"New Orleans? What the hell is Klaus doing there?" Rebekah asked Elijah in disbelief. It had been two days since Prom and Klaus had left Mystic Falls without saying anything to Nat.
"Evidently there are witches conspiring against him. So, knowing our brother, this was a mission to silence and slaughter." Nat rolled her eyes at his words and looked at Rebekah.
"Well, the French Quarter witches are not a lot to be trifled with. You don't suppose they've found a way to kill him once and for all, do you?" With a smile, the Original took a sip of her drink.
"Rebekah, in the name of our family, you might try to dial down your glee."
"What family? We're three distrustful acquaintances who happen to share a bloodline. I, for one, hope they've found a way to make that traitorous bastard rot."
"Rebekah!" Nat exclaimed with a frown, but the Original only shrugged carelessly. Elijah sighed and stood up right, walking to the front door.
"Where are you going?" Rebekah asked him loudly.
"To find out who's making a move against our brother. And then I'll either stop them... or I'll help them, depending on my mood." Nat and Rebekah exchanged glances as he opened the door and Nat grabbed her jacket and purse.
"I'm coming." He looked at her pointedly but she shook her head. "Not up for discussion."
She walked past him and stepped outside the house, heading directly to the car. She heard footsteps behind her and then Elijah unlocking the car. They got in soundlessly and drove away from Rebekah's house.
"You should've stayed with Rebekah." He told her quietly after a moment.
"And miss out on all the fun?" She smiled at him and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Besides, I didn't get to appreciate New Orleans the last time I was there." She shrugged and Elijah turned to her confused.
"You've been to New Orleans?"
"Mhm. I went with Damon and Stefan a while ago, we were trying to find out how to break the sire bond." He nodded and then turned back to the road.
"Did you like it?"
"What I got to see was amazing." She shrugged and then they remained silent. After a moment, she looked at him. "So, who is this witch that's conspiring against Nik?"
"Some woman named Jane-Anne Deveraux." Her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted slightly.
"I know her." He raised an eyebrow and Nat shook her head. "I mean, she was a bartender at this bar I went to. We only talked for a moment before she got back to her duties. After that, I just left. But she knew I was a witch."
"Interesting." He murmured. "Let's just hope Niklaus hasn't killed half the French Quarter before we find her."
"So, what brings you to the Big Easy?" The blonde bartender asked Elijah and Nat as she served them two martinis. After they had arrived, Nat led Elijah to the bar she had met Jane-Anne. But instead of her, they found this blonde woman.
"I used to live here." Elijah told her.
"Really? When?" The woman asked curiously.
"Oh, it feels like a hundred years ago."
"I just moved here myself." She said before her eyes landed on Nat. "What about you? You live here?"
"No, I'm just tagging along."
"What brought you back?" The blonde asked the Original.
"Well, my brother's here somewhere. I'm afraid he might have gotten himself into a bit of a bind."
"You say that like it's a common occurrence." Nat stifled a laughter and took a sip of her martini.
"Well... he's complicated. Defiant, ill-mannered, and a little temperamental. See, we don't share the same father." Elijah started and the blonde listened intently. "Of course that never bothered me, but my brother resents it deeply, never felt like he belongs. All told, he has a long history of getting himself into trouble."
"And I'm guessing you have a long history of getting him out of it."
"Oh, you have no idea." Nat told her with an amused smile. The blonde smiled at that and then turned back to Elijah.
"What kind of bind is your brother in?
"He believes there are people in this town that are conspiring against him." He shrugged and the blonde raised an eyebrow.
"Wow. Narcissistic and paranoid." She shook her head and Nat and Elijah observed her interested. "Sorry. Bartender with a grad degree in psychology. Total cliché."
"Listen." Elijah looked at her nameplate and then back at her. "Camille, I'm looking for someone who might shed some light on his current predicament."
"She works here, Jane-Anne Deveraux." Nat interjected and the blonde looked at her. "Any idea where we might find her?"
"No. But I know someone who might." Nat and Elijah exchanged glances and then looked back at the bartender.
"Welcome to New Orleans and the crown jewel of the Crescent city, the French Quarter. Jazz and jambalaya, romance, poetry, not to mention the things that go bump in the night. Monsters that feed off human blood, vengeful spirits of the dead, and my personal favorite, the witches." The woman guiding the group of tourists stopped in front of a voodoo shop. "Here we have the voodoo shop, Jardin Gris. Go on, browse for a hex." The tourists entered and the woman took a few steps towards Nat and Elijah.
