Always and Forever

Reigning Pain in New Orleans

'My siblings and I are the first vampires in history, the Originals. Three hundred years ago, we helped build New Orleans. In our absence, a new king arose. Now I've returned and taken his kingdom as my own. I had hoped this would bring our family together. I was wrong.'

In the Abattoir Yard, a dinner table is set up, and all of Marcel's closest people are gathered around it. Klaus calls for everyone's attention, tapping his class with a fork. "Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift; immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine." He gestures towards a group of waiters and waitresses to have to join at the table, one for each guest. "Insatiable need, exquisite pain..." he watches as the servants slit their wrists, holding their wrists over glasses and filling them up. "Our victories, and our defeats." He looks over at Marcel.

Rebekah sits with Marcel in the Garden, looking at him. "You can't afford your wounded pride. With Klaus in control of your empire, you need to give him what he craves most; loyalty. Or, at least, the illusion of it."

Marcel shakes his head, looking at her with wary eyes. "I ambushed him, tried to bury him alive. He's not going to trust me."

"He will, because he wants your allegiance. Speaking from my own experience, I know that if you play the part, all is forgiven. But, if you give him any reason to doubt you, he will strike back." She takes his hands in her own. "Make me a promise, Marcel. You will do whatever it takes to stay alive."

"...To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow..."

Marcel raises his own glass and nods his head. "...and the party never ends!"

Diego stands in a hallway with Marcel shaking his head in disbelief. "I just don't get it, man. We would've stayed with you till the end."

Marcel shakes his head, tapping Diego's shoulder lightly. "Letting you do that would have been letting you die, and you're still my people." He watches Diego's face, breathing out. "Now, just follow my lead. Trust me, it ain't over yet."

Diego raises his glass. "To New Orleans."

Klaus smiles at Diego and raises his glass in return. "To New Orleans!"

Everyone else at the table raises their glasses. "New Orleans." They all drink.

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent changes in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have, What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires."

Diego lifts his finger. "What about her?" He points to Hayley. "The wolf."

Hayley sits up a little in her chair, holding a glass of water.

"Had you let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." He walks over to the other end of the table, and stands behind Hayley. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child, and is my mate." He lays his hand on her shoulder.

Hayley sips her water, then takes the glass away from her mouth as she looks over at his hand on her shoulder.

"Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create more hybrids. I assure you I do not."

Hayley smirks sarcastically, holding her glass out in front of her. "Father of the year."

Klaus closes his eyes, breathing out at her comment. "It appears I will have to earn your trust. Very well, we'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the bayou to turn?"