My Soul to Keep
Chapter 1: Rebirth
Beta: PrincessOfSilence
Disclaimer: I own nothing of TO. I only own my characters and my story.
To many, the Olmstead Foundry was just an abandoned building that had been left to be a haven for runaways, bums and rats. But to Elijah, it was a forgotten beacon of what New Orleans used to be during its prime. The building was nestled in the woods just on the outskirts of the river that ran through the city. When the company went under, the building remained untouched for many years until today. Ever since the Guerreras moved into New Orleans, they took it upon themselves to increase the influence of human tourism in the area. They saw the Olmstead Foundry building as a way to bring in more revenue to the city if it were to be knocked down and replaced with a casino. While it would be a good idea, Elijah was not about to let that happen. He set up a meeting with a realtor and some of Francesca's lackeys to persuade the realtor that this building needed to be saved and not turned into a tourist attraction.
Little did the Guerreras know, this meeting had a second agenda intact.
With each passing full moon, the moonlight rings drew their power from Klaus, weakening him. After a suitable grieving time had come and gone, Elijah made it his business to find the wearers of the twelve rings that were made with his brother's blood. He did this with the help of Audrey who served as a second set of eyes for his plan. Once all twelve rings were located, they could act on how to get them back. Elijah's expensive suit offset the laid back attire of the Guerrera wolves and Audrey was dressed more professionally as well. After all, they did have to look the part as members of a foundation that wanted to preserve any historical buildings in the city. She donned a black pencil skirt with a matching blazer and a pair of pointed toe stilettos. Her dark waves had gotten longer, resting at her mid-back and her pale skin contrasted against the dark suit.
"Authentic cast-iron columns, an original Bloomry forge, fueled by a charcoal furnace." Elijah awed at the building's features. Sure, it was old and decrepit, but it held a lot of New Orleans history and culture that Elijah wished to preserve.
"It does have some modern elements." Audrey pointed to the fire sprinkler system that had been installed in the ceiling at a later date due to building regulations, but they could hardly be seen. "But I feel they add a certain charm, don't you agree?"
"The modern elements blend quite nicely indeed." Elijah nodded thoughtfully and continued his self-guided tour of the building. "My foundation has aligned itself with the city's Historical Preservation Society. We have a vested interest in seeing this building protected."
"This place is a dump!" One of the stockier wolves grumbled. "The Guerrera family would be doing this city a favor."
When the Original turned to face the man who spoke up, his eyes were immediately drawn to the ring that rested on his finger. It was a gold setting with a square black stone in the middle; at last, the final ring had been found. Elijah then cleared his throat before speaking again.
"Well, unfortunately, under the Preservation Act of 1966, we cannot allow the Guerreras to demolish one of the city's original foundries. Even if it is for something as noble and distinguished as a casino."
Audrey clapped her hands together once and smirked widely. "Now that's all settled. You gentlemen can kindly leave."
The wolf snarled under his breath and grunted at his pack mates. They all scowled as they shuffled towards the door with the realtor in tow. They now had to explain to Francesca that they'd lost the piece of land she so desperately wanted and they were not looking forward to getting chewed out by her.
"So, thank you, gentleman. Do give my best to Francesca." Elijah gave them a fake smile. The ring bearing man had just reached the door frame when he bent down to swipe something off the side of his shoe. Audrey's eyes glinted dangerously and she saw the perfect opportunity to recover the ring and bring it back to Klaus. She lifted her hand, ready to smite him, but Elijah gripped her wrist hard, breaking her concentration. She glared at him as the man straightened up and walked away.
"Really? You couldn't let me play just a little bit?" She growled. "I could have made his head explode and we could have taken the ring."
"Not now." He let go of her and she held her wrist. "We must be patient."
"I think we've been patient enough." She cursed at the minimal bruising she felt forming along her skin.
"It was never your strongest virtue." Elijah pulled at the jacket of his suit, smoothing it out.
