Chapter 28

Savior

The pair drew curious stares when they joined the others, but they expected it. Seeing as neither seemed willing to elaborate about what happened and they were without blood or injury, the others let it lie. For the moment.

Soon came time for Rebekah to leave. It was a sad thing for those who'd only just gotten her back, but Klaus had been right. The Strix needed to think she was still asleep and in the ocean. It gave them an advantage.

"Run far, and run fast." Klaus told her with a sad smile. "Always keep moving. And, if you meet some young fool," they shared a weak laugh, "Know your weaknesses."

"She'll be fine." K said. Her voice naturally drew eyes. It was simply something people did when someone spoke, but what they saw they found odd. K was wearing a coat like Rebekah.

"Kali," Elijah began with a hint of confusion.

"I'm going with her." She said, answering everyone's questions with one sentence. And yet, it seemed to raise more.

"I told you, you don't have to." Rebekah sighed as she turned to face the woman behind her.

"Yes, but clearly you have no idea how to take care of yourself. I mean honestly, who's murdered and staked in the same day?" she teased.

Rebekah smiled softly and shook her head. K turned around to face the others. She either hadn't seen the look Klaus was giving her, or she simply chose not to.

"Come on," K waved Hayley over. "Let's get this over with."

The hybrid smiled weakly and hugged K.

"Be careful." Hayley told her as they parted.

"You too." K replied. She gave Jackson a nod and avoided physical contact. He returned the sentiment. Then came Freya. The witch was surprised K offered a hug considering how contentious their relationship had been. "Watch over them as best you can. We both know they make it hard."

"I will." Freya smiled softly.

K then moved to Elijah. He kissed her cheek and she returned the sentiment before they hugged one another tightly.

"Please keep my sister safe." He whispered.

"Always."

When they parted, Hope reached for K. They all smiled heavily again as K took the baby into her arms. She hugged Hope as tightly as she could without injuring her and kissed the top of her head.

After handing Hope back to her uncle, K gave Cami a kind nod like she had Jackson and moved towards Klaus and Rebekah. The hybrid hadn't calmed or relaxed. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked painful.

"I thought you said you weren't leaving?" he asked tensely.

"I said I wasn't abandoning your family." K clarified. He didn't seem amused by the technicality. "I'll be back." He didn't seem happy, or to believe her. "I promise."

To everyone's surprise, K stepped forward and hugged Klaus. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged the broken-looking hybrid. He returned the affection. She couldn't help it. Despite everything they'd gone through, he was still too large a part of her life to ignore.

K felt herself sink into him. Again, she just couldn't help it. It felt good to have him hold her again. He felt warm, and comfortable. The smell that rolled off his skin was so familiar. It was a deep scent, something akin to wood. It wasn't as strong as sandalwood or anything else along those lines, but it was just as warm. It reminded her of the woods outside the home in France.

"Please," his voice shook lightly as he held her tight. Klaus buried his nose in the nape of her neck. "Please be careful."

"We will." She told him.

When they eventually parted, K gently touched his cheek. She forced a smile as best she could before glancing to Rebekah. With a silent agreement, they both left the manor.

Klaus watched her walk away with his sister and while he knew both were better off having the other, neither was someone he wanted to leave.

~!~

"Don't tell a soul." Rebekah's voice quivered lightly. She hadn't expected the curse to return as quickly as it had and it broke her heart. In less than an hour after leaving the manor, she felt the familiar desire to slaughter everyone. "Especially Niklaus, this is our burden to bear. Let him be happy with Kali."

"Kali," Elijah looked around. He was surprised he hadn't noticed K was missing.

"I sent her home once I felt it return." Rebekah explained. "I told her nothing. Elijah," she looked at him sternly. "Tell her nothing. She will let it slip to Nik at some point." He nodded his agreement. "And when the year the Prophecy foretold is over, have Freya work something out and throw me one hell of a party."

"I can't." he told her. He so desperately didn't want to dagger his little sister.

"Why not?" she snapped. Rebekah could feel the blistering skull grow. "It might be our only chance. Perhaps the only way to stop this stupid Prophecy is to embrace it? To take control of it?" he stared at her sternly as he struggled to hold back tears. He continued to shake his head as she pled her case. "Maybe if we can control it, we can change it. When I'm buried, the family part of The Prophecy will be over. You'll be able to trust them again." She slowly began to close the distance between them. "Freya, Hayley, Niklaus, Kali, you can stop anyone, friend or foe, that comes at you so just do it, Elijah."

She was becoming angry. Her body was shaking as she tried to make her brother simply look her in the eye and understand. But he couldn't. Elijah refused to do what she wanted.

"No," he breathed. His eyes were glistening with the promise of tears.

"Do it!" she said angrily.

He tried to hush her when she yelled at him. There were too many who might overhear and he couldn't risk it.

Rebekah had been shaking the dagger in his face. He gently wrapped his hand around hers to keep her from shoving it further into his face.

"Do it, Elijah!"

He knew in that moment he would never have the courage to stab her and chose to simply do it quickly. Before he could stop himself, Elijah jammed the dagger into Rebekah's chest. He gasped and she cried out as the magic of the metal sucked the life from her.

Elijah watched in saddened horror as grey overtook his sister's complexion and her veins began to protrude. His brows came together so tightly it was painful and soon he began to shake. He trembled as he held Rebekah's lifeless body in his hands. He wanted so much at the moment to collapse to his knees and pull her into his lap so he could hold her like an ailing child, but he couldn't. There were still people on the streets so he had to keep his pain in.

Without warning, something fell from high above. To his shock, K landed only a few feet behind Rebekah. She slowly stood as she looked sadly at him. K began to approach. She'd been spying from the rooftop above and only revealed herself when Rebekah was silenced.

"I thought you…" he could barely speak.

K shook her head softly.

"She tried to tell me I belonged at the manor." K said as she looked into his teary eyes. Hers tinted pink as well. She felt such heartache and pity for both siblings. "But she couldn't stop holding her arm. I followed her, just in case."

"I didn't have a choice." He breathed. "She-"

"Shhh," K whispered. "You don't have to explain anything to me." And he didn't. Even if she hadn't heard the conversation, K didn't want him to explain anything in his current condition. "Can you lift her?" he nodded sloppily. K only asked because she didn't know if he had control over himself. "We'll take her to my place."

He continued to nod. Together, K and Elijah –cradling Rebekah- raced away from the Quarter to her house. They easily flew threw the streets the short few miles and into her house within minutes.

"The guest room," K pointed upstairs. "On the left."

Elijah followed her guidance without really knowing why. He was too consumed with having to stab Rebekah because she was so scared she'd hurt someone. K went to the kitchen to retrieve a mason jar filled with something helpful.

When she made it to the guest bedroom, Elijah had already laid Rebekah on the bed. He had positioned her like he would if she were in a coffin and even straightened her clothing and hair a bit.

"Do you have a coffin for her?" K asked as she stepped closer to the bed.

"Mine." He said. "She can use mine. I don't believe she returned with hers."

K nodded. Elijah watched as she set the mason jar on the foot of the bed before bending down and grabbing the frame. K pulled it away from the wall a few inches, nearly a foot. She picked up the jar again and unscrewed the lid.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Salt and a few protection herbs." K began to sprinkle the substance on the floor. Slowly, she moved around the bed. "This will keep anyone from taking her."

Elijah watched as K created a wide circle around Rebekah with the white mixture. He was skeptical. He couldn't help it. When she was finished, Elijah reached up and pressed his palm against the invisible barrier. To his relief, he couldn't cross the line.

"She'll be safe." K told him. He hesitantly turned his attention to K. "And when you can get your coffin, you can keep her in my cellar. It's dry and hidden."

"Thank you." He said under his breath. "You didn't have to do this."

"Of course I did." She gave him a light smile.

