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CHAPTER 16: FAREWELL TO STORYVILLE

❝ why am i not surprised you like opera? ❞

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"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Elijah descended down the stairs of the compound. He did not look happy. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were curled. He had been quiet for years. He forgot how to communicate and hold a conversation, analyzing every sentence and how wrong it must have sounded coming from him. He made others uncomfortable with his discomfort.

Enola struggled to find an explanation. She couldn't tell him what she had actually been doing. She knew he wouldn't react well if he knew who they had spent the night with. Celeste was the key to breaking the Crescent curse. Elijah would only get in the way of that. So she plastered a simple smile on her face, prepared to lie her way out of this one.

"I was in the bayou. Eve needed help with something. I should have called." Enola spoke smoothly. "Did you find Nik and Bex?"

"Indeed," Elijah nodded. "But not before Niklaus found out the truth of Rebekah's treachery."

"Is—Is Rebekah okay?" Enola began to panic. She suddenly wished that she would have answered her phone last night.

"For now," Elijah answered. "Niklaus currently has a mystical torture device embedded in his chest."

Elijah held an arm out for Enola who accepted it without hesitation. He led her up the stairs to the bedroom she inhabited with Klaus. His pale skin glistened in the morning sunlight as he lay unconscious in the bed. She could see the hole in which the dagger was buried. She peered into the wound, surprised when she recognized the blade that had been used.

"Papa Tunde's dagger," Enola breathed.

"Every moment it's in there causes Niklaus untold suffering," Elijah explained.

"Who stabbed him?" Enola demanded.

"I did," Elijah confessed, rolling up his sleeves.

"He is going to kill you," Enola pointed out.

"I intend to remove it," Elijah promised. "You might want to take a step back."

Elijah took a scalpel off of the bedside table before moving beside Klaus. He cut into his chest with the same precision as a surgeon. He did not hesitate to plunge his fist into the depths of his chest. His hand latched onto the blade before yanking it out with ease. Elijah took a step back as Klaus gasped to life.

"What do you need me to do?" Enola frowned, turning to Elijah for answers.

"Niklaus respects you. Niklaus listens to you." Elijah reasoned. "You challenge him and because of that, he is able to see himself and others in a new light. A wonderful skill I shall be counting on very shortly." He used a discarded rag to clean the blood from his hand. "You see, Niklaus will be weak as he recovers. I left a few blood bags laced with vervain on the table."

"Why are they laced with vervain?" Enola furrowed her brows.

"So it will burn him and he will ingest slower," Elijah answered without skipping a beat.

"Are you trying to torture him?" Enola wondered.

"I am trying to delay the inevitable. Perhaps you could use the time to persuade him not to harm his baby sister?" Elijah suggested, turning towards his immobile brother. "Niklaus, it was not my desire to bring you pain, but I will not see you hurt Rebekah. Now I fear Sabine may be making a final move against us. I intend to find her and to end this."

"Elijah . . . " Klaus growled lowly. "You will pay for this."

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Klaus laid in bed with a permanent scowl as Enola prepared a blood bag. She had seen her friends do it a thousand times before. She just never thought she would have to be feeding it to someone like a baby. Then again, she could use the practice. In just a few months, she would be an actual mother.

"Here comes the airplane," Enola teased. Klaus glared. She sighed when he turned away from her completely. "You need to feed."

Enola used the straw to nudge Klaus on the lips. She grinned when he finally—albeit reluctantly—took the straw into his mouth. Much to her surprise, he downed the entire blood bag without hesitation and without so much as a word. Her furrowed brows didn't seem to go unnoticed by him either.

"What?" Klaus grumbled.

"Doesn't the vervain burn?" Enola frowned, setting the empty blood bag in the trash.

"As you may have yet to realize, little monster, the line between what brings us pain and what sustains us is far thinner than one imagines." Klaus informed.

"Are we talking about vervain or your need to hunt down the people you love most?" Enola wondered.

"I'm too weak for one of your talks right now," Klaus huffed.

"She's your sister," Enola reminded. "How can you hate her?"

"Because she has done what no one else has managed to do to me for one thousand years—rip my hearts out." Klaus grumbled. "I'd let my guard down and given in to happiness. More fool, I. Turns out they had already betrayed me and brought to town the one thing I'd been running from for centuries—my father."

"I know," Enola answered softly.

"Then you also know that their fate is well deserved," Klaus spat.

"I know that Rebekah has spent one thousand years searching for love and you have done everything in your power to ruin that for her," Enola said. "Are you really surprised that she decided to take her life into her own hands?"

"I wouldn't have been surprised if she were to run away and marry Marcel in secret," Klaus answered honestly. "But she sent our father to kill me and that—that is unforgivable."

"So you're consumed by revenge you'll never achieve," Enola stated. "Rebekah and Marcel could be anywhere in the world by now."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. They'll need a cloaking spell, and for that, they need a witch." Klaus smirked evilly. "Therefore there is only one place they can go—home."

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Enola sat in the armchair across from the bed. Her eyes were glued to the sketchpad in her lap until she heard a strained grunt coming from the bed. Her gaze snapped upwards to find her hybrid rolling out of bed. She rolled her eyes when he attempted to stand on his own. He, of course, stumbled forward as he nearly fell to his knees. Thankfully she was there to catch him.

"You're still weak," Enola warned, pushing Klaus back down onto the bed.

"I'm still hungry," Klaus corrected. "There's a fresh blood supply in the kitchen."

"Nonsense. We have blood right here." Enola grinned, motioning to the blood bags that had been laced with vervain. "So be a good little boy and get back into bed."

"If I had a quid for every time a woman has tried that line on me . . . " Klaus smirked.

"You'd have, like, no money." Enola scoffed.

"I beg to differ." Klaus smirked. "Some women actually find me quite charming—you included."

Enola muttered a few profanities, grabbing a shirt out of the dresser before moving back over to Klaus. She pulled the black button up over his shoulders. He smiled, watching her work. His hands suddenly wrapped around hers as he opened his mind to her.

Klaus laid in bed with a woman who seemed to bear a familiar crescent birthmark. They appeared to be completely naked as they rolled around in the sheets. Until the door to the room suddenly swung open and they were interrupted by the noble original himself.

"Sleeping with the enemy I see," Elijah smirked in amusement.

"I'm the ally now, darling." She grinned, lips swollen from previous activities.

"Well, indeed." Elijah hummed, sweeping further into the room.

"Oh and as a gesture of goodwill from our old enemy, tickets to tonight's opera—Les Huguenots." Klaus smiled fondly.

"They have a soprano to die for," She sang excitedly. "I'll introduce you if you promise not to eat her."

"Oh, Lana, a good soprano is never dinner." Elijah promised, pouring himself a glass of scotch before downing it in one large sip.

"Tell Rebekah to bring Marcel. Feel free to tell her now, big brother." Klaus smirked before tossing a suggestive look towards Lana. "I have some business to discuss with our new ally."

Enola glared, garnering a rather cocky look from Klaus. She had never really been a jealous person. She trusted him not to do anything like that with another woman. He knew that. It was what made their relationship so healthy. The fact they could trust each other. Even so, he couldn't help but find it particularly arousing when she was jealous. She knew that.

"Why am I not surprised you like opera?" Enola quirked a brow.

"I always had a particular soft spot for Les Huguenots." Klaus confessed. "I like the story. It was a tale of forbidden love, a Romeo and Juliet of sorts. On the day they are to marry, family and long-festering hatred intervene. Thousands are massacred. A father even kills his own child in the final act." He smiled bitterly. "I can almost appreciate the irony."

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Enola leaned against the doorway of the bedroom as Klaus poured a glass of scotch. She sighed in displeasure as she threw herself down against the bed. She stared up at the ceiling as she thought of a way to fix this. But she knew that she was just kidding herself. There was nothing she could do that would fix this.

"Not sure that helps," Enola muttered.

"Not sure it doesn't," Klaus shot back.

"You wanna self medicate your self pity? Fine." Enola huffed, sitting up again. "You'll have to face Elijah."

"Don't speak to me of Elijah," Klaus glared.

"He loves you," Enola reminded.

"Yes. He does, and he proves it time and again, even when my father enlisted him to kill me." Klaus answered, downing the scotch in one gulp. "Elijah has always carried guilt for that night for not stopping our father. I told him not to blame himself. When your father wants to kill you, he wants to kill you. Nothing you can do about it." His phone suddenly vibrated, prompting him to pull it out of his pocket to read the message inscribed. "Well, I hate to be a know it all."

