• • •
Dozens of vampires had congregated in the courtyard of the compound, where they all talked amongst themselves and drink. After all, tonight was a special night.
Natalia was on the second floor watching them from above. She was in terrible mood after running around the compound trying to find either the missing Hayley or Marcel with no luck. Furious was an understatement.
She left them a million voice calls all went to voice mail. The only chance she found Marcel was here when she knew he hosted this Fight Night every week for his vampires to prove their fighting skills to earn a daylight ring.
Technically, she was supposed to be here seeing as she was their trainer after all. But tonight, she had other mission, she was waiting for the others to come.
After a moment, as expected Marcel appears on the balcony to properly opened his event. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fight Night!" he shouted as the vampires below him cheered.
"And, the first rule of Fight Night is: the vampire left standing at the end of the night is one step closer to the inner circle, and one of these—" He held up the hand on which he wore his ring. Natalia rolled her eyes, in her reign, all her vampires were given their daylight ring. She knew it was bad enough living as a vampire suck when you weren't given the choice, like her, they didn't need to be slave of the night too. "-- a daylight ring. If you can impress me with a little ultra-violence, you too can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. All you got to do is kick a little ass. Here we go!"
All the vampires form a circle as they waited for the announcement of the first fighters. "Our first two contenders: Felicia and Otto!" Marcel announced.
Natalia observed the two. From her time training them, she learnt a lot about Marcel's vampires, their skills, personality and whatnot. Felicia was a fast learner and very determined too. She had a fairly good fighting technique, while Otto was more laid back, he relied more on his strength rather than his technique. Though both of them still didn't match her vampires she trained in her kingdom, actually none of them did.
Felicia and Otto fought while the rest of the vampires cheered them on. It began when Otto punched Felicia from behind but she fought back leaning to the skills she learnt. She even used the one Natalia taught her yesterday when she spinned jumped and strike him. Though at one point, it appeared that Otto had the upper-hand, but ultimately Felicia won the fight by wrapping her legs around his neck and twisting her hips to snap his neck.
"Damn, girl! Not bad!" Marcel complimented, smiling satisfied. Natalia felt the presence of her companions had arrived and smiled to herself.
Suddenly, Klaus and Elijah entered the courtyard. Klaus sped behind Felicia and snapped her neck. The whole room went silent. Though, they only noticed Klaus' presence only.
"Good evening! I'd like a word." Klaus greeted, faking a smile. This was her cue.
"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel glared at Klaus, obviously angered at the sudden intrusion.
Natalia jumped down from her floor to the ground, gaining the crowd's attention as well as Elijah on the other side of the circle. "It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs!" Elijah announced his presence as the crowd parted made way for him to the centre and did the same to Natalia. They knew better than to stand in their way.
Hearing Elijah said that, she thought, Couldn't be more true.
The two reunited at the centre on either side of the smirking Klaus. "We've come here for the girl. Give it to us, or we kill everyone here... starting with you." Elijah demanded to Marcel.
Marcel turned to Natalia, fuming. "You in this?"
Natalia glared back with the same intensity. "I wouldn't have to if you don't disappear and answer one of my million calls."
"I was busy." He responded unconvincingly as Natalia just raised her eyebrow, scoffed and rolled her eyes at his poor excuse. Marcel then turned to Elijah and Klaus. "You two got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands."
KIaus smiled fakely, but anyone can basically see the fuming steam coming out of him. "Your home, is it?"
Natalia turned to him, instinctively took his hand on her own, rubbing circles soothingly, not wanting him to lash out. Because if Marcel did kidnap Hayley then attacking his vampires weren't the way for him to give her back.
Klaus stiffened at the sudden touch, but once he recognized it was Natalia's, he calmed instantly. She always had that effect on him. He didn't know how but she calmed him down at the mere of her touch.
Once she was sure Klaus was calmed, Natalia pulled back her hand to her side, leaving her own hand missing his warmth and Klaus' missing her touch.
This little interaction might passed the majority of the crowd, but it didn't go unnoticed by Marcel, who was interested. Though he didn't show it, he was slightly shocked at the effect of Natalia to Klaus. He was aware of their infatuation to each other but he didn't expect it to be that much.
"The girl!" Elijah shouted angry, emphasized his impatience of the matter. "I will not ask again."
"I assume you're talking about Hayley?" He asked them. "Yea high, dark hair, bitchy attitude?" he gestured his hand describing her. "Who is she, anyway?" he asked smirking.
