• • • •
A month later
Dani giggled as she ran toward her mother who smiled at the sight of the little girl. Her small arms wrapped around Faith's leg and she looked up at her. "Momma, can we make cookies? With chocolate chips!"
Faith's hand ran through the girl's brown hair adoringly. "Sure," she smiled before holding her small hand into hers. Faith grabbed her daughter's bag before they walked away from the playground.
After a batch of burnt cookies, Faith was able to make some decent batch of chocolate chip cookies for Dani. The little girl skipped to her seat before waiting eagerly for her plate of cookies. Faith blew a strand of raven hair away from her face before placing a white plate of cookies and half a glass of milk in front of her daughter. She smiled, lovingly as she watched Dani eat the cookies.
Her blue eyes darted to her phone that began to ring from the coffee table in the living room. "Keep eating," she reassured her daughter before getting up from the table.
Dani never liked it when someone called Faith since it usually meant her mother was going to leave.
"Hello?" Faith asked.
"Um, is this...Faith?" an unfamiliar voice came from the other line.
"Yes," she drew out. "Who is this?"
"I'm April Young," she stammered. "Rebekah said to call you if anything happened to her."
Immediately, a bad feeling settled inside of Faith. "What do you mean something?"
"That's the thing," April trailed off. "I haven't seen her for a couple of days. No one seems to know where she is. She was supposed to help me find the truth behind my father's death."
"Ah," Faith realized. "You're Pastor Young's daughter. The girl Elena used to babysit, right?"
"Uh, Yeah," April said. "Could you please help me find Rebekah?"
Faith glanced at her daughter, who was filling down the milk. Inner conflict brewed inside of the siphoner. She wanted to find where Rebekah was since she wasn't the type to just disappear out of nowhere, but Faith didn't want to leave Dani. She couldn't just take the little girl with her to Mystic Falls, especially since she was sure Elena still had no control over her bloodlust. She was better off being in New Orleans where Marcel could protect her.
"I'll be there in a few," she answered before hanging up.
• • • •
"Well, maybe if you had let Dean use force on Connor instead of sending him in on a suicide mission," Hayley glowered at the drunk Original hybrid.
"Maybe you should mind your business, wolf girl," Klaus threatened.
Suddenly, Hayley was grabbed from behind. Her hazel green eyes glanced at Tyler in surprise and fear as she was held in a headlock. Both hybrids looked at Faith in shock. The siphoner smirked as she kept her hold on the werewolf's head before kicking her in the back of the leg. Hayley dropped to her knees, but Faith kept her headlock.
She struggled to escape her hold, but she felt drained for some reason.
"Where's Rebekah, Klaus?" Faith glared at him.
"Who blabbed?" Klaus countered back. "Remind me to kill them."
"Let her go, Faith," Tyler said, cautiously as he glanced between the siphoner and the werewolf.
Hayley weakly tried to move. "Who is this bitch?"
"This bitch can snap your neck if you keep moving, werewolf," Faith threatened before she looked at Klaus. "Where the bloody hell is Rebekah, Klaus?"
The hybrid's expression began to soften as he tried to get close to the siphoner. He tried to find her, but he couldn't find her anywhere in the small town. He even tried speaking to Damon if he knew, but the stud only mocked him. But he did tell him that he usually visits her daughter, but no one knows where she is. In the end, he left for Chicago without her.
"Don't you dare make that face," Faith glowered. "You don't get to make that face after you said that to me."
"Faith..." Klaus trailed off, feeling defeated.
They all froze as knocking came from the front door of the mansion. Tyler motioned for Faith to not kill the werewolf as he went to open the door. Caroline entered the mansion ready to display her acting after Hayley texted her about Klaus being there. She shoved the box into Tyler's arm, not noticing the hybrid's warning. "I brought your stuff. Old laptop, your jersey, the charm bracelet."
"Care, this isn't a good time," Tyler warned her as he glanced at Faith.
Noticing his glances, Caroline turned her attention to the side and finally noticed Faith holding Hayley in a headlock and on her knees. "Wait, are you breaking up?" Faith asked, confused.
"You're holding the girl who ruined their relationship, love," Klaus explained to her.
"Ugh," the siphoner pushed the werewolf away from her. She stepped over her before snatching the bottle of alcohol from Klaus' hand. "Let's talk elsewhere else."
"Good," Klaus smiled, cheekily at her which Faith glared at him. Not because she hated him, but because her heart pounded against her chest. Despite what he said to her, she still loves him. "I have something else to do elsewhere as well."
Tyler, Caroline, and Hayley watched as they walked out of the mansion before letting out sighs of relief.
• • • •
"What are we doing here?" Faith questioned the hybrid as she slammed the car door shut behind her. She scowled at Klaus as he raised a finger at her signaling to be quiet with his phone next to his ear. She didn't want to be near the hybrid but she wanted to see Rebekah. Faith knew Klaus wouldn't kill her, but he was...controlling when he wanted something.
