Nik and I made our way to the Bayou where many of the werewolves who weren't under Finn's control and their children had returned, once again living in the encampments for their own safety. Many of the werewolves were collecting firewood and other necessities in preparation for the Unification ceremony as their children played around t. Two young boys were throwing around a baseball, which they accidentally dropped onto the ground. As it rolled away, one of the boys chased after it, where it landed right under Nik's foot. Nik crouched down and smiled at the boy as he picked up the ball, but instead of handing it to him, he carried it with him as he addressed the crowd.
"I wonder if you lot can help me- I'm looking for the hybrid who calls herself your queen." Nik told them. The wolves stared at him in silence, making Nik sigh impatiently. "I'd prefer you tell me where she is before I grow irritated. After all—" Nik tossed the ball back to the boy, "there are children present."
"We only want to talk with her." I told them. "I can promise we won't harm her." Nik raised his eyebrows expectantly at the crowd, watching them.
Once they'd told us where she and Jackson was, we made our way to them.
"Why did you make that promise to them?" he asked me and I looked at him confused. "The promise Hayley won't be harmed."
"Because she won't be." I told him stopping and turning to face him. "Now you have to give me your word you won't make me break mine."
"I would never do that to you." He told me and I gave him a look.
"Don't forget how well I know you, Nik." I told him. "If she has plans to tell Jackson about Katherine and Nikolas, you'll kill him."
"And I have that right." He told me. "I am their father…"
"And I'm their mother. Hayley is family to them and she's helped me so much with being a Hybrid." I reminded him.
"You should have come to me." He told me angrily.
"You weren't there." I said. "You were grieving the loss of our children. What we did, sending them away, we did to protect them. And I would do it again in a heartbeat to protect them. The only difference is that I not only lost my kids, I lost my husband in the months waiting to take the city from the Guerreras. I needed help and Hayley helped." I turned and continued going towards the cabin close by.
When we got to the cabin, an old woman was in the middle of chopping up vegetables for dinner. She sensed our presence and turned to face us, and he smiled at her as she clutched her knife in her hand protectively.
"What do you want?" she asked us.
"Well, we could start with some common courtesy. You could invite me in?" Nik asked her.
"Not likely, vampire." She scoffed making Nik smile more.
"We're Hybrids, dear. Half-wolf. You and I could be distant relatives, for all you know! Matter of fact, we're looking for another of our kind. Rumor has it she's nearby." Nik told her.
"What do you want with Hayley?" she asked us.
"I wish only to remind her of the importance of family. Dissuade her from foolish mistakes." Nik told her.
"Jackson's with her now. They can look out for each other. Why don't you just leave them alone?" she asked us.
"Well, perhaps I should. Clearly, I can trust Jackson's selfless nature, as willing as he is to marry Hayley and save her from the horrors of her current existence. And, in exchange for nothing more than an empowered werewolf pack to serve as his own personal army. Hmm. You know, on second thought, I think I'd like to congratulate the bride and groom." Nik told her amused by her alarmed look. "No doubt they're close by, attending to their prenuptial observances." He slammed his hand against the door frame. "And since you've been unable to help me find them, well... I suppose I'll have to hunt them down myself, won't I?" he sped away and she looked at me nervously.
"I'll keep them alive. We just want to talk to Hayley." I told her. "She's holding some powerful secrets that can't be shared." I followed Nik using my vampire speed.
"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" I heard Hayley ask.
"I didn't know until Mary told me. She said she'd held onto the secret about what my grandfather did for two decades, and knew it was time for it to come out. And I knew I had to be the one to tell you. Truth is, I didn't know if I could." Jackson told her.
"I don't blame you, Jack. I guess... I just really hate secrets." Hayley told him.
"That was my secret. Whatever yours is... If you don't want to tell me, then don't. It doesn't change a thing. Least of all, how I feel about you." Jackson told her as Nik and I walked up behind them.
"Now that's romantic." I said making him turn to us.
"I wonder, however, if I might impose on this lovely tableau long enough to have a word with Hayley." Nik said. Jackson looked hesitant, but Hayley gently squeezed his shoulder.
"It's okay." She told him before gesturing for him to leave. "Go ahead. I'll meet you back at Mary's." Jackson pat Hayley on the back before he reluctantly left us to talk.
"Have you lost your mind?" I asked once they were out of earshot. "Are you seriously considering telling him the truth?"
"Actually, I'm kind of on the fence." She told me.
