CHAPTER TEN !

SAME OLD MYSTIC FALLS

————✩ ————

"SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME Kol has been dead for days and no one even bothered to tell me before now?" After she had dozed off multiple times throughout the ride, Astrid and Elijah were finally nearing Virginia.

At first, Astrid had been too out of it to try and talk with Elijah. Instead, she had focused on the music playing on the radio and on what they were passing by through the window. And after a few hours and a stop at a gas station to feed, Astrid had finally decided she wanted to know exactly how Kol's death had happened.

What she hadn't expected was for her siblings to have been aware of it for a while now and that no one had taken care to tell her. And now, she was pissed.

"I'm sorry. As I said, Rebekah went to find the cure while Klaus was trapped in the Gilbert house because of Bonnie's spell. I learned it a few days after and it's not like you would have wanted to learn about it through the phone, would you?"

Astrid sighed exasperatedly, "Looking for the cure?! With the very same people who had just murdered our brother?! I'm sick of this fucking cure, okay? I told Klaus already that it wasn't a good idea and now here we are."

To think that it was the Gilberts' fault made her blood boil even more. Unable to do anything with her endless sadness regarding her brother's death, finding someone to blame managed to redirect all of her grief toward her anger.

She had never really liked Elena anyway. Jeremy was forgettable but she found the doppelgänger to be so self-centered sometimes that she wouldn't mind taking her anger out on the bitch.

What really felt like a cold blow was not hearing anything from Klaus or Rebekah. Why hadn't Rebekah told her she was awake after she had been un-staked? That had been before Kol's death and, apparently, before they went on their trip to find the cure. She feared Klaus was too caught up in his desire for revenge to even consider his brother's death.

Astrid then turned to Elijah. Her brother had been nothing but supportive of her. She shouldn't be blaming him when he had been the only one actually driving all the way over to California but she was just so angry about this whole situation. She sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry Elijah, I know you're not the one to blame but God, how did you manage to keep yourself from ripping her heart out on the spot?"

Elijah chuckled at that. He had always been the calm one of the family. And, while Klaus and Kol were much more chaotic, Astrid could be pretty stubborn and blunt at times. That probably contributed to Kol and Astrid's numerous mischief together throughout the years.

"Maybe because I don't lack the patience and decency to talk with people before acting out irrationally?" Astrid rolled her eyes at that. Elijah wasn't wrong, he was by far the most thoughtful and rational Mikaelson and it sometimes made him annoyingly too good for the rest of the Mikaelson siblings.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're perfect, Elijah, no need to rub it in everyone else's face," Astrid told him before looking back at the window. The scenery was getting familiar and Astrid could sense they were getting close to Mystic Falls. It should be a matter of a dozen minutes or so by now. "So, who has the cure now?"

"I do," Elijah answered, calm as ever. Astrid's head snapped back to him. He definitely hadn't told her that.

"What?! You didn't tell me that!" she exclaimed, staring at him with surprise.

Not even close to being bothered by that, Elijah answered "You didn't ask." Was he serious? Elijah was in possession of one of the only things that could kill them, something thousand of vampires could kill for, and he was not even a little concerned by that. "We're actually here to discuss it with Klaus and Rebekah. You know, to know who should have it."

Astrid rolled her eyes at the mention of her siblings. Normally, she would be delighted to be seeing them again but, right now, she was still annoyed and angry at them. She hoped they would at least share her desire to get revenge on the Gilberts.

"Okay and... is there anything else I should know about things that have happened in Mystic Falls whilst I was away?"

"Well, let me think, Jeremy Gilbert died when they went to retrieve the cure so Elena turned her humanity off. And Silas has woken, too," Elijah explained, eyes still on the road.

Astrid huffed in annoyance. She had warned Klaus of Silas waking, dammit! She had to admit she felt an ounce of satisfaction at knowing the younger Gilbert was dead. A little regret at not being the cause of it but oh well. And Elena turning her humanity off? That was unexpected.

