A/N: Sorry for the wait. I hope you like this chapter. Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to review.:)
Rebekah let out a grunt as she landed on her back with a thud followed by a boot being pressed against her throat. "If you were wearing heels I would accuse you of using my own move against me."
Caroline grinned pleased with herself, she removed her foot from it's poised position above her neck and offered a hand to Rebekah to help her up.
Rebekah looked from Caroline's hand to Caroline before reaching her own out and grasping it, her lips formed a slow smirked. She pulled hard, yanking Caroline down and turning swiftly, pinning Caroline to the ground, her hand wrapped around her throat. "Never offer your hand to your enemy."
"I should have no problem remembering that," Caroline grunted, pushing at Rebekah. "Get off."
Rebekah smirked, releasing Caroline and pushing to her feet, dusting herself off. "You're improving."
"Really?" Caroline got back to her feet, dusting herself off.
"You're not ready to take on an original but I'm certain you could now handle the average vampire, even some of the older ones."
"Damn, there goes my dream of taking you down one day." Caroline joked. "I'll just have to keep training till it's a possibility."
"Poor, poor, Caroline, that is never going to happen." Rebekah shook her head in mock pity.
Caroline laughed. "Thanks for the training, Rebekah. I'm gonna go get cleaned up, wash this dirt off." Plus it was around the time her mother usually called to check in on her.
"You know, I think getting out of Mystic Falls was the best thing to happen to you," Rebekah informed her.
"How so?" Caroline wondered.
"Well, I find you infinitely more tolerable." Rebekah smiled. "I might even like you now but just a bit."
"Just a bit?" Caroline asked with a small grin.
"Just a little bit," Rebekah smirked, parting her index and thumb, just an inch apart.
Caroline shook her head with a laugh. "Well, it's improvement to when we were always at each other's throats."
"That it is indeed." Rebekah agreed.
Caroline smiled and headed into the house.
Klaus and Elijah sat opposite each other in the living room, both were reading. Klaus was reading "A Poison Tree" by William Blake and Elijah was reading one of his mother's grimoires.
The body of a dead girl laid across the coffee table, classical music playing in the background.
After changing out the clothes she wore when she was training Caroline, now wearing a black dress, Rebekah entered the room. "So, this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family? I train Caroline to fight while the two of you have vampire book club?"
Klaus didn't even bother to look up from his book. "Reading edifies the mind, sister. Isn't that right, Elijah?"
"Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus," Elijah responded.
"And what's this business?" Rebekah waved a hand to the dead girl on the table, her blood dripping onto the table and carpet beneath.
"This is a…" Elijah paused before finally admitting. "I don't know what this is. A peace offering perhaps?"
"It's not a peace offering. Peace is overrated." Klaus stated. "I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish."
"And I explained to my little brother, that forgiveness cannot be bought. I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth." Said Elijah stated.
Klaus rolls his eyes, he didn't need Elijah's forgiveness.
"Not this nonsense." Elijah continued.
"Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?" Klaus grinned to himself.
"Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the rubbish bin because she's staining a two-hundred-year-old carpet," said Rebekah. "And I have no doubt if Caroline saw this she would be giving us a lecture on morality and the importance of human life then again she does seem to be loosening up a bit."
"Speaking of, where is the lovely Caroline?" Klaus asked finally looking up from his book.
"She went to get cleaned up, she's getting better at the takedowns," Rebekah informed him.
"Did you just compliment Caroline, if I didn't know better I would say you were warming up to her." Klaus grinned.
"I'm finding her slightly more tolerable," she replied.
Elijah looked up from his book to see the girl bleeding out onto the table, where the blood dripped onto the floor. "Ah, yes, you have a point about the carpet, Rebekah."
As Klaus read over a line in the book he looked up at Elijah, his eyes narrowing.
Marcel walked into the Palace Royale Hotel where he believed Klaus was staying.
Father Kieran pulls wooden boards off the windows of the church and waved to a group of men standing outside the door. The men who ran the city.
Klaus looked at Elijah, and then to Hayley, who walked through the room, her hand on her pregnant belly.
Klaus watched Elijah set down the grimoire and follow Hayley into the kitchen, resisting the to urge to roll her eyes at the way Elijah followed her like a lost little puppy.
Elijah followed Hayley into the kitchen and found her making herself breakfast, rooting through the fridge.
He leaned in the doorway. "Good morning." he smiled.
Hayley smiled back at him. "Hey."
Rebekah entered through the back door, dragging a trash can behind her, interrupting their moment. "Listen, I know I'm the only one in this house that actually drinks milk, but would it kill any of you to make sure it's on the grocery list?"
"Actually I did." Caroline breezed into the room to retrieve a bag of blood and a glass.
"You did?" Hayley raised an eyebrow.
"Em-Hmm." she hummed pouring the blood into a glass. "It's right there on the counter."
Hayley looked and saw a small notepad and written on was a small list of things they needed including Milk. "Oh," said Hayley in surprise.
"Add bleach." Rebekah stomped through the kitchen and into the living room to clean up the mess.
Caroline raised an eyebrow at her retreating figure. She hadn't taken Rebekah one to do her own cleaning when she could just pay or compel someone to do it for her.
She glanced at Elijah and Hayley who were sharing lingering looks and decided she didn't want to be alone with them for much longer and followed Rebekah into the living room where she saw that Rebekah seemed to be cleaning up blood from the carpet and table and Klaus was reading a book on the couch.
"Do I even want to know where that came from?" she asked and Klaus looked up at the sound of her voice, his lips ticking up into a smile.
"No, you don't." Said Rebekah, getting to work on the blood.
"I'll take your word for it." Caroline took a seat right next to Klaus her leg brushing against his. "What are you reading?" she wondered, taking a sip of her glass of blood.
Klaus held the book out to her and she leaned forward placing her glass on the table before accepting the book. "The Fruit of the Poison Tree" she read out loud.
"Rebekah tells me training is going well," said Klaus watching her closely, the way her hair fell around her shoulders as she tilted her head to read.
"I like to think so, I would hate it if Rebekah was kicking my ass and I was getting nowhere," she responded.
A laugh escaped Rebekah and she grinned at Caroline. "It's fun at least."
"I'm sure it is," Caroline said, returning Rebekah's grin and handing Klaus the book back. "Apparently, I'm more tolerable now," she told him.
"So, I've heard," he said, reaching out and brushing her hair back from her face. "But I found you fascinating, to begin with."
Caroline smiled, not pulling back from him, reaching for her glass on the table and settling back on the couch next to him. "Well, you do have good taste."
Rebekah quirked an eyebrow. Was Caroline flirting back with her brother? It certainly sounded like that to her. She wondered if Caroline realized what she was doing.
Klaus grinned at Caroline's response and stretched his arm out on the back of the couch, his finger's playing with the strands of her hair brushing up against his hand.
Elijah started digging around a cupboard as Hayley pulled ice cream out of the freezer. "You know, I do hope my siblings and Caroline were hospitable to you, in my absence."
"And your absence, as you like to call it, which is a way-too-polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart…" Hayley looked up to see Elijah bringing a bowl, a spoon, and a bag of cereal to the counter. "I have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, I've had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my babies are Lucifer's offspring." The lie of referring to the babies as her's were starting to come more naturally to her.
Elijah smiled sympathetically as he pulled orange juice and milk out of the fridge, pouring Hayley a bowl of cereal, and then filling it with milk.
Hayley noticed the milk. "Oh...milk." she paused. "They've been fine. Caroline and I were off to a rough start but we seem to be passed that now. Your siblings are weirdly protective, I know I have you to thank for that."
"I'm just happy to see that you're in one piece." Elijah smiled. "So, back to the murderous witches." he handed her the bowl of cereal. "I have some concerns."
