The secret Mikaelson child

They say to face your fears head on right?

We'd finally made it to what seemed like a townhouse, the exterior looked like our new house, the bricks were painted a murky forest green, with a standing of at least three stories, a balcony on the second and third floors. There were pillars covered in blankets of flowers, it felt homey, making me wonder what was so horrible that my mother felt like she had to move countries.

The atmosphere changed as we walked up those front steps. Mum started to raise her arm to reach out for the knocker, she kept repeatedly licking her lips, her eyes glaring at the handle but appeared like she was elsewhere. She dropped her arm back to her side. Extending my arm for the knocker I thumped it against the door three times.

*knock*

*knock*

*knock*

On the third tap my mothers shoulders noticeably tensed, her breathing hitched. It all came to a halt as a small older woman came to the door. "Maya."

"H-hi mom, how you holding up?"

The older woman doesn't answer her, instead she stretched out and embraced my mum in her arms, she pulled away but still held onto her, studying her, "mom I'm so sorry..."

"Hush now child, it's fine you had your reasons, you're home now that's all that matters."

Redirecting her attention to me her jaw noticeably sunk. She started howling out tears as she suffocated me in her grip. For a small woman you'd wonder where she got all that strength from.

Pulling away from me, she gave me a full on zoomed in scale view of her face, she looked exactly like mum, only she had deep sunken bags under her eyes and moles that accented around her narrow face. You would think someone pressed copy and paste of her and my mum.

She brought her frail hands up to my face and caressed each cheek gently, almost as if I would disintegrate if she was too harsh. "Baby y/n"

I didn't know how to respond, what do I call her, gran? No. I cringed at the thought, it didn't seem natural, so I used my best safe bet.

"Mrs Desrosiers, it's amazing to meet you, I'm so sorry about your loss,"

She turned to my mother, dumbfounded. "Child cut the formalities, I'm your grandma, now come inside, meet your family" she strutted back inside the house,

"Other than your reunion she didn't seem so upset, shouldn't she be grieving?" I questioned my mother.

"Pumpkin this is New Orleans, you cry for a day then you celebrate with friends and family."

"That sounds wrong"

"Here they celebrate death, they celebrate the life the person had, we throw one last party in their memory."

I tried to warp my head around that as we stepped inside the house, I could hear people laughing and music playing further inside.

Mum took me on a mini tour of the bottom floor of the house when we stopped short on the living room, where a long beige oak wood casket laid out in the center, decorated in flowers and pictures, attention turned to us, or should I say my mother, it was the first anyone had seen her in years. From the looks of it, some were even surprised she had shown up.

My guess is my mother noticed the exact same thing I did, her skin paled, she looked like she was about to faint. Instinctively I grabbed her hand and entwined her fingers with mine, she then looked at me and smiled, reassuring her I whispered "I got you, you're not alone anymore mum." She kissed my forehead and replied "thank you." She then raised her head and marched us towards the casket.

She pulled something out of her purse and laid it down on bed of white lilies that rested on top of the casket, it was a pocket locket. She kissed the top of the casket and brushed her fingers against it, stepping back reaching for me "dad, I'd like you to meet y/n, everyday I'd watch her grow and her personality, her characteristics remind me of you." Mum barely managed to choke out those words before continuing,
"I miss you so much, but it makes me feel better knowing I'll always carry a piece of you with me, that you're watching over us" she squeezed me tightly and then told me to follow her outside.

In the center of the garden there was a white gazebo which held people playing trumpets, violins and saxophones, all playing an upbeat jazz song that had everyone dancing around them. This was probably the most lively wake I've ever been to. People were wearing bright colours, children playing around, adults dancing and having fun together.

"Well as I live and breathe if it isn't Maya Desrosiers,"

There walking right towards us was a man that looked not much older than mum, wearing a pair of black jeans and a navy green shirt, with dog tags dangling low in the v of his top. Reaching us he instantly embraced my mother in a hug.

Pulling away my mother gaped at him and grinned like the Cheshire Cat "Marcel Gerard, wow look at you, the french quarter doing you good?"

"Yes ma'am, I hear you're moving back from London, those snobby brits become too much for you?"

"Oh don't you know, I never got used to driving on left side of the road" I cleared my throat, feeling a little left out. "Oh Marcel, I'd like you to meet my daughter, y/n"

He turned his attention towards me, it almost seemed like he was going to do a full body inspection. "Wow, you had a kid in London. It's lovely to meet you y/n, I'm Marcel" he took my hand and gently kissed it, it was weird, no one had ever done that to me before when introducing themselves, not even in the uk where we're supposed to be regal and courteous.

"Nice to meet you too Marcel, and I'm actually from New Orleans too, I was born here, we just moved after I was born." I kindly corrected, he looked between me and mother before holding the stare towards her then bounced back to me with wide eyes.

"M-Marcel can I talk to you for a second? Y/n find your grandmother, I'll be back in a bit" she grabbed Marcels arm and stomped towards the far corner of the garden, leaving me alone. In an unknown environment.

"You look lost."

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