009 — THE MIKAELSONS

Rapunzel gripped Flynn's hand a little bit tighter as she could feel Klaus studying her face from where he stood. She held her breath as he walked closer to the pair before leaning down in front of Flynn and smiling sadistically.

"So you're the boy who stole from me."

Flynn cleared his throat nervously. "Technically I stole from your sister..." He trailed off moving his head back slightly as that was the only part of his body he could currently move. He waited for Klaus' reaction, expecting the man to properly kill or torture him but Klaus just laughed.

"You're a funny one aren't you." He clapped Flynn on the shoulder as he grinned. "No need to be so tense, I'm not here to kill you Rider. In fact we could help each other out. You do something for me...I don't hurt your girl." Klaus' eyes moved from Flynn to Rapunzel and back again.

"She's not my-" He spoke up going to correct him before seeing his glare burn through his soul. "yep got it. I'll do whatever you want just leave her out of it."

"Flynn..." Rapunzel said unsure of what the man was going to ask of him.

"It's okay Blondie. We're gonna be okay." He softly reassured her as he stroked his thumb across her hand.

Klaus eyes the pair in front of him. "How sweet, so my family still persists to be a thorn in my side and I need to find a way to rid them indefinitely, my aunt specifically. Since you're so good at sneaking around and stealing things I need you to find her for me as she's seems to be rather difficult to track down."

Flynn gave the man a look, believing him to be delusional. "You want me to find your aunt?" He asked Klaus repeating what he had already said to him to make sure that he had understood correctly.

"That's all I ask of you and then you and your girl are free to go." Klaus confirmed as Flynn nodded not wanting to say anything that would cause the man to change his mind as how hard would it be to find one lady?

Rapunzel was the one who spoke up. "So you don't want my hair?"

Flynn suddenly had a feeling of deja vu, as he thought back a couple days to when he and Rapunzel had met and she had said the exact same thing to him. Klaus laugh bellowing through the dungeon pulled him out of his drifting thoughts.

"I have no use of your hair, I admit it does peak my curiosity but no I don't want your hair that was just a ruse to make sure those vampires would deliver you both to me."

Rapunzel felt relived at the revelation and just hoped that they would find this aunt of his quickly so that they could leave this place. At least Rapunzel still had her magic so she could do a locator spell and find the woman in no time.

The pair suddenly felt the chains loosen around their body as Klaus unlocked them and took them away. He nodded his head for the pair to follow him as he took off up the stairs. Flynn and Rapunzel both looked at each other not knowing whether they should follow him but knew that wherever he was taking them would be better than down there.

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Rapunzel felt eyes on herself as she and Flynn sat down at a dining table with what she would guess as Klaus' family. She nervously smiled at them before looking down at the wooden table and tracing a knot in the wood to try and distract herself. It was clear that neither of the rest of the family knew of Klaus' plan or who they were as they seemed just as surprised to see the two teenagers there.

Klaus was currently lecturing Hayley for leaving the compound and endangering herself and Hope. "Isn't that the point of a fortress? It does a better job of protecting you when you stay within its walls?" He yelled at her in a displeased tone and Rapunzel couldn't help but think about her own fortress and sympathize with Hayley.

"Okay! We get it." Hayley said annoyed and slightly embarrassed as she stopped Klaus' lecture from going any further. "Now, let's just figure out what the hell we're gonna do."

Klaus stood up pointing at Hayley. "What I would like to do is take a strong leash—" He starts to shout again before his brother politely cuts him off. Rapunzel and Flynn looked between each other awkwardly as neither wanted to be there and simultaneously shrunk into their chairs a bit hoping that it would somehow swallow them.

"—Children, please. Niklaus, your ire is justified. However, Hayley is quite right." Klaus' brother tries to get him to see reason. Hayley threw up her hand giving Klaus a smug look, happy that someone was on her side.

"We need to find a new strategy. Freya, if you please?" Elijah called over his sister who was pouring out tea for everyone or what Rapunzel guessed was tea.

When Rapunzel locked eyes with Freya she suddenly had a familiar feeling of deja vu.

☆☆☆

A five year old Rapunzel was rushing through the fields chasing a butterfly. It was the first time her Mother had let her outside, she had been told to stay close as Dahlia was still nearby but currently otherwise occupied.

Rapunzel giggled to herself as she tried to catch the butterfly as it became in her reach when she ran into something or more like someone.

The woman she ran into steadied the girl as the girl looked up at her in wonder.

"Hello." The five year old said shyly as she smiled up at the lady.

Freya smiled down at the child, quickly taking a look around to see if her parent or guardian was around but she couldn't spot anyone. "Hi little one." She responded before Rapunzel hurled herself at her and hugged her around the middle.

Freya gasped in surprise. "Oh, um. Okay..." She stumbled not really knowing what to do as, as sad as it sounds she never really hugged anyone (well expect for her late boyfriend) let alone a child so this was new for her.

