They were in New Orleans a week after they received Klaus's letter.

"Well, at least the apartment is clean for when we get back," said Kai, trying to get Julian to stop crying once they got off the train.

"And at least he wasn't too fussy while we were near people," said Vivianna, preparing a bottle. "Come on, little one, it's okay, no more train..."

"He's definitely not gonna be a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine," said Kai. He tried to play peekaboo with the little boy, but Julian only kept bawling. "Here, have your bottle..."

"He's not hungry."

They looked up to see a man standing in front of them. Dressed in what appeared to be a very expensive coat, with curly dirty-blonde hair and a cold expression. At least, his expression was cold until his lips curled up into a smirk, which Vivianna interpreted as slightly wicked.

"You're Klaus," she said a bit nervously as she took Julian from Kai, bringing a blanket up and trying to get him to calm down.

"Indeed," he said. "I have a car waiting. I expect he'll quiet down once we're in a less crowded environment. I trust the train was much easier than a plane?"

"Yeah, the train was fine," said Kai, dragging the suitcases as Klaus led them to a shiny suburban parked on the side of the road. Klaus clicked a button on the keys, and the trunk popped open. With ease, Kai put the bags away, while Klaus opened the door for Vivianna to get into the car.

"Oh, wow," she said, seeing there was a carseat waiting for them. "Um... thank you."

"It was my daughter's, when she was this size," said Klaus. "Granted, that was a year ago, but children do grow fast."

Klaus went to sit in the driver's seat, and once Vivianna buckled herself and Julian in, Kai climbed into the passenger's seat.

"Thank you for letting us stay at your home," said Vivianna, glad that Julian had ceased his wailing. "It's very generous of you."

"Well, the children can't quite get to know each other well unless they get to spend more than a few hours with each other. I expect meetings at the very least once a year after this."

"Sure," said Kai. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you ah... decide to reach out? Aside from the congratulations message."

"Your child is the only other being in the world who can rival my daughter's power. I would be a fool to have ignored the raging news of another supernatural anomaly's birth. I've known many Travelers and witches in the past. Never did I think that they would merge their bloodlines. But this little lad is proof of that. I prefer that we become acquainted in a peaceful setting."

They knew what Klaus wasn't saying. Truth was, Julian was a threat to Hope. He wouldn't be as powerful as her if she ever became a full tribrid, but his magical abilities alone would prove quite a problem if they were ever forced to fight one another. Klaus knew it was better to have Kai, Vivianna, and their son as allies from the start. Better they be on his side if he needed it. And he feared he'd need it soon.

"Look at that, Julian," whispered Vivianna once they were driving into the French Quarter. "So many colors."

He whined a bit, unable to see everything his mother could. "We'll take a tour another day, maybe, so you can see everything, okay? Daddy can have you on his chest so you can see the world while he walks."

"You speak to him as though he's already an adult," noticed Klaus.

"I've heard it helps them talk properly, and sooner," said Vivianna. "Does your daughter already talk?"

"She won't stop talking. Always going on about her different toys and her aunts. My sister raised her up until she was eight months old, though I expect you heard about that."

"Yep," said Kai. "We got attacked... way too many times 'cause people were so worried about Julian and your daughter teaming up to take over the world or something."

Klaus let out a hearty laugh. "Witches and their ridiculous ideas... you'd be wise to ignore their rantings, heretic. Stick with those who have the same power as you. They will be your truest allies, as they are most like you. Supernaturals have quite a difficult time accepting those different from them. They wish to have their power instead of letting them live with it. My daughter was going to be sacrificed when she was born."

"I heard the story," said Vivianna with a shiver. "It was terrifying."

Klaus nodded. "I hear yours was nearly as awful."

"Well, it was hectic, but I don't know if it's as awful as having the baby ripped out by force, being turned against my will, and having to save said baby from having a knife driven through its heart. I got lucky so many people had my back and saved me."

"It's always a good idea to recall those who were there in times of need. This child will need that. My home has become a fortress to defend my daughter. My brothers and sisters are mighty, though, we are few compared to the multitude that defended you on the day of your son's birth."

"Well, to be honest," said Kai, "I think your family would absolutely decimate us on the battlefield, even if our numbers are bigger."

Vivianna looked at him as if to say, 'Did you really have to tell him that? Don't give him ideas!'

