"This is the one."Hayley said softly as they came to a stop in front of the storage unit and put the key in and unlocked it before trying to open it, only for it to not budge."What the hell?"Hayley exclaimed questionably while Elena raised an eyebrow and Freya's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward and placed her hand on the storage unit door and closed her eyes.
"It's been sealed with a Spell."Freya stated after opening her eyes.
Freya stepped back and cleared her throat, keeping her palm open and did a Spell to unseal the storage unit. Freya, Elena, and Hayley then opened it as far as it would open since it had obviously been a long time since someone had been there. The trio ducked under the door and shined their flashlights around as they stood up.
Hayley shined her light on one of the boxes and saw her name written on the box along with the word nursery. Walking over to it, she saw a light switch and turned it on for more light. Elena and Freya stayed back, knowing that the Hybrid needed some time. Hayley saw a picture on the shelf and picked it up and saw that it was a picture of her parents and her.
"I think I need to do this part alone."Hayley said as she looked at the picture.
"Ok."Freya said gently and looked at Elena."Mind Teleporting me to my room. I think I have a dress for that party."
"If not, I'm sure Rebekah's room has been untouched."Elena said and Freya grinned."I'll come right back but I'll be outside if you need me, ok, Hayley?"Hayley nodded before Elena grabbed Freya's hand.
The duo Teleported to the Abattoir and in Freya's room and before Elena Teleported back to the storage unit, Freya thanked her, which she brushed off with a sly smile and quickly left when Freya looked like she was about to throw something at her.
Elena waited outside the storage unit for Hayley to either call her or come out on her own."Elena!"The Nephilim ducked inside the storage unit and ran over to where Hayley was standing and was looking at something in her hand.
"Is that a jawbone?"
"Yep."
"Was that inside that teddy-bear you're holding?"
"Uh-huh."
"Creepy."
"Super creepy."Hayley agreed and looked at the jawbone thoughtfully."You don't think this is what Richard was talking about?"Hayley asked, turning to Elena with a questionable look in her eyes."All four of them. That's what he said. Four pieces."
"Four pieces of bones...?"Elena trailed off, her eyes narrowed.
"What is it?"Hayley asked her, seeing the look in her eyes.
"I was able to translate a few words before you came in. The Hollow's Bones."Elena said, eyeing the jawbone.
"You think this piece belongs to the Hollow?"Hayley asked, looking as though she wanted to throw the jawbone away.
"Maybe."Elena said grimly.
"-This thing wants to be reborn."Hayley, who still had the jawbone on her, and Elena heard Finn say as they got out of the car and headed into the Abattoir and shared a look.
"This morning, Vincent said that whenever it resurfaces, it does so in four distinct locations."Elijah added grimly.
"We can't tell why."Finn said as Elijah poured himself a drink.
"It's looking for something."Hayley and Elena said in unison as they stepped into the courtyard, gaining the three Brother's attention.
"Four things, by the sound of it. And I'm pretty sure that I have one of them."Hayley held up the jawbone, shocking the Brothers."My parents were killed protecting this from one of the Hollow's followers."Hayley explained and Elijah looked at the young Hybrid sadly while Finn gave her a sympathetic look and Klaus gritted his teeth.
"We've seen this time and time again."Klaus stated.
"When a Witch wishes to be reborn, its remains are required to complete the Spell."Finn stated, crossing his arms.
"You've just found a piece of our enemy."Klaus added, glancing down at the jawbone.
"Lucky me."Hayley said drily."Who has the other three?"Hayley asked and Elena raised an eyebrow when no one said anything other than their faces becoming blank.
"Dominic."Finn suddenly said, sighing and looking annoyed."Dominic said that he had found something here."Finn explained as everyone looked at him.
"What?"Hayley said questionably, shrugging her shoulders."There's just, like, a bag of bones laying around that we"She gestured to herself and Elena."didn't know about?"Hayley looked at Klaus sharply while Elena glared at Elijah.
