Beautiful Disaster ~ Chapter XXXVII
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"There is love of course. And then there's life, its enemy."
~ Jean Anouilh
Andy felt the explosion. She kept quiet, not wanting Cami to know how bad it was. She knew Elijah wasn't dead, it would have taken a lot more than an explosion, but she couldn't help the pain she was going through. She knew she had made the right choice in staying with Hope since Elijah was an Original, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something worse could happen.
It seems like it took them forever to get back to the farmer's market. Once they made it there, it was dark outside and had emptied out since they were last there. Andy was growing more anxious by the minute. Hope was still crying and none of their soothing words calmed her.
Once Cami parked, Andy quickly took Hope out of her car seat and handed her to Cami. They rushed towards the payphone but Cami tripped slightly, dropping all of her change onto the ground.
"Damn it!" Cami cursed, and Hope began crying harder. Cami looked guilty between Andy and Hope. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry. You're being so brave, the least I can do is watch my—" Cami cut herself off when she heard a metallic noise nearby and froze in place.
Andy grabbed them and shut them into the payphone booth, turning to where the sound had come from. "I swear to God, I will so turn you into an effigy whoever is out there!"
"Actually, Andrea, that's probably not necessary."
Andy turned to see Elijah was standing behind her. His clothes were burnt in various places and he was covered in ashes, but his skin looked unscathed. Andy threw herself into his arms, not caring that she was getting dirty in the process.
"What the fuck happened, Elijah?" Andy demanded, leaning back as she cupped his face in her hands. "You scared the shit out of me."
"That's a discussion for the car," Elijah said, putting his hands over hers. "We need to move quickly." Andy didn't hesitate; she trusted Elijah, and from his worried expression, this was not something she wanted to question.
"You guys totally saved my ass."
Kol caught onto the end of the discussion as he walked into Davina's room where Josh sat on the bed. "Yeah, well, don't mention it!" He said, tossing a blood bag to the vampire. "There you go, here's a little go-juice. So, you should be, well..." He gestured toward the door. "...going."
He wanted some alone time with Davina, not knowing how much time he had with her just yet. With the hex Finn put on him, he suspected that he may not even make it through today.
Davina giggled and gave Josh a hug before he left, bidding the vampire farewell. Once Josh had exited, Kol walked over to Davina as she crossed her arms in mock annoyance.
"So, where were you yesterday?" Davina asked.
"Well, you know, being a hero, saving the day, the usual!" He said, giving her a small smile. He didn't want her to know that this could be the last day they had together.
"Ah. And you didn't think I could help?" Davina smiled despite herself.
"Well, you were with your mate!"
"You couldn't have called me? It takes ten seconds."
Kol gasped mockingly. "Oh-ho, this is a right proper spat we're having? It's almost as if we're, uh... oh, what is that phrase? 'Going steady?'"
Davina rolled her eyes, still smiling at him. "You wish!"
"Ah, maybe! Maybe I could make it up to you?" He suggested and she looked at him in curiosity. "By, uh, well... finishing a mystical dagger? What do you say?"
Andy eyed the shirts at the gas station, trying to find the perfect fit for Elijah. He had pleaded her to choose one that was sensible, but she knew there was no such thing at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. He had sent in Cami with her to ensure she didn't pick something he wouldn't ever wear in a thousand years… but Andy knew Cami wouldn't take much convincing.
"This is it," Andy said, holding up the "I am Huge in the South" shirt with a pair of cowboy boots on it. "And they have it in his size. Fuck yeah."
Cami laughed as she headed towards the cash register. Andy was quick to follow. Currently, they were on a road trip back to New Orleans. After Elijah had come to her last night, they had called Klaus and he ordered them to return home with Hope, that Hayley's wedding would be taking place today. Andy still wasn't sure what to think of the wedding, but if Hayley was happy and wanted to go through it, then that was what mattered.
"Has Elijah… Has he mentioned to you anything about Hayley?" Andy asked Cami as they waited in line. Cami glanced over at her, furrowing her brows.
"Other than her getting married? No, I guess not. Why?"
"Well, I don't know if you were ever let in on this, but they kind of had something. Back when she was pregnant, when I was with Klaus… I mean, when we thought she died, Elijah was so torn up over it," Andy sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know. I just wondered what happened between them. Well, mainly if anything ever did, or if Hayley just moved on. Not that you would know that, but I just—"
"—was curious," Cami finished her sentence. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "No, I'm not sure if anything did happen. Maybe that's something you need to ask him…"
"Ugh, don't use your psychology on me," Andy replied jokingly as she scrunched her nose up. "Elijah better appreciate this shirt."
When they walked out of the store, Elijah walked around the side of the car to meet them.
"Diapers, formula, and—"
Andy interrupted Elijah, quickly grabbing the shirt from the brown paper bag. "This!" She said excitedly, walking around the car to meet him. She held the shirt up against his chest and handed it off to him. He looked down at it incredulously.
"Unless you like your clothes crispy," Cami said as she went to put the groceries in the car.
"As opposed to deep fried?" Elijah asked, looking up at Andy with a smile. She grinned back at him.
"I'm glad you like it."
"I guess it depends on your perspective."
"Oh, you have to admit a fondness for it," Andy replied, grabbing the shirt from him. "I should've grabbed one in my size. We could've matched for Hayley's wedding."
"I'm sure your boyfriend would appreciate it."
Andy saw the playfulness in his eyes and laughed. "Wow, Elijah. Well, you got me there," She tossed his shirt back at him. "Guess we better get back at the road… you gonna change first?"
"And allow you to watch me? What savage do you think I am, Andrea?"
"I am going to die from your sassiness," Andy said with a smile as she walked around him to get to the car door. She patted his back as she did. "I saw someone eyeing you in the store. Change in front of them."
"All those Alphas... dead. That's a lot of wolves that are gonna want revenge," Aiden commented as he thought back to the funerals they had held earlier this morning.
Jackson sighed. "We make it clear the witches were behind this. The vampires were manipulated by dark magic. This... wasn't their fault."
"We sure they'll believe it?" Sam questioned, worry in his voice. Jackson knew Aiden held the same concern; both of them were involved with vampires romantically. If the other werewolves wanted revenge and went against Jackson's orders, it would be bad for everyone. Though, with Sam being involved with Andy, he was more at risk with the Mikaelsons than anyone else.
"Gentlemen," Jackson turned at Klaus' voice. Speak of the devil. "I come bearing gifts."
The hybrid tossed a bag that was bloodied at their feet. Jackson looked up at Klaus with a scowl, recalling the other day's events. Still, he knew he was no match for Klaus.
"The hell did you do?" Jackson demanded warily.
"I removed the heads of the wolf leaders who refused to relinquish Finn's moonlight rings!" Klaus exclaimed, giving them each a broad smile.
Jackson remained unamused, his annoyance growing by the second. "You brought me a bag of werewolf heads?"
Klaus shrugged, his smile not dropping once. "Well, I'd hoped you'd see it as an early wedding present! Besides, I can't have witch sympathizers in my army."
Jackson approached him. He was tired of Klaus thinking everything was his; this time, Jackson would not be manipulated by the Original. "The wolves are not now, nor ever will be your army."
"You know, you are a brave and selfless leader, Jackson," Klaus said. Jackson nodded in agreement. "And I'm positive you'll remain so for the entire duration of your reign." Confused, Aiden and Sam both joined Jackson's side.
"Is that a threat?" Sam questioned, narrowing his eyes at Klaus.
"Sam," Jackson chastised. He knew the young wolf hated the Original and held jealousy towards him because of their mutual affection for Andy, but that was no reason for him to provoke something especially today of all days.
"No, Jackson, it's quite alright," Klaus said, turning towards Sam. He tilted his head slightly. "Sam and I go farther back than any of us. Of course, he's been drooling over my girl since then."
