I do not own the originals
She was currently window shopping mid-day in the city.
She could go out into the city but she always had to return to the house at night. It was a long leash she had been given but a leash none the less. They had asked her a few more questions and they had all had a couple more sit down breakfasts and dinners. Elijah and Klaus were absent often. When Elijah was there he mostly kept silent and would only smile when it seemed as if Miko was getting irritated. Which irritated her more. She had been with the Mikealsons for almost two weeks now.
Some days they left her alone. She thought this was more due to their own schedule than anything. They found time for her when it was convenient for them. It was getting old and Miko was anxious to continue her journey to Japan. So far the siblings hadn't found anything that had interested them. Either that or they were very good at hiding it.
She sighed staring in a department store window and decided to go back to the house. She had never been much of a shopper. She had exhausted the Italian café she went to daily and had read the entirety of The Screwtape Letters, twice. There was nothing else to do except for wait for it to get dark and eat. The allure to drink her sorrows away was becoming more and more appealing.
She headed back to her own personal car that had been assigned to her and got in the backseat. She didn't say anything but the driver started driving anyway. Her silence indicated that she wanted to go back to the house. Her driver liked to talk even less than she did which suited her just fine. She hadn't even learned his name yet and yet they had an unspoken language that worked perfectly. She stared at her reflection in the mirror on the way home wondering when she would get to go home.
She had resigned to the fact that the Mikealson's might kill her at the end of this journey. She had come to terms with the possibility and tried to prepare herself as much as one could prepare for the end. They had all been friendly to her and yet there was a distinct coldness to their demeanors. All of them seemed wary of her including Elijah.
Oh Elijah. There was something about that man that drove Miko crazy. She felt more comfortable with him and therefore didn't act like her distant self. Despite reminding herself that he was one of her captors she found she was exchanging smirks and slight chuckles with him. When she would look up and catch him glancing over at her, a fire lit up her face with embarrassment, or was it something else? She wasn't sure. She just knew that he unnerved and disarmed her in a way that few could. She felt like there hadn't been decades of silence between them like they were still friendly business partners. Not that she was ignorant to the fact that he could very well be the one in the family to kill her. He certainly could.
They pulled up to the house and she thanked the driver who remained silent. He pulled out of the driveway and took the car to wherever they were housed. She started to walk up to the door before realizing she really didn't want to go inside just yet. She wasn't ready for any kind of social onslaught and there would be one.
Miko walked around to the back of the house where she had seen a separate house sitting on the edge property. It was faced away from the main house and tucked behind some trees. Sizably smaller than the main house it would have been usually used to house guests or in-laws. It had piqued her interest and she thought it would be the perfect distraction for the boring afternoon.
She wandered about for a couple minutes enjoying the small but perfectly kept garden in the front of the small house before walking up the brick walkway to the door. It was rather quaint and something she rather liked against the ostentatiousness of the large house. There were two pots sitting on the porch with beautiful plants that looked to be well taken care of. She started to wonder if someone lived in the house and if she shouldn't be looking around. She knocked and waited and then repeated the process but there was no answer. She half expected it to be locked and was surprised when the handle gave way and opened freely when she tried it.
She walked into the entryway and her fears melted away. There was not a single piece of furniture to be seen. The house was immaculate and polished but not a single chair or piece of art decorated its light yellow walls. Every sound she made was amplified in the empty space.
She walked through a small front room into an empty kitchen. The cupboards were completely empty but there wasn't a speck of dust in sight. The house was kept up, but why keep it up if no one lived here? So far as to water the plants and tend the garden. She walked through the kitchen and past an empty and dark bathroom. The bedroom door was closed and as she twisted the handle a shudder ran through her and her hair stood on end. She glanced behind her suddenly aware of another presence but there wasn't anyone there.
The door opened and as she walked through she stopped. Her heart rate quickened and a sense of fear ran down her spine and settled in her lower stomach. In the middle of the room there was an open coffin on a base. She was unsure why the sight of it caused her fear and anxiety but it had. After a moment her anxiety gave out over her fear and she stepped closer to the beautifully ornate coffin and peered in. There was a man dressed in a white nightshirt and tailored pants. He was beautiful; with sharp features and long brown and gold hair swept behind his ears. He didn't look like any dead person she had seen.
