Dragon's Keeper

Chapter 7

~Previously on Dragon's Keeper~

"That's why I brought you here. Marcel drove the werewolves out of town decades ago. Do you really think he's going to welcome a hybrid baby to the neighborhood? Convince Klaus to help us, and no one has to know about the newest member of the Original family." She said which I have to admit sounds like blackmail. "That sounds remarkably like blackmail." Elijah stated. Ha. "Like I said, I'm desperate." She said with no emotion. "Well, then, I have my work cut out for me, don't I?" Lijah replies back.

Klaus stands on a balcony. Elijah appears. "Evening, Elijah." Klaus says without looking back. "Niklaus." Elijah says back. "What an entirely unwelcome surprise." Klaus says. "And what an entirely unsurprising welcome. Come with me." Lijah says and starts to walk away. "I'm not going anywhere until I find out who is conspiring against me." Klaus states, not moving from where he is. "I believe I just found that out for you although I don't think you'll like it." Klaus and Elijah are back at the cemetery. Some witches and MayBeth are present. Klaus see's MayBeth and his eyes widen. "What's the meaning of this. Why do you have MayBeth here?" Klaus says angrily. "I asked the same thing myself." Elijah says. "MayBeth has done nothing wrong," Klaus says raising his voice. "She has everything to do with this. She's pregnant with your child. MayBeth is half witch, half vampire. Vampires can't procreate but werewolves can. Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the Original hybrid, the first of your kind. And this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." Klaus looks shocked to find out that MayBeth is pregnant and turns to MayBeth, raising his voice. "You should have stayed with me and not have gone home by yourself." MayBeth angrily turns to look at him. "Hey, I've spent days held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think I'm carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you dare try to scold me about how I was by myself Klaus!" MayBeth turns away. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. We can keep them safe. Or we can kill them. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, MayBeth won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress." Sophie stated smugly. "Wait, what? MayBeth was now livid. "Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself." Elijah tries to reason. "No. We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules." Sophie says. Elijah looks at Klaus, awaiting his reaction. "How dare you command me, threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses. I won't hear any more lies." Klaus says and goes to leave. "Niklaus! Listen." Elijah tries to reason with his brother. "Nik please." MayBeth pleads, "If I am pregnant, don't let them hurt our baby" She continues, silent tears falling from her eyes. Klaus' eyes widen wen he can hear the heartbeat of the baby. He looks at MayBeth, then at his brother and the witches. "Harm her and the baby in any way and you will die." He leaves. "Screw this. I'm out of here!" MayBeth goes to leave but Elijah stops her. "No one touches the her. I'll fix this. Elijah stated. Sophie nods.

~o0o~

Klaus is running through a street. Elijah catches up with him. "Niklaus." He says, Klaus stops and turns to him. "It's a trick, Elijah, all they want is power." Klaus goes back to pacing. "No, brother. It's gift. It's your chance – it's our chance." Elijah starts to reason. "To what?" Klaus says. "To start over. Take back everything we lost, everything that was taken from us. Niklaus, our own parents came to despise us. Our family was ruined – we were ruined. And since then, all that you have ever wanted – all that we have ever wanted was a family." Elijah said. "I will not be manipulated." Klaus turns away but Elijah vamp-speeds over to block his way. "So they're manipulating you. So what? With them, MayBeth and her child – your child – live." Elijah says. "I'm gonna kill every last one of them." He shoves Elijah and turns away, but once again Elijah vampire-speeds over and blocks him. "And then what? Then you return to Mystic Falls to resume your life as the hated one, as the evil hybrid? Is it so important to you that people quake with fear at the sound of your name?" He says. "People quake with fear because I have the power to make them afraid. What will this agreement with the witches offer me? Will they guarantee me power?" Klaus states back. "Family is power, Niklaus. Love, loyalty – that's power. This is what we swore to one another a thousand years ago, before life tore away what little humanity you had left, before ego, before anger, before paranoia created in this person before me someone I can barely even recognize as my own brother. This is us, the Original family, and we remain together, always and forever. I am asking you to stay here. I will help you and I will stand by you. I will be your brother. We will build a home here together. So save MayBeth. Save your child." Elijah has placed a hand on Klaus' shoulder. Klaus brings his own hand to Elijah's neck in a brotherly gesture. Klaus whispers "I need time." Klaus walks away.

