"Oh my god!" Josh dropped the bag of blood he'd been drinking, splattering it everywhere.

"Josh!"

Davina had taken MJ to Marcel's place across the river, catching her up on everything she'd missed; the Guerrera's, moonlight rings, Cassie/Esther. The mess that had been Mikael getting free and almost killing Klaus. The wolves and the vampires teaming up.

Sam had been trying to get Davina to call them back by updating her on everything.

It was a spacious apartment – two floors, MJ assuming it was the new hub for vampire activity.

She also couldn't help but notice her painting on one of the walls.

Before she could really think about that, Josh left the spillage to wrap his arms around her.

MJ loved hugs.

She'd forgotten how much she loved hugs till she'd spent almost half a day receiving them. Each one was helping her get used to being in contact with other people again, in situations where she felt like she could relax. Readjusting to society.

"You're like, actually here?" He was patting her down to check she wasn't a ghost, "Like, alive-alive – not a vampire? Not a spirit?"

"I'm alive-alive."

"Can I ask how?" Josh said, with about as much tact as expected (not a lot).

MJ poured herself a drink of water while Davina took a seat on the sofa.

"Friendly reminder," Her glass was held up like a toast, "Everything that happens in Mystic Falls sounds like an acid trip."

"We have resurrected body jumping Mikaelson's who are trying to kill each other," Josh stated bluntly, ignoring the sharp glare Davina was giving him.

"Oh, Joshua," MJ laughed, assuming he was just referencing Mikael and Esther, "Resurrected-body-jumping-Mikaelson's-trying-to-kill-each-other was the first term of my Senior Year."

Davina and Josh shared a look.

"Technically, my Junior Year too, if you count how Klaus and I met."

"Give us the crazy then," He took a seat next to Davina while MJ perched on the table, "Tell us about all the behind the scenes details that landed us in this mess."

"A group of witches committed mass suicide to resurrect their cult leader from two thousand years prior. Under the guidance of my twenty-four-year-old brother. Who was acting as the present-day cult leader," Her expression was blank, "Causing the foundations of The Other Side to collapse."

They both blinked, processing the absurdity of that statement.

"I recreated the sacrifice on an even larger scale so we could resurrect a bunch of people. Me and two friends ended up on the wrong side of the door to the afterlife when it shut, I screamed super loud, and that, combined with the spirit of my friend's dead grandmother, sent us to a prison world."

"A what?" Davina asked.

"A prison world," She waved her hand, "I'll show you later. There's one I need to grab in The Compound."

To prove the trip was worth it to Ric.

"I've been stuck reliving the same day in 1994 for basically six months. I got out, now I'm here."

"Wow," Josh nodded, "That's just...something that happens to people?"

"Yep."

"But, now your back?"

"Yep."

"And already pulled straight back into the fold?"

"Ish," MJ was happy to have something to do, "I'm taking the day to see people. Then, in two and a half days, I'm heading back to Mystic Falls to try and rescue the friend who's still in the Prison World."

Bonnie had got her out; MJ wasn't leaving her behind, no matter how badly she just wanted to hide in New Orleans for the rest of time.

"Okay," Josh made a choice, "If you're leaving that quickly, I'm getting Aiden over here."

That seemed to perk Davina up, "Yes."

"Aiden?"

"Josh's boyfriend!" Davina answered.

Josh smiled to himself, texting quickly.

"You've managed to get a boyfriend in between all the supernatural fighting?" MJ was impressed.

Then again, she was kinda used to the Mystic Falls gang hooking up despite not having the time to.

"Everything's been a bit of a nightmare," Josh confirmed, "Every werewolf in town is trying to kill me. Except for the super-hot one that I'm sort of dating, but that's got its own problems."

"And he's a werewolf," MJ nodded, "I don't know whether to feel bad about making moonlight amulets or not...I mean, Genevieve deliberately used the first version to weaken Klaus. Which I warned him about happening. Literally told him to make sure they used the most recent page in the book."

Davina's catch-up had definitely helped switch her brain on.

"But I could probably make a new set to free them all from Esther."

Josh's eyes went wide, "You could?"

"Yeah," She smiled fondly, "I was never gonna use the spell I made to boss them about last year."

MJ had genuinely wanted to help all the factions of the city.

"I would happily make a new set, especially since I can just de-spell them if people get carried away with the power."

"Your dream of peace for The Quarter," Josh teased, standing up.

She looked at her painting on the wall.

All the bright colours she'd used.

MJ had missed her dream.

"We'll get there," She smiled at them both, "I know we will."

"I'm gonna meet him," Josh headed to the door, "Be back in like three minutes?"

Once they were alone, MJ noticed how Davina was staring at her shoes.

"D?"

"Are you still an elder?"

"I heard ancestral whispers as I entered the city, so I'm gonna say yes?"

Enzo had stopped the car near the barrier because she'd started to panic, needing the pit-stop to relearn how to tune out of the ghost wavelength.

"They actually sounded relatively happy to see me."

"The coven hasn't had an elder since you left," Davina reminded her, "So it makes sense they'd be happy – Cassie – I mean, Esther, kinda just took over."

"And I'm happy to rip that position from her and her new host body."

"Um..." Davina was still looking away.

"Yes?"

"How can you just work with Klaus after everything he's done?" She wanted to be careful, "How can you just run into his arms?"

"D," MJ's eyes fluttered shut, "I died. And I missed him."

A ridiculous amount.

"So I'm gonna hug him."

Because she loved hugs.

"And I can work with him, because it's a lot easier to work with him than hate him," MJ didn't really feel like she actually needed to defend her choices to Davina, "Hating him is so exhausting, and I don't really want to waste my life doing it."

She had enough other things dragging her down.

"Especially when he's worked incredibly hard to make things up to me over the years."

Seeing him again had reminded MJ of why the guilt she'd felt in the Prison World wasn't always hanging over her head. She could feel guilty, and she did, but she was a work-in-progress. They all were. She couldn't change the past, but she could remember who was there for her and who wasn't.

Kai's Katherine hallucination didn't know the whole story of her and Klaus.

"He's been looking out for me for a pretty long time now, and we're an excellent team."

"I don't think I could ever work with him," She huffed, "He just makes me so mad."

"Because you're a teenager," MJ pushed her shoulders down in an attempt to relax, "A teenager who feels like they keep losing. And trust me. I know what that feels like."

Him getting Tyler to bite Caroline on her birthday.

"But, at some point, you've gotta realise that dedicating your life to trying to beat him isn't worth it."

"Are you seriously saying give up?" She was shocked, "Give in to his awful attitude?"

"No," MJ shook her head, "I'm saying he's not actually that bad when you stop trying to kill him. And I'm saying that you can't change the past. Focusing on it just gives him power over you. It proves that his violent methods for control work."

Davina sat up cautiously, "Are you in love with him?"

"What?"

"I asked if you were in love with him?"

"No," MJ rolled her eyes, "I've seen the bad. I've put my faith in him despite it. And he's come through to earn forgiveness."

She stuck her chin in the air, "I don't think there's anything he can do to earn mine."

"No offence, D, but what's the biggest bad thing he's ever done to you?"

"He killed Tim, and he's tried to kill Marcel and Josh."

MJ nodded, unimpressed by the list.

Klaus had done so much worse to her and basically everyone else in his life.

"He'd never actually kill Marcel; we both know that," She kept her tone as un-demeaning as possible, "He pardoned Josh for you. And gave you the spell to make him a daylight ring – not saying that earns him forgiveness for Tim, would never say that. You never need to forgive him for that."

The same way she'd never forgive him for Carol.

"But forgiveness and revenge aren't the only two options."

Marcel and her mum.

MJ had grown past it – not forgiveness or revenge, just an understanding that her childish hate wasn't doing anything good for her, choosing to try and move on.

"A revenge quest is a waste of your life when you're only eighteen. Especially since Josh is now dating a werewolf, and if something goes wrong, which it might, we kinda need Klaus around as a cure."

"You're a cure."

"Two options are way better than one."

And.

"I'm jumping back and forth between Mystic Falls and here until my friend's safe. And I'm mortal. I'm magically durable at the moment, but an instant kill will still work. He's the more reliable option."

Not even factoring how there was no way in hell MJ was going to siphon any of her friends for a good few weeks following Kai's nightmare.

Davina didn't respond to that.

There was a rush of wind; someone else was in the apartment, noise in the stairwell too.

MJ rushed up, "Sam!"

"You're not dead!"

"I'm not dead," She jumped into the hybrid's arms, letting him spin her around, "How did you find out?"

"Aiden got a call about meeting some of Josh's friends, and Hayley caught me up on who."

"Ah," MJ beamed, "I need to see Jackson at some point!"

"You need to let me hug you again."