"She's not yours," Sam snapped, taking a step forwards but Jackson threw his arm up to stop him.
"Sam, back down!"
"Boys," Ansel called out as he walked up. "What is going on here?"
"Just putting the pups back into their places," Klaus said, turning to face Ansel. "How are you doing, father? Are you to be Jackson's best man? Or perhaps it's the dashing Aiden?"
"Niklaus, don't ruin this day for Jackson or Hayley. You're better than this." Ansel told his son, his voice firm but he kept it as calm as he could. Sam scoffed at Ansel's words and Klaus just chuckled.
"Alright, father, whatever you say," Klaus turned back to Jackson with a smile. "Festivities begin at eight at my compound. Spread the word. And, do arrive early enough to clean yourself up. It's your wedding day, for God's sake!" He turned and walked away from them. Jackson looked down at the bag of werewolf heads, kicking it.
"Am I crazy, or did he just do his version of a nice thing?" Jackson questioned, looking up at Aiden.
"Meaning something is up with him," Aiden said. "I gotta go run a couple errands. Sam, you wanna come?"
"Yeah—"
"Actually, I need to talk to Sam," Jackson said, turning towards Aiden. "He'll catch up with you later."
"Whatever," Aiden said with a shrug before he walked away. Jackson turned to Sam with a frown.
"Your anger towards Klaus is gonna get you killed," Jackson said immediately, folding his arms over his chest.
"He acts as if Andy is his alone and he controls her."
"Last time I checked Andy can handle herself. She doesn't need you fighting for her at every corner," Jackson argued. "She wouldn't want you to be stupid and provoke Klaus. She can handle Klaus."
Sam huffed and looked away from Jackson. Ansel walked over to Jackson's side. "You know he's right, Samuel. Some things need to be kept secret. I'm sure Andrea wouldn't like for you to act possessive of her either."
Andy watched as dozens of decorators and caterers went in and out of the ballroom. She was standing next to a clean Elijah and Cami who held Hope in her arms. When Klaus approached, his gaze was first on Hope, but soon it found her with a wide smile. He leaned down, placing a kiss on his daughter's head before he turned to Andy.
"How's our lion doing?" He asked her, the smile playing on his lips.
Andy rolled her eyes. "Realizing she's not as good as a babysitter as she was when she was younger."
Klaus chuckled and looked back at his daughter. "And how much trouble has the little one been?"
"Not as much trouble as Andrea would have you believe," Elijah interjected as he and Andy exchanged a grin. "Though, it was quite amusing to watch Andrea change a diaper. I believe we used more wipes on cleaning her vomit than on Hope."
"Hey, that's not fair!" Andy exclaimed, playfully pushing Elijah as Cami and Klaus both laughed. "In my defense, baby poop is the nastiest thing in the world. Having heightened senses doesn't lessen the blow either."
Klaus chuckled and placed a hand on Andy's shoulder. "Well, I'm afraid you may have more diapers to change yet, love."
Andy smiled at him, putting a hand over his and squeezing it slightly. "You say that as if it is a bad thing," Klaus smiled back at her, his dimples showing and reminding her why she found him attractive in the first place. "Although, I suspect Hayley will want to make up for all the time lost so I'll be saved from that duty."
Klaus continued smiling at her, not pulling his hand away from hers. "Speaking of the little wolf, I should go get her to see the special guest."
"Probably a good idea," Andy said, dropping her hand from his. He continued smiling at her, though, as he turned to go retrieve Hayley. Andy was glad he was happy and that his daughter was finally coming home. Andy turned to see Elijah was watching her with a small smile of his own. "What?" She questioned him.
"I'm just imagining you with a clothes pin over your nose again."
"Goddammit, Elijah," Andy said as she laughed, putting a hand on his arm and squeezing. "Tell one more person and I'm gonna find that dagger for you."
"Are you so sure you could take me?"
"Um, throwback to the time I daggered you." Andy said with a laugh. "Though, since I'm a vampire now, it'll be another death for me."
"We wouldn't want that," Elijah said, his gaze filled with adoration as he looked at her. She smiled back at him shyly before turning to see Hayley walking in with Klaus.
"You brought them here? Finn could be anywhere!" Hayley said, turning to Klaus.
"I've taken precautions. There'll be no uninvited guests at your wedding, and after, your wolves will be the first line of defense to this home. No more running, Queen," Klaus said, smiling at Hayley as he gestured for her to go see Hope. Elijah nodded at them encouragingly. Hayley walked over and took Hope out of Cami's arms. Hope immediately began cooing and babbling happily when she finally got to see her mother. Hayley and Cami both giggled contently as Hayley walked toward Jackson.
"Hope, this is Jackson. Jackson, this is Hope," Hayley said. Jackson smiled when he saw her, and Hope stared at him in wonder. When Jackson held out his hand, Hope clutched his fingers tightly and cooed at him.
"Well, I best go get ready," Andy said, patting Elijah on the back. "As much as I love smelling like a farm, there will be enough werewolves at the party stinking it up. I'd rather be the one with decent aroma. Don't worry, Hayley, I'll make sure my scent is nowhere near as great as yours."
"Oh, Andy, always the considerate friend," Hayley said with a smile. "Actually, I did want to ask you. Since Rebekah is out, I thought maybe you'd wanna be my maid of honor. I wanted to ask you sooner but we were all kind of busy. Not that there's much for you to do… still, I thought I'd ask."
"Hell yeah," Andy said with a grin, her eyes lighting up. "Since we didn't get to have a bachelorette party before, we'll have to schedule one. I'll plan it, of course. I mean I was friends with Caroline Forbes."
Klaus chuckled stepping forward and placing his hand on Andy's lower back, directing her off to the side. "Come with me, love." She looked back at the others with a confused expression but waved to them anyways as Klaus led her into his study. He allowed her to go in first before closing the door behind her. She turned towards him in confusion, but he spoke before she could.
Klaus pulled out a long and slender box from his pocket and placed it in her hands. "Open it," He commanded.
"Klaus…" She said, knowing what he was trying to do. "It's not my wedding. I don't need a gift."
"Think of it as a 'coming back to life' present. I haven't been able to throw you a proper birthday bash in quite some time, and I intend to rectify that this summer, but for now I thought this could do," Klaus was smiling at her, his dimples in full force, and she felt her stomach lurch. When he smiled like that, it was enough to send any girl to her knees.
With a sigh, Andy pulled the ribbon off the black box. She opened it up and gasped at the sight. It was a bracelet of a lion that had onyx stones for the eyes and a diamond inside of the mouth with the rest of it being made of gold. It had intricate designs of the mane that twisted and turned into other patterns over the rest of the bracelet. She looked up at Klaus in surprise. "Klaus, where on earth did you get this?"
"I am quite resourceful, love, as you are quite aware of," Klaus said. "Do you like it?"
"I love it, but you know I can't—"
"Oh, you can and you shall. Don't tell me all of my time and money going into locate it will be all for nothing," Klaus closed the box and held his hands over hers. "Accept the gift, Andy. It's for you. I could have done so much more, but I knew it would be tough convincing you of accepting this piece of jewelry."
Andy sighed and nodded. "Alright, but no more, okay? I appreciate the thought, Klaus. Thank you."
He smiled at her, then looked down shyly at her hands. "There is something else I'd like to ask you."
"Shoot."
He was nervous in asking her, he would barely look up to meet her gaze. "Would I be asking too much if I asked to accompany the maid of honor tonight?" He asked, finally looking up at her with a small smile.
"Actually, it would," Andy said almost instantly. She kept her tone even. "Next thing I know you'll be trying to pick a dress out for me and dancing with me all night."
"Well…" Klaus said, looking sheepish.
"Which you picked a dress for me already," Andy sighed and dropped her hands from his. He looked at her disappointed and she saw he detested the rejection. She knew that Sam would be coming and she didn't want him to see her with Klaus and get the wrong idea. However, she didn't want to mess up Klaus' good mood either. "Okay. Here's a compromise. I will dance with you twice, but I get to pick my own dress. We are not each other's dates; we are just escorting one another for a certain amount of time."
