"I almost killed her," Rebekah murmured as Klaus gave her his blood. Cami hangs up the phone and walks into the courtyard, pondering the present scenario at the complex.
"I never believed you meant by her empty chest when you all said she's heartless," Rebekah said as she took a sip, "who is Arian?" Looking at Cami with trepidation after her pranks today, Elijah, who is back in such a discussion, listens as he has heard the name several times.
"Zoya student," Cami answers. "And she is still a lecturer?" Rebekah inquired after hearing someone mention Zoya as a professor on their last call. Klaus, who has just learned this strange news, is unsurprised because a lady of Zoya's level deserves it. However, no one seems to have mentioned it, which is odd.
"Yes and no," Cami responds. "She no longer attends university, but she manages administration and courses online when urgent, but not on paper."
Jackson sat her on the counter and started filling the bathtub.
"What's upsetting you?" he says, the sound of water filling the room. "You're stressed—Strix hit you, and Cami mentioned to me you don't wish to sleep. It's all about the dark shadow," Zoya claims with a nod "You didn't even bother to meet Finn today," says the Kenner with a frown "I mean I am not a fan of him, but"
"I'm trying to ignore him," she fussed, trying to hide her guilt for not helping him get out of that hideous locket.
"How about you walk out and I'll take a bath," she hinted. He shakes his head before rising from the side of the bathtub. Kissing her on her forehead. "I am standing by, in case you play in the bathtub again and forget me," he states, causing Zoya to snort. He was exiting her room when he noted Elijah peering at him from the courtyard. He hears the conversation as Cami spoke.
Jackson answers, "she is a terrific professor - Tiring but a good lecturer," he steps down. "Is she good?" Rebekah asked. He nodded and turned to a cami with a smile, who had Zoya's phone. He asks Hayley, "I haven't met hope, can I?" Hayley's eyes lit up with brightness.
As Zoya exited the bath in her bathrobe, she found Jackson on her bed, perplexed. "Mikaelson, I'm talking about Freya, Hayley, and Hope, who all asked me to the party tonight." After a long pause and a heated glare, "You. are. not. Dragging. Me," she says, turning to him and grasping her bathrobe. "You promised Rachel- for tonight,"
He explains, "but her grandma has to remain at the hospital since she works there, and Rachel has to overwork."
Zoya counters, "then we can go out for dinner." Jackson smiles devilishly, "you promised my stay happy." Making the women glare at him.
"Jack, if it's about her again," talking about Hayley. He tried to speak, but she cut him with a glare. "I promise I will rip your heart out myself"
Jackson spoke with a frown and pout, looking cute. "That's ... rude," making Zoya angry. "I swear Rachel has an extra shift. She can't decline and her grandma has a last year of retirement. She can't ignore her emergency"
As Zoya moved to her wardrobe, there was a tap on the door. "Come in," Jackson said.
"Are you both?" Rebekah inquires as she notices Jackson on her bed and Zoya in her bathrobe.
"Yes, we are sincerely and madly in love with one other," Jackson swiftly said. Zoya flung a showpiece at him, making him chuckle at her lack of accuracy.
"No, he just likes to muck things up," Zoya tried to explain, while Jackson seemed to be offended.
"All the while we were living, you felt nothing?" he puts his hand on his heart. He playfully moves his fingers along her shoulder, pulling a smile on her face as she moves away from touch. She asks with a smiling voice seeped with a tiny laugh "Leave" pointing toward the door. he rolls his eyes "get downstairs fast" while nodding toward.
Rebekah looks at Zoya's smiling face, looking at the door as Jackson leaves. she with a smiling face looks at Rebekah all time "It's been a long time"
Rebekah eyes her wardrobe from the bed. "Your taste improves. Thanks for shattering my bones"
"Any time at your service, madam," getting an eyebrow raised from Rebekah.
Rebekah pouted. "I heard you are not joining downstairs, the more you're dating Lucien castle" the look on Zoya's face clears her doubts. "Why him? When you could have the first copy" throwing hands in the air.
"We were never together" talking about her and Niklaus.