There was an awkward cough from the doorway.

Josh and his extremely attractive werewolf boyfriend were waiting for them.

MJ approved.

"Hi?" He stepped forward, "I'm Aiden."

"The super-cool," Davina seemed to cheer up with the others in the room, turning on some music, "Super-handsome – "

"Werewolf traitor?" Aiden finished the sentence, making MJ laugh.

"I'm MJ," She gave him a warm smile, "And I tend to like black sheep. So we'll get on great."

"Hey," Davina pointed upstairs, "I'm gonna go order some Tai."

"Yes," Sam nodded, then faltered, "I'm really sorry."

"You should be."

"What for?" MJ asked.

"Marcel and I nicked the White Oak Stake off her for Klaus."

MJ gave him a look.

"I want my pack back," He justified, "So my morals are having to loosen a little."

"Yeah, well," Davina scrunched up her nose, "You suck."

"I'm sorry!"

It was so clear on his face that he felt awful about it, MJ noticing a weird tension between them, like they hadn't actually seen each other in a while.

She'd ask about it later.

"I'm kidding, Sam," Davina backtracked, eyes darting around nervously, "I know it was more Marcel than you."

"Equal blame," Sam didn't want to get it twisted, "But I'll pay for the Tai to make up for it?"

She smiled to herself, "I think that'll do."

Davina took his card and disappeared to make the order, knowing what most of them liked already.

Sam put an arm over her shoulder, "Tai and a time out is exactly what we need before our pack meeting."

"Pack meeting?"

"Yeah," He sighed, "I'm on the outs because of the whole hybrid status."

"You follow through with telling your mum yet?"

"I did, actually."

"Go you," She high fived him, jumping back at the impact as sparks jutted out from her fingers.

Sudden contact with hybrid power was something to be careful with.

"The pack found out two days ago."

When Ollie had yelled about how dumb they were for lining up to fight two hybrids.

"Not everyone's down with it, but we're talking about betraying Esther, so I need to be there."

MJ pulled a face, "I find it hard to believe Jackson would let a Mikaelson boss him around?"

"He's been hiding out in the Bayou since May."

"I had to call the meeting," Aiden explained, "For Hayley and Jackson. So, everything's coming to a head...I'm either gonna be kicked out and hunted down by a witch, or things are gonna get better."

"Esther will be gone by the end of the week," MJ knew her eyes were steely, "This city isn't big enough for the both of us."

Josh laughed, "Of course you have a history with Klaus's mum."

"Once I'm done seeing people, I'm tracking her down, and she's dead."

Aiden scanned her up and down.

"Yes?" She asked.

"...I never got to meet you last year," He was obviously trying to be careful with his words, "But I heard a lot about you..."

"I kinda have a rep," She fiddled with her hair, "Good stuff or bad stuff?"

"Bit of both."

"Life is a bit of both – was it all about the Mikaelson's?"

"I knew Jackson had a witch helping him with the rings, but she was also the Mikaelson's witch, which Ollie didn't like," Aiden had been in the background for the entire of the previous year, "But Jack trusted you in a really short amount of time."

"So did Marcel," Josh added.

"And Klaus," Sam snorted, "And Klaus Mikaelson doesn't trust anyone."

"Loyalty sends a powerful message," She felt slightly embarrassed by it all, "I offered that loyalty to everyone."

"I hope you're right," Aiden rubbed his arms, "Staying loyal to Jackson might cost me."

"Those people look up to you," Josh glanced up at his boyfriend, "You tell 'em what's what, and they'll listen."

"I'm not the alpha."

"No, but the pack still respects you," Sam assured him.

MJ assumed that was true since she knew Sam wouldn't put their faith in a plan that wouldn't work, especially when it involved people they cared about.

"If we all stand together, they'll listen."

"And hey, look," Josh got a little fidgety, "If you, you know, get nervous. Or like, need a vote of confidence, or whatever? Just remember, that, uh, I think you're pretty amazing."

They rested into each other, and MJ felt the flutter she always used to get when she saw her friends happy.

Maybe being alive wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"Okay," Davina came back, "Food will be here in twenty."

"So," Josh retook a seat, "If you have a history with Mother Mikaelson, you probably have one with the brothers too?"

MJ cleared her throat, "My friends are the reason they died, yeah."

Davina had gone very still.

"Are they gonna try to kill you?" Sam prepped for the worst, "If they see you around town?"

MJ blinked.

"Oh my god," She looked to Davina, "Why – wait, you guys are saying they're alive too?"

"The whole clan is running around," Sam said, not noticing the intensity on both MJ and Davina's faces, "And it's really annoying."

Josh started to pour them all drinks, "I'm sure you'll be kept pretty well protected now your back."

"Davina?" MJ was staring at her.

Her brain was spinning.

"Oh my god!" Her hand went over her mouth, "The people chained to the – you – you said a name beginning with K!"

"I did..."

"Davina!"

Her knees were weak beneath her.

One of them had been Kol.

She'd been near Kol, and she hadn't noticed.

And he was alive, and she was alive,

And the glasses started shaking.

And what on the –

Breathing.

Coming back to New Orleans was supposed to stop the panic attacks.

"No," She shook her head, "No, no – I, what?"

"MJ?" Sam reached out for her.

She was turning back and forth, "Why didn't anyone say anything!"

Davina didn't respond.

"D!"

"No one wants you in the middle."

"MJ," Sam reached a reassuring hand out, "We'll keep you safe if they try anything."

Kol.

"I have to go."

"MJ," Davina jumped up.

"He's – no – He's alone with Marcel," She was trying to stop her hands from shaking, "Marcel and him – no!"

Kol had told her how he felt about Marcel.

He'd told her the history and the stupid things he'd done and how he felt replaced and -

"MJ," Davina was in front of her, "Breathe."

"Kol – "

"Is alive, and at The Compound," Her tone had a jab in it, "With Klaus. The guy you seem to trust so much."

"I need to see him."

"What's going on?" Josh asked.

"Kol was her boyfriend," Davina tried to keep her attention on MJ.

"What?" Sam stepped back, "But he's been stalking you for the past few months."

"He's not been stalking me," Davina clarified, "We hit it off."

MJ went very still, "You did?"

"Uh, he was helping me out with stuff."

"That's nice of him..."

And a little out of character considering his default setting used to be 'playfully antagonistic'.

"His mum sent him to spy on me."

"And, that makes more sense," MJ's hands massaged her temples, "Wait, wait, okay. So Esther brought Kol and Finn back?"

"Yes."

"And Kol was sent to spy on you while Finn did what exactly?"

"Finn's the one controlling the werewolves," Aiden spoke up.

MJ felt like someone was hitting her with a frying pan, "...Kol is working for his mum, with Finn..."

"He was trying to steal the White Oak Stake off me," Davina added quietly, "And he freed Mikael."

MJ groaned – of course, he had.

"Then he started being nice because I went on a bit of a ramble."

"Interesting story?"

"It was all about the friend I'd recently lost..."

Oh.

Oooh.

She realised what Davina was saying.

"Don't think it was all me, D," MJ walked back to the table to rest on it and rub her face, "He has a bit of a soft spot for witches with talent and feisty attitudes."

"Hold up," Sam's voice was registering as loud in her head.

She couldn't tell if it actually was or if she was just zoned out and overwhelmed.

"You dated a Mikaelson?"

Josh put a hand up, "One that wasn't Klaus?"

"He's," MJ nodded, "He can't be – I – "

Breathe in, breathe out.

"This is BS," She stated, pulling herself together, "No way in hell is he just alive."

"He is," Davina really didn't know what to do, "MJ – "

"No, because – because, I – he – no."

In. Out.

The glasses were shaking, and she needed to stop that before any of them broke.

In. Out.

And MJ was still, everything around her mirroring that, no more magic leaking out.

"I'm going over there."

Sam shook his head, "Wait  – "

"He was chained to a wall," MJ exclaimed, "If it's really him, I can't leave him there."

She looked around the faces, clearly tired and stressed, resting on was Aiden's.

"Sorry to cut meeting you short. I want a proper friends evening, I do, but I've gotta sort this out," She inhaled slowly, "And, whatever happens at your meeting. Esther will not be making it to the end of the week."

"MJ," Sam caught her arm when she went to leave, "You've just come back from the dead. Are you actually about to put yourself in the middle of the Mikaelson torture chamber?"

"Yes."

"It's not where you need to be; it's not you – "

"Josh literally met me in the 'Mikaelson Torture Chamber', Sam. It's completely me. And I need to know what the hell is going on."

To say she was in denial would be an understatement.

The moment his hand let go, she was out the door.

Josh looked to Davina, "Should we go after her?"

She pursed her lips.

"D?"

"No...?"

"Is she always that quick to jump into danger?" Aiden asked.

