A/N: Sorry for the long wait! My laptop broke and I didn't have anyway to access my files until I got it fixed and transferred my files over to my new laptop. Enjoy!
Beautiful Disaster ~ Chapter LIV
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"What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?"
- George Eliot, Middlemarch
"My memory of Lucien goes back to a time when our family was happy. Things were good... Or, as good as things could be as vampires hiding in plain sight. Everyone in Marseilles was held in the thrall of the Count's arrogant son Tristan and his sister, the Lady Aurora. In hindsight, I could have done more to prevent what was to follow. But then, even an endless life cannot be played in reverse. He wanted to run off with Aurora, to serve our family with her by his side. Hoping to dissuade Lucien, I told him Aurora would not accept his note. I thought the matter settled. How could I tell him that Aurora was already in love with another?"
Andy raised an eyebrow as Klaus continued explaining his past with Lucien, Tristen, and Aurora as they sat in his study. Elijah was by the fire, silent through Klaus' explanation. According to Klaus, Tristan and Aurora de Martel had been the children of a lord while Lucien had been a servant for the Mikaelsons. She had to admit, it was a lot more complicated than she had thought. But when was anything not complicated when it came to the Mikaelsons? Though she had to admit she was curious about this Aurora. Klaus had never mentioned her before, but now he was claiming this thousand-year-old vampire had been in love with him. From his tone and expression, she was led to believe that he felt something for her as well.
"Didn't you say you all had just been turned?" Andy pointed out, curious at Klaus' words as she sat forward. "If so, weren't you busy mourning Anastasia? She would have just died…"
Klaus' bored into Elijah's back, who remained turned toward the fireplace. "We all have our ways of getting over things."
"Okay. So what happened next?" Andy pressed on, trying to ignore the thought of how she believed he had always tried to move on with Cami when she had died over a year ago. Klaus liked to distract himself evidently. Her gaze flickered to Elijah, who still held a stoic expression on his face.
"Lucien was a hopeless romantic. In his desperation, he sought her out... and discovered us. In short, he was upset and refused to leave her side even when I did, and was caught by Tristan. He tortured Lucien until I was able to free him. We got into a spat over it, and he stabbed me. My blood was exposed to his wounds, and it healed them. Thinking himself invincible, he approached Tristan, which immediately got him killed. I tried healing him and—well, it didn't work. Just before I could burn him, he woke up, and was in transition."
Elijah had begun pacing back in forth in front of the fireplace. Andy sighed and shook her head. "So he does have a reason to hate you if he still feels strongly for Aurora," She realized. "Then again, it would be a miracle to find someone who didn't."
Klaus rolled his eyes, folding his hands together on his desk as he continued. "And, given the circumstance, Lucien qualifies as both friend and foe, and according to Freya's prophecy—"
"—You are to beware both friend and foe. But, let us not forget family, Niklaus," Elijah said, cutting his brother off.
Klaus, clearly hurt by the insinuation, paused for a moment before shrugging it off. Andy remained silent as he spoke. "Lucien's two out of three—I say we put him down. Just like old times."
"Just like old times?" Elijah stopped, turning to face Klaus. "Brother, I wonder who among our family do you suppose has the greatest predilection for betrayal?"
"Brother, please—"
Elijah interrupted him, clearly not interested to hear what he had to say. "Now, before we murder Lucien, there are certain questions that need to be answered. Chiefly, what is he doing here?" Klaus remained silent but looked at him in curiosity.
"Don't forget the wolf bite. I mean, Jackson definitely bit him. I was right next to them and saw the bite myself. Why would he lie to you, his sire?" Andy questioned. "It's not exactly a trust-building exercise."
Elijah picked up one of Klaus' larger paintbrushes and tossed it in the air before catching it several times. "I'm afraid we might have to resort to something deliciously medieval here..."
Klaus smirked at his brother. "'We?' I take it you will lower yourself to associate with your bastard brother?" Klaus stood to his feet, and Elijah smiled fakely at him. "Have you finally forgiven me?"
"I will consider it..." Elijah trailed off for a moment. Klaus looked pleased by this answer and smiled at him, but Elijah was not the least bit amused. "...When Hayley forgives you, when Andrea forgives you, Gia and Samuel rise from the dead, and hell freezes over. For now, however, let's just hope your little friendship with Lucien doesn't disrupt our mission." Elijah turned and left the room without another word. Klaus, surprised and hurt by this reaction, just gaped in shock at Elijah's words. He looked over at Andy, who simply shrugged.
"Don't look at me. Elijah's his own person," She stood and folded her arms over her chest. "But, for some reason, I'm inclined to share his sentiments in this matter." With that, she turned to leave the room. Elijah was waiting for her in the courtyard, and she immediately walked over to him and sighed. "Things will never be quiet, will they?" She asked with a tired smile.
Elijah reached out and cupped her face in his hands. "You make it better."
"Sweet talker," She said with a grin as she leaned in to kiss him. She leaned back with a sigh, her heart heavy as she remembered the call she had gotten from her sire this morning about a certain witch. "I need to go see Marcel. Something's come up with Davina."
Elijah nodded, though he kept his embrace around her as he gazed into her eyes. "Niklaus and I will visit Lucien. I will call you when we finish and inform you what we discover."
Andy exhaled, looking at him worriedly. "Elijah, we need to talk about something in this vision that neither of us has acknowledged. Lucien said I died, and both Freya and Klaus backed up that up."
"We can change it; we will change it," Elijah said, clutching onto her tighter. "I won't let you be hurt, Andrea. Not for as long as I am breathing." Andy nodded, though she looked unconvinced. "I love you." He murmured to her. She smiled before leaning in to kiss him again.
Klaus and Elijah had just burst into Lucien's apartment to question him further on what he was doing in New Orleans. "Lucien... Come out, come out, wherever you are," Klaus called as Elijah and he walked further into the room.
At the sound of his voice, Alexis walked into the living room with a sly smile. "I'm afraid you missed him." She said.
"Where is he?" Klaus inquired suspiciously.
"At the police station. A detective, Kinney, had some questions for him."
"And he allowed himself to be arrested?" Elijah asked skeptically.
Alexis smiled smugly. "He has nothing to hide."
Elijah seemed to get an idea and smiled as he sat down on the leather couch. "Lucien's occupied. Perhaps we should entertain ourselves right here?"
Klaus gave Elijah a smile before looking over at Alexis, who seemed amused as she watched them. "Oh. Well, I've never been one to turn down a snack..." Klaus smiled devilishly at Alexis.
"Give me a moment for the preparations," She said before she went to gather the items. Soon, she had set up ingredients for another spell on a small round table in the living room and had just lit some candles as Klaus and Elijah watched her with interest.
"How much longer is this going to take?" Klaus asked, annoyed at how long she had been taking.
"Elijah and I can begin now, but just us. Sadly, I've already shown you what visions of yours I've managed to divine." Alexis responded.
"The warning was for both of us—friend, foe, and family. I'd like to see his, please." Klaus replied.
"Since family is one of your concerns, and you two are brothers, are you so sure you want to see what I have to show you?" She said, brushing her hair off of her neck, and both Klaus and Elijah smirked in amusement.
"Oh, I never could resist a good spoiler," Elijah said. The brothers moved in toward her, and while Klaus grabbed Alexis' left wrist on which to feed, Elijah vamped-out and bit into Alexis' neck with his fangs.
In the visions, there was another flash of a page from a spell book, which was covered in unintelligible writing around two pentacles drawn on either end of the page. It then flashed to the Mikaelson compound's living room, where the portrait of Elijah had been splashed with a fount of blood, which dripped down the length of the painting and onto the frame. The vision cut to Marcel, who was on his knees on the floor of what looks like St. Louis Cathedral and wiping at a cut on his face as someone stands over him. Then the vision flashes over to the police department, where Lucien was seen stroking the palm of Cami's hand in the interrogation room, as though he was reading the lines. Cami looked nervous as he does so. Finally, they saw Andrea, standing in front of Tristan who was kissing the back of her hand.
The sight of Andy with Tristan shocked Klaus and Elijah so much that they snapped Alexis' neck as they were pulling away from her. Concerned, Elijah gently laid her body down on the table, taking care not to drop her on the candles.
"Well, at least your visions were specific. It seems Lucien has intentions for Camille and Tristan for Andy…" Klaus said, concerned. "I suppose we can expect his arrival in New Orleans soon enough."
"And what of Marcel—family, and friend? Where do his loyalties lie?" Elijah questioned, his brow furrowing.
"Find him and question him," Klaus said, turning to leave, and Elijah looked at him in confusion.
"And where are you going?" Elijah questioned.
"I'm going to eliminate an old friend before he gets his teeth into my therapist!"
When Andy walked into Marcel's loft, it wasn't what she expected. All the vampires were knocked out and sprawled on the floor of the loft. A woman stood there in a business suit, her hair short but she was shorter than Andy. She stood over Marcel's unconscious body. Immediately Andy leaped at the woman to attack, but the woman easily grabbed her by her throat.
"Ah, Andrea Gilbert. I was hoping you'd be here." The woman said before snapping her neck, sending her into darkness.
Elijah arrived at Marcel's loft to find all of his vampires still sprawled on the floor. He walked over to Josh, who was lying flat on his back on the floor, his face covered in his own blood, and gave him an amused, albeit patronizing, look.
"Joshua. Would you kindly enlighten me as to what happened here?" Elijah questioned, though he was a bit fearful. He knew that Andrea had come here earlier, but her or Marcel were both nowhere in sight. Elijah pulled out his pocket square and dropped it on Josh's chest so he could clean himself up. Josh groaned in pain and sat up, rubbing his right shoulder as he does so.
