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CHAPTER 18: THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER

❝ i know i am adorable, but i am extremely small potatoes. ❞

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THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER. Enola had finally reunited with her family. Though she could not help but feel a little unimpressed considering the first thing they wanted to do together was slaughter a bus full of convicts on the way to prison. She figured they were hungry from their five year slumber so she did not comment on their lack of manners. Besides, the people they were killing were far from innocent.

"That one sure has some lungs on him. He should have been an opera singer." Enola huffed. "It might have ended better for him actually"

Kol had released some of the prisoners into the woods for a little game of cat and mouse. He enjoyed the hunt almost as much as he enjoyed the kill. All that could be heard for miles were the screams of agony he incited from his victims before it grew quiet and he moved on. This particular convict seemed to be hellbent on letting everything in a ten miles radius know he was suffering.

"Is this absolutely necessary?" Freya huffed.

"That depends," Rebekah began sarcastically. "Do you want us at our full strength, or do you plan on rescuing Nik on your own?"

"Well, death rattles are distracting and I am trying to break a cloaking spell." Freya reminded as if this was a regular Tuesday afternoon.

"Kol, would you please?" Elijah warned. The screaming came to an abrupt halt within seconds. "Thank you." He pulled a handkerchief out to clean the blood from his hands before turning to face his elder sister with a raised brow. "You were saying?"

"I can sense Klaus is still in New Orleans. Most likely somewhere underground." Freya informed. "I can't get a read on exactly where unless I am in the city itself."

"Yeah, that is going to be a problem." Hayley sighed, rejoining the group along with a reluctant Kol. "I have contacts in New Orleans. And as you can imagine, the place is crawling with vampires, all of whom hate us. Whatever we do, we need to do it fast."

"I was not planning on a pub crawl. I don't want to stay any longer than we have to." Freya said. "But we need to go"

"Wait, wait, wait—we are not doing this today?" Kol scoffed in bewilderment.

"Hasn't Nik suffered enough?" Rebekah frowned.

"Yes. And I have died. Twice." Kol reminded. "I am not about to give Marcel a shot at third."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Hayley quirked a brow.

"I propose that we draw that muppet out of town," Kol announced. "And when he is gone—"

"No," Enola said.

"No?" Kol echoed.

"No," Enola confirmed.

"Why not?" Kol scowled.

"Because I have been away from my daughters long enough. Because he has been away from his daughters long enough. Because we are family." Enola answered. "I do not need a reason to rescue my husband. We are freeing him today. Even if I have to burn that city to the ground."

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Josh was surprisingly still alive. He seemed to be doing very well for himself. He lived in a nice loft across the lake from the city. He was a respected pillar in the vampire community. He started dating again. And he just so happened to own Rousseau's, which was very unfortunate for him.

Josh was getting ready to leave when Eddie suddenly intervened. He wanted a couple moments of peace with his boyfriend but he was in a rush. Though he decided that a couple moments would not hurt. Until he spotted what time it was on the clock he had lazily plastered on the wall.

"I have to go," Josh warned.

"No. You don't." Eddie grinned. "You own the place."

"Yeah. Exactly." Josh nodded. "Which means that I have managerial obligations."

"Maybe you are doing some managerial things here," Eddie teased, giving Josh a sweet kiss on the lips.

Josh was happy to continue with the make out session. He supposed that he had a few minutes to spare before he headed off to work. He did own the place after all. But before he could get too comfortable, his enhanced hearing picked up on movement in the back of the loft. He quickly pulled out of the kiss with wide eyes.

"Sorry. I just remembered. I have a shipment of stuff coming in." Josh lied smoothly, ushering Eddie towards the nearest exit. "Plus I also have to get changed and go to the bank. Dimes, nickels, pennies. Can't anyone just use a credit card anymore? I will text you. I promise." He swiftly slammed the door in his face before hesitantly turning around. "Thank you for waiting and not just killing him."