Seeing he wasn't in the mood and still broken about what he had to do to Rebekah so soon after they'd gotten her back, K set down the jar and approached him. She wrapped her arms around Elijah's shoulders and hugged him tightly. Elijah did the same in return.

"She is safe," K said softly. "And we will find a way to save her."

She felt him nod into her shoulder, but it was clear the brother was still struggling with his belief.

They remained that way for a moment or two before Elijah composed himself. He didn't like being emotional in any way, but it did happen. He pulled back from K and immediately began to straighten his coat and put on his regular stoic face. K knew what he was doing and just let him.

"What did you say when you left the manor?" she asked.

"I only said I had to leave."

"Good." She nodded. "When we get back, we'll say I called you and asked you to help me find Rebekah. We can tell the others she gave me the slip."

He nodded.

"Let's go."

Together, they left K's home. Elijah couldn't help another glance back before following after the vampire before him. Side by side, they ran easily back to the manor.

Elijah broke off shortly after walking through the front door. He wanted to be alone for the moment so he could better gather himself. K headed for the other room where the others still were. Hope was falling asleep and it was clear Hayley and Jackson were getting tired too.

"What are you doing here?" Hayley asked when she spotted K in the archway.

"She ran." K snapped. "That little shit, ran."

A few of them mused over her declaration.

"I suppose it isn't so surprising." Klaus said. "Rebekah has always hated a chaperone."

"Still," K sighed as she threaded off her jacket. "I hoped Elijah could help me find her, but she was already long gone."

"You could have called me." Klaus said before he could stop himself, and with a hint of bitterness.

"This is Hope's first Christmas with everyone." K said. "You needed to stay with your daughter."

She marveled slightly at how easily the lies slid from her tongue. Perhaps she'd been spending a little too much time with the Mikaelsons.

Elijah soon rejoined them by the tree. The night commenced with drinks and talking amongst the group. It was a little odd considering who was in the room and that everything was amazingly civil, but it was nice too.

When the night became morning and the hour late, Hayley, Jackson and Hope left to go home. Klaus offered both K and Cami a place to sleep for the night. It was already two in the morning, it was late and they were both tired. Cami was grateful for the opportunity to put off driving as long as possible, but K took a bit more convincing. Eventually, however, she agreed and headed for her old room.

~!~

A Ghost Along the Mississippi

Season 3, Episode 10

The smell of blood was thick in the air. It wasn't anything new for a home where the primary meal was in fact blood, but this was different. Klaus and Elijah both knew this wasn't the same substance that came in the bags. It woke them both.

They met in the hall as they searched for the scent. Neither understood where it was coming from, but they knew it was near. Slowly, they moved closer to the source and to their horror, found themselves standing outside Cami's room. With the amount of copper in the air neither hesitated to open the door and charge in. Their stomachs fell.

Klaus rushed for Cami. Blood poured from her throat and saturated the linens beneath her. He slid into the bed and under her. He tried to rouse the young woman, tried to garner some kind of reaction, but it was clear she was gone.

He felt his chest tighten. The poor girl who really only ever helped had died in her sleep. Someone had snuck in and killed the little human.

"How could this have happened?" Klaus asked angrily.

Elijah didn't offer an answer.

"And where is Kali?" he was growing angry. "She shares a bloody wall with Cami. Surely she heard something? Can smell the blood?"

Again Elijah said nothing. He only watched Klaus grow angrier. Finally, he set Cami down and charged for the door to the bedroom next in line. Between his room and Cami's rested K's. The vampire shared a wall with both of them. She had to have heard something, smelled something…

"Kali!" Klaus called as he banged on the door. There was no response. "Kali!" again he banged and again there was nothing. "Damn girl," he growled.

He was too furious by Cami's death to notice barging in on K was a bad idea, but he did it anyway. Someone had come into their house, snuck into the Mikaelson home without notice and killed one of their quests. He was beyond angry.

Elijah followed quietly because he knew a fight was coming.