"Deal," Klaus agreed instantly, a smirk appearing on his lips. "Honestly, that was a lot less painless than I anticipated."
"I can still retract it," Andy pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.
He raised his hands in defense, chuckling at her. "I concede, for now. I look forward to being your escort 'for a certain amount of time,' Miss Gilbert."
"And yours, Mr. Mikaelson," Andy replied, giving him a smile in return before walking out of the room. She headed straight for the stairs, missing the longing look Elijah was giving her from the balcony.
Once Andy walked out of Klaus' study, Elijah followed her as she moved throughout the bustling house with ease. She was smiling and he had to admit that her smile was a sight for sore eyes. He was glad she was happy although he had to admit, the fact his brother was the cause of it was disheartening. Elijah shouldn't have allowed himself to hope these last few days; Andy would always love Klaus and Elijah would always be the other brother. He had resigned himself to the role long ago and needed to properly fulfill it again. He had accepted it before and had gotten it into his foolish mind for whatever reason that things may be different now.
Elijah walked into Klaus' study, seeing his brother pour himself a shot of bourbon before quickly downing it. He poured himself another, not turning to face his brother. "I thought your daughter's return would please you," Elijah commented to him.
"I'm overjoyed," Klaus said, drinking the second shot. "And I'll be even more so provided you do nothing to dissuade Hayley from going through with this wedding."
Elijah looked back at his brother, confused. "Is there something you wish to discuss, Niklaus?"
Klaus turned to face Elijah with an annoyed expression. "Everyone knows you have a tendency to intervene in the business of others when it comes to matters of the heart. But Hayley has a duty to this family, and so do you."
"First of all, Niklaus, you are the one with the tendency to meddle in business that is not yours. Secondly, I was under the impression this was Hayley's choice. Tell me you did nothing to bully this decision."
"We're mobilizing an army. She will do what is asked of her. And you will do nothing to prevent that." Klaus said, pointing at his brother as he sat down the shot glass.
Elijah strode over to Klaus so that he could look him straight in the eye. "Unless, of course, I learn that she was pressured into sacrificing her freedom in the name of some political alliance."
"Hayley is putting family first. I suggest you do the same."
Elijah nearly scoffed, offended that Klaus even considered that Elijah didn't put family first. He always had, especially in matters of the heart. After all, it was the whole reason he had never tried to pursue a relationship with Andy despite the enduring feelings between the two. "Family is always first."
Klaus clapped Elijah on the shoulder. "Well, then we won't have a problem, will we? Now, tell me you'll let me know what Andy is wearing before the actual wedding. I would hate to not match her."
Elijah knew Klaus was trying to provoke him, to show that Andy had "returned" to him. Elijah clenched his fists, hating his brother's pettiness. Klaus was still threatened by him though, and that was a clear sign that he was beginning to see a threat in his relationship with Andy.
"I am not your errand boy, Niklaus," Elijah said as calmly as he could manage. "And last I checked, you don't need to match your escort."
"Oh, come on, Elijah. Not to rub it in, but did you honestly think Andy and I would not be together for long?"
"From what I overheard, she has no intention on reconciling with you."
"And yet, true love overcomes even the smallest obstacles," Klaus said, dropping his hand from Elijah's shoulders. "I am not saying she and I will reconcile tonight, but this is a step forward in our relationship. You should be happy, brother; we're closer to getting our Andy back."
Klaus walked out from his study, leaving Elijah to stare after his retreating figure. Elijah had to shake his head at his brother's foolishness. Andy was nowhere near the same person she used to be; Elijah was okay with that. If anything, their last few days together had strengthened the bond between the two. Although it had caused Elijah to fall in love with her more than he had ever been before.
Andy put the last few details on her. For her dress, she had chosen a mini navy blue dress with long sleeves that had a belt around the waist. She paired it with a pair of navy blue heels and made sure her hair was presentable. She wore gold stud earrings and the new lion bracelet Klaus had gifted her. She knew it might give him the wrong idea, as well as her "escorting" him tonight, but she didn't want to ruin his good mood.
"You look perfect."
Andy turned, surprised to see Elijah watching her from the bedroom door. She smiled at him and turned in circles. "Why, thank you. I kept it toned down, of course. Google said to accentuate one of your assets when you're a wedding guest and seeing as Hayley's dress will cover her long, luscious legs I thought why not show mine? Though, mine are clearly not luscious or well-toned." She said as she stopped to face him again. He was dressed also in his tux. "You look quite handsome yourself, Mr. Mikaelson."
"Thank you, Andrea," Elijah said as he approached her. She swallowed, growing nervous at his close proximity. He was giving her the same loving look he had the past few days, as if she was the only one in the world. She had ached for someone to look at her like this for so long and being around the Mikaelson brothers who gave her that look all the time was a very humbling feeling. "Is this the 'coming back to life' present Niklaus mentioned?" He asked her, gesturing to her wrist.
"Ah, yes, the lion," Andy chuckled as she lifted her wrist, holding it up so they could both look at it. "Although, I think it is too flashy to wear on a daily basis. Not that I would, but… it was a nice gesture."
Elijah looked up from the bracelet, his gaze meeting hers again as he lifted his hands to close over hers. "I hope you'll forgive me for the lack of my gift."
"What? You didn't get me a gift?" Andy demanded, feigning anger towards him. "But I deserve the world, Elijah! You should've bought me every item your gaze fell on today."
Elijah gave a small chuckle, running his thumb in circles on the back of her hand. "I cannot argue with you on the basis that you deserve the world, Andrea. You certainly deserve more than my brother."
Andy sighed, looking down at their hands. "I shouldn't have agreed to go with him tonight, Elijah. It's going to give him hope that… that…"
"That you two will reconcile?"
Andy looked up at him sadly. "Precisely. I thought perhaps that this could be a way for us to build our friendship, but I'm scared he won't understand what I have to tell him. I shouldn't have agreed to let him escort me. I'm just leading him on."
"Andrea, my brother loves you more deeply than you could ever imagine. He will understand anything you have to tell him," Elijah insisted. "If not, then I'm always here to keep him in line."
"You're too good to me," Andy said, dropping her hands from his. "You shouldn't treat me this way, Elijah."
"Why not?"
"Because… I hurt you in a way I would never want to repeat ever again," Andy dropped her head. "But I may be now. And that's not fair to you."
"Andrea, what are you speaking of?"
"Being with someone else. Practically flaunting him in front of you. You and I acting like we weren't… I mean, we never really, but—" Andy cut herself off and caught her breath for a moment before looking back up at him. "God, I'm making this more awkward as I speak."
"Andrea, look at me." She kept her eyes closed. "Andrea." She felt his hand cup her cheek and she slowly opened her eyes to see he was giving her a small smile. "What matters is that you're happy. If you want to be with this man, be with him. I'm happy for you. And if Niklaus doesn't understand, I will be there to stop him from trying anything stupid."
"You would?" Andy asked him, shocked at this reaction.
"I give you my word no harm will ever come to him by Niklaus so long as I live," Elijah promised her, his thumb rubbing her cheek.
Andy pulled him into a hug, doing her best not to cry on his tux. "It's nothing serious, Elijah," She whispered into his coat. "I'm not in love with him… and I don't think I ever will be. But he makes me laugh and so far he hasn't made me sad. I just wanna see what comes of it. I wanna date and be free to see other people right now. Klaus won't ever understand that, will he?"
"He may surprise you yet."
"What would I do without you, Elijah?"
"Perish by the hands of my brother?" He suggested and Andy couldn't help the laughter that escaped her lips.
"Right. Well, we should head on down. We don't want to disappoint the groom and bride, especially when I have the maid of honor duties to attend to."
