Rachel Mickealson
Klaus was feeling lost for the first time in his long life. He was standing in his living room with, in front of him, a few months old baby whose big brown trusting eyes were staring right back into his own and following his every move. The little girl was in a pink baby carry-on car-seat and was holding close to her heart a stuffed gold star.
What had he been thinking? Did he really think he would be able to do it on his own?
He turned toward the bar and served himself a whiskey. He was about to down the amber liquid when the baby girl made some sort of noise that had him turning instantly towards her. He put the glass down. He couldn't get drunk now, he had a baby to protect... He needed to take care of her...
He remembered driving towards the small town of Lima, Ohio and seeing an accident on the side of the road. That's when he did something so out of character for him: he stopped and came out of his car to help.
Two men where in the front seat and a pretty baby girl was in her baby seat in the back, still asleep. The driver was dead and if his partner was alive, he could not be saved anymore. Not even with blood.
«Please, help Rachel... Our baby girl...Please...» The man pleaded with Klaus.
«What do you want me to do?» Klaus asked while checking the baby girl. She was sleeping but seamed to be doing perfectly fine.
«Take care of her... Our daughter... Please...» The dying man said.
«I'll find her a family, don't worry.» Klaus promised.
« No, you take care of her! I have visions from time to time and seconds before you stopped i saw you... Rachel will be perfectly fine with you. I know who you are...Please...» The man pleaded again, using what little straights he had.
«If you know who I am then you must know that I'm not fit to raise a child. I'm considered a monster by most people... What about her mother?» Klaus didn't understand why he wanted to take the small infant with him and protect her.
«We are a gay couple; we paid her mother, Shelby Corcoran to be our surrogate mother. She doesn't want anything to do with Rachel... I saw that if she enters Rachel's life, she will only bring heartaches to my little girl... Please... She will be happy with you! You know you want to...» Klaus could see the life draining out of the man and decided to act on impulse, like he always did.
«Very well, I will take care of her.» Klaus said before he could talk himself out of it.
«I need your word... I saw how you originals honour your words...»
«I give you my word that I will raise Rachel as if she was my own daughter. She will never want for anything and she will be happy.» Klaus said, knowing deep down that his life was now changing forever.
«In my wallet is my address, you'll find everything you need for her there... Her papers, everything... The essentials are prepared in her room...in the suitcases...I had a bad feeling and wanted to be prepared... Let me see her one last time... please...»
It was obviously hard to breath for the man and Klaus knew it was a miracle that he had held on for so long. He carried the still sleeping baby girl and put in the dying man's line of vision. With a smile on his face and relieved eyes, the jewish man closed his eyes for the last time, ending his life.
Klaus took every baby-related stuff that was around the car and put it in his. He also took the key of their house and the address. Then he called the police, saying he arrived on the scene of an accident and that both men were dead. When they arrived, he compelled them to believe that the baby was his and that the men never had children. When they were done with him, he installed Rachel in the seat next to his and drove to her father's house. He quickly learned that the men, the Berry, were new to town and just getting installed. Nobody knew them yet.
As Rachel woke up, he saw her big brown trusting eyes looking back at him.
«I'm sorry princess, your daddies are dead, but I'm here and I will take good care of you, I promise. It's not going to be easy, but if we both work for it we will manage okay?» He told the baby girl. She kept looking at him and he gave her some stuffed gold star that was laying around what seemed to be her bedroom. He put her in her crib while he used his super speed to collect every item he would need. He then called one of his witches to come with a big car, not explaining anything else. It took the witch 45 minutes to arrive and when he did, he helped Klaus collect everything the little girl would need without questionning his intentions, even though he seamed not to like it.
Aside from every item and furniture of her bedroom, Klaus packed the baby food and some pictures of her birth parents. He also found some boxes with what looked like archives for the little girl. He packed them as well. He was thankful that the man had prepared the essentials so when Rachel started crying (she reached quite a high note he realised) he had everything with him at the ready. It took him several tries to put the diappers the right way but he finally had his new daughter changed and fed.
«Are you sure it's a good idea Klaus?» His witch asked, after what seamed to be a long internal struggle.
«Yes... I gave my word...I will keep it. She will be happy with me.» He answered in a «do not discuss it further if you like your head on your shoulders» tone.