"No."Klaus said with a sigh and he looked at the two brunette's."But there is one."He said, showing them his index finger. Klaus walked off and Hayley, Elijah, Elena, and Finn looked at each other before following after Klaus, went up to his study and removed the painting that hid the safe and unlocked it before opening it, to reveal nothing."Dominic's death was a distraction."Klaus said, turning to face them.
"They used our own deception against us."Elijah said gravely.
"This thing has followers everywhere."Hayley said, looking between everyone."They've infiltrated the entire City. If they get to the other bones before we do..."
"They may well try to raise this monstrosity."Klaus finished off Hayley's sentence for her."And it will come for us all."Klaus added gravely.
"Ugh, O-positive."Elijah said in disgust as he watched Klaus drain some blood into a small glass later that night along with Elena, who wrinkled her nose in disgust."You heathen."He added.
"I prefer AB-positive and I'm not even a Vampire."Elena muttered.
"Really?"Elijah asked, surprised."I believe you and I really need to play a game of twenty questions. I'm learning new things about you everyday."Elena just smirked at him before turning to Finn, along with Klaus and Elijah, when the Oldest Brother walked into the dinning room.
"New rules."Klaus growled out."No blood shed in the house where my Daughter and Niece sleeps and plays."
"Agreed."Elena and Elijah said in unison, with Elijah and Klaus giving Finn a warning glare.
"Perhaps I'll go out for dinner."Klaus added after taking a wift of his drink and understood why Elena and Elijah liked their rare blood types. O-positive and O-negative aren't the nicest of blood types.
"I'll join you."Elijah stated, feeling the need to feed himself and went to stand along with Klaus.
"Oh, no, no, no, no."Finn exclaimed, shaking his head as his Younger Brothers paused."We have no way to know who will take Dominic's place as the Hollow's right hand."Finn stated."There could be any number of disciples out there."He added as an afterthought.
"Yes, yes, yes, all who may have the means to kill us."Klaus retorted, sounding bored."You know, if you hadn't been so hasty to kill him, we'd be dealing with the devil we know."Klaus stated and Elijah nodded in agreement.
"I still can't believe you actually killed someone because last I checked, even though it was in your Vampire Nature to kill, you hated it and tried not to kill anyone."Elena muttered, loud enough for Finn to hear her and he glared at her.
"Spoken by the devil we know best of all."Finn directed his words to Klaus before turning to Elena."People can change, you know. And I am doing this for your Daughters, my Nieces."With that said, Finn turned to leave.
"I take it you have a plan."Klaus called out questionably to Finn, but said his question as a statement.
"Freya will place a barrier spell on the compound. No one gets in or out."Finn stated.
"Oh, so we're"Klaus gestured to himself, Elena, and Elijah as he got up."to stay here while our enemies seek to resurrect this monstrosity and let me guess,"Klaus walked towards Finn while Elena crossed her arms and Elijah watched them in amusement and annoyance."you won't be confined here."Finn turned to look at him with a slight smug look on his face.
"I have a little errand to run."Finn stated.
"And while you're off cavorting all over town, we're what? Grounded?"Klaus questioned Finn.
"Essentially. Yes."Finn stated."Considering the fact I'm older than you three, and if I need a reason, let's just say that it's because you"Finn pointed at Klaus."kept me locked up in a box for nine hundred years and you"He pointed at Elijah next."never tried to let me out."He couldn't help but add and Klaus' glare faltered and he looked slightly ashamed while Elijah bit the inside of his cheek.
"I thought you had forgiven us for that?"Elijah stated questionably.
"I have. I just like to remind you that you're both still on thin ice with me."Finn stated and they glared at him."Now, why don't you two take out your frustration on that filthy jawbone our enemy seems so fascinated by."Finn suggested before he started to walk away.
"Gladly."Elijah and Klaus said in unison.
"I get first round."Klaus added and left to where they had put the jawbone.