"No, you don't." Enola rolled her eyes.

"My sister and her lover have been spotted in town, so I suppose we are done here." Klaus shrugged.

Enola watched with wide eyes as Klaus knocked the ugly statue off the bed side table. She couldn't say that she was sad to see it gone, but she was shocked to see what had been hidden inside of it: the indestructible white oak stake. Her heart just about stopped in her chest when he zipped out of the room with murderous intent. She swore under her breath as she chased him out onto the street. Though considering that she was human and pregnant, it took her a moment to catch up. She found him in an alleyway with some poor unfortunate soul getting drained of blood.

"What are you doing?" Enola scowled.

"Well, if you have to ask, you obviously haven't been paying attention." Klaus quipped. "I am going to kill my sister, but first, I needed some sustenance with a little less vervain in it."

"When you killed My aunt Jenna, I wanted to kill you. I wanted to hurt you the way you hurt me. And I did. I killed your brother. But instead of feeling some semblance of peace, I felt this terrible regret." Enola confessed. "You will too if you hurt Rebekah. She is your sister, Nik. As a person who has lost a sibling, who has felt that pain, you won't survive if you're the one who kills her."

"I'll tell you what I almost didn't survive, love—my sister bringing the most vile creature ever to have walked the earth down upon me." Klaus seethed.

"Yes, your father." Enola rolled her eyes at the story she had heard a thousand times before. "But by hunting Rebekah and Marcel down to the ends of the earth, by terrorizing them the way you yourself were terrorized—don't become your father."

Klaus froze as Enola spoke. She could tell by the stunned look on his face that her words had cut him deeply. She hated it. She hated all of it. But she needed to get through to him. Rebekah was her friend. She couldn't let him hurt her. Even if she had to hurt his feelings a little.

"You know, I've been called every shade of monster, but that's new. My father? Mikael was the monster monsters were afraid of." Klaus growled lowly, holding a hand out. "Come. Let me show you."

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Enola and Klaus walked hand and hand down the busy street. For a moment they seemed like just another couple amongst the frey. But they were so much greater than that. They were the king and queen of this city whether anyone liked it or not.

"Time for a quick history lesson," Klaus began. "That night in 1919 when the opera house burned down on this very spot? That was my father at his worst."

Klaus gently tugged Enola forward. She furrowed her brows when he delicately cupped her jaw and stared deeply into her eyes. He was careful as he pressed his lips to her own, opening his mind up to her once again. This was an intimate moment. Not just because he was kissing her, but because she got to see him in a way no one ever had; vulnerable.

Klaus and Rebekah sat alone in their private booth. They were supposed to be joined by a few other people who had yet to arrive. He couldn't help but smirk as he stared down at the pamphlet he had been given upon entrance.

"Well, this is off to a bad start." Klaus hummed. "Your first big date together in public after I gave you my blessing and he stood you up."

Klaus was referring to Marcel who had been rather smitten with Rebekah. After years of denying them the pleasure of being together, he had finally caved. Though it wasn't because he was a loving brother who just wanted to make his sister happy. It was because he needed to regain his control over her.

"Something must have delayed him," Rebekah muttered.

"Or now that your illicit affair is out in the open, he finds the whole relationship a tad lackluster and has run off to Havana with a showgirl." Klaus supplied rather unhelpfully.

"Don't be such a toerag," Rebekah scowled, rising to her feet. "I'm going to check the lobby."

"See if you can find our brother while you're there," Klaus called after Rebekah. "The curtain is about to go up."

Klaus watched as Rebekah retreated before finally facing forward once more. His eyes flickered towards the sea of people below, hoping to spot someone familiar. They should all be here by now. He was beginning to grow anxious. Though he was unsure where Marcel and Lana were, he knew Elijah to be the most punctual of the bunch. Where was everyone? He got his answer when the familiar feeling of a stake poked his back, warning him against doing something stupid.

"I would advise against trying to flee, boy. I can drive this into your heart before you can even think of getting to your feet." Mikael threatened. "And I don't want you to die just yet."

"Father—"

"Father?" Mikael mocked. "Still clinging to that word after all those years, a bastard desperate for a daddy? I wonder if your real father would be as embarrassed as I was of you before I discovered that you were not mine. Most likely." Klaus went to stand. "Easy now, boy. Don't worry. Death will come, but we need to have a little chat before you shuffle off your immortal coil."

