No spanking in this chapter.
"I won't ask for you to believe that I mean you no harm, but Finn's death revealed that his whole sire line died with him. So Tristan would not risk his life, if he didn't trust that I wouldn't attack you," Mikael started.
"But you don't want to kill Elijah, Father, or shall I call you Mikael the Destroyer? It was always me, the bastard boy who begged for scraps of your attention like a dog, that you want to destroy," Klaus uttered his green eyes blazing.
"No, call me Father. You told me in New Orleans a century ago that only a father could have done the damage I've done. Niklaus, Elijah, I...please," Mikael stopped and glanced at Tristan, wrought with emotion and shame.
Elijah could not stop himself from looking to see if Niklaus noticed Mikael use the word 'please.' He had never heard him say it before.
"If you will allow me? Mikael came close to destroying this organization once, many years past, as we have said. Since that time, Aya and I have sought to bring him to our side, to have him as a leader and to get his sacred blood to study. To do that, we needed something that he wanted. For a long time, that was you, Niklaus. If it weren't for the devotion of our sire, Elijah, protecting you, we would have attempted to assassinate you. Even in the time when you were at odds last year, we could never locate Elijah to try to recruit him. In truth, we knew our sire would never abandon you," Tristan explained glancing at both brothers.
"How does this relate to our dear father here? I grow weary of this long tale Tristan. What did you want Mikael for? You always did love to hold court, didn't you?" Elijah prompted.
"Ah, yes. My apologies, so we realized that what Mikael wanted was his family back so we orchestrated the early awakening of the witch Freya from the cottage in New Orleans, the retrieval of the witch Ester, and now something greater, the rebirth of Finn and Henrik," Tristan specified.
Henrik? Klaus steeled himself not to look at Elijah. He didn't want the little prick to know he was surprised.
"What's the catch, Tristan? What do you want?" Klaus said evenly.
"We will reunite your happy little family, aside from Ester, whom I'm afraid is with her dear sister, but we will need just a small token of your appreciation," Tristan remarked, he enjoyed toying with them so.
"Tell them," Mikael demanded.
"All I need is a quantity of your blood, your doppelgänger, and the harvest witch that your son Marcus, Klaus, has obtained. Your father has complied with his end of the bargain and is willing to throw himself on your mercy in order to reunite with his other long-dead children," Tristan went on.
"Tristan de Martel, explain what the catch is before we rip you to shreds right here in this sterile boardroom," Elijah said getting up and vamping over to Tristan.
"Oh, if you don't comply Finn and Henrick will be dead again before nightfall," Tristan said, walking out and leaving them alone with Mikael.
"They want Niklaus's blood or body to recreate a hybrid. They are making an army, as you may have seen from their sordid attack on your home. I may have gotten into bed with the devil, but I knew no other way to approach you," Mikael said looking down.
"Father, you hunt us without mercy for 1000 years and now you think we will let you corrupt the family we have held together. Our sweet sister Freya, or dear Rebekah who is finally happy with her lover, or Kol whose humanity has returned, or Finn, who..., never mind, how can we trust you?" Elijah asked plainly.
"Sons, please see for yourself what is in my long dead heart," Mikael said, holding out his hands to them.
Looking at each other, they each took a hand. If this was some trick, Klaus still had a dagger in his jacket that should work on even Mikael.
The first scene was a Viking festival during Yule, a big man was dragging a young Mikael across the hut by his long blond hair.
"By Odin's throat, you will not be weak, if you can survive, you can go raiding with me. Now go!" The boy was tossed out of the hut in the freezing storm and left to fend for himself. He fought a wolf pack off with a sharpened stick to survive. He came back days later a bloody mess to find that his father had already left without him.
Then, they saw another village across the sea where Vikings raided and killed most of the people, a young blond woman and her brown hair sister were dragged off into the ship to be sold as slaves. The boy was older now and gave the girl food and water, as her sister was forced to perform spells in another hut. They saw it was Freya, and she and Mikael married, leaving Dahlia to rot.
They saw Mikael spin a little blond girl around. He laughed and said, "I named my sword after you, Freya. It is called Rawthul, after the dawn sun. It's hilt is golden, like the color of your hair."
"Think of me in battle, Father. Be victorious!" the child cried smiling.
"You will always be by my side," Mikael said holding her tightly.
The next scene was Mikael coming home to hear that Freya was dead to the plague. Then, Mikael, now harder, a pregnant Ester, and Finn took a ship to the New World. More children. The land prospered. Mikael was teaching his sons to hunt, Nikaus fumbled with the bow and Mikael told him that he must be strong. The blades went missing, Mikael caught Klaus carving figures from the White Oak tree. Elijah tried to stop Mikael from beating Niklaus. "Do you want to be next? He is weak!" Mikael continued the whipping until Niklaus was almost dead.
The whole family cowered in the caves while the wolves turned under the full moon above. Klaus had to see this, Henrik followed him. The pack caught their scent. Henrik was bloody and broken and dead. Ester screaming, Niklaus begging her to save him. Mikael forcing Ester to do the spell. Klaus killing, then turning on the full moon. Another spell to stop the wolf. Then, Mikael finding Ester's dead corpse falling to his knees.
"I will avenge you, good wife, but all the gods I swear this."
Mikael hunting, razing cities, draining ancient vampires, hunting, but always alone. Then, a seer told him that his Freya would rise every hundred years and some of the hatred melted in his heart. Something began to change.
The connection broke and Klaus and Elijah were breathing heavily. They had felt everything Mikael had.
"How was that possible?" Elijah gasped.
"The seer let it be known to me that I could do that. I know it is no excuse, but I thought if maybe you could see some-," Mikael started.
"What? That we would forgive you? We had to stop you from killing Niklaus more than once. You never spared a single kind word for any of us. And the worst part is, we still loved you, respected you, needed you," Elijah huffed.
"You hated me because I reminded you of yourself? I'm not even of your blood. How is that possible?" Klaus choked out, amazed.
"I do not know. From the time you were young, I saw you as me. I was afraid you would have my weaknesses, my fears. I needed you to be strong, to be hard, and you never were until the day that I cut that necklace off you and...," Mikael recalled.
"I fought you. As soon as Mother's little charm keeping me weak was off, I almost bested you. You impaled me through the shoulder and pinned me to a tree! I was but a boy! You left me for dead" Klaus yelled.
"I know you can never forgive me. I will not ask it. I would give anything, though, to go back. Let me show you through actions, not hollow words that I have changed. You owe me nothing. I know that. Let me see all of you. Please," Mikael pleaded.
Elijah looked at his phone finally. He saw a message from Freya saying that Henrik was alive, but very sick.
"I think I may have a plan," Elijah said, calling Freya back.
Rebekah kidnapped the witch using the cursed shackles. Rebekah and Davina snuck out of St. Anne's went on a road trip to hunt her down. They finally found her in Lafayette, about two hours from New Orleans.
"She didn't get too far did she?" Davina laughed as Rebekah blasted the music in her red corvette.
"Want to drive, love?" Rebekah asked.
"Sure, but I don't have a license," Davina admitted.
"That's fine. I can't be destroyed, but if you wreck this car, Marcel will be a little ticked. Oh, darn, I guess we better focus on the witch. Your locator spell put her exactly where?" Rebekah asked looking at the map.
Marcel had found the name of a witch who had been sentenced to the Fauline Cottage for using sacrifice magic. She had gone on the run to escape her fate. Davina concocted a spell that would allow Rebekah to compel the witch to think that she was Harvest girl Davina Claire. For hours, they filled this witch's head with details that would let her pass as Davina herself. Davina knew the Ancestors would frown on this and most likely punish her, but so many in the coven were dead, that for a time, they were stuck with her. They would tell the Strix that she was body jumped to explain the change in appearance.
Elijah had been having Elena drain her mystical blood for him for months at the Lake House. He convinced Tristan to accept this in lieu of the doppelgänger's life. Elijah had the blood shipment arranged and kept stressing that the amount of blood he had was more than Elena's whole body contained. There was no need to kill her.