"They're evil," said Hayley. "And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting." But it wasn't just that, her deal with Sophie, if it were to get out, she shuddered to think of the consequences. If it came down to her Sophie she wouldn't hesitate to throw the witch under the bus.
"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem," said Elijah.
"What?" Asked Hayley stunned. How were they going to do that? She hoped to god it wouldn't affect the spell that Sophie had used to place Klaus and Caroline's children into her womb.
"I am all for it." Rebekah walked into the kitchen. "As soon as they're unlinked, we get to leave this crap town." she paused. Well, after she finished Caroline's training, but then again Klaus could take over training her, she dragged the dead girl's body across the kitchen floor who by some miracle Caroline hadn't seen thanks to her removing her from the living room before Caroline had joined them. "Who do we have to kill?"
Elijah looked to be thinking. "Probably no one."
Hayley looked at him doubtfully.
"Alright, potentially everyone," Elijah admitted before turning to leave.
Sophie was at Rousseau's in the back room, chopping up vegetables and talking to Sabine, who was sitting on one of the tables.
Sophie waved a hand at the table she was sitting on, making a face. "I cook on that, you know!"
"Don't get cranky with me! I'm the only witch who still likes you." Sabine retorted with a half smirk.
Sophie stirred the gumbo she had going. "Yeah, it's not like I'm trying to save the witch heritage or anything," she replied, turning back to Sabine.
"They'll come around," said Sabine. "They're just old-school and scared."
"Scared of what? Your prophecy about the hybrid babies?" Sophie shot an accusing glare at Sabine, blaming her for what had happened. "Agnes and her freak-show minions had a real field day with that one."
"I can't help what I see, Soph." Sabine shook her head. "Besides there's something up with that pregnancy. I swear it's connected to Klaus's girl."
Sophie was careful to keep her expression neutral. No one, not even Sabine could be trusted with the truth of Hayley's pregnancy. She forced a smile. "Well, if you're psychic, I'm Martha Stewart! And what you're sensing is the linking spell I did on Caroline and the babies." she walked toward the table to grab some celery. "Scootch!"
Sabine wasn't all that convinced that Sophie was right about that but said nothing to contradict her.
Sophie returned to her table and Sabine hopped down to join her. She saw a shadow in her peripheral vision and got suspicious. Suddenly, two people in black masked come out of nowhere.
"What the...?" she started to say but was cut off as one of the masked figures backhanded her across the face, she went sprawling to the floor unconscious. Sophie tried to fight the other two masked people off, but they blew some powder in her face and she fell unconscious to the floor.
Caroline watched as Klaus got up from his seat beside her, setting his book aside, she picked it up and flipped through it again as she sipped at her blood.
Klaus returned a moment later and when she looked up, she saw he had his sketchpad in hand, she raised a single brow at him in question. "I feel like sketching the beauty of the morning."
Caroline's brow furrowed as she glanced around the room, wondering how he was supposed to do that from inside. But when he settled with his sketchpad on his knee and kept glancing at her as he moved a pencil over the page she realized he meant her. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at herself. She settled back on the couch, skimming through the book with one hand, and holding her glass of blood in the other.
Rebekah scrubbed at the bloodstains in the carpet as Klaus took the opportunity to sketch Caroline who was sifting through his book. After getting rid of the body she had returned to the living room to try and get rid of the bloodstains. Rebekah glanced at the book that Caroline was going through that Klaus had been reading. "Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees. Looks like someone's worried about impending daddyhood."
Klaus glanced up from his sketchpad and shook his head. "Nonsense. Elijah's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie-dust and float away!"
Caroline snorted at that, she really doubted that.
Rebekah side-eyed them both but grinned, Klaus grinned back at her while Caroline lifted her glass of blood, taking a drink.
"Strange, I don't recall any pixie-dust from the darkness of the coffin I was recently forced to endure," said Elijah as he rejoined them in the living room. He opened Esther's grimoire and started flipping through it.
"What are you doing with Mother's spellbook?" asked Rebekah.
"Well, in exchange for my freedom, I promised the witch Davina that I would share a few pages from Mother's grimoire. To help her learn to control her magic."
Klaus and Rebekah shared a look of confusion.
Caroline's brow furrowed as she stared at her least favorite Original. Why did Elijah offer such a thing to the witch and why did he want to help her learn control?
"I thought we'd begin with a little unlinking spell," said Elijah.
Rebekah looked at him stunned. "Wait, you want to use her to unlink Hayley from Sophie Deveraux?"
"And Caroline from the babies," Elijah said glancing at Caroline.
Klaus looked at Caroline, watching her face light up with hope at the prospect of no longer being linked to the lives of his children. He wanted that too, he wanted her safe but he also dreaded it. If they managed to undo the linking spells, it would be one step closer to her being able to leave and return to Mystic Falls. Something he dreaded, having her around all the time was amazing and he loved it, even when she was arguing with him because at least she was there. And things had been progressing between them. He felt like she was finally allowing herself to accept whatever she may feel for him without fear of judgment of what her friends back in Mystic Falls might think.
"Sophie brought us here under false pretenses! She doesn't just want us to take down Marcel and his minions, she wants to take Davina back. So, she yolked her own cause to ours, with magic threats and half-truths! Well, no more. As of now, our deal with Sophie Deveraux is null and void." Elijah declared like his word was law.
Klaus and Rebekah grinned, Caroline raised a brow, wondering if everyone in the Mikaelson family was so dramatic.
"Niklaus, I need you to come with me. I need five minutes alone with Davina, you need to make certain that I am not interrupted." Elijah pointed to Rebekah, pausing to think for a moment. "You stay here and watch Hayley." he looked to Caroline. "And you Ms. Forbes can finish cleaning this mess up for Rebekah."
Klaus glared at him. "Don't tell her wha-"
Caroline bristled. "Excuse me?" she cut Klaus off, glaring at Elijah. Wondering at his audacity to order her about like she was a cleaning lady or something. "What makes you think you can order me around?"
Elijah brow raised in surprise, as she glared and talked back to him. "This is my family home and you are a guest in this house and it would be helpful if you contributed more."
Klaus placed his sketch beside him, his jaw clenched as he rose. "Caroline is not a guest here." He moved toward his brother. "She's more than that and you will treat her with the respect that you would anyone else, brother."
"I wasn't disrespecting her, I-"
"Yes, you were." Klaus snapped angrily and Rebekah looked between her brothers, watching Klaus warily, wondering if he was about to lunge at Elijah in what he deemed in the defense of Caroline.
Caroline rose, putting a hand out to Klaus to stop him. "I don't need you to fight battles for me, Klaus." She turned back to Elijah. "I'm regretting ever helping Rebekah try to get you back. You come back here expecting everyone to follow your orders. And why? Because you're angry at Klaus for daggering you? Because you see yourself as the family Patriarch? Well, I could care less and if you think for a second I'm going to let you order me around like some nobody you have another thing coming." She walked forward till she was standing directly across from him. "You want this mess cleaned up than do it your damn self."
Elijah raised an eyebrow as she turned to push past him but she quickly turned back walking to the table grabbing her glass of blood, raising it at him in a mocking salute and walked right past him with a glare thrown in his direction.
Klaus chuckled. "I think we found someone who actually dislikes the noble Elijah."
Rebekah frowned. "If she dislikes Elijah so much why did she help me? Besides needing training that she could have easily gotten from you. Why did she try to help find him?"
Klaus didn't know why but if he had to guess he would say it was because she wanted to help Rebekah due to their deal and needing to get out of the house.
Elijah face clouded over with confusion. "I wasn't aware she tried to help get me back."
"It was more a quid-pro-quo. She helped me with my plan to get you back and I give her some fight training." Rebekah shrugged. "I don't think it was about you."
Elijah made a non-committal noise, turning on his heel and striding from the room.
Rebekah turned to Klaus. "And how did I get elected super-nanny?"
