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From 1.01 - Pilot: Night in the woods, over the fog-covered forest floor.
Nicola: (voice over) "Previously on Worlds Colliding (The Vampire Diaries)"
From 3.05 - The Reckoning: In the school gym, Ingrid gripped Kaylin by her throat, compelling her. "Stop fighting."
"Don't do this to her," Nicola told her.
Ingrid compelled Kaylin. "You will do exactly as we say when we say it. You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey."
Ingrid let Kaylin go.
From 3.05 - The Reckoning: In the school gym, the group was in the gym.
"We can try to fight it," Charlotte told them. She turned to Stefan and Alex. "And you have to try to fight it with us."
"You just have to want it bad enough," Jack told them.
From 3.05 - The Reckoning: In the school cafeteria, Stefan stabbed himself in the stomach with the broken broom.
Alex and Gabriella's compulsion was trying to make them rush after the girls. They slammed themselves into the wall to slow themselves down.
Klaus, Ingrid and Kassandra walked in, dragging Liv, Ashley, Elena and Nicola with them, the three siblings holding Liv, Ashley, Elena and Nicola by the arms.
"Now, this is fascinating," Ingrid mused. "I've never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood is your love for the people that you care about, be it lovers, friends or family."
"Why don't you turn it off?" Kassandra asked.
Klaus, Ingrid and Kassandra let Liv, Ashley, Elena and Nicola go.
"No," Ashley told them.
Kassandra rushed toward Stefan, pushing him against the wall, compelling him. "Turn it off!"
Stefan's compulsion took hold. It made him turn off his humanity.
Alex watched in horror. "What did you do?"
Kassandra turned to face them. "I fixed him."
Klaus walked closer to Alex and Gabriella. "Do we need to do the same to you?"
Alex and Gabriella looked down, shaking their heads. "No. No."
Klaus grabbed Alex and Gabriella's chins to turn their heads to look at him so he could compel them. "Then do as we say, when we say it. You will not leave. You will not fight. You will listen."
"No!" Liv, Ashley and Elena told him angrily.
From 3.06 - Smells Like Teen Spirit: In Damon's Room, Alex shrugged. 'They has me compelled, to do whatever they say when they say it, and there's no changing that. And they compelled Gabby to do the same, and Ingrid said that she would leave Gabby alone if I didn't fight the compulsion. And I didn't fight it because it meant that Gabby would be left alone, and it meant that their compulsion can't make the damage on her mind left over from Rosalita's mind control any worse."
"So you're willing to be a slave to two hybrids if it means that they leave Gabby alone so they don't make Rosalita's mind control on her any worse?" Damon asked.
"Yeah," Alex answered.
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the Forbes Cellar, Stefan, Kaylin and Alex were chained up.
Gabriella was kneeling next to Alex, looking at her worriedly. Elena walked closer worriedly.
"Elena, Gabby, what are you gonna do?" Alex asked. "You just gonna stand there? Waiting for us to dry out?"
"No," Gabriella answered. "We're going to go home, take care of Jeremy and Liv and Ashley. Figure out how to save you."
Elena nodded. "I'm gonna be a friend to Eliza after what just went down with Jeremy, and everything else that I have to do."
Gabriella gently placed a hand on Alex's cheek comfortingly. "Hey. You all can break through this."
"Fight for it," Elena told them. "Feel something. Anything. Because if you don't, you're going to lose us forever."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In Gloria's Bar, Gloria and Kaylin were talking.
"The necklace and bracelets are talismans from the Original Witch herself," Gloria told her.
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the basement of the witch house, Caroline was on the phone. "The old witch can draw power from this side because of her talismans."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the basement of the witch house, Bonnie and Lindsey walked closer to take the necklace and the bracelet from Jeremy, throwing them into the fire. They held hands, looking into the flames, starting the spell.
The necklace and bracelet had melted down.
Caroline: (voice over from 3.07 - Ghost World) "Bonnie and Lindsey need to destroy them."
Bonnie and Lindsey turned to each other, embracing. They heard a small burst of power coming from the fireplace, pulling away, looking into the fire.
The necklace and bracelet were sitting there, as if nothing had happened, perfectly intact.
Bonnie and Lindsey were confused and in shock.
From 3.05 - The Reckoning: In the dark park, Jeremy had pulled Eliza away from the table because of Katherine's compulsion.
Eliza stopped struggling against Jeremy. She was bleeding from her temple, looking very dizzy.
Jeremy focused on contacting Anna from the Other Side.
Anna appeared, sitting on the picnic table nearby. She was hesitant to help, sighing, giving in. "They're looking for Mikael. The vampire who hunts vampires."
From 3.05 - The Reckoning: In the Pickett Mausoleum, Eliza walked through a stream of sunlight, looking around curiously. She turned to look at the coffin.
Katherine pushed the lid of coffin off.
Mikael was lying inside, mummified, desiccated, chained up. He opened his eyes.
Anna: (voice over from 3.05 - The Reckoning) "You don't want to wake him. He will kill all of you."
From 3.06 - Smells Like Teen Spirit: In the Pickett Mausoleum, Mikael was chained in the coffin.
Katherine walked closer. "I thought you might know how to kill Klaus and Ingrid."
"I can kill Klaus and Ingrid," Mikael told her. "And I will."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the Old Lockwood Cellar, Mason, Nathan, Justin and Damon were talking.
"There's an old Lockwood family legend about a weapon that can kill an Original vampire," Mason told them.
Damon used his vampire strength and the shovel to break the hole, breaking a hole into it.
Mason, Nathan, Justin and Damon were standing together, sticking their heads and lanterns through a hole in the wall to see what was on the other side.
Mason: (voice over from 3.07 - Ghost World) "Like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the underground cave, Alaric walked into the cave where Mason had been before.
Damon, Nathan and Justin still couldn't get past the invisible barrier.
Alaric looked at the wall, confused. "I found something."
"What is it?" Justin asked.
There were a lot of hand drawings and carvings on the wall, surrounding the cave.
Alaric was amazed and confused, shaking his head. "I have no idea."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In Town Square, Susan nodded. "Dawn, I didn't tell you before because I was protecting you, and I didn't want you to come to harm. I thought by keeping you in the dark about who your father and his family was, that it would protect you, but I was wrong, because Rosalita found you anyway. Your father is Klaus."
From 3.07 - Ghost World: In the street, Kacie, Dawn and Susan were walking together.
"So Dawn's related to the Originals," Kacie stated. "Do they know?"
"They know that she exists, yes," Susan answered. "I'm not sure if any of them know that Dawn is the child that was born from their bloodline yet."
"But with Rosalita in everyone's heads, is it even safe for us to tell the Originals about me being their family?" Dawn asked.
"I would not tell them until the mind control and influence of Rosalita dies down a bit, or if they figure it out on their own," Susan answered. "Just to keep you protected from the back lash of what could happen if they found out and Rosalita's mind control made them lash out and hurt anyone in their path, even you, if Rosalita chose to make them hurt you. And they could. Avoid them when necessary, and don't try to do anything just yet. Not until everyone is settling down a bit and relaxing and trying to fight the mind control together by trying to build a peace. But eventually, once they know they have more family in this town than they knew about, and once they have something to fight against Rosalita's mind control for, they will, and maybe, just maybe, all of you can break it together."
---~---
Day One
Underground Tunnels
Alaric, Damon, Nathan, Ashley, Gabriella, Elena and Nicola walked along, lighting the way with flashlights.
"So the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are underneath their property?" Gabriella asked.
Alaric looked at Ashley. "Careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light."
"Wait, what?" Ashley asked.
They heard someone whispering. "Elena... Gabby... Ashley... Nicola..."
Elena, Gabriella, Ashley and Nicola turned around, aiming their flashlights at Charlotte, Jack, Justin, Cristian and Liv.
Liv waved her hands like a ghost, trying to scare them. "Boo!"
Elena jumped, gasping. "God, Liv."
Liv smiled. "Scaredy-cat."
"Just ignore her," Damon told them. "That's what I do."
"At least I'm not a dick, like you, so people actually like me," Liv replied, walking past Damon.
Charlotte, Jack, Justin, Cristian smirked smugly in amusement, chuckling.
Nathan smirked.
They continued to walk toward the cave.
Cristian looked at Damon, Nathan and Justin. "So, we really can't get in?"
"No," Nathan answered. "Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire."
"What do you mean, ancient?" Nicola asked.
Justin gestured forward. "See for yourself."
---
Cave
Alaric, Elena, Ashley and Nicola walked into the cave.
Liv tried to walk in, but was unable to. "Well, this is as far as we get to go."
Damon and Cristian stopped outside of the cave next to Liv. Gabriella, Nathan, Charlotte, Jack and Justin stood behind them.
Elena, Ashley and Nicola looked around at the ancient drawings.
"What is all this?" Elena asked.
"Well, as far as I can tell, it's a story," Alaric answered. "In simple archaeological terms, it's a really, really old story." He pointed at a picture. "That right there is the moon cycle." He pointed at another drawing. "A man, a wolf."
"A werewolf," Gabriella realized.
"Yeah, it's the 'Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary Style'," Damon told them.
"I don't understand," Ashley told them. "I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s."
"I don't know," Justin told them. "Maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that."
"How long?" Cristian asked.
"Long," Nathan answered. "It gets better. Show them, Ric."
Alaric shone a flashlight on an old script of written, carved names. "Names. They're not native. They're written in Runic, a Viking script."
"Vikings?" Jack repeated.
"This name here, I translated it, and it reads Niklaus," Alaric told them.
"Klaus," Charlotte told them.
Alaric shined his flashlight on another name. "Ingrid." He shined his flashlight on another name. "And Kassandra..."
"Yes, Kassandra, otherwise known as the Original sister known for getting a dagger in her heart for trying to kill Katherine and the real owner of Alex's bracelet," Charlotte told them. "And who compelled Stefan to shut his humanity off and skewered Cristian with a stick."
Alaric shined his flashlight on another name. "And Elijah..." He shone it on another. "And Rebekah." He shone it on another. "And Evan." He shined his flashlight on another name. "Kol." He shined his flashlight on another name. "Finn." He shined his flashlight on another name. "Keon."
