NEW ORLEANS

After somehow managing to calm down the hybrid the two all-powerful creatures head downstairs and Rebekah couldn't help but smirk up at the two before glancing at Buffy "You're a bloody miracle worker Luv."
Buffy smiles in amusement before smirking at Klaus who rolls his eyes and glares at his sister in annoyance "Shut up. Marianna are you done yet we need to get on with it!"
Mary sighs as she stands and walks over to the three "Patience is a virtue Nik. Learn it."

"Our brother will never understand patience!" A voice yells angrily from behind the four causing all of them to spin around only for Buffy's eyes to widen as Kol appears and throws some sort of dust at Mary and Rebekah causing both their eyes to flutter shut. Speeding over to them the blonde quickly catches both witches lowering them to the floor.

Bending down to her knees she stares at them both in shock before spinning her head around only for her eyes to widen as Kol raises a hand at Klaus causing the hybrid to growl in anger and pain as blood began pooling from his mouth "No!" She screams as she moves to attack Kol only for him raise his hand causing the chandelier above her to drop down onto of her impaling her to the floor.
"Ah!" She screams out as she feels metal dig it's way into her legs, her chest right below her heart and her shoulders, wincing in agony she moves to lift the large object off her only to scream as the second her hands touch the metal her skin begins bubbling and steaming, the metal burning right through her hand. "Angel dust." She whimpers realizing that Kol must have known she would be strong enough to get out of this, he was making this as hard for her as possible.

"Buffy!" Klaus grunts out as she screams in agony finally removing her hands, looking over at his brother his eyes flash yellow as he glares at the furious witch who was clutching a large diamond in his hand "Oh you're angry, are you? Angry cause I hurt your girl?" When Klaus growls at him Kol merely glares right back hatred and pain filling his eyes as he watches his older brother struggle against the magic "Well, join the party. I've been here a thousand years."
As Klaus tries to lunge forward Kol releases another wave of power causing the hybrid to cry out and drop to his knees as his insides boil blood spilling out of his mouth more rapidly as Kol practically turned his insides into liquid.
"Nik." Buffy breaths in panic as she watches with wide eyes unable to get to him, she hadn't felt this helpless in so long, not since the day she had given birth to Joy.

"I was building that dagger to protect myself against you, Nik." Kol hisses glaring down at his brother forcing the hybrid to tear his gaze from the blonde "I'm not the bad guy in this chapter of our family's story." He exclaims as he circles around the hybrid tears beginning to pool down his face as he finally lets out everything he had held in for a 1000 years "I'm the wronged. I'm the dead but never mourned. And whilst you got everything that you wanted..." He says gesturing to Buffy as he walks over to the blonde and presses on the chandelier with his foot causing her to scream out as blood pooled around her and the metal burned through her skin, ignoring her scream Kol continues to glare at his brother who was watching in panic as his brother continue to torture Buffy "...I got a family who didn't care if I lived or if I died. Her brother staked me through the heart. Yet you play house with her, treating her better than your own family!"

"Oh shut up!" The hybrid growls out as he spits out more blood before speeding towards Kol ripping him away from Buffy and speeding them over to the wall where he pins him by the throat.
Glaring at his brother who was struggling at his grip he couldn't help but scream in his face "We've all suffered! We've all be wronged!"
"Nik!" Buffy yells noticing the way Klaus's hand were tightening around his brother's throat, he couldn't do this, she knew it would destroy him, he would retreat inside that anger and never come out again "Nik don't!"

Kol frowns in confusion at Buffy's words before glaring at his brother taunting him "Go on! Finish it off, go on kill me!"
Buffy gasps out as she feels the metal shift in her lung as she tries to move, ignoring the agony she glances over at Klaus blinking back the tears in her eyes "Remember Nik..." She hisses out the words through her pain "He's your baby brother...you love him even when you hate him!"

With that Klaus finally drops his brother letting him drop to the ground before glaring down at him "I'm not gonna kill you, you idiot." Sighing he moves over to the blonde and yanks the chandelier off her being careful not to injure her anymore than she already was. As he tosses the chandelier away he glances over at his brother "Despite your behavior, you're still my brother." Sighing he looks down at Buffy who gasps in pain as the metal is finally removed from her.
Frowning as he spots her wounds not healing the hybrid sighs realizing just how much Salt and Angel dust must have been on that damn thing. Biting into his wrist without hesitation he sits down beside her moving her so that her head was resting on his lap.
Holding the wound to her lips Buffy groans "Ew." She moans before sighing as he practically shoves the blood down her throat.

