Original Vampires, Welcome to New Orleans (The Originals Seasons 1 and 2 Fanfic)

Chapter 17: Swirling In a Sea of Dreams

Several days later...

Esther walked into the witches' alcove in the cemetery to see Elijah and I still chained up, both unconscious.

'Still sleeping, lost in visions of horror and dreams of love...' she knelt by him, pulling up his chin to look at him, '... and still so strong, so full of life, too willful to take my offer.' She let go of him and walked over to her table, grabbing a golden knife. 'I remember you as a little boy - innocent, kind. If that boy had known the creature he would one day grow up to be, he'd have leapt into my arms and begged me to save him.' She stepped behind him, stroking the back of his head. 'I'd do anything for that little boy... as I would for you.' She grabbed his hair, jerking him up, and slitting his throat, chanting in Latin as he thrashed in his chains, choking and gasping. Then she did the same to me, and I, too, thrashed in my chains, letting out a strangled cry as the blood flowed.

Elsewhere in the city...

Hayley heard the scream from inside the compound and went to investigate. Klaus was washing his hands free of the blood with a water bowl and cloth.

'Ah, I see your interrogation went well,' she remarked.

'Turns out, these witches are delicate creatures.' He stood, drying his hands. 'No matter. As suspected, my mother has Elijah and Lilliana captive.'

'Great. Let's go find them.'

'Esther is too powerful. She won't be easy to be found. I need to draw her out.'

'Wait. Where are you going?' she asked.

'I'm going to change my shirt, and then I'm gonna find my brother - and his girlfriend,' Klaus said, and walked out of the room.

'Klaus, let me come with you,' she said, blocking the exit.

'Hayley, I know you want to help, but you can't. My mother is wretched, and she will target you in order to thwart me. And I can't very well save Elijah and his girlfriend if I'm busy saving you, can I?'

That evening...

Klaus woke from the ground in front of the plantation mansion.

'Apologies for the headache,' Esther said, standing. 'Were you dreaming?'

'I was remembering the day I found out who my real father was, only hours after Mikael had slaughtered him.'

'My darkest hour. If you yourself had not killed me soon thereafter, I doubt I ever would have recovered.' Klaus stood to his feet. 'You woke earlier than expected,' she added, looking at a pocket watch. 'No matter. It is time.'

'Time for what?'

'You said you wanted Elijah and his girlfriend. They're sleeping, chained to the wall of a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. I've lifted the spell that hides the two of them. You are free to take them home. Now their own minds will work out their choices for them. When they wake, they will make their own decisions. Every single thing I've said to you tonight is the truth, Niklaus. Whether you choose to believe it is up to you.' He looked at her one last time, and then vamp sped away.

Klaus walked into the tomb, and coming over to the chains, reached for the doll, and ripped it off of the ceiling, then tore the chains and pulled both Elijah and I down.

'Wake up, brother,' he said. 'Elijah -'

'He won't wake. Not yet,' Esther said, coming into the tomb herself. 'They both won't wake, which gives you and I one last chance to discuss my offer.' He laid Elijah gently on the floor.

'You promised me Elijah and Lilliana's safe return...' he said, taking the chains off of mine and Elijah's wrists, 'or was that a lie, just like that ghoulish atrocity outside claiming to be my father, back from the dead?'

'Your father's return is real. I pulled him from the other side before it collapsed, left him in the bayou to join the wolves, and I used the execution of one of his own to draw him here, where I knew he'd find you.'

'To what end besides my torment?'

'I brought him here to be the father you never had, to teach you to become the man you always longed to be. Once you are remade as a werewolf, you can join him.' Klaus stood, glaring at Esther.

'His return changes nothing.'

'It changes everything. It is my gift to you, Niklaus. This offer is your last chance at salvation. Reject me now, and you will live out your endless days unloved and alone. Do not refuse me out of some ancient spite.'

'Not spite, hatred, a pure hatred that's greater now than the day I first took your life,' he snarled.

'Why? After all I've done to explain to you, why much you persist -' He grabbed her and slammed her into the wall, choking her.

'Because you came for my child, my daughter, your own blood!'

'You don't understand...' she gasped.

'My child!'

'Niklaus, I had to -' she said, and lifted her hand, causing his nose to bleed. He growled, still keeping the chokehold on her neck.

'You declared war when you came after my family, and for that, I will make you suffer as only I can. After all, I am my mother's son.' He threw her to the ground, and then went over and picked up Elijah softly, looping his arm over shoulder, and then doing the same for me, half dragging the both of us out.

Later...

Finn came into the tomb, seeing his mother, and knelt beside her.

'Mama? What happened?'

'Niklaus... refused my offer.'

Klaus laid the both of us on the bed together, as Hayley came to stand over us.

'He's still burdened with hatred for me... for what happened to his child.'

'He's a fool. Your actions saved this family. If that child had lived -' Esther looked at her son.

'Dahlia would return. And she would come for us all.'