Chapter Four

New Orleans

'Over the course of my long life I have come to believe that we are bound forever to those with whom we share blood. And while we may not choose our family, that bond can be our greatest strength or our deepest regret. This unfortunate truth has haunted me for as long as I can recall.'
~Elijah Mikaelson

Mississippi River, 300 years ago

The night was cold and dark, fog moving across like a veil in the wind, not a sliver of light peeking through the thick clouds. A small empty rowing boat was sitting on the still water surface, bobbing slightly. A lantern was glowing a few feet away giving an eerie glow. Standing nearby, were two men.

"What do you make of that?" asked the first man, looking at his companion, confused.

"No banner, no flag," said the second one looking into the distance, where a single dark ship stood. "Floated in out of nowhere. A miracle ship." he continued, looking at his friend, curiosity brimming in his grey pools.

The first man was staring at the ship, wondering, "Why is it just sitting out there?"

"I suppose we ought to find out."

The two men had climbed aboard the ship, with a few more companions and were walking down to the bilge of the ship.

The doors to the bilge creek open. As the men walk inside, they see that the bilge was filled with barrels, all around them. The stairs creek under the five men as they climb down.

They look around and all they see are barrels, filled with who knew what.

"Where in hell is everyone?"

"Deserted. Which makes everything in the hold legally forfeit." says the second man. "Take what suits you." he said turning back and looking at the other men, climbing down the stairs.

"What do you make of that?" said the first man, just having noticed the two coffins lying about.

"Open it up."

The workers move around, towards the dark coffins, engraved with an elegant M on the front, while the others wait around it, curious. What they find shocks them, making them gasp and back off.

Lying in the coffin, with dark black veins all over its face was a body, with a blade stuck right in its heart.

"What the hell?"

A sudden movement and a whoosh of wind startles the men, making them turn back in surprise, to see one of the men wasn't where he was just moments before.

It happens again, with the man who'd opened the coffin, who disappeared with a shout. A third man disappeared the same way, making the other two turn around in shock. One of them starts to run away in fear, up the stairs, leaving the other behind.

He gets yanked up by his collars and disappears. Seeing that the only man left whips around in surprise, gasping, as he hears a noise, behind him. He looks around in fear, when he hears a woman's voice.

"Hello."

The girl was beautiful, but her eyes were completely blood red, with veins crawling around it, making her look terrifying. There was also a trickle of blood at the corner of her lips.

Wiping the blood off with a white napkin she said, "Hm...lovely to see a handsome face after a long journey. Can I eat him, brother?" This she asks someone behind the man she was eying like an appetizer.

"I'd rather you didn't." said a male voice, which made the man turn around.

A handsome man, with a predatory smile came around, "There's no need to be afraid." said the man in a kind tone. "You'll do exactly as I say. You'll remember nothing." looking directly into the terrified man's eyes.

"I will remember nothing." said the man, as if in a daze.

"We had a very long journey, wherein which, unfortunately, we lost all of our crew. Therefore, I would ask you to kindly transport our belongings to the shore."

"What kind of hell demons are you?"

"We're vampires, darling." said the girl, walking towards the terrified man, making him turn around in shock. "The Original Vampires. Rebekah, Elijah." she introduces herself and the man. She turns her head towards the coffins, "Our brothers, Kol and Finn, may they rest in peace."

"Are we saving the best for last?" said a male voice, behind her, with amusement, making Rebekah roll her eyes, "Mieczyslaw and our half-brother Niklaus."

They all turn around to see two men holding a man each, with blood dripping down their lips.

"Ignore Nik, he's a beast." said Rebekah, which makes him laugh and push the man he was holding, tumble down the stairs.

"Well I'm done." said Mieczyslaw, dropping the body he was drinking blood from.

"We fled Europe and survived the seas. Would you rather I arrive hungry on the shores of our new homeland?" said Nik, with a grin atop him blood covered lips.

"Niklaus, your manners are, as always, without equal. And it seems Mieczyslaw is following your path in that context." said Elijah, and turned towards the man, "Sir, would you be so good as to tell us where it is that we've landed?"

"The French colony of Louisiana. Off the shores of a town named New Orleans."

"Well, thank you so much." said Elijah walking away, but turned around before saying, "Oh, I do recommend that you find yourself further assistance for the luggage. My sincere apologies." and walked away.

