Kinda rushed I guess, but there was a lot going on.

Chapter 36

The house shook, glass clinked and shattered and K was nearly taken from her feet. She raced out of her bedroom to the balcony like the others had and saw everything was shaking.

"What the hell's going on!?" Rebekah demanded from the courtyard.

"Davina." Klaus growled.

K's head snapped to him.

"Where is she?" she demanded angrily, charging towards him in her nightclothes. "Where the hell is she?!"

Klaus didn't respond but pointed in the general direction. K didn't hesitate to run towards Davina's room. She found it quickly on scent and sounds alone. By the time she reached the door however, the shaking began to subside. Rebekah appeared behind her soon enough.

K hesitantly entered the witch's room. She looked around as though something might fall on her before taking one side of the bed and Rebekah the other.

"Are you okay?" K asked.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." She said softly.

K reached forward. Davina flinched which caused her to pause, but K expected the reaction. She waited a moment until Davina calmed before lightly pressing the back of her hand to the girl's forehead.

"Jesus," she breathed. "You're burning up." She touched her forehead, cheeks and the side of her throat. All of her skin was warm and growing warmer. "I'll be right back."

K left the room to gather a basin of cool water and a rag. She didn't want to risk the girl getting sicker. Rebekah asked Davina what she was doing. They'd come to an arrangement to disrupt the household and cause disorder. Rebekah respected K's wish to not be involved, so she waited until the vampire was gone to make the plans, but whatever Davina was doing was much stronger. It became obvious quickly she didn't know what was happening to her.

In the halls, K had grabbed a basin and filled it with the cool water she needed, the cotton cloth hanging gently over the lip. She was making her way back to Davina's room when Klaus came across her path. K hesitated in her step, but recovered quickly. She refused to meet his eyes and tried to trudge passed him –forgetting entirely she was still wearing her pajamas- only to have Klaus grab her bicep to stop her. K spun on her heel to face him.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, wrenching her arm from his grasp. Klaus let go easily. His face remained blank. "I asked you not to be cruel and you do the worst thing you could to that poor girl shy of killing her."

K tried to leave again, but Klaus spoke. He felt he had to say his piece.

"I had no choice." He said when K had already made it a few feet away.

She spun again to face him with rage touching her features. His jaw again was tight and he avoided her eyes for longer than he looked at them. She knew that behavior well enough to realize something. She sighed and dropped her head.

"You honestly believe that, don't you?" she asked. Klaus didn't say anything for a moment. "You had a choice, Niklaus, but you've gotten so used to thinking stuff like this is okay that you do it without second thought. Do you have any idea what you've put that girl through? She already has to deal with people treating her like a weapon, but you go and take the only thing in this world that made her feel normal, human. She's completely heartbroken, do you even understand how that-"

"Yes, I do." He interrupted, speaking through a tight jaw. He stared angrily at her, insulted by her comments. "I understand perfectly well how that feels."

K didn't speak. She could tell fairly quickly he was referencing her 'death' and it made her fidget uncomfortably. She found her footing in her anger soon enough to share a parting jab.

"Then why would you put someone else through that?" she asked without expecting an answer.

When K turned to leave, Klaus didn't stop her. He let her rejoin the little witch in the other room. In truth Klaus had nothing else to say. He knew how Davina felt -he'd been there before- but in his defense he never assumed she'd live too.

The house suddenly began to shake and Davina's scream echoed through the compound. Klaus had more pressing concerns at the moment than appearing good in K's eyes, no matter how much he wanted to.

~~~!~~~

Davina hadn't gotten any better. K took a spot on the bed near the girl and tried to keep her growing fever down. She was still sweating, still trembling and K was running out of ways to keep her comfortable. The only thing he could think to do was let the poor child grab her hand and squeeze as hard as possible when one of the fits came around.

Davina screamed, her body tensed and K had to fight a wince at the strength involved. Seconds passed, the house shook again, but soon Davina calmed and let go of K's hand. Like she had every other time Davina rocked the earth, K dipped the cotton cloth in the water and began to dab the child's skin. Davina found herself eying the vampire skeptically.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked skeptically. "Do you want something from me, too?"

K cocked a brow at the question. Davina didn't bother hiding her annoyance, but K wasn't offended.

"Why? You offering a spell?"

Davina rolled her eyes and moved just enough K couldn't touch her with the rag.

"That's all you vampires want, for me to do something for you." She said under her breath.

K scoffed, drawing Davina's eyes.

"I don't want anything from you." K told her simply. "Sorry if that's not what you were expecting, but I don't."

Davina didn't believe her, but K didn't care. Instead of pressing, she wrung out the rag again before returning it to Davina's forehead.

"Really?" she asked, drawing K's eyes. "Nothing?"

"No," K sighed softly. "Not unless you could make my head shut the hell up." She teased with a weak smile. "Thousand-year-old memories are still a little jumbled.

"But… you're not an Original."

K snorted a laugh and shook her head.

"God no."

"But, I thought they were the only ones that old."

"No." she said simply. "They make it sound like they're only a thousand years old, but seriously, are you going to walk around saying you're one thousand and fifty something, or just round it off? They've been vampires for over a thousand years, me just under."

"How old are you?"

"Physically? Nineteen. Chronologically, nine hundred and ninety-six." She said sheepishly, as though she were embarrassed by her intense age. "Ninety-seven in a couple months."

"What do you do with that much time?" Davina asked sincerely. K met her eyes and found herself surprised by the question. No one had ever asked that before. "That just seems so… long."

"It is." She nodded. "But I had stuff to keep me busy. I spent the time with a family I met right after turning. They were good people, witches like you." She smiled softly.

Davina nodded slowly before another tidal wave of agony washed through her. Again she screamed and reached for K's offered hand.

"Holy hell…" K grumbled as Davina clung to her harder than she had thus far.

The shaking lasted about as long as the times before and eventually ended. Davina's breathing began to calm and she let go of K's hand. Kali immediately began to shake the appendage.

"I think you broke a couple bones that time."

Davina laughed weakly, but eventually began to drift into sleep. It was the first time in a while she had so K was going to let her. Grabbing her things, she slipped out of the room to give the witch time to rest.

While some –including Marcel- didn't know why the young woman was paying Davina so much attention, it seemed obvious to Rebekah and Klaus. They knew K had a pesky need to help people and she'd already told Rebekah she was going to be on the side of the bystanders.