"Pretty much," The other three said at the same time.

"Klaus won't like her getting involved if she's gonna try and stop him interrogating them," Sam bit his cheek.

"This isn't about Klaus," Davina rubbed her neck, "This is about Kol."

He scanned her cautiously, "I thought you went on a date with him?"

"Because his mum wanted me occupied."

No one knew what to say to that.

"When I asked him about her, his entire body language changed," She forced herself to talk, "Why do you think I wasn't running for the hills after I found out who he was?"

The room became quiet for a moment.

"If I thought I was in danger, I would've asked you to come get me."

Because, even after the lack of communication during the summer, Davina did trust Sam to help her if she made it clear she needed him.

"But I wasn't...because he was mourning her...And we had that in common."

Sam momentarily accepted that answer, changing the subject slightly.

"Something was off about her, right?" He needed to check, "I'm not the only one who noticed?"

Josh and Davina had a mental conversation.

"Or maybe I am?"

"No," Josh agreed, "Her heart was beating way too quick from the moment she got here. Like 'I'm in danger' quick."

"She was forcing herself to relax too," Davina added, "Before you guys got here."

Sam's voice went quieter, "...So she's not okay."

"I know I don't know her like you guys do," Aiden shifted, "But if she's just come back from the dead, wouldn't it be a little weird if she was completely fine?"

That was true.

"We keep an eye on her then?" Sam suggested.

"I think everyone will be keeping an eye on her," Josh reminded him.

~***~

"We can keep doing this as long as you want," Marcel yanked the scalpel out of Kol's hand, "Or..."

He bit into his wrist, force-feeding him blood.

"I can kill you now," He liked the threat, "And turn you into a brand new baby vampire."

The blade went to Kol's neck as his hand healed up.

"None of the Original benefits."

"Go on then," Kol pressed himself against the metal, daring him to follow through, "My mother has plans for me, whether I like it or not. If I die, she'll just move me into someone else."

Magic was a backup plan to most things.

"Not like my family will care whether the deaths permanent anyway."

Marcel stared at him for a moment.

The declaration had him stepping back.

"What are you really up to?" He walked around the chair, inspecting him, "And, what's it got to do with Davina?"

"Do you think I'm going to break her little heart?" Kol laughed, "That's downright paternal of you, Marcel!"

He couldn't resist pushing buttons.

"And a completely inaccurate interpretation of the situation, though it is clear she's in desperate need of a good stress rel – "

Marcel lunged forward, Klaus rushing into the room to get in the middle, having finished a stress-inducing conversation with Finn.

"Easy, Marcel," He eyed his brother up, "Let's give Kol a little longer to decide before we lob off his head, hmm?"

"See Klaus, comments like that?" Marcel just smirked, "He already thinks that you don't care."

Klaus straightened up, "Is that so, brother?"

"You don't," Kol stated it as fact, "Elijah's only ever felt shame towards me; dying was the best thing I could do for our relationship. Rebekah raced off to use my death for the cure without a moment of mourning. And you've only daggered me a dozen times."

No response.

"You always cared more for Marcel than you did for me."

"Well, I didn't realise I'd hurt your feelings."

"You never realised anything about me, Nik," Kol glowered, pushing up in the chair a little, "That's the thing, innit. You don't know squat about me."

"And thanks to Marcel," Klaus was unnaturally confident, "I know all I need too."

Kol rolled his eyes in frustration.

"You're desperate to be part of this family, aren't you?"

He clicked his teeth and looked to the floor.

Silence was always an answer.

"All of your mischief was just attempt's for attention," Klaus mused, "You know, the truth is Kol, you're right to feel slighted. I mean that. You're right."

He started to remove the chains from him.

"Perhaps there's still time to make it up to you."

Kol looked up in disbelief, rubbing his wrists carefully.

He was waiting for Klaus to attack him.

To take it back or to reveal the momentary freedom as the set-up to something much worse.

When he didn't, Kol finally stood up.

"Are you serious?" Marcel shot him a look, "No way can he be trusted."

"No," Klaus agreed, "He can't."

Kol grumbled.

"But Mira can."

It was a taunt.

"And if he wants the chance to see her..."

A carrot over Kol's head.

"He's going to be on his best behaviour."

"Can I press pause on this for a second," Marcel raised a hand, "I'm clearly out of the loop."

Understatement.

"I thought Mira was your," He waved a finger at Klaus, "God, I don't know. Your 'open' relationship is impossible to understand."

Kol glared at his older brother.

"Stand down," Klaus enjoyed the reaction, "I was merely following through on your request to keep her safe – And before you make another comment about how I failed to do so, I remind you – "

"I'm sorry."

Silence.

Klaus stared at him like he'd grown a second head, "You're what?"

"I didn't know," Kol put his arms out, "No one was telling me anything. No one besides Davina. And considering Davina hates you, it's not like she made you out to be some figure of good in her life."

A second silence while they both took a breath.

"And if you feed on her ever again, I will pluck your teeth out and use them to carve 'x's' into your eyes for the rest of eternity."

"That's the most creative thing you could come up with?" Klaus critiqued, "Come on, Kol!"

"Other than that..." Kol winced, forcing the calmer words out, "I am sorry for blaming you instead of our mother."

He knew the 'feedback' was either a joke or meant to goad him, so he didn't acknowledge it.

"But if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll deny -"

"I'm sorry too."

Marcel felt incredibly uncomfortable.

He didn't understand what was happening in front of him. He knew the Mikaelson's didn't just apologise for things, especially when it came to each other, and Kol was not the one he thought would ever initiate it.

Or that Klaus would actually respond rather than flaunt the apology in his face.

"The initial reaction of threatening to kill you," Klaus bobbed his head, "Over something our mother sent you to do, might have been a little over the top."

'Might.'

"But you did threaten me back."

They weren't looking each other in the eye, the tone of their voices making them sound like school kids forced to sit on a bench and make-up in order to be allowed to attend recess with everyone else.

"If I'd known what was happening, I would've saved her, but I was a bit busy dealing with our mother. While she was gone, Mira killed her brother, then herself. That's what our Mystic Falls visitors meant when they said 'she went to The Other Side.'"

Marcel and Kol stilled at that revelation.

"And she's still operating with the mentality that she'd be better off dead. So, if I'm supposed to let you anywhere near her, you are going to have to prove you won't make things worse."

"How on earth would I make it worse?"

"Be you, encourage the chaos – "

"Didn't we just go over how you don't know squat about me?" Kol cut him off, "You can't just keep me here and unknown. I refuse to lie to her."

"Hold up," Marcel was shaking his head, still trying to fill in all the blanks, "She wears your old daylight ring."

Pointed to Klaus.

"But was dating him?"

"It's mine," Kol hated the mix-up, "The ring she tugs on when she gets nervous? Or when she's trying to focus? Or when something's not right? It was mine."

Silence.

Marcel narrowed her eyes.

"Like I said," Kol crossed his arms, "You completely misread my relationship with your precious Davina, now let me talk to MJ."

"No."

"MJ would quite like to have a say in that decision," She put her hand up in the doorway.

An unfamiliar face was staring back at her.

Curly brown hair, a lot lighter than before – almost blonde, and blue eyes, standing in front of a slightly blood-stained chair. A thinner build that made him seem even taller than before. His clothes were nowhere near as high class as the old Mikaelson wardrobe, but they suited him just as well, and though the voice was different, it was still an accent.

His eyes.

MJ focused on the blue, searching for him.

The way they jumped around with a semi-mischievous glint, waiting for the next words out of her mouth.

Scanning him again, she could see his feet pressing into the floor, hands twitching like he was holding himself back from moving to her side in case she didn't react well.

As MJ reached his face, she was caught on his eyes again.

The way they were smiling. Giddy smiling.

Smiling despite the fact he'd wanted to be the one to break the news to her.

Klaus was waiting for her reaction too.

Her heart rate picked up, something Marcel and Klaus were incredibly aware of, fingers trembling by her side. MJ was trying to keep her breathing steady, walking herself through the instructions the nurse had given her at the hospital while trying to organise her thoughts.

Out of habit, she tugged at her necklace, finger looping through the ring.

None of it was making sense.

It couldn't be him.

Kai had been in her head when she'd thought about him, and it was all a massive trick to break her. Kai had heard his name just before she'd woken up. He hadn't been able to actually access any of the memories she'd protected the previous year, so he didn't know what Kol looked like – so he was playing with her.

"No," She shook her head, "Not – no way, what? You are not Kol."

He took a step towards her, "Darling – "

"No!"

"M - "

Her breathing hitched, "No, but I, I – if you'd – this doesn't – "

Her brain had stopped functioning.

MJ didn't trust her brain.

