Summary:
It has been over a thousand years since Juliet Ambrosia had last seen her one true love; then again if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be the monster she was made to be. Nevertheless, once news reached her ears that vampires were at war – fighting to kill one of the Original Vampires so their sire line could rule, Juliet decided it was time to reveal her existence to protect her sire line; Klaus. Secrets come to light and a love reignites but will it last long?
Disclaimer:
I do not own any character from CW's The Original, nor the story line of vampires fighting for 'strongest sire line'. I do however own Juliet Ambrosia and any plot that involves her. Please have respect and do not, under any circumstance, take or plagiarize my work for I have worked hard to write this fanfiction.
Alone with Everybody pt. 1
The popular jazz band played an upbeat number at the Saint James Infirmary where Elijah had happily joined at the grand piano. In the dancing crowd resided Juliet, dancing along with the beat with a fellow bar patron, her joyful smile hiding her working mind. Not too far from where she danced was an unfamiliar vampire by the bar. With a drink in hand, the other held a cell phone to his ear where he informed whoever was on the other line he had just gotten to town. The rest of the conversation detailed his hatred for Klaus and his need to find the missing White Oak.
Yes. Missing.
The morning after Juliet and Elijah had shared together, Juliet had entered Rebekah's room with the feeling of another presence having been in her room. When she checked the location of the White Oak, Juliet's eyes widened and a scream escaped her throat as she realized it was missing; the indentation of the figurine in the box spring clear as day. As to who stole the White Oak, it was still unknown; even Freya could not spark up a working spell to point them in the right direction. It seemed whoever it was, was a strong enough witch to break down the barriers Juliet had put up and clearly was not a vampire.
Across the ways, both Elijah and Juliet spotted two black-suited men who were presumably Stryx guards staring blankly at their enjoyment. As the song changed into a slower tempo-ed jazz number, Elijah walked down from the stage and joined Juliet on the dance floor, taking her by the waist with one arm while the other hand interlaced with hers. With a large smile on her face, Juliet happily swayed along with him to the beat of the music, slowly taking steps to spin. "Were you listening to his conversation too?" Elijah asked; his lips twisted in a smile, masking his concern.
"Of course, dear," Juliet answered, stepping out from their position and twirled in his hands, twirling back into his arms. "Daylight ring on and everything I see too." The unfamiliar vampire then hung up his phone and went to exit the bar. With a small smile, Juliet watched as a waitress walked up to the Stryx guards, spilling a tray of drinks all over them. "That's our que," she spoke, gripping onto Elijah's wrist, pulling him with her to follow the vampire.
Outside, the unfamiliar vampire walked down the dark streets of the French Quarter as Juliet and Elijah stealthily followed behind them from a decent distance away. Their breaths created smoke clouds from their nostrils in the cool air, their steps silent as the man rounded a corner through an alleyway. The pair stopped momentarily and watched as the vampire walked into the fog, allowing them to put some space before they resumed their chase. When the pair made it down the alley near an outdoor café space, they're taken back when the two Stryx guards from the club stopped them. Elijah, obviously annoyed with them, smiled genially at them.
"Gentleman." The men stood where they were as Marcel appeared from the shadows to join them. Juliet scowled at the man, rolling her eyes as her arms folded across her chest.
"Come on guys, I thought we agreed?" Marcel laughed in amusement, taking another step closer to them. "The compelled waitress dumping those drinks was a nice touch, I'm positive that was constructed by you Jules." Juliet glared at Marcel, quiet. "But you're the one who wanted to keep the Stryx around for security. As long as we have a legion of Mikaelson enemies in town, how about you just let them do their job?" Elijah, following Juliet, sent a glare toward Marcel, not looking pleased as he tersely replied to Marcel's remarks.
"You know Marcel, I was looking for a little 'us' time," he responded, lightly touching Juliet's shoulder with his hand.
"Yeah I see that," Marcel answered, raising a brow to Juliet as he was still very confused as to what she was doing with Elijah; being intimate was not, in his knowledge, part of the plan. "And as soon as they know you're safe and sound, they'll be more than happy to give you all the 'us-time' you want. In the meantime, if you stayed put, maybe they could devote more of their energy to find out who's got their hands on that missing white oak trinket." Both Elijah and Juliet gave a hard look to Marcel, their minds racing with different ways to escape the Stryx members next time they decided to venture out on their own. Of course, this trip was not for personal matters but one to find Niklaus's enemies and kill them; the less in New Orleans, the better for all the Mikaelson siblings.
