AN: I know, I know, it's been forever. And I'm sorry. But I finally got my tooth pulled and have actually had time think about this story. I hope you guys like it and let me know what you think.

Annie: Sorry for the delay. I write as quickly as I can when I have the time. Thanks for reading!

Guest: I will keep your suggestions in mind, . Yes, Sophia is immortal in this story. I haven't really touched on it, but with becoming a hybrid, it gave her that little bonus. I'm not really trying to create a completely bizarre future or to fully think it out, as I don't plan to write the child's life in another story, so I apologize for the vagueness. As for feeding…well, they've really stuck to doing that when they're in bed together, but I can see it changing as her pregnancy advances. We've already seen that if she's without blood for long she'll attack someone, like Damon, so we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading and enjoying! And if you want to give a name next time I can address you personally so you know it's your review I'm answering.

Beth: I'm doing my best! Sorry for the long delay. I know as a reader you get impatient waiting, but as a writing it takes time, especially when you're writing more than one story. Plus, I don't get paid for this, so I can only write when I have time and inspiration. But I hope you like this chapter!

Guest: I'm delighted you like it!

Story lover: I don't think he really thought she'd cheat on him. It was just a surprise. Like a big one. I mean, he'd lived for more than a 1000 years thinking he couldn't have children, so to be told otherwise had to be mind blowing. Don't be mad at him!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to TVD or The Originals.

Chapter 20: Acceptance

"Is anyone home?" Sophia called out as she let herself into the house, hoping Jenna and Jeremy had returned from the lake house, as she could really use her aunt right now. Well, what she really needed was her mom, but that was impossible.

There was no response to her call, the house eerily silent. Sighing, Sophia made her way into the kitchen, setting the grocery bag down on the island before she pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and grabbed her cell phone. Hopping onto the counter, she quickly dialed Jenna's number before unscrewing the bottle top.

"Hel-lo?"

"Hey Jenna." She smiled, relieved to hear her aunt's voice. With all the drama of the last few weeks, it was nice to have someone normal in her life who wasn't caught up in all the crap they had to deal with.

"What's up girlie?" Jenna asked, her voice getting muffled by outside noise and what sounded like an intercom system paging someone.

"I was wondering when you guys were gonna come home." Sophia replied, legs swinging back and forth in the way that used to drive her dad crazy when he was trying to cook.

"Crap, I forgot to call you. We're not at the lake house anymore." Her legs stilled as the witch straightened up, setting the water to the side.

"Where are you?"

"With there being a human serial killer targeting the founders' council, Alaric and Elena thought it'd be best if we stayed away for now, and I agree."

"You're—you're not coming back?"

"It's only for a little while, Soph, don't worry. Jer and I are human and we can't really protect ourselves, so we're gonna wait for the guy to be caught." Jenna reassured, detecting the underlying panic that'd filled the witch's voice.

"I…where are you going?" Sophia choked out, trying to push her irrational need for the only mother figure she had, realizing the sense in their plan. But damn did it suck.

"We're gonna visit friends in Denver for a little while. I think it'll be good to get away from all the supernatural stuff; we may even go snowboarding. Jer's really excited about it; but then again, he's a teen getting to skip school, so he'd be even stranger if he wasn't excited." The older woman said with a chuckle, not knowing her niece was close to losing her cool.

"You're gonna let him skip school like that? Won't he fail and be held back?" She questioned, forcing herself to calm down, as there was no use alerting Jenna that something was wrong.

"Damon said he'd compel his teachers to accept his late work when we got back."

"Of course he did." Sophia rolled her eyes, wondering why she was surprised she was once more the last to know, as that seemed to be the norm now when it came to Elena and her family.

"Are you alright girlie? You sound upset?"

"No, I'm fine. Have a safe trip, Jen. I must be sent pictures when Jer hits a tree."

"Ha, deal. I'll text you when we get there. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye." Sophia ended the call with a sigh, jumping off the counter and grabbing her water and headed into the living room.

