CHAPTER FOURTEEN | ALONE WITH EVERYBODY

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KLAUS, HAYLEY AND HOPE HAD DECIDED TO DISAPPEAR. White Oak was no longer in their possession and since Klaus' sire line was broken, any number of his sired could use the weapon against him as revenge. The Strix were now focused on protecting Elijah, desperate to protect the leader of their sire line.  However, Riley felt a lot more at least knowing the compound was basically a fortress against all manner of foes. 

"Are you quite sure?" Elijah blinked. His gaze fell to Kol, almost as if he didn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"I saw him with my own eyes. Finn must have come back when Davina resurrected me." Kol defended himself with a confident look. He had seen Finn bold as brass in the streets of New Orleans the previous night.

Elijah's attention moved to Riley, almost as if he were asking for confirmation whether it was a possibility that Finn could be brought back. Riley nodded. "I mean, the spell is tied to Mikaelson blood. Either, it brought him back too, or he somehow hijacked the spell."

"Either way, the only how I care about right now is how long I'm going to make him suffer before I kill him."

"Restraint, brother. For now." The older of the two brothers ordered just as Kol started toward the door.

"Why?" Kol spun on his heels to face Elijah. "Finn is clearly the one spreading rumours about missing White Oak. He's luring Nik's enemies out of the woodwork. It's all part of his tedious revenge fantasy."

"You're wrong." Freya interrupted as she stepped into the study to join the debate. "Those rumours began before either of you returned. Finn's innocent."

"Innocent?" Riley echoed in disbelief. "He's tried to kill all of us every chance he got."

"He's an enemy of our family." Kol agreed.

"He is our family. Finn's return is an opportunity to mend old wounds and fix what's broken."

"He didn't just drop a bloody vase! He murdered me!" The younger vampire yelled out in outrage at Freya's suggestion.

Elijah eyed up his sister. "You seem certain." 

"Are you honestly siding with her?"

Elijah raised his hand to silence Kol as he stepped toward Freya. "Time and again, Finn has demonstrated nothing but contempt toward his family, so you tell me how can you be so certain that he would return to us in peace?"

"Our sister knows me well." Finn's voice carried into the room as all attention moved to him. He sauntered in, in his original body. "Though, perhaps you're right to doubt my intentions. By all means, let's discuss our family quarrels. I believe we're long overdue."

Elijah's phone began to vibrate within his pocket, causing him to leave the room. And, as he did, Kol set his sights on Finn. "Take a swing at me, huh? All these sidesteps and parries. Even the way you fight is boring."

Freya helplessly looked toward Riley, who sped in between the bickering Mikaelsons and kept them at arms length. "It's an odd critique, considering all your flair and flourish couldn't keep you from being bested the last time we faced each other." 

Kol used his strength to push Riley out of the way before he darted to Finn, though Lucien interrupted and pinned him against the wall. "Perhaps we should let them fight. After all, they can't actually kill each other."

"Behave yourselves!" Elijah ordered. He sauntered back into the room and glanced at Riley, checking if she were okay before he sighed. "Particularly considering we'll be confined here together for the foreseeable future."

Riley folded her arms over her chest and furrowed her brows. "What're you talking about?" 

"I believe the term is staycation. You see, Niklaus isn't the only one who's inspired revenge fantasies. Right now, we are all at risk. So, while Marcel works to retrieve the White Oak, I recommend we dispense with all of this posturing. Get down to some good old fashioned family bonding."

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"You know, this is oddly romantic." Riley whispered as she laid within Elijah's arms on the sofa. "Obviously, despite the fact this house is literally full of vampires."

"Hm. Within this moment, I am content." He gently placed a kiss on the top of Riley's head before he brushed his hand against her forehead and moved down to her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers. "I do worry about Niklaus, though." 

"Oh, Hayley's with him. They'll look after each other, and once we recover the White Oak, they're free to return." Riley exhaled. "My concern is more Finn, to be honest. I don't trust him, Elijah."

"Oh, Riley." Finn's voice carried as he stood at upon the staircase above them. His hands gripped the railings with a smirk. "And here I thought you and I would be the greatest of friends."

"Sorry, I don't become friends with self-serving narcissists" Riley retorted with a stern look on her face.

"Yet you befriended Niklaus." Finn was quick to counter as he finally wandered down the staircase to meet them. 

"So, tell me." Elijah exhaled as he and Riley peeled themselves from each other. "How was Hell? Is it warm this time of year?"

"You always had a penchant for idle chat."

"Well, perhaps we could discuss something a little bit more constructive." Elijah lifted himself up from the sofa and narrowed his gaze.

Finn scoffed. "Do you intend to threaten me into being a better brother?"

"Why are you even here, Finn?" Riley asked. She too had lifted herself from the sofa and stood a short distance behind Elijah.