Audrey hummed at the back of her throat and sauntered toward the exit. Elijah followed her and they both climbed into his car, anxious to get home and tell Klaus that the final piece of the puzzle was in place. With the last ring in sight, they could begin to take back New Orleans. The car ride was nice and smooth; of course Audrey knew it would be because Elijah was driving. She sat silently in the passenger seat, tapping her toe to the song playing from the radio. She felt a sense of pride that Elijah had asked her to help him with his search for the rings, but she then realized that he didn't have too many other people to ask. Hayley was spending more time in the bayou with her people rather than at the compound, while Giuliana was still adjusting to vampirism. So, in actuality, Elijah's choices were limited, but she was honored that he came to her anyway.
After all, he could have gone by himself.
"I suppose we shall have to call this your 'white period.'" Elijah gathered up the piece of canvas that Klaus had thrown across his studio. Mozart's Requiem in D Minor K 626-3 was playing on a record player when he and Audrey entered and they were greeted with a very angry and frustrated Klaus. Many of the canvases that had been stretched over wooden frame were white with not a color in sight. The events that followed Rebekah taking Hope into her care sent Klaus into a deep depression and his art suffered as well.
"I'm missing a crucial color in my palette—that of my enemies' blood." Klaus roared.
Elijah fiddled with the canvas and then placed it down next to an equally white canvas. "Well, I recommend a Venetian red, with a dash of rust."
"It's been months!" Klaus' temper exploded at his brother's effort to appease his mood. Audrey even shook in her stilettos as she stood behind Elijah. She and Klaus were certainly very distant over the past four months and it hurt her; she knew he didn't mean it, but she would respect his wishes and give him the space he needed. Sometimes he'd rant and rave, throwing things and destroying pieces of art until he'd retreat to his studio. He'd lock himself in there for days on end; not even coming out to feed. Audrey was at a completely loss; unsure of what to say, what to do to ease his pain.
"I've adhered to our plan. Sit and do nothing, sell our grief. And now, my child is safely away, and another full moon is upon us. Another night of pathetic weakness as the moonlight rings steal my strength!" Klaus continued his raging. Both Audrey and Elijah were speechless. He'd done everything that was asked of him, but deep down he was a father who missed his daughter.
"The nursery is killing me." He added, his tone a lot calmer, but he was still upset. His hands shook at his side, his fingers clenching and unclenching. "I need to act. I-I-I need-I need to spill blood."
"Well, then, you'll be pleased to know that I've located the last of the twelve rings forged with your blood." Elijah told him.
"We would have come home with one, but your darling brother wouldn't let me have my fun." Audrey crossed her arms over her chest. Klaus looked up and was a bit surprised to see her standing beside his brother. In his rage, he hadn't even realized she came in.
"And have a dead body on our hands?" Elijah raised his eyebrow at her.
"We'll have plenty of bodies on our hands soon enough." Klaus' mood perked up slightly. He was giddy with the thought of adding the color he so desperately needed for his painting. "Brother, gather Hayley and Giuliana and bring them here. It's time."
Elijah turned on his heel and exited the studio, but Audrey was rooted in her spot. It had been days since she'd seen Klaus or even talked to him. So why now was she robbed of words to say to him. It seemed like an eternity that the two were standing at opposite sides of the room. Four blue eyes stared into each other, but Audrey was the first to break the stare. She moved to leave the studio, but her eyes caught the canvas that Elijah had put aside. She picked it up and ran her hand over the blank space. She peered over her shoulder to see that Klaus had turned his back to her and he was rifling through his painting supplies.
Klaus had set aside a paintbrush and some colors when he heard the light clacking of heels come closer to him. Audrey stood there with the canvas he'd thrown and she extended it out to him. He took it from her and just as she pulled away, he grasped her wrist tightly. Her heart beat loudly against her ribcage as his gaze wandered over her body and she was sure he heard it because his lips were now turned up into a smirk. After his appraisal of her, he released her wrist and she raised her eyebrow questioningly at him.
"Did you find that suit in Elijah's closet?" He asked and Audrey couldn't help but let a small laugh leave her lips. It felt good to hear him make a joke again.
