Kol huffed annoyed and looked at Klaus. "Will you be long Niklaus?"
Klaus smiled at his 14 year-old brother and kept doing his strong lines.
"Why are you in such a hurry to go back to the hut?" he asked looking at the beautiful landscape in front of him. He was fascinated with the way the river looked at this hour; the early afternoon was always the best hour to do his silly scribbling. It was a passion he found by accident actually but he loved using the dark coal into something beautiful like making pictures come to life.
He smiled and captured the girl twirling around among to the flowers.
"KOL" She yelled at the boy next to Klaus. "Come play with me."
Kol made another huffing sound. "I rather be hunting with Elijah and father than spending my days watching you draw flowers and Bekah picking all of them and then making me carry them home... and she doesn't even mind after them once we get there."
Klaus held back a chuckle. "She likes making you upset, it's funny to watch." he said looking at his young brother.
Kol rolled his eyes when she called him again.
"Go on, she's our little princess." Klaus teased Kol.
Kol made a vomit expression but anything was better than watching Klaus make black lines all day.
Klaus was amused watching the two youngest ones, Rebekah had a bunch of flowers and she smiled handing them to Kol, he threw his head back, his sister had a very girly notion of playtime. She pouted and urged him to take the flowers; he took them mad and then easily threw them into the river.
Klaus sighed; not again...
Rebekah pulled Kol's hair mad and he did the same, pulling her really long blonde hair. "NIKLAUS!" She called upset that Kol was wining the fight.
Klaus stood up slowly, Lord knows he was in no hurry when he reached the two young kids fighting.
Rebekah kicked Kol's leg and smiled all happy that it made him yell.
Kol narrowed his eyes mad and came at Rebekah mercilessly, he swiftly threw her into the river.
He was grinning when she fought to get back on dry land, he only went serious when Klaus stopped next to him and gave him a judging look, he looked down from his older brother but kept his smirk when Rebekah stood in front of him soaking wet.
"Nik…" Rebekah tried to gulp down but her mouth was dry.
Klaus stood by the door with his arms folded and a stern expression; she even saw indifference in him.
Caroline nested Kol's head on her lap and tried to push the huge fever down with a wet cloth. She gave Klaus a look knowing that she would have to step in soon.
"You have to help him." Rebekah said between her teeth, holding back the tears that wanted to come out.
Klaus remained in same callous way, even when Kol appeared to get worst by the second. He was burning up in a ferocious fever and the poison from his neck wound where Mikael had bit him was spreading fast through his body. A werewolf bite between Originals was like poisoning a human with cyanide, it was slowly taking Kol's life but not slow enough.
Klaus still said nothing and he didn't budge from where he was, Bonnie came inside the room and rushed to the bed, she looked at Caroline and took Kol's hand into hers. His fever was turning him cold now and all the girls became even more worried.
"Father bit him... you have to do something." Rebekah urged her big brother.
Finally Klaus spoke but still without moving from where he was. "Why should I care?"
Rebekah squinted at him followed by a gasp. "He's our brother."
"Should I have the same consideration for him that you all had for me all these years? Hiding, sneaking plans behind my back..." he asked slowly.
Rebekah cleaned a tear coming down her cheek. "It's Kol... whatever issues we have to settle we can do it after you heal him Nik... we can't lose him." she begged him.
Caroline watched everything knowing Klaus too well, he felt betrayed and that was stopping his care to come forward.
"Did you know about Elena's blood? That it could make hybrids?" he asked his sister serious.
Caroline looked at Bonnie, her friend was in shock but neither spoke, they just silently watched the Original confrontation going on inside of Kol's room. Bonnie forced herself to come out of her jolt and focused on Kol, she closed her eyes trying to slow down his infection or at least to take away some of the pain he was in.
"Answer me Rebekah!" Klaus pushed her.
She felt tears fall and nodded. "Yes..." she whispered.
Klaus silently turned around and left the room, Rebekah covered her mouth knowing more tears were coming, she hated being so weak but she was on the verge of losing a brother.
