Change was said to be a good thing; it could either be defined as a fresh start or a second chance. The only way to build the life you want was to focus your energy, not on fighting the old, but sculpting the new. Second chances were not freely handed out to make things right, but were given as a chance to prove that you could be better even after we've fallen. Most of the time it wasn't about fixing something that was broken, it was about starting over and creating something better for yourself.

Imogen cringed to herself as she approached the entrance to the Abattoir, the loud clanging of construction work could be heard even from outside. She frowned in confusion as she quickened her pace towards the entrance, her high heels clicking loudly on the granite flooring. The smell of sawdust and sweat reached her moments before she entered the building, her eyes widening when she saw the construction workers milling around the courtyard. Several of them nodded at her in greeting as they walked pass but none of them paused in their assigned tasks and she narrowed her eyes at the scene as she glanced around from someone she recognised.

Exhaustion ebbed at the witch as she sighed to herself tiredly, rubbing her forehead with two fingers, and she mentally scolded herself for not taking the sleeping pill the night before when she couldn't fall to sleep. She had spent majority of the night studying her textbooks for an Advanced Adolescent Psychology exam, mainlining caffeine in order to stay awake and when she did attempt to go to sleep her dreams were plagued by nightmares of the past. Normally, she was able to suppress the memories that haunted her but she had no control over her subconscious mind. As a consequence she was wandering around on basically 'empty' and she couldn't wait until she could sit down at lunch with Elijah.

"Hello?!" she called out with a frown on her lips as she hiked her satchel higher up on her shoulder, attempting to be heard over the ruckus the construction caused. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she wandered further into the structure, carefully avoiding the workers that were carrying tools or lengths of wood across the courtyard.

"Hello, darling." Elijah called down from the balcony above and she immediately turned in the direction of his voice with a scowl, but any harsh words died on her lips the moment she laid eyes on him.

The Original stood in a causal black V-neck shirt and jeans, a sight that on its own caused her pulse to race, but he was also sporting a bright yellow construction helmet. Almost immediately images of him wearing only the construction helmet entered her mind, forcing any other coherent thought to stop in its tracks and she inhaled sharply as her blue eyes darkened with undisclosed desire. There was something so tempting about a man as perfectly put together as Elijah taking part in manual labour; of his muscles rippling as he moved and of the masculine scent of sweat as drops beaded on his forehead. She could easily imagine him covered in sweat for another purpose, a more desirable purpose.

Imogen's mouth suddenly felt dry as she tried to swallow but it felt like she had eaten a stick of chalk and all she could do was gape at him, her exhausted mind trying to play catch up with her libido. She was vaguely aware of the people surrounding her as she stood immobile in the middle of the courtyard but he was the only thing she could see. A flush spread across her cheeks as she shifted uncomfortably, attempting to relieve the tension building in her stomach and she bit the inside of her cheek harshly to clear her clouded thoughts.

It was obvious that her exhausted state was effecting her more than she thought because she was normally an expert at suppressing her hormonal urges. Imogen cleared her throat delicately as she adverted her gaze, folding her arms over her chest and shaking her head slightly to clear it of the images in her mind like some sort of dirty etch-a-sketch.

"Wha – what exactly is going on around here?" she asked in a hoarse voice as she pointedly turned away from the dashing man descending the stairs, gesturing wildly with her arm towards the construction taking place in an attempt to distract him from her current flushed state.

"I thought it was time for a change. A little sprucing up to accentuate the beginning of a new era in the Quarter." Elijah answered calmly as he came to a stop next to the witch, the hint of humour in his voice was unmistakable and she knew from that alone that he was aware of her blatant arousal as she forced herself not to glance in his direction.

"Hmm. Well, are you ready for lunch, or are you having fun playing Bob the Builder?" she asked him in a teasing tone of voice, her wits coming back to her now that she was composed and he gave her an unamused look as she turned her body to face him with a playful smile on her lips. His oak brown eyes seemed to soften as he gazed at her intently and took off the brightly coloured hardhat before setting it on her head, causing her to giggle in an uncharacteristic manner. "How do I look? Cute?"