Andy watched as guests began to arrive. They were both vampires and werewolves alike, and tended to stay away from one another. Cami was in Hope's nursery keeping her attended to, but Andy knew if Hayley hadn't asked her to be the maid of honor she would probably be helping to protect the little girl.
"Andrea," Ansel greeted as he came to her side. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks, old man. You don't look too shabby yourself," She shot back with a playful grin and nudge. "Though, I will be the first to admit we expected both you and Jackson to show up in flannel tuxes."
"And incur the wrath of Hayley? I think we are both too smart for that."
"Klaus isn't, I guess," Andy replied dryly. "I heard about what he did to Jackson and Sam a couple of days ago. I haven't really gotten to chance to speak to him about it."
"He was doing it to protect his daughter. The same reason he nearly killed me," Ansel pointed out with a small sigh.
Andy studied his face, seeing the stressed expression on his face. She hadn't really thought about how hard all this was for him. He too had died and come back to life after a thousand years, but on top of that he had to help his son take out the woman he loved and have the same son try to kill him. On top of that, before Finn had taken Mikael down, the Original father had been trying to hunt him and all the wolves and vampires alike were on high alert. Since she had been busy with Hope, she hadn't really been able to speak with Ansel about how he was handling everything.
"How are you doing, Ansel?" She asked him in a lowered voice, slight concern entering her voice.
Ansel's blue eyes found hers, and she saw the fatigue they held. She reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Since Finn had been using Mikael, it made it easier to protect the others but… still, all this preparation for the Unification, protecting Hope, Niklaus is still pushing me away… it has been getting to me."
"I can talk to him, if you want."
"No, he should come to me by his own choice. It's the only way we'll ever have a relationship," Ansel insisted, giving her hand a squeeze. "I do appreciate your support and everything you've ever done for me, Andrea. The Mikaelsons are lucky to have you... and I know someone else who is grateful for you."
Just then, Andy glanced over at the door to see Sam entering with a few other werewolves. His gaze went across the room for a moment, searching, until it found her. They stared at one another for a few moments, both with knowing smiles on their faces. This had been the first time since they had sex they had seen each other again, and their separation had only increased the interest in one another for the both of them.
"Excuse me," Andy said with a sheepish smile to Ansel, but he smiled knowingly at her as she made her way down the stairs and through the crowded courtyard. Sam had abandoned the werewolves and now he stood tall in his tux, his long hair looking soft and his sideburns clean cut. However, she knew she couldn't throw herself into his arms. If she did then there's no telling what would happen with Klaus or the crowd of vampires and werewolves. Not that she really cared what the others thought, but she knew for the safety of them both it was better to keep it on the down low. "Long time no see."
"Almost too long to bear," Sam replied, a flirtatious underlying in his words. She saw the way he was admiring her, and she was returning it in kind. If it were up to her, she would sneak out of this with him and take him somewhere private, but Sam had to be here anyways for the ceremony. "Everything okay with the Mikaelsons?" Sam gaze shifted and Andy glanced over to see that both Klaus and Elijah were watching them from different positions on the balcony. As turned back to face Sam, she was acutely aware of both of the brothers' gazes on her.
"Ah, just the usual bout of family drama, you know? Nothing to sweat about at the moment," Andy answered, crossing her arms over her chest. She needed to act indifferent to him as possible in front of Klaus. "I visited my family, so that was nice."
"The good ol' Virginia."
"Yep."
They stood with one another, awkwardly, for a few moments. There was so much Andy wanted to say to him but couldn't right now. Fortunately, she was saved by her old friend Davina's entrance.
"Excuse me, Sam," Andy said as she began to pass him, but as did she grabbed ahold of his hand and squeezed tightly before heading into the direction of Davina. "Davina Claire!"
The young witch beamed as the vampire made her way over. They embraced briefly before both leaning to look at each other with a grin. "You disappeared! We've been trying to track you down for days, both Kol and I," Davina admitted.
Andy's nose scrunched up slightly. "So you and Kol are an actual item now?"
"We have been for some time. Come on, Drea, are you going to lecture me? You introduced me to him."
"No, no. I just… haven't been agreeing with Kol the last few days is all," Andy said through clenched teeth. "Where is he, anyways? Didn't want for you to have a date?"
"He's off working on some spell? I don't know, he wasn't really clear."
Andy shook her head, ridding her thoughts of all men. "Okay, tonight is a girls' night. No boys for either of us, just shitty B movies and lots of snacks."
"It's a date," Davina said with a giggle.
"Davina!" Josh called out from a few rows down the aisle. People were beginning to take their seats and Andy knew they all needed to get in place; they'd have time for conversation later.
"Go on, I'll catch up with you later," Andy promised her before she began to make her way up to Klaus on the balcony. He was gazing down at the courtyard full of people, looking pensive. "Uh oh, what's the might Klaus Mikaelson brooding over now?"
"I'm recalling Elijah's wedding to Anastasia," Klaus replied honestly, surprising Andy. He glanced over at her, catching her surprise. "I've not been to another wedding in a thousand years. I vowed to never go to one again, not after watching who I thought was the love of my life marry my brother."
"Well, Anastasia and you did end up being together in some way." Andy pointed out to him.
"And I broke my brother's heart. Elijah forgave me in time, but I still slept with his wife and impregnated her," Klaus sighed, standing straight up to turn to face her. "I'm not sure if I ever would have forgiven him should the situation have been reversed."
"Who do you think Anastasia loved more?" Andy inquired, wondering if he would truthfully respond to the question or shy away. The flashbacks she used to have really didn't indicate who Anastasia loved the most.
"I wanted to run away with her multiple times but she always refused, stating that the affair we had was a one-time thing. She certainly wasn't willing to give Elijah up, but she did give me up," Klaus' gaze didn't waver from hers once. "Perhaps if she had, you wouldn't be here today. Everything happens for a reason, love."
Before their conversation could continue, the talk in the courtyard ceased and the orchestra picked up with a soft melody. The people below stood up and watched her in wonder as Jackson and Hayley walked hand-in-hand down the aisle with smiles directed at one another. Andy saw that Sam was watching her from the crowd and she threw him a quick smile before focusing back on the ceremony.
When the couple reached the two staircases, they split apart so they could each walk up the two staircases and meet on the balcony, where Mary was waiting for them to preside over the ceremony. An orchestra played as they make their ascent, and they continued to smile at each other from across the room until they make it to the altar.
"Please, be seated," Mary, Jackson's grandmother Andy had not officially met yet, said to the crowd. She was going to be the one to perform the Unification. The guests sat back in their chairs as Mary continued. "We gather together as a community seeking peace, inspired by this couple standing before you."
As the old woman spoke, Hayley caught Klaus' and Andy's eye from her spot and smiled at them. Andy returned the smile, but noticed that Klaus' expression remained blank. A moment later, Elijah walked over to Andy, joining her side. She threw him a quick smile before focusing on the ceremony again.
"There was a time when werewolves saw themselves not as cursed, but blessed with connection to our most pure selves. And tonight, we honor that blessing with the long-awaited unification of the two Crescent bloodlines," Mary continued speaking as she performed a hand-fasting by binding Hayley and Jackson's wrists with baby's breath flowers. "In doing so, we choose to embrace Hayley's vampire nature. With this union, Hayley will share her unique gifts with her pack." Mary placed a long lit match into Hayley and Jackson's linked hands to light their ceremonial candle. "And now, your vows."
Jackson took a deep breath before he begun. "I pledge to honor you and defend you and yours above all others."
"To share in blessings and burdens. To be your advocate, your champion."
"To be your comfort, your sanctuary, and for as long as we both shall live."
"To be your family."
"To be your family."
