Bennett-Hopkins House
When Bonnie arrived home and tried to open the front door, she received a surprise she didn't expect as the door was opened from the inside.
"Dad!" She exclaimed in surprise, having not seen his car outside, probably due to her mind being somewhere else.
"Surprise!" Rudy responded with a wide smile.
"Dad!" Bonnie repeated, a moment before she rushed to embrace her father, overjoyed.
Rudy welcomed the embrace and reciprocated it, the feeling of accomplishment enveloping him.
"When did you arrive?" Bonnie asked after the embrace, entering the house and closing the door behind her.
"A few hours ago. I didn't tell you last night because I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, I am surprised." Bonnie said, but paused as her nose caught on to something. "Did you cook my favorite meal or am I imagining things?"
"Of course, I did! I always cook when I'm home and that is not going to change." Rudy replied, heading to the kitchen with Bonnie. "I hope you're hungry."
"I'm starving. But I need to take a shower first."
"Do that. I'll set the table in the meantime."
"I'm glad you're back, dad." Bonnie told Rudy, hugging his side.
"I'm glad I'm back too." Rudy responded, placing a kiss on top of Bonnie's head. "Now, get going."
With her training session with her ancestors and everything they revealed forgotten for now, Bonnie hurried to her room, leaving Rudy to set the table. But a minute later, he heard a knock at the door and paused table duty to attend the door, hoping Bonnie's friends weren't on the other side of it.
After being apart from his daughter, Rudy wanted to spend some quality daughter-father time with Bonnie and present her with another surprise. Upon opening the door, he was met with two individuals he has never seen before, and vice versa, hence the male individual commented.
"You're not Bonnie."
"You're not someone I know." Rudy responded, eyebrow raised, although not only in reaction to being told he wasn't Bonnie but to something he quickly found out, courtesy of his former wife and Bonnie's mother Abby Bennett.
"Oh, excuse my manners, or lack thereof. I'm Klaus Mikaelson and this is Greta Martin." Klaus introduced, and offered his hand for a handshake but Rudy didn't accept it, causing Klaus to retract it. "We came to see Bonnie. May we come in?"
"No. You may not." Rudy replied, and then questioned. "What business do you have with my daughter?"
"Nothing to concern yourself with, sir. We just need her help with something." Klaus said, surprised to find Bonnie's father home although he was glad because he could serve as a good incentive to get Bonnie's help, but he noticed something in the man's eyes.
"I concern myself with everything that has to do with my daughter."
"Like any good parent should." Klaus responded. "May we speak with her?"
"Not at the moment. But you can wait." Rudy replied, but then added. "Outside."
"That is not a problem."
With that, Greta and Klaus moved away to wait by his car and Rudy closed the door.
"He knows you're a vampire." Greta told Klaus. "Or at least he thinks so."
"You're right." Klaus confirmed. "I saw something shift in his eyes and he was firm when he denied us entry into the house."
"Do you think he knows who we are?"
"I don't think so. But I think we'll be here for some time."
Back in the house, Rudy finished setting the table although his mind was elsewhere. It appeared Bonnie wasn't just practicing witchcraft; she was also active in the supernatural world.
TRANSITION
Mystic Falls Town Hall
"Please tell me you got something." Carol said to Meredith over the phone.
"I got something." Meredith replied. "I managed to capture two of the vampires that steal blood from the hospital and got one to tell me more about the stone that adorns their jewelry."
"And?"
"The stone plays an important role in why some vampires can walk freely during the day. Without it, the Sun burns them to death." Meredith answered. "I verified. I've found my preferred way of killing vampires; sunlight exposure. It leaves no body to be found and it's quick.
All we have to do is locate where the jewelry is, either rip it off their fingers, necks or wrists or cut the fingers or the whole hand and then Nature will do its job."
"That's barbaric, but effective, I guess." Carol responded. "When are we moving against Caroline and Stefan?"
"Our next meeting is in two days; so, expect an example to be made."
