"But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in."
― Junot Diaz
Caroline Forbes slowly walked down the crowded street noticing how everything around her was thrumming with life. Maybe it was because her senses were now recalibrating and getting once more accustomed to being assaulted by every vibration and molecule; by every sound, light, and scent the land of the living had. This sensation was so different from everything she had experienced in Purgatory.
The sky was blue. The sun was bright. Hell, there was a sky and a sun, to begin with! The breeze of air felt like heaven now that it was touching her skin and caressing her face. The ground was not made of ice and fire. The air was not toxic. There was no sulfur and vervain and smoke. Everything seemed new and clear and lovely. It was giving her a headrush and yet it felt so good. As if a thousand butterflies were trapped inside her body ready to break free; a feeling indescribable. This was life. And it was hitting her in full force.
But there was also something else.
Mystic Falls and Whitmore never had this energy. New Orleans was literally vibrating. She remembered Klaus' phone call from a long time ago.
"Caroline, I am standing in one of my favorite places in the world. Surrounded by food, music, art, culture. And all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me."
Back then her breath had hitched with the desire to explore the unknown but then she had scoffed and had deleted Klaus' message immediately. At that time she did not need or want the temptation in her mundane little life. Back then she thought she had time. She thought she had the time to live and travel and a part of her did not want to leave Mystic Falls so soon by fear of the unknown and because she had settled. She had settled in her comfort zone and she believed the world would always be there waiting for her to explore it.
She had been wrong. Life was unpredictable and could end at any time. She had learned that lesson the hard way. In Purgatory one of her greatest regrets was that she had not traveled. While she was stuck in that hell hole she would watch the abyss above her head and would dream of a different life.
She would dream of life. One she had not lived. She had died without having seen the world. Without even living and that was what hurt the most.
She was not about to repeat the same mistake. She would live her life as if every day was going to be her last. Because this could actually be true. And right now as she slowly watched all the commotion of this majestic city around her she realized how much she had truly missed by caging herself to Mystic Falls.
Klaus was right.
This city was beautiful. It had something magical. It had an allure she could not describe. And it was making her restless. Everything seemed so big and her mind felt so small in comparison. This city was igniting the desire to let go and search every hidden corner and every pleasure it could give to her. To expand her horizon and make that small mind of hers grow. Grow with new images and memories and slowly erase every horror that was trapped in her brain.
The architecture here was so different from what she was used to and the smell of beignets made her bite her lip.
But there was also something more. Something she could not exactly describe. In Purgatory her senses had changed. She could sense the supernatural and New Orleans was emitting signals she had felt only to that hell. There was something…mystical. Something dark and sinful…something only the vampire inside her could feel. This place was drawing monsters in its embrace. Maybe this was why Klaus liked this place so much and why this place made her to want to stay and run away in equal measure.
Caroline watched as a band passed the road. The jazz tones and the vivid colors made stand for a moment and watch with admiration.
She got so lost in the sensation that she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She let the sun warm her skin. Bathe her every inch. She could not even begin to describe how much she had missed that feeling. How she had missed the sun.
The music, the sun, the smells. Everything seemed like a wild whirlwind. She could hear every heartbeat and every breath. Every laughter and whisper. She could hear the blood pumping through human veins and she could even hear her own roaring inside her body. Nothing was still anymore. She was back. She had made it. She was alive. At least as alive as a vampire could be but she was not dead and gone anymore. Simply undead and alive.
She opened her eyes and kept walking towards her car. As she watched the commotion in the French Quarter she realized that she wanted this. She wanted the big city. She wanted the hectic rhythms. She wanted the grand scenery and the noise and the music and the art and the culture.
"That's settled then," she whispered confidently as she kept walking.
Once she would settle her loose ends with her papers and bank accounts she would definitely go to a big city. Not here obviously. She wanted solitude and unrestricted freedom and to not be connected with anyone that reminded her of her previous life.
Maybe New York would be a great place to start. Or maybe a large city in Europe. She had endless choices and she could not wait to begin planning. And more so. She could not wait to leave. To lose herself in the world with no strings attached.
As she finally reached her car she realized that this was it. She had made it. She had brought Kol back and now nothing was holding her back.
She turned around and looked at New Orleans for the last time. She was not in Purgatory anymore.
Purgatory
Kol had taken her far away from the woods. The higher they climbed on the frozen mountain ahead of them the harder was for her to breathe.
Caroline was stumbling and falling and couldn't keep up with Kol's speed. She kept going though. She wouldn't stop.
Soon enough he halted and she fell on her knees exhausted barely noticing Kol rolling his eyes at her weakness. She could barely breathe. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm herself but it was pointless. Everything seemed to be frozen.
Kol, however, looked comfortable. As if nothing affected him. His breath was even, he didn't seem tired or even cold.
But she did. She always imagined hell to be hot but everything surrounding her here was ice cold. It seemed as if she was also turning into a frozen statue.
Kol was scowling down at her and she tried to stand up. She was hungry, she had run for miles faster than ever before and the air was so thick and cold around her that was reaching her lungs and causing them to spasm inside her chest. It was excruciating.
She couldn't feel cold as a vampire when she was alive but here the coldness invaded her skin and it was so harsh that it seemed as if it was burning her flesh.
Kol was eerily silent and that scared her. He was assessing her with a look that reflected boredom and it made her uncomfortable.
