Épisode Seconde peau S02E09 - The Originals Saison 2

FLASHBACK-- NEW ORLEANS, DECEMBER 1914

[A group of carolers are singing "Carol of the Bells" around a bonfire outside of the Dowager Fauline's mansion. Mary-Alice Claire and Kol, in his original body, walk through the front gates of the home, and Mary-Alice stops to quickly set a disembodied head of a porcelain doll on the fence, muttering an unintelligible spell under her breath before they head for the porch. Astrid, who is inside, opens the door to let them in, and Kol takes off his gloves as he enters the house]

KOL: Alright, darling. [Astrid hands him a gas lamp with a smile] You know what to look for.

[The three split up to search the house. Kol searches through a cabinet of porcelain dolls and several jewelry boxes before finally finding a huge diamond being used as a bottle stopper at the bar. He smiles at the sight of it as he picks it up]

KOL: You sly old bat.

[Astrid and Mary-Alice join him in the room, and Kol holds up the diamond proudly]

KOL: Clean up. Meet me at the cemetery. This little beauty and I have a date with a dagger.

[Kol leaves the home, but is immediately ambushed by Klaus and Marcel, both of whom are dressed in very fine suits and hats, and who each link arms with Kol as they walk on either side of him]

KLAUS: You're looking very dapper this evening, Kol!

MARCEL: Though, gloves without a tail-coat? Unusual, wouldn't you say, Klaus?

KLAUS: I would! Unless, of course, the gloves are utilitarian in nature...

KOL: [annoyed] I didn't realize you two lovebirds were so interested in fashion.

KLAUS: Oh, I can take it or leave it. Mayor Burman, on the other hand, now, his style is impeccable. Especially under present duress.

[Marcel and Klaus stop walking when they reach the outside of the gate, where a young woman in all black is waiting nearby for them]

KLAUS: You know, he came to me very concerned about the rash of thefts in the city. So, I put Marcel on it--

MARCEL: [finishes his sentence] --And, after a little digging, I formed a theory as to our culprit. So, we followed our suspect--

KLAUS: --And he led us here, to the mansion of the recently-deceased Dowager Fauline. You know, she's famous for her collection of rare and priceless jewels. Most notably, of course, the perfect paragon diamond.

[Klaus and Marcel both glare at Kol, who remains silent]

KLAUS: Hand it over, Kol.

[Kol, visibly angry, digs into his pocket and pulls out the diamond before handing it to Klaus, who examines it closely]

KLAUS: Hmm.

[He nods at the woman behind him, who reveals herself to be a witch when she starts to cast a spell]

KLAUS' WITCH ALLY: [chants] Aven sa fuis sa belise de la mer...

[She then turns the porcelain doll head on the fence so it is facing toward the house. Suddenly, the door starts to rattle as Mary-Alice and Astrid desperately try to get out]

KLAUS: [to Kol] Oh, I wouldn't both waiting for them. You see, those women will never leave that house again. Merry Christmas, brother.

[Klaus and Marcel take their leave, while Mary-Alice and Astrid continue to pound furiously against the front door of the mansion]

TITLE CARD & OPENING CREDITS

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Rebekah is hanging a festive wreath on the front door of their safe house. When she returns inside, she finds Elijah leaning against the fireplace, thinking]

REBEKAH: [cheerfully] Well, isn't this place rather nice!

[Rebekah picks up a bottle of wine and examines it]

REBEKAH: Nik must have compelled a wine-lover to keep it up, because I found a 2005 bordot! Fancy a sip?

Elijah: [annoyed] I appreciate the sentiment, Rebekah, but I do recognize when I'm being handled with kid gloves.

[Rebekah sighs and puts down the wine]

REBEKAH: How are you feeling?

Elijah: Patronized.

[They both look down at Hope, who is laying in her play pen, cooing]

Elijah: I am here to protect you.

REBEKAH: I know you mean to, Elijah--

Elijah: [interrupts] And yet, you find it necessary to render me unconscious before bringing me here?

REBEKAH: Well, you weren't yourself! And I needed to get us out of that diner. What happened back there?

Elijah: [obviously tense] I don't know. Niklaus sent me to protect Hope. My job is to keep her safe.

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Davina and Kaleb/Kol are performing a spell involving a small cauldron full of a potion and a large straw poppet. The two chant together as they dip the poppet into the contents of the cauldron]

KOL: Protéger sa scandalum subsisto...

DAVINA: ...Se pa toi inquia subsisto l'écoulement...

KOL: ...Subsisto venenatis impedit l'écoulement.

[They put down the doll and look at each other]

DAVINA: It's finished, but I'm afraid it's not enough to protect Cami's body from Esther's magic.

KOL: I might know a way to distract you from your troubled mind?

[Davina smiles and laughs. Marcel storms into the room and glares at Kol]

MARCEL: [unamused] You can take this seriously, or I can lock you in a coffin like your brother Finn, if you prefer.

KOL: No. No, I'd prefer you to bugger off, because this spell needs time to cook in peace.

MARCEL: Cami doesn't have time. Esther can jump anybody into her body right now.

KOL: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but she's not going to jump anybody. She's going to jump Rebekah, who just happens to be miles away. But, fair dues, Marcel, I think I'd be a bit testy, too, if my old ex was about to jump into my new ex. I think that would be a bit, uh...

CAMI: [joins them] ...Awkward?

KOL: [shrugs] I was going to say kinky, but...

[Marcel, angry, vamp-speeds toward Kol and grabs him by the collar of his shirt, but Cami pulls him off of him before things get violent]

CAMI: I appreciate the chivalry, Marcel, but he'll have an easier time protecting me if he's alive.

[Marcel sighs in frustration and turns back to Kol, glaring at him in annoyance]

MARCEL: Keep working.

[Marcel and Cami leave Kol and Davina to their work]

DAVINA: What is it with you two?