The Mikaelson family had decided it would be best to divide and conquer. While Hayley and Kol joined Freya at the clocktower to perform a locator spell to hopefully reunite the family once and for all, Enola had headed off with Elijah and Rebekah to confront the weakest link.

"We are only monsters by necessity, Joshua." Elijah said.

"Besides, we just ate." Rebekah shrugged teasingly.

"Oh, that is too bad." Josh scoffed sarcastically. "I was gonna offer you some welcome back waffles."

"Was that your boyfriend? He seems sweet." Enola hummed. "And terribly vulnerable, as humans tend to be."

"Okay, look, just tell me what you want so we can get this over with." Josh sighed.

"Where is Marcellus?" Elijah demanded, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Probably at his penthouse," Josh answered without skipping a beat.

"That was easy," Enola blinked. "Have you no sense of loyalty?"

"Oh, I have loyalty." Josh nodded. "But I know he can handle himself."

"Not against me," Rebekah realized, slowly formulating a plan.

"Absolutely not," Elijah immediately scoffed at the foolishness.

"I can distract him, Elijah." Rebekah continued, not taking no for an answer. "I am the only one he will not kill on sight."

"She has a point," Enola nodded.

"Do not talk to me about some ludicrous diversion," Elijah argued in bewilderment. "You are walking into a lion's den."

"He also has a point," Enola said.

"I will be fine. I just have to convince him that I have come alone and all I want to do is talk." Rebekah said simply.

"And you lost me," Enola sighed. "Marcel is not an idiot."

"You are placing yourself in tremendous danger," Elijah pointed out. "Wouldn't you agree, Joshua?"

Neither Enola nor Elijah and Rebekah bothered turning to Josh who was reaching for the phone off the coffee table. They turned to him with an unimpressed look that made him awkwardly shift on his feet. He had almost forgotten he was surrounded by two originals and a hybrid.

"I was just gonna order a pizza," Josh explained lamely. "You know, if we are going to be here for a while."

"Fabulous," Elijah hummed, holding a single hand out. "I still do have a murderous hunger."

"Why do you guys even need me?" Josh huffed, reluctantly handing the phone over. "I know I am adorable, but I am extremely small potatoes."

"Well, you are close to Marcel." Enola pointed out. "We had planned on learning everything you know and then using you as collateral."

"But since you know so little," Rebekah began. "I would like to try my plan."

"Please don't do this," Elijah pleaded. "I want you to consider the risk."

"I have," Rebekah claimed. "I will not allow my family to face that risk."

Enola felt the vibration of her phone through her back pocket. She slipped the device out into the open and read the message with bated breath. She nearly jumped for joy at the revelation but kept her face as stone cold as it has always been these past few years.

"Freya found Nik," Enola informed.

"Then get him," Rebekah pushed. "I will handle Marcel."

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Rebekah left to distract Marcel while the others formulated a plan to rescue Klaus. Of course they needed a base of operation. Which is how they all found themselves hiding in the back room of the most popular bar and grill in the quarter. They were going to infiltrate the city from the inside. But they decided things would move a lot more smoothly without unnecessary death.

"Everyone is out," Josh huffed. He opened the door to the backroom to allow them entrance. "Place is yours."

"See? Wasn't that easier than us having to try to kill everyone?" Kol taunted, making sure the door was locked.

"So," Josh shifted awkwardly. "What now?"

"Would you be so kind as to move that freezer unit, so that we might be able to access the tunnels?" Elijah wondered. Josh blinked.

"Time is ticking. Go on." Hayley hummed. Josh sighed before finally moving towards the freezer unit.

"Are you absolutely certain we are looking in the right place?" Kol questioned in uncertainty.

"We know this tunnel runs the length of the city. Marcel must have carved out a section to serve as his personal dungeon." Freya said.

"Like I said," Enola began. "Marcel is not an idiot."

"Save the compliments for when he comes to kill us," Kol scoffed. "Your flattery might give him pause."

"That was hardly a compliment," Enola huffed. "Just because he is not an idiot does not mean he cannot be something far worse."