Her brain was the reason she was having night terrors and attacking people, and it had been tampered with a few too many times for her to trust anything she saw.

But Kai hadn't been able to get into her memories of him.

"What was the last thing you said to me?"

"What?"

"What was the last thing you said to me?" MJ demanded, shaking her head quickly, "And I don't mean the message you gave Matt. And I don't mean at Graduation, or in the car, I mean, what was the last thing, you, alive, said to me."

"Um..."

She used her palms to cover her eyes, pressing down to get her mind to stop shouting at her, "Silas pretended to be you."

Something he did know about.

"My brother was manipulating me, Esther, and all the ghosts on The Other Side were yelling at me, and I had this - this stupid guy in my head, I – I, I need proof."

If she'd had access to the Floare Spirit Plane, she would've been able to see his true spirit.

But she didn't.

She had nothing to prove that anything happening to her was real.

"Mira," Kol kept his cool, coming close enough to pull her wrists away from her face, so she had to look at him, "The phone call or in-person?"

She blinked.

Calm breath in.

"The phone call...Caroline was eavesdropping on the conversation, and I never told anyone about the call..."

He smiled at her mumbling, gently kissing her knuckles

"And I highly doubt there was anyone on your end to hear it."

"I told you that if the cure was destroyed, the list of things that could kill me would be even smaller."

Her eyes blurred as the words flowed out his mouth.

"Meaning I truly had all of eternity to do as I pleased."

As she panicked, she pulled her hands away, Kol letting her, trying to be delicate.

"And I said that once you were ready..."

It wasn't real.

It couldn't be real.

If it was real, it meant the universe had given her something good, and good things didn't just happen to MJ.

"I would happily spend as many years as I had too, chasing your affections."

MJ couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Making it up to you."

She'd been able to catch the tears when she'd told Klaus about killing her brother. She'd held it in and powered through.

But hearing those words again?

It brought everything crashing down.

"And then you went and died," MJ grabbed his shirt to shove him away, "You ass."

The second she'd done it, she performed a complete one-eighty, falling into Kol's chest, almost knocking them both straight to the floor, closing her eyes, and half wiping her tears away on him as his arms engulfed her.

His head rested on hers, and he laughed weakly, "I didn't really have a say in it."

"I know," She whispered, hugging him tighter.

While he'd been a ghost, MJ had convinced herself it was a temporary state to pretend he hadn't actually died. To act like their last real conversation wasn't about forever, only to have him die the very next day. She'd had to think like that, or how much it hurt would've consumed her entirely.

He was alive.

She was hugging him.

No lukewarm connection that felt like an underfilled water balloon against her, but a real person.

No time limit on how long she could make contact.

No more risking her life to make contact.

Just her face against his shirt, sliding across it and breathing in his cologne, the slight hint of sweat from being tied up more comforting than she could have ever imagined. It was proof of life – ghosts couldn't sweat, hallucinations couldn't sweat. The person holding her close could.

MJ glanced back at Marcel and Klaus, "You two are gonna give us a minute."

One of Kol's arms was still around her.

"Or like, an hour – or, like, leave."

Klaus gave her a stern look, "Mira."

"That wasn't a request," She held up her hand, ready to force them both out, "You chained your brother to a wall? Are you kidding me?"

"He was working with our mother!"

"So you bribe him with breakfast, fond memories, and mutual interests!" She lectured, "You don't shove him into what I can only assume you forced Stefan to wear when you two got kinky in the twenties."

"My – "

"Nik," She lost the irritation, "Please."

He paused his protest to stare at her.

"Leave us for a bit."

"I am not leaving you alone with the guy who forced me to watch people kill each other when I was ten!" Marcel's feet were firmly planted down, "No way in hell."

"Ah," Kol reminisced sarcastically, "I almost turned you."

"You don't even sound like you regret it."

"I thought I was being helpful!"

"That's rich."

"He was trying to teach you how to be a vampire," MJ wrapped her arms around his waist again, "It's an absurd justification, I agree, but it wasn't meant to scar you. It came for a good place, and he will apologise for it."

"Will I?"

"Eventually."

"Once I've tortured him for your childhood."

"It's all been dealt with," MJ assured him, Kol's hand trailing up her back, eyes pinned on her face rather than their observers, "Honestly. Low-key more my mum's fault than his."

His eyes seemed a little bit bigger as they stared at each other, palm against her shirt.

"I've missed you."

"Your absence had my heart in a chokehold."

She laughed at how he'd one-upped her through phrasing, hiding round cheeks against his chest.

"I watched him kill almost every witch who helped him back in the 1900s," Marcel tried to ruin the moment, "He tore apart a church when he only needed to kill one person."

"The Dowager House," MJ nestled into him, feeling her soul start to mend, "And, he didn't kill the witches helping him; he killed the ones helping Klaus."

A key difference.

"Then there were the two who ended up locked up, right? Mary-Alice and Astrid?"

Kol aimed a childish smile at them, smug for several reasons.

She was pressed into him.

She was defending him.

And Marcel and Klaus were on edge because they hadn't realised she'd already known that information.

"Are you actually defending him?" Marcel put his hands on his hips, "He's crazy."

"So's Rebekah!"

"But – "

"And! She helped raise you," MJ was not someone to get into a debate with at the moment, "That's wrong on so many levels – but the pair of you still sleep together every time you're left alone in a room."

That shut him up.

"I'm not trying to excuse your history," She clarified, "You don't have to like him or makeup. You've just gotta give us a moment."

MJ needed time with the other half of her heart.

"Because I like him quite a lot, and there's nothing you're gonna tell me that I don't already know - Klaus probably could, but it won't change anything; You? Marcel - we covered you, pretty in-depth."

"I was supposed to torture you in a basement if I ever saw you again," Kol said with a smile.

"Something I'm thrilled you didn't follow through with," MJ spoke firmly, "Please don't."

Marcel looked for Klaus to intervene, having talked a big game about keeping Kol away from MJ moments before her arrival.

His eyes were locked on the pair, thinking through MJ's test, Kol's answer, and the fact they were practically sticking to each other.

He stepped back, out of the room.

That forced Marcel to follow suit, shaking his head in irritation as the door shut behind him, a silencing rune automatically burning into its back.

MJ pulled away, breathing in sharply.

They were both alive, in the same place, and they had time.

Kol's hand caressed her cheek, "What happened?"

She processed the question.

"Amoret?"

"You need to be a little more specific," Her voice was quiet, staring at the new face above her, "A lot's happened."

"1994 Prison World?"

MJ sunk down to the floor, head resting against the seat of the armchair so it could support her neck.

"It was fine," Her gaze was targeted at the ceiling, "At first, I mean. It was death. It wasn't what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't like I thought I'd enjoy it."

How to sum up her six-month time out?

"I was miserable...but I managed to find some hope," She'd gone to New Orleans, "And then we met this guy in there. From the Gemini Coven."

"They hate siphoners."

"He was a siphoner."

"Oh?"

"He tried to kill me."

His expression turned deadly.

"In his defence, I tried to kill him too," MJ sighed, "Except, he just kept coming back. If I died, I was really dead."

Kol joined her on the floor, shoulders touching.

"What happened with you?"

"The walls to The Other Side started to break down," He kept the answer simple, "I could see other spirits, so I found my mother and made a deal."

"To come back to life?"

"To find a workaround to my 'prisoner of Mystic Falls' curse."

MJ paused, "You were really there? When I saw you on the street?"

He nodded.

She scooted in closer.

"I needed a witch to help me move about...so I could talk to you...tell you what was happening."

"I'm sorry I didn't just summon you."

"I didn't want you to," Kol reminded her, "I didn't want you in danger, but I'd hoped I'd set off your spirit sense enough to be one of the ones you saw regardless of magic."

For years random spirits had found her; surely Kol should've been able to.

"Um," She wanted to be careful, "I think your mum was probably messing with you."

"Most likely."

"She had my head on lockdown while I was in the city," MJ confessed, "That entire week, I went through a hell haunting because of her – I could only see other spirits once I left."

"And by then," He grimaced, "I'd already signed myself up for her resurrection plan, willingly giving her control of my spirit."

"How was The Other Side?"

"You were there. You know what it's like."

"Yeah, but I went in knowing it would only last a day tops."

"Cut to six months later."

She snorted at that comment.

Then MJ felt the need to tell him the important bit, unaware Klaus already had.

"I went in, intending to die."

"Tut, tut," Kol kept his voice gentle, "Why on earth would you do that, darling?"

"I couldn't really find a reason to be alive," She didn't look at his reaction.

His hands were in hers, thumb running up and down her fingers.

"You killed your brother?"

"I did."

"You implied you got my message?"

"Nearly two months after you gave it to Matt and Bonnie, but yeah," She confirmed, "He was playing everyone. You were right."