The witch chugged the liquid as she pulled out the photo albums her mother had been meticulous in keeping, sitting on the floor cross-legged as she began to flip through them. It was painful, excruciating, but she continued through the albums, fingers tracking her parents' faces as they began slowly aging as she went. She missed them just as much today as she did when they first died, but she was at least able to remember the good times instead of just the ache left behind.

The tears went unchecked as she drank water and relived memories, her hand wiping only when they began to tickle her chin. She didn't know how long she sat there or how long she would've stayed there if her bladder didn't protest the large consumption of water, forcing her up.

Sophia grabbed the bag of the island and hurried to the bathroom, snatching the hateful pink box from inside the bag. Her jittery nerves got the best of her as she tried to open the box, the cardboard ripping easily under her shaking fingers and sending the two plastic wrapped tests and the instructions flying.

Cursing, Sophia had to crouch to reach the tests that'd fallen to the side of the toilet, her bladder protesting the bent position. Snagging the nauseating pink plastic wrappers, she stood back up and quickly scanned the instructions. It was pretty straight forward and the witch was soon seated, albeit uncomfortably, but she got the job done and that was what mattered.

Needing a distraction from the process test, Sophia headed back into the living room, knowing it was pointless to hope for a negative, but needing this final validation. She'd had confirmation from her vamp and witch sides, but the human in her wanted to have even more proof just to be 100% sure.

Because even though she'd acted confident and assured after her talk with Analisa, she was really freaking out on the inside. It's why she'd wanted to speak with Jenna, as she was the closest she had to a mother and she needed her reassurance that everything would be alright. But now she had to deal with it alone and she was doing her best not to freak out too much.

But damn, it was hard. Pregnant. It was such a horrifying word. One she'd never even imagined would describe her while she was still a teenager and in high school. Hell, she hadn't planned to have kids until after she'd lived her dreams and was hopefully married to the love of her life.

And so far she only had one of those things even if she wasn't married to Klaus, she knew he was her fever. And yes, her life had changed a crazy lot in the last year and her dreams had changed with them, but not this. No matter how much she loved Klaus, she so wasn't ready to be a mother, like at all.

To keep herself distracted, Sophia began pulling out the photo negatives her mom had placed in the back of each album, wanting to make her own copies. She already had her own collection of her time with Klaus, Stefan, and her other friends, but she also wanted to compile one or two of her favorite moments with her human family, never wanting to forget.

She replaced the albums when she was done before placing the negatives in a baggie and then into the zipper pocket inside her purse to protect them from light. Procrastinating, knowing what the test would say, Sophia cleaned up any evidence she'd been there, saving the bathroom for last as she definitely didn't want to leave anything connected to the First Response test laying around. Since she couldn't talk to Jenna until she returned, the witch decided to just keep her mouth shut for now, not wanting her friends to judge her when getting pregnant had literally been out of her hands.

After all but the one used test was hidden back in the grocery bag, the doppelgänger took a deep breath before examining the results. Even though she'd expected it, the two pink lines was like a punch to the gut, making it difficult to breath. Needing to escape before Elena returned and saw her, Sophia, threw the evil little stick into the grocery bag and shoved that into her purse, not wanting to look at it.

She took off, not paying attention to where she was going, just needing to be away. Her feet took her to the falls, the loud noise of the rushing water bringing her back to reality. She sat on an overturned log, head landing in her hands as it all came crashing down on her.

She was definitely pregnant. There was now not even the glimmer of hope the witch spirit had been wrong; that their heightened hearing had misheard. Any hope she'd had of having a semi-normal life was forever shattered.

Sophia wasn't surprised when he sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She wept against his shoulder, her entire body shaking with the power of her sobs. They weren't the pretty tears you seen on TV; no, these were ugly and made her grateful she hadn't been wearing makeup, as she'd be an even scarier sight then she already was.

Klaus held her tightly, fingers skimming up and down her back soothingly, not voicing any complaints as she snotted his cotton shirt. He cared naught about the shirt, as it was a mere casualty to her despair. He was more concerned with the woman in his arms, trying to convey how much he loved her without words and letting her get this off her chest.

Sophia pulled away when her cries died down into hiccups, taking the handkerchief he presented with trembling hands and wiping at her face before blowing her nose.

