Chapter 54
The nightmares grew worse and Klaus found himself waking in increasingly dampening sheets. He couldn't seem to stop sweating -an impressive task for sure- but the fear his father brought out in him was the purest form.
Panting and trying to steady his aching head, Klaus threw the thick blanket from his legs and sat upright. He buried his face in his hands and tried to ignore the image of his father smiling at him after plunging a stake through his heart. He could almost feel the enchanted wood in his chest.
Pushing the horrible thoughts from his mind as best he could –which wasn't much- Klaus did one of the things he'd been doing every time he woke from a nightmare in the middle of the night. They were becoming increasingly 'real' so he had to prove to himself he was in fact awake. Slinking out of his bedroom, Klaus made his way into K's only a few feet away.
He crept into her room as quietly as he could and moved towards her bed. She was asleep as he expected her to be, nestled within the thick blankets and as still as the dead. For some reason seeing K calmed him down, steadied his frantic brain and made him remember Mikael couldn't hurt him anymore.
Klaus stayed in his spot a few feet from K's bed for a minute, two at most, before turning to leave. He wasn't going to linger and hover like a creepy shadow. He only had to see her to be sure the dreams weren't real before returning to his room. He'd nearly made it to the door before hearing the bed shift.
"Klaus?" K breathed, sleep heavy in her voice.
He paused and hesitantly turned on his heel to see her looking at him through heavy lids.
"I'm sorry to wake you." He said quietly.
K pushed herself up onto her elbow. She rubbed her eyes briefly before glancing to the clock on her wall. In the dim light she was still able to see the time. It was nearly four in the morning.
"Another nightmare?" she asked as she turned back to him.
Klaus didn't speak, but K was more than capable of seeing the light sheen of sweat on his brow and where it had bled through his shirt. Her brows came together sadly for him. Without speaking, K moved away from the center of her bed and threw the corner of her comforter back.
Slowly the hybrid walked back to her bed and got in beside her. K didn't lace herself around him like she had when she crawled into his bed, but lay on her side to face him. Klaus tried to get comfortable, but it was difficult.
"He's dead." She said after a moment. Klaus looked at the woman clutching her pillow and lying comfortably in her own bed. She still looked tired and half asleep. "We both watched him burn. Mikael's dead."
Klaus barely managed to nod, like he wasn't completely certain anymore. As though that was the end of the conversation, K closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Klaus lingered, unable to fully relax because he knew Mikael would be there again.
He was still trying to let himself slip back into slumber when K's hand suddenly fell onto his. Klaus had been lying on his back, his hands resting on his stomach when she seemingly reached blindly in the dark and clasped the one closest to her.
"Sleep." She mumbled as though she knew he was still brooding.
Klaus smiled internally. He adjusted their grip enough he could hold her hand and lightly began to run his thumb along her knuckles. In that moment, Klaus realized how much he didn't want K to feel like she had to disappear. If their conversation a couple of days prior was any indication, she planned to abandon New Orleans and he didn't want her to.
"You can't leave again." He whispered, trying to keep her from waking. He simply spoke because he felt the need to. "I'll tie you to the bloody bed if I have to."
"I'd like to see you try." K replied in a thick, tired voice. Klaus's head snapped to her. While her eyes were still closed, there was a hint of a smile forming on her lips. "I'd kill you."
He chuckled and shook his head.
"Then why not avoid the situation entirely and stay?"
Her smile broadened slightly and K opened her eyes to look at him.
"I'm not leaving." She told him much to his relief. "You have no idea how to take care of yourself. You'd be dead in a week if I left."
Klaus raised a brow. "A week?"
"Maybe two." She teased.
He smiled as warmly as he could.
"Go back to sleep." He told her softly.
K tried to make a face at him commanding her back to sleep, but it held no power. She was simply too tired.
It took minutes before she was once again unconscious, but Klaus wasn't so lucky. He continued to rub her knuckles and watch her as she slept. For some reason he found himself planning a trip to Adam's grave at some point. He had to offer his thanks to the wolf for everything that transpired before and after his death. As cold as it sounded, Klaus was glad he was gone, but not necessarily for reasons even he understood.
The few weeks K had spent away from the compound and with Adam, Klaus felt it. He not only noticed her absence, but he felt it too. He felt colder when she was gone and the feeling only grew worse knowing she was spending it with another man who made her smile.
At first he thought the jealousy she showed him when Genevieve began coming around was cute, adorable even. And then she met Adam. If K's jealousy was even a fraction of what he harbored towards the pair, he felt awful for putting her through it. He'd never experienced such unimaginable anger, rage and hurt before, all swirling together in is mind every time he simply thought about them together.
Adam's death unintentionally pushed K back into his arms and the hybrid knew he would take advantage of it. Before, Klaus never truly assumed K would leave. She hadn't any other time, so he hadn't a reason to actually fear it. But when she found Adam, Klaus was suddenly aware of how easy it would be for her to replace him, and he couldn't do it. He didn't want to.