"Are you going to continue following me, Elijah, or do you wanna talk?" Nat raised an eyebrow at her words, surprised that she knew him.
"You know who I am." Elijah stated.
"Original vampire, always wears a suit." Nat smiled at that and Sabine's gaze landed on her. "I see you brought a friend." The woman narrowed her eyes as she looked her up and down. "You and your family are famous amongst witches, especially with your... brother back in town."
"Well, Niklaus is here because he learned that a witch was conspiring against him. Someone by the name of Jane-Anne Deveraux." As soon as the name came out of Elijah's mouth, Sabine's face fell.
"Well, if he's looking for Jane-Anne, he's a little late."
"Are you saying she's dead?" Nat asked, brows furrowed at her cryptic words.
"Come on." Sabine sighed and motioned for them to follow her. "Her sister Sophie's gonna want to talk to you."
They followed her through the streets in the French Quarter until they arrived at a quiet one. They spotted a crowd of witches, some standing and others kneeling down around the body of their fallen friend, Jane-Anne. Nat frowned at the sight of her body laying on the ground with blood on its neck. Around her corpse were some flowers and candles, Sophie Deveraux presumably, sitting near her sister.
"That's Jane-Anne? Killed in public for anyone to find..." Elijah trailed off, visibly shocked.
"Only people that come around here are the witches. Now her sister has come to take her body. Her spirit can't rest until it's been properly interred in the cemetery." Sabine explained to them and Nat sighed. She had done a little research on New Orleans witches and had found out that they practiced ancestral magic, which meant that they drew power from their dead.
"Please tell me that my brother had nothing to do with this." Elijah said quietly.
"No. Jane-Anne died because she got caught doing magic."
"What do you mean she got caught doing magic?" Nat asked her puzzled. Suddenly, a loud whistle was heard throughout the street, startling Nat a little.
"You wanna know who killed Jane-Anne? You're about to get your first glimpse of Marcel in action." Nat's eyes widened at her words. Marcel? As in the vampire who she met some months ago?
"The vampire Marcel?" Elijah asked shocked and Nat looked at him in surprise, not knowing that he knew the vampire.
"Things have changed since your family left town. Marcel has changed." Sabine told him just as vampires started approaching the witches. "I'm asking you, stay hidden. If Marcel finds out that a witch lured the Originals back into town, my people will be slaughtered." Her voice held panic and Nat felt bad for her. Before she could say anything else, Elijah grabbed Nat by the waist and vamp sped them to a spot on a balcony hidden in the shadows.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Marcel's voice boomed through the street and Nat's lips parted at the sight of him. It was the vampire she had met months ago. "I gotta tell you Soph, this street corner is not proving the luckiest spot for your family tonight. Not half an hour ago, we had to teach your sister a little lesson."
"We're putting her to rest, Marcel. Leave us alone." Sophie said, her voice cracking a little.
"I never said you could move the body. Matter of fact, I left her here for a reason: send a message. If anybody is thinking of joining some kind of rebellion, my rules state that witches can't practice magic in the Quarter and yet a little birdy informed me that Jane-Anne was cooking up something magically delicious." Nat furrowed her brows at his words. Why couldn't the witches practice magic and how did he know that they were doing it? "Oh, yeah. While I have you, quick Q&A. My old friend – the hybrid, Klaus – he just happened to show up out of the blue asking for, of all people, Jane-Anne. Any idea why?"
"I don't know. Witches don't get involved in vampire business." Sophie told him and he smiled at her.
"Hmm. That would be pretty stupid, that's for sure." He then told her something in the ear before turning to the vampires. "Take the body."
"What? No! Stop! Stop! Marcel!" A vampire held Sophie back as she tried to stop the others from taking her body.
"I'm gonna hold on to your sister's body in case maybe you remember why Klaus is here." Marcel said loudly as he started walking away.
"Marcel please. Her body won't be at peace." Sophie told him on the verge of tears.
"Not my problem." Marcel told him smugly and the rest of the vampire walked away with Jane-Anne's body.
Nat and Elijah looked at each other with similar expressions. He grabbed her waist again and vamp sped them down to the street. They started walking away until they were certain no vampire or witch was nearby. Elijah got his phone out and called Rebekah.
