Portland Airport
"When are we meeting Enzo?" Lillian asked, that being her first question while they waited for a taxi, just a few minutes after arriving in Portland, Joshua was invisible to other people except the group around Lucas' shoulders.
Instead of answering, Olivia took out her phone and called Lorenzo.
"Where are you?" She asked in greeting.
"Where you told me to be, love," Lorenzo replied, and then asked. "Where are you?"
"If you're where I told you to be, then you should see me standing straight across from you," Olivia said.
"All I see across from me is a group of... Of..." Lorenzo trailed off.
"Of Gemini and Heretics?" Olivia asked.
"Enzo?" Lillian whispered, heart, beating fast, faster than it has in a long time, seeing Lorenzo across from them.
Within a few blinks of the eye, Lorenzo super ran from across to right before Lillian, heart beating just as fast.
"Lily?" He returned the whisper, and looked at the rest of the Heretics, more than a little emotional. "Beau. Mary. Nora. Oscar. Valerie."
"You didn't give up on us," Valerie said, emotions coming to the surface.
"We're family, and family doesn't give up on family, sweetheart," Lorenzo responded.
"Speaking of family, we have to see ours," Olivia replied. "We'll keep in touch."
"Thank you." Lillian voiced her gratitude.
"You're welcome," Lucas said as he and Olivia began to leave. "See you around."
With that, the Parkers left, heading for a taxi to take them home, Lorenzo's response to Valerie echoing in their minds although they didn't say it.
"How...?" Lorenzo began to ask but was cut off by a tight embrace from Lillian that he quickly reciprocated.
"We will tell you later." She said, and so began a tearful but happy reunion.
TRANSITION
Parker House
"Where have you been?"
That was the welcome Lucas and Olivia arrived at home, a question coming from their mother who seemed to have aged in their absence and they both bowed their heads in shame for having worried her.
"We went to find a way to avoid the Merge, mom," Lucas answered.
"In a prison world?" Mrs Parker questioned.
"How...?" Olivia asked.
"I am one of the oldest and most powerful witches of Gemini and you're my flesh and blood. Where is your father?"
Lucas promptly removed the invisibility spell on Joshua and he appeared on his shoulders and then put him on a chair.
"He has some explaining to do." Mrs Parker said. "And so do you."
"Er, only Luke and I have some explaining to do, mom," Olivia responded nervously as Mrs Parker approached Joshua to check on him and then wake him.
"You're all going to explain yourselves." Mrs Parker replied, checking on Joshua.
"Aside from being hungry, he is alright. We just knocked him out with a sleeping spell." Lucas informed, and proceeded to lift the sleeping spell and Joshua woke up immediately, although groggy and hungry.
"Ah, what happened?" Joshua spoke his first words in days, waking up for the first time in as many days.
"You tell me." Mrs Parker said.
"I... Er..."
"We kidnapped you and had you send us to the 1903 prison world where we abolished the Merge and did a ritual to transfer leadership of the coven from you to us." Olivia gave a summary, and Joshua's eyes widened as his mind caught up and found that to be true.
"You did what?!" Mrs Parker reacted, shocked.
"Do you want to explain this or should I?" Olivia asked Lucas.
"You're the 'brain', do your thing." He responded. "I'll fill in the blanks."
TRANSITION
Malcolm's Apartment
"Are you sure?" Malcolm asked someone who he called to get information on Scott and his pack, and the information he got was unsettling.
"You know I triple check every information I receive, Malcolm. Scott McCall is a vampire-werewolf-witch chimaera and he doesn't just rule New Orleans. My sources say that he has his former alpha Peter Hale, the alpha that turned him, running things for him in Toulouse, France.
And that Malia Tate, a were-coyote, the first-ever alpha were-coyote and 'Crown Princess Alpha' of New Beacon Pack, rumoured to be Peter's daughter with the late Desert Wolf, will run Beacon Hills on her return. That's on top of Scott taking over everything that belonged to Lucien Castle.
Some people are even saying that since Scott defeated Lucien and took his status in New Orleans, Marcel now shares Vampire Faction leadership with Scott."
"Thanks, Shadow. I'll make the transaction right away."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Malcolm," Shadow said, and once the call ended, Malcolm sent Shadow her fee for the information but right afterwards, received a call from Lorenzo and answered it.