"Then why was he so sad by your death?" a wow left from Zoya's mouth, making Rebekah explain "I mean he is not a person who cares about apart from family"
"We are good friends" Rebekah almost felt puking, Zoya adds "with motives"
"Fine whatever it is. You are staying here. I got to meet you after so long and apart from Elijah, nobody wants to go dagger you. at least this instant,"
"How... fortunate,"
"No excuse. You are coming downstairs with your wolf, buddy," she walks out. As she moves out, Zoya looks at the open wardrobe, wondering what she wore. Fine, not going out, a sleepover with Jackson, cami, and Rebekah.
Downstairs in the courtyard, Elijah, Freya, Klaus, Rebekah, and Cami are all dressed in their best holiday clothes and standing around the lit Christmas tree. Elijah has just placed a large, beautifully wrapped gift for Hope under the tree and adjusts some ornaments on the tree nervously as Freya comes behind him and puts down a gift of her own. They then stand and walk toward Cami, who hands each of them a glass of red wine. Klaus comes out next with two more glasses of wine and smiles as Freya comes over and kisses him affectionately on the cheek.
Just then, Jackson leads Hayley, who is holding Hope in her arms, to the top of the staircase, where Hayley immediately stops and starts in awe at the holiday gathering below them. When Klaus sees them, he walks toward the bottom of the steps, and Elijah, Freya, and Cami turn to look up at them with smiles on their faces. Hayley is positively beaming as she walks down the stairs, looking up at Jackson affectionately as she does so.
Hayley walks over to Elijah, who has eyes only for Hope at this moment "Merry Christmas, little one." Elijah bends over to kiss Hope on the head as Klaus walks over to Jackson with a smile and hands him a glass of wine. "Thank you for helping Freya."
Jackson looks absolutely surprised by Klaus' uncharacteristic kindness as he takes the glass, and Freya smiles at Jackson gratefully from behind him. "Unfortunately, we're all out of mason-jar moonshine.
Klaus can't help but chuckle at his own joke, and Jackson smiles in reluctant amusement as well before Rebekah, in a berry-red holiday cocktail dress, walks toward them to join the party "Well, Nik, you are positively merry tonight!"
Rebekah stops and looks over at Cami with a bemused smile. "All that therapy must pay off."
Suddenly, Klaus' face looks horrified as he notices a very large metal bowl full of burning wood has been set up by Rebekah on the other side of the room "Oh, no!" Rebekah looks even more pleased by how terrified Klaus looks at the prospect of their family's holiday bonfire "Yes, I know it's not exactly a bonfire, but I improvised."
Klaus continues to look nervous about it, but Rebekah just groans in mock frustration. "Come on. It's tradition!"
Cami looks around them in confusion. "... Tradition?"
Klaus sighs, but Zoya's voice cuts through the compound as she appears wrapped in a huge comfortable blanket. "They write their wishes and then burn them for luck." Klaus adds, "Surprisingly, I don't recall wishing for an invasion of adversaries, but year after year..."
Elijah smirks as he sips his wine and looks at others who look surprised by Zoya. No festive mood, looking like a child that has been dragged from bed. "How odd. Forever on Santa's naughty list."
And look at Zoya as she sits beside the tree with her blanket charade, "Merry Christmas hope," hope cooed, crawling to her blanket. She wrapped hope in a blanket.
Rebekah glare at her "and here I thought your taste in fashion is getting better"
Zoya said, "It's not like I have to go to a fashion show and do a runway walk. From my room, it's a stairwell ride." She taunts, "And I'm not sure why you're all suited up in black for Christmas at home. If it was not me, hope would consider this memory as Halloween. Human civilization also discovered cozy pajamas, nightwear. Your clothing traumatized the child." Hiding the child to her chest, "poor baby". Klaus became envious and stole his kid away from her. "My child loves me in whatever color," he tells Hope, "And you adore your father. Is that correct, baby?" Hope looked at Zoya and shook her head. Zoya speaks as everybody smiles, leaving Niklaus "hope say No" making Klaus angry "shut up" making her and the whole compound grin. Jackson nudges Zoya, reminding her it is Niklaus we are talking about, but she ignores it with a tiny laugh.
Jackson and Zoya were conversing when Hayley approached them, and after about five or six minutes, Zoya became thirsty. Looking around, she notices everyone has something in there that she will gladly reject, "excuse me, I'm going to get myself something to drink," she moves about humming on melodies, Nope, Nope, Nope, ignoring everything on the table. She walks over to the kitchen and fetches herself some water and an apple from my room. The first thing she does is yawn while stretching her body.