~~~!~~~

After Sophie explained what was happening, Rebekah relayed the information to Davina and K. Davina was terrified at the mention of completing the Harvest and rightfully so. It was her life they wanted to take away. Rebekah shoved the needle into the young witch's arm as winds ripped around the house, banging shutters and threatening to tear it apart.

"You want to sacrifice her?" K asked in shock when Davina was sleeping.

"We don't have a choice." Rebekah snapped. "Either the magic kills her, or they complete the ritual and Davina can come back." She relaxed slowly. "There's no other way."

K ran her fingers through her hair, curling them into fists and yanking angrily at her own locks. She growled loudly. She was basically being asked to sit back and watch them kill a girl who'd spent nearly a year being shuffled around and used as a tool. It was heart breaking.

Later, Rebekah found an IV and plugged it into Davina's arms. The first dose made the winds die down, but the magic was spilling out of her small frame too quickly now. The IV barely helped.

While she slept, K took the chance to leave her bed. Klaus had ensured a few sentries to remain at the door, so K took it upon herself to finally change into real clothes. Evidently Marcel was waiting for her to leave and sprang into action quickly after K cleared the room.

When K returned Davina was gone, the sentries were lying on the ground with their necks snapped and Rebekah was on the phone with Elijah. The winds picked up immediately. When Klaus heard her behind him, he spun to face K, seething with anger.

"Where the hell were you?" he demanded angrily. "Haven't you been standing vigil since this ordeal began?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she shot back in a thick tone of sarcasm. "But I kind of thought your lackeys could handle a drugged girl while I changed clothes. Was I supposed to just walk around the house all day in a pair of shorts and a frilly top?"

Klaus took a step forward.

"You offering, love?"

"Shut up." She snapped.

They were tense and in another situation Klaus's words might have been flirty. As it was they were just something that came out given her statement.

"Are the two of you finished?" Rebekah asked angrily as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. "We've got a girl to find before this city burns."