"Aren't handkerchiefs Elijah's thing?" She muttered, embarrassed with her break down.

"I thought it might be needed." The hybrid shrugged, watching as she carefully folded it to hide the dirty side.

"How'd you find me?" Sophia questioned, glancing at him before quickly looking away.

"I followed your scent. I got worried when you didn't return." He revealed, eyes examining her closely, the worry in his gaze clear. She gave a sigh and rubbed at her face, head beginning to throb from her cry fest.

"I went to see if Jenna was back, but she and Jer are gonna go visit some family friends, as it's too dangerous for them to come back with that killer on the loose." She said, shoulders slumped as she started picking at her jeans, needing something to do with her hands.

"That's probably for the best. They'll be safer away from Mystic Falls until the person is caught."

"Yeah, I know. I just…I really want my mom and Jenna's the closest I have." Klaus wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Where'd they go? I can have us at the airport in an hour if you want to go."

Sophia's stomach unclenched and she relaxed, giving him a watery smile. Even amidst her panic, Klaus managed to calm her down and remember she wasn't alone. She'd forgotten that for a minute and was thankful for the reminder.

"They went to Denver. But we can't leave until this killer is found. I can't leave Elena and the others in danger, no matter how appealing the offer." Klaus tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead.

"Just give the word if you change your mind, love. We can go anytime or anywhere in the world you want to go, even if it's just to get away."

"I love you Nik." She whispered, hands clutching the arm that was around her tightly.

"And I you, sweetheart. We'll get through this."

"How can you be sure? I'm so scared." Sophia pulled away so she could see his face, her large doe eyes glistening with more tears. The hybrid let one hand grip her hand and the other stroked her cheek.

"Do you think I do not share that fear?" He arched a brow, earning a shrug in reply, as she hadn't really thought about it.

"You've been so calm, I just thought you were okay."

"Sophia, I have no memories of a loving father to learn from. Mikael was a—"

"Abusive dick."

"Exactly. And I never knew my real father. The closest I've come to experiencing such a relationship was through your memories. How do you think that makes me feel? I'm terrified of becoming a father." He revealed, hating the emotion and how vulnerable and weak it made him feel.

"Nik—"

"What if I turn into Mikael? What if I'm incapable of loving our child and hurt them?" He asked angrily, standing from the log to pace, his agitation clear.

"Hey, you'd never be like Mikael." She shot to her feet and grabbed at his arms, making him still, troubled sea-green eyes meeting hers. The magnitude of his fear was startling, making her ashamed she hadn't even thought about how he'd be handling this.

"You don't know that." She shook her head.

"I do. I know you better than anyone, Nik. I've seen the best and worst of you and I know you'd never let yourself turn into Mikael, not after everything he put you through." Sophia said firmly, hands moving up his arms to grip his shoulders, her nails digging in, eyes boring into his.

"I don't know anything about loving a baby, Sophia."

"Neither do I, but I know we love each other and that's all that matters. You're so full of love, you've just had a hard time expressing it before." Klaus brushed his hands through her chocolate locks.

"You taught me how to love." He whispered, her eyes brightening and her lips upturning.

"No, I taught you you didn't have to be afraid to express yourself. You always had the love inside you, you were just too afraid of rejection to let yourself feel it." She replied with a smile. Klaus titled her head back and pressed his soft lips to hers, fingers stroking her cheeks.

"You are the best thing to ever happen to me. And I know if you're with me, we can get through anything. Even having a child." His voice washed over her like a balm, calming her down and letting her underlying panic dissipate until all she could focus on was him and how he always brought her back to herself.

"I'm sorry I didn't think about how this would affect you." She murmured quietly, her body sluggish now that she'd relaxed, her panic gone for the moment.

"It's alright, love. It's a lot to take in and I'd be shocked if you hadn't had a panic episode." Klaus shrugged and gave a slight grin, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Why aren't you freaking out?" She questioned, face tilted up to peer at him with a quirked brow.