As he left, he spotted a small star shaped trophies in the living room. Apparently, Rachel had won, just a few days ago, a baby singing contest. He took it and, looking at her, promised her she would have every opportunity to shine if she desired it.
In the car ride back to his place, he couldn't help it, he told the little girl, who was staring at him with great interest, everything about him and his family. She was still awake 45 minutes later when they finally arrived to his current place of residence. The witch had arrived already and was unloading his car with the help of a few vampires that worked for him. As they installed the room for Rachel, he put her carry-on car seat on the floor of his living room and sat down, finally taking the time to think, wondering if he would be able to do this. He was surprised by how quiet Rachel was being but he liked it, it was like she knew he needed time and silence to think.
When the vampires were done, he compelled them never to speak of Rachel to anyone and they left him alone. He carried Rachel to her Bedroom and, after changing a few things, he put her in night clothes before putting her to bed. Since she didn't seem to want to close her eyes, he turned on the small music box he had found in her old house. She then gave him a smile so bright he was sure it brightened his heart a little. He stayed with her until she fell asleep and turned the baby phone on before going back downstairs.
He didn't know if he would be able to do it, raising a child was a hard thing to do and he didn't have the best temper in the world... Actually, his bad temper was the reason 3 of his siblings were lying in coffins somewhere in a storage room in Chicago. He really hoped he would manage to make all the right choices for his little girl... In less than a day, she had wormed her way into his heart and he liked it.
With a sight, he walked to the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag from the fridge. The food he had taken from the Berry's house was in there as well. He decided to prepare a couple of bottles for his little girl before she woke up so all he'll have to do is warm them up.
He went to sleep after a while and took the baby phone with him in case Rachel woke up in the middle of the night. According to the papers, she was a little over 4 months old and he was pretty sure babies that age slept through the night but he wasn't risking it. There was no way his daughter was going to feel unwanted by crying alone in the middle of the night in a house she wasn't used to yet.
However, Klaus was able to sleep through the night. When he woke up later, around 8 in the morning, He went to check on his new baby. Rachel was silently lying in her bed, her big brown eyes opened. As soon as he entered the room she started to look at him. When he approached, she smiled brightly at him in a way that told him that everything would work out to the best.
«Good morning Rachel. Did you sleep well Love? » he asked as he picked her up. He carried her to the small changing table he had taken with the rest of her things and changed her diapers. The whole time, Rachel seemed to be talking to him in some sort of baby language. He surprised himself when he answered her with equally childish sounds.
That very day, he took her with him to see his favourite ID Maker. The man made him official papers stating that former Rachel Barbara Berry was now Rachel Barbara Mickelson. After making her officially his daughter, he took her shopping for more toys, clothes and furniture. He told the sales lady a story about him finally getting custody of his daughter and not having much for her. He spent a lot of money on her that day but he didn't mind. For the first time in a very long time he was caring for someone else than him.
That very same day, he decided to move in a house closer to town. he wanted Rachel to spend her first few years in the town her fathers had chosen for her. He bought a big house and told everyone he made good money with some diverses investment. He was pretty popular with the ladies but decided to let it go. He wouldn't play with humans anymore... Not while Rachel was with him... needed him. His biggest fear was that if he let himself be his old self just for one day, something would happen to his daughter and he would regret ot forever.
As soon as he settled them in the new house, he contacted a warlock that lieve in this town with his two children and his wife and asked him to put protective spells on the property. Klaus did everything he could to insure the little girl's safety. Being one of the oldest vampires and definitly the most fears allowed him to hire several vampires to keep watch of the property.
The months and then the years flew by really fast for the hybrid.
Rachel's first word had been «Daddy» and she said it while looking at him.
Her first steps were to cross the living room and climb on him lap as he was drawing.
He signed her up for dance classes and singing lessons with private teachers. When he looked back on it, he never had a single bad day since she entered his life. Of course, some idiots had tried to get to him by arming Rachel, but they always got caught and killed in the hour that followed. The vampires he had hired to protect her were very efficient.
The little girl knew what her daddy was and she knew she had to be very careful not to tell anyone. She also had vervain, both in her food and in jewellery all the time. Her father also taught her how to shoot with a water gun and he had hidden several water guns filled with vervain all around the house, in his car, and near the places they often went to in town. Rachel knew that if someone she didn't know tried to take her away or to hurt her she needed to scream, run away very fast, and shoot with her water gun. She loved her life. Rachel had everything she needed and Klaus often wondered how it was possible that she never behaved like a spoiled brat. She was reasonable and sweat and everything he could ever have wished for.