"Who the hell is Keon?" Charlotte asked.
"Ingrid's son," Justin answered. "I remember him. But he died. Mikael killed him."
They looked at Justin in shock.
---
Flashback 1 - 1000 Years Ago
Night - Cave
Evan, Klaus, Rebekah and Kassandra were carving their names into the caves below the village.
Rebekah had the blade at the moment, carving her name first.
"Rebekah, let me have at it," Kassandra told her.
"Quiet, Kassandra," Rebekah told her. "I'm to have my concentration as to not slice off a finger."
"Father would not like you handling a blade," Evan told them. "Either of you."
"If I want to wield a blade, I shall wield a blade," Kassandra told them stubbornly. "Father need not know."
"He will find out," Klaus told them. "He always does."
"That is because you always tell him," Evan told him.
Rebekah stepped toward them, handing Kassandra the blade.
Kassandra turned, carving her name into the wall.
"I can't help it," Klaus told them. "He frightens me."
"He frightens us all," Evan told them. "That is why we stick together as one. Always and forever. Right, Rebekah?"
Rebekah smiled. "Right."
Kassandra stepped away from the wall, finished, holding the blade out to Evan. "Here. You finish. I'm to help Ingrid with the meal. She's off tending to our nephew Keon."
"Yes, go tend to dinner and help Ingrid take care of the baby Keon," Evan told them with a smile. He stepped around Kassandra and Rebekah. "Leave the blades to the men, little sisters." He held out his hand to Kassandra, waiting for the blade, putting the torch to the wall. Kassandra smiled, putting the blade down just a little too hard, cutting into Evan hand. "Ah, Kassandra!"
"It's just a little blood," Kassandra told him. "Be a man about it."
Kassandra walked out, leaving.
Evan sighed.
Klaus smirked. "You should know better than to make Kassandra angry, Evan."
Rebekah smiled, walking out, leaving.
---
Now
Day - Cave
Elena, Nicola, Ashley and Alaric were in the cave, looking at the names on the wall while Liv, Cristian, Damon, Nathan, Gabriella, Justin, Charlotte and Jack watched from the door.
"These are the names of the Original Family?" Nicola asked.
"Carved into a cave that's been here since way before the founding of Mystic Falls," Alaric told them. "Or even the entire New World, for that matter."
Charlotte shook her head, not believing this was real. "Okay, this has gotta be one of Klaus and Ingrid's fakes."
"That's what I said," Damon agreed.
"That could be true, except the last name up here made us think otherwise," Alaric told them, shining the flashlight on the last name.
"What's the name?" Jack asked.
Nathan sighed. "Mikael."
Cristian was stunned. "Mikael..."
"Mikael, as in, the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus and Ingrid?" Charlotte asked.
"Yep," Justin answered. "But as I've always liked to call him, 'Papa Original'."
Everyone was confused as to why Mikael was hunting his own family.
-----
Worlds Colliding (The Vampire Diaries)
-----
Cave
(Song) Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) - Foster the People
Alaric was taking pictures of the drawings and the carvings on the walls, looking all around to make sure that he had taken pictures of all of them.
---
Alaric's Loft
Elena, Ashley and Nicola were training while Charlotte, Liv and Gabriella were helping.
Alaric, Nathan, Damon, Cristian, Jack and Justin stood at the table, looking over the pictures of the drawings and carvings.
Jack sighed. "These images tell a story." Elena wasn't using any effort at all, trying to punch Gabriella. Gabriella caught her arm with ease. "To learn the story, you have to decipher these images."
Ashley pretended to try and stake Liv.
Liv twisted her arm back without hurting her, taking the stake away. "Sloppy."
"Shut up," Ashley told her. "I'm new at this."
Nicola took the stake from Liv. "Let me try with Charlie."
Charlotte smirked in amusement. "Oh, little niece Nikki wants to try to fight with the big guns again, huh?"
Nicola smirked, shrugging. "You know I can do it."
"'Ghost of Christmas Past' Mason Lockwood set up the cave and led us to a weapon that can kill Klaus and Ingrid," Justin told them.
Nicola kicked Charlotte in the stomach, spinning to try to kick her again.
Charlotte raised her arms to block the move.
"Yeah, but doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Nicola asked.
"Yes," Cristian answered. Nicola punched Charlotte in the chest. "Which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael..." Nicola spun to pretend to stake Charlotte. "Who we have already found..." Charlotte tried to catch Nicola's wrist. Nicola swung her arm to hit Charlotte's arm away, pretending to stake Charlotte. "And lost."
Nicola looked at Charlotte, smirking. "Bang. You're dead."
"I was going easy on you," Charlotte told her.
Nicola took a step away, smiling. "Aw, is somebody a sore loser?"
Liv pulled Elena, Ashley and Gabriella lightly toward the boys at the table.
"These images at the very least might tell us what the weapon is," Nathan pointed out.
Nicola and Charlotte walked up to them.
"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean," Gabriella told them.
Damon looked at the girls. "Fine. Fine. If I am being irritatingly optimistic like you... how do you suppose we do that?"
"Well, if the story is about the Original Family living here, then we go straight to the source," Elena told them.
They knew she meant Rebekah and Kassandra, smirking.
---
Street
Dawn and Kacie were walking together, looking at messages on their phones from the other girls.
"Liv said that Klaus, Ingrid, Kassandra, Rebekah, Elijah and Evan's names were in the cave, along with Mikael, Kol, Finn and Keon's," Dawn explained. "They want to talk to Rebekah and Kassandra about their family being here and why Mikael wants to kill his own family. And while he killed Keon, my cousin. Ew. That means Mikael's my grandfather."
Kacie chuckled. "Have you told anyone what Susan told you about Klaus being your Dad? Making Elijah, Evan, Kol and Finn being your uncles, and Ingrid, Kassandra and Rebekah being your aunts? Mikael your grandfather and Keon your dead cousin?"
"No," Dawn answered. "I didn't want anyone getting hurt because of this huge family secret. My Mom kept it from me and everyone else because she didn't want Rosalita to find me and hurt me or anyone else, but that didn't work out obviously. And Rosalita is already so far into everyone's heads it's unreal. Mom said to keep it secret from the Mikaelsons about the fact that I'm their family until Rosalita's mind control is weakened so that no one gets hurt."
"Right," Kacie agreed sadly. They saw Kassandra and Rebekah near their new mansion, looking at them in surprise. "Although that's pretty hard to keep secret when Kassandra and Rebekah are still in town."
Dawn sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. It is. Liv, Ashley, Elena, Gabriella, Nicola and Charlie said that they needed to talk to them anyway. We're here now, Kacie. We might as well talk to Kassandra and Rebekah about Mikael."
"Dawn--" Kacie started in worry.
"Don't worry," Dawn told her. "I'm not gonna tell them who I really am to them yet. Just come on."
Kacie sighed in defeat, nodding. They walked up to where Kassandra and Rebekah were watching workers move things inside.
Rebekah saw Kacie and Dawn. "Kacie. Goody. Who's the girl?"
(End of Song)
"I'm Dawn," Dawn answered. "Kacie and Tyler's cousin."
"Hello, Dawn," Rebekah told her.
"So another wolf?" Kassandra asked.
Dawn shrugged. "A lot more than just another wolf. I haven't triggered my curse and I don't want to. We were hoping we could talk."
"About what?" Rebekah asked. "Tyler? Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your precious brother/cousin."
"Actually, we'd rather talk about this," Kacie told them, holding up her phone to show them pictures of their names written in Runic on the cave wall. "We're curious why you and your family have spent a thousand years running from your father, and why he would kill your nephew Keon."
Rebekah and Kassandra exchanged a look, obviously not wanting to talk about it.
"We should get back to moving in," Kassandra told them. "We want this place to be perfect."
Kassandra turned to walk inside.
"Well, then, maybe we'll ask Mikael when we wake him," Kacie told them.
Kassandra stooped, turning to face them.
"You're bluffing," Rebekah told them. "You don't know where he is. No one does."
"So, then who's rotting in that old cemetery in Charlotte?" Dawn asked.
Rebekah became worried and scared, walking closer. "If you wake Mikael, we are all as doomed as Keon."
"So then, tell us," Kacie told them.
"Why do you want to know?" Kassandra asked.
"Why would he want to kill his family, including Keon?" Dawn replied.
Rebekah and Kassandra didn't answer.
"We need to finish up inside," Kassandra told them. "Ironically nice to see you again, Kacie. Nice to meet you, Dawn."
Kacie and Dawn sighed.
Rebekah and Kassandra turned around, walking toward the mansion, shaken by what they had heard.
---
Flashback 2
Day - Village
There was a girl that looked exactly like Rosalita kneeling on the ground. She was Tory and Rosalita's Doppelganger.
A young boy was kneeling next to her. "Show me again."
The girl smiled, placing her hands gently on either side of the blue flower on the ground in front of her, closing her eyes in concentration. She took a deep breath, using magic to make the flower grow and bloom beautifully. "Phesmatos tribum, plantus vivifey, plantus herbus. Phesmatos tribum, plantus vivifey, plantus herbus. Phesmatos tribu, plantus vivifey, plantus herbus."
The vines spread, wrapping around her wrist lightly, trailing up her arms.
The boy was watching in amazement.
The girl let the vines retreat.
The flower remained grown and beautifully bloomed, although the vines returned to normal.
The boy looked at the girl. "Never have I ever seen a witch so powerful. You have a gift, Luna."
Luna smiled. "As do you. Henrik."
Henrik smiled. He leaned closer to her, kissing her gently. Luna deepened the kiss.
Kassandra was watching them, smiling.
Henrik and Luna pulled away.
Swords clashed in the distance.
Kassandra looked in the direction the swords clashed, smiling, looking at Henrik and Luna. "Come on, Henrik, our brothers are fighting again." She looked at Luna. "Come, Luna!"
Kassandra ran off in the direction of the sounds.
Henrik took Luna's hand, leading her after Kassandra.
Kassandra, Henrik and Luna stood next to Rebekah and Ingrid. Ingrid was holding her baby son.
They watched Evan, Elijah and Klaus fighting with their swords playfully.