"Niklaus." Caroline called after him on the hall.
But he didn't stop, she followed him into his bedroom and closed the door behind her, she needed to do this in private. He gave her a look and she could tell how mad he was, disappointed even.
"Niklaus... you can't let him die." she said in a soft way.
He pressed his teeth together mad. "They have done nothing but lie to me. My entire life."
She smiled warmly at him. "I know, I've been there and it's the worst feeling in the world but you can't let him die."
"Why? Because you were friends?" he asked with a half-smile.
"Because he is your brother and he is dying and you are the only one with the cure."
Klaus faced away from her mad. "Why should I bother? It's one less that I have scores to settle for deceiving me."
"You don't mean that..." she said again softly and he snapped.
"Yes I do." He unexpectedly yelled. "I don't feel anything but hate for all of them. For keeping me in the dark all these centuries."
"They did it to protect you." she said reaching out to touch his arm.
But Klaus didn't allow it, he knew he would falter as soon as he felt her touch; he went to the window.
"I know that you are hurt but you will never forgive yourself if you don't help Kol... I will never forgive you." she added in a whisper.
"Then I'll have to find a way to live with that." he said remained cold.
Caroline went to him; she pulled his arm so he would face her, he fought her hold again but she insisted and placed her hand on his neck.
"Look at me Niklaus." she said and she wasn't being soft now.
Klaus slowly met her gaze.
"You are going into that room and you are going to heal Kol." She demanded sternly.
"They didn't do this to protect me; they did it to protect themselves from what your death did to me. I wasn't... this... that I became. I was something else entirely." he said digging into the pain that lived inside of him.
"I know but Mikael didn't do this only to you, he did it to everyone and Kol is in the next room dying because he stood up to him like he grew up watching you do day after day." Caroline had both hands on his neck now trying to reach that side of him. She moved her hand down to his chest and stopped over his heart. "This one that races every time we are together, that beats so strong and gives me that safety I never felt before, it doesn't beat only for me... you know that Niklaus. I'm important to you but so are they. I know that you feel deceived and that you are angry and hurt but forgiveness will come to you sooner than you expect." she would follow him to hell, but she wasn't going to give up on Kol.
Klaus removed her hands from his neck and walked away from her; he bit into his hand and filled a glass that he handed to her. Caroline took it slowly, she felt him uneasy and she didn't like it.
"You should hurry, your best friend won't last for much longer." he said neutrally.
Caroline felt the tension in his voice. "Nik..."
But he smiled at her, a sad smile though and leaned over to kiss her, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips and then left the room, she turned around fast but didn't go after him.
She rushed to Kol's room instead and handed Rebekah the blood, Kol's sweat was cold and his breath was low, slowly giving way to a peaceful death.
His sister forced the healing blood on him and stroked his cheek. "Come on prick.. you can't die on me... I need someone to make me laugh and drive me mad." Rebekah whispered touching his wild hair.
Kol gulped down harshly and slowly regained consciousness, he moaned tired and Rebekah smiled through her tears, she stroked his cheek in a loving way. "How are you feeling?" she whispered to him.
"Suspicious because you are being too nice to me..." he said and slowly opened his eyes.
Rebekah laughed softly, it was working; Klaus' blood was working. Bonnie was happy about it as well but gave the two siblings a moment alone; she came outside the bedroom and towards her friend that was standing by the window.
"He's healing." she told Caroline but her friend wasn't here, she was somewhere else.
She was with the man outside the house talking to his Second in command. Yanna nodded and Caroline noticed how the werewolves were gathering outside the house. "Send a text to Elena, warning her about the true purpose of her blood and tell her to convince Elijah not to get back, to run away to some place Mikael can't find her. Or Klaus..." she whispered to Bonnie.
She flashed outside and Klaus was already returning inside the house, Yanna gave her a determined look and Caroline needed no more words.
They were going to war.