Usually when people died they lacked a vitality or a life in their skin. This man didn't seem to be dead. His skin had a bluish hue likes someone with hypothermia. His veins were more pronounced than they should have been but he didn't look dead for reason's Miko couldn't explain. She looked at a beautiful silver dagger that was pushed into the heart of his chest and thought it would be hard for him to not be dead after that.
She started surveying the whole room to better gauge the situation. She saw three other coffins leaned up against the walls and wondered if she might find more victims of the like in them. However this was the only one that was out on display. The sun streamed in through a window and hit the man's forehead. She reached out and brushed her hand across his pale cheek.
"Oh my god." She said stepping back. The man was cold but not rigor mortis cold.
"Miko." A voice came from the bedroom door. She sucked in a quick breath and turned around to find Elijah watching her.
"Elijah." She said letting the breath out as her heart continued to race.
"You've taken liberty with your new freedom." He said stepping in the room. She stepped back, afraid she had done something offensive.
"If you didn't want me in here you could have compelled me." She argued and he nodded.
"I'm sure Finn likes the company. " He said walking to the coffin. She watched him as he smiled in at the man with something akin to compassion and love perhaps. "Also, the house is cursed to be hidden to any who would cause him or our family harm."
"Finn." She said repeating his name and looking in on him again. He looked rather peaceful like he was taking a nap.
"Yes, he's our brother." Elijah said to her.
"Is there something wrong with him?" She asked trying to decode this web of secrets and strange behavior.
"The same thing that is wrong with the rest of us." He said still staring at the man tenderly.
"What is wrong with the rest of you?" She asked "Other than the obvious hostage situation." He smiled at that but didn't look up at her.
"Our family is what's wrong with us." He paused "And the only thing that's right."
He said it in such a sad and honest way that she couldn't do anything except for nod. She couldn't understand what he meant of course and she didn't think she would ever be able to.
"Why is your brother in a casket?" She asked
"Niklaus" was all he said.
"Yes he seems the most unstable." She said and he let out a long sigh like she really didn't know the half of it.
"The most unstable but the most fun out of the lot." Another voice came from the hallway. It was the voice of the devil himself. When he walked into the room he wore his wicked grin that always carried an air of evil intent.
"Nice of you to join us, Brother." Elijah said "Miko stumbled upon some of your handiwork."
"Curios little one." Klaus said getting closer and closer to Miko whose heart had started to race once more.
"She is that." Elijah said walking to leave the room. Klaus got uncomfortably close to Miko and pressed himself against her and looked into her eyes.
"Tell me Brother, why you seem to open up to this little vampire." Klaus' eyes pierced her and she stared mesmerized by them. There was power and fear control and sadness in the depths of his soul.
"Perhaps I tire of my family's company." Elijah said at the door
"Yes but why this one." Klaus said bringing his hand up and brushing his knuckles across Miko's cheek "What makes her special."
"She isn't" Elijah said and Miko controlled her facial expressions despite being slightly offended.
"Oh brother." Klaus said and suddenly his face changed into what Miko thought was actual humor. "Rebekah and I think you should take her to New York with you tomorrow"
"Having family meetings without me?" Elijah asked
"Oh dear Elijah don't be upset. It seems to us that cute little Miko…" As he said this he place a light kiss on her forehead. She stood very still but gave him a rather unpleasant look which made him chuckle "She may divulge more information to you about her visit than to us."
"I don't know what game you are playing Niklaus but I am not in the mood." Elijah said darkly
"No games brother, we would just hate to inconvenience our guest longer than necessary." Miko could tell he was lying but not he was lying about. He started at her and she was not afraid to stare back trying to figure out what game he was in fact playing.
"And your bed won't be so cold." Klaus said and Miko opened her mouth to protect but before she could he was gone. They stood there in silence and Elijah just stared at her unmoving which made her uncomfortable. She turned to the coffin once more and bowed to the man inside.
"It was a pleasure Finn." She said not knowing if the man could hear her or not. Perhaps another visit some time. You seem the best company of all your siblings."
She walked out of the room leaving Elijah in the doorway.