He burst through the door.

It only took a moment for him to take in the scene before him. Greta, that bitch, had Hayley against a wall. His heart stopped when he saw her hand inside of Hayley's chest. Hope was unconscious in the doorway to another room, some boy he didn't know or care about holding her in his arms. His eyes went back to Hayley's and he was moving before his mind was aware of the action.

He didn't hear the person come up behind him. But he felt the stake go through his heart. It wasn't White Oak- he would survive. But the pain and the force of the blow brought him to his knees. But his eyes stayed on Hayley. He had to get to her. He had to get her out of here. So he pulled the stake out.

He saw Elijah step around him and go to the boy holding Hope. He was aware of the fact that he was comforting the little miscreant instead of tearing him apart. But Klaus would deal with his brother later. For now he had to stop whatever was going through Hayley's mind that had her looking at him so brokenly.

He pushed up and sped to her, stopping behind Greta and removing the head from the she-devil's shoulders. His hand kept her body up right so that Hayley could pry the woman's fingers from her heart. Then he was tossing the body away and pulling Hayley into his arms. She trembled against him and he wished in that moment that he could kill Greta all over again, slowly and with exquisite pain.

"Niklaus… What have you done?"

Klaus stepped back from Hayley and turned to face the man he once called brother. The man who would have watched as Hayley died. His voice was filled with grief and disgust in equal measure. But Klaus didn't care. His eyes fell to the boy holding his daughter. There were tears in his eyes as he stared at Greta's headless corpse. "Mom?" The boy's voice was broken and in any other circumstance Klaus might have felt sympathy for him. But not now.

Klaus turned back to his brother. "I protected my family." Then he sped forward, grabbing the stake his brother had just used on him and shoved it into Elijah's heart. He used the moment of shock and sank his fangs into his neck. Then he snapped his neck and tossed him aside. The boy held tighter to Hope and for a moment Klaus faltered. It was obvious that he cared for Hope, but that was beside the point. "Step away from my daughter."

The boy seemed frozen in fear for a moment. Then he gently laid Hope down and backed away. Klaus gently scooped up his little girl, and carried her to where Hayley was waiting. In the same spot he left her. Out of the sun. His eyes locked onto hers and she gave him the smallest, most broken smile he had ever seen. "Not quite your Little Wolf anymore," she whispered.

Her words hit him like a physical blow. Like when he was a child and Mikael was in a rage. It hurt like the first time he turned. "Hayley…" He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't believe it. His eyes went to the bodies he had ignored in the other room. Witches. They had bound her wolf side. And he knew from experience that it was an excruciating process and the result ended with one feeling incomplete.

And they had done that to his Little Wolf.

And now she couldn't even leave the place of her torment.

"Klaus." He turned back to her slowly. "Just get our little girl out of here. I'll be here tonight." The unspoken, 'Where else can I go?' scorched his insides until he felt like he was made of ash. He glanced down at their daughter, unconscious in his arms. He didn't really have a choice. He had to get her out of here and away from him.

With one last glance at Hayley he turned to the boy. "Take Elijah and find your sister. If you or any of your mother's minions come back here, or cause Hayley any more harm…" The boy was already nodding- fear plain to see on his face. He knew that this was not the Mikaelson to trifle with.

Then Klaus sped away- leaving the other half of his heart behind.

He brought Freya with him.

The daylight ring Greta had been wearing would not work on Hayley unless Freya spelled it to. It had always been that way- daylight rings were specific with who their magic applied. So he let his sister enter the house first. He watched from the doorway as Freya and Hayley embraced each other, each whispering their joy at seeing the other. It was good- the first step to returning to normal.

Then the two women pulled away and Freya moved to pick up the ring from Greta's hand. Klaus watched with mock annoyance as Freya smirked and said, "I can do this in the car. Do you two need a minute?" But she didn't wait for an answer, just brushed passed him as she left. He waited until he heard the car door close.

Then Hayley was in his arms, her lips pressed to his. He could taste tears in her kiss and it made him hold her tighter. His Little Wolf, back safe in his arms where she belonged. His hand slid into her thick tresses as he moved them deeper into the house. Her hands settled along his jawline and he could feel every ounce of fear and pain and anger she had felt while those monsters held her captive. And he could feel the joy and relief and love she felt knowing that he had come for her.

He pulled back to look at her and couldn't stop his delighted smile when she whined and tried to follow his lips. He nipped at her jaw and she sighed so prettily he could do nothing for a moment but take her in. "God, I've missed you, Little Wolf." Her eyes fluttered open and her tongue peeked out to wet her lips. She was exquisite. And he had almost lost her.

"I'm right here, Klaus. I'm still with you."

Of course, she would be able to see exactly what he was thinking. She had always known- even when she didn't care. His hands traced the delicate line of her throat as his eyes took in every detail of her face. She was right, of course. He hadn't lost her. And if he had any say in the matter he never would. He leaned in and pressed the barest hint of a kiss to her lush lips. Then another, deeper kiss followed. Then another, and another, until she was whimpering in his arms. But eventually it had to end. However, this time she was the one to pull away, resting her forehead against his.

"Take me home, Klaus. I just wanna go home."

So he did.

It took months to break the binding.

And in that time Klaus compelled Elijah's girlfriend and her brother to forget they had ever heard the name Mikaelson. He had slaughtered the group of purist vampires that had followed Greta like mindless worms. Then he gladly handed the reins of the vampire community over to Josh. He had also supplied Vincent Griffith with a donation of dark objects that could be used to bring back the witch he had killed. The wolves were angry about the one he had killed, but they chose not to retaliate when they saw how hard he was working to restore Hayley to her true self. She was their Alpha after all.

The only one he could not make amends to was his daughter.

She had wanted so badly to see him again, but he had refused her. Their proximity was too dangerous. So he had Caroline return her to school the day after he brought Hayley back. And he spent that day in Baton Rouge. When he returned to the compound after Hayley had informed him of their daughter's departure he found a note for him on his bed. Her words had been cold and angry and never had he thought his own daughter would be the one to cause him such pain.

But that was 8 months ago. Now he was lying in his apartment in Madrid, Hayley draped across his chest while she slept. She had flown to Spain to meet him, wanting to be with him on the first full moon since her binding was broken. She was a hybrid and could change at will, but he was humbled that she wanted to share this with him on the night that traditional wolves turned.

The woman in his arms stirred and he watched as she went through the process of waking. It always brought a smile to his face- more so since he had almost lost her. The way her fingers twitched and her toes curled, he loved feeling her heart rate change and her breathing become more shallow. And finally, her eyes blinked open- hazy and out of focus for a few seconds before the world became clear to her.

"Hey."

"Hello."

The sun was just sinking below the horizon. The moon would be rising soon. He could feel the thrum of excitement rushing through her veins even as she tried to keep still. But he didn't blame her- he was excited too. It wasn't often that he turned. In fact, he had only done so twice in his thousand years. But he experienced the same jolt of awareness when the moon was full. Hayley pressed a light kiss to his lips before rolling off of him. The lack of her nakedness pressed against him was most unwelcome. But he knew better than to try and coax her back to bed. And tonight he didn't really want to. He wanted her to enjoy this- to revel in the part of her that had temporarily been stolen.

"Are you ready for this, Mikaelson?"

Her smirk was unrepentant in its impudence. His hand shot out and wrapped around her waist drawing her back to him for a deep kiss. He felt a smirk of his own forming as she seemingly melted into him. With a playful bite of her bottom lip he tossed her on to the bed and stood up. "Always, Little Wolf." He strode to his closet, tossing over his shoulder, "Do you plan to lie there all evening, love?"

He smiled as her laughter filled the room.

"Are you and mom really a thing?"

It was the first time he had spoken to Hope in months and he wasn't sure this was what he wished to talk about. But he would not lie to her. And besides, he wanted his daughter to know- had wanted her to know for years. Still he found himself glancing to where Hayley was sitting on his bed, listening to his conversation with their daughter.

"Yes, Hope, you're mother and I are a 'thing'. Although I'm not sure what the point of that phrase is." He could practically hear his child rolling her eyes at his words. An action mirrored by the woman across from him. "We have been together for a few years now." He liked the way Hayley smiled at those words.

"Okay, but why didn't you guys tell me? I tried setting her up with, like, a ton of guys and she always said no. But I thought that was because she was still caught up on your brother." Hayley flinched at the mention of Elijah- like she always did now. For his part, Klaus simply sighed. His daughter refused to speak her uncle's name. Not since he gave up his memories again. Not since he chose those who would take her mother from her instead of his own blood. Klaus could not blame her.

"For once, that was not the case." He waited a moment to let this new development truly sink in for Hope. The relationship that she had seen between her parents was never romantic. Not that she had spent very much time with both of them together. There had only been the few months after his captivity by Marcel was ended. The short time before the Hollow tore their family apart.

Hope sighed, causing a different type of insecurity to rise in Klaus. "It's not fair," Hope whispered. He didn't speak, simply waited for her to continue. "She gets to see you and hang out with you and go to all these cool places with you and I-" Klaus could hear the emotion in her voice. And for once it was not anger. No, this time it was far worse. It was a despair and pain that he could not take from her. "I just want to get to know my dad and everyone else on the planet can do that except me."

Klaus brought his hand to run down his face in an effort to keep his composure. How many nights had he wondered if his child truly missed him? How often had he wished to be able to simply appear at her school and steal her away for a day of sightseeing and frivolity? "Hope. I need you to hear me." She sniffled and his heart broke to think of his little girl crying alone somewhere that he could not reach her. "My life was a never ending cycle of violence and torment with myself as both the recipient and the perpetrator. But when I heard your heartbeat, no matter what I said or did afterwards, I loved you. In that moment and every moment since, I have loved you. And there has never been a greater pain than being separated from you. Not when you were with your Aunt Rebekah, not when you and your mother were on the run from Marcel, and not in the time since."

