•|•
Isabel walked in with Rose holding her hand and Hope and Jacob in their stroller.
"Elijah. I got your text."
"Unless they are throwing tantrums, I don't recommend this as a daycare..."
Isabel sighed and shifted on her feet. "Jack's gone, and I don't know what he's doing or when he's coming back. I also really don't want to talk about it. So, Freya do you think you could watch the kids while I take out my anger on this pompous ass."
Elijah and Freya seemed shocked by the news that Isabel and Jackson's relationship was strained but Freya quickly went into action and bent down toward Rose.
"Hey, Rosie. Come to aunt Freya."
Rose let go of her moms hand after she looked up to make sure it was okay. She clutched Freyas shoulder once she lifted her up and onto her hip.
Freya gave Isabel a sympathetic smile before taking the stroller and going to Isabel's apartment. Rose waved and muttered, "bye momma." As they went, leaving Elijah and Isabel alone with Tristan.
Elijah gave Isabel a look before he walked toward a door to leave them alone. "Bon appetit!"
Isabel growled at Tristan before baring her fangs and blue hybrid eyes and biting him viciously on the neck which caused Tristan to awaken from the pain.
"Ahhhhh!"
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"AHHH!"
Isabel wiped the blood from her mouth and backed away from Tristan after she finished giving him over a dozen hybrid bites.
"Freya what is it?" She asked as she walked away from the panting and moaning Tristan though she looked back every so often as if to check he was still there.
"Rose turned again and she won't come to us. Do you have anything I can use to draw her out here?"
"Tristan would you quite your cries please?" Isabel sighed before saying, "yeah, whenever she turns I used her lamb blanket to settle her down. It should be on my bed or in her room."
After a moment of silence Freya finally said, "got it. Thanks."
"Of course." Isabel replied before hanging up.
"You act like such a baby. How about I give you something to really cry about?"
Tristan stared up at the hybrid, all sweaty and panting, as he groaned again at the movement. "You mistake me, milady. I cry out only in grief. I was so struck by your beauty when I saw you at the gala. And now, after this affront to my person, I'll be forced to pluck those lovely blue almond eyes from your perfectly shaped skull."
"Mm." She pursed her lips quickly as she rolled her eyes at him.
Elijah, looking amused from hearing Tristans breathy threat, walked into the room to join them. "My goodness, I could watch this forever..." he said, walking over to Tristan as he placed his hand on his progeny's forehead, yanking his head backward painfully. "...If only my sister wasn't trapped in the bottom of the ocean." With great reluctance, he let go of him. "Let me ask you again, Tristan- the coordinates, please."
Tristan once again groaned in pain from the harsh movement. "Mmm. If I tell you, you'll just kill me."
"The alternative is significantly less pleasant." Elijah informed him.
"I think I'll hold off on any confessions. At least until The Strix arrive to free me and burn your home to the ground..."
Elijah gave him an amused look. "Oooh..." he said before turning to Isabel, who looked annoyed by Tristan's stubbornness.
"I think the pompous dick could use a little more persuasion." Elijah told her.
Once Elijah left the room, Isabel walked over to him with her arms crossed over her chest and glared at him.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel stepped out into the hallway talking to Freya who had called her to verify what Mary had said upon going to the apartment.
"Yeah, she's fine. She's a little rough around the edges, but she's family. And Rose? Is she doing better?"
"She's resting with the blanket now in her bed. I had to keep Hope from trying to play with her. But otherwise she's good."
Isabel smiled to herself thinking of her babies. "Thank you so much for this. And don't worry I'll be there soon to relieve you of your duties." Just as she hung up the phone, Elijah appeared behind her, looking concerned.
"Is everything okay?"
"Had a little trouble with Mary. She just showed up. Which is very strange, considering that Jackson's out sulking in the Bayou. Not that I can really blame him, considering I didn't try to stop him, or run after him..." Elijah frowned as he felt bad for being a part of the reason that Isabel is stressed with Jackson. "But I'm just tired of being sorry for wanting to help you all here."
Elijah gave her a sympathetic look though he appreciated that she'd come to help them. "I appreciate your help. And you've done more than enough, Isabella. So please, go to your family."
The female hybrid gave him a small smile. "Good luck with him," she said then turned around and headed home to deal with Mary and see her kids.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel, holding Jacob as she fed him baby formula, and Mary sat around the kitchen table as they talked.
"Jack is my grandson. I love him, stubborn as he is. And I know he loves you."
"Then where is he?" She asked sadly.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Drinking whiskey. Chopping wood. Shooting arrows. Gets that way when he doesn't know what to do. And... and right now, he doesn't know how to help you. Which makes sense, seeing as how you don't know how to help yourself."
Isabel feeling slightly offended asked, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"After all the Mikaelsons took from you, you're still over there playing right along like you was one of them."
Isabel subconsciously rubbed her thumb up and down Jacobs arm as she said, "they're my family, Mary. They're Hope and Jacobs family."