Elijah let out a hard breath and turned to leave, Juliet following behind him. But before they could get too far, Marcel called out for Juliet, requesting she stayed behind so he would speak with her in private. Elijah nodded claiming he'd see her later and placed a light kiss against her lips, giving her hand a soft squeeze before he began his way to the Mikaelson Compound, the Stryx guards following close behind. When they were out of earshot, Juliet look toward Marcel with a raised brow, confused as to why Marcel needed to speak with her.
"I don't know what this is or what you're doing with him but I trust you and whatever you're doing, I don't need to know," he started, his voice low but comforting. "But, I think it's time for you to come back to the Stryx."
"What was the point of making you the King if you can't handle the responsibilities?" Juliet inquired, her arms crossing in defense.
"Look. Now that I'm not connected to Klaus, I don't care what happens to him. And Elijah? I wasn't sired by him so I couldn't care less either. But you." Marcel pointed toward the woman. "You care about them meaning you would be able to give better orders which have their best interests at heart." Juliet listened to his explanation intently, knowing he was right. Marcel cared before due to their connection with the Hybrid. Now, there was no sense in keeping Klaus safe unless someone cared for his survival; which Juliet did. Letting her arms drop to her side, the woman nodded.
"Fine," she agreed, instantly regretting her decision. "But you're by my side through it that way when this is all over, you can continue your reign." Marcel agreed to this as the two began to make their way to his loft where they would then begin devising a plan in better protecting Elijah.
Just before reaching the loft Marcel had gotten a call from one of the Stryx guards assigned to protect Elijah to update the leader on the Original's whereabouts. Walking into the building, Juliet noticed Josh at the bar pouring himself a drink while Marcel yelled into the phone. "I don't care if he turned into a cloud of smoke! Your job is to be Elijah's shadow! All right?! Don't let him out of your sight again!" As Marcel hung up the phone, Josh chuckled in amusement.
"I remember when you used to bark orders to me like that," the man spoke, reminiscing as he sighed dramatically and turned to sit in the armchair. "Those were the salad days, weren't they?"
"Come on in, Josh. Have a drink; take a load off," Marcel spoke sarcastically as Juliet mimicked Josh's actions in pouring herself a drink, along with one for Marcel knowing he needed it. Being the leader of the Stryx was no walk in the park but instead a battle between a little boat and a tsunami. In the many centuries of being the 'man behind the curtain' while puppeting Tristan de Martel in the orders, Juliet had to make sure every play on the board, every chest piece moved was crucial to the Stryx; benefitting the Associates. It was a job Juliet knew Marcel would be able to handle; why else would she give him New Orleans after the Mikaelsons left? To prepare him. "Tell me, how have I wronged you this time?" he asked, grabbing the offered glass of bourbon.
"Well, you said the Stryx were as good as gone once we figured out who was killing their guys."
"Turns out I still need them," Marcel sighed. Josh sipped on his drink and hummed in understanding.
"And in the meantime me and the rest of your benchwarmers are supposed to do what?"
Marcel shrugged. "Besides keep the bench warm?" Josh rolled his eyes but his smiled said that he was not upset.
"Hilarious. But I have a better idea. How's that saying go? If you can't beat 'em…" Josh left the ending opened, knowing Marcel would get the picture. And Marcel, taking a long gulp of the dark brown liquid, nearly choked at Josh's response.
"You want to join the Stryx?" Josh spread his arms wide and made a face stating 'why not?' but Marcel shook his head. "Not gonna happen." Josh, narrowing his eyes at Marcel, turned and walked back to the bar where Juliet was taking occupancy, watching. "But if it makes you feel better, they're only staying to protect Elijah."
"So, I guess they know about the auction, then?" Marcel looked to Juliet, who looked up to him worriedly. "For the last existing piece of White Oak?" Marcel and Juliet then turn their attention to Josh. "Wait, you mean your army of fancy-pants vampires didn't tell you about this?" Josh dramatically shook his head; instantly annoying Juliet. "Weird. Well, that's the thing about ancient vampires, isn't it? They don't pay attention to modern things. Unlike your friend here, who minored in computer science and wrote a paper on the dark web."
"Bottom line it for me, Zuckerberg," Marcel instructed, obviously annoyed with Josh's presentation.
"I ran down some online rumors…turns out, someone claiming to have the white oak is offering it up to the highest bidder. Today." Marcel, unsure about the information, considered it for a moment.
"You know what, Marcel?" Juliet interrupted, getting to her feet. "I think this young man has a point. Many of the Stryx members are ancient and know nothing about modern technology besides how to work a smart phone the way they need to. Josh here can explore more on this …" Juliet looked over to Josh, forgetting what the younger vampire had called it.