Rachel knew that her daddy wasn't always nice with everybody; actually, she was pretty sure that the driver of the mean car that almost ran her over last week was now missing a lot of blood. She didn't really care, her daddy never hurt people she liked. He loved her too much for that. He called her his little princess; sometimes he also called her his star... She loved it. He never missed any of her dance show or singing competitions. He was always here... «Always and forever» was what he promised her every night as he wished her good night.
Today Rachel was turning 6 years old and her daddy had organised a big party at their house for all of her schoolmates. She wasn't the most popular girl around school but the other children were still pretty nice with her, probably because she was rich. She didn't care though, she was happy and not lonely, that was the most important. She spent a lot of her time with Lukas and Glinda, the children of a warlock working with her daddy. They went to a different school but she still saw them every afternoon. They were both pretty nice and were always looking out to protect her. They came early for her party and when the other children arrived they where already playing around.
Klaus had rented a couple of little poneys and a clown for the children and everybody was having fun. Rachel received a lot of gifts and had a wonderful day. She was surprised when she saw the cake. There was her favourite chocolate cake and several smaller cakes with other flavors.
When time came for everybody to leave, she went to Doctor Martin and his children Lukas and Glinda:
«Thank you so much for everything Doctor Martin, the necklace is very beautiful and I'm thankful for the locating spell you put on it. You're the best ever! » She said as she hugged the tall black man like it was something she did everyday. Klaus bit back a laugh when he saw his warlock friend blush.
«You're welcome Rachel. Klaus, we'll see you soon. » The warlock said as his children and him were leaving.
«Are you happy Princess?» Klaus asked his daughter as he picked her up and sat her down on his lap.
«Yes daddy! You are the best! I loved the pony, and the books from my friends, and the dolls, and the necklace from the Martin's and the bracelet from you and the picture frame with us and the photo album with all the drawings you made of your family...» Rachel said excitedly.
«I'm glad you had a good day sweetheart.» Klaus said as he hugged her closer to his heart.
He watched her carry all of her stuff in her room when he realised the clock was moving closer by the second to the biggest of all the surprises he had planned for her. He was amazed at the fact she managed to move around the house without him being able to hear her... He had to turn around to make sure she was walking upstairs. When he heard Rachel telling him that she was cleaning her room before coming down for dinner. She knew they were having important guests but nothing more. She had prepared another dress to change into for diner. She wanted to be pretty to make her daddy proud of her in front of his guests.
As Klaus nodded up at her and watched her disappear silently into her room and closing the door, he heard a car in the driveway.
It was time.
He opened the door to see Elijah, Finn, Kol, Rebecca and Sage coming up to him. Indeed, last week, he had decided he wanted his daughter to know all of her family and contacted Elijah. He told him where to find the others and that he was sorry. He told him were to find him and how to contact Sage. He told his brother he had a lot to tell them all and that he was truly sorry for what he did to them but had some very important news to tell them all.
As they came closer, he grew nervous and it showed on his face. He showed them inside and closed the door silently. They entered the living room and took their seats in silence.
«Hello... I'm glad you could make it.» Klaus said in a soft voice.
«Hello...» They all answered one by one.
The air was pretty tensed and he knew Rebecca and Kol were having a hard time holding back from jumping on him and try to kill him, or at least give him some pain.
«Elijah said you had some news for us?» Finn asked.
«Yes, but first I need to apologies to all of you. What I did, daggering you... It was wrong...I was afraid you were leaving me behind...Afraid you would leave me all alone forever, like Mickeal said I would be...» He said. «I'm sorry.»
«You should be! I really like Stefan!» Rebecca said.
«I asked a witch friend of mine to lift his compulsion from a distance... He should remember everything before the next week is over.» Klaus told her.
«Thank you... You're forgiven...» Rebecca told him with a small smile.
«Well, I'm not forgiving anything yet! I don't believe that turning around of yours!» Kol shouted as he got up, ready to start a fight.
Just as he was about to answer, Klaus watched a bit of vervained water being thrown at Kol.
«Don't yell at my daddy!» Rachel yelled. She had tears in her eyes. Klaus rushed to her and pulled the little girl in his arms, both for comforting the little girl and to protect her.
