A/N 1.0: hello there:) sorry I've been pretty absent, especially with In Shadow but you can't really ignore inspiration when it hits you lol. This is a TO AU piece I've been working on for months now. it started out as a harmless little Klaroline onesie that quickly grew to be nearly 14.5K words of repetitive angst with no direction whatsoever. so after plenty of brainstorming, wadding papers up and throwing them away in a dramatic fashion, flailing about on the floor, writer's block, crying, banging my head against a wall and staring at the computer screen with bleary eyes here it is: part 1 of a 5 piece tale about everyone's favorite (or least favorite) spinoff and baby plot.

Let me say right now that this IS a Klaroline story- that never changed, you just have to get through 2 parts of Klaus' perspective and an interlude of Elijah's/New Orleans drama to get there. Let me also say that the events of this story have nothing whatsoever to do with a dislike of the direction taken by TO- I greatly enjoyed all aspects of the pilot and this is simply what I see happening logically *insert your own joke about TVD/TO writer's logic here* or what I would do were I in charge of TO (I wish...) since I've had a very particular, positive view on the baby plot and Klaus' redemption in regards to it since the backdoor pilot aired. but yeah...I'm a TO supporter all the way- Klayley baby and all.

anywho...this is quite monstrous- the original doc I uploaded to FF numbered 10K words and the other parts are similar in length...well from what I can say they will all be similar in length. Thanks a billion to djangelynn both over here and on Tumblr for being an awesome person and agreeing to Beta this madness. there aren't words to express how much I love you for helping me out:)

So, I'll catch ya on the flip side and without further ado I present to you the piece that nearly stole Kaitlin's sanity and (is still taking over) took over her writing life for a ridiculous amount of time. A.K.A. Sanguis Potestas Est.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or The Originals.

Sanguis Potestas Est

i. deus ex machina

It starts with a knock that both brothers ignore.

Klaus leans over the kitchen counter, nursing a glass filled with blood while Elijah paces in front of him, fastening the buttons of his pristine dress shirt while preaching about how Klaus simply can't do this because the possible repercussions pose too great of a risk.

Klaus only scoffs, hiding a derisive snort in his lowball glass. Elijah's concerns hold no merit in Klaus' book - of that, Klaus is certain - and one would think that after nearly a millennia of standing at Klaus' side, his brother would stop trying to burden Klaus with his own worries.

The insistent pounding - it's as if whatever higher power exists thinks Klaus needs one more interminable sound floating around in his head - stops only for the front door to swing open and collide with the adjacent wall, the loud bang reverberating through their home. Both brothers turn to appraise the person who has joined them- one with pin-straight blonde hair and electric blue eyes, her button nose scrunched up in extreme displeasure. Klaus watches as she looks away and, in her typical dramatic fashion, makes a show of dropping her luggage onto the tiled floor with a thud and he thinks the vein in Elijah's forehead may, in fact, burst because they just finished with the renovations.

(Not that Klaus wouldn't find that extremely amusing, he's been waiting patiently for the day it happens for a millennia now.)

Rebekah crosses her arms when she's done, popping her hip as if to say she isn't to be messed with and turns her gaze back up to them, eyes narrowing as they take in their surroundings. "Oh, don't let me stop you," she snaps. "Not now that neither of you bothered answering your phones to pick me up nor did you stop your bickering long enough to answer the bloody door!"

"Perhaps you should have told us to expect you and things may have turned out a bit differently," Klaus says. "Except that would have taken away the dramatic flare of barging in at eight in the morning to point out how incredibly disgruntled you are that the moral compass of familial relations and a summer spent with everyone's favorite down-to-earth, small town quarterback guilt tripped you into joining us."

Rebekah's mouth opens to retort when Elijah sighs and interrupts. "Forgive us, Rebekah. I'm only attempting to advise Niklaus against yet another foolish errand," Elijah amends, choosing a different and annoyingly gentler tactic to appease Rebekah.

"His entire existence is a foolish errand, 'Lijah. I would have hoped you had caught on to that by now."

Klaus makes no attempt to hide his amusement as he brings his nearly empty tumbler to his lips to finish off its contents and peers at Rebekah over the lip, the sticky residue clinging to the crystal in his peripherals. "Now, now, sister. We've only just been reunited must we be so hostile?"

"Yes. I'm still upset with you."

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm. Very much so and I would love nothing more than to be a first hand witness to you making a complete fool of yourself during this entire venture. So here I am."

Klaus merely cocks a brow at her and steps around the counter, setting his glass down as he does so, and inches closer to her, devilish smirk firmly in place. "Unfortunately for you, sweet sister, I won't be making a fool of myself. I will come out on top of all phases of this venture, starting with today and, no, Elijah, there is nothing you can say to dissuade me."

"Niklaus-"

"No, Elijah. I entertained your apprehensions but now," he glances at the clock and then at the doorway, listening intently for the she-wolf whom he had explicitly told to be ready before eight the night before - it's nearly quarter after - "I really must be off." He nods at Elijah with a tight-lipped smile before walking out of the kitchen only to be followed by both insufferable siblings.

"And where are you running off to?" Rebekah asks.

"He's determined to find the elusive New Orleans pack off a single, ludicrous tip he received from a suspicious source."

Klaus rolls his eyes, turning away as the two exchange a look; he's never stopped them from thinking whatever they please. He needs to do this and nothing is going to stop him. "Hayley! Let's get a move on, love," he calls up the stairs.

The brunette descends the stairs dressed in jeans and grey top that disguises her slightly swollen and still growing belly with her light ash-brown hair up in a ponytail. She slows to a stop. "Who the hell is that?" she asks, looking Rebekah up and down.

Rebekah's jaw drops and she returns the look Hayley's sending her way. "And you couldn't have impregnated someone with manners?"

Klaus groans inwardly. He'd forgotten that Rebekah was daggered while Hayley had been roaming about Mystic Falls, creating more problems than solving. And then his sister had been off gallivanting after the cure during their tryst. "Rebekah, Hayley. Hayley, Rebekah. Now, lets go."