Ingrid held her baby up so he could see. "Look, Keon. Look at your Uncles Elijah, Evan and Niklaus go."
Keon giggled, causing Henrik, Luna, Kassandra, Ingrid and Rebekah to smile and laugh as well.
Henrik brushed a hand over Keon's head. "Hey, Keon."
Elijah slashed his sword toward Evan. Evan raised his sword to block the move. Elijah swung his sword down low toward Klaus. Klaus blocked the move, swinging his sword up high toward Evan. Evan raised his sword to block the move, swinging toward Elijah. Elijah ducked.
Elijah noticed Rebekah, Kassandra and Ingrid with Henrik and Keon. "Oh, look, our sisters, brother and baby nephew Keon have arrived to watch my fast approaching victory."
"On the contrary, Elijah," Klaus told him, slashing his sword toward him. Elijah raised his sword to block the move, twisting the blade to push his sword away, swinging down toward his head. Klaus raised his sword to block the move, slashing toward him. Elijah raised his sword to block the move, pushing him back. Klaus spun to push his sword away, slashing his sword through Elijah's belt, making it fall to the ground. Elijah looked down, smiling. "They've come to laugh at you."
Klaus and Evan exchanged a smirk.
The siblings laughed. Keon gave a giggle.
A woman and Mikael were watching from the other side of them.
"Relax, Mikael," the woman told him. "They mean well."
"That is precisely my problem," Mikael told her, walking slowly forward. Ingrid, Rebekah and Kassandra looked at each other. Mikael stepped forward, reaching for Elijah's sword, looking at Klaus. "So. Why don't you show me your tricks, young warrior?"
Mikael slashed his sword toward Klaus.
Klaus blocked the move, stepping back. "Father, we were just having fun."
"We fight for our survival, and you find time for fun?" Mikael asked angrily. "I want to have fun. Teach me. Come on."
"Father, it was nothing," Klaus told him.
Mikael swung his sword toward Klaus angrily. Klaus raised his sword to block the move. Mikael swung toward him again.
Kassandra flinched, looking away.
Rebekah looked as if she wanted to do something about it, but fearful enough to not do anything.
Ingrid was fearful to get involved because Mikael's temper toward her could be just as bad as it was toward Klaus, holding Keon close to her protectively, but knowing there wasn't any place for them to go that could be safe.
Henrik sighed deeply.
Mikael used his sword to knock the sword from Klaus's hands.
Luna focused on the sword in Mikael's hand.
The sword flung magically out of Mikael's hand and into the tree a few feet away.
Mikael glared toward Luna.
Luna showed no fear.
Mikael turned back to Klaus, raising him above the ground and pushing him down. "You are foolish and impulsive, my boy. Just as Ingrid was when she had Keon so young. What? No more laughter?"
"I was married when I had Keon," Ingrid reminded him. "I didn't have this son out of wedlock. My husband died in battle."
"Yet you didn't throw yourself onto the pyre like widows do when losing a husband to the war," Mikael replied.
"Because I had Keon to raise," Ingrid countered.
"You've made your point, Mikael," the woman told him.
Mikael looked down on Klaus. "Some days, it's a miracle you're still alive. Boy."
Mikael stood, passing between Luna and Ingrid, sending a glare toward them both as he passed, not saying another word or looking back.
Henrik looked at Luna.
Luna watched Mikael go, looking at Henrik, Ingrid, Kassandra and Rebekah.
They all had small, relieved smiles.
Because they knew Mikael would have killed Klaus if she hadn't stopped him.
---
Now
Day - Kassandra's Mansion - Outside
Rebekah and Kassandra stood outside, looking worried and troubled by the memory, walking away.
---
Alaric's Loft
Alaric, Charlotte, Jack and Cristian were looking at the photos.
Alaric wrote "vampire" on a post-it note, placing it on one of the pictures.
Cristian picked up another picture, comparing it to the one Alaric just stuck the post-it note on. He saw that the other picture had a circle with a squiggly outline that looks more like a sun, so he switches the "vampire" post-it to the other picture and wrote "werewolf" on another post-it and placed it onto the first picture.
Alaric, Charlotte and Jack seemed to agree with his logic.
Ashley, Gabriella, Liv and Elena walked in.
Gabriella was on the phone. "Rebekah can tell Justin, and Kassandra can tell Nicola. Kacie and Dawn said that they're scared of him, Nathan. Justin can win Rebekah over again, and Nicola just has to engage in a little 'mean girl' power struggle with Kassandra first."
"Well, make sure Kassandra doesn't power struggle Nicola into a wheelchair," Liv told them.
"Nicola's got this, Liv," Gabriella told her. "If we can figure out a way to kill Klaus and Ingrid, then Stefan, Kaylin, Alex and I will be free of their compulsion, and we can find a way to dagger Kassandra to end her compulsion on Stefan, too." She spoke into the phone. "So, how do they look?"
Nathan was on the other line, in the Forbes cellar's foyer with Damon. They walked down the stairs toward the locked door, looking inside.
"Mm, pasty and pouty," Nathan answered.
"Well, Stefan does," Damon agreed. "Kaylin and Alex look more bored and tired than anything."
"They'll have to get over it," Elena told them. "Call us later." Gabriella hung up. Elena looked at Alaric, Cristian, Charlotte and Jack. "I think Gabby's right. Rebekah and Kassandra will come around, as long as Justin and Nicola get through to them."
"You're sure about that?" Cristian asked. "I mean, two thousand year old vampires, I'm sure have learned the art of patience."
"Well, Justin said that Kassandra was never good with patience," Charlotte explained. "At least, that's what Justin heard from Kol, Evan, Rebekah, Ingrid and Klaus back in the day. And Keon, before he was killed by Mikael."
"And Rebekah's a thousand year old vampire who's joined the cheerleading squad," Liv added. "There is a whole different set of rules that play here, Cristian."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."
Ashley smiled. "Seems like it."
---
Forbes Cellar
Stefan, Kaylin and Alex were chained up.
Damon and Nathan unlocked the door, walking in.
"You know, if you guys are gonna keep us locked in here for the next decade, I think we can skip the routine visits," Stefan told him.
Kaylin looked from Stefan to Damon and Nathan. "Oh, no, don't listen to him. He's being a really big downer. What makes this easier is to see something else than stone walls and hearing his very pessimistic one-liners."
"You know, I'm not a big champion in this whole Lexi Recovery Plan..." Damon trailed off. "But Liv, Elena, Gabby, Ashley and Nikki think this place is gonna weaken you up, break you down and make you feel again." He looked at Alex. "The only reason you're here is to stop you from releasing them until they're ready to come back."
"That is so inspiring, Damon," Alex told him sarcastically. "And we should all listen to Liv, Elena, Gabby, Ashley and Nicola, right?" She tilted her head. "I mean, their plans always work out so well, don't they?"
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked in boredom.
"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked. "It's Family/Lover Day at Vampire Rehab. So, we're paying a visit to our baby brother and sister and Damon's girlfriend."
"Go away," Stefan told them.
"Or better yet, let us out," Kaylin told them.
"Nah," Damon told them, standing behind Stefan and Kaylin. "Nathan and I thought we could hang out, a little sibling bonding. How've been, Kay? Huh?"
"Extremely bored," Kaylin answered.
"You know, Justin may be safe with Rebekah because of their history, even with Rosalita's mind control, but Nikki is definitely not safe with a time bomb like Kassandra," Stefan told them.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire, brother," Damon told him. "You and Kaylin care about Nikki as much as we do, and even if you pretend that you don't, if either of you thought for even a second that she was in danger, you'd be working a lot harder."
"You got me," Stefan told him, smiling tiredly. "You got me."
"Yep," Damon agreed, going to stand in front of them, next to Nathan.
"You got him," Kaylin repeated. "You're good. Congratulations."
"You can go now," Stefan told them.
"You really have given up," Nathan told him.
"Actually, that's Stefan's happy face," Kaylin told them.
Damon considered that for a moment. He looked at Nathan. Nathan shrugged. Damon turned to Stefan, Kaylin and Alex. He broke the chains binding their hands and feet, freeing them.
"What are you doing?" Alex asked.
"Screw this Lexi plan," Damon told them. "I think we could all use a drink."
Kaylin rubbed her wrists. "Thank God."
Kaylin stood, walking out, leaving.
Damon and Nathan smirked at her reaction.
Stefan and Alex exchanged a surprised look.
---
Street
Rebekah was waiting alone.
Justin walked toward her. "Rebekah."
Rebekah walked toward him angrily. "Why are all of you going after Mikael when you know how dangerous he is, Justin? You know better than most. He killed your sister and Keon, and Marcel and Noah."
"I didn't know that until you convinced your sister to give me my memories back," Justin replied. "And it's not like any of us have a choice because of that bitch Rosalita. I didn't even remember Keon, or Marcel and Noah. And I didn't remember Mikael, let alone that he killed Lucy, Keon, Marcel and Noah."
"I know you told your friends about Mikael killing Keon," Rebekah told him. "But did you tell them about how he killed Lucy, Marcel and Noah, your sister and two of your best friends, and son figures to Ingrid and Evan?"
"No," Justin answered. "I could barely even bring myself to even say Marcel and Noah's names because of what happened. And I didn't know how to explain that Mikael killed Lucy too. And that it was our fault."
Rebekah shook her head. "I learned from my mistake the first time. Bringing Mikael here could destroy all of us, Justin. Like he destroyed Lucy, Keon, Marcel and Noah. Not just our lives, but our relationships. Do I have to remind you of why all of this happened? Or are you just now starting to remember?"
"I'm trying to deal with a century worth of memories flooding back and crushing me, on top of Rosalita's mind control to make everyone go to war with your family and making your family bring war to us," Justin told her. "I had to remember who Marcel and Noah were and how they were killed by Mikael, the same guy that killed Lucy. If we had a choice, none of us would do any of this, and you know it. You and your siblings wouldn't have done the things you've done to us either if it wasn't for Rosa."
Rebekah knew he was right, sighing, crossing her arms, looking down. "So what do you suppose that we do?"
"I don't know," Justin admitted. "But I think that if we just sat down together and talked this out, then maybe, just maybe, we could break through Rosalita's mind control. What do you think?"
"Anything to get Rosalita out of our heads once and for all," Rebekah answered. "How do you suppose we do that?"
"Nicola's going to talk to Kassandra," Justin explained. "About Mikael. And we can all sit down together and talk about what it all means and what we can do after. All right?"
Rebekah sighed, nodding. "All right. Let's go talk to Kassandra and Nicola."
---
Clothing Store
(Song) Put Your Hands Up - Nadina Coyle
Nicola walked in, holding her phone, looking at the text from Kassandra that had told her to meet her there.
Kassandra was trying on Homecoming dresses, drinking wine. She saw Nicola, smiling. "Hey. What's up?"
"Heard you had a talk with Kacie and Dawn about your father," Nicola told her nonchalantly. "Is that why you told me to meet you here?"
"Kacie and Dawn seem to be fun girls, foregoing the obvious Lockwood traits," Kassandra told her. "Just meeting them, and I kind of like them. Like how I liked you and Kaylin after first meeting you two. The last time I immediately approved of people were Charlotte, Jack and Cristian." She smirked, turning to look behind her. "All right, girls, have at it." Six girls in jewel-toned colored Homecoming dresses walked into the room, including yellow, purple, pink, red, green and blue. Nicola frowned in confusion. "Okay, now twirl, please."
The girls did as told.
"You compelled your own private runway show?" Nicola asked dubiously.
"Rebekah's dragging me to the Homecoming dance so that we can keep an eye on our siblings' assets," Kassandra explained. "Rebekah's got her dress picked out. I need one. So, what do you think? Pick one."
"I'm not down here talking to you to help you shop," Nicola told her. "I want to talk about why you and Rebekah don't want us to wake up Mikael."
(End of Song)
Kassandra rushed behind the blonde in the blue dress, grabbing her neck, transforming.
Nicola took a step forward worriedly.
Kassandra shook her head, giving her a look.
Nicola stopped.
"I said pick one, Nicola," Kassandra told her.
Nicola exhaled, gesturing randomly. "The... blue one."
Kassandra let her face return normal. "There. It wasn't so hard, was it?" She looked at the girls. "Go away. Remember nothing." The girls walked away, leaving. Kassandra turned to Nicola. "You do not threaten me. You'll learn what I allow you to learn. Is that clear?"
Nicola nodded barely.
Kassandra walked past Nicola.
Nicola turned around, sighing, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.
---~---
Alaric's Loft
Elena, Liv, Ashley, Gabriella, Jack, Charlotte, Cristian and Alaric were researching the photos.
There was a knock on the door.
Bonnie and Eliza walked in.
"Hey, there," Bonnie told them.
Ashley walked closer. "Bonnie. Eliza."
"Come on in," Jack told them.
Eliza closed the door behind them
"Got your message," Bonnie told them.
"Yeah, great," Alaric told them. "I'm sorry, the place is such a mess. I'm obsessed."
"And Ashley, Elena and I are helping the obsessed because said he'd fail us if we didn't," Liv told them. "Cristian, Jack, Charlie and Gabby are helping just to help."
They all chuckled.
Eliza smiled a small smile, holding up Elena's necklace and Alex's bracelet. "We brought you the necklace and bracelet that wouldn't die."
"Ah, that's great," Gabriella told them.
Eliza looked down sadly.
Charlotte gave her a sincerely sympathetic look. "Eliza? You okay?"
"Been better," Eliza answered.
Gabriella wrapped an arm arond Eliza. "Oh, you poor thing. Eliza, you are so strong."
Eliza chuckled. "Thanks, Gabby."
"Listen, Jeremy is an idiot," Alaric told her. "And I know this with certainty, because I was once a Jeremy. Trust me, we'll learn... Eventually."
Eliza nodded slightly in appreciation.
Cristian held up one of the pictures. "So, I've been staring at this pic all day, wondering why it looked so freaking familiar." He held up the necklace and bracelet the charms the same as the carving. "I was right."
"It's the same design," Bonnie told them.
"So, your Grams and Lindsey's mother said this necklace and bracelet belonged to the witch that put the hybrid curse on Klaus and Ingrid, right?" Cristian asked.
Bonnie nodded.
"Well, this symbol is repeated all across the wall," Jack told them. "I've been trying to figure out what it meant. And now we know."
Jack wrote something on a post-it, sticking it to the picture, showing the others.
The post-it said "Witch".
---
Clothing Store
Rebekah and Justin had arrived.
Rebekah was trying on her homecoming dress, which was red, smiling, doing a little twirl to show off to Justin. "How fun is this? What do you think, Justin?"
Justin smirked. "I think you're getting a little too excited for a homecoming dance, Rebekah. Why are you dragging Kassandra to it?"
"Because of our siblings," Rebekah answered.
"And the other reason is because she wants me to be part of something normal for once," Kassandra added.
Nicola picked up a bottle of wine, pouring herself a drink. "Well, normal is overrated, trust me."
Rebekah tilted her head at Nicola. "Come on. Like you've never wanted to be an average girl worrying about clothes and boys."
"Not really, no," Nicola answered. "I guess that's what I get for not being born in a normal family."
Justin smirked. "Right. I can't imagine Nicola Salvatore being anything like ordinary or normal. Or Kaylin, for that matter."
Kassandra tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement.
Rebekah looked over the clothes. "Kaylin taught me and Kassandra what to wear in this century. A lot has changed since the '20s."
"Even more things have changed since the end of the 1400s," Kassandra agreed.
"I thought that since Kaylin was so adept with helping me and Sandra adapt to this time, that you would be, too, Nicola, but clearly, you don't know clothes as well as she does," Rebekah remarked.
"I really don't feel like reminiscing about my distant aunt that's more like a sister to me with the sisters of the sister that compelled her to be a slave, Rebekah," Nicola told her.
"Grid and Nik would have never hurt Kaylin or anyone she cared about if it wasn't for Rosalita, Nicola," Rebekah told her. "Kaylin was the best of friends with me and Ingrid, and she was perfect with Niklaus. Just like Justin and I were."
Justin looked down. "Things change."
"That, they do," Kassandra agreed. "Perhaps if Grid left Justin, and Nik left Kaylin with their memories intact, none of this would have happened."
"I don't know about that, Kassandra," Justin admitted. "I mean, Rosalita would have found a way to make our lives a living hell either way."
"True," Kassandra agreed.
Nicola sighed. "Why don't you start telling us your story? I mean, Justin probably knows most of it, but tell me."
Kassandra smirked. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, Elijah said that your father was a landowner in Europe," Nicola told them. "How did you guys end up here?"
"Our parents just started a family when a plague struck their homeland," Rebekah told them. "They lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate."
"So, how did you end up here?" Nicola asked. "This part of the world hadn't even been discovered yet."
Rebekah chuckled, looking toward her. "Not by anyone in your history books. But our mother knew the witch Ayana, who cared for the witch Doppelganger Luna, who's parents had passed away. Luna was our friend Rosalita's Doppelganger."
"I thought Rosalita was a Doppelganger, not a witch, turned into a vampire," Nicola told them.
"Rosalita was the originator of her Doppelganger line," Justin explained. "She was a psychic witch before she was forced to turn into an immortal."
Rebekah nodded in agreement. "Something that left Rosalita so out of her mind that she reveled and enjoyed making other people lash out at each other, especially their loved ones, using mind control to turn loved ones against each other, like Rosa did with Nik and Kaylin, like she is doing with me and Justin."
Nicola processed this for a moment.
Kassandra sighed. "Luna was very powerful, being both witch and Doppelganger. She had fallen for our brother Henrik. She had heard from the spirits of a mystical land where everyone was healthy... blessed by the gifts of speed and strength. That led our family here, where we lived amongst those people."
A beat of silence passed.
"The werewolves?" Nicola asked.
"To us, they were just our neighbors," Rebekah told them. "Our family lived in peace with them for over 20 years, during which time our family had more children, me, Nik, Grid, Kassandra, Kol, and Henrik. Finn had already been born when we lost our older sister, and our mother had been pregnant with Elijah and Evan at the time."
"You make it sound so normal," Nicola told them.
Kassandra looked out of the window. "It was. When Ingrid came of age to be married, she married a Viking warrior, and they bore a child."
"Keon," Nicola realized.
"Yeah," Justin agreed.
"Ingrid's husband parished in battle, and instead of throwing herself onto the pyre as was custom to widows at the time, she chose to remain alive and raise Keon," Kassandra explained. "Even though our father was disapproving and would have rather seen Grid throw herself onto the pyre, and beat Niklaus to his death."
---
Flashback 3
Day - Mikaelson Cottage
Ingrid was putting Keon down for a nap. She looked at the necklace and bracelet, holding the charms until they burned her fingertips.
A black woman walked closer.
"Ayana, they burned me," Ingrid told her.
"Those are not yours to touch," Ayana replied.
Klaus screamed from outside. "Mother!"
"Is that Niklaus?" Ingrid asked. "Something is wrong."
---
Outside
Ingrid ran outside.
Kassandra, Rebekah and Luna turned around.
Klaus carrying Henrik's dead body, blood staining his clothing.
Luna cried out in pain and shock. "No!"
"Henrik!" Kassandra cried.
Rebekah, Ingrid, Kassandra and Luna ran toward them.
"Mother!" Klaus screamed.
Rebekah: (voice over) "One full moon, Klaus and our youngest brother Henrik snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts. That was forbidden. Henrik paid the price."
Rebekah, Ingrid and Kassandra slowed to a stop.
The woman, Evan and Elijah ran to them.
"No," Evan said. "No. What happened?"
"The wolves," Klaus told them. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Ayana knelt next to the woman, putting her hand on Henrik's head.
"We must save him," Luna begged, crying. "Please. There must be a way."
"The spirits will not give us a way, Luna," Ayana told her. She looked at the woman. "Esther, your boy is gone."
"No," Esther told them. Elijah laid his hand on Kassandra's shoulder. Evan laid his hands on Rebekah and Ingrid's shoulders. "No. No! No!"
Luna cried into his shoulder, her hands on his chest. A forced wind was blowing around them.
"Luna, you cannot bring him back," Ayana told her softly. "The magic will kill you."