As his siblings were stuck on the word «Daddy», Klaus was trying to calm his little angel down:
«It's okay little star, Kol is right to be angry at me. I'm not going to leave you, he isn't going to hurt me. Shhhhh... Don't cry princess... I thought you would be up longer... I wanted to surprise you...» Klaus excused himself for a few minutes as he took his daughter upstairs. He helped her clean up and arranged herself as he told her who was downstairs.
In the living room, the Mickealson siblings were listening and couldn't believe their eyes.
«How can she be his daughter? » Rebecca asked.
«He sounds so different...» Elijah whispered stunned.
«How long has this been going on?» Finn wondered.
«Damn the girl knows how to aim!» Kol exclaimed.
After a few minutes of questions, Klaus was back down.
«She will be back down in a few minutes. I told her I needed more time to explain everything to you...» Klaus said. As they all nodded, he started to tell them the story of how he came to be the father of a charming little girl. It took him several minutes and then they all heard:
«Are you done telling them Daddy or do you need more time?» He chuckled as she said it and yelled back:
«It's okay Rachel, come on down.»
When the little girl came in, she looked fine, like she hadn't been crying a few minutes ago.
«Hello, I'm Rachel Barbara Mickealson, I'm Klaus's daughter and I'm going to be a big star on Broadway some day!» She said with a confident smile.
«Hey! I'm your aunt Rebecca! You're so cute!» It seamed like Rebecca was already in love with the small human girl.
«I'm Kol, sorry for scarring you earlier.» His tone told that he was really sorry ans he was warmed by Rachel's bright smile.
«I'm Finn and this is my wife Sage. We're very happy to meet you Rachel.» Klaus agreed that keeping things simple and calling Sage Finn's wife was probably the best move not to confuse his daughter.
«I'm your uncle Elijah and you seem to be a very charming young girl!» Rachel beamed at them all and, unexpectedly started to hug them all with a big smile on her face.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
«I'll go answer that now. Rachel, why don't you show them how well you are doing on your dance and singing lessons. » Klaus said as he rushed to answer the phone.
«You take dancing classes?» Sage asked the little girl.
«Yes, I do. I love to sing so daddy signed me up for jazz dance, classic dance and tap dance. He comes to all my shows too! He also hired a private vocal singing teacher and I won several competitions already!» Rachel said, obviously proud of herself.
«That's a lot for someone so young!» Elijah exclaimed.
«Daddy said I could stop as soon as I wanted... I'm starting a music initiation class to see if I can be good at playing an instrument soon...» The young girl said as she climbed on her Uncle Finn's lap. Taken by surprise, the vampire looked quite uncomfortable for a while but ended up relaxing with his arms softly around her. Slowly, Rachel was winning over her family's hearts.
«What do you like to sing?» Rebecca asked her niece.
«I love musicals and Barbara Streisand! Daddy said I'm really good for my age! Do you want me to show you?» Rachel asked with excitement.
«Sure, go ahead and show us!» Her aunt answered as Rachel jumped on the floor and walked to the stereo. She found the right CD and put it in the player. It was the soundtrack to «Funny Girl».
«Daddy got me a copy with just the music, without the singing so I could sing when no one could play for me. It's my favourite. I'm going to sing for you ‹Don't rain on my parade›.» Rachel said before pressing the ‹play› button.
She started to sing at the right place and everyone was amazed at the power behind her voice. For such a young girl, just 6 years old, she had an amazing talent and they knew their niece would end up in Broadway some day. She had big dreams, but she had a big talent to carry them. About the middle of the song, Klaus came back in and sat with his siblings to watch his daughter be the star she will always be in his heart. When she finished, they all got up from their seats and clapped. Rachel blushed as she ran into her fathers arms after turning the music off.
«You're really good Rachel! I hope you'll let me come to you next recital or competition!» Rebecca said as the little girl left her father's arms to come and hug her too. Rachel mumbled a «Of course» before leaving her aunt's arms and turning towards her father:
«Who was on the phone daddy?»
«Misses Hudson...» Klaus answered as his daughter giggled.
«Oh don't you laugh! Between her and Misses Puckerman I don't know what to do! It's time we left this Lima town and settled somewhere else!» Klaus added as Rachel turned towards her Uncles and said:
«Misses Hudson is a widow and Misses Puckerman is freshly divorced. They both have sons in my class and they like daddy a lot...» Rachel said giggling.