KOL: Eh, it gets a bit old, playing odd-man-out in me own family. You know, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah... they were always a party of three. No room for me at the table, but there always seemed to be room for Marcel.

[He watches as Davina starts cleaning up the herbs and salt from the table]

KOL: You know that diamond, the one that I showed you?

DAVINA: [nods] Mmhmm.

KOL: Well, that was the baby version. The one that we need to do the dagger spell, well, that has to be a lot bigger. A hundred years ago, I had it in my hand, and Marcel ratted me out to Klaus and they took it. He probably bloody well kept it.

DAVINA: [smiles] Then, let's steal it back. It's a good chance to snoop!

KOL: [pleased] It's like you're in my mind, Davina Claire!

[She smiles and laughs cheerfully]

THE BAYOU / LAFAYETTE CEMETERY

[Starlings fly around the woods while Mikael kneels on the ground in the woods and viciously feeds on a battered and bleeding werewolf. He notices one of the birds as it flies away, and suddenly, Lenore/Esther appears behind him]

ESTHER: You're making a mess of my werewolf sentries, Mikael.

MIKAEL: [shocked] And you're up to your old tricks.

[He stands to his feet and approaches her with a wicked smile]

MIKAEL: Esther. I've missed you, wife. Have you missed me?

ESTHER: [sighs impatiently] As much as you've missed me, I imagine.

MIKAEL: That would explain why you brought your lover back from the Other Side without so much as a thought of me. I will slaughter every single wolf I see until I am taken to the dog you saw fit to bring back from the dead!

ESTHER: You can stop looking for Ansel. Klaus killed him. Klaus may not be your blood, but he certainly has picked up a few things from you along the way--

MIKAEL: [enraged] DO NOT MENTION THE BASTARD SON!

ESTHER: [amused] --Resolution through violence. You are nothing if not consistent.

[Mikael glares at her furiously]

ESTHER: Go ahead. Strike me. I imagine you've been waiting a thousand years to do so.

[Mikael lunges for her, but she vanishes, revealing that Esther was only in the Bayou in the form of an astral projection. In reality, she is in the lycée, and she laughs at Mikael's predictability]

ESTHER: [chants] Apparaitre apparebis.

[Mikael growls and turns as Esther reappears behind him]

ESTHER: Now that you've gotten that out your system, we have things to discuss about our children.

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Elijah is sitting on the porch with Hope, who is sitting in a baby seat. In the yard, Rebekah is setting up firewood]

REBEKAH: It's alright, Elijah. She won't break. Everything you did was in the name of protecting her. I'm not worried.

[Elijah picks up Hope and holds her]

Elijah: [to Hope] Hi, sweetheart.

[Elijah finally notices that Rebekah is setting up for a fire and looks at her in confusion]

Elijah: Is that what I think it is?

[Rebekah walks back toward Elijah and Hope and smiles happily]

REBEKAH: It's bonfire season! And I am reviving a family tradition! Especially since we're all going to be together.

Elijah: Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents. Another Mikaelson tradition. It's a peculiar thing-- never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family always at war?

[Rebekah smiles and touches Hope's hand]

REBEKAH: I don't know. But, being away with her made me see things differently.

[She lowers her voice as she gently talks to both Hope and Elijah]

REBEKAH: We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are.

[Suddenly, Klaus and Hayley's black SUV speeds down the driveway, and Klaus doesn't even get the chance to park before Hayley rushes out of the car and sprints toward Rebekah, Elijah and her daughter. She stops in her tracks as soon as she sees Hope, as though she can't believe her eyes. Rebekah and Elijah both smile at her as Klaus catches up with them, and Elijah wastes no time handing a smiling Hope to Hayley]

HAYLEY: [to Hope] Hi!

[Hayley hugs Hope tightly and breaths a sigh of relief. Behind her, Klaus is near tears and too overwhelmed to move. Hayley, unable to meet Elijah's eye, turns so Klaus can see his daughter as well. Hope coos happily, and Klaus and Hayley both laugh as they smother her with kisses]

[After the break, the Mikaelsons discuss the newest revelations they've just learned while they continue to build the bonfire]

REBEKAH: Curse on the first-born? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?

KLAUS: Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity.

HAYLEY: [concerned] Is any of this true?

Elijah: It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth-- our mother.

REBEKAH: Well, no wonder Finn hates us. He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull.

HAYLEY: [sarcastically] Great. So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?

Elijah: The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead.

HAYLEY: ...Like Esther?

KLAUS: No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her. [He pauses for a beat] There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas.

[Rebekah rubs her hands together excitedly as she returns to where her siblings are standing]

REBEKAH: Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!

KLAUS: [sighs] No, we're not.

REBEKAH: Yes, we are, Nik! Back me up, Elijah!

Elijah: [laughs] I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes.

HAYLEY: [confused] What are you all talking about?

REBEKAH: Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck! It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids!

KLAUS: It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it!

HAYLEY: Hope's first bonfire season. I like it! [She smiles] We're doing it!

[Hayley rushes inside for paper. Rebekah, pleased, turns to her brothers and smiles smugly]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Marcel has found Cami in the room where they are keeping Vincent/Finn's locked coffin]

MARCEL: [smiles] You ditched me.

CAMI: You have my fake therapist locked in that coffin. What better way to spend my potential final hours?

[She rubs her neck anxiously, but Marcel squeezes her shoulder comfortingly]

MARCEL: Try not to think about it.

CAMI: I can't help it, Marcel. At any moment, I could cease to exist. And, the one person who can make a difference is ten feet away and locked in a box. I need to talk to him!

MARCEL: You're not talking to Finn!

CAMI: Maybe he'll listen? Maybe he'll... call his mom off? It's a million to one, but it's better than doing nothing.

[She heads for the coffin, but Marcel follows after her]

MARCEL: I said no, Cami.

CAMI: Marcel, I am hours away from someone taking control of my body. I highly suggest you avoid trying to control me between now and then.

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Klaus is holding Hope and sitting at the dining room table when Hayley comes in with a small notebook and pencils to write their wishes. She holds out the supplies for him to take]

HAYLEY: Here.

[Klaus is so busy doting on Hope that he doesn't take his eyes off of her as he speaks to Hayley]

KLAUS: [happily] I'm holding a small child, Hayley. This silly wish game will have to wait!

HAYLEY: [smiles] You write, I'll hold.

KLAUS: You do realize it is not I who is to be the husband you can boss around?

HAYLEY: [smiles even wider] You do realize that I had to endure horrendous labor and actual death birthing the child that you're holding?

[Klaus chuckles and sighs as Hayley walks over and takes Hope from him]

HAYLEY: [to Hope] Heyyy!

KLAUS: Fine.

[He picks up the paper and pencil and starts to narrate aloud what he writes]

KLAUS: "I wish Hayley would tell Elijah you're marrying your werewolf suitor, at which point I will pour him a scotch and congratulate him on the bullet he dodged."

[He rips off the page and hands it out to Hayley, who just glares at him, clearly not amused by his jokes. She snatches the paper from his hands and crumples it up in a ball before she tosses it on the ground and leaves the room. Klaus smirks, pleased with himself]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Cami is carrying a tea set into the room where Finn is being kept, while Marcel prepares to unlock his coffin]

MARCEL: You know, I'm only doing this because it means so much to you. But, if it's not safe, I'm staying.

[Cami turns and gives him a look]

MARCEL: [defensively] Not to control you! To protect you.

CAMI: He won't talk to me if you're here, Marcel. And, he's in no shape to pick a fight.

[Marcel shakes his head in frustration and opens the coffin door. Finn, who is severely weakened and still shackled with the enchanted manacles, nearly falls over, so Marcel catches him and deposits him into a chair. Finn looks at them both in confusion, and Cami gives Marcel a pointed look]

MARCEL: I'll be outside.

[When Marcel leaves, Cami sits down across from Finn in the other chair]

CAMI: [sighs] I'm not much of a cook, but I do make a mean grilled cheese. [She hands him a plate, but he doesn't take it]

FINN: You're a compassionate woman, Camille. It's your fatal flaw, and it will be your downfall.

CAMI: Well, that got dark fast.

[She laughs awkwardly and gestures to his plate]

CAMI: Come on, eat. You must be starving.

FINN: I will not be tempted by your beauty, nor will I be blinded by your empathy.

CAMI: [rolls her eyes] You don't leave a girl much wiggle room. I would appeal to your morals, but those seem to be all over the map.

FINN: I'm not the one who was sleeping with one vampire while half-in-love with another.

[Cami's face falls, and she gapes at him, clearly hurt and offended by his words]

FINN: Your morality is a moving target. Mine is not. You believe people can change. You're still seeking out Klaus' redemption, as if that were a thing that was even possible. Elijah seeks it out. Even my own mother seeks it out! But, I do not believe in redemption. I believe in right and wrong. I believe in good. [He holds up his manacles] And evil.

[Cami is clearly affected by his words, but she tries her best to remain composed]

CAMI: Maybe in some comic book universe--

[Finn quickly rises to his feet and leans forward so his face is only inches from Cami's]

FINN: You don't even see it, but I'm trying to help people like you!

CAMI: I don't believe you.

FINN: [furiously] And that is to your peril, because when I'm free, I will not stop until every single vampire in New Orleans has ceased to exist! And, I will show no mercy to anyone who dare stand with them!

[He pulls the chain to his manacles taut and holds them up to Cami's throat, as if he intended to choke her with them]

FINN: [aggressively] Not even you.

[He finally backs away from her, and Cami, frightened, hops out of her chair and rushes out of the room. Marcel passes her and walks back into the room]

CAMI: Lock him back up.

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Elijah is out on the porch of the safe house, stacking up firewood, when he suddenly starts getting flashbacks to his red-door dream again. In the flashback, Hayley, in a white dress, rushes toward the red door and furiously pounds on it as a bloody Elijah chases her. Then, young Elijah takes a stake and kills adult Elijah with it in the woods. He's broken out of his vision by Rebekah, who has joined him on the porch]

REBEKAH: [concerned] Elijah.

[She hands him a handkerchief to wipe his hands]

REBEKAH: Here.

Elijah: [shakily] Thank you.

REBEKAH: What is it you see when you go away like that?

Elijah: Things I've done. Images of who I was.

[He returns the handkerchief to Rebekah]

Elijah: It's a lovely gift from Mother. I can't turn it off. I suppose it's her way of demonstrating I'd be better off taking her deal.

REBEKAH: To leave your body behind?

Elijah: To start over. To live a mortal life. Have a child of my own, if I choose.

REBEKAH: Cursed as your first-born, if we're to believe the story.

Elijah: Not if I am no longer Mikaelson blood. You see, this is the beauty of Mother, Rebekah-- sometimes even her darkest deeds possess a logic that is difficult to refute.

REBEKAH: It's a lovely fantasy, Elijah.

Elijah: Rebekah, you and I both know what Mother is capable of. Now, I do wonder if she would relent and leave us be--

[He cuts himself off and sighs, licking his lips anxiously before he lowers his voice]

Elijah: What if all that Mother needs is a victory?

REBEKAH: Let her find it somewhere else! Besides, she wants all three of us.

Elijah: She has Kol, she has Finn. Now, perhaps, in the end, a simple majority will do?

