Episode-17
They say the passage of time will heal all wounds. But, the greater the loss, the deeper the cut, and the more difficult the process to become whole again. The pain may fade, but scars serve as a reminder of our suffering, and make the bearer all the more resolved never to be wounded again. So, as time moves along, we get lost in distractions. Act out in frustration. React with aggression. Give in to anger. And, all the while, we plot and plan as we wait to grow stronger, and before we know it, the time passes. We are healed. Ready to begin anew.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Genevieve laid lazily on the couch in Nikole art room, wearing just her lingerie, while Nikole was getting dressed.
Genivieve spoke up with a smile, "Spoken like a courageous women who's made peace with her demons."
Nikole rolled her eyes as she buttoned up her jeans, "My demons are dead, or chased off."
Elijah entered the room and glared at Genevieve as he spoke to her sister, "Yes, apart from the one lingering monster with whom you share a bed." He held out her heels in his hand, "I trust you can find your clothing and the door."
Genevieve stood up sensually as she collected her clothes before she took her heels from him and left the room with a smug smile thrown at Elijah's annoyed face.
Elijah turned to look at Nikole, annoyed, "You do recall that woman tortured our sister?"
Nikole stood up and walked up to her brother with a smirk, "She also revealed the truth about our sister's treachery."
Elijah gave her a pointed look, "And as a consequence, Rebekah is gone forever."
Nikole shrugged nonchalantly, "A desire which she apparently harbored for quite some time!"
Elijah scowled as he spoke up in frustration, "Nikolia, it has been a month. Now, I feel our sister's loss as deeply as you. But, you must stop distracting yourself with this ridiculous behavior and channel it into some kind of action."
Nikole merely grabbed a paintbrush and returned back to her art, "Why must I, exactly?"
Elijah sighed tiredly as he stood near the doorway, "Because over the course of Marcel's tenure, the city grew accustomed to having a rular. You wanted this throne. Now, you must accept the responsibility that accompanies that."
Nikole began to paint as she halfheartedly paid attention to Elijah's words, "Apologies, but I'm rather ensconced in other pursuits."
Elijah walked towards her sister and snatched the paintbrush from her hand, "If you can so easily neglect your home, I wonder what will become of your daughter. Have you forgotten what it was like to live beneath the threat of violence? We must work together, Nikolia. Let's make this city whole again."
Nikole looked to her brother with an impassive expression, "Perhaps it is too broken to mend." She took her paintbrush back and returned to her painting.
Elijah nodded and turned around to leave the room, with his jaw set, he declared firmly, "If you won't do anything, I will."
THE BAYOU
Hayley approached Jackson as they both watched Oliver and another wolf sparring and wrestling outside.
"Shouldn't you be out there playing Fight Club with the rest of the frat boys?" She looked at Jackson with an amused glance.
Jackson rolled his eyes and smiled, "Nah. That's just for pecking order. They already know who's the Alpha."
___________________
Jackson and Hayley went inside, where the rest of the Crescent wolves were setting the table for dinner.
"You gotta try Tucker's ribs." Jackson pointed as he looked at the food.
Hayley looked at Jackson playfully, "Then, what? Then we're gonna go play horseshoes?"
Jackson laughed heartily, "Hey! Don't mock country living, darlin'."
"Sorry. This is just a lot more family fun than I'm used to." Hayley shrugged with a content smile.
Jackson stared at her intently, "Well, maybe I can help you get used to it."
Oliver joined them from behind as he spoke up sarcastically, "Then all we got to do is just forget that she spent half her life with humans, and the other half with vampires."
Jackson stood up straighter as she stepped towards the wolf, "Ollie, back off."
Hayley stopped Jackson and looked at him with a cold smile, "It's okay. If the runt of the litter has got something to say, he should say it."
Oliver gave her a tight smile, "You know, word from the Quarter is your boy Elijah's holding some kind of power summit. Guess who wasn't invited?"
Hayley's face dropped, "Where did you hear this?"
Oliver waved her off as he looked at her pointedly, "It doesn't matter. The point is is that we're stuck here living in the swamp, while your vampire boyfriend's deciding who gets what in the city. But, I guess that shows how much respect he's got for the werewolves, huh?"
ST. ANNE'S CHURCH
The summit was set in the church as the representative sat on their respective chairs. Elijah was standing at the end of the table as he told them his terms.
Everyone was arguing over Elijah's new terms. Shouting over each other.
Diego shouted in outrage, "This is our city, too! We should be able to go wherever the hell we want!"
Genevieve scowled and yelled over Diego's shouts, "We would consider it an act of war!"