Andy couldn't help but look at Sam as both Hayley and Jackson recited their vows to one another. She had to admit, a part of her ached to have someone like Jackson in her life. Someone who didn't care about her connection to the Mikaelsons… someone like Sam. She needed someone like that right now, someone to be her sanctuary. The werewolf on her mind caught her gaze after a moment and they both exchanged smiles to one another. Still, at the same time, she couldn't imagine bringing an outsider into the Mikaelsons. She wanted to keep him as far away from them as possible.
As Andy turned to watch the ceremony again she saw that Klaus was watching her with the same blank expression. She couldn't see the emotion on his face, but she was sure he had seen the smiles and looks she and Sam had just exchanged. Swallowing nervously, she saw that Hayley and Jackson had already lit the candles when Mary continued speaking.
"You two have endured all the traditional werewolf rituals and trials. There is only one remaining—Jackson, you may kiss your bride," Mary said. Andy smiled at Jackson's expression, he almost look scared but Hayley was there to smile at him encouragingly. He stared at her for a long moment before he cupped her face in his hand and kissed her.
When Hayley and Jackson finally pulled away, both of their eyes glowed gold, indicating that the Unification Ceremony worked. They smiled at each other happily and turned to look at the crowd. The guests all regarded each other curiously. Andy noticed Sam's golden eyes as he excitedly exchanged words with his friends he sat with. Everyone began to smile and chatter, all thrilled that the ceremony has empowered their pack.
Klaus walked out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard, where the reception was being held. After the pack had their moment of excited conversation, Klaus had the party begin. People were dancing and eating food, all chatting merrily with one another. Andy meanwhile, stood in a group with Davina, Josh, Aiden, and Sam as they all laughed with one another.
Klaus had seen the looks exchanged between her and Sam earlier. If it wasn't enough to him to indicate that Andy was partial towards the wolf, then it would have been their awkward conversation at the beginning of the night. They both were doing their best to keep their hands to themselves as they were careful with their words. He couldn't help the glare on his face as he watched Sam place a hand on Andy's back, which she didn't bat off immediately. When she did, she murmured "Klaus" to him before she looked to see if he had seen the movement. Klaus had turned his gaze in enough time however to the bride and groom.
Elijah joined him, wagging his finger at him knowingly. "I know that look. I see it all too often. What are you planning?"
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Klaus replied flatly, not turning to face his brother just yet.
"Jackson marries the mother of your child, in our home, solidifying his rule over the wolves you yourself once sought to control. Talk to me."
"Let Jackson have Hayley. Although, he isn't exactly fit to lead an army tasked with protecting my daughter. His reign will be short-lived," Klaus said, waving his hand to his brother as he turned to see Andy was now dancing with Sam. They were standing as if they were at a middle school dance, both evidently acutely aware that they were under scrutiny by Klaus.
"Niklaus, you cannot honestly believe that I would allow you to harm Jackson on the day of Hayley's wedding—"
Klaus quickly cut him off, irritated at Elijah's interferences, as he finally turned to face Elijah. "He's not one of us, Elijah! He's mortal. Mortals perish." Klaus went to walk away, but Elijah grabbed him roughly by the arm and stopped him.
"What are you doing?" Elijah demanded.
"Confide in me, brother—how do you feel when you see Andy look at him? Tell me, did Andy confide in you about her dalliance with someone completely unworthy of her?" Klaus snapped, knowing full well that Elijah knew by now about Andy's indiscretions. He had seen the look on his face as she gazed down at Sam during the wedding.
Surprise flickered over Elijah's expression for a brief moment before it hardened. "Niklaus, I'm warning you—"
Klaus interrupted him again. "Face the facts! You're even now forcing yourself to deny you want Samuel dead just as much as I do. In fact, I think you want it more." Klaus smiled at him and walked away, leaving Elijah alone to think.
Klaus went down in the courtyard and spoke to the orchestra quickly before he approached Sam and Andy. "I was wondering if I could steal you for one of those promised dances, love."
Andy stared at Klaus in surprise for a few moments, forgetting that she had promised to dance with him. Moreover, that he had walked over while she was with Sam of all people. She was completely mortified, knowing that Sam had already made a couple comments about Klaus tonight already.
Andy returned to herself when she saw Sam begin to make a comment. She quickly interrupted him, not in the mood for the macho man act. "But of course, my good sir. A promise is a promise," She said to him with a small, slightly forced smile before she turned towards Sam. "I see Davina sitting down all by herself. Maybe you could go dance with her a bit?"
Sam was looking at Klaus with an unhappy expression. She was pleading him with her eyes to not try anything. The last thing they needed was an all-out brawl at Hayley's wedding; the hybrid would surely be less inclined to forgive when she discovered the reason for it.
"Sure thing, A, catch you later." Sam didn't even glance over in her direction as he walked away. Andy squeezed her eyes closed, stressing over Sam. He was upset with her; as they danced he had said as much, that she had been gone for the last few days.
"Love?"
Andy opened her eyes, turning towards Klaus with a smile. She took his outstretched hand as he pulled her close to him. She didn't pull away despite her shock at their sudden closeness. A familiar old tune began playing as they began slow dancing. It was "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, and Andy was a bit confused why this was playing at a wedding.
"Do you remember our first dance?" Klaus whispered to her. She turned her head away from him, knowing if she looked at him their lips would be close enough for him to steal a kiss.
"At your family's ball." She responded, her gaze bouncing around the room as they danced together. She was doing her best not to focus on anyone but also not give Klaus the freedom to try to whisk her away with words.
"The sixties decade dance, actually," Klaus corrected her, his hand dangerously low around her. "I was in Alaric's body if you recall. We danced together, and I couldn't help but be amused by you even then."
"Oh, that's right," Andy said with a nod. "I always wondered why Ric was a jackass that night."
Klaus chuckled, but it was light. "I suppose I could strive to be like your little werewolf friend."
Andy felt her composure break as she registered Klaus' words; he knew about her and Sam. She tightened her grip slightly, her brown eyes looking into his with worry. He was looking back at her with hurt in his eyes. "Klaus, don't—"
"Why didn't you tell me?" He interrupted her, his grasp tightening on her slightly.
"Because it's not your business," Andy answered, growing irritated at this reaction. "This was my choice. I wanted to pursue something with someone—"
"Is that why you rejected me? Because you were busy dallying with the werewolves?"
"No, Klaus, trust me it was for another reason entirely," Andy said, looking away from him.
"Which is?"
"Which is that maybe I don't want to be with you. It's as simple as that," Andy snapped at him, dropping her hands from his. "Not right now. I can't be with you when I know it doesn't feel right."
"But with Sam it does? An outsider who is part of the family who tried to kill Hope?" Klaus demanded, his voice full of anger. People were beginning to look at them now and Andy knew that this was going to ruin Hayley's wedding.
"Your mother tried to kill her!" Andy pointed out, her voice starting to get louder. She realized they were about to start a scene and she knew now was not the time for this conversation. "I'm going to walk away from you now. Later, after everything's over, you and I can discuss this like the adults we are," Andy folded her arms across her chest, looking at Klaus with an angry expression. "Until then, you stay the hell away from Sam and me." She marched away from him, leaving him there to wallow in his anger.
A parade was being held in the streets in celebration of Hayley and Jackson's wedding. It was led by several police officers on motorcycles, followed by Hayley, who had a white lace parasol in her hand and was dancing with Jackson at her side. Behind them was a marching band playing a bright jazz tune, along with the rest of the wedding guests, who were dancing and having a great time in the streets. Klaus was watching the parade march down the main street, his gaze on Andy who was merrily dancing with Sam, Marcel and Davina down the street.
"Which is that maybe I don't want to be with you. It's as simple as that."
It had been a slap to the face. Andy had wounded him so deeply he wasn't sure how to act. Normally, he would have retaliated in some way by this point, but he was at a loss for even words. She had appeared to be just as angry as he was and that he didn't quite understand at first. Now, he was thinking of his reaction to the entire situation, wondering if he had made the right approach.