Elijah
I was speaking with Freya when I noticed her peering around the table in her huge shirt with folded sleeves and pajamas, while her blanket was wrapped about hope. Her fingers tap the supper table, then they stop, and she has a weary grimace on her face. I promised Freya I'd be back shortly, she stood there staring at them.
I follow her and observe her stretching and yawning like a butterfly at the doorway. I watch her as she walks her foot to map the distance between tiles and then counts tiles while mouthing. She was holding her breath as her last foot nearly collided with the counter.
should I?
She was exhaling when I said, "How many?" close to her ear. I heard her utter appi in a terrifying tone. She looks at me with her palm on her chest, opens her lips, then closes it by clenching her teeth. She can become enraged.
"Please step back?" she asks after a long dance of her eyes wandering about. I eventually took a step back after seeing her upset.
I drink my wine as she walks around and grabs herself a glass of water. "How did you find out the daggers were missing? Niklaus didn't know either."
"My sources," she said, gulping the half-empty glass.
"How is blood donation going?"
"He's working," she said, but there was a gap in her sentence and she sounded low.
"Does he pose a problem?" She turns to face me and repeats, "No," in a softer tone than before. I couldn't stop myself from asking, "you met him this morning. What kind of procedure is he using?" she looks confused, so I ask again, "he pulls out your blood, did he make sure you rested after you donated blood and used a sterilized syringe?" he noticed a sarcastic twitch of her lip, which can go unnoticed if one doesn't look carefully. He felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach, a strange discomfort he gets when he is anxious or upset.
before he can interact more Jackson moves up to her wrapping his arm over her shoulder "Rachel and her grandmother are both free. Do you want to come along? ".
"Can't you tell she's exhausted?" I spoke.
"I'm alright," she said, smiling briefly to him "Can you grab me a coat or jacket?" Jackson nods, "And my wallet,"
he adds "why?"
before I could interrupt, Niklaus spoke up appearing at kitchen with a glass of wine "what are you guys doing here?" smirking.
Zoya responds "Make a list of 1000 methods to put you in a coffin for the rest of your life." Klaus smiles, but there's more to the smile. What is he up to?
"You never mention working." My eyes flit between them. "You always know me, Klaus. I won't disclose my life so readily," she grins. "But we used to discuss."
"When we were dealing with issues and needed to work together. And you knew I'd always divert myself with overwork, Klaus. Nothing new here."
"But couldn't you have told me?"
"OK, I'm telling you I'm a lecturer, but I also work with RAW on emergencies, and yeah, Jackson and I are looking forward to starting our own industry," amazing. My brow furrows. But Niklaus appears to be disturbed.
"Davina, you get her job?" hums Zoya. Her head slanted sideways. " You remember those youngsters under my protection?" he blinks. "I want them to educate and defend themselves, which leads me to believe that they need a location where they may explore and learn - Davina herself is a suitable candidate and also an abandonment." Also, Marcel and he" pointed at me with a finger wrapped around a glass" instructed me to manage Davina "I noticed Niklaus hesitatingly sipping her water as I sipped my wine. "Why are you asking so many questions?" she inquired.
"I know how things were when there was no money. "You can see I will not judge," she says, surprised. "It's alright if you made a mistake. We will forgive you if you tell us what Lucien stole in exchange." She glances at him for a while before turning back to search for an answer, and then her eyes land on me. Fine, I'll take the floor. But suddenly her gaze shifts. When she turns away, Klaus stares at her for a response. Klaus gripped her shoulders, and Zoya struggled to wiggle free, saying, "See, I can repay, and I could pull you out of his grasp."
"Thank you for your compassion, but it was unnecessary," she said, her grin showing that she was no closer to feeling joyful.
"How come you have so much money?" He inquires eagerly. He laughed sarcastically, "it's not like you warm his bed and"
"NIKLAUS," I cut him off with a warning that jolted Niklaus back to reality "I guess you've had more than enough wine,"
"You're correct, I slept with him and he paid me," she retorted. Klaus's jaw tightens as he senses she is lying, further pushing him on his error. Niklaus's next words irritate me: "do you have a place or do I recommend a brothel," he says with a smile. I was about to attack him when she stepped in, my heart racing as her hand pressed on my chest, "Don't..." I cast a glance behind her to Niklaus, who was staring at me without fear as if reading my mind, and Zoya said, "Everybody is happy out there."
