One-shot
Episode 4.01, Hayley has just awoken the Mikaelsons.
"And they say romance is dead," Elijah said, standing by the fire, fuelled by their dead enemies.
"I'll take it," Hayley replied, unbuttoning his sleeve to reveal his wrist. "Your infection is gone."
"You saved us. All of us… I guess Kol and Rebekah couldn't contain their hunger."
"Elijah after all this time…"
"Me too. Now please tell me, how is my niece?"
"She's amazing. Healthy, happy, she's the perfect little girl. And she made me promise that one day she would get her family back, all of them."
"A child after my own heart."
"Then there's only one person left."
"Let's go get him," Elijah replied, just as a body was thrown at his feet.
"Yes, let's," Rebekah said, walking out of the shadows with Kol by her side.
"What is this?" Elijah asked, kicking the body over onto its back to reveal a young man.
"We were hoping Hayley could explain."
"Not that we aren't grateful love," Kol said, "but I thought we were clear this quest was to be kept in the family; no sidekicks as it were."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hayley said, crouching down beside the youth.
"Then let's dispose of him and be on our way."
"Wait…I know him, but this is impossible. I killed him months ago."
"Not very thoroughly," Kol smirked.
"I staked him through the heart."
"Are you sure?" Elijah asked, touching her shoulder.
"Yes. He helped me. He led me to the witch who removed Rebekah's hex. I…I killed him to conceal my tracks. I killed a lot of people."
"You protected this family," Elijah said, picking up a piece of wood and kneeling next to Hayley. He prepared to stake the youth just as Hayley brushed back the stranger's hair in regret. As soon as the youth's face was fully revealed, Elijah dropped the weapon.
"Brother?" Rebekah asked, worried.
"I know him too," he gasped, leaning forward. "New Orleans, the night Mikael forced us to flee, he saved my life."
"What are you talking about?"
"I told Klaus and you to leave. When Mikael came for me, he had a poisoned dagger. I was weakened, at his mercy… then this boy arrived, he staked Mikael and carried me away. When I woke, he was gone."
"You're saying a stranger took on our father out of the goodness of his heart," Kol frowned. "I don't think so."
"Hayley, you said he helped break the hex on me?" Rebekah asked.
"Yes, and he…," Hayley said, pausing.
"He what?"
"He gave me an ingredient for Freya' poison, and…told me where to find one of the werewolf packs."
"It would seem we have a guardian angel."
"We take him with us," Elijah said, picking the youth up.
"You can't be serious," Kol argued.
"This is not a debate," he replied, walking back inside to Freya.
"Who's the corpse?" his sister asked as Elijah placed the body in one of the now empty coffins.
"We'll explain on the road," Rebekah said. "Let's get out of here. Klaus won't save himself."
Episode 4.02, Klaus has been saved and seen Hope.
"Klaus is back, Hope has her father and the Mikaelson's are whole again," Hayley said.
"Everything is as it should be," Elijah replied, kissing her hand.
"Then why are we stood in a barn, watching over an unconscious stranger?" she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. Elijah sighed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.
"There's more to this boy than meets the eye. There is a connection here…I can't explain it."
"And I killed him," Hayley frowned. "I became a monster Elijah. I butchered so many people to protect Hope, to protect you."
"You were a Mikaelson. And though you thought you killed him, something stayed your hand."
"That's just it Elijah. I didn't miss, I killed him I'm sure of it." Elijah frowned.
"We will have our answers in the morning. For now, let's just enjoy a bit of peace."
"I can do that," Hayley agreed, kissing him.
Episode 4.03, Klaus has spent the day with Hope.
"This was supposed to be a day spent with my daughter and now I'm being dragged to yet another family meeting," Klaus ranted.
"Yes, well given that Hope is now asleep, perhaps we could stop with the complaining Niklaus and deal with the somewhat curious Vampire lying in our barn," Elijah replied, leading his brother outside.
"So, he was brought back to life somehow," Kol said, catching up with them. "It was probably a witch. It wouldn't be the first time."
"There is still the question of why he has been protecting our family for over two centuries."
"Well, let's find out shall we; quickly, if you please," Klaus said, opening the barn doors. "Freya, please tell me you've discovered something."
"I took a reading," she replied, "but you won't like what I found."
"Let's not be cryptic sister, spit it out."
"He's under some kind of curse. It's powerful and I recognise the caster. It's Esther."
"Jesus Christ," Kol said. "What sort of surprise has our delightful mother sent to torture us with now?"
"Whatever it is, let's destroy it," Rebekah said, walking in with Hayley.
"We will question him first," Elijah said. "Cursed by our mother or not, he has helped this family."
"Fine," Klaus replied. "Let's get on with it shall we. Freya."
The Mikaelson Witch stepped forward, commencing her spell on the body placed within the protection circle. Moments later the youth awoke, eyes opening slowly for a brief moment before he jumped up, overcome with fear. He retreated from Klaus only to find he was surrounded by more of them, trapped within the circle.
"You're right to be afraid," Klaus said.
"Brother please," Elijah warned. "There's no reason we can't be civil here."
Hayley took pity on the youth, stepping up to the circle calmly.
"You helped us, more than once, even though I killed you. Why?"
"I…I don't know what you're talking about. Please…I don't understand…you killed me? What? What the hell is going on?"
Glances were exchanged between everyone as they listened to the frantic questions. Freya began a new spell, breaking off halfway.
"It's the curse," she explained. "His mind seems to be split, it's repressing his true memories. It's as if he's two people."
"Well then, how do we talk to the non-ignorant one?" Rebekah asked.
"By breaking the link."
"What? Please, what is going on?" the youth said, confused and scared.
"Hey, it's alright. We aren't going to hurt you," Hayley soothed as Freya began her spell, making the youth cry out in pain.
"Well, only a little," Klaus smirked, earning a glare from his daughter's mother. The youth suddenly fell to his knees, hands clutching his head as Freya stopped.
"It won't last, our mother's magic is too powerful," Freya explained as the stranger looked up at him, recognition in his eyes.
"You're free," the youth said, looking directly at Klaus. "You're all together."
"You seem awfully pleased about that. Why? What has our dear mother got planned?" Klaus demanded.
"I promise you, I do not serve Esther."
"Not willingly perhaps," Rebekah said. "Who the bloody hell are you anyway?"
"I…I…I shouldn't be here," the youth said, doubt replacing the wonder in his eyes. "Why am I awake? How are you keeping me awake?"
"As opposed to your idiotic alter ego?" Kol asked. "That would be magic dear."
"How?"
"I'm holding back the curse," Freya explained. "But it's too powerful. I can only hold it for a few minutes longer." The youth's face fell.
"Then you have to let me go," he said, glancing at them all before focusing on Elijah. "Please, this is not how I would wish to reveal the truth. I would wait till I am rid of this curse for good."
"Unfortunately, when it comes to threats against this family, we exercise no patience," Elijah replied.
"Tell us of Esther's scheme now or I'll run you through," Klaus snarled, grabbing a stake and the boy's neck.
"Niklaus," Elijah warned.
"Please, this shouldn't be how you learn the truth," the youth gasped just as Klaus gave up his restrained act and ran the boy through.
"No!" Elijah yelled, catching the youth as he collapsed. Klaus dropped the weapon, stepping backward and wiping his hands.
"That was tiresome. Shall we…"
"What the bloody hell," Rebekah interrupted, "why is he still alive?" Klaus turned back around, joining his family in staring at the unconscious youth in worried confusion.
"We need answers," Elijah said. "Freya, get us a more permanent solution to this curse and we'll question him properly when he wakes."
…
"He should be coming back around," Freya said, reconvening the meeting. "Within the protection circle, magic now has no power, the curse should have no effect."
"Can you keep it up?" Rebekah asked.
"For now. Longer if I link it to something."
"Let's worry about that later," Klaus stated, crouching beside the youth and tapping his face. "There we go," he said happily as the stranger came to and Klaus grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him up. "You better start talking."
"Why won't you die?" Kol asked.
"I…I'm an Original," the boy gasped.
"For God's sake, not another long-lost sibling."
"Not a sibling," the youth said, shaking out of Klaus' grip to face Kol. "A nephew."
Silence fell, the Mikaelsons all looking to one another.
"Whose?" Hayley whispered as the youth's gaze slowly fell on the Noble brother. Elijah frowned, stepping forward.
"Explain," he demanded.
"Esther…she lied about the Red Door. Tatia didn't find you in the woods, you didn't kill her, I did." Elijah ran forward, grabbing the boy and slamming him against a beam. The circle was abandoned, and the youth screamed as his mind was ripped in two.
"Elijah!" Hayley yelled, causing the man to stop before throwing the youth back onto the floor within the circle. He crumpled, clutching his head as Elijah began to pace to the barn door.
"You returned home early," the youth began to explain, short of breath from the abuse. "Tatia had been visiting Esther. The moment you saw her hand cradling her belly, you knew the truth, but Dahlia's curse was always lingering. Esther knew that as a new Vampire her powers could still control you. She tampered with your memories, she made you forget and she took Tatia away. My mother died in childbirth and I was raised to manhood by strangers until Esther returned to turn me as she had you. When I sought the truth, she cursed me to live my life as a lost soul. My identity changing every few years to keep Dahlia from learning of my true nature. I've been fighting it ever since. Only in the last five years have I lived as my true self."
"The last five years…" Freya said, worried.
"Esther knew she had to make the curse last forever to keep Dahlia at bay. So, she linked the curse to something immortal; to my own father."
"This is madness," Klaus ranted. "Some trick to ruin our newfound happiness and break this family apart. Well, if we can't compel you to tell the truth I suppose we will have to torture it out of you…"
"Niklaus!" Elijah shouted from the corner. "Do not go near him brother!"
Klaus backed off, rarely seeing such ferocity Elijah. "Leave us... Freya, please stay," Elijah continued quietly, a threat underneath his clipped tone. Everyone departed, Hayley lingering long enough to kiss Elijah's cheek in comfort.
"How do you know what happened to Tatia?"
"A Seer," the youth replied.
"Show me," Elijah demanded, glancing to Freya.
"This may hurt," Freya said, grabbing her brother's hand and then the youth's.
Pain erupted through them, sending both men to their knees as their vision filled with white light. Then Elijah woke up, a spectator to the scene the youth had just described. He went on to show Elijah his childhood and Esther's curse. When he thought the vision would stop, the youth continued and showed his father his life. The pain and suffering he went through only to wake for a few moments at a time. The centuries it took to piece together his true identity. The pride in uncovering who his father was. The hopelessness when he knew he couldn't be part of the family with Dahlia's endless threat. Throughout the centuries the boy's will never faltered. He had stepped in to save his family's lives countless times only to return to the shadows, tortured by the truth that he would be separate from them, always and forever.
Elijah woke, facing his son, a tear running down own his cheek as he looked at his child; his nervous child who had revealed all and now feared rejection. Reaching out, Elijah held the boy's cheek, doubting that he was really there.
"Jonah," Elijah whispered before hugging his son fiercely, keeping him safe and locked against his chest. Freya watched on for a moment, only to leave to tell the others. Elijah's reaction to whatever he was shown confirmed the youth's words. They had a nephew. Hope was not the only child born of her brothers'. Jonah was a Mikaelson.
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