"I wish I hadn't been."

"But you were."

"How did it happen?"

"He killed Stefan. And Tyler," Her voice cracked, "Right in front of me."

Too many corpses were clear in her memory.

"He channelled the spell into Tyler's body, stripping him of magic...he didn't actually need to kill me..."

Kol straightened up, "What?"

He'd been so sure everything out of Ryos's mouth had been a lie.

"The spell was legit," MJ shook her head, "He found a way to perform it without the sacrifice, but..."

"He threw the spell out the window?"

"It was more...if I put up a fight or tried to stop the spell, once it had been started, I would still die."

"...And you rightfully put up a fight."

She nodded.

"If he was willing to risk that, he deserved to die."

"Kol – "

"No," He spoke firmly, "Feel guilty all you want. That's normal. But that doesn't mean you're the one in the wrong, and that doesn't mean you're no longer worthy of living."

"He's dead," MJ hadn't mentioned her brother to anyone in Mystic Falls since it had happened.

No one else had mentioned it either.

Now she'd started, the words were running out of her mouth, and they felt like poison.

Maybe everyone was just trying to be sensitive, but MJ didn't want sensitive. Sensitive would get it brushed under the rug. Her Mystic Falls friends were masters of pretending they never did bad things under the guise of being sensitive, and it made them all look like hypocrites.

MJ couldn't let what happened get forgotten when it weighed on her back like the sky.

Kol rubbed his palm over her knuckles in circles.

"The worst thing is that I went so off the deep end afterwards that I killed off the rest of The Travellers like it was nothing."

It was Kol; she could be honest with him.

"We needed a mass sacrifice, so I went to The Travellers, and I blew them all up. Every single one."

The entire Mystic Grill had been stuffed with them.

"I don't even wanna know how many of them were parents."

The Orphanage that had brought Ryos properly into the fold.

That she'd donated money to the previous year.

The water was still in MJ's eyes, the feeling of fire pulling her body apart unforgettable and traumatising.

"I wanted them dead, so they died, but by doing that, I committed mass genocide," MJ hated the words, "How am I supposed to live with that?"

She'd been the one telling everyone how precious the sire-line was.

How hypocritical and self-centred they were for killing The Originals.

Then again, they'd all moved on from those massacres like they weren't a part of their history, while MJ couldn't stop herself from thinking about it.

The Travellers had wanted her dead, but that didn't mean their kids didn't deserve to have parents.

His other arm wrapped over her shoulder, MJ's head tilting so she could rest on his while his elbow bent up to run fingers through the roots of her hair.

"If anyone can help," He lightened his tone, "You came to the right place."

"Kinda why I was asking all my friends to call Klaus," She snuffled, "Damon's never gone that far, and Stefan loses control because of bloodlust. It's not really him...I just made a choice."

She'd been an emotional wreck, and instead of taking that as the sign to stop, she'd let herself get worse.

"And I enjoyed watching them burn."

As guilty as MJ felt now, at the time, for a moment, it had felt right.

"I know I'm going to be expected to talk to people about it, but I just don't want to."

He shifted, "You don't want to talk – that's fine, I won't – "

"You don't count as people."

His eyebrows jumped, "Mean."

"Yeah, yeah," Her lips turned up, "You're exactly who I wanna talk to."

"Good."

"In baby steps," She couldn't force herself to relive it all at once.

Just thinking about The Travellers and Ryos was pushing her far too into her dark place.

"Your turn," MJ prompted, "Tell me about coming back to life – back to being a magic prodigy?"

She couldn't hide the teasing in her voice, it breaking through the teary state of her face like it was all just a dream. Well, a nightmare, but the specifics didn't matter. She was talking with Kol. Dream? Nightmare? What matter was that it was over.

"My head is, my strength?" He seemed almost embarrassed, "Not so much."

"Must suck to be one of the rest of us now."

"Because you're not a prodigy?"

"I'm...something."

"You're incredible, Mira."

She rested into him completely.

MJ wanted to scold herself for being so easy. One compliment and she was swooning – then again, it was only because it was from him.

The security with which he said it, no doubts, just faith.

"You said you were invincible earlier," Kol jabbed her side, "So don't even try and act like you're the same as the rest of us."

"That's out of my control."

"You took the magic back?"

"Just from my necklace, yeah. Part of killing my brother."

"Cutting off the line," He nodded in understanding, "Just how 'well' did you do it?"

"The Floare Spirits are furious," She didn't want to think about the bugs, "So I'm going to say there are four hundred so witches without magic."

He cringed for her, "That's not gonna end well."

"I'm gonna work out how to 'open the door,'" She promised the universe, "I will...I just need the pure power to get Bonnie back first."

"We can figure it out."

MJ found a lot of comfort in leaning against him, familiar sparks racing up her skin as their arms interlaced. The feeling of magic just a moment away. She'd never been able to figure out if it was her emotions setting her siphoner side off when she was around Kol or some higher power in her body trying to push her to him.

She liked both ideas for different reasons.

MJ was a believer that love was a choice, and the sparks made it seem like the universe was the one pulling the strings, but she'd kinda stopped caring about it. Maybe the universe had made Kol to be her other half, but it was her choice to accept that – no matter how complicated it got.

She closed her eyes to embrace the momentary peace.

As one of their hands linked she turned on her side to rest her legs across his. Kol tugged at one of them, shifting her further up his body to make the position more comfortable for both of them, MJ able to almost curl up and into him.

He was beaming at the amount of contact, the feel on fabrics and skin, and hair he could properly touch. How weight shifted and implied realness.

"If I see your mother," Her lips moved, "I'll sense her no matter the body, and I'm going to kill her."

"We can make a wonderful list of ways to do it."

"Did you know she saw me on The Other Side?"

"She specifically told me she didn't know you'd died. That she would've offered you a second chance," He sighed in self-hate, "I don't know why I believed her."

"Because she's family, and deep down, we all wanna believe our family."

"But knowing mine, I should've known better."

She shrugged.

"I never fully bought it," Kol needed her to know that, "But then Davina told me about you getting hexed."

"The ancestors were manipulating her friend Monique."

"An ancestor," He stressed, "It was her."

"Did you ask her?"

"She denied it," He explained, "But I could tell it was a lie."

Because she'd been so manipulative in her follow-up to it.

"The stupid part was that I thought that was all she'd been hiding from me."

MJ smiled slightly, "Simply hexing me would make sense, given the history."

"Exactly." His was still lightly grazing his fingers across her biseps, almost like he was lulling her to sleep in his arms, "But, instead, she tried to shove you to hell."

"And possess me."

He shuddered, "If she'd been wearing your face this whole time..."

"Let's just forget about that bit."

"That – whatever his name was," He tried to seem calm, "Who you were with earlier – you said he saved you from her?"

"Enzo."

"Doltish name," He mumbled, "Doltish guy."

"K-O-L."

"My name's magnificent!"

"It's what naughty children get at Christmas."

"A prophetic name," He stuck his chin up cutely, "My parents jinxed themselves by giving it to me."

"Could be worse," She jested, "Could be Niklaus."

"Incredibly true," He grinned, "I love my name."

"Does it mean something in your original language?"

"Dark."

"Wow," She couldn't not laugh, "You're right. Your parents really did predicted your entire personality."

"Nice attempt at distraction, back to the man who seemed utterly taken by you?"

She smiled, "Jealous?"

"Incredibly."

"He's just a friend."

"Do you need me to quote back some of the things he said about you?" Kol frowned, "And what's with calling you sunshine?"

"What's with calling me, darling?"

"Exactly my point!" He tutted, "I'm saying it because I adore you."

"You said it in our first conversation."

"Maybe I decided to hand my heart to you that quickly."

"Sweet - if it wasn't for how we both know you were planning to kill me for most of the ball."

"It wasn't most," He pouted, "Only the start."

MJ squeezed his waist comfortingly, "And we both know you were calling me darling in an effort to charm my clothes off."

"You prove my point," He grinned, "This 'Enzo' probably wants to see you naked too, and if I'd had magic, he'd be dead."

"He's actually pretty nice...ish," She half defended, "He has minimal regard for human life, but he's a crazy loyal friend – he and Caroline were the two people who never gave up. They spent months trying to bring us back."

"And to you he is?"

"A friend."

"You can be honest," He had told her he'd keep things in perspective if she slept with someone else while he was dead.

"We hit it off before everything," MJ expanded slightly, "He was one of the people we brought back, so he thinks he owes me – "

"He does."

"And the flirting is just light-hearted fun," She assured him, "He's no Kol Mikaelson."

She could feel his smile against her forehead as he pulled her even closer into him, face momentarily pressing into his shoulder like a butterfly kiss.

