Three nights later, New Orleans held a party.
Because apparently surviving dimensional collapse counted as a valid reason to celebrate.
Jazz echoed through the Mikaelson compound courtyard while lanterns bathed the estate in warm golden light. Vampires mingled with witches, werewolves argued loudly near the bar, and humans danced blissfully unaware that reality itself had nearly collapsed three nights earlier.
Progress.
Drake leaned casually against one of the upper balconies overlooking the courtyard while Ciri stood beside him sipping wine.
Below them—
Klaus argued passionately with a witch about art.
Rebekah danced with several humans while Elijah somehow maintained perfect dignity despite the chaos surrounding him.
"You know," Ciri mused quietly, "this might genuinely be the strangest friend group we've ever had."
Drake snorted softly.
"Still healthier than half the worlds we've visited."
Fair.
Warm southern wind drifted through the balcony while music carried upward from below.
For the first time since the Gates reopened—
Everything felt calm.
Not falsely calm.
Real.
And honestly?
Drake still wasn't fully used to that.
Ciri leaned gently against his side afterward.
Comfortable silence settled naturally between them.
Then—
"You're thinking too hard again."
Drake sighed softly.
"Is it that obvious?"
"To me? Always."
He glanced down toward the courtyard again.
Klaus laughed loudly at something Marcel said before immediately starting another argument.
The Original hybrid looked more relaxed than Drake had ever seen him.
Still dangerous.
Still chaotic.
But lighter somehow.
Interesting.
Drake's expression softened slightly.
"I'm still figuring out what I am," he admitted quietly.
Ciri took his hand immediately.
"You're Drake."
Simple answer.
Certain answer.
Human answer.
And somehow—
That mattered more than ancient titles ever could.
A soft flutter of black feathers interrupted the moment.
Death appeared beside the balcony railing casually.
Naturally.
"You know," Drake muttered, "normal people knock."
"I am literally Death."
"Still rude."
Death ignored him entirely while gazing out over New Orleans.
For several moments none of them spoke.
Then softly—
"You chose correctly."
Drake glanced sideways toward her.
"The Gates?"
"No."
Her silver eyes shifted briefly toward Ciri.
"This life."
Silence settled again afterward.
Not uncomfortable.
Just honest.
Death studied Drake quietly for another moment.
Then something almost amused crossed her face.
"You've changed more than fate, Wanderer."
Drake frowned slightly.
"That sounds ominous."
"It is."
Naturally.
Before he could ask further—
Death vanished into drifting feathers once more.
Ciri watched the feathers disappear thoughtfully.
"She's getting cryptic again."
"She was ever not cryptic?"
"Fair."
Below them, Klaus suddenly looked upward toward the balcony.
And immediately grinned.
Dangerous.
Suspicious.
"Oh no," Drake muttered instantly.
"What?"
"Klaus has that expression."
Ciri immediately looked wary.
"Klaus always has an expression."
"Yes, but this one specifically means he's about to become everyone's problem."
Accurate.
Sure enough—
Klaus raised his glass dramatically toward them.
"YOU TWO ARE BEING SOCIALLY UNAVAILABLE."
The entire courtyard looked upward immediately.
Drake closed his eyes briefly.
"…I regret saving this city."
Ciri laughed softly beside him.
"Too late now."
Klaus pointed aggressively upward.
"COME DOWN HERE. I REFUSE TO CELEBRATE COSMIC SURVIVAL WITHOUT THE COSMIC SURVIVORS."
"That sentence hurt me spiritually," Drake muttered.
Still—
He and Ciri eventually made their way downstairs.
The courtyard immediately became louder.
Mostly because Klaus physically dragged Drake into conversation with absolutely everyone nearby.
"Tell them about the giant eldritch eye."
"No."
"The dimensional prison?"
"No."
"The part where ancient horrors called you king?"
"Especially no."
Rebekah nearly choked laughing.
Marcel looked deeply entertained.
Even Elijah seemed dangerously close to smiling.
Traitors.
Hours passed surprisingly quickly afterward.
Music.
Drinks.
Stories.
Arguments.
At one point Klaus attempted teaching Ciri how to properly threaten people in French while Elijah watched with visible disappointment.
Honestly?
It felt normal.
Weirdly normal.
And somewhere during the night—
Drake realized something strange.
Every time danger remotely approached Ciri—
Klaus reacted instantly.
Subtly.
Instinctively.
A drunk vampire stumbled too close?
Klaus appeared immediately.