"Fine." They snapped in unison before dividing territory to scour.

~~~!~~~

A few hours later, Elijah had managed to persuade his siblings to consecrate their mother. Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah milled around the den discussing the downfall of what they were about to do, but they had no choice. The lightening that had been splitting the sky was no longer alone. Soon the rain began to fall and sheets of it blanketed the city.

K knocked on the doorjamb before entering just to let them know they were no longer alone. She turned an annoyed glance to Klaus who'd sent one of his minions to find her.

"You rang?" she asked sarcastically.

He was mildly amused by her comment, but in the end there was too much happening around them for him to truly enjoy the quip.

"Yes." He said, walking towards her. "Come with me."

K followed Klaus through the halls and down into the basement. She didn't hide her sarcasm.

"Planning to lock me in a cellar, Niklaus?" she joked halfheartedly.

He smiled, but continued to jog lightly down the steps into the bowels of the home.

"Not exactly. We're just here to retrieve my dearly departed mother. I've something else for you to do."

K curled her nose. "I have a feeling I'm not going to enjoy this."

When they reached the base of the steps, Klaus turned to face her. K spotted the small assortment of caskets behind him. She remembered five. There were only three remaining and soon only two. When she met his eyes, she noticed any hint of a smile was gone and seriousness took hold.

"This is going to become worse before it gets better, and I need you to do something for me." He told her simply. "I want you to stay by my side from now until this ends."

K raised a brow. His demand was an odd one to say the least.

"I'm sorry?"

"I want you to stay at my side until this is over."

"Why?" she drew out the word because she was honestly having trouble understanding his request. "You do know you can't tell me what to do right?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

K flinched. It wasn't that what he said made her uncomfortable –necessarily- but there was a hint of unease.

"It's just raining right now." She defended, uncertain of how else she was meant to proceed with the conversation. Klaus's demand to stay close suddenly made her want to defy him just because. "I can swim you know."

"And when the fires start?" he dared. Klaus's voice turned tense the longer she seemed to fight him. "I'll not have you being caught somewhere during the fires because this ridiculous ceremony doesn't work. I will not have you burning, do you hear me?!"

Klaus suddenly started yelling at her, his shoulders shook as he spoke and he pointed angrily to declare himself. K jumped and took an apprehensive step back. He realized quickly he was frightening her and that hadn't been his intent. Klaus tried to calm himself, but it was difficult considering the images that had been running through his mind.

"I," Klaus began, his voice hitching for no noticeable reason other than his fraying nerves. He hesitantly met her gaze and K noticed a hint of fear in his eyes. "I cannot lose you to a fire. Not again."

She suddenly understood. While she'd obviously never been in a fire, she remembered hearing that was Elijah's way of disguising her disappearance centuries ago. She calmed immediately when she realized he seemed to be reliving a nightmare that never happened. And he was. Klaus –at the thought of fires ravaging the city- began to fear K actually being caught in one. It took years for him to stop thinking about the fear on K's face and the pain she'd have gone through after Elijah told him she was in their house when it burned and he wasn't going to go through that again. It was debilitating the first time because he thought he hadn't protected her and he wasn't about to let pass the chance to make it up.

When she didn't speak after a moment or two, Klaus realized he might not have asked her in the appropriate way. He calmed himself enough to remove any tone from his words.

"Please." He asked sincerely.

"Okay," she nodded slowly. "I'll stay with you."

Klaus seemed to immediately relax, as though she'd removed a weight from his shoulders. Klaus nodded his appreciation.

Meanwhile, Rebekah had found Davina and Marcel. She tried to convince him the Harvest was necessary, but his loyalty knew no bounds. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. He promised he'd keep her safe and he planned to. With nothing better to do and no ability to convince him otherwise, Rebekah left to meet her siblings at the plantation.

~~~!~~~

The five of them soon found themselves standing around the freshly dug grave on the plantation property. Each was shielded beneath an umbrella while Father Kieran stood at the head of the grave. Like he'd asked, K stood beside Klaus under the protection of her own canopy.

The siblings and Hayley included went about slicing a gash in their palms, adding their blood to a single blade which Kieran promptly tossed into the grave at his feet. He declared the action was done.

The tricky part came later when they all had no choice but to wait for Marcel and Davina. They found themselves standing in the cemetery with the rain falling so thickly and heavily, it seeped through the most resistant fabric.

Klaus had taken a perch on the nearest tomb, his siblings, Hayley, Sophie and Sabine scattered around the three girls resting on the altar and K stood between the tomb and Rebekah. They waited for what felt like an eternity before Sophie caught sight of raging flames burning stronger than the rain fell.

"Fire." She muttered.

Klaus felt the heat of the fire long before seeing it. He reacted on instinct.

"Kali."

His voice was barely audible above the rain, even with her proximity, but she heard him nonetheless. K looked up and noticed him offering her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up to him. He wanted her away from the flames that licked at Marcel's heels as he carried Davina to the altar. K watched the display like the others, barely feeling Klaus snake his arm protectively around her waist to hold her close. She couldn't feel it through the thick fabric of her jacket until the fires began to lap at the base of the tomb they were standing on. Klaus' grip tightened to the point his arm was nearly wrapped around her waist entirely and he pulled her back to his chest. She felt knots form in her stomach at his stoic behavior, but didn't comment on it, not even after he forced her to take a step further back from the fire with him. They remained that way, both shielded by her umbrella because he held her so closely, while Sophie preformed the ritual.

The moment Davina said she believed, Sophie slit her throat. K winced and closed her eyes at the sight, a sentiment Hayley and Rebekah shared. Klaus noticed, but he valiantly tried to keep his eyes on the ceremony.

Almost immediately the rains stopped and the fires vanished. Klaus' grip on K loosened, but he didn't let her go entirely. Sophie continued with the Harvest, calling for the Reaping. But nothing happened. Seconds ticked by and no one rose, no one opened their eyes and no one came back to life. The four girls in white remained gone, dead to the world as though no ritual had taken place.

Sophie collapsed and began to cry at her niece's side. Marcel began to feel rage lap inside him. He glanced up to Klaus who met his eyes. Klaus could see the pain and anger Marcel held before he suddenly vanished from sight.

Klaus closed most of the already narrow distance between him and K to whisper in her ear.

"I'll see you at home."

And he disappeared, racing after Marcel to try and console his son. K remained behind with the others until it became too much to handle.