GOAL 10+ COMMENTS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
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AT A PARK IN AN unknown location, children are playing football and playing on the playground as mothers push their children in strollers. Nearby, Rebekah smiles as she gently pushes Rosie on an infant swing.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Klaus and Elijah are having breakfast in the dining room with Kol and Finn, who are still bound with the enchanted manacles that prevent them from doing magic.
Compelled servants in suits place platters of breakfast pastries on the table
"Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire—our mother." Kol rolls his eyes, and Finn just looks bored.
"Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms!"
"Well—" Kol reaches for a plate of pastries with his shackled hands, but Klaus pulls it out of his way. Kol sighs and rolls his eyes again.
Klaus smiles. "But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."
Kol sighs again. "If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall."
"Yes, this was Niklaus. My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply." Elijah says calmly.
Klaus laughs and stands up. "We've—we've no desire to torture you."
He stands behind Kol and Finn and squeezes their shoulders with his hands.
"Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers." Finn shrugs out of Klaus' grip and looks at him with skepticism.
"Brothers... Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus where is our sister, Rebekah?"
Elijah glares at Finn as he continues speaking. Rebekah is still at the random unknown park, still playing with Rosie.
"She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found." Klaus stays quiet as Finn continues.
"Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"
Klaus, whose back has been turned to him, is clearly nervous and suspicious, but laughs fakely to cover for it before he turns to face them.
"Heh! You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"
Finn lools frustrated. "She was trying to make you mortal again!"
Elijah grabs a knife off the table, clearly suspicious and annoyed by Finn's words.
"And, you both refused her." He laughs darkly. "It only proves how far you've fallen. But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal."
At the park, Rebekah turns and sees a starling watching her from the nearby playground.
"See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity."
Elijah spats angrily. "Rebekah is off-limits to you. You pursue her, and you will suffer."
Finn and Kol both look surprised and slightly concerned by Elijah's uncharacteristic outburst, as does Klaus.
"Do not let him goad you, Elijah. Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found." He turns to Finn. "And she does not."
Finn shrugs. "Esther is quite determined."
At the park, Rebekah looks incredibly unnerved by the starling. When she turns back again, an entire flock of starlings have perched themselves on the playground, all of them watching her. Her face changes from uncomfortable to alarmed.
"She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."
Elijah completely loses his temper, grabs Finn by the collar, and slams him onto the table before vamping-out and feeding on him.
Klaus has pulled Elijah away from Finn and shoves him against a nearby wall. Elijah puts his hands up defensively, so Klaus backs off. He tugs Elijah's handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and hands it to him so he can clean himself up.
"I enjoy a good bloodletting as much as anyone, but our brothers have power, as well as knowledge of Esther's plans." Elijah wipes the blood off his face while he listens.
"We need them alive."
Elijah whispers. "Imagine what they would do to Rebekah, Elizabeth, Hope. To Rosie."
"Rebekah has been cloaked by powerful magic. Kol would never hurt Elizabeth nor Hope since Elizabeth loves Hope. Focus on the task at hand."
Klaus lowers his voice and looks around to make sure Finn and Kol aren't eavesdropping.
"We need to persuade our brothers."
"I'm through with persuasion."
Elijah is about to leave, but Klaus grabs him by the shoulder and stops him before looking at him with concern.
"Has the earth shifted on its axis? You needing restraint from me?"
Elijah looks taken aback, but he's distracted when his phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket and answers it when he sees its Rebekah. He picks hearing Rebekah stress.
"It's me. I have the baby, and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now—I've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go."
Klaus that has listened with nods at Elijah. "Tell her to head west. I'll call Hayley."
Rebekah yells through the phone. "Do not tell Hayley! Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans."
She gets into her car with the baby. Elijah hangs up with a sigh.
"Go. I'll take care of Kol and Finn."
Klaus looks annoyed. "Splendid. And, in your hands, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall."
"I will show restraint. Rosie needs her father."
"What she needs—what we need are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there will be nowhere left for Rosie to run."
