AN: I don't own these characters, just like to play with them. This is an AU that blows canon out the water so forget anything you think you know. I just wanted to do this since it was a thought. this is only two chapters but if the response is good I may do a part 2. For now it is rated T if I proceed with more it will change to M. I hope you like this fun little tale. Please review to let me know what you think. Take care, stay safe and be good people. Please forgive any errors, I wrote this in one night.
Chapter 1
"Hurry up Kol, we'll miss the game or at least the beginning of it," stated Rebekah irritatedly from the foyer.
"I can't get this bowtie right, he called back as he frustratedly undid the bowtie again.
In a flash Rebekah was in his room. "How old are you and you still can't tie a bowtie correctly," she tsked as she masterfully knotted the bowtie making sure it was centered correctly. Finishing, she looked at her brother assessing his appearance, from head to toe.
"You look most dashing, brother," she smiled.
"Thanks Beks, he replied as he turned to get his jacket. "So who do you think will win? I mean, the last time it was a tie," he continued as he handed her his black dress jacket for her to assist him in putting it on.
"Well actually it wasn't a tie but since Klaus acted like a petulant child the title as winner was conceded to him. But I think tonight there will be no doubt about it… he will get his ass handed to him." Rebekah confidently stated as she brushed and patted his shoulders."
Looking at him again with a broad smile that lit up her face, she admiringly announced, "Brother you will break hearts tonight," looking at the mischievous glint in his eye, she added, "As long has it is figuratively and not literally or you will have hell to pay." They both laughed
"Now c'mon, we are late," she urged stressing the last syllable of the word.
…
Hidden away on a manicured plot of land almost completely shrouded by towering oak and cypress trees with spanish moss hanging lazily from their branches, not too far from the French Quarter stood the Regency. A stately antebellum style, two-floor mansion adorned on the outside with left and right spiraling staircases leading to the large front porch, large white columns, black wrought iron decorative railings and a huge black french door.
During the day the house sat blindingly white like a crystal against the saffire blue sky and the greens, browns and multi colors of the lush landscape. The large oak and cypress trees stood tall like sentinels facing each other in a row with their large branches reaching and intertwining at the top making a canopy of leaves, branches and spanish moss over the paved driveway leading up to the house.
At night the white lights wrapped around the bases of the trees were turned on to illuminate the night along with the hanging lanterns affixed tall poles around the front lawn for guests to see their way.
The Regency wasn't a huge house but it certainly was grand in its design and furnishing thus the reason it was a sought after, coveted events venue for small intimate gatherings to all-out, sky-is-the-limit spectacular galas.
It was said to be haunted by the mistress of the mansion, a strikingly beautiful freed slave woman named Antoinette, whose husband, a reportedly ruthless french aristocrat, built for her to declare his love, fidelity and complete adoration.
This was the perfect location for the Mikaelson's fall banquet. The banquet was a yearly held event that seemed to get bigger as each year passed. Esther and Mikael made sure to invite both supernaturals and humans, wealthy, powerful, influential and the more modest yet still equally important. The heads of the major supernatural families were always invited even if they didn't always attend.
Although New Orleans was progressive and the supernaturals of most species coexisted, some even had interspecies relationships both romantic and professional. It was still a balancing act to keep the peace or to change centuries old perspectives, prejudices and mindsets.
Because of the small chance of the unexpected happening and to prevent what happened last year, they all thought it best not to have the party at the Abattoir, their home. Klaus was adamant that there would be no repeat of the "Red Dinner" as it was referred to and infamously remembered as.
"Son, here take this drink, you seem pensive," Mikael ordered after walking up to his son.
"Thank you, father. And I am not pensive, just ready for the night to end." Klaus plainly said as he accepted the glass of bourbon.
"The party has just started. What is your rush?" The older Mikaelson questioned, suspicious of his son's motives for wanting to leave so soon, knowing the game was soon to start.
Klaus smirked, " Nothing nefarious, father, just rather not be around individuals I would rather kill than to smile and make nice with. Does not the hypocrisy make you weary?" Klaus inquired softly(due to supernatural hearing) as he looked into his father's eyes truly wanting to know the answer.
"Son, I have told you before, it is diplomacy, not hypocrisy. There are times when honey works better than vinegar. When will you acquire that mindset? Your brothers Elijah and Finn have embraced that understanding." Mikeal answered.
"And you, my dear husband should remember that when Giuseppe Salvatore comes around talking of his son and his exaggerated merits of worth, and I have to tell you to play nice," Esther jokingly retorts as she walks up to her husband and son. Smiling she kisses his cheek and then kisses Klaus'. Klaus chuckles loving the look of distaste on his father's face.
"That is a different matter altogether. That idiot boy of his is a disgrace to all supernaturals, hell he makes the troll species look noble." Mikael hisses causing Esther to almost choke on her champagne.
Hitting his arm, she chides, "Behave," then looking at Klaus, she adds, "Both of you."
...
Near the elaborate main bar set in the corner on the south side of the massive ballroom stood Hayley Marshall, the ex-wife of the Alpha of the Crescent wolves, Jackson Kenner. Once they divorced she quickly dropped his last name.
The story was that she married for position while he had been in love with her forever and had a soft spot for her bullshit a mile long. Everyone knew that that marriage was fated to end in a glorious blaze of fire and it did for everyone to witness.
Turns out wolves aren't as loyal as they are said to be, at least she wasn't, Jackson caught her in a very unflattering position with Tyler Lockwood, well to hear tell, it was a position she was probably used to, face down, ass up and of all the places in the living room of her home. Jackson walked in with his grandmother and quickly averted her eyes and hurried out of the house.
After "the incident," it was later discovered that they had been having an affair way before Hayley married Jackson and continued afterwards. The two met in Mystic Falls and hooked up during a drunken night at a club. Also a shocker to Jackson only, it seems, was the fact that their daughter, Hope, was actually a Lockwood and not a Kenner. Once that revelation came out, Tyler hauled ass and Jackson being the good guy he was and still is, continued acting, claiming and being Hope's dad and supporting her while cutting Hayley off completely.
It was said that she denied the affair so much, thinking she could sweet talk him into not believing his eyes, that he changed her ringtone to Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" song. The whole of the bayou as well of New Orleans knew about the scandal causing her to be a pariah to most and Jackson the sympathetic fool that got wronged.
Jackson got custody of Hope, mainly because after Tyler went awol Hayley followed looking for him. Apparently she really had it bad for him plus the public opinion of her was harsh to say the least. When she came back a year later she was different, a bit more bitter and a lot more self absorbed and desperate.
As she stood with her glass of champagne she watched Klaus sizing him up. She had always thought he was sexy and he was a train that she wanted to ride all night long. She licked her lips just thinking of the things he could do for her both sexually and societally.
…
Elijah and Lucy walked in with matching attire, he wore a fitted black Armani tux with white dress shirt and red thin tie while she wore a Vera Wang strapless mermaid gown of the same red color. The dress accentuated her small baby bump and the curves pregnancy bestowed on her already curvaceous body, but Elijah wasn't complaining. They made a very handsome couple.
Vampires marrying witches wasn't as scandalous or unheard of or frowned upon as it once was, but a Bennett witch marrying into the Mikaelson family was akin to Russia and America joining forces during the 80's cold war era, it was a big deal
The Bennetts and the Mikaelsons were connected through mutual respect and personal and professional relationships, so the two were aware of each other and frequented the same circles. It wasn't until Lucy was asked to go to New Orleans to help deal with some very dangerous witches that they began to get to know each other better.
From there their friendship grew and then love and marriage. Having been married for ten years they had been through many crazy situations and challenges, but they came through them stronger as individuals and as a couple and their family relationships were strong. Plus after living through the "Red Dinner" they knew they could last through anything, however pregnancy was a bit of a challenge.
Her crazings were off the chart as was her magic and moods. The family started referring to her as Klaus hyped up on magic, but to be fair Klaus wasn't nearly as bad, these days, as she was, but Elijah would never tell her that.
They saw Esther and Mikaelson talking to the mayor of New Orleans and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Baptiste, so after getting a glass of wine from a passing server, they walked over.
Glad to see her son and daughter in law walking towards them Esther overly excitedly exclaimed, "Oh look there is my son and his wife, if you will excuse us," grabbing Mikael's arm ushering them away before the other couple could say anything.
"Now would you call that diplomatic or rude my love," Mikael whispered, chuckling as they moved further away.
"That was being proactive because you looked like you were about to compel him to not speak for the remainder of the night," she answered back in a hushed voice, both of them laughing.
"I would have compelled him to do much worse, but that would have been very bad and more importantly counterproductive, plus I think he is juiced up on vervain. I thought I caught a faint scent of it."
Esther laughed out loud, "That doesn't surprise me." Reaching the younger Mikaelson couple Esther pulled Lucy to her. " My dear you look absolutely radiant."
Pulling her away to look at her bump she asked, "And how is my granddaughter?"
"Mother, stop trying to make my son a girl," Elijah lightly reproached as he smiled and gave her a hug and a kiss to her cheek, to his father he gave a handshake and half hug.
Lucy, defending her mother in law returned, "Well the Bennetts hold a long line of girls, very few boys in the family, so the chances are ripe for a girl." She smiled with Esther knowing this was a heated debate for the conversation could go on for a while.
…
At a round table in a secluded part of the room sat the Salvatores, Stefan, his wife, Lexi, Damon and his girlfriend, Katherine and their father Giuseppe along with Caroline Forbes and her mother Liz, who was dating Giuseppe. They were only there because of the senior Salvatore and not residents of New Orleans.
There wasn't much love lost between the Mikaelson siblings and Damon Salvatore, although they tolerated Stefan. It was mostly because he was arrogant, reckless, selfish and stupid. However he fancied himself to be confident, bold, self-nurturing and brilliant.
"How long do we have to be here," Damon asked his father, almost whining.
"Stop your bellyaching. You should be taking this time to network, smooze and rub elbows with people that can assist you in your endeavours. Plus free booze." His father said with a gleeful smile.
"Darling, let's dance," Liz said while standing up and taking Giuseppe's hand.
Lexi and Stefan followed suit while Katherine looked at Damon willing him to ask, when he didn't get the hint she stood up and with an attitude and mischievous smile said, "If you don't dance with me I will find someone else." Damon was instantly on his feet leading her to the dancefloor, leaving Caroline sitting by herself.
…
Looking at his watch Klaus was impatient waiting for his bourbon. He refused to drink anything else tonight. He was ready to leave. He thought if he had to smile and pretend to be interested about someone's snot-nosed kid or some stupid power scheme or the condition of blah blah blah, he would have to kill someone. He really hated these types of gatherings, but for his mother he would suffer through, but he hoped he would have a little bit of fun. Where was she, he thought again looking at his watch.
Bonnie walked through the doorway wearing a gold Versace gold sequined thin strapped v-neck, trumpet evening gown that hugged her body like a painted on glove. Her long hair was in an updo with spiral tendrils hanging. She was a vision that outshines the sun and puts the moon to shame.
Next to her was Enzo St. John, by comparison he looked ordinary and basic, however, in truth, he made a striking picture of sophistication and elegance in a Valentino three-piece midnight blue tailored suit with a pale baby blue dress shirt and midnight blue matching tie.
She walked in as if she was gliding across the room not quite touching the floor, one couldn't be sure if it was an illusion made by the length of her dress or if indeed she was not touching the floor as she moved.
The atmosphere in the entire building seemed to change being charged with energy and the scent of magnolias lightly scent the air, Klaus couldn't keep his eyes off of her as many seemed to have the same problem, men and women. For an instant his eyes turned golden to match her dress, but quickly turned back as he got control of himself.
Bonnie Saw him from afar and smirked as she and Enzo continued on to stand with Esther, Mikael, Elijah and Lucy.
"My dear you look like sheer perfection." Esther complimented as she hugged and kissed Bonnie.
"You certainly do sis. How are you?" Lucy asked, smiling.
"I concur Bonnie." Said Elijah taking his turn to hug and kiss her cheek.
"Yes my dear girl, you shine gloriously brighter than the sun, only dimmed by the ethereal beauty of my most precious wife." Mikael eloquently added.
Bonnie blushed amidst all the compliments and looks that Esther and Mikael gave each other. They were really sweet and people wouldn't even believe it, she thought. "Thank you," she said demurely.
In their mother tongue, Mikael asked sheepishly, "Is that dress for my son?"
They all chuckled. Esther slapped his arm giving him that look that said behave.
Bonnie returned with a sweet smile, "Of course."
"Has Klaus seen you yet?" Kol asked gleefully as he and Rebekah had finally arrived and had joined their family standing together.
"Don't you start Kol," chastised Mikael as the others hid smiles and Enzo stayed quiet.
"Bekah you look lovely," Lucy said to change the subject.
"Thank you," she smiled. "As do you. How is my niece?"
"Oh for the love of the gods and all that is good in the world let's not start that up again," Mikael exclaimed to everyone's delight and laughter.
Again Enzo stood with a smile on his face but not knowing the inside joke. Bonnie turned to him to enlighten him.
"Don't look now but the big bad wolf is coming over." Chuckled Elijah and everyone began to disperse with Rebekah taking Enzo's arm guiding him to a distant place not so close to her brother and Bonnie.
"Really, you brought him? Boring! I would have thought you could do better." Klaus taunted as he came up to her getting right into her personal space, inhaling her unique scent of him, magnolias and earth.
Bonnie took a step back, after doing the same to him. "So you say, but I can tell from that stupid smirk plastered on your face that you are not as unaffected as you pretend to be." She countered.
"If you think he will get any reaction other than a yawn, you are very much mistaken and don't know me very well."Klaus confidently denied.
"Whatever. I hope you brought your A game and try not to drool too much," she sweetly retorted as she turned giving him a perfect view of her swaying hips and round ass as she walked away
Klaus wiped his mouth and with a smirk on his face, muttered, "Damn her."
…