Malina's P.O.V.
"Do you know what to do?" Niklaus asked into his phone and I noticed how he avoided my curious gaze as I sat down beside him on the barstool. We were at the Mystic Grill late in the afternoon and the hybrids had been out of town for two days.
Which meant that Niklaus was becoming bored and had decided to drag me along on some sort of binge drinking trip to pass the time. I had argued and told him that we needed to work on ways to get the coffins back, but Niklaus had only smiled mischievously and told me that he had a plan. How much I would like that plan was definitely debatable.
I was only on my third bottle of beer, but I could feel my sight swim a little and I had been out to pee twice in an hour. Niklaus thought it was humorous and I had set his alcohol on fire just as he was about to drink it.
But of course he had to ruin our "bonding time" by playing evil mastermind.
"Do I want to know?" I sighed as he hung up and all he did was sent a smirk before drinking from his glass.
"I could torture it out of you." I suggested jokingly and Niklaus looked at me with a raised brow.
"In here? Perhaps you would want to be more discreet, sweetheart." Niklaus responded with amusement.
"I could do that aneurism thing." I said with a small shrug and took another sip of my beer. The taste was bitter, but I had somehow managed to get used to it. At least it was much better than what Niklaus was drinking.
"The last time someone managed to do that to me was with the powers of a hundred witches and I thought she was dead." Niklaus told me and I almost laughed at the bitter tone his voice held. Clearly, he still wasn't over his almost defeat to Bonnie and Elijah during the sacrifice.
"So I just need a hundred witches?"
"You make it sound easy."
"Actually-" I started with a secretive smile, when a new thought suddenly hit me.
I knew where there had been a hundred witches. They were dead albeit, but their powers were still connected to the nature and more importantly the house I had visited a couple of weeks ago.
A hundred dead witches, who hated vampires. A hundred dead witches, who would very much throw away their pride and come back if it meant hiding the bodies of four Originals.
"Where are you going?" Niklaus called after me as I jumped from my chair and started moving towards the exit.
"To find a hundred witches!" I yelled back to him, ignoring the strange looks I got from the other guests. I probably should have told him about my revelation, but something told me that Niklaus had other plans for his family than I did.
"Hello, Salvatore." I greeted smugly as Damon finally picked up his phone and I could practically hear him groan on the other end.
"Sabrina. What do you want?" Damon replied annoyingly and I frowned at my phone.
"My name is not Sabrina, it's- actually, never mind." I interrupted myself as I realised that he had once again taken to calling me nicknames, even though I didn't understand the reference. "I want you to take me to the coffins."
"You're kidding me right?" Damon laughed. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I already know where they are. So I can either tell Niklaus or you can show me and stop Niklaus' hybrids from doing whatever he plans for them to do. I am guessing it has something to do with North Dakota?"
"How the hell-" Damon sneered at me, but I quickly interrupted him.
"I did a quick locator spell on Bonnie earlier today. Her blood is mine so it wasn't that hard. It showed that she was in North Dakota. I do not want Bonnie to get hurt, but I am guessing that Elena is with her? And maybe even Stefan?" I told him in a casual tone before a more threatening one took over. "So either you take me to the coffins and I'll have Niklaus call off his hybrids or I tell Niklaus and who knows what he will do to your brother."
"You're bluffing." Damon growled back and I let out a small laugh. I was becoming tired of this game and I wanted my family back.
"The coffins are at the dead witches' house and I am standing outside the Mystic Grill. Niklaus is right inside. Shall I go get him and then we can all meet in ten minutes?"
"Fine!" Damon exclaimed and my smile turned triumphant. "Stay where you are."
I quickly hung up the phone and looked through the windows of the Grill. Niklaus was still sitting at the bar with his back turned at me. I was surprised that he wasn't more curious about why I had left, but I suppose he had other things to worry about.
"Hop in, loser." Damon's voice called a couple of minutes later as he pulled up in his blue something-something car. I shot him a wide smile, remembering the last time I had taken a ride with him and he returned it with a scowl.
"So why don't you just tell Klaus? Unless you actually care about Stefan." Damon spoke after a long moment of silence and I could see how the wheels were turning inside his head to make it all fit.
"I don't particularly. But I am not trying to get him killed either. And I suspect that Niklaus do not look forward to a family reunion as much as I do. If he gets to the coffins first, I might not see his siblings undaggered for decades." I revealed to the Salvatore vampire.
I didn't like the fact that I was betraying Niklaus, but it had slowly become clear to me that his siblings wouldn't leave those boxes. After all, Rebekah hadn't yet.
"Does it have anything to do with a certain locked coffin?" Damon asked with a sly smirk and I felt my body tense. Niklaus had told me what that coffin contained and awakening its inhabitant was a very bad idea.
"Have you managed to open it?" I inquired instead of answering and Damon looked at me with a thoughtful expression as if he was calculating how much he should tell me.