"Niklaus, your child—"
Klaus interrupts him. "I have waited months to see my daughter."
He stops speaking for a moment and gulps anxiously, clearly unhappy with this plan.
Klaus sighs with sadness. "I can wait one more day." Elijah looks at him sympathetically before he gets ready to leave.
"Elijah. Do whatever it takes to keep her safe."
"I give you my word."
MARCEL'S LOFT
Marcel, Josh, Elizabeth and Davina are in Marcel's living room, where Elizabeth is in the middle of catching them up on what she's been doing.
"I screwed up, you guys. I was with Kaleb last night, and he took the white oak stake when I was asleep."
Josh closes his eyes and sighs before giving Marcel a knowing look, Davina sighs sadly for her bestfriend and Elizabeth looks horrified.
"I—I'm sorry, I never should have trusted him."
Marcel interrupts Elizabeth. "Kol doesn't have the stake. Klaus does." Elizabeth looks confused and upset. "Matter of fact, Klaus has Kol, too."
"Wha—? How is that possible?"
"E, I'm the one who took him." Davina her mouth falls open while Elizabeth looks angry. "I saw an opportunity, and I wasn't gonna pass it up. Trust me, we are all safer this way."
"Not Kaleb! Klaus will kill him!"
"His name isn't Kaleb, it's Kol. And, Klaus has had a thousand years to kill him, and he hasn't. So, worry less about him, and more about yourself. Alright? This guy is not your friend. He wants to use you to get his own way!"
"You don't know him like I do."
"I know him better than you do."
Marcel stands and walks toward Elizabeth, while Josh and Davina leans back in their chairs, clearly uncomfortable by their roles in this.
"Now, I'm sorry I had to go behind your back. And I hate lying to you, I really do, but believe me, this is for your own good." He pauses. "I gotta take care of some business, alright? Stick with Josh and D. Everything's gonna be okay."
Marcel grabs his coat off of a nearby chair and leaves. Elizabeth continues standing in front of where Josh is sitting, not at all happy about this development.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Kol and Finn are still in the dining room, wearing their enchanted manacles. They talk while Finn holds a towel to his neck where Elijah bit him.
"Elijah is off his bloody rocker. We need to get out of here." Kol says as he looks at Finn, who is silent. "Are you gonna help me, or what?"
"If you were a little more clever, you would recognize that there is opportunity in our current circumstances."
"Opportunity to what? Get a beating?"
Suddenly, the doors open, and Klaus walks in to join them.
"Gentleman! I apologize for keeping you waiting. Good news is, I've returned with an old friend. Someone who wants to say hello."
Kol and Finn watch as Marcel follows Klaus into the room, looking pleased.
Marcel smiles widely. "Hello!" Finn rolls his eyes and sighs. "How's it going, fellas?"
"Ah, you again. You ever get bored of getting bullied by my brother?"
Marcel chuckles at Kol's words as he strips off his jacket and hangs it up before rolling up his sleeves.
"Oh, I volunteered for this."
"Did ya?"
"The way I see it, you have it coming." He shoves Kol roughly in the chest.
"First, you messed with Elizabeth." He continues pushing Kol backward. "Now, I hear you wanna drag Rebekah into all this. Uh-uh. Not happening."
Klaus is very amused. "Well, I'd prefer you both to join me against our mother. But, I'll happily settle for one or the other. Either way, if you continue to defy me, your lives will be reduced to an unending sequence of agonizing torture!"
Klaus smiles at them. Kol looks torn and turns to Finn, who maintains his poker face.
"So, which is it to be?"
After a while of Marcel beating Kol, Marcel drags Kol by his manacles into a room upstairs, where he violently shoves him into an armchair.
"I gotta say, I'm gonna enjoy this! Out of the whole, twisted family—" Kol tries to stand up, but Marcel shoves him back down. "—Sit down! You were the one I liked the least."
Kol, clearly anxious, tries to catch his breath while he considers how to best get out of this situation.
"Yeah, well, there's a pretty young lady who disagrees with that opinion."
