Town Hall
"Why did you exchange numbers with that boy and let him leave with our mayor?" Pastor Young questioned Meredith once only Town Council members were left in the room. "Did you not hear that he's a witch?
He made a pact with the Devil and killed vampires to gain whatever dark powers he possesses so that he could become the Devil's right-hand! Why else would he be having dinner with vampires and..."
"And enough, Pastor Young." Meredith interrupted, walking over to where Kol held Carol hostage, looking for some of Kol's blood, but it seemed like none spilled on the floor, prompting Meredith to look for Scott's but there wasn't a trace of it anywhere either, to her confusion and disappointment. "That boy saved our lives.
If it wasn't for him, Carol would be a vampire and Coroner would definitely be dead and maybe we would have been turned into vampires as well or killed. Scott saved us and gave us some things to think about.
There are more creatures out there than vampires and only three have been confirmed to us; vampires, werewolves and witches. And we know there are more in New Orleans and they have a community there and Scott is its king.
We need him on our side to expand our knowledge on supernatural creatures and their community and help us contain vampires."
"And then what?" Coroner inquired.
"And then we will see where to from there." Meredith responded. "For now, our goal is to lay low but keep our eyes and ears open. I understand where you're coming from, Pastor Young.
I know everyone is unnerved by what happened in this room today and everything that was revealed, including Sheriff Forbes hiding Caroline's vampire status. But we have to pull ourselves together, take a few steps back and look at everything, the bigger picture we are only starting to see.
We will deal with Sheriff Forbes keeping us in the dark and likely feeding Caroline and Stefan sensitive Town Council information soon; when we have changed the way we do things so that whatever advantage the vampires gained over us from Sheriff Forbes is void."
With that, everyone departed, with Malcolm hurrying to get home so as to update Lorenzo, glad that he didn't have to save Stefan himself, and Meredith lingered in the room, trying to see if there truly wasn't any blood for a sample buy found none.
TRANSITION
Lockwood House
Before Tyler could greet Carol, he found himself in a tight and warm embrace, courtesy of his mother, to his confusion and shock as he couldn't remember the last time they hugged, hence he tensed a little bit and she noticed but didn't let go. She couldn't.
After almost becoming something that would have robbed her of the ability to hug her son because of the blood thirst that came with being a vampire, Carol didn't want to take the chance she still had for granted and when Tyler relaxed and returned the hug, she couldn't hold back the tears that fell down her cheeks.
"I love you, Tyler." She told him. "I love you more than you'll ever comprehend. I know I don't say it as often as I should but I love you, my son."
A confused Tyler looked at Lydia behind Carol, wondering what was going on, but Lydia didn't provide any clues or an answer.
"I love you too, mom." Tyler said, for though he didn't say or do much to show it, more so lately, he did love his mother, and then asked when they separated. "But what's going on?"
"I... I'll tell you after we've had dinner." Carol replied, wanting to spend as much time with Tyler as possible with him seeing her as just his mother and not his mother who tried to have his friend killed in front of her mother. "For now, I just want you to help me make dinner. Who is your friend?"
"She's actually my friend Hinata." Lydia responded to Carol asking Tyler about Hinata who went to Lydia's side.
"Oh."
"What were you thanking them (Charl'z and Lydia) for?" Tyler inquired, having heard them.
"I'll tell you later." Carol said, and then looked at Charl'z and Lydia to thank them one more time. "Thank you."
Lydia just nodded her head in acknowledgement before Carol left to take a shower, after which she was going to cook dinner with Tyler, glad that she always kept spare clothes in her car, having changed the blouse she wore in the morning with Kol's blood with a clean one.
"What's going on, Lydia?" Tyler asked after Carol left.
"Your mother will tell you." Lydia replied. "Just give her the chance to explain everything. Call if you need anything, OK?"
"OK." Tyler responded, seeing Charl'z, Hinata and Lydia out. "Does it have anything to do with why you suddenly left earlier?"
"Yes." Lydia responded. "And about that, I'll be in town for a few days, so we'll finish up our talk and tour."