"Wait, you're taking her with you?"

Klaus smirks. Of course he's taking Hayley with him - not that his siblings understand the full implications of that- he and Hayley are a breeding pair. It was completely unintentional but, regardless, here they are with a baby on the way. And not only a breeding pair but he's the oldest werewolf in the world. A werewolf and a vampire- undisputed strength and size. Quite simply, Klaus is beyond tired of twiddling his thumbs, idly playing by Sophie's innumerable (and mostly unknown) rules. He's gotten a couple nightwalkers to join his underground, brewing Coup d'Etat but there's strength in numbers and if he can't get the vampire followers he wants then why not turn to another species he's the rightful king of, one that should be just as spiteful as the witches about being forced out of a place they'd called home long before the Louisiana had even been settled?

And then there's the fact that not only is he a powerful werewolf leading the cause but the female carrying his child is a long lost member of this elusive pack and he had made a deal with Hayley back at the beginning of this whole ordeal about finding her family.

It makes perfect sense to Klaus: he gains followers, Hayley finds her family; killing two birds with one stone as it were.

"I was laying in a box with a dagger through my heart while she was in town. Or did you conveniently forget that detail?" Rebekah snaps. "Sue me for being curious about the girl carrying the only child this family will ever have. It's a pity it has to be yours."

Klaus growls and glares at Rebekah. There's only so much of her attitude he can take- she's still upset and that's nothing new. Once it flares, Rebekah's temper is worse than his- she's spiteful and vengeful in the form of holding grudges while Klaus can normally reign in his anger by tearing out a few hearts. If Rebekah's decided to hold a grudge, then there's nothing he can do but let it run its course.

Besides, fatherhood is not his first choice, not even remotely close. It's something he's uncomfortable with at best and he lets himself shut down, lets his temper flare a bit whenever the topic's brought up. He has to make this unexpected arrangement work, he's fully aware that there's no other option. Life is a game that he intends to win so if a baby is in his cards then so be it, he'll play the hand that's been dealt to him. He's working through it and figuring it out…or he will be figuring it out- there's no way in hell he's going to be a worse father than Mikael was and that's all Klaus really knows at the moment.

"Enough," Elijah barks. "Both of you," he adds, looking between Klaus and Rebekah with a warning in his deep brown orbs before Klaus can snarl back at her. It's funny, a thousand years and that one look from Elijah always makes him take a figurative step back and Klaus figures it always will- it's his nagging guilt trip and he loathes it. "Forgive us for the family reunion, Hayley. We weren't aware Rebekah would be joining us this morning."

Hayley shrugs, moving the rest of the way down the stairs. "No problem," she says before skirting around them all to wander into the kitchen.

Klaus watches her go, his narrowed eyes not leaving her once until she's out of his sight around the wall. She's a bit pale and moving a little lethargically for his tastes which is not typical of the feisty she-wolf. He catches Elijah's pointed gaze out of the corner of his eye and tosses his head back slightly, rolling his neck. "We're going," he insists.

His brother sighs and finishes buttoning the cuff of his shirt before shoving a hand in his pocket. "Very well. Be mindful, Niklaus. Watch out for her."

He growls again, the only response he gives his brother, and doesn't care if it makes him look like a spoiled child upset at being told what to do. It's not like he'd leave Hayley to fend for herself even if the only reasons she's with him are for his own personal vendettas. He needs her alive.

He strides off after Hayley, more than ready to get out the door. "Are you ready?"

She peers at him from around the refrigerator door and slams it shut it with a bottle of water in hand. "It's not like I have much of a choice, is it?" she snaps, glaring him down while taking a drink from her water bottle.

With a tight-lipped, sarcastic smile- he has little patience already and Hayley's attitude is wearing it even thinner- Klaus dips his head and heads towards the door.

Still out in the hallway, Rebekah clears her throat once Klaus and Hayley are gone, the sound of the tires on Klaus' SUV rolling over the pavement and down the street faded from their ears. "He's tracking werewolves again?"

Elijah nods stiffly, adjusting his collar while looking in a decorative mirror hanging on the wall. "Hayley was born a member of the New Orleans pack and Niklaus offered to help her track them down while we're here. But, knowing our brother, he's sure to have some unknown scheme up his sleeve. Fortunately, he seems to have moved on from his hybrid obsession, thanks to Kol's death. He's made progress over the past couple months, believe it or not, and I really have no interest in revisiting his juvenile obsession with building an unnecessary army. A regression to that frame of mind would only do more harm than good with everything we've accomplished and are planning to move forward with."

The fact that Elijah still loves Katherine and holds some kind of torch for Elena bleeds through in the tone of his voice and if the situation were any different then Rebekah would have snorted and demanded to know which room is hers. But there's a humongous pink elephant in the room that needs to be addressed in the worst way possible.

So instead of the indignant roll of her eyes she wishes she could put on display, her eyes growing wide and worried. She knows that there's truly not a leash strong enough to hold her wayward brother back if he's tempted enough and that's why it's imperative she keeps things as quiet as possible.

"Rebekah?" Elijah asks, returning his full attention to her. "What is it?'

She swallows hard and drags her eyes up to his inquisitive face. "We may have a problem."

It's a three-hour car ride to the pack's supposed location. The late summer sun streams through the tinted windows of the black SUV and warms the interior as they maneuver down the barren highway with nothing but the air conditioning and the radio diffusing the tension between them, both of which Hayley keeps adjusting much to Klaus' annoyance. The she-wolf fidgets constantly- the fabric of her jeans scratching against the leather of the seat, a hand running through her hair before reaching for the controls- radio, air conditioning, radio, air conditioning- on the dashboard.