"She's an old friend." Klaus responded calmly. "You know how sentimental I am about old friends." He quipped Marcel.
"Well, I ain't got her. And before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the plantation where I used to be a slave. And, imagine my surprise when I realized that the Original family of vampires had taken up residence. Your girl, Hayley, answered the door, we exchanged hellos, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around. Nat did. Hell, I'll even help you find her." Marcel said smugly.
"But the question that I'd ask is: if Hayley isn't here, then where is she?"
• • •
Elijah and Klaus were sitting in the courtyard. Some of the vampire fighters were milling around the compound.
"Not the most attractive community, are they?" Elijah said.
Klaus raised an eyebrow at his brother. "You do realize they can hear you?"
"You do realize I don't care?" Elijah countered back.
Marcel appeared with Natalia, followed by some vampires, and the witch, Sabine.
"You know, Elijah, I liked you better in that box." Natalia elbowed Marcel, scowled at his words when he just rolled his eyes at her. He turned to Klaus. "But Klaus, my sire, you I owe the world, and I always show respect to my elders. If your special lady friend is missing, you could benefit from the help of a witch. And, since I control all the witches in this town, I'll grant you one little locator spell. Sabine's the best guide in the Quarter. Need to find someone? I guarantee, she's your girl."
The vampires dragged Sabine closer to the Originals table. Marcel turned to leave them to their business. "You with me." He told Natalia.
While Elijah focused on the witch Sabine, Klaus looked at Marcel and Natalia, confused. "Where are you going?"
"I hate to cut this short, but the sun's coming up soon. My nightwalkers need to get inside, and I have got a city to run. I leave you to track down your lost sheep." Marcel told them then turned to Natalia, walking away from the Originals. "East wing for you today."
This made Natalia glared at him. He knew Natalia wanted to join them find Hayley. Though Marcel had no idea, Natalia was more concerned and protective about the baby.
If there was one place she avoided in the Quarter was the East Wing. It wasn't the place, it was the people. The vampires usually hang out there was majority of A-class assholes.
"Fine. I'll take team A." A group of vampires approached her as soon as she mentioned it. "I'll find Diego."
Marcel just shook his head. But before Natalia could even opened her mouth to question him, Marcel already beat her to it. "With Garret."
Natalia's eyes widened. "Cook? What's wrong with Di?" Diego had been her partner since she joined.
"Di's with me today." He replied curtly. "Garret!" He called as Natalia winced in anticipation.
Of all vampires he could choose to replace Diego, Marcel just had to choose the guy who was sickeningly obsessed with Natalia. Not romantic kind of obsession, but the disgusting one.
Garret Cook, hearing his name mentioned working with Natalia, immediately stopped licking his finger from his 'experimental' mixed of pickle and chocolate, casted a vomitous grin towards the dark hair female.
Natalia scrunched up her face in utter disgust. "Ew." Garret approached Natalia with that nauseating grin on his face. "Hello today, gorgeous."
With her disgusting gaze and glaring flare towards Marcel, she stormed off shouting at Garret. "TEN feet away, Cook!" she demanded, pointing at the very back of the group. "The rest of the bloody lot of you, keep up! I don't have time for games today."
Klaus gazed at Natalia, amused and turned to Elijah when she walked away. "Can you find her?" Elijah asked Sabine.
"I can try."
• • •
Later still in the compound courtyard, Elijah, Klaus were crowded around a small table, where Sabine waved her hands over a map. As she casted the locator spell, a puddle of Klaus' blood traced across the map from their current location to where Hayley was being held in the Bayou.
"She's in the back country. Way up past Houma, deep in the Bayou." She told them.
"I don't suppose you could be more precise?" Elijah requested.
"What's the matter, Elijah? You're worried a bit of splashing about in the bog might ruin your expensive shoes?" Klaus mocked him.
"As a matter of fact, after my recent confinement, I could use a decent stroll through the countryside." Elijah countered back.
"There are stories of exiled werewolves, encampments. If Hayley went out that far, chances are she went to find them." Sabine informed them.
"Clearly, she hopes to make the acquaintance of more like herself. I suppose our company wasn't good enough for her." Klaus said as Elijah looked at Sabine worriedly.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go get her!" Natalia emerged from the entrance door, looking at the two brothers impatient. "Move it boys!"