Unfortunately, Klaus wasn't able to enjoy solitude for long before Elijah joined him on the balcony. Klaus sighed and in annoyance. "Are you to be my chaperon the entire evening, brother?"
"Chaperon, steward, babysitter... whichever term tickles your fancy most, brother. You're welcome to indulge whomever and whatever you please. I would only ask that you refrain from any homicidal behavior..." Elijah said to him.
"Just one day back, and you're already more than fulfilled your quota for irritating brotherly conduct," Klaus replied as he stood up. He turned and began to leave, only to have Elijah follow him again.
"Let me make myself quite clear, Niklaus—so long as Sam brings even an inkling of joy into Andrea's life, you are not to go near him," Elijah warned.
Klaus turned back toward his brother with a bitter smile. "It's amusing listening to you defend the man who stole the woman you love. But then, you've always coveted that which is not yours to have, particularly Andy."
Elijah closed the distance between them, a scowl on his face. "Just listen to yourself! Fueled by your delusions of persecution! Think, Niklaus—if you kill Sam, the wolves will descend into chaos. It will be seen as an act of war. You're acting out of fear, terrified that Andrea will leave you for good. Don't even get me started on your clear threat of Jackson and Hayley's relationship. You're afraid that Jackson will be a better father to your child."
Klaus growled. "Do not bring the child into this."
"Your child arrived here today, her security strengthened by those wolves that would defend her, and you would jeopardize that alliance?" Elijah shook his head in disgust at his brother. "Niklaus, you yourself have mentioned that had you been raised by Ansel, you might have been a better man. Now, perhaps, a better man has entered Hope's life, and having seen that, you are shaken to your core."
"You have the audacity to analyze me? That's ambitious, considering your psychological difficulties. How was your time with my therapist?" Elijah looked at him, clearly offended. "Was it helpful? Because it was a great risk leaving you alone with her! These days, who knows what you might do? I mean, I should've been afraid to even trust you around Andy, who is perfectly capable of handling herself."
"I have stood by you, and I have defended you for as long as I can recall. But, in the name of your daughter, her mother, and the woman we love, I will not watch you commit this evil," Elijah said to him before he walked out of the room. Klaus stared at his brother's retreating figure angrily. He began to walk back toward the courtyard but paused when he heard Hope crying. He immediately headed there to see that Cami was holding his child, looking out the window at the parade below as well. The blonde turned to face Klaus as he approached.
"I heard her crying." Klaus said, glancing up at Cami before looking back at his daughter.
"Oh, she's probably just teething," Cami replied. Klaus walked closer to Cami, who smiled at him happily.
"Thank you for taking care of her," Klaus said after a moment of watching his daughter.
"She's actually pretty low-maintenance. She's been smiling and looking all around. I think she likes it here. Feels like home," As Cami spoke, Klaus smiled at his daughter. "You wanna hold her?" Klaus was a bit scared to hold his daughter. He knew he had before, and yet it felt like all of his fears of being like his father came rushing back. "I know this all must be pretty overwhelming, but some advice I learned from developmental psych? Happy mom, happy dad... happy baby." Klaus looked at Hope, who cooed at him, and he smiled at her response before he nodded to Cami, reaching out for his child.
"I know you're not thinking we won't go without dancing together tonight," Andy said to Elijah as she approached him on the balcony. After she had walked through the streets with the parade, the reception had returned here for more festivities. Andy hadn't ever danced with so many people, yet Elijah had not made that list yet. White flower petals had just begun to rain down on the dance floor and Andy thought it was as good time as any to convince him to come have some fun.
Elijah turned to look at her with a smile. "And steal you from all your other admirers? I am not that selfish, Andrea."
"How about you be that selfish for one dance?" Andy asked him, leaning her side against the balcony as she smiled up at him. "I've danced with Sam, Klaus, Marcel, Ansel, Davina, Hayley, and Jackson… I need another name that starts with a vowel on that list." Elijah still looked hesitant at her. "Oh, come on, Eli! It's a wedding. You're supposed to let loose."
"The last time I was at a wedding…" Elijah's expression grew distant again as he looked away. A sad smile pulled at his lips and he looked up to meet her gaze once again. "Well, it was mine."
"Elijah," Andy sobered up slightly, putting her hand on his arm in comfort.
"It's fine, Andrea. You know I am long over her," Elijah put his hand over hers. "I may not be over things concerning her, but my wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life as a human."
"You want to know what one of my happiest days as a human was?" Andy asked him.
"What?"
"You'll have to dance with me to find out," Andy replied with a playful grin as she began walking towards the stairs. She heard him chuckle before he began to follow after her. She started to step onto the dance floor, but Elijah grabbed her hand and quickly spun her around before pulling her close again. She cheerfully laughed, brightly smiling at the Mikaelson brother.
"Are you happy?" Elijah questioned, a playful smile on his lips.
"I've never been happier," Andy confessed. She had meant it as a joke, but she was serious about it. Hope was back with her family and had an entire super wolf army protecting her, Andy was feeling as if Dahlia's threat had nearly been wiped away with all the man power they had, and all the Mikaelsons were getting along for the most part. They were all together and that's all Andy had ever wanted.
"What about that day as a human?" Elijah asked her as they continued dancing to the jazz music.
Andy gave him a coy smile. "Why don't you guess? It involves you."
"Let's see… Well, there's the day we first met when I beheaded Trevor in front of you," Elijah mused, doing his best to hide a grin. "Then there's the night you daggered me. Oh, then the time I held your sister hostage—"
"Okay, Debbie Downer! I'm glad to know all my saddest days were your guesses as my happist," Andy interrupted with a chuckle. "That last one wasn't far off, actually. It was the morning after the Mikaelson ball, before you held Elena hostage. You came to check up on me…"
"We drank tea on your porch," Elijah recalled, looking at her with a confused expression. "I would have thought the ball itself would have been a good night for you. You were beautiful in your red dress."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I had a blast at the ball. Other than Damon's freak out," Andy shook her head with a small chuckle. "But you said something to me on the porch that day. It has stuck with me even now."
"You are not the kind of woman who is easily forgotten," Elijah said after a brief moment of thought. His intense gaze was burning into her as they continued moving around the floor together. "It has stuck with me even now as well, Andrea."
"Is that why you and Hayley never got together?" Andy asked him. She wanted to be straight up with him and was curious for the answer that had been plaguing her mind the last few days as Hayley's wedding approached. "Don't say there wasn't something between you two. I saw the way you acted when she was pregnant and then you thought she died."
"I will admit I thought she was going to be my way of moving on from you, not that what I felt for her wasn't real in the moment," Elijah admitted after a long moment of silence. "But it wasn't fair to her. Once you died… it was worse than anything I have ever experienced before, Andrea. I realized trying to move on from you was futile, even more so after I spoke to you the way I did that day. I never apologized to you for blaming you. You were hesitant to return because of my treatment of you."
"Don't do that to yourself, Elijah," Andy insisted, tightening her grip on him. "You know I will never hate you no matter what. Nothing that happened was your fault."
"I will let go of the guilt as long as you do."
"Now that's a bit harder," Andy sighed, looking away from him. "I'm dealing with it all okay? That's the most I can give you. Hope's presence eases it, yet brings back up all the same fears. She's not even my kid, though I guess she was supposed to be in another world."
Before Elijah could respond, the music suddenly stopped. They both turned to see Klaus was standing by the band with Hope in his arms. Andy clenched her fists, a bit off put by Klaus' presence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? Hayley, if you would join me, I would like to propose a toast," Klaus said, looking over at Hayley who had been enjoying a dance with Jackson. Hayley looked surprised, but she reluctantly joined Klaus at the front of the room and took Hope into her arms. Waiters began filing into the room with trays of champagne. Elijah grabbed a couple for them both. "I want to welcome you all. As you know, last spring, Hayley and I had a daughter. Due to tragic circumstance, she was lost. Now, she has returned home. Her name is Hope." The guests gasped and began to murmur amongst themselves about this revelation. Andy blocked it all out and gave Elijah an uneasy look. "She will live here among you, her pack. Her family. We implore you—protect our daughter. Teach her. Love her, as one of your own."
