Savior/Transcript

== SOUTHERN LOUISIANA DOCKS ==
[It is pouring down rain at the docks on the southern coast of Louisiana bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Rebekah gives a monologue in voiceover as the camera pans over her desiccated body, the enchanted stake with which Aya stabbed her still embedded in her heart. She's also still in her coffin, which has been placed into a large wooden shipping crate]
:: REBEKAH: [voiceover] Marcel once asked me what it feels like being daggered. I told him it's like a deep, dreamless sleep. But this is no ordinary dagger.
[The camera zooms in on the stake in Rebekah's chest. The handle has ornate skulls carved into the surface that were then coated with black varnish and embellished with red gemstones in the eye sockets. The camera pans over to a warehouse at the docks, where a man is using a forklift to transport the soggy, seaweed-covered shipping crate that contains Rebekah's body over with a stack of wooden pallets]
:: REBEKAH: [voiceover] This stake ensures I feel everything. The aching cold. The suffocating darkness. The burn of my veins crying out for blood. And the long agony of waiting.
[A middle-aged sailor is rubbing his hands together to warm them as he waits for the shipping container to be dropped off]
: SAILOR: Right where he said it would be.
[The sailor turns toward five of his lackeys, who are swarming around the crate]
: SAILOR: Open it! This Mr. "Elijah Smith" paid big money to have this dredged out of the Gulf. What's ever in it has gotta be worth a fortune. I say we renegotiate.
[The men finish opening the crate, but before they can fully examine its contents, Elijah appears behind them and snaps his large, black umbrella closed as he looks at them in annoyance]
: ELIJAH: I'm afraid that was my final offer.
[The sailor and his men start to get into defensive positions, so Elijah, who has stripped off his coat, throws it onto a pile of lumber before vamp-speeding toward the sailor, plunging his hand into his chest, and ripping out his heart. Elijah fights and kills several of the other men, which is only seen through the shadows on the wall, and the rest of the men run away from Elijah in terror. Once everyone has fled or been dealt with, the now-blood-splattered Elijah walks over to the shipping crate and opens the lid of the coffin before yanking the stake out of Rebekah's chest. Rebekah immediately awakens with a gasp as the color starts to return to her skin, though she's still pale and peaked-looking. Rebekah sits up and looks around in shock before she notices Elijah's presence. He smiles at her widely, and Rebekah sighs in relief]
: ELIJAH: Hello, sister.
: REBEKAH: [smiles weakly] Tell me I didn't miss Christmas!
TITLE CARD & OPENING CREDITS
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Cami is sitting in an armchair in the courtyard, which has been completely made over with Christmas decorations, including a huge tree in the middle of the room that is adorned with white light and gold and red baubles. Cami is watching with equal parts curiosity, horror, and exasperation as a compelled woman drains blood from a cut on the palm of her hand into a wine glass. Cami gives her a confused look]
: CAMI: Do they, like, pay you?
[The blood donor smiles at Cami cheerfully as Klaus waltzes into the room and answers her question]
: KLAUS: Handsomely! And with a generous Christmas bonus.
[Klaus looks over at the woman, who hands him the glass of her blood]
: KLAUS: Isn't that right?
[The woman smiles weakly and nods before she leaves, and Klaus smirks at Cami in amusement as he sits down in the chair next to her to enjoy his morning meal]
: CAMI: So, you just compel her to nod and agree with whatever you say?
: KLAUS: I compel her to feed me... and to hang the occasional Christmas ornament. She can say whatever the hell she wants.
[Cami laughs despite herself, and Klaus sips his blood with an amused smile]
: KLAUS: You seem better.
: CAMI: [smiles] Yeah. Thank you for letting me stay here the last couple of days, and giving me space to not talk.
[Klaus seems pleased to hear this, and Cami hesitates before she continues]
: CAMI: Why didn't you go with Elijah to help Rebekah? I hope it's not to stay and babysit me.
[Klaus looks slightly ashamed for a moment as he glances sheepishly around the room]
: KLAUS: It's not a good idea for he and I to spend hours together in confined spaces, given that the prophecy foretells one family member felled by another.
[Cami can see that Klaus is worried and gives him a reassuring smile]
: CAMI: You don't think he would hurt you?
: KLAUS: [quietly] I don't know what to think.
[Klaus sighs before leaning forward and setting his glass down on the table]
: KLAUS: The damn fortune-teller's predictions continue to unfold, despite all our efforts...
[Just then, Cami's phone buzzes in the pocket of her jeans, and she reaches over to take it. When she looks at the screen, she finds a text from Vincent that reads, "Kinney's in trouble"]
: CAMI: It's Vincent. I have to go.
[This news worries Klaus immensely, and his face looks pained]
== ST. JAMES INFIRMARY ==
[Marcel walks into the club to find Tristan at the bar, filling out paperwork while another vampire stands guard nearby. Marcel glances down at the file Tristan is finishing signing and realizes what he's doing]
: MARCEL: Taking over my bar. You don't really strike me as a jazz fan.
: TRISTAN: You're a Strix, Marcel. What's yours is ours and vice-versa. You should be grateful. You'll need my help, as I imagine the Mikaelsons still want your head.
[Marcel sighs in annoyance, but Tristan ignores it in favor of looking around the room]
: TRISTAN: This venue is brilliant. A neutral space where magic is useless. It should do nicely, at least until I install a suitable Regent to shepherd the local witches.
[Marcel smiles smugly at Tristan]
: MARCEL: Oh, well that might take a while. See, the last Regent was shunned, and the one before that murdered. No one is really eager to step up.
: TRISTAN: [patronizingly] As a member of this organization, you should know that we do not wait for men to "step up."
[Tristan stands to his feet and stares Marcel hard in the eyes]
: TRISTAN: We step them up.
: MARCEL: Okay. So, we install an ally as Regent. Good plan-- if you can find a witch who's willing to do your bidding.
: TRISTAN: In fact, I have a candidate. He's young, malleable. His name is Van Nguyen. It seems someone killed his mother. As it is Christmas, and I am-- despite reputation-- a charitable man, I made an offer. He'll use his powers to do as I ask.
[Tristan gives Marcel a patronizing pat on the arm before he turns and leaves with his guard, just as Marcel does the same]
== FRENCH QUARTER ==
[Cami is waiting on the street outside a boutique when Vincent suddenly appears behind her and taps her on the shoulder, which startles her so much she gasps in surprise and nearly hits him out of reflex. Vincent is surprised to see just how shell-shocked she looks]
: VINCENT: You're jumpy.
: CAMI: Maybe that's from being jumped so many times.
[Cami and Vincent start walking down the street, and Vincent gives her a sympathetic look]
: VINCENT: Yeah...
: CAMI: I haven't been out since... everything. What's up?
: VINCENT: I need for you to make a house-call. Kinney got fired last week.
[Cami, shocked by this news, stops walking and turns to face Vincent with a horrified expression]
: CAMI: What?? No! But he-- he's a good cop!
: VINCENT: Yeah, he was a good cop... Until he started having blackouts, going MIA when he was supposed to be on duty. I mean, there are gaping holes in his reports, arrests he can't explain...
[Cami's jaw drops when she realizes that it's all because of Lucien's compulsion]
: VINCENT: ...Missing evidence he can't explain. And now, he's isolating, he's not coming out of the house, he's not taking my phone calls--
[Cami cuts him off]
: CAMI: I'll go see him. There has to be something I can say.
: VINCENT: Thank you!
[Cami and Vincent walk down the street together]
== THE BAYOU ==
[Hayley is sitting on the picnic table outside of her former lake-front shack, waiting for Jackson to return. After a few moments, he appears from out of the woods, carrying fire wood and an ax in his hands. When he sees her, his face immediately goes cold, and Hayley hesitates awkwardly for a moment before she greets him]
: HAYLEY: I know you needed space, Jack... But I kind of eventually thought you would come home.
: JACKSON: [rolls his eyes] Right. To the apartment Elijah compelled somebody to rent us, and the bedroom that looks in on his library.
[Jackson's uncharacteristic bitterness surprises Hayley, who blushes in shame before Jackson continues on]
: JACKSON: Do you love him?
[Hayley sighs, flustered and overwhelmed by this line of questioning]
: HAYLEY: Jack...
