It was a beautiful day in New Orleans, as Klaus furiously tried to stretch a canvas over a wooden frame for a painting. When he tore through the canvas though, he angrily threw it all across the room, just as Elijah returned from the meeting with those that had been trying to sell some original buildings of New Orleans. Klaus was overwhelmed with frustration, yelling at the top of his lungs.
Elijah picked up the canvas Klaus threw, examining it, as he said, "I suppose we shall have to call this your white period."
Klaus angrily replied, saying, "I'm missing a crucial color in my palette-that of my enemies' blood."
"Well, I recommend a Venetian red, with a dash of rust...," Elijah joked, causing Klaus to lost his temper.
"It's been months! I've adhered to our plan: sit and do nothing, sell our grief. And now, my child is safely away, and another full moon is upon us-another night of pathetic weakness as the moonlight rings steal my strength!"
Elijah gave Klaus a sympathetic look. Then Klaus calmed down slightly, though he was still upset.
"The inertia is killing me. I need to act. I-I-I need-I need to spill blood."
"Well, then, you'll be pleased to know that I've located the last of the twelve rings forged with your blood."
Klaus perked up slightly at that, and said, "Then, it's time!"
"And none too soon. I'm concerned about Katerina."
Klaus tensed up and then started sorting through his art, turning away from Elijah, as he replied, saying, "She looks well enough."
"She looks no better than you, brother. Now, if the two of you would treat each other as more than just...frenemies-"
"She has you," Klaus interrupted.
"Sadly, like the father of her child, she prefers to fight her demons alone," Elijah reminded him. It didn't matter if she was a vampire or a human. She didn't like having help with personal problems. Sometimes, she didn't want any help whatever it was. She'd rather face everything alone, rather than ask for help.
A human Katherine was roaming through the bayou around the former werewolf encampments, but stopped in her tracks, seeing a burnt and melted baby doll that had been damaged in the bombings, back when she'd still been pregnant. Though it hurt, reminding her of Hope that she'd had to send away with Rebekah, she kept her composure. She looked like she was alone, but this was the bayou. Werewolves lived here. They could be watching her and being human, she wouldn't even know. She wasn't going to cry in front of anyone. Not even werewolves. Sure, Hope was alive, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt her. Her father had sent her first born away. Now, she'd had to send away her second born. She hated this, as well as hated the feeling it gave her, but being human, she couldn't help her feelings. And despite the pain, it was refreshing. After all, she'd spent a lot of time as a vampire, not letting herself feeling anything.
Marcel and Cami were at Marcel's loft, Marcel and Cami making love in his bed. Then, afterward, Marcel poured himself a drink downstairs and stared out the window that looked out over the river. Cami, who had just redressed, joined him downstairs on her way out.
"What's the hurry?" Marcel asked her.
"I have to get back to campus," she replied, before grabbing her bag off a chair. She then walked towards him and told him, "I have to meet my new adviser. Apparently, the one I was supposed to have dropped dead. Guy did triathlons, yet couldn't climb a flight of stairs."
"Will I see you later?" Marcel asked her.
Cami sighed, before saying, "Marcel, you know the deal. No strings, no plans."
Marcel gave her a forced smile, saying, "I know, I know. Just feeling nostalgic, I guess." He then stared out the window, which Cami noticed. She then gave him an understanding look.
"You're not missing anything over there. That bitch Francesca's got her werewolves on every corner. And, as usual, the humans in the know don't care as long as tourism money keeps rolling through."
Marcel gave a sigh, before saying, "Yeah...Gotta say, never thought I'd see the day the vampires were kicked out of the Quarter."
Cami gave a smile.
"And I never thought I'd be sleeping with one, so I guess life is full of surprises."
Marcel smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek, but quickly and awkwardly pulled away before turning his back to her. He then went back to staring out the window.
"How's Klaus?"
Cami hesitated a little, before answering him, saying, "Nobody knows."
"Not even you?"
"Not even me."
"It doesn't make sense. The wolves attacked him in his home, took his town, probably killed his kid...I mean, why hasn't he struck back?"
"He's in mourning."
"No, no...If anyone can mourn and murder at the same time, it's him. Something's up. Just wish I knew what."
Cami was concerned by how depressed Marcel seemed, and tried to cheer him up.
"I saw Davina...She's doing well. She's back in high school. She told her whole witch coven to shove it."
Marcel couldn't help but smile and laugh at that.
"Good. Good girl," Marcel commented.
Cami hesitated for a moment, before saying, "Maybe it's better...? Just move forward, not hold onto things we can't change."
Marcel tensed, before saying, "Yeah. Maybe."
Davina was at the record shop to pick up some records from the shop owner, Joe Dalton.
Joe handed Davina a record, once she was at the counter, and said, "Here you go, Davina. Now, sometime you're gonna have to give me the low-down on why you're so hooked on ancient Icelandic folk music!"
Davina gave a laugh.
"It's for someone else."
"I sure hope so!" Joe replied.
Davina turned to leave, only to run into a young guy. The guy stopped and smiled at her before leaving, and Davina awkwardly smiled back at him. Before she could leave the shop though, Oliver entered.
"Hey there, cutie," Oliver greeted her with a smile.
"Don't call me that," Davina replied, unimpressed by the werewolf.
Oliver ignored her comment and plucked the record out of her hands, examining it.
"So, I heard you ditched your coven. That's too bad. The other Harvest girl, Cassie? She has been super helpful to all us wolves."
"She's making you moonlight rings, Oliver. I wouldn't call that helpful. I'd call that an alliance."
"Well, you can call it whatever you want. As long as we don't have to turn on the full moon anymore, it work for me," he replied, before leaning in closer to Davina. He then whispered, "Look, I'd take off if I were you. Things are about to get a little ugly in here," giving her a warning. He then raised his voice to shout at the rest of the store's patrons. "Hey, y'all, store's closed. Get out, now!"
Joe was confused, and asked, "Hey, what are you doing?"
"It's Joe Dalton, right? You see, I've been studying up on this store. It's been a staple of the Quarter for ninety years...it was run by you, your daddy, and then his daddy before him?"
Joe clenched his jaw anxiously, and said, "That's right."
"Yeah, you see, the thing is, Joe, there just ain't many photos of anyone in your family..." He pulled out an old black and white photo of a young man. "...But you."
Davina and Joe realized at the same time that Joe's identity as a vampire had been exposed to the Guerras.
"Oliver, No," Davina warned.
Joe vamp-sped toward the door, but was blocked in by two more werewolves, all with moonlight rings.
"Stop! Stop it! STOP IT!" Davina yelled.
The werewolves wrestled with Joe and extended their fangs to bite him, but Davina quickly hit them all with a pain infliction spell, which made them grab their heads in pain and fall on their knees, giving Joe the chance to get out of their grip before he could be bitten.
"Joe, get out of here!" she told him.
Joe fled. Then Oliver winced and glared at Davina, still on his knees on the floor.
Francesca was holding a meeting in her office at her home with the eleven other werewolves with moonlight rings and Cassie, who was still secretly possessed by Esther.
"We have a deal, Cassie!" Francesca aggravatingly said. "Witches don't get in our way when it comes to killing vampires who enter the Quarter."
Esther in Cassie's body replied calmly, saying, "Davina is not in our coven anymore. The rules don't apply to her."
"Well, make them apply!" Francesca anxiously paced around the office, but eventually lost her temper. "Get everyone out of my face! They're here, hovering, all the time!"
"They're just doing their job," Oliver reminded her.
"Their job is to protect me from Klaus Mikaelson! Who, by the way, has not set foot outside his house in months! All this waiting...I'm losing my mind!" she yelled, and then saw a pack member staring at her, which made her freak out some more, shouting, "Anyone who's not paid to protect me, go! Get out!"
Cassie and the other werewolves left the room. Cassie then left the house and joined Vincent whom was still possessed by Finn, and who was waiting for her outside.
"She's unraveling. Poor thing. Cracking under the pressure," Esther in Cassie's body stated.
"I assume that was Elijah and Niklaus' goal all along?" Finn guessed.
She smirked.
"Say what you will, they are impressive strategists."
"A trait they inherited from you, dear Mother," Finn replied.
She laughed, before saying, "I suppose they did, Finn. Francesca Guerrera will be her own undoing. Let's see how impressive your brothers are when they finally come up against me."
They nodded in agreement. They then continued to walk down the sidewalk.
Cami walked down a street in the French Quarter after grabbing a coffee. As she walked, two werewolf lackeys of Francescas, both with moonlight rings, started following her. Cami noticed quickly though, and turned around to confront them.
"It never gets old for you guys, does it?" she said, frustrated. "Like a couple of dogs with a bone. Tell Francesca I'm just trying to live a normal life. See if you can get that through her thick, canine skull." She waited for them to respond, but they just silently glared at her, so she gave a sigh. "Why do I bother?" she added, before handing one of them her coffee. "Here. Your regular extra sugar, right?" Then she walked away without a second glance, annoyed. Then, once she'd put some distance between herself and the werewolves, she began to worry.
Cami managed to sneak into the Abbatoir and looked around the courtyard for Klaus. She then wandered through the covered-up furniture and headed for the stairs, but stopped when she heard a noise.