"Is everything alright?" he finally snaps, trying to the very best of his abilities to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Hayley is quite low on his already short list of enjoyable people (and oh how the feeling is mutual) but they're stuck together whether they like it or not so there's no need to be completely nasty towards each other at all points of interaction. Not when they have to live with the consequences of their drunken little tryst and get along for the sake of said consequence to the best of their abilities; the reminder of which is constantly pounding in Klaus' ears, floating around in his brain.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

"Well your kid's decided to be as infuriating as you and lodge his foot up underneath my ribcage and doesn't seem to want to move it anytime soon, I puked my guts out for the umpteenth time this week only two and a half hours ago, my hormones are killing me which isn't helping the fact that I'm potentially meeting my long lost family today."

"Anything else?" he asks in a sardonic tone.

It's a rhetorical question and Hayley only 'hhmphs' before turning her body away from him to look out the window.

Klaus keeps to himself and taps his thumbs against the steering wheel; there's no point in engaging her further. If he's being completely truthful, he's a bit apprehensive himself and that's a fact Hayley has no business knowing. He's tired of waiting around for things to set into motion in the French Quarter. He's more than ready to take this revolution into his own hands, to regain control from Sophie. His hands have been tied behind his back (figuratively, of course) and he despises it.

Call him dramatic, but the wolves are his last hope for some kind of leverage, some sense of control and there's no guarantee they're even still around. They may have given up on all hope of reclaiming a land that's rightfully theirs but he's sorely hoping that's not the case.

Before long, they turn off the highway. The exit is in the middle of nowhere, the bayou thick around the shiny black SUV- layers of grey and green and gold as they venture down a dusty, seemingly abandoned gravel driveway framed by large trees and Spanish moss. It comes to a dead end and Klaus parks the car, looking around and extending his senses as far as he can from the confines of the car.

And if they're anything to go by, it feels as if he's entering an enemy camp, tucked away into hiding just like the pack he and Stefan had found in Tennessee the previous summer.

There are werewolves here, he's sure of it and it seems like Hayley senses them, too.

"What now?" she asks without so much of a glance in his direction, her eyes wandering over the bush outside of the car.

The hybrid purses his lips and scans the area one more time. "I hope you aren't opposed to a bit of a hike." He takes the keys out of the ignition and opens the door to be greeted by the Louisiana heat and humidity, not that it bothers him all that much. Hayley jumps out of the car after him, slamming the door shut behind her and Klaus hears her tread after him carefully, the gravel crunching underneath her boots and her breathing already slightly labored. Klaus turns to look back at her over his shoulder with a raised, questioning brow.

"What? Afraid I can't handle another alligator bayou?"

He presses on without a second thought, entering the growth. Except Hayley doesn't follow. Gritting his teeth, he turns back around to see her deliberating, her bottom lip clenched between her teeth.

"Can your blood heal a snake bite? Because we're in the middle of nowhere and if I get bitten by a Copperhead or Cottonmouth or some other venomous snake that lives here, I swear to god I will freak out and if I die, I will haunt you from the grave for the rest of your existence."

Klaus shakes his head in disbelief because of all things this girl has done to cross him, to earn her name a spot at the top of his 'wanted: dead or alive' list, she's afraid of snakes? He pushes the chuckle away because the rational part of him figures she does have a point- who knows what deliberating effects venom, and anti-venom for that matter, would have on her in her state.

But he's a hybrid. If he's somehow fertilei then his blood should be more than capable of healing snakebites should one occur- he's never exactly experimented with this situation before and now he hopes he won't have to; at least not today. So he nods and it seems to be enough for Hayley because she pushes past his proffered hand and marches ahead of him into the swamp.

Klaus has no idea how long they've been wandering. There's no trail, nothing whatsoever for them to follow other than a very faint scent on the air. It's slow going, as well, with cautious steps and several breaks in between. With his unborn son's heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears, Klaus picks their path carefully once he regains the lead from the snarky brunette, making sure Hayley's not lagging behind him.

They come to an opening in their nonexistent trail. It looks like a campground; the vegetation on the ground is replaced by a mixture of fallen pine needles and gravel. Klaus spots what seems to be a path towards his left. He glances at Hayley, looking her up and down, listening to her heartbeat- it's easier than simply asking if she's rested enough to continue. She's been good about saying when she needs to stop, though, so Klaus figures she'll have no trouble speaking her mind. She catches his gaze raises a perfectly shaped brow at him.

"Lost?"

Klaus narrows his eyes and his retort is resting on his lips when he picks up the scent of gasoline and hears roaring engines, head snapping in the direction of the sound. "No. It would seem that we've been found."

Two ATVs burst through the trail and one skids to a stop before the other. The girl turns her head to look at her companion, laughing loudly over the roar of the engines. She hops off the vehicle and pulls the key out of the ignition before turning to face the hybrid and Hayley.

"Oh my god!" she exclaims, a wide smile crossing her face as she pushes a mess of strawberry blonde curls from her face. "Hayley?!"

The corners of Hayley's lips begin to tug upwards into a genuine smile but it fades as soon as she lays eyes on the girl's companion.

Before words of warning can leave Hayley's mouth, Klaus flashes up to Tyler Lockwood, invading the younger hybrid's space. "Why aren't you in Mystic Falls?" he demands, the words coming out in a snarl. A look of confusion and surprise passes over Tyler's face and he opens his mouth to respond but the girl standing beside him beats him to the punch.

"I guess this is him? Not really what I pictured, Ty. Except for the 'not overly thrilled to see you' thing- he hit that right on the nose," the forgotten girl says, circling around the hybrids, Hayley forgotten in place of the sudden commotion.

"And who would you be?" Klaus asks, barely sparing the girl a glance. All he can tell from his quick once-over is that she's a scrap of a girl, with confidence that oozes from her freckled skin, clad in cut-off jean shorts and black tank top.

"Sam," she says with a tight smile as she passes around Tyler's back from circling around the two hybrids, the grass crunching lightly underneath her combat boots. "You must be Klaus."

The hybrid narrows his eyes at the girl. She's a wolf that much he can tell but he was told he'd be meeting with the alpha of the New Orleans pack not more sycophant teenagers- he'd had more than his fair share of those in his beloved Mystic Falls.

"Forgive me, sweetheart, but as much as I would enjoy chatting away with the welcoming committee, I do have business to attend to, so if we could move this party along, I'd be most obliged."

The redhead scoffs and then laughs. "Welcoming Committee? As if." She throws an eye roll in for good measure. "I hate to break it you ya, Klaus, but you aren't meeting with the Alpha."

Klaus raises his chin and growls. "Excuse me?"

Tyler shoots the girl a warning. "He doesn't play well with others, Sam," the younger hybrid says and every ounce of disdain Klaus feels for the boy goes straight to his head and he's about 3.5 seconds from ripping Tyler's off when Sam speaks again.

"I meant that you aren't talking to the alpha because he's not ready to hear you. But someone else is. Someone just as influential,"

Klaus' attention snaps to her, narrowed eyes flitting between her and Tyler with his chin raised, because if she means Tyler Lockwood has come in here and risen through the ranks of this pack to stage another usurpation of power, he will lose it. "And who might that be?"

Sam smiles widely, not showing any teeth but the gesture is still plenty gleeful and she stands up a bit taller. "Me."

The hybrid blinks and backs up a few steps to observe the girl because she can't be serious. With frizzy and wild strawberry-blonde waves falling to her shoulders and mischievous blue-green eyes, a barely visible scar underneath one, she just comes up to Tyler's shoulder but her arms are crossed over her chest in boredom as she looks between the two hybrids. She's a mere child, can't be older than seventeen and that alone causes Klaus to laugh sardonically.

"What's so funny?" Sam deadpans with a cocked brow.

This time, it's Klaus whom Tyler tries to warn. "Just hear her out, okay?"

"You know," he says in sarcastic thoughtfulness, "the last two times I 'heard someone out' I wound up with her," he gestures to Hayley over his shoulder, "in my bed and then a month and a half later, I'm being told she's carrying my child." Tyler's eyes find Hayley's wherever she's standing behind Klaus and the Original watches the boy's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline in surprise and Klaus thinks, if Tyler's playing nicely of course, he'll give the lad a word of warning about hybrid fertility…if not, well, it'd be sickly amusing for Tyler to find out of his own volition. "So, you'd see why I'm not terribly keen to hear anyone out."

"Well if you want the loyalty of my pack then you'll listen up." The girl has had enough, there's a fire in her eyes as she drops her arms and begins circling again, this time out of agitation. "The Alpha's not gonna listen to you. He's lived in exile his entire life and prefers to keep his head low because he's ashamed of being a wolf and several of the older members follow his lead but there are some of us who are tired of hiding."

"And you're one of them?" Klaus asks.

"I'm the ringleader."

Klaus growls. This whole errand is no longer amusing. He wanted an army of full-grown wolves, not a pup, the Lockwood boy, and a nonexistent pack. He turns around, striding back to Hayley so he can drag her back through the bush and back to New Orleans because has been a complete waste of his time. He can gather vampire followers faster than this and he's been at that for months now with little success.

"You want in with the werewolves, then I'm your best bet," Sam insists the gravel crunching under her boots as she trails after him for a few steps. "Just because my dad won't hand over his pack doesn't mean I won't do it for him."

Everything stops and Klaus takes another look at the girl over his shoulder. She looks oddly familiar, not that he thinks he's ever seen her before but she bears an ever so slight resemblance to a face that he can't quite bring to the forefront of his mind. "You're the alpha's daughter."

It's a statement rather than a question and Sam's smirk is sickly sweet, providing all the answer Klaus needs. "I've grown up like this- told to be ashamed of what I am and I'm not. I like being a wolf and I'm done following my dad's rules- have been for awhile now. I've never even seen this Marcel guy but it's time he goes down."

"I couldn't agree more," Klaus says, turning back around to face them with pursed lips.

"Let's go talk then," Sam says, turning to walk to an ATV standing not too far away. She climbs on, turns the key, and revs the engine. "You can follow me. The loft's not too far down the road." Tyler tosses a second set of keys to Klaus and walks away to climb on the back of the ATV behind Sam as Klaus turns and climbs on the other, holding out a hand to Hayley to help her climb on behind him- he's just dragged her through the woods for about a mile and a half, he can offer a helping hand.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asks as he turns the key and revs the engine.

"I'm the one calling the shots here, love. No need to stress yourself out over it."

"Klaus, this is two revolutions."

"I'm done playing Sophie's little game," he spits, hand clenching the handles as Hayley wraps her slim arms around his midsection. "It's past time for me to take matters into my own hands."

Hayley growls. "This is my pack," she whispers harshly, knowing good and well Klaus can hear it. "If you think I'm about to let you serve them up on a silver platter because of your power obsession and control issues then you've got another thing coming."

"Your pack?" Klaus sneers, turning to look at Hayley from the corner of his eye. "You may have familial ties here, love, but the truth is you belong to me now. You're pregnant with my child and, therefore, I've claimed you for my pack. I've granted you amnesty and it would do you well to remember that."

Hayley snorts. "Amnesty because I'm incubating your kid... I should just drop on my knees and kiss your feet right this instant, Your Highness. "

A growl rumbles in his chest and rips from his throat, telling her to back off in not so many words. His patience is already thin as it is. Truth is, he's only hearing Sam out because of curiosity. The girl seems like she knows what she's doing, especially if she is seeking an alliance with him of all people. If it comes down to it, he can make her submit and tear her father limb from limb. But Hayley doesn't need to know that. In fact, the less she knows the better and it's not like she could stop him from getting his hands bloody if he so chooses.

True to Sam's word, the ride is short and the ATVs skid to a stop, clouds of dust kicking up around them as Klaus dismounts his ATV and leaves Hayley sitting there. Not like it matters all that much since Tyler's already making his way over to them, shooting a glare Klaus' way in the process. Klaus rolls his eyes and follows a bounding Sam to what she called 'The Loft'.

It's an old farmhouse with chipped white paint and a red roof. There are vines growing over the aged panels and there's a small lake off to one side with a dock floating in the murky water, a rope hanging from one of the nearby trees. Klaus watches Sam force the door open before she skips inside to reveal a fully furnished and perfectly modern interior, he keeps an ear on Tyler and Hayley as he follows- not that he thinks Tyler's going to pull a fast one on him but any and all of the miniscule amount of trust he had in his first hybrid has been shot straight to hell- not that anybody wasn't aware of that detail.

"Jackson!" she singsongs, skipping down the hall towards the muffled sound of a television, strawberry blonde curls bouncing in her wake. "Jackson Lewis! You are a doll!"

"What?"

Sam moves from the entryway and walks into the living room throwing a look back over her shoulder at Klaus as he looks around the room and spots two boys sitting on the couch, one's eyes glued to whatever game he's playing while the other looks up at them. She removes a game controller and plops down in a boy's lap, kicking her feet up and dropping them into the second boy's lap. "Klaus, Isaac and Jackson- my two partners in crime. You've seen Jackson before. He's the one who-"

"Who tipped me to your whereabouts," Klaus finishes, observing both boys with little interest, sizing them up as if they were pieces of meat.

"Yup!" She gives him a weird look and Klaus raises a brow in question. "Scared of three teenagers?" Klaus narrows his eyes at her but she laughs. "Geez, take a breather. Come in and sit down."

"I hate to delude you, love, but I'm no babysitter nor do I fraternize with teenagers."

"Obviously. Since you spent a year and a half terrorizing Ty's friends from back home and apparently have the hots for his girlfriend…Caroline?" She looks up at Isaac and the boy gives a disinterested shrug. "Or whatever her name is."

He's about to retort, snap back at the girl and put her in her place when she lifts a finger. "Hold that thought. Hey, Ty! There's leftover pizza in the fridge and some soda and stuff if Hayls wants anything!" She waits for Tyler's response before returning her attention back to Klaus. "You were saying? Something about how you don't babysit?" Sam laughs when Klaus narrows his eyes and begins to walk about the room disinterestedly. "Damn do you have a major stick up your ass!"

"Are your dreams of upheaval a passing fancy? You lot being stuck in a phase of teenage rebellion?"

"No. I've been told since I was ten-years-old to be ashamed of what I am by my own father. Jackson's had it only marginally easier since he hasn't triggered" –that answers the question about how he had been able to come into New Orleans on a full moon- "Isaac's pretty much heard the same speech I have since he triggered a few years back. We're pretty damn serious and I can't do this by myself. So do you wanna help or not?" She asks, removing herself from Isaac's lap so she's sitting between the boys. Klaus doesn't answer and she looks down at her hand, curling her fingers and the next thing Klaus knows is that her claws have replaced her nails as if she's trying to force his answer.

"That's cute, love." He doesn't comment on how much control she has for being only seventeen even if she's been at this for ten years. She's a regular werewolf, nothing special about her other than the fact she's willing to stage a Coup of her own and steal control of an ancient pack from under her father's feet but the fact she appears to have exceedingly excellentcontrol over her curse is astonishing- he can count on his fingers the number of times he's seen a werewolf in such control before, not including his hybrids. He brushes his fascination off with a chuckle. "However, I'm not interested in which tricks you can and can't perform."

"Look, Klaus," Sam snaps, his name rolling off her tongue like a reprimand, as she leans forward and retracts her claws. "I can't threaten you, I'm not trying. I'm way too smart to even try and get into things with you, and it'd probably be a waste of my time. Has his royal highness had enough time to think?"

"You aren't very good at making deals, love," Klaus chuckles, walking further into the room and depositing himself in an arm chair, reclining back into the dusty cushions and resting his arms over his ribcage with interlaced fingers while kicking his feet up on the coffee table so he can regard the young girl and her wingmen with an amused smirk like a king from his throne. He blames Elijah's 'Redemption Plan X: Fatherhood' for allowing Sam to snap at him, order him around as if she was his Alpha. But, he won't lie- there's something rather intriguing (and frightening) about this girl and Klaus imagines that, if he had the means to turn her, she'd make an excellent hybrid, another person he could mold to his liking, in his image like he had done with Marcel, what he had enjoyed about Stefan, and what he had planned to do with Tyler. But her mutinous attitude makes him back off, sit back and watch as he tries to construct his final judgment.

Sam scoffs, interrupting Klaus' thoughts. "There isn't much of a deal. You help us, you get the pack. You say no, then we go our separate ways. I've done all the dirty work for you. You just have to come in here and do what Alphas do and having Hayley preggo with your eggo is a huge advantage since my mom's dead and my dad's pretty much a recluse. You just have to prove you're capable of leading a pack and my dad will more than likely just back down if you bare your teeth with the majority standing behind you and he'll go running with his tail between his legs. Simple as that."

"No, it's not," Tyler says, coming into the room with Hayley trailing behind him. "He," the boy says, nodding his head towards Klaus, the tone of his voice venomous and disdainful, "had all of us under a Sire Bond and we were forced to follow his every whim. He has no idea how to do what you're saying. I don't think he can."

"What?" Sam deadpans, gaping even further and Klaus can feel her looking between them as he glares at Tyler.

"You know, every word that comes out of your mouth makes me regret the fact that I've granted you yet another chance to move forward with your pathetic life," Klaus warns, gaze becoming steely and stormy as his eyes narrow. It wouldn't be much of a fight, he knows. Klaus can read the Lockwood boy like a book.

"Klaus, please," Hayley says and he looks up to meet her imploring and exasperated gaze.

In a strange way Hayley's looking out for Klaus' interests. She still holds a nauseating torch for his first hybrid, that much is obvious so she's here, intervening so Klaus can keep his head and not severe Tyler's, keeping the younger hybrid alive because of Hayley's hopes of 'one day' and Klaus' dreams of his.

He automatically zones in on the hand over her belly and the drumming in his ears becomes louder and louder, reminding him of family- something that's his, something that's stressed and harassed and somewhere in the deepest recesses of his contorted black heart Klaus knows he destroyed it in the first place so it's his responsibility to fix it.

It's in a state of complete disarray and Klaus can't even begin to fathom where it all went wrong but here they are, left in the aftermath of their own self-destructive tendencies and struggling to stay afloat.

He promised he'd help her with this, swore he'd help her find her real family even if she was a part of his pack now. Everyone needed closure in some way and Klaus figures this is Hayley's- saying goodbye to a life she never knew as she enters another one full of danger, deception, and little to no love.

(Although that's no different for either of them- the two lone wolves.)

Regardless, he's a man of his word and he always has been- even if he twists said words ever so cautiously with asterisks and plenty of fine print included.

Because of that, Klaus could turn his back and walk away without a second thought. It would be oh so easy to smirk humorlessly, say 'thank you but no thank you' and drag Hayley back to New Orleans claiming he had done his part and helped her. But that's not what he wants- he has his own agenda after all. He came all this way and he doesn't plan on leaving empty handed no matter how much of a fool's errand it's proved to be so far.

With an exaggerated exhale, Klaus turns his attention back to the little redhead and her rag-tag group. "I'll play along with your little game for now, sweetheart."

"It's not a game," she insists but her excitement lighting up her faces lets her retain the girlish quality, the youthfulness that would suggest Sam's about to pull a master prank instead of a Coup. "There's just one thing,"

"And what would that be?"

Sam looks him straight in the eye and the intensity protruding from her aqua colored eyes nearly takes him back. "You killed my sister."

"You'll have to be more specific, love. I've killed a lot of people." The words roll off his tongue with a certain familiarity and ease, almost as easily as the dead tongue he grew up speaking all those years ago. He doesn't doubt the accusation, though; there's an ocean of blood on his hands, the most recent additions being that of werewolves and hybrids.

"That's the problem," she says, swallowing the shock of his confession. "This pack is my family. And you'll have to explain to me what you want. Like, what are you even doing in New Orleans? Because if you're planning for us to be disposable then you can go right back the way you came. I said I'd hand over the pack to you- as long as you gain their loyalty the right way and aren't gonna feed us to the…the wolves?" She scrunches up her nose at the ironic statement and with what he's learned about her so far, Klaus thinks she might have laughed if the situation were a bit lighter.

He's heard enough familial speeches to last a lifetime. He can't make any promises to her- he does plan on using them as leverage if it comes down to it, that's the whole point of being here in the first place. There will be blood when Marcel clues in to what's going on, that much he's sure of and Klaus wants to be ready; his protégé isn't stupid by any means - easily distracted and thrown off with a smile and a white lie - but not stupid. There will be blood and Klaus, as of yet, doesn't have an army.

"I'm not making promises I can't keep," he insists with narrowed eyes, lacing his fingers together as he leans forward.

And it's true. What else can he say, he's a man of his word and for whatever reason he can't bring himself to create a white lie and manipulate this young girl who was born into this world right into his games.

Sam nods slowly. "And Marcel or whatever his name is. What's his whole deal? Why do you want him gone?"

"Long story short, he's taken something that's rightfully mine. And I want it back. He has followers and other than a handful of vampires and a few vindictive witches, I'm standing alone. I've been around the block a few times, love. I know better than to go to war empty handed; it'd make this whole venture a fool's errand."

"Klaus knows what he's doing." It's Tyler who speaks up and Klaus turns to peer at him questioningly as Tyler continues. "He's a total dick, Sam, so you need to be careful. But he's a strategic and smart dick who knows how to play his cards. If you want to free your pack then you side with him."

The redhead looks away from Tyler and Hayley and peers at Klaus, her gaze less trusting than it had been a few minutes earlier. "If we have to follow you on a war path then do us a favor and earn our trust and loyalty. That's my only requirement or whatever. I want my pack to be in good hands, Klaus."

"And what about yourself? Surely there's something you want in exchange…a position of power?"

Sam rolls her eyes. "I'm already in a position of power. I'm doing your dirty work and bringing people to you, dude. All I want is to be able to be myself and not have to hide." The tone of her voice is pensive and longing and everyone continues to look at her for a few moments after she's spoken, watching her twist the ring on her middle finger around. She finally looks up at them all with creased brows. "What are y'all looking at? It's not like I'm backing out or anything."

Klaus chuckles and leans forward a bit in his seat. "I take it we have a deal? You assist me, persuade members of your pack to join my side as long as I become an Alpha the proper way?"

"Yup," she says, popping the 'p'.

The hybrid's smirk is positively devilish.

"So... do we shake on it or sign in blood or what? 'Cause it's been like two years since I've seen that bitch," she points to Hayley with a wide smile on her face, "and she thinks it's cool to show up here, know both you and Tyler, pregnant and acting like nothing's happened."

Without a word and a bunch of giggles and familiar smiles the girls leave the room. Jackson and Isaac return to their game while Klaus sits, seemingly unnoticed in his chair and Tyler stops lingering in the doorway to pick up a spare controller, falling into an empty armchair.

He represses an annoyed growl. He's an Original, cultured and ageless with an appreciation for progress and advancements. One of the greatest pleasures of living through the centuries has been witnessing all the change and new developments but videogames aren't particularly what Klaus had in mind when Sam mentioned gaining the pack's loyalty 'the right way'. He forces himself to sit through their games, leaning back into the chair and watching them do nothing but stare at the screen with blank faces and gaped mouths, occasional laughs and curses, moving thumbs and clicking buttons while he twiddles his thumbs.

He doesn't last half an hour before boredom consumes him.

So, Klaus stands and leaves the room without a word and wanders outside into the Louisiana heat. He rolls his neck and shoulders, letting the muscles stretch as the afternoon sun warms his skin, face and hair, arms and hands. It's peaceful and quiet here, just as Klaus likes it. He loves the atmosphere of cities- he gets bored easily and there's always some sort of entertainment in a large city whether it's culture or food (of both varieties). But there's nothing quite like escaping to somewhere quiet and open, somewhere away from the world and all it's pretenses. He's an artist and a wolf who grew up in a small Viking community and crowded hut surrounded by the woods so who can really blame him for enjoying solitude?

