Hello, my lovely readers. Esther is about to cast her spell, being with Klaus… On with the show…
Chapter 11: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Klaus Mikaelson suspected his mother was practicing magic. She was a witch, and most witches tended to do that sort of thing, from time-to-time. However, he suspected that she was intending on using her gift against him... And that was an entirely different matter. So, he felt the best thing to do was to have a family meeting, and include everyone, but Mother, and Finn, of course. He did not have to plan for their absences, because Finn tended to run off with Sage...to the electronics store-much to Sage's dismay. As for Mother; she would have plans with her little group of friends.
"Thank you all for putting aside your plans," Klaus began.
Kol's brows rose. "Who said anything about that. You happened to catch me at snack time. Say 'Hello!' to Brittany. She's on the squad, and enjoys it when I bite her thigh. Like this."
The rest of the Original siblings watched as Kol bit into Brittany's thigh, who giggled. Rebekah rolled her eyes and turned to purse her lips at Klaus. "Get on with it, will you, Nik. I, too, have plans for the evening."
"Shagging a commoner," Kol added before returning to his "snack."
Elijah also seemed in a hurry to do something else. Klaus stared at his older brother who crossed his arms. "I do apologize, but Maria needs me to-"
"No one cares!" Rebekah cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Do all of you have to be insufferable?"
"I like them!" Brittany said, brightly.
Rebekah smirked at her fellow blonde. "That's because you've been compelled, darling."
"Ahem!" Klaus watched his siblings turn to him. "It seems that our mother is...doing magic..." He waited for the inevitable suspicion, and anxiety, to take hold.
At first, they said, and did, nothing. Kol was the first to break the silence. Sitting up, he began to laugh, until his grip on Brittany loosened, and she toppled to the floor, staining it red. "Oh, sorry, love." Pulling Brittany back up, and onto his lap. Kol opened his mouth and sank his fangs back into the girl. Seconds later, he pulled back, and shoved his wrist in the cheerleader's mouth. "Nik, you should become a comedian. Truly."
"It was not meant as a joke! How is what I just said funny?" Klaus demanded.
"Shall I?" Elijah looked to Rebekah, who nodded, waving for him to go ahead. "Well, our mother is a witch... It would seem reasonable for her to conduct magic. And Samhain is upon us. Perhaps she means to..." His brows knit together and he looked thoughtful.
"Mother wants to make me pay for what I did to her precious school!" Klaus snapped, scowling.
Huffing, Rebekah folded her arms over her chest. "You did that to more than just Mother! I was making friends, for once in my bloody life!"
Scoffing, Klaus rolled his eyes, and gripped the back of a chair. "You do not need little, human friends. You have us. Your family!"
"Mother is family!" Rebekah got to her feet. "And if you intend on plotting against her, again, you can count me out." She strode to the doorway and paused. "Be a dear, and don't blow the house up while I'm gone."
Klaus growled, and tightened his grip on the chair. "Am I to believe that thoughts of Mother plotting against us do not bother any of you?"
Elijah still looked thoughtful, or he fell asleep with his eyes open.
Kol stared at Klaus. "If Mother is plotting against any of us, it would be you. And, on this account, I will forgo a fight with Mother. You two can battle each other, while I enjoy my time in this town. Speaking of which, I have to go. Bye." Brittany got up and Kol followed her out.
Finally, Elijah seemed to come to. Klaus waited for Elijah's verdict. He could always count on Elijah to stand beside him. "Niklaus, perhaps Mother is not plotting against you. Perhaps she is working towards a different outcome. Let me know what you find out. Maria!"
Eyes widening, Klaus found himself alone in his kitchen. All of his siblings had abandoned him for their own lives. How dare they! Mood darkening, Klaus moved to fall into the chair and stare at the table top. They would all come to regret not helping him uncover Mother's plot which he knew had little to do with Samhain. It had to do with Klaus!
~0~
Before Klaus went to sleep that night, he had made a promise to himself to wake up early, and to keep an eye on what Mother was up to. Unfortunately for Klaus, he'd always been able to sleep through a parade, or a war. When he awoke, the birds were chirping in the trees outside his bedroom window. Klaus groaned and covered his head with a pillow. Then he remembered his plans and sat bolt upright. "Blasted hell!" he cried, speeding out of his room and down the hallway.