"You won't believe what I just found out." He said in greeting.
"You won't believe who I'm with right now," Lorenzo responded.
"How are you, sweetheart?" Lillian's voice followed, and Malcolm's world came to a sudden halt.
"Li-Lily?" He asked.
"Who else would it be, brown noser?" Valerie's voice came next.
"Val?"
And just like that, Malcolm's day lightened up and he momentarily forgot about Scott McCall, his 'chimaera' status and pack.
TRANSITION
Klaus' House
Evening found three cars parking at Klaus' house, the first being Scott's with Lydia riding shotgun, the second SPGs' and the third Bonnie's with Caroline riding shotgun.
Not a moment later, they all exited their cars, all dressed up for the occasion, and walked towards the house's front entrance together in a formation of two with Lydia and Scott in the front, then Ayanda and Sky and Bonnie and Caroline between Ayanda and Sky and Charl'z and Hinata.
They didn't have to wait for long after Scott knocked for the door to be opened by Greta.
"Good evening." She greeted, and Scott returned the greeting before she invited them in. "Klaus is..."
"Glad you accepted my invitation," Klaus interjected, approaching the group.
"So am I," Scott responded before he handed Klaus a bottle of whiskey he bought because Lydia insisted that he had to bring something.
"You brought whiskey?" Kol commented, approaching the group. "You might have just found yourself a new friend, Nik."
"That I might have, brother," Klaus replied, studying the bottle.
"Hello, love (Caroline)." Kol greeted and offered Caroline his arm. "Mind if I give you a tour of the house?"
"Only as a thank you for yesterday," Caroline said, linking her arm with his before they parted, and as they did so, Bonnie joined Lydia and Scott on the latter's side.
"Dinner will be served in..." Klaus began, and then looked at Greta.
"Forty minutes."
"Forty minutes." Klaus completed. "Greta, love, could you please show Scott's friends around while we share a glass of this fine bottle?"
"Sure."
"Enlist the others' help."
With that, Bonnie and Lydia, along with the SPGs, departed with Greta.
"You know, I've drunk just about every type of alcohol but there's none better than whiskey," Klaus said conversationally, leading Scott to his office.
"You favour whiskey?" Scott inquired.
"I do. There's just something about it."
"Can you get drunk, though?"
"There's only one way to find out," Klaus replied once they reached his office, and closed the door behind them before taking out two glasses.
TRANSITION
Forbes House
Alone at the house, Elizabeth wondered why she let Caroline go to Klaus' house, especially after yesterday. But she didn't get to wonder for long because of knocking coming from the front door and put down her coffee cup to answer it.
Upon opening the door, however, Elizabeth was met with someone she didn't want to see.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" She questioned with hostility.
"I came to apologize..." Carol responded, her eyes not meeting Elizabeth's.
"Really? You almost had my daughter killed and now you expect me to forgive you?"
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Li..."
"Don't call me Liz! Only my friends call me that." Elizabeth interrupted, although she couldn't help but realize that she had no friends to speak of.
"I know what I did is unforgivable but that doesn't mean I don't owe you an apology. I've been thinking and..."
"I'm not interested in what you have to say, Carol. Leave my house!"
"Alright," Carol said. "I am sorry, Li-Elizabeth. But at least your daughter is still alive, I can't say the same about Richard."
With that, Carol left, leaving Elizabeth, who realized that at least a part of Carol still blamed her for Richard Lockwood being burned alive and killed with the tomb vampires not so long ago by her deputies, standing at the door.
Although Elizabeth wasn't responsible for Richard's death, she remembered one death she was responsible for; Jeremy Gilbert's, and she regretted and was sure would forever be on her conscious.
Hence her mind called her a hypocrite, for if the Town Council caught another vampire and not her daughter, she wouldn't have minded as much, and not so long ago, she was in Carol's place and thought that the Caroline she raised, her little girl, was no more.
Elizabeth acknowledged that she wasn't that different from Carol, and maybe like her, Carol just needed to have her eyes opened and realize that not all vampires were mindless creatures whose only priority was drinking human blood and killing.
Seeing that Carol was still at the house, having not driven away after getting inside her car, Elizabeth released a long sigh before she decided to speak with her.
