the originals season 2 spoilers
Claire Holt returned as Rebekah during Season 2, episode 8 of "The Originals." CW

The Mikaelson clan reunited in Season 2, episode 8 of “The Originals” to wreak even more havoc than ever before. “The Brothers That Care Forgot” kicked off with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) attempting to convince his treacherous brothers Finn (Yusuf Gatewood) and Kol (Daniel Sharman) to rise up and join him against their bloodthirsty mother.

But as Klaus explained his plan, his siblings seemed more concerned in the sweet treats displayed on the dinning room table than the potential destruction of Esther (Sonja Sohn). “If you continue to oppose, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns,” the hybrid said with a smirk.

And Klaus wasn’t the only Mikaelson brother in rare form during episode 8. As Finn and Kol were confronted about becoming possible allies, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) seemed the complete opposite of his typical cool, collected self -- especially when Rebekah’s (Claire Holt) name was brought up in conversation.

According to Finn, Esther had been searching for Rebekah (who had fled New Orleans with little Hope) since the day she returned. And he had a feeling his sister might be inclined to accept their mother’s offer of becoming human.

“It’s only a matter of time,” Finn said of the moments Rebekah had until Esther finds her. And he wasn’t kidding. In the next scene, Rebekah found herself being watched by a murder of crows while at the playground with baby Hope.

Rebekah immediately sensed her mother’s presence and called Elijah for help. The two planned to meet up and Klaus instructed his brother to do whatever was necessary to keep the two women in his family safe. But little did he know just how literal Elijah would take the advice.

As Rebekah began her road trip back to New Orleans, Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) and Jackson (Nathan Parsons) devised a plan on how to free their pack from Esther’s ring-accessorized clutches -- all it would take would be a walk down the aisle. According to an ancient ritual spell, if two hybrids were to marry, their powers would be transferred to everyone who attended the ceremony. The only catch is that Hayley would have to sacrifice her love for Elijah to commit to Jack.

“Vows ain’t honored, it doesn’t worked,” Jackson revealed. “It’s got to be a real marriage in every way for the rest of our lives. Are you up for that?”

Hayley called Cami (Leah Pipes) after discovering the downside to the unification spell. It was during their search for more information regarding the ritual did Hayley reveal that she still had feelings for Elijah.

Hayley admitted that despite their distance since she turned into a hybrid, Elijah is still under her skin, which is why she’s hesitant to marry the good and kind Jackson to save their pack from Esther. So, with a pair of cold feet, Hayley called Elijah. But the well-dressed vampire neglected to pick up. Instead, he went on a murdering rampage at a diner prior to his reunion with Rebekah.

But the bloodshed stayed hidden from Rebekah when she first arrived to the restaurant. Instead the two (and a half) embraced each other with the warmth of a loving family and discussed how blessed they felt for having Hope in their lives. Rebekah even admitted that after caring for her niece, she longed for the ability to have a child of her own.

That’s when Elijah revealed to his sister that Esther had made him an offer he couldn’t quite refuse. “We can have families of our own again,” he said, adding that although it’s a cruel process it’s nevertheless appealing.

Rebekah noticed a shift in her brother’s behavior, which is when she excused herself with the baby only to find the majority of the restaurant patrons dead in the freezer. In a moment of fight or flight, Rebekah snapped Elijah’s neck.

As Rebekah stood over her brother’s dead body, Klaus attempted to convince his brothers for a final time to join his ranks against their mother. While Kol agreed to aid in his brother’s cause (after a few stabs to his hand and ego), Finn remained on Team Esther -- even though Klaus had promised him his freedom.

Finn then revealed that his mother isn’t as monstrous as Klaus thinks, explaining the sacrifices she went through in order to have a family. Finn divulged that their barren mother had made a deal with her sister in order to be fertile -- all it would cost would be the life of the first child in every generation (i.e., their sister Freya and Hope).

But Esther would be the least of Klaus’ problems at the moment. A little witch with a heart full of revenge and blood drenched with dark magic was after him. Klaus bit into Davina’s (Danielle Campbell) neck (after a few harsh words were said to one another) to end her once and for all. But when the blood ran into his mouth, Klaus withered in pain and was knocked unconscious. Davina was determined to drain Klaus’ body and leave him for dead but Cami approached the Harvest witch, begging Davina for Klaus’ life.

Hayley had noticed Cami had unusual marks down her back during their research date, which turned out to be the effects of Esther’s spell. It was revealed that Esther was preparing Cami’s body to become a vessel -- not for herself, but for Rebekah in the hopes that her daughter would turn human. Cami begged Finn for help, but he said it was out of his hands. So, Klaus stuffed his noncompliant brother in a coffin.

That wasn’t the only surprise of the night. During the pack’s meeting, Hayley revealed to her fellow wolves that she and Jackson were getting married for the benefit of their furry community. At first the wolves were reluctant to attend the wedding -- and why shouldn’t they be? Jackson had been MIA, and Hayley wasn’t even a wolf anymore, or so they thought.

Hayley revealed she’s able to control her transformations without the power of Esther’s rings. They could either be the witch’s “b----es” or they could attend the ceremony, soak up her power and become the greatest pack to walk the earth.

After being resurrected by Davina to help take down Esther and save Cami from becoming a vessel, Klaus received a call from Rebekah who revealed she had just twisted Elijah’s neck. Klaus then told his sister to meet him in a location where they had once celebrated Christmas. When Hayley asked where he was going, Klaus replied that the two of them were on their way to see their daughter.

What did you think of Season 2, episode 8 of “The Originals”? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts.