I really love reading this chapter, so I hope you do too!
Chapter 10: Lose an arm, lose a sister
******Mikaelson Compound******
Buffy looked at Elijah expectantly. "So spit it out. What did you do to piss off your brother so much?" she asked him.
Elijah grimaced but knew his lover would not be put off. "When Father discovered us, Aurora wanted to come with Niklaus," he shared.
"She loved me more than anyone and would have left her brother to be with me, but for your treachery!" Klaus accused.
"Shut the hell up!" Buffy said angrily. "I will stake the woman myself if you don't shut your pie hole. I want to hear from Elijah."
Klaus bristled at her words but said nothing more. Marcel watched the exchange in fascination, impressed with the power that the slayer seemed to wield over his normally unreasonable sire.
"Speak, Elijah. What did you do that was so awful?" Buffy asked.
"I compelled her to forget her love of Niklaus. Then we compelled them to be us," Elijah said. He glared at his brother. "Before doing that, though, I learned that it was he who killed our mother."
"A fact you never told our siblings. Instead, you acted shocked and dismayed in Mystic Falls when she returned," Klaus said sourly.
"Yes, well, I put aside your treachery for the good of the family. I did not wipe Aurora's love of you out of spite—although you deserved it. I did so because I knew she would lead to your destruction and the destruction of our family," Elijah said coldly. "Unlike you, our vows mean something to me!" Holding onto his hurt forearm, he turned and quit the room.
Buffy walked up to Klaus. "Look, I can't begin to understand all the dynamics between you guys since you've literally had centuries to fight and make-up," Buffy said. "But I know that no one on this earth loves you like Elijah and Rebekah. You've done a lot of crappy things to both—some would say unforgiveable. You've killed or had killed more than one lover of Elijah's and Rebekah's, so I think it's more than a little hypocritical of you now to get this pissed over something he did nearly a thousand years ago!"
Klaus gave her a stubborn look. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked.
"Do you still love this vampire Aurora?" Buffy asked.
Klaus hesitated. "No, but I did once—very much. Maybe if I'd had love all these years my life would be different. I'd be different," he said.
Buffy reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm glad you are exactly the way you are. Nothing like a good redemption story," she said, flashing him a warm smile. "Cami is tons better than any crazy vampire anyway."
Klaus winced. "I let Aurora side track me. I did not locate Cami," he admitted. "I do know, though, Aurora knows more than she told me. I can get her to tell me what her brother is up to, but I can't focus on Cami at the same time."
"We'll find her," Buffy said confidently. "But first you will give your brother your blood as a way of apology."
Glaring, Klaus shook his head. "No. He should suffer a bit," he said.
Buffy let his hand go and put hers on her hips and gave him a cold look. "If he suffers a moment, I will take your blood by force," she warned.
Klaus scoffed. "Like you could," he said.
Faith, who had come into the scene late, had been eavesdropping in the corner, now spoke. "I'd be glad to give her a hand," she offered.
"Thanks, Faith, but I can handle Klaus," Buffy said, flashing her a smile.
Marcel grinned. He was liking this slayer more and more.
"Fine," Klaus bit out. He leaned down and grabbed a tumbler that was not shattered and picked it up. After bleeding into it, he handed it to Buffy, who took it to Elijah.
"I'm going to go find some trouble," Faith said. "Try to not pick any more fights with your siblings. There's enough bad guys gunning for you without you wasting time fighting inside your home."
Marcel watched the sexy slayer leave and started laughing. "Oh, man, Klaus. You've got hooks in you I couldn't begin to understand until I saw it for myself," Marcel said.
"Don't you have something to do? Somewhere to be?" Klaus said pointedly.
"Yea, I do, but I wouldn't have missed this show for anything!" Marcel exclaimed.
"My life is not a show for you to be amused by," Klaus said.
"Buffy isn't like anyone you've ever met, is she?" Marcel asked.
"No, she is not," Klaus admitted. If Buffy had shown him any contempt or even disdain, he could dismiss her. But how was he to respond to her love? "She loves me."
"Now don't get crazy," Marcel said. "She loves your brother."
"I know," Klaus said. "But she loves me like she would a brother. It's real. She doesn't judge me or hold my past against me. Instead, she accepts me for who I am."