"More importantly, who put him in charge?" Klaus followed Elijah out of the room. He didn't like the way Elijah seemed to think he owed him and was free to call the shots. And he needed to have a word with him about Caroline. He wouldn't have anyone addressing Caroline the way Elijah did moments ago. He would not allow for her to be disrespected.
Marcel sat alone at the local nightwalker bar, drinking a bottle of scotch, various vampires around him were feeding on humans at the tables around the room.
Josh saw Marcel and approached him. "Hey. Is everything okay?"
Marcel shot him a dry look.
"Uh, can I get you something?" Josh asked instead.
"Look, I know you want a daylight ring, kid. Little heads up? I got guys eighty years ahead of you." Marcel told him, he didn't need the kid pestering him.
Josh nodded nervously. "Noted. Sorry." he turned on heel and started to walk away.
Marcel watched him start to leave. "Wait!" he called him back. "You know Klaus Mikaelson. I asked you to give him a lift home a couple of times? To the Palace Royale Hotel, right?"
"Uhhh, yeah...the Palace Royale." Josh stammered, God, he was terrible at duplicity, he hoped he didn't look like a deer caught in headlights.
"See, I stopped by his hotel, to say sorry about an argument we had. Turns out he lied about living there. Lied! Do you ever hear the phrase, "Uneasy is the head that wears the crown?" asked Marcel.
"Uhhh...Lord of the Rings?" Josh guessed unsure, he didn't really take Marcel for a Lord of the Rings kind of guy.
"No, Shakespeare." Marcel corrected. "When I was a kid, Klaus taught me how to read with those plays. All about a king who gained the world, but lost his soul. But now, I get it! You see, when it's all said and done, and you look around at the empire you built, the only thing that matters is who you can trust!"
"There's gotta be somebody, somewhere that you can trust?" said Josh. "'To stick to you, through thick and thin, to the bitter end.' Sam and Frodo, The Fellowship of the Ring." he gave a shrug, not knowing if Marcel got the reference or not.
Marcel nodded slowly. "Yeah, there is someone. We used to be best friends." he patted Josh on the arm as he got up and left.
Davina was sketching with charcoal on her easel in her attic room when Elijah arrived, leaning against the doorway, knocking on the door. Davina smiled at him as he held up, pages from his mother's grimoire wrapped in cloth. "I made you a promise."
Davina's smiled broadened. "Come in!"
Davina spread a page of Esther's grimoire on her table. "It's a spell of unknotting?"
"This is a sanguinum knot. The witches use it as representational magic. If you can unknot this using that spell, you will have taken a step towards learning control." Elijah explained, he offered her two roped knots. "This is one of my mother's later spells. It requires much more power than you realize. Now, if you can perform this, then I shall return with another page." he walked toward the door, then turned back to her. "A spell of your choosing, next time." he graced her with a smile before leaving.
Sophie had regained consciousness and she struggled against the grips of the masked people who knocked her out, even as they shackled her to chains hanging from the ceiling. "Let go of me!" she demanded. She recognized where she was by the stone walls. She was in a mausoleum in the Lafayette cemetery.
Agnes entered the room with a bag and set it on a table. "Leave her be."
"Killing me to get to Klaus, or his babies is not the answer!" Sophie exclaimed, glaring.
Agnes started rooting through the bag. "I'm not gonna kill you, Sophie, I was there the day you were born. I am the last remaining Elder of our coven. It is my duty to protect our power, and our power means nothing if those babies grow another day." she turned to face Sophie. "Sabine's omen was clear. One of those babies will bring death to us all."
Sophie looked at her, fear coursing through her. "What are you gonna do?"
"I'm going to fix the mistake you and your sister made." Agnes held up a large, old-looking metal syringe with a long needle.
"No, no, Agnes, no," Sophie said terrified, it would ruin everything. "No, no, don't!" And Klaus. God, Klaus would kill every witch in New Orleans if Caroline was to die because Sophie ended the pregnancy.
Agnes held Sophie's head down, stopping her struggles and stabbing the needle into her neck.
In her bedroom, Hayley yelled out in pain as she grasped her neck. When she pulled her hand away, she noticed blood on her fingers. "AHH!"
Rebekah heard her shout and walked into the room. "What the hell was that?"
"Hell if I know, it felt like I was being stabbed," Hayley muttered, she shared a worried look Rebekah as they both realized that something bad was happening. Just not to her but to Sophie.
"Hey, is everything alright in here?" Caroline asked walking into the room having heard Hayley's cry of pain. When both Hayley and Rebekah looked at her with troubled looks. She felt an inkling of dread. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Elijah and Klaus found Sabine on the floor of Rousseau's kitchen and Elijah helped her up back to her feet. "What happened?" Elijah asked gruffly.
"It was Agnes." Sabine rubbed her head as she looked around. "Her men took Sophie."
"Day one with you in charge, brother, and already the witch linked to Hayley has been abducted by zealots." Klaus growled. "If anything happens to Caroline there's not a single thing you can say or do that will keep me from slaughtering that old witch and her cohorts."
Elijah ignored his brother and focused on Sabine. "Where is she?"
"If I tell you where Agnes is, you'll just kill her," she said looking at Klaus.
"If Caroline is in danger because of her, yes, I'm going to kill the old hag." Klaus sneered.
"Look, I know she's a little...coo-coo, but she's our last living Elder. That might not mean a lot to you, but it means plenty to us." Sabine was trying to reason with him. "The Elders are the only ones who can do important spells."
"Like completing the Harvest ritual?" Elijah inquired.
Sabine looked at him confused. "You know about that?"
"Oh, you'd be astounded by the things I know," Elijah responded.
"Allow me to entertain you with today's list of priorities. One, unlink Caroline from my children, I won't have her in constant danger. Two, unlink your friend Sophie,so she no longer controls the fate of the woman carrying my children. Three... there is no three." Klaus spoke to her.
"I believe what my brother is attempting to communicate, here, is that neither the life of this Elder, nor the Harvest ritual, nor your coven's connection to magicare of any relevance to him, whatsoever. " Elijah paused for a beat before continuing. "Now talk."
Marcel walked through the gate to the Garden, approaching Thierry's "cell" amid the groans of pain of the other vampire inmates. "Thierry."
"Marcel." Thierry's voice was weak and groggy as he stared at Marcel, struggling to focus his gaze. "Come to punish me again?"
"Someone asked if there was anyone I ever trusted. I only came up with one name. You. So, Thierry, you and I are gonna have a little talk about Klaus Mikaelson." Marcel grabbed a sledgehammer and started to break down the wall of bricks surrounding Thierry.
"Time for the demon spawns to snack!" Rebekah entered a sitting room where Hayley was relaxing back in an armchair.
"I really wish you wouldn't call them that." Hayley told her.
"Oh, sorry, have you picked another name yet?" Rebekah quipped holding out a basket of fruit. "Take one, the plantation's lousy with them."
"I'm gonna have to agree with Hayley with this one." Caroline followed Rebekah into the room with a glass of orange juice as Hayley choose an apple from the basket, grasping it in her hand. "You should stay hydrated." She told Hayley holding the glass of orange juice out to her.
Hayley accepted the glass. "I feel fine...which is weird. I'm sure it's Sophie-related."
"Then, do me a favor, and don't die on my watch!" said Rebekah. "I can forget about never hearing the end of it because I'll be in a coffin for the rest of my life." She had no doubts about the lengths Klaus was willing to go if Caroline were to die on her watch because Hayley and the babies died.
"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a real bitch," Hayley told Rebekah.
"What changed your mind?" Rebekah asked with a smile.
"Oh, I still think you're a bitch!" Hayley smiled. "I've just grown to like that about you."
"Aw, well, that's sweet of you to say." She chuckled.
"If you thought she was a bitch now you should have seen her in Mystic Falls," Caroline said, shooting a teasing smile Rebekah's way.
"You're one to talk." Rebekah shot back but there was no heat behind her words.
Caroline shrugged, she knew she could be a bitch when she wanted to be.
Rebekah's face turned serious as she turned back to Hayley and said. "Remember it when I'm gone."
"Gone?" Hayley repeated confused. "Where are you going?"
"I only came to town to make sure everything was okay with Elijah. He's fine, and he hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him, so...as usual, they'll be thick as thieves, and I'll be left to clean up the mess." she paused a beat. "It's time for me to fly the coop."
Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of Elijah. She frowned if Rebekah left she was gonna have to get Klaus to train her instread.
"Oh…" Hayley was about to bite into the apple but faltered suddenly feeling woozy.
Rebekah frowned concernedly. "What's wrong?"
Hayley shook her head. "I dunno, probably morning sickness…"
Rebekah placed her hand on Hayley's forehead. "Oh, you're burning up, actually."
"How ba-" Caroline step forward and stumbled, barely catching herself falling as she suddenly felt faint and shaky.
Rebekah looked between her and Hayley, then to Hayley's stomach. "That can't be good."
Klaus and Elijah found Sophie in a mausoleum in the Lafayette cemetery and Elijah set about freeing her from her chains.
Sophie groaned as the shackles broke. "Agnes stuck me with a needle. Cursed objects were created a long time ago. We use them so we don't get busted by Marcel for doing magic. The one she used is called the Needle of Sorrows. It was cursed in 1860 when…"
"Jump ahead a few decades and tell us what it does, love?" Klaus responded impatiently, not wanting a witch history lesson.
"It has only one purpose: to kill a child in utero by raising her blood temperature," Sophie said gravely.
Klaus froze if that happened, Caroline would... She would die. Here beauty erased from the world.
"It's for a miscarriage," Elijah said stunned, anger leaking beneath the surface.
Sophie nodded.
"How long?" Klaus growled as his eyes seemed to flicker.
Sophie took a step back, feeling a spark of fear.
"So, how much time do we ha-" Elijah started but was cut off by Sophie's startled scream, her body slamming into the wall Klaus's hand tight around her throat. "Niklaus!"
"How long?!" Klaus demanded, voice low and menacing.
Sophie tried to speak but his grip was too tight, she couldn't breathe, black dots appeared in her vision.
"Niklaus!" Elijah ripped Klaus away from Sophie.
Klaus whirled on him, shoving him off. "Get off me!"
"You need to calm down." Elijah insisted firmly, moving to stand in front of Sophie. "She is still linked to Hayley. You cannot under any circumstances kill her."
Klaus looked at his brother in annoyance, cursing that fucking linking spell. His blackened ambers eyes glared murderously, veins rising on his cheeks. "HOW LONG!?" The words were ripped from his chest.
Sophie's hand was around her throat, rubbing the now tender skin, she was sure to stay behind Elijah. "It will do what it's meant to by tonight's high tide…" She got out after a moment. "And believe me, it will work. I saw her use a similar object on a kid who went mad and killed a bunch of priests."
"Agnes." Klaus took a step forward, pushing Elijah out of the way and towering over her. "Where can I find her?!"
"You won't! There are a thousand places she could hole up to wait it out."
"That's precisely why we need to unlink you from Hayley. And Caroline from the children. No more danger toward her, Caroline or the children." said Elijah.
"No, what?" Sophie shook her head in denial. "If I am not linked to Hayley, I lose my leverage on you. If Caroline's isn't linked to those children there is nothing to keep him from killing me." She shot a look at Klaus being face to faced with his hybrid side was more frightening than she ever thought it would be. It really put a new perspective on things. "We had a deal!"
"We are not on the same side, Sophie Deveraux." Elijah was more than ready to put an to the witches demands over them. "Our deal no longer stands!"
Sophie looked at him in outraged but more than that her eyes went to Klaus who flashed her an evil look, baring his fangs at her. She knew he'd be more than happy to tear into her throat.
Marcel handed Thierry a canteen of blood, who was sitting on a step in the Garden, Marcel sat down beside him.
"Does this mean you're pardoning me?" asked Thierry.
"Aw, you know I can't do that." Marcel shook his head. "You broke my number one rule, you killed a vampire, T. I let that go, it'll make me look weak."
Thierry chugged the blood down. "I warned you about Klaus."
"Yeah, I should've listened," Marcel said, admitting he had been wrong not to. "This guy's been in my town for months, but hiding where he lays his head at night. What else is he hiding, is what I want to know! I didn't listen to you before, but I sure as hell am now. Tell me what happened the night that got you put in here, and you might find yourself out by Mardi Gras."
"The night of the Masquerade Party, you sent us rousting in the Cauldron to mess with the witches. So, when Max came in rousting, he went straight for Katie's throat. Now, you said to roust, you didn't say to kill. Now, he's a nightwalker. I'm a daywalker. I told him to stop, and he wouldn't. So I stopped him. That night's on an endless loop in my head." he paused. "I think Max was compelled."
"No." Marcel denied, his guys being compelled wasn't possible. "All my guys are on vervain."
"Not if Klaus drained him!" Theirry argued. "Max went missing for a couple days before the rousting, right?"
"T, they found stuff you and your girl stole from me in her shop," Marcel stated, there was no point for Thierry to lie to him.
"Have you ever been in the Jardin Gris?" Thierry questioned. "You can't find your own hand in front of your face in there! And yet somehow, someone went in there, and after a couple minutes, found some stolen goods?"
Marcel wiped at his face anxiously, he couldn't help but consider Thierry's words.
"Go there! See for yourself!" Thierry challenged. "But I'm telling you, besides Max, somebody else in the crew had to be compelled. Watch your back." He took another swig from the canteen of blood.
Father Kieran has put up a "Substance Abuse Anonymous" sign at St. Ann's Catholic Church in order to meet with some city officials in private without being disturbed.
"So, a few tourists go missing. Okay, we can spin it, no problem. But do you know how hard it is to sell a gas leak story to the city council when a bunch of church windows magically explode?" The Mayor questioned.
"Mr. Mayor, what is this, an electoral debate?" replied Kieran. "Marcel overstepped, I will handle it."
Klaus through the front doors of the church open, striding in. "Easier said than done. Marcel is quite the little warrior."
A Police officer tried to stop him but Klaus turned his head around and swiftly broke his neck. He was in no mood to deal with people today.
"Who the hell are you?" The Mayor demanded after watching his officer fall to the ground, dead.
"My name is Klaus. And you lot are the Faction. Pillars of the community who maintain the city's supernatural balance. Well, I should know. I created this group. Only, in my day, it was a bunch of pirates and corrupt politicians." Klaus looked around at all the men. "Looks like nothing's changed."
"One thing has: it's exclusively human now," Kieran spoke up looking at Klaus like he was something beneath his shoe. "No vampires allowed, especially no Originals."
Klaus gave a harsh laugh. "I haven't come to join! I've come to ask this group to utilize its considerable resources to find a witch Elder called Agnes. All I need is an address."
"And, uh, why would we want to help you?" Kieran questioned.
"What if I told you that Agnes was the answer to a question you've been asking since you ran screaming from this town? That she is the witch who hexed your nephew, Sean?" Klaus asked enticingly.
"We'd need some time to discuss-"
Klaus cut him off. "I DON'T. HAVE. TIME." he shouted.
Kieran chuckled in response.
"Nor do I like being asked to wait. And I am in no mood for a show of patience." Klaus stated warningly.
"You may have all the vampires in this town cowering in fear, but right now, you are dealing with the humans," said Father Kieran. And unless you plan on killing all of us, I politely suggest you do as I say, and give us time to discuss it." he gestured widely to the other men in the room.