"Then let me make myself perfectly clear you go near Liz again, I'm gonna cut off parts of you that you'd rather keep."
Kol looks bored. "Ah, more threats. How bloody inventive. Thing is, i can't stay away. We have history ask Klaus he removed it from her memory after all. So, that backs you into a bit of a corner, doesn't it?"
"Oh, until we get rid of your mom. I wonder what happens then?"
"Well, Klaus might not need me if my mother's gone, but you might!"
Marcel looks confused as Kol leans closer to him.
"Come on, Marcel. You were king of the city once. Do you really think he's just gonna give it back to you?"
Marcel laughs. "You always got an angle, don't you?"
"You see, individually, we can't do anything. But, together? Wow. Klaus wouldn't stand a chance."
Marcel sighs. "Probably not."
Marce picks up a scalpel off of a nearby table. "But then, I'd have to trust you, and I don't. At least with Klaus, I know exactly what I'm getting."
Kol shrugs. "Well, I thought you had more fortitude, Marcellus. You disappoint me."
Marcel leans forward so he can look Kol in the eye.
"Nobody cares for your opinion. Klaus just wants to know what you're up to. Tell me everything. Maybe you get to live."
Kol seems uninterested. "If not?"
Marcel stabs Kol in the hand with his knife, pinning it to the arm of the chair, as Kol screams in pain.
MARCEL'S LOFT
Josh, Elizabeth and Davina are talking in Marcel's living room.
"For the record, yes, I knew what Marcel was up to, and you can hate me if you want to, but—"
"I don't hate you, Josh. I'm just sick of worrying about you. And Marcel. Most of all, I am tired of Klaus always being in the middle of it." Elizabeth says as she throws a dart at the dartboard on the wall.
Elizabeth turns to Davina, she tilts her head at her friend. "Did you know?"
"E, i know u like him. I wouldn't do that to you. I was in as much shock as u were."
Elizabeth nods with a smile, she could tell when Davina was lying and she was telling the truth.
"You know, every time I try to stand up to him—"
Josh interrupts her. "It... hasn't worked out so well?"
Elizabeth shrugs in annoyance, and Josh and Davina nod in understanding.
Josh laughs. "Yeah. Failure, a party of three?" The comment makes the two girls smile.
Elizabeth smiles. "You seem to be doing all right."
"Uh, yeah. Except that every werewolf in town is trying to kill me. Well, except for the super-hot one that I'm sort of dating. But, that's got its own problems, though." Davina smirks, clearly interested in hearing more. Elizabeth sits up listening to Josh.
"It's kind of a... Romeo and Romeo thing."
Davina and Elizabeth smile in excitement. "And how hot is this Romeo?" Davina says.
"Well..." Josh rolls his eyes jokingly and pulls out his phone so he can show them a photo of Aiden.
"Pretty hot! Definitely worth the drama." Elizabeth says smiling.
"Yeah..." Elizabeth suddenly gets an idea.
"Invite him over!" Josh looks at her in confusion, and Davina nods in agreement with Elizabeth.
"Yeah, I wanna meet him!" Elizabeth smiles although, Josh still looks unsure. "Come on, do it!"
Josh, still unsure, smiles and starts to dial his number.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Klaus wanders into the ballroom, where Finn has once again been suspended by his wrists. Klaus has a roll of torture implements in his hands
"Do you think our mother is even the least bit concerned for your well-being?"
Klaus pulls out a large knife and tests out how sharp it is before looking back over at Finn.
Finn speaks weakly. "She knows I don't need rescuing."
Klaus holds up his knife so Finn can see it. "Hmm?"
Klaus looks at him expectantly, waiting for his input, but Finn remains silent, so Klaus shrugs and puts the knife down in favor of a different one.
"Eh..."
"You can toy with me all you want, Niklaus, but you've had innumerable opportunities to kill me."
Klaus points a sharp tool in Finn's direction for emphasis.
"But, I didn't, did I?"
Finn smiles weakly, and Klaus puts down the tool.