She looked around and noticed he has brought her to a lake with dark steaming waters that looked deep.
"You said you had a way out," she reminded him eager to leave this place already. Her whole body was shaking, her teeth chattering.
"All in good time," Kol cryptically said throwing his sword to the ground.
The blade shone as it embedded swiftly into the ice.
"What does that even mean?" she carefully questioned unable to control the shivering of her body.
"It means that before we get to that you need to be ready," he replied and slowly started walking in circles around her.
"Ready for what?" she asked fearfully with narrowed eyes.
"Survive."
Before she could even react Kol pushed her with such force that broke her ribs. He threw her into the lake.
It wasn't the unearthly cold that covered her whole when the waters swallowed her body that made her scream.
It was the vervain.
The lake was full of vervain.
Caroline got so lost in thought that she almost missed the shiver that ran down her spine. A long time ago she would have been oblivious to the shift of the elements all around her. Now she could feel the change in the air. It was like a threat looming but the presence of it was familiar.
She straightened her back before she turned around with a smirk and an unimpressed look on her face. She leaned against the door of the car and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Kol Mikaelson stood across the road. The traffic of the cars that blurred fast in the distance between their bodies separated them but Caroline could see him clearly. He was standing across the street with his gaze fixed intently on her. His stance predatory.
She didn't doubt he had brought terror to New Orleans all night long but he had also cleaned up good. The stench of death had abandoned his body as he obviously washed it away. He had changed his clothes and shaved and now more than ever he reminded her of the Kol Mikaelson she had once upon a time met in Mystic Falls.
Kol casually and yet stealthily strode towards her, not paying any attention to the traffic and the horn of the cars that passed through him barely hitting him, and soon enough he approached and stood just a few steps in front of her.
"Leaving without saying goodbye?" he playfully pointed out and Caroline raised an elegant eyebrow in a challenging manner.
"You didn't seem to want to exchange goodbyes with me last night," she reminded him with a shrug and Kol snorted.
"Don't be so dramatic darling," he retorted ignoring the way she rolled her eyes at him.
Around them the clamor of talking and of people passing by continued. The sounds of cars and bands playing music near them and in the distance filled their ears and Caroline had to admit that it seemed a little bit overwhelming and so different from Mystic Falls and…Purgatory. But Kol seemed to be right in his element here.
She took a deep breath and looked at him carefully.
"What are you going to do Kol?" she asked directly and immediately noticed the dark gleam in his eyes.
"Enjoy New Orleans, raise some hell…since I can't do anything else," he mused somewhat annoyed and Caroline nodded with a sigh she tried to stifle. He would always hold this over her head. Well so be it. She had completed her part of their deal.
There was not much she could do for him any longer and she just hoped that Klaus would not dagger him again. But at least she had his word for what truly mattered and she knew he would keep it. It was a relief and one less thing to worry about.
She looked at the sky for a moment before she took her keys out of the pocket of her jacket. Correction. Of Rebekah's jacket. She didn't own even clothes right now.
"I can't believe we made it" she mumbled somewhat awkwardly and noticed how Kol let out a slow humorless smile.
"You are welcome," he jested with pride and Caroline gave him an incredulous look at his audacity to imply as always how he was the one that practically saved them before she saw how the edge of his lips curved more as if he was trying to hold back his laughter. Typical. He always had to push her buttons. Either they were in Purgatory or Earth some things never changed.
"Ass," she half laughed and Kol smirked.
"And what are you going to do?" he asked and Caroline almost furrowed her brow at the underlined concern she detected in his voice. Truth to be told she cared about his well being too since they hadn't been separated for a really long time and went through hell and high water together but it still surprised her when Kol showed to her that he cared.
She turned around and pushed the key in the lock slowly turning it until she heard the door click open. She knew she was stalling.
She then turned around again to face Kol.
"I'll travel I guess," she vaguely said and Kol's scrutiny for a moment reminded her so much of Klaus. He was looking at her in the same way Klaus did when they said goodbye earlier. With concern and worry. But soon enough Kol's demeanor changed again and became impassive.
He didn't even comment on her decision. He didn't have any advice of infinite wisdom to share like Klaus did. Maybe it was because Kol had already taught her everything he had to teach her and he knew she was now capable of taking care of herself and of surviving even against the odds. Nonetheless, Kol did not say anything. And she was thankful for it as she was sure that Kol also preferred how she didn't comment on his plans either no matter how much she worried about him also.
This simple and yet complicated kind of silent communication they had going on had taken a long time to form but it was now extremely soothing and she could not help but snicker inwardly. Life and death obviously had an amazing way of changing people and relationships because there was no way in hell that she would have once believed she could ever have anything in common with Kol Mikaelson and even that she and he would be able to communicate in this way and to have such a connection.
"I got you a gift," Kol then announced promptly breaking the silence between them.
Caroline narrowed her eyes and watched him with caution.
"Should I worry?" she wondered curiously and Kol gave her a wicked smile before he reached into his back pocket and took out a phone. He handed over the device to her and Caroline inspected it with curiosity.
"You got me a…phone," she deadpanned and Kol smirked. The mirth in his eyes was a bit contagious and she found herself sharing his smirk.
"I got two actually. One for me and one for you," he said, took out his phone and waved in front of her face. Both smartphones were high tech. Hers was white and his was black. Well for an ancient guy that was not around when mobiles got invented he sure had a good taste for them.
Kol seemed weirdly excited about this and she hummed.
"Okay…I guess. Thanks," she thanked him a bit warily. Sure a phone would be useful but Kol seemed as if this was one of his usual games. The mischief in his eyes always unnerved her.
"I saved my number in your contacts. If you ever need anything or you get in trouble give me a call," he told her in a tone that seemed more like a command than a suggestion, "Any time, any place. I'll be there," he seriously vowed and Caroline's gaze lost all its suspicion and turned gentle. She looked at the phone with new interest now.
"Kol Mikaelson giving me his eternal protection without asking anything in return? How noble," she beamed with humor but her voice was laced with a tone of gratitude that she reserved only for those she considered friends.
Kol shifted on his legs for a moment and Caroline arched her eyebrow before Kol collected himself again.
"I never said I would not ask anything in return darling," he quipped, his voice now low like a drawing caress.
"And there it is," Caroline laughed and she rolled her eyes at him. And yet she knew that if she ever really needed his help he would be there no questions asked.
"Thank you Kol," she quietly said as she gripped the phone tighter in her palm and Kol nodded.
They stood there for a few moments silently saying goodbye before Kol took a step back and Caroline awkwardly pushed her hair behind her ear realizing this was it. She turned her back on him and opened the door of the car and got in.
Before she could close the door she heard Kol's voice.
"Caroline."
She glanced up and saw how he was looking at her with mirth.
"Yeah?" she asked carefully and Kol pointed towards the phone she was still holding.
"I also saved you a song," he let her know with a wink. Caroline craned her head and looked at him with curiosity but before she could ask Kol sauntered away at supernatural speed.
With uncertain moves, she closed the door. She got curious. She checked her phone and immediately went to the music files.
When she saw the title of the song Kol had saved on her phone she rolled her eyes and then threw her head back and laughed.
She turned the key in the ignition and stepped on the gas. But not before she pressed play on the mp3 file in the phone screen.
Without turning back she drove away as Highway to Hell from AC/DC started playing.
Elijah could tell Klaus' serene expression was nothing but the calm before the storm. To anyone else, the look on his brother's face would be unreadable but he had spent enough centuries with Klaus to know that his inner turmoil was capable to bring ruin to New Orleans.
He knew that provoking Klaus right now might not the smartest idea but nonetheless it seemed to be unavoidable. There were many questions that could not go unanswered. Questions that concerned even Caroline Forbes.
Elijah got up from the sofa he was sitting on and went to Klaus to get the drink his brother made for him. With a grave expression, he took the tumbler from Klaus' hands as his brother swiftly drank his own in one go before getting a refill.
Elijah simply stared the liquid inside his glass in silence. He was trying to collect himself and his thoughts for now as it was essential to remain unaffected by the shock and plan their next moves. He had to admit his senses were stunned and he felt numb. Everything he was holding dear was now in mortal danger.
Mikael's return changed everything. Every plan they had for Hope's return and their family's future prosperity in New Orleans had now been destroyed in front of their eyes. Klaus' daughter needed to remain dead to the world and they needed to regroup fast. No one was safe any longer. The old danger that haunted them for over millennia had returned and they were completely unprepared. Furthermore they had lost their advantage. If Mikael had indeed returned he was now the one that lingered in the shadows which worked in his favor while they were left in the open almost defenseless and worst of all clueless. Mikael having the element of surprise for so long could prove to be catastrophic.
How had they have missed this?
"Is the white oak stake secure Niklaus?" Elijah inquired sharply and Klaus nodded with a nervous look. Once he realized that Mikael's body was missing the first thing he did was to dash upstairs and make sure that the stake was still safely hidden away. That stake was their only saving grace against any imminent attack from Mikael and it had to remain in their possession because if it was to fall in their father's hands they would be doomed.
The tension in Klaus' body grew and soon enough the glass cracked in his hand before shuttering into dust and broken pieces.
"There will be no running anymore," Klaus spit with venom, his gaze darkening before turning to ice.
Elijah looked at him seriously before he tasted his drink.
"As noble and heroic as this may sound we need to think about any potential collateral damage Niklaus. We have more things to lose now than simply our lives," Elijah reminded him with a pointed look and Klaus growled.
"This is why we are going to stand our ground. Mikael needs to focus on us and only us. We need to lure him and confine him inside this city," Klaus pressed firmly and Elijah couldn't help but agree with him. And yet the risks were still too great.
Hope should be their most urgent priority but they had more to lose. Elijah's mind could not help but focus on Hayley. She was their weakest link right now. She was a Hybrid but not an Original like them. She was not indestructible. And her transition had not been easy. She was still out of control and this now could prove to be fatal. He needed to find a way to control her urges and her before it would be too late.
But he also couldn't help but suspect that he would be on his own in this endeavor. Much to his dismay after Hope's birth, Niklaus did not seem to prioritize the well being of the mother of his child.
"We need to inform our sister. Running and hiding is not enough anymore. She needs to go underground," Klaus interrupted Elijah' thoughts and he could detect a healthy dose of desperation in his voice. Fear was now surrounding them as memories assaulted both siblings. Memories from the time they kept running from their father. They needed to dig up their old contingencies once more.
"For now I advise caution Niklaus," Elijah simply said and Klaus gave him an incredulous look.