"Oh yeah!" MJ thought of something, leaning back, "Davina said you freed Mikael?"

"I might've."

"Kol!"

"Half by accident, half on purpose."

"Accident?"

"I wasn't enjoying my reunion with my psychopath father, so I let him out."

"So, completely on purpose."

"Yes," He admitted, "Though he was threatening to kill me."

"And he's still just out there?"

"Pretty much."

She couldn't not grin at the situation, "Thank you for keeping an eye on Davina."

"I don't know how much help I've actually been to any side of this situation."

"Eh, she hates Klaus, you lowkey hate him too; you were bound to hit it off."

"Mira!" He beamed, "Is this you jealous?"

"I'm just proud you actually managed to make a friend."

He feigned offence, "I'm an incredibly likeable person."

"The old 'you' was."

His smile faltered, "You don't like the new face?"

"I don't care what face you wear," She made it clear she was teasing, "As long as it's you."

"That's not an answer to the question!"

She laughed.

"Mira!"

"I like it," She opened her eyes to look up and into the blue eyes, "But the point still stands. As long you're here, I'm good."

He kissed her nose.

She felt unnaturally guilty about the gesture.

He was possessing someone.

Could she kiss him?

She really wanted to kiss him.

"Now," Kol leant a little bit back from her, "Not to make an accusation, since Davina did call me 'MJ's Kol.'"

She buried her head down in embarrassment, "You came up once or twice."

"But Marcel seems to think you and Klaus were together, and I'm almost certain you're wearing Elijah's suit jacket right now – "

She'd forgotten about her attire.

"The Klaus bit is more the part I'm asking about?"

"Yeah," MJ had to give him that, "A lot of people thought we were together."

He tried to keep himself steady.

He didn't actually want to ask, but he had to.

"Were you?"

"Not at all."

There was no world in which she'd do that to either of them.

"It was – okay, so, you knew I was joining him in New Orleans?"

He nodded.

"When I first showed up, Marcel assumed I was his blood bag girl. Like, he would say things he thought he could compel away, so we ran with it. Feeding information and manipulating his worries."

"Playing Marcel," He somewhat approved.

"People weren't used to seeing Klaus get on with someone, so they just assumed we were together. Even when he was involved with other people," She thought that part was especially ridiculous, "They thought I was somehow his girlfriend."

"...Were you involved with anyone while you were here?"

"I made friends, nothing more," She could feel him relax.

Even when he'd told her to have fun, MJ had had a feeling he hadn't meant it.

That reaction made it clear her guess was correct.

But Katherine's point about how unhealthy their situation had been was still right, and he'd been trying to mitigate that, so MJ's heart was glowing. She knew how hard he tried to make sure she was happy and she wanted to do the same now they had more time.

"You never actually explained the reasons behind why you spared Marcel last year?"

"My mum organised her own death. Originally it was a fake one, but then she invited the vampires in...it's just...whatever."

"Has he uncompelled your father for you yet?"

"We discussed this," She reminded him, "He has a life, and I can't just bring that all down after eight years."

"You and your friends discussed this – I barely got a word in."

"I got them to pause for you."

He massaged her side affectionately, "But I didn't get to fully convince you, meaning I didn't say enough."

"I'm not gonna uncompel him."

"Mira...darling – "

She rubbed the tip of her nose against him.

"...You don't want me to make my case?"

"Another day, but not right now."

"Okay," He changed the topic a little, "I love how you've written all over my journals."

She perked up.

"Davina had a few of your old books."

"Sorry I made so many changes to the spells," She hoped her cheeks weren't red, "I was gonna show you them when I brought you back, as like...I don't know...an apology for our fight? Proof I valued the things you could tell me?"

"You don't need to apologise for that," Kol shuffled, "I overreacted."

"But – "

"I did, Mira. And I'm sorry I did."

"Forgiven. But I still should've listened to you more. Been less one track about it."

"Forgiven too."

They were staring at each other, tiny smiles flickering in as they memorised the others face.

Kol's head moved down slightly, towards her, hovering carefully, eyes jumping to her lips for a split second.

"If you're looking at the journal," MJ spoke, "Should I assume you and Davina are working on 'something?'"

"My dagger plan."

"I assumed."

If he'd been looking through the journals, it meant they'd been practising magic together, and given Klaus's temperamental nature and Davina's distaste for him, making the gold dagger made perfect sense.

"He deserves it, M," Kol lowered his voice even though they couldn't be heard, "He just does – "

"If you think you have to," She stopped him, "Make it."

There was a massive difference between Davina's reasons and Kol's.

"Just, remember...you're mortal now."

The discussion was one MJ needed to navigate carefully. She didn't want Klaus to be daggered, but she didn't want to argue with Kol about it when she completely understood why he'd want the weapon.

At the end of the day, making the weapon didn't mean it would ever get used.

"If he finds out, you're not getting daggered, you might be getting yourself killed – I mean, I don't think Klaus would ever actually kill you if he thought it was permanent, but – "

"I think he would."

"Kol," MJ shook her head at him, "He was devastated."

"For about a day."

"For longer than that."

It had definitely been longer than that.

"If we finish the dagger, then he's asleep, and we get peace," Kol justified, "I can't risk him hurting you the way he hurts every other person that comes into our lives."

"He won't."

Kol scowled, "You have too much faith in him."

"And it's not misplaced."

"It will be," He had the life experience to make that comment, "He's a constant potential threat. And if we just put him down for a few decades, we can be happy, then we can wake him up."

She didn't like it, "Just...be safe."

"Lacking faith in me to do it?"

"No," MJ didn't want him to think that, "I just know he'll find out. And it won't end well. And deep down, you know I'm right – you were the one trying to talk me into running from Mystic Falls because you knew how Tyler's revolution plan would end."

He had to give her that.

"The last thing I wanna do is see you hurt. One corpse was enough."

"The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you like that ever again."

"Despite my earlier outburst, it's not your fault you died."

He curled his lips in instead of responding, taking a moment to enjoy holding her close.

"I missed hearing your voice," Kol rested his chin on the side of her forehead, "Properly hearing it. Actually talking to me. No rune breakdowns. No waiting for your friends to shut up so I could speak an uninterrupted sentence."

"I missed you too."

They sat, catching up, for another thirty minutes or so.

That was when Klaus opened the door with Marcel next to him. They'd had another chat with Finn, learnt some unsettling information, incredibly on edge about the fact they couldn't hear inside the room.

They didn't trust Kol enough when the White Oak Stake was somewhere in the house.

They found the pair still on the floor.

MJ had moved to have a leg on either side of Kol's waist, head on the front of his shoulder. One of his arms was around her side, the other holding her spare hand, resting in the middle, pressed against both their stomachs. If there was skin to connect, it was, eyes closed as they whispered to each other in a constant flow of sweet conversation.

MJ's nose was brushing the base of his neck slowly, her talking into it, knowing how much he used to love feeling her breath fan across the location, his lips doing the same up her jaw and oriundeces her cheek.

Klaus coughed, and she opened one tired eye.

Seeing them there, MJ waved her free hand, and the spell dropped so they could hear each other.

"Yeah?"

"We have another Esther problem," Klaus expected MJ to jump to her feet, but she didn't move, resting further into Kol's body while he rubbed the base of her spine.

"That is?"

"Me," Cami slipped past the awkwardly glaring Marcel, "I'm the Esther problem."

"Cami!"

That did get MJ up, rushing out of Kol's arms and to her feet like she'd been blasted with caffeine.

"Davina told me you weren't dead," Cami shook her head in awe, "I didn't quite believe her, but you're really - oh my god. Your face."

Sometimes it took a second to notice a difference about someone when you hadn't seen them in a while.

Klaus's early question had clearly been about the injury, as well as her death, assuming they'd come from it, but since he hadn't actually pointed them out, MJ had been able to dodge. Dodge the familial ritual by focusing on the fact she'd killed herself...it was a lose-lose conversation for her.

No one else had mentioned it directly, which was something she appreciated.

"Yeah," MJ rubbed the vertical line, "My brother tried to sacrifice me."

Cami instantly hugged her, squeezing so hard they swayed, MJ matching the strength to assure her that she was really there.

"You're alive - and you're here - "

"Surviving is kinda my speciality."

Klaus exhaled at the familiar declaration coming from MJ's mouth.

Cami gripped her tighter, "If the bastard isn't already dead, I'll kill him myself."

"He's dead," MJ forced herself to sound okay with it, "Oh no."

She shoved Cami off her.

"What's that?"

Cami was meant to be human.

There wasn't meant to be any fear of being set off.

"You haven't even seen it yet."

"I can feel it," MJ closed her eyes and placed her hand on Cami's shoulder, red lines appearing on her hand and moving her round to Cami's back, "Knock off Traveller magic, by the way."