"Finn, I understand your devotion to her. She must have clung to you with desperate need after our sister Freya died, making you believe it was your responsibility to care for her. Always and forever, mmm? A burden which you accepted without question, because you were a good son. Small children lack the capacity to question their parents, but you're a man, now, Finn."
"Is that the extent of your argument? I'm a man, now, so I should join your wretched cause?"
"Is it not better to join me, then spend the remainder of your mortal life aligned to a woman who always manipulated you? Brother, I offer you the opportunity to free yourself! Side with me, and I will give you the life she never once offered a chance to choose your own path!"
Finn remains silent, and Klaus sighs impatiently.
"The choice is yours, brother!"
Klaus exits the room, leaving Finn to consider Klaus' offer.
MARCEL'S LOFT
"Panama" by Destroyer plays in the apartment as Josh leads Aiden inside to meet Davina and Elizabeth.
"Nice music! Girl's got taste!" Elizabeth smiles at him and walks toward the boys to greet them, behind her Davina.
"Oh, please! That was my call. She wanted Puccini."
Aiden groans jokingly and makes a face, which makes Elizabeth laugh. She holds out her hand to shake his and introduces herself.
"You must be Aiden! Super cool, super handsome—
Aiden interrupts her. "Werewolf traitor?"
Elizabeth's face falls, and she's not sure how to respond. Davina is stood next to Elizabeth wide eyed. Josh awkwardly clears his throat
"I'm sorry, that was a dumb joke."
Elizabeth laughs. "Hey, I was gonna go order some food. Do you like Thai?"
Aiden looks over at Josh, who smiles at him.
"Uh, sure!"
"Great!"
She goes upstairs to order the food, leaving Aiden to introduce to Davina with Josh alone in the living room, both smiling.
Aiden looks at Josh with confusion. "That wasn't planned at all, was it?"
"Nooope!" Josh responds.
It's been a few minutes since Elizabeth went upstairs. Josh and Davina call out upstairs.
Hey, E! You can come down, now!"
Josh, Davina and Aiden turn toward the staircase, but get no response.
Josh and Davina grow worried. "Liz?" They speak in choir.
LAFAYETTE CEMETERY
Elizabeth has sneaked away to Kol's playhouse, where she pulls out Esther's grimoire and flips through it before she starts to gather supplies for a spell. She finds several vials of different colored fluids, a large metal bowl, and some dried herbs, and sets them on the table.
She crushes the herbs in her fingers and sprinkles them in the bowl with a white, milky-looking liquid. She then holds out her hands above the bowl to start her spell.
"A verte insiguinae, a tor a ver."
As she repeats the incantation, the bowl starts to spin itself rapidly until the contents have been thoroughly mixed into a black, sludge-like potion. She lifts the bowl and hesitates for a moment before she begins to drink the concoction.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Kol is still in the armchair upstairs, where his hand is still pinned to the arm with a scalpel. He winces as Marcel continues his interrogation
"Now, we can keep doing this as long as you want."
He yanks the scalpel out of his hand, which causes him to yelp in pain.
"Or—" He bites into his wrist and forces him to drink his blood.
"—I can kill you now, and turn you into a brand-new baby vampire."
Kol's hand starts to heal as Marcel holds the scalpel to his throat threateningly.
"Go on, do it. My mother's got plans for me, whether I like it or not. If I die, she'll just pop me into another body. Not that my family will care that much if the death was permanent."
Marcel stares at him for a moment before letting Kol go and removing the knife. He circles around the chair so he can face him.
"What are you really up to? Hmm? What's it got to do with Liz?"
"Heh, you think I'm gonna break her little heart? I couldn't. That's downright paternal of you, Marcel."
Marcel loses his temper and thrusts the knife in the air, ready to stab Kol with it, when Klaus rushes into the room and intervenes.
"Easy, Marcel! Easy. Let's give Kol a little longer to decide before we lop off his head, hmm?"
Marcel smirks. "Comments like that? He already thinks that you don't care."
Klaus is intrigued. "Is that so, brother?"