"And when you got married, Jack became your family. And maybe they need you, but your husband needs you, too."
Isabel slumped slightly, she knew Mary was right. Jack needed and wanted her and he was now a part of her family, a life partner until he passed on. But Isabel couldn't help but still feel torn. The Mikaelsons had been such a huge part of her life and were connected to her in many ways.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Hope and Jacob were seated in the double-seated stroller next to the table, where Mary is doting on them as Isabel made sure Rose was all ready to walk with her. She had decided to go with the kids and spend time with Jack out in the Bayou and hopefully settle things down between them.
"Okay, I think we are all ready," Isabel said as she stood up from her kneeled position. But her hybrid-hearing picked up the sounds of fighting from across the street at the compound and she's immediately on alert.
Elijah ripped the heart out of one of the two Strix members and dropped it unceremoniously onto the floor before spinning and karate-chopping the neck of the other so hard that he'd been decapitated, causing a splatter of blood to spray against the portrait of him hanging on the wall.
Isabel's eyes widen as both she and Mary realized an attack was happening at the compound, and they both look out the balcony of the apartment toward the compound's balcony in hopes of seeing what was happening.
"There's something going on over there." Isabel muttered anxiously. In a quick movement Isabel ripped herself away from her viewing spot to leave but Mary immediately stepped up to stop her.
"Isabel, no! Whatever trouble that is, it ain't yours."
Isabel gave her a look before vamp-speeding toward the balcony so quickly that Mary flinched in surprise. Isabel then quickly launched herself from her balcony to the one at the compound in a single bound, landing in a crouched defensive position on the floor of Klaus' bedroom.
Hayley, who had been at the dinner so Elijah could 'babysit' her had finally stepped out and fought beside Elijah, despite the little training she had been able to do with the brunette Original. But she was tired of hiding and didn't listen to Elijah when he said to leave and instead decided to fight.
Hayley threw a Strix member over her shoulder as Elijah punched one in the face before twisting his arm so hard that it snapped, but was too distracted to see another Strix member grab him in a headlock from behind. Fortunately, Isabel instantly vamp-sped toward the man and snapped his neck, allowing Elijah to do the same to the other vampire.
"You guys alright?" Isabel asked as she looked over the two.
But before either could answer, Marcel walked up behind Elijah and stabbed him through the heart from behind with a stake.
"Agh!"
"Elijah!" Hayley yelled in shock, about to move toward Marcel when Isabel quickly got to her side and stopped her with a tight grip to the arm.
Isabel gave her a look telling her to back off. Despite not being close at the moment, Isabel was not going to let her baby hybrid sister try to fight and get killed permanently.
Marcel dropped Elijah to the ground, and his skin started to turn gray and desiccated as both Isabel and Hayley glared at him in disgust, confusion and betrayal swirling in their minds. Just then, two other members of The Strix came to surround them, cornering them while Marcel watched from behind the vampires.
"How could you?" Isabel asked as she stared at Marcel not paying attention to the advancing Strix members.
Marcel just watched with a frown as the vampires move in on them at vampire speed and grab Isabel and Hayley in a choke-hold, pinning them against stone columns. Isabel struggled to breathe as she discreetly reached out with her right hand, allowing her to snap his neck. When the other vampire got distracted by his fallen friend, Hayley pushed her head as far away from him as possible before forcing his elbows in and head butting him. Once he stumbled back, she kicked him in the gut, away from them only for another vampire to speed toward them. Both vampires took their arms and pinned them to the column so they couldn't fight back.
Isabel thought quickly and kneed the guy in the balls while the guy who had Hayley stood behind her and grabbed her throat as a hostage. Isabel ripped the guys head off and turned to help her sister only to see him fall onto the floor, revealing that Marcel had ripped out his heart through his backs.
Hayley coughed and tried to catch her breath as Isabel stared intently at Marcel who gave them a look and held up the heart before dropping it onto the ground.
The Paxon sisters gave him a confused look not getting what game Marcel was playing, but before they could say anything to him, Marcel vamp-sped away. Hayley continued to cough and massage her throat as she and Isabel looked down at Elijah's incapacitated body on the floor.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Freya held the enchanted stake that Marcel left behind in her hands as she examined it intently. "This stake was imbued with dark magic." The now healed Freya said as she looked up at Elijah with concern. Her along with Elijah, Isabel, and Hayley all stood in the trashed living room. "It's strong enough to take down even you."
Elijah, who had been pacing around the destruction, looked down at the dead Strix members. "So apparently The Strix has no shortage of weapons."
"Well, at least they don't have Marcel-" Isabel started to say.
"I'm not so sure about that." Elijah interjected bitterly.
Isabel gave Elijah a look. "I know he attacked you, but-" she gestured toward the stake in Freya's hands. "He could have used that thing on you and he didn't."