Arriving in the Great Room, Klaus found that his mother was still there. She, Elizabeth Forbes, Carol Lockwood, and Damon Salvatore, were all seated. They were drinking tea when Klaus arrived.
Carol was the first to notice Klaus and choked on her tea. "Good morning, Klaus." Her eyes took a long time to get back to the inside of her tea cup.
Liz looked up, and then down at the cup, eyes wide. "Um. Yes. Morning." The poor woman was blushing.
Damon saw Klaus, and he rolled his eyes. "Come on, man! Everyone knows that walking into a room, naked, is my thing!"
Esther's eyes met Klaus', and she looked amused. "Niklaus, did you forget something upon waking?"
Klaus folded his arms over his chest. "This is my house! I will traipse around it, naked; if I so chose to!"
"He's in a mood." Esther sipped her tea calmly. "Best to wait it out."
"Not all of us have centuries, Es." Damon waved a hand at Liz and Carol.
"Es?" Klaus' mood could not get worse. "How dare you nickname my mother!"
"Jealous that Mommy likes me more?" Damon mock-pouted at Klaus who let out a snarl.
"I believe we should take this conversation elsewhere, while Niklaus finds some garments." Still unperturbed, Esther rose. The other women, and one vampire, got up, and followed her, to walk past Klaus. Klaus watched them go. His suspicions grew. Why on earth would the sheriff, the mayor, and the town douchbag, make fast friends with his mother? Of course, it seemed so simple. She was using magic on them. And soon she would use her little army against him. Mother of one of his hybrids. Mother of the girl he longed for. Brother of his old friend. Yes! Klaus was the common factor. His siblings were wrong. This was all about Klaus!
Smirking, Klaus went back upstairs, and found one of his hundred Henley's, a pair of jeans, and a pair of battered boots that he loved for no reason. The doorbell rang, and Klaus sped down the stairs. He opened the door, without looking to see who his visitor was.
No one stood outside the door. Klaus' brows drew together. He walked outside, and found no one hanging about. Shaking his head, Klaus returned to his doorstoop. His eyes went down and he found an envelope. It had glitter on it. His brows rose at the sight of his own name on the front of the envelope. Using a fingernail, he unsealed it, and withdrew a card.
You are cordially invited to the Mystic Falls Halloween Festival! Food. Games. Treats and Tricks were promised for all! The date was today. The time was a mere seven hours from now.
Rolling his eyes, Klaus wondered who on earth would believe him interested in such silly nonsense. His mother. Would she have the nerve, after the events with the school?
Klaus shook his head and carried the invite back inside. He strode into the kitchen and opened a lower cabinet door, about to toss the thing where it belonged; he caught sight of something on the back. Someone had written out a message there.
Hope you can make it,
Caroline
Heart pounding in his chest, Klaus continued to stare at the words. Surely, someone else had written the card. It could not be Caroline Forbes, could it?
Just as the thought went through his head, his phone began to vibrate in his pants, and Klaus withdrew it. He looked at the caller ID. Caroline.
Thumb swiping across the screen, Klaus lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello, love," he said.
"Klaus! Hi! Did you get the invite!" Caroline sounded so cheerful that it made Klaus' throat close for a moment. Confusion was the primary emotion rising inside him.
"Yes. I did." Klaus waited for Caroline to speak.
"Are you coming?" Caroline replied.
"If you wish for me to come, I suppose I could rearrange my plans for the evening..." Klaus tried not to sound desperate.
"I will see you then." The sound of a dial tone in Klaus' ear made his hand fall to his side. Was she actually going to give him a chance? Had she forgiven him so soon...
No. This would be another ploy. First his mother, now Caroline.
Burying all his hope, Klaus carried the invitation upstairs. If he were to grace this event with his presence, he would need to find a costume. And he could think of the perfect one.
~0~
Pumpkins lit either side of the sidewalk, leading to The Mystic Falls Halloween Festival. And Klaus could not imagine that any of them were as scary as the costume he wore.
"Hey, Riding Hood, you wanna-" The words died on the teen boy's lips as Klaus turned, and let out a low growl. Falling on his ass, the boy let out a whimper, crawling backwards, rolled onto his knees and took off.
