Chapter 21:
I do not own any of the characters from TVD or Supernatural.
And now for the dinner with the Originals…
Lilli knocked on the door of the mansion. She was dressed in her gold Elie Saab and she had pinned up one side of her hair, so that it fell in soft, loose curls.
Klaus opened the door. "Good evening, Lilli," he said, "Well you certainly outdid yourself, you look gorgeous, Love." He kissed her cheek, thanks to his new friend he had spent most of the morning with Caroline. He had texted Rebekah his instructions for the dinner party, since he was busy Rebekah was the next best choice in making sure that all went well.
"Good evening, Nik! Thank you. You certainly look particularly handsome tonight." Lilli said, Klaus was wearing a black tuxedo. Lilli was glad that she had taken care with her appearance since this seemed like a formal dinner, "It is customary to give the host a gift, I want you to have this," Lilli said. She opened the protective casing and pulled out the etching.
Klaus opened the parchment, he was being especially careful as he could see that it was very old. "You didn't have to get me anything, Lilli Love." he protested, "You gave me a wonderful gift by getting Caroline to spend time with me today." he gasped as he opened the etching. He was astounded when he saw the subject of the piece, but what took his breath away was the signature of the artist. "Is that real?" he asked, awestruck, "Is that you?"
"Yes, Nik." Lilli explained, "It's by Michelangelo. I used to visit with him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. That was early 1500's, 1508 or so. When I heard about what he was painting I wanted to meet him. I would take him lunch and we would talk for hours. He did a few etchings of me, he said that I inspired him." She said, humbly but simply, "It was a wonderful time, to be surrounded by such brilliance and such beauty. I told him of my work, with the Five, and he said that it reminded him of the Sibyl's, they were a group of five prophets that he painted on the wall. Michelangelo was a fascinating man. In those days, it was easier for us to interact with humans. They did not wish to destroy everything."
Klaus was mesmerized by her story, "Michelangelo, you met him and he drew you." He said, amazed, "I can't take this, Lilli, it's too much. It must be worth so much!" Klaus protested.
Lilli smiled, "I know that you are an artist, you will protect this and you know it's value. But I gave it to you because beauty, objects of true beauty need to be shared. I needed to give you this, Nik, I needed to remind you that real wonder still exists in this world."
Klaus felt silent tears run down his face, "Lilli, since I met you, I have faced nothing but beauty and wonder. You honor me, I will protect and cherish this. I have lived for so long and yet no one has shared so much with me, you are giving me a piece of you."
Lilli hugged him, careful not to damage the etching. She had never had it framed. It was a pencil drawing of her wearing a silk toga in in the chapel, standing with her wings open, spread out in all their finery.
They stood there while Klaus held onto her, and unashamedly the tears ran down his face. He had never felt like this before, to be given something of such value with no strings or conditions attached. It was a gift given freely and with love.
Elijah and Kol walked into the foyer and were shocked to see their brother in such a position, held by a beautiful girl, he was crying but he had never looked happier.
"There you are, Angel!" Kol said, grinning at Lilli, "You look good enough to eat."
Lilli turned to look at the brothers. Elijah was good looking, he looked so elegant and other worldly, like the old days.
"Hello, Kol!" Lilli greeted, "As far as I know, I'm here to eat dinner, not the one to be eaten."
Kol laughed, Elijah looked surprised that someone could joke around with Kol and not be repelled.
"We were wondering where you had gone to with our special guest?" Kol said to Klaus.
Klaus held up the etching so his brothers could see it properly, "Lilli has given me a gift of rare beauty." he held it up proudly.
Elijah looked at the drawing and the name, he wondered why this girl would give it to Klaus. Klaus who destroyed everything good and beautiful in the world.
"What did you bring me?" Kol asked Lilli cheekily.
Lilli smiled at him, "Well, I think letting you keep your life after you kidnapped me keeps us even when it comes to gifts for the next few years?"
Elijah was stunned.
Kol laughed, "You have me there."
Klaus looked at Elijah and saw the surprise on his face. "Lilliana please let me introduce you to my big brother, Elijah."
Elijah took Lilli's hand and kissed the backs of her fingers softly. Lilli was pleased, he was a gentleman.