: JACKSON: [angrily] Just tell me the truth for once.
[Hayley looks even more guilty and ashamed now, and she struggles to find the words to answer his question]
: HAYLEY: You knew... You knew when you married me.
[Jackson's face becomes even more upset]
: JACKSON: It's been a year. I have stood by you. I have fought for you. I have loved you and your daughter. And do you know what the worst part is? Coming out of those woods just now, seeing you sitting there... I'll be damned if it wasn't the best thing I had ever seen. Even when I'm pissed as hell, I would rather be near you than anywhere else.
[Hayley looks torn between being touched by his words and feeling guilty about how much pain she's causing him as Jackson sighs in frustration]
: JACKSON: Now, what kind of fool does that make me?
[Hayley takes Jackson's hand in her own and squeezes it affectionately, though Jackson looks surprised by the gesture]
: HAYLEY: My feelings for Elijah are complicated... But that doesn't mean that I love you any less, Jack. I chose you, and I choose you again every single day.
[Hayley looks Jackson in the eyes with a pleading expression]
: HAYLEY: Can't that be enough?
[Jackson seems mollified by this confession of love on Hayley's part, and he considers her words for a moment before he speaks]
: JACKSON: It's our first Christmas together. I've never had a happy one. I just want a quiet night with you and Hope-- our family. And I don't care if their house is on fire-- for one night, I will let it burn.
[Hayley smiles weakly, relieved to hear that his anger toward her is waning]
: HAYLEY: Just please, please come home.
: JACKSON: [takes a deep breath] Okay. I'll meet you there.
: HAYLEY: Okay.
: JACKSON: Go on.
[Hayley gives him a shy smile and squeezes his hand once more before letting it drop and walking away, leaving Jackson to think about their discussion]
== ST. JAMES INFIRMARY ==
[Tristan is still filling out paperwork at the bar when a dazed and groggy Aurora stumbles down the stairs from the small apartment above the club. Aurora looks horrified when she realizes that Tristan has been medicating her again]
: AURORA: How many days has it been?
[Tristan, surprised to see her, smiles at Aurora before he replies in a gentle, slighting patronizing tone of voice]
: TRISTAN: Please go relax. I'll be up shortly with your next dose.
[Aurora starts to shake her head, clearly unhappy with her current situation]
: AURORA: No! No!
: TRISTAN: [sighs] Let's try to avoid another episode.
[Aurora continues to shake her head desperately]
: AURORA: No. No! I will not relax until Niklaus is buried alive!
[Aurora starts to walk toward the door, but Tristan blocks her]
: AURORA: We need to get back the Serratura and lock them all away in a pit of fire!
[Tristan continues talking to her in a gentle voice in hopes of calming her down without incident]
: TRISTAN: It's being taken care of, darling.
[Tristan looks over at the bar before picking up several large surveillance photographs and handing them to Aurora]
: TRISTAN: Here. The sister has been researching the medallion since it's been in the Mikaelsons' possession. By end of day, we'll have what's ours, and we'll have taken care of the only witch willing to protect them.
[Tristan smiles devilishly at Aurora, who returns the devious look when she realizes that they've made progress while she was sleeping]
== GAS STATION OUTSIDE NEW ORLEANS ==
[Elijah is in the middle of filling his car's tank with gasoline when Rebekah walks out of gas station's convenience store with a disgusted expression on her face as she wipes her mouth on a paper towel]
: REBEKAH: Ugh! I think I prefer the bottom of the murky sea to that restroom.
[Elijah, amused by how pouty she is, just smiles at her]
: ELIJAH: Still hungry, are we?
[Rebekah groans in frustration and rubs at her wrist, which seems to be bothering her]
: REBEKAH: I'm not hungry, I'm angry. Staked by your ex, drowned by Nik's... You two need a lesson in women.
: ELIJAH: [rolls his eyes] Could the lesson not be yours to learn, Rebekah? Didn't you damn one to an eternity to viciously antagonize the other?
[Rebekah gives him an annoyed look until she realizes what Elijah is implying]
: REBEKAH: Do those lunatics actually believe the prophecy?
[When Elijah doesn't immediately answer, Rebekah makes a face at him]
: REBEKAH: You don't, do you?
: ELIJAH: [sighs] You'd be foolish to ignore the manifestation of these omens. 
: REBEKAH: [scoffs] We can't be killed, Elijah!
: ELIJAH: This prophecy does state one of us will fall by family.
: REBEKAH: [annoyed] Well, I would never harm you, you killed half the Navy rescuing me, Freya hates traitors...
[Rebekah suddenly winces and rubs her arm, but Elijah is too distracted by their discussion of the prophecy to notice right away]
: ELIJAH: Yes, Freya. Let's not forget her allegiance to Finn. I do want to trust her, but...
: REBEKAH: So, that leaves Nik. Do you think he's learned his lesson about backstabbing his family?
: ELIJAH: [sighs] Oh, I think he learns that lesson all the time. He's just a terrible student.
[Elijah removes the nozzle from his gas tank and returns it to the station at the gas station before walking toward the driver's seat of their car. However, he's stopped by Rebekah, whose eyes look dazed and unfocused for a moment before her eyes start to darken with hunger and her fangs pop out]
: REBEKAH: Do you ever want to just rip out his heart and see how long it takes to grow back?
[Elijah immediately stops what he's doing and looks at Rebekah with concern, but her vampire face quickly goes away when she cries out in pain and clutches her arm. After the spike of pain passes, she lifts her left sleeve up to reveal that she has a skull-shaped weal on the inside of her wrist. Both Rebekah and Elijah frown in worry as they examine the painful-looking mark]
: ELIJAH: What is it?
: REBEKAH: [groans in annoyance] Marvelous. What do you get the girl who has everything this Christmas? 
[Elijah looks even more panicked when he pulls the enchanted stake that Aya used to neutralize Rebekah and holds it next to the blistery wound on Rebekah's wrist, revealing that the skull symbols match perfectly]
: REBEKAH: A cure to a magical mark growing on her bloody arm.
== FRENCH QUARTER ==
[Jackson has just loaded the trunk of his pickup truck with a Christmas tree for his and Hayley's apartment, and he's just about to get in the truck to drive away when he sees Freya walking across the street. As Jackson watches her, he sees that she's being followed by a menacing-looking man in a dark suit and frowns, correctly guessing that Freya is in danger. The man follows Freya around a corner just as a black SUV full of similarly-dressed men get out and head in the same direction]
[Freya walks down an alley and presses the button on her key fob to unlock her car when she senses one of the men come up behind her]
: FREYA: [sighs] I'll warn you... I'm armed.
[Freya spins on her heel to face the man, who is a vampire and a member of the Strix, and clenches her hand into a fist, snapping his neck. Unfortunately, another vampire appears behind her, and when she turns to hit him, he grabs her by the arm and breaks it with a loud snap]
: FREYA: [in agony] AAAHH!
[The vampire grabs her by the hair and shoves her face-first into the nearby dumpster, causing her to hit her head hard against the metal and fall onto the ground in a heap. She forces herself onto her knees and reaches up to cast a pain infliction spell on him, but he grabs her in a choke-hold and is unable to react as she desperately gasps for breath. The vampire pulls her up onto her feet and shove her backward so her back is pinned against the lid of the dumpster just as the first vampire she slowed down recovers enough to vamp-speed over to help]
[The second vampire reaches into her pocket and pulls out the Serratura, holding it up in front of Freya's face mockingly before he raises his fist (upon which he wears a spiked ring that looks just like Aya's) and punches Freya in the neck. Freya collapses onto the ground, but before either of them can make the killing blow, Jackson rushes in with a battle-cry and swings his ax into the second vampire's back. When the man goes down, the first vampire rushes toward Jackson, only for Jackson to wolf-out and punch him in the face, knocking him backward onto the ground and knocking the Serratura out of his hand. As the two vampires are recovering, Jackson removes the ax from the second vamp's back and uses it to behead him. Unfortunately for them, the first vampire vamp-speeds away with the Serratura before Jackson can kill him as well. A third vampire comes up from behind Jackson, and he uses the ax to behead him as well before looking over at the weakened Freya with wolf-gold eyes. He then rushes over to her, checks to make sure she's still alive, and picks up her unconscious body to carry it back to his truck, though he does look annoyed to be forced to help the Mikaelsons]
== KINNEY'S HOUSE ==
[Cami has just arrived to Will Kinney's house and is knocking on his door, though Kinney doesn't answer. After a moment, she raises her voice and calls out to him through the door]
: CAMI: Will? You in there? It's Cami.