"Dark web," Josh clarified.
"Yes, that," Juliet nodded, looking back toward Marcel.
"Jules, it could be a fake," Marcel pointed out. Suddenly, Vincent, looking exhausted and with a bruise under his left eye, walked into the loft wearing a furious expression.
"I wouldn't bet on it." He trembled with anger, holding his stomach as he leaned against the cement wall. The vampires exchanged glances, surprised at the Regent of New Orleans' appearance as he continued. "I had the white oak in the palm of my hand and then some ancient …" Before he could continue, Juliet vamp-sped in front of him, gripping onto his neck and pinning his fragile body against the wall above her head.
"You stole the white oak?" she questioned, her eyes turning dark red, the veins under her eyes pulsating rapidly. Vincent choked against her grip, trying desperately to beg for his life. Marcel gripped onto Juliet, begging her to not kill the Regent as they needed his information. Regrettably Juliet loosened her grip, dropping the man onto the floor; he gasped for air, coughing from the lack of air in his lungs. Looking down to her hand, Juliet noticed blood in her palm – forcing her eyes to keep their natural vampire red color as Vincent pulled his collar to show the bite marks on his jugular.
"Some ancient vampire lady … she rang my bell to get it," he explained, slowly getting to his feet. Marcel narrowed his at Vincent, suspicious of the witch's motives. "Now, I think 'old vampire', and I think you," Vincent continued looking at both Juliet and Marcel. "But it sounds like this one ain't one of yours." Marcel looks horrified by this revelation; there's another enemy who might have been on the board since the beginning but hiding. Juliet felt his worries as she, too, began to worry about the other players on the field.
Looking over to Marcel as her eyes returned to her dark stare, Juliet let out a huff. "Well, do you want to call Elijah or shall I?" Juliet questioned already reaching for her cellular device. But Josh interrupted, suggesting him to surf the Dark Net and find the link to the bidding site for the white oak. Both Juliet and Marcel agreed, giving them sometime to devise their speech to the Original vampire about their finds. Marcel walked with Josh toward his dining table where Josh had had his laptop. Juliet, on the other hand, stayed with Vincent, her glare cutting into him. He said nothing, knowing there was nothing he could say to prevent the inevitable hatred radiating off from the Heretic. "Regardless," Juliet spoke, pulling out her phone. "We need to call Elijah so he knows who took the white oak and how it got lost." Looking over to Marcel, Juliet offered him her phone with Elijah's number already dialing. They quietly bantered between who would tell Elijah until his voice rang from the speaker; Marcel quickly grabbing the phone, making a face.
"Looks like we got a good news/bad news situation on our hands," Marcel informed Elijah, who already sounded as if he was over the day.
"Marcel, I simply don't have time for this," Elijah spoke.
"I got a beat on the oak. Whoever found it is offering it up to the highest bidder…of which there are more than a few." Juliet rose a brow as she rounded the table, seeing the computer screen filled with multiple threads, each anonymous and each claiming to have put a bid on the oak.
"This is your idea of good news?" Elijah asked sarcastically?
"The bad news is … word's spread. The Stryx are … spooked." Elijah, who moved himself onto the balcony, watched as his Stryx guards at the Compound begin to argue amongst themselves below him in the courtyard.
"And they're usually such a laid-back bunch." Juliet rolled her eyes at the man's response, getting tired of his sarcasm.
"Well with that oak out there, half of them want to bury you alive. I can't blame them, you die – they die, too."
"Tell them that the Mikaelson compound is quite secure, and with the addition of their own forces, absolutely impenetrable. No one will leave here, no one will enter. Do you understand? Maybe this will stop their infernal bitching." As much as she wanted to assure Elijah they would have everything under control, Juliet closed her eyes briefly before walking over to the couch, sitting on the armrest. Opening them again, her gaze fell on Vincent who was holding a napkin to his neck.
"Giving me enough time to win that auction; or kill the guy who does," Marcel spoke.
"Godspeed, Marcellus," Elijah ended before hanging up the phone. Marcel turned to look at Juliet, knowing this fight was beginning to weigh on her. Giving a comforting smile, Marcel turned back to Josh and pointed toward the laptop.
"Do your magic."
Author's Note:
I'd like to take this time and grant a thank you to those who are reading this story. I really appreciate your time. Please review as it is very motivating and inspiring whenever an author receives a review – even if it's just saying 'job well done'.
In addition, if you're a tumblr user, please follow my blog 'olivicmunn' as there are images and other creations made for my fanfic.
Jewels Jay xoxo