"Any words we have for each other have been spoken long ago, but know this." Klaus began angrily. "I am no longer the animal begging for scraps of your affection. I will die knowing my hatred of you was just. I will fall proud of all I have achieved here." His eyes flickered behind him to the man he hated most in this world. "So, Mikael, if you're going to kill me, then get on with it."

"Au contraire, Niklaus. Some things remain unsaid." Mikael chuckled. "For instance, you were right to be proud of your achievement here. As I walked the streets, your name was spoken of in reverent tones by the city's finest. So after I kill you, I will remain here in New Orleans until every last person who remembers you is dead. The deeds of the mighty Klaus will be remembered by no one. And you, boy, will simply never have existed." He smiled cruelly when the lights dimmed as he leaned back in his seat. "Ah. The grand show. I made some alterations in your honor. You'll love it."

The conductor tapped the baton as the curtain was drawn. Klaus just about fell out of his seat at the sight before him. On the stage below, Marcel had been nailed to a wooden plank while Elijah and Lana had been impaled by wooden stakes.

Klaus slowly pulled away from Enola. He dragged her bottom lip out with his teeth before resting his forehead on hers as they attempted to catch their breath. The streets were still busy, but no one paid any mind to the happy couple who stood in the middle of the street.

"Mikael compelled the audience to watch it all, applause as if it were the drollest of comedies and then to leave, celebrating a terrific night at the opera." Klaus grimaced as he retold the horrid tale. "I tried to save Marcel, but my father had other ideas. Rebekah had attempted to intervene. All these years, I actually believed she was trying to save me." He looked back up at the building. "But then big brother swooped in just when we thought all was lost. And so I ran, beaten like the dog my father believed me to be. And as we fled for our lives, he burnt it all to the ground and with it, we assumed, Marcel. I lived, but all that we had built died as did the last shred of me that felt human. That is what my father took from me that night." He turned to Enola with a sullen look. "I assure you, little monster, I will not terrorize my sister and her lover for centuries. Nor will I humiliate and torment or dehumanize them. No. None of that I will simply and quickly end them."

"Nik, wait—" But he was already gone.

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Enola had returned to the bayou to find Hayley. Celeste had given them what they wanted before death. She had made a herbal mixture that would act as a conduit. They had received clear instructions to drink it when they were human and by morning they would remain as such. At least one thing went their way.

It had been a day since Enola and Hayley had seen any of the Mikaelsons. They figured they would be retrieved when it was all over. For now, Eve was taking good care of them. Until Rebekah stepped out of the shadows. They both stood up immediately—some with a little more help from others—to face their friend.

"Rebekah, what are you doing here?" Hayley gasped, bringing the original into a tight embrace.

"I came to say goodbye," Rebekah confessed as they pulled out of the embrace.

"What happened to us girls sticking together?" Enola frowned, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"Well, Nik and I came to a sort of all-or-nothing arrangement." Rebekah sighed, pulling back to address them. "I leave town for good, he allows me to. Can't pass that up."

"One thousand years with Klaus, I guess you deserve a few vacation days." Hayley smiled sadly.

"I'm going to miss you," Enola whispered.

"I know," Rebekah grinned, earning laughter from both girls. "Listen. About Nik, he is a monster. Do not ever cross him." She warned, pausing for a moment. "But he does want more from life than to just be feared. He is too broken to find it himself. But I do believe there is hope for him in not just the baby you carry, but in you yourself." She smiled warmly. "But you must be careful. Our family has no shortage of enemies."

"I love you, Bex." Enola confessed quietly.

"I love you too," Rebekah smiled warmly.

"You know you can always come back and visit," Hayley sighed. "I've been known to keep a secret or two from Klaus."

"Well, if I can't, keep an eye on Enola for me?" Rebekah asked hopefully. "Lord knows she has never been good at staying out of trouble."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Hayley smiled, nudging Enola softly. "I promise."

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AUTHORS NOTE.
i remember that a lot of you did not like this chunk of act one because klaus had that thing with genevieve and enola was basically living in the bayou with hayley. but i made a lot of changes. i think they are a lot better than the original plot. let me know what you think. until next time, my loves!!!