𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍.

﹙ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒏 ﹚

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

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A New Order was in the city. Beverly moved out of the plantation along with Elijah and Rebekah, after the Mikaelsons worked out their dilemmas. By worked it—Beverly really means they just looked at one another in a brooding manner and called it a day.

She was unpacking a few boxes in her new room and getting settled in her room when she heard noise from the other bedroom right next to hers. In an attempt to take a break, she left to check what the fuss was all about.

"Hello?" Beverly walked in, not a mere thought of knocking, and recognized a scene not very different from hers. Another petite witch surrounded by boxes and moving in, "You are Davina, aren't you?"

"Yes," Davina turned around, "And you would be Elijah's daughter?"

Beverly frowned, huffing out, "That's a stretch, I am the comedic relief here."

"So, let's go with just Marcel's crush?"

The Hills' girl was doing everything in her power to not fangirl and go; Marcel talks about me? What does he say?

No, I am an adult. I don't fangirl.

She sighed, crossing her arms, "What are you looking for?"

Davina closed one of the boxes, answering, "My violin. I must have left it in the attic."

The blonde witch shrugged, "So, just go get it."

The young Claire girl looked at her as if she was the craziest woman she had ever seen, which is not far from the truth, "I can't. It's not safe for me out there."

"Aren't you like the scariest witch in town?" Beverly questioned, sitting on Davina's new bed, "I had the idea that the entire French Quarter was scared of you."

"The witches are after me."

To this remark, Beverly frowned deeper, "You mean that crazy witch, Agnes?" Davina nodded to which the blonde shrugged, "Yeah, she tried to kill my friend Hayley, too. But she is not a problem anymore, she's dead. Elijah killed her."

Davina rose to her feet immediately, shaking her head in disbelief, "But.. Agnes was the last living Elder. If she's dead, then I'm safe. Marcel would've told me."

"Not that I know Marcel that well," Beverly started, "But if I were a diabolical king trying to keep my kingdom in check, I would hold on to you too...Just saying."

Davina's demeanor changed as the blonde added, "But I am sure he had his valid reasons."

"You're lying."

"Girl, I just met you. I don't care enough to lie to you, but go on and think that," Beverly shrugged, "Makes Klaus' takeover easier."

The brunette girl scoffed, shaking her head, "You want something from me. You all do."

Beverly frowned, she has been doing a lot of that lately, "Umm, once again. No. God, it must be exhausting to live your life. I can only imagine." 

"Good luck settling in," The Hills' girl finished before leaving the room, in her wake a very confused and angry Davina Claire.

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

It was the Casket Girls' Day. And New Orleans came alive with celebrations. Like any other, embracing the moment with Jazz and costumes. Beverly could live in New Orleans forever and never get used to the life of the party energy she has every time she crosses the streets. But she had to admit, it was growing on her. More than she would like.

She stood outside a shop on the main street, rummaging through racks of dresses. This was going to be a long day.

"Boring," She muttered, "Hilarious, embarrassing, disgusting," She pulled a dress out, "This is just sad."

"Who are we talking about?" Came the question from behind her.

She didn't turn around but sported a sly smile, claiming, "The dresses, for now."

"I never pegged you for the dress up to the occasion girl," Marcel started, taking the dress from her hands, "Or the street shopping."

"I have to get off my high horse and deal the New Orleans' style so the girls at pageants take me seriously and like me."

"Do you want them to like you?"

Beverly raised an eyebrow, "I want them to take me seriously," She shrugged, "And I can live with the bonus of them sucking up to me 24/7."

Marcel gave her one of those smiles again and she took the dress from his hands, "Don't make fun of me. It's important to be taken seriously. Being mean all the time can only get me so far. I actually have to earn other things, like feeling familiar to them. And dressing...from the same cheap shops gets me that."

"Surprised you wouldn't get Elijah and Klaus to just compel their respect."

She nudged him, shaking her head, "How desperate do you think I am? That's like social suicide even if no one figures it out."

He looked down at her, contemplating her words, and something about her selective care got to him. Beverly Hills wouldn't care about the emotions of a random standby person and would annihilate anyone who came in her path but she would still find a twisted, perfectly catered to her liking way to...care.

And something about her and her ways, just grounded him to his position when she is in front of him.

"Who are you going with, tonight?"

She sighed, "Is this your subtle way of asking me out?"

"Is this a yes?"

Beverly ran her tongue over her bottom lip for a second, "It's not a no, for now."