Marcel nodded in understanding. "It's hard to reject that kind of acceptance," he said. "Try not to screw it up. I'll have my boys looking for signs of Lucien and Cami." Klaus nodded, grateful.
Then Marcel, too, left him. Klaus realized that although he needed to find Cami and set Aurora and Elijah aside, Aurora would give him the most information. Unlike Lucian, she would tell him the truth because she still loved him, so he would use that to his advantage.
Upstairs, Elijah accepted the blood from Buffy. "I am sorry you had to witness that," he said.
Buffy shrugged. "Families fight. I put Faith in a coma once. She stole my body and slept with my boyfriend. We got passed it," she said. "You guys will get through this. Always and forever, remember?" She hugged her boyfriend, putting her head on his chest.
Elijah held her a moment. Then he pulled her back, so he could look at her. "You know, my love, I'd much rather think of always and forever with you," he told her.
Buffy grinned. "I'm not going anywhere," she said.
Elijah stared at her a long moment in silence, coming to a decision. "Marry me, Buffy. After this sire line business is settled, I want you to marry me and be my wife. I want everyone to know that you and I are family always and forever," he said.
Surprised, Buffy's mouth fell open as he caught her completely off guard. "You want us to get married? Seriously?" she asked.
"Why are you surprised? We've discussed this a bit," he reminded her. "I love you and you love me. You even love my insufferable brother."
"That's true," Buffy said with a smirk.
"So what is your answer? Would you agree to become Buffy Anne Mikaelson?" he asked.
"Don't you think this is way too soon? We've not even been together six months," she pointed out.
"I've lived for centuries, and I know my own mind," he said. "I know you are the only woman I want to spend eternity with."
Buffy gazed into his eyes, trying to decide if he really meant it, but she only saw love in his eyes.
"You're right. I've never been this happy with anyone, and I would be very honored to be your wife," she said, her heart beating at the very surreal moment. She flashed him a blinding smile. "But it will be Summers-Mikaelson."
"As long as you're mine, I do not care about the name," he said, his arms still holding her.
Buffy laughed. "You so do," she said knowingly. Although he had adjusted well to modern times, there were some things he clung to.
Smiling, he moved to kiss her. Together they would face any who opposed them. Not even Niklaus could spoil this moment for him.
******Faith and Willow*****
The sun had gone by the time Faith got back into town. She called Willow and was meeting up with her at some club called Lenore's. She waved at Willow, who was chatting with Vincent.
"Faith, we went to Lucien's penthouse, and Cami wasn't there," Willow said. "If Lucien took her, he's got a witch hiding her. I couldn't get a ping."
"We'll find her," she said. "You missed all the fun. I got to the Mikaelson's and Klaus and Elijah wrecked the place fighting. Buffy was pissed 'cause Klaus bit Elijah."
"Really? Wow. What were they fighting about?" Willow asked.
"The past and that girl, Rebekah's siree," Faith said.
"Aurora?" Willow said.
"Those two may fight, but they always make up," Vincent said.
"Family fights," Willow said with a nod.
"Very true. But I was thinking, we could entertain ourselves by killing some of those pesky Strix still in town?" Faith said eagerly. "Witch-man here can point out which are strangers and, therefore, Strixes!"
Willow glanced at Vincent, who smiled. "You want to kill vampires?" he asked.
"If you wanna make sure, and I mean be honest, that I'm not killing any friendlies," she said, giving him a look.
Vincent held up his hands. "Fine. I'll play nice. I respect Marcel. I wouldn't want to make an enemy out of him," he said.
"Okay, I'm up for some slayage. Freya is getting the last bit of stuff ready to bring Kol back," Willow said.
"Let's go have some fun!" Faith said as she led them inside the club.
"You think Strix are in here?" Willow asked, laughing.
"Maybe. Maybe not, but I figure a dance and a drink is a good way to start the night!" she said.
Vincent had a feeling that his night was about to get very exciting.
*****Lucien's*****
Cami awoke on the couch in Lucien's living room, and she stretched, moaning quietly as she did so. She didn't realize where she was until she opened her eyes and looked around in alarm as she remembered what happened the previous night. Scared, she jumped to her feet in an attempt to flee when she noticed dozens of white file boxes that were stacked around the room, all of which were sealed with red tape. Cami lifted the lid of one of the boxes and realized they were evidence boxes full of all the dark objects and files from her Uncle Kieran's secret apartment. Just then, Lucien walked into the room with a mimosa in his hand.
