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chapter one:
the originals
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"WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF NEW ORLEANS." A tourist beamed." A supernatural playground where the living are easily lost... and the dead stick around to play." As if on cue, the group of tourists moved out of the way, giving anyone a clear shot of the two hybrids. They crossed the road and walked over to the booth of a witch posing as a fortune teller, who immediately started packing her things at the sight of the hybrids.
"Good afternoon," Klaus greeted as he and his sister sat down at the witch's booth. "Time for one more?"
"I have nothing to say to you." The witch responded.
"Oh, now, that's not how you greet someone, is it?" Belle asked sarcastically. "You don't even know us."
"I know what you are." The witch retorted. "Half-vampire, half-beast. You're the hybrids."
"The Original Hybrids, actually." Belle corrected.
"But that's a long story for another time." Klaus rushed, sparing his sister an annoyed glance. "We're looking for someone, a witch. Perhaps you might be able to help us find her. Jane-Anne Devereaux."
The witch looked shocked for a moment before covering it up, though it didn't go unnoticed. "Sorry, I don't know." She replied.
Klaus got closer to her face. "Well, now, that's a fib, isn't it? Now, you see . . ." He grabbed her arm. "I know that you're a true witch amongst these poseurs. So enough with the fabrications. I've quite a temper."
The witch snatched her arm from Klaus. "Witches don't talk out of school in the Quarter. The vampire won't allow it. Those are the rules. I don't break Marcel's rules."
Marcel. A name she hadn't dared to speak in Klaus' presence. Memories of the last time she had even seen Marcel flooded her mind. Blood. Screaming. Fire. Death. Mikael.
"Marcel's rules?" Klaus asked, shock evident on his face before replacing it with a smirk. "Where do you suppose we might find Marcel?"
✶
THE WITCH GAVE THEM DIRECTIONS TO A BAR, ROUSSEAU'S. Belle looked around at the place with disgust. The place didn't look how it did almost a century ago. Now it was dirtier, darker, and overall more depressing that it had once been. She dragged her hand along the bar but groaned in disgust, catching Klaus' attention.
"Do you see this?" She asked, looking from her hand to Klaus before rubbing her hands together. "Dust on the counters that people are supposed to eat off. This place is filthy."
"Some people truly have no appreciation for their local pub." Klaus said mockingly before walking towards the man on stage. She followed him and saw Marcel having the time of his life singing along to a song on the stage. Completely forgetting the reason they were there, Belle had a million thoughts and questions racking at her brain. For one, how did he escape the fire?
Marcel had thanked the audience before he jumped off the small stage and walked over to the main bar which was most of the seats happened to be vampires. He took a drink before pausing, feeling familiar presences around him. He turned his head to see none other than Klaus and Belle Mikaelson. While Belle was looking at him with a mix of shock and relief, Klaus looked at him with a scowl. All of the vampires that were seated at the bar went quiet and followed Marcel's gaze, becoming defensive.
"Klaus? Belle?" He said almost questioningly.
"Marcel." They state in sync.
"Must be a hundred-years since that nasty business with your papa." Marcel said, almost amused.
"Has it been that long?" Klaus asked, moving closer to him.
"They way I recall it, he ran you out of town. Left a trail of dead vampires in his wake." Marcel drawled, also moving closer to Klaus.
"And yet how fortunate you managed to survive." Klaus said. Anyone who didn't know their history would've assumed they were enemies. "My father, I'm afraid, I recently incinerated to dust."
As Klaus moved closer, the vampires that sat at the bar had stood up, ready to defend Marcel at any cost. Belle moved right next to Klaus to try and scare off some of the vampires.
"Well, if I knew the both of you were coming back in town, if I had a heads up—"
"What . . . Marcel?" Klaus interrupted. "What would you have done?"
"I'd have thrown you a damn parade." Marcel laughed before bringing Klaus in for a hug. When they pulled away Marcel put his hands on the top of Klaus' shoulders. "Niklaus Mikaelson. My mentor, my savior, my sire." He turned to Belle. "Oh, and how could anyone forget the beautiful Belle Mikaelson." He pulled her in for an embrace.
"You truly are a survivor, Marcellus." She sighed with relief. She pulled away from Marcel and looked behind him at the group of vampires. "If they try anything—"
"They won't." Marcel assured her, putting an arm around each of their necks. "Let's get you two some drinks." He led them to the back of the bar, laughing as he sat down on a chair. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to be home." Klaus said before sitting down with Belle following soon after. "Although please tell me the current state of Bourbon Street is not your doing."
