Maddy was in charge of the wedding preparations.

She had nothing better to do. Some days she called her brothers. Other days, she talked to Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. Every now and then she'd have a conversation with Jenna or Meredith. She kept up less with Kai and Monique, who were apparently getting along so well, that they couldn't answer their phones until they were taking breaks from their lovely little interactions.

Klaus was doing his best to help Hayley, but he didn't really know what to do for her. The first week had been devoted just to her learning the ins and outs of being a hybrid. Klaus guided her through the difference in heightened senses and how she could use her tracking to a greater extent now. Once she got used to a strict feeding schedule, Jackson started working with her to break the sire bond, which Klaus did not actively participate in. It made him remember times that he preferred to not think back to.

So, in those moments, he'd sit with Maddy, hearing her going on and on about all her ideas for what the wedding could be like. For someone who didn't want a wedding, she sure was trying her best to make Hayley's something special.

"And I told her that I could set up a really nice area in the Bayou," Maddy was saying, "or, if the weather isn't that good, we can set everything up in this venue near enough to the Bayou so that the wolves who don't have cars can get there without much effort."

Klaus just nodded, and she continued with outlining the different colors that would be used, and how the centerpieces would be arranged. He couldn't help but smile, seeing her so excited. Whenever she was happy, so was he. His eyes flickered over to her stomach every now and then, listening to the baby's heartbeat for several seconds.

Every day it grew louder and harder to ignore. And every day it all began to feel more real. He hadn't interacted with it much, even though Maddy talked to it every single day, rubbing her belly and speaking to it even if it couldn't understand her. Klaus didn't see the appeal in that. There was still a certain degree of disconnect that he was trying to get over.

Soon enough, he figured that he would not be able to contain the excitement he was trying to force down, out of fear that he would jinx it, and something would go terribly wrong.

He thought of Ansel often in those moments. He had caught sight of him several times, walking past the Compound and stopping in corners to listen in with his wolf hearing, just to make sure that Maddy sounded alive and well. Usually, she was talking to someone or just to herself, which meant he could ensure she was fine without much effort.

It angered him that Lily wasn't doing the same. The woman hadn't even bothered to contact her daughter. To ask how she was doing or if she needed anything. According to the news they had from Mystic Falls, Damon and Stefan were dealing with what seemed like a rebellious teenager. Lily was being cruel and demanding that they help her return to the prison world for her heretics. Unbeknownst to them, Kai was working on that. Soon, Lily would have what she wanted, and perhaps then, she would cease acting like a brat, and start acting like a good mother.

Klaus sometimes wondered if he should ask Ansel to come by once a week to keep Maddy company. Sure, she enjoyed getting to see Hayley and Jo, and she would be meeting Cami soon, which meant she'd have another person to talk to. But all three women were incredibly busy. Jo and Cami had jobs. Hayley had to focus on her pack and learning to be a proper hybrid before starting the wedding trials. Ansel had no job. He didn't need one. He had all the time in the world to come talk to Maddy whenever she was lonely. The only reason he hadn't stopped by again was because Klaus had told him to get out.

But at least Ansel was attempting to have a relationship with the baby. At least he was trying to help it and Maddy in any way he could. Lily could care less.

He wasn't sure if he could tolerate seeing Ansel more often. There was no requirement for them to get along. Thankfully for Klaus, who didn't want to have any relationship with him. But he could tell that Ansel made Maddy feel safe. And he could offer her the parental advice she had sought from her mother. Surely that could work, in some way. Ansel could come by, and as long as he remained on good terms with Maddy, he could have a role in it. Perhaps he and Klaus would never be fine with one another, but the hybrid didn't mind that. What mattered to him was Maddy's happiness. Her safety. And, of course, the baby's safety.

He took her to see Cami the next day. He'd dropped her off at Cami's apartment before going to meet with Rebekah, who was ready to execute her plan. Maddy would be staying with Cami until Esther was confirmed to be a vampire, and still in the body she currently inhabited. Hopefully, that wouldn't take too long.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Maddy said gently when Cami started to offer her all sorts of food and teas. "I'm fine. I appreciate it, though."

"Just let me know if you end up wanting anything," said Cami kindly, going to sit with her on the couch. "So... Marcel tells me you're seeing a therapist."

"Yep," replied Maddy. "Just to talk things out with a professional, make sure I'm keeping up with my mental health as well as my physical. I'm sure I'm fine but it helps being able to see a different face and rant to them about anyone and everyone. I love Klaus but sometimes I need to vent to someone who isn't him. I'm always talking and talking and I know that he's just too respectful to tell me that he's tired and wants me to shut up."

