After Klaus found a body to stage, we immediately went home. We got Elijah out of his slumber, told him that we killed our father, went back to the Bayou to make everything look real, sent our father off and now we were well on our way back home. For now, our father was safe and on his merry way to wherever Rebekah and Hope was. After we found out that Mikael was alive, I told my twin that he needs to move Hope and Rebekah and then not even tell me where they are. I knew Davina wouldn't tell Mikael, but couldn't risk him somehow getting in her head and finding out. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to either my sister or my niece.

"Remind me again, why are we lying to our brother about this?" I squinted at my brother as I tried to find comfortable spot to sit in the SUV.

"Because if we tell one Mikaelson, we'd have to tell them all or else we'd have riot on our hands." He explained, giving me a pointed look.

"Ah, right." I nodded, my tone drier than a desert. "God forbid, our family gets into another quarrel."

"Do I sense a note of sarcasm, my dear Lexie?" He asked, grin lighting up his features.

"A note?" I snorted a laugh. "Try a symphony." I gave him a serious look. "I don't like lying to him, Nik. Lies bring us nothing but trouble."

He sobered up, returning my seriousness and I found myself missing his smile. It's been a rarity these last few months. "I know, and neither do I, but right now it's for the best. We'll tell him when the time is right."

"You know he is going to throw a fit when he finds out, right?" I asked my twin brother with a sigh, knowing he's right, propping my feet on the dash board.

"I don't care." Nik shrugged, his eyes on the road. "It's our bussiness and our father, not his. Brother or no."

"I know, I'm just making sure you know what our brother will do when he finds out. I mean, the three of us, we are equals, after all."

"We are far more superior than him." said Nik with an air of nonchalance that caused me to snort.

I rolled my eyes at him, before responding to his words, "Take away our toxic werewolf teeth and put our strength against his, and he would most probably best us."

Nik huffed, looking over at me. The look on his face was distinctly pouty. I hid a smile. "You're supposed to be on my side."

I chuckled at his petulant tone, thinking of something to say to make him smile again. "I am on your side, but I'm also realistic. And to boot, I have a tremendous amount of respect for our brother, even if he's an insufferable bore on his worst day and a incessant nagger on his best."

He looked at me and we grinned at each other. Nik looked back at the road, still smiling as he said, "You make him sound so pleasant."

"Because you're such a joy to be around." I deadpanned in return, just because I liked teasing him, words dripping with sarcasm.

"It's about time you admitted it." said Nik, completely ignoring my sarcasm, the smile on his face wide and playful, his eyes sparkling in a way they haven't in months. .

I laughed, warmth creeping into my heart as I watched my twin, happier than he's been since Hope's departure. I knew it was because of our father, even thought he would never admit it out loud. But he didn't need to, I knew anyway.

At home, he quickly sought out our elder brother, both of us wanting to check on him. We found Elijah in his room, standing on the balcony. Nik leaned against a chair as I walked up Elijah, looking him over for any sign of lingering effects of whatever our mother did to him in that dream state. I was more than a bit worried about him, I had no idea what my mother did to him, but I knew it wasn't something pleasant.

"How do you feel?" Nik asked him, evidently just as concerned as I am.

"The worst has past. Though, I suspect the nightmares are from over." Elijah answered an I frowned deeply. I did not like the sound of that. I made a metal note to talk to him about it talk.

"I have to say, you look a lot better. Grey's just not your colour unless it's a suit." I grinned at my dark haired brother. He grinned back, a little more dimmed than it usually was but considering what horrors he must have seen, I took it as a win.

Nik also cracked a smile, "Well, gather your strength. After the message I sent Mother tonight, I expect hell-fire to rain upon us imminently."

"Like we don't already have enough problems." I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

Elijah walks back into his bedroom, towards my twin, and I followed him inside. "We need to make a move before she strikes."

"Yes, something needs to be done about those pesky werewolves following their every order." I wrinkling my nose. "They aren't exactly a threat but they are working on my nerves."

I heard the tell-tale sound of a vampire swooshing into a room and looked at the doorway, where Hayley and Marcel suddenly appeared. My eyebrows rose, pleasantly surprised. Those two were getting along well these days and it made me happy. I still hold true to my believe that Marcel deserves a second chance. He's always been like a nephew to me, and a son to Nik. As I watch the bright smile on his face, something comes back to me.

***

Flashback:

Thirteen year old Marcellus Gerard was sitting at a table, face scrunched in the utmost of concentration as he wrote with a steady hand, but still his words came out shakey. Frustrated and disappointed with himself, Marcellus picked up another page an started again.

"Well done, Marcellus!" A familiar voice said from over his shoulder. The boy jumped and let out a shriek. A soft smile spread on Aleksios' face as she looked at the boy her brother had taken in not to long ago.

"But it's so shakey, Aunty Lex." Marcellus huffed sulkily, staring down at his papers unhappily.

"Practice makes perfect, my dear." She squeezed his shoulders, hoping to provide him with a little comfort. "You will get there, I promise."

"How do you know?" He asked, pouting ever-so-slightly. Aleksios was terribly endeared.

"Because I believe in you." Aleksios told him, her words honest and true.

Marcellus gave her a bright grin, one she never forgot.

***

I shook myself out of the memory and tuned back into to the conversation.

"Well, acutally, moves were made while you were sleeping." Marcel was saying.

I looked back and forth between him and Hayley. "Oh, this I'd like to hear."

Hayley looks at Elijah and gives him a faint smile. "It's good to you vertical." I saw Nik scowling out of the corner of my eyes and I supressed a snort. At this rate, it's going to be a miracle if they ever get together. "Marcel and I each left a gift for you three in the ballroom. Elijah gets his own, but you two will have to share." She looked at me and my twin.

"Luckily for you, the twins have always been exceptionally good at sharing." Elijah told her with a light smirk as he walked past them and out of the room.

I shrugged, "Well, my curiousity is effectively peaked, I'm going." I followed in Elijah's footsteps, grabbing Nik as I went and gave a smile to Hayley and Marcel as we passed them.

Downstairs, we arrive in the ballrroom, where we find both Finn and Kol, each wearing enchanted manacles, which are suspendng them from the balcony by their wrists. I froze, completely stunned by the sight in front of me.

Kol looks at us, clearly incredulous. When his eyes land on me, I could swear a flash of betray passed in them but it was gone to quickly. "Kidnapping? That's a rather unpleasant way to begin a family reunion!"

By my side, Nik grins at our resurrected brothers. "Well, wait until you see how we end it!"

I gaped for a few seconds, before rushing forward and pulling the sackles off my younger brother. "Oh my God, Kol, are you alright?"

Relief. Undeniable relief bloomed in his eyes as he rubbed at his wrist. He gave me a smile, a genuine one that prompted me to smile as well. "Fantastic, thank you, big sister."

"Aleksios, please tell me you have a good reason for letting our maniac brother go." Elijah asked, his deadly calm voice letting me know that he was not happy with what I've just done but he was giving me the benefit of the doubt.

"Yes, I do. For one, he's our brother, which really should be reason enough but given our family I understand why it's not. And for two, if you must know, he's been helping me watch over Davina." My gaze was steady as I moved infront of Kol, ready to fight if it comes down to that.

"It somehow always comes down to that witch of yours, doesn't it?" Elijah asked, his tone blank, looking at me with raised eyebrows. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

I leveled him with a look as his words registered fully, "You want to go there with me? Really? You?" Kol snickered behind me. "Also, she's not mine anymore."

"We'll see how long that lasts." Elijah said with a roll of his eyes. He took a breath, and looked behind me, at our younger brother. "How can you be sure that we have Kol's alliegence against mother?"

"Uh, because it's Kol. He hates mother more than any of us, partly due because she took away his magic and partly because she tried to kill us as vampires." I told Elijah.

"I wouldn't have pharsed it quite like that, sis, but yes, that sounds about right." Kol piped up, stepping out from behind me and next to me.

"No courtsey shown for your eldest brother, huh?" Finn's voice sounded and we all turn to him.

I looked at him flatly, wondering if Kol would set him on fire if I asked. Probably, but then Elijah and Nik would be displeased. I settled for giving a withering glare. "You tried to kill us all. We owe you nothing but a merciless death." I flicked my tongue over my teeth in annoyance. "Well, I'm leaving. You two can deal with mother's golden child."

"Still as charming as ever, sis. I can see why Davina is so smitten for you." Kol quipped, voice full of sarcasm, slinging an arm around my shoulders as he followed me as I left the room.

"Why thank you, you annoying twat." I retorted with a innocent smile.

Kol laughed, the sound loud and deep and warm. He looked at me, after he calmed down from his laughing fit, eyes serious. "She loves you something fierce, you know?"

"I know." I paused, wondering for a moment if I should ask or not. Finally, my desire to know won out. "How is she?"

"Apart from pining after you and wondering everyday if you'll take her back someday?" He asked cheekily as I rounded into the study. I glared at him. "Good, actually. She eats and sleeps, we even opened my tomb just yesterday."

I frowned as I fixed us both a drink, "You never even allowed me in there."

"And I'm never going to." Kol said, not even looking a bit guilty as he took the glass I offered him.

"Then I'll ask Davina to tell me."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd love you talking to her again."

I glared at him again, "I seriously hate you."

He just gave me a cheeky grin. "Love you, too, big sister."

I smiled, not being able to help it. Life, no matter how deary it looked right now, was always better when I had all of my siblings with me. Rebekah might not physically be with me, but she's in my heart and I know she's happy with her task to protect our family's youngest member. A part of me, that I tried hard to bury, wants Finn on our side as well. He's my brother as sure as any of the other three. No matter what he's done, he's still my brother and I love him. But he doesn't want this. He hates everything we are, and nothing could ever change that. My heart aches, like it always does, when I think of Finn's inevitable death. Other than helping mother in Mystic Falls, Finn has never hurt me. And I hate the fact that either myself or one of my brother's will be the one to strike him down because there is going to come a day where it is either us or him.

Kol and I spent the next few minutes catching up until Elijah and Nik comes storming into the room. Elijah, eyes narrowed, speeds Kol up the nearest wall. "Did you know that mother was after Rebekah?"

I ripped Elijah of my younger brother and pushed him away, standing in between them, Kol now glowering at our older brother. Not that I'm blaming him. If Elijah did that to me, he'd have had a snapped neck. "Elijah, knock it off." I pointed a warning finger at him. "Now, what's this about Rebekah?"

"According to our dear brother Finn, mother is looking for Rebekah." Elijah told me with a calm I knew he wasn't feeling.

My stomach dropped, then looped and dipped as panic seized my heart. "What?" I turned to Kol. "Has mother found her?"

Kol shook his head, "Not as far as I know. Beks has been cloaked so much that even mother struggled to break the spells."

"Our mother is relentless, I'll give her that much. But she's a zero on the manners department. If Rebekah is cloaked, it means she doesn't want to be found." Nik said, faking confidence, but I could feel the panic he was feeling though our twin bond. If our mother finds Rebekah, she finds Hope.

"Like you said," Kol strugged, completely unaware of our panic. "Mother's relentless."

Just then, Elijah's phone rang. He immediately answers it and when I hear the voice on the other end, I understand. "It's me. I have the baby, and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now. I've lost her boodly starlings, but I have no idea where to go."

"Tell her to go west. I'll call Hayley." Klaus told her. I bit my lip in worry, catching Kol's confused frown out of the corner of my eye.

"Do not tell Hayley!" Rebekah immediately objects. "Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans." Elijah hangs up with a sigh.

He looked at me and Nik. "You two go, I'll take care of Finn."

"Splendid." Nik deadpanned, clearly annoyed. "And, in your hands, I assume he'll be dead by nightfall."

"I will show restraint." Elijah answered simply.

"Like you just did with Kol?" I asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Could you please tell me what's going on?" Kol asked, clearly unhappy with being left out of the loop.

"No." Elijah's voice was firm as he glared at Kol.

"I don't recall asking you." Kol spat back at him, matching his glare.

I looked at my twin, who was looking at Kol and Elijah, clearly conflicted with what to do. I decided to help him out a little. "Nik, I know you don't trust him, but I do. I trust him with Davina and you can trust him with this. I'm not saying you have to, but I'm telling you the option is there."

Nik looked at me, the whirl wind of emotions inside him settling ever so slightly. He took a deep breath and finally nodded, eyes moving back to our younger brother. "Kol, what I'm about to tell you, you can never breath a word to another soul - living or dead."

"Brother, I don't think-"

Nik stopped our older brother with a raised hand, his voice and expression firm. "He's family, Elijah, he deserves to know."

Kol's eyes widened and I could see his curiousity was peak but there was also anticipation in it. "Just how big of a secret is this?"

"The biggest one our family has ever protected." I told him seriously. His eyes lit up and I knew it was because this was all he's ever really wanted. To be included with the whole family. Kol and I always went of to experiment with magic on our own but when we didn't, he was completely on his own, causing choas wherever we were. I don't think I ever realised just how lonely he was.

"It's about my daughter, Hope. She's alive." Nik breathed the words so quitely and carefully. Pain flared through our bond and I knew what it cost him to admit this out loud, to share this secret, even if the person he told is family.

Kol looked at my twin, wide eyed and disbelieving. "I- what? How?"

"I'll tell you the whole story another time, but right now we need your help." Nik gave him a pleading look, something he's never done in the presence of Kol before.

Kol nodded instantly. "Whatever you need."

"Elijah, I need you both to set your differences aside to protect my daughter." He looked from brother to brother, clearly pained.

"Hope needs her father." Elijah protested.

"What she needs, what we need, are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn must be turned to our side."

"Niklaus, your child-"

"I have waited months to see my daughter." Nik stops speaking for a moment and gulps anxiously, clearly unhappy with this plan. I could feel this inner turmoil through our bond and I winced. Nik sighed. "I can wait one more day."

Elijah looked at Kol, then back at Nik. Finally he nodded and looked back at Kol. "Let's go, brother."

Kol smirked, but walked to him and my two brother's turned to leave. My twin called out to them and they turned back to him. "Do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

Kol nodded firmly and Elijah's face was grave as he swore, "I give you my word."

"Let's just hope they don't kill each other first." I said to my twin with a sigh.

***

hello, it's been a while, huh?

i hope you're all doing good and for those of you who are still reading my story, thank you so much! i really hope you guys are still enjoying it.

until next time.

-Mixie