"Well, allow me to make this simple for you- under no circumstances will you divulge any family secrets, especially none that would endanger our children!" Nik told her motioning to us.
"Except it's not that simple, Klaus. You saw what Finn did. He's growing more powerful by the day." Hayley told him and he sighed and turned away, but we both knew she was right. "Right now, he controls over half of the wolves. This marriage could change that."
"The outcome of your strategy is not worth the risk it imposes on our daughter." Nik told her.
"Well, it's not a risk if I trust Jackson." Hayley told her and Nik rolled his eyes before sighing in frustration. "Klaus, think. We could have a whole army of super-wolves who could protect Katherine and Nikolas as one of their own."
"Katherine and Nikolas don't need a wolf army! Nicole and I will protect them ourselves! And an easier time we'll have of it, too, without you running off sharing secrets with every motley member of your werewolf brethren." Nik said making Hayley lose her temper.
"Damnit, Klaus!" she turned to me. "This is our chance! We can bring them home. We have to at least consider this!"
"We have considered it, and we have deemed it absurd. And in this matter, there is no one above our decree." Nik told her and she glared at him as he stepped closer to her and looked her in the eye. "You will tell Jackson the wedding is off."
"It's a good thing I don't take orders from you." She told him. "Nikky, we could bring them home to their family." Nik scowled at her and I started to think about it.
"Nik…" I started.
"No, Nicole." He said turning to me.
"Jackson helped us and stayed away from the Quarter when everyone was getting a moonlight ring. He learned from you father about a way to help us." I reminded him before looking to Hayley. "He's always been a trustworthy friend." Hayley smiled at my words.
"Nicole!" Nik started saying.
"I am not going to stand here quietly while you tell me what I can and cannot to do to protect our children! We could bring them home. Hold them again in view of everyone. Raise them in the family home." I told him. "It was your mother who tried to kill her, and who knows what your psychotic brother is up to right now."
"I will deal with Finn." He told me.
"And then what? They will always be the children of Klaus and Nicole Mikaelson, the hybrid killers with a thousand enemies!" I told him "Don't you get it? It's us. We're the threat. You're so paranoid that you can't see that this wedding can help them and I would have gone with you to the end. With this wedding, they can come home. The wolves will be on our side."
"The wolves cannot be trusted!" Nik shouted.
"In your paranoid mind, nobody can be trusted! Where does it end?" Hayley asked him.
"There is no end!" Nik told her before turning to me. "Need I remind you I killed my own father in order to protect them?"
"Really? That's why you killed him? Or is it just that you were so terrified of letting someone- anyone- in?" Hayley asked him.
"Hayley." I warned as Nik scowled at her, visibly hurt. "Nik, I know this wedding can work. We can bring our babies home. But you have to trust me and Hayley." Nik nodded before gently caressing my face with his hands.
"I do trust you." He told me and I smiled at him. "More than you know." Suddenly, he snapped my neck and I was down.
I gasped awake long after dark and looked next to me to see Hayley.
"Hayley, wake up." I said shaking her harshly. "Hayley!" she gasped awake and looked around. "We have to save Jackson." I told her before speeding away.
Once we found them, I tackled Nik, landing on top of him and straddling him, keeping him down, before Nik pushed me off him and tossed me away. I stood between Hayley, helping Jackson, and Nik. "I trust them, Nik. Do you hear me? You're not going to kill them. Not unless you want to go through me."
"You truly believe that they are worthy of your trust?" he asked me impressed.
"Yes," I told him. "He helped me when I activated my werewolf curse and she helped me after my transition."
"Well, you are stubborn, beloved." He told me. "Perhaps we are truly meant for each other." He turned to Hayley. "Go on, then. Tell him. Have your wedding. Save your wolves." He looked to Jackson. "But, you mark my words, if you ever betray my wife's trust in you, I will find you, and I will deposit your head on the end of a spike. Perhaps I'll leave it in your grandmother's garden." I turned to them and smiled before following Nik back home.
I sat in bed reading when Nik walked into our room. I smiled at him before looking confused at the woman following him.
"You adding a third into our bed Nik?" I asked him. "I don't remember agreeing to that.
"Nicole, you remember my sister I imagine." I looked at the woman and she smiled at me.
"Hello, NIkky." She said and I got out of bed and moved to her.
"Bekah?" I asked and she nodded. I smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.
"The family's all back together." Nik said.
"Almost." I reminded him.
"Let's bring those children home." Bekah said and we shared a smile.