Tyler acknowledged and with that, Charl'z, Hinata and Lydia left.
TRANSITION
Lydia and Scott's Apartment
"What do you think she wants?" Ayanda asked Scott who was looking at Meredith's contact card.
"I don't know. Maybe an alliance." Scott replied. "She said that we are not their enemy and that the Town Council plans to have the law protect wolves in the area."
"Ah, because we're at the top of the food chain." Ayanda responded, rolling her eyes. "Humans. Not even a day here and we're already in the middle of local politics."
"Tell me about it." Scott commented with a sigh, before they heard a knock at the apartment door.
"I'll get it." Ayanda said, and did just that.
Upon opening the door, she was met with Bonnie and Sky and granted them entry.
"I thought you would be living in a huge mansion for your stay here since you're a supernatural king." Bonnie told Scott once they arrived in the television room, with Ayanda asking if she wanted something to drink and she declined.
"Being a supernatural king doesn't mean I have money to waste, Bonnie." Scott replied, but the way Ayanda and Sky looked at him said otherwise and Bonnie pointed that out.
"That's not what their faces are saying."
"The money that I have isn't a consequence of being king and I know the value of money and spending it well." Scott responded. "How are Caroline and Stefan?"
"They're recovering. I left Stefan at Ele-Ric's house, so Ric is looking after him and Caroline's mother is looking after her." Bonnie answered. "Thanks for saving them and everything."
"You should be thanking Lydia, and maybe Kol, not me."
"I'm glad kingship hasn't gone to your head." Bonnie said. "I thank all of you, though. If it wasn't for you..."
"Don't think about it."
"How can I not? I almost lost my last best friend and Kol almost turned Tyler's mother into a vampire and you almost lost your friend trying to rescue mine. How is she even alive right now?"
"Pack trade secret." Scott replied.
"A coven trade secret for a pack trade secret, then?" Bonnie proposed.
"You said you weren't in a coven."
"I'm not, but I descend from an ancient and very powerful witch coven and I have access to its collective knowledge base." Bonnie said, and Scott went silent for a moment, tempted, before he responded.
"You're a spirit and traditional magic practitioner, Bonnie. The kind of magic I tapped into for that spell is not magic you want to try out, especially with spirit magic as one of your specialty."
"I don't care what kind of magic it is. I've had enough of losing people I care about, Scott. I want to protect them like you protect the people you care about."
"Doing it will turn the Spirits against you and they will deny you access to spirit magic." Scott informed. "Do you really want that? Spirit magic isn't as limited as traditional magic is when it comes to power, so if you lose access to it, you'll lose the most powerful form of magic you practice.
You'll be left with just traditional magic; magic that we both know isn't enough to help you defend yourself against powerful people like Klaus, his pack and Kol. Aside from that, no offense, but you physically can't handle the spell, Bonnie.
When I did the spell, I wasn't sure it would work. But now that I know it works, I also know its price and it would cost you your life. We spoke about this, Bonnie. You can't default now."
Before Bonnie could retort, they heard the apartment door being opened before Lydia entered with Charl'z and Hinata, with takeaway food in hand while Lydia carried a paper bag with Carol's bloodied blouse, having taken it off Carol's hands to dispose of it.
"Scott!" Lydia called for Scott while Charl'z and Hinata went to the kitchen with takeaway to fix everyone a plate.
"In here!" Scott responded.
"You have some explaining to do!" Lydia said, heading towards the television room, but once she arrived and saw Bonnie, she paused. "Hi."
"Hey." Bonnie returned the greeting.
"Since we didn't have much time to do proper introductions; Lydia, meet Bonnie, and Bonnie meet Lydia, the friend I told you about." Scott made the introductions.
"You were with Scott the day he called, right?" Bonnie asked.
"Yep." Lydia answered, taking a seat.
"I..." Bonnie went to speak but was interrupted by her phone alerting her of a notification she knew was reminding her of her training. "I have to go (she said with a sigh). Thanks for helping me save my friends and I'm sorry you (Lydia) almost died saving them."