Suddenly, Marcel's phone rang in his pocket. He picked it up, "What's up?"

"A bit of an issue. It seems our little bird has flown the coop."

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

Beverly went back to the compound with a newly bought dress that she picked out. Given that Marcel chose one for her, the blonde was quick to refuse, her conscious screaming—You can't say yes to a date and let him choose a dress. Who are you?

Klaus eyed her weirdly when she came in with the Gerard vampire as if he had caught her in a horrendous act of some sort, but she could tell he was holding his comment until Marcel was no longer with them.

"You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to know the obvious. Our secret weapon has escaped."

"Of course she would, you are calling her a secret weapon."

The Mikaelson gave her a warning glare to which she glared back. Marcel paced, shaking his head, "She wouldn't just leave. She knows the witches want her back."

Beverly crossed her legs on the couch, she had a small idea why Davina might be gone. And enough intelligence to keep her mouth shut about it.

Elijah made his way into the room, revealing, "Her violin is missing. She may have left of her own volition."

"What did you say to her in the attic?" Marcel stormed into Elijah's face, "She lied to my face so she could stay up there, thinking that you'd help her control her magic. How do we know you didn't take her?"

Offended for Elijah's sake, Beverly scoffed out, "What would he do with her? He is the least suspicious one here. He is not planning global domination."

Elijah looked her way, a silent way of thanking her before claiming, "I have no idea where Davina is, or why she ran away," He stood his ground, raising an eyebrow, "Can I suggest you take a step back?"

Marcel eyed him for a moment before turning away to see Beverly giving him her worst dead stare. He had the feeling if looks could kill, he would be six feet under within seconds. Beverly's Red Lines? Elijah Mikaelson.

"I can assure you I have absolutely no desire to see that child come into harm's way. She's suffered enough with this Harvest ritual nonsense."

"That child, to whom you refer to so affectionately, is the most powerful witch in New Orleans." Klaus stated, crossing his arms together and wondering aloud, "If she's fled, what's to stop her from destroying us? In fact, destroying all we've worked for? No, if she's not a friend to this family, then she is our enemy."

"She is sixteen," Beverly reminded him, as Marcel said, "She is a friend, Klaus."

Klaus just shook his head at her, and replied to Marcel "Well, let's hope so. Lucky for you, I know how to get her back. Follow my lead."

He walked out of the room before calling out, "Beverly!"

Huffing, the blonde rose out of her comfortable seat on the couch and followed the Original Hybrid outside, "Yes?"

He started walking through the compound with Beverly at his side, pretending to be surprised and clueless, "You and Marcel."

"Me and Marcel?"

"Dumb is not a good look on you, Beverly."

She raised an eyebrow, "You didn't even formulate a question."

He shook his head, "There is no questioning. You and Marcel, drop it. It's over."

Beverly crossed her arms together, coming to a halt and forcing the Hybrid to stop walking, "What's over?"

"Stop this thing between you two. If Rebekah takes notice, you won't be happy."

"Why would Rebekah care?" She asked back, dumbfounded.

Klaus raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to connect the dots as the blonde witch gasped, "I thought he was like a son to you...You guys raised him...."

"You and him, over. Do not make me repeat myself."

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

The Casket Girls Festival was in full swing, and it was already night. Beverly opted for a simple dress, lightly pink with a hint of purple towards the ends. It was unlike her usual style but still a little classy for her taste. The marching bands and people in costumes were dancing around the streets in their full element. 

Beverly stuck close to Klaus as he searched the Quarter for one very angry witch, "I still don't understand, the whole Rebekah and Marcel thing."

"I thought you are the smart one," He said, looking through people before turning to her, "What is so perplexing about old lovers to you?"

"I just...I didn't see that coming," She replied, taking offense, "And I am the smart one, your family is just weird and a bit...incest, like the adoptive version. And you ruined my date with the guy."

Klaus chuckled, "You will live."

Beverly shook her head, walking up to Elijah who had been suspiciously chatty with Marcel in the past hour, "Like two peas in a pod."

"Hardly. I was just telling Elijah how we're wasting time," Marcel countered, looking down at Beverly before spotting Klaus behind her.

"You don't like festivals?"

Rebekah approached the three vampires and a witch, "I don't see why not. Who doesn't love a street fair?"

"Sister, come to help us find our stray?"

She matched his energy, smiling serenely, "We can't let your secret weapon get in the wrong hands, can we?"