"It seems that in the short time that you have been around my brothers, you have managed what no other has, you have tamed them. I thank you for that." Elijah said.
Lilli laughed "They can't be tamed and why should we not love them and accept them for who they are? Help them to better themselves but not alter their essence?" she asked Elijah.
Elijah frowned, "I thought that you are an Angel? Do you not hate what they are?" he asked.
Lilli looked at him, "Why do you judge them? Learn to forgive Elijah, your pain causes you to mistrust all those around you. That's what I like about Nik and Kol, they know who and what I am and they accept me. Why should I not extend them the same courtesy?"
Kol felt his chest swell with pride at those words. He had never thought to hear those words. He loved her, Kol loved this brilliant, brave Angel. She had his heart and his loyalty.
"Let me tell you a little story about my three brothers, so similar to you," Lilli said, she looked at each of the Originals. Rebekah had walked into the foyer as well, she was not a patient creature and she had gone looking for them. She stared at the stranger.
Lilli continued her tale, "Three brothers that I loved, who waged war. My brother Castiel went off on his own mission one day, he decided that our Father had been silent for too long so Castiel wanted to get a reaction. My brother Balthazar and I did not know Castiel's agenda, we blindly followed because Castiel was the most gentle and fair of our kind. He was the good brother. Raphael tried to stop Castiel by aligning himself with Hell. Balthazar and I were horrified, how could an Angel, an Arch-Angel of Raphael's stature align himself with our sworn enemy? But in the end Balthazar became just a casualty of war, he was used and killed. My brother, Castiel killed him before my eyes. Then Castiel tore open the gateway to an evil that had been sealed by Heaven and Hell. That's why Raphael had worked with the enemy, to stop the evil from entering this world. I watched as my brother ripped open the seal and the darkest evil, the Leviathan went into him. Castiel was possessed by the darkness. I saw my brother, my kind, honorable brother who walked into a church, a church! The place of our Father, and he ripped apart innocents. Castiel unleashed the evil into this world. They fed on human flesh, they ravaged towns." Lilli shuddered, remembering the horror. "Castiel lost his mind. He lost his memory."
Lilli looked at Elijah, "Do you what I did to him, my brother that had awakened a long extinct evil, my brother that had killed another of our family and torn our family apart?" she asked him.
Elijah shook his head, imagining the worst, "Did you have to smite him?" he asked.
Lilli smiled, "No, I did what my Father did, I forgave my brother." She said simply, "My Father, who is great and powerful looked past the evil that Castiel wrought, He saw the innocent child who merely wanted to be acknowledged and loved. Castiel wanted to give people faith, his methods were horrific, but his intentions were good."
Elijah was stunned. Could it be so easy to forgive?
"Learn from my family, Elijah. Save your's!" Lilli implored him, "Look past Niklaus's mistakes and see the man that he can become. I see it, and it is a sight to behold."
Rebekah was in shock, this girl was like them, like her. A sister stuck in the middle of brothers who thought that they knew best.
Elijah smiled, "Okay. I will try it," he conceded. "If you could forgive evil of such a magnitude, then I can try forgiving my brother, I suppose."
Klaus laughed, "I sound like a choir boy compared to your brothers, Love." he teased Lilli.
She smiled, "You are still young, my brothers have been around since the beginning of Creation."
"So we should give Niklaus more time to be that evil?" Kol teased.
Lilli laughed, "No, Nik wouldn't be that bad."
Rebekah stepped forward, "Why do you call him Nik, when everyone calls him Klaus?" she asked curious.
Lilli smiled at the Original, "I call him Nik, because that is what you call him, and you and I are destined to be great friends." She replied.
Kol laughed, "Rebekah has no friends." he teased.
Lilli looked at Rebekah, she saw the lost lonely little girl, "Bekah is not alone, she will always have me."
"You seem so certain, how do you know?" Rebekah sneered, she trusted no one.
"Because I have seen." Lilli said simply, "Can we eat now, I'm starving Nik."
And the tension of a first meeting was gone, as they all walked into the dining room. Klaus took Lilli's arm and held onto his present with the other hand. Elijah was in shock, could this be real. This girl seemed to fix his broken brothers. He would be patient and see what would transpire.