Luna barely lifted her head from Henrik's chest, her voice a whisper. "I'd rather be dead."
Kassandra reached up to the hand that Elijah had at her shoulder, looking up at him, crying.
Rebekan and Ingrid held the hands that Evan held on their shoulders, crying.
Kassandra: (voice over) "And that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbors."
---
Now
Day - Clothing Store
Rebekah, Kassandra, Justin and Nicola were talking.
Kassandra had a glazed over look in her eyes as she finished. "And one of the last moments our family had together as humans. Ingrid was able to raise Keon to the age of a young adult, and in a battle with Mikael, he nearly killed Keon. But our sister was able to turn Keon into a vampire to save his life. I never thought that I would wake up to find that Mikael had killed Keon while I had been sleeping."
Rebekah took Kassandra by the hand sadly. "It's okay, Kassandra. I miss Keon, too."
Justin and Nicola looked at them sadly in sympathy. Nicola's phone ringing made them all snap out of it.
Justin looked at Nicola. "You better get that. It'll be Damon or Nathan checking up on you."
Nicola turned away to answer. "Hello?"
(Song) I'm Rocking - The Cadillac Black
Damon's voice and the nose of music in the background were on the other line. "Hey."
"Damon, where are you?" Nicola asked.
Damon, Nathan, Stefan, Kaylin and Alex walked into a bar.
Damon spoke to Nicola over the phone. "No idea, but I'm pretty sure I've overdressed. Still standing?"
Nicola nodded, trying to get off the phone. "Yeah, I'm fine, can't talk right now, bye."
"Wait, wait, wait," Nathan told her, leaning closer to the phone. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing," Nicola told them.
Nathan narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "Where's Liv, Elena, Ashley and Gabby? Or Cristian, Charlie and Jack?"
Nicola sighed. "That's sort of the nothing that I'm hiding."
Damon realized what she meant, incredulous. "You're alone? Are you serious? You're talking to the She-Devils alone?"
Kaylin looked at Damon.
Nicola, knowing that Rebekah, Kassandra and Justin were listening to both sides of the call, turned away in her seat to hide an embarrassed blush. "I'm not alone, damn it. Justin is here with Rebekah, Kassandra and me, so chill the hell out."
Rebekah, Kassandra and Justin smirked in amusement.
"I'll be at the bar," Stefan told them, walking away.
Nicola frowned in confusion. "Was that Stefan?"
Justin looked up.
"Yeah," Nathan answered. "So, I guess maybe you're not the only one hiding nothing. Damon and I kinda went off book a bit. Don't worry. We know what we're doing."
"We got this, Nikki," Damon told her. "So, are we pissed at each other or not? Because we're not the ones risking our lives at the moment."
Nicola sighed. "Not. If you two got that, then Justin and I got this."
"You and Justin are still idiots for talking to Rebekah and Kassandra alone," Damon told her.
"Just like you two are still idiots for releasing three compelled homicidal vampires," Nicola replied. "And goodbye."
Nicola hung up.
Rebekah and Kassandra smirked in amusement, intrigued, looking at Nicola curiously. Nicola turned to face them, sighing. Justin smirked, chuckling.
---
Bar
Kaylin and Alex were sitting at the bar.
Stefan, Nathan and Damon joined them.
Damon hung up with an exasperated look that was priceless. "I'm gonna kill her." He looked at Kaylin, Alex, Nathan and Stefan, putting his phone away. "What are we drinking?"
"Hopefully something a little bit warmer... and a little bit blonder," Stefan told them, eyeing the blonde bartender behind the bar.
The bartender walked closer.
Kaylin smiled. "Hi."
"Hello..." Nathan trailed off, checking her name tag. "Callie. I would love a shot of your best whiskey, and my siblings and friend here would love..." He compelled her. "A shot of you."
Alex went to drink from her wrist, but stopped. "What's the catch, Nathan?"
"No catch, Alex," Nathan told her. "Drink up. It's on Damon." Damon pouted. "On me and him. Whatever." Damon smirked. Alex transformed, biting into Callie's arm, drinking. Kaylin grabbed Callie's right wrist. Stefan grabbed her left wrist. They both transformed, biting, drinking. Nathan and Damon leaned over to hide them from view on either side of them. "Hi, Callie."
(End of Song)
---~---
(Song) Get Your Buzz On - The Cadillac Black
Damon, Nathan, Stefan and Kaylin were playing quarters.
Damon flipped a coin into the glass.
Kaylin smiled. "Drink up, brothers!"
Damon looked at Callie, holding up an empty whiskey bottle. "Can you get us another bottle of this?"
Nathan flipped a quarter in the glass.
"Yes, sir," Callie answered, walking away, leaving.
Kaylin looked at Stefan. "You been on this 'bunny diet' for a better part of 50 years. So, how is it that 'Saint Stefan', of all people, is good at a drinking game?"
"Oh, the 'bunny diet' gave me a lot of time to practice," Stefan answered. "Wallow in despair." He flipped a coin into the glass. "Drown in guilt." He flipped another coin into the glass. "Regret my existence." He flipped a third coin in a row into the glass. "It's precision born out of tragic boredom. Drink up, sister."
Kaylin put her bottle to her lips with a smile, drinking.
"All that effort wasted trying to tell you how boring you are, and now you finally agree with us?" Damon asked.
"Damon, you are worse than Liv, Ashley, Gabby, Nikki and Elena," Stefan told him. "Getting us drunk, family bonding. What do you think, we'll break down and you can pull us back from the edge, is that it?"
"I happen to like the edge, Stefan," Kaylin told him. "Your problem is your inability to resist falling over it. You're all or nothing, man. You can't just be." Callie came back with another bottle of whiskey. "Although, who am I to judge?"
Kaylin flipped a coin into the glass.
Nathan looked at both of them, handing Kaylin the whiskey and holding Callie's wrist out to Stefan. "Drink up."
---
Elsewhere
Alex was sitting at the bar, drinking from the bottle. She looked toward where the four siblings were drinking together at the table. Her phone rang. She picked it up, looking at the Caller ID.
Unknown number.
Alex knew who was calling anyway, sighing, grabbing her whiskey bottle, taking a drink, standing, walking away. She walked across the bar, leaning against the wall, answering her phone. "What?"
Ingrid's voice was on the other line. "Moody today, aren't we?"
"Well, considering I woke up locked up, I'd say so," Alex answered.
Ingrid was driving in an SUV with Klaus. "Let me guess. You tried to help Stefan and Kaylin, Cristian, Charlotte or Jack got in the way, and you'd be out on the floor within the next second."
"Something like that," Alex answered, taking a drink.
"But you're all out now?" Ingrid asked.
"We're all out now," Alex answered.
"You sound so uptight, Alex," Ingrid told her. "Just let loose a little. Have some fun."
"For your information, I am having fun," Alex told her, taking a drink.
"Not the kind of fun I'm talking about," Ingrid told her. "You're a vampire, not a human. Live the way a vampire is supposed to."
Alex rolled her eyes. "I don't think so."
"I won't tell you to shut off your humanity, because I know then that I'd have to go all the way back there," Ingrid told her. "And I don't want you to, so don't do it. So I'm not telling you to. Just live like a vampire. Feed the way you want, not the way you feel is right." She smirked. "Don't hold yourself back. Feel no remorse about it. Just don't care."
"And why would you care about my vampire life?" Alex asked.
"Because that would be the Alex that I could work better with," Ingrid answered.
"Whatever," Alex told her. "Bye."
"Goodbye, Alex," Ingrid told her, hanging up.
Alex heard the dial tone of the other line, glaring. "Screw you."
Alex hung up.
(End of Song)
---
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Foyer
Rebekah and Kassandra led Justin and Nicola inside.
Justin looked around the lavish mansion in surprise. "This is your house?"
"What we're using, yes," Rebekah answered. "Not everyone has a boarding house to live in."
Kassandra took off her jacket, turning to face them. "Many vampires have a human living with them to keep out unwanted enemies, as they need an invitation, like Stefan, Damon, Kaylin and Nathan use you for in your own home, Nicola." Rebekah took off her jacket. "And you've let Justin stay with you as well. But most of the humans need compulsion, while you don't. Because you're family to Kaylin, Stefan, Damon and Nathan. And while they've all nearly killed you at one time or another, you still believe in all of them. Honestly, I don't understand that."
"Why would you?" Nicola asked. "You don't know anything about who my family really is."
"I know exactly who they are," Kassandra told them. "They're vampires. We're a predatory species." She leaned closer, trying to intimidate Nicola. "We don't have time to care about humans and their silly little lives."
Nicola wasn't intimidated in the least. "Is that why you did that runway show earlier? 'Cause you and Rebekah don't care about the Homecoming Dance? And if you're trying to get a reaction out of me..." She lowered her voice to a whisper, tilting her head. "It's not working."
Rebekah and Kassandra didn't answer.
Justin sighed. "You know what? We're just gonna go. Come on, Nicola."
Nicola and Justin turned around.
"You haven't even heard half the story," Rebekah told them.
Nicola and Justin turned to face them.
"And you're not gonna tell it," Justin told them. "You're just bored and looking for people to push around."
Nicola smirked sarcastically. "Let me let you in on a little secret. I don't care if you're two 1000 year old Original vampires. I will not let you push me around. Find someone else to play with. Maybe you can compel yourself a friend."
Nicola and Justin turned to leave.
"My necklace and Kassandra's bracelet weren't Kaylin, Nathan or Stefan's to give," Rebekah told them. "They belonged to the Original Witch."
Nicola and Justin smirked, exchanging a look, knowing that would've worked, turning back.
"The one who put the hybrid curse on Klaus and Ingrid?" Justin asked.
"Not just the hybrid curse," Rebekah told them. "She's the one who turned us into vampires."
---
Flashback 4
Night - Mikaelson Cottage
In a room lit by fire and torches, Mikael, Esther, Ayana and Luna spoke.
"Please, Ayana," Mikael told her. "I implore you. You must call upon the spirits before the next full moon."
"I will not," Ayana told them. "It is a crime against nature."
"Ayana, we have lost too much," Esther told her. She looked at Luna. "As have you. We cannot lose anymore. Can you? The spirits can help us find a way to protect our children, your best friends, in a way you won't have to go through the pain of losing another."
Ayana laid her hands on Luna's shoulders, standing behind the chair she sat in, looking at Esther and Mikael in disapproval. "Do not use her pain over the death of her love to your gain."
Rebekah was eavesdropping from the next room.
---
Now
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Foyer
Nicola, Kassandra, Justin and Rebekah were talking.
"I'm thirsty," Kassandra told them. "Do you want a drink?"
Kassandra walked out of the room.
Nicola, Justin and Rebekah followed her.
---
Hallway
Nicola, Kassandra, Justin and Rebekah walked along.
"So, vampirism was a form of protection?" Nicola asked.
"What else would it be?" Justin asked.
"A curse," Nicola answered.
"Our parents only saw a way of keeping their children alive," Kassandra told them.
"Yeah, but why stay, if they were so afraid of the werewolves?" Nicola asked. "Why not... leave?"
"Oh, come now, Nicola," Rebekah told her. "The answer is the same as to why you're not living anywhere other than your own house even with five vampires who could instantly kill you on a bad mood whim."
Nicola slowly nodded. "Pride."
"Our father didn't want to run any more," Kassandra told them. "He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility, strength, senses..."
---
Flashback
Mikael, Esther, Ayana and Luna were still speaking.
"Everything could be heightened," Mikael told them. "Our family could live forever."
"At what cost?" Luna asked. "This magic you speak of breeds consequence. This is the making of a plague, Esther. The spirits will turn on you. I'm sorry about Henrik, and I wish I could have done something to bring him back, but I cannot do this."
"Luna, please," Esther told her.
"We will have no part in it," Ayana told them, leading the way out of the home.
Luna stood, starting to follow. She stopped at the door, hesitantly, sadly looking at Esther and Mikael. "I'm sorry."
Luna turned around, walking out, leaving.
Mikael looked at Esther, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If they will not protect our family... Then it is in your hands alone, my love."
Esther looked away, nodding.
---
Now
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Hallway
Nicola, Kassandra, Justin and Rebekah were walking along.
"In her hands?" Justin repeated. "How could she do anything?"
"Because our mother was also a witch," Rebekah answered.
"What?" Nicola asked.
"The witch of the Original Family," Kassandra explained. "The Original Witch?"
Nicola and Justin stopped walking in surprise.
---~---
Parlor
Nicola, Kassandra, Justin and Rebekah walked in.
Kassandra searched the shelves. "Here is my best vintage."
"But if your mother was a witch, then...?" Nicola trailed off.
"Are we?" Rebekah finished. "No. A witch is nature's servant, a vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other, never both. Our mother did this for us. She did not turn. And she didn't turn Keon since he was still a baby, and she wanted our sister to raise him, even if she was raising Keon within a vampire family. Kind of like you, Nicola. Though Keon did eventually have to turn just so we could save him from Mikael the first time."
"How did you turn?" Justin asked. "I don't think you ever told me that, Rebekah."
"She called upon the sun for life, and the ancient white oak tree, one of nature's eternal objects, for immortality," Kassandra explained. "That night, our father offered us wine laced with blood. And then he drove his sword through our hearts."
Nicola was surprised, stunned, whispering. "He killed you?"
Kassandra looked at the bottle in her hands numbly. "And he wasn't delicate about it, either."
Kassandra broke the neck of the bottle off, throwing it into the fire.
---
Flashback 5
Night - Mikaelson Cottage
Ingrid, Kassandra and Rebekah laid on the floor in nightwear, blood stains over their hearts, dead.
Ingrid came back to life, gasping herself to consciousness. She looked around, seeing her sisters, horrified. "Kassandra... Rebekah..."
Kassandra came back to life, gasping herself to consciousness. She sat up, breathing heavily, looking around in confusion. She saw her sisters lying on the floor nearby, crawling closer worriedly. "Rebekah... Ingrid..."
Rebekah came back to life, gasping herself to consciousness. She looked down at her gown. "Blood." She touched the blood on her gown. "Kassandra... Ingrid... What happened?"
"You will be all right," Ingrid told them. "We will be all right." Mikael entered with a village girl. Ingrid was scared and confused. "What are you doing?"
"We must finish what we started," Mikael told them. He pushed the girl to her knees in front of them. "You have to drink if you want to live."
Mikael cut the girl's wrist open.
Rebekah: (voice over) "We had to drink more blood to complete the ritual."
"Drink," Mikael told them. Kassandra hesitated. "Drink!" Ingrid tried to stop him. Mikael pushed Ingrid aside. He made Kassandra drink. "Drink!"
Kassandra drank deeply, hesitating at first, but slowly giving in to the hunger. She pulled away, breathing heavily, transforming for the first time.
Rebekah: (voice over) "It was euphoric."
Rebekah was also forced to drink. She pulled away, breathing heavily, closing her eyes to relish the taste.
Ingrid was forced to drink, and was immediately overcome by hunger, holding the girl's wrist as she fed deeply, transforming for the first time as a regular vampire.
Rebekah: (voice over) "The feeling of power was indescribable."
---
Now
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Parlor
Nicola, Kassandra, Justin and Rebekah were talking.
Kassandra was gazing off. "But the witches Ayana and Luna were right about the consequences. The spirits turned on us, and nature fought back. For every strength there would be a weakness."
---
Flashback 6
Day - Mikaelson Cottage
Ingrid was feeding Keon.
Rebekah, walking closer to help Ingrid with Keon, passed by a window. The sunlight streamed in, burning her skin, causing her to gasp and back away.
Ingrid looked at her in surprise and concern. "Rebekah?"
Kassandra: (voice over) "The sun became our enemy. It kept us indoors for weeks."
---
Outside
Rebekah walked outside, looking down at the daylight ring on her finger.
Kassandra: (voice over) "And though our mother found a solution, there were other problems."
The villagers were afraid, gathering themselves inside and locking their doors.
Rebekah: (voice over) "Neighbors who had opened their homes to us could now keep us out."
Rebekah walked toward the white oak tree, touching the vervain at the base.
The vervain seared her skin, making her back away and gasp.
Rebekah: (voice over) "Flowers at the base of the white oak burned, and prevented compulsion."
---
Now
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Parlor
Nicola and Justin realized that the flowers at the base of the white oak tree had been vervain, and that was why it was that herb that could be used in defense and offense against vampires.
"And the spell decreed that the tree that gave us life could also take it away," Rebekah told them. "So we burned it to the ground."
---
Flashback 7
Night - Village
Klaus, Mikael, Evan and Elijah stood outside during the night, looking at the white oak tree as it burned, the fire high, loud and bright.
Rebekah, Ingrid and Kassandra stood together further back.
Three villager carrying a dead pig, bloodied, walked behind them.
Rebekah, Ingrid and Kassandra turned after them, their faces transformed.
Kassandra: (voice over) "But the darkest consequence was something our parents never anticipated. The hunger. Blood had made us reborn, and it was blood that we craved above all else."
Rebekah, Ingrid and Kassandra rushed forward, feeding on the three villagers.
Kassandra finished first, letting the body fall. She had blood drenching her lips and chin, breathing heavily from the kill.
Kassandra: (voice over) "We could not control it."
Ingrid finished feeding on the second man, letting the body fall dead. She looked up, still transformed, blood coating her skin, breathing heavily.
Kassandra: (voice over) "And with that..."
Rebekah was still feeding from the third man ravenously. She finally finished, letting the body fall. She looked up, breathing heavily.
Kassandra: (voice over) "The predatory species was born."
---
Now
Night - Bar
(Song) Turn It On - The Cadillac Black
Alex was standing in the crowd, looking around. She was obviously trying to fight against the compulsion and what Ingrid had told her about embracing the darkest parts of being a vampire. She could hear heartbeats and blood pounding from all around. She saw a man nearby, looking at him hungrily. She rushed toward him, pushing him against the wall, compelling him. "You won't make a sound."
The man remained quiet.
Alex looked guilty about doing this to him but relieved about not having to fight anymore, transforming, biting him in the neck, feeding.
Kaylin was dancing on the bar with two guys. She smiled. One had his hands on her hips, kissing her hungrily.
Stefan was feeding from Callie.
A woman was watching him.
Damon rushed closer, compelling the woman. "Nothing to see here. Just run along." Damon took the scarf from the woman. "Okay?" The woman walked away, leaving. Damon walked up to Stefan. "Hey, hey, ease up. Ease up." He pulled Stefan away from Callie. "She's giving us her employee-discount." He turned to Callie, tying the scarf around her neck, compelling her. "And now, just run along."
Callie walked away.
Damon turned to Stefan.
Stefan shrugged, smirking.
They walked toward the bar, sitting down next to Nathan.
Kaylin jumped down from the bar, landing lightly next to them, looking at the male bartender. "Four more." She looked at Damon and Nathan. "All right. Tell me what's up. What's the point of the jail break, huh?"
"Damon and I thought you, Stefan and Alex could use a hug, Kaylin," Nathan told her.
"Come on, Nathan," Stefan told him. "You know Elena, Gabby and Ashley are gonna hate you and Damon for letting us out. Liv already hates Damon, so you're just gonna piss her off. Nikki won't care as long as we find our way back. And we all know that you two care about what they think."
"Maybe we wanted to remind you what freedom was like, before Rosalita took it from all of us, even the Originals," Nathan told them.
"As long as Rosalita is alive, we have to do what she wants," Stefan told them.
"That's our point, Stefan," Damon told him. "You've given up! And what about you, Kaylin? You never give up on anything, yet you don't seem to want to kill your former lover and his twin like we do just so that we can end the war that Rosalita wants us to fight. You three can sit around and be little bitches, or you can get mad enough so we can do something about it."
Kaylin shrugged, looking away. "Maybe I just know that trying to kill Klaus and Ingrid is a suicide mission, Damon. You can't do it. And neither can Nathan."
(End of Song)
Mikael approached the four siblings. "Maybe I can help with that." Stefan, Kaylin, Nathan and Damon turned to face him. "The Salvatore siblings, I presume? Stefan, Damon, Nathan and Kaylin. I believe the only Salvatore missing is your great niece Nicola." Mikael looked toward where Alex was still feeding on the man. "And I'm assuming that's Alexandra Gilbert?"
