"I TOLD YOU Agnes, I feel great." Cullen exclaims as she flips through a magazine.
"You are overdue for a checkup." Agnes chastises the girl.
"What am I gonna do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick ultrasound? A pregnant witch escorted by another witch? Nothing to see here." Cullen arches an eyebrow.
"I know a doctor out in the Bayou, off the beaten path. Now, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you. Tonight, after-hours, just us. Vampires will never get word of it." Agnes explains.
Cullen sighs, thinking for a moment. She knew she would need to see a doctor soon, she just didn't want to put herself in danger. "Okay, fine. Bayou-baby-doctor it is."
-
"Your baby's heart rate is perfect." The doctor smiles as she pulls away from Cullen. "Your blood pressure is a bit high, I've got something for it." Cullen nods, watching as the doctor walks away right as her phone vibrates. Looking down she sees it's a text from Rebekah asking where she is. Quickly Cullen replies, letting her know that she's in the Bayou for a check up.
Lights outside catch Cullen's attention as she jumps down from the operating table. Glancing outside and then towards the doctor talking to Agnes she begins to get a bad feeling. "Uh, you know, I'm-I'm actually not that good with pills." Cullen tries to come up with an excuse as the doctor walks back into the room.
The doctor laughs slightly. "Well, me neither, truth be told." Cullen takes a deep breath as the doctor walks over to the counter, getting her medicine ready. The brunette's eyes widen when she turns around just in time to watch as the doctor comes towards her with a needle. Using her magic, Cullen knocks the doctor out, watching as she falls to the ground.
Cullen glances through the doorway only to see Agnes talking to some sketchy looking men, quickly and quietly she slips out of the window in the back room, running into woods that surrounded the building. Waiting in the woods, Cullen watches as the men pass her one by one. Raising her hand she watches as they all drop to the ground, their necks now broken. The girl whips around as she feels a hand being placed on her shoulder. "It's just me." Rebekah calms her before glancing towards the dead vampires. "I have to say, I'm impressed."
"How'd you find me?" Cullen questions.
"Your text got me half way, vamp hearing did the rest." Rebekah explains. "Who are they?"
"I don't know." Cullen shakes her head. "Agnes hired them."
"There are more of them." Rebekah exclaims, drawing Cullen's attention towards the light flashes through the trees. "Run!" Not needing to be told twice Cullen takes off. "If I had a dollar for every mess my family has got me into." The sound of a body hitting the ground stops Cullen as she turns towards Rebekah, only to see the original on the ground.
"Rebekah." Cullen calls, letting out a gasp as an arrow is shot into her shoulder. Almost immediately Cullen's world goes black as she falls to the ground.
-
When Cullen woke up she was no longer laying near Rebekah, instead she was back at the clinic. Letting out a groan she attempts to stand up, her legs still weak from running through the woods. "Cullen." Cullen hears a familiar voice call her name. "Cullen. What happened?" Klaus questions as him and Rebekah walk out of the clinic.
"I can't remember." Cullen shakes her head. "I don't know how I got back here."
"You've completely healed." Klaus observes, placing his hand on her shoulder. "There's not a scratch on you."
"How is that possible?" Cullen questions, glancing down at her shoulder. "They shot me with an arrow."
"It's the baby." Rebekah speaks up. "The vampire blood-- Klaus' vampire blood-- in your system. It can heal any wound. Your own child healed you. How did you escape? You were outnumbered, unarmed? Those men were ripped to shreds."
"I think it was my magic." Cullen tells her. "I don't know how but I think it was me."
"The witches were supposed to protect you." Klaus states. "When I get my hands on Sophie Deveraux-"
"It wasn't Sophie. It was Agnes." Cullen exclaims.
"Fine!" Klaus shrugs. "Agnes, Sophie, it's all the same to me. I'll slaughter the lot of them."
"Not if Elijah gets there first." Rebekah interrupts.
"Elijah?" Cullen questions, glancing between the siblings. "You found him?"
"He's been in touch, and he has a plan." Rebekah explains.
After a moment of silence Cullen speaks up. "Hey, so... can we go home now? I'd really like to sleep for a few days..." Cullen begins to stand, only for her legs to give out from under her causing her to almost fall to the ground.
"Whoa, I've got you, love." Klaus mutters, grabbing ahold of Cullen before she can hit the ground. Sweeping her off her feet, he picks her up. "I've got you."
-
The next morning was slow for Cullen, she was still exhausted from her adventure the day before so when she walked into the living room to see Sophie, Klaus, and Rebekah she let out a sigh. "What now?"
"Oh good, love. You're awake." Klaus smiles, both arms spread over the back of the couch.
"Unfortunately," Cullen mutters, taking a seat on the opposite end up the couch.
"Back to it." Rebekah nods her head towards Sophie.
"As I was saying I had nothing to do with what happened to Cullen. I swear. We are linked, remember? She dies, I die." Sophie stresses.
"Then who were they?" Rebekah questions.
"They are a faction of extremists. Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the baby." Sophie explains causing Cullen to perk up.
"What kind of vision." Cullen voices both her and Klaus's thoughts.
"She has them all the time. They are totally open to interpretation. I'm guessing she's wrong on this one." Sophie shakes her head.
"Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?" Klaus continues to interrogate the witch.
"Pretty much that your baby would bring death to all witches." Sophie drawls.
"Ah, well. I grow fonder of this child by the second." Klaus smirks.
"Hey." Cullen snaps, glaring at Klaus. "I'm a witch."