"We do not know our father's plans and we have no idea for how long he has been organizing and making his preparations. He had plenty of chances to attack us and yet he has refrained from doing so. He could be already watching us…or Rebekah," Elijah suggested and Klaus seemed ready to tear the world apart.
"So we are to sit idle, doing nothing?" Klaus yelled at him but Elijah raised his hand to stop him from talking which earned him a deadly glare from his brother.
"Assuming that Mikael has indeed returned this does not change the fact that he has not made a move yet. He wants to use the element of surprise which now is rendered useless. We need to buy some more time and not alert father of our knowledge," Elijah strategically proposed but Klaus' impatience seemed to be building up, "Informing Rebekah right now could cause her to become frantic and irrational leading to the makings of a mistake that could put her life and the life of your daughter in danger. We need to tread carefully. You and I have felt it for months Niklaus. Something is lurking in the shadows. At least now we know what it is," Elijah tried to reason with him as he struggled to evoke back even his own logic. If they were to lose their calm right now they would fall.
Klaus raked his hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
"Do we? We have no idea how Mikael returned. He couldn't have done it on his own. Someone has orchestrated this," Klaus remarked and Elijah nodded as he finished his drink.
"Diligently I would say," Elijah agreed with a calm voice.
"For months. Even before Hayley gave birth," Klaus continued and his features hardened, "So many distractions to make us look to the wrong direction," Klaus realized and then he went to the table and took the one of the two pieces of broken wood he had brought with him from the crypt.
His eyes changed once more to their golden hue and he inhaled the scent of the wood before he turned his attention back to Elijah, "The cracked wood from Mikael's coffin has been burned for months," he told his brother. Mikael's coffin was in the same state Kol's coffin was after his little brother's resurrection last night and yet the broken pieces from Mikael's coffin had collected months of dust and their burnt surface had changed its texture and color over time.
Klaus gave the broken piece to Elijah which he also carefully inspected it. He then pointed towards the wood from Kol's coffin that remained on the table.
"That chunk is from Kol's casket. It still emanates remnants of magic. It literally vibrates," Klaus observed as Elijah moved in circles the piece of wood he was holding in his hand with a pensive expression.
"There is no magic left coating this piece," Elijah said and Klaus cursed himself at his idiocy.
Genevieve had been all too willing to seal the crypt when he had asked her to and she had sealed him out too. Back then he wanted her by his side so he let that slide as a sign of goodwill and trust.
It had been a distraction he now realized. One to add to many.
Back then after he had consecrated Esther's bones all he wanted was to make sure that no one would be able to use the remains of his family against them but it seemed that his plan backfired royally. If he had managed to break the spell sooner he would have been aware of Mikael's return. Of course, he had planned to break Genevieve's spell after her death but the problem was that Hayley's menace against the witches of New Orleans had made it impossible for him to find a witch that would be strong enough take down the barrier.
Even the witch Elijah brought-
"The witch," Klaus mumbled feeling his whole body paralyzing as it finally dawned on him. The pieces started connecting and Elijah frowned watching Klaus' face going slack for a moment and it didn't take for him to share the same sentiment.
"Synnove Julien," Elijah realized with narrowed eyes.
"The first witch able to take down Genevieve's spell," Klaus started and Elijah looked at him with a dark gaze. Caroline's presence and Kol's return made them miss the obvious. The witch dropped the barrier quite easily while all others before her had been unsuccessful.
"Which she conveniently happened to practice her magic in the open," Elijah recalled and this time it was him that seemed to be getting frustrated.
"Luring you in and then refusing to take down the barrier," Klaus speaking out loud Elijah's thoughts, "we need to find her brother. Now," he growled and Elijah agreed with a slight tilt of his head.
There was something fundamentally unsettling about that witch. It was as if she wanted for him to bring her to the compound and her presence had made his skin crawl. Her eyes seemed so strange and yet there was a familiarity with them.
And then there was also something else she had said.
Flashback:
"Indeed under the circumstances, both of our families' interests are more inclined to an alliance than war," Synnove Julien said and approached him, "however most of the times you can't have peace without war ensuring it."
"War", Elijah uttered realizing his mistake and Klaus gave him his whole attention.
"Niklaus the witch refused to lower the barrier. She seemed to become unhinged at Miss Forbes' presence," Elijah remembered with intrigue. This could not be a coincidence.
Flashback:
What is the matter?" Elijah asked and Klaus's eyes sharper than ever followed the witch closely.
Synnove lost all color from her face when she noticed Caroline's arm. Kol's soul was casting bright glow under her thin skin.
The witch approached her but as she was ready to touch her Klaus flashed next to Synnove and grabbed the witch's hand in midair before she was able to grab Caroline's arm.
.
.
Caroline extended her hand forward and Synnove's fingers lingered above the glowing moving flesh but did not dare to touch it.
"What are you?" the woman observed Caroline with fear.
The witch shook her head in terror.
"What have you done?" she asked Caroline, "this is not possible," she breathed and then took a step back.
Synnove looked at Elijah looking petrified.
"I have to leave, I can't stay here," she whispered fearfully and Caroline blinked surprised at the way the witch seemed to cower in front of her.
Elijah cleared his throat and his gaze inspected Caroline up and down. Klaus remained silent. Deadly silent.
As the witch tried to leave Elijah stepped in front of her.