With a wicked grin, Klaus returned his attention to the festivities. He saw a number of people he knew, including his mother. She stood at a table, a ladle in one hand, a cup in the other. She poured out a drink to a girl in a sexy who-knew-what costume.
Narrowing his eyes, Klaus felt a ting of relief that the witches to her right and left were Carol and Liz. Damon leaned against the table in his usual outfit.
"Nik, what are you doing here?" Kol's voice made Klaus look at his brother. Kol wore a suit and tie and Bonnie Bennett was beside him, also wearing a suit and tie, with a pair of suspenders, and a fedora.
"I was invited. What are you two supposed to be?" Klaus eyed them.
Grinning, Kol threw an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "We're guys, and a doll." He nodded and Klaus found Monica, tottering at Kol's feet.
Klaus smirked. "I thought you were supposed to go as something scary."
"Broadway musicals that last that long should scare most people!" Kol snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.
Bonne picked up the doll. "And if no one is scared, we have Monica. Mon, show Uncle Klaus what you can do." The doll's head rotated. Klaus rolled his eyes, until she belched fire at him, singeing his cape.
"Blasted hell!" Klaus took several steps back and batted at his cape. "Go! Go away! Now!" Looking up, he found they had already turned back and headed toward the festival.
Muttering curses under his breath, Klaus continued on, down the path, and found Rebekah. She stood just outside a group of young people, who danced in the square. She looked deeply unhappy. She also looked underdressed. "Bekah, what are you wearing?" His younger sister wore a men's button-down shirt and a pair of underwear as a bloody costume.
Turning to face Klaus, Rebekah glowered. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip. "I am many women from horror movies." Opening his mouth to comment, Rebekah stopped him, adding, "human women."
"Did all of you miss the memo on Halloween being a time to terrify others?" Klaus demanded.
Rebekah scoffed. "Some of us deny ourselves that pleasure, once a year."
Klaus moved to stand by her side. He eyed the crowd for Caroline and instead found Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore. They had come as a zombie couple, but were arguing. Apparently, sharing a brqin had gone tiresome for them.
Elena threw a cup of punch in Stefan's face before she stormed off. Stefan flopped in a seat and stared at his feet.
Smirking, Klaus pushed Rebekah in the Salvatore brother's direction. "Why don't you go, and give Stefan a shoulder to cry on."
Alone, Klaus continued to watch the crowd, when someone appeared by his side. "Cool costume, Klaus." Tyler Lockwood grinned and nodded at Klaus' costume. Tyler had dressed up as some type of superhero, or just a man in spandex and glasses.
"Thank you, Tyler." Klaus continued to look for Caroline.
"You have the best ideas." Tyler did not get the hint thst included Klaus staring away and not replying.
"Have you tried my mother's punch; I hear it is to die for!" Klaus showed Tyler a fang-y grin.
Tyler nodded. "Already had three. My mom-"
"Go away, Tyler!" Klaus snapped.
"Okay!" Tyler seemed far too amenable and went to join the growing line for Esther's punch. Eyes narrowing, Klaus began to wonder what was the secret ingredient in the drink. He headed over to demand she tell him when someone stepped into his path.
A lovely vision of a girl in a green gown, with a sash reading: Miss Mystic Falls, stood in Klaus' way with a wide smile. "You came!"
"I did. And I see, you, too, have fallen short of the scary costume theme." Klaus looked her over, again. "Although I cannot complain."
"Oh?" Caroline's blue eyes fell to her outfit. "I did come as someone scary...me. From last year. Trust me, you would have eaten that girl." She grinned and Klaus smirked until she blushed. "You just have to make it dirty, don't you?" She did not seem all that upset as she held out an arm to him. "Did you know that Carol Lockwood invited Elijah to give a talk on Samhain?"
"She did, did she?" Klaus glanced at the mayor. His eyes moved around the festival and he spotted Elijah. His faithful robot stood by his side. Bloody hell. Why would Elijah bring that thing out in public?
"Would you like to dance?" Caroline asked, leading Klaus towards the couples. She slipped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. "You know, I've been thinking... I never really took the opportunity to try to get to know you-"
"And you have changed your mind?" Klaus interrupted.
Tilting her head, Caroline peered at him beneath her eyelashes. "Yes."
Nodding, Klaus looked back at his mother. He could see that she had paused in her work, to watch him with Caroline. His throat felt dry and he looked down at Caroline. She seemed so happy in his arms. "Caroline, have you been talking to my mother?"
Caroline let out a quiet laugh. "Well, yeah. I kinda of had to. I was part of the festival committee, and she volunteered to help. She's actually been pretty great." Her eyes searched Klaus.' "Why?"
Sighing, Klaus spun her before drawing her back to him. "You can never trust her."
"Maybe you should give her a chance." Caroline's words made Klaus frown.
"You have no idea what she is capable of," Klaus hissed.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I know what you're capable of. I'm giving you a chance. People can surprise you."
"In the cruelest of ways."
"Why do you always have to see the worst in people!" Caroline cried, stilling in his arms and stared at him.
"Because I have lived many lifetimes, and I have seen, and done, more things than you could imagine." Klaus took several steps back, and turned away from Caroline. "This was a mistake." He began to stride away when Caroline ran around him and stood in his path.
"Klaus Mikaelson, you might be dressed as the Big, Bad Wolf, but I don't believe that's all you are!" Caroline said. "I see the good in you, too!"
Klaus scoffed. "I came dressed as a character who lured a grandmother, and ate her all up!" He stared at Caroline. "How many grandmothers do you believe I really ate? Hmm?"
"No! You do not get to play the scary monster!" Caroline snapped. "There are things that are scarier than you!" As if to illustrate Caroline's point, Monica set fire to a pumpkin, and chucked it at a group dressed as boy band members before cackling. "See! Now, that doll is pure evil. You're...evil adjacent..." She cracked a smile.
Klaus found himself laughing. "Perhaps, I will drink some of my mother's punch and see what horrors this night can evolve into."
"That's the spirit." Caroline walked with him, towards the long line.
Just when Klaus was losing what little patience he had, the line began to speed up. He and Caroline found themselves in front of Esther. She smiled at the two of them. "Niklaus, I didn't know you were coming to the festival. Are you enjoying yourself?"
Klaus smirked. "I've been to better parties over my time."
"Been to worse, too." Damon muttered, sipping a cup of punch. His eyes were glued to Elena Gilbert, who looked deeply unhappy.
"Go to her," Esther said, nodding at Damon, who grabbed a second cup of punch and took off.
"Looks like someone has a future in matchmaking," Carol joked.
Esther smiled, but said nothing as she poured out two cups of punch.
"Honey, you look so nice," Liz said, rounding the table to hug a surprised-looking Caroline.
"Thanks, mom." Klaus watched the baby vampire's eyes squeeze shut and a wide smile cross her face. He hid his own smile with his cup. His eyes connected with his mother's, who was watching him as he drank.
"How is it?" Esther asked. "Not too sweet?"
Klaus shook his head. "Excellent. Thank you, Mother."
"Go! Enjoy the festival!" Esther waved them off with a smile.
Caroline took Klaus' hand and he continued to drink his punch. It really was one of the best things he'd ever tasted. He finished it off, and pulled Caroline into a dance. She giggled as they moved.
At some point, Klaus recollected Caroline getting them more punch. Elijah made a speech. Rebekah and Stefan were getting on well. Kol and Bonnie left the party, leaving Monica, who blew up a few more pumpkins. Maria got into a fight with a girl who wanted to talk to Elijah. It all seemed horribly funny to Klaus.
~0~
The next morning, Klaus felt one eyelid pop open with effort. Someone was in his bed. Her back was to him, but...
Head rising, Klaus took in the sight of the sash on the floor, and the green dress. His nose pressed into Caroline's bare back and she turned to give him a big smile. Whatever was in his mother's punch, Klaus wanted to bottle it, and keep it forever.
The doorbell rang, interrupting what Klaus had intended on doing with Caroline. "Be back in a moment, love," he said. Speeding through the process of dressing, he thought dark thoughts as the doorbell rang, again. "This better be good," he growled.
Klaus stopped at the front door, and jerked it open, about to tear into whoever was at the door. But the sight of the man before him made all the words die in his throat. "Marcel?" It looked like Caroline would be waiting for a bit longer than Klaus had intended...
Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing.
Happy Halloween!
Be safe
-J