"Hello?" she called, continuing to look around, and heard a whooshing sound nearby. "Klaus?" She then headed up the stairs, but stopped when she sensed someone behind her. She instinctively touched her neck. "Klaus?" she called, before turning around, only to find no one there. Disappointed, Cami continued to ascend the staircase. When she reached the top, Klaus ducked out of Cami's view on one of the balconies, when Cami turned toward him. "Klaus, I know you're here somewhere. We need to talk."
A moment later, Elijah appeared behind her, out of nowhere.
"He doesn't wish to see you."
Cami turned around to see him, startled.
"Elijah, where the hell did you come from?"
"I beg your pardon? Aren't you the one who is trespassing?" he replied, unamused. He then waited a moment, before adding, "He doesn't care much for conversation these days. And, he certainly wouldn't care for the fact that you've put yourself in danger by coming here."
Cami was frustrated, and said, "I'm already in danger. I have Guerreras following me like it's a police state. The city's being run by gangsters, and you guys aren't doing anything about it. Marcel took them out a hundred years ago without any of you. Don't you think he might be up for lending you a hand?"
Elijah stared at her with an unreadable expression for a long moment, before finally speaking.
"Thank you for coming, Camille." He then gestured toward the door for her to leave, and she reluctantly followed him before turning and stopping him.
"I know your family is grieving. But I know you don't believe those rumors that Marcel killed the baby. So, if you want help taking down the Guerreras, you have a weapon across the river just waiting to be fired. Use it." She then turned away and left, as Elijah watched her from the balcony.
A moment later, Klaus joined him.
"I like her spirit," Elijah stated with a smile.
"So do I," Klaus replied glumly.
Marcel had just met up with Josh, who had brought him at least a dozen humans in which to look for potential vampire recruits, in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.
"Dude, come on! This is, like, the twentieth group I've brought you. There's gotta be a keeper in there somewhere," Josh whispered to him.
"I'll be the judge of that," Marcel replied, before gesturing to him to go next door. He then walked toward the group to address them. "I know you're all wondering how you got here. Don't worry about that for now. Instead, I want you to think about your lives." He then approached a young man and compelled him, saying, "Don't be afraid." He then continued talking to them, as he paced. "Remember when you were a kid, and you felt like anything was possible? Then, you grew up, things didn't turn out like you planned. But still, there was that part inside of you that would dream. Maybe you wanted strength. Maybe you wanted to be a part of something, something bigger than yourselves." He stopped and looked at a young, tough-looking girl named Gia. "Maybe you wanted to be a fighter. Have something worth fighting for. Maybe some of you even wanted to live forever. Well, you can have it! All of it. Because that's what being a vampire is all about." The young girl looked intrigued, but Marcel approached another man in the group, compelling him, "Oh, don't be afraid. What do you have to fear, when you can do this?" Marcel picked up the man and threw him hundreds of feet into the air, where he was caught by Josh, who was standing on the top floor of a nearby barn with an open door.
"I know! Pretty cool, right?" Josh said with a smile.
"When you leave here, you'll forget this. But somewhere, deep down, you'll know the offer still exists to join me. Be like me. And, only then, will you find your way back here. Because you want it. Because you need it."
Josh and Marcel entered Marcel's loft, where they began to discuss their progress.
"My money's on the rocker chick," Josh told him.
"I wouldn't bet on it. We'll be lucky to get one from that group," Marcel replied.
"How can you tell? They all seem tough, what are you looking for?"
Marcel walked over to his bar and poured them each a shot glass of Bourbon.
"I'm not looking for tough guys, Josh. I'm looking for warriors."
"What's the difference?"
Klaus, who had just arrived, called out to them from the doorway.
"A warrior fights for what they believe in. A warrior fights for his family."
Klaus smiled at them, and after a moment, Marcel smiled back.
Elijah was in the middle of packing up Hope's nursery, when Katherine returned home. She then joined Elijah in the nursery, stopping in her tracks.
"What do you think you're doing, Elijah?" she angrily asked.
"Welcome back. What is it, the third night this week?" he replied.
"I don't need a caretaker. Now, what are you doing, Elijah?"
"As we discussed, our illusion needs to be flawless. Now, months have passed. It's the appropriate time," he finally said, answering her question.
"What's next on the appropriate list? Klaus and I hold our heads up high and say we're ready to try again?" she sarcastically replied.
"I understand this is difficult for you-," he began.
"What's difficult is knowing that Francesca Guerrera is still breathing after she was the one who plotted with the witches to kill my baby."
"You will have your vengeance, I promise you this," he promised.
She glared at him.