"You only daggered me a dozen times. You always cared more for Marcel than you did for me."
"Well, I didn't realize I had hurt your feelings."
Kol responds unhappily. "Yeah, well, that's the thing, innit, Nik? You don't know squat about me."
"Thanks to Marcel, I know all I need to." Kol rolls his eyes in frustration.
"You're desperate to be part of this family, aren't you?"
Kol looks down at the floor and remains silent, which only confirms Klaus' suspicions.
"All of your mischief was just attempts for attention. You know, the truth is, Kol, you're right to feel slighted. I mean that. You're right. But, perhaps there's still time to make it up to you."
Kol looks up at Klaus in surprise, and the two stare at each other.
Finn is still suspended by his wrists with his manacles in the ballroom, where Klaus once again returns to continue to try to turn him to his side. As he approaches Finn, Klaus holds up the keys to his manacles.
"So, brother. Ready to embrace your new life of freedom?"
"I'm already free, brother."
Klaus pockets the key. "You're aware our mother cares nothing for you?"
"Niklaus, I assure you, my mother loves me. She loves all of her children. You would not exist without her sacrifice."
Klaus smirks, not believing him, and heads for the door, but he stops when Finn calls out to him.
"Do you even know the truth? That she was barren? And she grew so desperate for a family that she begged one of the most powerful witches in history for help her sister, Dahlia. Of course, Dahlia's price was high. She agreed to make our mother fertile, but in exchange, she sought the first-born as sacrifice. Having no other choice, our mother gave away our beloved Freya."
Klaus scoffs, clearly skeptical of these claims.
"Our sister died of plague."
"Esther gave her away. Think about that. The pain, the grief."
Klaus walks over to Finn until they are nearly nose-to-nose.
"If what you say is true, then death is far too delicate a fate for her."
"She loves us more than you realize."
"And is love the reason she wanted my child dead? My friend Elizabeth dead? My family?"
"She was trying to protect you from Dahlia's curse!"
Klaus loses his temper and shouts at the top of his lungs.
"WHAT CURSE?"
"Dahlia demanded the first-born of every generation. Had your child lived, she would have paid the price! And, if anyone had tried to protect her, Dahlia would come and destroy us all."
Klaus glares at Finn, who looks almost scared of him.
OUT-OF-TOWN DINER
It's nearly dark, now, and Elijah is still sitting at his booth as the waitress from earlier slowly walks past him. After a moment, Rebekah walks into the restaurant, with Rosie in her baby carrier.
Elijah immediately stands when he sees her, and she smiles at him. When she makes it to the booth, she sets Rosie's carrier on the table, and Elijah smiles widely as he gazes at her. He and his sister share a hug, before he focuses all his attention on his niece.
Rebekah sits down while Elijah picks up Rosie and holds her. "Look at you. So big. So perfect."
Rebekah smiles. "Mmm."
"I can't imagine the joy of spending every day with her. It's..."
"Quite lovely. It feels so human."
"Yes... some would argue the most human of experiences."
"I know I have to give her back to Hayley when the time is right. But, she's made me realize how much I want that child of my own... that I know I can't have."
Elijah rocks Rosie in his arms happily. "It's a lovely dream. Unfortunately, it's one that's just beyond our reach, considering the curse of our existence."
"Seems Esther's attacking with her usual fervor."
"Yes, Mother tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago."
He licks his lips nervously and pauses for a moment before speaking.
"Then, she made an offer... to make us all mortal again." Rebekah looks stunned. "You see, sister, Mother believes that by placing us in new bodies, we can then reclaim some kind of... purity. We can begin families of our own again. And, I have to confess, Rebekah... this invitation, however cruel in delivery, had a certain... appeal."
Rebekah looks at him sympathetically, and stretches her arms across the table so she can take Elijah's free hand in her own.
He continues to gaze at Rosie, not noticing when Rebekah spots a smear of blood on the sleeve of his shirt and becomes even more worried. He notices her concern and misreads it.
"You needn't worry. We're safe."
Rebekah licks her lips and puts on a fake smile before standing on her feet and grabbing Rosie's blanket.
"Looks like this little one needs her diaper changed!" Elijah stands so he can hand Rosie back to her.
Rebekah speaks to Rosie. "Here, my love."
She heads toward the bathroom across the restaurant. Rebekah's eyes widen in horror as she notices a smear of blood on the counter while she passes it.
There's another bloody smear on the door to the kitchen. The waitress from earlier washes her hands at a nearby sink and has presumably been compelled to ignore the blood, because she does not seem bothered by it, nor does she seem to mind that Rebekah is about to enter the kitchen.
Rebekah gently kicks open the kitchen door and gasps when she enters sees a dozen bloodied bodies strewn around the room. She turns and shields Rosie's face with her blanket to keep her from seeing any of the carnage. Elijah continues to stand near their table with his back to her, oblivious to Rebekah's discovery.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Klaus is in the middle of leaving Elijah a voicemail in the courtyard.
"I'm done leaving messages, Elijah. To say that this is urgent would be a gross understatement. We need to speak immediately."
When he hangs up his phone, he senses Elizabeth approaching him and sighs before turning toward her.
"I was wondering whether you would show up. I'm afraid I'm not done torturing your darling Kol. You best run along while you still can."
"I'm not going anywhere, Klaus."
Marcel hears Klaus and Elizabeth talking and rushes downstairs to intervene.
"Whoa, E, today is not the day."
"Actually, I think it is."
She holds out her hand and twists her wrist, which snaps Marcel's neck and causes him to fall down the stairs. Klaus looks at her, unsure of what to do.
Elizabeth smirks. "Looks like it's just you and me now."
"You forget yourself. You're not as powerful as you once were, Liz. I don't want to hurt you. I will defend myself.
"Doesn't mean I can't still kick your ass!"
She thrusts her hand in front of her and telekinetically throws him across the room. His body flies through the closed double doors and breaks them, shattering them into broken pieces of wood and glass.
She stops and confidently walks toward him, but when she gets to where he landed, he has disappeared. Suddenly, he vamp-speeds toward her and throws her down the hall.
She screams as she flies toward a wall, hitting her head so hard her forehead starts to bleed as she rolls over and gets to her feet.
"Such hubris! And from one who bleeds so easily."
As Elizabeth stands, she struggles to catch her breath, and starts to taunt Klaus.
"You talk such a big game, but you couldn't even kill Mikael when you had the chance!" She laughs darkly. "He was right about you, you know? You're weak."
Klaus loses his temper and vamp-speeds toward her. He grabs her by the hair and pulls her head back so he can bite her neck.
She screams in pain, but after he drinks a couple gulps of her blood, he starts to choke and gasp until he eventually falls unconscious. Once he is incapacitated, Elizabeth smirks in triumph.
Elizabeth is still looking at Klaus' unconscious body when Kol sneaks up behind her, somehow freed from his manacles. He seems pleased to see her as he rubs his sore wrists and approaches her, taking note of the unconscious Klaus on the floor.
"It's impressive. What exactly did you do to him?"
"I channeled dark objects through my blood to poison him."
She notices he's no longer shackled and frowns in confusion.
"How did you get free?"
"Oh, it's a long story. Better question is, if he's not dead, then what are you gonna do when he recovers?"
"We have an hour, maybe less. Enough time to chain him, bleed him, dump him in the river."
Kol is slightly surprised. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
"Since when do you care what happens to Klaus?"
Marcel suddenly awakens from his snapped neck with a loud gasp. He pulls himself to his feet and rubs his sore neck.
"Kol is with us now. We're going to be going up against Esther, assuming Klaus is... upright." Marcel speaks while he rubs his neck a little.
Elizabeth looks at Kol, confused and slightly betrayed.
"Look, Nik is a pain in the ass, but, well... she's a problem for us all."
"Klaus is the problem! I don't give a damn what happens to Esther anymore."
Cami arrives and joins the conversation. "Yeah, well, I sure do."