"What's wrong?" she asked him anxiously.
"The pack killed some werewolves that were seen circling the house." he simply said.
Caroline followed him close by. "Yours?"
"No... dear Mikael has been siring wolves of his own... apparently Tyler was very busy, tracking wolves that have been excluded from their packs like him, Outcasts and Mikael sired them into one pack only."
Caroline came inside the house feeling worst. "Tyler?"
"Yes." Klaus remained in his cold ways and she flashed around to stand in front of him.
"I'm not letting you go find Mikael just to end up dead."
He smiled at her. "Your trust in me is touching sweetheart."
She dismissed his smile with a violent shook of her head. "No... I won't let you go alone..."
"My pack is waiting Caroline." he said and went past her; he went for his car keys and sighed because she was right behind him.
"This is suicide..." she whispered. "Five minutes ago you wanted to let your brother die and now you are willing to go to search for your father? It makes no sense."
Klaus turned to her. "I'm going for him Caroline, before he comes for me or you."
She was resisting his words by shaking her head.
"I know him too well Caroline, Kol's attack was just a way to show me that he is willing to do anything to get what he wants. He will never stop until he is able to make more hybrids like us and with me gone, he will finally have the power he craves for centuries now." he said trying to get away again.
"Let's go away, let's run away like you wanted. Just the two of us, Elijah won't come back and Kol and Rebekah can go away on their own and hide. He will never find any of us." Caroline tried bargaining with him.
Klaus stroked her cheek, he came closer and kissed her; a sweet kiss at first before his hand went to her neck and he kissed her deeply. Caroline kissed him back not sure why it felt so much like a goodbye kiss to her; she kept the kiss going unable to part from him or his lips.
Klaus smiled when they broke the long kiss, he stroked her cheek. "I love you but you have to stay here. I don't know what I was thinking... that I had a chance at this, to have a normal life with you Caroline..."
Caroline looked at him worried.
His fingers played with her perfect blonde hair. "I was so mad that Kol did something so foolish like going against my father, he should have known better but I wouldn't let him die... but this needs to end, everyone inside this house is a weakness Mikael can use against me."
Caroline didn't know what to say.
"Stay here, he can't come inside the house, Bonnie's spell is keeping every vampire out and he is still half-vampire. I will be back after I deal with him. Tell Kol and Rebekah to leave, I don't want them near Mystic Falls." he said sternly and left Caroline with an aching heart.
"So thanks for the ride; that was fun." Jeremy said with a big smile.
Elena only nodded, she couldn't even say anything right now; her heart was breaking in too many ways. An old couple stepped outside their home with a warm smile.
"You're home, oh how we have missed you Jeremy." the woman said sweetly.
Jeremy rushed to the woman and hugged her; it felt so strange to Elena that the entire scene seemed taken out of a real perfect family portrait. She cleaned her silent tears because Jeremy seemed happy and relaxed; he waved at her and Elijah and went inside the house listening to his music.
The couple came near Elijah and nodded solemnly to him. "We'll take care of him and raise him as our own." the man said serious.
Elijah returned the nod and looked at Elena. "Do you wish to speak to him one last time before we leave?"
She simply shook her head and went to the car, she was sobbing by the time she closed her door but she knew this was what she had to do; it was the best for Jeremy. Elijah handed the old man a brown envelope with money and then joined Elena.
"It's not the first time they help me with this."
Elena nodded. "I'm trusting my brother's life with you Elijah."
He looked at her serious. "That's no small affair to trust me with. Thank you Elena."
She tried to steady her heavy tears and looked down on her lap, happy when he finally pulled away from the typical countryside home.
Stefan pushed the really old door to the crypt, it was an old abandoned cemetery and most graves were just covered in wild plants and trash that the wind carried. "I hope she's really here Katherine." Stefan said looking at the only thing in here, an old marble tomb.
The heavy structure hardly gave in and he looked at Katherine, she silently helped him.
They both opened it and Stefan was taken aback, the woman looked like a normal human.