"I am extremely astonished Niklaus if you think so little of me" he looks guilty. "If you are so keen to know how I have so much money, let me tell you'' Go on, tell him I don't care what he thinks of me. "We earn them. Jackson and I got a loan from a bank, which your so-called birds cannot mention; we invested in real estate, which performed admirably, and we repaid the loan and profited. You may go conduct some research. And with profits, I invest in the stock market and rising firms that pay us a small dividend. As you know, I'm a lecturer who also manages the college's administration, and Jackson works additional shifts to supplement his income while studying. "Thanks for your taunt on the day I should earn anything I blackmail strix with a lot of money if that passes your thoughts," she pokes Klaus at his chest, "and if you think calling me whore makes me feel awful, then sorry. I'm not sad because while living with them, I encountered remarkable individuals who sold themselves every night to educate their adopted child or pay for their mentally handicapped child's medical bills. And the best in New Orleans, who have no doubts about my motives or character. But what really irritates me is that you imagined I'd sell my values. "Her voice became deafeningly quiet. Outside, we can hear just the sound of music. "You are not the only one who has been misled in the world. That you behave in this manner. I won't prove anything to you the next time, I'll just walk away from your life"
I was glaring at niklaus when she turned to me removing her hand "And I don't need you to defend me, Mr. Mikaelson, when you have to insult me the most out of all the people in my existence with your actions, I know I deserved most of what I got, and I'm returning it without putting up much of a fight. I knew you thought of me in the same light as your mother Esther, if not worse. But the finest and most amusing aspect is that I no longer judge her for her actions. Because it was the only time she acted as your mother to you - when she was saving you."
I didn't realize I had red veins until I was "saving me." sounding amused.
"Elijah, I can see right through you." No one can "You were and still is not enraged because she has tampered with your memories. You're enraged that she rescued you. For your human existence, she is unconcerned. And out of nowhere she suddenly starts protecting you." I laughed at Niklaus, but it was too late. He had faith in her. My vision blurred since I'd told nobody about it, not even my family, through all those years of "shut up" with teeth.
Niklaus
She, however, does not "All your life, you've battled for affection to avoid being abandoned like she did to you," she says, looking at Elijah, who is afraid and weak "You were born in a world where Finn had shut down following Freya's death. Esther was lamenting the loss of her husband's adoration, and Mikael was drowning himself to become the finest warrior. And what has broken your heart up to this point is that you believe that anytime someone speaks to you or for you, it is because they require your help"
out of sudden Elijah grabs her and vamp-speeds with her somewhere before anyone can say anything else.
"Nik, what are you doing here?" Elijah's vulnerable eyes flashed in front of me as I was absorbing everything. Rebekah's fingers touched my shoulder. She looks at me with apprehension, "huh," and I bring her into my hug. Did he always feel this way, even with us?
We split ways, and she's still unsure about how I'm feeling. "Where is Lilah?" "He needs to chat with Zoya," she grimaces, "don't tell me he'll fight with her again," she rolls her eyes, "I have to go save her," I take her hand in mine.
"We both know she can find a way out. We also know Elijah may be upset, but he won't break his lines, especially after she assisted us today." Rebekah nods.
The third point of view
Elijah smashes her to her own room door with vamp speed, locking the door behind her. As she was hoisted off the earth again Zoya's head whirled.