"No," she shook her head. "It was a little something I bought. You know, I had to look the part of a woman who wants to preserve old buildings."
Klaus chuckled at that and leaned himself against his work table while Audrey crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her right hip. "Well, you certainly succeeded."
"As I always do." She smirked at him and shifted her weight.
The hybrid pushed himself off the table and moved closer to her. "I've missed that spitfire confidence of yours."
"Oh, yeah?" She slowly sauntered towards him. "What else have you missed of mine, hmm?"
"I would be here all morning if I had to list everything, love," he said.
They were now close enough to where Audrey could cup his cheeks and run her thumbs along the short stubble on his cheeks. "I've missed you."
Klaus' shoulders sagged and he took up her wrists. It felt wonderful to hear her say that. "I am sorry, Audrey. It was wrong to put you through this. I was so involved with my own grief that I pushed you away."
"I know, but I understood why." She told him. "This will all end soon and you can bring your baby home."
Sometime later, Elijah, Klaus, Giuliana, and Audrey were gathered around the dining room table in the compound. All four were anxious to move ahead with the plan to take back New Orleans. Hayley and Giuliana were seated at opposite sides of the table, a rather uncharacteristic dynamic of their friendship, but the two hadn't seen much of one another. Hayley would spend most of her time at the bayou while Giuliana was struggling to get used to being a vampire. While she had Elijah's help, she'd never been outside the compound before. No one forced her to stay there, but she was afraid of losing control once she stepped outside the walls that had been her home since she arrived in New Orleans. Her entire family grew up hating vampires and now she had become one. It was hard enough to wrap her head around, but it was slowly making a reality in her mind.
"We have the Guerreras where we want them. We have them waiting, we have them worried, and now, we know they're an army with no defenses against an Original." Klaus proclaimed.
"We don't know that for certain." Elijah spoke up.
Klaus shrugged his shoulders. "I'm willing to gamble."
"It's too risky!" His brother's tone was firm. "The stake didn't just disappear, someone has it."
"One enemy at a time! In the end, we'll slay them all." The hybrid's legs suddenly buckled and he braced himself against the table for assistance. Audrey's gaze caught sight of the full moon lurking outside the window before helping Klaus sit. She could feel how weak he was and knew that it was imperative to get these rings and destroy them.
"Tonight, we just have to plant the right seeds, and for that, we need help." He continued.
"We're taking the twelve original rings. Now, four of them sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Oliver, one on Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each ring is distinguishable by its setting- gauche, like those that wear them." Elijah informed the group.
"If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak. Each ring you retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still at a disadvantage." Klaus pointed out.
"Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon our working together."
"Done." Giuliana piped up. "Let's get this started."
"And what about the white oak stake?" Hayley asked. "Klaus has a point. If Francesca has it then we're as good as sitting ducks."
"Well, let's ask her." Audrey said and everyone turned to look at her oddly.
"Ask her?" Elijah raised an eyebrow at her.
"Mmhmm." She nodded with a smile on her face. She moved away from Klaus and pulled a free chair out from under the table, all the while earning strange glanced from her comrades. She sat herself down and placed her hands on the armrests. Her eyes fell closed and Elijah asked Klaus if any idea as to where this was going. The Original hybrid had no reply, he just continued to stare at Audrey who was deep in concentration.
Once her mind and body were focused, her fingers clenched around the wood and her back arched upward. Her eyes shot open and were now completely black, but she was still aware of what was happening in the room her body occupied. She'd used this power of hers a few times to check on Hope and Rebekah, but she never told Klaus. She worried that it would anger him if she did, so she kept it to herself. In this form, an invisible aura would appear in the area desired while the physical body would remain stationary. The aura could move around freely, listening to conversations and even move objects if Audrey willed it to do so. For this mission, they simply needed a fly on the wall.
Klaus rose from his chair and knelt in front of her, gently placing a hand on her knee to let her know he was with her. "What do you see?"