An hour or better had gone by and still Klaus couldn't sleep. He knew he wouldn't have been able to, but he wasn't willing to pass up the chance of sharing a bed with K again, not when she so easily calmed his mind without trying.
As the sun began to peek over the neighboring building, Klaus decided he might as well get up. He pressed K's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before gently setting it back on the bed beside her. The warm calm he was surrounded by every time he was near K was gone the second he stepped through his door and the memories of his night began again.
As he had the previous two nights after waking up because of his nightmares, Klaus quickly found a bottle and began to nurse it like it would give him back his sanity. He remained that way long after the sun had risen, hours in fact.
The sound of heels clicking against the hard floors caused him to look up and notice K entering the room in funeral clothes. She saw the bottle, the distant look in his eyes and knew had been awake nearly all night again. Wisely, K didn't remark on it.
"I'm heading to Kieran's wake." She said softly, keeping any possible tone or judging from her voice. In truth she pitied him more than anything. "Are you coming?"
Klaus sighed heavily. It wasn't that he didn't want to pay his respects to the fallen priest; it was just that his nightmare lingered and Kieran had been prominent in it. He nodded and stood. With a swift gulp of scotch, Klaus followed after the young woman in the dress.
~~!~~
A party raged at Russeau's. It was a typical Irish wake and while most would find it insulting, it was how they celebrated the dead. Irish didn't mourn those lost; they celebrated the life they had while they were on this Earth.
Klaus lingered in the corner, drinking further and struggling to empty his mind. The room was packed and K had gone to the bar to buy a bottle of scotch for her and Klaus, but she was having trouble getting attention. It took much longer than she would have liked, but eventually she got what she wanted and began her trek through the people. K spotted Cami leaving Klaus's table and immediately diverted in her trek.
"Cami." She called over the music.
The blond turned at her name and instantly glowered when she spotted K advancing. It was an honest and deserved reaction, so K didn't take it personally. Honestly, she didn't care enough about the human to be bothered by it.
"What do you want?" Cami asked tersely when K finally made it to her.
"To offer my condolences." She said honestly. Cami narrowed her eyes suspiciously so K decided to continue. "I believe in offering my respects when due."
"Yeah, you and everyone else who attends a wake."
K bit the inside of her cheek. She struggled to keep her temper in check and in her mind she was succeeding beautifully.
"I barely knew your uncle, but I know he was a good man. He'd have to be to deal with our kind and he didn't deserve what happened to him." She said, noticing Cami flinch but relax when she heard K's sincerity. "Honestly," Cami looked back at K. "Destruction's the only thing we're good at. I'm sorry your family got involved in this."
And without giving Cami a chance to speak again, K left to rejoin Klaus. Cami remained in her spot for a moment or two, trying to understand if there was a snide or sarcastic undertone to what K had told her. When she couldn't find one, she decided to leave. She needed a moment to herself.
"Bout time love." Klaus grumbled as K slid into her spot beside him and began to pour him a new glass. "I was beginning to sober."
"Which may not be such a bad idea." She replied as she topped him off.
When she relaxed into her seat and set the bottle down on the table, she noticed Klaus glaring at her through his lashes. K simply rolled her eyes. She wasn't intimidated by it because she knew the truth behind his stare. He was scared and a frightened animal lashed out. Nothing more.
"You've been drinking since you left my room this morning, haven't you?"
"Perhaps." He mumbled as he raised the glass to his lips.
K's brows came together. She reached forward and touched his wrist. The action drew Klaus's eye.
"He's dead." She repeated. Klaus's face relaxed, but only marginally. "You know that, don't you?"
Klaus leaned a bit closer so he could speak in a quieter tone.
"I can feel him, watching from the shadows."
K squeezed his hand a bit firmer. She'd seen this level of fear from him before, centuries ago, when Mikael drew close. But he was alive then. He was a tangible threat, but like she told him the night before, they watched Mikael burn. He was gone, dead.
"He's gone." She told him as strongly as she could.
They let the subject lie, but K could still see Klaus's mind swarming with thoughts of his father.
Moments later, Elijah slipped into the booth beside his brother, opposite K. They shared a sad smile in greeting before Elijah grabbed the bottle and poured himself a drink.
"Seems rather uncivilized," Klaus said under his breath. "To laugh and dance around the body of a loved one."
"Yes, far better to practice your form of grieving Niklaus," Elijah replied sarcastically. "Denial, rage and hoarding coffins in basements."
Klaus shot his brother a glare that worried the eldest Mikaelson as much as it had K.
"They celebrate his life." K said. She took a sip of her drink and noticed Klaus looking at her. "Besides, it's not so different from the way we used to bury our dead back in the day."
"Sending them on their journey to the afterlife aboard a ship hardly seems similar."
"Really?" she asked sarcastically. "You come from a culture that praised and celebrated men brave enough to die in battle. How's that so different from this?"
He grumbled under his breath when he couldn't think of an immediate comeback which caused Elijah to smile and K to again roll her eyes. Hayley slid into the booth beside Elijah seconds later.
"I should warn you Hayley," Elijah began, as though teasing his brother had become his primary directive of the day. "Niklaus is in a particularly foul mood today."
"Sod off." He growled under his breath.
Like every time before when the group of them were together, arguing began to ring in the air. Klaus was, as Elijah stated, in a truly foul mood but to his credit didn't immediately lash out. Instead he growled and grumbled his plans with annoyance dripping from every syllable before saying one thing that seemed to snap Elijah to attention.
"Elaborate." Elijah said, sitting just a bit straighter in his seat than before. "Have you dreamt of our father?"
"Go ahead." Klaus shot back in irritated. "Have a good laugh."
"Stop it." K hissed at him under her breath. "He wasn't poking fun."
"Hm." Was all the blond replied.
"I assure you there is no piece of this I find even remotely amusing Klaus." Elijah said, an edge forming to his words. "Especially considering I've been dreaming of him too."
Both K and Klaus seemed to perk at the phrase. Each of them glanced briefly to each other before back to Elijah, waiting for an explanation.
"What?" Klaus could do little more than breathe the word.
"How are both of you dreaming of Mikael at the same time?" K asked. Hayley saw the concern coming from the ebony haired woman and wondered if the vampire knew something she didn't.
Elijah thought deeply about what to say, something that would offer him any chance to calm his younger brother when something caught his eye. Elijah's face instantly turned stern.
"Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating a further attack?" he offered darkly.
Klaus and K both shifted in their seats to see who could have changed Elijah's demeanor so severely. The moment K spotted the red hair she growled under her breath and turned her attention back to her drink. Klaus, on the other hand, continued to stare until he caught her eye.
"Well then," Klaus began, sounding a bit more chipper than before. "What better way to punctuate a day of peace, than by killing someone?"
"I'm fine with it." K said into her glass before finishing off the liquor it held.
Klaus leaned forward enough he could whisper into her ear.
"I knew you would be sweetheart." He said, keeping his eyes on Genevieve while he spoke. The redhead continued to look as coy as she could and pretend she wasn't playing up to the hybrid as she waited for a drink at the bar. When she broke eye contact with Klaus, his gaze shifted to K. She seemed to notice and looked at the man only inches from her. His eyes danced over her irritated features before settling on the brilliant green. "How would you like me to buy your forgiveness?"
She raised a brow slowly. "Bring me her heart." She told him simply.
Klaus chuckled at her eagerness for bloodshed, but she couldn't help it. She hated Genevieve.
"Gladly." He smiled. "May I?"
K didn't answer for a moment only continued to stare at him. The scene honestly made Elijah and Hayley a bit uncomfortable. Something about it told them the pair involved was just as likely to fight as they were to kiss.
"Sure." K finally answered. Klaus smiled and K moved out of his way. Elijah followed suit, using that side of the booth to exit so Hayley wouldn't have to stand again. "Try to make it painful."
"Oh I can guarantee that bit." Klaus replied before stepping away with his brother.
K slid back into the booth and poured herself another drink while Hayley divided her attention between the vampire and the two Originals that had just left. Her eyes continued to dart long enough K noticed.
"What?"
"Okay seriously, what's with the two of you?"
"No idea." She offered honestly.
Hayley narrowed her eyes. "You guys are so weird."
"Right," K replied after she took a sip of her drink. "Cause whatever you and Elijah have going on is totally normal."
Hayley immediately bristled. She looked uncomfortable, like K had told the whole school who the wolf had a crush on. It made her giggle to herself.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hayley muttered under her breath.
"Right." K nodded sarcastically.
"Look, I'm gonna head out." Hayley said causing K to cock a brow. "I have some errands to run."
"Uh-huh." K nodded, sounding like she believed Hayley as little as the wolf expected her too. "Just… call me, okay, if you need help."
Hayley finished standing and adjusted her shirt back over her belly. She smiled kindly and nodded.
"I will." When she went to walk by the table, K reached out and snatched her arm. Hayley looked at the vampire, surprised she'd done it.
"And Klaus is right." She said under her breath. Hayley didn't bother hiding her shock those words had escaped K's mouth. K seemed to notice and gave her a smile that proved it. "You should consider coming back to the manor, at least to have the baby or until we find whoever the hell's targeting the wolves."
"You know I can watch my own back, right?" Hayley asked, not trying to sound rude despite the words coming across that way regardless. K smiled again.
"I know." She mused. "That's why I'm saying you should consider it."
Hayley fidgeted on her feet slightly. Her eyes scanned the room for a moment before she found herself nodding. She looked back at K and smiled slightly.
"I'll think about it."
K nodded and let go of Hayley's arm so she could leave and stalk the woman she'd seen earlier. Finishing her drink, K decided to go home and wait for the wonderful news that Genevieve was finally dead.
~~!~~
"What do you mean she's alive?" K growled through her teeth.
Elijah didn't immediately respond. He continued to stare out from the balcony. He understood her anger and had to try and keep from further provocation.
"We need a witch," He said simply. "For the rings Niklaus has promised the wolves. Nothing more."
K chewed on the inside of her cheek. She wanted to be angrier than she was. She wanted to bleed the redhead until there wasn't a drop left in her body, but it appeared she wouldn't get the chance. At least not until the rings were crafted.
Without anything else to say because she couldn't find a reason to keep spouting her anger with the situation, K took a seat off to the side and stewed silently.
As though on cue, Genevieve sauntered into the room a few moments later. She noticed the dark haired vampire quickly and while they shared a glare, neither spoke to the other.
"Genevieve," Elijah sighed.
"I asked around." She said, ignoring K entirely so she could speak to the eldest brother. "It's not just your father. The Purgatory where supernatural souls are kept is disintegrating."
"What do you mean disintegrating?"
"She's right." Klaus offered before Genevieve could elaborate. He was ready to finish his entire explanation until he spotted K. He quickly altered his words. "I just got off the phone with another witch I know. Turns out it's not disintegrating as much as imploding. The dead are being torn away into nothingness." He said, unable to fight the smile. "And they're not interested in going quietly."
"So you're saying that our father, now faced with his extinction, has decided to spend his remaining time tormenting us?" Elijah asked. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought. "How delightful."
Genevieve looked from one smiling vampire to another. It seemed like all of them were happy with what they were hearing.
"Well," Klaus beamed. "On the plus side, we'll soon be rid of his abhorrent soul forever. And what a good riddance that will be."
"So am I in the clear Elijah?" Genevieve asked, turning to the dark haired Original. "Or is there a new conspiracy the two of you would like to threaten me over?"
Elijah took a deep breath and sighed.
"Nothing springs to mind this precise moment."
"Oh gee, thanks." She spat under her breath. With a glower to him, she turned to Klaus. Her posture immediately relaxed as she approached the hybrid. She stepped towards him. "I have to get back to the girls." She said. Genevieve glanced briefly to K and seemed to delight slightly in what she was about to say. "Perhaps tomorrow after the funeral," she began before shifting her attention to Klaus again. "We could spend some time together. Alone."
Klaus smiled charmingly, but wasn't going to give in entirely.
"I suppose we'll have to see." He answered, still acting as though he was hurt over the way she'd treated him previously and the fact she never helped Kieran.
In truth, everything that happened between them made her attempts to get close again all the more obvious.
Without a clear answer, Genevieve sighed and stepped around him. She left the room and soon the home, hoping internally he'd agree.
"Please tell me you've devised a better way of controlling the witch than playing hard to get?" Elijah sighed as he began to close the French doors.
"I've always been partial to the classics." He smiled.
"Just tell me she's not going to be skulking around the halls wearing less than what I sleep in again?" K asked.
They looked to her and noticed the purest form of irritation radiating from the woman on the couch. She simply stared at Klaus, a brow raised and her head resting in her hand as she waited for an answer. The jealousy was prevalent, but so was the desire to maim and torture the witch who'd caused them all such problems.
Klaus didn't reply. He stepped towards her and slid onto the green leather couch beside the woman who hadn't taken her eyes from him since he'd entered the room.
"I assure you, I've no intentions of ever touching her again." He told her, obviously delighting in her jealousy a bit more than he should. "I simply need her for-"
"The rings, I know." She answered, surprising him a bit that she knew. K slid close enough her knee touched his thigh. She reached forward and lightly threaded his necklaces through her fingers, ensuring she was closer to him than normal. She watched her fingers play with the trinkets on the chains before meeting his eyes. "If I see that crone wearing less than what she would on the streets, I'll suspend you from the ceiling and skin you alive." She said softly and so sweetly he almost didn't hear the words themselves. Klaus's smile fell when he realized she was threatening him and meaning every word of it. "Repeatedly. Until I get bored."
Elijah chuckled from his spot near the bar. Klaus continued to stare into K's emotionless face. She wasn't angry. She wasn't distraught. She looked as though she was telling him the time.
After a moment -sure the statement had sunk into his brain entirely- K dropped his necklace and stood.
"Goodnight gentlemen." She called over her shoulder as she left the room to get ready for bed.
Klaus was left dumbfounded in her wake.
"I think Kali may have become a bit more creative through the years." Elijah mused.
"I'm fairly certain she meant every word of that."
"I'm sure she did."
