The Red Herring Revives: A Mikaelson Love Story

Chapter 40: The First Cut Is The Deepest

~Elijah POV~

"Well this is a first." Klaus said, beaming at the jazz club as he and his brother admired his work. "Werewolves, vampires, witches and dirty cops. All happy as clams and drunk as stoats."

"You gotta love this city." Lana, queen of the wolves, had said as she walked towards them.

"To a new era! Collaboration in the face of Prohibition." Elijah toasted, raising a drink.

"To your docks, their booze, and our theatres to hide it under. You're welcome." She said as the three of them clinked their glasses together.

"Now I shall have to think of a way to thank you personally, in a manner befitting a werewolf queen." Klaus said with a wide smirk. For a moment, Elijah saw a hint of irritation in Fiore's eyes, who had been watching from afar, but it was just as quickly gone and replaced with her usual air of nonchalance.

"Catch you on the dancefloor." The wolf said as she ran her fingers across his face with affection before disappearing into the cloud.

"Who would have even thought it possible?" Elijah mused in awe. "The unification of New Orleans?"

"We did it." Klaus said with grinning as he gripped Elijah's shoulder.

"Oh we worked together but Niklaus, this vision?" Elijah countered with a beam. "This was all you."

~Iliana POV~

I stood in my room, pacing around and chewing on my nails till Elijah called me in. I wasn't ready to see Klaus as he was, I didn't know how angry he was gonna be, if he was gonna be angry at me. Not to mention, if Elijah had saved him instead of me, we wouldn't be there in the first place.

Hayley had disappeared along with Sabine at the same time and I know Elijah was worrying about her too. I wanted to be scared for her, but Elijah caring about her had made it a lot harder for me to remember why I had been friends with her in the first place.

"Iliana." I jumped, startled by Elijah's sudden appearance. He looked haggard, and for a vampire that was extra disconcerting to see. "It's time."

I nodded and followed behind him into Klaus' room. He lay on the bed, unnervingly still with dead eyes and even still, I knew the dagger wasn't what caused him the most pain. It would be the betrayal by the people he held dearest.

"She really put the dagger inside of him?" I managed to ask.

"And every second it remains causes Niklaus untold suffering." Elijah explained as he took off his jacket and rolled up a sleeve. "You might want to take a step back."

"Why can't you stay?" I asked him.

"Delegation is a wise man's greatest weapon." He told me. "Besides, of all the people that could be here, you're the only one he won't immediately slaughter."

"Elijah, you flatterer."

"He loves you." Elijah said quietly as he began to cut open his brother's scar. "You challenge him to see himself and others in a new light. A wonderful thing I will be counting on shortly."

"Hey, hey, ease up, Sweeney Todd, you're hurting him." I scolded.

"Niklaus will be weak when he recovers. So, watch over him and feed him, if you would. But slowly, please, and from your veins." Elijah instructed.

"What happened to the blood bags?" I asked.

"Your blood is laced with vervain, he'll ingest it slower." Elijah explained.