"Sophie, look." Rebekah begins, ignoring Cullen and Klaus's banter. "I promised Elijah that I would protect the Mikaelson miracle-baby whilst he tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty. Why don't you tell me just how extreme this faction is?"
"Elijah's talking to Davina?" Sophie leans forward in her seat, suddenly very interested.
Rebekah nods. "Yeah. As we speak, I imagine."
"I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd." Sophie mumbles.
"Do tell." Klaus grins.
"I... wasn't always an advocate for the witches." Sophie shrugs. "My sister was devoted, like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts. The minute I turned twenty-one, I left the Quarter to travel... and play. Sort of like Cullen."
"Ok I am sitting right here." Cullen exclaims, cause both Mikaelson's to smirk at her.
"Anyway. I wanted to be a chef, so I came back to Rousseau's." Sophie continues her story, mentioning something called the Harvest.
"What the bloody hell is a Harvest?" Rebekah questions.
"It's a ritual our coven does every three centuries so that the bond to our ancestral magic is restored. We appease our ancestors, they keep our ancestral power flowing." Sophie explains.
"And why haven't I heard of this?" Klaus interrupts.
"Because a Harvest always seemed like a myth. A story, passed on through generations like Noah's ark, or the Buddha walking on water. The kind some people take literally, and some people don't. They had the girls of our community preparing for months. Four would be chosen for the Harvest. They said that it was an honor, that they were special. I thought it was a myth." Sophie tells them.
"Was it?" Cullen speaks up, not having heard of any sort of magic ritual like this one. Usually when someone died there was no coming back.
A look of guilt washes over Sophie's face, but before she can answer Klaus's phone begins to ring. "Marcel." Klaus greets. "Bit early in the day for you, isn't it?" Cullen can't hear what Marcel says next but she can only assume he's asking Klaus to hang out. Cullen tunes Klaus out until she hears the words dead witches. "Dead witches in the Bayou. Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration." Sophie's eyes widen at Klaus's words. but Klaus doesn't even glance her way. "Oh, why not? Haven't been to the Bayou in ages. I'm on my way."
After he hangs up Sophie shakes her head. "You can't go out there now. I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we'll lose the link to their magic."
"Those witches tried to kill Cullen resulting in Cullen killing them. I'd prefer Marcel continue to think the wolves are responsible and his informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us, to her, or to... you know..." Klaus points towards Cullen stomach. "That."
Cullen rolls her eyes. "You are all class."
"Stay put. And save the rest of your story 'til I return." Klaus orders before walking out of the house.
-
"Hey. What the hell?" Sophie questions as she turns around only to see Cullen.
"Hi Sophie." Cullen smiles, pointing towards Sophie's bag. "You're going out there anyway, aren't you? I wanna go with you."
Sophie shakes her head. "No, thanks. Already got assaulted by Klaus this morning. Don't need a repeat."
"C'mon Sophie, just let me come with you." Cullen tries to reason with her.
"Could you two be more idiotic?" A familiar voice questions causing Cullen to turn around. "Two can play the follow-game, you know. You heard Klaus, he and Marcel are headed right where you're going."
"So distract them." Cullen exclaims. "Nothing will bring me more joy than to thoroughly annoy Klaus. "
-
"What is all that dreadful hillbilly ruckus in the background?" Rebekah questions through the phone as the three women trek through the Bayou.
"According to the dreadful signage, it's Big Auggie's Bayou Bar." Cullen can hear Klaus reply.
"Well, order up a few rounds of moonshine and steer clear of the dead witches for a few. The witch is on a burial mission, your baby mama lives to piss you off, and I'm keeping Elijah's promise to keep her safe. So, stall, please?" Rebekah pleads. Once she's hung up the phone she turns to Sophie. "So, this Harvest thingy—- tell me more."
"Klaus said to wait." Sophie states.
"Yes. He also said to stay out of the bayou and yet here we are, amongst the crawly, buzzy creatures." Rebekah mumbles.
"We're here." Cullen speaks up, noticing the dead witches.
"You did this all on your own?" Sophie questions, looking over the dead bodies.
"I can't remember how." Cullen whispers, getting a closer look at one of the witches when a sudden branch snapping in the distance catches their attention.
"Who's there?" Rebekah calls out.
"What the hell?" The man, most likely Marcel's informant exclaims before speeding off.
-
It's night by the time Sophie and Cullen finish with the dead witches, Rebekah had been gone for a while, going to meet her brother to distract Marcel. "Those people, all this, because of a vision about my baby you don't think is true?" Cullen speaks up once the two reach the car.
"Look Cullen, I love Sabine, but you know she's the witch equivalent of a drama queen. I've learned to take little stock in whatever she says or sees. Just kinda wish she'd kept her mouth shut." Sophie tells her.
"The Harvest ritual-- you said you didn't believe in it. Were you right?" Cullen questions.
"No." Sophie shakes her head. "I saw it with my own eyes. It was working. It was real."
"So, how can you be so sure Sabine's vision isn't?" Cullen asks, not only worried for the safety of her child, but for herself.
-
"Cullen." Rebekah greets as she walks through the front door. "You're home."
"I am." Cullen nods.
"Elijah's back." Rebekah smiles, offering the pregnant woman a drink. Cullen awkwardly smiles, glancing down at her stomach. "Oh, right."
"Cullen." A familiar voice greets.
"Elijah." Cullen spins around, smiling at the man. "Good to have you back."
"Good to be back." Elijah sighs before glancing between the two women. "Unfortunately we need to talk." Nodding, the women follow Elijah into the study where Klaus is already waiting. "Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant. Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister can use you to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone."