I quickly compel servants to set up for the party. I need to go out to Bayou to personally invite the wolves. When I get out there I find Jack sitting on a porch. I smile at him slightly, but I can tell he is angry.
"Since when did Original business mean becoming Queen of the city?" Jack questions.
I sit down next to him. "Jack, you need to understand I want the wolves represented, but the witches and vampires are reluctant."
Jack shakes his head. "I don't care what the witches and vampires want, we deserve a seat."
"I know Jack, just listen please," I plead. Jack's face softens. "I am throwing a party at the compound tonight."
"What is a party going to do?" Jack asks.
"If I can't get you a seat at the table, I'm just going to get rid of the table," I explain. Jack looks confused. "The party is a way for the wolves to make their presence known in an informal setting."
"I guess it is a step in the right direction," Jack admits.
I smile slightly. "Please come, and bring a few of the wolves as well."
Jack smiles slightly. "Alright. I'll try my best to convince the others to come with me."
I stand up. "Thank you, Jack."
"Anything for you, Else," Jack tells me.
I head back to the compound. When I arrive everything is all set up and ready for the party. It's only a matter of time until the guests start to show up.
I stand with Elijah and Nik on one of the balconies overlooking the people below. I smile when I notice Jack, Hayley, and a few other wolves enter the party.
I turn to Nik. "I'm impressed, brother."
Nik smiles. "Yes."
"Now if I can just keep them from tearing one another to shreds," I state.
"Well, then for your sake, here's to a spectacularly boring evening," Nik cheers.
I see Diego purposely bump into Jack. "What's up, little man?"
Oliver gets angry and Jack tries to calm him down, "He's not even worth it."
Elijah and I try to follow after Jack, but Francesca stops us. I ignore her and keep after Jack. I feel bad for abandoning Elijah, but I don't have time for Francesca right now. I don't know what it is but something about her rubs me the wrong way.
"Jack!" I call out. Jack stops and turns to face me. "Thank you for getting a handle on Oliver."
"We need to make a good impression. I'm not gonna let Ollie ruin that," Jack tells me.
Elijah finally gets free of Francesca and joins Jack and I. "It's nice to see you Jackson. Welcome to my home."
"Listen I'm here for Else. I'm grateful for all you've done for me, but things have changed," Jack explains.
Elijah smiles slightly. "Yes. It's rather unlikely that you'll experience an outpouring of kind sentiment here. The vampires in particular view you as... well, barbaric."
"Else tells me that this peace treaty is important to you," Jack states.
"Yes, it certainly is. So much so, in fact, that if anyone threatened to dismantle what I'm building here, I'd destroy everything they hold dear." Elijah smiles.
"Elijah," I start.
"Have a wonderful evening," Elijah says before storming off.
I shake my head at Jack. "I need to get away for a moment."
Jack smiles. "Lead the way."
I take Jack's hand and led him up to Nik's art room, knowing no one will be in here.
Jack looks around. "What is this place?"
I smile. "Klaus' art room." I pause while I look at one of the paintings. "As much as I hate to admit it, my brother does have a gift."
Suddenly Nik walks in the room. "Ah, Jackson, I'm so glad you accepted my invitation."
"So, is this where the great Klaus Mikaelson says something poignant, and snaps my neck?" Jack asks.
"I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to offer you a gift," Nik states.
"Out of the kindness of your vampire heart?" Jack questions.
"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," Nik explains.
Jack and I look at him curiously.
"You want to make me a hybrid? I put my pack first, and I'm not gonna let anything compromise my family line," Jack states.
"That pride, that sense of loyalty? Well, that's exactly why I haven't snapped your neck yet," Nik states.
I step in, "Nik, if you're not gonna kill him, then what the hell do you want with Jack?"
Nik smirks. "Only to give him back the city that was taken from him. How is that for poignant?"
"Why would I trust someone who's conspiring behind his own brother's back?" Jack questions.
"It's not conspiring if my little sister agrees in the venture, after all they are ruling over New Orleans side by side. 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. I know the safety of that unity is what Else wants for your unborn child. The painful truth is, vampires are the antithesis of unity."
Jack looks at me skeptically. To be fair, I didn't know Nik was going to do this.