"No. That is what North Dakota was for. Bonnie went to see her mother for the first time in fifteen years, which your darling hybrids now are going to ruin." Damon sneered at me and I was surprised by his protectiveness of the witch. As far as I knew, they weren't exactly friends.
"And I am sorry for Bonnie, but I want my family just as much she does." I told him sternly and the vampire almost looked impressed.
Soon after we were pulling up at the old house and a shiver ran down my spine as I stepped over the threshold. The witches were definitely back. And they didn't seem to like me very much. Moving through the house almost felt like walking through water, but at last we made it to the right room.
"You removed it." I pointed out dryly and looked at a long square the dust hadn't covered, which meant something – with the shape of a coffin – had stood there until recently. For a moment, Damon looked surprised, but then a smug grin appeared on his lips.
"Guess my little brother is one step ahead after all." he mused and I let out a tired sigh. As usually they had no idea what they were up against. Whatever weapons they would find against Niklaus could always be turned against themselves. I would make sure of that. "But you can see the other coffins?"
"Of course." I said with a gesture towards the remaining three.
"The dead witches do this little trick where they hide the coffins to everyone except for a chosen few."
"I am their ancestor. Trust me, I am one of the chosen few despite the fact that they do not like Niklaus." I told him with a smug smile that had Damon roll his eyes.
Slowly, I stepped further into the room and let my hand glide over the first coffin.
I already had an idea of who was inside when I opened it, but it was still a shock to see Finn lying there, all grey and veiny. His hair was a little longer than I remembered it and the clothes looked much more expensive than the ones he used to wear. He somehow looked older than the last time I'd seen him.
"Well, he looks pretty dead, huh?" Damon spoke from beside me and leaned in to look at the oldest Mikaelson.
"It happens when you have been daggered for nine hundred years." I snapped at him, not sure why I was suddenly feeling protective over Finn, who had never cared much about me. Maybe it was because he looked so defenceless, lying daggered in that coffin.
"Nine hundred years?!" Damon exclaimed and then did a short whistle. "That is going to be tough one to come back from."
"I did it." I told him with a frown.
"Well, you're some sort of super witch." Damon said with a shrug and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"Was that a compliment?" I half-teased, but regretted it when a smirk appeared on Damon's lips.
"It can be whatever you want it to be, baby."
Instead of dignifying his comment with a response, I closed the lid of Finn's casket and moved on to the next one. My heart started beating faster as I slowly opened the next coffin and I could feel Damon's eyes on me. A small gasp escaped me but I forced myself not to step back as the sight of Kol's decayed body hit me.
"Why does he look less grey?" Damon asked from beside me, but I ignored him as I slowly reached out and calmed my fingers through his short hair. It was strange seeing him like this, but it all fitted him quite well. Twentieth century Kol looked much better than tenth century Kol and life wasn't fair.
"Let me guess." Damon said with a small chuckle as I absentmindedly let my fingertips glide over his features. "Your boyfriend?"
"What?" I laughed nervously and removed my hand as if I had burned myself on him. "I was married, remember?"
"So little Miss better-than-you was having an affair. How scandalous!" Damon mused with an irritating smirk on his lips and I scowled back at him as I closed Kol's coffin.
"Think whatever you like, Mr. Salvatore. I am not the one who is falling in love with my brother's girlfriend." I told him with a pointed look, but he didn't seem to mind my jab at him the slightest.
"You and Rebekah together would be insanely hot, though." he said instead and winked at me when my mouth fell open in shock. I couldn't exactly see how that was the equivalent of him and Elena being together.
"You are the biggest jerk that I have ever met and I am friends with Niklaus." I snapped at him before I moved over to the last coffin with hasty steps.
Elijah's appearance was strangely different from the one I remembered a thousand years back and it wasn't just because of his hair and the suit he was now wearing. It was his face, I decided. He looked almost angry in all his tranquillity and without thinking much about it; I reached down and pulled out the dagger in his heart.
Damon let out a feigned scandalized gasp and then a much funnier noise as I threw the silver dagger to him and he tried to catch it without getting daggered himself. Without another word I closed Elijah's coffin and then pulled put my phone.
"What are you doing?" Damon asked suspiciously as he switched his gaze between me, my phone and the dagger in his hand.
"I need someone on my side in this mess and I figured Elijah would do nicely." I told him with a smile and finished my text for Niklaus. "And in a few minutes Niklaus will be here, so I suggest you hide the dagger quickly."
"You're letting me take it?"
"He can't very well know that I undaggered Elijah. But if you use that to hurt anyone, I will make you regret it." I warned him with narrowed eyes and the next moment a small wind blew through the room as Damon flashed away. He was only away for a few seconds before returning once more, this time without the dagger.
"Very well. So have you apologized to Caroline yet?" I then asked him with a sweet smile and he groaned tiredly.
"With all of this going on you really think that is high on my to-do list?" Damon exclaimed irritatingly, but I just stared at him blankly, making him sigh. "You're going to snap my neck, aren't you?"
"It is either that or Niklaus will tear you apart when he discovers that the last coffin is gone." I informed with a small shrug. Once again I had to remind myself that I didn't enjoy seeing other people in pain, but there was something about hurting Damon that satisfied me deeply.
"I could just run." Damon retorted, but I could almost feel how he was preparing himself for a sore neck.
"Niklaus would never believe that I had just let you run, so I will tell him that you kidnapped and took me here. I managed to get free and voila! One snapped neck." I explained with a happy smile that the vampire returned with a scowl.
"And what's from stopping Klaus from tearing me apart while I'm out. He won't exactly be happy that I 'kidnapped' you." Damon said and I let out a tired sigh. For a guy who brought his own life in danger so much by doing stupid things, he sure was self-preserving.
"Have a little faith in me, Salvatore. Besides, Nik will be more focused on the missing coffin that you and nothing happened to me. So there you go." I replied with a small tilt of my head and Damon looked positively murderous.
Before the vampire could argue further, a sickening crack came from his neck and my hand fell to my sides as Damon did to the floor.
"Malina?" Niklaus' voice called out a few moments later and I could hear the floor creak above my head.
"Down here!" I yelled back and my hair blew in the small wind that suddenly went through the room. Niklaus stood right in front of me, looking at me with worry and then with anger at the fallen Salvatore brother.
"What did he do to you?" Niklaus growled at the dead vampire and then let his eyes glide over me searchingly.
"I am completely fine, Nik. Not a scratch. He did kind of forced me here, but when he told he was taking me to the coffins, I didn't exactly put up a fight." I tried to reassure him and I noticed how his focus immediately changed at my mention of the coffins.
"Where are they?" he asked sternly and it wasn't until then I realised that he couldn't see them.
"Hey ladies!" I called out to the house. "A little help here?"
"Ladies?" Niklaus questioned with a raised eyebrow and he almost seemed amused.
"A hundred dead witches." I said as I gestured towards the walls. "I told you I would find them."
"They don't seem as excited to see you." Niklaus remarked as the coffins were yet to appear to him. "Witches have always been vindictive little bitc-"
"For heaven's sake, Nik!" I couldn't help but exclaim when the hybrid fell to his knees with a painful cry. "You should really know better than to insult a bunch of dead witches."
"You should all know, " Niklaus yelled through his pain and he clearly wasn't addressing me, "that as we speak I have a hybrid prepared to end the Bennett line."
"By Gods, I hate you sometimes." I muttered as the dead witches stopped their torture and Niklaus got back on his feet. All he did was glare at me and then turn his gaze to the coffins. But the look in his eyes told me that they were still invisible to him.
"Now, please, show me the coffins." Niklaus told the dead witches with a surprisingly gentle voice and a smirk appeared on his lips as they seemingly became visible to him as well. The light in his eyes quickly disappeared, though, when he noticed the empty spot.
"Where's the fourth?" he asked me with a dangerous gleam in his eyes, but didn't let me answer before he yelled once more. "SHOW ME!"
"Nik, they can't. It isn't here anymore. According to Damon, Stefan hid it somewhere before we got here." I quickly explained to him, placing my hand on his arm to calm him down.
"I'm going to tear him limp from limp and only then, when he's a writhing mass of blood and flesh, will I rip his heart out." Niklaus sneered to himself and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. In this narcissistic society there surely had to be some sort of award to give him for that display of overdramatizing.
"And what good will that do you?" I asked him, getting irritated with his irrationality and rage. "Then we will never find it. This is their leverage, Niklaus. But just like we got these coffins back, we will also get your mother's back."
"Now call whatever hybrid you were talking to on the phone earlier and tell them to leave Bonnie and her mother alone before I let the witches go for a second round." I continued tiredly, when Niklaus didn't respond. "And get Theodore back, will you? He somehow makes it easier for me to handle all your crazy."
"Careful, Kol might not like your new-found friend as much as I do." Niklaus told me with a smirk and I looked him with surprise.
"Does that mean that you actually plan to undagger him?" I asked with raised eyebrows and the smile immediately fell from the hybrid's lips. I stared at him for a long moment before I shook my head and left the room. His silence said it all.
"What are we waiting for?" Theodore whispered to me from his place beside my chair. I had snuck into the room where Niklaus kept the coffins – and Theodore had naturally followed – to wait for Elijah to awaken. It was taking a little too long for my liking.
"I am waiting. You are leaving." I said through my teeth without moving my eyes off the coffin. Chances were that Elijah would be really mad when he woke up and I didn't want him taking it out on Theodore. Since the coffins had returned so had the hybrids and I was more than happy to have Theodore back. I felt safer somehow.
"I thought you said you had missed me." Theodore teased with a low chuckle and I glared at him with narrowed eyes.