"Adorable." he corrected her softly as he took a step closer so that she could feel the heat emitting from his body and she grinned up at him as he cupped the side of her neck, grazing his thumb over her pulse point. She hummed in contentment as she leaned into his touch with her eyes closed, feeling relaxed for the first time since she left her apartment that morning.

Elijah sighed to himself as he rubbed his thumb over the underside of her jaw, marvelling at the softness of her flawless skin and the warmth that rushed through her veins beneath his touch. It was fascinating witnessing the flush that followed in the wake of even the barest touch on her skin and the sight caused his mind to wander, made him wonder if other parts of her body suffered the same affliction.

Imogen opened her eyes when he didn't say anything more and instantly narrowed them at the dazed expression that was fixated on his features as he gazed down the length of her body. His oak brown eyes had darkened considerably with lust as he absentmindedly ran his tongue over his lower lip and she felt a spike of heat spark through her as her own arousal was heightened by his obvious approval.

"Enough with all the racket!" Klaus shouted loudly above the noise, causing the couple to turn towards where he was standing against the balcony railing with a familiar redheaded witch beside him. Imogen immediately rolled her blue eyes at them as Elijah dropped his hand from her throat and instead slipped his arm around her waist as he guided her towards the bottom of the staircase.

"Is there a problem, brother?" Elijah asked nonchalantly, not bothered by his brothers murderous expression in the least as he had been on the receiving end of his wrath on more than one occasion and could now determine which mood meant mildly annoyed and which meant it was time to hide the silver daggers. Klaus narrowed his eyes threateningly in frustration as he glared down at his older brother and Elijah turned slightly towards the courtyard with a sigh before raising his voice over the noise as he called out dismissively, "Gentlemen, please."

Imogen quirked an impressed eyebrow as the noise came to an immediate stop, the sudden silence causing a slight ringing in her ears and she watched the construction workers leave the courtyard without waiting for an explanation. It sometimes awed her to witness the influence that Elijah possessed and it was fascinating to watch him wield that authority like a knight would a sword as he marched into a battle of wills and intellect.

"I agreed to a general sprucing up, not a bloody three-ring circus." Klaus complained in a grumble as he started making his way down the staircase with a scowl on his lips and Genevieve smiled serenely in amusement as she followed behind him, rolling her eyes fondly at his attitude.

"Marcel and his minions abused our home for the better part of a century. Now, you might be content to live in squalor. I'm not." Elijah retorted shortly as he cast a distrustful glance towards the redheaded witch descending the staircase behind his brother and Imogen nudged his side warningly with her elbow, quirking an eyebrow pointedly when he looked down at her in mock confusion. She tilted her head to the side as she pursed her lips and he sighed slightly under his breath as he gave a subtle nod no one else would notice if they weren't looking for it the movement.

Genevieve watched the intimate form of communication between the eldest Mikaelson and the Claire witch, her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she came down the last few steps. She had heard the rumours circling the Quarter, it seemed that everyone was speaking about the longing looks that had been exchanged or the secret meetings that took place in her private apartment. It was common knowledge that both Claire sisters were protected, that they had a connection to prominent members of each Faction and even those on the other side of the river. Imogen's relationship with the vampire community was part of the reason why she had been cast aside by the coven and even though it had isolated her from everything she had ever known, she continued to stand up for what she believed in.

Genevieve couldn't help been a little in awe of the other witch despite their differences. On the other side there was nothing to do but watch the lives of the living down below and Imogen was definitely one of the more interesting cases.

"I agree with your brother. It's a new era in the French Quarter. This place could use a makeover." The elder witch said causally as she looked around the half completed courtyard and then spun back around to face to the eldest Original, the small smile on her lips faltering slightly at the blank expression on his face.

