Crossroad-Deal in New Orleans
The Mikaelsons prepare to absorb the Hollow to save Hope and part ways forever, when the preparations for the ritual attracts the attention of a demon.
Okay, my first completely new story in a year. I had an idea and then I wrote it in one afternoon. I had so much fun writing it.
Thank you to Senema for her quick Beta, I'm so grateful for her help. All remaining mistakes are my own.
I had always been racking my brain about how to get Dean to New Orleans and have him meet the Originals. Normal Dean is difficult because he would go after them without hesitation but Knight of Hell Dean is a completely different matter. I think he would adore the Mikaelsons with their loyalty to each other and their love for murder.
Plus, it's the 4th season with a happy ending for the Mikaelsons.
Hayley knelt on the floor next to her daughter and hugged her, while the four vampire members of the Mikaelson family took their positions for the ritual.
Vincent and Freya prepared for their part in the ritual, while Marcel watched everything from the edge.
Hayley could see the slight smiles on Marcel's and Vincent's faces. Without a doubt, it was a dream come true for those two bastards. In a few minutes, the Mikaelsons would have to part ways forever.
The thought suddenly popped up inside her mind that she would give anything to save her daughter without having to perform this ritual. She didn't want her family to have to split up.
"My, my, no wonder I feel so much dark magic coming from New Orleans", an unfamiliar male voice suddenly uttered.
Hayley turned around and she saw a man standing in the centre on the drawn cross between Elijah, Klaus, Kol and Rebekah, who stood at the end points of the cross. He was as handsome as the Mikaelsons and his smile was as cruel as she had seen on their faces more than once. With a disdainful expression, he casually destroyed the runes Freya and Vincent had created over several hours with one foot.
"What are you doing?" Vincent asked in horror.
The man looked at him for a few moments, the corners of his mouth curled contemptuously, before turning away and surveying everyone else present.
"I asked you something", said Vincent, making the gesture he always used to trigger an aneurysm in vampires. To Hayley's surprise, the man didn't seem to feel anything, there was no sign of pain.
"Shut up, whore", was the only reaction the man had. His scornful expression grew even stronger as he looked at Vincent again.
Angrily, Vincent walked towards the man with his hands raised, reciting spells, which seemed to shock Freya if Hayley interpreted her expression correctly.
When she looked at the man again, she noticed that his eyes had gone from being normal and green to completely black. He waved his hand and something threw Vincent almost ten meters against the nearest wall with great force.
"I said, shut up, whore." The man made a fist and Vincent choked noticeably. "Do you think I don't know that it was you, who originally conjured up this thing? You agreed to everything they did and then made them responsible for everything. The main thing for you was that you could convince yourself that your hands were blood-free. I really hate hypocrites like you! And now you're letting others pay for your actions. Luckily I can do something about that."
Suddenly blood began to pour out of Vincent's mouth. In less than a minute, Vincent's eyes broke and whatever force had held him to the wall disappeared and his lifeless body fell to the floor.
Disinterested, the man turned away and now looked at Hayley. "You summoned me?"
"I didn't summon you," replied Hayley, half-indignant and half-frightened by that what she had just witnessed.
The man laughed softly and his eyes were green again. "Didn't you just think that you would give anything to save your daughter and keep your family from splitting up?"
"Yes, I actually did", replied Hayley, shocked. "How did you know?"
The man shrugged, the contempt now gone from his face. "Thoughts and desires have power and I have a soft spot for individuals, who would do anything for their family. Everyone here, except for two people, had the same longing, it attracted me." He looked around again.
"However, I'm surprised that this kind of loyalty and sacrifice comes from vampires, werewolves, and a witch." He grimaced. "I detest witches, they are disgusting, they always have to spread their bodily fluids everywhere." He looked at Freya. "But I'll make an exception for you because you don't have the same darkness about you as the whore I just killed."
"Who are you?" Klaus asked confusedly, having finally found his voice again.
"My name is Dean. I'm a demon, a knight of hell to be exact", the man answered readily.
Freya gasped, when she realized what was standing in front of her. "You're here to make a deal with us, right?"
Dean shrugged again. "Yes, I wanted to suggest a deal to you."
"You can't do anything with my siblings' souls, they are worthless to you but I would be willing to sell you mine", Freya said firmly.
"What? No, you can't do that", Elijah said in horror. "How about you get my soul?"
Dean laughed. "It's pretty rare for me to see my business partners fighting over the privilege of who gets to sell their souls." He looked at Elijah appraisingly. "But like your sister said, I can't do anything with yours. But I dare say you would become an extremely fearsome and powerful demon if it were otherwise."
