Ariel paused in the doorway, hand inches from the knob. After Andrew had gotten the spirits under control, Kat had woken up and vanished to her room for the night and much of the morning. And Ariel couldn't stand it anymore. She had to make sure everything was alright. The door opened while she was debating with herself, revealing Kat, who looked deeply amused.
"Hybrid, remember?" she asked. "Not only could I smell you but I could hear you breathing out here."
Kat opened the door wider, welcoming Ariel in. Ariel stepped over the threshhold, flopping onto Kat's perfectly made bed and crossing her legs.
"You wanna talk about it?" Ariel asked.
Kat took a deep breath, shutting the door.
"No," she admitted.
She sat across from the bed in the small wooden chair in her room.
"It was probably one of the most painful experiences in my life but I needed it," Kat went on. " I needed to say goodbye."
Ariel smiled.
"So, he went in peace," she said. "What a relief."
Kat sighed.
"I wish Jay could have said goodbye."
"How is she?" Ariel asked.
"She's getting stronger," Kat replied. "Her power is growing."
Ariel's entire body tensed.
"How do you mean?" she asked.
She knew the answers would not come without questions if they came at all. And she knew that every one of Kat's defenses were raised.
"Is that not suppose to happen?" Kat checked.
She was rising, slowly, her body tense as if she wanted to run. But there was curiosity there too.
"No, its not suppose to happen," Ariel replied.
She was barely holding in the inner panic she felt but Kat saw straight through her.
"I have to get back to New Orleans," Kat proclaimed.
"You can't," Ariel said.
She reached out with her power, barricading the door with enough magic to strengthen the door and walls as well as cloak them to prevent eavesdropping. Kat sensed the sizzling magic and turned, no longer happy with the new predicament.
"Ariel, I've known Jay a hell of a lot longer than I've known you. I will go through you."
"I'm sorry Kat-" Ariel began.
Kat sighed.
"Wrong answer."
Ariel expected violence and impulsiveness from Jay. Never Kat who was always so diplomatic. That's why she was surprised to find a broken chair leg stabbed into her gut, missing her vitals of course. Her magic fizzled, following her concentration's example and she grasped the leg as her blood began bubbling around the tip. Kat threw open the door, taking a half step forward before pausing. With a ragged sigh, she turned back, biting into her wrist and exposing the bleeding wound to Ariel who blanched. Blood had always grossed her out slightly. Kat didn't seem to care, shoving her bleeding wrist into Ariel's mouth, forcing the acid flavored blood into the witch's mouth. And on that note, Kat headed for the door. She didn't get very far, coming up short as soon as she registered that Alastair was blocking her path. He smirked.
"Kat," he greeted.
She backtracked, swearing as he reached for her. She had no idea this creep was even on the premises. Lashing out was a bad idea since he knew his way around a fight better than all six of his older brothers. Despite being a witch, Alastair grabbed her, moving surprisingly fast and she felt the first tendrils of pain as they laced through her body. Because that was what he did. One touch and you could feel a thousand years of pain for as long as he touched you. Kat screamed, wretching herself from his grip and vamp speeding to the furthest corner of the room. Alastair seemed amused by that, leaning against the door jam. He looked condescendingly at Ariel.
"We tried it your way," he said, as if she'd spoken. "Now its my turn."
Kat glared at him, willing her body to get it together,to stop remembering the pain so she could get away. Alastair faced her head on and she tensed, forcing herself to be prepared for the pain to come.
"Your little friend's power is growing. She's able to move more and she has lapses in which you get a glimpse of the murdering psychopath below," he said.
"That was Ursula," Kat snapped in Jay's defense.
"Jaiyana is a heretic," Alastair said, his eyes expressing the annoyance his voice did a good enough job doing as he glanced at Ariel.
She hung her head, casting her eyes aside.
"You lied to protect her," Alastair abmonished.
He let that annoyance fade, hidden behind a maniacal grin.
"But no matter. We've all but caught her."