"Ohhh... God, this woman..."
Elijah walked around the room and took in the sight of the other vampires, many of whom were still unconscious from having their necks snapped. The furniture in the room had also been trashed as well, likely due to vampires being thrown into it during the fight. "What woman?"
"I don't know. She walked in like she owned the place. Said she had to talk to Marcel in private." Josh said, finally rising to his feet and started to wipe at the blood that had crusted under his nose. "We tried to get rid of her, and boom—Smackdown City. Which obviously went quite well."
Elijah crouched down when he saw a black business card lying on the floor next to an unconscious vampire. When he picked it up and examined it, it had a stylistic looking owl stamped on the front in white ink. "Did this woman happen to have a name?" He asked calmly. However, the card was making him suspect another player was back in town, one he wasn't entirely thrilled about. Considering the last part of the vision he had been shown, he was beginning to believe it even more.
"I don't know," Josh thought about it for a moment until he remembered. "Um... Aya?"
Elijah closed his eyes and sighed in recognition of this name. "Aya. Let me guess—Five-foot-seven, built like a goddess, vicious as a viper?"
"So, you know her?" Josh asked, confused.
Elijah sighed. "I sired her."
"You're an intelligent man, so I won't insult you—we both know that nothing you say proves anything. So, what I want to know is why you asked to speak to me. Why tell me your story? Is it because I know Klaus, and part of you must still blame him? Maybe you want to make him look bad in the eyes of a friend?" Cami said to Lucien as she sat with him and Vincent in the interrogation room. So far, Lucien had only recounted the tale of how he was turned and not a word about the current case they were working on.
Lucien chuckled. "Ha! I'm so..." He took Cami's hand and opened it so it is palm-up, allowing him to read the lines along its length. "Oh, now I know why Klaus is fond of you—that delicious, mortal mind framing every moment of your meager lifespan."
"Uh-huh," Vincent said warily. He and Cami were both alarmed by the contact.
"The truth is, I know you have Klaus' ear, and I need him to trust me. As for your claim that I blame him for my ancient wounds?" Lucien let go of her hand, and as soon as he did, Cami yanked it away as though she was afraid he may try something. "Well, time heals all wounds, and my wounds healed a thousand years ago. Klaus came to see me. While he tried to apologize, I responded by stabbing him. He accidentally sliced my hand open as we wrestled over the blade, and his blood from the blade healed me. Believing I was now like him, I confronted Tristan. Of course, I wasn't—not yet. Not that it would have mattered, anyway. All I wanted was revenge. Tristan's guards stabbed me before I could accomplish anything. Fortunately, Nik was too fond of me to let me die and fed me his blood hoping it could save me. And so, I died... for a little while. Talk about trauma—not the wounds themselves, or even the execution, but the humiliation of being judged by one's supposed betters. I will never again stand for such judgment," Lucien, realizing he had perhaps confessed too much and became too serious, smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "Though, for you, Camille, I will gladly declare my innocence. In fact, I can prove it."
"Prove it how?" Cami asked, confused.
"Well, if by nothing else, then perhaps logic? Why should I undermine my own safety by leaving behind a trail of dead bodies? I mean, why commit myself to these preposterous murders? Unlike my enemies, I have nothing to gain." He explained.
Cami regarded him suspiciously. "Your enemies? You really think someone is trying to frame you for this? Who?"
"Now, isn't that the question we should be asking? And how fortunate it's one I can answer," Before Lucien could actually answer the question, Klaus stormed into the interrogation room, clearly displeased by the sight of Lucien with Cami. He grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her out of the room.
"I'd have thought your time with me would inspire a more careful selection of company you keep. We're leaving," Klaus said. Cami stopped walking and stared at Klaus.
"Klaus, he says he knows who the killer is!"
Klaus scowled in reply. "Whatever Lucien's said to you today has most certainly been a lie."
Lucien scoffed. "Oh, come on, Nik! Why should I lie?"
Klaus walked toward Lucien and glared at him. "For the same reason you lied about avoiding a werewolf bite when not only Elijah but Andy saw it with their own eyes? This ends now."
"Then you're giving Tristan the victory he seeks. He is the guilty one," Lucien said, frustrated.
Klaus, torn between wanting to know more and not wanting to believe what Lucien was saying, hesitated for a moment before turning to Cami and Vincent. "I'm going to need a word with Lucien in private."
Vincent walked toward the door and turned to Cami. "Come on, Camille." The two walked out of the room together, leaving Klaus alone with his first progeny.
Marcel awakened groggily to find that he was on the floor of a large, elegant room. When he finally remembers what happened, he sat up and looked at Aya, wiping the blood from his face as he did so. "Ugh. What the hell did you do to me?"