Groaning in annoyance she allows the blood to go into her system before leaning back against his chest in exhaustion.

Kol who was off to the side watching the two continues to glare at his brother, when the two hybrids were together he barely recognized his brother. None of their siblings had been partial to this side of the hybrid. They had only faced the cruel, selfish bastard.
"Would you ever dagger her?" He forces out glaring at the pair "Like the way you've daggered me, repeatedly?"
Klaus looks up at his brother water filling his eyes as he watches his brother with a heartbroken expression, realizing just how far he had been pushed to his limits "I've daggered all of you. Each for your own good. If you don't agree with my motives, fine. I never claimed to be the bastion of temperance. But stop this drivel about being singled out and unloved. You are a Mikealson...you're my blood." As Kol's eyes widen Klaus takes a shaky breath before wrapping his arm underneath Buffy's legs lifting her still weak body up into his arms.
Stepping towards his brother he places Buffy down on the chair next to them before facing his younger brother with rare desperation in his eyes "And I need you. I need you by my side."

Kol watches him with teary eyes as he watches his older brother, the older brother he had looked up to when they were human "What does it even mean, Nik? Hm? You talk about family. Family this, family that. I haven't even earned the right to share your secrets, have I?"
"No. You haven't." Klaus admits his eyes darkening ever so slightly at the mention of the secret he held so dear "But by all means, brother, prove yourself. It's not too late." He says honestly before offering his hand out for Kol to take.

After a long beat Kol takes his brother's hand glancing behind him at Buffy who surprisingly offered him a small weak smile, smiling back he sighs before turning to his brother "Finn wants your blood. He promised to heal me if I delivered it."

At that Buffy's eyes widen and she attempts to stand only to quickly find Klaus at her side grabbing her by the waist to help her up, taking a deep breath she turns to Kol "Do you know where he is?" Finn had already sent Marcel for her blood and now Kol for Klaus'. Their time was running short.

Kol looks in-between the pair watching them both carefully "You've gotta tell me why he wants it." Noticing his brother's hesitance Kol takes a step forward "Look, Nik. You've gotta trust me, for once in your life, and I will stand by your side. I promise."
Klaus watches his brother as though a little unsure "You would risk your life to help me?"
Kol nods at his brother "I learned enough from Marianna about Dark magic to know that I'm hexed. There's no reversing what Finn's done to me." At his words Buffy's eyes widen and she couldn't help but stare at Kol with wide eyes "Kol—"

"I don't hate you Buffy." Kol laughs softly noticing her wide eyes as she stared at him "I actually quite like you. You do something none of my siblings ever could. See something in his ego. So both of you need to trust me...Finn is a liar and murderer and if I'm gonna die, I'll be damned if he gets what he wants."

Buffy lets out a small breath and she couldn't help but smile "I finally start to get along with you and you're hexed. I'm gonna rip Finn's head off."
Kol lets out a small laugh before turning to his brother who takes a deep breath "Help me." Klaus whispers "Help us...them I will share my secret with you."

Kol goes quiet for a long moment contemplating his choices here, inhaling tightly he finally catches his brother's eyes "He'll be in the bell tower of St. Louis Cathedral. Go inside my head. Find the spell. Let's finish this."


MYSTIC FALLS

Elena groans as she wakes after dreaming about the night she had found her father down here years ago when she was child, while now she knew that the sounds coming from his office would have been a vampire; back then she was so innocent and naive.
"Good news." Wes speaks up drawing the banshee's attention "The sample cells mutated with Buffy's blood. My compound worked." He says with a wide grin making Elena's eyes widen.
Tilting her head to watch him she tries to speak but yet again she was silenced, weakly tapping the side of her gurney drawing his attention she stares up at him in confusion.

"This compound..." Wes explains "...will cause your Banshee side to start to go haywire the minute I inject you with it. The banshee in you will fight with the demon in Buffy's blood. It will bring you to the brink of death before you'll release your final scream which will be amplified by the power in Buffy's blood. Now I'd suggest when you do scream you focus on vampires and only vampires, like you did with Jessie, otherwise you may just kill everyone in the state not just vampires. You'll have to focus until your heart stops beating."