Her body was preserved and she looked almost alive, minus the slight grey tone to her skin, Stefan moved the casing further looking for the reason he came here but her dress was torn around the area where her heart was supposed to be and he sighed deeply.
"Where is it Katherine?" he asked without turning.
"Safe." she said and came at him with a stake in her hand.
Stefan quickly moved and grabbed the stake in time, he frowned at her. "Klaus said I could kill you when I was done with you."
She smiled defying him. "I'm the only one that knows where that heart is."
"Don't worry... you'll soon tell me." he said stroking her chin.
Katherine smiled. "Is this the part where you threaten to torture the truth out of me?"
"I'm a man of few words, it's one of the reasons I get along so well with Klaus. We believe in the power of actions over words."
Katherine rose her eyes slowly to him. "I know..."
Stefan pulled his eyebrows together and then screamed in pain, clutching his head. Luka came inside the crypt and closed his hand, Stefan was yelling louder, his head was exploding and he couldn't make it stop. That was only in the hands of Luka and the boy had a huge grudge against the vampire and his best friend.
Finally Stefan passed out from the pain.
Katherine knelt close to him and stroked his cheek. "Too bad you never cared for me like I cared for you. Enough to turn you... it's only fair that I take that gift back now." she said and moved her hand to join the other clutching the stake, she swiftly staked him; Stefan slowly began to lose his color.
A loud thud made her look behind and she saw Damon standing there with a heart in his hand, she looked at the floor and saw Luka dead. "Damon..." she whispered not expecting the surprise.
"Bitch." Damon said and threw the heart away. He flashed and she moved away from Stefan and Damon, the blue-eyed vampire removed the stake fast and touched his brother's face. "Start praying that I took it out in time." he hissed at her.
"I forgot how to pray a long time ago Damon." she said feeling the wall behind her.
Damon twisted his lips into a dark smile. "It's easy... starts with... please Damon, kill me already..." he said and pushed the stake into her shoulder.
Katherine moaned in pain but didn't scream, she panted when Damon staked her again in the stomach. He dragged her by her hair and then picked her up, he placed her inside the old marble tomb with Klaus' mother and closed it.
"DAMON." Katherine screamed.
"Don't go anywhere, I have to check on my brother." he said and left the yelling vampire trapped inside.
He worriedly knelt by his brother looking dead.
Elena looked at the message and tried to be discrete about her panic attack, she smiled at Elijah. "Caroline is just worried about me."
Elijah politely smiled at her. "You should call her."
"I don't really have much connection here... can we stop for a little while? I could use the bathroom as well." she said looking at the gas station coming up in front of them.
Elijah nodded and turned the wheel there, he swiftly parked the car and looked at her. "Coffee?"
Elena smiled. "Yes." she placed her hair behind her ear.
Elijah left the car at the same time but went inside the building and Elena watched him, she quickly called Bonnie. "Are you sure about this?"
Bonnie quickly told her about all the things going on back home and the ones regarding her and she felt her heart race. She touched her face worried and then she remembered the Original she was supposed to be watching. "I'll call you in a minute Bonnie" she said and ended her call.
She gave Elijah a nervous stare, he easily handed her the coffee.
She was shaking when she took it. "Are you allowing me one last wish before you rip my heart out?"
Elijah sighed and had a sip from his cup. "I'm not going to kill you Elena."
"We had this talk already, when you first came into town and you said you wouldn't allow another Katherine situation."
Elijah easily kept drinking and looking at Elena. "We haven't shared a bed yet Elena, so you are not Katerina."
Elena felt her cheeks burn and she knew it wasn't from the jittery in her. "What happens now? I know that my blood can make hybrids." she said using the coffee only to warm her now.
"For that to happen my father must kill Niklaus and I'm not allowing that to happen. There has been a lot of confusion regarding the Petrova blood... I confided the truth in my two youngest siblings, Kol told Katerina when she seduced him."
Elena finally drank her coffee. "Your father came for them and he almost killed Kol."