Kaylin looked him over, realizing who he was. "Mikael."
Stefan, Nathan and Damon looked at him in surprise.
Mikael smirked.
---~---
Kassandra's Mansion - Parlor
Kassandra was pouring drinks for herself, Nicola, Justin and Rebekah.
"Why did Mikael start hunting Klaus and Ingrid?" Nicola asked. "Why would he kill Keon?"
"When Nik and Grid made their first human kills, it triggered their werewolf genes," Rebekah told them. "Their first human kills were people that you would actually recognize. Grid's first kill was actually a witch, and a Doppelganger, but human all the same. And Nik accidentally killed the three Ringers that we knew before Liv, Ashley and Gabriella."
"So Ingrid killed Luna, the girl your brother Henrik was in love with?" Nicola asked. "Klaus killed the Ringers from 1000 years ago?"
"They did," Kassandra answered. "They couldn't control it. With that, they became our father's greatest shame."
"Yeah..." Nicola trailed off. "Elijah told me this part of the story."
"About how your mother had had an affair with one of the werewolf villagers," Justin agreed. "Klaus and Ingrid weren't Mikael's children."
"She tried to make it right," Rebekah told them. "She put the hybrid curse on Nik and Grid to suppress their werewolf sides, and then she turned her back on them."
Kassandra took a deep breath. "But Mikael's greatest weakness as a human was his pride. As a vampire, that was magnified. He went on a rampage and killed half the village. Then he came home and killed her."
Nicola was stunned enough to whisper her question. "Mikael killed your mother?"
"He said she broke his heart, so he would break hers," Rebekah told them. "He tore it from her chest as Nik and Grid watched. The reason why Mikael tried to kill Keon the first time... was because Keon was trying to save his mother, our sister, from Mikael's wrath, and we barely managed to escape and turn him to save him. And the second time, Mikael killed Keon, and our friends Marcel and Noah, who were like sons to Ingrid and Evan, brothers to Keon, and best friends to Justin, just to torment all of us."
Nicola looked at Rebekah, Kassandra and Justin in shock and horror, sympathetic.
Justin and Rebekah exchanged a guilty look, lowering their heads.
---
Flashback 8
Day - Village
Rebekah, Ingrid and Klaus stood above Esther's grave.
Rebekah: (voice over) "After he killed our mother, our father took off in a rage, and the rest of our family scattered. Nik, Grid, Elijah, Kassandra and Evan stayed, so they could help me bury her. They knew I had to say goodbye to Mother."
Klaus looked at Rebekah in pure guilt.
Ingrid looked at Klaus knowingly.
"I'm sorry she turned her back on you," Rebekah told them. "I will never do that."
Evan, Elijah and Kassandra walked closer.
"Nor shall I," Elijah told them.
"And neither will I," Evan added.
"My choice is made," Kassandra told them. "I'll never leave any of you."
Rebekah was crying. "We stick together as one. Always and forever."
Rebekah took Kassandra's hand on one side of her, and Ingrid's hand on the other side. Ingrid took Klaus's hand on her other side. Klaus took Evan's hand on his other side. Evan took Elijah's hand on his other side. Elijah took Kassandra's other hand to close the circle of siblings. Kassandra, Rebekah, Ingrid, Klaus, Evan and Elijah stood together over their mother's grave, hand in hand.
---
Now
Night - Kassandra's Mansion - Parlor
Nicola was sitting down, holding her head, closing her eyes, looking down at the uncomfortable twinge of pain.
Justin held a glass toward her. "Here. It'll help make the pain go away."
Nicola took the glass. "Always and forever..." She looked at Rebekah. "Even though they locked you in a coffin for 90 years? Left Kassandra in hers for 500? Evan, Kol and Finn for who knows how long?"
Nicola took a drink.
"We're vampires," Rebekah told them. "Our emotions are heightened. Finn self-righteous, Kol wily and trouble causing, Keon always looking for adventure, me stubborn, Elijah and Evan moral, Kassandra loyal to a fault, though she has an anger that rivals our father's, Grid maternal but monstrous, and Nik..." Nicola took a drink. "Nik has no tolerance for those who disappoint him. Over a thousand years as a family, we've all made that mistake at least once." Rebekah looked at Justin. "I've made it several times."
Justin looked down knowingly, taking a drink.
"But you still love them?" Nicola asked.
"Niklaus and Ingrid are our brother and sister," Kassandra told her. "And we're immortal. Should we spend an eternity alone instead?" Nicola didn't answer. "You've heard the story, it's time to go."
"Nicola, Justin, just leave before you make Kassandra angry," Rebekah told them. "Trust me, you don't want to see Sandra angry. I don't know what you're up to, but we're no longer playing along."
Nicola stood. "I'm just looking for one good reason why we shouldn't wake Mikael."
"And we've given you a thousand," Kassandra told her. "But you will anyway. I know you want him to help kill our siblings. I'm not stupid."
"It's no secret that I want this war that Rosalita wanted us to start to end, and so far, the only way we know how to do that is to kill Klaus and Ingrid," Nicola told them. "So if you have another idea, then please, I am all ears. Because right now, they have a hold over Stefan's life, over Kaylin's, and we can't kill Rosalita, so..."
"Here's another reason why you can't trust Mikael," Rebekah told her. "Not only did he kill Keon, Marcel and Noah, but he killed Justin's sister Lucy that same night in New Orleans, 1919."
Nicola looked at Justin in shock, looking at him in sympathy.
Justin looked down. "We just want to stop Rosalita from having a hold over all of us and free all of us from this war. If you have another idea, then work with us, please."
"We couldn't even if we wanted to," Kassandra reminded them. "But go ahead. Wake Mikael at your own peril. But make no mistake, if you come after my family, I will rip you apart. And I get my temper from our father. Now leave!"
Nicola and Justin sighed, walking out, leaving. Rebekah and Kassandra watched them go.
---
Bar
(Song) Losing Ground - Trent Dabbs
Mikael was confronting Nathan, Stefan, Damon, Kaylin and Alex. He looked at Stefan, Kaylin and Alex. "Are Ingrid and Klaus out of the country?"
"We can't tell you," Alex told him.
"Have they spoken to either of you since they left?" Mikael asked.
"We can't tell you," Alex repeated.
"All right," Mikael told them. "Can you tell me the last time you spoke to Niklaus and Ingrid?"
"We're compelled to do what they say, and they say to keep our damn mouths shut," Stefan told him.
Kaylin sighed impatiently. "I really hope this game of 20 Questions isn't your secret weapon."
"You see, Kaylin..." Mikael trailed off, putting his hand on Nathan and Damon's shoulders. "I've been a vampire hunter longer than any of you've been alive. It's why I found you here. It's why I'm gonna find Niklaus and Ingrid. Why I found them, Elijah, Evan, Rebekah and Keon in New Orleans and nearly killed them all, and succeeded in killing Keon and two men that were like sons to Ingrid and Evan. Marcel Gerard and Noah Dumaine."
"Well, Klaus and Ingrid have been running for about 1000 years, even after you killed Ingrid's son Keon, and adoptive sons to Ingrid and Evan, Marcel and Noah, so if you think you can get work around here..." Kaylin trailed off.
(End of Song)
Mikael slammed his fists into Nathan and Damon's chests, clutching their hearts.
Kaylin took a step forward.
"Careful, Kaylin," Mikael warned. "One more move, and their hearts are gone." Kaylin stopped. "Now where are Ingrid and Klaus? What's the trick question? One twist and they're dead. Unless neither of you care, of course."
Damon gasped. "Stefan's emotions have been shut off. He can't care. Kaylin and Alex are under compulsion. They can't answer."
"Really?" Mikael asked. He looked at Kaylin. "I heard of your bond with Niklaus in the '20s, how you two were together, and how you were best friends with Ingrid and Rebekah. Is your link to them so strong that you will let your own brothers die?" Kaylin opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "No ideas, hmm? Think, Kaylin!" Kaylin couldn't answer. "I guess you're right, Damon. They're a dead end. And so are you and Nathan."
Mikael was about to rip out Nathan and Damon's hearts.
"Wait!" Alex told him.
"We can bring them back," Kaylin told him. "We can lure Klaus and Ingrid back to Mystic Falls."
Mikael took his hands out of Nathan and Damon's chest, wiping them off with a rag. "And there is our loophole. Just had to rile them up a bit." He looked at Kaylin. "Get Klaus and Ingrid back to Mystic Falls, and I will gladly drive a stake through their hearts. Fail, I'll drive it through yours."
"Go ahead, kill me, I don't care," Kaylin told him.
Mikael chuckled in amusement. "I'm sure you don't, Kaylin. So then why don't I drive it through all of your brothers' instead, and kill Nicola as well?" Kaylin glared at him. "It's either my son and daughter, your former love and best friend that die, or your entire family."
Mikael walked away, leaving.
Damon and Alex looked at each other worriedly.
Nathan sighed in anxiety, relieved to still be alive, but worried about their entire family.
Stefan was mostly expressionless, though he seemed to have a twinge of humanity.
Kaylin sighed, closing her eyes, left with this impossible choice.
---~---
Cave
Elena, Ashley, Nicola and Alaric were in the cave.
Charlotte, Jack, Justin, Gabriella, Liv and Cristian were standing at the archway, unable to get in.
They were looking over the drawings and carvings.
"We, uh, filled in what we could," Alaric told them. He stuck post-its to the different symbols. "A vampire, werewolf, slaughter, mayhem, etc."
Justin pointed at the drawings. "That's the white oak tree that was used in the spell to create the vampires. Which means that was when they burned down the tree, destroying the only way that they could be killed."
"Okay," Liv told them. "So tree equals weapon. Sort of."
Ashley tilted her head. "We already knew that."
"We didn't even get to the best part yet," Cristian told them.
"What do you mean?" Nicola asked.
"What we are not sure about is this," Jack told her. "We've got the witch symbol, and what looks like a bleeding heart. Upside down figures usually signified death, of some kind."
"Justin, Nicola, you said that Kassandra and Rebekah told you that Mikael killed Esther by ripping out her heart," Charlotte told them.