She relaxes as her feet hit the earth, looking around at the familiar surroundings she noticed as Elijah turned on the faucet. She tired to walkaway when Elijah stood in front of her before she realized it and she got pulled to his body in one instant. He looks at her with hatred "who the hell are you?" he grabs her chin in a tight grip making her look at him "you think you can play your pranks about me and win niklaus heart" he looks as her focused on him.
she pries her chin from his grip "I don't want anything from you or your brother"
"I don't care about you wanting him, but don't you ever spoke Lie about me. that I need affection" removing himself from her.
she spoke with astonish "Lie? Was that Lie?" he glares at her with veins but when someone was already is a daddy princess that have been adored by him sucking of her blood, they don't feel fear from vampires not from one they used to love "don't you feel-" Elijah push her back by choking her to wall, not to hurt her but to put fear. They both keep watching in complete silent, when he spoke placing his hand near her head "I HATE YOU, every day I can't stop myself from hating you more than before" He spoke with a hatred but softly "you should die" looking in to her eyes as tears fall from his eye. As on her own her hand raised to wipe his tears but she stops herself knowing it will ignite him more. Elijah spoke with flared nose "did it hurt?" as tear fall from his other eyes making Zoya lean to wall with tears of her own, she slowly gathers her courage wiping her face to her shoulder. She breath out and looked at Elijah who is angry, hurt and in his own cage, her hand clench and unclench by her side. But what startle her is his panting. His heart was pounding so hard that he forgot what he was about to say. Rather than frightening her, he leans forward and continues to pants "My heart is not stopping," he says, taking a deep breath, "it is throbbing loudly."
Her hands reflexively come around his head. She tilts it upside down to make him look at her, and she says, "Elijah, relax," in a commanding tone that is neither harsh nor loud. He attempted to regulate his breathing but shook his head, she cupped his face "stop hearing your heartbeat, focus on your other senses" he connects his eyes to her looking like a child "listen to the faucet sound" he concentrates on it "Keep listening," she said, as she untangled herself from him. Bringing him to the counter for support "feel the stone" keeping him occupied enough to go closer tap. She took a towel from the side and soaked it in water.
"I never told you about that. How you knew?"
She could tell he was trying, so she rushed up to him "Later" cupped his face, ignoring his shivers as she wiped his brow with a moist towel. His eyelids shut in exhaustion as she blows air onto his face. She tilted her head to wipe his closed eyes. His fingers twitched as she turned to clean his cheeks, but he kept his hand them on the counter.
She exhaled a sigh of satisfaction after cleaning his face, knowing that his chest movement was under control. He opened his eyes and noticed the black charcoal eyes reading him, still looking at him with her lips slightly chapped like frost and her hair still flowing around her shoulder.
Elijah
I inhaled the air, which smelled like peppermint and rainy woodland. "Wait, she's talking to me?" I thought as I observed her mouth. But she had already exited the restroom when I asked her?
THIRD POINT OF VIEW
As things progressed, he recalled what had occurred. He's not irritated with her for speaking, and he's enjoying himself. He watched the door open and Zoya came in with a glass of water and told him to "drink gently." Instead of handing him the glass, she wrapped it around his lips and tilted it. She kept checking his eyes for any signs of pain or whether he'd taken enough water. She takes a glance at him. "Do you require any further?" No, he said with a shake of his head. "Choose?" she said, digging her fingers into her pockets. In both palms, a handful of candy and chocolates are seen.Corner of her mouth raised up, as if he is truly gazing at the decision-making. He ripped the cellophane off and stuffed the orange candy into his lips. She returned them to her pockets. She was walking outside when he drew her to him by the waist, Zoya felt calm this time since there was a space between them but he pulled her close making her crash with his front "I need another one," he said, candy still in his mouth, making him sound different. Zoya looked at him, to met with his face close to move her face away puzzled, until his unused hand lifted her blouse from the side and slid inside her pocket, freezing her in place. The color faded from her face leaving her all a beautiful piece of art, he sucked on sweets to disguise his little smile. He took whatever sweets he had in his hand and said "Merry Christmas". Zoya's eyes blinked when she felt him gone , her one hand on her chest and the other on her head.
To the small fire pit, where Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus are standing around together. Rebekah looks at the wish she's written on the paper one last time before she throws it into the burning flames. She then looks nervously around at her brothers, all of whom look somber despite the festive party around them. "One of us is still meant to fall by family."
"Right now, what concerns me is our enemies. They have the weapon they intend to use against us. They cannot know that we found you, Rebekah. Our best advantage is if they believe you are lost at sea."
Rebekah realizes what this means and frowns sadly "Then I can't stay, can I?"