"I've had a thousand years to perfect the art of nonchalance. You never reveal to an enemy that they've gotten to you or else you lose. And I, darling, never lose." His arrogant reply had her rolling her eyes and made her laugh.

"You're so full of yourself." Klaus smirked, glad to see the mirth once more in Sophia's eyes. He detested when she was sad and was relieved it'd passed, at least for the time being.

"I happen to know you find me irresistible." He murmured, voice going soft as his hands settled at her hips, bringing her flush against him.

Sophia shivered as their bodies brushed, her skin already tingling, regardless of the layers separating them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers finding the small hairs at the nape of his neck, noting he needed a trip as she twisted her gingers in the locks.

"I think you've been lied to, Nik. I'm perfectly capable of resisting you." She retorted, eyes shining their challenge. One the hybrid was more than happy to meet.

"Really? So if I kiss you here…" He trailed his lips across her cheek to the corner of her mouth, his whiskers scraping across her skin in a way she'd come to love.

"Nope, still resistible." She said, clamping down on her inner willpower and stubbornness not to give in.

"And here?" He moved to the back of her ear, where there was one spot that always sent shocks through her when he nibbled there. The witch's breath hitched and her hands tightened in his hair, but she still shook her head.

"Nu-uh."

Klaus chuckled and skimmed his lips down her throat, stopping at the throbbing artery, teeth growing pointed against her skin. Sophia gasped when his fangs slide easily into her neck, the pleasure making her push herself further into him. He took a few mouthfuls of her enticing blood before pulling back, golden eyes meeting her hooded ones.

Before the hybrid could say anything, Sophia slammed him to the ground, not bothered by the sharp rocks that dug into his back and her knees as she straddled him. She wasn't sure if it was because they hadn't been together in the last few days or if it was her hormones, but she was ripping their clothes off before she even fully realized it.

There was no foreplay or loving words; one minute she was pushing his jeans down and the next he was encased in her scolding heat. Klaus didn't complain, as he was just fine with her taking the reins sometimes. It was sexy as hell to see her so unrestrained and nearly mad with desire. He'd so won that little game; she did find him just as irresistible as he found her.

Sophia sat an inhuman pace, their bodies slamming together so fast and hard they'd both be severely hurt if they were human. It was like a primal need was guiding her, desperate to reach ecstasy and willing to do whatever it took to get there. She bit and scratched at him, the pain heightening his pleasure, the taste of his blood on her tongue driving her forward faster.

It was over within minutes, the ferocity of the coupling pulling a loud mewl from Sophia as she crashed over the edge, her entire body stiffening over him. The feel of his seed inside her gave her aftershocks, her muscles twitching around him until she finally slumped, body now like putty.

They caught their breath for a moment before getting up and dressing, not needing words between them. No matter how fast or rough they came together, they both could always feel the love between them, alleviating any possible awkwardness and leaving them just happy to be together.

"I know you want to help Elena find this killer, but I was thinking we could spend the day together. Just us. No annoying siblings to get in our business." Klaus commented as she grabbed her purse and they clasped hands and started towards the road, where he'd parked the SUV.

"You know that sounds amazing. I could use a break from all the hovering from Elijah and Bekah. I swear they're worse than mother hens." He chuckled at the description, as it was true. The two had been asking if she as okay or if she needed anything constantly. It was a really good thing neither of them bad seen her break down or else the hovering would never cease.

"Where do you wanna go?" He asked as he opened her door before vamping over to the driver's side.

"I need to develop some pictures and go by a book store. So the mall would be best." Sophia couldn't help but snicker at the pained look he gave her, knowing he detested malls. Not only were they filled with too many common humans, but the stores were ghastly.

"We could go to Richmond. I'm sure they have a better assortment of stores for you to browse." He was not whining. He wasn't! He just really, really hated malls. His shoulders slumped when she gave him her puppy dog eyes.

"I haven't been to the mall in forever, Nik." Sophia fluttered her lashes, knowing she'd already won. The man really couldn't say no to her.

"Fine." He grumbled and started the car, red lips pouting. The witch just grinned and took his right hand, holding it tightly as she gave directions. She had to admit the day had definitely improved since Klaus had found her.

