Day
Mikaleson's Compound - Studio
Elijah walked in after he went to the witches for information.
Laurette sat on a couch, holding a book, looking up, "Everything okay?"
Elijah examined her silently. She looked better than the day prior. More healthy.
"Sophie Devereaux is dead" Elijah told her. Laurette sighed, nodding slightly, looking away. He tilted his head, "You don't look surprised or crestfallen by the dead of one of your people"
"It's because I felt it" Laurette told him softly. "I didn't know what it was exactly until now" She chuckled, placing a hand in her chin, tapping her lips, humming slightly "The death of a witch. How interesting"
It was those moments when Elijah could see the similarities between the Dubois sisters. The reactions they got when they finally understood some new form of magic were similar.
"Monique didn't look too affected in the slightest" Elijah told her, remembering the expressionless look of the girl and the grin in her face when she said her aunt was a casualty of war.
Laurette breathed a humorless chuckle "I knew there was something odd about her. Her time in the ancestral plane definitely changed her. Pity. She must have been such a sweet girl, not what the ancestors wanted so they shaped her to their will" She stood, shaking her head slightly "They see kindness as a weakness"
"And yet, here you are" Elijah told her.
Laurette chuckled sarcastically, "You mean to say I'm kind?" Elijah tilted his head. She scoffed, placing the book on a table "I'm not, Elijah. Do I need to remind you what I did the moment I was brought back to life? Death changes you, specially when you don't have luxury of peace once you cross over. The Ancestors shape you to their way if you're different, if you're weak" She began walking around the room. Elijah followed with his eyes as she seemed to become upset as she continued "They torture you until you're what they want you to be. It's slow and painful. But once they finish, you've become stronger. That's why we practice Ancestral magic. Our ancestors are strong and ruthless. They give us strength, strength we return the moment we join them"
Elijah examined the witch critically "You speak of it as if from experience"
Laurette sighed, "I guess? I did become strong. I could feel it. Yet, I tried hard to no change. To stay true to myself, the way I grew up" She turned to Elijah, pursing her lips "I failed. I kept failing, becoming what they wanted me to be"
"You seem the same girl I met 200 years ago" Elijah told her.
"Appearances can be deceiving, Elijah" Laurette told him sharply. "Sometimes I'm the girl you met, the alive, sweet version of me, and sometimes I'll be a completely different person. Someone you won't recognize. Don't forget that"
Elijah fell silent, realizing he did notice that change she spoke of. There were moments she went from soft and kind to expressionless and cold. A striking difference he had to be careful with. "I won't"
Laurette nodded slightly, squinting her eyes, "Enough about me. Did you get answers?" She slowly walked closer, tilting her head "I sense magic on you. Different from the one that created your vampirism"
The magical presence Laurette could feel in Elijah grew stronger with each step closer.
Elijah shrugged off his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeve, revealing his skin covered in inked names.
"Can you tell me what this is about?" Elijah asked.
Laurette tilted her head aside curiously, grabbing his arm, examining the unfamiliar names for several minutes, tracing the names, feeling the magic pouring out of them, ignoring Elijah's cautious eyes on her.
Laurette stepped back after a moment, looking up "It's called a Devinette. It's some kind of riddle mothers used to teach their children magic back then. My mother used it on me so I could learn the most complicated spells. Once you solve it, it disappears"
Elijah nodded in understanding, walking away.
Laurette followed him.
~8~
Courtyard
They made their way to Marcel who was barking orders to several vampires to search for the missing Original vampires around the city.
"Anything?" Elijah asked, stopping in front of Marcel.
Laurette stood next to Elijah, wriggling her fingers nervously, eyeing the vampires scattered in the room, aware that she was the only human in the room, a walking blood bag. She was sure the blood running through her veins was tempting.
The thought made her take another step closer to Elijah for protection, though she was sure she could use her magic to protect herself. However in the small amount of time she'd been alive, she found out vampires weren't fond of witches so she knew if she used her magic to defend herself, she wouldn't get out of there alive.
Elijah heard Laurette's heartbeat raise as she fidgeted and placed a hand in between her shoulder plates as a mean to let the other vampires know she was under his protection.
Marcel tilted his head, "They're putting eyes and ears out everywhere. Daywalkers are working every contact we've got. Cops, dock workers, guys in the Treme. Word is out. Anyone trying to earn favor with me gets a lifetime of it if they find them"
"Good" Elijah told him, walking away, leading Laurette with him, his hand on her middle back. "I need a pen and paper"
Marcel paused for a moment, rolling his eyes, following after them "Hey, am I taking orders from you now or are we in this together?"
Elijah started unbuttoning his shirt, looking at him in frustration "Pen and paper, Marcellus. Now!"
Marcel sighed "I want her back just as much as you do, you know? The both of them"
Marcel walked away.
Elijah began stripping off his shirt, calling out, "Hayley!"
Laurette sat on a chair nearby silently, looking at Elijah curiously.