[Just then, a smiling Klaus appears behind Cami. She's so startled she jumps when he interrupts her]
: KLAUS: I assume you called first. I've been told turning up at someone's home uninvited could be considered rude.
[Cami is slightly annoyed that Klaus has showed up here]
: CAMI: Are you seriously following me? Klaus, I don't need a bodyguard, or some white knight trying to protect me.
[Klaus' face becomes serious as he stares her in the eyes]
: KLAUS: I'm here as your friend.
[Cami sighs, though it's clear she's not unhappy to see him, and looks back at the front door to Kinney's house]
: CAMI: Vincent said he'd be home...
[Klaus' eyes widen in horror when his vampire hearing senses what is going on inside, and he instantly shushes her]
: KLAUS: Shh, shh.
[He puts his index finger against his lips as he focuses his hearing, allowing him to hear the sound of Kinney's rapid heartbeat as he anxiously taps the barrel of a handgun against his temple, trying to muster up the courage to shoot himself under the chin with it in the living room. When Klaus realizes what Kinney is planning to do, he rushes toward the front door and kicks it open]
: KLAUS: [groans] YAH!
[As soon as the door is open, Cami can see that Kinney is about to shoot himself and runs through the front door toward him, but Klaus is forced to stay behind and watch Cami fearfully from the threshold since he hasn't been invited in]
: CAMI: Oh, my God! Will! No!
[Klaus begins to panic when Kinney instinctively aims his gun at Cami]
: KLAUS: Camille!
: KINNEY: [to Cami] You shouldn't have come here!
[Cami looks at him with alarm and concern as she tries her best to talk him down]
: CAMI: Will, it's gonna be okay. Just drop the gun.
[Will looks nearly hysterical as he gestures around with the gun and sneers at Cami]
: KINNEY: Insert empathetic psychobabble here! It's not okay!
[Klaus, worried for Cami's safety and knowing she doesn't want Kinney to be hurt, tries to help Cami calm him down]
: KLAUS: Put the gun down!
: KINNEY: [overwhelmed] Or what? You'll save me the bullet? I'm the definition of worthless! I try and try to make a difference, but there are things lurking out there in the shadows, and... And in the face of them, I am nothing. Do you understand?
[Cami, recognizing that Kinney has just repeated the same words Lucien said to him when he compelled him in Beautiful Mistake, looks back at Klaus with a panicked expression]
: CAMI: It's Lucien's compulsion. Is there anything you can do?
[Klaus thinks about this for a moment before looking at Kinney with a serious expression]
: KLAUS: Invite me in.
[Kinney seems conflicted about what Klaus is asking of him]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Hayley has just rushed into the compound to find Jackson and Freya in the courtyard. Freya is weakly laying back on the couch, her broken arm bound up in a makeshift sling with Jackson's button-down shirt while Jackson paces anxiously. Hayley immediately walks over to them to find out what's going on]
: HAYLEY: Hey, I got your text. What happened?
[Hayley sees how badly injured Freya is and walks over to the couch to sit next to her while Jackson explains]
: JACKSON: She got jumped. Three vampires, all dressed like yuppies.
: HAYLEY: [sighs] The Strix?
: JACKSON: [nods] Yeah. She needs your blood.
[Hayley wastes no time biting into her wrist and offering it to Freya to drink to heal her wounds. After a moment, Freya stops drinking and sighs in relief as she recovers from the attack]
: HAYLEY: You okay?
[Freya nods, and Hayley, looking impressed, smiles at Jackson]
: HAYLEY: Kind of hard to ignore it when someone needs your help, huh?
[Jackson makes a face, but before he can respond, Freya suddenly looks panicked as she starts to become aware of what has happened to her]
: FREYA: They took it. The Serratura. 
[Freya groans in pain and frustration as she pushes herself into a seated position]
: FREYA: I was meeting with a witch from the bloodline who built the lock. I was hoping she could help me destroy it, but it's not possible. She said the only way to get rid of it is to use it. We have to get it back and lock something else away. Anything but my family.
[Hayley, realizing how bad their current situation, groans in annoyance]
: HAYLEY: Great. Why don't we pay Tristan a visit and ask him really, really nicely?
[Suddenly, Elijah walks into the courtyard wearing a very somber expression]
: ELIJAH: I'm afraid we have a far more urgent problem.
[Elijah looks over to the entrance to the courtyard just as Rebekah walks into the room, looking pale and tired, though she smiles at her friends and family at the sight of them]
: REBEKAH: Well, to be fair, I am the prettiest urgent problem you have ever seen.
== ST. ANNE'S CATHOLIC CHURCH ==
[Vincent is in a tank top and jeans and is pounding away at a punching bag in the middle of the gym when a very angry Marcel shows up and approaches him]
: MARCEL: I opened this gym for warriors. You're not welcome anymore.
[Vincent gives Marcel a confused and annoyed look]
: VINCENT: Excuse me?
: MARCEL: Van Nguyen, the kid whose mom went after Davina? Family business got shut down. He can't put food on the table for his sisters. 
[Vincent doesn't seem to understand Marcel's point]
: VINCENT: Life's a bitch in the Ninth. What else is new?
[Marcel scowls at Vincent angrily]
: MARCEL: Today, Tristan transferred fifty G's into Van's account. Tonight, Van will ascend to the Regency. The leader of the witches will be some kid with a debt to the Strix. Meanwhile, you're here, fighting shadows.
[Vincent stops punching at the bag and scoffs at Marcel]
: VINCENT: Marcel, you got no idea what I fight.
[Marcel, losing his patience with Vincent, yanks the punching bag off of its chain and drops it onto the floor. Vincent rolls his eyes in exasperation]
: VINCENT: Wow. 
: MARCEL: Whatever it is, it's gonna be a lot worse when you have the blood of your people on your hands, all because you sat back and let it happen.
[It's clear that Vincent is no longer willing to go along with Marcel's game]
: VINCENT: Since when have you given a damn about my people?
[Marcel, offended by this insinuation, glares at Vincent]
: MARCEL: I'm New Orleans-- born and bred. So are you. Yeah, witches and vampires have been fighting for power since this city was a swamp, but we are all New Orleans, and now you're gonna hand over nine powerful covens to some outsider!
[Vincent strains to keep from attacking Marcel for his words]
: VINCENT: Witch business ain't your business. I think you should back off.
: MARCEL: Or what? You gonna get another little teenage girl to do your dirty work?
[Marcel shoves Vincent backward, though it wasn't very hard, and Vincent gets so mad he loses his temper and uses telekinesis to blow up all of the lights in the entire gym, plunging the room into relative darkness. Marcel looks surprised by this uncharacteristic outburst, and Vincent laughs in a daze before letting out a relieved exhale]
: VINCENT: Hoo! I have been holding back my power for a long time. Today, that stops. See, I came here for a little clarity, and I think I just got that. 
[Vincent walks toward Marcel so they're eye-to-eye, and Marcel gulps uncomfortably]
: VINCENT: I'm gonna take back the Regency, Marcel. But you ain't gonna like what I'm gonna do with it.
[Vincent turns and walks away, leaving Marcel alone to process their argument. Once Vincent is gone, Marcel smirks in satisfaction, apparently intending for Vincent to do this all along]
== KINNEY'S HOUSE ==
[Klaus, who has been invited into Will Kinney's house, has just taken off his jacket and set it onto the couch before sitting down on the coffee table in order to look Kinney in the eyes while he talks to him. Cami, standing in the doorway, watches Klaus comfort him and looks both shocked and impressed]
: KLAUS: While I can't take away the feelings of worthlessness that haunt you now, I can tell you you will learn to live with them. I certainly have. I have also come to find that the very thing you believe is worth the least matters most of all.
[Kinney looks unsure, and Cami is overwhelmed by Klaus' uncharacteristic kindness as he leans forward to look Kinney in the eye]
: KLAUS: There is beauty in the courage of the fragile fighter-- those who persevere despite all they've been through. Those who still believe there is good in the world. Us dark things often find we need the light the most.