The man turned around slowly, just noticing, blood trailing down the walls, leading down to headless and bloody corpses of his people.

Today

The Pack, with Noah and Melissa had just reached New Orleans and were preparing to get to their new home, from the airport. Stiles had hired a couple of cars to take them to the French Quarter, the place they'd be staying.

Scott, Lydia and Malia had been accepted into The University of New Orleans. Scott had taken up a course on Veterinary Sciences, Lydia was doing a double major on Mathematics and Mythology and Malia had taken up Zoological Science.

Liam was going to be attending the local high school for his senior year. Noah had been happy to be Sheriff again, with the help of his distant cousin, Kieran O'Connell, he'd got the job easy. Melissa, also got a job at the local hospital, as a nurse.

As The Pack was passing through the French Quarter, they saw a building with a large M emblazoned above its gates.

"That was once my home." said Stiles, nostalgically. "I believe, now Marcel stays there, with his vamps."

After that they don't talk much, just admiring the new town they were about to make home.

The cars stopped at a hotel, on the other side of town.

"I think you guys should stay here for a couple of days, till I settle things with my siblings." explained Stiles to the Pack, who were removing their luggage from the trunks. "I already booked the penthouse for you guys to stay in. I'll be back in a couple of days, you guys should stay in. It's dangerous for werewolves to be out about. So, stay in. I think Noah and Melissa can go on about your business. I'll take care of a few things and be back soon and then you guys can go out, to see the city. Oh, and do not forget to drink vervain. See you guys, stay safe."

Stiles gives them all a hug and walked away, in search of his siblings.

The Pack looks around for someone to help them carry their luggage, when a couple of busboys come out and take their entire luggage, rushing them in.

Noah walks over to the reception and talks to the manager about the penthouse, who calls another attendant to man the desk. The manager then takes the Pack to the elevator and then to the penthouse. He shows them around the rooms and thanks them for staying, before walking out.

The Pack settles down peacefully, and rests themselves. It was going to be a long couple of days.

Rebekah was sitting in a chair, outside the house, thinking about what Nik had just said about Elijah hidden away by Marcel, when Hayley walked towards her.

Hayley sat down in a chair beside her. "I know you don't know me very well, but thanks. I appreciate what you did in there."

"We girls have got to look out for each other."

"What is it with you two? You say you hate him, but the way you deal with him it's so clear. Even when you hate him, you still love him." asked Hayley curious.

"I guess when you spend a thousand years with someone, deciding to quit them is like losing a part of yourself. But sometimes the hate is just so powerful." said Rebekah sighing. "Emil wasn't the only boyfriend of mine that Klaus killed. He did it again and again, every time I found someone to care about. He just kept doing it until; finally, I stopped falling in love. He said he was protecting me from my mistakes, that nobody was ever good enough for his little sister. Until one day, someone was. Marcel." reminiscing her love for Marcel.

"If you know Marcel has Elijah, why don't you just get him back yourself?" asked Hayley, confused.

"Because if I cross my brother, there's still a coffin downstairs with my name on it."

The two women keep silent, each thinking, until Hayley turned and looked at Rebekah, before bending down and picking up a black leather pouch from beside her. She opened it, bringing out two dark blades.

"Oh, my God." said Rebekah in surprised relief and a hint of fear.

"I found it under your coffin. So, if a couple of antique steak knives were the only thing stopping you from getting Elijah back, then, here you go." said Hayley giving Rebekah the blades.

Rebekah smiled at her, taking the blades from Hayley. They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"You know, we had another brother, Mieczyslaw, we used to call him Mischief, but he preferred Stiles. Nik daggered him, when he fell in love with a witch and had the audacity to get married to her."

"What happened to him? Is he dead?"

"No, he ran away after Marcel pulled out the dagger from him, and I think he took the dagger with him. That was in the late 90s. Stiles still hasn't returned and we haven't heard from him at all, until a week ago when he sent me a message, to call for him, for any help and I did. I think he should have been here by now."

Thousand years ago,

It was a beautiful sunny day, the children of the Mikaelson family, still human and young, were playing around each other, laughing, running and happy.

Stiles was chasing Rebekah and Niklaus, laughing, when all a sudden, Rebekah trips and falls. She starts crying for her brothers.
The happiness with which they were playing drained from the boys faces, as they saw their fallen sister. They rushed to her side, Stiles helping Niklaus to pick her up. They then sat her down on a large rock.