"Did you find out what the witch wants?" Rebekah asked as soon as she picked up.
"No, but we did learn that Marcel killed her and took her body away from her sister." Elijah told her and Nat heard Rebekah's sharp intake of breath.
"You mean to tell me, after all these years, Marcel is alive and well?"
"Quite. Our brother seems to have wandered into a war zone and we haven't been able to find him." Elijah said over the phone. "Marcel, who Klaus sired and brought up beneath his own wing, now rules a menagerie of savage vampires running wild, killing in public for any human to come upon. Witches are held in subjugation."
"I doubt Nik had any idea what he was walking into." Nat said and Elijah nodded.
"Sorry, what was that? I stopped paying attention at 'our brother'." Rebekah told her brother and Nat rolled her eyes.
"Rebekah."
"Our hateful, traitorous bastard of a brother, who's negated any sympathy I once had for him by his repeated efforts to ensure neither you nor I know happiness outside of his own selfish universe."
"Always and forever, Rebekah. That is what we once swore to each other."
"Consider this me calling take-backs."
"Well, you've called take-backs dozens of times over the centuries and yet when our father found us and chased us away from this very city..."
"I may be old, Elijah, but I'm hardly senile. I know very well I stuck with Klaus, and not three years later he stuck a silver dagger in my chest and sent me into a magical slumber for ninety years. Do you know why? Because I had the audacity to try and live my life on my own without him." Rebekah ranted angrily and Nat felt for her. She loved Klaus, but he had always been cruel towards Rebekah, not caring for her happiness if it didn't include him.
"Enough. I believe our brother's in trouble, so whatever is going on between Marcel and the witches, it's dire enough that they'd risk bringing an Original back to town. The witches have lured him here, I'd like to know why." Elijah told her before hanging up the phone.
"Where to now?" Nat asked him as they started walking again.
"Sophie Deveraux."
They stood in front of Rousseau's, but before they could enter, Elijah looked at the alleyway. He motioned for Nat to follow him and they walked in that direction, staying behind a dumpster as they noticed two vampire following Sophie. She was standing in front of a little table with burning candles on it, crying and talking to her dead sister.
"Oh, you got me into this, Jane. Give me the strength to finish it." She cried softly. The door suddenly snapped shut, startling the witch. When she turned back, the two vampires jumped into the alley. "The doors work, you know?" She snapped angrily.
"You're doing magic?" One of the vampires asked her.
"I'm praying to my dead sister. Go ahead, pay your respects." Sophie's voice became a bit louder.
"Don't make this a thing, Sophie. The hybrid was looking for Jane-Anne. Marcel wants to know why."
"I'd say ask her yourself, but I guess you can't, seeing as Marcel killed her."
One of the vampires sped up and grabbed Sophie, but suddenly he disappeared. When Nat looked to her side, she noticed Elijah was gone. Her eyes trailed back to Sophie, who looked around in fear and the other vampire looked confused. Something fell to the ground, and when Nat looked carefully, she noticed it was a heart. The vampire looked up and turned around to attack Sophie, but before he reached her, Elijah grabbed him and threw him at the wall, a dagger sticking in his chest.
"I'm Elijah." Nat walked out of her hiding spot and towards him. "You heard of me?"
"Yes." Sophie nodded, her eyes filled with fear
"So, why don't you tell me what business your family has with my brother?" The witch looked at him scared and Nat rolled her eyes.
"So dramatic, Elijah. You scared the witch." Sophie turned around and looked at Nat curiously. "So, are you gonna answer him?" Sophie sighed and took her apron off.
"Wait here." She went inside the bar and a few minutes later, she came back without her uniform. "C'mon." She started walking away and Nat and Elijah followed her. They walked for some time until they arrived at Lafayette Cemetery. Sophie opened the gate and her and Nat entered the cemetery. When she didn't hear footsteps behind her, Nat looked at Elijah, who stood in front of the entry confused.
"Why can't he come in?" Nat asked Sophie.
"This is sacred ground, which means vampires have to be invited in." Elijah looked at her and she sighed. "But, since I'm desperate... Come on in." He entered the cemetery without a problem and the three of them walked inside. "We can talk freely here."
"Then I suggest you start talking. What did your sister want with Niklaus?" Elijah asked her suspiciously and the witch stopped walking, Elijah and Nat looking at her expectantly.
"Isn't it obvious? We have a vampire problem, and we need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back. We haven't had much luck, until my sister Jane-Anne met a girl, a werewolf passing through the quarter from a small town in Virginia. She had a special connection to your brother." Nat frowned at her words.
"What kind of connection?" Elijah asked confused.
"Apparently, they spent some time together. One thing led to another and now this special werewolf girl - she's pregnant." Nat's eyes widened at the revelation. "And the father of the child she's carrying is your brother Klaus."
"What?!" Nat exclaimed loudly and Sophie shrugged.
"That's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible, especially not when it comes to your brother. Think about it, they call him the hybrid, right?" They looked at her still shocked and then Sophie turned her head. "Bring her out!" Three witches came out, standing in formation around Hayley, who seemed confused and irritated. Her eyes landed on Nat and she sighed in relief.
"Nat." She said, probably relieved to finally see someone she knew. "Who the hell are you?" She asked Elijah as her eyes trailed over to him.
"Give us a moment, please." He told the witches, looking at Hayley intrigued. Sophie and the others nodded and led the three of them to a burial vault, lit by numerous candles on the walls around them. The witches left and Hayley sat down on a wooden bench. "So, have they been holding you here against your will?" Elijah asked him as he paced around the room.
"They lured me out to the bayou and grabbed me. And they did all these... weird witchy tests." The werewolf explained and Nat sat down next to her. "Not that I understand how this could happen. I mean, vampires are dead. They can't have children!" Nat looked up at Elijah and motioned with her eyes for him to explain Klaus' story.
"Perhaps if you knew my brother's story, it might explain how this is possible. Here, if I may." He tried to lay his hand on Hayley's temple, but she recoiled.
"What are you doing?"
"Relax." Nat told her and Hayley looked at her. "Just open your mind to him and he'll show you." The werewolf nodded reluctantly and Elijah placed his hands on her head, both of them closing their eyes.
"In the beginning, our family was human... A thousand years ago, now. Although our mother dabbled in the dark arts, we were actually just a family trying to survive in a time when it was quite difficult to do so. And, for better or worse, we were happy." His eyes opened and they met Nat's, both of them smiling at his words. "That is, however, until one night, our youngest brother was killed by our village's greatest threat. Men that could transform themselves into wolves during the full moon. Our family was devastated, none more than Niklaus. Desperate to protect the rest of us, our father forced our mother to call upon her black magic in order to make us stronger."
"And so, the first vampires were born." Nat muttered.
"But with this speed, this strength, this immortality, came a terrible hunger. No one felt this hunger more than Niklaus. When he killed for the first time, we knew what he truly was." Hayley's eyes opened and she looked between Nat and Elijah surprised.
"He wasn't just a vampire." Nat told her.
"He was also a werewolf." The other girl realized. "That's how the werewolf curse works. It isn't activated until you take a life."
"Niklaus was the result of an indiscretion our mother had hidden from us all. An affair, with a werewolf just like yourself." Elijah explained to the werewolf. "Infuriated by this betrayal, my father forced our mother to cast a spell that would suppress Klaus' werewolf side, denying him any connection with his true self."
"Your dad was a dick." Hayley told Elijah and he chuckled.
"Understatement of the century." Nat mumbled.
"I'm Hayley, by the way." The werewolf introduced herself to the Original. "You should probably know my name if you're gonna tell me your whole life story. I mean, I know yours, your family is legendary. Your brother is a notorious psycho... who I slept with. Classic me." She muttered the last part, making Nat laugh at her words.
"I cannot excuse his behavior, but you must understand, when our father hunted him - hunted us - for centuries, every time we found a moment of happiness, we were forced to flee." Nat looked at him sadly, knowing how hard it must've been to run for a thousand years, to always be on guard, to never be able to settle down. "Even here, in New Orleans, where we were happiest of all. Not long after Niklaus broke the spell which prevented him from becoming a hybrid, he defeated our father. I thought this would make him happy." He shook his head and bit his lip. "He was angrier than ever. I wonder if perhaps this baby might be a way for my brother to find happiness. A way to save him from himself." He looked up at Nat, eyes full of hope and she smiled at him.
"I'm glad you feel that way, because we need your help." Sophie entered the vault, addressing Elijah.
"What precisely is it that you want and what does it have to do with this young woman?" He asked the witch, standing up and staring at her suspiciously.
"We want to run Marcel and his vampires out of town. Klaus is the key. Everything Marcel knows about being a vampire, he learned from Klaus. Marcel trusts him, looks up to him, and he won't see the betrayal coming."
"Yes, well." Nat sighed and looked at the witch. "As I'm sure you're aware, Klaus doesn't like being told what to do."
"That's why I brought him here." Sophie pointed at Elijah. "Marcel drove the werewolves out of town decades ago. Do you really think he's going to welcome a hybrid baby to the neighborhood?" Nat looked at Hayley and then turned back to Sophie. "Convince Klaus to help us and no one has to know about the newest member of the Original family."
"That sounds remarkably like blackmail." Elijah noted and she shrugged.
"Like I said, I'm desperate."
"Well, then. I have my work cut out for me, don't I?" He turned to Nat and nodded at her.
"I'll stay with Hayley, you get him." He looked at Hayley one last time before leaving the vault. Nat sighed and turned to the werewolf. "So, how are you feeling?"
"I should ask you that question." Nat furrowed her brows. "I'm carrying your ex's child. Isn't that weird?"
"Klaus is your ex?" Sophie's voice startled her a little and she turned to the shocked witch.
"I thought you had already left." She mumbled before nodding. "It's a long story, one that dates back to a thousand years ago." Sophie frowned at her words, clearly lost. "I knew the Originals before they turned."
"I thought you were a witch, a siphoner."
"I am." Sophie looked at her confused, still not understanding. "I was cursed to be born again with no memories and no powers. It's a long story, but I have my memories and powers back." She got up and stepped closer to the witch. "Which means, that if you or any other witch lays a finger on Hayley and that child, I will personally kill you." She smiled at the witch.
"As long as Klaus cooperates, Hayley will be safe." Sophie shrugged and Nat nodded. The witch left and Nat turned back to the werewolf, who was looking at her surprised.
"Did you mean it?"
"Of course." Nat told her as if it was obvious. "You are carrying Nik's child, which admittedly is a bit weird, but it's done. And I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm kinda short on friends and family." She held out her hand and offered the werewolf a smile. "So, friends?"
"Friends." Hayley agreed and shook her hand, sporting a similar smile.
"Sophie Deveraux." Klaus said as soon as he and Elijah entered the mausoleum her and Nat were in. "And Natalia, of course." She smiled at him. "What is this?"
"He's all yours. Proceed."
"You know you're famous in this town?" Sophie asked the hybrid while Nat walked to stand next to Elijah. "Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphan street rat until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants, he kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him and you're gonna help me."
"This is why you brought me here?" Klaus asked Elijah, clearly amused.
"Hear her out." Nat told him but he shook his head.
"I don't need to hear her out. I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even thirty more seconds of my time." He then turned to his brother. "Elijah, what madness is this?" In that moment, Hayley entered the mausoleum with a few other witches.
"Klaus, you need to listen to them." Klaus started laughing and shaking his head.
"You're all out of your minds if you think some liquor-fueled one night stand." He turned to Hayley. "No offense, sweetheart, means a thing to me."
"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance, we still know when nature has cooked up something new. For example, I have a special gift... of sensing when a girl is pregnant."
"What?" All amusement left Klaus' face at Sophie's words.
"I know it's impossible..." Hayley trailed off and Nat could notice her fear.
"What are you saying?"
"Niklaus... the girl is carrying your child." Nat held her breath for a moment, afraid of what his reaction might be.
"No. It's impossible." He shook his head frantically. "Vampires cannot procreate."
"But werewolves can. Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the Original hybrid, the first of your kind and this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." Sophie interjected, trying to make him see reason. Nat could see him fighting for control over his facial expressions before turning to Hayley.
"You've been with someone else, admit it!" He shouted at her.
"Hey!" Hayley exclaimed defensively. "I've spent days held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think that I'm carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you think I would've fessed up if it wasn't yours?"
"My sister gave her life to perform the spell that she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girls and her baby are now controlled by us." Nat, Elijah and Hayley suddenly had similar expressions, clearly surprised at her words. "If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Hayley won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."
"Wait, what?" Hayley asked loudly.
"Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself." Elijah told the witches, but Sophie shook her head.
"No, we can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow and there are rules." Nat narrowed her eyes at her words, suddenly sensing that they were hiding something.
"How dare you command me..." Klaus asked Sophie, now furious. "Threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weakness!" He shouted and Nat looked at Elijah. "I won't hear any more lies." He moved to leave, but Elijah stopped him.
"Niklaus. Listen." The Original looked at Hayley's abdomen and so did the hybrid. For just a moment, Nat could see his eyes fill with hope and wonderment, but then he met Hayley's and then closed himself off once more.
"Kill her and the baby. What do I care?" Nat frowned as he stormed out of the mausoleum and turned to Hayley.
"Screw this. I'm out of here!" Hayley exclaimed and tried to leave, but the witches blocked her.
"No one touches the girl." Elijah said out loud and looked at Nat, who just nodded. "I'll fix this." With that he left.
"Great." Nat sighed and turned to Sophie. "This is not gonna be easy. You know that, right?"
"I'm desperate. I don't care how long it takes, but I'm gonna get us the Quarter back." Nat looked at her and shrugged.
"Well, I respect your desire to fight for your kind, but Klaus doesn't like to be told what to do, especially when it comes to witches." Sophie shrugged and other witches entered the mausoleum.
Nat and Hayley stood on the side as the witches talked amongst themselves. They spent some time like that, just staring quietly at the witches, who seemed to disagree with Sophie's methods.
"Marcel and his vampires are out of control. Something had to be done." Sophie argued and the older witch glared at her.
"And the solution is to bring in more vampires?"
"These aren't just any vampires, Agnes. They're the Originals." Sophie reminded Agnes, but the woman was still reluctant.
"What makes you think you can control the hybrid?"
"She can't." Elijah's voice startled them and Nat noticed him leaning on the wall. "I'm not entirely certain that I can, either. But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question. What prevents my brother from murdering you instead of cooperating?" Nat looked at Sophie curiously, wanting to know that too. The witch smiled at them and grabbed a needle, showing it to the Original before sticking it into her hand.
"Ow!" Hayley exclaimed, drawing Nat and Elijah's attention. When she showed them her hand, they saw a drop of blood on her hand, in the exact same spot Sophie hurt herself. "What the hell?!"
"The spell my sister performed, the one that got her killed? It didn't just confirm the pregnancy. It linked me to Hayley. So anything that happens to me, happens to her, which means her life is in my hands. Klaus may not care about his own child, but it's very clear what it already means to you two. If I have to hurt Hayley – or worse – to ensure that I have your attention, I will."
"You would dare threaten an Original?" Elijah asked her, slightly amused.
"I have nothing to lose." The grin disappeared from Elijah's face. "You have until midnight to get Klaus to change his mind."
Loud music played over the speakers in the courtyard. The place was full of vampires drinking and dancing, including Marcel. Suddenly, Klaus walked inside, his face showing anger. Nat and Elijah were standing above on a balcony, observing the scene in front of them.
"This is not gonna end well." Nat mumbled and Elijah nodded.
"I'm afraid not."
"That's funny, because when I left 100 years ago, you were just a pathetic little scrapper still trembling from the lashes of the whips of those who would keep you down, and now look at you – master of your domain, prince of the city." Klaus' voice boomed through the courtyard and the music stopped, the crowd watching Marcel and Klaus. "I'd like to know how."
"Why? Jealous? Hey, man, I get it. Three hundred years ago, you helped build a backwater penal colony into something. You started it, but then you left. Actually, you ran from it. I saw it through." Marcel told him and Nat could see he was getting more serious. "Look around. Vampires rule this city now. I got rid of the werewolves. I even found a way to shut down the witches. The blood never stops flowing and the party never ends. You wanna pass on through? You wanna stay a while? Great. What's mine is yours, but it is mine. My home, my family, my rules."
"And if someone breaks those rules?" Klaus asked him.
"They die. Mercy is for the weak, you taught me that too." He pointed at the hybrid. "And I'm not the prince of the Quarter, friend. I'm the King! Show me some respect!" Marcel shouted, startling Nat a little. Klaus took everything in for a few seconds before rushing towards one of Marcel's men and biting him viciously in the neck. Nat and Elijah looked away, the latter pursing his lips in frustration. After he dropped him, the hybrid turned to Marcel, blood dripping from his lips.