[Klaus grabs Kinney by the back of the neck and stares him in the eyes to compel him]
: KLAUS: What you do not see in yourself, others see in you. You do matter.
[Kinney, too, looks overwhelmed by Klaus' words, but as the compulsion kicks in, he gasps in relief, seemingly feeling a little better. Klaus pauses for a moment and looks up at Cami, who is near tears, before nodding at her and continuing]
: KLAUS: Have you a family?
: KINNEY: [nods] Yeah, a sister. Baton Rouge.
[Klaus squeezes Kinney's shoulder with his hand and continues to compel him]
: KLAUS: Go to her. Enjoy Christmas. In the new year, you will return to your captain, and he will welcome you with open arms. 
[Klaus reaches out and gently takes the gun out of his hands]
: KLAUS: And Detective? You will remember today as your darkest day. 
[Klaus sets the gun out of Kinney's reach before turning back to him]
: KLAUS: Tomorrow will be better, the day after better still. You will go on. 
[Klaus smiles at him kindly]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Freya and Rebekah are sitting side-by-side on the couch in the compound as Freya examines the skull-shaped weal on her wrist, which has only grown larger and more painful looking since the last time it was seen. Elijah is pacing around beside them while Jackson and Hayley watch them with worry. Rebekah sighs in frustration before addressing Freya]
: REBEKAH: Give me the bad news, Doc.
: FREYA: Aya's stake was cursed. It infected you. As this mark grows, you will go mad. Left unchecked, you will become a relentless, unstoppable Ripper.
[Rebekah sighs again and rolls her eyes sarcastically]
: REBEKAH: Aya always was thorough.
: ELIJAH: The Strix always employ a safeguard. In the event that we were successful at retrieving your body, you were cursed. You see, if one is on a rampage, one is not difficult to hunt. 
[Elijah turns to Freya with a concerned expression]
: ELIJAH: Can you fix this?
[Freya picks up the stake and examines it, noticing a set of unfamiliar-looking runes carved into the end of it before nodding weakly]
: FREYA: The spell is carved here. I can... I can reverse it. 
[Freya quickly stands to her feet, but it's clear by the dazed look on her face and the quiet tone of her voice that something is wrong with her]
: FREYA: I just... need some time... and a hell of a lot of magic.
[Just then, Freya's eyes roll back into her head as she faints and collapses. Fortunately, Elijah is able to catch her before she falls to the ground, but Jackson and Hayley stand and rush over to her to check on her as Elijah deposits Freya's unconscious body on the couch next to Rebekah, who looks panicked]
: JACKSON: [worriedly] She was fine. Hayley healed her.
[Elijah looks down at Freya and notices a puncture wound on her neck that is still bleeding and weeping]
: ELIJAH: This scratch is not healed. 
[Suddenly, he realizes what is going on]
: ELIJAH: This is poison. This is an assassination attempt.
[They all look around the room at each other in alarm at this news]
[After the break, the scene returns to the compound's courtyard, where Elijah, Rebekah, Hayley, and Jackson are all anxiously surrounding Freya. After a moment, Freya begins to stir]
: HAYLEY: She's waking up!
[Elijah holds his hand out to Freya, who takes it and squeezes it tightly as she sits herself up]
: ELIJAH: Are you okay?
: FREYA: [panting] I feel weak. 
: JACKSON: Those vampires must have stabbed her with something.
[Elijah thinks about this for a moment]
: ELIJAH: So, the Strix are fond of this slow-acting poison. There is an antidote... If I can get my hands on it.
[Elijah pulls out his phone and walks away to make a call, leaving the others to continue to brainstorm. Freya reaches over and takes Rebekah's injured wrist into her hands as she addresses the others]
: FREYA: For this, I'll need a pure silver knife, some white muskroot...
[Hayley turns around to look at Jackson]
: HAYLEY: I'll get the knife.
: JACKSON: I'll track down the root.
[Hayley nods before turning back to Freya with a concerned expression]
: HAYLEY: Freya, you can barely float a feather right now, let alone save the world...
[Freya, who is still panting and weak from the poison, shakes her head]
: FREYA: I'll channel Finn.
[Rebekah scoffs and rolls her eyes]
: REBEKAH: Oh, lovely! My fate rests in the hands of our black sheep of a brother that we have trapped in a necklace! I'm sure he's just leaping to help. 
[Freya sighs before turning to face Rebekah]
: FREYA: Well, he's the only other powerful witch here, and you and I are out of options, sister.
[Freya weakly stands to her feet and walks upstairs as Rebekah and Hayley watch her worriedly]
== KINNEY'S HOUSE / MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[At KINNEY'S HOUSE, Klaus is standing in the foyer when Cami walks into join him]
: CAMI: He's packing.
[Klaus turns to face her, his expression brightening at the sight of her]
: CAMI: Klaus... What you did...
: KLAUS: [cuts her off] --Was nothing.
[Cami's eyes widen in surprise as she reaches toward him with both hands and cups the sides of Klaus' face so she can stare him in the eyes]
: CAMI: It was not nothing. 
[She smiles at him, and Klaus looks shocked by the affectionate and loving look in her eyes. However, just then, Klaus' phone rings, ruining the moment. Klaus reluctantly pulls the phone out of his pocket and frowns when he sees it's Elijah]
: KLAUS: [annoyed] Elijah.
[Klaus turns and walks away to take the call, leaving a confused Cami behind]
[Meanwhile, at the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, Freya, who is sitting on the floor in front of the upstairs living room, is clutching her talisman in her right hand and squeezing the enchanted stake in the other as she tries her best to cast a spell]
: FREYA: [chants] Niax en at tem alach ti. Niax en at tem alach ti.
[As she chants the incantation, drips of blood start to drip from the inner and outer corners of her eyes like tears as she drains her already dwindling strength to cast the spell. Suddenly, a whooshing sound is heard as Finn's spirit appears in front of her, looking exasperated and unhappy]
: FINN: The pain you endure for these monsters you call family...
[Freya opens her eyes in shock and looks up at Finn]
: FREYA: Finn--
[Finn interrupts her]
: FINN: It isn't worth it, sister.
[Freya shakes her head in disagreement and clutches her hands into fists even tighter]
: FREYA: It is. It has to be.
[Finn frowns in concern at the danger Freya is putting herself in by helping their siblings]
[Downstairs in the courtyard, Elijah is pacing around in front of the Christmas tree as he talks to Klaus, who is standing on the front porch of KINNEY'S HOUSE]
: ELIJAH: The ingredients are complicated.
: KLAUS: I don't need the recipe. I know exactly where I can find the antidote. I'll be quick. 
[Klaus quickly hangs up the phone and looks at Cami, who has just joined him on the porch]
: KLAUS: If the Strix have been using this poison for centuries, then Lucien has a cure, I guarantee it. Probably keeps it tucked away next to his cure for werewolf bites.
[Klaus smiles devilishly at her]
: KLAUS: I'm sure he won't mind if we break in and borrow it.
: CAMI: You go. I'll be fine.
[Klaus' eyes widen in alarm at the thought]
: KLAUS: No.
[Cami gives him a look, and Klaus sighs before replying in a gentler voice]
: KLAUS: If I'm going to save my sisters, I can't be worried about you. Right now, the safest place for you is with me. 
[Cami looks torn, and Klaus gives her a pleading look]
: KLAUS: Please. 
[Cami sighs and nods, and Klaus looks relieved as they prepare to leave for Lucien's penthouse]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Rebekah is sitting on the bed in her old bedroom with Hope, who is whimpering tiredly, as Hayley walks in to check on them]
: REBEKAH: Don't fret! I haven't gone full hellion yet.
[Hayley gives Rebekah a skeptical look, and Rebekah shrugs]
: REBEKAH: No more than usual.
[Hayley walks toward her and smiles]
: HAYLEY: Well, that's good. I wouldn't want to have to kick your ass before I got to hug you.
[Hayley reaches out to Rebekah and wraps her up in a tight hug for a long moment. After they pull away, Rebekah turns back toward the bed and picks up a beige sweater that was laying on the bed]
: REBEKAH: You know, we need to talk about your sartorial choices. This is positively darling.
[Rebekah turns back to Hayley, who chuckles]
: HAYLEY: That's not mine. That is Cami's. She has been staying here the past few nights.
[Hayley squirms nervously before she continues on]
: HAYLEY: Actually... Jackson and I have our own place now. Although we still can't manage to stay out of Mikaelson drama. 
[Suddenly, Rebekah's face grows cold, and it's clear that the darkness from her curse has flared up at this statement]
: REBEKAH: You don't seem to mind the family drama when you need something from us, like a decent dress or a babysitter...
[Hayley's smile falls, and she looks hurt by this comment]
: HAYLEY: Excuse me?
: REBEKAH: But when you're looking for someone to blame for your unhappiness, we seem to be the enemy.
[Hayley becomes flustered and struggles to process Rebekah's sudden mood swing as she gapes at her in shock]
: HAYLEY: Rebekah... You're wrong. This... this isn't you.
: REBEKAH: I am wrong-- I believed we were friends. Nearly sisters. But, the last time we spoke, you were planning on taking Hope away from this family forever. 
[Rebekah starts to walk closer toward Hayley, who nervously leans away from her but otherwise doesn't move
: REBEKAH: So where do you stand, Hayley? Are you a friend? Are you family? Or perhaps...
[Rebekah vamp-speeds toward Hayley and pins her in a choke-hold against the far wall, causing Hayley to gasp for breath and cough painfully as Rebekah's vampire face flares out]
: REBEKAH: ...You've been a foe all along.
[After the break, the scene cuts to the upstairs living room, where Freya is still desperately casting the spell using her talisman and the enchanted stake as blood pours from her eyes]
: FREYA: [chants] Niax en at tem alach ti! Niax en at tem alach ti!
[Finn's spirit continues to watch her with concern as he argues with her]
: FINN: You are dying for her. Let Rebekah go. Let them all go!
[Freya shakes her head vigorously, her eyes still squeezed shut in concentration]
: FREYA: Uh-uh.
: FINN: It will just be the two of us again!
: FREYA: [determinedly] I will save her. If I am at all important to you, brother, help me!
[Just then, Elijah, who has come up to bring her a glass of water, rushes into the room at the sound of Freya seemingly arguing with herself, and when he sees the blood covering her face, he speeds over to her to look her over]
: ELIJAH: Freya, stop! Please!
[Freya keeps her eyes closed but turns her head away from him]
: FREYA: No! Don't touch me! Do not stop me!
: ELIJAH: [frantically] Listen to me-- we must help Rebekah, but we must not lose you in the process!
[Elijah strips off his jacket and looks at Freya in concern, which seems to surprise Finn. Freya, overwhelmed by both Elijah and Finn's pleading, completely lashes out in frustration]
: FREYA: Help me, or get out!
[She closes her eyes again and returns to casting her spell between frantic gasps for breath]
: FREYA: [chants] Niax... en at tem... alach ti! Niax en... at tem.... alach ti!
[Elijah bites into his wrist and rushes toward her, placing the bloody wound in front of her face]
: ELIJAH: This will strengthen you.
Finn's spirit, unseen to Elijah, walks behind Freya and leans forward to whisper in her ear as Freya hesitates]
: FINN: As will my power. Just this once, sister. For you.
[Finn starts to whisper an incantation as he closes his eyes in concentration, and Freya, relieved, starts feeding on Elijah's blood to try to replenish her strength]
: FINN: [chants quietly] Aba...
'[Back in Rebekah's room, Rebekah continues to hold Hayley in a choke-hold as the hybrid struggles to break out of her grip and gasps for breath]
: REBEKAH: Be honest-- you want Klaus dead, don't you?
[Rebekah roughly lets go of Hayley's neck, and Hayley massages her throat and gasps several times before recovering enough to answer. She sounds annoyed and hurt despite the fact that she knows it is because of Rebekah's curse]
: HAYLEY: Rebekah, I have been busting my ass trying to fight this prophecy, at the expense of my own family. 
: REBEKAH: [laughs bitterly] Haha! You mean that fake husband you've been parading around in front of Elijah? Do you know the agony it causes him? Perhaps you like it, knowing you still have the power to break his heart. 
[Hayley looks both horrified and offended by this accusation]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Despite Finn's power boost, Freya is only becoming weaker as a result of the poison circulating through her body, and she throws up a startling and worrisome amount of blood onto the table. Elijah and Finn both look at her with concern before her weakening state causes the latter's spirit to disappear]
: FINN: Good luck, sister.
[Once Finn is gone, Freya gasps for breath as she tries to recover from throwing up, to no avail]
: FREYA: Ugh! I can't do it. I can't focus.
[Just then, Jackson rushes into the room and runs over to her, placing a hand on her forehead as Elijah quickly puts his jacket back on]
: JACKSON: She's burning up! I guess a hospital's out of the question?
: ELIJAH: A hospital won't help her.
[Back in Rebekah's room, Rebekah is smirking at Hayley as the latter tries her best to talk her down]
: HAYLEY: You're wrong. It kills me to hurt him.
: REBEKAH: Well, it hasn't yet, love, but it might today. You tore my brothers apart. If they turn on each other, as the prophecy suggests...
[Rebekah's vampire face comes out, along with her fangs, as she lunges for Hayley]
: REBEKAH: It's because of you!
[Rebekah shoves Hayley through the wood and glass doors to the room and out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard. The force with which they broke through the doors causes them both to lose their balance and tumble over the balcony railing and onto the floor of the courtyard below]
[Back upstairs, Jackson and Elijah are both so startled by the noise that they jump up to their feet, and Jackson looks at Elijah with a panicked expression]
: JACKSON: Where's Hayley?
[Before either of them can react, Freya throws up another large amount of blood onto the table, and Elijah quickly assesses the situation before replying to Jackson]
: ELIJAH: You stay with her, please.
[Jackson nods in agreement, and Elijah vamp-speeds out of the room]
[Meanwhile, Rebekah has just opened her eyes after having fallen onto the floor of the courtyard, but when she does, her eyes are completely black like a demon's. She growls ferociously as she quickly pulls herself to her feet and returns to her fight with Hayley]
: REBEKAH: Raah!
[Hayley, whose hybrid face and fangs are out as well, flips onto her feet and gets in a defensive position in preparation for round two with Rebekah, and she roars like a wolf at her]
: HAYLEY: Rawr!
[Rebekah roundhouse kicks Hayley in the stomach before backhanding her across the face and causing her to spin away and land in a heap on the floor. Hayley tries her best to quickly get back on her feet, but when Rebekah lunges for her at vampire speed, Elijah appears in front of her and grabs her roughly by the arms to stop her]
: ELIJAH: Listen to me. Listen to me! 
[Rebekah struggles against his hold, her eyes still pure black, as she growls menacingly at Hayley, who can't believe what she's seeing. Elijah shakes her to get her attention]
: ELIJAH: Rebekah, look at me! Rebekah! 
[Rebekah reluctantly looks Elijah in the eyes]
: ELIJAH: Control yourself.
[Rebekah sighs reluctantly and closes her eyes, and Hayley slowly stands up, though she never takes her eyes off of them. When Rebekah opens her eyes again a moment later, they have returned to their usual white and blue]
: REBEKAH: Dear brother... I have control.
[Elijah, lulled into a false sense of security, sighs in relief and lets go of her]
: ELIJAH: Good.
[Just then, Rebekah's eyes go black again, and she hits Elijah under the chin with the heel of her hand so hard that it nearly snaps his neck. He falls to the floor, not expecting such a reaction, which allows Rebekah to turn her sights back on Hayley]
: REBEKAH: Ha! 
[Hayley, upset that she hurt Elijah, rushes over to Rebekah to fight her again, but Rebekah simply vamp-speeds toward her and plunges her hand into her chest, squeezing her heart tightly]
: REBEKAH: Yaah!
[Hayley groans and chokes in pain as Rebekah continues to squeeze her heart tightly]
: HAYLEY: Unh! Aah!
[Fortunately for everyone, Klaus has just returned to the compound with Cami, and he immediately yells at Rebekah when he sees what she's doing]
: KLAUS: Rebekah! 
[Klaus vamp-speeds toward the girls and clenches his hand around Rebekah's wrist to prevent her from ripping out Hayley's heart as Cami rushes into the compound and gasps in horror at what she's seeing]
: KLAUS: Not her. 