"Well, until then, this is my room, and I'll tell you when it's appropriate to clean it out." She then moved out of the way so Elijah could leave the room, upset.
Mikael was pacing around the church's attic, listening to the Icelandic folk records Davina had gotten for him, when he heard a noise and threw the indestructible white oak stake toward the door, where it embedded itself in the wall.
Davina stood in the doorway and rolled her eyes, before sighing.
"I don't know why you keep showing off. You know you can't hurt me."
"Oh, but the desire I have to do so."
Davina held her wrist in front of his face so he could feed on her.
"I am Mikael, the vampire who hunts vampires. Your young-thing blood does little to sustain me."
"Feed," she ordered him.
Mikael reluctantly bit down on her wrist and fed for a moment.
"Stop," she said, annoyed.
Mikael pulled away, clearly annoyed, and wiped the blood from his mouth with his hand. He then spotted the bracelet around Davina's wrist and touched it.
"Oh, I wish I could rip this from you, break that which binds me to you and complete the task for which you resurrected me-kill the bastard who calls himself my son."
"You can't take off the bracelet, and you can't kill Klaus. Not until I figure out how to save my friends from dying, too," she replied, before kneeling next to a large trunk on the floor. She then opened it, before pulling out Esther's grimoire. "I've studied their mother's spell book for weeks. I'm getting close. Once I unlink my friends from Klaus' sire line, I will unleash you to be the monster that you are so eager to be."
Mikael smirked.
"Music to my ears, my little witch."
Marcel and Klaus were drinking and playing Go while they discussed how to deal with taking back New Orleans.
"The wolves have the numbers. Back in 1925, the Guerrera pack was maybe a hundred. We went guerrilla warfare on their asses and wiped them out over a four day fight," Marcel informed him. He then placed a stone on the Go board and waited for Klaus to take his turn. "But we're not just talking about Guerreras now. They've had wolves coming in from packs all over."
"Well, we don't have to hit them all. Only the twelve with the rings that take me out every full moon," Klaus replied.
"Wait, you want to find twelve rings? Go out and chop off the hands of every wolf you find 'til you get what you want! I mean, come on! You taught me that."
Klaus smiled and placed a stone on the board.
Marcel was confused.
"You and Elijah are stalling. Why?"
"Because it's possible they're in possession of something very dangerous to us."
Marcel realized what he meant.
"They have the stake that can kill you."
"It went missing...the night I lost my child. So, it's in play, and the thought of that makes me very nervous. Especially on nights like tonight."
Klaus looked out the window, where the full moon had begun to rise in the night sky. Marcel looked uncomfortable.
"Why would you tell me that?"
"Depends. Do you have it?" Klaus suspiciously asked.
"Of course not. That kind of weapon does me no good. You die, I die, along with every vampire we've ever sired."
Klaus was relieved.
"Well, then, perhaps you'd like to help me get it back? We attack the wolves, tonight, when the moon hits its apex. They won't expect it while I'm weak."
Joe entered Marcel's loft, interrupting them.
"Hey, bad news or good news?"
Marcel laughed and stood up, before introducing them.
"Klaus, Joe. Joe, Klaus. Now, you wanna talk Guerreras-nobody fought harder back in 1925 than Joe, here. Fought so hard he retired into retail. Been keeping the peace ever since, and living right under their noses."
Joe sat down next to Marcel on the couch, and sighed deeply.
"Yeah, well, good news is, your order came in this morning. And bad news? I got made. Your friend Davina saved my ass, but what's done is done. So, pour me a drink, and play me a song, because it's gonna be my last."
"Joe. Don't be dramatic," Marcel replied, handing him a drink. "Just head out of town 'til things blow over."
"No way. I don't run from Guerreras."
"You don't leave, you won't have to. They'll sniff you out in a day."
"Hey, let them come hunt me down! 'Cause I've had a good ride," he replied to Marcel.
Klaus was pleased, and asked him, "How would you like to get back in the fight, Joe?"
"So, what do you have in mind?" Joe said, interested.
"I've been thinking about this whole thing the wrong way. The Guerrera pack loves to hunt. They're primal, alphas. I gave you my reason for not making a move these past few months-what, pray tell, is theirs?"
Marcel smiled in realization.
"They don't have the stake." He then thought for a moment, before asking, "Well, then who the hell does?"
Klaus shrugged and smiled.
"Well, tonight it doesn't matter. Because tonight, we're going on a wolf hunt!"
Klaus returned to the compound, ready to discuss their plan with Elijah.
"We have the Guerreras where we want them. We have them waiting, we have them worried, and now, we know they're an army with no defenses against an Original," Klaus told him.
"We don't know that for certain," Elijah replied.
Klaus shrugged, before saying, "I'm willing to gamble."
"It's too risky! The stake didn't just disappear, someone has it."
Klaus gave another shrug, before saying, "One enemy at a time! In the end, we'll slay them all." Klaus sat down at the table, just as he felt one of the moonlight rings being activated to keep the wearer from turning with the full moon, which weakened Klaus in the process. "Tonight, we just have to plant the right seeds, and for that, we need help," Klaus added.
Joe returned to his record store, only to find that Oliver and a group of werewolves with moonlight rings were waiting for him.
Oliver gave a chuckle and said, "You know, I am starting to think that you have a death wish."
"Look, I just want to get my stuff and get out of town," Joe replied.
Oliver aggressively crossed his arms over his chest and walked toward Joe, saying, "And why would we let you do that?"
Joe smirked, saying, "Because I've got information that could be very useful to Francesca Guerrera."
Oliver's smile faltered, though he was interested.
Elijah, Kat, and Klaus were continuing to plan their attack against the Guerreras in the dining room, wanting to attack tonight.
"We're taking the twelve original rings. Now, four of them sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Oliver, one of Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each rings is distinguishable by its setting-gauche, like those that wear them," Elijah said.
At the Guerrera mansion, Joe was brought by Oliver and the wolves to see Francesca, where he was giving them the information he claimed to have. Her fellow moonlight-ring-wearing werewolves and Cassie whom was still possessed by Esther were there, too.
"Klaus thinks you have the white oak stake," Joe informed them.
"But, we don't!" Francesca informed.
"That doesn't matter, because if they think you have it, it means they don't know where it is," Esther interceded.
"Do a spell. Find it. Now," Francesca ordered her.
At the Mikaelson compound, Elijah, Kat, and Klaus were continuing to scheme.
"If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak. Each ring you retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still be at a disadvantage," Klaus said.
"Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon our working together," Elijah said, and looked at the human. "The two of you can no longer afford to retreat to separate corners," he added.
Kat looked at Klaus, whom then sighed and stood up to look at her.
"This is our fight. Are you ready for battle, Katerina?" Klaus reminded her and inquired.
"Just promise me that Francesca doesn't come out of this alive," she replied.
Klaus gave a weak smile, before saying, "Her head will be delivered to you on a silver platter, Katerina."
Elijah went to leave, saying, "I'll deal with the last piece of the puzzle."
Esther was doing a locator spell for the indestructible white oak stake, while Francesca paced around anxiously in the wolf's mansion.
After trying the locator spell, it strangely was no success. After all, Esther being an Original witch usually succeeded with all spells.
Esther frowned, telling the wolf, "It's no good. I can't find it. It must be cloaked. I'd love to know by whom."
Francesca became angry and glared at Joe.
"I'm afraid you'll have to tell us the whole story this time. Not just enough to keep yourself alive," the wolf told him.
"Francesca, I told you-," he began, but she cut him off.
"-And I'm telling you, give me something I don't already know, or you die right now. Spill, and you walk out that door. Who has the white oak stake?"
Joe hesitated, before lying, telling her, "Rumor has it...it landed in the hands of the priest."
The two Guerrera werewolf lackeys that had been following Cami earlier, arrived at her apartment. They began trashing her furniture to scare her into giving them information, which they believed she had.
Cami furiously told them, "It's not enough I can't even go on a walk? And now you have to do this?"
The first lackey said, "You know how to stop this," before picking up a lamp and smashing it on the floor. "Where's the stake?"
"Fine. Whatever." She picked up a pad of paper and scribbled an address on it. "Why do I care? This is not even my fight." She handed it to the first lackey. "There. That's where you'll find what you want. Now, all you need is my uncle's key."
"And where is that?" the first lackey asked her.
Cami rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance, before walking toward the front door and grabbing a key off of a hook next to it. She then handed the key to him, before opening her door and showing them out. Then, when they left, she leaned against the door and sighed.
Outside the nearby window, Elijah stood guard to ensure Cami wasn't hurt in the confrontation.
Seeing him, she nodded at him, before he left.
At the Mikaelson compound, Klaus was knelt on the floor of his art room, weakened, surrounded by a few canvases, waiting for the pain to begin.
At the Guerrera mansion, Francesca was outlining her plan to her pack and Esther, though she didn't know that Esther was possessing Cassie.
"Klaus will be at his weakest for the next few hours. Once you retrieve the white oak stake, be ready to use it," she told them, before turning to Oliver, telling him, "You take a group to the compound and subdue him while he's still weak."
"What about Elijah and Katherine? There's no way they'll leave his side tonight," Oliver replied.
Francesca paced, as she said, "Elijah can be weakened by our bites. As for Katherine...whoever rips out her heart gets a bonus!"
The pack members started to leave to fulfill their orders, but Oliver hung back.
"And where will you be?"
"Here, where it's safe. They're vampires! They can't get into the house without an invitation," she replied.
"So, we risk our lives while you hide?" Oliver quizzed.
"I'm the top dog! Your job is to ensure that the battle doesn't come to me!"
The two werewolves from Cami's apartment, along with several others, arrived at the foundry, where Cami had sent them looking for the white oak stake.
"Start from the corners. Work the room from the outside in," the first one ordered.
As they looked around, they noticed someone vamp-speeding past them. Then they heard a noise and turned to find Marcel standing above them on a platform near the ceiling.
"Huh, look what we have here," the first lackey commented.
Marcel raised his hands in a non-threatening pose, distracting them while Josh quickly exited the building and locked the doors from the outside, trapping Marcel and the wolves inside.
"I know your boss wanted to buy this place, but...I've been stockpiling wolfsbane for months, and I just really needed a place to store it!"
Marcel pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit it, before holding it near one of the overhead sprinkler systems, which caused it to spray wolfsbane-infused water down on the werewolves. Because of the exposure, their skin began to burn, causing them to scream in pain. They tried to break through the doors to escape, but they couldn't. Marcel then pushed the first lackey against the door and sliced his fingers off, including the one with the moonlight ring.
"I'm gonna need that!" Marcel stated.
At the Mikaelson compound, Klaus was in the same position, gasping in relief as he began to gain some of his strength back from the lackey losing his ring. Then, at that same moment, many of the Guerrera werewolves, including Oliver, invaded the compound and quickly split up. Two of the werewolves headed for one of the staircases, where Kat magically snapped their necks. She then slipped each of their rings off their fingers, and Klaus, having regained more strength, smirked and grabbed his palette off of the nearby easel.
At the Guerrera mansion, Francesca was sitting at her desk, filling out paperwork, while two of her brothers sat across from her, watching her in boredom. She looked up at them and rolled her eyes, before returning to her work.
Suddenly, one of the werewolves was thrown past the window behind her, and the three stood up to see what was happening. A large amount of blood then splattered against the window, showing that someone had began taking out her security detail.
Outside of the house, Elijah was sitting on the side of a fountain while breaking off the moonlight-ring finger of the guy's hand, which he then placed in his pocket.
At the compound, Klaus grew even stronger. He then smiled, as he grabbed a handful of paint brushes off of an end table.
At the foundery, Marcel was still fighting with the Guerrera werewolves. He saw the ring on the second lackey's hand and ripped his entire arm off of his body.
At the compound, Klaus gasped in relief as he got stronger from the loss of the most recent ring, and smiled. He set down a canvas as he prepared to paint, and took a paint brush in each hand.
At the Guerrera mansion, Francesca's security detail rushed outside of the house, where they found Elijah cheerfully waiting for them.
"Good evening!" Elijah said with a smile.
Kat had just finished removing the other ring from the werewolf she'd killed, only for many more Guerrera wolves to find her and begin crowding around her. She tensed, noticing a moonlight ring on the finger of one of the female security guards, but wasn't fearful, despite the number.
"Have I mentioned that I've had a rotten couple of months?" she questioned. Then she magically began to attack them.
Upstairs, two Guerrera wolves found Klaus, where they saw him knelt weakly on the floor. Sensing them approach though, Klaus flipped the paintbrushes in his hands and waited until they got closer.
Downstairs, Kat had just removed the ring from the female security guard's hand, giving Klaus more strength.
Once they were close, Klaus smiled and quickly turned to forcefully throw the paintbrushes toward them, impaling the wolves in their throats, killing them.
Oliver slowly walked around the downstairs of the compound, but was found by Kat, who magically slammed and pinned him against a wall.
"You think you're strong because of that ring you wear?" she furiously said. "You're nothing. You were strong, a part of a pack, and you ruined it." She then pulled the ring off of his finger.
Upstairs, Klaus drug the bodies of the two werewolves he'd killed toward the canvas, smiling as he did so.
Downstairs, Kat held Oliver's ring in front of his face.
"If I see you with one of these again, I will kill you myself."
Upstairs, Klaus happily dipped his paintbrush into the wounds of the dead wolves' necks and used their blood as paint, as he worked on his newest painting.
Francesca and her brothers were walking toward the front door just as another large splatter of blood landed on the frosted glass windows. They were alarmed, as the door opened, just before a severed head was thrown through the doorway, where it rolled into the foyer and landed at Francesca's feet. Alarmed, Francesca and her brothers slowly approached the door, where Elijah was waiting for them on their front porch.