Aya held out her hand, showing off the large ring on her right hand. "Scratched you with a toxin of my own devising. Kicks like a mule, doesn't it?"
Suddenly, he noticed Andy was lying on the floor a few feet away. "What did you do to her?" He rushed over to his friend, though he was still weakened.
"She'll awake in a few minutes, don't worry," Aya said, pulling out two blood bags and tossing them to Marcel. "Here. This should help." Marcel sat the blood bags down, more concerned with Andy at the moment. "You won't do her any good if you don't drink. You have no strength right now."
Marcel sighed before he looked over at Aya. Finally, he picked up the blood bag and began drinking it. It had been a while since he had drunk… with the thin pickings around New Orleans because of the killings lately, it had been tough for the vampire community to feed without attracting attention. "Plenty more where that came from. My friends and I could help with your daylight ring situation, as well," Aya said, looking over at Marcel. He tossed the bag aside before he stood to his feet, though he stayed by Andy.
"Okay. Now you have my attention," He said warily.
"Marcel Gerard, you were turned by an Original, yet you made yourself in your own image. You built a vampire community from ash, and this city thrived under your rule. Let us help you return New Orleans to what it should be, with you as its king," Aya said.
Marcel seemed to be intrigued, though he was smart enough not to trust her. He laughed. "A great sales pitch, really," He clapped his hands in mock applause. "Just one thing—who's 'us'?"
"The oldest society of vampires this world has ever known. We are called The Strix."
"Quite the prestigious organization! Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues, assassinations..." Elijah said, appearing in the doorway. Aya froze at the sound of his voice, and at first, she kept her back to him so he couldn't see how displeased she was with his presence.
"You have to break rules if you want to build a new world," Aya said haughtily. She finally turned to face him, and Marcel, now suspicious of her because of Elijah's words, narrowed his eyes and stood closer to Andy. "Hello, Elijah. It's been a while."
Marcel, realizing they weren't strangers, rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You two know each other."
The Original glanced down at Andy before looking back up at Aya. "Intimately," Elijah instantly vamp-sped toward Aya and held her as though he was dipping her in a formal dance before shoving his fist into her chest and grabbing her heart. She cried out in pain.
Just then, Andy woke with a gasp. She looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on Elijah and Aya. "I miss all the fun," She said, displeased as she pulled herself to her feet with Marcel's help. She staggered a bit and he offered a blood bag which she refused. Instead, she watched Elijah in curiosity, wondering how he found them so quickly. Unless she had been out a while? She noticed the look Aya was giving Elijah and frowned. Who was this woman?
Elijah, however, looked on unamused at Aya. "Whatever you are doing here, I know you're not alone."
A familiar male voice called out to him from the doorway. "Let her go, Elijah. No need for this to become vulgar." Looking over stood a man with brown hair, and at least a dozen fellow vampires by his side.
Elijah rolled his eyes with a smirk while Aya continued to gasp in his arms. "And there he is," Elijah, still clutching Aya's heart, turned to see Tristan, who looked amused by him. "Tristan."
Tristan grinned smugly at his sire, while Andy stepped forward, a bit uncomfortable now. She knew that name but had been still unable to place where she had heard it from before. Tristan's gaze flickered to her, and she felt chills run down her spine at his cold, blue eyes. He seemed familiar, and yet he was unnerving to her. She steeled herself and walked by Marcel's side so she was back-to-back with Elijah as the members of The Strix closed in around them.
"You go left, I go right? Drea, you got the center?" Marcel suggested.
Elijah, who seemed to be suspicious of Marcel's intentions with The Strix, yanked his hand out of Aya's chest, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized he considerately left her heart intact. He then glanced over at Marcel suspiciously. "Why don't you stay where I can see you?" He replied to Marcel. Marcel, visibly offended and hurt by what Elijah was implying, glared at him angrily.
"Elijah," Andy chastised, looking at Elijah with her own scowl. He, however, blatantly ignored her and continued looking at Tristan who was walking toward them, bemused.
"It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good scrap, but, uh... It's not why I'm here," Tristan rolled his eyes and reflexively handed Elijah his pocket square, assuming he would want to clean himself up. Elijah seemed slightly embarrassed by this reminder, but he ultimately took the handkerchief and used it to mop Aya's blood off his hands. He looked over to the Strix. "Mr. Mikaelson and I require the room. Please leave us."
The Strix vampires, including the still-recovering Aya, started to exit the room without another word, but Marcel stayed behind with Elijah. Tristan continued. "Elijah, your sireline—your life—is at stake. You want to hear what I have to say."
Elijah sighed and turned to dismiss Marcel. "Marcellus, please," Annoyed, Marcel turned to leave, but Elijah wasn't finished. "And you would do well to be selective about the company you keep in the future."
Aya couldn't help but smile at this statement from Elijah, but Marcel just becomes even more annoyed and defensive. "Maybe you should remember who your friends are. It looks like you're going to need 'em." He replied.
"Andrea, go with Marcellus."
"Excuse me?" Andy said, turning to look at Elijah with a confused scowl. "You insult Marcel, who you've known since childhood, then you—"
"Tristan and I would like to speak alone," Elijah said, his gaze still focused on Tristan. Tristan, however, turned to Andy with a charming smile on his face.
"Andrea Gilbert, yes? It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Tristan de Martel," Before Andy could do anything, Tristan reached out, grabbed her hand, and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She pulled her hand back, looking at him suspiciously. "I have heard much of your beauty and grace."
"Shit, well, that's the second time I've heard that in a span of two days," Andy said, folding her arms over her chest. She looked over Tristan, unimpressed with what she saw. His smile faltered at her foul language, which only caused her to look back in satisfaction.
"Andrea, if you would please follow your sire," Elijah said, his tone firm and curt.
She looked over at him, shocked at his words. Why didn't she or Marcel get to stay? What could he and Tristan have to speak about in private? His gaze finally met hers, and she saw the worry behind his words, though she still didn't like his tone. "Drea, come on. We need to talk anyway," Marcel said from the doorway.
Andy looked over Elijah's expression once more before she exhaled. "We'll discuss this later," She replied curtly, scowling as she turned and started to walk away. He had been so dismissive of her…
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Andrea. I hope we get time to speak again in the future," Tristan called after her. She turned to look at Tristan, meeting his gaze. He smiled at her and she looked back in uncertainty, before turning and walking toward Marcel, who put a hand on her back to guide her out of there.
"What was that about?" She asked Marcel as they hurried away from the mansion.
"I have no clue."
Elijah and Tristan were still in the grand room of the building that The Strix were using as a New Orleans base of operations. Elijah walked over to the window with a scowl on his expression. He wasn't at all pleased to be reunited with his progeny. He thought back to Andrea and the way she and Tristan had looked at one another. He had seen a certain interest he detested in both of their gazes, but he knew Tristan's were a lot less innocent. If anything, he would just want Andrea as a trophy, one to parade around with the Strix, that or he wanted to use her against the Mikaelsons. He thought back to his vision and grew more concerned with what he had just witnessed. Yes, Tristan certainly had ideas for Andrea.
"You waltz into my city unannounced with your flock of sycophants flaunting news of a threat. All the while, your little lapdog Aya is conspiring with none other than Marcel Gerard," Elijah said, annoyance and bitterness in his tone. "And you decide it a wise idea to drag Miss Gilbert into it."
Tristan rolled his eyes. "'Conspiring.' How grandiose. I thought I was the one with a flair for the dramatic."
"Watch your tongue," Elijah said coldly. He walked over to Tristan and adjusted Tristan's tie, his tone low and threatening. "I am not the patient, fun-loving social butterfly you might recall."
Tristan sighed. "Your Marcel is a potential recruit. As for your lover, she is also a potential recruit, though we have no immediate plans to extend her an invitation. They have nothing to do with the larger issue we face."
"The larger issue?" Elijah asked skeptically.
"You've no doubt heard about the war between the sirelines? Well, as it happens, your line, thanks to my Strix, has wreaked all manner of havoc on Lucien and his assorted interests. As a result, he's desperate to exterminate the lot of us—me, Aya, everyone you've sired. Of course, the economical way to complete this task would be for him to kill you," Tristan explained. Elijah clenched his jaw but continued to stare at him suspiciously. "You don't believe me. Perhaps you underestimate Lucien's ambition? While I doubt he'd have the gall to attack you directly, I believe he might try and find someone else to do it—namely, Niklaus."
Elijah narrowed his eyes. "What makes you so certain that Niklaus would select Lucien over his own family?"
"From what I hear, he tortured his friend Marcel, cursed the mother of his child, had his precious doppelganger commit murder of her own lover, and burned your paramour in front of you, all because he thought it the logical way to defeat his enemy. With Lucien in his ear, how long before the logical thing is to get rid of you?" Tristan pointed out. At the reminder of Gia's death, Elijah's face flashed with sadness and anger as he clenched his fist. However, realizing that he may be giving too much away, he quickly recovered his composure before responding.
"Well, how very fortunate, indeed, then—Niklaus is on his way right now to put Lucien out of our collective misery," Elijah said.
"You have to stop him," Tristan said, alarmed.
Elijah scoffed. "And why would I do that?"
"Lucien's seer believes there's an object capable of killing you."
Elijah rolled his eyes. "I'm well aware."
"Well, I don't have it. I'm quite certain my sister doesn't have it, either. Logically, then, one must assume that Lucien has it, or he knows where it is. If he dies, none of us will find it. Not until some other assassin attempts to use it against you. If you've any hope of finding that which can kill us all, Niklaus needs to be stopped."