[Rebekah considers this for a moment and sighs, clearly unhappy with this idea]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Davina and Kol are searching through the compound in search of the paragon diamond. While they dig around in dressers in one of the bedrooms, Davina finds an old framed photograph of Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol and Marcel from 1914 in the bottom of a drawer. She smiles and walks over to Kol to show him the photo]

DAVINA: [curiously] Is this you?

[Kol takes the photo out of her hands and examines it]

KOL: [smirks] I was a lot better looking back then.

DAVINA: [giggles] You wish! [She looks at the photo] What about Rebekah? You never talk about her.

KOL: Well, there's not much to say, really. She was always their girl. There was one time, though, she did me a solid. Back in Christmas, 1914.

FLASHBACK-- NEW ORLEANS, DECEMBER 1914

[The Mikaelsons were hosting a Christmas party at the compound. Rebekah, in a red party dress, opens the doors to Klaus' bedroom to find Kol searching through his closet]

REBEKAH: Do you insist on pilfering before cocktails?

KOL: Nik stole something that belongs to me. I'm simply taking it back.

REBEKAH: [smiles] And I'm simply going to tell Nik!
[She turns to leave, but Kol rushes after her to stop her]

KOL: Wait!

[Rebekah turns toward him, and Kol sighs]

KOL: [nervously] What if I said I'm close to finishing a dagger that would work on him?

REBEKAH: You wouldn't dare use it.

KOL: Why? It's no more than he's done to us. And you've suffered at his hands more than anyone! And, it's not like we'd be killing him. Just giving you some time to be with Marcel.

REBEKAH: [stunned] You're entirely serious.

KOL: Haven't we both earned the right to live out of his shadow? Are you with me, sister?

[Rebekah silently considers this offer for a moment]

REBEKAH: You can count me in. But, do hurry downstairs, and throw on one of Nik's jackets. He'll notice your absence if you're late.

[Kol, thrilled to have Rebekah's allegiance, smiles at her]

END FLASHBACK

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Elijah, Hayley, and Klaus are outside with Hope, where Klaus has just lit a match to light the bonfire. Rebekah rushes outside to join them]

REBEKAH: Hey! Look what I found!

[She holds up a Polaroid camera, and the boys groan]

REBEKAH: I wonder if it'll work?

KLAUS: [sighs] Oh, bloody hell.

REBEKAH: Come on, let's try it! Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?

Elijah: Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces.

KLAUS: Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!

REBEKAH: Oh, come on, just take the picture!

[Klaus sighs and holds up the camera to take a picture of the five of them together. Everyone in smiling, Hope including, except for Klaus, who remains blank-faced. They all watch as the photo develops]

REBEKAH: Aw, see? I wish that it could always be like this.

Elijah: If wishes were horses...

KLAUS: [sighs ruefully] ...Beggars would ride.

[They all look happily at the photograph, but Klaus suddenly sighs]

KLAUS: You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does.

[He hands the photo to Hayley]

KLAUS: We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands.

[Hayley and Elijah look at each other, both visibly sad, and Hayley takes a good, long look at the photo before reluctantly throwing it into the bonfire]

REBEKAH: No! This isn't right. We deserve this. We've earned this.

[She looks at Elijah, Hayley, and Klaus look unhappy about their current situation, and suddenly gets an idea]

REBEKAH: I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther.

Elijah: [tensely] Rebekah, no--

REBEKAH: I'm going to take her deal. And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me.

[Rebekah and Klaus stare at each other, and Rebekah gulps anxiously]

[After the break, Hayley sits in the rocking chair on the front porch, giving a hungry Hope her bottle. Inside the house, Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus are discussing Rebekah's idea]

REBEKAH: It'll work. She will be distracted during the spell. She'll be vulnerable.

KLAUS: No. If we kill her, she body-jumps.

REBEKAH: Then stop her from jumping!

KLAUS: If I knew how to bloody stop her from jumping, don't you think I would have happily murdered her ages ago?

REBEKAH: Well, ages ago, you didn't have a Harvest girl or a Mikaelson witch. Kol knows all of her tricks.

Elijah: [scoffs] Now, you're both insane.

REBEKAH: Hardly, Elijah. It was your idea! You're the one who said she needed a win, and if we get this right, then she'll have one.

Elijah: [visibly stressed] And if we get it wrong, you're no longer in your own body!

REBEKAH: Would that be the worst thing? You were ready to do it yourself.

[Klaus looks at Elijah, surprised and concerned to hear this news]

Elijah: It was a foolish moment, and one that you sagely dissuaded me from.

REBEKAH: Hopefully, we'll get lucky and stop the spell before I jump.

KLAUS: And, if we're not, you'll get what you always wanted.

[Rebekah swallows nervously, confirming Klaus' suspicions]

KLAUS: I mean, that's what you're saying, isn't it? You're willing to lose.

REBEKAH: I'm willing to risk losing, yes.

KLAUS: [sighs] Well, we need to find someone for her to jump into. Someone anonymous. Someone who could disappear with Hope.

Elijah: Rebekah, we've been together for centuries. If you were human--

REBEKAH: [rolls her eyes] When I'm old and wrinkly, you can dump me back into my old body. Nik already has a coffin he can store me in.

Elijah: [crosses his arms] But to trust Kol?

REBEKAH: It's not about trust, Elijah. It's about finding the proper leverage.

KLAUS: She's right. Kol will do what's best for Kol-- we just have to meet his price.

[Klaus pulls out his phone and dials a number]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Marcel and Kol are discussing Kol helping Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah with their plan]

KOL: I'd be happy to help!

MARCEL: In exchange for what? From all the sneaking around today, you're clearly in need of something.

KOL: If you want me to find a new body for Rebekah, I want the Fauline diamond you stole from me back in 1914.

MARCEL: [laughs] And what do you plan to do with it?

KOL: Does it matter?

MARCEL: Well, it would matter to Klaus.