~o0o~

The witches are in the mausoleum, talking. "Marcel and his vampires are out of control. Something had to be done." Sophie says to Agnes. "And the solution is to bring in more vampires?" Agnes states back. "These aren't just any vampires, Agnes. They're the Originals." Sophie said. "What makes you think you can control the hybrid?" She says back. Elijah appears, leaning on the wall. "She can't. I'm not entirely certain that I can, either. But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question: What prevents my brother from murdering you instead of cooperating?" He asks. Sophie takes a needle and shows it to the Original. She sticks the needle into her hand. "Ow!" MayBeth squeals. Elijah looks at her. There is a drop of blood on her hand, exactly at the same point where Sophie hurt herself. "What the hell!?" She says angrily. "The spell my sister performed, the one that got her killed? It didn't just confirm the pregnancy. It linked me to MayBeth. So anything that happens to me, happens to her, which means her life is in my hands. Klaus may care about his own child, and it's very clear what it already means to you. If I have to hurt MayBeth – or worse – to ensure that I have your attention, I will." Sophie states smugly. Elijah is slightly amused by her audacity. "You would dare threaten an Original?" He grins. "I have nothing to lose." The grin disappears from Elijah's face. "You have until midnight to get Klaus to change his mind and help us." Sophie says. Elijah leaves.

~o0o~

Loud music plays. A courtyard party takes place. Vampires – including Marcel – are dancing and drinking. Klaus appears. Elijah stands above on a balcony, observing the scene. "Hey, man, where'd you run off to?" Marcel says. "You mean your minions aren't still documenting my every move?" Klaus states. "Someone put you in a mood. What can I do?" Marcel asks. "What you can do is you can tell me what this thing is you have with the witches." Klaus says, wanting to know about the witches. "We're back to that." Marcel says, getting annoyed. "Yeah, we're back to that." Klaus stated back. "You know I owe you everything I got, but I'm afraid I have to draw the line on this one. This is my business. I control the witches in my town. Let's just leave it at that." Marcel said. "Your town?" Klaus says. "Damn straight." Marcel states back. "That's funny, because when I left 100 years ago, you were just a pathetic little scrapper still trembling from the lashes of the whips of those who would keep you down, and now look at you – master of your domain, prince of the city." The music stops and the crowd watches them. "I'd like to know how." Klaus says. "Why? Jealous? Hey, man, I get it. Three hundred years ago, you helped build a backwater penal colony into something. You started it, but then you left. Actually, you ran from it. I saw it through. Look around. Vampires rule this city now. we don't have to live in the shadows like rats. The locals know their place they look the other way. I got rid of the werewolves. I even found a way to shut down the witches. The blood never stops flowing and the party never ends. You wanna pass on through? You wanna stay a while? Great. What's mine is yours, but it is mine. My home, my family, my rules." Marcel states smugly. "And if someone breaks those rules?" Klaus says, testingly. "They die. Mercy is for the weak. You taught me that, too. And I'm not the prince of the Quarter, friend. I'm the king! Show me some respect!" Marcel yells. Klaus takes this all in for a few moments, then he vamp-speeds towards one of Marcel's men, bites him viciously in the neck, then drops him. Klaus speaks with blood dripping from his lips. "Your friend will be dead by the weekend, which means I've broken one of your rules. And yet I cannot be killed. I am immortal. Who has the power now, friend? Klaus faces off with Marcel, who says nothing. After a moment Klaus smiles around at the crowd then turns and leaves.