Chapter Six
Sleep was underrated, at least that was what Klaus told himself as he turned to the clock noticing that it had ticked on four am, yet he could not bear to close his eyes. He held Cami close, her head on his chest in hopes that she would be able to sooth his thoughts and grant him a few hours of peace before he had no choice other than to find his younger brother before he had a chance to kill the rest of their family.
Not that he thought even Kol was capable of killing them.
Part of the reason he was sitting and staring into the darkness was simply because his mind could not be put to rest. The thought of his younger brother thinking he was daggered and buried, or perhaps worse…dead…it was driving him to the brink of insanity. He wanted nothing more than to embrace Kol, hold him close and reassure him that it was all going to be okay, just like he had done when they were younger.
"Klaus" Cami whispered sleepily. "Are you still awake?"
Klaus stroke his fingertips down her side with a certain tenderness that he did not know he could display. "Yes love"
"Is everything alright? Have you received word from Marcel?" Cami lifted her head, rubbing her eyes with her hand.
Klaus reached over to the lap on the bedside table and flicked it on. "No. I am just thinking"
Cami smiled softly at him, she knew that the wheels in his head would be turning. Over time there was many things that she had called Klaus, many things that she had tried to diagnose him as though never had she thought that she would see this side of him. "Would you like to talk about it?"
Klaus chuckled. "How many times have you asked me that question in the past week, love?"
"More than you would like, I suppose" Cami giggled. "But that is what I do…"
"I was thinking of Kol" He admitted. "I don't understand why he would be hunting our family"
"In your honour, your defence, whatever you wish to call it"
Klaus took her hand in his resting it upon his chest. "No. Kol, he knows better. I've taught him better"
"What do you mean by that?"
Klaus ran his tongue along his bottom lip; he did not willingly share his past with anyone apart from Davina whom he had tried to help with that knowledge. People for thousands of years, his family even, had assumed that he was not close with Kol, yet they knew nothing of the time and moments they had shared. "I mean, sweetheart, that Kol knows better than to mix in business that belongs to me, business that does not concern him"
"I thought that is what Mikaelsons' did best"
Klaus smirked at that, it was true that he mixed in Elijah and Rebekah's business repeatedly. "Touché, love" He leaned in to kiss her briefly which surprised her. "Yet Kol is different. I taught him not to mix within my business for his own safety and protection" He leaned in and kissed Cami once more, before turning his head towards the door. "Little witch, you may come in"
Cami quirked her eyebrow in surprise as Davina opened the door slowly, a sheepish look crowding her features slightly embarrassed that she had been caught listening.
"Sorry"
Before being daggered, he would have yelled at her and possibly threatened her but time underground had changed him. "Quiet alright, love. Is something bothering you?" He surprised both girls by not shouting at the teenage witch/vampire.
Davina inched further into the room, shutting the door behind her. "I heard you mention Kol's name, I just wanted to…"
Cami patted the bed in front of her. "Come sit, I know you miss him, sweetie"
Davina walked across the floor and sat down on the end of the bed crossing her legs. "I miss him more than I thought imaginable, but I am a little angry. Why hasn't he come to see me?"
Klaus stared at the two of them as Cami sat up and embraced Davina. Niklaus Mikaelson, the original hybrid never thought this would be him. Sitting in a bed with a girlfriend and a girl he was beginning to see much like a daughter. It was slightly insane to even imagine. Yet it erked him to know that he should have a daughter here with them, a nearly twelve year old daughter, yet she was know where to be seen.
"Klaus, are you listening?"
Klaus blinked, looking over to Cami. "Sorry, love, did you say something?"
Cami smiled. "Will you tell us more?"
Klaus readjusted himself so that he was sitting up properly. "Kol was eleven when he approached me; he wanted to learn to wield a sword. I had through he was too young, yet determined he was" Klaus fell into the memory from over a thousand years ago.
"Niky, will you teach me how to use a sword?"
Niklaus turned away from the straw he was cleaning up to face his younger brother. "You are far too young to use a sword Kol"
Kol frowned. "No I am not. Father taught you to use a sword when you were ten Nik"
The thought of his brother using a sword scared him, though he would never admit it. Damage could be done with a sword; it was the same reason he was pleased that Rebekah would never have to learn such an art. "Exactly, Kol, you are far too young"
"I'm eleven, Niklaus. Will you teach me?"
"Kol, why is it you wish to learn?"