Klaus leaned forward toward the father. "You know what I like about you, Father? Is you're aware of our reputation, and yet still, you stand tall against me." he paused. "Admirable!" The smile slid from his face. "Unfortunately for you, I can't afford to waste any time more than necessary, get me what I want or I will start killing every human official in the city." he glanced pointedly back at the dead cop. "You have one hour." He turned to leave, stepping over the dead officer.
Kieran waited till Klaus was gone before speaking. "I want that witch. Cell phone records, our guys in the 9th."
"For the vampire?" asked the Mayor.
Kieran didn't care for Klaus's threats. This was personal now. He sighed. "No. For me."
Davina continued to work on the unlinking spell Elijah had given her. She held her hands out over the two knots and read from the page. "Phesmatosomniolegarescoldatesangorium." Davinastared at the knots, waiting for something to happen but nothing did, the knots didn't unravel like she expected them to. She exhaled in frustration, running her hand through her hair before angrily hitting her easel.
Hayley laid in bed as Rebekah blotted sweat from her forehead and chest, Caroline hovered on the other side of the bed, wringing her hands worriedly.
Rebekah turned her head to glare at Caroline. "Would you stop your incessant pacing?!"
"I'm worried." Caroline defended.
"Well, you're pacing isn't helping." When Rebekah turned back to Hayley she scowled at her. "Stop fussing, will you? Elijah will be here any minute."
"I feel like I've been microwaved," Hayley whined, fidgeting in the bed.
"Hey! Just because you're carrying two babies, doesn't mean you get to act like one!" Rebekah told her. "I'm sure my little niece and nephew are healing you up as we speak."
Elijah rushed into the room not a moment later with Sophie. Rebekah quickly stood to greet them, glaring at Sophie. "What the hell is she doing here?"
"My thoughts exactly." Caroline agreed.
Sophie sighed. "I'm trying to help."
"Help? You're the reason we're in this bloody mess!" Rebekah threw back at her. "Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"
"Rebekah, let her do what she can," Elijah told his sister.
"How can you even trust her?" asked Caroline.
"I don't." said Elijah "but Hayley and the lives of those children are more important than any mistrust we may have for her."
"I may know a way to slow the fever down. But, I'm gonna need some special herbs." Sophie looked at Rebekah. "I'll text you a list."
Rebekah glared but when Elijah nodded at her in encouragement, she relented. "Fine." She smiled patronizingly. "Happy to play the fetch girl." She shoved the towel she was using into his chest and stomped out of the room.
"Perhaps you should go with her, Caroline?" Elijah suggested.
Caroline crossed her arms. "I'm not going anywhere." She glared at Sophie. If there was anyone she distrusted the most it was the witch and she wasn't about to leave the lives of Klaus's children in her care.
Elijah leveled Caroline with a look. "I think it would be best if you help Rebekah, Caroline." he stared her down.
Caroline raised her chin, matching his stare not budging. "I didn't ask what you thought was best."
Elijah was surprised that she didn't back down and seeing she wasn't going to budge he focused back on the more important matter at hand, Hayley and Sophie.
Rebekah frantically rifled through bottles and jars on the shelves of the Jardin Grin Voodoo shop, looking for the herbs she needed to help Hayley.
"Isn't this Katie's shop?" asked Marcel walking into the shop.
Rebekah stopped, she rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance as she went back to looking for the herbs.
"She leave you the keys in her will, or maybe it's just Help-Yourself Tuesday?" Marcel questioned, watching her. "What are you doing here?"
"You know, I read if you mix mugwort with sage, you've got quite a vampire-repellant? Wards off even the most resilient pest." She snarked at him annoyed. "Why are you here?"
"Just keeping my city safe from thieves and vandals," Marcel responded. "But, every time I turn around, I catch an Original with their hand in the cookie jar!"
"Well, luckily for you, your "cookies" are the last thing on my mind," Rebekah, brushed him off.
"Oh, I can see that!" Marcel walked toward her. "Though, I can think of a time when things were different."
"Maybe once. Not anymore." Said Rebekah, finding the herbs she was looking for. "Camphor, found it!" she quickly left the shop, leaving Marcel, looking around the shop after her abrupt exit.
Father Kieran looked down at his phone, receiving a text message from Chief Sullivan that read '3631 CHARBONNET ST. LOWER 9TH WARD.' He slipped his phone into his pocket, going to leave but was stopped.
"Going somewhere?" Klaus blocked his path.
Father Kieran tried to keep a straight face, though he was nervous by Klaus's sudden appearance. "You're early."
"Well, it's a good thing I am. You seem hell-bent on enacting vengeance all onyour lonesome. The trouble is, I need something from Agnes and if anyone is going to kill her it's going to be me so forget any ideas about sending her off to meet her maker. So, I propose we strike a deal!" He took a seat down in one of the pews. "Bring her here! In exchange, I'll even ensure your niece, Cami, remains safe. Oh, I'd so hate for her to get caught up in all of this."
Sometime later, Agnes was brought to the church, handcuffed by police officers. "This is outrageous! What is the charge?" Agnes demanded.
The officers sat her in a pew before leaving.
"Please, Agnes." said Kieran. "You know that Marcel runs the vampires in this town."
An officer handed him a folded cloth which was revealed to hold the Needle of Sorrows.
"Who do you think runs everything else?" Kieran held the needle up and called out to Klaus. "I believe this is what you were looking for?"
Klaus sped to Kieran side. "Hello, Agnes."
"You made a deal with HIM?" Agnes demanded in disgust.
"After what you did to Sean, I'd deal with the devil himself just to make you suffer!" Kieran all but sneered.
Agnes stood up getting in Kieran's face. "You can't hurt me, the entire witch community will turn against you!"
"ENOUGH!" shouted Klaus. "Please, enough! I don't care about witch politics. I don't care about your ridiculous little Harvest ritual. What I care about is this trinket." He held up the Needle of Sorrows. "Undo its curse, or I'll show you things worse than death!"
Agnes smirked at Klaus. "Dark objects don't come with an off-switch! The curse took root in Sophie, she's linked to your devil children and with their death, you'll lose the one you care about. It's just a matter of time!"
"I WILL KILL YOUR ENTIRE LINE!" He shouted, enraged. "Don't tempt me!"
Agnes flinched back from the force of his anger.
Caroline helped Hayley outside, wrapping a towel around her shoulders. Usually Hayley wouldn't accept someone treating her like an invalid but she honestly felt like crap.
Caroline was helping her sit down beside the swimming pool when a wave dizziness and she stumbled back.
"Woah." A hand landed on her back, steadying her. "You alright there, Caroline?" Rebekah asked with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just lost my footing." Caroline dismissed, standing up straighter, trying to force the dizziness away.
"No, you're not. You're feeling whatever it is they've done to Hayley." Rebekah took her by the arm and set her down on one of the lounge chairs.
"No, I was just having a moment of clumsiness." Caroline tried to push back to her feet but fell back into the lounge chair.
"Vampires are not clumsy by nature." Rebekah scoffed. "Don't get back up. We have to worry about Hayley and the babies. I can't worry about you too." And though her words were a little harsh, it didn't take from the concern in her eyes.
"But I need to check Hayley's temperature." Caroline protested, trying to get up again.
"I'll do it." Rebekah put her hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. "Don't move."
Caroline frowned but nodded, handing Rebekah a thermometer.
Rebekah cast a worried glance at Caroline, expecting a bigger fight from her. She must really be feeling whatever it is attacking the babies and Hayley. Rebekah moved over to Hayley checking her temperature, while Elijah joined them, helping Sophie with some witch herbs.
Elijah removed his coat quickly. "She's burning up! We need to do this now."
"Clearly," Caroline breathed out deeply, a hand going to her chest, she felt her own skin heating up, it felt like she was sweating bullets. "I can feel it."
