Chapter 7
Four Years after Marcel:
K stepped out of the kitchen with food and a glass in her hands. Hope was sitting at the table patiently waiting for dinner while Hayley was in the other room berating someone on the other end of the phone.
"Here you go, carissime." K said as she slid the plate of chicken, rice and broccoli in front of her and set the glass down beside it.
"Thank you, mama."
K smiled gently and took a seat not far from her.
While Hope ate, K began to scribble down in the notebook she'd been keeping for Klaus. They sat in relative silence for awhile which wasn't strange considering one of them was eating. A little while later, Hayley reemerged, exasperated from the short conversation she'd just had. As she stepped into the kitchen, K glanced to her through her lashes and smiled lightly, but continued writing.
"There's still some food in there if you want it." She offered.
Hayley glanced down to what Hope was eating and shrugged a shoulder.
"Why not?" she replied casually.
Hayley moved into the kitchen and made herself a plate and eventually returned to the dinning room to sit beside Hope, across from K.
"Mom, Mama," Hope said after a lengthy silence. Her words drew her mothers' attention. The little one was lazily poking at a piece of diced chicken with her fork, "Where's my dad?"
K and Hayley felt their stomachs drop immediately. They each looked at one another across the table and saw their own apprehension reflected back at them. While they knew Hope would one day ask about her father, they were surprised she'd done so as bluntly as she had. For awhile, they'd been able to dance around the subject, but now Hope was simply too old to be swayed.
"Um…" Hayley mumbled.
"Well…" K said in the same uncertain tone.
They each shared a silent conversation before turning their attention back to Hope. The little girl was looking from one to the other waiting patiently for an answer.
"He's…" Hayley started.
"Missing…" K finished.
They gave one another a soft nod before giving their complete attention to Hope.
"See, sweetheart," K was the one who began to talk. Hayley was completely fine letting that happen, but K struggled for obvious reasons. There was so much Hope needed to know about her own family that made the simple question one of the hardest things to answer.
K grumbled to herself and ran her fingers through her hair before resting her arms on the table and looking at Hope directly.
"Honey," she began softly. "There are a lot of things that happened, a few years ago… bad things, and it was one of those things that took your daddy away from us."
Hope's brows slowly began to tug together as she came to her own understanding of K's explanation.
"Is he dead?" Her voice was so soft, K and Hayley almost hadn't heard it, but when they did they immediately began to back-pedal.
"No, no, no…" they said quickly in unison.
"No, honey," K said, "He's… sleeping."
K fidgeted briefly again before proceeding. She scratched the spot just behind her ear and decided she thought she knew a way to have this all make sense. Turning, she reached for the photo sitting on the shelf behind her and brought it to the table. It was the picture from Christmas.
She quickly formed a story that would help explain everything, not only the truth, but hopefully show the child that her previous bedtime stories were true. K didn't want to overload her with information. Thankfully, it was because of those stories that K knew she wasn't going to have to completely start from scratch.
"A thousand years ago," she began, "There was a family cursed by a witch with eternal life. While first thought to be a blessing, they soon realized it came with a terrible cost." K's eyes stayed on the picture in her hands while both Hope and Hayley watched her speak solemnly. "The sun was fatal. A beautiful flower they once loved now burned their skin. They could no longer walk into the homes of their neighbors without invitation and they needed to drink blood to survive."
There was a lull in the story and Hope spoke.
"The Original Family." She said.
K looked up and smiled softly as she nodded.
"Yes," she said. K turned the picture towards Hope. "They were powerful, strong and ruthless and through the years, their names inspired fear. The middle brother was driven by greed to break a second curse placed upon him by the witch, the curse that hid his true nature. For a thousand years, they searched for a way to break the curse and eventually did, giving birth to the Original Hybrid."
K gently pointed to Klaus.
"We call him the Wolf King." She said. Hope's gaze shot to her mother's. It was clear she was surprised and while K kept her soft, sad smile, she continued with the story. "Not long after, the Original Hybrid met a young woman who turned out to be a long lost Werewolf Queen," her finger shifted to Hayley, "and had a child, a miracle child, that no one thought possible." She pointed to baby Hope sitting in her mother's lap. "But because of the enemies they had gathered through the centuries, the Wolf King knew he needed help. A marriage was arranged between the Wolf Queen," she pointed once more to Hayley, "and the leader of the New Orleans wolves." She pointed to Jackson. "Together, the Original family and the wolves defended each other from their enemies, until one came that was too strong to over come. The leader of the New Orleans wolves was the first to fall at their hands."