"A momentarily moment of weakness." I whispered harshly, but all he did was shake his head at me with an amused expression. "Now go!"
"I will. But one last thing: why do you have a blood bag hidden under your shirt?" Theodore asked as he sent me a curious look. We both knew that he already knew why, but I refused to answer as I shooed him out of the room. At least this way he still had plausible deniability.
The minutes seemed to pass by even slower after Theodore's departure and I felt my eyes grow heavy. If Elijah didn't wake soon, Niklaus would look for me and find me in a room I shouldn't be in. Which meant that so far my angst was winning over my sleepiness.
I had already opened the lid to the coffin so I could watch for any movement, so I flew from my chair when a different sort of veins started spreading underneath Elijah's eyes. Before I could take another step closer, Elijah was out of the coffin and tearing the blood bag from my hand.
I remained completely still as the Original emptied it and then let it drop to the floor. His eyes seemed unfocused for a moment, but he quickly regained his posture; only to lose it when he suddenly noticed me standing in front of him.
"I could swear the dagger had left my heart." I heard him mumble to himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It has! I removed it myself." I told him in a hushed voice as I instinctively stepped forward and placed my hand on his arm.
His closed eyes immediately shot open and I drew back my hand, when they landed on the place I was touching him. I didn't get far because he quickly grabbed it, unable to comprehend that I was actually real.
"Malina." he said in a low voice and I couldn't help but smile at him as his eyes looked over my form searchingly. "But how? You were dead. How did Niklaus…?"
"He didn't. It was my mother and I. Actually, I never died, not really. We cast a spell right after Niklaus had killed Jason that linked me to him and gave me my full powers through this necklace." I quickly explained without retracting the hand he was still holding as my free one reached up to touch my necklace.
"It is a long story and far more complicated, but the spell made me fall asleep and I awoke when Niklaus managed to break his curse a few months ago." I finished and Elijah seemed to have stopped blinking.
"We thought you dead." was all he said and I suddenly felt guilty all over again for not telling anyone goodbye all those centuries ago.
"I know. I am sorry." I sighed and sent him a sad smile that turned into a surprised expression when he suddenly pulled me forward and into his arms.
"You were missed." Elijah muttered into my hair as he placed a hand on the back of my head and planted a small kiss on top of it.
The embrace was short, but enough to leave me flustered as he pulled away. We had always been friends, but Elijah had never been one for showing emotions. He was more closed-off and guarded.
"It feels like I saw you only a few months ago, but I did miss you as well." I told him with a smile and he gave me small nod in understanding.
"You pulled out the dagger?" Elijah then questioned with his deep voice and I imitated his nod from before. "What of Niklaus?"
"He doesn't really know." I laughed nervously as I calmed a hand through my dark curls and slowly walked forward to stand between Rebekah and Kol's coffins. "He wasn't planning to undagger any of you, but I haven't really agreed to those plans so here we are."
"I see. I am surprised you chose me." Elijah said with the smallest hint of amusement in his voice as he shot a meaningful look towards Kol's coffin. I followed his gaze and noticed that I had subconsciously rested my hand on it.
"Kol was always… unpredictable. And I doubt that went away after he became a vampire. Besides, you know what is going on here in Mystic Falls and Niklaus listens to you. Or at least he used to." I explained with a soft smile and I noticed an unfamiliar frown set on Elijah's forehead.
"How much time have you been spending with Niklaus since your… awakening?" he asked with a small hint of worry in his voice and I tried sending him a reassuring smile.
"Actually, not much. But enough to know how much he has changed and how he hasn't at all. Klaus, the almighty hybrid, isn't the Niklaus I have known my whole life, but I am certain he is in there. I just need your help to lure him out." I told the Original with a small laugh that he didn't return.
"I have been trying for centuries, Malina. What makes this any different?"
"You have me now and as it happens I can be very persuasive. Or that is what we have found out." I replied, sending him a secretive smile that made him raise an eyebrow in question.
I had more than surprised myself this last week with the lengths I was ready to go to. Niklaus had already felt my love more than once and there was a good chance that it would happen again.
"Where is my brother?" Elijah then inquired and I shrugged in response as I didn't know where Niklaus was hiding in this giant labyrinth of a house. A concentrated look briefly crossed Elijah's dark eyes. "Pay no mind, I have found him myself. Now, if you will excuse me. I need to have a chat with my little brother."
"Be my guest. Just don't kill each other. If he dies then I die and I am really enjoying the twenty first century. And if anyone asks, Damon pulled out the dagger." I told him sternly and I was surprised to see the Original smile back at me.
"I understand." Elijah replied with a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he moved to walk past me.
"And please, do not destroy too much of the house. We just finished renovating." I begged with a pointed look that made Elijah's smile widen slightly before he left through the door.
"I will just stay here then!" I called after him silently and placed myself back into the chair. I flinched when the sounds of glass breaking and woods splintering met my ears and then rose when the noise stopped. With a deep breath I left the room; preparing myself to look shocked over Elijah's return.
A loud crash pulled me out of my sleep and I sat up in my bed as my heart started pounding ferociously. Seconds later a bright light flashed outside my window behind the closed curtains and I stared into my dark room with wide eyes.
I flinched as another thunderclap seemed to tear apart the sky and looked down to see my hands shaking uncontrollably. I wasn't sure why, but over the last year or so I had become deathly afraid of thunderstorms. I pulled my blanket tight around me as heavy rain drops suddenly started drumming against my window and I forced back a scream when a loud rumbling shook them lightly.
I couldn't stay in my room, I quickly decided as I rose from my bed with my blanket pulled tight around me. It didn't feel safe and I needed to find the person who always knew how to calm me down during these kinds of thunderstorms. Slowly, I made it to my door and peeked outside at the empty hall.
"Hey, why are you still up?" a voice asked softly as I closed the door to my bedroom and for a moment I was certain that I was going to have a heart attack. I spun around, almost falling in my blanket, and saw Rose, one of Nik's hybrids, stand in front of me.
"You and Theodore really have a bad habit of sneaking up on me." I told her breathlessly and I noticed a small blush creep to her cheeks. I couldn't get either of them to admit it, but there was definitely something there. Theodore had given her his blood at the homecoming after all.
"Sorry." Rose said with a timid smile and as usual I had trouble believing this woman actually was a scary hybrid. "Are you okay? You look a little… pale."
"Sure." I told her with a small shrug, inwardly cursing myself as I flinched at the sound of another loud crash. "Do you know where Niklaus is?"
"Downstairs, in the living room." Rose informed me after having listened for him with her new super hearing. 'Which one?' I almost asked, but I knew I wouldn't understand her directions either way.
"Thank you. Goodnight, Rose." I said with a thankful smile and then turned around to move down the hallway to the stairs.
"Goodnight." Rose called after me and I jumped as a thunderclap seemed to shake the whole building.
"Nik?" I called out hesitantly as I made it downstairs and then concentrated on hearing his reply over the noise from outside.
"In here." he called from somewhere in the house and I started moving in the direction of his voice. Soon I made it to one of the smaller living rooms, where I found Nik sitting in a two-person sofa with Elijah across from him in a Victorian armchair.
"Malina." Elijah said alarmingly as he stood up and took in my pathetic state. My heart was still beating rapidly in my chest and for some reason, the sight of the brothers made me tear up. "Is everything alright?"
"Hmm?" I asked as I had been more focused on counting the seconds between the thunderclap and the lightning. "Oh, I just couldn't… I couldn't sleep."
I flinched at the last word as a loud crash immediately was followed by a flash of light and I shot my eyes close.
"Come on, love." I heard Niklaus say and I opened my eyes to see him place a pillow against his thigh, telling me to lie down. "It will be over soon."
I could feel Elijah's curious gaze on me as I hurriedly placed my head on the pillow and curled up my body on the remaining space of the sofa. The vampire's eyes shifted between me and Niklaus before he sat back into his chair with a small smile on his lips.
"So why are the two of you still awake?" I asked in an attempt to avert Elijah's focus and stop him from inquiring about my obvious fear that I wouldn't be able to explain either way.
"We've been discussing the demise of the Salvatore brothers." Niklaus mused as his fingers started threading through my curls and I swallowed a content sigh. So much had changed since he had done it last, but he remembered how to calm me down nonetheless.
"And I feel quite well-rested." Elijah added with his stern gaze on his brother and without looking I knew Niklaus was smirking back at him. I couldn't help but smile myself, but another roar of thunder wiped it off.
"I surmised that from your redecoration of the dining room. It really opened up the room nicely to have Niklaus fly through the doors. But I am slightly disappointed over the table you broke; I liked it." I replied in a failed attempt to be humorous since my body hadn't stopped shaking.
"My apologies." Elijah said with a courtly nod but my diversion hadn't worked since he kept staring at me searchingly, clearly waiting for me to explain why my heart was hammering in my chest. I was so intent on ignoring him that the next crash made me yelp in shock and I pulled the blanket over my head, trapping Niklaus' hand with me.
"You know, love, it can't really hurt you." I heard Niklaus say from above me, but I stayed hidden under my blanket.
"I told you not to call me love!" I snapped at him and I could almost feel him roll his eyes at me. When he chuckled in response, I threw the blanket off my head and turned my head so I could glare up at him. "Where is Theodore?"
"Out searching for the last coffin." Niklaus told me with a small frown and I suddenly felt the need to assure him that he was still my best friend. "Why?"
"According to Caroline he is the God of thunder. I figured he could do something about the mess outside." I explained with a gesture towards the storm that raged beyond the walls. Niklaus let out something between a snort and a laugh, but he clearly found it amusing.