"Please Mrs. Julien. I can personally guarantee your safety if you could just-"
Synnove shook her head once more and pointed an accusing finger towards Caroline.
"Her presence alone defies nature, I can't stand in front of her," she shrieked.
"If she is carrying my brother's soul-" Elijah tried once more.
"She is an abomination!" the witch accused with hatred and Caroline flinched as Klaus protectively towered over her casting a deadly glare over the witch "she is the bringer of death. More so than a common vampire," Synnove divulged and both Klaus and Elijah looked at each other surprised before they stared at Caroline that seemed to be as alarmed as them.
.
.
"I have no answers for…you!" the witch's voice rose in anger as she looked at Klaus with disgust.
Klaus sped in front of Synnove and grabbed the witch by the neck.
"Then you die!" he bellowed and squeezed her neck more while lifting her up. Synnove choked but then she squinted her eyes and the next thing Caroline could see was Klaus falling on his knees screaming and holding his head.
His nose started bleeding and he tried to reach for the witch but she raised her hand and Klaus fell backward crumbling in what seemed to be excruciating pain.
Caroline tried to move and help him but then her head started throbbing. The witch was also focusing on her.
.
.
"Please! I mean no harm I swear," Caroline tried to reason with the witch, "is there no way for you to tell them that the soul belongs to their brother? There has to be a way! They have to help me and you can help them understand what I am saying is the truth. Please!" she begged Synnove and tried to get up.
"Stay away from me," the witch said refusing to help Caroline.
.
.
Caroline coughed blood and she doubled over in pain in Klaus's hands. That seemed to cause a new terror to Klaus that after a long time he begged Elijah to help him.
"Let her die!" the witch screamed and Elijah grabbed her by her upper arm, his eyes warning her to remain quiet.
.
.
"If you want to leave this place alive you will drop the barrier now!" he shouted, his attention back to the witch.
"This is not wise Niklaus, we can't be sure about this," Elijah insisted.
"Listen to your brother!" the witch advised.
.
.
Elijah turned to Synnove, his eyes turning to ice.
"Do as my brother commands," he ordered her but Synnove seemed indecisive.
"This is a mistake," she tried to convince the eldest Mikaelson.
"Lower the barrier and you have my word you won't be harmed, otherwise my blade with be the one that takes your life, that I vow to you," he relentlessly told her the dagger's blade, already tainted with her blood, shining in his grip.
Synnove placed her hand on the wound of her neck and breathed in deeply.
"You have no idea what you are doing," she threatened them but nonetheless she focused her magic towards the magical barrier.
"She wanted to let Caroline die," Elijah said as he thought back to the moment Synnove saw Caroline. At that mention, he immediately saw the rage that now consumed Klaus and Elijah raised his eyebrow. Klaus attachment with Caroline seemed to be running even deeper than he originally thought.
However, Elijah stood and put aside his intrigue over his brother's interest in the girl.
"Brother, I can see the fondness you hold for the girl but even you have to admit how strange the circumstances surrounding Caroline Forbes' return are and even you have to admit that she seemed to be in an awful lot of hurry to leave New Orleans," Elijah suspiciously insisted and Klaus pointed a warning finger towards his direction.
"Elijah-"
"Three resurrections Niklaus that are connected," Elijah interrupted Klaus' angry retort, "Mikael's, Kol's and Caroline's-"
Before he could go on it was Klaus this time who interjected his line of thought but somehow he didn't seem angry at Elijah's suspicions. Klaus's stare now became a blend of calculation and realization as if he was having an epiphany.
"Or…this has nothing to do with Caroline, to begin with," Klaus mused and Elijah let a sigh.
"Brother do not let your feelings cloud your judgment-"
"I am not," Klaus quickly retorted and now seemed weary, "In the list, you mentioned two people out of three are connected. Mikael and Kol. Both of them part of our family. Both of them Originals. This is about our family Elijah…about our entire family," Klaus said with aversion lacing his tone. The puzzle pieces seemed to be connecting themselves in his mind at the speed of light and Elijah took a sharp breath as he finally understood where his brother was going at.
"Caroline has just been the intermediate," Elijah whispered in realization and Klaus' eyes darkened.
"Before bringing her to the crypt had you informed the witch about Caroline's predicament with Kol's soul?" Klaus questioned Elijah.
"Of course not."
"The witch seemed to become unnerved only when she saw Caroline's arm," Klaus reminded Elijah and saw how the elder Mikaelson's eyes widened for a moment.
"Kol. She sensed Kol's soul," Elijah breathed out.
"From the very start," Klaus noted.
Elijah remained silent giving to Klaus' realization the respect of thought. He then shook his head in disbelief.
"How could she even know the soul belonged to Kol, to begin with?" Elijah asked and for a moment both brothers communicated in silence and what they discerned seemed to be something none of them wanted to admit vocally.
They both knew that the witch would require having a blood and a psychic link with Kol and that would only be possible if she already shared a profound bond with him or them all. The same link that had made both of them feel uncomfortable in her presence.
Klaus approached Elijah and put his hand on his shoulder.
"We are asking the wrong question here brother," Klaus noticed and the grimness that colored his voice shrouded both of them.
Elijah's straightened his back without taking his eyes away from his brother intense stare.
"The right would be?"
Klaus' lips curved into a bitter smirk.
"Are we talking about three resurrections or-"
"…Four," Elijah finished Klaus's words, his whole body going stiff as tension resonated between them both. Klaus inclined his head in assent.