KOL: [smirks] You see, I could fib here, but I want to be on the up about it. I need a weapon I can use to protect myself against Klaus, and the diamond helps me make it.

[Marcel looks at him suspiciously, and Kol, realizing what he must think about this statement, starts to backpedal]

KOL: [hastily] It's not to kill him! It's simply a matter of self-defense. Only to be used out of absolute necessity.

[Marcel reluctantly nods in understanding and considers this offer]

KOL: It's a fair trade, Marcel. We get free of my whackadoodle mum, I acquire the means by which to defend myself against a volatile brother, should the need arise, and, uh, if all goes well, perhaps you'll let me near Davina without bodily harm.

[He smiles impishly, and Marcel sighs, clearly torn]

KOL: So, should I call him back, or should you?

ON THE ROAD

[It's night, now, and Klaus and Rebekah are driving back to New Orleans to enact their plan against Esther]

REBEKAH: You are mad to give Kol that diamond.

KLAUS: Our little brother has been plotting against me for years, and he hasn't got a lick of it right. I'll take my chances. [He pauses for a moment] Do you know what to do?

REBEKAH: [takes a deep breath] Yes. But, if it doesn't go to plan, will you handle my body with care, please? I may miss the old model.

KLAUS: If everything goes south, I'll be there to pull you out. We just have to take Esther down before she body-jumps. I don't want all of this to have been for nothing.

REBEKAH: [smiles] You and I on the same team. It must be Christmas.

MIKAELSON SAFE HOUSE-- ARKANSAS

[Hayley walks into the living room, where Elijah is sitting by the fireplace, and stops in the doorway]

HAYLEY: She's asleep.

[Elijah looks up at her]

HAYLEY: It's so quiet, with Klaus and Rebekah gone. [She pauses] So, we didn't get to say our wishes. Can I tell you mine?

[Elijah looks at her quizzically, but remains silent]

HAYLEY: [nervously] It's a hope, actually... that you'll understand what I have to tell you.

Elijah: [confused] And what is it?

HAYLEY: My wolves. I think I figured out a way to release them from the witches. [Elijah stands, surprised] They could control their turning without the rings, and bring peace to our home so that Hope could return to us. But, there's a catch... I have to marry Jackson.

[Elijah is completely stunned speechless, and Hayley, feeling awkward, starts speaking rapidly as though she's very anxious about this ordeal]

HAYLEY: It's a, um, mystical ceremony, and- and an Alpha bonding ritual...?

[Elijah turns toward the window, and Hayley walks closer to him]

HAYLEY: Elijah... I know that you and I haven't been close recently, but... you have to know that this isn't about him. I don't love Jackson, but... at the same time, I couldn't marry him and still be involved with you.

[Hayley looks overwhelmed, especially since Elijah has yet to verbally respond]

HAYLEY: I don't know, I should just--

[She turns to leave, but Elijah rushes after her and grabs her by the arm to turn her toward him. He reaches around her waist and pulls her toward him so he can kiss her passionately, a kiss which Hayley returns. After a moment, he pulls away]

Elijah: [quietly] Marry him.

HAYLEY: [dazed] What?

[She stares at him in confusion as Elijah gently brushes a lock of hair off of Hayley's face with his fingers before cupping her face in his hands to look her in the eye]

Elijah: Listen to me-- the only way that this city will be safe for Hope's return is if you have unified your people, and I have unified my own. Now, Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your child. Do what you need to bring your daughter home. This is my wish for you.

[Hayley slowly reaches up and caresses Elijah's face with her hand. They stare at each other for a long moment before they both lunge for each other and start kissing even more passionately. Elijah picks her up and wraps her legs around his waist before vamp-speeding them against the bookshelf, where he pulls off Hayley's jacket. Hayley unknots his tie and rips his shirt open as he pulls down the straps of her dress, and eventually moves them over to the coffee table, where he lays Hayley so they can make love]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Kol has just returned to the compound to update Marcel and Davina on their plan with Klaus and Rebekah]

KOL: Done! As per your request. Miss Angelica Barker. Good cheekbones and a tummy you can bounce a quarter off! She will be Rebekah's new host body instead of Cami.

[Cami walks downstairs to join them]

DAVINA: Who's Angelica Barker?

MARCEL: One of my vampire potentials. Had to turn her down. She was too lost.

CAMI: [nervously] Does she know what's about to happen to her?

KOL: It's better when they don't know, love.

MARCEL: [sighs] Hopefully we won't have to use her.

KOL: Hopefully. But, then, my mother is a wily and vindictive woman... which is why I've got to ask something else of you.

MARCEL: [suspiciously] You're already getting the diamond.

KOL: Which I'm thrilled about. But, in order for me to help you, I need access to my mother's hourglass... which is in the Lycée. With my mother.

MARCEL: So?

KOL: Well, I haven't been back in a while, and the only way she won't suspect me is if I bring back the thing that I was sent to find.

MARCEL: And that thing is...?

KOL: ...The white oak stake.

MARCEL: [exasperatedly] Are you out of your mind?

[Marcel gives Kol a side-eye, and Davina gapes at him, clearly unhappy by this request as well]

DAVINA: Kaleb!

KOL: Look, it's the only way she's gonna trust me! She doesn't want to kill them, she just wants to make sure that the weapon doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

[Marcel and Davina both look unhappy and uneasy about this revelation]

KOL: I swear, as soon as she's gone, I'll give it right back to Klaus.

MARCEL: Like hell you will. Deal's off.

[Suddenly, Klaus arrives home and joins them all in the courtyard]

KLAUS: Kol! Whatever grudges you hold against me, we're doing this for the good of our family. Do I have your word that, for once, you will honor that?

KOL: You have my word, Nik. Swear on the face of us all.

KLAUS: [smiles weakly] I'll get the stake.