"Your friend will be dead by the weekend, which means I've broken one of your rules. And yet I cannot be killed. I am immortal." Klaus told Marcel, a smug smirk on his lips. "Who has the power now, friend?" With that, he left the courtyard smiling.
Elijah looked at her and then grabbed her hand, leading her out of the courtyard. Once they were on the streets and away from the party, Elijah got his phone out and called Rebekah again.
"He's willing to give up everything." He told his sister as soon as she picked up. "I already see it. He's spiralling, he's lashing out in blind rage. You know, the last time I saw him like this, it lasted 200 years." He looked at Nat and she knew that it must've been after her death. "He was so close. When he heard the baby's heartbeat, I could see it in his eyes. He... he wanted... he could almost taste happiness. And now his temper has destroyed it. Even if I was to return him to sanity, he just lost Marcel's trust. So, I'm almost out of time to get the girl." He paused for a moment, listening to Rebekah's reply. "Say what you will about Niklaus, but on my life, I'm not letting anything happen to her baby." With that he hung up.
"Was it really 200 hundred years?" She asked Elijah once they started walking again.
"Perhaps a bit more. After your death, both of us were... lost. But Niklaus took it the hardest." She looked at him sadly and then looked back down. "You should go back to the cemetery, I'll go speak with Marcel."
"No." He gave her a pointed look but she shook her head. "I'm coming."
"He's made it very clear he despises witches, he might just kill you if you step anywhere near him." She smiled at him and stepped closer to him.
"Do you trust me?" He cupped her cheek and nodded. "Then let me come with you." He reluctantly nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead.
They walked through the Quarter, Elijah leading her to a bar a few streets away. After walking for some minutes, they stopped in front of the bar, but before they could enter, Nat stopped him.
"You go in first." He nodded and entered the bar. After a minute, Nat entered the bar too. She noticed some people drinking and talking, while others were mumbling amongst themselves, serious expressions on their faces. She assumed those were Marcel's vampires, so she walked in that direction.
"It's time we had a little chat." She heard Elijah tell Marcel. She took a deep breath and stepped into the light.
"Have room for one more?" She asked with a sly smile. Marcel looked up and his eyes widened slightly at her presence.
"Mystery witch." He said out loud and Nat glanced at Elijah from the corner of her eye, seeing his surprised reaction.
"Natalia Gilbert." She held out her hand as she sat next to Elijah. "Nice to meet you, Marcel Gerard." He shook her hand and looked between Nat and Elijah suspiciously.
"You're with the Mikaelsons?" She looked at Elijah and smiled at him.
"Elijah, to be more precise." Marcel looked between them in realization and chuckled.
"So, he's your complicated relationship."
"It's not so complicated anymore." He raised an eyebrow before turning to the Original.
"Well, if you're gonna talk, talk. I got things to do." Marcel told him.
"Oh my, you have grown quite confident over the last century, haven't you?"
"Me? I'd say it's you and your brother who got cocky, coming into my town like you own the place." Marcel retorted.
"Well, we did own the place once. We were all quite happy here as I recall. But we could never control those pesky witches of the French Quarter." Nat glared at him playfully and he raised his hand up defensively. "How do you do it?"
"Your brother asked me the same question. I gave him the same answer: It's my business. Everything in the Quarter is my business. Klaus comes into town all nice and friendly, then he starts looking down his nose at what I've down like it's some cheap knock-off of one of his dumb paintings, then he gets pissed of like a little bitch and bites one of my guys." Nat stifled a laughter at his words and looked down at her hands.
"Well, I do apologize for Klaus' poor behavior. I assume you know that bite will kill your friend within a matter of days." Marcel looked away angrily.
"Of course, Klaus' blood would cure him." Nat told him with a smile and he looked up surprised.
"What?"
"Yes, apparently the blood of the hybrid will cure a werewolf bite. Quite a handy little thing when one needs leverage in negotiation." Elijah told the vampire.
"What kind of negotiations are we talking about?"
"Return the body of the witch Jane-Anne. Allow her people to put her to rest." Elijah told him simply and Marcel frowned.
"What do you care about the witches."
"Well, that's our business, now, isn't it?" Nat replied and Marcel sighed. He nodded at his guys and they led them to the courtyard, where Jane-Anne's body was laying.