"And just where do you think you're going?" Marcel blocked her way. Natalia glared at him, she didn't have exactly a good 20 minutes patrolling the East Wing with Garret Cook – who was standing beside Marcel with a smug look and winked at Natalia, which only fuelled Natalia's anger further as she glared daggers at him. "If I even got one tiny germ from you, I'll shred you to pieces and burn it so no one else has to suffer like me." Marcel rolled his eyes at her.
Natalia scowled at Garret. She thought she had got rid of him already earlier. Clearly, he was not easy to shake off, exactly like a leech. She turned her attention to Marcel. "I'm going to find Hayley. Is there a problem?" she challenged him.
"You're going with them, finding Klaus' special lady friend?" Marcel raised his eyebrow at her.
Natalia narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he knew the real reason. "Maybe she had grown on me." She shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, we're in a tight schedule." She smiled sarcastically at him.
She walked past him, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her close, face inches apart in a threatening manner. "Why did you do it earlier?"
"How can I not when you were a potential girl kidnapper?" She hissed, glaring at him, not liking the way he grabbed her.
"You're siding with him now?" Marcel fumed.
Natalia glared heatedly at him. "I said I'd protect you from him. I never said I am on your side." She ripped off her arm from Marcel's hold and stormed off, followed by a shocked Elijah and a proud/smug – looking Klaus.
• • •
The car ride of the Original brothers and Natalia were anything but silent. The two brothers couldn't stop their petty bickering while Natalia had been handling Josh and Marcel.
Marcel found out Josh was compelled by Klaus and Natalia convinced him not to kill Josh. Instead just use him for information on Klaus, she had made sure Josh knew nothing of the miracle baby. Even then, Josh still continuously bothering her with his whining.
"Bloody hell, Josh! This is like what? The millionth time you called?" Natalia groaned from the back of the car.
"How can I not, Nat? He's going to kill me! Damn Klaus' compulsion! – " he rambled.
"For the last time, Joshua...Marcel is not going to kill you. I made sure of it. Just do what he wants you to do and before you start whining you know I'm in the car with Klaus, right? In other words, he is listening to your every bloody ramble about him."
"Fuck my life." Josh cursed. "Look, you're going to be fine. No one's going to kill you, unless you call me again to whine more, then I will." She hung up.
Klaus stared at her in amusement when she glared at him. "How is it that I always end up dealing with your compelled spy?"
He chuckled. "Maybe you are my partner, after all love." He smirked. "You did, after all, say you're on my side."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't. Just because I'm not on Marcel's side, doesn't mean I'm on your side. I'm on my own."
"Still...Marcel doesn't know that." she rolled her eyes at him as Elijah stopped the car when they arrived at the Bayou.
Natalia shook her head. "Poor guy, Marcel will most likely use Davina to break your compulsion from him. Ain't that a hell lot of pain..." she muttered when Klaus just smirked in pride.
Klaus, Elijah and Natalia got off the car and continued their search for Hayley near the werewolf encampments.
"We should head south towards the water." Elijah demanded.
"You seem quite determined to find the little wolf." Klaus provoked him, tried to get some reaction out of him.
"If I'm moving too fast for you, Niklaus, you're welcome to wait in the car. Do be certain to leave the windows down."
Natalia rolled her eyes at the two. The whole damn car ride, not only she had to deal with both Marcel and Josh, she had to deal with the two Mikaelson brothers bickering as well.
"Ah, so I've touched a nerve? You've begun to admire this girl. Perhaps that's why you've been barking orders since your return, hoping to impress Hayley by assuming the role of family patriarch."
"If you're going to insist on treating her like a walking incubator, then that's your mistake."
Natalia groaned in frustration. "Enough! You two! What's your problem? So what if Elijah likes Hayley?" she snapped. "Should I go in this search alone?" she glared at the two pointedly.
Both brothers looked away guiltily until Klaus sniffed at the air and looked around. Both Elijah and Natalia turned to him. "Have you found her scent?" Elijah asked.
"No, but I found someone else's."
They came upon some SUV and Klaus started searching through its contents.
"This vehicle reeks of someone I thought I was rid of..." Klaus groaned. "Tyler Lockwood."
Knowing their history, Natalia rolled her eyes at the situation. "Bloody Lockwood! To this day I still don't see what you saw in him." she shook her head when Klaus rolled his eyes.
"And why would your little hybrid-sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Hayley?" Elijah asked, clueless.
"He wants revenge because I went after his girl." He said warily as he glanced at Natalia to see her stared at the woods, deep in thought, too concentrated at something he had no idea of. "Before I met Lia, of course."