"I'm pretty sure Klaus doesn't think that. He's very forward. If he wanted you to shut up, he'd tell you."

"He feels he has to be so gentle with me because I'm pregnant. In every aspect, too. I feel like I'm being babied far too much."

"To be fair, if Marcel is scared to be too rough with me because he's a regular vampire, I can imagine Klaus is incredibly paranoid that he, as an Original, might be a bit too strong for you, his pregnant temporarily-human girlfriend, at this moment in time. Don't worry. I'm sure all will be fine later on. He cares about you, and he knows he loses control sometimes. He doesn't want to put either of you at risk. Have you discussed baby names with him?"

She shook her head. "No. We're thinking it'll be a girl, and hoping for that, too. But no discussion of names yet."

"Have you thought of any?"

"A few. I don't want to name them after my family members explicitly, but I do want references to them, if that makes sense. So like, definitely not using the names 'Damon' and 'Lorenzo' and 'Stefan' or the names of any of Klaus's brothers. I don't like reusing names. I want it to be unique. So like... 'Eliana.' I like Eliana, because it makes me think of Elijah and Elena. Elijah is Klaus's best friend, and his brother. Elena is my best friend. If something happens to us, them and Damon would get custody. As for other names, I haven't really thought of it. Eliana is kind of where I'm stuck at. It's cute, though. Very pretty."

"You could give her an old lady name," teased Cami. "Like Camille. Or Edith and Margaret if you're into that sort of thing. Or something with an R. I heard Rebekah's a pretty jealous person sometimes, she might flip out if the baby isn't named after her."

"Heh, that's kinda why I wanna go with a name that is only subtly related to someone we consider family... so she can't complain that it wasn't named after her."

"Have you done anything for like a memory box? Of stuff from throughout the baby's life for them to see when they're older?"

Maddy tilted her head. "No, I hadn't thought of that. What kind of things would I put in that?"

"Well, for mine, my mom would write letters to me, and then my dad would collect bottle caps that he'd flatten into little discs that I later used as frisbees for my dolls. One for each year, on my birthday, and some from special occasion. My twin brother and I had lots of albums full of pictures and even baseball cards that my dad gathered since the day he and my mom found out that they were expecting."

The other woman hummed. "Writing a letter might be cute. I could do that."

She wrote about five drafts for the same letter. She kept trying to make it perfect, wanting the baby to have a perfect introduction to her, and to Klaus. But then she scrapped that idea, not wanting it to be too long. No— it had to be succinct, it had to address where they were and where the baby might be in the future when they got to read the letter. Needless to say, Maddy was incredibly indecisive, and simply couldn't figure out the best way to convey everything she wanted to write.

But at last, she got her finished product, and folded it up. Cami suggested she seal it so that she and her child could read it together when the time came. Maddy decided she'd show the baby all the letters when they turned eighteen. Which, in her mind, was a very short time considering how long she'd been alive.

Later that evening, they got word that Rebekah had been successful. Esther was a vampire now— she hadn't been able to resist the urge to feed. She'd been left in one of the tombs of the Lafayette Cemetery with Mikael, who remained desiccated and immobilized. Unfortunately, a spell blocked the Originals from accessing him, which meant Klaus hadn't been able to kill him, though he had certainly tried. For now, they just had to wait for Finn's reaction. He would definitely not be pleased, but Rebekah suspected it might cause him to lack faith in Esther, considering she hadn't held her own morals, and had caved into the temptation to feed.

Surprisingly enough, they learned about Finn's position the next day.

Klaus had left the house to find a witch who could keep Esther and Mikael trapped where not even Finn could access them, just so he wouldn't get any sinister ideas of sending Mikael out to get them. While Maddy had been home alone, Finn had strolled in, searching until he found her in her room, having been watching a movie.

"Jesus— you scared me," she said, flinching when he suddenly poked his head through the door. She couldn't help but be slightly nervous. Why had Finn just shown up unannounced? Was he here to hurt her?

He held up his hands in surrender, as if to indicate that he wasn't going to do anything to harm her. "I was looking for Niklaus. I'd like to inquire about where our mother is. I haven't been able to find her."

"I don't actually know where he is, or where she is. They kinda don't tell me a lot of stuff these days because I can't help and they know that giving me too much information will just worry me."

"But they turned her, yes?"

Maddy bit her lip. "To protect me. We're all worried about Dahlia, we truly are, but we just couldn't trust that Esther wouldn't try to hurt me, too. She wanted me to go through a spell that would have made me lose the baby. I don't trust her. I want this baby, Finn, I really do... you may not like your brother, but please don't..."