It seemed a little too easy, though. Astrid would have liked being able to do that, to repress all the grief she felt but Originals were unable to turn their humanity off. And that also meant Elena had found a cowardly way of not feeling the very pain she had caused Astrid. It seemed unfair. Astrid had to think of something to get back to her.

However, she didn't have much time to find anything because they were soon arriving at the Mikaelsons' house in Mystic Falls. Astrid felt a little nostalgic about seeing the house again. She hadn't lived in it for long but it had been the first time in a while that they were all gathered in one place. Now, Rebekah had her own house in Mystic Falls after the countless fights between her and Klaus as Klaus had been the one getting the house built.

And, though short-lived, she felt like they had become a "normal" family again when Esther had come back to life and they had hosted the Mikaelson ball. She had got to put on a pretty dress and danced till her feet were sore, reminding her of the many parties she had attended over the years.

Elijah parked in front of the house and got out before taking out Astrid's suitcase from the trunk. The realization that Kol's room would still be in there hit Astrid like a truck, reminding her once again that he was gone. There would be no more ball with him, no more bickering over her putting her music a little too loud or over Kol spending too much time in the bathroom. All of these moments were gone.

She took a deep breath and went in, welcoming the familiar scent of the house. Elijah left the suitcase next to her. "I'll leave you some time to settle back, have a shower if you want. We're meeting Klaus and Rebekah in an hour, alright?"

Astrid nodded. After that long drive, she felt like she would be happy to take a shower and change into other clothes. She picked up her suitcase and went back upstairs to her old room. On the way up, she passed Kol's room, which was right next to her, and felt a pang of sadness in her chest. With another deep breath, she went inside her room anyway and opened her suitcase to see what Elijah had packed for her. Thankfully, he had been careful enough to pack a toothbrush as well.

Without passing too much time in her old room, not wanting all her memories to flood back in too quickly, she left to take a shower. The hot water on her skin relaxed her muscles who were sore from sitting in the car for multiple hours on end, and she focused on the feeling to block out the rest.

Once she was done, she unconsciously stopped in front of Kol's room. Still drying her damp hair with a towel, her gaze fell on something thrown on Kol's bed. Taking a step closer, Astrid carefully put the towel on the desk, not wanting to disturb the way Kol had left his room. Upon getting closer, she realized it was a sweater.

A simple sweater. Grey, with no writing on it or anything. Kol must have thrown it when he came, thinking he would retrieve it right after, not knowing he wouldn't get the chance to. Seeing the sweater brought tears to Astrid's eyes. He had been clueless to the fact that the last thing he had done in this room before going to the Gilbert's would be the last thing he would do before dying.

This angered her too. How had Elena and Jeremy dared rob her of her brother? They had also robbed her brother of a dignified death. After all, he didn't deserve to be killed by some newbie vampire and her little brother, not after escaping from Mikael for so long. And all that, to what extent? To get a cure that only resulted in the youngest Gilbert dying and Silas waking? Real nice.

Without thinking, Astrid reached for the sweater and brought it up to her face. She realized, with a certain heartbreaking surprise, that it still smelled like him. She tried to blink back the tears trying to come through but one still managed to roll down her cheek.

Wiping back the tear, Astrid put the sweater on and looked around the room. A bag was laid out in the corner and a book with a bookmark halfway in sat on the bedside table. With a sigh, Astrid tried to recollect herself. She was to meet up with her siblings soon.

On her way out, Astrid took the towel back to put it back where it belonged in the bathroom before walking downstairs, though a little unmotivated. The first person she encountered was her brother, Klaus, sitting on a couch in the living room.

"Astrid! Good to see you sister-" Klaus started excitingly, then, his eyes fell on the sweater and a flash of recognition passed through his eyes as he recognized the sweater to be Kol. When he lifted his eyes back to Astrid's face, he couldn't help but notice her eyes were red. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry..."