Klaus and Lucien were still in the interrogation room at the police station, where Klaus was continuing to question Lucien on what his intentions are for his stay in New Orleans. "Whatever Tristan's role in this charade may be, have no fear. I will discover it. First, I'm going to drain you of vervain. Then, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and, once you've answered, if I'm feeling sentimental, perhaps I'll grant you a painless death." Klaus explained.
Lucien, who had been scoffing and rolling his eyes while Klaus was talking, stood and looked exasperated as he leaned against the table. "Please, enough posturing! Ask me anything you want. As I've said, I am only here to protect you."
"And yet you lied about your werewolf bite. Why?" Klaus demanded.
Lucien sighed, exasperated. "I simply didn't want to bother you! Don't you have greater concerns than a little wolf-bite that I can cure on my own?" This revelation seemed to stun Klaus, but before he could interject, Lucien continued talking. He opened the file with the photos of the murder victims and spread them across the table. "Let's discuss these absurd murders. If it were true that I was scattering bodies about and scarring up faces, then you would be right to assume I'm mentally unstable. I'm not, by the way. But, who would benefit most from you thinking that I am? Who else but Tristan?"
"Ah," Klaus replied, patronizingly.
"Because if you don't trust me—if you kill me and are forced to stand alone—wouldn't that benefit him?"
Klaus scowled and walked around the table until he was standing behind Lucien. "It's a very interesting theory... only I don't need your protection. I'm quite capable of protecting myself."
Lucien turned to face Klaus, and stared at him, though he did look nervous at their proximity. "Undoubtedly. But who looks after your family, hmm? Your friends? Andrea, for instance? Would Elijah be able to truly protect her? I have heard the rumors of her dying multiple times, Nik. Such associations make you vulnerable, and thus in need of me."
Klaus sighed at this statement, and Lucien sat down and dramatically set his feet on the table. However, before they could debate the matter further, Detective Kinney came into the room. When he saw Klaus, he frowned in confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Klaus smiled fakely. "I'm Mr. Castle's legal counsel—" He stood in front of the detective and clapped his hand on his shoulder before staring at him to compel him. "—Here to ensure justice is served."
Kinney paused and blinked in confusion as the compulsion took hold. "Hmm. Well, your client's not gonna need you today. We found another body. This one's fresh," He looked over at Lucien. "It couldn't have been you. You're free to go, Mr. Castle. Don't leave town."
Kinney left the room and Lucien, looking smug, stood to his feet and spread his arms wide. "And, like a phoenix, I rise."
Cami was standing in the doorway and watching suspiciously as Lucien headed toward the door. Before he left, he turned to Klaus, who seemed unhappy and confused by all of this conflicting information.
"Do think about what I said, Nik," Lucien said before he left. Cami and Klaus shared a suspicious look once he was gone.
Klaus sighed before walking past Cami. He headed to the exit, but Cami was quick on his heels. "For the record, Vincent thinks you should kill him, but you can't execute someone without, you know, due process," She said as they exited.
"Are we really going to have a legal debate about this?" He asked, exasperated.
"He said something about rising like a phoenix. What did that mean?" Cami asked worriedly.
Klaus rolled his eyes. "Lucien has a taste for hyperbole. Although, in this case, he's rather on point… Until I was about to burn him, I thought him dead."
Cami gasped as she realized what Lucien was to Klaus. "He's the first person you ever turned. Is that why this is so hard for you because he's the first of your sireline?"
Klaus scowled and said nothing, just as Lucien came out of the police station. He was wearing black sunglasses and smiled happily before he turned and walked away. Klaus was about to follow him when Cami grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Klaus, if he's not lying, if he is telling the truth, if he is here to help you... you don't have to kill him."
Klaus sighed in frustration when he saw Lucien get into the back of a fancy black town car. He smiled weakly down at her. "Camille. So eager to keep me from a mistake I might regret. It means more than you know."
Lucien's car drove past them, and Cami turned to watch it leave the station parking lot. Klaus sped away before Cami could say another word. He followed Lucien's car back to his apartment, standing in an alley as the car came to a stop across the street. Lucien got out of the car and closed the door, tapping the roof of the car to indicate the driver could leave. When he started to walk away, Klaus, scowling determinedly, started to walk toward him, only to be stopped by Elijah, who had appeared out of nowhere to slam Klaus against the brick wall of the nearby building.
"We should talk."
Klaus looked back at his brother, annoyed. "It's too late for that. Lucien needs to die. You said so yourself."
"I have new information," Elijah said. Klaus broke out of Elijah's hold and started to walk toward where Lucien was last seen, forcing Elijah to call out to stop him. "Brother, if you desire any kind of reconciliation with me, stay your hand."
Klaus stopped in his tracks and sighed for a moment before turning back to Elijah.
