Hello! I'm back with another chapter and hoping you'all well and enjoying The Originals! This week's episode made me so happy! Haha.. Klebekah is back! Exciting! I think that for the first time (correct me if I'm wrong) Klaus said he loves someone and I'm super glad that he was talking about Rebekah although he was a little bit cruel with her for daggering for 52 years just because she liked Marcel. Yes, Rebekah does fall in love easily and makes poor choices about man sometimes but that does not justify Klaus making his life mission to murder every single guy she had feelings for or daggering her when she found a decent guy so she wouldn't leave him..

The fact that for a 1000 years no one was ever good enough for his little sister (and when they were he made sure they dissappointed her by blackmailing them **cough: Marcel** or just compelling them to forget Rebekah **cough: Stefan**) shows that he's just unable to accept her choosing another man over him or even being happy with someone else, he cannot stand her leaving him, he rathers have her daggered or unhappy with him than happy with someone else and that's way too controling, abusive and borderline incestous.. Not that it bothers me tho.. :) I do enjoy seeing and writing about their controling, abusive and borderline incestous relationship! That's what makes them so interesting.. Hehe.. As usual I hope you enjoy this chapter. BTW, I can't believe it's chapter number freaking twenty!

CHAPTER TWENTY

- AS LONG AS YOU CAN CHOOSE -

Two weeks had passed since Niklaus had payed Alma a visit and offered a ring as proof of their engagement and since then, with his help Rebekah had been sneaking out to Ayanna's hut where she was taught of pretty much everything a new witch should know. Including how to control the spirits and their magic. Ayanna had told her that if she followed her teachings and as long as nature didn't have a plan cooked up that required her help then the spirits would stay away. Rebekah was finally back to her happy, bubbly and bratty normal self and the best part was that her and Niklaus had managed to keep all this hidden from everyone else but Kol who already knew that she was a witch since he walked in after she performed magic on Niklaus so they had no other choice but to fill him in on her secret visits to Ayanna and Niklaus' also secret-fake engagement to Alma since tonight was the night when Niklaus would sneak out of the house to help Alma flee and since Kol shared the bedroom with them it was better to tell him about the plans than having him discovering it and using it to his advantage. Niklaus had not forgotten on how he blackmailed Rebekah into going to the Harvest Festival with him but to Kol's advantage the unbreakable duo currently had bigger problems than that.

"Fine, I will help. I will cover up for you if that means Rebekah gets help." Kol said and for once in his life Niklaus was somewhat thankful to him.

"Don't you think he should be back by now?" Rebekah asked anxiously, she was pacing from one side of the room to the other. Niklaus had successfully sneaked out of their house almost an hour ago to help Alma escape.

Kol sighed. "If you keep walking around you will wake Father or Mother, or worst, both! And then there will be no saving for you and Niklaus. Not even your magic would cure him from the beating he'd get if Father doesn't kill him and you would be in serious trouble too."

"Why must you always make such horrid comments?"

"I'm just saying that it's better if you just stop making noise and being paranoid and instead go to bed and pray to the Gods that Niklaus comes back before dawn."

He was right, she knew it. "This is all my fault," she muttered.

Walking around anxiously was not a good idea but instead of going to bed she sat next him.

"Do you really think father would kill him if he found out that we've been hiding all of this from him?" she asked. Her voice truly saddened. She didn't even want to think of the possibility of it.

"It's just the worst case scenario but father has for sure proven to be merciless when one of us disobeys him. Especially Niklaus."

"Why do you think he dislikes Niklaus so much?" she asked. After the last beating he had given him there was no doubt on her mind that her father truly hated her dear brother.

"Do we have to talk about this?" Kol asked.

"I'm not going to bed," she assured him.

He sighed. This was an argument that he was not going to win.

"I don't know," he shrugged shoulders. "It seems like Niklaus just annoys him greatly, in a way that none of us does. Naturally, they just clash. But I think that part of it it's that..." Kol was quiet for a couple of seconds, looking for the right words. "I believe that out of all us you are the one our father really cares about."

"That's not true," Rebekah automatically felt the need to deny that statement. "He's also nice to...," she paused. It took her a couple of seconds to finish that sentence. "Henrick!" she glanced over her younger brother who was pleasantly sleeping next to them.

"Henrick's still young," Kol explained. "Plus, who could ever be mad at Henrick? He never does anything wrong! But the rest of us have always gotten it a lot worse than you. You are for sure his favorite, his little precious girl and no one can overlook or ignore the bond you and Niklaus share. I think our father wishes to be the most important man in your life, the one you look up to, the one who you'd go to when you're in need, the one you confide in, to love you, to care for you and to protect you, but it seems like our father is very far from it. Instead, our brother seems to have that spot occupied, right?" he asked.

There was no way of denying it. She only nodded.

"And you will always side by him," Kol completed. "You even despise Father, you think he's a monster even though he has never lay a hand on you. But you always have sided with Niklaus and frankly I think that makes our Father despise him even more. Niklaus blinds you; he consumes you until he steals you from everyone else."

"No, he doesn't" she assured him. "Yes, we happen to get along very well and I care for him deeply because he's my brother, just like the rest of you."

"That's only the way you see it. You're a like a lamb around a wolf. You can't help yourself."