She notices Klaus' unconscious body and looks horrified before turning back to Elizabeth, Marcel, and Kol.
"Should I even ask?" Marcel shrugs and rolls his eyes toward Elizabeth.
"Cami, you should go. It's not safe." Elizabeth speaks.
"No kidding! I woke up with puncture wounds all up and down my spine and no idea how they got there. According to my uncle's files, they're part of this ancient spell, and I don't know about you guys, but when I see "ancient" and "spell" in the same sentence, I think Esther."
A few minutes later Cami is sitting on a couch, chugging a glass of water, while Elizabeth and Kol examine the puncture wounds on her back. Marcel sits near her.
"That's Mom's work, all right. She must have wiped your memory."
Cami shrugs. "Not the first time that's been done by a member of this family. What does it mean?"
"byproduct of a.—" He hesitates for a moment. "—preparation spell.
"Preparation for what?" Elizabeth asks.
"To make her a vessel."
Elizabeth and Marcel both look horrified, and Cami looks confused and scared.
"He means Esther prepared your body for someone to jump into."
"Likely herself. I mean, knowing Mother."
Marcel looks at him suspiciously. Cami becomes overwhelmed.
"Where's Vincent?"
Cami goes to the ballroom, where Finn is still hanging from his wrists by his manacles. She storms toward him and immediately smacks him across the face.
"Why me? Out of everyone in this city?"
"Because you're perfect. Healthy, beautiful, smart... and alone. No one would question any personality changes. And, as I discovered from my sessions, Niklaus would never allow you to be harmed."
"Fix this. Do something to stop it."
"I can't. Only my mother can."
"I will step in front of a moving truck before I let your mother take over my body."
"She wasn't preparing you for herself, Cami. She was preparing you for Rebekah."
Cami's eyes widen in shock. She looks over toward Marcel, who is standing in the doorway.
OUT-OF-TOWN DINER
Rebekah finally comes out of the bathroom after changing Rosie's diaper and returns to the table with Elijah. Rrosie begins to whine restlessly, alerting Elijah to their return. He stands to help her put Rosie back into her carrier.
"Well, she is all sorted, and ready for an adventure! Aren't you, my love?"
Elijah smiles and watches as Rebekah settles Rosie into her seat.
"It's difficult to believe we were this innocent once." He sighs deeply. "We mustn't let the world ever hurt her."
Rebekah comes up behind Elijah and watches him suspiciously as she rubs his arm.
"You're right. We mustn't."
She quickly grabs Elijah by the chin and snaps his neck, allowing him to fall to the floor, unconscious. She sighs and looks overwhelmed.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Cami, Kol, Elizabeth and Marcel are discussing their options in the courtyard.
"How long do I have?"
"Well, now that Esther knows where Rebekah hiding... not long. The only way to stop it is to stop her." Kol says answering Camille.
Camille takes a deep breath. "Then, let's do this. Marcel's a vampire, you both are powerful witches..."
Marcel paces around the room while he processes this information.
Marcel speaks anxiously. "Esther's stronger than anything I've ever seen. We go up against her..."
He looks at Elizabeth, knowing she's not going to be happy with his idea.
"...We're going to need Klaus."
Elizabeth scoffs. "No. No, we can do this without him!"
"Uh, I'm never gonna say this again, but Marcel's right we do need the bastard."
Elizabeth sighs, clearly unhappy, so Cami approaches her and grabs her hands in her own.
"Liz, I know this is asking a lot, but please."
Elizabeth, understanding Cami's dilemma, walks over to Klaus' body and kneels by his head. She places her fingertips on his temple and murmurs an unintelligible spell under her breath.
Klaus suddenly gasps as he awakens, and rolls onto his side before he begins to pull himself onto his feet. Once he's upright, he addresses the others.
"What did she do to me?"
"All you need to know is that I beat you. Again."
"And yet, you relented. You need me, don't you?"
Elizabeth rolls her eyes and sighs as he smiles at her.
"Did I really lose?"