[Klaus forces Rebekah to release Hayley's heart, and she gasps in relief as her body starts to heal. When Rebekah sees Cami trying to check on Hayley, she spins around and tries to lunge for her as well, forcing Klaus to hold onto her arm tightly and pull her away]
: KLAUS: [annoyed] Not her either!
[Klaus vamp-speeds himself and Rebekah backward until he slams his sister onto the nearby dinner table, smashing all of the glass plates on top of it. Cami, who has a black briefcase in her hands that she and Klaus stole from Lucien, gives it to Hayley with a nod. Hayley, knowing that Klaus has Rebekah under control, rushes upstairs with it to take it to Jackson. Rebekah, who is still in Klaus' choke-hold, still manages to lash out at Klaus and Cami with her words]
: REBEKAH: Aah! Dear, sweet Cami. You're so afraid that you'll ruin her--
[Rebekah uses all of her strength to throw herself onto her feet, though Klaus still has his arms on her to hold her back] 
: REBEKAH: --You keep her behind glass like some breakable object. 
[Klaus, horrified, looks back at Cami while he holds Rebekah back, and Cami looks hurt by Rebekah's words]
: REBEKAH: She's not precious, Nik. Every woman that you and Elijah bring into our lives turns to poison. 
[Cami, equally horrified, turns and runs out of the courtyard, which makes Rebekah laugh bitterly]
: REBEKAH: She'll grow toxic, too. 
[She suddenly shoves Klaus away from her]
: REBEKAH: Hyah!
[Klaus isn't thrown back very far, however, and he and Elijah, who has finally recovered, stand side-by-side and glare at Rebekah angrily]
[Meanwhile, Hayley has just made it upstairs to find Jackson desperately supporting Freya's head to keep her from choking on her blood. Jackson looks at Hayley with concern and fear when he sees the bloody spot over her chest from when Rebekah tried to kill her, but Hayley just shrugs it off and opens the briefcase to grab one of the syringes inside]
: HAYLEY: I'm okay. 
[Hayley hands him the syringe]
: HAYLEY: In her heart.
[Jackson gently lays the now-unconscious Freya onto the ground and uncaps the syringe, hesitating for a moment before holding up the syringe and plunging the needle through her chest and into her heart. Once the antidote has been injected into her system, Freya gasps awake and raises herself into a seated position before looking at Jackson desperately]
: FREYA: Did you get the muskroot?
[Jackson silently holds out a burlap bag of the herb she needs as Freya arranges everything she needs to complete the spell, holding the muskroot in one hand and the silver knife in the other]
: FREYA: [chants] Niax a tam...
[Jackson looks over at Hayley, who looks exhausted, and rubs her arm affectionately as they watch Freya work]
: FREYA: [chants] Niax en at tem alach ti. Niax en at tem alach ti.
[As Freya chants, the blade of the silver knife starts to glow orange with her magic]
[Downstairs, Rebekah is still fighting with Klaus and Elijah. When she lunges toward them, Klaus and Elijah each grab one of her arms and throw her back onto the dinner table, where she struggles against their hold as they pin her down]
: REBEKAH: No! No! Aah!
[Just then, a still-weak and bloodied Freya rushes toward them as fast as she can with the enchanted blade in her hand]
: FREYA: Hold her!
[Klaus and Elijah do what they were told and pin Rebekah down as hard as they can as Freya comes up and slices the patch of skin with the cursed skull weal on it off of Rebekah's wrist with the knife and chants the spell, though Rebekah screams so loudly her incantation is unintelligible. Finally, once it's done, Rebekah goes limp as her body starts to heal from the injury. Her eyes close for a moment, and Elijah and Klaus hesitantly let go of her and back away. After a moment, Rebekah begins to stir again, and she groans as she comes to and sits up. Klaus, Elijah, and Freya all look at her with concern, though they are relieved that her eyes are no longer black as they were. Finally, Rebekah speaks in a sarcastic voice]
: REBEKAH: Well, that was annoying.
[Freya sighs in relief, and Klaus can't help but chuckle at her. After a moment, Rebekah smiles a cheeky smile, indicating that all is well for now]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[After the break, the scene begins in Hayley's old bedroom, where Hope is on a blanket spread out on the floor in the nursery and playing with the little wooden knight that Klaus carved for Rebekah when they were children. Hayley is watching her coo and play when Jackson comes into the room to see them]
: JACKSON: You ready to go?
[Hayley stands to her feet, revealing that she has showered and changed into clean clothes after her old ones were ruined in her fight with Rebekah, and walks toward her husband]
: HAYLEY: Am I the world's worst mother for letting my teething toddler gnaw on something that's been around for a millennium?
[Jackson looks back over at Hope, who is still cooing as she puts the wooden knight in a coffee mug and pulls it out again, and smiles]
: JACKSON: Hope's tough. I think she can take it. Are you okay?
[Hayley picks up a sweater off of the bed and puts it on]
: HAYLEY: Oh, you never get used to the feeling of a fist around your heart. 
[Hayley sighs before looking up and meeting Jackson's eyes]
: HAYLEY: I'm really sorry. I know I promised that we'd spend the night alone. I even had this really dumb plan that we were gonna drink hot whiskeys and watch It's A Wonderful Life together. Yet, here we are...
[Jackson gives her a reassuring look]
: JACKSON: You don't need to apologize. Today, it was me that saw their house on fire and decided not to let it burn.
: HAYLEY: Why did you decide to help them after everything?
[Jackson hesitates for a moment and rubs his face contemplatively before he finally answers]
: JACKSON: Instinct. I don't know. I felt like one of my pack was in danger, and I acted. I mean, don't get me wrong-- my in-laws really suck. 
[Hayley can't help but burst out laughing at this remark]
: JACKSON: But, hey, they fought like hell to protect each other today, and I respect that. I was born to love you, Hayley, and if that means I have to deal with the Mikaelsons, then okay. I'm in.
[Hayley, touched by this reaction, leans forward and kisses him passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wraps his own around her waist. Hope, who is still playing and sucking on a pacifier, looks up and watches them for a moment. When they break away, Hayley smiles at Jackson bashfully]
: HAYLEY: If we leave now, we could still catch the end of It's A Wonderful Life before her bedtime...
: JACKSON: [smiles] I got a better idea.
[Downstairs in the courtyard, Elijah, Freya, Klaus, Rebekah, and Cami are all dressed in their best holiday clothes and standing around the lit Christmas tree. Elijah has just placed a large, beautiful wrapped gift for Hope under the tree and adjusts some of the ornaments on the tree nervously as Freya comes behind him and puts down a gift of her own. They then stand and walk toward Cami, who hands each of them a glass of red wine. Klaus comes out next with two more glasses of wine and smiles as Freya comes over and kisses him affectionately on the cheek. Just then, Jackson leads Hayley, who is holding Hope in her arms, to the top of the staircase, where Hayley immediately stops and stares in awe at the holiday gathering below them. When Klaus sees them, he walks toward the bottom of the steps, and Elijah, Freya, and Cami turn to look up at them with smiles on their faces. Hayley is positively beaming as she walks down the stairs, looking up at Jackson affectionately as she does so]
: JACKSON: You said you wanted a happy family Christmas. Well, the family's all here.
[Hayley walks over to Elijah, who has eyes only for Hope at this moment]
: ELIJAH: : Merry Christmas, little one.
[Elijah bends over to kiss Hope on the head as Klaus walks over to Jackson with a smile and hands him a glass of wine]
: KLAUS: Thank you for helping Freya. 
[Jackson looks absolutely surprised by Klaus' uncharacteristic kindness as he takes the glass, and Freya smiles at Jackson gratefully from behind him] 
: KLAUS: Unfortunately, we're all out of mason-jar moonshine. 
[Klaus can't help but chuckle at his own joke, and Jackson smiles in reluctant amusement as well before Rebekah, in a berry-red holiday cocktail dress, walks toward them to join the party]
: REBEKAH: Well, Nik, you are positively merry tonight!
[Rebekah stops and looks over at Cami with a bemused smile]
: REBEKAH: All that therapy must be paying off.
[Suddenly, Klaus' face looks horrified as he notices a very large metal bowl full of burning wood has been set up by Rebekah on the other side of the room]
: KLAUS: Oh, no!