"Careful, Elijah. When this one agrees with you, it's a sure sign she wants something." Klaus told his brother with a raised eyebrow, leaning down to press a kiss to Imogen's cheek as he strolled passed them. Imogen scrunched her nose playfully at the gesture, but felt privileged to be on the receiving end of what she knew was probably the most affection he had the capacity of displaying in public.

The two other supernatural's who witnessed the action both frowned in synchronisation, a mixture of confusion and jealousy warring inside of them. Genevieve shifted uncomfortably with a saddened expression; she already had to compete with the blonde bartender, and now she had to worry about another witch fighting for the hybrid's attention?

In the past Elijah and Niklaus had displayed the same taste in female companionship (as evidenced by their shared relationship with the original doppelgänger back when they were human) and the eldest Mikaelson severely hoped that that wasn't the case where Imogen was concerned. With the sudden change in leadership among the vampires of the Quarter and the pending arrival of Niklaus' child, there was enough that they had to worry about without fighting each other.

Elijah felt a small swell of jealous inside of him, burning in the pit of his stomach but it faded completely when the witch beside him threaded her arm through his possessively and turned to face Genevieve with a charming smile plastered on her lips as she spoke confidently in a teasing tone, "Ignore them. Apparently, they never outgrew their brutish Viking sensibilities."

"Oh, how well she knows you, Niklaus." Elijah added in jest as he sent a smirk over his shoulder at his younger brother and Klaus laughed mockingly as he poured himself a glass of bourbon from the bar on the side of the courtyard.

"Oh, don't think I wasn't talking about you too. Please, take notice of the use pluralised vocabulary." she told him pointedly with a raised eyebrow as she extracted herself from his arm, her blue eyes shining with mirth as she attempted to remain serious but her lips subconsciously turned up at the corners. Elijah grinned charmingly, not deterred in the least as he looped his arm around her waist and gently tugged her towards him as she fought the urge to smile in response to his boldness in front of others because he was generally more reserved.

"Enough with the flirting. You're causing me to long for the hullabaloo of construction work." Klaus grumbled loudly as he strolled closer to them with a twinkle in his light blue eyes, enjoying the opportunity to disturb his older brother's happiness.

Imogen rolled her eyes at him with a pout on her lips as Elijah sighed loudly in disappointment but dropped a kiss to her forehead and took a step back in order to put some distance between the two of them. She slipped her arm comfortably around his waist as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she sighed in contentment before remembering that they weren't alone. Proper manners forced her to turn her attention to the redheaded witch as she plastered a smile on her lips and stretched out a hand as she spoke politely in the most sincere tone she could muster, "We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Imogen."

"Genevieve. Pleased to meet you, Imogen." the other witch returned the greeting with a small smile on her lips, even though her eyes were hard as stone and Imogen tilted her head to the side in consideration as her gaze dropped to the dark spot gracing the other woman's familiar blouse. A memory rushed to the surface of her mind and she remembered clearly the day that Davina, whom had apparently forgotten to wash her hands after sketching, inadvertently stained the shirt when she gave her sister a hug.

"Is that my shirt?" she asked in surprise as she pointed towards the smudge of charcoal on the material and Genevieve gasped in realisation as she glanced down at the article of clothing dawning her body with wide eyes, like it had just occurred to her that it belonged to someone else.

"Oh, yes. I apologise. My own was destroyed last night..." she explained in an embarrassed tone of voice as a blush spread across her cheeks, eyes downcast even as a small smile played on her lips and Klaus chuckled lowly in the background as though he was recalling a fond memory. "Hayley is wearing maternity clothing, and I would rather not wearing anything of Rebekah's given our unfortunate history, so yours was the most appealing option."

Imogen tightened her grip on Elijah's arm as she dug her nails into his material of his shirt in an effort to ease some of her anger and she forced a tight smile onto her lips as she offered a strained, "Of course."

"I'll have it dry-cleaned and returned."