Francesca gave a fake smile.
"Hmm." She turned to her brothers. "It's fine! He can't come in."
Elijah was amused at that, saying, "Can't I?"
She laughed.
"Don't bluff me! You can't win."
Elijah smiled.
"You mobsters all suffer from such hubris."
Francesca raised her eyebrows at him skeptically.
"Did you know Al Capone thought himself invincible back in his day? And, in the end, he was sentenced to the wretched filth of Alcatraz, for which of his atrocities? Anyone?" Elijah said. He waited for them to answer, but they were silent, so he told them, "A failure to pay his taxes! I suppose the devil's in the details, isn't it?" He looked around the inside of her mansion from the front porch. "My, my, you have a beautiful home, here. I was so pleased when the city took my suggestion to protect its heritage status and invoke imminent domain. I suppose that means this house now belongs to the public. And, as such, anyone can enter without invitation."
Francesca watched fearfully, as Elijah dramatically walked inside. He then smirked at Francesca and her brothers stood, prepared to fight.
Klaus was still painting with the blood of the werewolves he'd killed, as Elijah returned to the compound, joining him.
"I'm still not at full strength. Which of the rings are unaccounted for?" Klaus said.
"Only one. I must say, the brothers fought valiantly before Ms. Guerrera escaped."
Klaus turned to Elijah and gave him a shocked and incredulous look.
"You let her get away?"
"...Not exactly," Elijah replied.
Francesca was speeding down the road in her attempt to flee town before the Mikaelsons could kill her. She anxiously turned around to see if anyone was following her, but when she turned back, she saw someone standing in the middle of the road, which made her slam on her breaks. When Francesca finally stopped, she looked up again, only for the door to open. Then she was pulled out of the vehicle by Kat.
Marcel was having a drink and listening to jazz music on his record play when Josh returned to the loft, panicked.
"Marcel! They got Joe."
Marcel sighed in disappointment, but didn't seem surprised to hear the news.
"Joe knew what he was getting himself into."
Josh was confused, as he said, "So, what? 'Hey, come on, join our team? Your reward will be your death'?"
"Here's what you gotta understand. Vamps like Joe? They know what it feels like in the battle, and what it feels like to sit on the sidelines. Joe set it out for a long time, but when the fight came to him, he got back in. Because he'd rather die on his feet than live on his knees. That's a warrior," Marcel explained.
"Wh-What are we fighting for?" Josh hesitantly asked.
"Me? I'm fighting for my home. For the dignity of the vampires who were run out of there." Marcel stood up to look Josh in the eye. "The question is, what are you fighting for?"
"That's the problem! I have no idea! The wolves took over the Quarter. We beat them back today, they'll fight us back tomorrow. It's nuts! And all for a few measly blocks of real estate?"
Marcel handed Josh a drink. "I was born here in a time far more shameful than now. And even then, this city was worth fighting for. My blood runs through the gutters of this city, along with the blood of my closest friends. And yeah, Klaus and I fought side-by-side against the Guerreras. But, you know, before long, he's gonna want to be kind of the wolves. His blood runs deep, here, too." He gestured toward the record play, as Josh looked guilty. "You hear that? That is the first, last, and only album that my friend Thierry Vanchure ever made. It could have only been made here." Josh smiled, understanding, as Marcel continued, saying, "We're not fighting for real estate, we're fighting for the soul of this city."
Gia wandered into Marcel's loft, looking confused, and Marcel and Josh stared at her.
"Hello?" she called. She stopped when she saw Marcel and Josh. "Hi. I'm sorry. Uh, this is weird. I just kind of found my way here?"
Josh looked over at Marcel and smiled.
Marcel smiled back.
Kat had just returned home and was in the nursery, feeling overwhelmed, when Elijah entered. Despite everything with one another, they would always know when the other was in need of something.
"What happened?" Elijah questioned.
She looked at him, before telling him, "I killed her. Francesca looked me in the eye and begged me for her life . But I don't feel better. I don't feel peace. I killed eight wolves tonight before I got to Francesca. Eight of the people that I tried to help. What's noble about that? I acted no better than when I was a vampire." She then walked over to stand in front of him, saying, "Everything has changed. I saw the way you looked at me before. And, I see the way you look at me now. I was a mother. Now, I'm not sure what I am. Things are different now. You can't tell me that they're not." She waited for him to say something, but he didn't, so she left the room.
"Katerina," he called, but she kept walking away, leaving Elijah to stand in the nursery alone.
Davina walked over to the record shop, only to find that it was closed due to Joe's death. She was sad as she read the sign. Behind her, the guy she'd seen at the store the previous day walked up behind her.