"And he did save Isabel and leave us alone." Hayley added in with a shrug.
"And healed me." Freya spoke up quietly. "A few minutes more and I would have been dead."
Elijah, still unimpressed, shook his head in disagreement and returned to pacing around the room. "Do I need to remind you that because of your beloved hero, Tristan is free, Rebekah is lost..." Elijah was suddenly distracted by the sight of the blood splatter over his portrait on the far wall. He seemed to have triggered something and saw a vampire different then he's ever seen in the midst of a a lot of dead bodies. "This prophecy threatens to devour us still."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"Hayley can we talk please?" Isabel pleaded. "This divide is unnecessary. We need each other right now more then anything."
Hayley continued to stomp to her apartment, not once looking back. "I'm still not happy with you. Just give me some time alone to deal. Elijah has been of much help."
Isabel sighed. "Hayley-"
She was stopped when Hayley opened her apartment door and slammed it closed before locking it.
Isabel let out a deeper sigh and opened her door. She saw Mary anxiously looking out the window toward the Mikaelson compound and at the sound of the door. Mary looked at her with both relief and annoyance.
"Are you okay?" Mary asked.
"Yeah. I'm definitely doing a lot better than the other guy..."
Mary sighed. "Well, then you're damn lucky, along with being damn foolish."
Isabel walked around Mary and headed straight to where Hope and Rose were playing with her toys on top of a blanket that had been spread over the floor while Jacob sat in a bouncy roller chair that had some toys he could mess with with his grabby hands. Isabel picked up her Hope in her arms before turning back toward Mary, who was looking at her with concern.
"The Mikaelsons are a thousand years old- you're, what, twenty-two?" Mary gestured toward the kids. "And with three babies? The way you risk your life for those people... it ain't right."
"We all risk our lives, Mary. That's just the world that we live in." Isabel shrugged it off.
"Well, maybe... But you go out of your way to help them, and every time you do, you're temptin' fate."
"I fight to protect the people I care about. And if Jack loves me, then he would be here doing the same thing." Mary looked surprised by what the young hybrid said but was not going disagree with her. Isabel sighed before biting her lips and looking around, conflicted about what to do next. "He needs time. And I get that. Just tell him that when he wants to talk, he should come home."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"She's safe. Cami's here with us," Klaus told Isabel over the phone.
Isabel rocked Jacob to sleep, cradling him with her right arm while holding the phone with her left hand. "Can I talk to her? Is she up for a talk?"
"I am." She heard Cami say. "Hello Izzy."
"Hey." She sighed. "I'm sorry about not being able to help. But Aurora doesn't like me and well I've been dealing with a lot of my own things."
"What matters is that you didn't forget about me," Cami told her softly. "And I appreciate that you got Klaus to come get me. I know you two have been beached on rocks lately."
"Yeah well. He likes you to Cami. He wouldn't have left you to fend for yourself." She informed the older woman. "Get some rest. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow and we'll spend the day with the kiddos. Sound good?"
"Sounds like fun."
"Good because I think we both need to have a break and some baby time." Another call started up and she furrowed her brows. "I have to go. Bye Cami." She quickly accepted the face time call and smiled at Caroline. "Hey, Care."
"Hey Izzy! Oh, is that Jacob?" She asked, spotting the sleepy baby. "Elena come here! Look at him. Awe. So precious."
Elena came into view and Isabel situated herself to where she could pick up Jacobs hand and wave at them.
"He's adorable Isabel." Elena grinned. "We missed you here though. It would have been nice to see you and the kids for Thanksgiving break. Maybe even the hubby?"
"Thanks guys." She smiled at them. "And I wish we could have visited as well but it's New Orleans. Haven't had a break yet. And Jack well... it's complicated at the moment. He's not to happy with me."
"Why?" Caroline immediately asked, a frown covering her face. "Does he need to get beat up? I'll come right down th-"
"No no. It's just-" she sighed. "The Mikaelsons need me you know? And he doesn't like that but I can't help it."
Elena gave her a thoughtful look as she said, "if I could forget the fact that it's the Mikaelsons you are fighting with then I could say that Jack needs to talk to you and take into account that the Mikaelson are a very important part of your life just as much as he is and that he's gonna have to deal with it at times."
"You're defending the Mikaelsons?" Isabel asked and Elena rolled her eyes.
"Come on now. You are my best friend and two of like four knocked you up and stole your heart-" she paused. "And I'm not judging." She smiled. "I've accepted the fact that they are a part of you. And they are no longer a pain in my ass so that's good."
"I agree with Elena." Caroline added in.
Isabel giggled along with her two friends before finally settling down. "I miss you guys so much."
"We miss you too," they said simultaneously.
"Well I have to get Jacob to bed now. Wanna say Goodnight?"
"Goodnight baby Mikaelson." Caroline whispered through the screen.
"Goodnight Jake," Elena said right after.
"Night girls." Isabel smiled before hanging up.