"Caroline?" Elijah spoke from his chair and I turned my head to meet his curious gaze. Caroline wouldn't be happy if she knew I was talking about her in the present company.
"One of the doppelgänger's friends that Malina has now befriended." Niklaus said before I could and the dissatisfaction was clear in his voice.
"Ah, Miss Caroline Forbes?" Elijah inquired and both Niklaus and I looked at him with surprise.
"You have met her?" I asked with raised eyebrows, but Elijah shook his head.
"No, but I have heard mentions of her. She was the girl Katerina killed to give you a vampire for the sacrifice, correct?" Elijah told and then looked at Niklaus for confirmation.
"I would say yes, but then I'm quite sure Malina is going to torture me again." Niklaus replied in a tight voice, but I could still feel his fingers calm gently through my hair.
"Torture?" Elijah asked and I smiled as his calm exterior crumbled for a moment.
"I warned him not to hurt Caroline, but a couple of days ago he made Tyler, Caroline's boyfriend and one of Nik's hybrids, bite her." I explained and the vampire turned to glare at his brother.
"I am sorry for the loss of your friend." Elijah then told me with a much softer expression on his face and my eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, no. Caroline is quite fine now. Nik healed her."
"Pardon me?"
"He healed her. With his blood, you know." I told him uncertainly, not sure if Niklaus had told him about that perk of being the Original hybrid.
"I know. I am just surprised that he let the girl live." Elijah replied and then sent Niklaus a curious look.
"I was bored." Niklaus said with a small shrug and I sent him an incredulous look.
"Is that why you left her a birthday present afterwards?"
"A present?" Elijah asked disbelievingly and it seemed as if he was finding it hard to comprehend the things I was telling him.
"I was bored." Niklaus just repeated and sighed when I flinched for the thirtieth time. "Now, let's talk about how you are still afraid of thunder."
"It is perfectly normal." I told him as I thought back to what Emma had told me. Thunderstorms were scary to everyone. Some people just reacted more strongly.
"I don't recall you being this afraid." Elijah commented from his seat and I opened my mouth to answer, closing it when I realised what I was about to say.
Elijah had never really been around when I had my 'incidents' because as it turned out; Tatia was also afraid of thunder. Rebekah had a theory about that and I had always kept my mouth shut.
"Well, you were never really around for that, brother. Not after Tatia decided that she was afraid as well." Niklaus said, voicing my thoughts and I let out a tired sigh. Elijah remained motionless as he stared at Nik and then back to me.
"Where did your fear come from?" Elijah asked instead of responding to his brother's jab at him and I frowned in confusion. How should I know? It had sort of just… appeared one day.
"The night of Astrid's birth." Niklaus answered for me once again and I turned my head to look at him in surprise. What was he talking about? "A big thunderstorm rolled over our heads while Malina was giving birth."
"I remember." Elijah said with a small frown and I felt as if they had forgotten I was there. "And then what? The sound of thunder became connected with pain?"
"Yes. But not that sort of pain. Nothing quite like that storm occurred again until three years later." Niklaus spoke with a surprisingly soft voice and I looked up to find him staring back at me with a sad smile.
"Astrid." Elijah spoke in a deep voice and tears sprung to my eyes as I realised what they were talking about. "You believe the two storms were connected?"
"Malina's emotions have doubtfully been more extreme than in those two moments." Niklaus concluded and I held up a hand as I slowly rose from my lying position on the sofa. My mouth had suddenly become very dry and several seconds went by before I was able to speak.
"Are you telling me that I created those thunderstorms with my powers?" I asked incredulously and closed my eyes when a loud clap of thunder rang from outside. "I barely had any powers back then and even now, I wouldn't be able to control the weather."
"You are one of the most powerful witches in existence, Mal. You get angry and the wind suddenly picks up. Potentially, you could do whatever you wanted to." Niklaus told me and I gaped at him before turning my eyes to Elijah.
"Does that mean I am afraid of something I can create myself?"
"You have never truly been afraid of thunderstorms. Your brain connected your feelings, your pain, to something more understandable. Something you might be able to control unlike your feelings." Elijah was the one to reply this time and I stared at him intently as I tried to understand what he was telling me.
"So how do I get rid of it?" I asked after taking several deep breaths and the brothers shared a look before turning to me.
"Your feelings?" Elijah said in a clipped voice that made me shake my head.
"My fear." I corrected him and then looked to Niklaus, who was suddenly wearing a smirk on his lips. "What?"
"I might have an idea." he said as rose from his seat and held out a hand to me. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." I told him hesitantly as I reached up and took his hand. Soon I was being pulled through the house and I almost didn't stop when we suddenly stood in front of the main entrance door. The heels from Elijah's shoes clicked against the floor as he trailed behind us and I became conscious of my bare feet.