Hope and Astrid were in the attic and had found a chest full of things. Children's toys and books."A man of words and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds."Hope read to Astrid, who was sitting down across from her, eyes narrowed in thought, knowing she had heard this from somewhere."And when the weeds begin to crawl, it's like a bird upon the wall. And when the bird away does fly, it's like an eagle in the sky. And when the sky begins to roar, it's like a lion at the door. And when the door begins to crack..."
"...it's like a stick across your back."Astrid suddenly said and Hope looked at her cousin sharply."And when your back begins to smart, it's like a knife inside your heart. And when your heart begins to bleed, you're dead and dead and dead indeed."Astrid finished the last part off by heart as Hope had looked back down at the page of the book and had read along silently.
"Not exactly the most uplifting reading material."Both girls gasped and turned sharply to find Klaus standing in the doorway, looking at them and they relaxed as he came further into the room.
"It's an old book of rhymes."Hope said, glancing back down at the book."There's a lot of weird stuff here."
"You know, Hope, Astrid, I'd rather you two didn't play here, actually."Klaus suddenly said, gesturing around them."All the splinters and the dust"Hope and Astrid glanced at each other then back at him before looking away."and the bats."He tried to scare them, which only made Astrid roll her eyes in an Elena like fashion and give him a pointed look that reminded him of Elijah.
"There aren't any bats."Hope said, giving her Dad a deadpanned look.
"I've seen no evidence that your Uncle Elijah doesn't sleep here,"He gestured behind him, to the near wall."hanging upside down."
"Dad doesn't sleep up here. He sleeps in his bed, with Mama."Astrid retorted knowingly.
"Hmm, then it must have been your Uncle Kol. He does look like a younger version of your Father after all."This time, the girls laughed softly and grinned while Klaus smirked..
"Dad..."Hope suddenly said, sounding serious and curious at the same time."was there a little boy who used to live here?"She questioned him and Klaus was silent for a minute before he walked over to them and bent down, gently taking the book from Hope.
"Come along, Sweethearts."Klaus put the book back in the chest and stood up, looking down at the girls."We can discuss ancient history another time."He held out his hands for them to take and they did, with Hope grabbing one of the old toys, and he helped them to their feet and they left the room.
"Did you need something, Niklaus?"Elijah asked Klaus as the Hybrid stepped into his and Elena's bedroom and looked at him and Elena, who were on the bed, silently reading their own books without looking up at him, with a questionable look in his eyes.
"I was just wondering how Astrid knew nursery rhyme; 'A Man of Words and Not Deeds'?"Klaus asked curiously.
Elena looked up at Klaus."I used to go to a book cafe and take Astrid with me."Elena stated, pursing her lips."I'd read some of the books to her. I think I read that nursery rhyme out loud without realising it."Elena stated with a shrug of her shoulders."How'd you know that she knew that nursery rhyme anyway?"Elena asked curiously as Elijah finally took his eyes off his own book.
"Hope and Astrid were exploring in the attic and they came across a book that had the; 'A Man of Words and Not Deeds' nursery rhyme in it."Klaus explained and Elijah frowned.
"What were they doing in the attic?"Elijah asked, sitting up and Elena raised an eyebrow at Klaus.
"Hayley said that they were bored."Klaus stated, shrugging.
"They most probably were bored. I mean, it's not like we brought their toys or Hope's sketch books and paints or Astrid's violin with us."Elena said, putting her Grimoire down."And your painting supplies are five years old and there's no paper or anything lying around for Hope to draw on and the piano was destroyed by raging Vampires who destroyed this place after you were locked away and we were put to sleep for five years."Elena explained with a shrug of her shoulders."So, why wouldn't they explore?"
"Fair point."Klaus muttered."I suppose I'll go back to helping Hayley and Jackson sort through Hayley's junk."He grumbled in annoyance.
"You do that."Elena said, rolling her eyes.
"If you find anything useful about the Hollow, let us know."Elijah added before snatching Elena's Grimoire from her while Klaus left with a nod and saying he will.
"Hey!"Elena exclaimed."I was translating that."
"You were failing at translating that."Elijah retorted as he put the Grimoire on his bedside table.
Elena growled at him."There could be something useful in there."Elena stated.