"So would you make the deal with me?" Freya asked relieved. She believed that Elijah had sacrificed enough of his happiness for his family.
Dean looked at her and his expression softened. "Definitely an exception." He hesitated and looked at everyone present again before his eyes fell on Hope. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her head, ignoring how Hayley wrapped her arms tighter around Hope. He closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. "She is possessed by the spirit of a powerful witch but I can get it out." He opened his eyes and looked pensively at the unconscious girl. "She feels quite special and I also have a soft spot for children."
Dean stood up and seemed to come to a decision. "There are different types of deals I can make. I propose the following. Each of you owes me a really big favour and in return I will free the girl from the ghost. As I said, I found witches abhorrent even before I became a demon, and she was a particularly nasty example of her species. I will ensure that you will never have to deal with her again."
"Agreed", Elijah said immediately.
"Me too", said Klaus equally as determined.
One Mikaelson after another gave their consent, until only Marcel was left, who looked extremely sceptical. "You actually want to trust this creature? Who knows what favours it'll call in from you. You are capable of terrible bloodbaths even under normal circumstances. I can't imagine what you could do on behalf and on the orders of a demon."
"I really don't care about your opinion", Hayley said coldly and looked at Marcel disdainfully. "You're just mad that now we don't have to break up after all."
"Oh, he's more than that, he is disappointed too." Dean chuckled. "He and Vincent planned everything. Vincent never shared with you the existence of other rituals to save Hope from possession. One of the reasons I killed him. He could have saved her days ago but he wanted to get rid of you, so he accepted that a child had to suffer." Dean jerked his head at Marcel. "He knew about it but it was more important to him that you were forced to leave."
Elijah narrowed his eyes. "Is that true, Marcellus?"
"He's a demon, of course he's lying." Marcel looked bored but everyone present could see that he was just pretending.
"Ah, why should I lie when the truth will be so much more unpleasant for you", Dean replied amused, looking at Rebekah. "You can find something better than him, sweetheart. He doesn't love you for you, just the power and influence your family has. He has always betrayed and exploited you, right from the start."
Rebekah looked at Marcel, who now looked a little uncomfortable. "He's telling the truth, isn't he?"
Marcel looked hatefully at Dean then at Elijah. "And even if that's true, there's nothing you can do against me. You can neither kill me nor stop me from killing you."
Dean suddenly stood in front of Elijah, in his hand he held a large serrated knife that looked more like a bone.
"What is that?" Kol asked, intrigued. Even as a vampire, he could feel the power that emanated from the blade.
"Cain's blade, Cain used this weapon to murder Abel", Dean replied with a grin, his eyes night black again as he stared greedily at Marcel. "In addition to witches, I also have an aversion to traitors. What can I say, I'm an atypical demon. If you're so invincible, how about you take me on." He grinned murderously. "I even promise you that I won't use my supernatural power against you."
Marcel hesitated visibly indecisive.
"Ah, not only a traitor but also a coward too", Dean continued to provoke Marcel.
And Marcel lost control of himself. Faster than a normal person's eyes could follow, Marcel stood next to Dean but he was no longer there. Only the vampires had been able to follow both men's movements.
Dean was now standing behind Marcel and with his weapon-free hand he tapped him on the shoulder. Marcel spun around to sink his teeth into Dean's neck but Dean was again faster and plunged the blade into Marcel's stomach.
Marcel gasped as pain shot through his entire body, he had never felt pain like this before. Dean put his hand on Marcel's neck and pulled him closer to him before slowly dragging the knife up to the breastbone. Blood and internal organs spilled out of the wound.
"With this knife I can kill angels and demons", Dean whispered in Marcel's right ear. "Do you really think you're more powerful than them?"
Dean pulled out the knife and took a step back. Without batting an eyelid, he watched as the life drained from Marcel's eyes.
Elijah stepped next to him and watched as Marcel's skin turned grey and then his body began to rot at an incredible rate. "Would you like a favour for this from me too?" he asked dryly.
Dean chuckled. "I like your humour and no, consider it customer service. That being said, I needed something to kill anyway, the blade is hungry. And it's more satisfying to kill someone like him than a helpless human. As I said, I'm a bit of an atypical demon."
Klaus now stepped next to Elijah. If he was grieving for his adopted son, he didn't show it. "What's next?"
