Hey guys! I know, it's been a while. I suck. I also had no clue what to write T^T
I really wasn't kidding when I said I need ideas on how to get to my dream end scene. I think I have an idea of how I want it to go now but let's see. Ideas/Suggestions always welcome. I really hope you guys like this chapter. I worked pretty hard on it and I'm really happy with how it turned out.
Also, I watched and became obsessed with the umbrella academy and honestly, everyone needs to watch this show, it is SO GOOD. Just overall, characterisation, soundtrack, visuals, story, this show has it all. You will not regret watching.
Also, seriously cos I need constant validation and I'm not getting any on this, if any of you are on A03 and into BTS, please check out my bts fics because its hella depressing not getting any comments or anything on them.
Read, review and enjoy, y'all!
Grabbing his phone when it buzzed and lit up with a call, displaying Hope's name, Kol grinned as he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. "How's my favourite niece doing?" he asked. It had been far too long since he'd had the opportunity to talk to the young witch and he hadn't realised how much he'd missed it.
"Still your only niece, Uncle Kol," she informed him.
"So you can't be my favourite?" he teased, grin widening at her little huff.
"It's times like this that I wonder why you're my favourite uncle," she told him. The vampire wasn't phased for a second.
"It's because I give you all the fun spells and listen to the school drama without complaining, darling." She had to give him that, he really did put up with a lot of her rants. Still-
"Auntie 'Vina gives better advice, though," she countered. Kol scoffed.
"We both know Davina is my better half. I happen to be your favourite uncle. You just have to accept it." He couldn't help his laugh at her annoyed 'fine'. There were a thousand and one problems when it came to his family, but this? This was something he'd willingly admit to loving.
She hesitated though, when he asked her to fill him in on what he'd missed out and warning bells started ringing immediately. "Is something wrong, Hope? Do I need to come down to Mystic Falls and break some idiot's face with a baseball bat?" Even over the phone, he could picture her trying to form the words to tell him, but he didn't anticipate what she was about to tell him.
"No, you don't need your baseball bat, it's - it's a good thing. I don't know how exactly, but - but Dad's back, to stay. And that it's safe for him to be in New Orleans again." Barely concealed excitement spilled through the phone as her words sunk in and Kol - he needed a moment to process what he'd heard, sitting down on the nearest flat surface. It happened to be his work desk but he honestly couldn't bring himself to care.
"Nik - your dad - he's back?"
"Yeah, he is! I know mom's already told Aunt Freya, but I wanted to be the one to tell you."
"Hope, could you please put your father on the phone?" Kol was proud of himself for keeping his voice from wavering. His niece, on the other hand, was confused at the lack of an enthused response and that concern was quickly turning into worry.
"Uncle Kol? You don't - you don't think this is a good thing?" Her voice quivered and the vampire cursed.
"Of course I do, darling, I'd just like to speak to my brother," and wring his neck for not telling me himself as soon as it happened, he added silently. He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry when Klaus's voice came down the line, pleasantly greeting him as if they spoke every other day. "Nik, you son of a bitch," was what eventually came out and this time, he couldn't quite keep his voice from wavering.
"Now, Kol, that's no way to speak to your brother," the hybrid chided, voice still that strange, unreadable tone of pleasant, but Kol could make out his older brother's footsteps as he moved, presumably to a more private location. So he waited instead of responding and eventually the footsteps stopped and Klaus sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say."
"An explanation as to how would be great, for starters." He knew he sounded cold, but the vampire couldn't bring himself to care. "Why now, would also be a good place to start. I know you, Nik. I know what you're capable of when you want something. And I don't believe it would have taken you this long to figure out a solution, not really."
"The how wasn't that difficult, once I thought about it," Klaus admitted after a long moment. "The essence of our problem is magic, therefore, theoretically, one could siphon from it and channel it towards something else."
"And the why?" His brother was silent and Kol sighed, softening his voice. "Why now, Nik? What happened?"
"Hope was put in danger." the older responded abruptly, voice breaking. "And Hayley - she - she almost died."
"What?" Kol blurted out. Although he didn't often want anything to do with his family, the last thing he wanted was for them to lose anyone else. Haltingly, Klaus caught him up on the events of the last few months, glossing over Elijah's actions as best as he could but, like Kol had told him, he knew his brother. He knew how much their elder brother's betrayal and desertion had hurt Klaus. And for the first time in a long time, he wished they weren't so far apart.
"I wanted to thank you," Klaus said suddenly and Kol started.
"What for?"
"Being there for Hope when I wasn't." His voice was soft, completely sincere and filled with a gratitude that the younger had never heard, let alone heard aimed at him. Forcing a grin, he informed his brother that "someone had to make sure she turned out reasonably well balanced."
"Be as it may, thank you."
His throat suddenly dry, the vampire swallowed, unsure what to say. "I - it was my pleasure," was what he eventually settled on. "If there's one thing this family's done right, it's Hope."
"I couldn't agree more." And if Klaus' voice cracked a little, they both chose to ignore it.
"And Nik? Since I can't come to New Orleans just yet, I'd really like it if you could come up and meet us when you can."
"As long as your little witch doesn't hex me, I'd love to." His older brother's voice was warm and Kol couldn't help the genuine smile that touched his lips.
"I'll do my best to hold her off."
A vague memory of Rebekah ranting about the need for privacy had Klaus knocking before he entered Hope's room, the teenager in question sprawled on her bed, eyes glued to her phone. It was the night before she had to go back to Mystic Falls and clothes were strewn about her, covering every available surface except for the suitcase lying open on the floor. She looked up as he walked in, face lighting up as she tossed her phone aside and grinned. "Hey dad!"
"Hello, Hope." Raising an eyebrow as he surveyed her room, "I see you've gotten a head start on your packing."
The teenager groaned and flopped back down on her bed. "Do I really have to go back?"
"I'm afraid so," he told her as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
"But I hate it there!" Hope protested, sitting up again. "Like half the school is afraid of what I can do and - and Aunt Freya can totally teach me what I need to know about magic and control and-"
"Hope," Klaus interjected softly, one hand reaching out to grasp hers, "you can't stay at home your entire life simply because a few imbeciles are afraid of what you're capable of. I do believe my daughter deserves better than that. And," he informed her smiling, "I also believe your Aunt Freya deserves a break after all that we've put her through." He pulled his daughter into a hug, holding her tight as he spoke, voice low. "I'd much rather you stay here too, my littlest wolf. But Caroline can give you what you deserve in that school of hers, can teach you what I can't. And as much as I wish to, I can't say your mother was wrong in sending you there."
"I know," she mumbled into his shoulder. "But I still hate leaving." Klaus laughed at that, loud and warm, before drawing back and reaching into his pocket to pull out a small velvet pouch that he gave to her.
"Well, in that case, I suppose I can give you your present a little early." Opening it, she found a small charm inside, shaped in the form of a wolf in motion. She could almost imagine it shaking its head as it ran, howling at the moon.
"Dad! It's beautiful!" She gasped, immediately attaching it to the bracelet she had worn ever since her father sent it to her. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Hope. I want you to remember that every part of you is special, no matter what anyone says," he told her softly, his voice heavy with emotion. "That you'll do wonderful, amazing things because of who you are and nothing can ever take that away from you. And no matter what, whenever you need me, I'm just a phone call away."
Hope wouldn't admit to the tears that lined her eyes at his words, but she did launch herself at her father to wrap her arms around him in a hug. "Thanks, Dad. I love you."
"Oh, I'm gonna miss you so much!" Hayley exclaimed as she pulled her daughter in for a hug. They were due to leave for Mystic Falls in a few hours and, somehow, it was just sinking in that she wouldn't see Hope again for months.
"So why can't I stay?" The teenager whined, aiming a hopeful pout at her mother.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure your dad told you why already, kiddo."
"Yeah, but we both know who really makes the decisions," she tried and Hayley burst into laughter.
"Nice try baby, now pack that last bag of yours that I know you haven't bothered doing yet. If you hurry, we might be able to make you a batch of cookies to take with you." Food based bribery didn't always work, but chocolate chip cookies were sure to get some reaction and, like always, they didn't disappoint as the teenager perked up immediately, rushing around the room to finish her packing.
Hayley laughed and left her to it, making her way downstairs to the kitchen to gather the ingredients necessary. Klaus was already waiting for her with a disgustingly sweet mug of coffee that he pushed into her hands as soon as she entered. Sending him a grateful look, she downed half the contents in one go.
"No matter how many times I do it, it's still so hard to watch her go," the brunette quietly confided in him, her gaze fixed upon the contents of the mug in her hand.
"I'd be worried if it was easy," he informed her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "But it's for the best and I doubt if there's anyone who's more capable of running a school than Caroline."
"I know. I just… hate this part." His hand found its way to hers, squeezing a little in commiseration and Hayley sighed heavily before forcing a smile to her lips. "Ok! Come on, we have cookies to bake and a teenager to take to school and not a lot of time to do it in!" Another squeeze and Klaus released her hand, moving efficiently around the kitchen to gather the ingredients. Biting her lip, Hayley swallowed past the lump in her throat and got to work.
The teenager in question raced into the kitchen fifteen minutes later, ducking past her father's attempt to ruffle her hair and sticking her tongue out at Hayley when her mother teased her for being so slow. They argued over eating the leftover batter and Hope definitely burned her tongue by biting into a cookie fresh out of the oven, but it was a memory she would pull out as she watched her parents drive away from the school gate several hours later and again, at night, when she stared up at the ceiling of her dorm room and wishing it was a different ceiling she was looking at.
Kol really snuck up on me, I wasn't expecting that segment to turn out the way it did, nor to be the main bulk of the chapter, but like I said, I'm really happy with how it turned out and I really hope to have more Kol and eventually bring in Rebekah and Marcel and all because dammit they're all family and deserve to be happy! Which, yes, I know, is kinda ironic with how I'm hoping to have broken all your hearts with that last sentence but come on, tragedies are for suckers, I only want happy endings. Also, I know its kinda ridiculous for Hayley to be like I hate watching her go when she's had Hope almost her entire life, but her emotions are still valid, so yeah. Well, let me know what you think! And thanks for waiting on me so long, I hope to have my shit together for the next chapter!