TRANSITION
Klaus' House
Cora, Malia and Rebekah arrived outside the house, already having activated their invisibility necklaces, and decided to use Scott's car to stake out in and listened to what was going on inside the house.
CUT
Inside the house, Hayley and Nate helped Greta show Bonnie, Lydia and the SPGs around the house while Kol did the same with Caroline. Speaking of...
"How are you?" Kol asked Caroline as they paused in front of a painting of a large snowflake beside one of the large flames, both Klaus'.
"I'm fine," Caroline replied, looking at the painting.
"Are you? You can tell me if you're not." Kol said. "You can also tell me if you want revenge."
"I am fine and I don't want revenge, Kol."
"What do you want?"
"From you? Nothing." Caroline responded.
"You don't like me, don't you?"
"Your brother and sister..."
"Have nothing to do with me." Kol interrupted, a little annoyed. "Don't use them as an excuse because I have nothing to do with their actions. If you don't like them so much, what are you doing here, love?"
"I was invited."
"Being invited doesn't mean you have to accept, that's why it's called an invitation."
"Not when one of my best friends was killed in this house the last time we were invited and my last best friend accepted a second invitation."
"So, you're here for your friend, the powerful witch you're not even with right now? Don't you trust Scott and his pack to protect her? After all, they did come to your rescue yesterday." Kol inquired.
"You know, I was wondering when you would bring up Scott and his pack and I must say, I'm disappointed that you think so low of me that it only took you a minute to ask me about them. I'm insulted. Thanks for the short tour but no thanks." Caroline said, and promptly left Kol alone to find Bonnie and the others.
CUT
On another part of the house, Klaus' office, Klaus noticed Scott's lack of whiskey appreciation even though the bottle he bought was one of the best whiskey bottles in the game, not a surprise there since Scott was young, and so Klaus took that as an opportunity.
"You know, there's more to drinking alcohol, especially whiskey, than getting drunk," Klaus said. "There's an art to it."
"There's an art to getting drunk?" Scott asked, brows furrowed.
"There's an art to drinking whiskey." Klaus corrected calmly. "You see, Scott, you don't just drink it, you appreciate it (he said while gazing into his glass of whiskey before taking in its scent, eyes closed, appreciation clear in his expression).
You take it in as it is and explore it like you would a woman's body and appreciate and interpret artwork. You take your time, let your eyes take it in and let your nose lead you. Every whiskey brand has a unique aroma that brings out the art I'm talking about.
Once you find that unique aroma with your nose, the next step is tasting it and you do that with a sip. But instead of swallowing, you hold the whiskey in your mouth and roll it over your tongue and let your taste buds do their job for a few seconds, and then swallow."
Klaus practised what he preached and took the time to savour the sip of whiskey even as it went down his throat.
"Give it a try." He encouraged, afterwards. "You'll understand what I'm talking about once you experience it."
Scott couldn't decide how he felt about learning how to drink alcohol like a champ from his oblivious biological father, especially with Rafael having had a problem with drinking, but since he couldn't get drunk, he supposed he might as well explore other effects of alcohol.
He gazed at the whiskey in his glass, trying to find whatever Klaus saw in it without success.
"How do you feel when you look at the full moon?" Klaus asked, seeing Scott wasn't getting it. "Picture the whiskey as a full moon in liquid form in a glass."
That seemed to give Scott something to focus on and Klaus saw when the picture took effect in Scott's mind and as Scott swirled it, he moved on to scenting the whiskey, eyes closed, Klaus subtly took in a deep breath, looking to take in Scott's scent to see if he could confirm that Scott was a tribrid.
Unfortunately for him, Scott was still hiding his true scent, hence Klaus only got his werewolf scent.
"Vanilla? Vanilla is used to make Whiskey?" Scott inquired, identifying the scent of vanilla.
"Your sense of smell is sharp," Klaus noted. "Vanilla isn't an ingredient. What you're smelling is one of the classic flavours resulting from whiskey being aged in wooden barrels. You could say it's a side effect."
That cleared up, Scott proceeded to take a sip and then rolled it over his tongue. His taste buds exploded with flavour he didn't notice before and the vanilla was more expressed. By the time the whiskey went down Scott's oesophagus, he understood what Klaus was talking about.
"Whoa!" Scott expressed.
"There you have it, and It only gets better from here," Klaus responded. "If you add a little bit of water to it..."
Klaus was interrupted by Kol opening the office door and entering before closing it behind him and got himself a glass before sitting beside Scott and poured himself some whiskey from the bottle Klaus and Scott were sharing and downed it all in one go.
"Where are your manners, Kol?" Klaus questioned, annoyed as Kol poured himself another glass but didn't drink it right away.
"Why are girls so frustrating?" Kol asked, instead.
"The answer is in your question, brother. They are girls, what do you expect? I'm assuming things didn't go well with Caroline."
"How could they not when she's hellbent on thinking the worst of me and disliking me just because I'm related to you and Rebekah?!" Kol replied, visibly upset. "I wasn't even asking anything about you (Scott) but she jumped to conclusions.
Why the hell would I want to talk about you when I just want to speak with her?!"
"You tell me," Scott retorted. "Why would Caroline jump to conclusions about you asking questions about me? It's not like you revealed what and who I am and what I did in New Orleans to a group of people who kidnapped and tried to kill her.
You can't go around revealing people's secrets and expect them to trust you and not get suspicious when you ask questions, especially about the same person you exposed."
"I..."
"Scott is right, Kol," Klaus said.
"Why am I not surprised that you're taking his side, Nik?" Kol questioned, disappointed.
"I'm not siding with Scott, I'm agreeing with his logic," Klaus replied. "But something doesn't make sense. If you believe what you said, Scott, why did you reveal people's secrets and how did you manage to convince New Orleans that you're the better leader afterwards?"
"I didn't convince anyone about anything," Scott responded. "You know, I thought you would go about this subtly without alerting me that you were digging for information, but it seems like I was wrong.
You're not even trying to hide that this dinner is just an excuse to learn more about me and my pack firsthand."
"What's the point?" Klaus asked. "You accepted it to learn more about me and my family. We're not so different, Scott."
"I accepted your invitation because I want to know if you're going to be a problem for me and my pack," Scott said. "I've heard a lot about you, the Originals, and I know you (Klaus) used to be King of New Orleans. I killed the first vampire you turned, Lucien Castle, and..."
"And you did me a favour," Kol interjected. "I didn't like that guy."
"And I'm the boy who sits on your throne with your old friend 'Marcellus'." Scott continued, surprising the brothers as they noted he had been eavesdropping on them at the Grill. "And I want to know if you have a vendetta against me and/or Marcel."
"Did Marcellus send you here?" Klaus inquired.
"No," Scott replied and then asked. "Do you have a vendetta against us?"
"Against you? No. Against Marcellus? I have unfinished personal business with him that has nothing to do with you." Klaus answered. "I hope you'll not get involved."
"As long as your business with Marcel stays personal and between the two of you, I won't get involved."
Before anything more could be said, Klaus' phone rang with an incoming call and after checking the caller ID, Klaus excused himself to answer it, leaving the office.
"Fair warning; Nik doesn't like being told what and what not to do," Kol warned.
"Lucien, Marcel and Vampire Faction didn't like being told what and what not to do either, look where they are now," Scott responded, and then focused on appreciating his glass of whiskey like Klaus taught him.
"I don't think you understand what you're in for, Scott. Lucien was just an ordinary vampire and so is Marcel and Vampire Faction. Nik is the Original Hybrid." Kol said. "And we can't be killed."
"Who said anything about killing?" Scott asked. "Most supernaturals are vulnerable to magic, and guess what, so are original vampires and original vampire-werewolf hybrids. Thanks for the warning, though."
"You're welcome," Kol replied, and they settled into silence, drinking their glasses of whiskey before Kol stood up. "Come on, let me give you a tour of the house. You can bring your glass."
CUT
In another room, a secret soundproofed basement that housed Elijah and Finn's coffins and the white oak ash daggers and other important things to Klaus, and only Greta knew existed beside Klaus, Klaus answered the call.
"Have you found her?" He questioned in greeting, the caller being one of the private investigators he compelled to find Rebekah.
"We traced her to Nice Town and managed to obtain a couple of CCTV footage from the hotel she stayed at and a club she visited. But she left Nice Town a few days ago with companions. We don't know where she is exactly but we're sure she is in Mystic Falls."
"Come again."
"Miss Rebekah is in Mystic Falls, sir. She used her new bank card earlier today in Mystic Falls at Mystic Jewellery and then disappeared.