TRANSITION
Bennett-Hopkins House
Done with showering, Bonnie headed to the dining room and found the table set and Rudy deep in thought.
"Already thinking about work?" She asked.
"Come agai-Oh, no! No." Rudy responded, standing up. "I'm thinking about you and the mess you got yourself involved in."
"What mess?"
"Practicing witchcraft and associating with another witch and a vampire-werewolf hybrid." Rudy answered, to Bonnie's shock which she wasn't able to cover, and pulled out a chair for her to sit. "Sit."
Bonnie followed the instruction wordlessly, before asking.
"How did you...?"
"Sheila told me." Rudy replied, taking a sit next to Bonnie.
"She did?" That surprised Bonnie.
"Of course, she did." Rudy said. "After your mother left us, I received a job offer in my hometown and close to your grandparents' house with better pay; all I had to do was accept the offer and move there with you.
But you were born a witch and needed a connection with your maternal family, specifically Sheila, because sooner or later, you were going to need her, so we made a deal that we would stay here and she would help me raise you.
With your mother gone, and her part of our household income with her, I had to work twice as hard and longer to maintain our lifestyle and secure your future. This meant being what I never wanted to be, an absent father.
Sheila retired early so that she could help raise you and fill me in on what I missed in my absence. She told me when she sensed you were about to discover your birthright and I gave her the go-ahead to start teaching you what you needed to know to protect yourself."
"But you made it clear that you didn't want me to do magic and that you didn't want anything to do with the supernatural world for either of us to Grams."
"She told you that?"
"No." Bonnie answered. "I overheard you arguing about it when I was younger but didn't understand at the time."
"I only ever want what is best for you, Bonnie." Rudy responded. "When Abby left us to escape the life you're choosing for yourself now, I had to make the hard decision and cut you off from your birthright for as long as it was possible so that you could have as normal a life as you could and get to live it.
Only the lucky ones make it to your Grams' age in the supernatural world because most die before they get a chance to really live. You should know, though, the 'lucky ones' aren't so lucky because of all the emotional, mental and physical scars they carry.
As your father, I don't want that for you, Bonnie. On a selfish note, I didn't and still don't want to lose you like I lost your mother. That's why I spent the last few months working on cutting short the four-year contract I signed last year and finding a job here."
"You did what?" Bonnie asked, shocked.
"I did what I should have done a long time ago." Rudy said. "I no longer have to worry about college fees, and our financial situation is stable and will remain that way with my new job.
All that I have to worry about now is you and only you, which is why I have to ask; what business do you have with Greta Martin and Klaus Mikaelson?"
"I-Nothing." Bonnie replied, still shocked. "How do you know about them?"
"They are currently waiting outside, in need of your help with something, which they won't get because from now on you're not going to associate with any vampires and those associated with them. And that includes the two vampires Sheila told me about; Damon and Stefan Salvatore."
"Damon is dead, and you can't stop me from seeing my friends."
"I can and I am." Rudy stated sternly. "All they seem to be doing is using you for your abilities and that stops now. You can be angry at me but no one is going to take advantage of my daughter ever again, starting with the two outside."
With that said, Rudy got up and went towards the front door.
"Dad, stop!" Bonnie got up and tried to stop him, knowing Greta and Klaus didn't have a problem with killing him. "They'll kill you! Klaus will kill...!"
"I'd like to see them try." Rudy said, and opened the door, only to come face to face with Klaus.
That surprised Rudy and brought him to a sudden halt, but he quickly recovered and recomposed himself, impressing both Bonnie and Klaus, although Bonnie tried to stand protectively in front of her father but he didn't allow her.
"Don't, Bonnie." He told her. "Stay in the house while I handle this."
"I can see where you get your bravery, Bonnie." Klaus said. "Or maybe it's stupidity."
"What do you want, Klaus?" Bonnie questioned coldly, standing side by side with her father, instead.
"One simple thing and I'll not kill your father; I want you to find a way to give Greta her magic back."
"You know I can't do that."
"Come on, love. We both know you're capable of all kinds of feats with the kind of power you possess."
"Solve your own problems and leave my daughter out of your business and leave my house." Rudy responded. "Bonnie will do nothing for you and you will do nothing to her or me."
"Why? Because I can't enter your house?" Klaus asked, amused, a second before Greta, who broke into the house via the back door, sneaked behind Bonnie and Rudy and pushed Rudy through the threshold and into Klaus' waiting hands.
"No!" Bonnie screamed, and made to lash out with a devastating and powerful random spell that crossed her mind, arms extended in both Greta and Klaus' directions but Klaus shook his head discouragingly.
"If you try anything, I'll break his neck." Klaus threatened, putting Rudy in a loose choke hold with one arm. "Now, how about you be a good witch and invite me inside the house?"
"Don't, Bonnie." Rudy told Bonnie.
"If she doesn't, I will kill you and leave her without a father. Is that what you want?"
"No, you won't."
"What's to stop me?" Klaus inquired.
"This." Rudy replied, and said. "Be-Hop."
That left Bonnie, Greta and Klaus baffled, until Greta and Klaus found that they couldn't move, well, apart from their eyes, eyelids and mouths.
Rudy calmly removed Klaus' arm from his neck as the realization that Greta and Klaus were paralyzed registered on their minds, surprising Bonnie.
"What the hell did you do?" Klaus questioned with a demanding tone.
"This is my house, son." Rudy responded. "You will demand nothing and get nothing from me or my daughter. Just a moment ago, my life was in your hands, now yours is in mine and unless you agree to my demands, you will stay as you are indefinitely."
"Do you know who I am?!" Klaus roared. "I'm Klaus Mikaelson the Original Hybrid! No spell can hold me!"
"I don't care who you are, boy." Rudy said, maintaining a calm although dangerous and stern tone and voice, stunning Bonnie and Greta, Klaus as well, although he tried not to show anything but anger. "No one comes to my house, makes demands and threatens my child with my life and gets away with it!
If you think no spell can hold you, then you've obviously never met two fully trained generations of Bennett witches. You will stay as you are until you (Greta and Klaus) agree to my demands, and don't think anyone will come to your aid.
You're invisible in every way to everyone but Bonnie and me, and I'm the only one who can let you go."
Bonnie couldn't believe the sight before her, it was surreal. Never, since she brought Klaus extremely close to death, did she think that she would see Klaus as vulnerable as he was in this moment ever again, especially due to her human father.
More so when Rudy revealed that the spell was cast by two fully trained generations of Bennett witches, which Bonnie assumed to be Abby, before she left, and Sheila, who then probably linked it to Rudy with an activation code; Be-Hop. The look in Greta and Klaus' eyes said it all.
They never expected this turn of events, neither did Bonnie, hence she just stood there, awestruck as her father somehow appeared to be towering over Klaus like a vengeful father on a quest to protect his child and vanquish all who sought to use her, and that's exactly what Rudy was.
Greta wondered if her brother and father also went to such length to 'rescue' her from Klaus, something told her that they probably did. As much as she was practically at the mercy of the man, she admired Rudy for standing up to Klaus for his daughter.
It said a lot about the kind of father and person Rudy Hopkins was, though Greta wondered where he was when Bonnie's friends were willing to let her sacrifice herself to save Elena.
Klaus couldn't help but see in Rudy, the biological father he never knew or met but wished had come to his aid back when he was mortal and Mikael mistreated him.
Sure Esther and Mikael went to extreme lengths to protect their children but this, this spoke of true courage and pure parental protective instincts neither Esther nor Mikael had, but more so Mikael because pride drove him more than the need to protect his children.
This was not about pride, it was about a father standing up for his child, and he just so happened to have received forethought help from her maternal side. Something that never crossed Klaus' mind, an underestimation error he never made with his enemies and siblings when they were at odds.
"What do you want?" Klaus forced out the question, settling on reaching an understanding with Rudy, for now.