Elijah grimaced. "We can't go back Elena, he mustn't get to you."
"I don't want to be used in a sacrifice Elijah." she clutched her cup.
He looked at her serious. "I can't allow you to be used in one Elena because that would imply losing Niklaus."
"If the time comes, you will kill me? If Mikael gets to me? I don't want to be used to create more evil." she was fierce now.
Elijah took a step closer to her; he gently stroked her cheek. "That's what Katerina said before she convinced me to turn her..."
"I am not her." Elena said upset.
"No, you are not..." he said with a smile.
Klaus stepped outside the car watching all the werewolves that stood outside Cave waiting for him. The huge group of men and women parted as soon as he reached the crowd, they parted for their Alpha and he easily took his place, walking inside between his pack ready to die for him. He had left Yanna back home watching over the house and his family, until they left town.
She was to watch over Caroline above all. His woman flashed to his mind but he couldn't think properly and like a soldier when she was around, she had the means to talk him into anything and he needed to be cold and ruthless when he faced Mikael.
He didn't have to wait long; a werewolf came inside interrupting his drink.
"He's here." he simply said waiting for his orders.
"Well let him in, we shouldn't keep my father waiting." Klaus said with an acid smile.
Mikael smugly walked in, he was wearing a dark blue suit and his evilness on his sleeve. He came closer to Klaus. "Hello Niklau.s" he said easily.
"Mikael." he returned the easiness.
"Interesting place you have here." Mikael said looking around and taking in the rest of the pack in the club.
"Do you wish for a drink?" Klaus said picking his alcohol up from the counter. "Perhaps something to eat or a stake right into your cold dead heart."
Mikael gave Klaus a stern look. "Always the amusing one."
"Actually that's Kol but I understand your confusion, it happens when you are such a poor father." Klaus finished his drink.
"I didn't have much choice, the Gods gave me nothing but a bunch of cowards and insolent children that never listened to me." Mikael said bitterly.
"It was hard listening through the sound of whip cutting flesh everyday." Klaus said and it came out a lot heavier in pain than he imagined it would.
Mikael rolled his eyes annoyed. "You were all conceived for a reason and not even for that you were useful."
Klaus clenched his jaw mad, even after all this time; his father still had the power to make him feel worthless and unwanted. "No one cares for you boy. No one ever will. You always let me down you are nothing but a pathetic excuse of a son to me. You will never be worthy of love."
Mikael's words raced through Klaus' mind and he suddenly wished that he had brought Caroline along with him because she was the only one able to make him feel different.
"You have a powerful pack under your belt, I give you that." Mikael said looking at the ones inside the club ready to start a fight.
Klaus smiled. "That's not all that I have." he said spiking the older man's interest just enough.
Mikael pulled his eyebrows together. "I guess Katherine wasn't that smart in the end... such a shame... she was a valuable ally." Mikael said shaking his head.
"I'm sure she will be missed." Klaus simply said.
"She was very close to me and I shall enjoy having my revenge for her death but we should focus on the other heart that I need." Mikael said locking his eyes with Klaus.
"I'm sorry old man, my heart already belongs to someone else." Klaus taunted him amused.
A big eerie smile came to Mikael. "Are you talking about the pitiable human that Finn killed the first time around and..." his smile became unnatural, dark as evil itself. "...that I killed this time around?"
Klaus chest rose along with his heavy breathing, his mind was a mass confusion of hate and surprise but also true disbelief. He couldn't understand what he had done that it was so wrong to deserve this from both his father and his older brother, other than being born.
"Occasionally I do get enough blood to walk around... I wasn't counting on Katherine becoming sloppy... and I must admit I was intrigued to why Finn always lusted over this one woman and when I pulled the pillow away from her dead face, I did take one long look at the girl. She is beautiful, I give you that and she died quietly..." Mikael said taking pleasure in his son's visible pain.
Klaus licked his lips. "I know, I felt it when she died."
