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The car came to a halt and Madison looked out the window, instantly recognising the building before her.

"Why are we here?" Madison but her lip nervously.

"There was a change in leadership while you were gone."

"You mean you got the Quarter back?" She couldn't help but smile. "And you won't let them control me anymore, right? Like you promised."

"Just like I promised." He grinned right back at her.

Madison pressed her lips against his, smiling into the kiss. The pair pulled away and got out of the car, walking into the compound.

"Madison?" A voice called out, making the witch turn around.

"Marcel." She wrapped her arms around him, finding comfort in her past lover.

"You have no idea how much I missed you," Marcel wrapped his arms around the girl.

"I missed you too," Madison pulled away from the hug. "But you're not what I want anymore."

"Klaus is what you want, isn't he?" He looked over at his sire who was waiting patiently for them to finish their little reunion. Madison's silence was the only answer he needed. "Okay, then let me ask you this: does he make you happy?"

"Yes," she spoke softly.

"You being happy is all that has ever mattered to me."

Madison gave him one last small smile before she turned back to Klaus and they made their way to the room they would call theirs.

-

Madison sat at the end of the long table, Klaus at the other while a few vampires sat around it. The Hybrid tapped his glass with his fork to grab everyone's attention before he gave a speech.

"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine." He gestured towards the waiters, beckoning them to join the vampires at the table. "Insatiable need, exquisite pain." The waiters slit their wrists, filling the cups in front of each person with blood. "Our victories, and our defeats."

The Hybrid looked at Marcel briefly before raising his glass in a toast.

"To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow..." he trailed off.

"And the party never end!" Marcel finished for his sire, raising his glass before looking over at Diego.

"To New Orleans." Diego joined them in raising his glass.

"To New Orleans!" Klaus agreed with a grin.

"New Orleans." Everyone around the table repeated, except Madison who was using her telekinesis to move the water in front of her.

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires."

"What about her?" Diego pointed at Madison who finally looked up. "The witch."

"Uh, not just any witch," Madison corrected. "Supreme Witch. Have some respect."

"Had you'd let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." Klaus walked over to Madison's end of the table, placing a hand on her shoulder. "As many of you know, Madison is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not."

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