Kieran glared around at the supernaturals, looking agitated and pale, "We're getting nowhere. You vile creatures cannot agree."
Elijah silenced them all as he finally raised his voice, "Father, calm yourself, please." As everyone quietened down. He lowered his voice to a normal tone, "Thank you. Now returning to the issue of boundaries, you will all heed to the following--
Their discussion was interrupted by Hayley, who walked inside snd crashed their meeting.
Haykey scowled as she looked at the people inside, "Are you serious? You're dividing up the city, and the werewolves don't even get a say?"
Diego angrily stood up to point at Hayley, "What the hell is she doing here?"
Elijah looked at the vampire sternly, "Diego, sit. We are not dividing the city. We're establishing boundaries--
He was once again cut off by the werewolf.
Hayley spoke up disbelievingly, "No, Elijah! There is not gonna be a peace if the werewolves are excluded. They want a seat at the table."
Diego and Genevieve both scoffed loudly.
Hayley simply rolled her eyes before she continued, "And if they don't get one, I can guarantee that you will all regret it."
The leaders all begin to argue again and Elijah pulled Hayley aside to talk to her privately. He looked at her with a clenched jaw as he gestured with his hands, "Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together?"
Hayley looked at the Mikaelson heartedly, "No, actually, I don't! Because I didn't even know what you were doing out here until someone else told me. Tell me something, Elijah. Did you leave the werewolves out because of me?"
Elijah sighed in irritation before speaking calmly, "I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter. My immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here. Now, I can assure you once this treaty is solidified, it will expand to include your people."
Hayley's voice turned incredulous as she crossed her arms, "And until then, I should tell them what? Sit? Stay? Roll over?"
Elijah suddenly shouted in frustration, "I would prefer that you remove yourself from the process all together!"
Hayley leaned back as if struck before she glared at him in anger.
Elijah, realising that he was speaking quite rudely, sighed deeply to calm himself. He looked at Hayley with soft demeanour before speaking softly, "Hayley, are you absolutely certain that you shouldn't return to the compound?"
Hayley laughed out sarcastically, "You think the baby belongs there? You think that's where she'll be safe?"
Elijah retorted back just as quickly, "Is the Bayou any better?"
Hayley looked up at him with a stern look, "The wolves deserve a voice. Give them one. You know it's the right thing to do."
She turned around swiftly to head back to the Bayou, leaving Elijah to consider her argument.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Nikole was painting while Genevieve updated her on the events of the day, wearing only a robe and her underwear.
Genevieve looked at her in amusement, "You should have seen your brother's face when Hayley walked in."
Nikole nodded as she asked, "The Crescent curse is broken, then?"
The red head witch sighed before she asked her the serious question, "Do you believe this will actually work? That we can finally have some semblance of peace in this city?"
Suddenly, Cami walked into the room unannounced, interrupting their conversation.
Nikole looked up as she heard the footsteps.
"I saw the light from the courtyard and took a chance that..." Cami stopped when she noticed Genevieve standing in her underwear, "You weren't with a half-naked psycho-witch. Seems I gambled and lost." She finished with an unamused stare.
Genevieve looked at her with a smirk, "Ten minutes ago, I was fully naked."
Cami scoffed sarcastically, "Oh!
Then you served your purpose. Don't let me hold you up."
The witch gave her a tight smile, "You O'Connells sure do love to piss off witches."
As the younger women traded words, Nikole continued to look at them, lips quirked up in amusement.
When the witch left the room Cami turned around to look at the Hybrid in disbelief.
"Really? The woman tried to blackmail me into stabbing you with the mystical knife of excruciating pain!" Cami spoke up incredulously as she crossed her arms.
Nikole looked at Cami with a shrug, "Well, New Orleans breeds nothing if not strange bedfellows, but I assume you're not here to question me on my leisure activities."
Cami rolled her eyes before speaking up, "I'm here about my uncle. He's deteriorating. The pills, the meditation, they're not working. His lucidity's shrinking by the day. A witch did this, a witch can undo it. You seem super-tight with Genevieve... maybe you could persuade her to help."
Nikole shook her head as she spoke up honestly, "It won't do any good. These hexes, they start with magic, but as they take root, they alter the very chemistry of the brain. I'm sorry, Cami. The damage is done."
Cami gave Nikole a hard stare, "I refuse to accept that, and you would, too, if you had any concept of family." The bartender swiftly left the room, leaving a frowning hybrid behind.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Nikole was on her balcony, looking out at the city, before she turned around to head into her room.
She grabbed a paintbrush to return to her artwork when she spotted Elijah standing in front of her half finished painting.