Though, what Klaus hadn't expected was for his half-sister to slap him across the face. "This," she stated sternly as Klaus gaped at her in disbelief, "is for not telling me sooner." Astrid then sprang her arms around the hybrid and pulled him in for a hug. Though, surprised at first by the sudden change of behavior, Klaus hugged her back.

"And this is because I've missed you," Astrid whispered in a muffled voice, but she knew he had heard her. Astrid managed to hold back the tears from flowing again and enjoyed the feeling of warmth the hug provided.

With a sigh, Astrid pulled away, "Alright, so am I allowed to tell you I told you so about Silas, now?" Klaus rolled his eyes with a groan. "Elijah told me everything. How, weirdly enough, Silas did wake up because of the cure and how he's now tormenting you with his powers. Is that right?"

With a clenched jaw, Klaus muttered, "Yes, it is..."

"Okay, well, I'm leaving you to deal with this mess. After all, I did warn you so it's not my problem anymore." With that, Astrid walked past him. As she had said, it wasn't her problem and, as much as she loved her brother, he had to own up to his own actions now.

"Astrid." With a smile, Astrid looked up to see Rebekah standing in front of her. The two sisters hugged. It was nice to finally see her only sister again after all that time. "I'm sorry the events bringing us together are so dire but, I have to admit I'm happy to see you again."

Astrid nodded with a sad smile, trying not to get too overwhelmed by her feelings again. Elijah had mentioned talking about the matters of who deserved to get the cure. On cue, the eldest brother arrived in the room at the same time. All three other siblings turned their heads on beat.

"Alright, let's get to business. Shall we?" Elijah asked while making a show of the table with his arm. Everyone sat on a chair while Astrid hoped it wouldn't take too long. She wasn't fond of family reunions like this as they ended up in a lot of fighting and screaming most of the time.

"So, Rebekah, why do you want the cure?" Elijah began, looking at her expectingly.

"Elijah, being a human means a fresh start. I can grow old and have a family and fill my days with meaning, knowing that each one matters," Rebekah explained with passion. Elijah had explained to Astrid how Rebekah wanted the cure for herself but it still baffled her. She couldn't really picture her sister becoming human again after living for a thousand years as a vampire, with all its perks.

At that, Klaus began to laugh. "Well, that was poetic."

"Well, if you can provide us with a more compelling reason for wanting the cure, Klaus, please," Elijah told him, unfazed by the hybrid's rude behavior as always.

"Silas can appear as anyone. He got inside my thoughts, convinced me I was dying. He will torment me until I give him the cure."

"And in doing so he will break down the wall to the Other Side," Rebekah interjected. Breaking the wall to the Other Side entailed many things. First of all, it would mean getting Kol back but, unfortunately, it would also mean bringing back Mikael, Esther as well as the many enemies the Mikaelson family had.

"So it doesn't trap him there when he dies. He wants to reunite with his lost soulmate," Klaus explained then, looking at Elijah, "You of all lovesick fools should applaud his devotion."

"He will open the floodgates for every supernatural being that has ever died!" Rebekah repeated, her voice rising with exasperation.

"Including our dear brothers, Kol and Finn. We'll have our family back," Klaus answered. At the mention of Kol, Astrid's heart jumped a little. But she had to remain sensible, bringing back every supernatural being that has ever lived wasn't the answer.

"Please, you hated Kol and you kept Finn in a box for most of his life." Rebekah rolled her eyes. Well, Klaus didn't hate Kol but Astrid had to admit he was annoyed by his actions more often than not. Astrid had the advantage of being the youngest so Klaus was usually able to forgive her for whatever stupid thing she would do while Kol was another matter. And Kol's general lack of care didn't help.

"Elijah, please." Klaus coincided before turning to Astrid, "Astrid! Surely you should be on my side. It's a win-win. You get Kol back and Silas is gone."