We haven't been able to locate where she's staying but we know one of Miss Rebekah's companions is renting three apartments at an apartment building in Town Square and that you crossed paths with three of said companions, including the one who rented the apartments."
Klaus' mind raced to figure out who the companions were and why Rebekah would return to Mystic Falls but he didn't have the time or patience to.
"Send me the footage and everything you have on Rebekah's companions and indicate which three I've crossed paths with." He instructed.
"Yes, sir."
After the call ended and while waiting to be sent what he asked for, Klaus looked at Elijah and Finn's coffins before opening Finn's and looked at his 'dead' oldest half brother.
"Hello, brother." He greeted. "I still don't know if you prefer being like this or living as a monster, but I am working on reviving your memory. I met someone who I think descends from my real father's family and ever since I've been wondering.
I've been wondering just how many of my father's descendants have I killed without knowing. I don't think I want to know, but at least I know some of my paternal family survived Mikael's wrath and there's a possibility the boy I met is a direct descendant of my real father.
I don't know what it is but I think I met my father the night Henrik was killed, but in his wolf form, and Scott, the boy I think descends from my father's family, has a similar feel to the wolf.
I have this unexplainable feeling of familiarity with him and there is this urge to bond with him. I just taught him how to properly drink whiskey and it was oddly satisfying. And troubling.
Scott is a werewolf-witch tribrid and he has two beings in his pack that could kill us, according to Kol. You would love to check if it's true, wouldn't you? Good thing you can't.
Anyway, meeting Scott has made me think about family. My family. I know we have our differences, Finn, but you're my family, and I think it's time your memory is revived. Who knows, maybe I'll revive you too and help you find a way to die if you still want to die.
If I'm considering reviving you, maybe it's time I retrieve Sage from her resting place. Poor thing, she was devastated when I told her you were 'dead' and showed her your body, well, just your dead face. She couldn't look at your 'dead' body.
She begged me to kill her because I'm an evil and heartless bastard. Of course, I couldn't. Not when she was the only thing stronger than your virtue, and you loved her and she genuinely loved you too. If only our little sister was so lucky. If only we were all so lucky. I..."
Klaus' monologue was interrupted by a notification alert on his phone and he checked to find that the private investigator had sent him an encrypted ZIP file with a hint for the password being the name of the subject capitalized.
"Let's see," Klaus said after closing Finn's coffin, opening That Nice Club's CCTV footage first.
CUT
"Why are you walking around the house unattended?" Greta questioned Caroline when the latter showed up during their tour.
"My tour guide sucked and I told him as much," Caroline replied, and then asked when she saw a painting of the Mikaelson siblings, pointing at Finn and Henrik. "Who are they?"
"More of Klaus' siblings," Bonnie answered.
"Klaus has more siblings?" Caroline inquired, surprised.
"Yep. But our tour guides aren't saying a thing about them."
"Just how many original vampires are there?"
CUT
"Who is OH?" Scott asked, seeing a landscape painting by OH, having seen paintings by OH in New Orleans at some of Lucien's former houses, including one of a redheaded woman.
"The Original Hybrid," Kol replied.
"Klaus?" Scott was more than a little surprised, although Rebekah did say Klaus was a painter and occasional sculptor, though he sculptured less and less as time went on.
"The one and only. Wait 'til you see family paintings." Kol said a moment before they turned a corner and came upon a painting of Rebekah, hair curly and longer than it was now.
Scott was surprised by how much of Rebekah's facial details were mostly on point and...
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Klaus asked, surprising Scott who was a little too focused on the painting.
"Yeah," Scott replied. "She's beautiful."
"As beautiful as she is deadly," Kol said, smirking, thinking of how most of her lovers ended up; dead, and in some ways, Marcel too since Klaus killed Marcel to turn him into a vampire.
The thought brought Kol's mind to a halt as he realized something. In some ways, Klaus kept their tradition of killing or turning Rebekah's lovers against her to prove they weren't good enough for her.
And maybe, just maybe, Klaus killed Marcel himself out of anger towards both Marcel and Rebekah for their relationship.
Knowing Klaus, making Marcel choose between immortality and Rebekah wasn't enough, even after the boy chose immortality and effectively ended their relationship.