Audrey swallowed and squinted her black eyes. She let herself push into her aura that she'd sent into Francesca's home. It was as if she was a ghost, floating around the presences in the room. No one could see her and she made her way further into the room. Francesca was standing beside a woman who was sitting with short auburn hair.
"Francesca and...someone else."
"Describe them to me." He requested.
"A young girl. No older than sixteen." She replied.
"Davina?" Hayley raised her eyebrow.
"No," Audrey shook her head and refocused herself back into her vision of the inside of Francesca's home. She very slowly drew closer to the young girl who was seated at a table with candles around her. A map was spread out in front of her and she was muttering a spell.
"She's doing a...a locator spell." She gathered. "She's looking for the stake."
Klaus and Elijah exchanged a worried glance, but perhaps this would work out to their favor. If Francesca didn't know where the stake was, then the Guerreras had no weapon against them. Right now, both sides of the war were at a standstill. Audrey continued to keep her concentration on the witch while she worked the spell. She could see no movement on the map and the witch shook her head. Francesca was angry with the answer that was given as to why she stopped, but Audrey took this as fuel for the fire.
The witch in the vision suddenly looked up and Audrey panicked, shutting herself down and her aura returned back to her own body. Her shoulders sagged and she gasped for air while her eyes returned back to normal.
"What happened?"
"The witch." She breathed. "She could sense me in the room. I had to stop. I was worried she was onto us."
"And the stake?" Giuliana asked.
"She thinks it's being cloaked," Audrey said. "She doesn't know who is doing it."
"So as of this stage in the game, we're ahead, right?" The vampire was hopeful.
"Not exactly." Elijah shook his head. "We still don't know who has the stake."
"We can't worry about that now." Audrey noted. "Either we move forward with this plan or we let another full moon pass us."
"No." Klaus growled. "We do this now."
Audrey locked the doors to Klaus' art studio and melded the lock shut with her magic. Elijah had taken Giuliana with him to Francesca's mansion while she and Klaus were in charge of staying inside. Hayley patrolled the grounds of the compound and everyone was in place for the plan to begin. Klaus was kneeling on the floor, his white canvases surrounding him as another moonlight ring pulled on his energy. He growled and hissed before falling onto his hands and knees, cursing the day he ever thought to make those damn rings and he swore that he would never make a deal with the devil again. Audrey waited anxiously, her powers at the ready to eliminate any and all enemies that got passed Hayley.
Speaking of deals, Elijah struck one with Cami when she had visited the compound earlier. She came looking for anyone who would listen to her pleas and she was lucky enough to bump into Elijah during her search. She feared coming to Klaus or Audrey with this plan might have ended her in an unmarked grave. The Guerreras would be baited that the white oak stake was hidden at the Olmstead Foundry and naturally, Francesca would send some of her men along, some of them would be wearing the rings. Once the wolves were lured there, Marcel would unleash his secret weapon, the liquefied wolfsbane that had been store up in the sprinkler system.
Klaus' back suddenly arched, but this time it was not from a lack of power. He felt a strong spurt shoot through his body, like he had been shocked by a bolt of lightning. His fingers curled against the floor and he smirked widely, feeling strength come back to him. Audrey looked up towards the ceiling and her eyes turned black again as she peered inside the foyer of the compound. Hayley had tracked the wolves and was fighting them off. She snapped the necks of two wolves, each wearing a ring and Audrey could practically see the power from the rings being transferred to Klaus. More wolves crowded around Hayley and then sprang into action, not a fear crossing her as the ripped them to bits. A sliver of a shadow rushing up the staircase caught Audrey's attention. She sent her aura after them as they wandered the upper rooms. The wolves sniffed around, their senses leading them toward the locked studio door.
Audrey blinked away the blackness that had surrounded her eyes. "They're here."
On cue, the doors shook as the wolves threw punches and kicks. Klaus leaned up to grip a canister of paintbrushes off his work table and he held one brush in each hand. Audrey stood closest to the door with glowing red eyes as she awaited the wolves.