"This is madness Niklaus," Elijah let out with an inaudible gasp and Klaus' laugh was a whip of sarcasm as his hand left Elijah's shoulder.
"Is it? We consecrated her bones in New Orleans before the other side fell and that witch's presence…her eyes... Tell me you did not feel it also Elijah," Klaus asked calmly and his older brother suddenly looked as if he was electrocuted as shock ran through his veins.
"Bluebellsfongen," Elijah remembered numbly finally coming to terms with the unavoidable truth as something akin to the dread he only felt as a child when Esther Mikaelson practiced her craft in Mikael's absence in the midnight hours enveloped him once more, "she was spelling mother's flowers."
Flashback:
Elijah sauntered through the tombs and with silent steps he reached one of the old marble wall vaults.
A woman was crouching in front of the vault and with a wooden thin stick she was writing down to the earth Latin and French letters mixed with rosewater and salt.
He remembered some of these symbols from his mother's grimoire. It appeared to be an incantation. A blessing to the dead, a call for the spirit's protection.
To his knowledge, the other side had dissolved but the spirit world obviously expanded beyond the borders of the other side. It was a new world blended with old magic. Magic, that preexisted his mother's knowledge and had roots thousands of years before even his kind was created. And yet these symbols seemed familiar to him.
"How could I be of use?" the woman asked without turning to look at him.
Her accent had a slight French color however he could also recognize some Nordic cadences in her voice. It was weird but her scent also reminded him an old orchard full of wildflowers in bloom he had once upon a time, many centuries ago, visited in Norway when he was searching about his family's European lineage.
"Bluebellsfongen," he whispered with nostalgia, for a moment lost in memory as the scent of those flowers wrapped around him and brought back memories of his childhood. His mother and Ayanna used to grow tall bluebells in their village. Esther used to pin some of their purple petals to Rebekah's braids when she was a child.
The woman with the long curly strawberry blond hair smiled and stood up, her movement bringing him back to the present. She threw some incense and some blue petals to the ground and smiled.
"The flowers of the witches they say and of everlasting love," she lamented and then her eyes filled with mischief, "also called as the Dead man's bells," she said with a low voice, her green eyes a piercing gaze that weirdly brought chills down his spine.
"Excuse my interruption, I am-"
"Elijah Mikaelson," she interrupted him, "the older undead son of the Originals," she said and behind her smoke from the depths of the letters she had written to the ground started rising.
Klaus walked towards the bar and took out one of the best bottles of wine he kept in his collection. He broke in a swift move the neck of the bottle and filled his glass with the sweet-scented red liquid that instead of providing an explosion of taste, as usual, this time seemed to coat his throat like a river of ash.
Elijah remained cautious and dead silent ignoring the hint of sarcasm in his brother's mocking salute as he drank the wine that should be kept only for special occasions.
Well, he guessed that depending on the point of view this was a special occasion after all.
Kol's spirited whistling broke the silence as the younger Mikaelson finally returned back to the fold.
He casually went and hopped on to one of the sofas in a nonchalant move that contrasted the atmosphere that now existed in the Abattoir.
"Why the long faces?" Kol asked amused as he leaned back to the sofa and crossed his legs over the antique table. In any other case, this would have earned him a glare of distaste from Elijah but this time indifference over his juvenile behavior prevailed.
Elijah remained unmoving and sent a knowing gaze to Klaus.
Klaus took another crystal and with an elegant motion, he filled a glass for Kol from the broken bottle. He casually strode towards his brother and politely offered him the drink.
Kol narrowed his eyes. He expected both of his brothers to start nagging and admonishing him for painting New Orleans red last night. He was sure the one cleaning the bloodbath he was leaving behind was Elijah under Klaus' orders as usual.
Nonetheless, Kol accepted the drink and Klaus clunk his own glass with his with a dangerous smile.
As Kol took the first sip he noticed how Klaus watched him intently.
"Vintage?" Kol asked dryly as he savored the strong taste that filled his mouth. He really had missed wine in Purgatory along with other pleasures.
"I will only ask once Kol and make sure not to give me a reason to cut your little return sort with a dagger," Klaus warned and Kol's gaze darkened but in return, he only arched an elegant eyebrow as he kept drinking his wine in small mouthfuls.
"What do you know about Mikael?" Klaus interrogated him with a false calmness as Elijah approached them with a thoughtful expression.
Kol watched them from the place he sat and shrugged.
"You want the whole story of his existence ever since his birth or the cliff notes?" Kol mocked and Klaus would have pounced on him if Elijah had not put a warning hand on his upper arm holding him back.
"This is not a game!" Klaus shouted and Kol snorted.
Elijah took a step forward and looked Kol seriously.
"Mikael's body has been missing," he informed him with a growing feeling of unease but Kol kept drinking his wine unmoved by the revelation.
"So has his soul," Kol simply stated and Elijah looked at him astounded. Something that pleased Kol since making a dent to Elijah's armor of infamous control was a rare occasion and certainly a privilege he hoped he would be having a lot in the future.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Klaus questioned with impatience as Kol's behavior was extremely grating. They were on the verge of war and his idiot brother preferred to be a nuance instead of making himself useful.
"It means that even though every vampire was sent to Purgatory once the other side fell Mikael did not," he revealed to them in an indifferent tone as he raised his glass gleefully before taking another sip with a pleased look.