"Wake up." Klaus snapped as he flipped on her lights on the way to her bed. "Someone's broken into-"

Klaus' words were immediately cut short. Elijah watched as the hybrid's face went white, his jaw fell and his eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Kali," his voice was suddenly kind and panicked. Klaus rushed to her side and turned K onto her back –which had been facing the door- to better see the horror. "Kali love, please."

Elijah soon shared his brother's reaction. There, in the center of K's chest, was a wooden stake. It was plunged deeply into her body and they knew it hit her heart because her skin was gray and her body colder than normal.

Klaus' heart felt like it was ripped from his chest. He couldn't help it. It was a ghastly sight. He was lost as to what to do, temporarily stunned by the sight of K's dead-

Klaus suddenly paused. A flash of a thought raced through his mind. He immediately grabbed the stake and yanked it out of K's chest.

She abruptly shot up, breathing in a heavy breath as her skin returned to normal. She doubled over and coughed repeatedly before falling into her bed.

"Son of a bitch," she groaned as she scratched her chest. K slowly opened her eyes and looked around to see the relieved faces of both Klaus and Elijah nearby. "What happened?"

Klaus said nothing. He lunged for K before he could think better of it. Before the room came into complete focus, K felt his lips smash against hers. For that moment, for that brief second, K let herself kiss Klaus because it was all she could think to do. Her world was still spinning too much to stop him anyway.

When he pulled away, he looked at her with both shock and relief. She personally could only manage the shock. K's mouth slowly opened to ask what he was doing, but Klaus answered first. Silently, he held up the stake he'd pulled from her chest. K's face fell. She was suddenly so grateful for being a supernatural mutant. If she wasn't, she'd be dead.

"Oh," she mumbled.

"And Cami was murdered in her sleep." Klaus told her heavily.

"What?" K gasped. "When?"

"Presumably around the same time you were staked." Elijah said. It was the first time he'd spoken since waking.

K sat for a moment, propping herself in bed and trying to comprehend everything she was being told. She didn't remember anything from that night, not anything out of the ordinary at least.

When those who needed sleep began to tire, the 'party' had come to an end. Hayley, Jackson and Hope headed home. Klaus offered one of the many spare rooms to Cami, though no one was entirely certain why. Elijah and K assumed it was his need to have some kind of 'control' over what was happening around him, like her agreeing to stay the night was his way of showing he had influence on things around him. K figured it was his way of dealing with Rebekah leaving.

K wanted to go home too, but somehow she was convinced to remain behind. In truth it took little effort. K didn't truly want to go home with Rebekah's body lying in her guest room. Perhaps the Mikaelsons were more accustomed to having the petrified bodies of their family lying around in a spare bedroom, but she wasn't. So, when Klaus and Elijah both offered her their roof, she accepted.

After that, K readied herself for bed and fell asleep rather quickly. She never heard someone sneak in. She never smelled perfume, shampoo or cologne. The only sensation was slipping deeper into a slumber. Now she knew it was because she was staked.

K's hand instinctively moved to the hole in her shirt. She toyed with it lazily as she continued to think.

"This was my fault." The words barely left her lips but they were heard nonetheless.

Both Klaus and Elijah eyed her skeptically for a moment.

"What is your fault?" Klaus asked.

K snapped into reality. She looked confused for a moment. Obviously, she hadn't meant to speak out loud, but now that she had, she had no choice but to elaborate. Her eyes slowly traveled to Elijah.

"My attack on his house." She told him. "When I killed so many of his Strix. This has to be his retaliation."

"This isn't Tristan's particular style." Elijah said. "Aya, perhaps, but not Tristan. And any one of us could have brought this killer to our home." He glanced briefly to Klaus. "We all share the same blood on our hands."

No one refuted the eldest brother's assessment. It was true. All of them had caused enough strife and anger in those around them to have merited this level of retaliation.

"Come," Klaus offered K his hand. "I think it best we figure out how to proceed."

She found herself taking his hand and following the pair out of the room. She wondered how violent things were about to get.

Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter and I'll hopefully upload a new one next Friday after the next episode.