"Just letting you know, this is a terrible time to teach me how to take down werewolves." Giuliana hissed from her position against the wall of the Guerrera mansion. She stayed hidden in the shadows with Elijah alongside her who was the epitome of calm while she was shaking like a leaf. She wasn't scared, per say, but her adrenaline was running at an all-time high. She felt as if her body would explode if she didn't act now.
"A word of advice." Elijah spoke softly and Giuliana turned her head to look at him. For a few moments he was stunned by how the moonlight cast a beacon of light along half of her face while the other portion was shrouded in the shadows of the night. Giuliana had had a while to go, but she'd grown into a beautiful vampire.
"Yeah?" Her hushed whisper stole him from his appraisal of her and he regained his composure.
"Stay away from their teeth." His reply made her roll her eyes and she looked back to the grounds of the mansion, hearing a noise among the bushes. Elijah saw her tense up, so he placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
"I will lure him out. When the time comes, do not hesitate." He whispered in her ear and that alone caused a different emotion to run through her veins, but she pushed it down and focused on the sounds ahead.
"Promise me something." She kept her eyes forward and didn't wait for an answer from him. "When this is over, you'll teach me how to fight."
Elijah had a feeling that idea was stirring in her mind for quite some time, but he wanted her to come to him with a thirst to learn. He nodded and told her he would teach her just as a wolf appeared in plain sight. He was alone and Elijah knew that this would be Giuliana's test. He drew closer to her ear and squeezed her shoulder.
"Go."
She lept from her hiding spot like a bullet leaving the chamber of a gun and wrapped her legs around his waist. She threaded a hand in his hair and yanked his head to the side, exposing his fleshy neck which she bit into ferociously. The fresh blood on her tongue was a whole new experience for her. She'd been accustomed to blood bags, but there was nothing better than receiving blood straight from the vein. Her drink was interrupted when her prey stabbed a sharp knife in her back and she hissed. The wolf threw her off him and she grappled for the knife while squirming on the ground. Amber eyes gleamed in the dark and he pounced on her. The pair wrestled and Giuliana cursed Elijah's useless advice as his teeth got dangerously close to her skin. With a good grip and impressive force, she tossed him off her and his body hit the wall near a window. His blood spattered along the glass and Giuliana could vaguely hear people inside the mansion. Once the knife was out of her back, she slit the man's throat and snatched the ring from his finger.
Elijah appeared from the shadows and handed her a handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket. "Well done."
"Thanks for the advice." She wiped her lips, but most of the blood was still stained on her skin. They were both alerted by the door of the mansion opening and a handful of Francesca's security detail rushing outside. Giuliana handed back Elijah's handkerchief and he placed it in his pocket. The five men surrounded them and the vampires stood their ground, ready to take them down.
"Good evening." Elijah greeted them cheerfully.
"You're really considering painting at a time like this?!" Audrey growled just as the doors to the studio flew off the hinges. Her magic threw the three men in separate directions, scattering them among the room. One crashed through a set of easels while the other two landed by Klaus' work station. The hybrid felt another surge of power and stood to his full height, armed with a pair of paintbrushes.
Audrey took the wolf by the easels, pinning him to the wall and boiling his blood from the inside out. Klaus skewered both men that jumped at him, a paintbrush through each of their throats and he dragged their corpses closer to his canvas. A fourth wolf was now in the room and aimed his gun at the back of Klaus' head. Audrey extended her hand toward him and his eyes suddenly began to glow red. He turned his aim from Klaus to the wolf Audrey held captive and shot him directly in the head. His body slumped down to the floor and Audrey's magic made the shooter place the gun inside his mouth and pull the trigger. She shielded herself from the blood as to not get any on her face and she plucked the rings off each lackey, giving Klaus even more power than ever.