Elena's eyes widen in terror as she watches the mad-man, she had no idea how to focus on one person let alone an entire species, she didn't even know how she had managed to focus on Jessie alone. Which meant the second she opened her mouth she wouldn't just be killing the vampires, her scream would kill everyone, every man woman and child in an unknown range.
Struggling against her binds she slams her body against the gurney desperately trying to free herself while Wes merely grins "Subject B1A prepped for injection."
"Mmm." Elena moans in pain as she struggles in the gurney trying to pull against the binds only to cry out in pain as Wes shoves the needle into her chest. However before he could inject her with the serum two familiar voice call out into the burnt-out building "Elena!?"

At the sound of Xander and Stefan's voices Elena takes advantage of Wes' momentary distraction and sits up head butting him in the face sending him flying to the floor before trying to speak, groaning she slams her feet against the gurney trying to make enough noise to draw both boy's attention.

"Elena?" Stefan breaths as he walks into the room with Xander at his side both of them horrified at the sight before them, Elena was strapped to a gurney, a muzzle around her face while Wes was laid unconscious on the ground.

As Stefan quickly begins ripping the binds off the chair Xander makes his way to his girlfriend cupping her face in his hand "Never do that to me again."
When she nods tears spilling down her face the human smiles and kisses her forehead lovingly before carefully un-strapping the muzzle from her face.
"You're okay. I got you." Xander whispers before carefully lifting Elena into his arms, as her head drops to his shoulder Elena points at the journal on the table "Stefan get that."
Stefan hesitates tearing his gaze from the still unconscious Wes towards the journal, sighing he picks it up before turning to the couple "I'll take you both home. Come on."


NEW ORLEANS

Buffy keeps a tight grasp on the scythe and she and Klaus lead, Kol, Rebekah and Mary to the top floor of the Cathedral Kol had told them Finn was residing.
Prepared to get with the slicing and dicing Buffy's eyes widen in panic as instead of entering the room to find Finn away casting spells they found nothing but an empty room "Where is he?" Klaus asks turning to his brother, gesturing to the table of unlit candles "Is this a trick?"

Mary frowns and steps forward before waving Klaus off "He's not lying. Finn was here. I can sense his energy."
Kol gives his sister a small smile of thanks before glancing around the room spotting little bits and pieces which were starting to fit together in his brain "This is the remnant of a spell. Ancient."
Mary frowns in confusion before her eyes widen as she spots the symbols on the floor "That's not possible."

"Can we get in on this commentary?" Buffy asks as she crosses her arms, she was not happy she wanted Finn's head on a damn platter but clearly that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
Mary ignores the two before stepping forward towards the table in the centre of the room, clearing the salt off the object in the centre she turns to Kol who was staring at her with horrified eyes. Both of them having the exact same thought.

"This is one on my spells." She whispers handing Kol the piece of wood in her hands "Un-spell that now." She tells him before turning to Klaus and Buffy "Finn must have my original grimoire from when I was experimenting with expression when we were still human, but I don't know how I destroyed that 1000 years ago."

At her reveal Klaus's eyes fill with anger and he slams his sister up against the wall pinning her by the throat "What does this mean Marianna?!"
"She used runic tiles to reveal secrets, to find locations of those secrets. It's deadly stuff." Kol informs them as he stares at the now revealed symbol "This means baby."
At his words everyone in the room freezes, Buffy's hand tightening around her weapon while Klaus' face falls.
Kol frowns before glancing in-between the four individuals all of them refusing to meet his gaze, and that's when it all clicks, their secret, it all made sense now "That's it, isn't it? You're baby still alive." He exhales staring in-between Buffy and Klaus who were both deadly silent.

"Finn tricked us." Rebekah realizes "Tricked us into running about all day thinking he was looking for a way to find Joy."
Buffy takes a shaky breath as her hand presses against the table forcing it to break under her hold as water fills her eyes "He already knows. Call Elijah now Nik!"
Without hesitation Klaus grabs his phone panic filling him as he paces back and forth impatiently waiting for his brother to answer the phone.

"Niklaus?"