Lucien smiled at her. "I took the liberty of removing your handcuffs," he told her.
Cami glared at him, annoyed at herself for being afraid. He was a psychopath, however, so she kept the rude comment she had prepared to herself.
"Unless you're the type that likes to be restrained," he said with a smirk as he held out a glass of champagne and orange juice.
"Please, take it. Consider it an apology for the rough start to our day. I see no reason we cannot begin anew!" he told her as she didn't make a move to grab the glass.
Cami glared at him. "I only drink with friends, and, unless this isn't abundantly clear, I don't like you," she told him.
Lucien sighed in resignation. "Fair enough. Later on, I hope you'll remember this all could have gone so much easier," he said. He called out. "Detective Kinney, come in and start cutting up the mirepoix."
At this request, a scared and confused Detective Kinney walked into the room with a tray of vegetables, and Cami looked at Lucien with a mix of horror and fury.
Cami looked at him in disgust and horror. "You compelled him?" she asked.
"What the hell is going on?" Kinney asked, looking between the two.
"Why don't you focus on the cutting? We don't want you to lose any fingers while we talk," he ordered.
He turned back to Cami. "Did you know that Will's mother's side is full of chefs? He's going to make us his grandmother's grillades and grits! I took the liberty of texting your nosy friend Vincent on your behalf. After leaving police care without incident, he believes you have a date with The Real Housewives at home in your PJs," he told her.
"You knocked him out and left him when you grabbed me. How is he here now? Surely, Vincent isn't buying any of the bullshit you're selling," she said.
"I did leave him, knowing Klaus would find him and be terrified on your behalf," Lucien said, grinning. "But I decided to snatch him and bring him in on all the fun."
"What the hell kind of point are you trying to make?" Cami asked.
Lucien flashed her an annoyed look. Then he looked at Kinney. "Detective, do me a favor—throw your blade at her pretty face," he ordered.
Kinney, unable to resist due to Lucien's compulsion, threw the knife in a perfect toss toward Cami's face, which Lucien caught just one second before it hit Cami's face. Cami let out a deep exhale of relief, and Kinney looked absolutely horrified at what he had just done.
"Now that I have your attention, my point is simple. I'm looking for a particular dark object—a small bronze medallion with Runic markings. Since you're on vervain, I'm going to ask nicely that you help me find it. Should you refuse, the parlor tricks will get increasingly less fun," he warned. He handed the knife back to Kinney, who was still gaping in horror about nearly killing Cami.
"Carry on!" he said.
Cami, visibly furious, scowled at Lucien as she started reluctantly looking through the boxes.
*****Mikaelson's Compound*****
After spending some valuable time making love to his fiancée, her stomach rumbling spoke loudly.
"Looks like we need to get some food into you," Elijah said in amusement.
"I'll go down to the kitchen and make us some scrambled eggs," she said.
"For dinner?" Elijah asked.
"Hey, eggs are always good," Buffy insisted as she slipped on her clothes. "Then we have to call Dawn and Xander. Oh, and Giles. He can give me away."
"Do you want to be married here in New Orleans?" Elijah asked her.
"This is your home," Buffy said. "Mine is a sinkhole. All the other places I've lived haven't been home. Where my friends have been has been home, and now this is."
Elijah didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky, but he felt incredibly happy. The turmoil of the sireline wars seemed far away as he stared at the woman he loved so completely. With her, he didn't need to be perfect. The blood was starting to fade from his hands.
They went downstairs, and he winced at the mess he and Klaus made. "I'll start cleaning up here," he said.
He made a little headway when some of Klaus' sketches distracted him. His sister Freya came him, tsking at the mess. "Must you guys always destroy the house when you bicker?" she asked as she set right a chair. "What's wrong? You seem more annoyed than usual."
"It's Aurora. Her influence frightens me. And yet, our hideously-deluded brother seems to think that she may be the key to ending this wretched prophecy," he said, throwing down the sketch.
Freya frowned, worried. "If she's aligned with her brother, what chance does Nik have?" she wondered.