After getting to the cemetery, Nat and Elijah walked through the graves and to the mausoleum they had left the witches some time ago.
"Klaus does not care about the child." They heard one of the witches say as they neared the mausoleum with Jane-Anne's body.
"We do." Nat said out loud as she entered the mausoleum first, Elijah behind her carrying the body.
"And we bring proof of our intent to help you: the body of your fallen friend, which we procured from Marcel himself."
"Jane-Anne." Sophie whispered and Nat noticed tears gathering in her eyes.
"May she be granted peace. Klaus will agree to your terms. I just need a little more time." Elijah told them.
"You had your time. It's passed." Agnes, the older witch, snapped at Elijah.
"Shut up, Agnes." Sabine told her.
"For now, accept the deal. The girl and the child remain unharmed, or Klaus will kill you all." He started to walk away, but then turned around again. "And I will help him."
"So, that's it? I'm just supposed to pack up my things and leave for good? Forget my life here and my pursuit of the cure?" Rebekah exclaimed loudly, clearly angry at Elijah. They were back in Mystic Falls and in Rebekah's house.
"Oh, the cure was a fool's errand. I mean, taking it would've stripped you of everything you are, for what? More high school proms?" He asked her and Nat frowned, not liking the way he was speaking to Rebekah. She wanted to be human and Nat understood her. She was tired of being a vampire and everything that came with it, she wanted to make her own choices.
"I wanted to be human. I wanted children and a family." The blonde argued.
"And I stand before you to offer you both."
"And if I decide against you? A dagger in my heart and then back in a box?" Elijah pursed his lips and shook his head.
"I've made my case. Your family needs you, and what choice you make right now is your own." Rebekah considered his words for a moment before walking closer to him.
"I owe him nothing. I wish him no joy, no love. I will stay here and live my life the way I want to, and if you two are smart, I suggest you do the same." She left them and Nat looked down at her feet.
"She's right." Nat turned around and found Katherine standing there.
"I'll be outside." Elijah left the two girls alone. Nat looked at the vampire, who walked closer to her.
"Be smart, Nat. Klaus is stark raving mad, not to mention completely irredeemable."
"I don't believe that." Katherine sighed and stared at her.
"Have you thought about...?"
"I have." Nat said quietly and took a deep breath. "You were wrong. You and Elena don't care about me, because if you did, then you wouldn't have killed Jeremy. If Elena cared about me, she wouldn't have killed Kol. The truth is, you both lost me and I need to stop pretending that it just happened recently. I never had you back, Katerina." The vampire's eyes got glossy all of a sudden. "I wanted to trust you, but I can't. I have nothing left for me here, not you, not Elena. Once I graduate, I'm gone for good." She started walking to the door but stopped before she opened it. "Goodbye, Katherine."
She stepped outside Rebekah's house and walked to Elijah's car, opening the door and getting on the passenger's seat. He looked at her for a second before driving away. Once Rebekah's house was out of sight, Nat sighed heavily.
"Are you alright?" He asked her softly and she turned to him, a smile tugging on her lips.
"I am now." He laughed quietly and kept driving.
"You didn't tell me you knew Marcel." He noted after a moment and she smiled amusedly.
"I knew this was coming. I met him when I went to New Orleans with Stefan and Damon." He glanced at her curiously, wanting to know more. "He bought me a drink and flirted with me." She noticed his hands tightening on the steering wheel at her words. "But I told him that I was in a complicated relationship. Nothing happened."
"Complicated, huh?" She shrugged, a cheeky smile on her face. "You said that it wasn't that complicated anymore." She nodded and his lips curved up slowly. "What does that make us?"
"Hm, what about I call you my boyfriend?" He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, if you don't want me to be your girlfriend, I'm sure I can find someone else." She joked and he laughed loudly before grabbing her hand and kissing it softly.
"No. I quite like the sound of you being my girlfriend." She turned to him and leaned closer, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek before pulling back.
"Good. Then after my summer trip, I'll be on my way to New Orleans."
"I'll wait for you, then."
A/N
Wow, this has been the longest chapter I've written so far, partly because I used scenes from 1x01 of The Originals, which is basically the same episode but from Elijah's POV. So, what did you think? What's your opinion on Hayley and Nat? We're nearing the end of s4 and the end of this book!
As always, any type of feedback is very much appreciated!