"But why is that one connected to the witch's death?" Gabriella asked.
"We don't know," Elena admitted. "We haven't gotten that far."
Nicola realized what it meant, in shock. "Oh, my God. Rebekah and Kassandra don't know the real story."
---
Kassandra's Mansion - Living Room
Rebekah and Kassandra were pouring themselves a drink.
Nicola walked in, holding photographs of the drawings and carvings.
"I thought we told you to leave," Kassandra told her, taking a drink. "Twice."
Rebekah took a drink.
"How do you know that Mikael killed your mother?" Nicola asked.
"Nik and Grid were there," Rebekah told her. "They told us."
"They lied to you," Nicola told them.
"And how do you know that?" Kassandra asked.
"The cave where you carved your family's names is covered in symbols," Nicola told them, showing them a picture. "The story of your family: how your parents arrived, how they made peace, the spell that turned them into vampires, and this." She showed them picture after picture. "This is the symbol for hybrid. It's a combination of the werewolf and the vampire symbols. And this is the one for your mother."
"Her necklace and bracelet," Rebekah said.
Nicola hesitated before showing them the picture of the hybrid symbol, the witch symbol and a bleeding, upside down heart. "And this is the story of her death. One of the hybrids killed the Original Witch. Not Mikael. Klaus or Ingrid. I'm guessing Klaus killed your mother and Ingrid chose to lie about it to protect him."
Rebekah shook her head in denial. "No. No, they wouldn't."
"Esther put the curse on them, made it so that they would be the only ones of their kind, and then she rejected them," Nicola told them. "With the werewolf gene comes aggression and violence. When they turned, all of that was heightened. Kassandra... Rebekah... Klaus killed Esther. Ingrid lied about it. And then they made up this entire lie about your father, so that they wouldn't lose you, or Elijah, or Evan, or Kol, or Finn. They probably never even told Keon."
Kassandra was in severe angry denial. "These mean nothing! They're just stupid drawings done by stupid people who had no idea who my family was."
Kassandra took the photos from Nicola, throwing them into the fire to watch them burn.
"Then why are you so upset?" Nicola asked.
"Why are you doing this to us?" Rebekah asked incredulously.
"Klaus killed your mother, and Ingrid knew about it," Nicola told them. "This happened before any of you met Rosalita. And Rosalita has a hold on you, on me, on everyone. She has for two thousand years. We have to make this war between us stop. And if we can't do that by stopping Rosalita, we have to do it by stopping Klaus and Ingrid."
Kassandra grabbed Nicola by her throat, pushing her against the wall, transforming angrily. "Shut up! Shut up! Don't talk anymore! Nothing!"
Nicola remained calm and still.
"Kassandra..." Rebekah trailed off.
Kassandra stopped hurting Nicola, letting herself return to normal. She knew that she was telling the truth, slowly letting her go, calming down to absolute despair, backing away.
Nicola held her neck in pain, gasping softly, silently to catch her breath.
Rebekah looked disconcerted and devastated, tears in her eyes, sinking to her knees, starting to cry.
Nicola looked at them in regret, guilty for having to tell them this, actually sympathetic for them, seeming to believe that they didn't deserve this, looking down, hating herself at the moment for telling them this though they needed to know the truth.
---
Bar - Parking Lot
(Song) Shake It Loose - The Kicks
Alex, Stefan, Damon, Nathan and Kaylin were walking outside.
"I'll give you 10 points for flare," Stefan told them.
"At least, now, we know where Klaus and Elijah learned their tricks from," Kaylin told them. "Ingrid, Rebekah and Kassandra, too. And I'm guessing Evan, Kol and Finn. Sure Keon did too before Mikael killed him."
"Speaking of Keon, we know that he's Ingrid's son, but who the hell are Marcel and Noah?" Nathan asked.
"Two boys from the Mikaelson past that Klaus, Ingrid, Rebekah and Justin told me about in the 20s when I first met them, but of course didn't remember until recently," Kaylin answered. "Marcel Gerard was a slave that Ingrid saved and took in, raising him like a brother to Keon. Noah Dumaine was the sheriff's son, just as abused and used, saved by Evan and taken in by him to raise as well, also making him like a brother to Keon and Marcel. Apparently Mikael killed Keon, Noah and Marcel, alongside Justin's sister Lucy."
They looked at her in surprise, letting a moment of silence pass.
Nathan looked at Kaylin. "Don't think you had to wait till the last second to have your break through."
Kaylin smiled. "I didn't have a break through, Nathan."
"Ooh, ooh, my brothers are about to die and I just had to save their lives for the bajillionth time," Damon told her mockingly. "Careful, Kaylin, your humanity is showing."
"So you know what?" Kaylin asked, turning to face them, making them stop. "You're right, Damon. You and Nathan were right. You reminded us what our freedom felt like, and when this is over, I'll be free to do whatever the hell I want, including being the fun, badass little sister again."
"You know what I'll be able to be free to do?" Stefan asked. "Free to leave. And I'm not coming back."
Alex smirked. "Sure, Stefan. Whatever you say."
Stefan looked at Alex, Nathan and Damon. "Why are you three doing this, huh? Kaylin's practically already saved, so what do you want from me? Why is everybody trying to save me?"
"Because I made two promises, Stefan," Alex told him. "Liv, Elena, Ashley, Gabby and I promised Nicola months ago that we'd help her bring Kaylin back. And you asked me for my help before all of this happened. You asked me to save you, and I promised you I would."
Kaylin looked at Damon and Nathan, tilting her head. "What's your excuse, big bros?"
"Because we have to, Kaylin," Nathan told her. "Because we promised Nikki. Because we all care about you. And we can't just leave you in a cell to rot."
Kaylin smiled. "Aw."
"Better be careful, Nathan," Stefan told him. "Your humanity is showing. And so is yours, Damon. Humanity is one thing that you're not very good at showing."
(End of Song)
Damon punched Stefan in the face, making him fall. Stefan smirked, rushing toward him. Damon pushed him down again, kicking him in the side, making him fall onto his back.
Damon looked at Alex.
Alex tilted her head.
Damon looked at Kaylin.
Kaylin smirked, holding up her hands in a harmless gesture.
Damon looked at Nathan.
Nathan just raised his eyebrows, walking past them, walking away, leaving.
Damon followed Nathan, leaving.
Stefan smiled from the ground.
Kaylin lowered her hands, not completely back to the way that she used to be, but not the way she had been when she was in the 20s, either.
Alex watched Damon go numbly, knowing that it would only get worse for her from here.
---
Kassandra's Mansion - Living Room
(Song) We Don't Eat - James Vincent McMorrow
Rebekah was kneeling on the floor of the living room, crying in despair, placing her hand over her lips, sobbing. Kassandra knelt next to Rebekah to embrace her, more angry than she was sad, becoming furious that Klaus and Ingrid had lied to them for a thousand years, both of them reliving all the pain and misery they had lost, including their mother, Henrik and Keon.
---
Hunter House - Jack's Room
Jack led Ashley into his room, closing the door behind them, and with Ashley's back to the wall, they started to kiss slowly and passionately. Ashley pulled Jack's jacket off of him. They both stepped out of their shoes, removing each other's shirts, slowly making their way to the bed. Jack lifted Ashley into his arms, spinning her around, making her laugh happily. Ashley guided her hand along his shirtless form. They smiled, continuing to kiss. Ashley pushed Jack lightly onto the bed, where he sat down. Jack smiled, pulling Ashley closer. Ashley straddled his lap, as they started to make out passionately, holding each other close. Jack reached around Ashley to unhook her bra, placing it aside. They laid down together and continued to make out while Jack was being careful and gentle.
---
Cristian's Room
Cristian was lying on the bed, on the phone.
Liv walked out of the bathroom after having changed into pajamas. "Ashley's here, with Jack."
Cristian hung up his phone, placing it on the nightstand. "Yeah, I know."
"Who was that?" Liv asked.
"Damon," Cristian answered.
"You two are calling each other now?" Liv asked skeptically.
"It's still a hateful friendship kind of thing," Cristian told her.
Liv nodded in understanding, walking closer. "You mean frenemy." Cristian chuckled. "What did he have to say?"
"They got Mikael," Cristian answered.
Liv looked at him in surprise. "What? How?"
"No idea," Cristian told her. "I guess Katherine came through. Plan's in motion. And Damon and Nathan went behind our back and freed Stefan, Kaylin and Alex."
"What?" Liv asked.
"Yeah," Cristian answered. "And it backfired. Stefan's an even bigger dick than ever. Alex is further under the influence of Klaus and Ingrid's compulsion and high on blood. The only one that got any benefit out of today was Kaylin, because she's at least a quarter of the way back to her old self. But now, they're all on our side." Liv laid down on the bed next to Cristian, facing him to look at him while they spoke. "Damon and Nathan said that Mikael's weapon is a stake, 'cause he mentioned something about it."
"Well, they must have carved it from the white oak tree before they burned it down," Liv told him.
"So I was right," Cristian told her. "After all that, the wall lead us to Mikael."
Liv sighed. "Lead us to more than just that. I think Nicola and Justin got Rebekah and Kassandra on our side, too. Nicola feels guilty for hurting Kasandra and Rebekah, says that they're just girls. That they lost their Mom too young, and they love blindly and recklessly, even if it consumes them." She met Cristian's wondering gaze. "I know a lot of girls like that."
"You're like that, Liv," Cristian told her.
Liv smiled a small smile. "I know, Cristian. And after everything that's going on right now, all Nicola, Nathan and Damon can think about is saving Stefan and Kaylin. All Elena, Ashley, Gabby, Jer and I can think about is saving Alex. And all Rebekah and Kassandra want is to get revenge against Klaus for killing their mother and against Ingrid for lying about it."
"That's because when it's all said and done, there's nothing more important than the bond of family," Cristian told her, reaching over to turn the lamp off.
"I think that's what is going to save them, Cris," Liv told him. "It'll be because the love they have for their family."
Cristian wrapped his arm around Liv, letting her lay her head on his chest. "Get some rest."
Liv nodded, smiling softly. "Yes, sir."
Liv closed her eyes to go to sleep.
Cristian watched her, trailing his fingers through her hair.
---~---