As to the Originals blood, it was very dangerous for them to turn their blood over to the Strix yet after discussion, Tristan admitted that they already had some qualities through the sire line of vampires. The Strix reverse engineered Tristan's blood to get Elijah's, etc. Klaus gave three vials and Elijah did the same reluctantly. The Strix had to agree not to make any progeny from this blood or use it for any binding spells.
The brothers knew they would rue the day they gave in to the Strix, but they wanted to save their brother, Henrik. Neither could trust Mikael, but for the sake of Freya, they decided to try. The Strix also threw in a few bonus rewards. For Kol's blood, they would remove the Hunter's mark from Jeremy. For Rebekah's blood, they were reduce Tyler's bloodlust.
"It was all a set-up wasn't it? The hunters, Jeremy, Tyler..." Klaus grumbled.
"I'm not sure. I think Dahlia was our family problem. Did you notice Mother in that memory. She was having a fine time while Dahlia was dirty and covered in bruises. What kind of sister was she? And Ester marries a man whose tribe murdered the entire village? I almost felt for Dahlia," Elijah admitted.
"They knew that I blamed myself for Henrik's death. Will he remember us? Will he remember his terrible death? Will he forgive us?" Niklaus wondered.
"Niklaus, there is nothing to forgive. Nothing. Now come, let us board and be done with this continent. We have had some fine times here, but Europe is not our home. The children and our siblings await us," Elijah said gripping his arm.
"Always and forever, Brother," Klaus said following him.
Freya came up behind Tyler and put her arm around him.
"Thank you. You have taken such good care of them, Hon," she said putting her head on his shoulder.
"Well, Finn seems to have forgotten that I was the one who shot him in the chest with a crossbow, so I think he likes me now. Somewhat," Tyler admitted.
"Good. Did Henrik drink the shake?" Freya asked putting up the can.
"Sorry. No luck there," Tyler said quietly.
"Hello, Nik called before they left. They should be here tomorrow morning," Kol shared.
"So your dad will be here? Should we call him 'gramps?'" Tyler smiled.
"Well, he was never the warm and fuzzy type with us. Freya, what do you think?" Kol asked politely. He knew how excited she was.
"If he is half the father I recall, he will be fine. If he tries to kill any of you, I'll put him in a coma or paralysis him for a few hundred year. You have my word on that, Brother," Freya smiled. She would do anything to protect her new family even if she had to do that from her own father, she would.
"That's good enough for me," Kol shared as he and Tyler went back upstairs.
"Ah, Uncle Kol?" Tyler started.
"Aye, Tyler?" Kol replied.
"You know how Dad said that if I got in trouble when he was away..." Tyler cringed.
"That you would get double when he got back?" Kol finished.
"Do you think he means it? I mean, d-do you have to t-tell him?" Tyler stuttered.
"My dear boy, first of it, if I didn't, my arse is on the line for lying and disobeying him. Second of all, he already knows. It was either me or Freya, or both of us who told him and Elijah. Third of all, yes, he means it. Trust me, I know from experience," Kol mentioned.
"Shit!" Tyler groaned.
"Hey, it's not just about you getting your backside handed to ya, it's about if these Strix pricks have been messing with you magically. Do you understand that all of your aggression may have been enhanced so they get what they want? This Tristan arsehole is a real con dressed up in fancy clothes. He was like best friends with Finn, now that I think of it," Kol rambled.
"Okay, that makes sense," Tyler said glumly figuring that his dad was most likely going to reinforce the lesson his uncle taught him the night he ditched Caroline in the woods. She still was not answering his calls, but she could have been grounded.
"If anyone asks me, I'll tell them you had a bloody good hiding. I mean without Freya's salve, you'd still be sitting on that pillow for dinner tonight," Kol laughed punching him lightly in the arm.
"Ouch! Thanks, Uncle Kol. I really hope everything works out with your dad and Henrik gets better soon," Tyler shared.