Nikole walked up to him with her arms crossed behind her back, "Not a fan of cerulean blue?"
"Not a fan of your continued indifference." Elijah responded as he looked at his sister.
Nikole merely shrugged, unbothered, "Well, it's difficult trying to unite a community that has a history of mutual loathing."
Elijah rolled his eyes, "Spare me the platitudes, Nikolia."
Nikole nodded as she gave him an advice, "A perspective, then? If you want peace, you must begin with the werewolves. A hundred years ago, they had a run at ruling this city. As of late, all they've had is time to watch their enemies tear down that legacy."
"All the more reason why their enemies are reluctant to bring them to the table." Elijah sighed out.
Nikole walked closer to Elijah and she squeezed his shoulder gently, "Take a page from Bienville, brother. If the table's the obstacle, remove it."
She turned around and poured them a drink. She looked at her brother and handed him his glass, "Do you recall in 1720, the Governor's desperation to secure our help to build the cities first levees? We sat with him, and refused his offer, and so, he plied us with wine, with corseted women, and with raucous camaraderie until he had his yes."
Elijah took the alcohol and smiled an at her sister's idea, "Are you suggesting that I throw a party?"
Nikole smiled and the siblings clinked there glasses together.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Elijah had thrown an impromptu party at the compound, where all the factions came to celebrate together and to mingle.
Genevieve entered the compound with Davina, Abigail, and Monique in tow.
Diego and the other vampires were already present as they drank together. When suddenly the vampires noticed Jackson, Hayley, Oliver and the other werewolves entering the party.
Nikole and Elijah looked at the party from the balcony.
Elijah spoke up, slightly amazed, "I'm impressed, sister."
Nikole nodded in agreement.
The Noble Mikaelson sighed as he looked at the supernaturals below, "Now if I can just keep them from tearing one another to shreds."
Nikole turned towards her brother with a smirk, "Well, then for your sake, here's to a spectacularly boring evening."
They raised their glasses to toast.
___________________
Davina saw Oliver from across the room and smiled at him. He smiled back. Diego watched this happen from across the compound and angrily chugs his drink.
Elijah noticed his mood and intervened swiftly. "Diego. You will be polite and welcoming." He looked at the younger vampire sternly.
Diego scowled, "Yeah, see, his people killed my whole family. My sister bled out on the floor right next to me. The only reason I'm standing here is because Marcel came along and turned me before I bled out, too. So, I'm telling you right now-- I cannot be polite and welcoming to that."
Elijah nodded and gave him a serious look, "Diego, I understand your anger. However, there are certain overtures that need to be made, if we are to find a degree of peace."
___________________
Nikole was on the balcony with her hands on the railing, overlooking the party when Genevieve found her.
The witch stood behind her as she asked, "Looking for your shrink?"
Nikole glanced up with a smirk, "Don't tell me you're jealous of Cami, luv."
The red head shrugged as she smiled tightly, "Just curious why you'd seek her company. She seems so... ordinary."
Nikole smiled, "Well, sometimes, ordinary is a welcome respite."
The witch looked at her with a flirty look, "I thought I was your respite."
Nikole raised her hands in mock defence and smiled at the witch, reassuringly, "Well, you are. You are. Promise-- not another thought about Cami." She noticed Jackson walking up the stairs and turned around to leave, "Excuse me."
Nikole followed him into one of the upstairs studies, where she greets him, nodding politely, "I'm so glad you accepted my invitation."
Jackson stared at the hybrid suspiciously, "So, is this where the great Nikole Mikaelson says something poignant, and snaps my neck?"
Nikole looked at him in amusement, "I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to offer you a gift."
Jackson smiled sarcastically, "Out of the kindness of your vampire heart?"
Nikole walked up to him as she spoke with a serious look, "Our hearts are more similar than you might realize. You see, long before I evolved, mine beat as a werewolf. I know your power. I know your burden. I'm here to take the latter away."
Jackson looked at her disbelievingly, "You want to make me a hybrid? I put my pack first, and I'm not gonna let anything compromise my family line, especially becoming some bloodthirsty vampire parasite."
Nikole nodded her head, "That pride, that sense of loyalty? Well, that's exactly why I haven't snapped your neck yet."
Jackson rolled his eyes, "Well, if you're not gonna kill me, then what the hell do you want?"
Nikole smirked before she stretched her arms to her sides, "Only to give you back the city that was taken from you. How is that for poignant?"
Jackson looked at with narrowed eyes, "Why would I trust someone who's conspiring behind her own brother's back?"