She ignored Elijah's impatience as she paused to marvel at the dying vampires and the overwhelming smell of blood.
"They really did a number," she observed.
"Jaiyana, we really have to go," Elijah insisted.
He got a grip on her arm, tugging her along.
"Ok, ok," she said, stumbling just once before she got her butt in gear.
She could feel the crackling of growing witch energy in the air and as she and Elijah moved through the city, the energy only grew stronger. Opening her senses, she breathed in the magic, practically overwhelmed by the strength and familiarity of it.
"The church," Jay managed before a wave of pain crashed down on her.
She fell to her knees, alerting Elijah who was still holding her arm. Jay waved him off, her body trembling.
"Go. The church," she got out around the pain wracking her body.
Elijah didn't hesitate. He took off, leaving Jay on the street. Her fingers curled as she opened herself to the magic, a trick she swore to Ariel she would never use again. As magic flowed into her though, she wondered why she'd ever made such a promise.

Kat paced her cell, still shaking off the pain from Alastair and the vervain. She was weakened and to make matters worse, she was next to Ursula's cell. Ursula, meanwhile, watched Kat pace, silently fuming, probably still mad about the loss of her powers.
"Stop staring at me," Kat growled.
"No."
Ursula, regardless of her imprisonment, hadn't matured in the slightest. Her teenage hormones were clearly raging. Soft footsteps cut through Kat's next response and she heard the basement door creak open. Ariel stepped in, nervously, picking at her nails.
" ," both Kat and Ursula snarled.
"Kat, please," Ariel begged, ignoring Ursula completely.
She approached the cell, lingering just out of reaching distance. Kat kept an eye on that in case Ariel slipped up and gave her an in.
"Let me guess," Kat mused. "Daddy dearest took the baby."
"We're not here to talk about my baby."
Ariel sounded defensive. Kat let out a huff as she sank against the opposite wall, sliding to the floor. Ariel took a deep breath.
"A heretic is a witch with no magic of their own who has to steal it from others. When they become a vampire, they have a source of magic that never goes away," she explained. "And Jay, is one."
"Impossible," Ursula grumped. "The heretics were locked away ages ago."
"Jay didn't know what she was, not at first," Ariel went on, ignoring Ursula's interruption."But when she absorbed all of Ursula's powers, I knew I had to hide her from my family."
"She absorbed my powers!" Ursula practically screamed, throwing herself against the bars.
Ariel faced her old enemy now, looking remorseless.
"Yes," she confirmed. "And she burned through it in a week. And I made her swear that she would never use her magic."
"Her magic?" Ursula freaked. "That was my magic! She stole my magic!And you helped that abomination do it!"
"What are they going to do to her when they catch her?"
Kat's voice was so silent that it almost went unnoticed.
"They're going to kill her," Ariel replied. "The original coven that created the first heretic prison has pulled away from us. We can't contact them. So, Jay has to die."
"I won't let that happen," Kat declared."Let me out."
"I can't," Ariel said.
"You can't let Jay die!" Kat snarled.
Ariel smiled.
"I told you, I am with you both always," she said. "I have kept you alive and safe this far. I won't let you down."

She followed in Elijah's wake, still riding the power high somewhat though it was fading, the borrowed power leaking from her as she sought the very witches trying to hide from her. Nothing would have prepared her. Walking into the church, she finally saw the one side of Elijah she'd yet to see in all her time knowing him. Slowly, she approached, staring at Hayley's body, at her sliced throat.
"Who did this?" she asked Klaus, stepping closer to him and speaking in low tones.
"Monique," Klaus replied, the anger and sorrow in his voice palpable.
She noticed his voice was equally low.
"And the baby?"
She was trying not to focus on Hayley or on Elijah's tears. To see him so broken was too much. He had always been her rock and she was unsure how to comfort him.
"They took her."
Klaus watched carefully, sensing something off in her. The way her eyes flashed confirmed it.
"I'll track them," she announced, turning to go.
Her pace was a little more hurried then she would have liked. But she was angry, angry that Monique would do something so foolish. No way would she be able to get the girl out of the city without Klaus personally hunting her down. And she was angry with those stupid ancestors. They would pay. And pay dearly.

They were whispering again, warning her. Monique ignored all other sounds, focusing on the message that the ancestors were feeding her.
"Are you alright?"
Abigail was at her side, curious, clearly not as intuned to the voices of the witches before them.
"The ancestors are speaking to me," Monique confided in her, her voice low so as not to alert Genevieve.
Abigail looked amazed.
"What are they saying?" she asked.
Monique listened, hearing their whispers like hisses.
"Something about... Jay," she said.
Abigail's nose wrinkled.
"Your pet vampire?"
She wanted to snap that Jay was not a vampire but a hybrid but her anger at Jay leaving her flared up.
"And heretic," Monique added.
"What is that?" Abigail asked.
"I have no idea," Monique admitted.
She looked around the cemetery, as if the answers would reveal themselves.
"But whatever it is, the ancestors are-"
Turning back, she discovered that Abigail was gone.
"Disturbed," she finished.
She was still in the cemetery but she could feel magic all around her and knew this was a trick. She heard the crunch of dirt beneath boots and she turned again, her eyes landing on Jay.
"Little girl, you messed up big time," Jay greeted.
"Jay," Monique spat. "What is this?"
"What else but magic?" Jay answered.
She was wearing a coat, a black one that was in no way a good sign. She slid one of her hands out of the pocket, curling it into a fist. From that fist sprang fire.
"How did you do that?" demanded Monique.
Her hand swept the illusion of the cemetery.
"How are you doing any of this?"
Jay waved the fire away.
"Monique, if you're smart, you will leave this cemetery and run," Jay advised, clearly having no intention of explaining anything. "Run very fast and very far."
"The ancestors-" Monique yelled.
"Are using you!" Jay snapped. "That's the problem with witches! They can't just stay dead. Always meddling! God forbid something go against nature!"
Jay's hand swept through the air and suddenly she and Monique stood in the mausoleum, watching Genevieve ready the baby.
"She's a baby," Jay said, watching the child. "Born today. And you took her mother away."
"They took my mother away!" Monique argued.
"You have to rise above the monsters lest you become one," Jay retorted.
"That's not what you did!" Monique threw back.
Jay sighed.
"Witches killed my mother," she admitted. "Because of what she was. They waited until my father and brother were gone, until we were home alone. My mother hid me and ran away, to lead them off."
She met and held Monique's eyes.
"They beat her and dragged her back and killed her in our home."
Jay was shaking.
"I felt them leave and I came out and all I could do was stare at my mother's body. That's how my father found me and it destroyed him."
She paused and swallowed what was clearly a lump in her throat.
"It destroyed us all," she finally continued, her brief lapse of control gone. "Technically, witches are my enemy. And yet, I've been protecting them."
"Because a Deveraux saved you," Monique pointed out.
Jay's lips quirked.
"And how many Deveraux have I saved? My debt was paid in full a long time ago. I've stayed because I love you and your family. You have always been witches with standards."
Jay motioned at the baby.
"And you're throwing it all away."
Monique shrieked, lunging at Jay only to have the illusion vanish and she was back, standing next to a confused Abigail.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
"Yes," Monique said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Let's go. We should start soon."

"If I recall right," Kat said. "Your brother said you'd all but caught Jay. What did that mean?"
Ariel looked up from her brew.
"Think. They know where she is and with you and I locked on the compound, there's no one to warn her that they know what she is."
Kat sank against the bars.
"This sucks," she declared.
Above their heads, a door creaked open. Ariel gathered her brewing instruments, hiding them under a sack cast carelessly in the basement dungeon before hiding in the shadows herself. Kat scooted back from the bars, tucking herself in a dark corner. Alastair appeared, swinging the key to the cages around his finger. He smirked Kat's way as he opened the empty one next to her. That's when the acolytes came in, dragging an unconscious Micah with them until they threw him in the cage. Alastair slammed the cage closed.
"Having fun?" he asked, detouring to Kat's cell.
"Oodles," she said sarcastically.
"You can come out as soon as we have Jay," he promised.
"You better pray I never get out," Kat declared,letting the hybrid in her bleed into her eyes.
Alastair grinned.
"How cute," he said. "I'll keep that in mind."

Jay hated mazes. And that was literally what was laid out before her. She didn't stop running though, using more magic than she would have liked. Despite that, she kept running into dead ends. She had to get to Monique, had to get her to safety. The girl would hate her but hate passes. Someday, Monique would be glad to be free of the ancestors and the burden that came with murdering innocents. Jay sped up her pace, just enough to allow herself to smash through the wall of cement ahead. She was tired of running the maze. So she'd just have to break through it.