Kai didn't see her, and Klaus only chuckled. "While I do adore a good brawl, I am hoping we don't come to that. You see, our children are going to become the most powerful witches in existence. My daughter, specifically, the most powerful creature in the world. They will be mightier than their peers. Likely smarter as well. No one will ever be good enough for them, as friends or partners because they will outshine them. They're meant to be respected. Worshipped. My sister insists that Hope should be able to make friends her age, from this early age. I think not. Any other child, aside from this one, is far weaker, and unworthy of being in her presence. This boy can be her first friend. One deserving of her presence."

Vivianna figured Klaus might lower his guard a bit more once Hope was older. She was still so little. His princess. Someone he wanted to protect more than anything. She still didn't go to school. It was natural for him to think things would go a certain way. Vivianna expected that once he saw his daughter interacting with other kids her age, he'd be more willing to let her be friends with anyone she wanted to spend time with.

"Here we are," said Klaus, parking in front of a large three-story building. "Welcome to the Mikaelson Compound."

"Holy shit," muttered Kai once they were standing in the entrance, able to see into the building. "This place is like a hotel. Um... how many people live here? Because there seem to be more than a hundred rooms in here."

"Myself, my daughter, my brother, and one of my sisters, currently," said Klaus, leading the way in.

"I'm sorry if this is an inappropriate question," said Vivianna, "but don't you have more siblings?"

"I do. My other sister is currently traveling, and my other three brothers are dead. There was a time when there were more residents— members of the Crescent Wolf Pack brought in by Hope's mother. Typically, however, there are very few of us here."

Vivianna and Kai shared a look. Klaus hadn't mentioned Hope's mother as one of the inhabitants. Where was she?

Klaus escorted them to a room on the second floor, which was spacious, and already had a crib set up for them.

"Take your time to settle in," said Klaus. "Hope is currently napping. When my brother returns from his errand, I will introduce you to him and my sister, who I must speak to before you meet her."

He walked off, leaving them alone. Vivianna went to set Julian in the crib, letting him rest a bit more so that she could help Kai put their clothes away.

"He seems nice," said Kai. "I was honestly expecting him to hold a butter knife to my neck and be all..." he tried to imitate Klaus's voice, "'You're gonna do my bidding, and your kid's gonna be my daughter's friend, or else!'"

"He can probably hear you, you know," said Vivianna, tapping her ear. "Do you think he knows you're from his sireline?"

"Probably. It's kinda crazy to meet him, you know, 'cause most vampires never actually get the chance to know which Original they came from."

Vivianna lowered her voice. "Where do you think Hope's mom is? He mentioned her as a former inhabitant. Not a current one. Do you think something happened to her?"

"I don't know. Guess we've got to wait to see what he says."

Once they'd set out all their things, Kai scooped Julian up, and walked downstairs with Vivianna, where a playmat had been set out, along with some chairs.

"Oh my god," said Vivianna when she saw Hope crawling around and playing with her toys. "Oh... she's so cute!"

She went to kneel down beside her, smiling as the little girl looked up at her with big eyes. "Hi there, little one."

Hope babbled at her, holding up a small wooden knight and placing it in her palm. Vivianna took it, then raised a brow. "I didn't know you could play chess at the age of one."

Hope giggled, then made grabby hands, wanting the knight back. Vivianna gave it back to her, then turned as Kai knelt down. "Hope," he said. "This is Julian."

The little girl sat up a bit, aided by Klaus, who sat down on the ground to help her switch positions. She reached out, tapping her hand against Julian's arm, causing him to wiggle a bit, his eyes opening to look at her.

"Baby," said Hope.

"That's right," said Klaus. "That is a baby. One almost as small as you were, when you were born, and I gave you to your aunt Rebekah so that she could keep you safe." He looked up, then gestured to the doorway. "Freya, do come and join us."

A slender blonde walked in, with a calculating expression much like Klaus's as she looked over Kai and Vivianna. "Hello," she said. "You must be Malachai and Vivianna."

"Nice to meet you," said Kai, handing Julian to Vivianna so that he could extend his hand to Freya. The Traveler then did the same thing, smiling slightly.

"I can see she's well-rested," noticed Freya, observing that Hope was quite excited, and already trying to decide which toy she'd give to Julian. "Have you spoken to them about—?"

"About what?" asked Vivianna before Klaus could answer.

"We require a favor," said Klaus. "One that will return Hope's mother to her."

Freya gave him a significant look, and Klaus gritted his teeth before saying, "I require a siphoner to undo a spell I had cast on her, because she betrayed me."

"Um, what's the spell?" asked Kai.

"Long ago, the Crescent Wolf Pack was cursed, so that their natural state would be wolves. They'd be human only on the full moon. Have you heard of this?"

"I did," said Vivianna. "I wasn't aware that curse had ever been broken."

"Well, it was, by the witch who cast it, just before Hope was born. However, I had the curse reinstated several months ago to punish Hayley for her treachery. My siblings have been rather difficult, insisting I take charge in breaking the curse, as I am the one who had a witch cast it."

"I have tried to break it, but find myself unsuccessful," said Freya. "I figured that perhaps, a Traveler's expertise and a heretic's ability to siphon could prove instrumental. My magic has recently diminished greatly, and I believe my knowledge may be insufficient."

"Wait, why did your magic diminish?" asked Vivianna worriedly.

"It's a rather long story, but my aunt and I were previously linked by a Connective Magic spell, and upon her death, that connection broke. Prior to it breaking, our power was augmented when we channeled one another. Now that I have no one to channel, I must rely on my own inherent power."

"That sounds a lot like the Connective Magic spell we did, Vivi," said Kai, tilting his head.

Vivianna furrowed her eyebrows. "That's because... it is. Wait a second... Freya, as in... Freya and Dahlia?"

The blonde tensed. "How do you know that?"

"Well, every performer of magic knew your names. It was a scary bedtime story for most witches. For the Travelers... you were legends. My ancestors met your aunt. She's the one that taught them the Connective Magic the Travelers used up until the day they all died, and I remained the only one left. Our spell wasn't as strong because we couldn't use Traditional Magic. But yours was insanely powerful. Holy shit. I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity."

Freya blushed. "Well, I wouldn't say celebrity... but um... ah, that does ring a small bell. I do recall a group of Travelers doing us a favor once. My aunt required knowledge for one spell, and traded hers for it."

"Perhaps another magical trade is in order?" said Klaus. "For the sake of the alliance, of course."

Freya raised her brow at him. "I would have expected you already had a plan for a trade. Did you really mean to ask them for help and not give anything in return?"

"Oh, it's okay," said Kai quickly. "I mean, he did pay for the trip and he's letting us stay here. Siphoning isn't a problem for me, I really don't mind."

"Well, then allow me to offer help. With any spell you might need, I can aid you. I know that you have plenty of witches back home who can help, but perhaps a bit of Mikaelson flair is needed for something in particular?"

Kai pursed his lips. "We've been wanting to break the curse that keeps the Travelers from doing Traditional Magic, but since Vivi was pregnant, we couldn't do it. We're not sure how much power that requires, but if a Mikaelson witch inherently has more..."

"I'll be happy to help," said Freya. "Perhaps Klaus could take you to the Bayou to find Hayley while Vivianna and I plan for this spell and watch the children?"

That's what they'd done. Before Klaus's brother even returned, Kai and Klaus left, while Vivianna and Freya took the kids upstairs to what was apparently the witch's study.

"Are you excited?" inquired Freya. "Soon, you'll be able to do magic you never could in the past."

"It's a bit nerve-wracking, honestly," said Vivianna, watching as Hope crawled around the room. "All my life I've only been able to do a limited amount of magic, and now this world of possibilities is about to be opened up. I worry I might not be good at it. However, I am still excited, since it means I'll be more able to teach Julian proper magic once he's old enough." She paused. "I have a question for you. How do you deal with your family's situation? They're immortals. And you're not."

Freya sighed. "For a time, I was immortal. Through being linked to Dahlia, I lived a thousand years, sleeping for a century, waking for one year of life at a time. We didn't need to do that, really, we could have been awake far longer and the spell would have preserved us, but she wished to maximize how much power we could gain while asleep. For her, the best way to do that was to let the world pass us by. Why do you ask?"

"Kai's a vampire," she murmured. "My son is a siphoner, who will likely choose to be a heretic once he's of age. Even your niece... eventually she could choose to activate her vampire side. You and I will continue to age. And if we were to choose to be turned so that we could spend eternity with our loved ones, then we'd lose our magic."