[Rebekah looks even more pleased by how terrified Klaus looks at the prospect of their family's holiday bonfire]
: REBEKAH: Yes, I know it's not exactly a bonfire, but I improvised. 
[Klaus continues to look nervous about it, but Rebekah just groans in mock frustration]
: REBEKAH: Come on. It's tradition!
[Cami looks around them in confusion]
: CAMI: ...Tradition?
: KLAUS: [sighs] We write our wishes and then burn them for luck. Strangely, I don't recall wishing for an influx of enemies, and yet year after year...
[Elijah smirks as he sips his wine]
: ELIJAH: How odd. Forever on Santa's naughty-list.
[The camera pans around the living room, pausing briefly on the painted portrait of Elijah, which has been restored after being splattered by blood in several episodes ago. It then cuts over to the small fire-pit, where Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus are standing around together. Rebekah looks at the wish she's written on the paper one last time before she throws it into the burning flames. She then looks nervously around at her brothers, all of whom look somber despite the festive party around them]
: REBEKAH: One of us is still meant to fall by family.
: KLAUS: Right now, what concerns me is our enemies. They have the weapon they intend to use against us. They cannot know that we found you, Rebekah. Our best advantage is if they believe you are lost at sea.
[Rebekah realizes what this means and frowns sadly]
: REBEKAH: Then I can't stay, can I? 
[Elijah gets teary-eyed at the thought of Rebekah leaving again, and Rebekah looks backward into the courtyard, where Freya, Cami, Jackson, and Hope are doting on Hope, showering her with presents and laughing happily]
: REBEKAH: [sighs] It's okay. 
[She turns back to her brothers]
: REBEKAH: My wish already came true. 
[Rebekah lifts up her hands and holds them out to Klaus and Elijah, who take them and squeeze them tightly]
: REBEKAH: We have this moment.
[The three stare in the flames and try not to cry]
== ST. ANNE'S CATHOLIC CHURCH ==
[Marcel is in the middle of sweeping up all of the broken glass from Cami, Aurora, and Klaus' fight in the previous episode in his fight gym when Tristan enters and approaches him]
: TRISTAN: Rather lonely place to spend a holiday. Have you no special love to spend it with? 
[Marcel gives him a look, and Tristan suddenly remembers that his love is Rebekah, who, as far as they know, is still laying at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico]
: TRISTAN: Oh. Right.
[Marcel rolls his eyes and breaks the awkward moment]
: MARCEL: Don't tell me-- you're planning on taking over the gym, too?
: TRISTAN: [scoffs] Hardly. I can't stand churches. I need your expertise, Marcel. I've been informed that our chosen Regent, the young Van Nguyen, has been rejected by the Ancestors.
[Marcel pretends as though he has no idea what Tristan is talking about]
: MARCEL: Rejected, huh? Well, NOLA witches aren't easily manipulated, especially the dead ones.
[Tristan nods in agreement, but it's clear he's still suspicious of Marcel's role in everything]
: TRISTAN: And yet there's a rather dramatic ceremony happening in the cemetery right now. Someone is ascending to the Regency as we speak. I assume you've had your ear to the ground. Who is it?
[Marcel hesitates and sighs before he answers]
: MARCEL: Uh, his name's Vincent Griffith.
: TRISTAN: Ah. The witch who was once inhabited by Finn Mikaelson.
[Marcel seems surprised that Tristan would know this, but he quickly covers it up with a fake smile]
: MARCEL: Yeah, that's him. And he isn't gonna be so easily bought. 
[Marcel sets down the broom and pats Tristan condescendingly on the shoulder before walking past him]
: MARCEL: You have a merry Christmas now.
[Tristan, stone-faced, turns to watch Marcel walk out of the church with a blank expression]
== MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Everyone has just finished unwrapping their gifts, and Elijah rings the bell on the new tricycle he bought for Hope to entertain her. Hope tries her best to ring it as well, to no avail. Hayley giggles affectionately, which makes Jackson smile from nearby, though Elijah's physical proximity to Hayley does seem to bother him slightly. He walks over and hands Hayley another glass of wine, just as Rebekah, wearing a coat and carrying a suitcase full of her belongings, enters the room with a somber expression. Freya's face looks sad as she acknowledges that Rebekah has to leave once again and stands to her feet to say goodbye]
: FREYA: Oh, Rebekah. So soon?
: REBEKAH: Take care of our brothers, Freya. 
[Rebekah leans forward to give Freya a hug, which she returns]
: REBEKAH: God knows they need it. 
[Rebekah pulls away and turns back to Elijah, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before rubbing Hope's back]
: REBEKAH: Bye, baby. 
[Rebekah turns to Hayley with an apologetic and guilty expression]
: REBEKAH: I'm so sorry about what I said, Hayley.
[It's clear that while Hayley knows Rebekah didn't mean it, she's still slightly hurt by the words nonetheless. Regardless, she smiles at Rebekah to assure her she's forgiven]
: HAYLEY: It's fine.
: REBEKAH: You know, when I left last, I thought for sure you'd hate Klaus forever.
[Hayley laughs and rolls her eyes]
: HAYLEY: Oh, I will! But even when you hate him...
[Rebekah smiles at this remark, and Hayley laughs before giving Rebekah a hug as Klaus walks into the room. Rebekah turns to him, noticing his sad expression at the thought of her departure]
: KLAUS: You're always leaving.
: REBEKAH: And I always come back.
[Klaus gives Rebekah a tight hug before pulling away to remind her of her instructions]
: KLAUS: Run far and fast, stay on the move, and-- should you happen to meet some handsome fool-- know your weaknesses.
[Rebekah laughs happily at this remark before giving him a look]
: REBEKAH: Haha! Well, perhaps it's time our roles reversed. I'll run away from love if you run toward it.
[Rebekah turns and looks back at Cami, who seems to have heard what Rebekah said and looks bashful as she and Klaus make eye contact]
[Once Rebekah has left, the party has settled down, and Elijah and Freya are standing side-by-side on the balcony as they look down at the courtyard]
: FREYA: One hundred years ago, I snuck into a Christmas ball here. 
[The scene cuts to a quick flashback to the 1914 Mikaelson Christmas ball from The Map of Moments, when Freya was approached by Rebekah, who told her she could do better than Kol, believing her brother to be Freya's date. Back in the present, Freya and Elijah continue to look down at the courtyard together]
: FREYA: I wanted so much to be a part of it, but I thought I was forever fated to be an outsider, always looking in. I know this hasn't been your most elegant family Christmas, but, well, it's already been the best one I've ever had.
[Freya moves closer to Elijah and wraps her arm around his right shoulder while resting her chin on his left. Elijah smiles and reaches up to squeeze her hand]
: ELIJAH: I suppose some things are worth the wait.
[Klaus has just walked out of his bedroom and onto the balcony, where Cami is looking out onto the streets of the French Quarter]
: KLAUS: You look...
[Cami smiles at him in amusement]
: CAMI: Don't say tired. You've lived long enough to know you should never tell a woman she looks tired!
[Klaus smiles widely at her]
: KLAUS: I was going to say "contemplative."
[Cami rolls her eyes and laughs sarcastically]
: CAMI: Ha!
: KLAUS: A penny for your thoughts?
: CAMI: I was thinking about you...
[Klaus' mouth gapes open in shock, though he isn't expecting what comes next]
: CAMI: ...And what Rebekah said. 
[Cami turns so she can Klaus in the eyes]
: CAMI: Is she right? Do you see me as this fragile thing that needs to be kept behind glass? To protect me from Aurora...?
[Klaus' smile falls at the reminder of Cami being taken captive by Aurora]
: KLAUS: Don't. Please. When I think of all the ways she could have hurt you...
: CAMI: She didn't. Klaus, she didn't... Because of you. I've lost count of the amount of times you've been there for me and everyone you care about. But today? You saved someone who doesn't mean a thing to you. Why?
: KLAUS: Because you wished it. Because what's important to you is important to me. What makes you happy makes me want to keep you so. What scares you I want to tear apart. 
[Klaus hesitates, and Cami is completely stunned at this declaration of affection from him]
: KLAUS: I do not wish to watch you from behind glass, Camille.
: CAMI: What do you wish?