/*/

"Is Kol still complaining?" Sophia asked when Klaus' phone beeped with another text message, something that'd been happening all day. Apparently the youngest brother didn't like to be ignored.

"Yes. Why we showed him how to use a cellphone, I haven't the faintest idea." The hybrid grumbled as he read through the text before giving a quickly reply and silencing the phone.

"I don't know why he just doesn't go out if he's so bothered." She said with a shrug as she stuffed a french fry into her mouth.

They'd been at the mall for a few hours already and she'd worked up an appetite moving from store to store, her bags multiplying as she went. And while she didn't enjoy shopping the way Caroline did, she did get a kick out of torturing her boyfriend by insisting they go to every store. The look of pained acceptance was utterly hilarious.

"He has become addicted to the game system and it is not portable. And he lives to irritate me." Klaus glared at the brightly colored wrapped cheeseburger, wishing it would miraculously turn into a steak.

"Where's Elijah and Bekah?"

"Rebekah is looking into where the white oak wood was taken after the tree was cut down. Elijah was with Kol, but his complaining probably drove him out or to drink, or both."

"Hmm. Well, he really should've known what would happen when Sage arrived this morning. I mean, her and Finn have been separated for over nine hundred years. I'm surprised they even made it up to his room before ripping their clothes off." She shrugged, bringing her drink forward. Strawberry milkshake. Yum.

"So did we get everything you need or are there more shops to browse?" The hybrid questioned, finally unwrapping his lunch, as it was clear the teen was enjoying hers too much to be moved quickly. It was a little alarming how the human taste buds had appeared to lose their palate for fine dining, at least amongst the masses. Pitiful things.

"I need to pick up the printed photos, but then should be good to go. Well, maybe we should swing by the gaming store and buy a handheld for Kol so he can take the games with him."

"If it'll get him to stop texting me." He muttered with a shrug, just ready to be gone from this awful place.

Sophia just smiled and continued to eat, content to enjoy her fast food and milkshake, knowing it'd be a while before she could again. Not only did her new family require multi-course meals, but she also needed to make sure she ate healthy now. She'd bought numerous books to try and learn what to do and expect, and they all stressed keeping healthy, both in diet and exercise.

She wasn't sure if that advice applied to her case, but there weren't how-to books on witch-hybrid pregnancies, so she'd take what she could get.

/*/

"Stefan, I need a favor." Rebekah said with a small smile as she sauntered up to the bar, where the two Salvatore brothers were apparently trying to reconcile. Load of crap is you asked her, as there was no way they'd ever get along when they both loved the same girl.

"What could you possibly need with my baby bro?" Damon questioned, words slightly slurred, attesting to how much he'd already had to drink. The younger man just arched a brow and poured her a shot, which she took with a pleased look.

"Nothing that concerns you." The Original retorted before turning her back on him, eyes meeting Stefan's. She signaled towards the door and he nodded and downed his drink, standing and shrugging his jacket on.

"So does Elena know you're screwing each other?" Damon's question made them both turn back, one out of irritation and the other boredom.

"Elena and I are broken up. She doesn't get a say in who I spend my time with." Stefan bit out, the underlying anger he still had for his brother seeping into his words. He'd ended things with Elena because of Damon and the feelings she obviously had for him and he didn't want to think about that right now.

"Really? So you won't care if she's with someone else? Say…me?" Damon quirked a brow and gave a cocky smile, Rebekah's strong hold on Stefan's arm the only thing keeping him from slamming the arrogant man's face into the bar. He really hated they were brothers sometimes.

"C'mon, he's not worth it." The Original tugged on his arm and propelled him towards the door, turning back to deliver a quick elbow into Damon's side in retribution before she followed.

"So what do ya' need? Planning to run for Miss Mystic Falls and needed the Mayor's consent?" The younger vampire questioned once they were outside, the late afternoon sun making him squint.

"Ha, like I need anyone's permission to do anything. No, I was actually hoping I could look at your family's old milling records." Rebekah revealed as they headed towards where her car was parked.

"Why?" He gave a confused look, not knowing what she could possibly want with such records.