Kol blushed, staring at his older brother sheepishly. "I want to learn so that I can protect myself and you"
"Whatever from?" Klaus stood up straight, his eyebrow raised. "What do you need protection from brother?"
Kol bit his bottom lip, scuffing his boots on the ground. "Father"
Klaus moved quickly across the floor to his brothers' side. "Has he laid a hand on you?"
"No" Kol defended. "No, Nik, I promised to tell you if he did. I want to learn so that I can protect you"
Klaus breathed a sigh of relief, placing his hand upon the younger boys shoulder. "That is not reason enough for you to learn to wield a sword"
"I heard father last night" Kol exclaimed. "I want to be able to protect you, Niky, like you protect me"
Niklaus shook his head. "I will not teach you to use a sword for that reason" The mere imagine of his younger brother standing before their father with a sword flashed through his mind, and it scared him half to death. Their father was more experienced, he would be able to better Kol within moments.
"Then teach me so I can learn Nik, just for fun"
"No"
"I'll ask 'Lijah" He went to walk away.
Klaus stared at his brothers back, he knew teaching Kol to use a sword would be punishable by his father but the thought of Elijah being able to teach him twinged a little jealously with Niklaus' body. "Little brother"
Kol stopped to turn and face his older brother, hope alight within his eyes. "Yes?"
Nik stood back up properly, giving Kol a stern look. "I will teach you; though you cannot tell father and you are not to use a sword on father ever. Do you understand?"
"I would never tell father on you Niky, never"
"Very well, tomorrow we will have a lesson while we collect fruit tomorrow, for now I must clean this mess up" He turned and moved back to the straw, kneeling to gather some more.
Kol walked across the dirt, kneeling down to help Klaus. "I'll help you"
"Kol, you should go play with Henrik"
"No. I want to be here with you"
Niklaus smiled, listening to his little brother's excitement of the time they would have tomorrow. Never had he wanted to risk the idea of a punishment until it came to Kol, anything his little brother asked of him was indeed worth the risk.
Klaus smirked, brushing away the memory to focus on telling them about the little brother he had. "Kol was a determined child. He wanted to learn and I taught him the art in which to use a sword. He picked it up with ease, yet apart from our lessons I only ever saw him pick up a sword once" He did not tell them why Kol had wanted to learn, he would never tell his secret to the world. It was something only Kol knew the truth of.
Klaus stepped into the room, having put out the fire. He moved over to his straw bed, trying to be as quiet as possible as to not wake his siblings, he removed his boots while making sure Rebekah was unharmed and sleeping. He couldn't help but smile at her, she was cuddled in tight under her blanket clutching her wooden figurine that he had carved for her not so long ago.
Rest assured that she was safe; he moved his eyes to the bed on his right where Kol would sleep at night. His heart started to beat uncontrollably fast when he realised that Kol was nowhere in sight.
Creeping back out of the room he rushed to wake his mother and father, yet the sight stopped his heart cold. Standing above their father was Kol holding a sword. Never had Niklaus known fear like he was feeling, if his father woke to see Kol there would be nothing he could do to protect the newly turned twelve year old.
He moved in silence, wrapping one hand over Kol's mouth and using his other to grab the sword to stop it from dropping to the ground.
"Don't make a sound" Niklaus whispered quietly into the child's ear, before releasing his mouth and taking him by the arm, leading him from the room and out into the cool night air.
Kol's body quivered, silent tears had been rolling down his cheeks since before Niklaus had caught him. "Nik, I'm…"
"Hush" Klaus scolded his brother, placing the sword down. He breathed in deep, taking a moment to compose himself, his heart still racing within his chest. "What were you thinking, Kol?"
"Father, he beat you again…I…"
Niklaus knelt down in front of the boy. "Listen to me; you never do that again Kol. If father had woken up, he would have seen you"
"But he…"
"No Kol. Father could beat me for one thousand years, I would endure every moment to know that you are safe. Do not ever put yourself in harms way" He grabbed the boy by his shoulders. "What would you have done had you been able to kill him? How would you have explained that to our family?"
"I don't know" Kol cried, tears running down his cheeks, his bottom lip trembling. He hated making Klaus upset, he did not like to be the cause of his brother's sadness or anger. "I'm sorry"
Klaus pulled the boy into a hug. "Never Kol. Never again"
"I just want him to stop"
"I know, I know you do, little brother" He pulled away slightly. "You must never try such an act again. You will never touch a sword. Do you understand?"
"But Niky, our lessons, I love our lessons"
Klaus waved his hand. "Never Kol" He restated firmly. "I do everything to keep you protected, to keep you safe but I cannot protect you if he knows"
"I understand"
"Good boy" Nik hugged him briefly before wiping away his tears. "I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Now inside, to bed, I need to return fathers sword"
"If he wakes…"
Niklaus gave the boy a stern look. "Then I will endure his wrath. To bed with you" Klaus turned the boy towards the door of the hunt, sending him on his way with a sharp smack to his behind. He had never done so before but the child had scared him more then he thought imaginable, when morning came they would talk about it some more but for tonight Klaus wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and watch as his siblings slept soundly and safely.
"Why does he refuse to use a sword?" Davina asked.
Klaus held back a shudder at the memory of seeing Kol standing over their father's body with a sword to large for him to carry. He chose to ignore the question, and give her a piece of information that only he knew. "Lessons with me, bonding, was one of the only reasons that Kol wished to learn the art of sword fighting"
Cami moved back toward him, settling beside him, his arm going around her body. "How come you do not speak of Kol often?"
"I lost him. In mystic falls, I watched as he died. I lost him here in New Orleans. I thought he was gone"
"You don't speak of him because it causes you pain" Cami spoke softly.
Klaus didn't nod nor did he deny the answer, instead choosing to divulge into the memory of where he made Kol the promise. "He was eight when I took him collecting fruit, he fell from a tree. He always was somewhat of a thrill seeking child. I broke his fall, catching him just before he could land on the ground. Almost broke my back" Klaus chuckled. "It was after his fall that he told me he thought I would not catch him, he feared that I loved Rebekah and Elijah more"
"He has a sensitive side"
Klaus looked down at Cami, he had not realised Davina had moved and was now lying with her head in Cami's lap, the blonde was running her fingers through the girls dark hair and it had lulled her to sleep. "Yes. He wanted to share a pact, like the one I share with Elijah and Rebekah, did share" He amended. "It was then that I promised to protect him, always"
Cami leaned against his shoulder. "He is very lucky, Klaus, they all are"
"I do not think Elijah and Rebekah saw my presence as luck" He moved to climb out of the bed, walking around and gently lifting Davina into her arms. "I'll be back in a few moments, try to sleep, love"
Cami watched him walk away, Davina cradled in his arms. Never had she thought a side of Klaus like this would appear, yet it was enjoyable to see the change, that he himself was evolving.
…..
"Klaus"
Klaus looked at Davina noticing she was still half asleep as he laid her in her bed, pulling the blankets over her body. "Yes, little love?"
"Does Kol love me?"
Klaus sat down on the edge of the bed, looking into her sleepily eyes. "Of course, he does"
"How do you know?"
"It's simple, my dear, has Kol himself told you that he loves you?"
Davina blinked. "Yes"
Klaus smiled at her slightly. "Then that is how you know. Kol does not love easily Davina; he is similar to me in that aspect. If he told you that he loves you, then believe it, he wouldn't say it unless it was true"
Davina smiled, tugging her blankets up. "Who do you love, Klaus?"
"That is simple as well, my dear. I love my siblings, I love Marcel as though he is my son, I love Cami and I love Hope, no matter where she is in this world, I will always love Hope. She is my light at the end of a very dark tunnel" He noticed the sullen look on the teenagers face, the vulnerable emotion in her eyes. "And you, little love. How could I not love the witch who fought to find me when my own family abandoned me" He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Sleep now, tomorrow I leave to find my brother and bring him home to you"
"I never thought I'd say this Klaus, then again I never thought life would turn out this way" Davina smiled at him as he stood up. "I love you too"
Klaus chuckled. "Isn't that something" He leaned down, acting as he had only done a handful of times before but imagined he would do now if he had been around to watch Hope grow, he kissed her on the forehead tenderly. "Sleep, little love"
He walked across the floor, switching the light off and shutting the door behind him. He could barely remember the last time he had placed a child to bed, wishing them goodnight. It was not something he had done frequently in his past. Yet it warmed his heart a little more than it had been in the previous nights.
He made his way back to his room, opening and closing the door behind him. He found himself smiling yet again at her curled up sleeping figure. Smiling was not an action he did a lot though over the last week Davina and Cami had made him smile more then he would have thought possible.
Sleep would come, he felt positive, when he slid into bed beside her and pulled her close to him. Sleep would come, and tomorrow he would find his little brother.
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Question: Which scenes do you like most when I write?
Thoughts?
Much Love. x