A witch accidentally aimed unstable magic near the balcony?
Klaus redirected it without even thinking.
Someone looked at Drake or Ciri too aggressively?
The hybrid's eyes flashed gold automatically.
Drake noticed.
So did Ciri.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Near midnight the party finally began calming down.
Guests slowly drifted away while the Mikaelsons spread throughout the courtyard in varying states of exhaustion and alcohol tolerance.
Drake sat on the edge of the courtyard fountain while Ciri rested beside him.
Klaus approached holding two glasses of bourbon.
"One for you," he announced while handing Drake a glass.
"And one for me because I'm generous."
"Truly inspiring."
Naturally Klaus ignored the sarcasm.
He sat beside them casually while the quieter sounds of New Orleans drifted beyond the compound walls.
For once—
No immediate catastrophe threatened them.
Klaus took a sip before glancing sideways toward Ciri.
"You know," he mused, "I still find it amusing that the terrifying cosmic entity somehow ended up as the emotionally stable one in your relationship."
Ciri looked deeply offended.
"I am emotionally stable."
"You threatened a man with a fork yesterday."
"He deserved it."
"That is not the point."
Drake snorted into his drink.
Then suddenly—
A strange feeling hit him.
Sharp.
Instinctive.
Ancient wolf instincts stirred unexpectedly beneath the cosmic awareness inside him.
Not danger.
Recognition.
Drake blinked once slowly.
Ciri immediately noticed.
"What?"
He looked toward Klaus carefully.
The hybrid frowned slightly.
"…Why are you staring at me like that?"
Drake didn't answer immediately.
Because something deeply bizarre had just clicked into place.
His instincts—
His pack instincts—
Recognized Klaus.
Not as ally.
Not friend.
Pack.
Drake stared at him for several long seconds.
Then finally—
"Oh no."
Klaus narrowed his eyes immediately.
"I dislike that response."
Ciri suddenly froze too.
Because she felt it now as well.
The bond.
Subtle.
Strange.
But unmistakable.
Her eyes widened slowly before she looked toward Klaus in disbelief.
"…You accidentally imprinted on the pack."
Silence.
Klaus blinked once.
"What."
Drake rubbed one hand across his face.
"You emotionally attached yourself during the apocalypse."
"That sounds fake."
"It unfortunately isn't."
Klaus looked horrified.
"I am an Original hybrid."
"Yes."
"I do not join packs."
Drake pointed at him calmly.
"And yet."
The realization spread visibly across Klaus' face in stages.
Denial.
Confusion.
Existential offense.
"Absolutely not."
Ciri was already laughing now.
"You protected us repeatedly."
"I protect people occasionally."
"You threatened three vampires because one insulted me."
"They were irritating."
"You checked on Drake six times after the Gates closed."
Klaus pointed aggressively.
"That was trauma bonding."
Drake grinned slightly.
"Klaus."
The hybrid looked deeply suspicious now.
"You are disturbingly attached to us."
"I hate this conversation."
Rebekah walked into the courtyard at the worst possible moment.
Naturally.
"What conversation?"
Ciri immediately answered.
"Klaus accidentally joined our pack."
Silence.
Then Rebekah burst into violent laughter.
Actual tears formed in her eyes.
"Oh my God."
Elijah appeared nearby moments later, because apparently chaos summoned him naturally.
"What happened?"
Rebekah could barely breathe.
"Klaus became a puppy."
"I DID NOT."
Marcel laughed loud enough to echo through the courtyard.
Drake nearly lost composure completely watching Klaus spiral in real time.
The hybrid stood abruptly.
"This is ridiculous."
Then paused.
Because suddenly—
Everyone felt it.
The bond pulsed faintly through the courtyard.
Ancient.
Protective.
Pack.
Klaus went absolutely silent.
Drake stared at him sympathetically.
"…Yeah."
The hybrid looked genuinely horrified.
"I hate all of you."
Ciri laughed harder.
Rebekah nearly collapsed against Elijah from amusement.
Even Elijah smiled openly now.
Klaus pointed accusingly at Drake.
"This is your fault somehow."
"Probably."
The Original hybrid looked deeply betrayed by reality itself.
Then after a long silence—
Quietly—
"…Do pack members at least get benefits?"
Drake blinked once.
Ciri burst into laughter again.
And somehow—
After cosmic wars, dimensional Gates, and ancient horrors—
Niklaus Mikaelson accidentally becoming part of their pack felt completely natural.