The O'Connell's (Under Editing)

Unexpected Surprise

The group gathered in Rousseau's, the low hum of conversation mixed with a palpable tension. The soft glow of dimmed lights cast a warm hue over the faces of those seated around the table, each lost in contemplation.

Cami's voice cut through the silence, "How about that spell they used on me?"

Bonnie, dagger in hand, directed her attention to Cami, awaiting clarification, "Which one?"

"The one where they wrote the message on my arm. It's effective, and I'm pretty sure it would work, but what do we say?" Cami asked, her eyes searching the faces of those around her.

Hayley chimed in with a suggestion, "Our location? Just write New Orleans, Rousseau's, or something along those lines."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows, a silent acknowledgement that the idea had merit. Rebekah, however, voiced a concern that lingered in the air, "How is that idea safe? What's stopping them from coming here in, say, ten minutes?"

Bonnie, with measured confidence, countered, "It'll take them a few more days to reach New Orleans. They're still quite far from us."

Cami, standing up from her seat, took charge, "Well, I guess that's the plan then. Bonnie, are you going to do the spell now?"

Bonnie nodded, gracefully stepping out of the bar into the city's night. The streetlights cast a soft glow on the pavement as her friends exchanged puzzled glances, unaware of the mystical history that revolved around Rousseau's. Hayley, recognizing the need for a brief history lesson, summarized the bar's peculiar anti-magic stance.

"The bar doesn't allow magic within its walls, so no spells or any kind of magic can be performed here," Bonnie explained, the street breeze ruffling her hair as she spoke.

With the stage set, Bonnie took charge. Tightening her grip on the dagger, she faced the sharp edge downward, closing her eyes to shut out the external world. She used the connection between Malia and the dagger to imprint the message on the leader's arm. The group held its breath while she performed the spell, anxiously waiting for it to be over.

Eventually, Bonnie opened her eyes, stepping back into the warmth of the bar and meeting the gaze of her friends.

"Did it work?" Stefan inquired, redirecting the focus from the dagger to Bonnie.

Bonnie smiled, "It worked," before placing the dagger in the back of her jeans.

Sighs of relief echoed through the bar, but Damon interjected, injecting a note of practicality, "What are we meant to do now?"

Stacey, always one step ahead, provided the next steps, "We wait. When Malia returns, we'll have to draw some of her blood somehow and then wait for the next full moon, which is when we can do the spell."

Caroline looked between the two hybrids in the room, expecting them for an answer, "When's the next full moon?"

"The full moon happens in three days," answered Klaus before turning back to the Bennett witch, "Will Malia arrive before then?"

Bonnie, holding the secret of the coven's location, replied, "They'll probably be here in a day or two, so I'm assuming they'll get here. If not, then we'll have to wait another month."

Cami, expressing her impatience, moved over to the bar, stating firmly, "I am not waiting another month to put that crazy psycho witch down."

Klaus, joining her at the bar, summed up their collective sentiment, "Let's hope for the best then."

The rest of the group fell into a short silence before they all began engaging in their own hushed conversations.

Cami's smile radiated a mix of warmth and playful nostalgia as she engaged with Klaus at the bar, "If you're here for the gumbo, I'm about to break your heart. We just ran out, so other than that, what would you like?"