"Over the course of my life, I've encountered no shortage of those who would presume to speak of good and evil. Such terms mean nothing. People do what is in their best interest, regardless of who gets hurt. Is it evil to take what one wants? To satisfy hunger, even if doing so will cause another suffering? What some would call evil, I believe to be an appropriate response to a harsh and unfair world." Nik said walking around the small room he, Cami and I were sitting in.
"No offense, but I'm not sure I follow why you've invited me here." Cami said confused making him smile at her.
Because I sense that you have the capacity for understanding someone of my... complexity. You see, I returned to New Orleans to investigate a threat posed against me. What I found was my young wife, pregnant, in need of protection. So, naturally I do all I can to protect her from herself and others who would harm her. Trouble is, I've since learned of another young woman- a girl, really, one with vast potential—- held in captivity by a tyrant. I want to help both of these women—- protect one and free the other. So, tell me, Cami- does that sound evil to you?" he asked her.
"I don't believe in evil as a diagnosis. I think you have unstable personal relationships, stress-related paranoia, chronic anger issues, fear of abandonment. I think you could benefit from talking to someone. Professionally." She told him and I saw him smile in amusement at her words.
"I think I prefer to talk to you. So, I'm going to offer you a job as my stenographer." He said.
"Okay. What are we writing?" she asked still confused.
"My memoirs, of course. Someone should know my story. And, it will give us time to discuss other riveting subjects, like your handsome suitor, Marcel." He told her getting down to why he really wanted her here.
"Excuse me? My private life is–-" she started saying but he interrupted her.
"Your private life is, as it turns out, essential to my plans. You see, Marcel wants you. And, because of that, he will trust you, which serves me. The thing is, the French Quarter is on the verge of war. On the one side there's me, and on the other, Marcel. Along with a very powerful witch and an army of vampires." He revealed to her which began to make her freak.
"Really Nik?" I asked him.
"WHAT?" she asked. Nik used his vampire speed and pushed her against a wall while compelling her.
"You're frightened. Don't be." He said smirking down at her.
"I'm not scared anymore. That's... amazing. How did you...?" she asked puzzled.
"It's called compulsion. It's a neat bit of vampire trickery. I'll tell you all about it. But first, let's talk a little more about Marcel." He told her and she stared at him warily.
"I'm going to do downstairs and join the rest of the women in the house. You two have fun." I said before standing from the couch, giving Nik a quick kiss, then leaving the room. When I got to the living room I plopped down on the couch and picked up the book Bekah had gotten for me. "What to Expect When Your Expecting." I shook my head with a smile before I started to read. Not long after I started the doorbell rang and Hayley, who was bringing Nikolas downstairs after is afternoon nap, answered it before joining me. "Hey big guy. You have a fun nap?" I asked him smiling putting the book away and taking him from the young werewolf. She moved out of my line of sight to reveal Agnes.
"Agnes, what can we do for you today?" I asked her with false care as I stood and put Nikolas next to his toys. They wouldn't stop him from crawling all over the place, but he'd be happy for a short time.
"When was the last time you went to see an OBGYN?" she asked me and I raised my eyebrow at her.
"Not all that sure. When was I last off this property? Oh yea, when I was nearly killed." I reminded her.
"I thought as much." She said with a smile on her face.
"I'm fine." I told her.
"You are overdue for a checkup." She told me.
"I have been pregnant before. I know I'm overdue, but what am I gonna do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick ultrasound? A pregnant doppelganger escorted by a witch, an Original, and a werewolf? Nothing to see here folks move along!" I said sarcastically.
"A lot of women would kill to have a child. It strikes me as odd that you're not taking better care of yours." Bekah said mildly jealous.
"I know, Bekah. But what can I do? I can't go into the Quarter, I promised Nik." I told her.
"I know a doctor out in the Bayou, off the beaten path. Now, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you. Tonight, after-hours, just us. Vampires will never get word of it." Agnes told me and I took a deep breath and sighed.
"Okay, fine. Bayou-OB it is." I said and Agnes collected her things and walked out of the house.
"Please, sister, tell me you're not still at it with the internet search." Nik laughed as he walked into the room after Agnes left. "How does one begin, anyway? Just type in "anonymous attic?"" Nik asked before pouring himself a scotch.
"Someone has to find Elijah, even if I have to search every bloody attic in New Orleans." She told him.
"Like looking for a needle in a rather large pile of needles." He told her.
"At least she's trying." I told him.
"I remember details about the attic Marcel took me to. There were shutters on the windows behind Elijah's coffin." Bekah told us.
"Well, that should narrow it down immensely. Myself, I prefer actual strategy as opposed to mind-numbing labor. Marcel's delay in returning our brother makes me suspect he's no longer in charge of the situation. If Davina's loyalty to Marcel is strained, perhaps the young witch will be open to discussing a new alliance." Nik told us making Bekah smile bitterly.
"As usual, your power grabs are more important than rescuing your brother." Bekah said.
"I prefer to think of it as killing two birds with one stone. Rob Marcel of his secret weapon, bring our brother home." Nik listed off. Bekah gave him an unimpressed look before smiling tightly at her brother as he sipped his drink.
I spend my day with Nikolas before leaving alone with Agnes for my appointment. By the time we reached the doctor's clinic. Well, at least I think it was the doctor's clinic it looked more like a shack.
"This is the doctor's office?" I asked her giving her a nonbelieving look.
"Dr. Paige is only this far out because Marcel's men kept terrorizing her patients. Go! She won't bite!" Agnes told me smiling. I gave her a look before taking a deep breath and leaving the car for the clinic.
Towards the end of the appointment Dr. Paige was giving me an ultrasound and I smiled at the picture and the first sounds of my daughter's heartbeat.
"Your baby's heart rate is perfect." Dr. Paige told me with a smile.
"I knew it. She's a tough one, like her dad." I said.
"From what I hear she's also a lot like her mom." Dr. Paige chuckled before handing me a tissue to wipe the gel off my abdomen.
"We're done here, right?" I asked her as my phone went off. I checked it to see a text from Bekah.
Where are you and Nikolas?
"Your blood pressure is a bit high, I've got something for it." She told me and I nodded as she walked away to Agnes.
Bayou clinic with doctor and Agnes. Hayley at home with Nikolas.
I put away my phone and looked up when I heard a wolf howling, loudly. I got up and looked outside but saw a car's headlights approaching. I turned to see Dr. Paige and Agnes talking and I shook my head before smirking at myself for trusting them. What a day to be without my gun. I looked up again as Dr. Paige entered the room with medication.
"You know, I'm actually not that good with pills." I told her.
"Heh, neither am I, truth be told." She told me nervously. She moved behind me and started something and I saw men entering the clinic. I turned to see Dr. Paige prepare a syringe, but before she could inject it into me I grabbed her arm and injected her with it making her pass out. I quickly turned to the door and closed it before the men with Agnes entered the room. I went to the window and opened it before climbing out and running from the clinic into the woods. I heard them following me so I hid behind a tree until they passed me up. I ran up to the first man and kicked him in the gut before knocking him to the ground. I jumped and kicked the second man down as well before snapping his neck. I felt a pain in my gut and doubled over. It was too high to be the baby so I was confused before I was attacked by the third man. I grabbed the knife he was attacking me with and slit his throat. I spun around as the fourth lunged at me. I dropped the knife and grabbed the shotgun in his hands and yanked it out of his hands and knocked him to the ground before beating him in the head with the butt of the gun. I crouched into a defensive position on the ground and I looked for more men behind me. Suddenly a large, burly man attacked me, but before I could react his neck was snapped from behind and he fell to the ground to reveal Bekah.
"Have to say, I'm impressed. Bloody hell!" she said shocked.
"How did you find me?" I asked her out of breath.
"Your text got me halfway, vamping here did the rest. What happened to your eyes?" she asked me.
"What do you mean?" I asked her confused.
"They look like werewolf eyes." She told me and I looked at her confused before shacking my head.
"We need to focus, Bekah." I reminded her.
"Right, who are these guys?" she asked me.
"Witches. Warlocks. I don't know." I told her looking at the men I'd knocked out or killed.
"There're more of them. Run!" she ordered me.
"I'll see you later." I told her reluctantly before leaving. I turned in time to watch her be shot twice in the heart with two arrows and she went down. "Rebekah!" I called to her before I was shot in the shoulder with an arrow. I looked down at it to see it coated in something before my world went black.
"Wow! You abandoned your quest for power to help out your family! Having an off day?" I heard Bekah ask sarcastically as I stumbled my way back to the clinic.
"Who took her, Rebekah?" Nik asked her deathly calm.
"I don't know." She answered.
"What do you mean, you don't know? And who killed her attackers?" Nik asked her.
"I don't know! I had an arrow in my heart. If it wasn't Hayley who killed them, then–" a wolf howled in the distance stopping her words. "Lovely. Maybe her cousins will know where she is." They both left the clinic and found me stumbling toward them.
"Nikky! What happened? Tell me what happened." Nik told me.
"I can't remember." I said putting my hand on my head and over my abdomen as Nik anxiously examined me for any injuries. "I was shot." I said moving my hand over my shoulder.
"You've completely healed. There's not a scratch on you." He told me and I felt my shoulder but the injury that was there but it was gone.
I hear it's one of the perks of being a werewolf." I said and Bekah moved to me.
"What?" he asked shocked and confused. Bekah wrapped her arms around me protectively and moved me to sit in front of the doors of the clinic.
"It's the baby. The vampire blood- Klaus' vampire blood- in your system. It can heal any wound." Bekah said and I held my abdomen and smiled.
"What did you mean perks of being a werewolf?" Nik asked.
"My eyes changed colors after I killed the witches after me. I'm a werewolf now. Probably because of the baby as well. She has the werewolf gene and we share blood right now." I told him and he stared at me incredulously before smiling and moving towards me.
"How did you escape? Outnumbered, unarmed? Those men were ripped to shreds!" Bekah told me.
"I think it was the wolf. I think it's trying to protect me for some reason." I told them.
"The witches were supposed to protect you! When I get my hands on Sophie Deveraux—" Nik said angrily.
"Tt wasn't Sophie—" Bekah told him.
"-It was Agnes." I said angrily.
"Fine! Agnes, Sophie, it's all the same to me! I'll slaughter the lot of them!" Nik said.
"Not if Elijah gets there first." Bekah told us.
"Or me and we can't kill Sophie right now because we're linked." I reminded them. "Did you find Elijah?"
"He's been in touch, and he has a plan. All he asks is that we take care of you." Bekah told me.
"Hey, so... can we go home now? I'd really like to sleep for a few months..." I told them.
"Then you'll miss all the fun bits of your pregnancy." Bekah joked with me and I knocked my shoulder into hers before standing up.
"If you wish to return home, then that is what we shall do." Nik told me still smiling. I smiled back to him and began to walk. My knees buckled and I stumbled and started to fall, but Nik rushed over to catch me before I hit the ground and scooped me up in his arms bridal-style.
"Ooh, I've got you, love. I've got you." He told me before we all went to the car, Nik holding me the rest of the way home.