Astrid scoffed. It was easy for Klaus to want her approval after explicitly going after her warnings. "I told you already I'm sick of being involved with everything happening here in Mystic Falls. But I guess, no matter how much I would love for Kol to be back, I'm not sure bringing every single supernatural being on the way is the best way to go."

Elijah nodded and, to prove her point, added, "Your personal discomfort might not be sufficient reason for putting the entire world in jeopardy, Klaus. I think our sister deserves a shot at happiness."

With this, Klaus' smile comically dropped while Rebekah started grinning. "Tell me you're joking. Tell me you're not fating me to an eternity of torture."

"I made my decision." Elijah only answered, calm as always.

Klaus swiftly stood up and was about to leave but, on other thought, leaned down to speak into Rebekah's ear. "When you're sick and dying, and you beg for my blood, I will laugh in your face and compel you to forget me."

Klaus left the room dramatically, leaving a startled Rebekah. Though, she tried to remain carefully composed and cleared her throat. "So, Elijah, where is the cure?" she asked as soon as Klaus had left. She really was not wasting time, Astrid thought.

"Rebekah, it's no secret that you are impulsive, emotional, and at times morally questionable. Prove to me this isn't just another one of your whims, that you know precisely what you are giving up here." Astrid listened carefully to what Elijah was saying. After all, if her older sister decided to turn back into a human, it concerned her to an extent too.

"Fine. Anything." Rebekah answered expectantly.

"I want you to live a day as a human. This day. No vampire privileges-- no strength, no compulsion, no nothing. If you succeed, if you still believe this is what you want, the cure is yours," Elijah carefully explained. Astrid rose her eyebrows and looked at Rebekah to observe her reaction.

While surprised at first, after thinking about it for a few seconds, she nodded at Elijah with resignation, thus accepting the challenge. That was surely something Astrid was curious to see.

————✩ ————

Astrid was still scavenging through Kol's stuff when she heard a high-pitch voice that didn't resemble her sister's. She had been going through Kol's things for most of the afternoon and now the evening, not particularly in the mood to go shopping with Rebekah for prom dresses or even go to the dance.

As the day had raveled, she had managed not to get teary at every single thing that reminded her of a memory with Kol. It was hard but she was going to have to get through it. And she felt a little satisfaction at the idea of maybe being able to get revenge on Elena for what had happened.

Focusing on the voice, she realized after a few seconds that it was Caroline Forbes. Well, the blonde could sometimes be a little exuberant but Astrid generally didn't mind her. And from what she had gathered, Klaus hadn't exactly made her life easy when he had turned her boyfriend into one of his hybrids before banishing him from Mystic Falls and hunting him down.

Curious, Astrid got out of the room and focused on the conversation Caroline was having with Klaus. The blonde vampire seemed frustrated about something. "-Like Princess-Grace-of-Monaco-hot. So...could you please go back into your creepy trophy case of family collectibles and dig me out something of royal caliber?"

What was the matter? Astrid guessed it probably had something to do with prom night. She half-listened to her brother finding a dress and discussing its origins with Caroline, something she wasn't particularly adamant about knowing. However, when she understood Caroline was making her way out of the house, Astrid slowly got downstairs.

"You really are whipped, aren't you?" Klaus turned to Astrid, apparently surprised to see her here. But, to the latest news, this was where she was staying for her stay in Mystic Falls. Or maybe Klaus had been too interested in watching Caroline walking away to hear her creeping from behind. Point was her statement still stood.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Klaus simply responded, apparently going back to whatever he had been doing, walking back to the living room where a fire was lit.

"Oh please, even a blind man could see you're down for Caroline Forbes." Klaus glanced at her, trying to seem unbothered by what she was saying. "I don't care anyway, you do you. On the contrary, I've rarely seen you so into a girl and I think it would be good for you." Astrid shrugged before walking over to the bar. After reminiscing about her brother's death the whole day, she truly deserved a drink.

