No One's POV
None of the brothers were happy at Alexis' choice of including Marcel into their plans, and it was evident on all of their faces as they assembled in the living room with the Gemini leaders, Rebekah, Jeremy, and Marcel with Davina and Thierry.
Kol huffed like an over excited bull as he flopped down on the floor in front of the couch, leaning against Alexis' leg to keep close to his mate, Finn and Elijah having already taken spots next to her, both silent sentinels, and Niklaus paced angrily by the fire place looking overall irritated despite the fact he was making up for the lost years with his adopted son (just not with Alexis around).
"Can we kill the bitch yet?" Kol asks, his fingers trailing along Alexis' calf.
Alexis sighs lightly, kicking Kol lightly.
"What?" Kol asks innocently, looking up at his mate charmingly and completely unrepentant.
"You're a menace." Alexis simply snorts with an eye roll, fingers combing through Kol's hair lightly, making Kol leaning into her happily.
"Is there something else you suggest, Elskan?" Elijah asks, fingers possessively stroking his mate's belly.
"No… There isn't. I- I don't like the idea of murdering someone. But- but Celeste is dangerous. And- and she is messing with forces that she can't control or even hope to. Much like the Sisters of the Strix. She needs to be dealt with." Alexis replies, choosing her words carefully, leaning into Elijah's embrace. "And- she's not giving up. That is obvious. I- I don't want her to hurt the babies…" Alexis words tapper off at the end.
"She won't, Elskan. She won't. That I promise. That I vow. She will not hurt you or our child." Elijah immediately cuts off his mate's worries and fears, his voice steel hard and definitive, inner vampire already alight with protective instincts up to a ten million with Marcel in their territory, the threat of Celeste still looming over them making it worse, and his mate's fear making him even more sensitive and anxious. "Never." Elijah's tone rumbles additionally, settling into Alexis' bones.
Alexis curls into Elijah a little more, feeling Elijah press her tighter between both him and Finn, Finn pressing a soft kiss to her temple and laying a large hand on her thigh.
"I'll rip her hair out and light that fake bimbo bitch on fire, if she touches a hair on you or my future nieces and nephews' head!" Rebekah growls, looking ready to flay someone alive.
"Okay Bekah… You do that." Alexis nods along with Rebekah, looking amused.
"I'm serious!" Rebekah just fumes.
"I know you are." Alexis placates, finding it best to go along with the female Original when she got in a mood; and they thought she got moody with all her pregnancy hormones, Rebekah was like that all the time.
"This is all great… So how do we kill this witch bitch?" Jeremy asks, for once being the voice of reason, his hand actually raising as if he was in class.
"Marcel…" Kol draws out. "You wanted to be useful. So, be useful." That is said with heavy sass.
Alexis covers up a small snort and rolls her eyes at the same time at Kol's plethora of snark.
"I- I don't, I mean I am unsure of her plans precisely. But-" Marcel begins.
"So you're useless…" Kol deadpans.
"Kol." Alexis rebukes, holding back a suffering sigh, hand landing on his shoulder to stall him from doing anything stupid or reckless. "Why don't you let him finish?"
"Celeste was attempting to use Davina to complete the Harvest ritual." Marcel states.
"We already know that." Kol rolls his eyes.
"Kol." Alexis sighs, nudging him again lightly, Kol only huffing in response, but falling silent under his mate's prompting.
"My war has never been with your family. Everything I have every done was to keep the peace in the Quarter, to protect Davina." Marcel tries a different direction. "Perhaps it was… Misdirected… But that was my reasoning. Many covens, but particularly the French Quarter Coven, would more than anything love to get their hands on her and finish the ritual, or simply use her for power. I could not allow that."
"You are right, Marcel. You went about everything, or maybe not everything, but a lot of it wrong. Tyranny at all. Absolute control. That isn't how you rule, lead, even to protect someone." Alexis butts in before anyone of her mates can, particularly Kol, who decided to sass the hell out of Marcel this afternoon. "It only breeds hatred, mistrust, the want for revenge, possibly the desire for power even more. But I understand why you would do it. Either way, we have a problem. Celeste is no doubt hunting for you and Davina, knowing you have her with you… Was there anything you talked to Celeste about before the explosion at your mansion?"
"She was talking about a spell. While we were working together Celeste kept to herself most of the time. I offered her resources, my home, but we had not come up with a plan. We were waiting, seeing what your actions would bring. But I do know she moved in the shadows, that she had her own agenda, and I did not think to ask. She had me order one of my vampires to get supplies. I'm not sure what particular spell." Marcel answers honestly.
"The Artemisia vulgaris, Capsicum species, and Vanilla planifolia?" Kol interjects, remembering what Davina had told him a few weeks back.
"Yes." Marcel nods.
"Not useful. There are only a few dozen applications." Kol muses thoughtfully to himself.
"The vampire community is still loyal to me. Thierry is my second in command. While Davina and I may be much more limited, he may be not. Or even if he is, there are those we can trust on the outside of these walls. We can have them watch out for Celeste. Track her movements." Marcel offers.