The hybrid knelt down beside his kills and ripped the paintbrushes from their throats. He took up one of them, dipped the bristles into the bloody wounds and made a neat circle on his piece of canvas. He continued to paint, the final color of his canvas restored while Audrey gathered the other two corpses at the opposite end of the room. She tossed them over the balcony, their bones hitting the ground with a sickening crack. She closed the doors to the balcony behind her and checked the status of the compound. All of the wolves had been killed and there were no more rings to be attained there. All they had to wait on was word was from Elijah and Giuliana. She sauntered to Klaus who had a red moon painted on his canvas and she ran a hand through his short hair. The wolf inside him was suddenly awakened, a heady lust rolling down his back. He smirked up at her, an amber hue glinting in his eyes.
In a sudden flash, Audrey's body was pressed tightly against the wall and his lips were fused to hers. She gasped into his mouth, a bit taken back by his brashness, but she soon melted in his arms. He hoisted her up in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist while she cleared the surface of the work table with her magic. Paint canisters and brushes crashed to the floor, but Klaus was hardly concerned. Audrey's hands worked to get his jacket off of him and Klaus ripped her blazer wide open. Klaus thanked whatever gods above that she was only wearing a bra underneath as he bit and sucked on her neck. Audrey moaned hotly, her fingers tugging at his hair as he thrust against her. She could feel his hands pushing her skirt up to her hips and she worked frantically to get his pants unbuttoned. His tongue toyed over her collarbone, drawing all sorts of shapes and just as Audrey begged him not to tease her anymore, he slid oh-so slowly inside her core. Her mouth hung open and her head fell back over her shoulders. Klaus immediately went to her neck, embedding his fangs deeply into her pale skin. Audrey brought one of his hands to her breasts, squeezing them for she was at a loss for words to tell him what to do. His passion and need shook her entire body and the table with each rough thrust and she keened against him, moaning loudly as if wanting all of New Orleans to know that her king had returned to his rightful throne.
Francesca and her remaining brothers rushed to the foyer of the mansion following another blood spatter on one of the frosted windows. What she had feared was coming true and she was running out of defenses to protect her. She treaded carefully with her brothers surrounding her and the front door opened on its own. They shied away from it, but looked for a person who could have opened it. The severed head of one of her men rolled through the opening, tracking blood onto the expensive rug and it thudded against the bottom step of the staircase. Francesca and her brothers cautiously walked towards the door to see Elijah and Giuliana waiting patiently for them on the front door. She suddenly remembered the magic rule when it came to vampires, even Originals: they could not enter without an invitation. So, Elijah and his baby bloodsucker could stand there all night since Francesca would be safe in their home.
"It's fine. They can't come in." She told her brothers with an air of confidence.
"Can't we?" Elijah was slightly amused by her arrogance.
Francesca chuckled heartily. "Don't bluff me. You can't win."
"You mobsters all suffer from such hubris." Elijah smiled widely. "Did you know Al Capone thought himself invincible back in his day? And, in the end, he was sentenced to the wretched filth of Alcatraz, for which of his atrocities? Anyone?"
The group remained silent, exchanging clueless glances to see if any of them knew the answer to Elijah's little history lesson. Giuliana sighed and tapped her foot against the porch, her patience becoming thin.
"Well, now we've established that they're all idiots." She muttered under her breath.
"A failure to pay his taxes. I suppose the devil's in the details, isn't it?" Elijah continued and leaned himself against the door frame. He scanned the inside of the mansion and was quite impressed with the decor and attention to detail. "My, my, you have a beautiful home, here."
Giuliana could see Francesca becoming more and more nervous with each calm word that came out of Elijah's mouth. She could sense the subtle rise in her heart beat, the light sheen of sweat along her brow and the anxious gulping of her throat. Francesca tried to cover it with a smile, but Giuliana could see straight through it. She could even see her brothers, as big as they were, starting to worry.
Elijah ran his hand along the smooth wood finish of the frame. "I was so pleased when the city took my suggestion to protect its heritage status and invoke imminent domain."
Francesca's confident smirk faded into an expression of pure horror. Elijah had her right where he wanted her. If imminent domain was invoked, that meant her home was no longer her home.
"I suppose that means this house now belongs to the public. And, as such, anyone can enter without invitation." Elijah continued and stepped aside, gesturing for Giuliana to enter. "Ladies first."
