𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐞. 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 ³

23. mother's innocence

A/N: heyyy so i'm trying to zoom through season 4 because i literally do not like this season it's my least favorite out of the five. i have a lot of plans for season five and it's my only motivation for writing this book so i'm trying to get there as soon as possible.

s4e5: i hear you knocking

Evie and Elise's eyes widened in amazement as they made their way through the protective bubble of Audubon and into the secret city. Elijah carried Elise while Brynley was holding Evie's hand, the girl walking along side her mother.

"God, she looks just like you." Elle spoke up as she walked up to them, looking at Elise and holding a little blonde boy in her arms. "Luca, say hi to Aunt Bryn."

The little boy waved and Brynley smiled. He was the same age as Evie, but very attached to his mother. "Where's Niki?"

"At home." Elle replied, placing Luca on the ground. "She wants to adopt another kid."

"Oh my god," Brynley's eyes widened. "You should, at least you won't have to carry this one."

"Pregnancy was exhausting." Elle mumbled.

"I can't believe you two decided who would carry the baby through a game of rock, paper, scissors." Brynley laughed and Elijah smiled.

"Well, being pregnant seemed like fun." Elle shrugged. "Chase is on his way with Dixie."

Chase and his wife, Sara had a little girl named Dixie Tae van Doren, who was also the same age as Evie. Elle and her wife, Niki had Luca Liam Greybeck.

"Okay," Brynley bent down as Elijah placed Elise on the ground, the mother at eye level with her daughters.

"Your mother and I are gonna go handle a few things, but we will be back very, very soon." Elijah whispered, bending down next to Brynley.

A pout appeared on Evie's face and tears rose to Elise's eyes. Brynley sighed, smiling sadly, "It's just for a few hours, my loves, we'll be back before you go to sleep. And you are gonna have so, so much fun with Auntie Elle and Uncle Chase and Luca and Dixie."

"Yeah, you're gonna have friends, doesn't that sound fun?" Elijah questioned, trying to get them excited.

"Where's Hope?" Evie asked.

"She's in the Bayou with Grandma Mary." Brynley replied, brushing a piece of hair out of Evie's face. "But it's better for you two to be here, in Audubon, you'll have more fun."

Brynley glanced at Elijah, the two knowing that main reason was they knew their little girls would be safer in Audubon with the protective barrier than out in the middle of the Bayou.

Elise still didn't look convinced, so Brynley smirked at her. "Bumblebee, you wanna know one of the best parts about Audubon?"

She looked at her mother curiously and Brynley turned her and Evie around gently, looking towards the town. Silver clouds of magic were just about everywhere. Fairies flying around with their wings freely, and both of the girls smiled.

"You can do all the fairy magic you want here." Brynley smiled, her daughters looking up at her excitedly. "But only fairy magic, okay? No witchcraft because you don't know how to control it all that well. You know the difference, right?"

Evie and Elise nodded, both of their eyes flashing gold for a quick second to say they did indeed know the difference. The older sister grabbed her younger sister's hand and ran towards Liam and Dixie, who had just arrived with her father.

"We'll take good care of them." Chase promised as he hugged Brynley. "Elise looks so much like you."

"And Evie is the perfect combination of the both of you." Elle added and Brynley and Elijah smiled. "They'll have fun, call us if you need us, okay?"

-

s4e6: bag of cobras

Brynley stood next to Elijah in Vincent's house, a couple days later. Marcel had been captured in the tunnels underneath the Mikaelson compound and Klaus was planning a party practically to celebrate it.

"This thing has been haunting the city for a very long time. And before today the only thing I knew about it was that it was a spirit, practiced some very dark magic, and it was trying desperately to get back into this world." Vincent explained. "And that's why it tried to sacrifice those kids. That's why it tried to do the exact same thing to Marcel and to Klaus, and to you, Brynley. Because of it kills you all, if they die, it absorbs all of your power."

Her eyes widened, looking down at her hands, flashing gold for a quick second. Elijah looked at her worriedly. "Talk to me about this."

"This is the history of the city. This is the ebb and flow of violence and tragedy." Vincent pointed at his board, drawings and details of the Hollow on it. "Look, this is, um, Madame LaLaurie, this is uh, The Axeman. I mean the list goes on and on and on and on and on and sometimes it's hidden, but if you know what you're looking for, right, there's always a sign it's The Hollow. And when it does bubble up, it always do so in a pattern of four."

"What does it want?" Brynley asked.

"It's a ghost, it, it, it wants access to this world. So it reaches out and it whispers to the desperate." Vincent shrugged.

"There have to be other's, someone else, someone who could speak to us of its desires, of its weaknesses." Elijah sighed.

"You think this person might be at your party?" Vincent questioned.

"We're counting on it." Elijah smirked and Brynley nodded. "We're counting on you. Help us find them."

-

Brynley sighed, adjusting her tight plum dress as Elijah walked towards her in the Mikaelson compound, the party that Klaus had planned in full swing. He grabbed his soulmate's hand, kissing it gently, "You look incredible."

She smiled, taking a few steps towards him to adjust his tie, their faces close. "Says you."

"Come on, we have business to handle." Elijah whispered.

"I wish for once we could attend a party that isn't part of some elaborate scheme." Brynley sighed and Elijah smirked.

The soulmates walked towards Klaus, Elijah speaking, "Ah, you've outdone yourself."

"I'm inclined to agree. It's such a shame these lovely linens will soon be red with blood." Klaus smirked.

"Oh god." Brynley rolled her eyes.

"Violence must only be seen as a last resort, it will only weaken our position." Elijah reminded.

"What he said." Brynley agreed.

"Yes, well, I'm a creature of very specific habits." Klaus shrugged.

"Brother, please, remember that the point of tonight is to create a false sense of security. A little music, a little champagne, some stealthy reconnaissance.. no bloodshed." Elijah tried to reason.

"Listen to him, Klaus," Brynley said, seeing Elle and Chase enter the party with their wives. "This is a new dress, no need to get it dirty."

She walked away from the brother and downstairs.

"They threatened me. They threatened my child. Your daughters." Klaus said to his brother. "Bloodshed is inevitable."

"And how do we protect them from all of this?" Elijah wondered. "Hope worships you, Niklaus. And she must not see the monster. Neither can my girls."

Klaus looked down before glancing back up at his brother, unsure. "I look at my daughters, and all I can see is their mother's innocence in their eyes. An innocence that she no longer carries, one that was ruined."

"I can't let that happen to them." Elijah whispered. "None of them can see our monsters."

"I do not wish for them to see us as a monster, but I cannot sit idly by while threats to our family go unanswered." Klaus explained.

"Then let us handle it, together, brother. Try our best to not resort to violence." Elijah said. "And should any turmoil arise, should anyone dare to disrupt our kingdom, let them answer to us."