LAFAYETTE CEMETERY

[Kol has returned to the Lycée, where he has met with Esther and is explaining his absence]

KOL: I wooed her, I won her. It took a while, but in the end, she handed it to me.

[Esther examines the white oak stake carefully]

ESTHER: When I didn't hear from you, I thought you might be in trouble.

KOL: Nope. No trouble. It's just hard to do espionage when you're calling mummy all the time.

[He starts to touch Esther's hourglass curiously]

KOL: So, where's Finn? Is he off playing emperor to his merry pack of dogs?

ESTHER: I'm afraid Finn may have fallen into the hands of your brothers. But, I've made a plan to assist him with that dilemma while I continue my search for Rebekah.

[Behind Esther, a dark figure appears. Kol smirks and gestures toward the door]

KOL: Oh, speak of the devil and the devil will come. Hello, sister.

REBEKAH: [smiles] Kol. It really is you. I would know that smirk anywhere.

[Esther turns at the sound of Rebekah's voice and seems surprised to see her. Rebekah approaches them and stands in front of her]

REBEKAH: Hello, Mother. I believe you're offering a deal?

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Davina is spreading salt, sand, and herbs around an hourglass on the table in the courtyard to prepare for their spell. She and Marcel explain their plan to Cami as Davina turns the hourglass]

DAVINA: Kaleb will link this hourglass to Esther's. Ours will mirror hers.

MARCEL: When the last sand falls, Esther will try to jump her into you.

DAVINA: That's when I'll redirect the spell from you to Esther. It's meant to jam the signal just long enough to keep that kind of magic from working against anyone.

CAMI: [anxiously] If it works.

MARCEL: It'll work! When Rebekah attacks, Esther won't be able to jump her into you, or herself anywhere else.

CAMI: And we're sure Kaleb is on board?

[Marcel and Davina both nod in confirmation]

MARCEL: He's on board. He's a thief and a liar, but, like Elijah, he doesn't give his word lightly.

[Cami continues to look anxious]

LAFAYETTE CEMETERY

[Esther is pouring cups of tea for Kol and Rebekah as they discuss Esther's offer in the greenhouse of the Lycée]

REBEKAH: You can't possibly expect me to discuss giving up eternal life over tea.

[She points to a nearby shelf full of wine bottles]

REBEKAH: Give me some of that red over there.

KOL: [amused] Pff!

[Esther smiles and goes to get the bottle of red wine from the shelf to pour them each a glass]

REBEKAH: Well, where's the sales pitch?

ESTHER: I only offer what you already want.

REBEKAH: And how do you presume to know that?

ESTHER: Elijah's happiest when there's order and music. Klaus, when he's the center of attention and in control. But, you are my only child capable of unfettered joy.

[She hands Rebekah a glass of wine]

ESTHER: And, you're happiest amongst humans. I've seen you yearn for that life. For love.

KOL: [loudly] And when am I happiest, then, Mother?

[Esther rolls her eyes and sets her drink on the table to look Kol in the eye]

ESTHER: When you're doing as you're told!

[She holds up the tea tray and hands it to him so he can put it away before she turns back to Rebekah]

ESTHER: Our wishes are aligned in this, my daughter. Mine, to free you from this curse, and yours, to be human.

REBEKAH: I'd be giving up everything I've ever known for a memory of something I once was. Power for weakness. Strength for frailty. Eternal life for a brief human existence.

[Esther squeezes Rebekah's arms affectionately]

ESTHER: The choice is simple-- another thousand years of never having what you want, or a handful of years when you do.

[Rebekah looks nervous. She glances over at Kol, who is staring at her, before turning back to her mother and taking a deep breath]

REBEKAH: Well, then. To the end of an era. I'm in.

ESTHER: [visibly happy] Let us begin!

[She turns over her hourglass. Kol, nervous, sits up and casts a brief spell while Esther's back is turned. She and Rebekah toast their wine glasses and each take a long sip]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[The hourglass on the table in the courtyard starts to pour after Kol casts his spell on Esther's own hourglass. Davina, Marcel, and Cami are all watching it intently]

DAVINA: It's working.

[Cami nervously stands to her feet to pace around the room]

LAFAYETTE CEMETERY / MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[At LAFAYETTE CEMETERY, Esther, Rebekah, and Kol have moved outside to the altar where Genevieve and Monique tried to sacrifice Hope in From a Cradle to a Grave. The hourglass sits on the altar, surrounded by salt and sand in a circle. Esther finishes setting up the spell, and fire suddenly sparks in four metal bowls surrounding her. She then lays the white oak stake on the end of the altar, which makes Rebekah very nervous]

REBEKAH: What the bloody hell is that doing here?

ESTHER: As each of you comes to your senses and takes my offer, I will destroy your vampire bodies.

KOL: [confused] Mother, you said you wanted the stake to protect them!

ESTHER: Yes, but not in their current bodies. Once they accept my offer, I will be righting two wrongs--

REBEKAH: [overwhelmed] No.

ESTHER: --Having brought this evil into the world, then having subjected my own children to it.

REBEKAH: No, that wasn't the deal! Stop the spell!

ESTHER: The spell is already done! I prepared it to be locked in the moment I turned over the hourglass.

[Kol looks anxiously at Rebekah, who is horrified by this revelation. The sand continues to pour through the hourglass]

[At the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, Davina, Marcel, and Cami are still anxiously watching the sand run out of their own hourglass]

MARCEL: Now.

DAVINA: Not yet.

[Back at LAFAYETTE CEMETERY, Rebekah is still freaking out about this change in their plans]

REBEKAH: Mother, think this through. You gave birth to this body, you can't destroy it!

ESTHER: I am only destroying its flesh! Your beautiful soul will live on in the body of another.

[There is only 4-5 centimeters of sand left in the hourglass]

ESTHER: I have chosen well for you. A beautiful girl. Strong.