He shook his head. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to find out what you know about Dahlia, so I can discuss it with you. Answer any questions you may have."

Maddy hummed. "Your siblings told me everything they heard from you. Dahlia was Esther's big sister, she was good at magic, and after helping Esther with a fertility spell so that she could have a family with Mikael, she took your big sister Freya and you guys never saw her again. Now, she's going to want to take my baby when she gets word of its existence, because it's a firstborn Mikaelson witch. And a confirmed tribrid. According to you, we have a few more months of peace before we really have to worry about this."

Finn assented. "You know a significant amount. Surely you understand the danger you're in."

"And what do you suggest, Finn? That I terminate this pregnancy? I'm not doing that. Fuck no. We're going to find a way to defeat Dahlia. Or, at least, Nik will. I trust him. He won't let anything happen to us."

"And if he fails?"

"He won't. He'll do everything in his power to keep this baby safe."

Finn was starting to get agitated. "You don't understand how much of a threat Dahlia is. She will come and she will take that child from you as soon as you've birthed it. You will never see it again. She's a monster."

"Well, how can I protect this kid without getting rid of it?"

"It will only suffer more if you let it continue to grow. Just think about it. You have only a few more months of peace before Dahlia arrives. It will only hurt you more if she keeps you from getting to raise it after you've gone through the entire pregnancy."

"We can handle Dahlia."

"Just as you handled Esther? That was easy. Perhaps my mother should have been smarter. I was not there today, and she was unprepared. She shouldn't have trusted Rebekah."

Maddy sighed. "Why are you still sticking with Esther? Finn, she forced you to keep the truth about Freya a secret for so, so long. That was traumatic for you and she didn't acknowledge it, she just made you lie to protect her. Just as she lied about Klaus and left him to be abused. Esther is an awful mother, surely you understand that. You don't have to be loyal to her anymore. You can be free. We will handle Dahlia. Or, if you want to help, then we'd be happy to accept that. But I'm not going to get rid of this baby."

Finn shook his head. "It's unwise for you to go about this."

"And it's cruel of you to suggest I get rid of it when I'll never have another chance to carry a child again. If I refuse, are you going to force me into a miscarriage or something?"

"I wouldn't do that."

She wasn't sure she believed him.

He understood that she wasn't very comfortable with him being there anymore. "I'll take my leave," he said simply. "Consider your options. You are a good woman, Madeleine. It would break you if Dahlia took your child before you got to be a mother. You do not deserve that pain."

She hummed. "I already am a mother, Finn. And I'll die before I let anyone take this kid away from me."

_

Maddy tried not to think of Dahlia. Instead, she put together the finishing touches for the wedding, and as soon as Hayley had finished adjusting to her hybrid self and completed the trials, it was time for them to conduct the ceremony.

She'd wanted to wear the green dress that Klaus had gotten her a year ago for the Mikaelson Ball, which she hadn't worn since Rebekah would wear green. But she figured it would be too over the top for a wedding, as she didn't want to outshine Hayley (who had acquired a dress from Rebekah, who would be staying just for the ceremony). Instead, she settled for a red dress that fit comfortably over her belly, which was much bigger by now (A/N: V Neck Spaghetti Straps Burgundy Velvet Prom Dress [promfy.com]).

The venue had been decorated to perfection. Maddy had done everything she could to channel her inner Caroline so that it would be absolutely perfect. Soon enough, the girls would be graduating, and then, they would join her in New Orleans. Time was passing quickly, and Maddy was incredibly excited.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Hayley as she went to find her in the bride's dressing room. "Ready?"

Hayley nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. Jackson and I bonded a lot last night in the final trial, just talking about everything and connecting through honesty. He's a good man and I am truly lucky to be marrying him. Wolves from all over the country have flown in for this. Mostly the Alphas of certain packs. They acknowledged Jackson as Alpha, and being here, they can get that blessing bestowed upon them and in turn, their packs. So we're going to have a lot of allies and consequently, a lot of wolves who will be more than happy to protect your little one."

"Thank you for this," said Maddy softly. "Really. It means so much to me that you're all so willing to accept it when it isn't a Crescent."

"Hey, it may be a tribrid, but it's still part wolf. The witches here can be a pain in the ass, and they can't join the vampire community til they're over eighteen and decide if they want to turn or not. So the wolves will be a main part of its life. We're happy to accept new members. We'll teach it everything it needs to know."

Maddy knew that the unspoken words to be added were, 'Just in case Klaus decides he's not eager to be a part of it anymore.'

But that fear of him suddenly walking out of their lives was very minimal in Maddy. She'd seen him growing closer and closer to the baby, often touching her stomach and just humming as if to soothe it whenever he heard its heart beating a bit too fast. She knew he wouldn't leave them. Already, the two of them loved their child very much.

Maddy sat with Klaus nearest the back of the venue while the wolves took up the seats in the front. They held each other's hands as Hayley and Jackson walked down the aisle alongside each other, stopping at the altar where Mary, Jackson's grandmother, was to be conducting the ceremony. Klaus took a moment to rub his thumb over the back of Maddy's hand, glancing at her and smiling, just to make sure she was okay. She was just happy. The decorations were amazing, and at last, the wolves were going to have the power and freedom they deserved.

They clapped when the ceremony finished with a tender kiss between Hayley and Jackson. The guests immediately started to file out, having planned for their party to be in the Bayou, with a massive amount of food beneath the stars and some string lights, all accompanied by music and dancing. Maddy would have liked to attend, but it was best that they return home, just to be safe.

"You mentioned you don't wish to have a big wedding," said Klaus. "Is that still true?"

Maddy nodded, turning to face away from him so he could unzip her dress. "If we want to get married, I think we'd both be way more comfortable just signing some documents in a courthouse, to be honest."

Klaus smirked, and shrugged. "Or I could simply compel someone to file the paperwork for us, and then, we can marry whenever we want."

The woman giggled. "I miss being able to compel people. You're right, we can just do it whenever we want."

He let her dress slide completely off of her body before kissing her shoulder. "Will you marry me, love?" he whispered, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Yes, Nik," she said, smiling to herself. "Anyday you want. Whenever the compelled person submits the paperwork."

"Tomorrow, then."

"That soon?"

"I have known for a very long time that you are the one I love above all things. The one that I would like by my side for eternity. We are already having a child together. Consider us wed."

She blushed. "Alright, then, Mr. Mikaelson."

"Does that mean I can refer to you as 'Mrs. Mikaelson?'"

"Eh, it makes me sound old."

Klaus chuckled lowly, his breath fanning over her ear. "I hate to break it to you, love, but we are both... very old."

"Mm, yes, so easy to forget we've been alive for so damn long."

He turned her to face him. "I adore you. I always have. There is no one in the world I love more than you, Madeleine Mikaelson."

Her eyes flickered between his eyes and his lips. "I like the way it sounds when you call me that."

"Unfortunately, 'Mikaelson' isn't as meaningful as 'Salvatore.' If you'd prefer Mikaelson-Salvatore, then—"

"No, it's okay. I'll never stop being a Salvatore. Madeleine Mikaelson, as you said once before, has a wonderful ring to it. Besides..." she ran her hand over his chest, "there's a really famous painter with that surname. I think you might know him."

Klaus rolled his eyes playfully. "I know him extremely well. If I recall, he has painted a woman who looks quite a bit like you... several times. A few times, completely nude."

"Mm, I think I remember posing for him. And I think I'd like to do it again sometime soon. If you're willing to paint me after you make a mess of me."

"Is that a challenge, love? I've done it before and I'll do it again."

"Do it, then. It's been too long. You don't have to be scared of sleeping with me, Nik. I'll tell you if it hurts, I promise."

He was gentle anyway. He whispered reassuring words in her ears, kissed her neck tenderly, massaged her hips and held her afterward, keeping her safe as she fell asleep in his arms.

For months they waited, in a period of calm before a storm. Really, not much had happened in that time. Marcel was still training his vampires. The wolves were thriving. Without Esther to command them, the witches were keeping to themselves. Even Finn hadn't bothered them again, though he also hadn't left the city, which they weren't sure was a good thing. The most exciting thing was that Kai had released the heretics and turned into one to take down the Gemini Coven. Jo hadn't been very sad to hear it. In fact, she was just thankful that the heretics were being handled by those still in Mystic Falls. Maddy was simply glad to hear that Stefan was doing well with Valerie, who had apparently told him a secret that no one else was allowed to know yet. The point was that they were bonding, and Maddy was able to see her brother happy with someone. That was what mattered to her.

Dahlia hadn't been a thorn in their side yet. And they'd almost forgotten about her.

Until Finn arrived one day, standing beside a blonde who claimed to be Freya Mikaelson, bearing the warning that Dahlia was on her way.

A/N: Happy 700 pages!!! Comment for more :)