Dean looked at him. "I can make the deal with only one person. This means that if one of you refuses to do me the favour, I will held this person responsible. Which means I will either kill him for this breaking of the contract or this person has do to me a second favour." He shrugged. "It depends on my mood or how important the favour is to me."
"I will make this deal with you", Elijah spoke up immediately.
Dean looked at everyone. "Everyone agrees to him being this person?"
The only ones who weren't happy about this were Freya and Hayley but they both knew better than to try to talk Elijah out of it.
Dean put his knife away and stepped towards Elijah. "Deals like this are sealed with a kiss."
"No problem", Elijah replied calmly. "Just to clarify the terms of the deal, you will free Hope from the ghost and ensure it can never threaten us again?"
"Yes", Dean confirmed, amused, he seemed a little impressed.
"In return for this service you can demand a favour from each of us, that is, the adults. Hope doesn't owe you a thing."
"Agreed", Dean said serious. "I don't ask favours of children."
"If one of us refuses to oblige you, you will hold only me responsible; you will not harm the one who refused."
"Agreed", Dean just repeated.
"And my final condition. You will not ask us to do anything that will harm any of our family, loved ones or close friends, whether physically, emotionally or mentally." Elijah looked serious.
Dean looked at him almost respectfully. "I can live with that. Deal!"
With one hand, he pulled Elijah towards him and kissed him hard and long on the mouth. Elijah didn't resist and seemed to return the kiss, so Dean looked quite satisfied as he separated from Elijah. "Good kisser, but after a thousand years that's no wonder." He laughed. "Now for my part of the deal."
Dean approached Hope and placed his hand on her head again, then opened his mouth. Hayley watched, as black smoke slowly appeared from Hope's mouth, moving visibly reluctantly towards Dean's mouth. It took over five minutes before the last wisp out of Hope disappeared into Dean.
Dean closed his mouth and ran his tongue over his lips. "Delicious. It was a pleasure doing business with you. See you!"
Dean disappeared before their eyes and the Mikaelsons were alone again; the events of the last half an hour had left even them slightly shaken.
Then Hope opened her eyes and smiled sleepily at her mother. "I feel much better now, Inadu is gone."
Each of the Mikaelsons reacted in his or her own way to this evidence that Dean had kept his word.
"Well, I didn't expect that when I agreed to do this ritual", Kol said amused. "Marcel dead, Vincent dead, Hope saved; all in all it turned out to be a fantastic day. I'm going to Davina now and explain to her what happened. I will call you and don't expect to be invited to my wedding." Kol disappeared; he was in a hurry to get to Davina.
Rebekah had tears in her eyes. "I'm going to New York for some time to mourn Marcel, even if he doesn't deserve it." She too disappeared at vampire speed.
"What will you do?" Hayley asked.
"Of course I'll stay in New Orleans", Klaus replied. "I finally have the chance to spend time with my daughter without her being in danger."
Hayley looked at Elijah. "And you?"
"I'm staying too." Elijah smiled. "A house in the countryside is waiting for us where I can walk around in sandals."
And Hayley smiled back at him. "I am looking forward to it."
"And I'm staying in New Orleans too. I think I'd like to get to know Keelin a little better and try to make up for my terrible first impression." Freya smiled mischievously as her two brothers and Hayley looked at her in surprise.
"Huh", Elijah said and smiled. "Looks like there's actually some kind of happy ending for all of us."
"That's quite a unique experience for us", said Klaus, amused.
"Just do me a favour and don't start another war right away, Niklaus", Elijah replied laconically.
Suddenly they heard the sound of wings and a person in a trench coat stood among them. "Where is he?" he asked urgent.
"Who?" Elijah asked confused and a little amazed.
"Dean of course", the man replied impatiently.
"He's already gone again", Hayley replied in surprise. "He saved my daughter."
"You mean he made a deal with you", the man corrected her. "Tell me exactly what happened and what kind of deal you made with him."
"Who are you?" Hope asked, intrigued at what she perceived about this being.
The man's eyes softened as he looked at her. "I am Castiel, an angel of the Lord, child."
The four adults looked at each other in wonder, then they took turns in granting Castiel his wish.
"So there is still hope for him", said Castiel thoughtfully, looking happy. "I have to tell Sam this." He disappeared the way he came, with the sound of flapping wings.
"I don't know about you but I could use a lot of alcohol right now", Elijah said. "That was a weird day even for our standards."
"I can only agree with that, brother", said Klaus wholehearted.
The Mikaelsons went into their house, laughing loudly, they had something to celebrate.