Hello there readers! I'm back, kind of. Things have still been kind of crazy in my personal life, but I am determined to still make time to write. I am not entirely proud of this chapter and it seems like a filler to me. But I wanted to give you all something. I hope you all enjoy and continue to stick with me. Updates will continue to happen, but not as close together as before. Thank you to hazyhalcyon, Hollywoodlove09, Bluesky, Abby and Caster101 for the kind words of encouragement while I took a brief hiatus. And thank you to all my other reviewers! I will get back into the habit of responding to you now. :) As always, I look forward to hearing from you all! :)
Lizzie wakes up fairly early the next morning. Despite her bed being the most comfortable thing she has ever slept on, it still doesn't feel like her home, yet. She rummages through her drawers and pulls out some of her favorite clothes that she had packed for New Orleans. She bounds down the stairs, not because she is excited about going to school, but because she is excited about having breakfast with the new parts of her family.
Klaus is sitting at the table, nursing a mug of blood when Lizzie waltzes into the dining room. Klaus examines her bright purple plaid dress, with black leggings and a sparkly silver sweater. "Good morning Lizzie." He calls out, still trying to remember if the school he signed her up for requires a dress code.
"Hi Daddy." Lizzie replies brightly and sits herself down next to Klaus, in front of a plate of waffles. Lizzie begins to eat and Hayley and Elijah join them at the table.
"Lizzie, I think you are going to need to change your clothes when your breakfast is done." Klaus says, casually.
"Why? I love this dress. Don't you think I look pretty?" Lizzie pouts.
Stefan chuckles as he and Rebekah join the rest of the family at breakfast.
"Of course you do, sweetie." Hayley pipes in. "Klaus, tell your daughter she looks pretty." Hayley nearly growls at Klaus.
"You look lovely, dear." Klaus admits. "But I am pretty sure that the school you will be attending has a dress code."
"A dress code?" Lizzie looks appalled. "Like I have to wear the same thing every day? And I won't get to pick out any of my clothes?" Lizzie's voice went up in pitch with each question. "I don't think I can do that." She mutters.
"Elizabeth." Stefan warns, already seeing the wheels turning in Lizzie's head. She was a smart and cunning girl, she must get that from her father.
Lizzie turns to Hayley and smiles sweetly at her. "Daddy is the king of New Orleans, right?" Hayley hesitantly nods. "So that makes me the daughter of the king. So why should I dress like everyone else. I shouldn't have to follow dress codes or rules because I am the princess."
Hayley hates to admit, but since the Mikaelsons were considered royalty among the super natural in New Orleans, they were able to take liberties that others could not. She believes that should extend to their daughter. "She does kind of have a point." Hayley muses.
Klaus grumbles under his breath and they finish breakfast in silence, except for Lizzie who happily chats about any and everything.
Getting Lizzie off to school is nothing but a challenge. She proceeds to argue and stomp her feet whenever she felt that things weren't going her way. Klaus finally has to just pick the small child up football style and haul her out the door into his SUV. He drops her off at school, which does in fact have a dress code. After compelling the staff to let Lizzie slide, he returns home. The morning has been taxing for the whole family and Klaus walks into his living room to see Hayley passed out on the couch. Elijah is looking less put together than usual, as he downs a glass of bourbon. Rebekah is sitting in a chair, rubbing her temples, soothing the headache that she shouldn't have been able to get. Klaus throws himself down on another couch, next to Stefan. Stefan claps Klaus' shoulder. "It's harder than it looks, huh?" He laughs. The Originals in the room all turn and glare at him. "Listen, Lizzie is just testing her limits. She used to do this with Care all the time." Klaus' glare fades as he realizes Stefan is actually trying to help them and not ridicule them. "You have to remember that even though Lizzie is a tribrid and a practicing witch, she is still immersed in the human world. It would be much more beneficial for her to follow the human rules and laws for now. Don't let her get used to relying on compulsion to get everything she wants. That's how she will become the spoiled princess. And then you will have mornings like this all the time."