Klaus and Elijah were seated in one of the sitting rooms, which was completely dark aside from some lit candles and the roaring fire in the fireplace. Klaus stared introspectively at the fire for a long moment before speaking. "And now I reap what I sow. I should have killed him in that chapel." He said as he reflected on when Lucien had first turned.
"Yet you played right alongside him, succumbing to your savagery. He brought out the worst in you, Niklaus."
"We brought out the worst in each other. In some ways, we made each other who we are."
Elijah paused for a moment. "Well, the moment we have that weapon, we will end him. He and Tristan."
Klaus smiled weakly. "It's good to hear that word again. 'We.'"
Elijah rolled his eyes. "It's purely circumstantial, let me assure you, brother. This is not forgiveness."
Klaus seemed hurt by this response but did not let it stop him from saying what needed to be said. He spoke quietly. "I've claimed righteousness in my actions towards you, Andy, and Hayley... But, perhaps I did stray a little too far from the shores of reason. Freya's prophecy speaks of family against family, and I want you to know..." He sighed nervously. "You will never fall by my hand."
Elijah, who had been kneeling in front of the fire, seemed touched by this uncharacteristic confession from Klaus. However, he simply stood to his feet and left. Klaus, disappointed, looked sad as he continued to stare at the fire.
Marcel was pouring himself a drink at his bar while Josh did his best to scrub out the stains on the rug from their earlier fight against Aya. "Dude, is it just me, or is vampire blood, like, a thousand times harder to get out than normal blood?" Josh asked, annoyed.
Andy thought about what Marcel had told her about Davina. She had been attacked by some of her own witches and her response had been to murder those who had spoken out against her. When Andy tried calling the young witch, she had been met with a voicemail. She had left a dozen messages but was certain that Davina would never speak to her again, though Marcel assured her it would take some time.
Marcel remained silent and pulled out the black business card Aya gave him for The Strix. Andy noticed him staring at the card and looked concerned. "Hey, you okay?" She asked him, reaching over and putting a hand on his arm.
Marcel sighed. "I'm not sure what's more annoying—The Strix coming into my home, or Elijah dismissing me—and even you—like some kid," He stared at the card a little longer and seemed to be getting an idea.
"What?" Andy asked him curiously.
He shook his head. "Nothing… I'm just thinking."
She raised an eyebrow but he wasn't budging. Sighing, she stood to her feet. "I need to get back anyways. Cami said they let Lucien go after they found a fresh body during his interrogation. Plus, I've not seen Hope since this morning."
"Give her a hug for me," Marcel said, smiling at Andy as he sat the card off to the side.
"Will do," Andy leaned over and hugged him tightly before she big Josh a goodnight and left. Marcel watched her leave, a pensive look on his face.
It was nearing midnight by the time Andy got back from visiting Hope, Hayley, and Jackson. Her and Elijah were staying at the Abattoir again, which she had to admit felt a bit weird after staying in Algiers. Still, she liked being close to Hope again.
When Andy walked into Elijah's room, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window into the New Orleans night. She went over to the dresser and opened it. She began undressing and changed into her pajamas. They didn't say anything to one another the entire time, both opting for silence. When she was in just her underwear, she turned to face him, a large and oversized shirt in one of her hands.
"So, you going to tell me why you treated Marcel like a child earlier?" Andy asked as she slipped the shirt over her head. "I mean, I felt a bit upset at the way you treated me, but at least I don't mind you calling me Andrea. You know Marcel doesn't like being called 'Marcellus.'"
Elijah looked up to meet her gaze as she crossed the room to stand in front of him. She put her hands on his shoulder, leaning into him. He did his best to restrain himself, keeping his hands folded on his lap. "Niklaus and I visited Alexis, Lucien's seer. She gave me visions of my own. One was of Marcel with someone standing over him. Another was you standing in front of Tristan, with him kissing your hand. And considering what I walked in on, it seems that they both came true."
Andy had tensed up and felt confusion and anger flood into her system. She immediately pulled away from him, the hurt clear on her face. "You really think I'd conspire with the Strix? Or Tristan in general?" She asked, her voice low as she did her best to read his expression.
"No, Andrea, of course not," Elijah sighed as he stood to his feet. He walked past her and continued to gaze out the window. "But there is the matter of Niklaus' vision to consider. You were dead, and I do not believe Tristan or Aya above killing you if given the chance."
Andy was quiet for a moment before she walked over and grabbed his arm, squeezing it softly as she placed a kiss on his shoulder. She would question him about this Aya later. "You said it yourself, Elijah. We can change that… you do still believe that, right?" She asked, worry entering her tone. "I mean, there's a lot of things we've changed. I won't let anyone take me from my family again."