Nikole clicked her tongue and shook her head, "I'm not trying to undermine Elijah's venture. I'm supporting his vision. Vampires destroy life to survive, witches are only as powerful as their dead, but the werewolves have thrived because their strength comes from family unity. The safety of that unity is what I want for my unborn child. The painful truth is, vampires are the antithesis of unity."
Jackson scoffed, "So, what, after a thousand years, you're finally ready to embrace the other half of your family tree?" The werewolf smiled mockingly, "Maybe the other half doesn't want you."
"Oh, they will once they return to the Quarter." Nikole chuckled knowingly.
She pushed past Jackson to grab a wooden box from her desk. Jackson turned around to look at her curiously.
"You got a plan to back that up?" He question with raised eyebrows.
Nikole nodded and pulled out a ring from the box with a smug smile, "My mother was a very powerful witch. I watched her craft all manner of magical items, but her most prized possession was this ring. I hadn't seen it for 1,000 years, and then it turned up hanging around the neck of a werewolf-- a direct descendant of my biological father. I believe she gave him this ring as a way of freeing him."
Jackson's eyes widened a bit, "How so?"
"Daylight rings shield vampires from the sun. So, why not a moonlight ring to protect werewolves from the curse? Think about it! No more breaking bones, no more losing control to the beast within." Nikole offered as she looked at Jackson with an intense stare.
The werewolf nodded, convinced, "What do I have to do?"
___________________
Elsewhere at the party, Hayley was standing on the sidelines. Her stomach had visibly bulged as the months went by. She was watching as everyone danced when Elijah appeared beside her.
"Would you care to dance?" Elijah looked at her with a smile as he offered his hand out.
Hayley looked at him for a second before she took his offered hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.
"You outdid yourself! You even got Nikole to come out and play." Hayley placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him.
"Yes, it seems that only a sizable soirée is enough to tear my sister away from her efforts at the easel." Elijah looked at Hayley with a warm look.
Hayley looked at him as she shook her head, "That's never a good sign. Nikole once told me that her painting was a metaphor for control. For achieving her vision through sheer force of will."
Elijah chucked, "Well, truthfully, I'd be shocked if she didn't have at least a dozen or so of those visions swarming around in that insidious skull of her. I do hope her daughter inherits her wolf mother's..." He gazed at Hayley intensely, "Everything."
He spun Hayley around dramatically and she smiled softly and looked around, "It is weird being back here."
Elijah nodded as he inquired with a slightly concerned look, "Not unpleasant, I hope?"
Hayley looked at Elijah in the eye, "Not entirely."
Elijah smiled before he eagerly asked, eyes lit up with hope, "Are you entirely sure you shouldn't be here with us?"
Hayley rolled her eyes as she spoke, "Why, Elijah? Because you don't think it's safe in big, bad Wolf Country? I'm not gonna sit in a rocking chair and knit booties, or haven't you figured that out yet?"
As they were talking, Jackson came up and interrupted them. He looked straight at Hayley and smiled politely, "Can I have a minute, Hayley?"
Elijah didn't even look at him and simply refused, "You can have it later."
Hayley narrowed her eyes at Elijah, frustrated, "Actually, he can have this dance."
Hayley took Jackson's hand and led him away from Elijah to dance.
Leaving Elijah feeling annoyed and jealous.
___________________
The party continued on at the Mikaelson's home. Oliver was walking towards the bar for a drink when Diego approached him.
Diego looked at Oliver coldly, "Hey, wolf boy. Should have had them put it in a bowl for you."
Oliver looked at the vampire and smiled manically, "Well, yeah, if you want me to crush your skull with it."
Francesca appeared to intervene as she pointed to herself, "Please, boys. At least fight over something interesting. Me, perhaps?"
The vampire looked at Francesca and shook his head, "Nah, you don't want to get involved with his kind. See, they got this nasty little habit of going berserk and ripping innocent people to shreds."
Oliver looked at Diego with feigned sympathy, "No, no, no. Okay? Look. If my people wronged you in any way, you have my condolences, okay? Though I'd be surprised my kin could choke them down, being half as ugly as him."
Furious, Diego picked Oliver up and threw him across the courtyard, where he fell onto a table covered in glasses of champagne, which shattered upon impact.
Diego vamp-sped over to him but Oliver pinned him against a wall.
Suddenly, Elijah appeared and pulled Oliver off of him before pushing him against a table.
"This ends now. I won't ask again." Elijah stated with a small growl.
Jackson spoke up in anger, "Oh, we'll end it all right."
Elijah looked over to find Jackson pinning Diego to the wall, a stake aimed right at his heart.
Seeing all this chaos Hayley couldn't help but feel immense irritation. She looked at Elijah as she came down the stairs slowly. "What's stopping you? Kill him. Go ahead, Elijah. Do it. I mean, it's not like he doesn't deserve to die." Hayley shrugged.
Nearby, Nikole had come downstairs and stood beside Francesca as they watched the fight.
Francesca looked at the hybrid, "Shouldn't you intervene or something?"
Nikole looked at the fight with a smirk before responding, "Why would I? This party just got interesting."
"I mean, it was Oliver who handed Rebekah over to the witches so they could torture her. But, then again, wasn't it Diego who led a werewolf massacre last month? And the witches cursed the wolves, while the humans stood back and let it all happen. So, when you think about it, everyone here deserves to die." The Crescent Queen ranted in frustration.
Elijah looked her way in anger, "Are approaching a point?"
Hayley scowled, "My point, Elijah, is this-- if we can't all learn to get along, if our families can't create some sort of community, then what's the point? Kill each other and get it all over with."
After considering Hayley's impactful words, Elijah let go of Oliver, and Jackson reluctantly backed away from Diego, as well.
___________________
Meanwhile, Marcel and Cami were drunk and laughing hysterically as they returned to Cami's apartment. She tripped in the doorway.
They started to make out, and eventually moved to her bed. Nearby, a woven dream-catcher laid on her desk.
Over at the lycée, Genevieve held a similar dream-catcher in her hand, allowing her to spy on them.
___________________
Afterwards, Cami watched as Marcel got dressed. He started to gather his things.
"Not that that wasn't totally worth it, but it can never happen again." Cami spoke up with a small smile.
Marcel smiled, "What if one of us craves another julep?"
Cami sighed, "For whatever reason, Nikole trusts me, and you're the person she probably hates most right now. She'd see it as a betrayal. That wouldn't be good for either of us."
Marcel nodded in understanding before he found the dream-catcher Genevieve planted in Cami's apartment, and picked it up.
"Marcel?" She smiled widely, "It really was totally worth it."
Marcel grinned, "Yeah, it was."
___________________
In her bedroom, Nikole stared at her painting for a moment before grabbing a paintbrush and getting to work.
All change begins with a plan, the success of which depends on several things: depth of commitment, passion for one's cause...
At the compound, the leaders of the five factions: Elijah, Diego, Genevieve, Francesca, and Hayley-- representing the Originals, the vampires, the witches, the humans, and the werewolves, respectively-- had finally drafted their peace treaty.
They each sliced their palms with a knife and dripped their blood into an inkwell, in order to sign the document with a mixture of all their blood.
___________________
Father Kieran clutched a rosary in the attic of St. Anne's Church and prayed, while Cami watched him from across the room.
___________________
At the Bayou, Hayley had returned to the long banquet table where they eat dinner, where everyone had gathered around to celebrate.
Jackson looked at Hayley with a smile, "Hey! To Hayley!"
"To Hayley!"
Willingness to embrace a new path. Determination to overcome any obstacle. And, in some cases, even making unnatural alliances.
Davina was still in the greenhouse in the lycée when Monique and Abigail returned. They were shocked to see that Davina has magically restored all of the dead flowers in the room, all of which were in full bloom. Monique glared at Davina.
____________________
Outside, Oliver and Jackson were having a private chat.
Oliver glared at him, "You made a deal with Nikole Mikaelson? I'd rather turn every full moon."
Jackson sighed, "If Nikole is right, this magic could do more than just stop us from turning. We could finally control what we are! We could draw on all the strength, all the speed, the raw power of our werewolf form. Our bite would be lethal to vampires, 24/7. The humans who hunt us, the witches who curse us, the vampires who hate us-- we wouldn't just be their equals. We'd be their superiors."
Oliver nodded.
MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Elijah entered Nikole's room with the signed peace treaty and the inkwell.
"Sign it." Elijah ordered as he placed the parchment on the table.
Nikole raised her brows, "Why? You've already done so on our behalf."
Elijah narrowed his eyes, "Sister I am not a fool. It's clear to me you're not as disinterested as you'd like me to believe. Sign, please. If there is no peace between us, then how can you expect others to follow suit?"
Nikole raised her hands and rolled her eyes with a sigh, "Fine, if it will make you happy. But, I assure you, this city's inhabitants will not adhere to this agreement."
She signed the contract.
Elijah nodded satisfied as he rolled up the contract, "Well, you are welcome to wager against me. You will lose." He spoke and he gave her a warning glare.
"We'll see." Nikole nodded at her brother with a smirk.