"None. And still, Niklaus believes that she can be swayed. Although... his perspective of family loyalty is schizophrenic at best," Elijah said.
"Well, I don't get why Lucien and Tristan are working together. Aren't their sirelines direct enemies?" she asked.
Elijah gave Freya a sheepish look, visibly embarrassed about what he needed to tell her. "Well, their mutual lack of goodwill toward our family might not be entirely unjustified," he admitted.
He shared a bit more of their history. "So, as we found respite in the sleepy, yet charming vineyards of Tuscany, Father hunted the decoy Mikaelson children to the far-reaches of Europe for the better part of a century. Then, we were inconveniently daggered. The compulsion was broken. Here we are."
Freya shook her head. "You guys don't do anything in half measure, do you?" she asked.
"No, they do not," Buffy said as she came in carrying two plates. "Did you want some eggs? I have extra in the kitchen."
"No, thanks," she said, smiling at the slayer. Buffy's presence had strongly impacted her brother's lives—for the better.
"Did your brother tell you our good news?" Buffy asked excitedly.
Freya gave him an inquisitive look. "No, only bad news," she said.
Elijah felt a flash of guilt. "I'm sorry, my love. I got distracted with family history," he admitted.
"I missed a lot," Freya said.
"I asked Buffy to marry me, and she said yes," Elijah shared.
Freya's eyes widened. "Really? That's so wonderful! Where's Rebekah? We have to tell her the good news," she said.
"I have not seen her," Elijah said, frowning. "She has been gone a while. I do not like her vulnerability in the human body."
"She is never helpless. In the human body, she has magic," Freya pointed out.
"She is not you, sister. She has not your power, experience, or control," Elijah countered.
"After we eat, we can go look for her," Buffy said, shoveling food into her mouth.
"We wouldn't want to get in the way of a slayer and her food," Elijah teased.
"Not if you're smart," Buffy said with a wink.
Freya laughed. "I'm so glad you're going to stick with us," she said.
"Like glue," Buffy said.
Elijah smiled and took a bite of the eggs. Freya's phone rang, and she answered it. "Where have you been?" Elijah and Buffy looked up, waiting. When Freya hung up, she said, "That was Rebekah. She has a lead on an ingredient I need for the resurrection spell. I'm going to head to St. Louis Cathedral."
"We'll catch up," Buffy said.
Freya got up and hugged Buffy. "Welcome to the family, little sister," she said.
Buffy grinned. "Thanks!" she said.
When Freya left, Buffy said, "One down and two more to go. Three if we get Kol back."
"And about 100 or so of your closest friends," Elijah said dryly. Buffy's list of friends was impressive.
******A Bit Later*******
Faith, Willow, and Vincent spent an hour dancing and drinking at the first club. Vincent found the too-sexy slayer more than a little mesmerizing. She danced with Willow and him. Then several other guys. Finally, she said, "No action here. Let's bounce."
Bemused, Vincent followed her out of the club. They walked a block before Vincent sensed something. "There," he said, pointing to two men who were eying them across the street.
"Strix?" Willow asked.
"I believe so," Vincent said. "I know they're vampires, and I don't recognize them."
"Let's go say hi," Faith said, flashing a grin.
She led the way. The two men were standing in front of an alley entrance, having just come out of a restaurant on the corner. "Yo. Are you two Strix?" she asked.
"Why do you ask? We do not know you," the taller black-haired man answered.
"That's the witch who's friends with Klaus," the blonde said.
"I hope you're not talking about me," Vincent said. "'Cause I'm definitely no friend of Klaus."
"They're probably talking about me," Willow said. "I'm his friend, and we don't like you guys in town causing problems."
"We're just standing here," one of them said.
"I think we should kill one and let the other go warn his friends what'll happen if they stay in town," Willow said with a smirk.
"Kill just one? That's not any fun!" Faith said.
The younger blonder one charged them. However, Willow raised her hand. "Thicken," she said.
He hit an invisible barrier.
Vincent smiled. "Impressive," he said.
"I can take him," Faith said. "Hold the other in place, so he doesn't run off until he sees his friend dying by a slayer's hand."
Willow threw a band around the taller vamp before he could react. The other got off the ground and charged Faith, who exchanged blows. "Wow! He's fast," she said, ducking a hit but not able to duck the kick.