Hayley walked in "Elijah! You're back. Did you find any... " She stopped talking and walking, noticing Elijah shirtless, his chest and arms were covered in tattooed names, gaping awkwardly and confused "...thing?" Laurette smiled in amusement "What is happening?"
"I need you to make a list of these names" Elijah told her.
Laurette looked at him scoldingly, crossing her arms.
He's the one to solve the puzzle not Hayley or Marcel. Elijah
Hayley nodded awkwardly, examining the tattooed names across his body, frowning when she came across a familiar name, reading out loud "Sabine'? Elijah, what is this?"
"I believe they represent the names of the women Celeste inhabited for the past two centuries" Elijah explained. He gestured at the silent witch who Hayley just realized was there. Laurette waved slightly in greeting "Laurette explained is a form of learning. Kind of a riddle. I have to solve it to make it disappear"
Marcel walked in, handing a paper and a pen to Hayley, nodding in confirmation "She's right. Witches use them to teach their kids"
Laurette smiled "Yeah, it's useful to learn difficult spells"
"Why?" Hayley asked "What's the point?"
Elijah sighed, looking between the pregnant wolf and the witch "Celeste forced me to make a choice between yourself and my siblings and now she means to mock that choice, taunting me with a childish game" Laurette looked down in shame "The longer the game, the more they suffer. To find Klaus and Rebekah, we need to solve this riddle. The solution lies somewhere in these names"
Laurette pursed her lips, looking at her hands on her lap, frowning.
Celeste had really changed from the sweet woman she was.
'The consequence of living for more than 200 years, I guess' Laurette thought to herself quietly 'It changes you'
"She's a witch" Hayley told them, looking at Laurette, "Why doesn't she help you?"
Laurette looked up, shaking her head "It doesn't work like that. The game is specifically for him. He's the one that has to solve it. No magic works on the tattoos. It's designed to not cheat. Even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn't be able to"
Elijah shook his head dismissing the girl's apologizes.
Marcel hummed in agreement, knowing she was right and not lying. He looked at the names on Elijah's skin, "The name next to Sabine... Annie La Fleur, she's the witch that was shunned from her coven just over a year ago. Never knew why, but I can find out"
~8~
Hayley and Laurette stayed on the compound while Elijah and Marcel went to find out why Annie was shunned out.
Laurette was sitting on the couch reading a book while Hayley walked in, talking on the phone, looking at Laurette's calm expression frowning, sitting on the chair with her back facing Laurette, closing her phone after a couple of minutes, turning to face the younger girl.
"You don't look worried" Hayley told her. Laurette looked up briefly, returning to her book wordlessly. Hayley sighed, standing, walking to her "I haven't had the chance of thanking you" She sat next to her. Laurette frowned in confusion, looking up. "For saving Jackson, I didn't think you would save him, but you did and thank you"
Laurette shrugged, "You don't have to thank me, Hayley. He doesn't deserve to pay in Celeste's games" Hayley noticed how she said the witch's name, frowning "And, I know I've told this to Elijah a hundred of times already but I don't care. I'm sorry for what she's putting you through. Even bad people don't deserve to be used like that for revenge. And like I promised to Elijah I'm gonna help him find your husband and sister-in-law"
Hayley tilted her head, slowly nodding. "Okay. Thanks for what are you doing, it must be difficult to betray your own people but thanks"
Laurette waved a hand dismissively, pointing at a lit candle in the table "They don't know. As long as I have that candle lit up, they won't know where I am or what I'm doing"
Hayley nodded in understanding "Oh, and by the way. I'm not Klaus' wife. Yikes" she scrunched her nose in disgust
Laurette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "You're not? But you're carrying his child"
Hayley smiled, chuckling "Well, people doesn't need to be married anymore to have children" Laurette kept looking at her in confusion, Hayley chuckled in remembrance "Oh, sorry. Elijah told me you are not from this time. Things have changed Laurette since from when you were born"
The witch nodded in understanding "Yeah. A lot has changed" she sighed sadly. "I don't even recognize my own sister anymore" She shook her head and looked at Hayley's phone intently "You have a text"
Hayley frowned looking at her phone without any notifications and opened her mouth to tell her she was changing the subject when it rang with an incoming text from Elijah
"Wow, sometimes witches' tricks amaze me" Hayley told her flipping her phone to see the text.
Laurette chuckled, winking "It's the oldest trick of the witches"
Hayley chuckled, reading the text "Elijah resolved the game. But he doesn't know what it means" Laurette nodded in understanding. It used to happen to her a lot of times "He wants me to search the name Clara Summerlin. According to him, she was the only witch who didn't die by her own hand"
"Celeste likes to steal those girls' lives, doesn't she?" Laurette shook her head sadly and in disgust "And then she ends them as she pleases. I can't believe how much has she changed"
Hayley hearing her, raised her eyebrows surprised. "Celeste's the sister you said has changed?" Laurette shrugged, avoiding her eyes. Hayley sighed sympathetically, not knowing what to say "Wow" Laurette nodded. Hayley stood "Well, I'm gonna grab my laptop and search for this witch. She has the answers to find Klaus and Rebekah"
Hayley walked away, leaving Laurette alone with her thoughts.