Freya sighed. "It is something I've thought of often. I still don't know what I desire in life. I don't know if I wish to get married and have children. Therefore, I remain mortal, with my magic handy, so that I may protect my family as needed. You already know what your future will be. Living with a partner who doesn't age. A child who eventually will become immortal as well. Your choice is more straightforward. You either turn to spend eternity with them or you die naturally, because you already know what will happen either way. I don't. I could choose to turn then end up meeting someone and find myself wishing I was able to start a family with them. I could choose to age then fall in love with a vampire, and I'll be stuck wondering if maybe I should lose my magic to be with them forever."

"If they're going to be immortal, I want to join them," said Vivianna. "I want to have my magic at least until Julian decides to become a heretic. And when we have that talk with him, I won't want him to willingly turn until he's at least eighteen and can make decisions for himself. So... that's eighteen years from now, and I'm going to be forty-one. I'm going to look really old. I don't want to look that much older than Kai. It's weird... I'd be okay with losing my magic eventually, but I don't want to look ancient."

Freya chuckled. "Believe me, I understand that. I envy my siblings sometimes... they turned and they stay looking young. Perhaps I could give you the spell my aunt Dahlia used on herself and on me. It should last for at least twenty-five years. You could use it, look as young as you do now, and as soon as your son is ready to turn, you can, too, and then you will keep this face for eternity, if it's what you wish for."

Vivianna smiled. "I appreciate it, Freya. Another question... do you think Kai's siphoning is actually going to break the Crescent Curse?"

"It should. My brother had Dahlia concentrate the spell on Hayley. Whatever happens to her happens to all. The spell should have created a sort of... magical covering over her body, to keep it concentrated on her, and apply to the rest of her pack. If he siphons that magic, without harming her, then it should be like a domino effect. All the wolves will revert to their human states. Perhaps it might not happen all in one day, but if he were to release the magic as he siphons it to simultaneously break the curse, then it could occur all at once. I have faith that a siphoner can do what I haven't been able to."

Freya then got a look in her eyes, causing her to smile. "You know, once you can do Traditional Magic, a Connective Magic spell would be far stronger. And since Kai is immortal... it could be exactly what you need so that you don't have to turn."

Vivianna didn't fully understand. "What do you mean?"

"Well, from my understanding, you and Kai had a Connective Magic spell between you in the past. If you were to re-establish it once you are able to perform Traditional Magic, then your life could be linked to his. You will both be witches, both augmenting your power. But he is already naturally immortal. Which would make you..."

"Naturally immortal too," mumbled Vivianna. "So as long as he lives, so would I, and I wouldn't have to use my magic."

"Of course," said Freya, "that also would mean that if he died, you would, as well."

"It's sort of poetic. We'd never be separated, not even by death. Wow... we should definitely try that. I'm the only person that can teach my son Traveler magic. If this could keep me able to perform magic for much longer than twenty-five years... then I could make sure he knows everything that I do and is prepared to use his powers to their full extent."

The two women instinctively looked down at the two children. Hope was giggling, laying on her back and trying to imitate Julian, who was wiggling, and still learning to move his little legs and arms.

"They're going to be good friends, aren't they?" whispered Freya. "Perhaps the only ones who will truly be able to understand each other."

"Your brother had a strange way of wording it," said Vivianna. "Saying that no one else would be worthy of being their friend because they're not as strong."

"Ah... he'll see in the future that Hope, and even Julian, will just want to be normal. They're going to be young children who want someone to play catch with them. They don't want to be worshipped. I hope that no matter what, these two can always rely on each other. Just as I hope that our families can be more than allies. Friends. We will aid you as necessary, and if possible, you can help us if you believe you can make a difference. Unfortunately, these little ones will never cease having enemies. People who will want to hurt them all because they don't know who they might become when they're older."

Freya sighed. "Everyone fears what Hope will be, all because of Klaus. Perhaps everyone will have the same fear for Julian because of what Kai used to be like. But I believe that this generation has a chance to be so much better than any of us ever were. I believe that they're going to bring the supernatural communities a lasting piece. Look at them. So innocent now. Yet, they have the opportunity to unite all witches, as well as the wolves and vampires. They're going to make this world safer for those who will come after them. We just have to make sure to never let them down."

A/N: Happy 400 pages! Keep reading for the Epilogue, which will be short.