3 3 Chicago Baby

The prospect of this wood endangering my family put it at the top of my priorities, and I intended to treat it accordingly. To secure the wood, I needed to embark on a global journey, hiding fragments in locations known only to me and guaranteed to remain undisturbed. Carrying out this task would take years, so I chose to reunite with my siblings in the meantime after considerable delay.

Having made the necessary arrangements, I hastily traveled to Chicago, where I found Klaus and Rebekah thanks to their clues. The compelled occupants of their hideout recognized my name and played a pre-recorded message from Klaus. Instructing me to search a local bar if he wasn't present, I eventually located my two siblings there.

Upon reuniting with Rebekah, she became emotional due to concerns for my safety since several months had passed since our previous encounter. Klaus also showed emotion but was more preoccupied with the looming threat of Mikael, peppering me with questions about recent events and when our enemy might reappear. Once initial greetings subsided, Klaus caught me up on everything that had transpired.

We spent a pleasant evening catching up, and after Rebekah departed, I finally had the opportunity to discuss my plans with Klaus.

"Brother, what have you been up to all this time?" Klaus inquired, his curiosity piqued. "It's been two months, which is a long time to find us."

"Don't be like that, Niklaus," I replied. "I was planning to bring it up, and now that Rebekah is occupied, it seems like the perfect moment."

"Alright then, brother," Klaus said with interest.

I proceeded to tell him about my plan to finally deal with our father once and for all.

Initially skeptical, Klaus changed his demeanor when he realized I was quite serious - knowing that I wouldn't joke about such a matter concerning our family.

"How?" Klaus desperately inquired.

"I managed to obtain some white oak," I responded. "Enough to eliminate Mikael for sure."

Klaus barraged me with questions: Where did you find it? How did you come across it? And many more, which I gladly answered for my younger brother.

Overjoyed, Klaus thought of finally being able to kill Mikael so that he and his family could at last be free and live the lives they had always yearned for.

But once he asked for the white oak stake himself, I made sure to bring him back down to earth.

I had no qualms about giving him a stake since I knew he would never use it against me or any of our siblings; however, I wanted to guarantee he couldn't dagger us again either.

"I will provide you with the stake, Niklaus," I told him firmly.

Klaus was no fool and sensed there were conditions attached.

"If?" He asked hesitantly.

I proposed a compromise: "If you hand over the white oak ash as well as all the daggers, not only will I give you the stake but also actively help you finish off Mikael."

Klaus pondered on this offer; while realizing it was a fair exchange, he also understood that without the daggers, his insurance against his siblings would be gone, leaving him vulnerable to their decisions.

Noticing his contemplation, I decided to give him some time.

"Take a couple of days to mull it over, Niklaus," I suggested as I rose from the table. "I'll await your decision."

After a few more hours at the bar, Klaus returned to his temporary residence with a made-up mind, only to find me sitting in a chair, reading a book.

"Well, Niklaus?" I asked without lifting my eyes from my book.

"I'm willing to accept your proposal on certain terms," Klaus replied.

"Firstly, you must not awaken Kol and Finn until Mikael is dealt with once and for all," he stated.

"I can agree to that." I responded and set the book down on the table beside me.

"Secondly, you must promise to join me in finally vanquishing Mikael."

I rose to express my sincerity towards Klaus, "Brother, you know that I desire Mikael's death as much as you do, and I would gladly be the one to end him."

Klaus seemed touched and approached me, but I quickly stopped him.

"Not just yet, brother," I explained, surprising him, "Until the daggers are in my possession, for safety's sake, I must maintain some distance."

Although Klaus appeared taken aback initially, thinking we were sharing a heartfelt moment, he soon understood the implications.

"Fair enough," he agreed, "Well, while you're here, I'll retrieve the daggers right away and we can address the coffins' situation tomorrow."

True to his word, Klaus handed over the daggers and even delivered the coffins the next day. To uphold our agreement, I gave him the stake I had close at hand.

Rebekah couldn't help but be intrigued as she watched her controlling brother surrender his most valuable possessions. We then filled her in on the bargain we had struck, to which it pleasantly surprise her that soon all of her brothers would be around.