Klaus threw his glass of whiskey against the wall of the mansion, the shatter echoing throughout the rooms as he paced the floor in anger. Head to toe covered in blood he cursed out in frustration at the ordeal, at Stefan and at Caroline whom he believed he had a shot with. Tyler however was safe for now but his mother was caught up in this unfortunate event and she paid the price. He growled loudly when he heard the tiny pitter patter of feet descending the stairs. He closed his eyes and sighed, he knew who it was and he didn't want her to see this.
"Daddy" he heard the little whisper behind him. "I heard loud noises" Klaus turned around to his four-year old taking in her shaken and sleepy form. Although she may have been afraid of what she saw she stayed watching her father, curious of what he was going to say. "Daddy?"
"Sweetheart I think you should go back to bed" he tried to smile failing miserably. He moved a step forward to his daughter and found she made no attempt to run or scream at the sight before her. "I don't want you to see this" he said as he kneeled before her. "I need my little warrior to be brave and go back to bed and don't come down until tomorrow" Klaus watched as she furrowed her brows in a confused way
"Aria please listen to me" Klaus voice was strained from the shouting and his heart broke before him as his daughter shook her head while the tears began to roll down her face. "Daddy don't leave me" she begged as she dove into her father's arms putting away the image of him covered in blood just to hold him close and never let go. "I don't want you to go" she cried into the crook of his neck.
"Aria listen to me. Daddy has to do this" he tried explaining but the child refused to let him go as she clutched his suit jacket her knuckles turning white from the grip she had on it. Klaus eventually wrapped his arms around his daughter as he held her, rubbing her back soothingly and being gentle for the first time in a thousand years. "Daddy has to do this one thing that will be seen as good for the first time since I was a boy. I promise I will always watch over you and Uncle Elijah, Uncle Kol and even Aunty Bekah. They will look after you"
"NO" she shouted "No daddy please" her crying stopped but the tears will still clear in her eyes. "I love you daddy, I wont leave you" she said pleadingly "Don't leave me. Mommy left me too"
"Aria love"
"Please don't go" she said one last time tiredly. She was exhausted and so was he.
Klaus carried the sleeping child up to her room. It was a big one like his own but it contained safari animals, a bunk bed with a slide, toy cars, dolls and to one side of the room was a huge art station with every art supply imaginable. He placed his daughter into the bed tucking her in when something caught his eye. On the wall was several of his daughters attempt drawings of her father and their family. One in particular caught his eye. She tried to draw their whole family including the deceased members Mikael, Esther, Finn, Sage and Henrik. He found himself smiling at the fact that she wanted her family just like he did. He knew then what unconditional love was. She gave it too him, although she was just a child and didn't quite understand everything she loved her father more than anything. She listened to each one of his stories he told her every night and she remembered them all. No one knew about the child other than the originals, not even Klaus hybrids where aware of the toddler that was content to draw for hours on end or play sword fights with her father. It was best kept that way, it was the only way she could be protected and the only way he could escape the harsh reality she would face when she was of age.