JUST A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR HEART | TO [2]

XLVIII • WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

forty-eight | quand les saints entrent

Condemned Property, Mystic Falls Woods

Elijah and Monique remain standing, side by side, outside of the boundary spell set up by the Saltzman twins before Klaus, who remains undeniably persistent to end his own life here and now with the last white oak stake. What would his daughter say about this? Considering she has no idea, even, of where the extremely dark magic inside of her was placed after it was taken, thanks to the Saltzman twins' magic in siphoning it away for safety. What would his family say? How could he be so selfish to end it this way?

"Niklaus. Don't." Elijah, along with his ex, watches as his brother prepares to stab himself deep in the heart with the white oak stake, "Put it down."

"Please, Nik." Monique slowly shakes her head desperately, "Don't do this."

"Walk away, both of you. You two shouldn't be here for this." Klaus snapped, clearly determined to do this in defense of his one and only daughter.

Monique steps forward toward him in defense despite remaining prevented to go any further by the barrier spell, "I'm not going to let you do this."

"Put it down and let's talk." The older Original sternly demanded him.

Klaus shakes his head, hot tears filling his eyes, "There's nothing left to say. It's time to end this chapter, get rid of the dark magic once and for all."

A light gasp escapes Monique once she senses someone's presence, "Hope."

"Dad?" Hope comes up from behind him, which makes him turn to her, and sees the stake he's holding in his two hands, "What's going on here?"

"Get her out of here." The younger Original sternly demanded the adults.

"Not until you tell her the truth." Monique sternly defended the teenager.

"Your death is not the answer." Elijah persistently denied him in defense.

"Death? Truth? Wh-What are you talking about?" Hope piped in, "They put it into you. But you told me that they put it into something safe, and instead, you use my first transition to trick me. So what happens, you just kill yourself and the magic goes away?" Her cheated gaze averts between her aunt and uncle, "And you two are going to let him go through with this?"

"No, Hope, you don't understand." Monique begun as an attempt to calm her down, though the younger brother beats her to it in defense of himself.

Klaus shakes his head, "I don't need their permission to save your life!" Considering this is what he should do, as a father, for his own daughter.

"Come back with us to New Orleans, Niklaus. We'll find another way." Elijah sternly demanded with raw desperation in his tone in defense of family.

"We all know that's not going to happen." Klaus turns back to his daughter, "I'm sorry, Hope. I've made my decision." He aims the stake once more.

Monique tries to reach him again when her ex holds her back, "No, Nik--"

"--And I've made mine." Hope immediately casts a spell, which immediately makes him fall unconscious on the ground with the white oak stake along.

A genuinely relieved sigh leaves Monique at that, "Thank God."

❋❋❋

Mikaelson Compound

The early sun has risen, coming the early day time, when Elijah is standing on the balcony, overlooking the vibrant Quarter below, in which the Mardi Gras celebration is taking place with loud lively music, balloons, confettis, and the long parade with people cheering and dancing all around the event. The Original is deeply contemplating his own brother, who's now fortunately locked up downstairs in the dungeon, underground, as soon as they brought him back from the small town of Mystic Falls, in Virginia. He effortlessly senses someone's presence not too far behind him at the open doorway, which leads to his own shared master bedroom with Monique.