"Whatever you say, sister. It doesn't change anything, however. Our dear Caroline has no particular interest in getting with the big bad wolf." Astrid scoffed. Did Klaus unironically call himself that?

"Okay, first of all, never call yourself like that again Nik, please. Second of all, isn't she dating one of your hybrids?" Klaus glanced at her with an angry face. Apparently, Tyler Lockwood wasn't his preferred topic. "Okay, got it." Astrid turned away, pouring herself a drink.

"Now, I wanted to talk to you about something else, in reality." Klaus turned back to her curiously. Taking a sip of her drink, Astrid leaned against the couch. "Are you still mad at the Salvatores or at Elena Gilbert? Because even if most of you seem to forget, Elena is still behind Kol's death and I want revenge."

What Klaus did was laugh at that. Was he serious? Seeing as Astrid wasn't joking or anything, he stopped laughing and looked at her with wide eyes, "Really? You mean to tell me you want to kill her? I thought I was the vengeful one in the family. Where did the Astrid who wanted to avoid supernatural drama go?"

Astrid rolled her eyes, "I'm not here to cause drama, I'm just here to do what's right. She killed our brother, it's only fair I kill her in return. A death for a death, that's fitting, no?"

"Yeah, you can try all you want but the Salvatore brothers are practically body-guarding her since she turned her humanity off. And you would make more than a few people mad."

"I couldn't care less about the Salvatores. For all I care, they can die too," she shrugged. "Well, I wasn't asking for permission anyway, I'm just keeping you updated." With that, Astrid finished her drink in one gulp and left it on the coffee table.

Astrid was about to leave the living room to go back upstairs but stopped in the middle of her way out and turned back to her half-brother. "Oh, and Nik, you know I love you but be careful with what you chose to do. I feel like you're not on very good terms with either Elijah or Rebekah and I'm still angry at you for keeping me in the dark about Kol's death."

Not bothering to listen to what Klaus could answer to that, Astrid went back upstairs and locked herself in her room again.

————✩ ————

Couldn't Astrid have at least one moment of calm this evening? After Caroline went by earlier in the night, it was now Elijah's turn to come to Klaus but the two brothers were now arguing downstairs. "And as your only living brother, I will make it my cause that you never know a moment of happiness." She could hear Klaus tell Elijah.

Was Klaus really on a whim to make all his siblings hate him? Because, to what Astrid had seen and heard today alone, he seemed to be succeeding so far.

After a few seconds of silence, she heard Elijah answer calmly, "It is such a hollow little life that you lead, Niklaus." Astrid's eyes widened. That was a cold blow. Somewhat true but probably not really pleasant to hear for Klaus.

"Eavesdropping, are we?" Astrid lifted her head in surprise and saw Elijah standing in the corner of her doorstep. With a smile, Astrid shook her head in acceptance.

"I have to admit you and Klaus always make quite a show every time you quarrel," Astrid admitted while Elijah took a few steps into her room before sitting next to her on the bed.

The eldest Original took a look around and saw a few pictures of Kol with various people and other of the latest's belonging spread around the room. "Busy day?"

Astrid smiled sadly at him. "I'm trying to make sense of his last belongings and clean everything up a little. You and I both know Klaus wouldn't be the one taking care of that."

Elijah nodded, agreeing with her. "You didn't want to go to Mystic Falls' very own prom night with your sister?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm not interested in going to prom with a bunch of people I barely knew. And I told you if I see Elena Gilbert I don't know if I'll have enough self-control not to rip her heart out on the spot. I thought I could at least leave her little friends the idea of safety. They still don't know I'm here, do they?"

Elijah shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of, no. Apart if Rebekah revealed it to Elena. Since she turned her humanity off, the two have been spending some time together." Astrid huffed. Rebekah was unbelievably... Rebekah. Always looking forward to finding a great romance or her very own happiness, not always really paying attention to anything else. Her desire of turning back into a human only proved that.