"Do you need a hand?" Vincent asked.
Faith snorted. "No, thanks," she said. "Slayer here. These vamps may be stronger than normal fare, but they're still just vamps." She hit the guy hard in the face and rammed her stake hard in his chest. As he turned gray, she grinned. "See. No problemo."
"You will regret that!" The remaining vampire warned.
"Actually, I won't. Not even a little," Faith said with a grin.
"You better run along and tell your master what will happen if we see anymore of you guys in town, " Willow said, releasing him.
The vampire was clearly enraged, but he was no fool. He blurred away.
Faith grinned at Vincent. "That was fun. Let's see if we can find any more!"
"Works for me," Vincent said, enjoying this slayer very much.
Willow pulled out her phone and looked at it. "I'm going to have to let you have fun without me. Freya needs me. We're going to get Kol back very soon," she said.
"Kol?" Faith asked.
"Great. Another Mikaelson," Vincent said sourly. "Only Davina will be happy about that."
"We should loop her in. Where's she been? I've not seen her lately," Willow asked.
"She's been dealing with the covens. There's been some animosity since she's been seen paling around with Mikaelsons," Vincent said.
"Those covens better play nice before they piss me off," Willow said. "They won't like me when I'm angry." She waved goodbye and left.
"Red's not kidding, you know," Faith said as they walked in the opposite direction. "She's not someone you want to piss off. Once she got so mad, she skinned a guy alive and almost destroyed the world. Of course, she was Dark Willow and grieving for her dead lover at the time. The guy she killed shot Tara, her girlfriend. But still—I wouldn't want to piss her off. Even Buffy treads lightly with her. Only Xander is safe from her wrath."
Vincent frowned, troubled by what he heard. That's all they needed—an all-powerful witch friends with Klaus Mikaelson.
*****St. Louis Cathedral*****
At St. Louis Cathedral, Freya was preparing to perform yet another spell as an anxious Elijah paced around in front of the table where she was working.
"Where's Rebekah? She should be here by now," Elijah said.
"I'm sure she's on her way. She is procuring things we need for the spell," Freya said. "Where is Buffy?"
"She is out searching for Cami. She says that Klaus might get distracted by Aurora and didn't want to let any more time go by. She was going to go to his penthouse, I believe," Elijah said.
"Surely, Nik has already been there?" Freya said.
"I do not know. He hasn't called," Elijah said. Then his phone rang, so he pulled it out to check it. "It's Marcellus."
Elijah answered the phone with an annoyed tone. Marcel was at St. Anne's church, standing outside the room where Hayley was pacing around an unconscious body.
"Your timing is perfectly horrendous," Elijah said.
"Yeah? Well, I need your help. Hayley caught one of Tristan's guys tailing her. Knocked him out, brought him to the gym for a little Q & A. Problem is, it's Shen Min, one of Tristan's guys".
Elijah's expression turned from annoyance to legitimate concern as he spun on his heel, turning his back to Freya. When he replied to Marcel, his tone is steely-cold. "Marcellus, do I need to remind you that Shen Min was known as "the Red Sorrow" before he was a vampire? You execute him immediately!" he ordered.
Worry for Haley now filled him. She was impetuous and could easily overestimate her abilities to handle Shen Min.
"Elijah," Freya said, sensing there was something wrong.
"I will return as soon as I am able," Elijah said. He blurred away.
*****Mikaelsons'*****
Klaus brought Aurora to the compound, where they were walking through the front gate and into the courtyard. He figured with everyone else out, it would be a good opportunity to build a bridge with his former lover.
Aurora looked at the room, which was still trashed from Klaus and Elijah's violent argument earlier and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "So is this your family home?"
Smirking, Klaus replied, "Please forgive the detritus as my brother and I had a slight disagreement. Over you, as a matter of fact."
"Oh! A duel in my honor. How chivalrous. But, I'm afraid if this is what you wish to show me, it's—"
Klaus interrupted her before she could continue. "If you want to know what's been in my heart for the past few centuries, come with me," he told her. Then he led her up the stairs and into his art studio, where he pushed a dresser out of the way and traced his hand over the brick wall behind it. Aurora stood behind him, watching with a confused expression.