Rebekah stepped toward Caroline worried, pressing a hand to her forehead, cursing under her breath, her temperature was running hotter than Hayley's if that was even possible. Maybe it was because she had a direct link to the babies whose lives were the ones in jeopardy.
"Get her in the water!" Sophie ordered Elijah urgently.
Elijah jumped into the pool and then helped Hayley in.
Sophie mixed herbs in a cup and followed them in.
"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help," stated Rebekah, casting worried glances at Caroline, she had gotten paler her skin taking on an ugly pallor color.
"Her temperature is sky-high. The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down," said Sophie.
"Should we get Caroline in there as well?" Rebekah worried.
"No, if we can help Hayley then both Caroline and the twins should be fine." Sophie cast a look at Hayley and frowned, she had to hurry. If Caroline died Klaus wouldn't just kill her, he'd make her suffer unimaginably so. She was sure of it.
Sophie waded into the pool, quickly handing Hayley a drink. "Drink this!" she looked to Elijah. "You're going to have to get her heart rate down."
"How do you suggest I do that?" questioned Elijah.
"Hold her," said Sophie. "It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."
"This is never gonna work." Rebekah scoffed.
Elijah scooped Hayley up into his arms, holding her against his chest bridal-style. "Davina will break the link, we just need time."
Hayley clung tightly to Elijah, letting out a groan of pain as she gasped for breath.
Caroline gasped when she felt a sudden pain coursed through her, she placed a hand to her chest, struggling to feel anything but pain.
"Caroline?" Rebekah turned to her worriedly when she made a pain noise, her eyes widened when she saw Caroline's skin, graying over, black veins slowly appearing on her hands. "Bloody hell." She breathed. They had two minutes at best and then this city was going to bleed because her brother had lost Caroline.
Davina sat on her bed in her room, studying the spell Elijah gave her intently. She stared at the two sanguinum knots on her vanity, and after a moment, she stood up, walking over to it. She picked up both knots, one in each hand, she took a deep breath. "Phesmatosomniolegarescardate…" she started to chant, her voice a little above a whisper.
"I can't breathe!" Hayley's breath came out in sharp harsh pants as she started to hyperventilate.
"Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley!" Elijah said, forcing her to focus back on him. "Look at me. Long deep breaths, just focus on the sound of my voice." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."
"She might be but the babies won't." Caroline gasped, closing her fist and pressing it tightly against her chest as she felt a wave of pain ripple through her.
"Caroline!"
Caroline's eyes snapped to Rebekah hearing the alarm and the underlining fear in her voice. Rebekah was looking at her in horror.
Rebekah crouched in front of Caroline, taking her hand in hers. "You're dessicating."
Caroline saw the skin of her hand graying over black veins spreading across her skin as she started to lose feeling in her body. "I can't- I can't.."
Rebekah's hand tightened around hers. "You can't what?"
"I can't feel your hand against my own." she looked at Rebekah unable to push the fear away. "Am I going to die?"
"No." Rebekah shook her head sharply. "Just hang in there. You're going to be fine." If Caroline was to die Rebekah knew there would be no quelling Nik's rage or his grief.
"Phesmato somnio legares cardate sangorium." Davina chanted just as the clock on her table chimed as it hit 09:00 PM.
"AHHHH!" Hayley started to scream in pain. "AHHHH!"
Caroline gasped, it felt like fire licking at her skin, she slumped forward, she thought she would have hit the ground but she felt Rebekah's arms slipping around her as she repeated her name in alarm. "Caroline? Caroline!"
Black dots danced in her vision as her vision narrowed down, the last thing she saw was the rare genuine look of concern plain as day on Rebekah's face and the sound of Hayley screaming in pain before she lost consciousness.
"Bloody hell," Rebekah muttered, holding Caroline unconscious form against her.
The knots in Davina's hands floated to the air and started to unravel the knot coming undone.
"Caroline?" Rebekah shook her by the shoulders. "Caroline!" she shook her harder when she got no response.
Sophie started to gasp as the linking spell began to lift but Hayley continued to groan in pain.
The knot completely unraveled itself in midair, and Davina smiled delighted, giggling in happiness.
Sophie looked up at the sky. "I just felt it lift."
Rebekah's eyes darted back to Caroline when she saw Hayley calming down and Elijah looked at her stunned. "Caroline?" she shook her, sighing in relief when she saw her skin returning back to normal and that she was no longer desiccating. "Caroline?" she shook her.
Caroline's eyes fluttered open slowly and she pulled away from Rebekah, looking around she saw Hayley standing on her own in the pool but leaning against Elijah's body. She noted Hayley didn't look to be in any more pain, she remembered her screaming before she lost consciousness. "Is the link broken?"
Sophie removed one of her earrings and poke her palm with it until she drew blood, Hayley watched her not feeling it. Elijah held up her hand and they both stared at each other in wonder.
Rebekah noticing their shared moment and pushed herself back to her feet and held a hand out to Caroline.
"Thanks." Caroline accepted her assistance and let her pull her up.
Elijah quickly let go of Hayley's hand and led her out of the pool. "Come on, let's go."
"Elijah...as soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes. I know you don't owe me anything, but please, don't let him kill her." Sophie pleaded, she needed Agnes.
Elijah vampsped over to his jacket where it laid on the table and retrieved his phone.
"Elijah!" Sophie yelled after him, stepping out of the water toward him. "She's our only access to the power we NEED to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him!"
"Caroline almost died." Rebekah snapped. "Nothing is going to keep Klaus from killing Agnes. Not even Elijah."
Caroline hated that the thought of Klaus killing Agnes filled her with a sense of peace and validation. Or how she wanted to kill Sophie even if there was a part of her that was getting quieter by the day that killing her was wrong no matter what Sophie had done to her.
Elijah ignored Rebekah's words, he knew Caroline mattered to his brother but he doubted he would choose her over him, earning his forgiveness for daggering and handing him over to Marcel. He dialed Klaus's number into his phone, raising it to his ear. "It's me, where are you?" he paused a beat. "Don't hurt her. I'll be there shortly." he ordered before hanging up and turning to Sophie. "I'll make you one last promise. I won't let my brother kill Agnes."
Sophie nodded at him in relief and Rebekah scoffed. If Elijah actually believed he would be able to stop Klaus from harming someone who harmed Caroline he clearly has yet to learn just how much Caroline meant to their brother. No matter, he would learn soon enough, no one got in between Klaus and Caroline. She still remembered how he had chosen to save Caroline over her.
Elijah grabbed up his jacket and shoes and walked away. Sophie and Hayley both turned to get out of the pool, but Hayley stopped Sophie at the steps, Hayley glanced at Rebekah and Caroline, the former seemed pretty occupied in making sure Caroline was going to be okay, Hayley turned back to Sophie. "I know we have our understanding," their deal. "And you were just using me to save your people, but try it again, and I will have to kill you." Deal or no deal. She didn't care what secrets they shared. She would not have her life in jeopardy because of Sophie.
Hayley waded out of the pool, brushing past Caroline and Rebekah. Sophie sighed in defeat, her eyes sliding to Caroline and Rebekah. Grimacing she hoped Elijah stayed true to his word and kept Klaus from killing Agnes.
Rebekah walked into Elijah's bedroom after reassuring herself Caroline was fine. She noticed he changed into some dry clothes.
She leaned in the doorway. Once the danger was gone would thing had become clear, she smiled. "The unlinking worked! Maybe now we can make plans-"
"Not now, Rebekah." he cut her off sharply, walking toward the door in a hurry. "Can we discuss this when I return?"
Rebekah smiled faded as she turned serious. "I won't be here when you return."
Elijah stopped turning back to Rebekah. "That sounds like a goodbye."
"...I guess it is. I only came to New Orleans to make sure you were safe. You are." Rebekah said, there was no reason for her to stay longer, not really. "I thought that I might be able to convince you to come with me, but here you are, rushing into whatever Klaus and Marcel and the witches have cooked up. And I finally get it." her eyes teared up. "You'll never leave this city. You'll never leave Klaus."
