VIII. The Other Girl in New Orleans

                                    

                                          
Juliette walked into the room where Elijah and Freya were having a conversation. The heretic knew that her brother was a little annoyed and angry with his younger sister for attacking Simon to get the location of Rebekah. He was only concerned for her safety and the little baby growing in her stomach. 
                          
"Elijah, I got your text," Hayley arrived at the compound with baby Hope in her arms. 
                          
"Unless, she's violently teething, I don't recommend this as a daycare," Elijah said referring to Hope. 
                          
"Jack's gone, and I don't know if he's coming back," she revealed to the three Mikaelson siblings while bouncing Hope slightly. "I also really don't wanna talk about it. So, which one of you will take Hope while I take my anger out on this pompous dick?"
                          
Juliette realized that her two siblings were looking to her. She sighed and walked over to Hayley. "I will take my little niece and I hope you will all stop worrying about me. Besides this will give me some more practice."
                          
She pulled Hope out of Hayley's arms. "Come here, baby girl."
                          
****
                          
Juliette held her niece in her arms as she hummed a little lullaby to get the toddler to sleep. Hope's eyelids were starting to droop when the front door to Hayley's apartment opened and closed. 
                          
Juliette instinctively held Hope closer to herself before she only saw that it was Mary, Jackson's grandmother. 
                          
"Juliette," the wolf greeted. "Might I be able to hold my great-granddaughter?" She asked the heretic, who was holding Hope protectively. Juliette knew she was a Crescent wolf and that she should trust Mary but the Mikaelson has never trusted her. 
                          
"Where's Hayley?" Mary asked when she realized that Juliette wasn't going to give up her niece. 
                          
"She's across the street helping with a family matter."
                          
Mary sighed. "Is that Elijah's idea?"
                          
Juliette smiled fakely and excused herself to go put Hope to bed. When she set the toddler down in her crib, Juliette pulled out her phone to call Hayley. 
                          
"She's fine J, she's just a little rough around the edges, but she's family," Hayley assured her best friend when she was told about Mary's arrival. "Don't worry, I'll be there soon."
                          
****
                          
After reluctantly leaving Hope in the care of Mary, Juliette left Hayley's apartment. With Elijah, Freya, and Hayley busy with torturing Tristan and Simon, she walked down the streets of New Orleans. She had promised Elijah that she would stay out of trouble for the sake of her unborn child. 
                          
She picked up her phone out of her pocket and dialed Lucien. She held it up to her ear and listened to the ringing. When he didn't answer, she roughly pulled her phone from her ear. "Of course."
                          
She continued walking through the French Quarter when she was knocked upside the head. "Son of a bitch," she growled out before she fell unconscious. 
                          
****
                          
Juliette groggily woke up from the hardwood floor of St. Anne's Church. She quickly listened closely for the heartbeat of her baby, when she heard it, she let out a sigh of relief. She placed her hand on her stomach and ran her fingers over it.