Rebekah found that statement a bit insulting and she meant to give Kol a quick - somewhat insulting - reply but his words echoed inside of her. That's exactly how she had felt a couple of days ago when Niklaus convinced her of proceeding with the engagement.

"I assure you he's very aware of the power he has over you and I'm sure he takes advantage of it all the time."

"You don't know what you are talking about," she assured him.

"No? Well then enlighten me sister... Tell me, how many times have you agreed or done something you didn't want to do in the first place just because it was what Niklaus wanted? Or even better, just tell me how did our dear brother react when he founded out I'm taking you to the harvest festival?"

She stayed silent.

"Tell me," he urged her. "Did he show to be the caring, understanding and kind brother you like to think he is? A brother who would understand that after years and years of reserving yourself for him you would for once like to enjoy your time with someone else in the family? Or was he angry, controlling, manipulative and possessive instead? I'd bet my money on the second one."

His words annoyed Rebekah. But mostly because there was a voice on her head telling her that he was right. She remember exactly how Niklaus had reacted, how he had grabbed her by the arm and yelled that she was going with him no matter what. How angry he'd been. How insulted he had felt because she had said that she wanted to go with Kol. All the sudden a lot of things that she had not wanted to see started falling into place. Yes, he was right. Niklaus was controlling, possessive and manipulative. Yes, she hated it, but she loved him and the previous accusations did not change that truth one bit.

"He was upset," she admitted. "But that's only because he doesn't have anyone else."

"Well, that could easily be fixed, if only he would step out of his egocentric, pitiful and mischievous self then a woman might actually love him."

"You are only taking me to the festival to annoy him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm taking you because I want to. Or when did it become his exclusive right? I'm also your brother and I should also be entitled too."

"If you truly believe in such equality why did you deny me the right to even dance with him?"

"I know it might seem like I just want to steal you from him, but all I want is to show that you're not his to begin with Rebekah!" he paused and looked into her eyes and prayed that somehow he was getting to her. His comments on Niklaus and Rebekah's relationship were always plagued with bitterness, sarcasm and even envy but this time he was truly being honest and objective.

"You know what? I'm not going to do what he does. I'm not going to manipulate you into coming with me and I'm not going to make you feel guilty if you don't. You can go with Niklaus like you always have or you can come with me. All I want is for you to always remember that you have a choice." he lay down, ready to sleep and Rebekah silently walked to her bed again, thoughts going wild in her head.

Her heart was still pounding. It had not been easy, but Alma had managed to get some of her belongings on a bag and escape her Mother's house, she felt relieved when she saw Niklaus waiting for her at the woods and after walking in the middle of the night for about fifteen minutes they had finally reached the Village's shore. They immediately saw a somewhat small Viking ship and a few man and woman were loading their things into the ship. About every three or four months a ship left the Village to start a voyage into the old world and eventually the ship would return carrying food, goods and other things that were needed around the Village but could not be found on this part of the world. Luckily for Niklaus, a ship was dated to leave about two weeks after he had made a deal with Alma and he had managed to gather the money to send her in. A man named Jonah was the commander and owner of the ship. He knew the man because his father had left the Village on Jonah's ship many times and for a few extra coins he agreed to keep in secret all about the last minute passenger. No one could know she was leaving, no one could know he was helping her.

"Niklaus," the man voiced over when he saw them arrive to shore.

He walked over and they shared a handshake.

"Go and handle your bag to the man loading the ship love," Jonah spoke gesturing Alma to leave and she anxiously walked away.

Niklaus pulled out a small bag out of his pocket. "Here's what you asked for."

The man looked inside it and nodded. "We will leave as soon as it dawns. I'll make sure she's safe and has everything she needs until we get to the other side,"

"When you come back in a couple of months if anyone asks, the girl left on your ship but I was never here."

Jonah nodded and with money on his hand he walked away.

Niklaus looked around and saw Alma walking back towards him.

"All done?" he asked.

"All done.." she affirmed.

He smiled at her.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For years… Since my mother and I became outcasts I dreamt about this day. When I finally get leave this forsaken place and build a life somewhere else. I always knew my mother wouldn't leave with me," her voice saddened. And her eyes turned watery.

"I always thought I'd be alone, with no one to say goodbye too, but you are here," the girl smiled and Niklaus smiled back at her.

She found hard to say anything else. She wanted to thank him, she wanted to explain him how she felt, she wanted to tell him that one day he was going to be a great husband for someone else but instead she just hugged him. Niklaus was surprised when the girl's arms wrapped around him but he hugged her back. He suddenly wished they'd had more time. She would be a good friend to him.

Alma stepped back and grabbing Niklaus' hand she dropped something in it closing his hand with hers.

He looked down and realized it was the engagement ring he'd given her.

"Promise next time you give it to someone, it'll be for a woman you truly love," she whispered.

"Promise," he said.

"Goodbye Niklaus."

When the bedroom door opened Rebekah's heart skipped a bit. She found instant relief when her dear bother's face showed.

"Thank God," she sighed and ran towards him immediately wrapping her arms around him. "I was so worried," she muttered with her face buried on his chest.

"It all went well," he held her tightly too taking a couple of seconds to just enjoy their embrace. He leaned his face over her neck and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"I'm home," he whispered.

She was glad, but what Rebekah didn't know was that "home" never meant the four walls around them.

It meant her.