"Finn knows." Klaus tells him not hesitating to get straight to the point, they didn't know how long they had until Finn found Joyce, they didn't have time to beat around the bush "About Joy. About everything. I don't know how long until he gets there but he is on his way."

There is a pause of silence before words that horrifed Buffy to her very core fill the room as Elijah finally speaks "He's remarkably well on his way, I would say, brother."


WHITMORE

Xander pours himself and Elena coffee in the kitchen, as he pours the boiling liquid into the mugs he glances over at Elena who was sat on their couch her eyes still glued to her father's journal-like, she had been like that since they got home.
"It's weird." She speaks up as he enters the room and sits beside her placing her coffee on the table "Even as a kid, something about that basement creeped me out."

Xander chuckles ever so softly at her words "Creepy torture vampire basement yet sounds about right for Mystic Falls."

Elena smiles sweetly at him as she takes a sip of her drink before crossing her legs as she watches her boyfriend "I remember my dad talking about this little girl. I think he was talking about our neighbour Megan. Look..." Quickly scanning through the pages she sighs as she finds the right passage "January 1999. Saw Megan King today. She suffers from a congenital heart defect with a life expectancy of two months. A single injection of vampire blood appears to be an effective life-saving solution. That's why Megan had a picture of my dad and Hank because they saved her life."

Xander sighs at her words, while yes it was great that she was seeing the good in this he couldn't help but point out some obvious facts "Elena, that's great and all but both your dad and Buffy's helped torture people. Which they probably would have done to your sister too. Hank had no interest in Buffy till she was carrying around a miracle all-powerful tribrid baby."
Elena opens her mouth before shaking her head "No, I'm sure there's another reason he was there. They're my family Xander."
Xander sighs and runs a hand through his hair before kissing her forehead "Just remember while he helped others...he still would have done the same thing to you, to Buffy, your friends. Your niece."


As Buffy paces in a panic trying desperately not to tear this room apart, Klaus was currently trying to get ahold of his brother or Camille, to no prevail.
"Cami's not answering."
At his words, Buffy clenches her jaw before walking over to the hybrid "Car keys now."

Rebekah takes a shaky breath trying to think of what to say to calm the blonde but how could you tell a mother not to panic when her child was in danger "Elijah will protect them."

Buffy groans in annoyance before turning to Klaus with begging eyes "Finn can't use magic on me without my ring. I'm going to get our daughter, I'll keep her away until it's safe for her to return. Nik...you know I'm right..."
Klaus watches the blonde carefully, hating the idea of her running off to go fight Finn without them, he wanted her here where he knew she was safe but he also knew she was right, Buffy was their best shot at protecting Joy from Finn. He almost died using magic on her last time he wouldn't be able to handle both her and Elijah.

With one more look of hesitation he cups her face in his hands and kisses her forehead before leaning his against her own, holding onto her tightly "Protect our child. I will call you the second it's safe to return. Do not bring her anywhere near New Orleans until I call you...and be safe. Both of you."
Buffy takes a shaky breath squeezing his hands that were still cupping her face once more before taking his car keys as he hands them over. Moving towards the door she glances back at him once more before speeding out of the room. She needed to go keep their daughter safe.

As she disappears Mary runs a hand through her hair trying to think of a plan "We need to sever Finn's link to our parents. I can do it..." She tells them glancing at Kol who gulps knowing how dangerous a spell like this would be, it would take more power than he had for sure, he wasn't even sure she had enough.
Mary sighs "I'm stronger than you Kol. It could kill you."

"What is it?" Klaus hisses, he needed this done, he needed to make sure that his daughter and Buffy would both be coming back to him safely no matter the cost.

"I want to overload Finn. Give him too much power and he'll crack. I'll need to channel something powerful. You have some of Buffy's blood correct?" She asks making Klaus nod in confusion "Her blood is still covering the compound thank you again for that Kol." He says throwing a small glare at his brother who rolls his eyes.
Mary sighs "Okay well then I'm gonna need to channel the devil himself..." She gesturing to the hybrid "And the demon." She says in reference to Buffy before turning to Kol and Rebekah mainly Kol, no offense to Rebekah but she had been a witch for a week so it was on her and Kol now "I'll need you to keep me grounded...you were always were my favorite. If I go in too deep. You'll have to yank me back."


"How did it go with Nadia?" Xander asks as he closes the door behind him as he enters Buffy's apartment where Katherine was staring at herself in the mirror checking for wrinkles.
"Perfectly." The brunette mutters sarcastically as she finally tears her gaze off of her reflection to face the human who was watching her with an amused smile on his face, rolling her eyes she sighs "She wants me to dig into my long-dead dad's traveler abilities. And give up my hot aging body to get into some nobodies."

Xander sighs as he watches the brunette "I'm sure you'll find something."

"Maybe." She whispers "Maybe not." Pausing she turns to face him and shocking him she walks over hugging him, Xander remains motionless for a second before hugging her back "What's this for Mistress of evil?"

Katherine lets out a small laugh as she holds onto the first person who had actually seen something in her in 500 years, who hadn't used her for information or any ulteria motive "For being...my first real friend."


"Do you get what we asked for?" Kol asks as he turns away from Mary and Rebekah just as Klaus enters the crypt with a rucksack in his hands.
Without a word, Klaus drops the bag at Mary's feet with a smirk as she rolls her eyes at him "Such a gentleman Nik, as always."
The hybrid merely grins at her words before gesturing to the bag "Mystical artifacts and dark objects galore. From my own personal collection garnered over a thousand years."

Mary couldn't help but arch a brow as she crosses her arms and glares at the brother she had hated for so long "And how many of those used to belong to me?"
"It's not just your stuff." Kol reveals as he opens the bag staring at everything in shock and disbelief "Half this stuff is ours."
Mary frowns and bends down beside him before her eyes widen as she spots a red knife in the bag too, scoffing she glares up at Klaus in disbelief "I asked you a million times if you had seen this when I lost it! You said no!"

"You misery was entertaining at the time." The hybrid says with a shrug making his sister glare, snorting he then hesitantly hands her the vial of Buffy's blood. As she examines it he takes a shaky breath before reaching into his jacket revealing the one thing that could actually kill him, the white oak stake Esther had created using a Gilbert ring. "This is the last of it."

Both Mary and Kol stare at the stake with wide eyes, given that the two of them had been the ones to try and bring Klaus down the most in the family neither of them expected to ever see this, let alone have Klaus hand it open willingly.
"You would entrust me with this?" Kol asks in shock staring at his brother with wide eyes "Me and Marianna of all people?"
"Whatever the two of you need." He admits before handing it over "Whatever it takes."

With that Mary and Kol glance nervously at each other before nodding... it was time.

Stepping forward Mary raises the cup of Buffy's blood and spills it over her own hand as well as the file of Klaus' blood, inhaling sharply she takes in the power before placing her blood-covered hand on the crypt, her eyes slowly turning black before reaching out a hand to Kol "You keep me centered big brother." She whispers before black veins begin appearing all across her face working their way down her arms "Let us begin."


"So we have a deal?" Katherine asks as she adjusts the phone against her ear so that she could lock up Buffy's apartment "You'll find me a traveler that'll teach me how to do the spell?"
"I guess this means you want to live?"

Katherine grins as she moves to grab her bags ready to start her new life, she was Katherine Pierce she wasn't going to just give up. Especially now when she had decided exactly what she wanted.
"I'm a survivor. Staying alive is my specialty."
"Mm. Assuming of course it's on your terms. Clearly, Alexander inspired some profound thinking."

Katherine smirks as she looks down at the photo she had stolen from Buffy's apartment, a photo of Buffy and Elena with baby Joy, she wanted it all. A new family, a life. And she sure as hell was going to get it. "Alexander believes that a part of me can still be redeemed. He heard Buffy say it herself."

"And what do you think? Are they right?" Katherine halts in her worlds as she feels a sudden pain in her chest and her left arm go completely still. Grabbing her chest with her right arm she gasps for breath as her heart beats erratically in her chest. Trying to move towards the next apartment over she gasps as her knees buckle before all she could see was darkness.


"Something's wrong." Kol breaths as Mary continues chanting the wind picking up around her as the black veins of power continue to move through her body, cursing through her.
"What do you mean?" Rebekah asks before her eyes widen in panic as she spots blood beginning to pour down Mary's nose "She's more powerful than us how..."