"Something's gotta draw in the out-of-towners." Marcel laughed. "Otherwise we'd all go hungry."
Belle looked behind her to one of the men that was ready to fight for Marcel. She saw he had a daylight ring on his hand and turned back to Marcel, "I see your . . . friends are daywalkers."
"Yeah, yeah, I shared the secret of your daylight ring with a few buddies. Just the inner circle, though. The family." Marcel said, pouring Belle a drink.
Belle found that sentence odd. A hundred-years ago, he was their family and vise versa. But when he had gotten out of the Oprah house safe and sound, he hadn't even attempted to get into contact with them. Did he not consider them family anymore? Or did he simply take the opportunity to rule over New Orleans?
"Tell me." Belle started, "how the hell did you find a witch willing to make daylight rings?"
"I got the witches here wrapped around my finger." He replied ominously.
Belle nodded to herself, "that's creepy." She sighed, taking a swig of her bourbon.
"Is that so?" Klaus laughed before turning serious. "We're looking for a witch . . . by the name of Jane-Anne Devereaux. Has some business with me."
"Looking for Jane-Anne?" Marcel smirked.
"I believe that is what he said, yes." Belle said impatiently.
"Then you probably oughta come with me." He stood up. "Showtime!"
✶
VAMPIRES FROM ALL OVER THE QUARTER CAME OUT TO WITNESS THE 'TRIAL' OF JANE-ANNE DEVEREAUX. Some were jumping on cars, jumping from the rooftops, others were walking and forming a big circle.
"How's the family?" Marcel asked cheerfully.
"Those who live hate us more than ever." Klaus replied.
"For the record, they hate you." Belle quipped, patting her brother on the back.
"Well, forget 'em." Marcel smirked. "If your blood relations let you down you make your own, huh? You taught me that." He said to Klaus. "And what's mine is what's yours, as always. Even my nightwalkers, the riff-raff."
"They're hardly subtle, are they?" Klaus asked.
"It's the quarter. Ain't no such thing as subtle." He said simply, playfully smacking Klaus' arm. He whistled, alerting the vampires of his presence and for a vampire to bring in Jane-Anne. "Jane-Anne Devereaux! Give it up for Jane-Anne!"
"I think almost being burnt alive made him over dramatic." Belle said to Klaus, "just like you." She quipped.
"I am not dramatic." Klaus defended.
"You used to kill people and collect the letters their loved ones sent them." Belle deadpanned.
"It was a phase!"
Belle went to respond, but Marcel's voice stopped her, "Jane-Anne Devereaux . . . you have been accused of the practice of witchcraft beyond the bounds of the rules set and enforced by me! How do you plead?" He walked over the hybrids, "was that convincing? I studied law back in the '50s. Hold that thought." He walked back to Jane-Anne, "seriously, Jane, ticktock. You know the drill. How do you plead?"
"I didn't do anything." Jane spat. The crowd started laughing amongst themselves at her lie.
"That's a lie! You know it, I know it and you hate that I know it!" Marcel taunted. "It drives you witches crazy that I'm aware of your every move . . . that you can't do magic in this town without getting caught! So . . . why don't we just cut to the chase, huh? You tell me what magic you're brewing. I mean, tell me. I'll grant you leniency. Hey, I am, after all a merciful man."
"Rot in hell, monster!" Jane spat, knowing she'd be killed.
"I'll tell you what. I'll give you one more chance." Before anyone could react, Marcel used the vine he held to slit her throat, catching the hybrids by surprise. "Or not." Once Jane-Anne fell to the ground, the crowd cheered and laughed. But Klaus and Belle weren't laughing. They looked at the body with scowls on their faces. Marcel knew they had to talk to the witch, and he still killed her.
They walked through the crowd to find Marcel and when they did, they were angry.
"What was that?" Klaus asked angrily.
"Hey, come walk with me." He put his arms around their shoulders and began walking. "Witches aren't allowed to do magic here. She broke the rules."
"I told you we wanted to talk to her." Klaus said, walking in front of Marcel.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I got caught up in the show." Marcel said in a condescending tone. "Those witches, they think they still have power in this town. I have to show them that they don't. I never waste an opportunity for a show of force. Another lesson that I learned from you."
"So if a mother did magic to save her child, you'd execute her?" Belle asked, clearly unhappy with the situation.
"I can make exceptions." He shrugged. "Besides, anything that you could've gotten out of her... I can find out for you, and I will. I promise."
"Well, whatever it was . . . doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Klaus spoke after a few moments of silence.
