Always & Forever A Mikaelson {Sequel to Klaus' Daughter Is A Lockwood}

Safe Return and Klaus Always Has a Plan B

THE MIKAELSON COMPOUND
Hayley is pacing around in the study when Elijah, Klaus, Nicole, and Jackson, all looking very disheveled and covered in ash, return home. "I got it." Jackson groans, and turns to Elijah. Hayley runs to them. "Thank god you're alive!" She says as she gives Jackson a hug and looks at Elijah over his shoulder. "Thank you." She whispers. Elijah nods at her and watches as Hayley and Jackson sit down to tend to his wounds. "Nicole and I are fine, too, thanks for asking." Klaus says in an annoyed tone. Nicole nudges her father. "What about the stones?" Hayley asks with hope. Elijah sighs. "Scattered across the bed of the Mississippi, I'd imagine." He says with doubt. Klaus pours himself and Nicole a drink. He handed it to her and began to pace. "Well, Marcel's not a fool, I'll give you that much." Nicole says bluntly and then downs the drink Klaus handed to her. "He knows an empowered werewolf army would mean the end of vampires in New Orleans. The explosion is his way of saying he means to prevent that. For all the good it'll do him." Klaus says with anger then downs his drink as well. "Well, it did him pretty damn well, didn't it?" She says and looks at Elijah, who frowns. "This is my fault. I'll find a way to fix it." Jackson tries to be honorable. Hayley rubs his shoulder affectionately. "No, Jack, you're hurt. No one's blaming you." She says comfortingly. "I'm blaming you! Those stones will be hard to replace." He yells at him. "Dad calm down, we'll get more stones." Nicole tells her father. Klaus looks at her then over at Elijah and smiles evilly. "Fortunately, I always have a backup plan." He says with a smirk. Nicole could feel something bad was coming.

Downstairs, Francesca walks into the compound with five other men, all of whom are wearing suits, and one of whom is carrying a briefcase. Klaus, Elijah, Hayley, Nicole and Jackson go down to greet her. "You can't seriously mean her!" Hayley yells at Klaus. "Dad, she's a gangster!" Nicole yells as she agrees with Hayley. "I see her more as a means of procuring rare items at short notice." He says then turns to Francesca and her entourage. "Greetings, Ms. Correa! I see you've brought company." Klaus says with fake enthusiasm. "These are my brothers. I always include them in delicate business matters." She turns to her brothers. "Fellas, meet Mr. Mikaelson." She says as she turns back to Klaus. Klaus smiles. "Please, call me Klaus. All my friends do." He says to them. "I don't know if I'd call us friends." She reaches into the briefcase her brother is holding, and pulls out a small black drawstring bag. "But, if you and Marcel are planning on having a little throw-down, I'd prefer my family to be on the same side as the inevitable victor." She says with the bag in her hand. "Then, you have what I asked for?" Klaus asks in a serious tone. Francesca holds out the bag. "Not enough for an army at such short notice, but it's a start." Francesca said with a confident smile."Strange, I wasn't aware that she was familiar with our plan." Elijah says taken back by Klaus' actions. "Neither was I." Nicole spat as she glared at Francesca. "My price for doing business is full disclosure. Your brother complied." She says to Elijah with a fake smile. "And what does the Human Faction stand to benefit from all of this?" Elijah asks curiously. "I only want us to solidify our allegiance to the ruling class. It's good for business." Francesca answers with a dark air about her. Nicole can feel something is off about Francesca and her brothers. She was hiding something. "If only everyone shared your capacity for reason." Klaus says as he examines the stones. "Sadly, they don't. Marcel is being especially vindictive. I'm worried he might come after me, or my family, just for meeting with you." She takes a deep breath. "It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts." Francesca suggests. Now Nicole knew she was definitely doing this for herself. A gangster through and through; and her father was too eager to see it. "So be it! The more bodies we have to defend the compound, the better. Let's get started, shall we?" Klaus asked with a smile.