"Uh, you're welcome and no problem." Lydia replied, and with that Bonnie said her byes although she was introduced to Charl'z and Hinata before she left after reaching an agreement with Scott about keeping in touch about tomorrow's dinner.
"Does Malia know that you're making dinner plans with Bonnie?" Lydia inquired.
"Not yet but it's not what you think it is." Scott responded. "We met Klaus and Kol earlier and Klaus invited us to dinner to celebrate his pack getting an official name, Hybrid Pack, after I called it that. Klaus is just using that as an excuse for inviting us to his house 'for dinner', though.
He knows what happened in New Orleans and that I'm 'the boy who sits on [his] throne with Marcellus'."
"So that's the dinner you and Kol were talking about."
"Yeah." Scott said.
"Does anyone smell blood?" Sky asked.
"It's Kol's." Lydia replied, properly closing the paper bag to spare the others from smelling the blood. "I promised Carol to get rid of her blouse for her since it has Kol's blood on it."
"How is she?" Scott inquired, while Ayanda and Sky left the room to help Charl'z and Hinata with food, just an excuse to leave Lydia and Scott.
"As well as she can be after what happened and what almost happened. What a way to meet my long lost aunt."
"I'm sorry."
"What's wrong with us, Scott?" Lydia inquired. "What did we do to deserve this?
Allison had Gerard and Kate for a grandfather and an aunt, Malia has Peter for a biological father and the Desert Wolf for a biological mother, you have the Mikaelsons for a biological paternal family and I had a banshee who drove someone to madness for a paternal grandmother.
And we just saved my long lost aunt I just discovered from being turned into a vampire because she intended to kill a teenage girl she watched grow up because she's a vampire with her group of speciesists and your uncle was about to turn the tables on them."
"There's nothing wrong with us, Lydia." Scott said. "I don't want to believe there's anything wrong with us. I've just started to truly accept what and who I am and I'm not about to start believing there's something wrong with us, with me.
We are people who are just different, and our lives are just as different. I used to believe that I deserved to have asthma because I was to blame for my parent's divorce, somehow. But I'm not. They made their own decisions and they did their own actions to reach the point they reached.
It wasn't Allison's fault that Gerard and Kate turned out the way they did. It isn't Malia's fault that Peter killed Laura, bit us and made our lives hell and went around killing people and it's not her fault she had Corrine for a biological mother who wanted to kill her and killed Stiles.
It's not my fault that the Mikaelsons are my family and it's definitely not your fault that your grandmother did what she did, nor is it your fault that your aunt is a member of Mystic Falls Town Council and has done everything she's done, including what led us to the Town Hall.
We are only responsible for our actions and their consequences. Whether we deserve any of this or not doesn't matter. We matter. Our lives matter. Our happiness and well-being matters. Anyone who tells us otherwise doesn't matter.
I chose to overlook everything I've heard about the Mikaelsons and what Rebekah did and gave her a chance because she's family. And I'm not innocent. You chose to save your aunt because she's family too.
If they disappoint us and waste the chances we've given them, we'll have new choices to make. But there is nothing wrong with us. I repeat; we are people who are just different, and our lives are just as different.
Fortunately, we have a very special group of friends who understand us and we understand and we have each other. You have me to tell you that there is nothing wrong with you and whether or not you deserve any of this doesn't matter. You matter.
Your first meeting with your aunt might not have been as you would have liked, neither was mine with my aunt, but because of you, she's not a vampire, the one thing her son is driven to hunt over everything else in the world on an instinctive level."
Lydia took a moment to let that sink in, and thankfully, she was given that moment as Scott needed it too and Ayanda, Charl'z, Hinata and Sky, who were eavesdropping, looked at each other as though to say; this is the reason we're here and not home.
The four guards were certain their respective former alphas made the right choice in submitting their alpha statuses to Scott McCall. He was young, but he was a true alpha, a real alpha, and still had room to grow.
"Thanks, Scott." Lydia thanked after the moment. "I really needed to hear that."
"I think I needed to hear that too." Scott replied. "To Bonnie and Caroline, Rebekah is nothing but Klaus' sister who killed their best friend. And though they don't have a problem with me killing Katherine, Rebekah and I aren't that different.
We kind of killed the same person and Rebekah killed Elena to punish Stefan for breaking her heart while I took away Stefan's vampire abilities to punish him for attempting to do whatever it was Klaus instructed Greta to get him to do to those learners.
Hearing Kol's reason for attempting to turn your aunt and his decision to kill the man who stopped Caroline's mother from helping Caroline and said all those things he said, showed me that I might not be as different as I think I am from my biological father and his siblings.
All I needed was a reason I deemed enough to justify asking you all to risk your lives, again, to save people you don't know and..."
"And we're grateful you did." Sky interrupted, entering the room with the others, plates in hand. "Or else more of our people would be suffering and more generations would be born and raised under Lucien, Marcel and Vampire Faction's thumb with the other factions looking the other way."
"We understand the weight of the decision you made and that for you, the reason doesn't really justify the action because you still think about it and it eats at you." Charl'z added as they placed the plates accordingly.
"Most people would think you're living the high life and only worried about alphahood and kingship things and although you are worried about those things, we know the truth." Hinata said. "You gave the people who wronged us three options; beneficial servitude, death and imprisonment.
For those that chose death, you asked Vincent to link all of them to each other so that when one was killed, they would all die so that they wouldn't suffer the psychological torture of awaiting their deaths while witnessing the deaths of those that came before them.
And you took the responsibility of doing the deed yourself and for one reason and one reason alone; so that no one else would carry the weight of your decision as Alpha. I know what you went through after that.
I was one of those who were watching over you that week and I know the cost you paid for our justice, the cost of justice you carry for all of Vampire Faction's victims and survivors."
"You might believe that you're not that different from Klaus, Kol and Rebekah, but you are." Ayanda added. "Because of you, all species in New Orleans are equal, even in the French Quarter, the very center of the cities' power in all its forms.
Many families in the pack have proper roofs over their heads after years without them and parents have jobs and earn enough money to provide for their families and their children are enjoying their childhood like a lot of us didn't get to.
Young adults have opportunities to attend college and do something with their lives. Don't get me started on the measures you've taken to protect those closest to you. You, my alpha, are unlike any other person I know.
Rebekah is right, you are a Mikaelson, but you're nothing like them. If you were, we wouldn't have sworn to serve you for as long as we live and protect you with our lives."
Scott found himself overwhelmed with everything that was said and Lydia allowed him his moment as well. But once he calmed down and everyone began to eat, she asked.
"What measures did you take to protect those closest to you, exactly, Scott? You said that you would explain."
"I asked Belasko to find a spell that can transfer your fatal injuries to me." Scott answered.
"You did what?!"
"I can handle the pain, Lydia. But I can't handle losing you." Scott responded, pausing eating, as did everyone. "Since I unlocked my tribrid status and tasted blood for the first time, I've been feeling things more intensely than before.
I've been trying to adjust and manage them but trust me, losing you would definitely be worse than losing Allison and Stiles on an emotional level because my emotions are super heightened now and I'm super aware of them.
I didn't tell anyone about the spell because I didn't know if it worked."
What Scott didn't say was that although he prepared the spell before they left Beacon Hills, he linked it with Lucien's death and then finalized it with his (Lucien's) body and the magic that burned the body to dust, which included ancestral magic, and the spell took effect when Lucien's body became nothing but dust.
The magic that made the spell and empowered it to a point that it transferred not just the fatal injuries and pain to Scott, with the targets who received the injury or injuries feeling the initial but minimum pain, but also the cause, like the arrow, included;
ancestral magic, blood magic, dark magic, elemental magic (fire), sacrificial magic and traditional magic.
"Another reason I didn't tell anyone is because I don't want you to depend on the spell. It has its limits like every other spell." Scott continued to explain. "Some of which I probably don't know."
"But, Scott..."
"You would have done the same thing if you were in my place, Lydia. Well, maybe not the exactly same thing, but you would have tried something along the lines if you had my abilities and a body strong enough to heal as quickly as mine can."