Nik picks up a wooden box from the desk. He pulls out Cary's ring, the one that belonged to our mother. "Our 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 Else and I's biological father. I believe she gave him this ring as a way of freeing him."
"How so?" Jack questions.
"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," Nik explains.
Jack looks at me and I nod my head.
"What do I have to do?" Jack asks.
When Jack and I finish with Nik we head back downstairs. Jack looks at me for a moment. "That ring works right?"
I nod my head. "How do you think Hayley was human during the full moon party?"
Jack chuckles. "To be fair all that was on my mind that night was you and our little girl." Jack places his hand on my stomach. "Would you like to dance?"
I take Jack's hand as he leads me to the dance floor. "I must say Mr. Kenner you clean up well."
Jack laughs."You don't look half bad yourself, Ms. Mikaelson." I laugh. "Really, you look beautiful." I can feel myself blushing. "I can't believe your family used to live here."
I smile. "My family and I built this place from the ground up. Everything inside was designed by Bekah and I."
"Do you miss this place when you're in the Bayou?" Jack asks.
I nod my head. "I think I miss this place whenever I leave. I have a lot of happy memories here, but I'm hoping to have some happy memories out in the Bayou as well."
"Do your brothers want you to move back in?" Jack asks.
I nod. "They don't think it's safe in big, bad Wolf Country. But they know me, I'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes. Unless they want to get a witch to do a boundary spell and keep me captive here, I'm staying with you in the Bayou."
Jack smiles at me. "I don't care where we raise this baby, so long as I get to be there."
Our sweet moment is ruined by Diego and Oliver. "Hey, wolf boy. Should have had them put it in a bowl for you," Diego taunts.
"Well, yeah, if you want me to crush your skull with it," Oliver states.
Francesca steps in between the two. "Please, boys. At least fight over something interesting. Me, perhaps?"
"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," Diego remarks.
"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," Oliver taunts.
Diego picks Oliver up and throws him across the courtyard, where he falls onto a table covered in glasses of champagne which shatter upon impact. Diego vamp speeds over to him, but Oliver pins him against a wall.
Suddenly, Elijah appears and pulls Oliver off of him before pushing him against a table. "This ends now. I won't ask again."
Jack moves from my side over towards my brother. "Oh, we'll end it all right." Jack has Diego pinned to the wall a stake aimed at his heart.
I step towards them all. "What's stopping you? Kill him. Go ahead, Elijah. Do it. I mean, it's not like he doesn't deserve to die. 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."
Elijah is not happy with me. "Are approaching a point?"
I know he doesn't like me challenging him, after all we're supposed to be running this together.
"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?" I remark.
Elijah lets go of Oliver and Jack lets go of Diego. After the party leaders of the five factions stay behind. Elijah, Diego, Genevieve, Francesca, Hayley, and I each representing our respective fractions. I wanted Jack to represent the wolves, but Hayley insisted, I reluctantly agreed to it. We finally have a peace treaty drafted. We each put our palms and mix the blood together before using it to sign the treaty.
Before heading back to the Bayou I head up to Nik's art room. I hold up the treaty. "Sign it."
"Why? You and Elijah have already done so on our behalf," Nik states.
"Brother, 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?" I question.
"Fine, if it will make you happy. But, I assure you, this city's inhabitants will not adhere to this agreement." Nik signs the treaty.
"Nik whatever is happening between you and Elijah is none of my business. You are my twin brother, we have always been attached at the hip, you don't need to be against me," I tell him.
When I return to the Bayou everyone is gathered around a long banquet table. Everyone is celebrating the wolves' involvement in the treaty.
When I walk in Jack smiles at me. "Hey! To Else!"
Everyone cheers, "To Else."
I walk over to Jack and he wraps his arm around my waist. I laugh and enjoy this moment with my new family. Eventually Jack brings Oliver and I outside. Jack tells Oliver about the deal he made with Nik.
Oliver looks shocked. "You made a deal with Klaus Mikaelson? I'd rather turn every full moon."
"If Klaus is right, which Else vouches for, 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," Jack explains.
Oliver chuckles as he smiles. I can tell he is on board with Jack's plan. I'm on board with anything that will help keep my daughter safe.