Rapunzel drew her face away so she could look up at the pretty lady. "Up, up." She asked holding her arms up, wanting to be held.

Freya reluctantly picked up the child who clasped a small hand around her necklace playing with it between her little fingers. After a while Freya sets her down again knowing that whoever's child this was must be worried for them.

She smiled once more at the little girl wishfully as she could only imagine what it would of been like to have a daughter before she gently pushed her in the direction she came from. "Go on, I'm sure your Mother is waiting for you."

Rapunzel gave Freya one last look as she giggled before running back to Dahlia. Unbeknownst to the pair Dahlia had seen the scene unfold only when it was too late to stop it and was furious with herself for letting them get so close to possibly finding out the truth. That was the day she had decided to never let Rapunzel leave her tower again.

☆☆☆

Rapunzel jumped slightly as she came back into the room trying to blink the memory away. It confused her as she never remembered leaving the tower before a couple days ago let alone meeting anyone else or the woman that was stood in the same room as her. Rapunzel wasn't sure wants she should do, whether she should address the woman and ask her if she remembers her or if she should just keep it to herself as addressing it would only open up a whole other world of questions for everyone. But luckily before she could make her mind up Freya spoke instead.

Rapunzel was too distracted to listen to what Freya was explaining about Dahlia's spell and what was happening around her as her mind was racing. It was too much of a coincidence to not mean something.

"We've met before...haven't we?" Rapunzel blurted out interrupting Freya's explanation of the tonic they were about to take. All eyes turn to Rapunzel in surprise and they drifted between the girl and Freya.

"Freya?" Rebekah said asking her sister for confirmation.

Freya looked down at Rapunzel in confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you and I've only been in New Orleans a short time I don't think it's me that you're thinking of."

Rapunzel shook her head. "Not in this time, years ago, around the 10th century. I was a child you had this necklace." She felt for the necklace in her pocket before pulling it out showing her the necklace that Flynn had taken.

Freya shook her head in denial not believing it. "I don't understand." She mumbled not recalling ever meeting the girl in front of her or how she would still look so young as she didn't think the girl was anything but human.

Rapunzel rung her hands together as she began to explain how she was still alive and so young. "Um, I still don't really know how to explain it, when I was born I was very sick so my Mother gave me this flower that had certain healing properties and it somehow gave me this hair." She gestured to her hair which was still braided up but still looked extraordinary long, she muttered a few words cause it to glow slightly and the whole Mikaelson family looked at her not knowing what to think, they didn't expect this they just thought Klaus had roped along two teenagers into helping them find Dahlia.

Rapunzel fiddled with a strand of her hair nervously. "Uh anyway, my Mother was always very protective of me as so she created this sort of spell well sort of a ritual, she said it was for my protection as people would think I was too powerful and try and take me away from her and use my hair for themselves, and so she kept us hidden in a tower where no one would be able to find us to keep me safe from the outside world and would perform the spell every 100 years. She called it the immortality slumber spell. So basically you—"

Freya sat back in her seat in shock as she heard the girls explanation not knowing that Dahlia had, had another person involved in all of this. "I know what that spell does, I've experienced it many times." She said gritting her teeth as she remembered the past 1000 years.

"Y-you do?"

Klaus suddenly stood from his chair glaring down at the girl. "I don't know what lies that woman is making you believe, but I want you gone. Get out." He sneered as the rest of his family looking between them lost on what was going on.

Freya however stopped him. "Klaus, I understand your anger but we don't know who she is or that she's even working with her and if she isn't, she could help us. We need to find where Dahlia has been hiding she will know. We can trace her magic right back to its source, find exactly where she is." Freya tried convincing the man who seemed to think over her words before nodding.

"If she tries anything, it falls on you." He told Freya who merely nodded.

Klaus looked around pleased that they had come to an agreement. "Good! Then it's settled. Off you pop to your respective tasks! Me? I've always been of the opinion that the best defense is a good offense. So, I'm going to find a way to murder that godforsaken witch." He smiled evilly.

Flynn grabs Rapunzel's hand to try and comfort the girl as she was still thinking over their words and trying to connect the dots, as if the woman is their aunt then wouldn't that make her their cousin? And why would Dahlia lie to her her whole life about her family, it just didn't add up. She knew she needed to help them for Eugene's sake but as soon as they were done she would go and track down her Mother herself for answers.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
lol I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated, college and work have just been hectic but I finally had time and inspiration so thank you for holding out. Also 14k reads I don't understand how??

Also just to clarify she doesn't yet know that Dahlia isn't her Mother and they don't know either, they think she's lying or Dahlia is lying to her about who she is to use her against them but they don't know that she's family as they know Dahlia can't have her own children, but we will find out more in the next chapter!

Hope you like it, let me know your thoughts or ideas
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