In the crowd, Jackson nodded at Klaus in agreement. Klaus took a glass of champagne from a nearby tray. Klaus looked over at Elijah and gave him a smile that Andy didn't miss. She looked over at Elijah to see a grim expression on his face before looking back at Klaus who was focused on her. He quickly looked away as he continued speaking.
"Jackson, I invite you and your bride to live here, uniting your proud and noble people in peace. Welcome to the family, mate," Klaus said. Jackson nodded at him again, and Klaus held up his glass. "To Jackson and Hayley!"
"Cheers!" The guests all shouted before they all downed their drinks. Klaus held his glass to Elijah and smiled at him devilishly before he took a sip. Andy sighed and quickly took a sip. She suddenly grew dizzy and clutched onto Elijah.
"Andrea, what is wrong?" Elijah questioned her.
"Sorry, I just haven't felt all that well today," She admitted sheepishly, feeling almost short of breath. She looked up at him in slight worry. "Is Kol sick with the flu or something? Because this whole secondhand sickness sucks ass."
Before Elijah could answer, both Sam and Klaus arrived to check up on her.
"Love, is everything alright?" Klaus immediately asked before Sam could. The werewolf threw a glare his way.
"I'm fine," Andy insisted, standing straight up. However, she was feeling worse and worse as the time passed and wondered what was wrong with Kol. She glanced between them all, seeing the concern on each of their expressions and suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed by them. "I just want someone to tell me what the hell's going on with Kol."
Everyone looked at Klaus, who was looking away from everyone else. Andy stepped forward and roughly grabbed his arm. "Niklaus Mikaelson, if you don't tell me what your brother is going through right now I am going to neuter you in front of all these hybrids here."
Klaus sighed and looked at her sadly. "Finn trapped him in that witch body of his… and hexed it."
Andy felt her eyes beginning to water. "When were you going to tell me? After he died?"
"Rebekah is working on a spell with him. They're trying to save his life."
"Why was I not brought into this?!" Andy demanded before she stormed off from them and towards the exit. Just as she reached the doors, Sam caught up with her.
"Slow down, Andy! We can find Kol, don't worry," Sam reassured her. Andy turned on him angrily.
"This is Mikaelson family business, Sam. Stay out of it," She snapped, but she was doing it for his own good. If he mixed himself in with the Mikaelsons, it would be a death sentence for him. He was already risking enough by being with her. Sam looked back at her, clearly hurt. Before she could apologize for snapping, a new voice called her name out.
"Andy." She turned to the voice, confused. However, she recognized the presence of the person. Rebekah. So she was in another body and no longer in her own. Now she was African America with curly long hair with soft features. Andy immediately ran over and embraced her, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I was so afraid we'd never find you, Bekah," Andy said as she pulled back from the hug. She saw the concern on Rebekah's face and remembered that the girl had been helping Kol with a spell. "Where's Kol?" She asked, swallowing back her nervousness.
"We need to get Elijah and Klaus," Rebekah answered with instead and walked around her. Andy sighed, giving Sam a long, regretful look before she headed after Rebekah knowing her family always came first.
As they walked towards Elijah, they saw Klaus was nowhere in sight. Andy walked over and grabbed his arm. "Come with us, quickly," She said as she directed both siblings up the stairs towards Hope's nursery where she knew Klaus was.
"Hello, Elijah." Rebekah greeted her brother as they rushed up the stairs. Andy glanced over her shoulder to see Elijah was looking at Rebekah trying to figure out who it was.
"I don't know if you two have ever met before. Elijah, this is Rebekah. Rebekah, this is Elijah," Andy joked before she burst into Hope's nursery where the child laid in her crib. Klaus was leaning over the crib watching her and sighed in annoyance when they entered the room.
"Must you intrude on every moment?" He questioned offhandedly.
"I'm not here to quarrel, brother," Elijah said wearily.
"It's Kol," Rebekah said, glancing at each of them with a solemn expression. "I couldn't help him." Klaus turned to her with a shocked expression on his face. "He's not gonna last the night."
"Then we need to get there now," Andy said as she turned back for the door. "He will not be alone."
When they entered the cemetery, they found Kol on his knees with Davina, who was crying and clutching onto his hand tightly.
"I think I want to be alone for this bit," He said as he stood up and began to cough as he walked away from Davina and toward one of the tombs. However, he stopped when he heard a voice behind him. He turned and found Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah standing in the aisle.
"I'm afraid that's not an option," Elijah called out to him.
"'Always and forever' is not something that you just weasel out of, brother," Klaus said to him. Kol stared at his siblings in surprise and managed a weak smile, which Klaus returned.
Andy wasted not another second before she practically flung herself in Kol's arms. "You stupid, stupid kid!" She squeezed him as tightly as she could without choking him to death. "Why didn't you come to me earlier?"
"Well, for one, I thought you were going to speed up the death process."
"I'd never kill you, Kol. You know that," Andy said, burying her head into his neck. "You should have never played double agent for Esther. You wouldn't be… Goddammit." Andy pulled back to look at him, cupping his face in her hands. "I brought you back once before, I'll do it again."
"Finn made the comment he did hexed me because it was something even you can stop," Kol gave her a weak smile. "But he doesn't know Andrea Gilbert like I do."
Kol began coughing again, this time blood began coming out of his mouth. He collapsed to the ground and Andy immediately picked him up in her arms, looking at this others in panic.
"Is there anything we can do?" She asked them.
"I can lessen the pain, I think," Rebekah responded.
"Let's get you somewhere a bit more comfortable than out here," Andy suggested, gesturing to one of the tombs. They helped Kol into the tomb Andy had pointed out and had him sit on the floor. However, he was becoming too weak to sit up on his own, so they had him lay down as both Davina and Rebekah began a spell.
Davina was sitting a few feet away from Kol, whispering a spell over a necklace that she was gripping tightly in her hands. There were lit candles scattered all over the room where Kol was lying on the floor, surrounded by his family. Kol's nose and mouth were both bleeding and he groaned in pain as he gripped the lapels of Klaus' jacket.
"All my life, all I ever wanted was for you lot to care about me," Kol said, giving Klaus a weak smile through his blood. Andy saw Klaus was struggling to hold back his tears; she reached over to him and put a hand on his thigh. Before Kol could laugh, he was overcome by another coughing fit that startled Rebekah. She sat down on the ground, and she and Elijah rubbed Kol's back as he coughed before leaning him backward so she can cradle his head in her lap. Kol grabbed onto Rebekah's hand and squeezed it as he groaned.
Rebekah was crying and looking at her brother with pure sadness. "Kol, listen to me. You don't have long. You're going to die," Kol could no longer hold back his tears, and he gripped her arm tighter. "But you will die a witch, and we will consecrate your body. You will join the ancestors of the French Quarter, and those spirits can be brought back. And, I promise you, brother, I will not leave this body until I find a way to bring you home."
Kol smiled at her, despite his pain, but quickly began to cough even harder. Andy was feeling the pain throughout her body, but it was much more bearable than the thought that someone who was a brother to her was dying right in front of her. Davina finally finished her spell and crawled toward Kol to give him the necklace, both frantic and in tears.
"I tried a different spell," Davina said, upset that it had clearly not worked.
Kol took her hand and squeezed it as tightly as he could manage. "It's okay. I'm not scared."
Davina tried her best to smile at him through her tears, and Kol managed one last laugh before he died in Rebekah's arms. Andy felt him slip away and couldn't help as the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. However, Davina broke down in tears and Andy knew the girl needed all the comfort she could get.
"Hey, D," Andy said as she scooted over to the young witch. Davina immediately hugged Andy and buried her face into her neck, her sobs racking her body. "I'm here, okay? I'm here for you." Andy looked up and saw all three of the Mikaelsons were crying. She shared a look of sadness with each of them before closing her eyes tightly and letting her tears freely fall down her face.
After Davina had finished saying goodbye to Kol, they consecrated his remains in the cemetery. Once that was through, Andy went back with Davina to the church attic where they spent most of the night catching up on movies and avoiding conversation of anything that had to do with Kol or the Mikaelsons. Eventually, Davina feel asleep and Andy began to head out when she ran into Marcel. He instantly pulled her into a hug. She squeezed him tightly back, not realizing how much she had actually missed him. She had spent some time with him earlier, but other than that they had only interacted a couple of times since she returned. That was something she needed to rectify.
"How's she doing?" Marcel asked as he pulled back from the hug, nodding with his head toward Davina.
Andy sighed, glancing back at the sleeping witch. "She's heartbroken, but she's strong, you know she is. She always has been. The best thing we can do for her is be here for her, show her she's not alone."
"How're you doing?"
Andy met his gaze reluctantly, knowing he would be able to see the anguish in her eyes. "Marcel, I feel like a failure," She admitted finally. "I was the one who fought for Kol the last time he died. My own brother died but I fought harder to bring Kol back… and now he's dead. Rebekah was optimistic about a way to bring him back, but I don't share that opinion," Andy began crying, and did her best to swipe away the tears as they fell.
"Well, Mikaelsons have the tendency to not stay dead for long."
Andy couldn't help but laugh at his words. She pulled him in for another hug. "Speaking of the Mikaelsons, I need to get back for them. You wanna come?"'
"You go on. I'm gonna stay with D for a bit," As she left, Marcel called out to her. "Oh, tell Elijah I found him an apartment nearby my place."
"What?" Andy turned back to face Marcel in confusion. "Why did you find him a place in Algiers?"
"He's going to be helping rebuild the vampire community and help maintain peace between various communities," Marcel explained. "He told me a while back, said when he returned he'd join. He hasn't mentioned anything to you?"
Andy looked at Marcel for a moment, troubled by this. Why would Elijah leave his family? Especially when Hope was just returned? Algiers was by no means far from the Abattoir, but Andy was a bit hurt by Marcel being the one to tell her.
When Andy got back to the Abattoir, the wedding was long over. Dawn was soon approaching and Andy felt exhausted, aching for some sleep. However, she immediately sought out Elijah, who was in his bedroom, standing on the balcony and staring out at New Orleans.
"You just barely missed Samuel," Elijah said as she joined him. "He was waiting for you all night, I suppose."
"When were you going to tell me you were leaving?" Andy questioned, the hurt evident in her voice. "That you were going to join Marcel in Algiers."
Elijah had a pensive expression on his face and kept looking out to the city, not once glancing in her direction. "With the wolves unified, Hope is safe. Everything is exactly as intended. And, in the interest of maintaining the peace, I have decided to join Marcel in Algiers. I believe with the correct instruction and guidance, this community may well prosper."
"But moving out? Elijah, this is your home," Andy argued with him.
Elijah smiled sadly, his gaze far away from her. "In my long, long life, I've called many places home, Hayley."
"Is it because of me?" Andy asked him after a moment, her voice low and the hurt still in her tone. Finally, he looked over at her.
"You and I worked together before, back when Niklaus claimed the throne only to toss it aside once he had it. We did a fine job together," Elijah turned his body towards her now, putting his hand over hers on the balcony. "However, I will not ask you to leave Hope to join me. Your affection and devotion towards her is clear."
"Elijah—"
"However," He interrupted her, squeezing her hand tightly. "If you wished to join us whenever you had free time, I would not turn you away. You know I wouldn't."
Andy looked away from him, still a bit burned by the fact he was leaving in the first place. She pulled her hand away from his, smiling sadly at him. "Maybe someday I'll take you up on that offer," She said before she walked away from him, a bit dejected. He was right, someone did need to help Marcel rebuild the vampire community but at the same time it was feeling like she was losing another Mikaelson tonight. First Klaus, then Kol, and to top it all off, Elijah.
"Andrea, wait," Elijah called out. Andy stopped but didn't look back at him. "You said in another world Hope was suppose to be your child. What did you mean?"
What did Andy mean by that? She searched her mind and couldn't find a trace of where she had pulled it from, though she felt as if she knew; almost as if the information was all behind a locked door she couldn't open.
"Exactly as it sounds, Elijah," Andy replied before she left the room, trying to recall where she had heard that Hope was supposed to be hers.
As she made her way to her bedroom, she noticed Klaus was sitting at the bottom of the staircase leading to the dance floor. Things were being cleaned up, but that still remained. She knew she needed to speak with him about Sam now and knew now was a better time than ever. She came down and sat next to him.
"I wanted to tell you," Andy confessed, mindlessly watching the cleaning crew work. "But I didn't to protect Sam. I was afraid you would kill him or do something to destroy the relationship. I didn't want to think that, you know. I wanted to think that no matter who I was with, you could accept it. That you would let me be happy."
"Are you happy with him?"
"He doesn't make me sad," Andy answered after a moment of thought. "I know that's the most cliché answer I could have given but it's true. And he's not a Mikaelson."
"What's wrong with being a Mikaelson?" Klaus demanded. She turned to see he was looking at her with an irritated expression, though she could see and feel the hurt he was feeling over Kol and over this conversation. "After all, you are a Mikaelson. If you make the argument that anyone we love gets destroyed you might want to tell your little wolf toy to watch out."
Andy stared at him a moment, doing her best to calm her anger. She knew if they both lashed out at one another the matter wouldn't be resolved. "Klaus, I'm not trying to fight with you over this. We need to talk civilly."
"Maybe I don't want to talk with you. It's as simple as that." His reference to her earlier comment didn't escape her notice. She sighed and looked down at her shoes.
"I know you'll hate me even more for saying this, but I don't regret saying that," She stated, looking back up at him. His expression was clearly showing his hurt. "I don't want to be with you, Klaus, not right now. Right now… we aren't right. Just like we weren't right when after you broke the hybrid curse your mother placed on you. I need time to find myself again."
"And Samuel will help you achieve that?"
"No, he won't. But I enjoy his company," Andy said with a sad smile. "He's in the supernatural world to know what I am, but he's outside our Mikaelson family drama. You know I'd never tell someone else family secrets. Klaus, don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do," He answered immediately, looking almost breathless. He looked away from her and swallowed, his gaze focusing elsewhere. "I trust you more than anyone else in this world, Andy."
"Do you care for me?" Klaus' gaze found hers again, almost asking if she even had to ask him that question. "Then you should let me have this relationship. I'm going to be with Sam no matter what right now, but it'd be really nice to not have to protect Sam at every twist and turn."
Klaus sighed, clenching his fists for a moment. He looked away pensively as they sat in silence for a few minutes. As much as she liked to say how she knew Klaus, she wanted even more to know what was going on in that head of his. Was he planning away to kill Sam? Or was he planning something else?
"Okay," Klaus answered after a moment. She looked at him questioningly and he turned to look at her. "Have your fun with Sam. You have my word I will not interfere with your relationship by hurting him. However, he needs to beware if he even once thinks of hurting you. I will force him through centuries of tort—"
"Duly noted," Andy said before she stood and placed a kiss on Klaus' forehead. "Thank you, Klaus, for letting me be happy." She glanced back at the dance floor before picking up her new phone and quickly searching a song, "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran, the very song they had danced to at the Mikaelson ball to. Putting her phone to the side, she extended her hand out to Klaus for him to take. "I think I owe a certain Mikaelson a dance."
Klaus grinned at her and quickly accepted her offer. They began dancing together, both laughing and dancing together long after the sun had risen.
~ * • ° • ° • * ~
The End of Chapter XXXVII