She opened one eye to send Kol a look.

He shrugged, "All body jumping is knock off Traveller-Floare magic."

"Should I even ask what that means?" Cami's voice was a little higher than usual.

"I'll explain another time."

"You know," Cami said over her shoulder, letting MJ continue her analysis, "I am really happy your back. But we don't have to do this."

"Huh?"

"You should be adjusting, not dealing with me."

For the hundredth time that day, MJ's soul returned to her body.

"Don't even worry about it," She was happy to help take Esther down, "Catch-up night another time – I've already made that promise to D, Sam, Josh, and Josh's boyfriend."

She stopped feeling up and down Cami's back.

"I need to see it."

"No kidding," Cami laughed uncomfortably, "There are puncture wounds up and down my spine, and I have no idea how they got there."

MJ knew about body jumping puncture wounds.

"According to my uncle's files, they're part of an ancient spell, and when I hear 'ancient spell,' I think Esther."

"Good to know she's still making good first impressions," MJ mused, "And I know there will be marks, but I need to see them, to see if they're the same ones she used on me."

"Used on you?"

"She was originally prepping me to be her host," MJ summed up, "My brother got rid of them for me."

Ryos unintentionally saving Kol and her from what could've become an incredibly mucked up situation.

"Everyone out!"

The guys specifically.

"She needs to take her shirt off without it becoming super awkward."

"No, no, I bought a backless one," Cami mumbled, motioning to her bag, "They need to know."

She left to get changed, and MJ returned to the main area of The Compound, scanning the shelves in the corridors. She was checking to see where all of her books had ended up while she'd been gone.

It seemed that most had been left in her upstairs room, untouched – which was convenient.

Cami returned and sat on the couch, Marcel handing her a glass of water then taking a seat nearby.

"That's mums work, all right," Kol confirmed, "She must've wiped your memory."

"Not the first time that's been done by a member of this family. What does it mean?"

"It's a by-product of a preparation spell," MJ explained.

"Preparation for what?" Marcel asked.

"To make her a host body," Kol answered, standing just a little to the side of MJ as she took a better look at each of the marks.

She had her phone in her hand, the photo she'd had Matt take of her own ones up on the screen.

They weren't the same.

Similar, but not the same, which might've been a problem.

"My hands might be a little cold, Cami. Is it okay if I touch them?"

"It's not gonna hurt, is it?"

"It shouldn't; I'm not doing anything too witchy yet."

"Then go ahead." Cami nodded bravely, standing up for her.

MJ carefully placed her two hands in the centre, pressing her thumbs down and drawing three circles with them.

The world flashed around her, showing her snippets of the past night.

"Last night, she came into Rousseau's while you were closing up and attacked you."

"Can I ask what I'm a host for?"

"For someone else, so they can jump into your body."

"Likely herself," Kol admitted, "Knowing my mother."

"If Esther does want another body," MJ's voice went up, "We could definitely delay her by telling her I'm alive."

"Not a chance," Kol responded automatically.

"She wanted me originally," MJ reiterated, "She'd probably be willing to try again."

"She doesn't learn you're here," Klaus repeated Kol's sentiment.

"I'm not saying offer me up, I'm saying, give her pause – make her conflicted. Buy time."

"No." Both answered.

MJ closed her eyes to concentrate, thinking through the spell and how it had been changed for Cami, "She's not putting a dead spirit in you. The seed for it would already be there for me to remove...You're the only thing up there right now."

The difference between what had been on her and what she was looking at now.

Then, MJ thought about the magic.

"I have to disagree," She looked to the guys, "Why would she move herself to a human body – she'd be defenceless?"

"I kinda want to be defensive about that?"

"No offence Cami, I mean, she'd have access to all the dark objects and secrets."

Kol straightened up at that reveal.

"But like, human life is limited. No way would she give up magic."

"...Defenceless..." Something in Cami seemed to snap, "Where's Vincent?"

"Hanging in the ballroom," Marcel answered, "Why?"

Cami stormed away from the sofa, towards said location

MJ chased after her, "Cami!"

Finn had been reattached to the wall, the food table removed and arms above his head.

No access to magic.

Cami immediately smacked him across the face.

"Why me?" She demanded, "Out of everyone in this city, why me?"

"Because you're perfect," Finn quickly recovered, "Healthy, beautiful, smart, and alone."

MJ felt like that was a little insulting.

"No one would question any personality changes," He was too smug, "And, as I discovered from my sessions, Niklaus would never allow you to be harmed."

He had the Mikaelson 'I'm Secretly Winning The Entire Time' attitude down to a 't.'

"You were exactly what she's been looking for."

"Fix this," Cami fumed, rightly furious, "Do something to stop it."

MJ liked the way Cami didn't just let things happen to her.

She always pushed back, and MJ had missed seeing that kind of attitude.

"Only my mother can."

"I call lies," MJ challenged.

"I will step in front of a moving truck before I let your mother take over my body."

"She wasn't preparing you for herself," Finn spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "She was preparing you for Rebekah."

Cami's eyes widened in shock, and she turned to look at Marcel, then at Klaus.

Wonderful. That drama was still going on without anyone addressing it.

Good.

Not addressing it meant they could pretend it wasn't there.

"I think we should leave him to think about how he's picked the wrong side," Klaus growled.

"Back to the courtyard, Cami," MJ instructed.

"But he knows about the spell."

"So do I."

"This exact version?"

"Yes."

Cami's eyes momentarily lit up, "You do?"

"She doesn't," Finn spoke up, "She can't."

"I can't?"

"Our mother wrote it."

"Based on magic my ancestors created," MJ crossed her arms.

"Go on," Finn taunted, "Get involved and reveal yourself to her. I'd love to see how quickly she jumps into your body now you're here to host her."

"Your mother has tried to kill me what?" She felt her defence mode kicking in, "Five times now?"

MJ stepped closer to him, specs of gold in her eyes.

"Every time, she's failed."

The Prison World had destroyed her emotional balance. But, in a way, that was a good thing?

Kai had torn her to pieces, but that made her temperamental and defensive, which made her strong.

MJ just needed to find the balance between the old version of herself and the new one.

"And I wasn't even fighting back," Her run-ins with Esther had all been pretty one-sided, "Imagine how quickly she'll lose now I am."

She took Cami's arm to drag her back to The Courtyard, incredibly fired up.

Once they were far away, MJ couldn't help but notice how quiet Klaus was.

He kept checking his phone, looking to the door like they may be attacked at any second, and then focusing on Cami. A constant loop.

"How long do I have then?"

"Until Esther find Rebekah."

"Which she has leads on," Kol knew that much about his mother's plans, "She's close."

"Does the spell not have an expiration date?"

"Ish," MJ shook her head, "But it's a long one. And until then, your body's just open to anyone. You don't want to be walking around like that in a city like this."

The spirits didn't know how to stay dead.

"Then let's do it," Cami declared, "Marcel's a vampire, Klaus is an Original, you're both powerful witches, we can call Davina - and Sam – and Hay, well Hayley's busy but – "

"Esther's stronger than anything I've ever seen," Marcel 'helpfully' said while pacing around the room, trying to process everything, "We go up against her..."

"We'll win," MJ declared, "Like I said, I can fix it."

"Seriously?" Cami didn't sound too convinced, which was fair, "Is your magic stronger?"

"Yes."

"Not to imply I doubt you, Mira," Klaus said carefully, "But is now the best time to go into a fight."

He pointed to the light she'd exploded that morning.

"My magic is all over the place right now," She admitted, "Anything Floare is a little off-limits."

They needed to know that.

"This is basic body jumping. No hex combined into it to bind you to anything extra. I can reverse this. But that's not even the point; I don't need to."

Cami raised an eyebrow, "You don't?"

"You've been spelled," MJ did sarcastic jazz hands, "I'm the anti-witch. I can siphon it off you."

As much as she didn't want to just siphon stuff anymore, Cami was human.

If MJ went too far, she'd be fine, just tired.

No accidental murder.

"The only problem, and I'm really sorry to even be suggesting this..."

The apology was more aimed at Klaus than Cami, since she knew Klaus might explode.

"But, we know you're prepped, and we know she's close to Rebekah."

Marcel narrowed his eyes, "MJ – "

"Say she gets to Rebekah; Bex tries to run, so she just casts the spell? Bex is floating in oblivion with nowhere to land. She won't wake up back in her body unless the circuits complete. After that, her consciousness will just disperse."

All The Traveller reading she'd done was paying off.

"That's what happens if we deactivate Cami, and Esther doesn't realise. She'll have a spell monitoring your heartbeat, but as long as we have Finn, she thinks I'm dead, so she wouldn't even think about siphoning. She'll think you're waiting, she'll cast her spell, and Rebekah will be lost."