"Have you found anything useful in there at all about how to defeat this thing?"Elijah questioned her.
"No, because it's hard to translate."Elena grounded out, annoyed."I hate the Demon Language."Elena grumbled and Elijah chuckled, pulling her close to him and she sighed, resting her head on his chest and closed her eyes tiredly.
Marcel turned to the door entrance when he heard it squeak as it was opened and saw a worried looking brunette and an auburn haired girl walk in confidently. Marcel realised that they were Hope and Astrid Mikaelson.
"Hi."Hope greeted Marcel."I think this is yours."She held up the toy soldier in her hand
"Hope."Marcel stated, looking at the auburn haired girl calmly and glanced at Astrid, who eyed him warily before Hope threw the toy to him and he caught it."I haven't seen this in a century."Marcel said as he got a good look at the toy in his hands.
"So, you're the little boy who used to live in our house."Hope stated with a nod of her head.
"Once upon a time, I lived here with your Dads."Marcel stated, not looking up at the girls.
"He keeps you down here because he thinks you want to kill him and Uncle Elijah."Hope said and Marcel looked up at her and Astrid, who frowned at him and crossed her arms."Do you?"
"Listen, I will tell you anything you want to know. Okay?"Marcel said questionably."If you get me some blood from your Dad's stash."Marcel added and the girls frowned at him.
"Hope and I are seven and eight, not stupid."Astrid said sharply with a small smirk on her face.
Marcel couldn't help but chuckle."Right. You remind me of your Dad but you look like your Mom."Marcel said, smiling slightly at Astrid."You know, you both are also pretty courageous."He added, nodding slightly."Come down here and talk to a stranger."
"We're not scared."Hope said bravely."We're Mikaelson Witches."Hope said with a little bit of sass in her voice.
"And I'm also a Petrova Witch and I know a bit of Demonic Magic."Astrid added, surprising Marcel.
"I'll tell you what, let's start fresh, all right?"Marcel asked and they looked at each other before looking back at Marcel, who bent down to their level."It is very good to see you again, Hope and Astrid Mikaelson. My name's Marcel."Hope and Astrid gave him a sweet smile.
"It's getting late."Elena said, getting off the bed a few hours later."I'm sure Astrid and Hope are hungry by now."
"Then I suppose we should make dinner since it seems as though Jackson, Hayley, and Klaus are still going through Hayley's parents things."Elijah said, getting off the bed and they left the room and headed downstairs and towards the kitchen.
"You know, we haven't heard a peep from either Astrid or Hope all day."Elena said, nibbling on her lower lip."I think I'm gonna go and look for them and make sure they're ok while you get dinner ready?"
"Of course."Elijah agreed and kissed Elena's cheek before they parted ways.
As Elena was looking for Astrid and Hope all over the Abattoir after not finding them in the courtyard or their shared room, she didn't hear someone come up behind her but heard a strangled gasp and whirled around, eyes wide at seeing a Vampire and watched as he dropped to the ground, dead and Jackson stood there with a heart in his hand.
"They've gotten past the Barrier."Jackson stated and Elena looked at him in horror.
"I can't find the girls."Elena breathed out, thinking that the Hollow's followers had them and they quickly took off to find Elijah, Hayley, and Klaus.
They found Hayley and Klaus in the courtyard, with Klaus on his knees, gripping the sides of his head in pain as a Witch gave him an aneurysm and Hayley's neck was snapped. While Jackson jumped the Witch and sent them sprawling away from Klaus, Elena teleported to Klaus' side.
"I can't find Hope or Astrid. They're not here."Elena said as she helped Klaus to his feet and he looked at her with wide eyes. Before Klaus could question her further, Jackson was thrown at them, sending them crashing against the nearest wall with a groan of pain.
"I need you to let me out of the circle."Marcel told Astrid and Hope after hearing the fighting going on above them.
"We can't."Hope glanced down at the circle then up at Marcel."Our parents will be mad."Hope stated.
"Really mad that they'll ground us."Astrid added, grimacing.