Elijah looked at her and closed the distance between them. "Then you should stay."
Rebekah shook her head. "This thing that you and Klaus and Marcel have, I want no part of it" tears fell down her cheeks as she was overwhelmed by her own emotions. "I just want to be free." It's what she always wanted and she didn't think that was too much too ask.
"Well, then, go." Elijah responded sadly, kissing her cheek. "You are free." he turned, leaving her behind and Rebekah breathed in deeply, trying to compose herself.
Marcel finished off his drink just as Rebekah walked into the room. He was surprised she was visiting him at his place again. "Rebekah. Twice in one night. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, watching her move closer.
"Call me old-fashioned, but I believe farewells are best in person." Rebekah responded.
Marcel inhaled sharply. "You got Elijah back, and now you two are gonna tuck-tail and run? Smart girl." he paused a beat, locking her gaze. "Have a nice life."
"He's staying. And I'm not running, I'm disembarking a sinking ship." Rebekah defended herself.
"People have been saying this city's been sinking since I was a boy. It ain't going anywhere. But hey!" Marcel grabbed up a bottle of scotch. "How 'bout one for the road?" he poured the scotch into a glass.
"Why? So you can liquor me up and convince me to stay?" Rebekah challenged.
Marcel stood up, stepping into her space. "Why else did you come here?"
Rebekah swallowed against the feeling she got at his close proximity. "I came to say goodbye."
Marcel leaned in, whispering in her ear. "Then say it." he pulled back to stare into her eyes for a long moment.
"Forget it." Rebekah said breaking the tense moment turning to leave but Marcel grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him, kissing her. He couldn't just let her go when everything in him screamed at him to kiss her, to give into the feelings he still had for her.
Rebekah pushed him away, glaring angrily that he had kissed her and hating that he had the effect to make her want more, still after all this time. She ran up to him, pressing her mouth against his kissing him.
Marcel pushed her away just enough so he could take off her clothes, his mouth going right back to hers, deepening their kisses. Rebekah shoved him into a chair, climbing into his lap, straddling him. They both knew where this was going and were helpless to their desires to even try and put a stop to it. Losing themselves in their lust for one another.
The longer he was in the old witches presence the angrier Klaus got.
"You're a piece of work, Agnes. But, guess what? I'm quite a piece of work myself. You know, I contemplated leaving bits of you arranged outside your family's tomb? I thought it would leave a fitting message." He vamp-sped over to Agnes his hand wrapping around her throat in a chokehold as he hoisted her into the air. "Don't. Touch. My. Family." His eyes flickered black and amber. "Especially Caroline."
The doors to the church opened and Elijah stepped inside. "Leave her." he commanded, his eyes on his brother.
Klaus pulled Agnes into a headlock, his hands tightly around her, standing back as he watched Elijah walked down the aisle.
"I gave my word." Elijah told him, drawing closer.
Father Kieran stood up to greet Elijah, his eyes flickering between him and Klaus.
"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother. We've been doing things your way all day. Come on! Just one little snap and it's 'Toodle-loo, Agnes.' She deserves it!" There was no way he was going to let the old hag live another night.
"Niklaus, don't make another move. If you want my forgiveness I will grant you that forgiveness, but do not make me break my word." Elijah spoke calmly, so confident and so self-assured that he would be able to talk his brother down.
Klaus glared at his brother. "Your forgiveness?" Klaus repeated. "You think I want your forgiveness? I don't give a bloody crap about your forgiveness." his voice change to a sneer. "The only thing I care about is making her pay for risking Caroline's life."
"This isn't about her." Elijah stepped toward his brother. "This is about your family."
"It is always about her. Caroline is what matters to me!" his arm tightened around Agnes and she started to choke, her eyes watering as she struggled for breath. "She is mine to protect, to keep safe, to make sure no harm comes to her. In that respect she is family. And I intend to keep her at my side for as long she will allow it." His eyes flicker again. "Do not underestimate Caroline's worth, brother. It's a mistake you don't want to make."
"Niklaus. Be reasonable." Elijah took another step further. "This is about more than just-"
"I don't care." Klaus released his hold on Agnes.
Elijah's shoulders dropped, glad to have gotten through to him.
Or so he thought.
Klaus sent him a smirk before gripping Agnes head in his hands and pulling, smirking darkly.
Agnes' eyes widened in fear, her face contorting in agony, she started to scream but it was cut off, the flesh of her neck tearing from her shoulder as Klaus ripped her head off with his bare hands, blood spraying everywhere, splatters catching his clothes, his neck, his hands covered with her blood.
"Niklaus!" Elijah shouted in an angry reprimand before vamp-speeding over to one of the men who brought Agnes and ripped his heart out, he threw the second one into the air and did the same with the third, ripping their hearts from their chest, he turned back to Klaus with their bloody hearts in his hands.
Klaus tossed Agnes head next to her decapitated body on the ground, raising a brow at Elijah.
Elijah glared at Klaus, dropping the hearts to the floor. He pulled out his pocket square from his suit to wipe his hands clean of the blood. "I was going to kill her. I was going make an example out of her. That nobody hurts my family and lives. No one."
"I don't much care what you were going to do." Klaus stepped over Agnes body and into his brother's space. "I was always going to be the one to kill her because anyone who wrongs Caroline will die. Let that be a warning to you, brother."
Elijah frowned, his glare fading. "What are you implying?"
"You invaded her mind, her privacy and I know you heard what she told me, yet you still haven't apologized to her. The only reason, the only reason I haven't made you pay in spades for what you did is because you are my brother but try something like that again and even that won't keep me from seeking justice on her behalf." Klaus pushed past him.
Elijah turned, grasping Klaus's arm and turning him back around to face him. "Does she really mean that much to you, Niklaus? That you would go so far as to threaten your own family?"
Klaus tore his arm from Elijah's grip. "You can't even begin to fathom how much she means to me." he didn't spare Elijah another look as he walked out of the church, leaving behind a shocked Elijah.
He needed to see Caroline. Needed to see with his own eyes that she was safe. That the old witch failed. He just needed to see her.
Rebekah leaned on the balcony railing of the Abbatoir looking out at the people on the street, wearing nothing but Marcel's button-up shirt. He came up behind her nuzzling her neck. "Mmm." Rebekah hummed, tilting her neck, giving him more room. "I've been away from this home almost a hundred years, and you haven't changed a thing in my bedroom."
Marcel smiled against her skin. "I guess I was holding out hope that you'd come back to it. Though, I imagine it's not quite as comfortable as those beds at the Palace Royale Hotel."
His words brought on a hint of guilt that she was lying to him about where she was staying. She smiled awkwardly. "It's plenty comfortable!" she turned away from him, moving to her bag. "I'm famished!" She pulled an apple out of her bag and offered it to him, hoping to distract him in some way.
"Nah," Marcel shook his head. "Apples aren't my thing."
"They were your favorite, once upon a time." Rebekah pointed out in surprise.
"Ah, they were!" Marcel admitted with a nod. "I'd get my ass beat if I ever ate them working on that plantation. Even the spoiled ones. Now, they just remind me of a time when I couldn't have things."
Rebekah leaned against him, grabbing his arms. "Well, now you can have whatever you want." She stared into his eyes, a beat passing between them. "Come with me."
"And go where Rebekah?" Marcel asked the thought of leaving his city was inconceivable to him.
"Wherever we want to!" Rebekah responded, staring up at him searchingly. "We can build a home together, we can leave behind Klaus, this city, and those Orphan-Annie vampires…"
"Whoa, whoa, those "Orphan-Annie vampires" are my family, and this city is my home." Marcel defended, stopping her.
"It was my home, too, once." Rebekah pointed out, dropping her hands from him. "I left."
"You ran." Marcel countered strongly. "I stayed! This empire thrives because of me, and you want me to run? A man does not run from his home!"
Rebekah took a step back from him. "I've lived a lot longer than you have, Marcellus. I have seen kings rise, and fall, but there is one thing I know to be true. It is that no matter how big your empire becomes, it is nothing if you have no one to share it with." her blue gaze hardened into a glare. "You want New Orleans? Have it. I won't be here to stop you." She shoved the apple into his chest and turned on her heel, leaving.
If he wouldn't leave with her she wasn't going to stick around. If he couldn't choose her over one stupid doomed city of vampires and witches then he didn't deserve her.
Marcel stared out at the street, looking conflicted. He looked at the apple thoughtfully, lifting it to his nose, smelling it, the scent of it all too familiar.
The sound of a knock sounded at the plantation home, Caroline moved toward the door but Hayley was already pulling it open to reveal a young man around her age.
"Where is he? I've been trying to find him all day. Marcel KNOWS that Klaus lied to him about where he lives." The man said, his eyes worried.
"I'm not his damn keeper, Josh." Hayley said in annoyance.
"Wait," Caroline stepped forward. "Your Josh, the one Klaus has helping him?"
"The one he's been compelling, yes." Josh nodded. "It's Caroline, right?"
"Caroline Forbes." Caroline nodded. "Klaus should be back soon, you can come inside and wait if you want."
Hayley looked between them before sighing and walking away.
"No, that's okay." Josh said, surprised by the polite offer.
"You sure? You can have some blood why you wait." Caroline offered. "Klaus keeps blood bags on hand for me, you're welcome to one if you like."
Josh frowned. "I'm sorry but what are you doing living here with Klaus? He's scary and terrifying and you're not." He gave a small smile. "You seem too nice for someone like Klaus."
Caroline chuckled. "Hearing that doesn't surprise me. So would you like to wait for him?"
"No that's okay but thanks." Josh shook his head. "Just...tell him to call me, please."
"Yeah, of course." Caroline smiled. "As soon as I see him I'll have him give you a call."
"Thanks." Josh offered a timid smile. "It was nice to meet you."
"You too." Caroline waited till he walked back down the steps before closing the door.
Marcel stood behind a tree, watching as Josh walked away unaware of his presence, unaware that he just heard everything that was said between him and whoever the brunette and blonde were . Marcel looked down noticing a bunch of apples that had fallen from the tree. He picked one up, the sight of it, standing beneath the tree brought an old memory to the surface.
A young Marcel grunted in pain as he was whipped by a slavemaster. Tired of being whipped and treated like he was nothing, he snatched up an apple and brought his arm back, throwing the apple as hard as he could at the man in anger.
Marcel looked at the apple in his hand, his jaw clenching and then he looked over at the plantation house, his hand tightening around the apple.
Caroline turned heading toward the kitchen. Hayley was at the island, dipping pickles in chocolate ice cream."
Caroline's face scrunched up grossed out as she grabbed a bag of blood and poured it into a glass.
"What?" Hayley asked, seeing her expression. "Never seen a pregnant girl eat before?"
"Not something so gross, no." Caroline lifted her glass to her lips, swallowing the blood down.
"And that isn't?" Hayley retorted making a disgusted face.
Caroline shrugged. "You know, you didn't have to be so rude to Josh."
"Why? He's just some vampire Klaus is using. What does it matter?" Hayley replied.
Caroline opened her mouth to reply that just because Klaus was using him, it didn't mean Josh didn't matter. He was still a person who had the unfortunate luck of getting pulled into this mess. However, she was cut off before she could get a word out as another knock sounded through the home.
"I thought Josh left." Hayley complained, going to answer the door.
Caroline followed, wondering if he changed his mind about waiting.
"Ugh, what the hell, Josh?" Hayley complained pulling the door open, her eyes widening when she saw it was not Josh.
"Hi there, I'm Marcel." Marcel smiled widely and Caroline stepped forward, her hand reaching out to pull Hayley back, her first instinct being to keep the twins safe and that meant keeping Hayley safe. "I don't think we've met!"
Hayley stumbled back as Caroline pulled her behind her. She clenched her jaw, even as fear shot through her at the sight of the man.
Caroline placed herself in front of him, putting on a false smile. "We haven't but I've heard a lot about you."
"All good things I hope." Marcel grinned.
Caroline smiled falsely. "Depends on who spoke of you."
Marcel laughed, his eyes lit with amusement. "Touché."
Klaus walked down bourbon street, his phone out as he called Caroline's cell, needing to know she was okay. He clenched his jaw when all he got was her voicemail, angrily he shoved his phone back in his pocket feeling an urgency to get home and see her.
"Hey, where you been?"
Marcel's voice from behind him had him stopping in his tracks, he rolled his eyes in annoyance before turning to Marcel, keeping his expression neutral.
"Not still mad about our tiff the other night, are you?" Marcel asked, a glint in his eye.
Klaus forced a fake smile. "Water under the bridge."
"Cami's all yours if you're interested." Marcel nodded at the door to Rousseau's. It was only then that Klaus realized they were standing just outside the bar. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was not interested in some human bartender, her only used to him was finding out things he needed to know about the man in front of him.
"I'm feeling like right now's not the right time to pursue a relationship. Life's all about timing, you know? Speaking of, I swung by your house earlier to commiserate over a drink, but I must have just missed you."
"Oh, the Palace Royale didn't suit me, I moved on weeks ago." Klaus lied smoothly.
Marcel smiled and shook his head, a glint in his eye. "Nooo, I mean your other place."
Elijah walked through the plantation home, frowning at how silent it was. Like no one was there.
"Hayley?" He called out, looking around.
"Interesting location to put down your roots, the same plantation where I was a slave. I guess that's why you never invited me over." Marcel commented, his eyes calculating.
"Well, how rude of me," replied Klaus, pretending not to be bothered that Marcel knew where he was really staying. "I'll speak to Elijah. I'm sure he'll be pleased to host you and Davina for the evening! Especially after you were so hospitable to him." Klaus smiled insincerely.
Marcel smiled, chuckling. "Good! I look forward to it." He extended his hand.
Klaus shook it, showing no hesitation but as soon as Marcel continued on his way past him, his smile vanished, a look of worry feeling his eyes. His only thought of Caroline.
Elijah stood in Hayley's room, worry coursing through him as he put his phone to his ear.
"Goodbye means goodbye, Elijah." Elijah could hear the sound of the wind and cars on her end and knew she was heading out of the city.
"Is she with you?" he asked worriedly.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rebekah demanded. Who the hell was she supposed to have with her?
"Hayley's gone, where is she?" Elijah asked, hoping Rebekah knew.
"WHAT?" Rebekah responded in shock her brow furrowing. "Wait, is Caroline gone, too?"
Elijah turned around at footsteps behind and saw Klaus in the doorway, anxiousness coming off him in ways.
"Marcel was here." Klaus looked around. "Tell me Caroline is here."
Elijah stunned by the news that Marcel was there absently dropped the phone from his ear.
"Where's Caroline?" Klaus repeated. "Elijah, tell me where she is?"
"She's not here. Neither is Hayley." Elijah said. "If Marcel was here and they're gone.."
Klaus's eyes flashed. "I have to find her. I have to get Caroline back!" He whirled around to leave.
Elijah sped blocking his path. "Brother, you're not thinking rationally. We need to be smart about this."
Klaus eyes changed to black and amber a growl ripping from his chest. "Get out of my way!" he shoved him to the side making his back slam into Hayley's bedroom door. "I'm going to get her back and I don't care what I have to do or who I have to go through, including you."
Klaus pushed past him, desperation taking over. He had to find her even if he had to tear through the city.
He would find his Caroline.
A/N: Reviews are encouraged.