"Okay. You are all set here." Josh announced. "So good luck, break a leg, and I will just be on my way."

"What? So you can rat us out to Marcel?" Kol scoffed as Elijah grabbed Josh by the collar. "Not bloody likely."

"Oh, just snap his neck." Freya scoffed. "We will be done by the time he wakes."

"Should seems to be your favorite word," Hayley pointed out.

"And if he wakes before that?" Elijah questioned.

"Then we kill him," Kol supplied.

"I am right here, guys." Josh waved.

"We are not killing him," Enola decided.

"Yeah, you are probably right." Elijah reluctantly sighed. "For some reason, he is of value to Marcel."

"I can play babysitter," Kol volunteered. "I am all too happy to stay and have a drink—and possibly eviscerate anyone that follows you."

"Enola," Elijah began. "Would you please?"

"Oh, come on!" Enola groaned. "I have waited long enough to see my husband."

"And you will see him again," Elijah promised. "I just need someone I trust to supervise."

"You do not trust me?" Kol pouted. "I thought you knew me better than that, Elijah."

"It is because I know you that I know better than to leave you alone to play babysitter as you so graciously put it," Elijah scoffed.

"Fine," Enola sighed reluctantly. "I will stay."

"Splendid," Elijah clapped. "We shall regroup under the bridge."

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A photo of Camille and Davina hung on the wall. Kol could not seem to look away. To think it had been five years since he lost the love of his life. Eternity suddenly felt like such a long time to go without someone. He was not sure he would be able to do it. Not after Davina.

"Well," Josh sighed, raising a glass of whiskey in the air. "Here is to nobody dying today."

"The day is far from over," Enola hummed, leaning against the bar with a deep frown.

"Tell me," Josh began. "What happens when Klaus gets out? What are you guys going to do? Massacre the whole city?"

"Contrary to popular belief, we are not the villains in this story." Enola announced.

"Then what are you?" Josh questioned.

"Morally gray," Enola shrugged. "We operate beyond the dichotomy of good versus evil."

"We just want to get the bloody hell out of this city," Kol paraphrased. Though he could not seem to tear his gaze away from the picture on the wall. And it did not go unnoticed by the other occupants in the room.

"I was with someone," Josh blurted. "This guy—Aiden—he died. Killed by your Aunt actually." He looked down at the bar in sadness and grief. "And afterwards, I hated everything. And I mean everything. Even the sun. You know? It just kept coming up every morning like it was any other day and the world hadn't completely changed. It has taken forever for me to feel normal again."

"How fortunate for you that you do," Kol grumbled.

"You will too," Josh reassured. "It does get better. Eventually."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kol huffed.

"I think Davina would have wanted me to," Josh shrugged.

Kol went to respond only to get interrupted by the vibrating of a cell phone on the bartop. He frowned before lifting the device into his hands. His eyes scan the message in confusion over and over again before he finally sets his narrowed eyes at the enemy across the bar.

"Well, since we are such good friends now, perhaps you could explain what Teutoburg means." Kol said, holding the phone up to showcase the coded message.

"Teutoburg," Enola repeated in thought. "Where have I heard that before?"

"Uh, look, I am really not a part of all this." Josh tried.

"Of course you are. Especially when you are receiving coded messages from the man holding my brother captive." Kol spat. "Listen very carefully—if something has happened to my sister or if something is about to happen to another member of our family—this city and everyone in it will burn: you, your boyfriend, your friends, this bar, your home. Shall I continue?" His eyes sparkled with rage. "Now tell me what Teutoburg means."

"Aha!" Enola grinned, on her phone was a quick google search that told her all she needed to know. "Teutoburg is a battle where the bad guys caught the good guys off guard. Marcel knows that we are here." Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Rebekah is in trouble."

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AUTHORS NOTE.
i am saving the big reunion for the next chapter because i am dramatic. but it is okay because i am updating this entire act in a single day. until next time, my loves!!!