"It stings brother, it hurts so bad." cries out Rebekah in pain, clutching her elbow and knee. The boys see that her knee was bleeding through her clothes.

"Brother, father is going to be very angry at me for taking Rebekah to play." said Nik with a look of despair on his face, pleading at his little brother to do something.

"I believe I could do some magic to heal it up, but you cannot say a word to mother or any of our brothers, please." said Stiles determination in his timid twelve year old face.

Both Nik and Rebekah nodded at that, so Stiles kneeled down next to Rebekah and put his hands on her knees and muttered and incantation, which immediately knit the skin back together on her knees, leaving just a small scar. He did the same to her elbow, patching then up good as new.

"You promise not to tell?

"We promise." said Nik and Rebekah in unison.

Rebekah sat there reminiscing her past with Stiles, her sweet and compassionate older brother, who always helped her with everything, wasn't there for her when she woke up fifty two years after being daggered. Because, Nik had hurt him too.

"You would have liked him Hayley. He's the most caring and compassionate person, more so than Elijah. But his temper is far worse than Nik's, when someone he cared for is threatened in any way."

There was light music playing around in Marcel's bar. He was picking a bottle of wine from one of the shelves. Camille O'Connell was sitting at a table, watching Marcel, with a smile on her face.

"I sent everyone home for the night. I am your humble host." he said, with a smile and sat in a chair beside her.

"Well, okay. Extra points for flare."

He poured a glass of wine, and offered it to her. "And the night's just started."

"What made you decide to come?"

"Everyone deserves a chance." she said slowly.

All a sudden the doors to the bar bang open, startling the two. They see Rebekah barging into the bar, her face angry.

"You lied to me. Where's my brother?"

"Hello to you too. Cami, Rebekah. Rebekah, Cami."

Rebekah spares a look at Cami, down her nose, turns to Marcel, "I see you still have a thing for blondes."

"Hey!" exclaimed Cami, confused at where this was going.

Rebekah pulls Marcel, by his neck to his feet and latches him to the nearest column.

"Tell me where Elijah is."

"What the he'll is going on? Exclaimed Cami, terrified, standing up and moving away from the pair.

Rebekah ignored her, squeezing Marcel's neck harder, "Tell me where he is or I will kill you."

Marcel gave her a knowing smile, through the pain," No, you won't."

Rebekah let's go of him, smirking, "Perhaps you're right."

She speeds over to Cami, squeezing her neck, and turned towards Marcel, smirking and said, "But I will kill her."

Marcel, freaks out, puts his hand up, "Let her go. You won. I'll take you to see Elijah."

Rebekah lets go of Cami, who gasps and gulps for air and chokes out, "What the he'll are you people?"

Marcel walks towards Cami, calmly and looks into her eyes, "Sh...It's okay. Go home. Forget all this and just know that I will make it up to you. I promise."

He then turns towards Rebekah," You want to see Elijah? Fine, follow me."

The both of them leave the bar.

Marcel and Rebekah walk into the church and up the stairs towards the attic. Marcel then opens a door and walks in.

Rebekah stands still as she spots Elijah's coffin. She tries to get to it, but is stopped by an invisible barrier.

"Invite me in."

"Gotta ask the lady of the house, Davina. Come on out, sweetheart."

Marcel holds out a hand for a pretty girl, who looked to be barely sixteen.

Davina looks at Rebekah, assessing her.

"Invite her in."

"Come in."

Rebekah gives the pair one last look and walks towards Elijah's coffin, opens it up gasps when she sees Elijah, desiccated, with a dagger in his chest. She pulls out the dagger, halfway, when Davina, warns her.

"I wouldn't do that."

The dagger goes right back, as if it wasn't just moved. Rebekah turns towards Davina, "Who the hell are you?"

"Davina." She pauses and turns towards Marcel, "She's an old one, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Rebekah is an Original. Which means she can't be killed."

"She doesn't seem very nice."

"She can be. But she hasn't been very nice to me tonight."

"Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave."

Rebekah just looks at the pair with growing anger, but suddenly her head starts hurting and she screams out it pain. The next moment she's thrown off towards a wall, then another and finally out of a window, which closes shut behind her.

Here's the next chapter!
So happy I finally got this done! Woo-hoo!

4 April 2k17
~aag
Ciao.

Don't forget to review!