"Maybe she will feel it too when you die or maybe she won't even bother... this epic love is pure nonsense. The witches are good at their craft and she is with you because they wanted it that way." Mikael taunted Klaus, wanting to seed doubts in his mind.
"She's with me because she loves me." Klaus let out in a rare vulnerable moment and he cursed himself for having it with Mikael.
Mikael laughed loudly. "Love? What do you know about love boy? About loyalty? Whose loyalty do you have but those you forge to be by your side? Where is this epic love of your life that keeps dying on you?"
"Right here."
Mikael went serious as the blonde woman came inside the Club, Klaus clasped his lips not sure if what he felt was anger as Caroline walked towards him. She stopped next to Klaus and gave Mikael a smile, Mikael squinted and heard the rest of them coming in, he faced his youngest, Rebekah and Kol. He knew he would still be alive, he just didn't expect him to stand here weak but with that petulant defying smile of his. How he would love to put him back into his place, all of them but there was a time and a place for everything.
"I'll give the happy family some time alone, so you can all say goodbye to Niklaus. I'll be collecting his heart soon." Mikael said smiling and left.
Caroline faltered, she didn't want to give in but Mikael's threats rang so much danger to her.
"What are you doing here?" Klaus snapped looking at everyone.
"You are not alone, you have never been and no matter what you do to push everyone away; we still love you. Deal with it and get me a drink, my chest is still hurting like I was stabbed too many times." Kol said and sat down on one of the couches; he rested the back of his head against it and moaned loudly.
"Go get us something to drink." Rebekah ordered one of the werewolves.
He growled at her.
"He's not your private slave Rebekah." Klaus said mad but looking at Caroline now.
"You were an ass back at home so you owe us all. If I want to turn one of your wolves into my very personal slave, I bloody will." Rebekah snapped.
Klaus shot his eyes to her furious.
"I'm not afraid of that serial killer look so don't bother." she defied him.
"Leave us." he said between his teeth and the pack left the four of them alone. "Why are you all here?" Klaus was raging but keeping it tamed somehow.
Kol touched his sore chest. "We all know what you are doing, you are doing what you did as human, make father focus on you instead of us. I must admit the torture session made me have an entire new level of respect for all the times you took a beating for us but we aren't human anymore and though I will kick your ass when I'm feeling better for taking so long to give me your blood you are not alone in this. If he wants your heart, he has to rip all of ours before he gets yours."
Klaus shook his head. "I should have let you die." he said and walked away mad.
Caroline silently followed him to the office.
"Did you put them up for this?" he asked serious.
Caroline shook her head.
"Why would you come in here knowing my father was here, have you not learned anything Caroline?" he yelled.
"I love you and I'm not leaving you. I said I would follow you into death and I will." she simply said.
Klaus closed his eyes, he wanted to stay mad at her, to scream at her but he never felt as strong as he did when she was by his side. He opened his eyes feeling her wrap her hands around him and nest her head on his chest, he laced his arms around her as well and kept her where she belonged, with him.
Jeremy sighed in his sleep and turned on his back, it was a hot night and he pushed the sheet away from his damp body. He sleepily opened his eyes, for a moment he didn't know where he was and he licked his lips, he had an urge he couldn't explain. He got up and went downstairs to have water, he irrationally wanted to smoke and he found it weird.
Jeremy smiled because his grandparents were sleeping on the couch with the TV still on, he shook his head. "You fell asleep watching TV again?" he asked turning it off.
He rested the remote and looked at them; he jumped when he saw them with their throats slit. He gasped in horror and walked to them, touching them slowly, the blood covering his hand. Then he looked up and saw Tyler, he shook his head not understanding any of it.
But before he spoke to the boy clutching a bloodied knife in his hand, someone grabbed him and he felt blood in his mouth, he choked disgusted and coughed when he was released but then everything went black. All he felt was a sharp pain in his neck.
Soundtrack:
Belief – Gavin DeGraw
Feel – Robbie Williams