[Suddenly, Klaus reveals himself to be standing on the roof of a nearby crypt]

KLAUS: MOTHER! Stop the spell!

[He vamp-speeds toward them and stands next to Rebekah]

KLAUS: You and your traitorous son.

KOL: [anxiously] Nik, I didn't know anything about it, I swear.

[Esther is stunned when she realizes that Kol has betrayed her]

ESTHER: Oh, good. I'm glad you two boys are friends again. I did wonder what you'd been up to in your time away. Now, I know.

KLAUS: [grits his teeth] Stop the blasted spell!

ESTHER: I'm afraid that's impossible.

KLAUS: Anything is possible.

[He steps in front of Rebekah protectively]

KLAUS: Take me instead.

REBEKAH: Nik, no!

ESTHER: If only you'd taken my offer when it was still mine to give! Unfortunately, you've left me no choice but to make a... deal... with Mikael.

REBEKAH: [horrified] Mikael?

[Klaus and Kol both look mutinous]

ESTHER: When Finn and Kol went missing, I needed a new ally.

[She looks at Klaus with a furious expression]

ESTHER: All he wanted was the right to kill you.

[Klaus, overwhelmed, turns away from them to think]

ESTHER: Kol, I would ask you to deliver the stake to your father, but it seems your loyalties have been compromised.

KLAUS: [turns back to her] STOP THE SPELL, ESTHER!

REBEKAH: No, it's okay, Nik. I can do this.

[The sand in the hourglass is even closer to being gone]

ESTHER: So, you're feeling murderous again. You should know, I've already chosen another body.

[Kol sees that the sand has almost run out and turns to give the cue to Klaus]

KOL: NOW!

[Klaus takes an athame off of the altar and stabs Esther in the neck with it. Esther falls to the floor, dead, just as the rest of the sand leaves the hourglass. Klaus looks as though he can't believe what he's just done]

[At the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, the rest of the sand leaves their own hourglass]

MARCEL: Now!

[Davina closes her eyes and begins to chant

DAVINA: Scen ta lum ves victas per vatis imparret. Scen ta lum ves victas per vatis imparret.

[Suddenly, Cami starts to seize, and Marcel rushes over to her to catch her before she falls]

MARCEL: Cami?

[At LAFAYETTE CEMETERY, Rebekah starts to seize as well, and Klaus catches her before she can fall]

KLAUS: Rebekah!

[At both LAFAYETTE CEMETERY and THE MIKAELSON COMPOUND, both of the hourglasses explode at the same time, and they all have to dive out of the way to avoid the shards of glass at their respective locations]

[At LAFAYETTE CEMETERY, Klaus looks over at Kol with a horrified expression]

[At the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, Marcel checks on Cami and looks over at Davina, who looks scared]

MARCEL: Did it work?

DAVINA: [anxiously] I have no idea.

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Cami has been laid in an armchair in the courtyard, where Davina is sitting at her side, gently brushing her hair off her face. Klaus returns to the compound a moment later, carrying Rebekah's body, which he lays on the couch. In the next room, Marcel has gone to check on Finn, only to find that the lock has been ripped off of his coffin, whose lid is open to reveal that it is empty. Back in the courtyard, Davina explains to Klaus what has happened in his absence]

DAVINA: Cami's not awake yet, either.

[Suddenly, Marcel rushes into the room anxiously]

MARCEL: When she's up, we gotta get her out of the Quarter. She's not safe here. Someone busted Finn out!

KLAUS: [sighs] My mother is using Mikael to do her dirty work now.

[Suddenly, Cami awakens with a gasp, and everyone turns to her in concern]

KLAUS: ...Camille?

[Cami looks around and takes in her surroundings for a moment before realizing that the spell worked]

CAMI: I suddenly love that stupid name!

[Davina laughs in relief and hugs her. Klaus and Marcel both smile weakly, and turn to check on Rebekah, who is still unconscious. Marcel sits down next to Rebekah and caresses her face with his hand. After a moment, when Rebekah hasn't awakened, Klaus sighs in realization]

KLAUS: I couldn't stop the spell.

[Klaus takes off. Marcel, scared, shouts after him]

MARCEL: Please tell me that your mother's dead!

[Klaus turns back toward Marcel before he leaves]

KLAUS: Rebekah and I took extra precautions. Esther is exactly where she needs to be.

THE FRENCH QUARTER

[Davina and Kol are walking through the Quarter toward the Fauline mansion]

DAVINA: Why are you in such a good mood?

KOL: Remember how I said Rebekah had done me a solid back in 1914? Swore she hadn't told Klaus that I was taking the diamond back? I was actually being a bit facetious.

FLASHBACK-- NEW ORLEANS, DECEMBER 1914

[The Mikaelsons' holiday party is in full swing, and people are milling about the courtyard in their finest outfits. Rebekah is mingling with the guests when she notices a blonde girl standing alone and goes to talk to her]

REBEKAH: You're here with my brother. A word of advice? A witch as lovely as you has no business dating Kol.

BLONDE WITCH: Oh, it's not really a date.

REBEKAH: [touches her arm] You can do better.

[Rebekah walks up the stairs, where Klaus, Elijah, Kol and Marcel are all drinking champagne and posing for a family photograph. Kol sees the witch down below and raises his glass to her, and she does the same in return. After the photo has been taken, Klaus taps on his glass with a knife to get the party's attention]

KLAUS: As you know, when the Mikaelsons arrived in Louisiana, we brought with us the tradition of holiday bonfire season. Now, we invite you chosen few to join us in our family's own tradition of writing wishes for each other and burning them for luck. The holidays are a time for celebrating family, and friends.

[He looks at Marcel before looking up at Kol, who looks confused and suspicious]

KLAUS: It is especially gratifying in times when treachery runs deep. To know you have someone you can trust. A toast, to you, my sister.