Or maybe it was because Marcel chose something else over Rebekah and Klaus didn't like that even though it meant the end of Marcel's relationship with her. Kol also considered that Klaus making Stefan forget him and Rebekah was maybe a punishment as well.
"You know her?" Scott inquired, pretending to not know Rebekah.
"Know her? She's our little sister Rebekah." Kol responded, looking at Klaus and wondering which theory was right because, with Klaus, nothing was as it seemed at first sight.
"Still think she's beautiful?" Klaus questioned, looking at Scott rather intently.
"Being your sister doesn't lessen or affect her beauty in any way, Klaus," Scott replied bluntly, knowing that to be true.
Finding out they were related didn't take away most of his attraction towards Rebekah, hence he found being in the car with her and the others rather challenging when he smelled her...
Ting, ting, ting! A small bell rang out, signalling that dinner was ready.
CUT
Outside the house and inside Scott's car, Rebekah couldn't help the smile that adorned her face at Scott's response to Klaus' question.
She wasn't sure anyone who knew who Klaus was and that he was her brother has ever said that to Klaus' face. It was refreshing.
"What's with the smile?" Cora asked, having been focused on Lydia's group.
"Scott just told Klaus being Rebekah's brother doesn't affect her beauty," Malia replied.
"It seems Nik had some of his paintings put up and I think Kol and Scott were looking at a painting of me when Nik said 'Beautiful, isn't she?', and Scott answered 'Yeah. She's beautiful.'." Rebekah told the story, finding Malia's summary lacking. "Kol said something stupid and then Scott asked if they know me and Kol said I'm their little sister.
Then Nik asked 'Still think she's beautiful?', obviously a challenge, and Scott answered 'Being your sister doesn't lessen or affect her beauty in any way, Klaus.'. I don't think anyone has done that before; tell Nik that to his face. It's refreshing."
"And arousing, it seems," Malia added.
"Wh...?"
"That's what caught my attention," Cora said.
"I'm not..."
"You can do a lot of things but scent covering isn't one of them, Rebekah." Malia interrupted. "Nor is hiding how you feel. You're a very expressive person."
"I can't help it, OK?" Rebekah responded, giving up. "I know that I shouldn't like him. He's Nik's son and my nephew. But I've liked Scott since the moment we bumped into each other and I'm afraid that feeling is growing every time I see him and I can't help it, especially when he's doing that; standing up to Nik like that.
Very few people have done that and lived past a minute, especially with Kol around. But it seems Kol is impressed too. I think this is the first time Kol is impressed by a guy I like. But it's a guy I can't have and I get it, Malia.
We're not cousins like you two (Cora and Malia) and even if we were, Scott loves you too much to mess with what you have with each other and I like you two together. You're an amazing couple.
Besides that, as much as I like Scott, he advised me to find happiness outside a romantic relationship and I'm trying to do that and I'm finding it in spending time with you all. I love that your friendship is genuine and filled with genuine love, loyalty, trust and selflessness and I'd love to be a part of it."
"Well, I don't blame you for liking Scott," Cora said and received a look from Malia and she responded with a shrug. "What? Scott being Klaus' son, Rebekah's nephew and your boyfriend don't lessen or affect his attractiveness in any way either, cousin. And you know it.
He is too easy to like and being around him doesn't help. I just didn't realize that until I went away and came back. There's something about that boy. Maybe it's his dick game or something. Whatever it is, it's working for him.
And since he's forbidden, unless you say otherwise, Scott is as desired as water is in deserts."
"Are you trying to tell me you're as dry as...?" Malia inquired but didn't get to finish due to Cora shaving Rebekah, who was between them, into her.
"Hey!" Rebekah exclaimed.
CUT
Inside the house, everyone found their seats and that was made easy by name cards with Klaus and Kimberley sitting at the head and foot of the table, respectively, with Lydia to Klaus's right then Nate, Charl'z, Kol, Bonnie, Daniel and Ayanda on Kimberley's left.
Scott began on Kimberley's right and then Hayley, Sky, Caroline, Mindy, Hinata and Greta ending on Klaus' left. As everyone settled, refreshments were poured and introductions made before things settled down and Klaus took charge.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we celebrate an important milestone tonight made possible by none other than the Alpha of New Beacon Pack King Alpha Scott McCall." He began everyone's attention on him and oh, how he relished it. "Tonight, we officially christen my pack!"