Natalia didn't pay full attention to the brother's conversation since she was reaching into her power and trying to scan the woods for Hayley's presence using the baby's power radiation.
"Why do I suspect this is the least of your offenses?" Elijah questioned him again.
"Back when I had the means to sire hybrids, he was my first, Although, I didn't give him much choice in the matter." Klaus pulled a blanket out of the abandoned car and sniffed at it.
"He was loyal in the beginning, but he grew insubordinate, turned my other hybrids against me." he continued. "I couldn't have that, so I massacred the lot of them. Tyler ran like a coward before I could finish him off."
Elijah sighed in frustration. "Anything else that you would like to share?"
"Don't forget Carol." Natalia butted in.
"Ah yes!" Klaus glanced at Natalia, smirking. "Well, there was this business with his mum..."
Elijah looked at him, incredulous. "You killed his mother. Wonderful." He sassed, already having enough of his brother's shit.
"He needed to be taught a lesson!" Klaus snapped back. "Lia agrees with me, I'm sure."
"I do think it's rather brilliant, to be honest." She mumbled.
Elijah looked at them frustratingly. "Of course, she agrees with you. She did publicly execute a witch, had him killed by his son!"
"Which I think is brilliant, love." Klaus grinned at Natalia. She smiled back at him and glared at Elijah. "Mind you he needed to be taught a lesson, well maybe with a pinch of my revenge."
Elijah rolled his eyes and turned to Klaus. "And what lesson will you be taught, Niklaus, if he retaliates by harming Hayley?"
"So you do care about her. Well, go on, then. Have at it, brother. Save her. Claim what spoils you can. I've sampled what she has to offer and let me tell you, she is exquisite—"
"Oh is that so?" Natalia cut him off. Klaus looked like he was a deer caught in red light. "Love, you know I didn't mean it like that – " Natalia hummed at Klaus' excuse, her eyes said it all: that's all they all say.
Elijah cut him off. "--Niklaus, so help me..."
"Enough." Klaus snapped at his brother. "I'll kill Tyler Lockwood myself."
"No. Don't." Natalia stopped him. Klaus looked at her confusedly. "Let him live only at your mercy." She smirked. Klaus got the memo, grinned brightly and kissed her cheek before vamping away to find Tyler.
Elijah looked at Natalia incredulously. "Natalia..."
"What? Why give him the leniency of Klaus' mercy when Katerina spent 500 years running from him for the crime even less than what he did?" she challenged. At this, Elijah didn't have the answer.
"Relax, Lijah. I found Hayley and I need some peace from your bickering." She told him. "Are you coming or what?"
He stared at her confused. "How can you find her?"
"I sensed the baby's power." She smirked.
• • •
Meanwhile in the St. Ann's church, Marcel was walking downstairs after dropping off Josh in Davina's room to break Klaus' compulsion, and was about to leave when he noticed someone's presence and stopped. "I thought you were leaving town! Couldn't stay away, huh?"
Rebekah came out of nowhere and slammed him onto the floor as she held her stiletto-heel-clad foot against his neck. "I was half-past Louisiana when I found out you invaded our home. What have you done with Hayley?"
Marcel smiled as he gasped for breath. "You're so hot when you're angry."
This only served provoking Rebekah more. Rebekah furiously lifted Marcel up off the ground and threw him against the nearby wall. He bounced off and fell into a heap on the floor. "Ahh." Marcel groaned.
"You used me!" she accused.
Marcel stood up. "I'm pretty sure that was mutual." He defended himself.
"Beguiled by your charms, I slept with you like a fool, led you to our home, and then you took Hayley?" She said in betrayal.
"Whoa, I didn't take anybody! Alright? I already sorted this out with your brothers. But, it begs the question-- why'd you come back?"
"If Klaus learns it's my fault you found your way to the plantation—"
Marcel cut her off, interrupted her. "You really think I'd rat you out? Come on!" He caressed her face. "If you think that I'd ever, in a thousand years, do anything to hurt you, you've got me confused with Klaus."
"All your charms and flirtations simply prove that you're every bit the liar and manipulator that Klaus is."
Marcel looked slightly hurt. "Is that what you really think?"
"By all means, prove me wrong." Rebekah challenged.
"Fine. Come on, there's something that you need to see." Marcel turned to leave, and Rebekah reluctantly followed him.