Cami looked gobsmacked, "Are you suggesting we let Rebekah take over my body?"

"No way," MJ's hands went up, "We need a plan. A plan that keeps both of you safe. Which means being smart and potentially holding off."

"You can't be serious!" Marcel snapped.

Kol glared at him, "Mind the tone."

"I'm completely serious," MJ rubbed her wrists together, "Body jumping isn't something to mess around with. When people get taken over, what do you think happens to the original spirit?"

"Unless that body is dead," Kol answered carefully, fully aware that he was describing his current situation, "The original spirit suffers."

MJ nodded, "Like someone grabs your brain and pulls it apart."

She knew what that felt like.

"Unless the spell is written with deactivating their consciousness in mind," She added, "That's how all the spells I know work. The person is completely blacked out for the time they're not in control."

"The spell my mother used for us does do that," Kol added, "When it's done properly anyway. It keeps the original owner from waking up and fighting for control by sending them into a peaceful sleep."

Marcel didn't look like he bought that, assuming Kol was only saying it to appeal to MJ.

"But," MJ continued the explanation rhythm she and Kol had built up, "That still has some not great side effects after you first wake back up in control of yourself,"

"Side effects?"

"Nothing too bad," Kol didn't sound convincing, "At night, you might start to remember things 'you' did. You'll have some awareness but no control over your actions."

"Like sleep paralysis," MJ hadn't meant to whisper it so quickly cleared her throat, "It's not fun to deal with, but it's manageable. Not landing in a body at all? That's worse."

"And that's what you think will happen to Rebekah?" Klaus spoke slowly.

"If she's kicked out of her head, and Esther doesn't perform a spell to put her back, yes. And I don't know if I'd be able to find her and pull her back."

If she'd had full access to her magic, MJ knew she could catch a spirit.

With her restrictions, it would be a lot harder.

She might start vomiting bugs – or worse.

"My brains gonna get pulled?" Cami sounded broken.

"No," MJ took her hand, "We run interference and reverse the spell back, so Rebekah wakes up Bex. Which means manufacturing the situation or taking down Esther before she gets a chance to do anything."

A problem dinged in her brain.

"...But doing that might make her jump to you."

"So, we plan?"

"We plan," Klaus confirmed, then his phone started ringing.

He looked at the caller, glanced around the room in annoyance, then answered.

"Where have you been?"

Marcel tensed, able to hear who it was.

"Where is he now?" Klaus sighed, "Do you recall where we dined the Christmas we fled Mikael?... Go there."

He hung up and looked at MJ.

"We need to leave. Now."

"Where are you going?" Kol and Cami both asked.

"To set our plan in motion."

Marcel pointed at MJ, "And you're going to take our biggest defence of Cami with you?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes," Klaus wasn't about to leave her alone, "We're going to Rebekah."

"If it makes you feel better, Cami," MJ squeezed the joined hand, "If I'm with Rebekah, you'll be safe. I'll stop spell at the source, keep her in her head – like, I know how to bind someone to their body."

"That does help," Cami managed a smile, "Just gotta hope it doesn't happen before you get to her."

"Get Davina here. She'll help Kol with the protection spells."

"Darling," Kol placed a hand on her back, speaking lowly into her temple, "Do you doubt my ability to perform?"

She looked up at him innocently, "You're working with the wrong equipment."

"I can't wait to prove you wrong."

"Are they seriously flirting right now?" Marcel muttered.

"Someone needs to go to my apartment and get my supply box," MJ got back to the task, "There's stuff in there for protection against body jumping. And stuff that can be taken to deal with the after-effects of having dark magic inputted into your system."

Kol held a hand out, and she gave him the key Klaus had returned to her, summoning a piece of paper to write the address down.

"And whilst you're getting that Kol; Marcel," Klaus looked back to the stairwell, "What we talked about for Finn?"

Marcel nodded and walked out of the room.

Klaus then went with Kol for some reason.

MJ chose to hope for a moment of brotherly bonding while she stayed, holding Cami's hand and taking a place on the sofa. Cami gripped it tighter, doing an excellent job at trying to keep it all together,

"Can you really stop this?"

"Yes," MJ wasn't about to let Cami get hurt by Esther's mind tricks, "Cami, you're going to be fine. And once Davina gets here, we can send Kol to prep another body for extra security."

Cami went still, "Is this like, a usual thing for you then? For witches?... Just taking people over?"

"Depends on the witch. It's tied to my family history, so I know stuff."

Because she'd forced herself to the previous year.

"And it's kinda a Mikaelson Family special."

"Family special?" Cami was smiling in tiredness, "Most families have a board game they play together, not a mind invasion trick."

"Yeah," MJ mused, "My family made floating lanterns together."

They were still screwed up, though.

"Been getting more involved with the supernatural while I was away?"

"It's hard to avoid it."

"Has it all been doom and gloom?"

"It's..." Cami sat up a little, "It felt amazing to take down the Guerrera's. Everyone working together."

MJ smiled at the thought of it, wishing she could've been there.

"It terrified me out of my mind and made me take a step back, but it was also good," She began to untense slightly, "And recently, all this stuff...It's nice to make a difference, even if it's just by playing bait."

Marcel walked past them carrying a coffin and a buttload of chains towards the ballroom.

MJ couldn't stop laughing at the sight of it.

"I've missed this so much."

She'd wanted to get herself home, back to the Mikaelson's, but it wasn't just the Mikaelson's.

It was everything about her life in New Orleans.

"Are the ancestors gonna hate you for going against Esther and helping me?" Cami rushed out, "You were hexed because the ancestors wanted you gone last time – I don't wanna get you hexed."

MJ pulled a face, "I was hexed because Monique was corrupted by power and Esther."

"I don't wanna get you in trouble with them again," She repeated, "Not when you've just got back."

"Oh, Cami," MJ hugged her, "They already hate me. They hate anything that helps the Mikaelson's or vampires, but I doubt they're on board with Esther either."

"Why not?"

"You're not just supposed to revive yourself and hijack people's bodies."

Witches were meant to believe in the natural order of the universe, including death.

"All those resurrected witches were meant to die once they'd played their role," MJ had to give the ancestors a sliver of credit, "And the last time I met Esther, she was on the brink of wiping out all vampires. The ancestors would love that."

So they'd helped.

"This doesn't do that. This just makes the worst family to ever exist into witches. Witches are stronger than vampires."

No matter how many vampires thought it was the other way around.

"It would be a disaster."

"I wouldn't say we're the worst family to exist," Kol's new voice needed a second to adapt to, "Though we are probably top five."

"And I wouldn't say you're stronger than me, love," Klaus gave her a snide smile.

"I have a rather beautiful memory of you screaming in agony," She mused, "On your knees, in a forest."

"Hm."

"That memory would say differently, Niklaus."

"Yet I'm still alive," He wiggled his eyebrows, "Meaning did I really lose?"

"Don't test me."

It was all light-hearted quips, heart buzzing.

They could hear the sound of Finn yelling from the other room.

An average day in The Mikaelson Compound.

"And we need to get going," Klaus declared.

"I'd rather she stayed with me," Kol argued.

"She's coming."

"So, you can use her for something that ends with her throwing up dark magic?"

She and Cami shared a look.

"So, she can be of use," Klaus corrected, "And away from the threat of our mother."

"If our mother is looking for Rebekah, sending MJ to her gets her in the middle."

"She's far safer with me than she would be with you."

"In what world is that true?"

"The world where I'm the strongest creature on the planet," Klaus pointed to himself, then his brother, "And you're a mortal gimp."

Kol looked ready to jump him, "She is - "

"Right here!" MJ shook her head at the growing amount of testosterone in the room, "And she is not going to be putting up with metaphorical dick measuring contests."

Cami bit back a smile.

"And she would quite like to see Bex," She stood up, taking Kol's hand tightly, "I'll be fine."

He looked at her like he wanted to do something, though she couldn't quite work out what.

"A simple phone call away. Back as quickly as possible"

"Okay," He rested his lips against her forehead, "Keep in contact."

"Never losing it again,"

"I got your text," Hayley arrived, "Are we going already? I kinda need to tell you something – everyone something."

MJ stepped back from Kol with one last squeeze of his palm.

Klaus had a genuine smile on his face, "You can tell us on the way,"

"Okay," Hayley's expression matched his, "Let's go."

MJ felt ferried out of the room by the excitement radiating from the pair, only having time to grab her shoulder bag and follow as they rushed to a car.

Once they were in, doors closed, MJ activated a silencing charm, making the vehicle safe, it speeding away.

"Can I ask what's happening?"

Klaus looked at her in the mirror, "We're going to see our daughter."

a/n: see y'all in three days, back to the original upload schedule now MJ's here lol