"Yeah, but..." Lydia said, finding that she couldn't really argue with Scott there. "But you (SPGs) better keep a closer eye on him (Scott)."
"We will definitely do that." Sky replied.
"Since there are people who know about the spell and how it affects you (Scott), they might take advantage of it."
"I know." Scott responded. "And that is why I'm glad you came with that (he pointed at the paper bag with Carol's blood stained blouse). I saw Kol looking at you in fear, and smelled it too, when you attacked his ear. It was actually more like terror.
For some reason, he's terrified of you and I want to make sure he doesn't act on that terror."
"I thought I was seeing things." Lydia said, having noticed how Kol reacted to her. "It's probably because I'm a banshee. Some people are terrified of harbingers of death, especially when they meet them in person and know it.
But what are you going to do with the blouse? The blood on it, I mean."
"I don't know. Yet. I can think of something or have the ravens look for a spell that can prevent Kol from being able to physically attack you on an instinctive level. I know you can take care of yourself but..."
"Let's see how the dinner goes." Lydia interrupted. "If he shows signs of being a threat to me, transfer my fatal injuries to him."
"It's not that easy, Lydia." Scott replied.
"Not according to Tara. I was there when she said that a witch who casts a spell can alter it and so can those from their bloodline, Scott."
"I'll find another way to make sure Kol doesn't hurt you." Scott stated, and pointedly focused on his food.
Lydia realized that Scott didn't want to ruin things with Rebekah; hence he said that he would find another way and she understood that. Especially with how Rebekah reacted when she was pissed off, Elena's death being a reminder.
"Are we all going to dinner or...?" Lydia asked, changing the subject.
"All six of us." Scott answered, and then closed his eyes to connect to Raven1 and the eyes he had on Klaus' house. "As much as I would like the others to join us, Raven1 counts eight people at Klaus' house. Bonnie and Caroline are joining us, so that's eight/eight."
"Good luck convincing Malia to stay put while we walk into your old man's den." Lydia responded.
"Thanks. I might need it."
TRANSITION
Boarding House Outside Mystic Falls/The Boarding House
"And I was a nurse around nineteen-nineteen, which is my last profession." Rebekah closed, having been answering Malia question of what she has been doing in the years she's been alive.
"A nurse?" Cora asked in disbelief.
"Yes. And a bloody great one at that."
"Because you fed all the patients your blood to heal them or actually did manual work?" Malia inquired.
"A little bit of both."
"But you never said anything about attending a medical school." Cora pointed out.
"So?" Rebekah questioned. "I'll have you know, I have hundreds of years of experience inflicting torture. I know more about bodies, organs and their functions than most nurses and doctors.
And my mother was a witch and my father a warrior who went out to fight regularly and my mother used herbs to help him heal physically and mentally every time he returned home. I know a thing or two about improving people's health, love.
Sometimes all that is needed to heal someone is an overlooked herb, other times vampire blood to speed up the healing process or something that is usually used for personal gain but could help cure, heal or manage illnesses and injuries; compulsion."
"Compulsion?" Malia asked.
"Yes. Compulsion affects the brain and the brain affects the body. Sometimes a person's brain needs to be told what to do to help them heal emotionally, mentally and physically." Rebekah replied, and received impressed looks. "All this is knowledge I learned from my mother and experience.
I didn't need to attend any school to become a great nurse, but truthfully, I would love to attend school some day."
"So, this healer thing runs in both sides of Scott's family." Cora commented.
"Fair warning about attending school; mathematics sucks." Malia warned Rebekah. "And you have to do it if you want to attend a medical school."
"I'm not sure which school I want to attend but all I'll have to do is compel myself into the school and then I'll learn whatever I need to learn at the school." Rebekah responded.
"That's not how things work." Cora said.
"Well, I managed to be accepted at Beacon Hills High as a junior after missing eight years of school, so she probably doesn't have to compel anyone to attend any school." Malia pointed out.
"That's something that logically shouldn't have happened." Cora replied thoughtfully. "Scott is right; something doesn't make sense with a lot of things in Beacon Hills, including this."
"I don't have a problem with that since I got to skip a lot of school years of mathematics." Malia responded. "But we'll look into it when we get back to Beacon Hills."
TRANSITION
Forbes House
Evening found Elizabeth watching over a sleeping Caroline, wondering what was in-store for them, her former husband and Caroline's father Bill in her mind with Coroner's words on repeat.
TRANSITION
Gilbert House
"How are you feeling?" Alaric asked Stefan who he sat with in the television room, watching one of Elena's favorite movies.
"Tired." Stefan replied. "But there's something bothering me."
"What is it?"
"Scott is a werewolf-witch hybrid and is really fast." Stefan said. "Like super fast and super strong and he's the king of a city full of supernaturals. In Kol's words; Scott destroyed the strongest faction in New Orleans all in one night with his pack.
He sided with the local werewolves to take out the strongest faction, the Vampire Faction, and by sunrise, he was the King of New Orleans."
"OK."
"What bothers me is that I lost my vampire abilities while he was in town and he let us believe that he was just a werewolf."
"You think Scott is the witch who took away your abilities?" Alaric inquired.
"Yes." Stefan responded.
TRANSITION
Lydia and Scott's Apartment
"Hey, Lydia. I'm heading out to the boarding house, OK?" Scott informed Lydia who was busy reading a book in the living room.
"Alright. Wake me up with a nice breakfast when you return tomorrow morning."
"Who said I'm going to sleep at the boarding house?"
"Please, we both know you're not returning tonight." Lydia replied, closing the book with a bookmarker. "You haven't spent a night without Malia since that elevator night, and tonight isn't going to be different."
Scott didn't deny that, but he changed the topic back to food.
"What kind of breakfast do you want?"
"Surprise me."
"OK." Scott said, heading for the door. "Good night, Lydia!"
"Good night!" Lydia responded as Scott opened the door and in flew Raven1 while out went Scott.
TRANSITION
Mystic Falls
Having decided to walk to the boarding house, Scott did just that to clear his mind. Actually, to arrange his thoughts. Starting with the fact that he missed his mother and...
"Hey, Tyler!" Scott called out, seeing Tyler sitting on a bench at the Town Square Park, watching the sky, and approached him. "What are you...? Are you OK?"
"I don't know, Scott." Tyler said as Scott joined him on the bench. "No. I'm not OK. I just found out my mother tried to kill my friends because they're vampires, and that she was almost turned into a vampire herself and was only saved by you and the others."
"Oh."
"I can't help but wonder if she'll try to kill me too when she finds out that I'm a werewolf."
"She won't." Scott assured Tyler.
"How would you know?"
"She chose to leave with us earlier instead of staying with her fellow Town Council members and the mayor's security detail." Scott responded. "Even after she saw Lydia and I display some of our abilities.
Things might be weird at the beginning, but I think your mother loves you over everything and would accept you at the end of the day and that she did what she did because she was trying to protect you.
The reasons the lady who leads the Town Council provided to justify what they tried to do are based on protecting their loved ones and Mystic Falls from vampires. They don't and didn't do it just because.
They are Mystic Falls Town Council and have to make tough decisions to keep the town going, Tyler. Including covering up strange murders that are caused by supernatural people as the infamous 'animal' attacks because if they don't, this town will fall apart.
When your mother finds out what you are, I'm sure she will be shocked but I don't think she'll try to kill you. After what happened today, I think she has a lot of introspection to do and as we speak, she has already started."
"You think so?" Tyler inquired.
"Definitely." Scott replied, and with that, they both went quiet, deep in thoughts while eyes were cast upon the sky.
"Could you, um, find out how Caroline and Stefan are doing? Please?" Tyler asked after some time. "I would check on them myself, but..."
"Sure." Scott responded. "But only if you go home right now. For both your sake and your mother's. She's not out of the woods yet. She still has vampire blood in her system and Kol might send someone to the house to finish the job.
Or capture you to force your mother to finish the job herself or invite him inside the house. As much as you're mad at her and afraid, she still loves you and I'm sure she's worried about you right now because she's still your mother and probably won't sleep until she knows that you're back home and safe."
"Fine."