~8~
Study
Hayley was on her laptop.
Laurette was in front of her, a book in her lap.
Eliijah walked in.
Hayley looked up, "Hey, look, I found–"
Elijah put his finger on his lips, gesturing her to keep quiet "You were right about the Deveraux witch"
Hayley took a deep breath, nodding slightly.
Marcel walked in, "Find anything about Clara, the mystery witch?"
"Not much" Hayley answered, pointing at the screen "She was a nurse at the Fleur-de-Lis Sanitarium" Marcel froze, visibly starting to panic. Laurette looked up from the book in recognition at the name of the place. Hayley clicked on a picture, pointing at a girl "Recognize her? Top row, second from the right"
"No, I don't" Elijah answered. "Marcel?" Marcel didn't answer, looking alarmed and worried. Elijah looked up at the silence, noticing Marcel's reaction, looking at Laurette who seemed as if she realized something. Elijah frowned, looking between them "Marcel? Laurette? Do I need to remind you that Niklaus and Rebekah are somewhere suffering horribly? If you know something, talk"
"The Sanitarium" Marcel answered. "That's where you'll find them"
Laurette looked at Marcel curiously and confused, nodding in agreement.
"Are you sure?" Elijah asked, looking at them intently, frowning
"How do you know?" Hayley asked
Marcel sighed "I just know"
"How do you know?" Elijah repeated, sternly. "Both of you, how do you know?"
"I told you about the asile, remember?" Laurette told him. Elijah frowned, suddenly remembering the french word for asylum she mentioned before. "But I also told you that I thought that by taking Rebekah had changed her plans" She sighed, looking down "Clearly I was wrong"
Elijah nodded slightly, looking at Marcel expectantly
Marcel looked at Elijah, sighing in defeat knowing he had to explain "If I'm right, you need to know exactly what we're walking into. We did something, Rebekah and I... I think the witches are trying to use it against her. It was, uh... something that you're not gonna like"
~8~
Marcel explained to Elijah, Hayley and Laurette how both he and Rebekah used Genevieve to summon The Mikaelson's father, Mikael to New Orleans in 1919.
"For the better part of a century, I have wondered how Father found us, what foolish mistake that we had made to destroy our time in the one place that we could finally call home" Elijah told him angrily, "Did you know, I even blamed myself for a time, Marcellus?"
Elijah rushed to Marcel with vamp speed, pinning him against the wall with his hand in Marcel's throat.
Hayley and Laurette gasped in shock, walking closer, "Elijah..."
Elijah ignored them, looking at Marcel "Niklaus treated you like a son"
Marcel struggled to talk with Elijah's hand in his throat "Rebekah. I loved her. I still love her. All we ever wanted was to be together, but as long as Klaus was around, that was never gonna happen. But hey, I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh?"
Elijah glared at him.
Laurette looked between them, raising her hand at Elijah, "Bouge toi" Elijah was thrown back from Marcel a few steps. Marcel fell to the floor, coughing. Laurette looked at them, sternly "Stop"
Elijah gave Laurette a look. Laurette met his eyes, lifting her chin, daring him.
Elijah looked away, to Marcel threateningly but made no move to him again, "When Klaus learns the truth, there will be no end to his rage. I will not let my sister suffer that wrath"
Marcel stood, walking away, briefly turning to them "Then we need to get to them before he learns the truth"
~8~
Hayley awaited her moment to go after the witch that cursed her Wolves' family, stopping on the study seeing the small witch crying softly
Hayley frowned sympathetically. "I'll do this for you too, Laurette" She whispered to herself, nodding, walking away.
Hayley couldn't believe someone would try to manipulate their family into doing something like this. The girl was all the contrary to Celeste, helping her on finding Rebekah and Klaus and saving Jackson. Celeste did nothing but harm her; Bringing her back to a time where clearly she doesn't belong and making witness her own sister become a different person of what she knew.
If Hayley had a sibling alive, she wouldn't have done that to them. Not matter what happened between them. She would never hurt them.
~8~
Night
Outside - Fleur-de-Lis Sanitarium
Celeste walked down the sidewalk making her way to the French Quarter, her mind on where her sister was.
She definitely wasn't planning on her leaving her side but it had happened. She started to wonder if Laurette had betrayed her. She shook her head, trying to shove away her thoughts and kept walking.
Laurette would never do something like that. She was too sweet and soft to go against her own family.
Hayley sneaked up behind the witch, hitting her hard over the head with a shovel causing her to be knocked out, falling to the ground unconscious.
Hayley looked down at her "Hey, there, witch bitch. You and I are gonna have a little chat"