wrist to draw blood, then held it in front of her to drink. Poppy looked at it and grabbed onto his arm, moving it to her lips so she could feed a bit. She felt her wounds begin to heal, and when she was satisfied, she lowered his arm, but still held onto it.
She was still shaken up and upset, and Klaus sensed that and held her gently against him for comfort.
"You're okay now, my love." He whispered and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
Poppy swallowed. "I could've hid, it would've been easier."
"You fought him?"
"Yes." She replied. "I had to protect Davina..he was going to kill her." She felt her bottom lip quiver the slightest bit. "I was too weak. I should've been able to beat him."
Klaus furrowed his eyebrows and moved away from behind her, getting off of the bed and standing in front of her. "Is that what he told you?"
Poppy looked down at her hands, which he then took into his own.
"Poppy look at me." She did. "Do not listen to him. He will do anything to cripple you."
"Well, why can't he just love us?" She asked, her voice filled with pain.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Lafayette Cemetery
It was nighttime in New Orleans. The air was cool, the crickets sang in the woods, the waning moon shined in the night, hiding the stars. Poppy's footsteps sounded quietly against the hard ground as she walked in front of a crypt, looking around.
"I figured you'd come." Koleb said from behind her, and she turned around to see his worried eyes. "Are you okay, darling?"
His niece walked towards him and hugged him tightly. "I'm okay.." She pulled away. "Where is he?" She asked him quietly. "Is he okay? Is he safe?"
Kol took her hand and began walking. "He's okay." He led her to a different crypt and walked inside. "He doesn't have his magic, but I've been teaching him different methods." He stopped and pointed at a door. "He's in there. The lock is opened with magic. I'll be back in a bit to check on you."
Poppy nodded and watched as he left before walking to the door, looking down at the rusty lock that held the door shut. Closing her eyes, she hovered her palm over it and unlocked it with her magic. Hesitantly, she twisted the knob and pushed the door open, opening her eyes to see a room, which looked like a chemistry lab..except there were stone surfaces and a bed and couch and a bookshelf. She stepped inside, holding back her tears and heart ache.
"Kol, did you bring the root?" A voice asked, and a familiar man stood with his back facing her, focusing on what he was doing.
Poppy bit her lip, not saying anything, as she did not trust her own voice. Even if she did, she was overwhelmed with emotion, rising in her throat. She swallowed and took the bag off of her shoulder and placing it on a chair.
He turned around and his eyes locked with hers, and the whole world came to a stop. His jaw gaped open in surprise.
"You're here.." He spoke quietly.
The girl, unable to hold back her emotions, let out a laugh, which turned into more laughs. Her eyes lit up, and a large smile grew on her face. "You're alive!" She exclaimed. "You're alive, you're alive!" She rushed into his arms, and he lifted her off of the ground, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Smiling, she brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss, then rested her cheek against the side of his head. She smiled, letting out few more soft laughs, which faded into small sob, and she was no longer smiling.
"Hey, honey, I'm here." Silas lowered his fiancée to her feet, but still held her in a tight hug. "It's okay, baby."
"Don't ever leave me again." Poppy cried into his neck. "Please don't ever leave me."
Silas rubbed her back, swaying a bit. "I wouldn't even dream of it."