"I will let you know after we finish the meal you disturbed and you've had time to process the situation you are in." Rudy responded, before he moved the paralyzed Klaus onto a chair on the balcony and Bonnie did the same with Greta.
"There's no Elijah to save you this time, you made sure of that." Bonnie couldn't help but taunt Klaus a little before she entered the house with Rudy closing the door behind them, leaving a fuming Klaus outside.
TRANSITION
Portland, Oregon
"You're welcome." Joshua said to Bonnie. "You may call me Joshua. Your family and mine have a long history of friendship and I would like to maintain it with you. Call if you need anything."
"Thank you." Bonnie replied, and then Joshua ended the call.
With the task done, Joshua moved to leave his manufacturing room to continue training Lucas and Olivia, only to walk into Olivia.
"Was I taking too long that you came to get me?" Joshua asked, smiling.
"Not really." Olivia responded. "Lucas and I have a surprise for you."
"You do?"
"Yes." Olivia answered, nodding her head. "But we can't risk you seeing it yet, so you'll have to close your eyes."
"You know I don't like surprises."
"That's why I have to make sure you have your eyes closed so that you don't ruin it. Have a little faith. The surprise we have for you is a great addition to the coven."
That convinced Joshua and Olivia offered him her hand for guidance before he closed his eyes, but to be sure, she placed an open palm over his closed eyes, or so he thought.
"Phasmatos somnus." Olivia cast, and Joshua quickly lost consciousness and hit the ground.
"Well, that was disappointingly easy." Lucas commented, releasing the invisibility spell he cast upon himself.
"He didn't see it coming." Olivia replied, as Lucas picked up Joshua's unconscious body and placed it on his shoulder.
"Let's make sure the coven doesn't either." Lucas said, and they quickly cast an invisibility spell and all three disappeared before Lucas and Olivia went to the former's bedroom with the unconscious Joshua.
When they arrived, Olivia sealed the door while Lucas placed Joshua on the floor against his bed with legs crossed and sat in front of him in the same manner.
"Imitantor pupulus." Lucas cast a mimicry spell on Joshua, and it took hold immediately. "Testing mimicry."
"Testing mimicry." Joshua said in unison with Lucas, although he was still unconscious though he appeared to be conscious because he was doing everything Lucas was as a result of the spell.
"Test successful." Olivia announced, and went to Lucas' nightstand to get the 1903 prison world ascendant and a vial of Bennett blood.
"Hurry up." Lucas and unconscious-Joshua told Olivia.
"I am." She said, and took the ascendant and vial and placed them on Joshua's lap and then joined the duo on the floor.
Lucas made Joshua take the vial of blood and open it before pouring the needed amount in the allocated slot.
"Time to see if this will actually work." Lucas and Joshua said.
"It will work." Olivia responded, linking hands with her brother and father but not before securing the vial of Bennett blood. "The coven leader doesn't need a celestial event to use the ascendant and travel to a prison world. And technically, father will be doing the spell."
"There's only one way to find out if you're right." Lucas and Joshua said, before they chanted. "Sangiema meam et nos mundo carcerema. Sangiema meam et nos mundo carcerema."
The spell took effect and a white light came forth from the ascendant, the portal to 1903 prison world, and enveloped all three occupants of the room and they disappeared from it along with the light, leaving behind the ascendant.
TRANSITION
Bennett-Hopkins House
Instead of eating her food, Bonnie stared at Rudy, still in awe.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Rudy inquired.
"How can I eat after what happened?" Bonnie asked. "I thought Klaus was going to kill you. But then you... You just... Be-Hop? Really?"
"What's your surname?"
"What does-Oh! Be from Bennett and Hop from Hopkins. Huh. Who thought of that?"
"Your mother." Rudy answered, and they went quiet, before Bonnie started eating. "Who is this Klaus? He seems to be full of himself."
"He is full of himself." Bonnie responded, between bites. "But he kind of has a reason to be. Klaus is part of the family of the very first vampires, the Originals, but he's not just an original vampire like his family, he is the only original vampire-werewolf hybrid and is nearly unkillable."
That shocked Rudy, but he had to ask.
"How do you know him?"
"Um..." Bonnie cleared her throat, and took a sip of juice before she filled Rudy in on her history with Klaus, figuring he was already involved now, although she omitted that Caroline was a vampire and Tyler a werewolf and some more details.
TRANSITION
Portland, Oregon, 1903 Prison World
Joshua, Lucas and Olivia appeared at their house in the year 1903 as the house has remained in the Parker family, although it received renovations over the years, hence it was different.
"Wow. My room dates back over a hundred years." Lucas and Joshua commented, although he wasn't impressed by how it looked, especially because it lacked electricity and it was winter season.
"Focus, Luke. According to this prison world history, the aurora borealis is about to start and I'm not planning on staying the night here. I have a warm bed waiting for me home." Olivia said, standing up. "Come on, we have a special ritual to do."
Lucas and Joshua stood up as well and followed after Olivia who led them outside just as the aurora borealis became visible. Olivia couldn't help but stare at it for a moment as it was beautiful.
"Come on, Liv. It's cold."
Olivia acknowledged and they went to Gemini Coven's ritual site where she proceeded to take out a magical and unbreakable covenant contract the twins prepared, similar to the one utilized by New Beacon Pack when the nine packs united their packs with the alphas giving up their alpha status to Scott.
The contract stated that Joshua was willingly giving up his magic and status as Leader of Gemini Coven and everything that came with the title and giving it all to Lucas and Olivia to share equally as if they performed the merge, with Lucas as the 'brawn' and Olivia the 'brain' and magically linked as one, thus stopping the need for one.
In exchange, Lucas and Olivia willingly accepted the power and to replace Joshua and released him from all his duties to the coven apart from those that came with being just an ordinary member of the coven, although without magic, to enjoy the years he has left..
Signing the contract with their blood under a celestial event called upon Nature magic to enforce the contract and there was no way of reversing it as the twins included a clause forbidding reversal.
This clause was partnered with another stating that once the contract was signed with a celestial event as witness, the merge would forever be banned as a form of Gemini Coven leadership requirement and Lucas and Olivia would choose a replacement later.
With the aurora borealis, the contract and all concerned present, Olivia took out a pocket knife and gave it to Joshua who, under Lucas' control, cut a line across his palm and immediately woke up, but unfortunately for him, Lucas' mimicry spell was still in full effect.
"Hello, father. How do you like the surprise?" Olivia asked.
It took Joshua a moment to comprehend the environment and situation he was in but he couldn't make sense of what was really happening although the presence of the aurora gave him the idea that Lucas and Olivia intended to do the Merge.
"If things went your way, we would be doing the Merge on the night of this coming full moon, but one of us would die and that would be me." Olivia said, surprising Joshua. "I know you thought I was the stronger twin but Luke is and he doesn't want to kill me and I don't want to die.
So, we came up with a way to give you what you want and for me to still be alive. This contract is my way out of dying and Gemini Coven's future. It will ensure that the current leader chooses their successor(s) and transfers their power and responsibilities to the successor(s).
All that we need now is for you to sign it and give your blessing and Gemini Coven leadership will fall onto Lucas and me, and Malachai won't be able to become leader even if he somehow escapes his prison."
Lucas adjusted the mimicry spell and gave Joshua limited speech so as to prevent him from casting spells.
"There is only one way to become Leader of Gemini Coven and continue its existence. I've told you this time and again." Joshua told the twins.
"You only believe that because you were told that." Lucas replied. "Liv found another way. If you bothered to look beyond Gemini Coven to save your children, you might have found it too."
"Almost three weeks ago, eight traditional werewolf packs united with an unconventional pack with an evolved werewolf alpha to form one large pack with him as Alpha." Olivia said. "They used a magical contract for the other Alphas to give up their statuses and power.