"Niklaus, I highly disapprove of this idea." Elijah spoke from behind us, but Nik just smiled at him.
"Let's leave Malina to decide, shall we?"
"What are you two talking about?" I asked irritatingly, tired of being left out. I jumped backwards – almost stepping over Elijah's toes – as Niklaus suddenly swung the door open and a cold wind hit me. I yelped in fright as a lightning split the sky and then stared at my friend with wild eyes.
"Please tell me your plan isn't for me to go out there." I begged him as I looked between the dark sky and Niklaus.
"This is how people deal with theirs fear in twenty first century, sweetheart. They face them." Niklaus told me in a low voice as he stood behind me and slowly made me move forward.
"Niklaus." Elijah warned as we stood at the threshold and I clenched my shaking hands into fists.
"What do I do?" I asked in a small voice that would have been inaudible if it wasn't for their super hearing.
"To control the weather, you have to accept that it isn't the thunder that frightens you and then let go of the pain that you feel." Elijah explained slowly, probably realising that he wouldn't be able to stop either of us.
"The pain I feel over Astrid's death." I clarified slowly and my heart seemed to stop beating all together.
"You are not letting go of Astrid." Niklaus told in a stern voice as he spun me around to face him. "Your daughter is the truly immortal one, living in all of us. But you cannot let her be your weakness."
I stared at him for a long moment, unable to fully comprehend what he was saying to me, but I nodded anyway. I needed to accept that it was the pain of losing I was afraid of and not the thunderstorm raging outside. If I couldn't let go then my powers would never be all they could be and that wasn't why I had been sleeping for a thousand years.
"What if I lose control?" I asked as a new fear suddenly crept over me. Maybe I wouldn't be capable of letting go and my powers would control me rather than the other way around.
"Find an anchor, Malina. Something to keep you grounded." Niklaus said as he turned me towards the door once more. "Better yet, be your own anchor."
The rain had stilled slightly during our talk, but I knew that I would be drenched shortly. Heavy drops landed in my hair and travelled down my naked arms, where they fell from my fingertips. The stone steps of the stairs were cold under my feet, but I moved away from the doorway nonetheless.
"I didn't know you could be so sentimental, Niklaus." I heard Elijah comment dryly and I bit back a smile as I tried to concentrate on my powers and the electricity that filled the air.
I moved forward until their voices were almost drowned by the wind and I stood in the middle of the courtyard, where a few cars were parked.
"Shut up." It sounded like Niklaus murmured back at him and I took a deep breath to focus my thoughts.
"If she gets sick, you will be taking care of her."
"She is a witch, Elijah. They don't get sick."
"Will you two shut up?" I yelled back at them without turning around and they immediately fell silent.
I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I was slowly getting colder and colder so it had to be quick.
"Okay. Let go of your fear. It is just a little thunder, nothing more." I told myself as loud clap of thunder sounded above me and I forced myself to remain still. Instinctively, I spread out my arms with my palms facing the sky and focused on the feeling of raindrops falling into them.
As I closed my eyes, a lightning zigzagged through the night and a pale face appeared in my mind. The girl's usually bronze skin seemed to have lost its colour and her small chest wasn't moving. I heard the thunder roll over me, but I couldn't get the picture of the dead girl out of my head.
My wet hair stuck to my cheeks as a sudden wind picked up around me and I could feel a new density in the air as if the clouds were moving closer to the ground. The hair on my arms suddenly rose and I opened my eyes to see a lightning strike about two hundred meters from me. I was doing it, but I didn't know how.
"Malina!" I heard Elijah call after me, but I stayed where I was in the middle of the courtyard.
As the rain started pouring more heavily, I closed my eyes once more and the dead girl appeared to me again. There was a painful tug in my heart as I waited for her to open her eyes and it never happened, but instead of pushing the feeling away, I accepted its presence and let it go with a deep exhale. It was still there, but it somehow felt more bearable.
Astrid didn't look as dead anymore. She looked as if she was just sleeping and the thunderstorm that rolled over us didn't seem scary to me anymore, but like something I had to protect her from. I opened my eyes with a smile, jumping back when another lightning hit just fifty meters from me.
"Malina, I think the fun is over now, sweetheart." Niklaus' voice suddenly spoke behind me, but I just shook my head and took a step forward.
The wind around me had gone and the rain had turned into a light drizzle. When the loudest crash of thunder yet sounded above us, I knew what would follow and without thinking I reached out with my magic and redirected the lightning before it struck.
A loud explosion followed and I was suddenly dragged backwards and into the house with supernatural speed. When I was placed on my feet again, I quickly looked around and couldn't help but laugh when I saw that Nik's car was on fire. A low rumble came from the sky and it almost felt like it was laughing with me.
"I did it!" I yelled happily as I spun around to look at the stunned brothers. I noticed that a lot of the hybrids had joined the Originals in the foyer and was now looking at me with equal respect and fear. Was this how it felt to be Niklaus?
