Through His Eyes (The Originals)

(Not Quite) The Other Girl in New Orleans

 "Hey. Wake up, man, it's morning." 

 I opened my eyes. "What is it?" I mumbled.

 "Um, we're in the bayou." It was Jackson Kenner. "I came down here to spend the rest of Thanksgiving with my family, and I came this way and found you here shooting off arrows in all directions."

 "Right." I sat up. Sunlight was streaming into the cabin. "You offered me whiskey and we talked for a while."
 
 "Yeah. I think you drank a little too much, though."
 
 "And you didn't go home? What about Hope and Hayley?"

 "Hope has her mother and the rest of her family. She'll be fine." 
 
 He didn't look very convinced of that. He looked quite sad, in fact.

 "It seems you'll have company," I said. "I would rather not go home either. You want me to teach you some archery?"
 
 He gave a small smile. "Yeah, why not?"

~~~~~~
 
 "You're sure you don't want to go home?" Jackson asked me as he brought the axe down. "I mean, I won't blame you if you do. I'm not very good company right now."

 "You're better than living in a house with Klaus."
 
 "House? That place is like a mansion."

 I shrugged. "I guess so. I'm not used to being in the same place for so long. I was always travelling from place to place... and at times destroying."

 "I already figured that." Jackson kept on chopping wood like mad. "From what I know about you and you've told me, I think you must the scariest of the Originals."

 "Really? You think so? Even scarier than Klaus?"

 He nodded and took a swig from the whiskey jar. "Damn scary, all right. Seems to me like Klaus can a big baby when he feels like it."

 That made me laugh. I hadn't laughed at anything in ages.  "Jackson Kenner, I think you might be one the most intelligent people I've ever met."
 
 "Because I can tell what a big baby Klaus is? Please. It's not that difficult to figure out. So what's happening there? Rebekah was kidnapped, and the others are torturing answers out of the people who know where she is."

 "Yes. Lucien Castle, and Aurora and Tristan de Martel. A deadly trio."
 
 "You know them?" he asked.

 "Yes. I did, actually." I was somewhat reluctant to talk about Tristan with him at first, but I told Jackson about the days when I did know Tristan and Strix, up to when I left Dublin for New Orleans.
 
 "And so you see," I concluded, "my hatred got the best of me, and I left a man I have realized I truly cared about, no matter how much of a bastard he can be."

 Jackson went on silently chopping wood for a few minutes. Then he asked, "You really joined that band of psychos?" 

 "Yeah. I did. There was something I meant to ask you, Kenner, but I wasn't sure it was a good idea."

 "Ask away. I really don't care what it is."

 "Why did you and Hayley get married if she has affections for Elijah?" I asked. 

 Jackson froze. "It had been arranged by our families when we were born. We were always betrothed to each other. When we finally got to meet in person, years later, she had already met him."
 
 He looked so sad as he said it. He clearly loved his wife, but she loved another man.
 
 "Are you ever going back?" I asked. "It's already been a few days." 
 
 He sighed and took another swig of whiskey. "I don't know. I think Hayley and Hope will be just fine without me. And what are you still doing here, anyway? Don't you have a home?" 

 I shrugged. "I suppose I really don't want to go back. I have been at the compound for months, and I cannot think of it as a home. Can't I just stay here with you for now? With all their problems, they probably haven't even noticed I'm gone."

 "Yeah. Sure. You can stay if you really want to. If anyone comes to attack me, I'll have the world's scariest vampire hunter on my side."

~~~~~~
 
 After I had been on the bayou with Jackson for a week, me practicing my fighting skills and Jackson possibly drinking too much whiskey for his own good, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
 
 "Who is that?" Jackson asked me.

 "That," I said, "is Tristan de Martel."

 "Mikael." Tristan smiled when he saw me. "I have been looking for you. They finally let me go."
 
 "I'm surprised they didn't tear you to pieces," I said coldly. "What are you doing here?"

 "Looking for you, obviously. I came to ask your forgiveness, for taking your daughter. I know I've hurt you. I regret that deeply, and I am sorry."

 Jackson scoffed. "Are you seriously going for this, Mikael? He's probably just messing with your feelings."
 
 "Watch your mouth, wolf-man," Tristan growled.
 
 I had looked into Tristan's eyes, and saw that he was truly sorry for hurting me. And now he wanted me to forgive him.

 "If you can forgive me," Tristan said to me, "meet me outside the cemetery Sunday night. You know the one. You won't have to worry about your little witch friend. She is no longer the Regent, and has been shunned by the coven."

 "Davina was thrown out? Why?"
 
 "A horrid little mistake on her part. But remember what I said. Please go if you can forgive me."

~~~~~~

 When Sunday came around, Jackson asked me, "Are you going?"

 "Will you be all right here on your own?" I asked.

 "Yeah, I'll be fine. I got the werewolves around, and if you ever want to visit you know where I am. Just be careful around that guy. I don't like the looks of him."

 So that night, I made my way from the bayou to the cemetery without any trouble. Tristan was already there, waiting for me. His entire face lit up when he saw me walking towards him, and I smiled back at him.

 "The fact that you kidnapped my daughter and want to lock my children away forever does not sit well with me," I began. "Given my past, that may sound strange. But I also feel something for you, Tristan. Real feelings."
 
 I had never seen Tristan look so happy before. "That is just what I hoped you would say." He pulled me into a kiss and I gladly kissed him back.

 "Come home with me, Mikael," he begged.
 
 I nodded. "All right. I will. My children won't like it, but-"
 
 "That doesn't matter. It's what we both want."
 
 "Of course," I said meekly. "What we both want."

 But what exactly did I want?