And give it all to the evolved alpha werewolf and in turn, the eight traditional werewolves became evolved traditional werewolves. I asked around and found a sample of the contract they used and modified it to fit our situation. This contract is the final product.
Once we sign it, Luke and I will be Leaders of Gemini Coven and he will be the 'brawn' and I'll be the 'brain' and together, we will lead Gemini Coven."
"You say there is only one way to become Leader of Gemini Coven and continue its existence. Prove it." Lucas challenged. "If you really believe that, then sign the contract and we will find out if you're right or not."
"Why didn't you tell me this in the real world?" Joshua asked, buying himself some time to think. "And why do you have me restrained and controlled like a puppet?"
"You're stalling, father." Olivia called him out. "I need to know if I'm going to die via the Merge or not. You owe me this much. You'll get your answers after you've signed the contract and I've proven you wrong."
Joshua supposed he did owe Lucas and Olivia this one chance to find a way out of the Merge. If their plan failed and they refused to merge, he would just force them for the sake of the coven since they were its only hope of a future and continued existence.
There were no more children let alone twins to lead Gemini Coven and with how old he and his wife, Mrs Parker, were, they couldn't have more children. Mrs Parker having refused having more children immediately after Lucas and Olivia were born.
And being that Joshua didn't want to lose another favorite twin daughter, the first being Josette who left the coven after she helped imprison her twin brother Malachai who killed four of his siblings because Joshua didn't want him to succeed him, partly because of his siphon status, he asked.
"Where do I sign and how?"
Relief washed over the twins. Although they had another way of making Joshua sign over leadership to them, there was power in voluntary consent. While Lucas adjusted the mimicry spell, Olivia showed Joshua where to sign.
"Using your blood." She said.
"So, this is blood magic."
"Blood magic, Nature magic and Spirit magic. There is power in trinity." Olivia replied.
Joshua did as he was asked and afterwards, Lucas followed and then Olivia. When she was done, they linked their forearms to form a chain and the moment they did, the contract took effect and magic flowed from one to the other, their bodies humming with it in an exhilarating manner.
It took but a moment for Joshua to notice that he was getting weaker magic wise every second and remembered Olivia said the current leader's power would go to their successor.
Lucas and Olivia, on the other hand, felt themselves get stronger and a link forming between them, uniting them as one before the link to the rest of the coven transferred from Joshua to them, and oh, what power they felt.
When all was said and done, Joshua was on his knees, breathing hard and feeling far weaker than he ever felt while the twins stood tall, basking in the power-up they received and the success of their plan, both over the moon that Olivia would live.
"Wha-What did you do?" Joshua asked in horror, not feeling even an ounce of magic flow through him, drawing their attention.
"You took away our childhood from us." Lucas replied, looking down at his father. "And made us grow up knowing that one of us would have to kill the other and you didn't love us enough to look for a way to spare us that fate."
"We took away everything you know and value above us." Olivia added.
"You are no longer Leader of Gemini Coven."
"Or practitioner of magic."
"You are now just an ordinary man who chose duty over family and has to live with the consequences."
"But for now, sleep tight, father."
With that, Olivia cast the sleeping spell again and Joshua lost consciousness.
"Time to find the ascendant and leave this place." Lucas said, and channelled his great-great-great grandfather's, the witch who activated the 1903 prison world, magic to find its copy of the ascendant in the prison world, and found it in... "Mystic Falls. It's in Mystic Falls."
"Wow." Olivia expressed her surprise. "You just broke your best locator time record and you didn't even need a map or blood or anything."
"We're connected to every Gemini Coven witch, living and dead, and we are connected to the prison worlds now. All I needed was to channel the witch that created and activated this world's ascendant." Lucas responded.
"You said the ascendant is in Mystic Falls."
"Yes."
"Then I think it's in the Heretics' possession." Olivia said, contemplating.
"It doesn't matter. We could summon it here. I think."
"I have a better idea. Lillian Salvatore is the real Leader of the Heretics and she is here. Let's go to Mystic Falls and secure ourselves allies and the Heretics' loyalty."