Elijah gets teary-eyed at the thought of Rebekah leaving again, and Rebekah looks backward into the courtyard, where Freya, Cami, Jackson, and Hope are doting on Hope, showering her with presents and laughing happily
REBEKAH sighs, "It's okay." She turns back to her brothers. "My wish already came true." Rebekah lifts her hands and holds them out to Klaus and Elijah, who take them and squeeze them tightly. "We have this moment." The three stares into the flames and try not to cry.
Zoya comes out of her room dressed up in new clothes. She notices Jackson's glare "where were you, I was looking around? There is someone else also waiting," making the woman raise her eyebrow. "How about I drop you by Lucien's apartment?" his mouth twitched.
"At this time?" getting herself together and not liking idea when not long ago elijah behave weird hot and cold. "Surprise him," he suggests, alluding to Lucien's side of the relationship by saying, "He doesn't have anyone in the name of family." That nailed Zoya's head on the head.
Zoya nods, "OK, "and he smiles, touching her nose, making her smile.
"Where are you going?" Niklaus asks Jackson, who is holding Zoya jacket. Rebekah, like Niklaus, followed him. Jackson and Zoya exchange glances. Her response perplexes Jackson "to meet Lucien,"
her eyes snapped to Elijah massages his brow, "why?" says sharply.
Niklaus closes his eyes and says, "I'll handle it, brother," as he glances at Zoya who didn't even glance at him from her phone "Excuse me," she said, grabbing Jackson's arm and tugging him.
"You can- "he stops as she looks at him, cutting him off. "But then how am I going to earn money?" making the hybrid shut with guilt "or do you actually talk about me with others." with a smile on her face, she says "I haven't dealt with several at once, but I can - "She came to a halt as her smile morphed into distaste. She grasped Jackson's hand and walked out of the complex before anybody could question what she meant.
"You manage yourself well," Elijah sneers at his brother. "Relax, she has a point," Rebekah replies, placing her hand on Elijah's shoulder "She is required to ear- "Her remarks came to a halt when both of her brothers said, "Not a word," with a serious expression on their faces.
"You better tell her she needs to be back in an hour and pick up her phone when it calls," Elijah says, pointing to Nikolas. "It doesn't matter how you do it," Maybe no one else in the complex saw Elijah, but Niklaus was no fool; he could sense Elijah valuing Zoya, whether for her naïve character or for her help, which Elijah wouldn't say out loud.
Once Rebekah has left, the party has settled down, and Elijah and Freya are standing side-by-side on the balcony as they look down at the courtyard. "One hundred years ago, I snuck into a Christmas ball here."
The scene cuts to a quick flashback to the 1914 Mikaelson Christmas ball from when Freya was approached by Rebekah, who told her she could do better than Kol, believing her brother to be Freya's date. Back in the present, Freya and Elijah continue to look down at the courtyard together. "I wanted so much to be a part of it, but I thought I was forever fated to be an outsider, always looking in. I know this hasn't been your most elegant family Christmas, but, well, it's already been the best one I've ever had."
Freya moves closer to Elijah and wraps her arm around his right shoulder while resting her chin on his left. Elijah smiles and reaches up to squeeze her hand. "I suppose some things are worth the wait."
Elijah was alone at the railing when he heard a whoosh and knew it was because of his presence. Klaus, who is terrified, looks down in shame, admitting that he has never wanted to make anyone feel special, but has dragged and twisted him countless times. It startled Elijah to see Niklaus and immediately grabbed him into a hug. He merely held him tight, saying nothing. He disliked lecturing Klaus about right and wrong, even if he felt compelled to do it.
Meanwhile, Freya has just returned to the upstairs living room to grab her necklace, but when she looks down at the coffee table, she panics when the talisman containing Finn's spirit is nowhere to be found. She desperately moves around the candles and muskroot before moving over to the next table. Then, she frantically looks under the tables, but the talisman is still nowhere in sight "No. No, no! Finn!"
At St. James's infirmary, Tristan returns to the club with what looks like a wrapped gift in his hands to find Aurora playing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" on the piano in the corner room. He pulls up a chair and sits next to her so he can continue to listen to her play for a moment before he speaks. "Beautiful. You should play more."
"Oh, I never stop playing. I compose whole sonatas in my head, brother."
Aurora stops playing and strokes Tristan's face with her fingertips
"You had a good day then, my love?"
Aurora smiles widely at him "Mm. Yes. A beautiful day."