"You know history is my favorite subject." Stefan gave her a disbelieving look, not buying that answer at all. The blonde rolled her eyes and flicked her hair off her shoulder as she unlocked the car.

"Fine. There was a second white oak tree that grew here and I need to find where the wood ended up to keep my family safe. So will you help me or not?" She asked hotly, hands planted on her hips as she glared at him. The sun reflected off her hair, making his hands itch to run through the golden locks.

"I'm sure we've kept the records in the library." He said and got into the silver convertible, wondering for a moment how his life had gotten so turned around.

It wasn't a bad thing; in fact, even with the break-up, he felt happier and more solid than he had in decades. The moderation training was going well, as he'd increased his human blood intake and hadn't had any slips yet. His friendship with Sophia, Klaus, and Rebekah was strong and he knew that he had his own support system outside of his brother and Elena, who'd both proved detrimental to his rehabilitation. He still loved Elena; he probably always would, but he was finally learning to live with himself and to be happy.

"Thank you." Rebekah grinned and got behind the wheel, quickly starting the engine and taking off towards the Boarding House.

The two settled into work in the library, pouring through the records in the business section, searching for any mention of the white oak tree, focusing on the late 1800s and early 1900s, as that's when Mrs. Lockwood said large tress had been cut down.

"I'm sorry about Elena." Stefan glanced up at the unexpected comment, brow furrowed in confusion. The blonde just gave a small shrug.

"I mean, I'm not sorry you broke up with her, as you deserve better. And I'm not saying that just because I don't like her or because I want to get back together. I just, I'm sorry you're hurting." Rebekah explained.

"It's-uh-it's not your fault. Things have been…strained since I got back." He shrugged, trying to look unaffected and failing miserably.

"Of course it's not my fault." She paused, huffing a frustrated breath.

"But Sophia's shown me what true friendship is like and I wanted you to know I'm here if you need to talk. I'll never like Elena after what she'd done to you and Sophia, but I'm willing to listen if you need an ear." She finished uncomfortably. Sometimes she really disliked how much the witch had influenced her.

"Uh, thanks." Stefan muttered, face still showing his confusion.

"Or we could just keep having sex. I'm okay with that too." She shrugged and opened another log.

"I'll keep that in mind." He mumbled, knowing he'd never actually discuss Elena with the Original. But he appreciated the offer and the olive branch of actual friendship and not just sex she was offering.

The two lapsed back into silence, the only noise the sound of old, dry paper turning. The silence wasn't uncomfortable or tense; it was actually nice to be around someone without the need for constant conversation. That was one of the major drawbacks about being around humans; they never seemed to be able to handle prolonged silences and insisted in filling the air with chatter. Being around your own kind did have its benefits.

"I found it." Stefan announced after almost another hour, pushing up from his chair so he could hand the book over.

"1912. White oak delivered to make the Wickery Bridge." Rebekah read off, her stomach tightening in excitement at having found the answer.

"So the only wood that can kill you is on the bridge that's about to be renovated?" Stefan asked with a raised brow.

"Not for long." She replied, ripping the page out and throwing it into the fire.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Never you mind. I can trust you'll keep this information to yourself, right?" She vamped to him, fingers wrapping around his throat. It wasn't a tight hold, but it got her message across loud and clear.

"Yeah. He's a dick sometimes, but I don't want Klaus dead. Or you." Stefan said seriously, meaning every word. He'd grown to like the two Originals and actually form friendships with them both. Not to mention he'd never do anything to hurt Sophia, and if any of the Original family were killed, she'd be devastated.

"Good. My place tonight?" He just nodded, getting a smile before she was gone. He sighed in annoyance, as she'd left the mess for him to clean up. Typical.

/*/

When Sophia and Klaus returned to the house, the sun was starting to set, the onset of winter shortening the daylight. They found Finn and Sage had ventured from the bedroom and were in the den with Kol, who was still playing the PlayStation and Rebekah, who was typing away on her laptop. Klaus had one of the servants take their bags up their room, pulling the PSP Go from the bag and tossing it to Kol.