Hayley rose from the bed and came to stand behind him, her arms wrapping around his neck. No one knew the pain that he had felt like she did. No one could understand exactly what he was giving up by being away from Hope. She took the phone from his hand and put it on the table. The silence from Hope lasted an eternity to Klaus. And despite not needing to breathe he suddenly felt as though there was not sufficient oxygen. The only thing grounding him in that moment was the warmth of Hayley at his back and her hands pressing against his chest.

Things were so much easier when Hope was a baby. She didn't understand what it meant when one of her parents went missing. She was simply happy to have them return. And after Marcel she had still been too young to truly understand. Her greatest wish had simply been to meet and get to know her family. But now- she was fifteen and she knew what it meant to miss someone. She knew what it meant to feel abandoned.

"Okay. I mean, it sucks and I miss you, but okay."

And in that moment he felt true peace.

He lost his brother.

No, his brother chose to leave him. It was all confusing, really. Klaus had known that Elijah was hurt after discovering that he and Hayley were together. But he had not expected his brother to seek out a witch to reinstate his amnesia. Nor had Klaus expected to have to face his brother defending Greta and her minions at the destruction of Hayley.

But none of that compared to this moment.

Finding the Saltzman twins taking the Hollow from him, along with his other siblings, and putting it into Elijah…

Watching as his brother said goodbye to each member of his family- the family that he had fought to keep intact for a thousand years…

Seeing him bury the last remaining white oak stake in his heart- both turning to ash in the wind…

Elijah was gone. The Hollow was gone. And the Mikaelson family was rendered healed and broken in the same moment.

Klaus stumbled forward- hand outstretched as if he could undo what had just happened. He could hear Rebekah screaming, sobbing for Elijah. He could see Kol as he pounded his fist into the ground over and over again. Freya was whispering a spell- one Klaus was too lost to understand- with tears streaming down her cheeks. But his hand…It reached out for the brother who had always been there. He watched as a flake of ash landed in his palm. Then he fell. His brother was gone. Elijah- his greatest friend, his protector, his enemy, his brother- was forever lost.

Arms wrapped around him as his lungs seized in his chest. The scent of Hayley surrounded him, but he could barely register her presence. Then Hope was there, her small hand slipping into his. But it didn't help. Their love- love he craved and would be lost without- was suddenly too much. He didn't deserve it. Elijah had been the one to fight for them from the very beginning. Elijah had been the one to ensure Hayley's safety as well as her comfort and emotional well-being during her pregnancy. Elijah had been the one to take Hope to see her mother in the bayou when Klaus had cursed her.

It had always been Elijah.

And once more, Elijah saved his family- found a way to keep them together.

And now Klaus was here and his brother was not.

"Klaus." He shook his head- the movement slow and stilted. "Klaus, look at me." Hayley's hands grasped his face and for the first time he realized she was kneeing before him. But he could not look at her. Elijah had loved her. She had loved Elijah. How could she be comforting him now? How could she love him after having loved Elijah- the better brother? "Klaus, please."

Her voice was broken and he could not deny her. His eyes met hers and there was a pain there that he wished never to see again. He turned to look at his daughter- her eyes shone with tears and the tip of her nose was red. Her hand trembled even as she tightened her grip on him and something within him broke at the knowledge that she wished to comfort him. He was her father, he should be comforting her- protecting her from the pain this world caused.

But he could do nothing that he should. He could not comfort his siblings. He could not reassure his child. He could not rise from this place- this ash covered ground.

"My brother is gone."

Things were different.

Freya and Keelin moved from New Orleans- a set of Mikaelson twins going with them. Kol and Davina traveled the world- dark objects arriving in lieu of postcards. Marcel found a way to gift Rebekah with the cure- then stood by her side as she lived the life she always dreamed of. Hope returned to school- then forged her own path in the world. Hayley led her pack as the queen she always was- the whole of New Orleans soon fell in line.

New Orleans had order. The factions were equal and at peace. Blood ceased to run in the streets. His family was the most at ease it had been since they were human. His child was safe and happy and loved. Hayley slept in his arms every night and kissed him each morning. There were enemies- there always would be. And his siblings made him wish for a dagger- they did not cease to be Mikaelsons, after all. But the peace held.

And if blood seeped into the cracks of the courtyard stone on occasion…

He was Klaus Mikaelson…

Always and Forever.

A/N

About Elijah:
So in the other parts of this series, Elijah got a witch to take away his compulsion and return his memories. But after his talk with Hayley in Killing You, he had his memories taken again. That's why he sided with Greta at the beginning of this story. In my mind Hope got pissed about how things went down and broke the compulsion without Elijah's permission as a punishment for almost getting Hayley killed. That's why he remembers and that's why he takes the Hollow and kills himself in the end.
Also:

There was no fucking reason for Klaus to die! (I get it, Joseph wanted to do something else with his life, but still...)