"Aw, this sucks," he greeted, making Davina turn to look at him. "No trades today. I mean, it's worse for you, of course-guy had the market cornered on the ancient Icelandic folk scene."
Davina laughed, before saying, "Those weren't for me!"
He chuckled and held out his hand to shake hers.
"I'm Kaleb."
She shook his hand, as she told him, "Davina."
"Wow. Cool name! Terrible taste in music. You obviously need me."
He smiled at her charmingly, and though Davina looked slightly awkward, she smiled at him.
Klaus and Elijah were destroying the stones from the rings they'd stolen from the Guerreras the other night.
"Could you not just take a sledgehammer to them?" Klaus asked.
"These were forged by a witch, brother. And, as such, only the elements of fire and water can destroy them," Elijah replied. He gathered a pitcher of water and a stone bowl with burning charcoal in it. "I'd have thought this would have brought you greater pleasure."
"As would I. This was my fault. All of it," Klaus said. "If I had just accepted Katerina's pregnancy instead of...playing king...I should have listened to you. Instead, my greed and my envy robbed me of my daughter. My actions led to the release of the weapon that can kill not just me, but you."
"In a thousand years, I've survived your attempts to destroy me, brother," Elijah reminded him. He then gave a smile. "I imagine I can survive this."
"You chase my redemption, like a man rolling a stone up an endless mountain," Klaus replied.
Elijah picked up the pitcher and poured water over the stones and the charcoal, which destroyed them.
"Well, no mountain is endless, brother. Some are just steeper than others."
Klaus stared in the bowl, where the stones had broken apart, revealing small drops of Klaus' blood that had magically been forged within them.
"As much as I would like to be the one to comfort Katerina in this moment, I believe that only you can understand her grief," Elijah told him.
"We lost our child...I mean, what could I possibly say to ease her pain?"
"Whatever she needs to hear," Elijah replied.
Marcel and Cami were laying in Marcel's bed after another round of hooking up.
"Do you think things will be better in the Quarter now?" Cami asked.
"No. But, it was nice fighting with Klaus for a change."
"I'm sorry about Joe. The guy was brave."
Marcel smiled and turned on his side so he could face her.
"So were you."
"Doesn't matter. This has to stop, Marcel. Us. The deeper I'm in it with you, the deeper I'm into everything, and...I have to get my certification, I have to help human people with their human problems. And, I can't do that if I keep letting myself get pulled back in. I'm sorry. This has to end."
Cami got out of bed and got dressed, leaving Marcel in bed.
Kat and Klaus sat in one of the living rooms and talked about what happened.
"It will get better," Klaus told her, whether he believed it himself or not.
"When?" she asked.
"You know, over the years, I've had my share of friends, enemies, lovers, losses, and triumphs. With time, they all begin to run together. But, you will find that the real moments are vibrant. The rest...just fades away. Your pain will fade."
"Not until I can hold my baby in my arms again."
"And so you shall. But, in order to do that, we need to regain control of the city. Now, we worked separately to unite those wolves. We can work together to do it again. They don't need to be our enemies," he assured her.
"After ambushing them, they're not going to want to be our friends, Klaus."
"You waged a just war on those who would harm your child! Not only will they respect you, they will listen to you!"
"Why would they do that now?"
"Because you're their greatest friend."
"What about all our other enemies? The witches don't stop even after they're dead."
"We defeated my mother and her witches because we stood united," he reminded her. He then stood up and sat next to her on the couch. "That is how we will face all our enemies. As a family." He took her hand in his.
She smiled a small smile, which he returned.
Vincent sat at a table outside of a cafe, and ordered a pastry from a waitress. After a moment, Cami crossed the street to join him.
"Mr. Griffith?"
"Hey!" he greeted.
She held out her hand to shake his, and introduced herself.
"Cami. I can't thank you enough for sponsoring my supervised residency."
"Please, call me Vincent!" He gestured to her to sit down.
Esther and Finn met on the ground floor of the Lycee to discuss their progress.
"Did she buy it?" she asked.
"Entirely. The humans are weak." Finn held his hand over a candle's flame and felt its heat. "Their bodies are so strange. I'd forgotten what it feels like to be this vulnerable."
"At least you're not stuck in the body of a teenager," Esther replied.
Kaleb entered the room, whom was being possessed by Kol.
"Well, I love my body, Mother. I'm pretty sure Davina Claire does, too!"
Kol sat down at the table with them, and Esther rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Don't be puerile. We have work to do. Your brothers did me a favor by killing Francesca. Now, I will control the witches and the werewolves. With the vampires in exile, we can begin to take root in our new home. Finn, Kol, let's get to work! We have a family reunion to plan."
Esther looked at Finn and Kol, smiling.