Elijah paused, looking at Astrid before saying, "You know, as much as I support you, killing Elena won't be the answer to all your problems. Even if you chose to, what next? You'll still be left with all the sadness."

"How do you know? And while it won't make the sadness go away, I'll still sleep better knowing our brother has been avenged accordingly. They had no right of killing him all in the pretense of finding a stupid cure for vampirism."

Elijah shrugged, not wanting to engage in her stubbornness. Knowing Astrid, once she was set on something, it was difficult to make her change decision. "Whatever you say, sister, but know people will want to get revenge on that too and it probably wouldn't do good for your life in Beacon Hills."

With one last smile, Elijah lifted his hand to Astrid's cheek, caressing it before leaving the room with his vampire speed. Astrid sighed, Elijah probably was right but she still didn't want to hear it.

————✩ ————

"New Orleans? What the hell is Klaus doing there?" Rebekah asked, confused. For the last few days, Astrid had been unable to take care of the Gilbert bitch as the Salvatore brothers had her locked up somewhere, in hopes of getting her humanity back. So, in the meantime, Astrid had gone from Rebekah to Klaus' house back and forth, trying to play mediator as well as just enjoying spending time with her siblings.

Spring break in Beacon Hills was nearing the end but she wasn't quite ready to leave Mystic Falls just yet. And now, her brother Klaus had suddenly decided on making a trip back to New Orleans after all those years.

"Evidently there are witches conspiring against him. So, knowing our brother, this was a mission to silence and slaughter." Elijah told his two sisters while leaning against a table. Astrid crossed her arms, listening carefully.

"Well, the French Quarter witches are not a lot to be trifled with. You don't suppose they've found a way to kill him once and for all, do you?" said happily while taking a sip of her drink. She looked delighted at the idea of their brother being killed. Was this really how this family had decided to act against each other?

"Rebekah, in the name of our family, you might try to dial down your glee," Elijah warned, having noticed Rebekah's unusual excitement as well.

"What family? We're four distrustful acquaintances who happen to share a bloodline. I, for one, hope they've found a way to make that traitorous bastard rot."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Rebekah. Sure, let them kill Klaus. And then what? Who do you think they'll go after next? Klaus is more powerful than us so being able to kill him also means being able to kill us."

Not bothering to answer either of his sisters, Elijah stood up and made his way out of the room. Rebekah and Astrid both turned to him. "Where are you going?" Rebekah asked him.

"To find out who's making a move against our brother. And then I'll either stop them...or I'll help them, depending on my mood." Elijah answered casually before leaving the house, leaving the two girls.

Astrid scoffed and propped herself on the table. "This family is just full of surprises, isn't it?"

Rebekah turned back to her chuckling. "You have no idea. Believe me, I've spent more time with Klaus over the years than you, and every time I think we have a chance at being happy again, he does something to spite me or, worse, he stabs me with another one of his precious daggers again."

"You really think those witches have found a way of getting to us?" Astrid asked Rebekah. She had to admit she was a little concerned about that. After losing one of her brothers recently, she would prefer not to lose another one so soon.

"I don't know. But you must remember those witches are powerful." Rebekah then seemed lost in memories of their last time in New Orleans. For the most part, Astrid hadn't been with them but had passed by from time to time and had encountered Marcel as well as other acquaintances of the Mikaelson family in New Orleans. She also remembered Rebekah's attraction to the latter.

"How long has it been? Since we were there." Astrid suddenly asked, looking intently at the empty fireplace. Finally, the siblings had been driven out of town by their father Mikael.

"A century, maybe? Time always gets a little blurry with all those years spent in a box." Rebekah answered with a nostalgic smile. "For a while, I thought we wouldn't have anything to do with this city anymore," she sighed.

"Well, life's a bitch so we were prone to having business in it one day. There aren't many towns as infested in the supernatural as this one."

