The whispers had been circulating ever since the four strangers stepped foot in the Big Easy.
It had started with the witches, who had felt the pull of power the moment they arrived.
"A Bennett witch? I didn't even know their line was still around!"
"And a doppelganger! I've heard stories from some Travelers I met a few years back! Her blood could make any of us powerful enough to end the Mikaelsons and Marcel for good!"
Next, the vampires, or the few who had escaped the reign of werewolf terror that had plagued the city.
"I tell you, it's him! THAT'S the Ripper of Monterey!"
"What's a Ripper of Monterey?" Josh asked casually, eyeing the newcomer with caution.
"You must have heard the stories! He rips bodies apart like a madman!"
"I heard he used to party with Klaus back in the day. Like brothers!"
Josh laughed, "Well, judging by how Klaus treats his brother, I wouldn't imagine he will last long enough to matter anyway."
But no one could account for the fourth member of the strange little collection of newcomers. The vampires had never heard of her, the witches felt nothing supernaturally special about her and the werewolves smelled less than a decade of strength on her. And yet, the group comprised of some of the most powerful and feared beings in the world seemed to stand behind her as if following her lead. She must be the most terrible of the bunch.
Their theory was cemented as she made her way into Rousseau's, colorful heels clicking softly against the tile floor, and headed straight for the little blonde bartender working a double shift as usual.
"Hi!"
The perky voice caught Cami off-guard as she turned toward the little group, "Hey, what can I get you?"
"Ummm information if you can. I'm hoping you're Cami?"
She nodded, "Yeah that's me. Do I know you?"
"Oh no. Sorry, that must have sounded super creepy! My name is Caroline Forbes and these are my friends. We're looking for Elijah Mikaelson and we were told you could point us in the right direction."
Cami had only recently realized her world was not what it had been only months ago, so she didn't know the perky blonde newcomer or her semi-famous friends. However, one thing she did know...anyone who plowed into New Orleans asking for Elijah Mikaelson as if he were any old guy off the street was not to be trifled with.
"Look, I don't know if you know what you're asking. You seem like a sweet girl and Elijah is...well..."
Caroline laughed, "Thanks for the concern and trust me, I totally get where you're coming from. But he's expecting us."
"Are you friends of his?"
Katherine chuckled, "Yeah, you could say that, sweetie. Now tell me where I can find Elijah or I will come across this bar and rip out your..."
"Katerina, please, manners."
The curly-haired brunette's fiery tone melted to honey as she faced the Original Brother, "Elijah..."
Cami had only known Elijah for a short time, really still didn't know him very well, but he had never struck her as an emotional man. Honorable, loyal and, to be frank, kind of intimidating but emotional? Not so much. She was pretty sure the younger Mikaelsons held the majority of the emotions in that family; Klaus with his bouts of uncontrollable rage and random moments of romanticism when the fancy struck him, and Rebekah with her unwavering need for love and her own propensity for temper tantrums that could give her hybrid brother a run for his money at times.
Yet, you'd have to be a total fool (or at the very least, certainly not a psychology major training to read people as a profession) not to see the adoration in his dark eyes as he gazed upon the vicious little brunette bombshell.
"Katerina, I heard..."
She shrugged, "That I finally bit the big one? Yeah well, amazing what a little deal with a Bennett witch can do for ya, huh?"
Elijah turned to Bonnie, "You did this?"
She shook her head, "Not me. Unfortunately my ancestors owed her one. Go figure. When they brought me back, I had to pull her along for the ride. Katherine Fierce cheats death once again. I swear one day..."
Stefan interrupted, noting the venomous look Katherine gave the young witch, "Elijah, we came like you asked. Now can you tell us why we're here?"
The Original sighed, looking more worried than the Mystic Falls gang had ever seen him. Which was saying something considering the worries he had had there. He still looked flawlessly put together but his eyes revealed the truth. Something was very wrong in New Orleans.
"Things have taken a turn for the worse here, I'm afraid. A group of particularly nasty werewolves is running the city like mobsters and the alliances of the witches is divided so much that we cannot trust any of them. Rebekah has taken off and our only other possible allies are not powerful enough to be the backup we need. Or more accurately, I suppose, I need."
"Ok, so what does that have to do with us?" Bonnie asked.
"I'm afraid I must ask for your assistance."
Stefan chuckled, "Our assistance? What can we possibly do that the most powerful family in the world can't do?"
"That's why I've asked each of you here. Miss Bennett, I need a magical ally to help me convince the witches that they are better off on our side. I know we have had our differences in the past but I believe you to be honorable and trustworthy. You are also a Bennett, a family name that any witch is likely to stand behind."
Bonnie nodded, "Maybe. But why should I convince them to side with you and your family? I don't trust you either. No offense."
"Because they are failing to see that their other options are much worse. The Guerreras, as I have said, are mobsters and they have no intention of doing anything positive for the witch community when they have total control of this city, I assure you. I intend on letting them use their magic in the Quarter and live their lives as peacefully as possible."