Hayley and Sam are sitting side by side on the dock down by the lake and it seems like they're both laughing and for a second he thinks about listening in to their conversation but if there's anything he's learned from Rebekah, it's not to eavesdrop on two girls while they're 'catching up'. So Klaus stands there and observes. He's never seen Hayley smile so genuinely- it's wide, showing off her perfectly white teeth, the sun glistening off her naturally tanned skin and dark hair. It's a nice look on her. There's no denying Hayley's one of a kind, she's alluring, almost exotic, and confident in ways that remind him of Katerina but Klaus has a thing for blondes- a certain blonde in particular and Hayley has nothing on her as far as Klaus is concerned.

"What did you tell me that one time? She's quite…fetching, that Hayley?"

The words sound ridiculous falling from Tyler's lips but Klaus remains motionless, keeping his eyes on the two girls below as Tyler comes to stand beside him.

"It's pretty ironic if you ask me," Tyler continues. "All those heated encounters about the hybrids…didn't she say she'd rather die than become your sired little bitch? I guess the thick sexual tension was a bit too much for even the Original hybrid to handle."

"It's funny how you haven't yet learned when to keep your comments to yourself. My patience only goes so far." The irony of the whole Hayley debacle isn't lost on Klaus. And there's nothing worse than being proved wrong or having a dose of his own medicine forced down his throat. Tyler laughs and Klaus decides it's time for a subject change. "Who was her sister?"

"Sam's?" Klaus nods without looking at Tyler. "Her name was Jules- also known as my replacement for your sacrifice."

Jules. He mulls the name over for a moment. Loose dirty blonde ringlets and bright blue eyes filled with fear as he descended upon her writhing form, the light diminishing from her eyes as Klaus' hand had torn through muscle, bone, and flesh to pull her heart from her chest. "I thought she was part of the Florida pack."

"She was. She met her boyfriend while she was at college. He was a member of the Florida pack. Jules was always pretty extreme and after she started going elsewhere to transform on the full moon she and her dad went at it and she moved to Florida and joined his pack, which was lead by my uncle. That's how I know Sam- Jules came to Mystic Falls looking for Mason and when she left I went with her. Apparently Hayley ran with the Florida pack at one point so that's how they know each other."

"It's a small world," Klaus mutters and Tyler nods. "Even smaller when Hayley's known members of the pack she was born into all along."

The younger hybrids brows crease and he looks from the girls to Klaus, waiting for an explanation.

"She has a pack mark just below her left shoulder blade resembling a crescent moon."

"Her birth mark?"

"It's the insignia of the Louisiana pack- they are nothing short of royalty as far as werewolves go. They've been here for centuries, even before the territory was settled. The only pack I know of to have survive for nearly as long is the pack that used to be located in Virginia."

"And we're the only two left."

"Well, find yourself a nice human or a lone werewolf girl and you won't have a problem repopulating," Klaus says sarcastically and his words fall into the empty, humid air.

"Are you sure it's not just some…special Original hybrid gift?" Tyler asks. Klaus simply shrugs. He's honestly doesn't know enough about hybrid fertility to provide Tyler with a definitive answer.

"I think it would be safe to assume that it applies to both of us," Klaus mutters, giving Tyler a pointed look, the warning pretty clear in his eyes.

They stand in silence for a few moments, chirping birds and the buzzing of bugs, the distant sound of Hayley and Sam chattering away filling the space between them until Tyler exhales.

"So," he begins and Klaus knows where it's going and he suppresses an annoyed groan. "When you asked why I wasn't back at home had you forgotten that I was on the run or…?"

"Or what?"

"Or did that mean I could go home? For good?"

He wants to lie. The urge is so strong and it would be so easy. Klaus squeezes his eyes shut and sighs. "I granted you permanent freedom two and a half months ago, Tyler."

"Oh."

Klaus swallows. "I didn't do it for you." His voice is hard, unreadable but the statement says it all and Tyler understands.

Tyler nods. "Got it." He pauses for a second. "Thanks, I guess. It means a lot to Caroline and that's what matters."

He couldn't agree more. Tyler will never be his favorite person, not even close, but they're connected because of Caroline and Klaus figures they always will be until one of them backs down. Klaus knows good and well that Tyler is Caroline's first love- he'll always have a special place in her heart even if she does decide she can love him one day.

However, there's a part, buried way down deep in the bowels of his heart, the smallest corner where his humanity resides, where the old Nik lives hidden away from the world, that's proud of what Tyler has accomplished. It's odd, but Tyler's actions have him intrigued and impressed and stopped Klaus from questioning why the boy's friends rallied around him, why the hybrids chose Tyler over him. Tyler's a true leader and that's the difference between them. He's a child and still figuring things out, but Tyler knows how to cater to people and earn their loyalty, resorting to taking it by force only when necessary. Klaus is beginning to realize, after living for almost a millennia, that maybe that way results in a few more happy endings than his Old Testament methods.

Everyone has their own journey and that's his.

"I guess I should run off then, while you're still serious."

"Perhaps that would be for the best as my moods only last for so long," Klaus agrees with a small nod.

"You've talked to her?" Tyler asks after another moment. There's a warning laced in the question and Klaus is quick to put it down.

"A few short conversations here and there. We parted ways friends, nothing more." And that's all he's asking for…right now, until she's ready.

Though he remains quiet, it's obvious Tyler isn't overly thrilled he and Caroline are keeping in contact but he accepts it with a gruff, reluctant nod. There's no denying it, Klaus figures. As long as they have a mutual interest in what's best for the blonde vampire that's captured both their hearts at least.

"Well, go on. We both know how Caroline feels about being kept waiting."

"True that, man," Tyler says and Klaus can see him smile out of the corner of his eye, the glee in Tyler's voice not going unnoticed. "Do me a favor?" the boy asks and the Original turns an ear towards him, letting him know he has his full attention. "Take care of them," he says and it takes a moment for Klaus to realize he's talking about Sam and her pack mates. "They're just kids and I'd hope you'd figured out how important packs are by now." Klaus looks at him with questioning curiosity that prompts an explanation. "You weren't the only ones who lost the hybrids, man. And look out for Hayley," he tags on as an afterthought.

As if he hasn't heard that one enough- "or so help me Hayley won't see her first maternity dress", "save this girl, save your child," "Hayley is the mother of your child, Niklaus. The least we can do is offer her a home. Learn to exercise some courtesy" (his response to that one hadn't gone over very well with Elijah. At all,) "Be mindful, Niklaus. Watch out for her."

It's a curious request, Klaus thinks. If there's anyone in their odd triangle who has the right to be upset with Hayley, logically, it would be Tyler. Although it had been her plan all along, Hayley had turned her back on Tyler in the eleventh hour and all the hard work they'd put in unsiring the hybrids had been put to waste, prompting Klaus' 'Holiday Hybrid Slaughter'. It's a vicious cycle- Klaus blames Tyler and Tyler gets betrayed by Hayley when they should, logically speaking once again, both be upset with Hayley. But, and Klaus supposes this is another binding point between them, they can't- Klaus because she's the mother of his unborn son and Tyler because, quite simply, he's loyal, he's a good friend- a little daft at times, Klaus thinks - but he's forgiving.

He nods at Tyler, the younger hybrid returns the gesture before leaving Klaus to look over the pond in the Louisiana heat.

It's evening and the midsummer sun is setting over the bay, a spectacular show of brilliant oranges and pinks reflecting off the black water and the shimmering skyscrapers- progress, as Marcel had called them a few months back. It's a nice view but one Klaus wasn't expecting to come back to; he had hoped to be back much earlier than this, but just like the best laid plans of mice and men, it hadn't gone accordingly- at least it hadn't been in a bad way and that's all he can say.

"Thank you," Hayley murmurs as they're nearing the New Orleans city limits.

"For?" Klaus prompts, glancing over at the girl. She's tired and he doesn't exactly blame her- he's not pregnant and he's more than ready to put his feet up and spend a quiet night at home.

"For doing this…with the pack. Sam's dad is pathetic- from what she's told me. Ever since her mom died in the ATV accident, he's been a wreck. It's about time they had something good happen."

"Did you tell her?"

"That I'm actually part of her pack? No. It doesn't really matter now anyways. My parents are dead and I've found the pack. I'll be a member by default so the details aren't really necessary."

Of course. She's a member by default because she was born into the New Orleans pack but, technically, she pledged her loyalty to him when they slept together. Mindless hookups happen all the time with wolves- lesser females and Alphas alike. Their sordid little tryst wouldn't be an issue except for the fact that Hayley's five months pregnant with his pup. If it weren't for the fact that Klaus was now working to overtake the Alpha, Hayley would have been rejected by him without a second thought. Now, as long as he's successful, she regains a place that's hers by birthright.

She remains silent as well, as if waiting for him to respond but Klaus knows that she knows it's futile. Interacting with Hayley on a day-to-day basis is one thing but engaging in discussion about matters of the heart with her is another. But Klaus can empathize with her. He knows what it's like to not know who you truly are, to walk the world without much of an identity- going off of a whim you have about yourself, a barely there clue to create the persona of who you think you are only to lose yourself in the end. It's a familiar pain he knows all too well.

After a few minutes have passed by and Klaus has moved on with his thoughts to escape the awkward and heavy silence, he glances over at Hayley again to see she's fallen asleep, head resting against the window as she breathes softly- in and out, in and out- and her heartbeat continues to even out.

In the silence, Klaus zones in on the third heartbeat he's having a harder and harder time tuning out. It's strong and rapid but even. Hearing his child's thrumming heart is endearing in a way he never thought it would be. It has a calming effect that terrifies him, but in these quiet moments he can take a deep breath and listen, really listen, and it's easier to think of himself as a father-to-be. It's easier to believe that, maybe- just maybe- he can do this.

He pulls into the driveway of their town home and instead of waking Hayley, he carries her inside and, ignoring the hawk-like way Elijah watches him and Rebekah's incessant questions about what happened, he walks to her room and lays her down on her bed, a heartbeat still (always and forever, no matter what happens) pounding in his ears.

Thump- thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

A/N 2.0: welp, you survived. or so I hope;) lots of exposition and what not but the next part picks up on the action before you'll need to grab a tissue box or 3. (I cried while writing this. a lot. and I'm not a crier. so take that however you'd like lol).

also, I don't think I made a note about a time line way up yonder. to me and for the sake of this fic, 4x16 took place in late March/early April, 4x20 in mid May, and the TVD S4 finale in early June. now we've done a time jump so we're a couple months down the road in early/mid August, making Hayley 4.5-5 months preggers in part i if my calculations are correct which there is most definitely a chance they aren't 'cause I don't do that counting shit very well. and, yes, if you're wondering, it does matter. for reasons.

gah by the time I'm done talking, I think the A/Ns will be just as long as the chapter lol.

The werewolves you were introduced to are my bbys. and I love them. Isaac and Jackson are blatantly based off of the Teen Wolf characters all the way down to the face claims and I give zero fucks about it. Sam is my own OC and I adore her. since this fic is basically a plot overview, I do plan to do a few companion pieces and at least two were set up in this chapter- the wolves being one of them because they're very important to how Klaus regains NOLA and kinda begins his redemption arc. especially Sam.

I think that's all lol. I do hope you stick around for the long haul, this is a story I'm kinda really proud of and I'm very excited to share with you all. let me know what you think in a review if you have a moment- I'm headed off on vacation tomorrow and I'll be gone for a week so I won't reply to reviews immediately but I do look forward to (hopefully) your feedback. it's much appreciated:D