Caesar's unrelenting grip as he carried her out of Parker's office. She kicked and yelled and tried pulling her arms out from under his, but it was no use. He was strong—much stronger than she anticipated—and even with Akela's energy racing through her veins, she wasn't able to escape his grasp. Lucy ignored the girl's screams as she walked in front of them, twirling the knife between her hands as if she had done it a hundred times before. The full moon was rising, casting shadows in the woods as they carried her down the front porch.

Mercy's heart pounded against her chest, but she tried her best to make her face appear expressionless. She didn't want to give either adults the satisfaction of seeing her afraid. "What are you going to do to me?" She asked them evenly, not expecting a response.

However, Lucy turned, and Caesar stopped moving, letting the blonde woman speak to Mercy. "Well, you already know the first part," she explained with a cruel smile, holding the sacrificial blade up. "But after you've been sacrificed, we will use your power to cut ourselves away from the Hollow's magic. Afterwards, we'll drink the vials of your blood and become unsired hybrids. Once that's done, we won't have to be afraid of dying anymore."

Mercy shook her head, glaring at the woman. "You won't get away with this," she told them. "Even if you win and I die, my family won't stop until you're dead."

"Oh, we know," Lucy shrugged, turning away from her and continuing to walk toward the woods. Caesar followed with Mercy still secured in his arms. "But it won't matter. We would've already gotten what we wanted."

Mercy's heart jumped, realizing that they weren't afraid of the consequences that killing her would entail. She remained silent, watching as the shadows bled on the forest floor like ink on paper. It was chilly out, and the little girl shivered.

It wasn't long before the trees opened into a small clearing. In the middle of the space was a circle of salt with candles surrounding it, and Mercy grew even more afraid. She recognized a spell like this, having read about it in her werewolf books. It would essentially keep her confined to the circle without hope of escaping while Lucy and Caesar Day prepared themselves to murder her in cold blood.

Her struggling returned ten times stronger, knowing that if she stepped through that circle, she might not ever come back out. She screamed loudly for somebody, anybody, to help, but she knew it was useless. She was on her own. She realized just how stupid she had been coming here, especially when she still didn't know where Noah was.

"Shut up," Caesar growled, tightening his grip to the point of pain, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop, not if she wanted to have even a semblance of a chance that she would get out of this in one piece.

"Nobody can hear you," Lucy added, shaking her head in faux sadness. Mercy glared harshly at her. "Nobody's coming to save you."

Mercy felt anger build inside of her chest, like a bubbling volcanic eruption. She hissed like a trapped animal, and her eyes burned when she opened them again. Lucy looked taken aback, and Mercy guessed that her eyes had turned golden, which would explain the adult's reaction.

"I don't need somebody to save me," she told them rebelliously, and before Caesar could stop it, the girl swung her foot backwards and up, straight into his groin.

He released her with a howl of pain, and Mercy didn't waste any time, running into the woods as she heard a shrill cry coming from Lucy. "Get her! Don't let her leave the bayou!"

Mercy ran as fast as she ever ran before, jumping over logs and ducking below branches. She felt her chest ache with the burn of running, but even then, she didn't stop. She could hear the voices of Lucy and Caesar getting quieter and quieter, but still, she didn't look back. Her hair whipped around her face and she huffed, brushing the strands from her eyes.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know where Noah was, but if she returned to the house, Lucy and Caesar would surely find her. She knew they wouldn't stop until she was dead and they were free from the Hollow. A part of the little girl understood where they were coming from, but a larger part of her self-preservation told her that despite the reasoning behind it, killing a kid would still be wrong.

She didn't understand how Lucy and Caesar had fallen so far. They were both wolves, having most likely turned for the first time when they were younger. This meant that they should feel some sense of loyalty to Mercy, given her place in the werewolves' society as the lou gèrye. But no, they felt nothing toward her, and when Mercy searched into her stomach for the familiar werewolf bond that grew stronger and stronger each day, she couldn't feel anything there either. It was an unusual feeling, like nausea, but more ominous and eerie.

She pumped her arms and legs faster, glancing once over her shoulder to see if they had found where she went and was close behind. She couldn't see anything from here, so she slowed to a stop, wondering where she even was. She gasped lightly, but the burn from the run went away almost immediately, and Mercy silently thanked Akela for the energy boost.

Someone grabbed onto her arm, and before she could scream, she was pulled out of the trail and against a tree. She widened her eyes, but he only pressed a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet.

Despite his warning, she couldn't help herself. "Noah," she whispered while he looked around, his face set into a grim expression. "How did you—"

"My parents told me everything," he disclosed before she could ask. Assuming they were safe—at least for now—he released her and backed away a few steps, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry Mercy. If I'd have known sooner—"

"It's okay," she forgave the boy before he could finish. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, squeezing tightly. "I'm just happy you're okay. I was worried."

He pulled away with a sarcastic grin on his face. "You're about to be murdered in some weird ritual and you're worried about me?" He asked incredulously and she laughed quietly.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'll always worry about you," she told him honestly, and his face softened.