Lafayette Cemetery
All the candles were lit in the mausoleum as Synnove started coughing. The spell had been too much for her. Cold sweat covered her whole body. Her legs shook.
Immediately two strong hands supported her when her body kept convulsing. She could hardly keep herself up and then she felt something warm running down her face.
She reached her cheek with a trembling hand and she noticed how her fingers got coated in warm blood. Blood that was dripping from her nose and eyes.
She glanced up only to see two brown eyes watching her with fear and worry.
"Mother," he lamented with sorrow as he took a cloth and tenderly started wiping the blood out of her face.
"This body," she coughed the words with difficulty as the seizure was not stopping. She tasted blood in her mouth as her lungs burned, "I thought it would hold longer," she stuttered in pain. Lowering the barrier has taken a toll on her. She needed to find a new body before this one's life force would fade like the rest.
But most of all she knew that her sons would soon come after her.
"You need rest mother," came the gentle advice from her eldest son as he held her hands tenderly but the witch inside Synnove almost lost control as she shook her head.
"It would seem that Caroline's arrival has awakened Kol in his Original body. We must accelerate our plans now Finn," Esther Mikaelson whispered as she lost consciousness in her son's arms.
For a moment there was nothing but silence as Elijah and Klaus looked at one another shocked before they turned to look at Kol with incredulous expressions. Everything seemed to become still except Kol that looked completely unfazed by what he had just revealed to his brothers.
Soon enough Klaus' face turned to a mask of absolute fury while Elijah simply fixed his tie as he regained his composure.
"How sure can you be of this?" Elijah questioned and Kol grinned widely. A nefarious grin that turned into a taunting smirk.
"That hell hole became my playground," Kol explained and Elijah became alert at the soft menace in his young brother's voice. A hard finality that didn't exist in him before and that was extremely dangerous especially for a person that was already unstable as Kol has always been, "Daddy dearest was never in Purgatory," Kol informed them and Klaus smoldered with anger.
"Impossible," Klaus let out a frustrated growl that had Kol chuckling in amusement.
Elijah remained in complete control as he turned around to face Klaus that was now clenching his jaw. Tension was rising.
"The broken wood from Mikael's coffin was older than Kol's. You said it yourself Niklaus," Elijah argued allowing Klaus to have his angry outburst as he threw his glass to the floor spilling the last drops of his wine to the Persian carpet much to his dismay.
"Please Niklaus refrain from ruining our home," Elijah admonished and Kol's laughter made Klaus grit his teeth as he seemed to become more and more furious by the moment. Everything that happened so far made Klaus to want to find a scapegoat to punish and Kol seemed to be the easiest target.
"Infantile tantrums meeting phlegmatic propriety. I am already missing Purgatory," Kol remarked dryly and Klaus threw him glare full of anger which made Kol smile with delight.
Elijah realized that if he didn't intervene both of the hotheads he had for brothers would soon battle each other and he could not allow this right now. Kol seemed to be provoking Klaus in every turn and Klaus was already under tremendous pressure and only one step from snapping. The consequences of such a fallout between them, however, could prove to be unforeseen especially under the current circumstances.
They had to stay united even though something told him he would not be able to control Kol anymore. He seemed colder and as if the last remnants of his empathy were lost. There was something different in his brother. Something he could not pinpoint exactly but this missing variable could, unfortunately, prove to be their end if they were not careful.
Elijah realized with horror that his train of thought seemed to reflect Klaus' twisted tendencies because if he had to choose between daggering Kol and the survival of their family and most of all Hope's well being then he would be the one to dagger Kol himself. He just hoped he would not have to go there.
As Klaus took a threatening step towards Kol Elijah stepped in.
"If Mikael escaped when the veil shuttered then he has been alive for more than a year," Elijah said in a non-nonsense tone as he tried to reason with Klaus and make him turn his attention to the problem at hand.
"Along with mother," Klaus spat and it was the first time that a flash of surprise passed through Kol's eyes.
"Well brothers," Kol surmised with a sarcastic tone, "I for one can't wait for the complete family reunion. It has been a long time coming after all," he taunted as he finished his wine with a smug look.
"Do you think this is a game?" Klaus' voice boomed and Kol's lips curved into a taunting smirk.
But as Klaus was ready to attack him a voice he didn't expect to hear again or at least not so soon snapped him out of his fury.
An angry voice that resonated around the compound making even Kol react to it with the same surprise as he got up taken aback by the sound.
Elijah simply raised an elegant eyebrow as the yelling continued.
"KLAUS!"
All three brothers followed the urgent sound that was coming from the entrance of the courtyard.
"KLAUS!"
Klaus, Kol, and Elijah entered the yard only to see a furious Caroline marching in looking angrier than ever before.
Klaus looked in bewilderment as Caroline was coming at him looking enraged. Her blonde curls bounced on her shoulders and he could not miss the seductive sway of her hips but he blinked at the flare of pure undiluted anger in her eyes that made him stop in his tracks.
Next to him Kol seemed extremely surprised to see Caroline there also.
And yet it seemed that Caroline's sullen expression was emanating a mixture of resentment and anger that was directed only at him. She didn't seem to mind Kol's and Elijah's presence. She looked as if she had a bone to pick only with him.