"Life is like a city—built in layers. No matter what new experiences come along, the foundation remains," he told her. Then he punched the wall with such extreme force that his fist goes through the brick, crumbling the wall into pieces until he finally revealed a beautifully painted portrait of Aurora from the early 11th century.
Aurora gasped in shock, visibly overwhelmed by this revelation. "What is this?" she asked.
"Two hundred years ago, it was my art studio. It became a tomb for my memory of you," he revealed. He turned toward her, visibly uncomfortable with the vulnerability he was showing her. "I thought if I painted what haunted me, I could free myself of you forever. In all my years, I have never been more wrong about anything."
Aurora, overwhelmed with emotion, kisses him passionately.
*****Elsewhere in Town******
Not too far from home, Rebekah was procuring something from her list when, it's pulled out of her hand. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, looking up. She was stopped by a vampire she didn't know. "Give that back."
"Sorry. I have orders," the man said.
Before Rebekah can reply, the vampire motioned to his companion, who was behind Rebekah. Since she was in her human form, she did not have the hearing her original body would have had, and she didn't have any warning as the vampire broke her neck.
******Back at Lucien's******
Detective Kinney was at the sink, where he has presumably been compelled to wash all the dishes from the lunch he made for Lucien. Cami, looking tense and afraid, was standing nearby as Lucien walked toward Kinney.
Lucien was smiling, obviously pleased with himself. "He cooks and he cleans. He's a real keeper, this one," he said.
Kinney glared at Lucien furiously, who wasn't the least bit offended by it. It was clear that he hated what was being done against his will, but there was nothing Cami could do to help him. It enraged her that a good man was being controlled so easily by that monster.
Smirking, Lucien added, "Aw, sadly it was not meant to be. Now, you will go and tell your superiors you arrested the wrong suspect.
"You can compel me all you want. I'll find you," Kinney said coldly.
Lucien sighed. "No. You won't," he informed him. Then he grabbed him by the throat and stared into his eyes as he compelled him to comply. "Instead, you'll keep up this wretched failure that is your life. You'll continue with this pitiful investigation, never quite connecting the dots or making any progress whatsoever. After a time, you'll grow to hate yourself for your mediocre talents. All the while. knowing there are things lurking in the shadows, and in the face of these, you are nothing."
Lucien pats Will's face in a condescending gesture, and Cami, looking at them hopelessly, began to plead with him. "Don't do this!" she begged, sickened by the compulsion.
Lucien turned to her and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't look so chagrined, eh? Once the vervain's out of your system, I'll compel you to forget, as well. But like him, I will leave you with one lesson—against vampires, humans always lose."
Cami gulped nervously, her eyes wide with fear.
The front door broke open. Cami sagged in relief to see Buffy there. "There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere. Took me a bit to find out that Lucien had more than one place in town," she said as she came in. She pulled out her scythe. "I'm not going to let you toy anymore with Klaus or his siblings. I'm just going to put you down like the dog you are."
Lucien grimaced, not ready to deal with the slayer, who he knew only bits and pieces about. However, all reports stated that she was the strongest of her kind, unrelenting and possibly immortal. Before he could decide to flee, Buffy charged him, swinging her blade. He barely managed to duck in time.
"Kick his ass!" Cami yelled.
Lucien managed to kick her away, but she swung her blade, slicing off his arm. He screamed in rage and agony. As he fell to his knees, she prepared to take his head next. However, something stayed her hand. She pushed against the force.
"What's wrong?" Cami asked.
"I don't know. There's something here keeping me from taking his head," she said.
Lucien knew he had only a moment to flee, so he did, clutching his arm-hole as the blood flowed out of him.
"Damn it!" Buffy fumed.
Cami ran to her, hugging her. "Thank you!" she said.
"Sorry, it took us this long," Buffy said. "He obviously has witches helping him because not even Willow could find a trace of you."
"Who's your friend?" Detective Kinney asked.
"This is Buffy," Cami said. "Buffy, this is Detective Will Kinney. He had arrested me for those murders that Lucien was committing."
"Obviously, I was wrong about that. Sorry," he said. "I'll go to the precinct and clear everything up."
"I'll stop by later with some vervain. If you drink it, no vampire can compel you," Cami told him. He nodded and left.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked her friend, checking her over.
"He didn't hurt me, but he compelled Will in a truly awful manner. I'm going to have to get Klaus to fix him before he starts on the vervain," Cami said.
"Let's get out of here," Buffy said. She reached down and picked up the arm. "I'm taking my trophy with me."
"Don't you think people will freak?" Cami said, smiling.
Buffy reached over to the curtain and ripped it off the wall, and then she wrapped the bloody appendage in its thick material. "There. No problem," she said with a cheeky grin.
Chuckling, Cami followed her out the door.
*****St. Anne's Church*****
At St. Anne's Church, Hayley was in the room outside the gym, where she was looking at photos of Hope on her phone. After a moment, Elijah approached her, and she looked up at him with a rueful smile. "There was a time when all I wanted was to find my family. It consumed me. And then, once I did, as crazy as it is, all I wanted was a home. And New Orleans is that home. But the Strix are trying to take that, aren't they?" she asked. The Strix they had captured had almost killed her before Elijah had arrived and ended the threat.
Elijah replied with a determined expression. "No. We won't let them." He had come in, ensuring that their captive did them no harm. Now, he knew he needed to speak to Hayley about Buffy. "I need to tell you something."
Hayley gave him an expectant look. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I asked Buffy to marry me, and she said yes," he said, not beating around the bush.
Hayley allowed the pain of the news to hit her, and then she pushed it down. She was happy with Jackson. Elijah was a dream that could never be. His darkness would never fit her the way it fit the slayer, and they both knew that. It took her a moment, but she was able to smile and say quite honestly, "I am happy for you, Elijah."
"Really?" he asked, not wanting to alienate the first woman he'd loved in centuries. She was the mother of his niece also.
"Really," she said. "Buffy is quite a girl and a welcome addition to the family." She hugged him.
Elijah and Hayley were distracted from their conversation by the sound of footsteps, and a moment later, Marcel and Freya walk into the room to join them.
"Guys, we have a problem," Marcel announced.
Elijah realized who was missing from their trio and immediately becomes worried. "Where is Rebekah?"
Freya looked distraught as she replied, "We need to call Klaus."
*****Mikaelson's Compound******
Klaus smiled down at the naked backside of Aurora as she slept after a very pleasant interlude with him. Some attractions never die. Although he knew she was deadly and mad, he couldn't help but be attracted to the madness under the beauty. Then his phone rang, disturbing his moment of peace. He grabbed it before he disturbs her. Seeing it was Elijah, he got up and stepped away.
Klaus stood perfectly still with his back to Aurora as he listened on his phone to what his siblings have to say about Rebekah. He slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up just as Aurora awakened. She sat up with a smile in Klaus' bed.
"What are you doing over there? Come closer," she beckoned.
Klaus gave her a cold look. "I think it's best you remain out of arm's reach," he said.
Aurora sighed in annoyance when she realized he had figured out what was going on. "So I take it you've heard about the busy day everyone's had. Let me take away that scowl."
Klaus turned toward her with an unamused expression—play time was over.
"I'll tell you everything I know," she assured him.
Klaus growled. "I suggest you speak quickly!"
"There is a weapon in play—a dangerous, cursed device called the Serratura. It is capable of producing an unbreakable boundary. My brother and Lucien want to use it to lock you and your siblings away forever so that no one may harm you. But to do so, they need all three of you in one place.
"Which is why they sent Strix to collect my sister," he said knowingly.
"But, not to worry, my love. I took measures to ensure that Rebekah isn't held by those nasty Strix for long," she assured him.
He eyed her warily. "What measures?" he asked.
"While they did acquire Rebekah's body, I wasn't about to let them keep it! So, I enacted a plan of my own. Unbeknownst to my brother, two of the men sent to retrieve her were from my sireline—loyal to me. And on my behalf, they procured your sister's body. So, don't worry, my love—Rebekah is perfectly safe. You have my word," she assured him. Then she gave him a seductive smile as she patted the empty spot on the bed. "Now... Come back to bed."
Klaus stared at her in disbelief. This lunatic that he'd foolishly bedded kidnapped his sister after the Strix killed her human body. Since he was the only one alive that had ever succeeded in immobilizing his fierce baby sister, he feared for well-being.
*****To Be Continued******
Lots of stuff in this chapter, but review and let me know how you like it. Thanks so much!