"Such a gentleman." She gawked and held Francesca's frozen gaze as she stepped off of the porch and into the house. Elijah followed behind her and they were both grinning as Francesca's brothers closed around her. In the blink of an eye, Giuliana and Elijah took out a brother each which made Francesca run for her life.
She made it to the back door of the house, all the while, her brother's gruesome screams shaking her to the core. She gripped a fire poker near the fireplace to wield, but grew worried hearing complete and total silence. No doubt her brothers were dead, but why had the two vampires grown quiet? Hearing a creaking floorboard, she whipped around with her weapon clutched tightly in her fists, but no one was there. Her palms were sweating and her heart was drumming loudly in her ears. A vase suddenly crashed to the ground and she swung at whatever was in front of her, but realized it was only a shadow. Tears stung her eyes, she was being toyed with and she hated it. She was supposed to be top dog, but she had fallen to the bottom of the food chain in a matter of minutes.
"Boo!" Giuliana's cheerful voice made Francesca gasp and trip over her own feet. She landed hard on her rear and was now staring up at a very bloody vampire. Francesca tried to whack Giuliana with the poker, but in seconds, it flew away from her and she was left without a weapon.
"I'm in a pretty good mood tonight, so I'm going to ignore the fact that you tried to hit me with that." The vampire smirked and backed Francesca into a corner. "I'm feeling generous, so I'm going to let you live."
Francesca let out a breath she was holding in for what felt like hours. She slumped against the wall behind her. Giuliana then dropped a set of keys in Francesca's lap and placed her hands on her hips.
"Run." Giuliana disappeared as if she'd never been there and Francesca took up the keys. It was to her car that she kept in the garage. Taking Giuliana's visit as a blessing, she rushed out of the house.
"Well, I would say that tonight was very successful." Audrey assembled the rings and placed them on the table in the compound. This nightmare with the moonlight rings would finally be over once the rest were returned.
"You can say that again." Klaus smirked from beside her and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. He knew he'd have to clean up his studio after the mess he and Audrey made during their passion filled affair, but he'd worry about that at another time. Elijah and Giuliana entered the room and placed their remaining rings on the surface of the table.
"Done and done." The green eyed vampire smiled with glee. "So, what now?"
"I'll deactivate the rings and you," she poked Klaus' shoulder and rose from her seat. "Better not think about making these damn rings again."
Klaus nodded, a smirk painting his lips. "Yes, dear."
Audrey flicked her hair over her shoulder, sending him a heated glare to which Klaus continued to smirk at her. While she placed the rings inside a bowl with steaming hot coals, Elijah took note of the white wife beater she was wearing as opposed to her blazer she was in before. No doubt the jacket had been disposed of, but that wasn't what caught Elijah's eye. The muscles of her shoulder shifted beneath her reddened skin that was sporting three long scratch marks that belonged to his brother. If what he was imagining happened upstairs, he could only fathom the condition of the art studio. He was happy for his brother, having reasserted himself within New Orleans, but he was unenthused about the cleaning crew he'd have to hire.
"Stop staring, Elijah," Audrey said as she picked up a pitcher of water. "Wouldn't want your eyes to bug out of your skull."
The Original cleared his throat and adjusted his tie while Giuliana giggled quietly. The witch then poured the water into the bowl with the coals and the rings. The moment the water made contact with the coals, they sizzled and the rings began to disintegrate. The settings melted away and the stones floated to the top before giving way as well. Droplets of Klaus' blood remained in the water once all of the stones were destroyed.
"It's done." She announced and placed the pitcher back down on the table.
"And what of Francesca?" Klaus asked.
"I let Hayley get her." Giuliana replied. "As much as I wanted to tear her limb from limb, I knew that Hayley wanted to finish her off."
Klaus nodded to Giuliana as if he were impressed with her and then smirked at Elijah. "Better be careful, brother. This one already seems to be quite blood thirsty."