The blond vampire raised his eyebrows with a confident smile, "For the record, we're moments away from retrieving her."

"I recognize that tone of voice, Niklaus. Clearly, you have some diabolical machination. What is it?"

Klaus walked up to a teenager in the crowds who apparently had an old connection with Davina. Throughout that, Marcel took this moment to lightly brush up against Beverly, whispering, "I will go alert my nightwalkers, come with me."

Beverly, ever the smart girl, was just like any girl. Alarms were raised in her head. A smart conscious telling her—no, this is so not peaceful, drama is here. girl, run. And she walked straight into it.

She followed Marcel away into the crowd and pretended not to notice when he reached for her hand. It's just to not get lost. It's a very busy street. She said to herself.

"I feel like this is not the way to your nightwalkers," Beverly said, after walking through two streets already, "Where are we going?"

"The Church."

"Wow, I didn't peg you for that type of guy."

Marcel looked back at her, and despite the hell of a day they had all been having, a smile at that statement was in order, "I got word from Kieran...the Priest, Davina is there."

"Oooh, diabolical 2 steps ahead Marcel is in action," She nodded to herself, "I am digging this."

He chuckled to himself before Beverly added, "Although side note, she might not be very happy about tagging along. She knows you lied to her."

"What? About what?"

"The Elders? Agnes?" She jogged his memory, raising an eyebrow, "She feels betrayed."

"How would she know?" He couldn't make sense of it as he paused in front of the church.

"I have a habit of not being able to tell what's a secret and what's just news?" Beverly sighed as he furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief, "I am sorry, I am. And I don't say that a lot. So please believe it. Now that I see the predicament I put Davina in by telling her the truth, I will do anything to take it back. Anything."

He looked at her for a moment and a plan began to form. One that included him accepting that apology because, even though Beverly could not tell, Marcel was about to let her walk all over the French Quarter and his rules if she so much as pleased. Her apology flew over his head but it mattered just the same.

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

Beverly and Marcel returned to the Mikaelson compound after executing their oh-so-secret plan. Klaus and Elijah paced the courtyard as Timothy, Davina's old infatuation, played the violin.

"Took you long enough to spread the word," Klaus said, addressing the Gerard vampire as Beverly tucked her hands into her dress's pockets, "What a lovely date, huh?"

"Oh, for the love of God," Beverly scoffed out, moving to stand beside Elijah, "Get a life, Klaus."

Marcel cut in, "All that matters is I got it covered. When Davina gets here, you two need to let me do the talking."

Klaus, already sensing Davina nearby, started, "Well, I'm sure you'll have your chance," He approached her, "Hello, love," Looking up at Timothy, he ordered, "Silence is golden, Timothy. Thank you."

The young boy uttered in confusion, "Davina?"

"You got me here. Now let him down," Davina said, letting her anger sway her closer to lashing out.

He smiled, almost smug that his plan worked, "Well, first, we have to have a little chat about you returning to the fold."

Marcel stood behind Klaus, "What did I say, Klaus? I got this."

"D, what happened? Why'd you run? Talk to me. Hey, I can make it right."

Tears were forming in her eyes as she said, "How, by threatening my friend?"

"Actually, that was my idea. Apologies. I've been known to go too far to make a point, But I do always get results."

"Not the time to gloat," Beverly sighed, shaking her head at herself.

Davina, fed up with Klaus and every male species in that room and city, began her spiral, "You pretend to be so confident, but I know the truth. You're afraid everyone can see what you really are—an animal," She cast a pain infliction spell that brought him to his knees, and he groaned out in pain as she continued, "A beast. Why don't you show us your real face?"

She magically forced Klaus to partially transform into a werewolf before telekinetically snapping his neck, "That's enough of you."

"Davina, you don't have to do this."

She walked up to Elijah, "You! You looked me in the eyes and lied to my face. Pretended you wanted to help me."

"Listen to me—"

Beverly took a step back from the situation, choosing to hang at the edge of the room, just in case that got ugly.

"You call yourself the noble one, but you're a killer just like your brother. For 1,000 years, you've fed on innocent blood. Why don't you choke on it?" She cast a spell on Elijah that caused him to regurgitate all of the blood he had consumed before he fell unconscious.

And it got ugly, very quickly, indeed.

Beverly had to turn away as Marcel slowly walked up to the young witch, "And you! I trusted you. I loved you, but you were just using me to stay in power. You don't care about me."