"Caroline? I thought you left," Klaus asked her softly and with a careful even tone and he almost smiled at the indignation that colored the huff she let out when she stomped her foot to the ground. She was a vision of pure rage and beauty that reminded him the way she looked at him a long time ago in Mystic Falls whenever they clashed with each other.
Oh yes. Caroline Forbes was back. In all her glory. She was alive and still a force of nature and no matter what she thought her light and strength were still intact and that made him experience a relief he had not felt for a long time.
"Really? Did you?" Caroline challenged him and Klaus almost winced at the venom in her voice, "Because earlier today you did not seem to approve me leaving," she seethed and Klaus furrowed his brow at her outburst.
"Shouldn't you be heading in the opposite direction from here right about now darling?" Kol intervened but Caroline threw him an angry glare that made him raise his hands in mock surrender.
"I wouldn't like to be you now Nik," Kol whistled under his breath and went to sit in one of the chairs amused earning another glare from Caroline.
Elijah stood impassively behind Klaus taking in the scene with interest.
But Klaus did not care about anything or anyone except Caroline right now. Momentarily he even forgot all his family drama. He could not understand how it was possible for Caroline to affect him that much but she did and right now he wanted nothing else than to understand why she was so angry with him and most of all why she hadn't left New Orleans when she seemed to be so eager to leave his city and him behind.
As he opened his mouth to ask her Caroline strode towards him and he looked dumbstruck as the blonde was pushing her finger on his chest aggressively.
"Are you behind this?" she demanded to know all livid and Klaus looked at her with raised eyebrows. Her breathing was erratic due to her anger and the fact that he was even breathing seemed to be riling her up even more. He lowered his gaze to the heaving tempting curve of her chest and then to her full lips.
"Answer me Klaus!" she ordered him as she glowered at him. He was left speechless and amazed by her audacity. A young vampire like her ordering him like this in front of everyone else without caring about the consequences. Undermining his authority!
And yet he did not even move. If anyone else dared to act in this manner in his presence and provoke him like this he would be collecting their heads and hearts but now he could only stand by in shock.
What the hell had happened? Why was she acting like that?
Suddenly her irate behavior affected him and he started becoming angry too. He had treated her with nothing but kindness and patience and here she was accusing him only God knew what. He had done more for her than any other and he could not earn even a shred of respect or gratitude from her.
"Behind what?" he whispered in a lethal tone that had Kol and Elijah tensing behind them as he removed her poking hand from his chest.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that Kol slowly got up as if he was ready to intervene in order to protect Caroline from him and his palms turned to fists. The way his brother seemed to care for Caroline made him sick.
Caroline, however, seemed to be unaffected by the change in his demeanor as she stood her ground and for some moments their staring match intensified.
"Tell me right now that this is not one of your games Klaus or I swear to God-"
"Slow down sweetheart," he ordered her, his voice a whip of command and Caroline put her hands to her waist aggressively looking at him as if he was her worst enemy.
"Seriously? Don't you dare go all sweetheart with me right now!" she yelled at him defiantly and no matter how angry Klaus seemed to be getting he couldn't help but smile at her reaction. God, how much he had missed this! How much he had missed her.
And yet she didn't care. She never did. Not in the way he wanted her to. They were still in square one. Not friends. Not lovers. But once more opponents. She would never relent. She would always consider him to be the villain.
"If this is one of your lame attempts to keep me in New Orleans I swear I will make your life a living hell," she spat out the words and Klaus narrowed his eyes and took a step forward towering over her but she did not move. He let a growl of frustration and before Kol could act it was Elijah that stepped in quickly and intervened mastering his most diplomatic and polite tone. Klaus could detect the manipulative mask Elijah wore now.
"Miss Forbes excuse my interruption but you seem to be quite upset," Elijah noticed.
"You'd think!" Kol snorted from behind them and Caroline groaned enraged.
"Shut up Kol!" she hissed angrily looking.
Klaus gritted his teeth at the way Kol chuckled and at the way Caroline seemed to be so comfortable with his baby brother. Only Elijah seemed to be understanding how much this was affecting Klaus and this was why he decided to defuse the situation once more.
Elijah focused on Caroline as she turned her back to Klaus and started pacing back and forth frustrated.
"Miss Forbes as I have told you before my family is in your debt. Maybe I could be of some help to you if you would calm down and try to explain to us what is going on," Elijah prompted with a soft voice that made Caroline gesture wildly with her hands.
"What is going on is that I am stuck here!" she exclaimed and Klaus looked at her all perplexed now.
"Stuck?" he asked and Caroline bit her lip trying to tone down her over emotional reaction. But she just could not believe this was happening to her! After everything, she has been through and now this!
"I can't leave the city," she complained desperately, "I tried different exits but it's of no use. There is a barrier holding me in," she told the Mikaelson brothers that now all three of them seemed to look at her with grave and serious expressions.
The bitterness in her eyes remained but the fury she directed towards Klaus seemed to shimmer down as she realized that he looked as much surprised as she had been when she realized she could not get out of New Orleans. She knew him well enough to know he was not faking his reaction.
Klaus approached her and placed his hand on her left shoulder in worry. He did not seem angry anymore. He seemed distraught.
"Are you sure love?" he questioned her concerned and she rolled her eyes.
"Seriously?" she mumbled without breaking eye contact with him, "Of course I am sure. I can't leave New Orleans," she announced and held her breath.
She was trapped.