[Rebekah smiles up at Klaus, who returns it]

THE PARTY GUESTS: To Rebekah!

[Kol, now very worried, starts to head up the stairs to get away from his brothers, but Elijah quickly vamp-speeds after him. When he blocks Kol's path, Kol turns around to find Klaus blocking the exit behind him. Elijah grabs him by the arms and pulls his jacket off, as Klaus calls out to the crowd below]

KLAUS: Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the disturbance! But, what's a Mikaelson party without a little squabble?

[Klaus pulls out a silver dagger and stabs Kol in the heart with it. Rebekah, who's watching from the stairs, smiles devilishly]

END FLASHBACK

PRESENT DAY-- THE FRENCH QUARTER

[Kol and Davina are still walking through the neighborhood]

KOL: I've owed her one for a century. Today, I got to repay that favor.

[Davina looks concerned, but Kol gives her a reassuring look]

KOL: Oh, don't worry, love, I'm not going to hurt me own sister. I didn't exactly prep Angelica Barker, either. I prepped someone else.

DAVINA: [stunned] What? Who?

KOL: Oh, it's a bit of a story. You see, Klaus didn't just punish me for stealing the diamond, he also punished my witch friends-- locking them in the Dowager Fauline cottage. Oh, over the decades it's become quite a catch-all for an assortment of odd birds of the witchy variety. I'm sure Rebekah will be very comfortable in a prison created by Klaus.

[Davina, horrified, stops walking and gapes at him in disbelief]

DAVINA: You didn't.

KOL: Oh, I did.

[He pulls out the large paragon diamond from his pocket]

KOL: Besides, with Rebekah missing, Klaus will occupied so we can finish what we started.

[He hands her the diamond, and she examines it for a moment while she considers this revelation. After a moment, she smiles]

DAVINA: You swear she's safe?

KOL: [nods] Perfectly. Since this is the best day I've had in the past two centuries, I've made a wish for you.

[He caresses her face with his hand, and Davina looks happy to be with him]

KOL: Close your eyes.

[Davina does what she's told, and once her eyes are closed, Kol leans down and kisses Davina on the lips. After a moment, he pulls away, but Davina smiles before she wraps her arms around his neck and starts to kiss him more passionately. He wraps his arms around her waist, and the two make out in front of the Fauline mansion]

LAFAYETTE CEMETERY

[In the Delphine tomb, which is full of dozens and dozens of human skulls, Esther wakes up on the floor just in time to see Klaus toss a blood bag next to her. She groans as she tries to get her bearings, and Klaus crosses his arms as he smirks at her]

KLAUS: Hello, Mother.

ESTHER: [scared] What have you done?

KLAUS: You-- who sold me to that butcher Mikael like I were nothing more than chattel-- ask me what I have done?

[Esther sits up, her hands shaking nervously as Klaus walks toward her]

KLAUS: I've done what every good son does, Mother! I've followed the example of my parents. You taught me exactly how I should treat you.

[Esther looks around the tomb and clutches her chest, both confused and overwhelmed about what has happened to her]

KLAUS: You must be feeling a little twitchy right about now. It's what happens when you're in transition.

[Esther licks her lips and takes notice of the blood bag on the floor next to her]

ESTHER: [horrified] No...

[When she starts to put the pieces together, she becomes angry]

ESTHER: [gasps] That's not possible!

KLAUS: Oh, but it is! You see, you might have thought you were one step ahead of us, but the truth is, Rebekah was two ahead of you.

FLASHBACK-- LAFAYETTE CEMETERY, EARLIER THAT NIGHT

[Esther flashes back to earlier, when she, Kol, and Rebekah were in the Lycée, talking about her deal]

KOL: And when am I happiest, then, Mother?

[Esther rolls her eyes and turns toward him]

ESTHER: When you're doing as you're told!

[While her back is turned, Rebekah bites into her thumb and dribbles a sizable amount of her vampire blood into Esther's wine glass. Later, Esther takes a large sip of it after she and Rebekah toast to their deal]

END FLASHBACK

PRESENT DAY-- LAFAYETTE CEMETERY

[Esther is completely dumbfounded by this revelation]

ESTHER: The wine?

KLAUS: You died with vampire blood in your system. It's a delicious irony, because, as you know, you cannot be both witch and vampire.

[Esther, horrified and overwhelmed, chokes back a sob]

KLAUS: So, now, you can either be the thing that you hate the most, or you can be dead.

[He walks out of the door of the crypt, but turns back one last time toward his mother]

KLAUS: Your choice. Which is more than you ever gave us.

[Klaus leaves, and Esther starts to cry, sprawled out on the floor of the tomb. She reaches out toward the blood bag on the floor and pulls it toward her]

MIKAELSON COMPOUND

[Rebekah's body has been laid in her coffin, which is in the room off of the courtyard. Klaus and Marcel walk toward her and look at her sadly. After a moment, Kol joins them, and pulls out the white oak stake to return to Klaus]

KOL: A promise is a promise.

[Klaus smiles and takes the stake from Kol, relieved that he kept his word]

FAULINE MANSION

[A young woman suddenly awakens with a gasp on a bed inside the abandoned home. She looks at herself in the mirror for a moment, until she starts to hear screaming nearby and leaps off the bed to investigate. She runs down the stairs and toward the doors, desperately trying to break through, but they won't budge]

REBEKAH: [groans] Let me out! Someone!

[She continues to pound on the doors with no avail]

REBEKAH: [furiously] Kol, damn it!

[Maniacal laughter is heard nearby when she turns around]

REBEKAH: I'm not meant to be here.

[She starts to pound even harder on the doors with her fists as she continues to rattle the door handles trying to get out]

REBEKAH: I'm Rebekah Mikaelson! I'm Rebekah Mikaelson! Let me out, I'm Rebekah Mikaelson!