Hayley's head dipped. The others noticed and K felt bad for her, but she still had a great deal to explain.
"What no one knew, was an enemy stronger than anything they'd ever had to face before was hiding in the shadows waiting to attack. He first struck down Elijah," she pointed at the young man in the photo, "The noble, eldest brother with an incurable bite. Next, he sent an assassin to poison their sister, Freya, the witch." She pointed to the blond at the end of the couch. "Hoping to force him to see reason, Rebekah," her finger again shifted, "the youngest sister and the warrior, tried to save her family, but a curse place upon her soon took its toll. Left on his own, the middle brother, Klaus," K felt a hitch in her throat and moved passed it, "your father, sought out their enemy." She lowered her hand and simply held the picture so Hope could look at it while she finished the story. "While they fought, Freya wove a spell that linked her siblings together and when their enemy stabbed Klaus with a cursed blade, they all slipped into a deep sleep, keeping them safe from what their enemy had done."
K set the picture down and scooted just a hint closer to the little girl who seemed to have trouble putting everything together.
"You see, baby," K said softly, "Klaus, your dad, sacrificed himself to keep everybody safe. Your aunt Freya linked everyone together so they could sleep until your mom and I could find a cure for what's happening to them and…" the hitch came again and again she tried to push passed it, but her eyes were tinting pink and Hope noticed. "And when we do, we're going to rescue Klaus, too. But right now… we don't know where he is, just that he's hidden somewhere, sleeping until we can wake him up."
Hope's eyes slowly drifted to the picture on the table. She looked over their familiar yet unfamiliar faces and gradually sifted through the incredible amount of information K had given her. While she knew the other stories and who these characters were (the Noble Brother, the Warrior, the Wolf King, etc), Hope was having a little trouble trying to comprehend they were her family. It'd be no different than someone telling any random person that they were actually related to their favorite TV, book or movie character. It was a little overwhelming.
Hayley and K watched Hope sit quietly and stare at the picture for a few minutes. They glanced to one another and each seemed equally worried they may have short-circuited her brain.
"Sweetie," Hayley said sweetly, drawing Hope's eyes. "Do you understand?"
While Hope was an incredibly smart little girl and nearing seven years old, this wasn't the normal kind of information. It was a strange mixture of things and she was –after all- still a child.
"I think so." She mumbled. She looked back at the picture and pointed at Klaus. "My dad is the Wolf King." Hayley and K both nodded. "And my mom is the Werewolf Queen." Again, they nodded. "The Original family… is my family."
"Yeah, sweetie." Hayley nodded.
She went silent again for a moment before she noticed something. As Hope thought again about every story she'd ever been told –including the one K had just finished- she noticed someone had been left out. She looked at the dark-haired vampire.
"If the stories are true," Hope said, "Then who are you?"
K again smiled as warmly as she could. Hope was such a darling.
"I am the Impossible Girl," She said, "the one he finds a thousand years later."
A small smile began to touch Hope's lips as she looked from one of her mothers to the other. She couldn't help it. She was beginning to realize that her family was like her superheroes.
~!~
Later that night, K was in the process of tucking Hope into bed once more. Throughout the rest of the day after telling her the truth, Hope had been asking both of them a slew of questions, which wasn't surprising.
After Hope had changed and got ready for bed, K climbed in beside her and took to leaning against the headboard with her red journal in her hands. She opened it and began to show the young girl the pictures inside.
She showed her pictures of the family in nicer times, with smiles and happy thoughts. She showed Hope the things that would keep the vision of her family innocent, because they knew the truth. K and Hayley both knew that those images would change once the others were awake. Hope would be forced to see just how scary the Originals were and while it would never be aimed at the little girl and their actions likely needed, a monster was a monster and there were none greater than the Mikaelsons.
Hope was almost too excited to fall asleep, but eventually managed to at least calm down. Hayley and K thought her reaction to the news was absolutely adorable, but they were so thankful for it. If Hope had gone the other way, neither immortal was sure what they would have done.
K laid in bed beside her daughter, pushed up on the pillows and leaning a bit to the side so the small twin-sized bed could accommodate them both. The arm that helped prop her up was also tenderly played with Hope's long, chocolate brown hair. It was a bit of an awkward angle, but it didn't stop her from doing it.