"No, they won't. I'll keep you girls safe."Marcel promised them, gesturing at himself.
"We can protect ourselves, and our parents."Astrid stated."We're strong enough to stop the bad guys."
"We're stronger than anybody thinks."Hope added as they took off their bracelets in unison and the flames grew bigger for a second as their Magic was released.
"Wait, Hope, Astrid. I know you girls are strong, okay?"Marcel said questionably."That's how I know you can let me out of here. I need you to trust me right now."Marcel nearly pleaded with them."Your Dad rescued me."He said to Hope."He and Elijah raised me, and I knew your Mom, your Aunt Hayley, when she was a baby. We're Family."Marcel stated firmly."What do your Mom's say about Family?"He questioned them.
Hope and Astrid glanced at each other then back at Marcel."That we stick together, Always and Forever."They recited the vow that Hayley and Jackson taught them.
"That's right."Marcel whispered, smiling at them.
Hope and Astrid nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard someone that wasn't their Family yell;"He's down here." and looked back at the entrance.
"Okay, girls, look at me."Hope and Astrid looked back at Marcel."Do you trust me?"They glanced at each other, a silent conversation going on through their eyes.
"The Hollow is gonna have a feast tonight."Dominic said as he came and stood in front of the trio, who were either wincing in pain or shaking their heads from the dizziness after hitting their heads."We can sacrifice the whole Family."He said with a smirk."Your Daughters are around here somewhere, aren't they?"He glanced around as Klaus glared up at him with his Hybrid features while Elena glared at him with her Demonic features and Jackson's eyes turned yellow in rage."How convenient."
He smirked as he looked back at them, only to gasp for air as Elena used her Demonic Magic to cut off his airways and Jackson got to his feet and plunged a broken piece of wood into Dominic's stomach before Klaus slapped his head clean off after getting to his feet.
"Hope!"Klaus called out for his Daughter.
"Astrid!"Elena exclaimed before looking at each other then at Jackson.
"Go. I'll find Elijah and make sure he's ok and put Hayley somewhere safe upstairs."Jackson waved them off and they nodded before speeding off into the tunnels.
"Astrid?"
"Hope?"
The duo called out for their girls as they walked into where Marcel was supposed to be kept bound and Cloaked, only to find two of the Hollow's followers dead and the circle destroyed. Glancing around and down at their feet, Klaus saw two familiar bracelets on the ground and picked them up, giving one to Elena.
"They let Marcel out."Elena muttered and grimaced at the look on Klaus' face before speeding after him when he took off.
"Marcel!"Klaus exclaimed furiously as soon as he caught sight of his Daughter and Niece with Marcel.
The trio turned and stood up at his furious voice as Elena came to stand beside Klaus and looked relieved at seeing that Astrid and Hope, who walked over to them, were unharmed.
"Dad, Auntie Elena..."Hope trailed off as she came within arms reach."What happened?"She asked, looking at the blood that was on Klaus' hands.
"Mama?"Astrid asked questionably, looking between her Mom and Uncle.
"It's, uh... it's, it's paint."Klaus spluttered out after looking at the blood on his hands."I made quite a mess, didn't I?"
"Where's Mom?"Hope asked.
"And where's Dad?"Astrid questioned Elena, who bent down in front of them.
"They're at home, waiting for you girls."Klaus stated.
"And Dad is cooking dinner or at least I'm hoping he hasn't burnt down the kitchen."Elena added, giving Hope and Astrid a wry smile.
"Are you two okay?"Klaus asked them worriedly as he bent down in front of them."You took your bracelets off."
"Dad, Auntie Elena, don't be mad."Hope said, biting her lip as she looked between her Aunt and Father."We-we let Marcel out and he kept us safe."
"It was my idea."Astrid added, trying to protect her cousin from her Mother's and Uncle's wrath.
Elena glanced at Klaus, who looked at her for a split second before they looked back at Hope and Astrid."We're not angry, Sweetheart, Love."Klaus stated.