Elijah looked over at her with intense eyes for a long moment before a smile curled onto his lips. "You're right. It is worse to lose faith so soon, especially when we have you on our side," He turned his body toward her completely, placing a deep kiss on her lips. She immediately began kissing him back as he pulled her tighter to him.
Suddenly, all Andy could think about was the blood pumping through his veins, and felt her fangs involuntarily begin to poke out. She was still weakened from her earlier fight with Aya. Pulling away from him, she looked away in embarrassment and felt her cheeks turn pink.
Elijah, however, simply smiled at her. "One moment, my love." He walked over to his dresser and took his coat and tie off, laying them on the dresser. As he removed his dress shirt, Andy was admired his figure. When he turned around and saw she was looking at him, he smirked at her.
Without breaking eye contact, he grabbed her hand and led her over to the bed. He let go of her hand as he sat on the bed, leaning his head back slightly to reveal his neck to her. She went to sit next to him but he gently grabbed her arm and moved her onto his lap to where she was straddling him. She found herself growing flustered at the position, especially because she could now tell he was becoming aroused. He clearly looked pleased with her flustered state, doing his best to hold back a smile as he turned his neck so it was exposed to her. It had been so long since she had sex, and while she told herself she wasn't going to pressure Elijah before he was ready, she found herself aching for him.
Andy leaned down and place a small kiss on his neck before she began drinking from him. After a moment, she pulled back, feeling a small drip on her mouth and quickly licked it away. She had felt him growing harder under her and felt her own smile growing.
"Are you thirsty?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Not particularly…" He murmured, wrapping an arm around her back and using his other hand to caress her cheek. "You are so beautiful, Andrea. I do not know what I did to deserve you." He said in a quiet tone, his brown eyes roaming across her visage.
"Maybe you saved a kitten from a tree in a past life," She joked warily before leaning forward and gently pressing her lips against his. Elijah immediately pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Elijah suddenly turned to where she was pinned on the mattress, showering her neck with hungry kisses. She clutched onto him desperately, needing him more than ever. Looking at him, she noticed his fangs were out and his eyes dark with his veins protruding. She went to offer her neck, but he immediately pulled himself away. He went back over to the window, his breathing ragged. She caught her own breath before standing and walking over to him, leaning her forehead down into his bare back. She breathed in his scent for a long moment, appreciating the warmth of his bare skin against hers. He was tensed slightly, and she lifted her head to look at him, a small frown on her face. He acted like this every time they'd get too intimate, too close to having sex.
"Elijah, I'm sorry," She said in a small voice. "I got too carried away. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Andrea," He murmured after a moment. "You know it is not your fault. I… I have been doing my best these past few months to control myself, to not give in. I'm afraid I hunger too much for you… for your body, and for your blood. The last thing I ever want to do is to hurt you."
"Elijah, I'm not glass," She said, intertwining her right hand into his and placing a palm on his bare back. "I won't break so easily. I'm a vampire. I'm not afraid of you, okay? I have never trusted anyone more than I trust you."
Elijah turned to face her, his brown eyes had returned to normal but they were dark with another feeling. They stared at one another for a long moment before they both crashed their lips against one another. Things resumed. Their hands explored one another as they shed the last of their clothing, stumbling back over to the bed as they did their best to not trip.
"If you become uncomfortable at any moment, do not hesitate to push me away," Elijah said to her as he hovered over her, caressing her face with a loving look in his eyes.
"The same goes for you, okay?"
On the ground floor of the Abattoir, Klaus found himself doing his best not to pay attention to what he had heard upstairs. He was feeling as if his heart was being torn out of his chest. Before he could hear any more, he sped off until he was far away from the compound. When he was out of sight from the city, he found himself transitioning into a wolf, something he hadn't done in so long because of the pain. However, nothing compared more to the pain of realizing that it felt like tonight had been the official end of his relationship with Andy.
He should've known this was coming. Elijah treated her better even when she had decided she wanted to be with Klaus. He didn't throw a tantrum, didn't threaten to kill Klaus, and was content with her being happy. He put her first, while Klaus prioritized taking New Orleans back from Marcel. To think if he had never tried taking the city from his old friend, then he and Andy would maybe be together today. She wouldn't be in another's arms, throwing her toothy smile to someone else. He wouldn't be running through the bayou, picking off whatever animals he came across.
While he hadn't intended Samuel to die, at the time he didn't see it as a big deal. He hated that Andy had been the one to do it, but he never liked the werewolf anyway. Still, he knew Andy cared for him in some degree, and that Klaus shouldn't have dismissed her feelings so easily. Perhaps that was why now she was dismissing his feelings so easily. All because he was too self-absorbed.
Well, Elijah could have her. Andy clearly wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and it was probably for the best if she and Elijah were to be happy. As he tore into a rabbit, Klaus decided he would distance himself from her. He would let them remain together in peace, and hope in the meantime he could find a way to get over Andrea Gilbert once and for all.