"A good, good, then let's eat because all that spilled blood makes me hungry." Marcel laughed, walking past them. Belle went to follow, but Klaus pulled her back. She gave him a questioning look but he only looked back at some of the vampires, more specifically the one they keep seeing with Marcel.
"Hey. Thierry, isn't it?" Klaus asked. "Anymore Devereaux witches where she came from?"
✶
THIERRY DIRECTED THEM BACK TO THE BAR WHERE THEY FOUND SOPHIE DEVEREAUX. She was silently sobbing and chopping carrots when Klaus and Belle appeared at the doorway. Sophie turned around with a gasp.
"You're Klaus." She stated before turning her head to Belle. "And you're Belle."
"We are. And you're upset." Klaus noted.
"Sophie, is it?" Belle asked. "I assume this because of what we just witnessed with your sister on the corner or Royal and St. Ann."
"Did you enjoy the show?" Sophie gulped.
"No I didn't actually. It was melodramatic and completely unnecessary." Belle shook her head. "What did your sister want with my brother? Why did Marcel kill her?"
Sophie was about to answer but she looked past the hybrids. "I see you brought friends." They looked behind them and saw two vampires sitting at a bar. They turned back to Sophie with a sigh, "they're not with us." Klaus said.
"They're with Marcel. That's all that matters." Sophie said, "I know you built this town but this is his town now. He killed my sister because she broke the rules. So I talk to you in front of them, I'm next." She turned around and continued cooking.
"I'll handle this." Belle muttered, walking over to the two vampires. She grabbed their shoulders aggressively. "Are you two gentlemen following us?"
"Marcel said we're your guides." One of the vampires excused.
"He did, did he?" She muttered to herself. "Let me be clear. If you follow us again, I will cut off your arms and wear them as sleeves." With each word, she squeezed harder on their shoulders.
"Sorry for the wait," A blonde bartender said, handing them drinks, "if you're here for the gumbo, I'm about to break your heart. We just ran out."
Belle pulled out a hundred dollar bill from Klaus' wallet. "Your oldest scotch for my two friends here." The bartender nodded and walked away, giving Belle the opportunity to grip their shoulders harder. "If Marcel wants to know what we're up to he can ask us himself." She shoved them forward a bit and walked back to Klaus, who had been subtlety eyeing the bartender.
"Why do you have that look?" She asked.
"I don't have a look." He defended.
"You most definitely do." She sighed, "careful, brother. Humans are fragile little beings."
✶
THEY WALKED INTO A PARTY THAT WAS MORE THAN LIKELY BEHING HOSTED BY MARCEL HIMSELF. The father she got in, the more alcohol, blood and vampires Belle could smell, being a clue of Marcel's presence here. She saw a daylight ring on a dark-skinned vampire. More of his inner circle. Klaus walked up to the vampire, "where is Marcel?"
"And who the hell's asking?" The vampire challenged.
"I assume your joking."
"I only answer to Marcel."
"Well, then in that case perhaps you'll answer to this." Before the vampire could even process his words, Klaus was holding him up by the neck. "You're aware the bite of a werewolf can kill a vampire?" He put on his hybrid face. "Well, as you can see, I'm half-werewolf so I'm going to ask you one more time! Where is Marcel?!"
"Hey-hey. I'm right here!" Marcel quipped, pulling the vampire from Klaus' hold. "I'm right here. Easy now. Diego's just looking out for me."
"Well, Diego needs to learn some manners." Belle said, appearing behind Marcel.
"Nobody harms my guys. Those are the rules." Marcel said in his holier-than-thou tone.
"I don't care about your rules, Marcel." Belle said simply. "And we don't need chaperones."
"Why are you having us followed?" Klaus finished.
"Come here." He murmured, pulling them away from Diego. "I get it. Show of force. You made your point. Let it go, huh? For me."
"Fine. Why don't you show us what you've done with the place while you explain exactly what it is you've been up to in my town?" Klaus asked.
"Follow me." Marcel chuckled. He led them up to a balcony. "Look at that skyline. That there, that's progress. More hotels, more tourists, more fresh blood. And the humans? I taught them to look the other way."
"So you're a dictator?" Belle deadpanned.
"Not a dictator, a king." He corrected.
"And what of the witches?" Klaus asked. "In my time, they were a force to be reckoned with and now they live in fear. How do you know when they're using magic?"
"Maybe I got a secret weapon... an ace up my sleeve, you know." He replied vaguely. "Something that give me complete control over all the magic in this town."
"Is that a fact?"
"Might be. Or maybe I'm just bluffing." He chuckled before putting a piece of vervain in his mouth.
"My eyes might have been damaged over time, so forgive me if I'm seeing things, but did you just eat vervain?" Belle asked with surprise.
"Don't worry, Belle, you're not seeing things." Marcel smirked, "burns like a bitch. But I figure I should limit the number of things I'm vulnerable to." Klaus and Belle shared a look behind Marcel, almost having a conversation with their eyes before Marcel continued, "don't be mad about that chaperone thing. I told my guys to look out for you, that's all. That's what we do here, we look out for each other."
He hummed when he was looking at the almost empty streets; Klaus and Belle followed his eye-line and saw the bartender from earlier. "New blood."
"The bartender walking alone at night." Klaus began, "she's either brave or dumb."
"Let's see, brave, I let her live. Dumb, she's dessert." Marcel said cheerfully before jumping off the balcony, landing right behind the blonde bartender.
"I don't trust him." Belle said in a hushed tone as Marcel talked to the woman.
"The feeling's mutual." Klaus said quietly. "He doesn't seem to trust us either. We'll have to earn it if we want to take the city."
"I'm sorry, what?" Belle asked only to get a smirk from Klaus, though it was quickly wiped off.
"Evening, Elijah." He said emotionlessly. Belle looked at at the doorway to the balcony and saw Elijah. She looked between him and Klaus almost as though she was picking sides before looking back down to the streets.
"Niklaus. Belle." Elijah nodded.
"What an entirely unwelcome surprise."
"And what an entirely unsurprisingly welcome." Elijah sassed. "Come with me."
"We're not going anywhere." Klaus said. "Not until we find out who's conspiring against me."
"I believe I just found that out for you."
✶
ELIJAH LED THEM TO THE LAFAYETTE CEMETERY. Belle could almost laugh at the irony, they put people in cemeteries, not visit them.
"What are we doing here?" Klaus asked impatiently.
"You want to know what the witches have in store for you? Follow me." Elijah retorted.
"Thank you for your non-vague answer." Belle grumbled.
After a few more steps, he led them to a gate. He walked through and saw Sophie standing in the middle of the tomb.
"Sophie Devereaux." Belle stated. "What is this?"
"He's all yours." Elijah said to Sophie, ignoring Belle's question. "Proceed."
"You know you're famous in this town?" Sophie began, "witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus and his powerful sister Belle. We know Marcel was nothing, but an orphan street rat until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants. He kills who he wants. I'm going to stop him. And you're going to help me."
"This is why you brought us here." Klaus said with disbelief.
"Hear her out." Elijah said.
"I don't need to hear her out. I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this Earth that will matter enough for me to waste even thirty more seconds of my time. Elijah, what madness is this?"
"Klaus." A soft voice emerged from the gate. They all turned their heads to see Hayley Marshall, a wolf who helped break the sire bond of twelve of Klaus' hybrids. Belle had only one conversation with Hayley and it was when she and Klaus tried to bribe her with dinner to tell them the whereabouts of Katherine Pierce. "You need to listen to them."
Klaus only laughed in her face, "you're all out of your minds if you think some liquor-fueled one-night stand, no offense, sweetheart, means a thing to me."
"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town but as keepers of the balance we still know when nature has cooked up something new." Sophie said, razing her voice. "For example, I have a special gift of sensing when a girl is pregnant." At those words, any expression on the two hybrids dropped.
"What?" Klaus breathed out.
"I know. It's impossible." Hayley spoke up, Klaus and Belle turned to her with very different expressions. Klaus with a scowl. Belle with thought. She was thinking about how this could be possible. Klaus, a vampire, had gotten a girl pregnant? The equation didn't add up.
"What are you saying?" Klaus asked.
"Niklaus." Elijah spoke, "the girl is carrying your child."
"No. It's impossible." Klaus denied. "Vampires cannot procreate."
"But werewolves can." Sophie said immediately. "Magic made you a vampire... but you were born a werewolf. You are one of two original hybrids, the first of your kind. And this pregnancy is one of nature's loop holes."
"You've been with someone else. Admit it!" Klaus yelled as he angrily walked over to Hayley and only stopping once Elijah held him back. Belle slowly walked next to him.
"Hay, I've spent days held captive in a freakin' alligator bayou because they think that I'm carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you think I would have fessed up if it wasn't yours?" Hayley said angrily.
"My sister gave her life to preform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy." The Devereaux stressed. "Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the life of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. If you don't help me take down Marcel... so help me Hayley won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."
"Wait, what?" Hayley asked worriedly.
"Enough of this, if you want Marcel dead he's dead. I'll do it myself." Elijah spoke.
Belle had blocked out their conversation and locked her eyes on Hayley's stomach and began to listen. She could hear two fast heartbeats. One was Hayley's out of fear, the other was the baby she was carrying. A ghost of a smile could be seen on her face. She looked back up to Hayley with a slightly more noticeable smile that gave Hayley hope of getting out of the cemetery alive. Klaus' yelling is what pulled her back to reality.
"How dare you command me? Threaten me with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses? I won't hear anymore lies." He began walking out.
"Nik!" Belle shouted, catching his attention. He turned to her with an angered expression. She pointed to her ear and cocked her head to the side where Hayley was standing. Klaus hesitantly listened and trained his eyes on Hayley's stomach. Belle watched as excitement flashed in his eyes, which caused the corners of her lips to tug upright into a toothless smile.
But the excitement in his eyes died. His expression became cold and dark. He turned back to the witches. "Kill her and the baby." He ordered. The smile on Belle's face immediately dropped. "What do I care?" With that Klaus walked out of the tomb, Elijah speeding after him. Hayley looked to Belle for help, which she granted.
"I'm going to convince my brother to listen to the lot of you, and if any of you harm a single hair on her head, I will rip out each of your spines and create jewelry out of them, do we understand each other?" Belle threatened, earning fast nods from the other witches. She looked to Sophie.
"Fine. We won't hurt her." The Devereaux said. Hesitantly, Belle sped out of the tomb.
✶
BELLE WENT OUT LOOKING FOR KLAUS AND SAW HIM TALKING TO THE BLONDE BARTENDER. Once he was gone, she appeared next to her. The bartender let out a gasp once she saw the other blonde, "I'm sorry you startled me." She chuckled. "Wait, the hundred dollar girl?"
"That'd be me..." Belle trailed off, waiting for a name.
"Camille. But call me Cami." She replied.
"Camille. That's a french name." Belle chuckled. "It seems you and I already have something in common." She held out her hand. "Belle."
"Nice to meet you, Belle." Cami greeted, shaking Belle's hand. "You're the second person to comment on my name tonight that isn't a drunk guy hitting on me."
"The first one would be my brother." She said, catching Cami by surprise. "He first saw you at the bar, you know, after I used his wallet to give you the hundred dollars."
Cami chuckled, "I asked him a question before he left, but then he suddenly disappeared and you suddenly appeared next to me."
"Yeah, well, growing up, we've learned to sneak around and hide." Belle said. It wasn't a complete lie. They were growing up in the world while they ran from country to country, continent to continent. "What question did you want to ask him?"
"I wanted to asked if he painted. He seemed so... interested in every stroke of the paintbrush, every color choice, even the painting itself." Cami trailed. "I'm sorry, this is weird, right? I mean, I hardly know either of you and I'm profiling your brother."
"I can assure you, it's fine." The hybrid smiled. "He paints. A lot, actually. He once told me painting was his way of expressing how he felt without saying it or without painting the exact feeling. Instead he uses metaphors. For example, if he were feeling alone, he might paint a singular snowflake or a forest that has a tree that is ever so slightly different from the rest."
"So he feels like an outsider?" Camille inquired, Belle raised her eyebrows in amusement, causing Cami to laugh. "Once again, sorry. Overzealous psych major."
"I can see what my brother finds so interesting about you, Camille." She smiled. "But to answer your question, yes. He does feel like an outsider to the rest of the family."
"What's your family like?"
"Well, I have a half-sister, a half-brother, and the one you just met, he's my full brother." Belle started. "I had two more half-brothers, but they were killed. So were my parents." She said sadly, not for Mikael and Esther, but for Finn and Kol.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Cami said softly. "Sorry for bringing it up."
"Don't be." She smiled sadly. She felt her phone vibrate so she pulled it out and saw a message from Klaus.
Nik:
Tell Sophie Devereaux we have a deal.
Belle:
why do i have a feeling there's more?
Nik:
That's because there is.
I am going to take back our city.
For my family, for my child.
I'm going to be the King.
She deeply inhaled before putting her phone back in her jacket pocket.. Klaus wanted to steal New Orleans out from under Marcel while he had a child on the way. Probably the dumbest idea Belle thought Klaus has ever come up with.
"I need to go meet with one of those brothers." Belle said to Cami. "But don't worry, we'll be seeing each other again."