"Well, at least for tonight, let me worry about you, and then you could be the concerned one again," he said, and she smiled, nodding her head.

"Deal," she replied, and he smiled as well. It didn't stay for long though, and before she knew it, he was grabbing her hand.

"Come on," he said, leading her around trees and shadows expertly. She had almost forgotten that Noah grew up in the bayou, and she couldn't be more grateful for it as he walked forward with confidence in every step. "We gotta keep moving."

"We can go to my house," she suggested, walking beside him with their hands still clasped together. She didn't know if it was because of her fear or because of something else. "They can help us."

But Noah was already shaking his head with a frown. "Too far," he reasoned. "By the time we would get there, they might catch up to us. We can't risk it."

"Well what do you think?" She asked, and he hesitated slightly, obviously not having a set-in-stone plan other than finding her.

He sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "I don't know," he confessed. "All I know is that we have to get away from them. I've never seen them this cold, but it all makes sense now." She looked at him closely, noticing that there was pain mixed in with all the other emotions pouring out. Her heart went out to him, understanding that despite what they've done, Lucy and Caesar Day still wore the faces of his parents. Noah had longed for his mom and dad to return, and he finally got his dream, but it was twisted and darkened into a nightmare before he had the chance to wake up.

She stopped, pulling on his arm so that he halted as well. He looked at her in confusion, and she placed her hand on his chest, where his heart was. "I'm sorry about Uncle Parker," she said quietly, and she watched as his face contorted into agony.

She wished she could take away this pain, knowing that she had been the reason why the older man was murdered. She wished she could hug Noah until he was happy, and not let go even a second before. She wished she could tell him that everything would be alright, but even she didn't know if that was true.

She felt bitter all of a sudden. Mercy and Noah, two little kids, stood under the light of the full moon. They had come a long way from their first meeting in this very same bayou, where Max had jumped on her and Noah apologized profusely. Now, she noticed that his face was hard, and she was reminded of the words he had spoken to her after giving her the sacrificial blade in the first place.

We're the adults now, right?

That statement couldn't be more true, and Mercy hated it for that specific reason. She didn't want to be an adult with all these responsibilities. She didn't want to have to kill two people before they could get the chance to kill her. She didn't want those people to be Noah's parents. She didn't want to be the one to make him an orphan.

And yet, here they were.

He placed his hand on top of hers, and she could almost feel the appreciation that he put into the small squeeze. "Thank you," he said roughly, and she could see tears forming in his eyes even as he tried pushing them back.

She gave him this moment of silence, of peace. She could tell that he needed it.

Sighing deeply, he stepped back, and her hand fell from his chest as he sent her a strained smile. "We should get going," he told her, and she agreed, walking with him quicker than before.

She looked up at the full moon though, suddenly getting an idea. "Your parents will turn tonight if they don't kill me by the time the moon hits its apex," she told Noah, and he looked up as well. "We just need to stay away from them until then, and we can figure the rest out after."

He nodded. "You're right," he said, and she glanced back at him, seeing that he was already staring at her. "Despite being connected to the Hollow, they still have to turn. They told me as much back at the house."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Where should we go then?" She looked left and right, but she didn't recognize her surroundings. She was deep in the bayou, and the trees clustered together tightly here, as if warding anybody from entering.

He stopped, and she looked at him. He was gazing up at the trees with a crooked smile. "How about up?"

She copied his smirk and they got to work climbing the tree. Mercy did so easily, but she slowed down for the sake of Noah, who despite not being as familiar with climbing trees as the girl, was still keeping up surprisingly well. Once they had climbed high enough, she sat on a large branch, moving over for Noah to settle in next to her.

And then they sat there, and Mercy was quiet, listening to the buzzing and chirping of incests. Her heart was still pounding, but it was no longer from fear. Noah sat close next to her, and she jumped when his shoulder brushed against hers.

She looked up to find that he was already staring at her, and despite trying not to, she blushed. How could she be blushing at a time like this? Both of them were in immediate danger and it was getting closer every second, but she knew deep down that Noah could make her blush anywhere; it was just how he was.

"You know after this," he began with a small smile. "I say we get ice cream."

She giggled at his antics. "Ice cream?" She asked, watching as he nodded furiously. "Okay fine. What would you get?"

"Ooh that's a tough one," he said, and she felt the world drifting away. For this small, minuscule moment, it was just her and Noah, and she wished it would last forever. "I'd have to go for mint chip," he finally settled on, and she screwed her face up.

"Mint chip? That's like toothpaste!" She told him, and he laughed as well, his shoulders bouncing with the movement.

"Okay, oh Wise Ice Cream One," he spoke sarcastically, and her smile widened. "What would you get?"

She didn't have to think twice about it. "Probably chocolate chip cookie dough," she explained, and he shook his head.

"And you're skeptical about my ice cream choice? That's the most cliche flavor in the book!" He pointed out, throwing his hands up into the air as if he were exasperated.

"It's a classic!" She defended herself, and they laughed together quietly, not wanting to be too loud in case anybody could hear them. The silence returned, and her smile faded slightly, looking at Noah deeply.

He stared at her as well, tilting his head in confusion. "What is it?" He asked, and she sighed, leaning her head back and gazing at the full moon.

"Just promise me something," she said gently, and he furrowed his eyebrows together, waiting for her to continue. She lowered her chin, shaking her head slightly. "Promise me that we will get out of this," she mumbled, watching as he grew serious as well. "Promise me that after this is over, you can come with me. You can bring Max too. I couldn't live with myself if I left you here all by yourself and I could've done something—"

She was cut off as he kissed her. She was surprised, but she didn't pull away. While the small kisses they had shared before were sweet, this one was begging, as if Noah had been walking the desert for miles and she was the glass of water he craved. They didn't move their lips against each other's, still being too young to know all the tricks, but he held her close, and she could feel his promise through the kiss. She could feel his affection for her, one that was mirrored in herself for him. She could feel his desperation like a wave, crashing against her and pulling her down into him. It was like a fire flared against her skin, but she didn't pull away. She liked the burn.

Finally, they pulled apart, but their noses were still touching, and Mercy looked into his eyes. They were so pretty from this close. They were still hazel, like her own, but she could see small flickers of honey gold in his eyes, like a painting. She suddenly wished that she knew how to paint like her sister and her dad, because if she did, she would spend every moment of her life trying to get his eyes right.

And he looked at her. His gaze was as intense as the kiss, and he brought a hand up to brush away a strand of her hair. She remained still, watching as those eyes she loved so dearly flickered back and forth over the mountains and valleys of her face, a small smile resting on his lips.

"How about this," he started breathlessly. "I promise that I love you, Mercy Mikaelson. I promise that I'll do anything to make you happy."

A smile broke out across her face, and Noah watched it like it was a sunrise. The redness in her cheeks was the color of roses, and her eyes sparkled brighter than even the stars above them. Noah knew she was beautiful, but she looked more so in that moment.

"And I love you," she said, leaning in to kiss him again, but it was just a small peck on the cheek this time. Afterwards, she pressed her forehead against his, and he let her. "And you don't have to promise the last one. You already make me happy just by being you."

And the two kids sat, encompassed in a world full of childhood innocence and the unconditional love that they had for each other. Some would say they were too young to understand something as complex as love, but others would argue that this fondness wasn't like adult love. This wasn't a sense of obligation toward one another because of how they felt inside. This wasn't a complicated emotion that ripped them apart with each betrayal or fear.

No, this love was absolute, without bounds and without labels to dissect it.

She knew that they were young, so young, but they had gone through a lot together in the short span of time that she had been in New Orleans. This moment, this confession, felt more real to her than any of the monsters and threats they were forced to face. It felt like she could breathe a little easier, not needing to hide or cower from how much she cared about the boy. It felt like she had her childhood back, even if just for a second.

Her heart was full, as if the scars that once covered it were slowly healing. His very presence calmed her and made her feel safe, even when her own family couldn't do so. She had never felt something like this so strongly for anybody in her life, but she knew that what she was feeling was real. It was real and raw and childish, but it was theirs.

And yet, like all beautiful things, their secret world fell around them, broken.

"Would you look at what we have here?" A voice called out, and the two of them jumped apart. Gone was their peace, and the ones that had disrupted it were standing below, looking up with wicked expressions that scared Mercy.

"Noah and Mercy sitting in a tree," Lucy began where Caesar left off, a sinful smile stretching her face apart. She waved her hand in the air as if she were bored. "We all know how it ends."

Noah glared, shaking his head angrily. "Just leave us alone!" He yelled, no longer afraid of being heard in the quietness of the bayou. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"She's not worth it!" Lucy cried, looking to Noah. Mercy was surprised to see an almost human emotion in the older woman's eyes. She seemed desperate for her son to listen to her words. "We're your family."

But Noah didn't agree. "You stopped being family the second you killed Uncle Parker," he countered, and Lucy flinched back as if she had been struck. "You're not my parents. You're monsters!"

Like the sky itself, Lucy's face darkened, and she was back to the familiar, cold person that Mercy had come to know. "Fine," she spit the word out, glancing at Caesar quickly. "I suppose we'll play the parts you gave us."

Caesar ran toward the trunk of the tree, crashing his shoulder against it and causing the branches to shake. Mercy grabbed onto Noah immediately, wanting to stay balanced as well as wanting to make sure he didn't fall. Caesar smashed against the wood once more, and she could hear the tree creaking. Mercy didn't realize just how strong Caesar was, and she regretted underestimating him.

Noah looked to her urgently, his eyes wide. "Come on," he yelled, and she was surprised when he started climbing farther up the tree. Nevertheless, she climbed after him, holding on tightly as another crash resonated through the bayou.