Chances
Chapter Four: Agony
There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him, you can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him when he's down
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Dr. Fell was once again going through the details and Caroline barely refrained from throwing a tantrum. Rebekah and her mother had become so much worse ever since they had moved into the safe house two months ago. Somedays Caroline even regretted making her mother come with her for the time being. But of course, there was no way she would leaver her human mother in Mystic Falls when there were dangerous vampires after her and her child. Her mother would make just the perfect hostage. Also, Caroline really needed her mother's support for the upcoming birth of the newest Mikaelson.
But seriously, Liz and Rebekah put the term overbearing on an entirely new level and Caroline had a hard time containing her disapproval of their actions. Like the daily routine of having Meredith explain everything concerning the birth over and over again in the mornings. All she wanted was to join the guys and read some comics, play random video games or simply watch movies. But no, she was stuck with the obsessed woman that could not wait for Caroline to finally push out the baby.
Caroline zoned out to the day at the Grill where Klaus had kissed her out of the blue before saying good-bye a few minutes later when he dropped her off at home. She had been so focused on resisting his flirtations, that the sudden physical approach had thrown her off. Nevertheless, she wasn't mad, even though she should be. After all, she swore to herself that she would not let herself be drawn into him again. But the kiss had been proof for what he had said. In the end, she would probably end up exactly where she had been before he left. Which was madly in love with a pretty old man that looked way to good.
The things he had said still stuck with her, and she was convinced that he would stand by his word. He would give anything if it meant their safety. Day by day, she found that her anger towards him ebbed down. She knew the distance between them was punishing him more than she could have ever done herself. Her resistance to his attempts to reconcile would probably not hold for too long.
But maybe this time around things would be different. Raising a child is bound to change things up, right? He wouldn't leave them to their own devices. Not after the declaration at the Grill. She was his family. He cared about her and their unborn son. They could be a family. Something she had wanted ever since she was a little girl but lost hope once she had been turned.
For that to become a reality, however, Klaus needed to make it out of New Orleans unharmed. On their journey here, Rebekah had insisted to tell Caroline the entire truth. Something she had denied Klaus to do. And just like Caroline had anticipated, it was horrible. Klaus and Elijah were in serious danger of being staked with white oak. Naturally, it didn't sit too well with Caroline to sit and wait in the safe house. She wanted to help them but knew that as long as she was pregnant she'd be more of a weakness than any proper help.
But they had yet to hear from Davina. She was the only one able to locate and contact them. Klaus had ordered Kol and Rebekah to make sure they all stayed on the house's property for as long as they hadn't heard from Davina. It was taking them way too long and Caroline feared the worst. After all, their enemies had planned on taking down Caroline and taking her baby. There was no way they hadn't found out about their disappearance by now. No, something was bound to happen very soon. She couldn't imagine this Tristan guy being calm about the fact that his master plan faded away.
Then, there was this woman called Aurora. Rebekah had told Caroline about her past with Klaus. While Caroline wasn't as insecure as she used to be, she wondered whether Klaus decided to simply join his old love and forget about the trouble he would need to go through to be with Caroline instead. Rebekah and Kol both assured her that Aurora was insane and that Klaus would never in a million years leave Caroline and his son behind for that mad woman. For now, she had to believe that in order to remain sane. Her emotions were seriously all over the place.
Whenever Caroline was alone, she tried to come up with a plan to help Klaus and Elijah out once her child was born and safe. There was no way she would let them fight that battle alone. Not if they failed to win after all the time that has passed. Maybe they needed the power of Caroline Forbes to finally subdue the threat.
"You brainless imbeciles!" Tristan roared, throwing a vase at one of the witches, successfully killing her in the process. "How hard can it be to locate a baby vampire?!"
"Easy there, man. Killing off all our witches won't solve the problem." Lucien pointed out.
Tristan exhaled and straightened his suit in an attempt to calm himself.
"Don't you think it's curious that the pregnant girl, her mother and the other originals vanish shortly after Klaus excused himself and went off to Canada?" Lucien mused.
"Our witches located him every hour. He wasn't even close to Mystic Falls. And he returned with freshly turned hybrids. Canadian hybrids, to be exact." Tristan said annoyed.
"Yes, but think for a second. The baby vamp obviously has a witch on her side. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to hide from the locator spells. And if she has witch assistance.." Lucien elaborated.
"Then Niklaus does too." Tristan concluded through gritted teeth. "Tell me again who went missing with Ms. Forbes"
"Elizabeth Forbes, Rebekah and Kol Mikaelson, Stefan Salvatore, some guy called Joshua, that human called Mathew and some teenager called Bonnie." Lucien listed.
"Bonnie Bennett." One of the witches said.
"You know her?" Tristan asked.
"Not personally, no. But she comes from one of the oldest lines. Ayana, a powerful witch that lived during the same time Esther Mikaelson lived, is part of that bloodline." The witch elaborated.
"So you're telling me that Ms. Forbes is in contact with a powerful witch you failed to inform me about?" Tristan growled.