It's a bit later. Kol has grabbed a plate and finally is able to eat all of the breakfast food from earlier. He starts to eat a croissant while he talks to Elizabeth.
"Quite nice of you, coming to my rescue like that!"
"You know, it's a good thing you didn't actually steal the stake from me. Or I would have been the one torturing you."
"Does that mean you trust me, then?"
Elizabeth just smiles and gives him a look, which makes Kol chuckle. After a moment, Klaus joins them.
"Provided you're not busy concocting a new paralytic to use against me, I'd like a word with my brother."
Elizabeth shrugs. "Well, to be honest, I can't stand being around you anyway."
Elizabeth leaves, and Klaus smiles slightly in amusement as she does. His face then becomes serious when he turns to face Kol, who looks worried.
"For the record, I didn't know a bloody thing about Mother's plan for Cami, I swear."
"Well, I think I can judge for myself which of her schemes she would entrust to you, and which she would not."
He sits across from Kol in an armchair.
"I believe this was Finn's task."
Kol leans back against the couch and sighs.
"Where, pray tell, is he now?"
"He's waiting uncomfortably for me to return and deliver his punishment. Pass the beignets, will you?"
"You know, it's only a matter of time before Mother gets bored of waiting for you to let us go."
He hands Klaus the plate of pastries, and Klaus takes a beignet off the plate and whispers politely under his breath.
Klaus mutters. "Thank you."
"Well, Finn, at least. I don't expect she'd care if I never came home."
"A mother cares for her children. A monster does not. Once you accept she's the latter, you'll stop expecting the former. And, despite what you might think, Kol, I did mourn you after your death. And, I did attempt to avenge you. I would do nothing less, because we are brothers. Always and forever." Klaus pauses for a second and hesitates.
"I'll get Elizabeth back to you. As herself, the one that remembers you and doesn't want me dead."
Kol chuckles and nods. "I'd appreciate that brother." Suddenly, Klaus' phone rings.
Klaus smiles. "Excuse me."
He steps away from the room to take the call. It's Rebekah, calling from the diner on Elijah's phone.
"Where have you been?"
"Nik, it's me. Something's wrong. Elijah slaughtered a dozen people, whose only sin was their terrible taste in food. I mean, when have you known him to kill when he could otherwise compel? It's the kind of act that will draw our mother's attention."
Klaus sighs in horror. "Her torture must have affected him more deeply than I'd realized. Where is he now?"
"I broke his neck to keep her safe, but I have no clue what to do next." Klaus walks purposefully down the stairs
"Do you recall where we dined the Christmas after we fled Mikael?"
"Of course—"
Klaus interrupts her. "Go there. Now." He hangs up the phone and heads toward the ballroom where Finn is still bound.
"If you enjoyed last night's activities, then you're in for a treat!"
"Niklaus, listen to me, our mother may—"
Klaus interrupts. "Not another word! No more fairy tales about witches and curses."
Finn looks at him confused. "If you think it's a fairy tale, then why do I see fear in your eyes?"
Klaus is unamused. "MARCEL! Bring it in."
Marcel comes into the room, dragging Finn's old coffin behind him. Finn desperately pleads with Klaus as he yanks down his chains and drags him toward it.
"No! No! No, Niklaus!"
"Oh, don't worry, brother! I made some air holes! Small ones."
Klaus lifts Finn by the front of his shirt and throws him into the coffin. Finn begins to scream in fear as they close the lid on him.
He begins to pound on the inside of the door as Marcel and Klaus head for the door. Before he leaves, Marcel puts a padlock on the lid to keep it closed.
Klaus is just about to leave the compound when he runs into Hayley, who is on her way inside
"Klaus, have you seen Elijah? There's something I need to tell you both."
"You can tell me on the way."
Hayley looks confused. "What? Where are we going?"
Klaus turns toward her breathlessly, looking happy. Klaus smiles. "To see our daughter."
They stare at each other for a moment, stunned, until Hayley finally rushes toward him, ready to leave as soon as possible.
to be continued..