He shook his head, trying to reason with her, "You're wrong. I care, D, I do."

"When you lost to Klaus, you handed me over like some trophy. Maybe I should boil you in bronze!"

"I took you in like you were my own blood."

She couldn't see it for herself, but Beverly felt Davina's rage begin to cease before a loud thud hit the ground and she turned to see Rebekah had just stabbed Marcel with a wrought-iron poker.

Lucky for her and her insatiable blood phobia, he fell on his chest and he wasn't bleeding through his back because Rebekah left the stake inside but a little lower and away from the heart. She was angry, not murderous.

"Come on now, love. Don't tell me you were falling for that. Isn't it time for us girls to have a chat?" Rebekah said, smiling warmly at the young witch, "You can look at us, Beverly, avoid looking at the floors and you will be alright, love."

Beverly sighed, doing just that.

Davina frowned, taking note of the nervous state that had befallen the Hills' girl miraculously, "What is wrong with you...I didn't touch you."

"I just have this thing," Beverly shrugged her shoulders, "Me and blood, don't mix, I get dizzy, I faint. It's a thing, okay?"

"And you live in New Orleans?" Josh said the question as if it was an insult in some form, "I am sorry."

"Well, well, now that we all know about Beverly's interesting background, shall we get back to our agenda?" The Original blonde asked before vamp-speeding up to Josh and circling her head around his neck, "Now, if I were Klaus, I would rip Josh's head from his neck, feed it to a nightwalker, and that would be the end of your friend."

"But hurting people is such a boyish thing to do, like how Klaus compelled your fiddler on the roof. And, while I am many things, I'm certainly not my brother."

"It's okay, Timothy. You can come down. No one is gonna hurt you," She reassured him.

"He told me I couldn't climb down off this beam," He said, looking down at them with fear written all over his face.

"Then don't climb, silly!" Rebekah scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Am I the only smart one in the room? Jump."

Tim jumped down and Rebekah caught him with ease before setting him on the floor. He rushed to Davina and she met him halfway. He had so many questions and even though she had no answers, for a split few moments, Davina felt like it would all be okay then.

"Why are you doing this?" She turned to the vampire, baffled.

"Seems to me that you're the one holding all the cards, but you don't know who to trust. I've just proven that you can trust me. Now I'd like to show you one more thing. Won't take long. You can bring your friends. C'mon, Bev."

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°

Beverly followed Rebekah into a dark basement, one with brick walls and hands or feet hanging out of them. She could feel herself about to gag, stepping away from the walls and closer to Rebekah, "What is this place?"

"You think my brother Nik is awful?" Rebekah began, addressing Davina with her question before directing the answer to Davina and Beverly, "Marcel learned from the best. This is how he treats his so-called friends who betray him. Most of what these poor souls did is no worse than what Josh did. Take Thierry, for example. He was Marcel's most trusted friend. Klaus tricked him into breaking one of Marcel's rules. Marcel knows this, and yet he keeps Thierry locked in here day after day, suffering."

"This is insane...," Tim was the only one to make a comment as Beverly raised her hand over her mouth.

"Why are you telling me this?" The Claire witch inquired, again.

"Because you need to know who you're dealing with, who you can trust."

Beverly shook her head, "There must be more to this...Like," She paused, looking at the walls and repeating herself, "Rebekah, there has to be more to it."

Rebekah placed her hands on the Hills' girl's shoulders, "My brother Nik likes to believe that I am the oblivious one out of us all," She sighed, continuing, "He would tell you, to leave Marcel before Bekah makes a fuss but he is just scared to say that he will."

"Marcel and I are old news. Older than ever. I will not be a problem, but Marcel is one. To you."

"You can't live in this, Beverly—"

"Rebekah—"

They were both cut off when Tim started coughing and slowly fell to the ground, "It was Klaus," They all sat down, trying to help him back on his feet, "He made me do it. I didn't even know what I was doing until I made you—"

"Made her what?" Beverly questioned.

"...Drink."

"Tim?" Davina cried frantically, "Tim?"

Rebekah realized, the horror falling over her, "Klaus poisoned the water."

Not long after, Davina followed with her coughing fits on the floor.

"It's okay," Beverly nodded, reassuring Josh and Rebekah, "It's okay, she will wake up."

The Mikaelson shook her head, "Oh, Bev..."

"No, no, you don't understand. I spelled her. She will wake up. It's a protection spell. Marcel had a plan B, Rebekah."

࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°