"Well, I can't imagine why," Klaus said, sarcastically through the other line. "What with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future."
Faith looked at Klaus, curiously. What plans could he have with his hybrids? He couldn't make anymore since Elena is a vampire and Rebekah destroyed the remaining human doppelgänger blood.
"Well, life's full of ifs, Stefan," Klaus spoke and glanced at Faith. He grabbed the siphoner by the hand when he noticed her trailing behind. He noticed how she stiffened before relaxing which made him smile. He hasn't completely lost her. "But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of five; we'll find another. It may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?"
Faith focused on Klaus' conversation as she tried to figure out what the hell has happened since she left town.
"Not you, if that's what you're worried about," Klaus reassured as they crossed the road and onto the front yard of the Gilbert house. "But I am concerned about your beloved. Have the hallucinations started yet?"
At times like these, Faith wished she had vampire-hearing to listen to what they were talking about.
"I'll tell you. Where are you?" The hybrid asked as they made it to the front porch of the house. "How convenient, so am I."
Klaus glanced at Faith after he knocked on the door. She looked the same he had last seen her. Without the tears...
Stefan stepped outside the house between the ex-couple and onto the front yard. "You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside," Klaus motioned to the house before he followed the vampire.
"It's bad enough I'm out here talking to you," Stefan countered back and stopped to look at the hybrid and siphoner. "What do you know?"
"About what exactly?" Faith spoke up first, feeling utterly confused about the situation. "And what hunter recently died? What is 'one of the five'? And what hallucinations?"
Stefan glanced at Klaus, confused, and chuckled at his glare. "Right, I forgot the two of you broke up."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, love," Klaus dismissed the siphoner. "I killed the original five hunters, remember? When one kills a hunter, there's a bit of a consequence."
Faith glanced at the two in shock and anger as she realized. "One of the five! Are you idiots?! Why would you go after them?"
Stefan only rolled his eyes at the siphoner's realization and turned to the hybrid. "What kind of consequence?"
"The hunters were created by witches," Faith told him with narrowed eyes. "Meaning if you stop one from completely their only reason to live, they'll take you down with them."
"What do you mean?" The vampire glanced between the ex-couple in worry. "Conner's dead."
"She means, Connor's death won't prevent him from making Elena his final vampire kill," Klaus interjected. "She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up, keep her away from any sharp wooden objects."
"She's not going anywhere with you," Stefan disagreed.
"Well, if we leave her alone, she'll take her own life before the day is out," Klaus stated.
Faith rolled her eyes at the two. "Do the two of you ever think of just letting her die and all your problems would go away? She's basically the main reason everything has happened."
Before Stefan could say anything to defend Elena, they hear the front door slam opened to reveal a very panicked and frightened brunette vampire on the front porch. Taking advantage of the distraction, Klaus vamp-speed to Elena taking her away just as Damon came out from the house. The Salvatore brothers looked at each other before glancing at Faith.
The siphoner shrugged, nonchalantly, "well, I hope she dies. I'll be going. Nice to see you again, Damon."
She disappeared from their sight before either of them could react.
• • • •
"I knew you were going to be here," Faith groaned in annoyance as she dragged herself to the bar table inside of the Mystic Grill, where Klaus was drinking a glass of red wine.
She smiled, coyly at the bartender causing the man to smile back at her. He winked at her and Faith's smile grew as she knew she was getting a drink. She turned her attention to Klaus, taking notice of the death glare he was giving the bartender.
"So are you going to keep dodging me or are you going to tell me where your sister is, Klaus?" Faith questioned.
"I would've thought those Salvatores would've convinced you into sweet-talking me into giving their Elena back," Klaus changed the subject.
She narrowed her eyes on him, knowing what he was doing. She smiled in thanks as the bartender placed a shot of vodka and a piece of paper with possibly his number. Once he left, Faith threw the paper behind her. "Please, everyone knows how much I hate the brunette."
"He saw that," Klaus motioned at the bartender. "I guess I still have a chance."
Just to irk him, Faith smirked at him. "I don't need the paper. I've already mesmerized it. I'm good with numbers, Klaus."
The hybrid's grin disappeared as Faith drowned the vodka shot. She slammed the glass on the counter and she smiled, feignedly at Klaus before she left.
• • • •
April walked across the school front yard to the parking lot. Feeling like someone was watching her, she turned around, but nothing was around. Anxious, she pulled her bag closer to her and turned around, only to bump into someone.
"What's the rush?"
She looked up to see crystal blue eyes shining with amusement, sun-kissed skin with fluttering freckles over the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, and her jaw, framed with frizzy raven hair.
"Nice to meet you, April Young," she said. "I'm Faith Everly, Rebekah's friend, and the girl you called this morning. Now I need you to tell me everything you know and don't leave anything out."