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Can I go where
you go?
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Talia stepped carefully off the plane into the hot, muggy New Orleans night air. She wiped her forehead dramatically. "Matty. It's so humid. I'm melting." Talia turned to her little sister.
Matty rolled her eyes. Matty was pouting. Elijah had compelled her. She got that she might have overreacted. But seeing her big sister carried into the house, covered in blood, by a panicking Kol freaked her out.
"Come on, Matty. I know you want to smile." Talia elbowed the blonde in the ribs.
Matty turned her head away.
Talia gasped. "Oh my God! My hair will be ruined!"
Matty's lips quirked up but quickly frowned.
"The curls will be unmanageable!" Talia continued as the seven of them got into the cars provided.
Kol, Talia and Matty got into one car, followed by Niklaus.
Elijah looked over at Rebekah and Jordan who had talked and had called a tentative truce. "I guess we get this one."
The three got in the car. Rebekah up front, Elijah driving which left Jordan to hop in the back.
In Talia's car, Talia and Kol were trying to cheer up Matty. It finally worked when Talia pretended to melt into Kol when Niklaus rolled down the window.
"I am a puddle of Talia." She said, mock sadness coating every word.
Matty busted up laughing.
"Ha!" Talia sat up with a smirk. "I did it. Nik, you owe me."
Nik rolled his eyes. "I was only joking."
"No. You can't weasel your way out of this. A bet is a bet." Talia spoke firmly.
"It doesn't count. You wanted to cheer her up anyway." Nik countered.
"True." Talia paused. "I really don't like this weather."
"Don't worry, Darling. We will leave to go somewhere colder as soon as the witches are freed." Kol clenched his fists.
Talia leaned into him in the backseat as she replied. "Uh . . . that's not gonna work. I promised Matty that I would take her to anywhere in the world she chose after we saved the witches. She chose Australia. We have a week planned with just her and I. I promised no boys, no Rebekah and no Jordan. And after that, I might win that wager with Bekah and I will have another week with just me and her doing whatever she wants."
"So after all this I won't see you for two weeks?" Kol frowned.
"I think I can take a week in between Matty and Bekah to be with you." Talia thought aloud. "I might have to reason with Rebekah."
Nik snorted. "Good luck with that."
Talia leaned forward and flicked his ear. "Don't be mean to Bekah."
The car swerved. "Hey! No distracting the driver." Matty reached back and slapped Talia's leg.
"Ouch! That hurt you freak!" Talia frowned.
"You love me psycho." Matty smirked in the front seat.
Kol and Niklaus rolled their eyes. While they haven't gotten used to Matty and Talia's relationship they were getting a really good idea about it right now.
Kol's phone rang. "Elijah." Kol said in greeting. "Yes. We're fine. Talia flicked Nik's ear." Kol sighed. "Alright. Here, Darling. It's for you."
Talia hesitantly took the phone. "Hello?"
Everyone in the car could hear Jordan and Elijah's scolding tones.
Matty snickered. "Double team." She muttered under her breath.
Talia glared at her sister. "Yes, Elijah. I promise to not distract the driver of any car I am in. Not even if it is Kol." Talia said sullenly.
Kol rubbed her arm. "It's alright Darling. You can distract me anytime."
Talia's face went as red as her hair. "Kol!" Talia elbowed him in the ribs. "Sorry for yelling in your ear Elijah." Talia gritted. "Yes. I will be a perfectly behaved poodle." Talia snapped the phone shut.
"What was that for?" Talia hissed.
"Talia, calm down." Matty turned in her seat. "You can get your revenge later. We have some people to save."
Talia relaxed as much as she could. "Yeah. People to save." Talia looked out the window as New Orleans rolled by. "Are we there yet?"
"Almost." Niklaus spoke as he made a turn onto a rural road.
Talia pressed her face to the glass of the window as a huge, sprawling manor loomed in the distance. "Wow." She mouthed.
Talia and Matty shared looks.
Nik turned into the driveway and parked the car at the end of it. "Now, we haven't been here in a while so the house may need some touching up."
"How long is a while?" Matty asked.
"Since the beginning of the 1900's." Kol spoke up.
"So, it's an old relic like you?" Talia questioned mock innocently. Talia squealed as Kol pinched her side. "Okay. Okay. Not an old relic."
"So basically, ancient plumbing and electrical." Matty said, ignoring the two in the back.
"Essentially." Nik popped open the car door and got out.
Matty, Talia and Kol got out of the car.
"An elderly artifact?" Talia giggled.
Kol made a face at her.
"A decrepit antique?" Talia tried to calm her giggles.
"Who are you calling decrepit?" Rebekah huffed. Just her luck to be stuck with the stuffy ones.
"Talia's calling Kol that. Klaus explained about the house and Talia made a joke." Matty explained.
"I got it! Ancient heirloom." Talia shrieked.
Kol growled and chased after her. Talia yelped and ran around the house.
"What is Talia doing? She's supposed to be helping us save the witches." Rebekah said, angrily.
"Give her a break!"
"She's doing her job!"
Matty and Jordan defended her.
"Look, you guys know best how destructive Kol can be. Talia is helping by keeping things light. Don't get her wrong, Talia and Kol are furious but they are doing their best to not go all Terminator on Marcel and the other vamps." Matty explained.
"How can you tell she's angry?" Elijah asked, curious.
"Simple." Jordan took over from Matty. "It's in the way she carries herself. Look at her shoulders, see how tensed they are? Outward, Talia may appear calm and happy. Inside is a different story. Talia is pissed."
"She is keeping calm for Kol's sake." Matty whispered.
"See? She's doing her job." Jordan said, just as quietly.
Talia and Kol emerged from the side of the house. "Matty? You have got to see this. There is a garden back there. Overgrown and in desperate need of care, sure. But it is massive. Come on! Jordan, you come as well."
"I can't." Jordan told her. "I have to go inside. The sun is coming up."
Talia whipped her head to face the east and sure enough there was a lightness in the sky. Talia's face fell. "Yeah. That's right. I forgot."
"It's okay Tals. I will see it tonight." Jordan wrapped Talia in a hug. "Don't worry so much. We will save them."
"I'm not-" Talia protested.
Jordan threw a look at her. "Talia, your back and shoulders have been military straight since we got off the plane. Take some time today to just breathe and relax. You have the advantage. You know almost everything. Just don't get too cocky. Arrogance can be our downfall. I really have to go inside." Jordan brushed past everyone, grabbed her small bag from the trunk of the car and scurried inside.
Talia grabbed her bag and went inside. "I think we need a meeting at around one in the afternoon. That will give me time to come up with a better plan." Talia shot over her shoulder as she went.