"Don't mention this to Freya, but our father was the meanest son of a bitch in our village. He was a great hunter and fierce warrior, but gods, the man was terrifying. He would just stare at me with his ice blue eyes sometimes and not say anything. You know, I was the one always full of mischief and tricks. But Mikael never came down on me like he did Nik.I was good at magic from the time I was small, which Mikael didn't really like, but he never tried to stop me. I should have been the one he hated, that he beat the worst, but it wasn't, it was always Nik. None of us ever knew why. I guess that is what I want to know is why," Kol said sadly.
Tyler frowned, "Can you ask him? When he gets here?"
Kol thought a second, "I don't think I even spoke one word to him first. And you know how much I talk. Never. That's what this man was like. Terrifying. I just don't see how he could have changed after spending 1000 years trying to kill us."
Jeremy slept surprisingly well considering the drama the night before. Alaric was driving him over to Damon's house. As usual, Elena and Stefan were at the Lake House. Jeremy tried not to think of how a dirty, blood sucking vampire was ruining his sister's life.
When they got to the Salvatore Boarding House, Alaric mentioned that he need to run some errands and would be back to pick him up after. Jeremy got out of the car and slammed the door shut.
Jeremy rang the doorbell and no one answered. He finally opened the door and yelled, "Damon, it's me. Jeremy."
"Oh, Little Gilbert. I didn't recognize you without your crossbow? Come on in," Damon quipped.
"Look, ah, Damon," Jeremy started, wanting to get his apology over with.
"Where's Ric? You didn't mistake him for a vamp and stake him through the heart or anything, right? Should I call Liz Forbes?" Damon said in a serious hush.
"No, Damon, you don't have to call the sheriff. Ric isn't even a vampire, by the way, so your joke makes no sense. I know you are trying to get me mad to see if I will freak out again. I won't," Jeremy stormed.
"Well, Jer, it seems like you are getting a wee bit huffy. Is it your time of the month? I could get you some midol," Damon asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Look, Damom. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to..." Jeremy faltered now seeing anger on Damon's handsome features.
"What? Stabbed me with vervain, shot me full of poison arrows, and then netted me with a freaking vervain soaked net. It burned like acid," Damon shouted.
Jeremy's face fell. He didn't realize that he had tortured Damon so badly with Ric's hunting supplies.
"Ric already yelled at me and span-," Jeremy was too embarrassed to admitted that Ric had punished him.
"Oh, you got your violent little butt spanked? I guarantee a few cracks on your bare ass do not equate the agony you put me through. If you weren't Elena's little brother, I would have taken off your..." Damon took a deep breath and stopped himself. He had a little brother. If someone talked to Stefan like this he would probably drain them dry. Then again, if Stefan did this, he would wear that boy out.
Damon noticed Jeremy was crying.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. The freaking mark, it's making me want to do things. I keep thinking about how Stefan takes Elena away and we never see her anymore. If you want to torture me, go ahead. I deserve it," Jeremy sobbed.
Damon blew out his breath. Damn this kid. He wanted to be pissed at him, but Jeremy was just pitiful. Alaric had filled him in on last night and he knew Alaric had punished him. Not severely enough in Damon's opinion, but the kid did have the whole hunter's mark thing happening.
"Okay, let me get my iron maiden and then we'll give you a nice stretch on the rack and end with thumb screws," Damon said laughing at Jeremy's scared expression.
"Come here, you idiot," Damon smirked pulling Jeremy into a hug. He let Jeremy cry for a minute, before pulling back.
"Jeremy, the next time you get the urge to attack someone, tell one of us. I swear we won't get mad. Yes, I might make fun of you, but we'll deal with it. Now, get out of here, my soap is coming on," Damon said glancing at his watch.
"You and Ric already talked didn't you?" Jeremy groaned.
"Gee, you should be a private detective. He is my best friend, ya know," Damon confessed.
"I know now. Thanks, Damon. The next time you come over, I will be nicer," Jeremy said leaving. He felt better. The urge to hurt was still there, but not like last night. Although Damon tried not to show it, sometimes he actually wasn't that much of a dick.