"You will not bring more outsiders to our borders." Elijah growls immediately, nearly snarling the words. "Not even within miles of the Mikaelson plantation."
"Okay, easy. Easy, 'Lijah." Alexis calms. "I don't think Marcel was suggesting that at all. I don't think even he's that dumb."
Elijah growls again, shaking his head almost like a stallion preparing to charge or challenge another, but settles under Alexis' touch, nose pressing against her jugular.
Alexis sighs lightly, fingers touching Elijah's jaw softly, mentally rolling her eyes; honestly the territorial, alpha shit that she puts up with sometimes from the Mikaelson men… They may as well fucking prance around like bloody stallions set to stud or act like a pack of wild dogs fighting over a bone.
"I think that's a really good idea. Why not use the resources we have? Celeste by now, probably knows by now that, at least in some fashion, that you're going to want to protect Davina. So she'll do one of two things, go underground for a while to play it safe, or actively try and hunt for you. Either is not good. And we need to keep an eye on things. However, she'll also probably expect you to try and retaliate or act. So she'll also be on guard. We'll have to be careful. We can't actually have your vampires tailing her. She'll end up taking them out or something. Or do a body jump or something. We can't risk not knowing what she looks like." Alexis points out.
Niklaus opens his mouth to object before snapping his mouth shut, actually thinking first.
"That is- this is very wise…" Niklaus finally concedes with a sigh, finally managing to stop pacing what Alexis was sure may end up being a hole in the floor if he had continued.
"And you always doubt me, because?" Alexis quirks an eyebrow.
"I shouldn't…" Niklaus mutters quietly, almost unheard by Alexis.
"I'm sorry… What was that?" Alexis sasses, a playful smile pulling at her lips.
"I said, I shouldn't, love." Niklaus mutters a little louder, flashing behind the couch to dip down and press a kiss to her crown.
"That's what I thought." Alexis nods satisfied, tilting her head and grinning up at Niklaus.
"Ugh… This is so disgustingly sappy…" Rebekah notes, lobbing a pillow at her brother to which Niklaus simply dodges.
"Okay, okay… So, next plan of action?" Alexis rolls her eyes at her best friend, refraining from childishly sticking her tongue out at her.
"I- if it helps…" Davina hesitates, looking shy. "I- I didn't, Marcel retrieved a few things for me yesterday at our mansion. And- and I didn't think about it until now. But- anyways, I draw things, sketches…"
"And this helps, how?" Kol asks with sass.
"Honestly, Kol?" Alexis sighs, slapping Kol on the head.
"What? It's a question!" Kol retorts.
"You're being rude. And insensitive. Who put extra sass in your breakfast today? Good god, Kol! Do I need to duct tape your mouth shut?" Alexis asks, mentally face palming as Rebekah laughs at her brother's expense.
Kol squawks a little offended at his mate before slouching down against Alexis' leg again.
"Fine." Kol grunts.
"Excuse him… Apparently he learned no manners and was raised in a barn…" Alexis sighs. "So, sketches, Davina."
"Ye- yes. Apart they don't really make sense. But to- together they are Celeste… See?" Davina shows the Originals and everyone present, putting them together on the coffee table, the picture forming to be Celeste's face. "I- I made another picture. I- I don't recognize it though…"
Elijah leans over the coffee table, his expression visibly darkening at it; two oak saplings in a meadow.
"I know that place." Elijah states. "I buried Celeste there… Long ago. She had once requested a place, away from witches and vampires."
Alexis touches Elijah's arm gently.
"I love you, Astin. Only you." Elijah reminds, lips pressing a loving kiss to her temple as his hand brushes once more across her every growing baby bump.
"So, salt and burn then? So she can't come back?" Alexis suggests. "I mean, you didn't just draw that picture for no reason."
The Originals give her a blank look while Jeremy chokes a little before laughing.
"You're such a fucking nerd, Alexis." Jeremy laughs.
"Bitch." Alexis shoots out.
"Jerk." Jeremy quips back immediately.
"Umm, I'm sorry, who's the nerd now? Loser." Alexis points out, finger literally pointing at the Hunter. "Also, may I remind you who's literally a Hunter?"
"I really hate you…" Jeremy deadpans.
"Anyways… Burn the bones? Seriously… I'm not talking rocket science here… So she can't come back." Alexis comments, looking at everyone.
"As we did with Esther's body." Finn states more as a question, however.
"Exactly."
"That is reasonable." Finn nods, now understanding what his mate meant.
"See, Finn gets me." Alexis grins, kissing Finn on the cheek.
"So, it seems we have a plan then? Or a tentative one for now?" Niklaus offers.
"So it seems." Elijah wraps things up. "Marcel, gather your men, or those you need at least. We will wait to hear further. Then, we will figure out the next steps to trap Celeste once she is tracked down. Celeste's current body will still need to be dealt with, and until then her bones cannot be burned. In the meantime I suggest we all stay on guard when we leave the mansion and continue to train, in the case of some of you."
"Since when did Elijah get put in charge?" Both Kol and Niklaus ask faintly, as Elijah helps Alexis out of the room, Finn following to lay down with her.