"Didn't you say the town lost in the middle of nowhere you chose to move to was also 'infested' in the supernatural?" Rebekah asked her with her eyebrows furrowed. Astrid had mentioned it before but, at the time, Rebekah hadn't really picked up on it. But she knew she would have to get into more details about it sooner or later.

"Yes, I don't know how I managed to land that one... The town is full of werewolves. But a different kind than the one here. Some can get turned by being bitten by an alpha. Anyway, they have been getting on my nerves. There's even a kanima on the loose, killing people. I mean, how much kanima did we encounter over the years? Not that much. What are the odds the town I chose to settle into has one too?"

Astrid huffed. She did miss some of the people over in Beacon Hills but, she could admit staying in Mystic Falls and only seeing her siblings was pretty refreshing. She was able to avoid any problems by concealing her presence in town, oddly enough.

"A kanima? I remember Elijah and Klaus telling me about one, once. What is it again?"

"Well, it's basically a giant snake that kills murderers and is controlled by someone else until the bond gets too strong and the master can get them to kill anyone they want," Astrid explained.

"Delightful," Rebekah observed sarcastically while taking another sip of her drink. "And how are the people there? You said the werewolves are getting under your skin, how come they even know what you were?"

"It's a long story..." Astrid sighed, "but I unknowingly got to know some of them and they thought I was the kanima. Anyway, now they know I'm one of the Original and keep bugging me to help them overcome the kanima or whatever."

Reminiscing how Derek had spied on her wasn't exactly pleasant. Being in Mystic Falls meant she would be free of them for a while, at least. Their incessant requests for her to ally with them were getting pretty annoying. She briefly wondered what had been the outcome of Derek being missing, the last full moon, but didn't think too much of it.

"They seem like wonderful people." Rebekah pointed out with a laugh. "At least, if I'd become human again I wouldn't have people running after my vampire abilities anymore."

Astrid kept in a laugh. As if Rebekah was out there helping people with her abilities anyway. In a way, Astrid thought it might have been a good thing for Rebekah not to have taken the cure. She was afraid Rebekah would have been too disappointed with life as a human after all those years.

However, she still didn't know what Silas had planned. There had been no news of him since he had stolen the cure from Elijah. It had been pretty convenient for him to be able to take the appearance of anyone he wanted. Oh well, there was Klaus' business in New Orleans, too. What would come first?

————✩ ————

Apparently, Klaus' errands in New Orleans came first.

"Pregnant with Klaus' child? How is that even possible?" Astrid asked Elijah. The eldest Mikaelson was on speaker and had just revealed to his sisters what he had learned in New Orleans. "Who even is Hayley Marshall?"

"She was in Mystic Falls a few weeks ago. She's a werewolf and as Klaus was born a werewolf and was turned into a vampire by magic, there was a loophole that allowed her to get pregnant," Elijah explained. Astrid glanced at Rebekah who seemed as surprised at the information as her.

"And so, what has our dear brother decided to do about that?" Rebekah asked Elijah.

"Well, he's doing what he does; given a chance at happiness, Klaus runs in the opposite direction."

"Then let him run. That child, if it's even his, is better off without him," Rebekah said with a stoic expression. Astrid had a little trouble imagining Klaus as a nurturing father too.

"He's not better off without that child, Rebekah, and neither are we," Elijah argued through the phone.

"Darling, kind Elijah. Our brother rarely brings us anything but pain. At what point in your immortal life will you stop searching for his redemption?" Astrid was still thinking about what they had just discovered and listened to Rebekah in silence.

"I'll stop searching for his redemption when I believe there is none left to be found." With that, Elijah hung up the phone. Astrid sighed. However, a noise behind them caught Rebekah and Astrid's attention. The two sisters turned to find Katherine Pierce leaning on the doorframe.