Klaus nods at Stefan and gets off the couch. He walks to his study and shuts the door. He needs to call Caroline. He needs her help.
Caroline dumps the last box into the living room. "Finally. How does one little girl accumulate so much stuff?" Caroline asks, staring at the boxes of her daughter's former life.
"You may not have spoiled her, but you obviously gave her as much as your conscience would let you compel." Enzo teases, as he hauls three boxes up to take them to Caroline's car.
Bonnie takes Caroline's hand. "Are you ok, Care?"
Caroline lets out a humorless laugh. "No, I'm not." She admits, sadness shining in her blue eyes. "But I don't want to hold Lizzie back. She really wants this life."
Bonnie pulls Caroline to sit with her on the couch. Caroline, being much stronger, allows Bonnie to. "Have you considered that Lizzie might need you in her life?" Bonnie's eyes bore into Caroline, forcing her to be honest.
"Lizzie is something unique in the supernatural world. Hayley and Klaus will be of more help to her than I ever could. They have this powerful witch, who really seems to want to help her. I did my part. I took care of her and kept her safe for them." Caroline wipes a tear away. "I think they can take it from here."
Bonnie pulls Caroline into a crushing hug, making sure her embrace conveys her support to her vampire friend. Caroline's phone rings and forces the two friends apart.
"Klaus?" Caroline asks, confused as she answers her phone. "Is Lizzie ok?" She tries to keep the panic out of her voice.
"Caroline. How is packing going?" Klaus replies, calmly.
"Fine. Is Lizzie ok?" Caroline repeats, losing patience with Klaus.
"Lizzie is fine." Caroline lets out a sigh of relief. "She's actually at school right now."
"Wow. You guys signed her up for school. That's good." Caroline admits, impressed.
"Caroline." Klaus' voice takes on a serious tone and Caroline knows what's coming. "When will you be coming back? I do not have confidence in Hayley's abilities to raise Lizzie, nor do I have confidence in my abilities to raise Lizzie. We have no experience with children and Stefan seems to know more about my daughter than I do."
"Klaus, you have to try to get to know her. Try to understand her, connect with her." Caroline suggests.
Klaus sighs. "I think we are screwing her up." His voice sounds defeated and Caroline can't imagine him ever sounding so down about something.
"That's a normal feeling. I had it too. I know you can do this." Caroline says. "I might doubt Hayley a little." Caroline jokes and Klaus actually lets out a small chuckle. He is constantly amazed at how just talking to Caroline can change his mood. "Keep in mind Lizzie is only seven and she will push the boundaries. Don't let her walk all over you. Don't be afraid to tell her 'no'. She needs to hear it sometimes."
"Thank you, Caroline." There is a pause as both Klaus and Caroline think about Lizzie's future. "When are you returning?" Klaus finally asks.
"We will be leaving soon. We should get there by late tonight." Caroline walks around her apartment checking to make sure she packed all of Lizzie's things.
"Have you thought any more about staying in New Orleans with us?" Klaus asks, with more vulnerability than he has ever shown to any one before.
"I have to go help Enzo load everything. I'll see you soon." Caroline hangs up the phone and looks over to see Bonnie watching her carefully and Enzo leaning against the door frame shaking his head.
The afternoon rolls around and Lizzie is actually her typical happy self when she gets home from school. "So, do we have any plans for the afternoon? Or can I go play outside?" Lizzie asks, as she tosses her back pack by the door and throws herself onto the couch.
"Did your teacher give you any homework?' Klaus asks as he goes to check her back pack.
"Do I really have to do my homework? I mean I'm going to school. Can't you just compel the teacher to not make me do homework?" Lizzie whines.
"No. You need to do your homework." Klaus towers over the small girl.
Lizzie is not intimidated because she knows that Klaus would never hurt her. Her face scrunches up and her cheeks turn red in anger. "You're mean!" She cries out. She stomps over to where Hayley just entered the room and wraps her arms around Hayley's waist. "He's being mean to me!" She says, pointing at Klaus and pouting.
Hayley looks bewildered and her eyes quickly shift between Lizzie and Klaus a few times. "It's ok, Lizzie. Why don't you go have a snack and then we will talk about it." Hayley shoots Klaus a look for upsetting their daughter.
Elijah, who has been quietly watching the whole scene from a chair by the window just shakes his head in disapproval. "She is a smart girl." Both Klaus and Hayley, who are engaged in a stare off, turn to Elijah. "She pitted the two of you against each other and got out of doing her homework." Elijah stands up from his chair and tosses a book at Klaus. "You two need to work together, despite your feelings about each other. If you are not united, Lizzie will know."
Klaus looks over the co-parenting book that Elijah threw at him and laughs. Klaus and Hayley walk into the kitchen to find Lizzie eating some fruit with Stefan and Rebekah. "Lizzie, you need to do your homework, now." Klaus demands.
Lizzie looks up from her snack, shocked at the tone Klaus was still taking with her. Her lips turn into a pout and she spots Hayley, behind Klaus. Lizzie walks over to Hayley and hugs her. "But Hayley said we can talk about it. You telling me what to do isn't talking about it." Lizzie points out.
"Elizabeth Hope Forbes." Lizzie's eyes widen as she turns to look at Stefan. "Do I need to call your mother and tell her that you aren't listening to your parents?" Rebekah has to hold in her laughter at just how strange Stefan's question sounded.
Lizzie looks down to the round, embarrassed. "No." She mumbles. "Mommy would want me to listen and get my homework done." She picks up the remainder of her snack and tosses it in the garbage. She solemnly leaves the room to go do her homework.
Klaus rubs his forehead. "I can break a one thousand year old curse, kill my vengeful father twice, run a city of supernatural beings, but I can't get a seven year old to do her homework." Klaus laments.
Rebekah would laugh at the idea, if she didn't realize just how frustrated Klaus was. She doesn't know what to say, but the tension in the kitchen is too much. She pulls Stefan out of the room with her, rubbing Klaus' shoulder as she passes by him.
Hayley slumps down in a chair. "This is so much harder than I expected. I just thought that when we finally got her back, she would be so happy to see us, you know?" Hayley didn't look at Klaus, but she knew he was listening. "I thought it would be love at first sight and she would just be so happy to have her family that she would be the perfect daughter."
Hayley looks crushed and Klaus actually feels bad for the young hybrid. Lizzie may be trying to test the boundaries, but she took to him much quicker. Hayley seems torn between trying to be a mother figure and being a friend. Klaus pulls out his phone. He opens a text message and sends one last message to Caroline asking her to consider staying with them. Pleading that not only does he need her, Lizzie needs her too. Caroline doesn't respond and Klaus doesn't expect her too. He just needs her to know.
Elijah calls the whole family down for dinner. Lizzie walks into the dining room with her head hanging low. She sits and finally looks up to her parents. "I'm sorry Hayley. I'm sorry Daddy." She offers. Lizzie keeps quiet for the rest of the meal, only offering one word answers when asked a question about school. Her eyes a slightly bloodshot and it occurs to Hayley that Lizzie must have been crying before she came down for dinner.
"Lizzie, you know you aren't in trouble." Hayley says, while gently rubbing Lizzie's back.
Lizzie nods and sniffles. "I know." A singular tear streams down her cheek. "I just miss my mom. A lot." The tears start flowing easily now. "I love you all." She looks at all her family sitting around the table. "And you guys are really trying. But it's just not the same." Lizzie lets out a sob and covers her face with her hands.
The occupants of the table are stunned and even Stefan is unsure of what to do. They all knew that Caroline hadn't really planned on staying and co-raising Lizzie with the man who was holding a candle for her and the woman who she had some sort of rivalry with. The rest of dinner remains silent and when Lizzie finishes, she takes care of her plate and heads towards the stairs. "I'm going to take a shower and then I will get ready for bed. I'm kind of tired." She announces softly and shuffles up the stairs.
As the vampires and hybrids in the room attempt to figure out Lizzie's complete change in behavior, Stefan's phone beeps with a text. He reads it and looks up to Klaus. "That was Caroline. She will be here in a couple of hours."