"At what price?"
He smiled, "Honorable, trustworthy and smart. I see why my brother spoke highly of you."
"Klaus spoke highly of ME?"
He chuckled, "No. Despite popular belief, I have other brothers besides Niklaus, Miss Bennett."
Bonnie's face pinked, "Ummm ok...so you want them to do a spell or two for you every once in a while in exchange for living their lives in peace?"
Elijah nodded, "Precisely."
"Ok, I'll help you. But I want to talk to them alone and decide the best course of action."
"Of course. As long as you keep me in the loop, Miss Bennett, we can do this your way," he turned to Stefan, "Stefan, Elena tells me you are a doppelganger, too?"
He nodded, "Yes, Silas's doppelganger. It's a long story."
"I'm sure. The Guerreras have crafted moonlight rings that weaken Niklaus on a full
moon and allow them to remain human. In order to break that spell, I need something equally as powerful as hybrid blood."
Stefan nodded, "Doppelganger blood."
"Yes, which is why I sent for you and Elena."
Katherine huffed, "And you got me instead. How horribly disappointing that you get the cute one as opposed to the dreadfully boring one with bad hair."
"I thought you were dead, Katerina, and even if you weren't, I wouldn't risk bringing you to New Orleans. The danger here alone would be enough to forgo that but you know as well as I that Niklaus..."
Caroline had been silent through the conversation, which was odd for her. But she was waiting patiently for the answers to her growing questions. Not about her own role in the plan. She had already assumed why Elijah had asked her there. She'd been playing the same role for quite some time and she was no longer surprised when she was cast as "Klaus bait." However, what bothered her most was that Elijah seemed to be taking control of all of the decisions and she couldn't quite understand why. It was Klaus who ruled in New Orleans, wasn't it? Hadn't that been what he'd been doing down here? She scoffed internally. Ya know, other than NOT calling her. Not that she wanted him to, of course. Just saying, it was sort of rude to promise to be a girl's last love and then only drop by for some scandalous forest sex and then not call! That's all it was. Just rude. Not hurtful. Just rude. She'd made him promise not to come to Mystic Falls, not to not use a telephone for goodness sake!
She shook her head, trying to focus back on the conversation. Elijah still seemed to be trying (and failing) to convince Katherine that he hadn't meant to shun her. But knowing Katherine (gah, that was weird. When did she get to know Katherine that well?), she would make him work for it. And frankly, Caroline was getting a bit impatient.
"Where is he, Elijah?" she interrupted, ignoring the look of frustration Katherine cast her.
"My brother has locked himself away in our home for over a month. He refuses to come out of his chambers and I fear the longer he stays there, the worse the outcome will be when he finally emerges."
"Why is he locked away somewhere instead of fighting? It doesn't sound like him."
"Miss Forbes, perhaps we should talk in private?"
"Why? What aren't you telling me, Elijah?" she asked, her voice straining a little with worry at the look of concern on his face.
Elijah turned to her with a sigh, as if mentally preparing himself for her reaction, "Niklaus has exiled himself to his chambers to grieve the loss of his daughter."
Four shocked faces, all but dropping their jaws at the news, stared back at him.
Bonnie recovered first, "Klaus's...daughter? Is that even possible?"
Nodding, Elijah told them the story of his brother's tryst with Hayley, the resulting pregnancy and the tragic story they had fabricated about Hope's death.
"So after the child was killed, Hayley lost it and took off with her pack for a while and Niklaus has not been seen since. The only way I know he's still alive at all is the blood I leave at his bedroom door disappears, as do our bourbon supplies, and occasionally he breaks things. Well, quite frequently actually."
"Where is your house?" Caroline stuttered, breathlessly, causing all four sets of eyes to focus on her apprehensively, "Take me there. Now."
"Miss Forbes, he won't see you. He won't see anyone. That's not why I asked you here. I asked you here to..."
"I don't care why you asked me here! I said to take me there. Now!"
"Care, is that such a good idea?" Bonnie asked her softly, "Klaus is unstable right now. More so than usual. He could hurt you...or worse."
Her blue eyes flashed with fire, "If you won't take me there like I asked I will find someone who will or I'll find it myself!"
Stefan's hand on her shoulder snapped her attention, "It's ok, Caroline."
His voice usually soothed her but her brain was running wild in repeats of Klaus, daughter, Hayley, killed. She could think of nothing else but getting to him. Whether to console or throttle him, she wasn't sure, but she could do neither just sitting around talking. She needed to see him. The rest she would figure out along the way.
Elijah sighed, "Come along then. I suppose it can't hurt to try. Though I must warn you, Miss Forbes, your friend is right. My brother isn't himself. I can't promise your safety and..."
"He won't hurt me."
She said it with such conviction and so assuredly that he almost believed her. But she was only a baby vampire and his brother had killed millions for less. Rebekah had claimed he held the blonde in high esteem but Elijah feared that wouldn't be enough to save her from his brother's wrath. In fact, he thought, it probably wouldn't be enough to save any of them from it.