"This is stupid," Ursula grumped.
She was ignored of course.
"With luck, this'll work," Ariel said.
She tipped the brown brew onto the bars of Kat's cell, letting it eat through the bars.
"Well what do you know?" Kat marveled sarcastically. "It worked."
Ursula crossed her arms and sulked in the corner.
"What about Micah?" Kat asked.
"They won't hurt him," Ariel said with certainty.
"And what about me?" demanded Ursula.
"What about you?" Kat snapped.
She turned to Ariel.
"They're going to know it was you," she said.
Ariel shrugged, handing Kat another, small vial with a clear liquid in it.
"They won't kill me," she declared.
She nodded at up the stairs.
"Go. That potion should keep Alastair's power from affecting you."
Kat smirked.
"What makes you think that Alastair will even be able to catch me?"
With that, she zipped out, stirring up a breeze.
"You lied to her," Ursula accused.
Ariel smiled.
"That's the difference between us," she gloated. "I won't put myself above my friends. You will."
She drew another vial from her pocket, a matching brown to the first, dumping it on Micah's cage.
"Then again, you don't have friends," she continued, kneeling next to the unconscious vampire.
Ariel touched his shoulder, letting her magic flow into him. Slowly, he came awake, blinking at her.
"Ariel," he whispered, sitting up.
"Micah, I need you to listen to me," Ariel urged.
He was suddenly very alert.
"Go upstairs and get the baby. I've packed a bag for her. Get her and Mimi off the compound. Get them out of Maine. Do you understand?"
"What about you?" Micah asked.
Ariel touched his face, gently.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to," she instructed.
Micah just nodded, standing and bringing Ariel with him.
"You've been a good friend to me," he whispered, drawing her into a hug.
"Then do me this last favor. And go."

"Do I even want to know why you're here?"
Jay turned to face Marcel who watched her as she tore through yet another mausoleum. The same one actually. Despite what she thought, she couldn't just tear the illusion apart.
"I don't suppose I could just say Klaus made me do it, right?" she asked, half joking.
"You're here for the baby," Marcel guessed.
"I'm here for Monique," Jay replied. "She's the last Deveraux in this town."
Marcel opened his mouth to respond but the sound of something shattering caught both their attention. Marcel reacted first and Jay was slowed by struggling from the rubble at her feet. Illusion or not, it was inconvenient. Speaking of illusions, she skidded to a halt, facing a wall of witches.
"Shit," she breathed. "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"
The witches didn't respond, knocking her back. She knew they intended to do worse. After all, she was a hybrid in their cemetery.
"You wanna play?" she asked. "Let's play!"
She grabbed a chunk of concrete and threw it at them, which did no good. They were operating on another plane essentially. One that allowed them to touch her but not the other way around.
"Jaiyana!" Marcel called.
He was coming back for her. For whatever reason, he was coming back.
"No, Marcel!" Jay yelled. "GO!"
She waved at him to keep going. There was only so much these witches could do. At least she thought so. Marcel hesitated, he hesitated, but then he ran.
"Good boy," Jay said.
The witches howled, lunging at her. Jay dodged it, barely, leaping on top of the masoleum to her chanting was haunting and she cursed as her jacket sleeve caught on fire. Jay didn't hesitate, ripping off the jacket and tossing it at them. All she could was dodge. And even that failed her when a wall of flames rose around her, trapping her in. The ancestors stood just outside of it, still chanting, mocking her. The pain started as a dull throbbing in her head and she hissed in pain, grabbing her head. She'd always hated this little witch trick.
"Heretic...abomination... monster..." the voices hissed, repeated over and over again in her head.
With each round, they got louder. Jay felt blood trickling from her nose and eyes, the power crushing her now. There was too much. They were too strong.
"I'm sorry Ariel," she whispered.
And then she let go, opening herself up to the magic. The sheer rush of it overwhelmed her instantly. The earlier magic was nothing compared to what she was facing now. She could feel the power rushing through her and when she lifted her head, the flames around her went out. Her head hurt but for a different reason now. The ancestors were in a panic as more and more of their power was stolen from them. Meanwhile, Jay felt overwhelmed, the magic becoming too much. She sighed, tired, releasing the magic then. And with that, she collapsed, landing amongst the rubble.