"Oh no, please, keep it. It looks better on you than me anyway." She replied in an offhanded manner as she waved her free hand in the air dismissively and Genevieve smiled gratefully as she inclined her head slightly before strolling past the couple towards her hybrid lover. Imogen watched the other woman's retreating back through narrowed eyes as she leaned closer to Elijah and lowered her voice to a whisper so that no mortal would hear her as she quipped under her breath, "Plus, it saves me the trouble of having to burn it later on."

Elijah chuckled in amusement as he ducked his head to hide the smirk on his lips and Imogen grinned angelically when Klaus looked in their direction suspiciously, overhearing the comment but not drawing unnecessary attention to their obvious dislike to his current bed mate.

"Actually I do have a request." Genevieve announced suddenly as though a thought had just occurred to her in that moment and everyone turned their attention to the redhead as she beamed brightly at the eldest Mikaelson brother with her hands clasped in front of her stomach. "I'm told our coven hasn't been able to celebrate feast days in the open since Marcel restricted the use of magic. Now with the new peace, I'd like that to change."

"Am I to assume that you have a certain feast day in mind?" Elijah asked knowingly as he shared an amused look with the witch next to him before turning back to the elder, quirking an eyebrow at her as he waited for an answer.

"La Fête des Bénêdictions. Feast of the Blessings. In the past, members of the community offered witches gifts in exchange for blessings. We'd like to use it as a forum for introducing our young Harvest girls to society."

"So your coven attempted to destroy my family-- and you yourself held my siblings in unspeakable torment-- and you would like a party for the witches?"

"I made my amends with your brother."

"Oh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Imogen asked with mock innocence as she tilted her head to the side with a purse of her lips and both of the Mikaelson's chuckled at the comment but Genevieve snapped her head around to glare at her heatedly.

After a moment of silence, the redhead plastered a polite smile on her lips as she turned back to face Elijah and made sure to keep her voice at a level tone because she knew that offending the brunette wouldn't help gain the Originals favour when making a request for the coven. "Why don't you think it over?"

Imogen held back a victorious grin as she watched the redhead walk out of the courtyard without looking over her shoulder, knowing it was childish and immature to feel so satisfied one-upping someone she didn't particularly like. It reminded her of high school, of the constant fight to be on top and it made her feel sick to think she was reverting back to the person she was when she was a teenager. It pained her to admit that she sometimes allowed her frustration to get the best of her when faced with adversity and sometimes she used to ability to seek out someone's vulnerability, only to use it against them in a verbal battle against those weaker than themselves. The protective streak that had developed inside of her while raising her younger sister seemed to extend to anyone who was being taken advantage of, either physically or emotionally. It had given her and Sophie the reputation of rebels, of outcasts not to be messed with unless you liked the bitter aftertaste regret in your mouth.

In the back of her mind she knew that the situation with Genevieve had to be handled with the utmost care; it didn't escape her attention that anything she did to offend the other woman could end up backfiring and affecting Davina's position in the coven or the peace treaty that had just been established.

"Oh, don't be such a stiff, Elijah. The tourists love a good festival. Besides, what better way to cement the solidarity than a show of faith toward a one-time enemy?" Klaus asked rhetorically in a jovial voice as he set his now empty glass on the countertop with a smirk on his lips and Imogen unwrapped her arm from Elijah's as she rolled her eyes at what she was sure was going to be an argument between the brothers, having recognised the challenging tone of a younger sibling wanting to antagonise.

"A onetime enemy with whom you've grown rather nauseatingly intimate." Elijah remarked in a condemning tone of voice as he raised an eyebrow at his brother almost teasingly but with a hint of displeasure. His gaze flickered momentarily to the brunette witch who had moved to lean against a table pushed to the side of the room during the renovation and she quirked an eyebrow at him as she shook her head disapprovingly with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, who said maintaining alliances can't be fun?"

"One would think you'd be a little more interested in attending to the needs of the mother of your child."