"Bennetts usually despise the vampire species. There was no way for us to know she would help them protect the abomination that will be born soon." The witch tried to apologise.
"At least now we know how they managed to vanish. All we have to do now is find out how to break through the spell Bennett is using to hide that girl from us." Lucien stated.
"Niklaus knew about this." Tristan stated. "I don't know how he did it, but he obviously wasn't in Canada. He played us for fools and travelled back to Mystic Falls where he found out about his child. Call him, it's time to make sure that Niklaus will not be able to cross us again."
Klaus sat in front of the bar downing another bourbon in one go.
"Could you please drown whatever it is that's bothering you somewhere else? I'd like to close up the store." Cami told him.
"Leave the keys and I will lock the door once I leave." Klaus drawled.
"And have you drink all the liquor we have here? No." Cami said. "You know, if you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen."
Klaus huffed. Talking to that human bartender wouldn't change the fact that he turned out to be an utter failure. His son would be born soon, and he would probably not be able to be there and witness his first moments. Instead, he was stuck in this godforsaken town because neither he nor Elijah were able to locate that bloody wood. How hard could it possibly be?
"Fine. I'm leaving." Klaus growled and reached for the bottle. Cami decided that picking a fight with him would probably not end well for her right now. He was even moodier than usual, and she had no desire to be at the receiving end of his rage. Throwing him out of the bar was enough for one evening.
Without another word Klaus flashed away and out into the night. He ran home in the hopes to receive good news for once. Maybe Elijah had finally made some progress.
"Brother, I'm home." Klaus yelled upon entering.
"And heavily intoxicated, too, I see." Elijah remarked.
"Now, that's a bit of an exaggeration." Klaus answered.
"You should be working on a solution for our problem instead of getting drunk, Niklaus. Otherwise, we won't get any farther than we currently are." Elijah stated.
Great, so Elijah had no news for him. How depressing.
A sudden noise caught their attention.
"Please tell me you did not bring your food home with you again." Elijah sighed.
"I came alone." Klaus stated, now highly aware of his surroundings. Someone was slowly approaching them.
With a pained cry both of them fell to their knees. "Witch" Klaus stated in a growl. He looked around to make out the witch's location which was no easy task considering the pain she was able to induce both of them. "Show yourself, coward!" Klaus yelled.
"It's a pleasure to see you too, Niklaus." Both their heads snapped to the voice.
"Finn." Klaus growled. He knew it had been a mistake not to kill him when he had the chance.
"Where is the girl, Niklaus?" Finn asked, not bothering to say her name.
"Did you really sink so low, brother? Working with these second class vampires." Klaus mocked.
"Hasn't last time taught you anything, Finn? You should stand by your family. Not against them." Elijah said.
"You killed our mother, so spare me the lecture. Now, let me tell you how this is going to go, Niklaus." Finn started. "Either you tell me where the girl is hiding, or I will be forced to plunge this in Elijah's heart." He pulled out a white oak stake.
"You wouldn't." Klaus gasped.
"Really? Tell me, is that girl worth more than your own brother?" Finn asked.
Klaus remained silent, focussing on locating the witch now. He needs to kill her fast, now that Finn is waving around the white oak stake.
"Are you really going to kill your own brother?" Elijah asked.
"I have to. Mother made a mistake. She should never have turned us into the monsters we are today. I will eradicate that wrong for her, so she can finally rest in peace, knowing that her cursed children are no harm any longer." Finn elaborated.
"Now, Niklaus. What will it be. Will you save your girl some time before we find her on our own, or will you save your brother's life?" Finn asked again.
Klaus ignored him, still searching for the beating of the witch's heart.
"As you wish." In that moment Klaus finally found her in one of the rooms upstairs and sped away, hoping to kill her in time for Elijah to make his escape. The pain was slowing him down remarkably, but he managed to snap the bitches neck within seconds. Not wasting any more time he flashed back to Elijah.
The two brothers were currently fighting on the floor and it seemed like Finn had the upper hand. He had Elijah pinned down to the ground, ready to penetrate his heart with the stake. Klaus flashed over to them, biting Finn's neck savagely before ripping the stake from his hands. Not feeling the tiniest bit of remorse or guilt, Klaus pushed the stake deep into his brother's chest.
Elijah looked at him with wide eyes as Finn's corpse burned down to ashes.
"You need to leave, Elijah. Now." Klaus ordered.
"No. I will continue to stay by your side." Elijah insisted.
"Absolutely not. You would only be a liability. They have clearly found out about my part in Caroline's disappearance and are seeking revenge. We are lucky they only send in Finn and one witch. Next time they will be better prepared. Find Davina and tell her its time you joined the others." Klaus explained.
"What about you?" Elijah asked worried.
"I'm the only one they still need alive. My blood is too valuable to kill me just like that." Klaus looked at his brother who regarded him closely.
"I will leave for now. I promise to come up with a new plan to aid you soon." Elijah promised and flashed away.
Klaus had barely enough time to comprehend the events that had just taken place before another group of people entered his home. Tristan and Lucien were accompanied by what seemed to be an entire coven of witches.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your decision, Niklaus." Tristan announced.