Kat stopped running, just far enough from the compound that she knew no guards would spot her. She looked back, fighting the inner mantra she'd had for years in preparation of Ursula's return.
"Keep. Ariel. Safe," her mind screamed at her.
Well, Ariel was safe. Ursula was in prison. Now her mantra had to change. She had to keep Jay safe from Ariel's family. She looked at the vial in her hand, suppose to shield her from Alastair's magic. She hadn't run into him which made her worry that he was already heading to New Orleans. If she ran all day and night, she'd be there, two days, tops. Her resolve strong, she tucked the vial in her pocket, preparing to go. The resounding explosion behind her shocked her and, despite her distance, she felt the heat. The compound, what she could see of it, was in flames. She stared in shock at the black smoke twirling in the sky.
"ARIEL!" she screamed.
She started running back only to just barely stop herself. No! Ariel wouldn't risk her life, not with her new baby. Her father would forgive her for freeing Kat. And she was still the baby's mother. They wouldn't just take her away. Kat turned away, slowly, hesitantly, but she swallowed her hesitation, her uncertainty and she vamped away.

"Oh my god."
Hayley's whisper had him worried and Elijah glanced her way only to find her staring ahead at something in their path. He was instantly alert, assuming the worst but all he found was an unconcious Jay. He sighed, leaving Hayley's side, reluctantly. Her jacket, a black one she wore a lot, lay by one of the graves, the sleeve burned. So, the ancestors hadn't just focused their efforts on Klaus, Hayley and himself. He kneeled and,gently, he slid his hands under her, lifting her into his arms. Hayley was now at his side.
"What was she doing here?" she asked as they walked.
"She's always had a connection to the Deveraux witches. And she's always had a soft spot for children. I believe that she came here to convince Monique to end this madness," Elijah theorized.
Hayley relaxed a little bit.
"How could she want to save someone who would kill a baby? A monster?" she asked.
Elijah looked down at Jay's face, remembering when she was human.
"She's a monster too," he said. "She's learned not to judge the other monsters."

She knew she wasn't alone and she fought to get her tears under control.
"I hear you joined the ranks of us hybrids."
Jay sat across from Hayley, offering her a tissue.
"Thanks," Hayley said and she swallowed.
"You did the right thing," Jay said, resting a hand on Hayley's knee. "And I'm sorry that it was a decision that you had to make."
Hayley said nothing and Jay gave her knee a quick squeeze.
"He loves her. He'll make sure she is with someone that will love her," she went on.
"I'm her mother. Who can love her more than I can?" Hayley demanded.
"No one," Jay relented.
She rose.
"I swear to you, though, that I will do everything in my power to ensure that you get her back."
"Why are you doing this?" Hayley asked, looking up at Jay.
Movement caught Jay's eye and she glanced up briefly, catching sight of Marcel as he passed, probably to report to Elijah.
"Once upon a time, I had a son. And I failed to keep him safe. And I don't know that I can make up for it," Jay explained. "But I'm going to try. So I know where you're at. And I know what happens if you go down the wrong path."
With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her. Marcel was waiting in the hall for her, silent.
"Did you mean any of that or were they just pretty words?" he demanded.
Jay looked his way.
"Marcel, I loved you. Even at my darkest, I loved you. Since we're all getting second chances, maybe I rate one."
Marcel studied her, his eyes drilling hard into her. Finally, he let out a whoosh of air.
"I suppose its not too much to ask," he relented.
Jay smiled.
"You and your damn pride," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around him.
She could feel him tense and fear coiled in her stomach. And then he wrapped his arms around her.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Kat entered the courtyard. Sadness choked the Quarter as well as the feeling that something had changed. But she was too tired and drained to fully investigate it. She had to locate Jay and tell her everything.
"Jay!" she called.
She didn't care that it was the middle of the night and that everyone in the house possessed supernatural hearing. That her arrival could potentially be waking someone up. All she knew was that she needed to see her friend and know she was safe.
"Kat?"
And like that, her best friend was on the balcony above her, clearly confused.
"What's wrong?"
Jay was okay. Kat had made it, had beaten Alastair, if he was even still on his way. The relief of that let her relax just a bit and tears escaped her eyes as she stared up at Jay, clueless Jay.
"It's Ariel," she sobbed, her armor cracking. "She's dead."

A/N: This chapter is LOOOOOOOONG overdue. I lost heart a little bit with the Originals as well as Vampire Diaries for a bit there. Mostly because I lost heart with ALOT of things I loved. Working at Wal-Mart and having the lovely managers and customers make you feel like less than a person will do that to you. Well, I've reclaimed my identity as a person so here's a chapter and I hope people are still interested in the story. I do plan to continue with season 2, which I'll be working on catching up on in the next few weeks. I really hope you look forward to the updates, people who are actually invested. Thank you for reading and I really hope you review.