"You killed my car." Niklaus pouted as he looked at the wreck that burned brightly in the night.
"You can get a new one. Did you see what I just did?" I exclaimed with a laugh and placed a hand over my mouth in disbelieve. "I redirected lightning! Lightning, Nik!"
A smile slowly spread on Niklaus' lips at the sight of my excitement and he quickly stepped forward, placing his hands against my drenched hair and planted a kiss on my forehead.
"Indeed you did." he said with a proud smile and I turned my head to see Elijah smiling at me as well, albeit with a far more concerned look in his eyes.
A thick blanket was suddenly placed around my shoulders and I look behind me to see Rose stare at the Originals exasperatedly and then sent me a smile. The warmth that suddenly enveloped me made me realise how cold I really was and my teeth started clattering as I pulled the blanket tighter around me.
"If I had known this was what you intended to do, I wouldn't have let you leave your room." Rose told me jokingly as she rubbed her hands against my arms in quick motions and I let out a small laugh.
"Everybody, go back to your chambers now." Elijah suddenly ordered the hybrids and I watched Klaus glare at him with annoyance before looking back at me with worry.
"Rose." Nik spoke pointedly as the hybrid stayed behind and she looked as if she was about to say something before she cast down her eyes and retreated as well. Niklaus quickly took her spot in front of me and I smiled at him reassuringly. I was exhausted and freezing, but I felt as if I could anything right now.
"What you did was astonishing, Malina." Elijah told me with a small smile that I returned brightly. "But you need your warmth back quickly and then you must rest."
I gave out a small sigh as I nodded and then turned to walk upstairs. A small yelp escaped me when I was suddenly scooped up into someone's arms and in the next second I was standing inside my room.
"You cannot just do that, Niklaus!" I chastised my friend as I struggled to find my balance, but he had already moved over to my closet from where he pulled a knitted sweater and a new pair of pyjamas pants for me to wear.
I wanted to protest as he suddenly opened the drawer with my underwear, but he had closed it again in a second and was now pushing me into my adjoined bathroom. I let out a small whimper when he pulled the blanket off me and found a towel from the cabinet under the sink. Niklaus then moved to the shower and turned on the water, making hot steam slowly damp the room.
"Shower now." he told me with a stern look in his eyes and then left, leaving my clattering teeth as the only sound to fill the silence.
With shaking hands I pulled off my drenched clothes and stepped in under the water. It was almost too hot against my icy skin, but I didn't turn down the temperature and I slowly felt my body relax as my trembling stopped.
I stayed in the shower for almost ten minutes and then quickly pulled on the clothes Niklaus had picked for me. I still felt a little cold, but I blamed my exhaustion for that. To my surprise, Niklaus was still in my room and I watched silently as he looked through one of the school books that lay on my desk.
"Are you thinking of going back to school?" I asked teasingly and Nik let out a small chuckle as he put down the book, turning around to face me.
"What could they teach me that I haven't already seen with my own eyes?" Niklaus replied amusedly and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his arrogance.
"My apologies, Mr. I'm-a-thousand-years-old." I told him mockingly as I climbed under my sheets and lay down. Slowly, Niklaus took place beside me and pulled the sheets up to my chin as he lied down as well.
I was on my side with my face turned towards him, while he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. A comfortable silence filled the room and I could feel myself slowly drift asleep. It was the first time in a long time that I felt completely safe like this.
"I know you pulled the dagger out of Elijah's heart." Niklaus told me quietly and I let out a small sigh in response; too tired to really care.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked drowsily and without opening my eyes.
"Do you really think that low of me?" was his reply and I could feel his eyes on me even though mine were still shut.
"No." I murmured back as I forced my eyes to open. Niklaus' eyes were almost glistening in the dark, but there was a small smile on his lips as he leaned closer and planted another kiss on my forehead.
"I could never kill you, Malina." he promised in a low voice and I nodded in understanding. "Besides, what would I do without my goddess of thunder?"
A/N: Teddy is back!:D And Elijah has arrived. Malina showed of some new skills and Klaus helped her let go of some of her grief. I got the idea after a freak storm we had in Denmark some time ago. I'm not usually afraid of thunder, but I almost crapped my pants that night.
I think it's important to remember how much Astrid's death still affects Malina. Some fics seems to include such deaths and then sort of forget about them again because the romance is more important. Losing your child is traumatic (luckily I've never been through something like it myself) and not something to just be mentioned in a side note now and then.
Anyway... How are you liking Klalina? Yes, I came up with my own shipname. If I haven't mentioned it already I'm not planning to make them romantic at all since I'm team Klaroline till the end. And I like them as friends better. You might have realised who I've intended for Malina instead;)
Hope you enjoyed the chapter:D Tell me what you think! I especially loved all your comments about Teddy from the last chapter:) I'll try to include him more in future chapters. Toodles!