"I am in no mood for one of your games, Tristan." Klaus answered.
"Good. Let us get this over with quick, then." Tristan replied. "Where is Ms. Forbes?"
"I can honestly tell you that I have not the slightest idea, nor do I care what happened to that girl." Klaus said casually.
"Drop the act, Niklaus. We know you have been working with the Bennett witch to insure the safety of Ms. Forbes and your child" Klaus managed to look surprised. This was turning out better than he had hoped. If they believed Bonnie to be behind the spell, they would keep clear of Davina. However, Klaus loathed the other's superior behaviour.
"Vampires can't procreate, Tristan. I thought someone as old as you would have found out about that little fact by now." Klaus feigned ignorance.
Tristan grabbed the bridge of his nose while Lucien smirked.
"Oh, I'm so happy you chose the hard way, Niklaus." he said, the smile not leaving his face.
The witches started chanting, making Klaus fall to his knees for the second time that evening. God, witches truly are a pain in the ass, he thought while he tried to fight against the spell.
Lucien walked over to him and crouched down beside him. "You see, I've been dying to try this out on you."
Klaus had no time to react before a white, bone-like dagger was pushed inside of his chest. He yelled out in horrible pain, trying to stop the bone from moving further into his body with his hands. But he failed and fell to the floor in agony.
"Davina!" Elijah called out once he reached the cemetery.
The young witch came out of one of the tombs and approached the original.
"They have changed tactics." Elijah informed the young girl.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Finn, our brother, attacked us. He was sent in to kill me. Niklaus killed him before he could." Elijah explained. "He asked me to join the others in the safe house."
"They must be mad because they can't find Caroline and your siblings." Davina mused.
"We need to find a way to end this soon." Davina's phone rang and despite Elijah's disapproving look she answered.
"Marcel, are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine. Is Elijah with you?"
"Yes. He told me about Finn." Davina confirmed and put him on speaker.
"I only just found out. They say Finn died shortly before Elijah disappeared. Tristan was furious at the failed attempt to teach Klaus a lesson and decided to do it himself. They took a white dagger with them. Kinda looked like bones." Marcel explained.
"Papa Tunde's blade." Elijah stated, his eyes wide with horror. "Niklaus is in great danger."
"Whatever it is, it won't kill him. You need to leave before they get another chance to kill you." Marcel insisted.
"And leave you to handle the situation alone? If my brother has really been daggered with this blade, he won't be able to function any longer. The pain and hallucinations will be too much for even him to handle." Elijah stated.
"I'll find a way to free him from that. But I'd rather not have to explain why I let you get yourself killed once he is free."
"I will talk to my siblings. We will find a way to end this." Elijah promised.
"Okay. Davina, I will be with you shortly." Then the line went dead.
Davina turned to Elijah. "I need your blood to perform a few spells to make sure they won't be able to track or follow you. Then, I will need you to open your mind for me, so I can show you where the house is located."
Elijah knew about the safety measures in place and simply nodded. He hated leaving his brother to fend for himself, but Marcel was right. Without a plan, he would raise the risk of his death without accomplishing anything before. They still had no idea how many staked currently existed or where they were located. All he could do right now, was to hope his brother was strong enough to endure the pain.
Tristan smirked as the chanting came to an end. Niklaus Mikaelson was finally put down and safely imprisoned by magic he would not be able to break. Of course, with the dagger embedded in his chest, the hybrid had no chance at all of escaping this place by himself. All he had to do now was either locate his bitch and family by the means of witchcraft or wait for a foolish attempt for them to rescue him.
He nodded to the guards, indicating that they were to do their job and keep a close eye on his most important prisoner.
Feeling accomplished, Tristan ascended the stairs and left the dungeon. Today has been a success after all, and he fully intended to celebrate it. a victory dinner would do.
Once upstairs he found Lucien in a discussion with his sister. Both looked utterly distraught.
"Whatever it is you two are bickering about, stop it. its time for a celebration." he announced.
"Brother, haven't you heard?" aurora asked worriedly.
"After Niklaus killed his brother, vampires all around the world dropped dead. Vampires that were part of his line." Lucien elaborated.
Tristan looked at them, waiting for them to drop the act. They could not be serious. But they were.
"Get me a witch. Now!" He ordered and watched as Lucien flashed away.
"Brother, I am so happy Niklaus spared you from the pitiful fade of the vampires that were turned by Finn." Aurora hugged her brother tight.
Niklaus never intended to save anyone but Elijah. Hell, they probably had no idea what would happen once an original died. Niklaus had, unbeknownst to him, saved Tristan's life for his own selfish gain. There was no need for gratitude towards the hybrid.
"I will let you sort out these things with Lucien while I go and tend to Niklaus." Aurora kissed his cheek briefly before vanishing as well.
Oh, those witches better find him a way to break that link quick.
Ok, so how did we like the last two chapters? Things are about to become very interesting for the original family and Caroline.
Thanks to all of you who reviewed so far and of course to those that followed and favourited the story. You guys rock my world!