"Actually, Niklaus, Giuliana showed nothing but control and bravery tonight." Elijah's compliment nearly made Giuliana's head explode. She was so overjoyed that she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Elijah smiled back at her, making her heart flutter and skip a few beats. Audrey noticed the looks shared between the two of them bit her bottom lip coyly.
"If you two are done staring at each other, I'd like to take my leave." Klaus stood up from his seat.
"On that note, I'll be in my room." Giuliana spoke up, turned on her heel and left. Elijah followed her, but not without bidding goodnight to his brother and Audrey. Once the doors shut, the hybrid flashed inside the compound and back out as quick as a wink. When he had returned, a bottle of wine was in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"What's all this?" Audrey raised an eyebrow as he poured the glasses.
"I'd like to make a toast." He handed her a glass and he took up one. "To being one step closer to taking back what is rightfully mine."
"I'll drink to that." Audrey clinked her glass daintily against his and went to drink, but she stopped herself. "And one step closer to bringing Hope home."
They clinked their glasses again and Audrey drank, but Klaus didn't. An overwhelming shroud of guilt loomed around him and he couldn't shake it. His gaze was then brought back to the destroyed rings in the bowl and his emotions grew exponentially. Those rings were one of the many reasons why he couldn't be with his daughter. He could list every reason, but he knew that would only make him sink farther into despair. Audrey noticed the sudden shift in him and watched as he walked slowly back to the table like he was a zombie. He stared back into the bowl, the droplets of his blood had disbursed into the water and turned it pink. He was so wrapped up in himself that he almost didn't realize that Audrey had joined him.
"Klaus?" Her voice was soft and melodic, like a lullaby.
Without taking his watering eyes from the bowl, he spoke. "All of this...is my fault."
"I don't understand." Her forehead creased in confusion for his sudden confession.
"If I had just accepted Hayley's pregnancy instead of playing king..." He stopped speaking, a stabbing pain inside his heart at the selfishness that had become a second nature to him before Hope was taken away. "Instead, my greed and my envy robbed me of my daughter. My actions led to the release of the weapon that can kill not just me, but Elijah as well."
"You feel guilty." She said. "There was no way you could have kept Hope here. You and Hayley made the best decision to let Rebekah take her away."
"Because of my selfishness, I can't bring my daughter home. What kind of father am I?"
Audrey grasped his hands and squeezed them tightly. He finally looked back at her and he could see that even she was upset seeing him like this. "You gave your baby to the care of someone you trusted. You kept her away from people that would hurt her. You did all of that because you love her."
Not that she could even begin to understand his pain, but she definitely felt it. It rolled off him in waves that beat against everyone around him, pushing them away, so he wouldn't have them too close. Audrey was concerned in the beginning when she first heard that Klaus was going to have a child, but that worry was thrown to the wayside when she saw the lengths he'd go to in order to protect his daughter. She moved her hands to catch his face and she smoothed her thumbs over his warm cheeks.
"You are a good father." She meant it; she really did. He needed to hear that his efforts to keep his daughter safe mattered. Audrey kissed his cheek and ran a hand through his short hair, a gentle smile on her lips. Klaus felt his own lips pulling upwards and he stood tall.
"Come, I'd like to show you something." He tugged her hand so she kept in pace with him and they climbed the stairs to the upper level of the compound. He led her to his art studio which was still a mess, but a fresh painting was perched on an easel. The wet paint glistened in the dim light, but that added a mystery to the piece. The French Quarter was beautifully painted and the details were exquisite. Even a few street performers playing their jazz instruments decorated the streets. A blood red moon hung high in the sky, the brilliant color a reminder of the blood spilled tonight.
"It's beautiful." Audrey beamed and walked closer to it. Klaus was always a talented artist, but this might have been his best work yet. He wound an arm around Audrey's waist, both sets of eyes staring at the painting. The last battle for New Orleans had been a blood bath. This new war would be no different, but Klaus was sure of one thing.
He'd be king again.
Hi everyone! Welcome to season 2 of The Originals. Hope you guys liked it and please give it a review :)