«Are you sure you like those little boys enough so I can't scare their mummy away Princess?» Klaus said, sighting dramatically to amuse his little girl.
«Well, Finn Hudson is very cute but he is only nice to me because Noah Puckerman is his friend and would hurt him if he hurt me or my feelings... Noah said he is training to be a body guard because that job is ‹badass› and that's why he spends time with me, because I'm a star in training. That's what he said.» Rachel explained like it was the most natural thing in the world.
«Well, why don't we move things to the table in the dinning room? Dinner should be served soon.» Klaus said as the maid he had hired for the cooking and the cleaning gave him the signal that things were ready.
«What are we eating tonight daddy? » Rachel asked as she took her seat on his right. It was a big round table he had gotten because Rachel liked it better than the square or rectangular ones.
«It's still you're birthday Princess. We are eating your favourite!» He said as she squealed in happiness.
The maid brought small quiches in enter and followed it by vegetarian lasagnes. As the maid brought them the desert, ice cream cake, Elijah asked his niece:
«Are you a vegetarian Rachel?» He was curious and would have a lot of fun enjoying the ironny of Klaus' daughter being vegetarian.
«Only twice a week!» Rachel answered. Klaus then proceeded in telling them that when she found out that meat used to be cute living animals, she decided she needed to make some sort of amends and decided she would be a vegetarian twice a week. She said only twice because she like eating meat too much to give it up totally.
They spent a very nice evening of telling stories and joking when the clock rang 10pm.
«Time for bed Rachel!» Klaus told his daughter.
«Can I please have just another 30 minutes daddy please?» She asked him, showing him her big brown eyes.
«Everyone will still be here tomorrow Rachel. They are staying the night. Maybe even a few more days...» Klaus said, knowing immediately why his daughter wanted more time.
«Promise?» She asked her father while looking at her aunts and uncles.
«Yes sweetheart, we will still be here. Actually, if you want, I can even come and sleep in your room!» Rebecca proposed.
«We could have a sleep over! Can she daddy?» Rachel asked with a big bright smile.
«Of course baby. But no talking all night.» Klaus said as Rachel kissed everyone goodnight and pulled Rebecca behind her. As she was about to climb the stairs, Rachel came back in and grabbed Sage's hand too and pulled her with her, inviting her to the sleep over without any words being said.
«It's quite a girl you've got here brother!» Finn said when they disappeared in the stairs.
«I know... My life changed the moment I laid eyes on her in this crashed car... I would give my life if it meant she lived hers without a dark cloud bothering her ever.» Klaus confessed with honesty.
«She's changed you!» Kol said.
«Yes, she did. I can trust again... she taught me more than she knows...» he added as he listened with the other ear as Rebecca, Sage and Rachel were getting ready for bed.
«So... You're inviting us to stay...» Elijah noted.
«Only if you want... I have a lot of free rooms with clothes that would fit you... It would mean a lot to Rachel... and to me!» Klaus said.
«How long can we stay?» Kol asked, putting his feet up on the empty chair next to him.
«As long as you like... We're moving at the end of the school year, but even then you're welcome to come with us!» Klaus said.
«Where will you move?» Finn asked him.
«I'm not sure yet. Rachel voted for somewhere sunny, I voted for another small town... We still need to make a more definite decision... I'm open to suggestions!» Klaus said.
«Why not go back home?» Elijah asked.
«That's the plan for when she turns 16! » Klaus informed his brother.
«Well, we still have a few months to come up with the perfect place...» Finn said.
«I own a big house... more of a mansion really... in a town about the same size as this one in Texas.» Elijah proposed.
«Are you inviting us brother?» Klaus asked.
«Yes, I am. It will give me time to get to know my niece...»His brother said.
Somehow, Klaus knew that his siblings wouldn't be very far from hi in the next few years. He knew they would all be there for every one of her shows, recitals and competitions. His Rachel had won over the hearts of her family.
Upstairs, in her bed, Rachel was happy. She was 6 years old and had a perfect life. Her father had overcome his fear of revenge from his siblings so she could meet them and she was grateful for that. As she drifted to sleep, she started to think of a song she could sing to him to give him a proper thank you.
This is new... I hope I did good with this story...
It's not over but i will put it as "complete" because it could be over now... I will however be writing more chapters... I will add them later... But probably not anytime soon...
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Kepp reading me!
Lorelei Candice Black