"What's my dad like?" Hope asked as she tugged lazily on the fraying fur of her stuffed wolf.
K smiled softly and continued to twirl Hope's hair around her fingers.
"He's charming and smart and wicked…" K's smile began to falter just a bit as she thought about Klaus again. "And loyal. There's nothing he wouldn't do for family. And he loves you, more than anything."
"Mama…" Hope mumbled.
"Yeah, sweetie?"
She fidgeted with the stuffed wolf (that had seen better days in the years since K gave it to her) and shifted just a bit before asking something she'd been thinking about for a little while.
"What am I?"
K stopped moving. She pushed herself up just enough to look at Hope, who eventually met her gaze.
"What do you mean?"
"If mom's a hybrid and so is dad… but I'm not… what am I?"
K's brows slowly pulled together as she settled back into her seat. She paused as she thought, but there was only one real answer.
"I don't know, baby." She said truthfully. "There isn't really a name for it since you're the first. The Mikaelsons all come from a long line of witches, so we know you're part witch. Both mom and dad are werewolves, so we know you're part werewolf, and your dad is part vampire, so we know you're part vampire, too."
"But mom's a hybrid."
"She didn't use to be. She was a werewolf until you were born. In fact, I think it was you that did it." She smiled lightly when Hope looked up at her in confusion. "You are your mom's sire."
Hope gradually formed a grin of her own. She thought it was funny despite not knowing the mechanics of it. Instead, she trusted K's word, but K was right. The only reason Hayley turned into a hybrid was because she had Hope's blood in her system when Monique slit her throat. Hope was Hayley's sire.
The little girl sank back into her mattress and pillows again and continued to grin as she thought over everything.
"But, nobody can be everything, can they?" she asked. "So what am I?"
K took a deep breath. Truthfully, she didn't know. There wasn't a name for what Hope was, just like she said. There was no precedent, so K said the only thing she could think of.
"You're a Mikaelson." She replied. "And that is more than enough." K leaned over and kissed the top of Hope's head. "Goodnight, carissime."
Hope said goodnight in return as K left the room and cracked the door behind her.
K made her way into the kitchen and began to clean up, something she hadn't been given the chance to do beforehand. As she did, K felt her body beginning to tire. It wasn't uncommon. For nearly a year now, K was prone to getting tired much easier than normal.
When she was done she said good night to Hayley and headed for bed. K made sure the door was closed before stripping herself of her shirt and catching sight of herself in the mirror. There in the center of her chest just within her cleavage, was a mark.
K tenderly touched the enflamed area and stepped closer to the mirror. The wound was round, but jagged. It was brilliant pink and red and stood out in stark contrast to her fair skin. She could see the faint hint of grey veins slowly spreading away from it. At the moment, they were only a few sparse inches in length, but they'd been growing over the past few months. She knew what it was.
The spell Freya had used to keep her and Klaus as separated as possible was dwindling to the point it was nearly gone. Her link to the hybrid hadn't faded either. If anything, it seemed as strong as it used to be.
The bright pink mark in the center of her chest was from Tunde's blade. It was there because it was still buried in Klaus. The grey veins were something else entirely. K knew it wasn't 'death' related, it was something worse. She'd been growing tired and turning light grey because Klaus was desiccating. He'd been without food for years and as a result was becoming mummified. And while they were connected and the connection ran both ways, K simply wasn't ingesting enough blood to keep them both healthy. As a result, they were evening out and since she was the only one still awake, she was suffering for it.
She tenderly probed the spot in the center of her chest. The incredible ache from Tunde's blade was always there now. Some time ago, K simply learned how to keep the pain of it from her features and press on. What else was she supposed to do?
If her own desiccation continued on the way it was, K wasn't entirely certain she had another year to give. She was slowly becoming useless and while they always assumed it would happen, K would have much rather it been sooner. Now, she'd spent years with Hope and she wasn't willing to give it up, but again, what else was she supposed to do. It seemed Hayley may be on her own within a few months if they didn't find Klaus soon.
K turned away from the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it back from her face and pulling it into a ponytail for the night.
They had to find him soon… or they're going to have to buy K a coffin too, and set her right next to the rest of the Michaelsons.
AN: Short, I know, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Now, I won't be updating again until the show airs, so let me know what you think and see you then!