"What's this?"

"You can play games on the go now, so stop texting me." The hybrid grumbled as he walked to the table that held their booze, pouring himself a tumbler. Sophia carried the bag that held her photo albums and printed pictures over to the couch, getting comfortable so she could start placing the photos in their slots.

"Seriously? I love the twenty-first century." Kol grinned and tore into the box, getting amused looks from the others. Finn exchanged a look with Sage before they both stood and approached Klaus, who gave his older brother a cold stare, still pissed over him helping Ester.

"Sage and I are going to leave Mystic Falls." The older vampire said firmly, back straight. He regretted helping their mother, but he was too proud to let anyone see such a weakness. And he'd learned that in his family, weaknesses were often exploited and used against you, so it was better to be cold and aloof.

"You don't have to go, you know. You're more than welcome to stay." Sophia said from her spot, giving the two a smile, not holding the past against them. Usually she'd still be pissed someone tried to kill her and Klaus, but she understood where Finn was coming from; and she really didn't want any animosity in the family anymore. They'd had enough of that the last millennia and didn't need more.

"Thank you, Sophia, but it'd be best for us to leave. I have seen but a small fraction of the world and would like to stretch my legs and see what the modern age has to offer." Finn replied with a nod, his eyes turning back to Klaus.

"I trust you've given up your death wish?" The hybrid questioned.

"Yes, he doesn't want to die. I'll make sure of it." Sage said firmly, hand linked with her love's.

"Good." He nodded before moving away, sitting down next to Sophia. Rebekah jumped off her chair to say her goodbyes while Kol just ignored them all, too interested in his new game counsel to be bothered. It wasn't like he'd never see Finn again, so he didn't see the point in a big farewell.

"Be safe." Sophia waved as the couple started towards the door.

"You as well, Sophia. Take care of my niece or nephew." His words made her heart clench, still so unused to her new reality.

"I'm sure we'll be the most protected people on earth." She said with a nod towards the other siblings, getting an amused look from the stuffy man before he wrapped an arm around Sage and went to pack his things. Not that he had much to pack, as he'd only been awake for a week and hadn't gathered that many belongings yet.

"Hey, I meant to tell you, I found where the white oak wood is." The only female Original said as she sat back down, getting Klaus's attention, who'd been absently playing with the witch's hair.

"Yeah?"

"Hmm. The wood was used to build the wickery bridge. And with the renovations, the wood's all been removed. Now all we need to do is burn it." She answered with a nod and smile.

"Good. We'll see it done later tonight."

"Sure."

"Where is Elijah?"

"He needed a little pick-me-up and went to the town over." Kol answered as he flipped through the instructions.

"Maybe he won't be such a bore when he gets back."

Sophia just shook her head at him and concentrated on her pictures, her emotions once more getting the better of her as she placed them in the albums. It wasn't as severe as it was that morning, but she still felt the insatiable want for her parents to be alive and there, something that would never go away. But Klaus's large hand on her legs, which he'd pulled into his lap as he began to sketch, reassured her that even though she no longer had her parents to lean on, she wasn't alone. It was bittersweet, but better than nothing.

It was nice to just have a minute to relax, even if she wished her other friends were there. But Caroline had texted her earlier telling her how they were looking into Meredith, who apparently shot Alaric and had him arrested as a suspect for the murders, so everyone was busy. And while she missed spending time with them, she really just wanted to get away from all the damn drama. So if she could sit this one out, then she would.

Of course, she knew that couldn't last, as she lived in Mystic Falls and there was never a dull day. She couldn't wait to move after graduation.

AN: Okay, so I know it wasn't the best, but I just couldn't work on it anymore. I've only been able to write tidbits every now and again on paper and this was as good as I could get it. Sorry! But I hope you guys liked it anyways. Review! And just to give my own horn a little toot, I wrote the scene between Sophia and Klaus at the Falls before they even touched on Klaus's fears on the show. Yay.

PS: Thank god they didn't kill the baby, as I would have rioted! And can we just all marvel and swoon at Joseph Morgan's performance last night? It was just so amazing and totally melted my heart.