"She hasn't performed magic this strong without human sacrifice in centuries." Kol mumbles squeezing Mary's hand as she continues chanting, closing his eyes he chants with her softly. She was almost through he could feel it, it was just taking more out of her than she expected.

"Bekah..." he gasps out as blood begins pooling down his own nose "In the bag, there's a red stone get it."
Rebekah nods quickly grabbing the bag from Klaus who was watching slightly stunned that Marianna would willingly let herself through all of this just to help him. Much like Kol, she was surprising him to no end.

"What the hell is this?" Rebekah couldn't help but ask as she stares at the glowing red stone in her hands.
"Souls." Kol tells her "She stored a few souls in there for a rainy day. I'd say it's bloody hailing." With that, he catches the stone and cups his palm spilling his blood on it before placing it on Mary's arm.
As he does Mary lets out a blood-curdling scream and a burst of red energy escapes her sending Kol, Rebekah, and Klaus flying across the room as they stare at her with wide eyes.

After a long beat, Mary finally stops screaming as images of Finn yelling out in pain fill her brain, taking a shaky breath she stumbles back from the crypt and turns to face the three, blood still dripping from her face. As her eyes return to normal she takes a deep breath "It worked. He's trapped. He's vulnerable. But I'm about to pass out. So someone catch me."


Buffy speeds down the street desperately praying that the others had managed to achieve their goal. Because the minute she spotted Finn she was going to rip his damn head off, but not before she made him suffer.
"Come on!" She screams slamming against the steering wheel, yes Klaus would be pissed at the damage she was probably doing to his car but she didn't care all she cared about right now was getting to her kid.

As she spots the farm house finally coming into view the blonde slams on the breaks and climbs out of the car. Grabbing the scythe she speeds forward only for her eyes to widen as she is sent flying off her feet due to the farm house exploding in front of her very eyes.

As she lands on the windshield of the car the blonde groans as she feels glass cut into her skin but she ignores it as she stares in horror at the spot where the farm house had once stood. With her daughter inside.
Jumping back up to her feet she takes a shaky breath as tears spill down her face as it all hits her at once, she was gone, her daughter was just gone.
"No, no, no..." She whispers as she drops to her knees the scythe dropping beside her hitting the ground with a thump but the blonde paid no mind as she stared at the remains of the farmhouse. She felt like she couldn't breathe, felt like she was dying, she couldn't...

"Noooo!" She screams loudly before she is stunned to silence as she hears it, almost like the world was mocking her. The sound of a baby crying.

She felt like she was going crazy. Her mind was just being cruel now.

"Buffy!" A voice yells making the blonde finally tear her gaze away from the remnants of the farm house only for a sob to fall from her lips as she spots a terrified Cami stood by the SUV with a wailing baby Joy in her hands.
Stumbling forward Buffy lets out a loud sob as she stares at her daughter "I thought...I thought...that she..."

"I took her out for the day." Cami assures her, while she was still freaked out she couldn't imagine the pain Buffy must have felt in the moment that the house exploded, all while thinking that her daughter had been inside "She's okay. Did a weird magic trick to stop my car but...she's okay." Without hesitation, she hands Joy over to her mother who sobs happily as she holds her daughter to her chest.
Kissing her forehead softly she then she smiles at Cami "Thank you, thank you so much."
"My pleasure." The other blonde says with a smile before her eyes land on the destroyed farmhouse "Elijah?"

"He'll be fine." Buffy breaths as she holds onto her daughter tightly "That won't kill an Original. It'll take time for him to recover though."
Taking a shaky breath the blonde smiles down at her daughter who was happily tugging on her mother's blonde locks, kissing her again the blonde takes another deep breath before focusing.
Handing Cami Klaus' car keys she squeezes the human woman's hands "There is a spare phone in that car. Are you alright to wait for Elijah?"
"What about you?"
Buffy takes a deep breath as she swaps the keys her taking the SUV while Cami takes the keys to Klaus' still functioning car despite it may not having a windshield anymore.
"I promised Nik I would keep her away until the wedding. Elijah will protect you. I'll protect Joy. Will you be okay?"

Cami merely nods still in slight shock "Okay physically, mentally a little disturbed. But go. Get out of here as fast as you can. Get that sweet girl somewhere safe."
Buffy smiles gratefully and squeezes Cami's hand before moving away, it was time to get the hell out of here.