[Klaus stares her in the eyes for a long moment before quickly leaning in and crashing his lips against hers. Cami wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back, and the two make out on the balcony as Klaus slides his arms around her waist. Klaus eventually pulls away, and Cami smiles in bliss before giggling happily, which makes Klaus laugh as well]
[Meanwhile, Freya has just returned to the upstairs living room to grab her necklace, but when she looks down at the coffee table, she begins to panic when the talisman containing Finn's spirit is nowhere to be found. She desperately moves around the candles and muskroot before moving over to the next table. Then, she frantically begins to look under the tables, but the talisman is still nowhere in sight]
: FREYA: No. No, no! Finn!
== LAFAYETTE CEMETERY ==
[Vincent is alone at the altar in front of the Lycée, which has been covered with dozens of lit white candles. The altar is also stained with dripping blood from the several birds and other animals that have been sacrificed on top of it for the ritual to ascend as Regent. He sighs in frustration before looking up at the sky]
: VINCENT: All right. Y'all wanted me. You got me. You got me, and I ain't in the mood for pomp and circumstance. Our city is collapsing, and I'm gonna need all the guidance I can get.
[Footsteps are suddenly heard as Tristan slowly approaches him with a confident smirk. He is accompanied by two fellow Strix members, one male and one female, who silently stand behind him]
: TRISTAN: Congratulations, Mr. Griffith. The Regent witch of New Orleans... How grand.
[Vincent sighs in annoyance before mockingly bowing to him]
: VINCENT: Let me guess... Lord Tristan de Martel.
[Tristan ignores his hostility as though he hadn't even spoken]
: TRISTAN: You know, I've always despised churches, but cemeteries I love. Churches celebrate fairy tales, guardian angels, patron saints. But cemeteries hold concrete proof that not one of those things can save you from the inevitable.
[Vincent rolls his eyes at Tristan's pompous attitude]
: VINCENT: Yeah. So your Strix vampires, they've been watching me, tailing me, listening to me... 
[Vincent stands and walks toward Tristan until they are face to face, his voice getting more aggressive and angry as he talks]
: VINCENT: So, they know I'm not an easy target. And I'm sick and tired of good people falling victim to the trash that the Originals bring to town. Now, normal people can't enforce justice on vampires, but I will. I can, and I will. So... You guys keep watching me, but know for sure I'm watching you, too.
[Tristan looks at him in amusement, visibly unbothered by Vincent's threats]
: TRISTAN: That's very brave. A vigilante witch that fears no vampire? Or so it seems, but I know someone you do fear. 
[Tristan holds up his hand, which has Freya's talisman wrapped around his fingers. At the sight of it, Vincent flinches and instinctively backs away, seemingly recognizing it and what it holds]
: TRISTAN: So if you don't do as I ask, I'm certain Finn Mikaelson will.
[Tristan turns and walks away with his bodyguards in tow, leaving a very alarmed and terrified Vincent to process what has just happened]
== FRENCH QUARTER / MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[In the FRENCH QUARTER, Elijah, dressed in a very fancy black coat, walks down the street until he meets up with a very worried Rebekah. Elijah looks at her with concern]
: ELIJAH: I got your message.
[At the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, Cami and Klaus are standing next to Klaus' bed, staring at each other intensely while Klaus softly trails his fingertips up Cami's arm toward her neck. Cami sits down on the bed and tugs Klaus closer toward her by the front of his shirt. Klaus smiles in awe as they both lay back on the bed with Klaus on top of her]
[Meanwhile, on the FRENCH QUARTER STREET, Rebekah is anxiously explaining what happened to her]
: REBEKAH: I was halfway to the airport when I suddenly got the urge to rip out my taxi driver's jugular. I only just resisted.
[Rebekah looks depressed and defeated as she pushes up the sleeve of her left arm, revealing that her wrist once again has a painful-looking skull-shaped weal on it. Elijah's eyes widen in horror, and he shakes his head in disbelief as he walks toward her]
: ELIJAH: No.
: REBEKAH: I'm afraid so.
: ELIJAH: Freya can try something else.
: REBEKAH: What if we've run out of time? I already went after Hayley. Who's next... Freya herself? Hope? And even if she can...
[Elijah suddenly realizes what Rebekah is implying, and his face only becomes more upset]
: ELIJAH: You don't want to run.
[Rebekah smiles defeatedly]
: REBEKAH: You know I always hated it. 
[Rebekah reaches into the pocket of her jacket and pulls out a white oak ash dagger, which she hands to a horrified Elijah]
: REBEKAH: Hide my body. Don't tell a soul. 
[Rebekah continues in voiceover as the scene cuts to the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, where Cami and Klaus are passionately making out on his bed]
:: REBEKAH: [voiceover] Especially not Niklaus. Let him be happy just for once. This is our burden to bear, yours and mine. 
[Klaus breaks away from the kiss, and he and Cami stare into each others eyes as Klaus gently runs his fingers down her arm. He continues to stare at her as she runs her own hand down his chest]
[Back on the FRENCH QUARTER STREETS, Rebekah is continuing her desperate plea to Elijah, who is frantically shaking his head in disagreement]
: REBEKAH: And when the year that the prophecy foretold is over, have Freya work out a cure, wake me up, and throw me a hell of a party.
[Elijah shakes his head in refusal, his eyes red with tears once again]
: ELIJAH: I can't.
: REBEKAH: [frustrated] Why not? Maybe the only way to stop this stupid prophecy is to embrace it! Control it! If we can control it, then maybe we can change it. When I am buried, the family part of the prophecy will be over. You will be able to trust them again... Freya, Hayley, Niklaus. You can stop anyone, friend or foe, that comes at you. So do it, Elijah!
[Elijah holds up a hand to try to stop her from coming any closer to him with the dagger]
: ELIJAH: No.
: REBEKAH: [angrily] Do it!
[Elijah desperately tries to calm her down and prevent her from attracting any unwanted attention]
: ELIJAH: Shh, shh, shh.
: REBEKAH: Elijah, do it!
[Elijah, overwhelmed and horrified, finally does as he's told and stabs her with the dagger. As Rebekah's body starts to desiccate in his arms, Elijah begins to hyperventilate, visibly devastated to have had to do it as his eyes fill with tears]
== ST. JAMES INFIRMARY / MIKAELSON COMPOUND ==
[Cami wakes up in Klaus' bed in the MIKAELSON COMPOUND to find Klaus sleeping soundly beside her. She smiles at the sight of Klaus looking so peaceful, but after a moment, the sight of him triggers something in her mind that causes her face to go blank. She turns her head to look up at the ceiling as though in a daze] 
[Meanwhile, at ST. JAMES INFIRMARY, Tristan returns to the club with what looks like a wrapped gift in his hands to find Aurora playing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" on the piano in the corner of the room. He pulls up a chair and sits next to her so he can continue to listen to her play for a moment before he speaks]
: TRISTAN: Beautiful. You should play more.
: AURORA: Oh, I never stop playing. I compose whole sonatas in my head, brother.
[Aurora stops playing and strokes Tristan's face with her fingertips]
: TRISTAN: You had a good day then, my love?
[Aurora smiles widely at him]
: AURORA: Mmm. Yes. A beautiful day. 
[At the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, Klaus awakens to find that he is spooning with Cami, whose face is turned away from him.And here's to an even better tomorrow. He smiles and lifts his hand to stroke her hair away from her neck, but his contentment immediately turns to horror when he sees that his fingers are covered in blood]
[Back at ST. JAMES INFIRMARY, Aurora smiles happily at Tristan]
: AURORA: And here's to an even better tomorrow.
[Aurora returns to playing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as Tristan starts to daydream about something. The scene then cuts back to the MIKAELSON COMPOUND, where Klaus, nearly sick with fear, shakily lifts himself up to find that Cami's throat had somehow been slit in while he was sleeping, and her chest and arms are coated in her blood. Klaus gasps in horror and shock and tries to lift Cami up, but her lifeless body lays slack in his arms]
: KLAUS: Oh! Ohh! No, no, no. No! No! No! NO!
[Klaus clutches her body to his tightly as he begins to silently panic, shaking from just how devastated he is to find her dead after everything that has happened]
END CREDITS
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Category:Episode Transcripts
Category:The Originals Season Three