"I'd give you a play-by-play, but you have the air of someone who's been lurking and listening," Rebekah announced, not practically bothered by her presence. Astrid, on the other hand, was watching her with a frown, since when was she here?

"He'll come around. You know Elijah, he won't stop until he's convinced Klaus to do the right thing." Then, looking at Astrid, she smiled and tipped her head to the side. "Astrid, nice to see you. Didn't know you were back in town."

"Katherine, I have to say you're not exactly someone I was overly excited to see again," Astrid answered with a fake smile.

"I know you consider yourself an expert in brotherly dynamics, but you don't know my brothers half as well as you think you do," Rebekah told Katherine.

"You're wrong. Klaus won't be able to walk away from this. He and I are the same," she explained while taking a few steps closer to the two Mikaelsons. "We manipulate, we thirst for power, we control, we punish, but our actions are driven by one, singular place deep inside."

"And what's that?" Astrid asked while crossing her arms.

"We're alone, and we hate it." Then, just as dramatically as she had arrived, Katherine walked past the two sisters to leave the house. "Tell Elijah to call me when he comes home. I'll be waiting for him."

Astrid scoffed. "Why do people have to be so dramatic around here?" she asked Rebekah rhetorically while rolling her eyes. "Klaus just had to have sex with a werewolf and get her pregnant with his child."

"You know our brother. As unable to keep his dick in his pants as he is of keeping his temper in check," Rebekah answered. Astrid chuckled at that. It seemed like a pretty good depiction of their brother.

————✩ ————

Astrid was lying on her bed, listening to some music on her phone while staring at her ceiling. She would have to go back to Beacon Hills sooner or later. She was probably going to miss a few classes and, most of all, she didn't want to raise too much suspicion. Time was also moving pretty slowly here in Mystic Falls as she hadn't had much to do.

Someone clearing their throat brought her out of her thoughts and she raised herself to see Elijah on the doorstep of her room. "Am I intruding?" he asked.

With a smile, Astrid turned the music off and gestured for Elijah to come inside. "Not at all. Finally back from New Orleans, then?"

Elijah nodded while taking a few steps inside, his hands in his pockets. "Like I told you and your sister, I'm willing to help Klaus with the whole parenting issue. I already went to see your sister and proposed to her to come with me back to New Orleans. She refused but I believe it could be our family's new chance at being happy. Now, I offer you the same proposition but, know that the decision remains yours alone."

Astrid rose her eyebrows. Move to New Orleans? She hadn't considered that. "I... I don't know, Elijah," she began unsurely. "New Orleans was mostly your home, you, Rebekah, and Klaus. Kol and I mostly tried to stay away from it. And I don't know if my place is really there. I've begun a new life in California and I... I think I should try and continue like this before joining you in New Orleans."

Elijah nodded gravely as if he had expected that answer from her. "I understand and I respect that. I hope you'll still try and be here when the child is born. Know you'll always have a place to stay in New Orleans."

With a sad smile, Astrid nodded. She got up from where she was sitting on her bed to pull Elijah in a hug. "I know, Elijah. And don't worry, once the child is born, I'll make it my goal that I'm the coolest aunt out of Rebekah and I."

Elijah smiled at her humorously. "Alright, take care, Astrid." He told her and smiled one last time before leaving the room. Astrid watched him go, wondering when would be the next time she would meet up with him again. It could be weeks as much as it could be years. She hoped on the first option, of course, but only the future could tell.

Sitting back down on her bed, she realized she had one last thing to take care of before leaving this godforsaken town as well. It was to kill Elena Gilbert once and for all.

————✩ ————

【 NOTES ! 】

astrid goes back to mystic falls! sorry for the wait, hope you enjoyed the chapter, next one will be even more eventful normally ;)

humanity-less elena was so annoying, i'm glad it didn't last too long. and don't worry, i don't actually hate her, astrid does though haha

astrid will eventually go back to beacon hills before the end of season 2, don't fret, i'm not done with her

lots of love :)