"Could either of you believe me if I told you I'd changed?"

"Have you?"

"Yes. And no." Finn shrugged. "All that time trapped alone in Freya's pendant, I was able to reflect on what we've become over a millennium. I'm still sickened by what you are, but I'm done trying to atone for past sins."

"It is curious the way you speak as though you and I are not the same." Elijah chuckled.

"—We are not the same! You see, I still have a chance at some small happiness, and I'm gonna take it. My proposal is simple— allow Freya to put me back in a witch's body. Let the two of us go, and I promise never to look back again."

"You know, what? I'm gonna leave you two to talk." Riley excused herself. As she strode out of the room, she noticed Kol stood a short distance away. "Oh. Kol."

"Don't." Kol ignored her and continued to walk away, though the strawberry-blonde just followed him. "He cannot do this. After everything Finn did to me."

"I know, but whatever you're thinking of doing—" Riley finally sped in front of him once they reached the study. "—you're better than him."

"He cursed me to die, Riley. Slowly. In front of her. If nothing else, I owe him for that." Kol told her as he poured himself a whisky as Elijah appeared in the doorway. "You would do the same if it were Riley, wouldn't you?"

"Perhaps." He nodded. "And perhaps the best revenge is to simply expel him from our lives altogether."

"No! He doesn't get to live happily ever after!"

"I haven't made my final decision. I only ask you stay your hand." 

"That's not your decision to make." Kol sneered. The veins underneath his eyes grew prominent and he crushed the glass in his hand. He then threw the coffee table across the room in a rage. "It's worse than I remember. The rage. The hunger. I'd like to blame my anger on Finn, but it's been growing worse since I came back. I never did learn how to keep it in check. I never really cared to."

"But now you do." Riley concluded as she watched him nod weakly. 

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt Davina. But hurting the ones we love, whether we mean to or not, that's just what we do. Isn't it?"

"It is who we are." Elijah told him, gently tapping his shoulder before he left the room."

"Listen to me, Kol. You love Davina— you don't believe you would actually do anything to hurt her, do you?" Riley tilted her head as she sat down beside him. He shook his head. "The first step of control is to trust yourself. How are you hoping to gain control if you don't even believe you can do it?"

"How are you so good at it?" Kol asked, softly.

"Because I can do it." She answered honestly with a smile before she grabbed his hand. "And, so can you."

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"You took your time." Riley muttered as she felt Marcel's presence behind her. Given that she was also a witch, she was able to come and go as she pleased from the boundary spell that was placed on the compound. 

"Well, it took a lot of time gettin' it." Marcel handed Riley a small wooden box. As she opened it, she noticed the small bullet of White Oak. "You should probably thank Josh, too."

"Josh?" 

"Yeah. He got his ass beat trying to get that damn thing." Marcel chuckled softly. "Just make sure it doesn't get into the wrong hands this time, yeah?"

"You've got it. Thank you, Marcel." Riley smiled sweetly toward her friend before he disappeared off into the night. She strode back into the compound but as she did, Kol was pinned to the wall by Elijah and Finn was on the ground. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I told you to stay your hand." Elijah snapped irritably. 

"Fine." Kol relented. He threw the candle that he was about to use to set Finn alight onto the ground. "I'd rather take my chances out there with White Oak than stay here with you lot."

Once Davina and Kol had made a swift exit, Riley tossed the box containing the White Oak to Elijah. "The last remaining White Oak in the world. Right here." He glanced to Riley and Freya. "Would one of you like to do the honours?"

"Allow me." Freya smiled. She tended her hand and caused the fountain to become engulfed in flames.

Elijah tossed the bullet into the flames, but Finn quickly sped toward it. "No!" He placed his hand in the fire, desperate to save the last remaining thing that could end his life. "The little witch has condemned me to this. To remain a beast. Elijah, I can't bear an eternity with no hope of escape. Can you?"

"Finn, give it to me." Elijah stepped forward and extended his hand to his brother. Finn jolted backward. "Give it to me."

Lucien sped forward and yanked the bullet from Finn with ease. After examining it for a moment, he tossed it to Elijah. "Come on, then. After all this time, go on and destroy it."

"Elijah, forever is a burden that nobody should have to bear."

"You cannot keep that White Oak in this house, Elijah." Lucien informed him with a stern glare. "It is already a beacon drawing your enemies to you. Perhaps the best solution is obvious— entrust it to the one who loves each of you most."

All attention moved to Freya, who stepped forward. "I can cloak myself. If it has to exist, at least I can take it far away. Hide it under a thousand spells, somewhere where no one else will ever find it. Until the day comes when you're ready for a release." Elijah exhaled and finally placed the White Oak into Freya's hands. 

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