• • •
Deep in the woods, Hayley ran as fast as she could through the woods, Tyler's knife – that she stole – still in her hand, and stopped to hide behind a tree. As she caught her breath, she heard someone approaching. She braced herself, readied her knife, and turned to attack, but it's just Elijah. He held her hand steady to protect himself.
Elijah smiled. "Forgive me! I thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken."
Hayley sighed in relief and dived into Elijah's arms. The two hugged for a long moment too engrossed by each other's presence before Hayley eventually pulled away when she heard a clearing throat behind Elijah.
"So, only he got the hug? Hello to you too, Hayley." Natalia sassed, joking. "It's not like I'm the one leading him to you."
Both Hayley and Elijah chuckled as Hayley began to move towards the female and hugged the vampire. She stiffened at the contact, not actually meant the joke. Nevertheless, she hugged her back with equal relief.
"You will not believe the crap day I'm having." Hayley grumbled. "You and me both, darling." Natalia replied.
"I'll take you home." Elijah offered. He turned to leave, but Hayley stopped him.
"Elijah, Nat, there's something you need to know about the baby." Hayley told them warily.
Meanwhile, Tyler angrily continued to look for Hayley in various tents. "HAYLEY! Don't make this harder than it has to be! Give up now... I'll end it quick."
Klaus appeared behind him. "Quite an offer! Though, not one I'll be extending to you."
Tyler turned around at his voice, braced himself for a fight. "Klaus."
"Hello, Tyler. You look well! I aim to change that." He smiled. "Threatening a pregnant girl in order to exact revenge against me? I never expected you to sink so low!" He taunted, walking toward Tyler. "I admit, I'm impressed!"
Tyler ducked away from Klaus and put more distance between them. "Used to hang out with you. I guess something must have rubbed off." Tyler snidely replied.
"What would Caroline say if she saw what you've become? Perhaps I'll ask her when I call her to tell her of your demise." Klaus mocked.
Tyler smiled smugly. "Whatever happens to me, Caroline's never going to stop hating you! And the girl you're actually in love with would still be dead!" Klaus' face went cold, enraged but relief at the same time – he didn't know of Natalia existence – and he ran toward him to toss Tyler into a tree.
Klaus bellowed, mocking him. "Come on, mate! Give it a bit more effort! I want to enjoy myself."
Tyler glared at Klaus and braced himself to fight, but at the last minute, he vamp-runs away. Klaus smiled sinisterly, excited for the chase, it's been a long time since he had fun and waited for a moment before chasing after him.
• • •
Back in the compound, Marcel lead Rebekah into the Garden, and gestured at a vampire guard to leave them alone. Rebekah stared around in confusion and mild horror. "What is this place?" she questioned.
She had seen Natalia's torture room. She was equally terrified, but at least hers was hygiene.
Marcel gestured around them. "This is the Garden. It's where I punish vampires who break my rules." He pulled some blueprints out of a little hole in the wall. "But, a long time ago, it used to be something else."
He spreaded out the blueprints and showed them to Rebekah. "Go on, tell me what you see."
Rebekah examined the sketches. "Two stories, Greek columns, wrap-around porch. High ceilings, transom windows... It's lovely. So what?"
"So, I designed it for you. It was going to be ours." Marcel told her with some hopeful glint in his eyes.
Rebekah was stunned by the information. "That," she looked around, incredulously. "this...was supposed to be our happily-ever-after?"
"Yours and mine." He confirmed as he put the blueprints away. "Except you flew the coop with Klaus. I already built the foundation for the place. I halted constructions after you took off. The plan was to wait for you to return. You never did, so, now it's where I bury the people who betray me."
"You could have come after me!" she snapped.
"You were with Klaus! I didn't know where, I didn't know if you still wanted to be with me! All you had to do was come home!"
"It was more complicated than that." she said quietly. "Not long after we left here, he put a dagger in my heart and stuck me in a box for ninety years. He stole a century for me like it was nothing!"
"That's what he does, Rebekah! Klaus will never be happy. He'll be damned if he lets anyone get something that he can't have!"
"I know! I've been dancing to this song for a thousand years!" she said frustratingly.
"Starting right now, you have a choice, between the brother who takes away your happiness whenever he feels like it, and the man who wants to give you anything you ever wanted." The two stared at each other for a long moment. Anyone could clearly see the desire in each other's eyes.
"He will kill you in front of my eyes out of spite." Rebekah told him, sadly.
Marcel shook head. "Not if we get rid of him first." Rebekah looked at him in shock.