"In fact, we were worried."Elena said, bringing her Daughter in for a hug, which she returned and nuzzled her face into the crock of her Mother's neck.
"Come here."Klaus said to Hope as he pulled her into his arms and held her.
"Don't be angry with Marcel, either. He's our friend."Hope and Astrid said in unison.
"Really?"Elena asked, glancing Marcel as she felt Astrid nod against her."Ok."Elena pulled away from Astrid."Let's go home and get you girls something to eat, yeah?"The Nephilim asked as she looked between Astrid and Hope, who had pulled away from her Dad, to nod in agreement with Astrid.
"I'm the worst Mother in history."Elena said later that night in the bedroom when Elijah stepped into the room after making sure Astrid was asleep.
"You're not."Elijah denied.
"We hadn't heard anything all day from or about the girls, apart from when Klaus came to question us about where Astrid knew that nursery rhyme."Elena retorted, frowning at Elijah, who sat next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug.
"We had no idea that she and Hope would go and speak with Marcel."Elijah stated calmly."But just thinking of when she saw Marcel kill those men, the horror on her face, what she must have thought, what she might think..."Elijah trailed off as Elena shook her head.
"She didn't see anything."Elijah looked at her in confusion."Marcel actually took her and Hope away before they could even understand what was going on. He told them to close their eyes and sing."Elena said with a soft chuckle."They called him their friend."Elijah looked at her in surprise.
"How surprising."Elijah muttered before Elena suddenly stood up.
"I need a drink."Elena grumbled.
"I think I'll join you."Elijah said and got up, following Elena out of their room and downstairs, only to find Finn and Freya sitting at the table with a laptop in front of Freya.
"-Dominic had the name of a Werewolf Bloodline; Apisi."Freya said and Elena and Elijah glanced at each other before walking over to them."They were entrusted to be the guardians of a bone, like Hayley's Family."Freya said, glancing at the Mated pair then at Finn, who nodded his greeting to them."I've been tracking the lineage and the last of the modern family died a couple years ago, under dubious circumstances."Freya showed them what was on their computer and Elena gasped, eyes wide.
"Tyler Lockwood."Elijah stated grimly.
"So the bones are in Mystic Falls."Finn added, looking just as grim.
"No."Elena groaned."Why is it always Mystic Falls?"Elena asked rhetorically and gritted her teeth while Elijah sighed softly.
Elena blinked as she found herself surrounded by nothing but a fog."Hello, Elena."Elena whirled around and found herself looking into her Father's red eyes.
"Are you possessing my body again?"Elena growled out, glaring at him.
"No."Lucifer stated."Currently, you're asleep next to your Mate."
"Oh, good."Elena said drily and crossed her arms."Wanna tell me why I haven't been able to contact you or why you haven't contacted me the normal way?"Elena questioned him.
"Things have changed over the years you've been asleep, Elena."The brunette pursed her lips into a tight line."I've been busy."
"Yeah, but not busy enough to write out information about the Hollow in my Grimoire, which by the way is in a Language I can't read!"Elena exclaimed angrily.
"Well, now it's not like I can write in English."Lucifer stated, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yes, because you never bothered to learn nor care."Elena gritted out, eyes darkening.
"I am not here to argue with you about the fact that I can't write in English or the fact that you're not as good at reading Demonic Script as you are as good as speaking the Language."Lucifer said dismissively.
"Then why are you here?"Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To make sure you and my only Grandchild is safe."Lucifer said with a grin.
"So you're not here to tell me anything about the Hollow?"Elena questioned him, eyes narrowed.
"After I interfered with what happened to Finn, the Higher Ups have been watching me very closely, so no, I can't."Lucifer said regrettably and Elena looked annoyed."Which is why you have to try and translate what information I've given you or speak with the Ancestors of New Orleans. They know about the Hollow since they've been around for centuries."Lucifer said, surprising Elena.
"So they are the ones that have been keeping the Hollow back?"Elena questioned him but before he could answer her, everything started to fade away to nothing but darkness around her and Lucifer disappeared.