All Apologies
Two weeks had passed.
Sean was still in the NICU, growing stronger but still not strong enough to leave. The doctors guessed it would be another month at least. Sam and Cami never left the hospital, while the Winchester siblings continued to take turns. The Mikaelsons were all back in New Orleans, except for Klaus of course. He wanted to be in Mystic Falls for Ava, but she didn't seem to want him there. That morning they were in the kitchen, with Ava responding stiffly to Klaus trying to get her to do her homeschooling.
"I don't want to do this," she finally announced, throwing her pencil down.
"Ava-"
"Why can't I go back to school?" she demanded. "I want to go back to school!"
"Your mother and I both-" Klaus continued to try, praying Maddie got back from the store soon. It was just the two of them at the house as Kate and the others were all out.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Ava snapped at him.
"Ava!" Madison scolded. from the entry to the kitchen, grocery bag in hand. "Upstairs, now."
"Just because you think it's ok that he-" Ava started to sass her mother.
"AVA HOPE!" Maddie shouted at her, maybe more than she meant to; she took a second to collect herself. "Your room," she told her again. Ava got up, shoving her chair under the table before stomping the entire way to her room, slamming the door behind her.
"Didn't think she would be so much like you at eight," they heard a voice commenting, noticing Bobby had made it to the house. He had been in contact with the family, but after Sean had yet to improve he made his way to Virginia.
"I've slammed many doors in my day," Maddie attempted to say lightly, hugging him; Bobby kissed her cheek.
"I'll go talk to her," he nodded back at the stairs. "Idjit," he nodded at Klaus in greeting before heading back out of the room.
"Bobby," Klaus replied, coming over from the table towards Maddie now. "...maybe we should let her go back to that school," he offered.
"We both agreed no way," Maddie shook her head. "They screwed up too badly, there's no-" She stopped, shaking her head. "We can't just crack because she's mad at us."
"Mad at me," he corrected her, though he knew she was right. If it was just him he would probably let Ava have anything she wanted at this point just to get her to forgive him. The one thing she did want though was her Uncle Finn.
"She's eight," Maddie reminded him. "She's been dealing with more than..." She trailed off as her phone was ringing with a call from Sam. She swallowed hard, afraid of what calls from the hospital these days meant. "Hello?" she answered.
"We're on our way home, with Sean," Sam quickly clarified, knowing how just saying they were coming home might sound.
"What?" Maddie asked in surprise. "How? They said that his lungs-"
"As of this morning, everything is functioning perfectly," Sam said with a shrug. "He's still small, but he's ok to come home and put on the weight nursing."
"Was it Cas?" Madison asked.
"That's what we think," Sam nodded. "We didn't actually see him or anything but with the sudden turn around..." He laughed for the first time in who knew how long. "Whatever it is, I don't want to question it too much. We'll see you at home."
"See you at home," Maddie beamed as she looked at Klaus. "Let's go tell Ava, she'll be thrilled," she said, nodding for him to follow her. While things had been thawing between the two of them, they weren't quite back to normal yet; Ava continued to be as icy towards her father as ever. As they got to the upstairs hall though, they paused as they heard her and Bobby talking.
"I know you're upset sweetheart," Bobby agreed with Ava as he sat on the floor. Madison knew this trick of her daughter's as when she was really upset she would crawl under her bed and refuse to come out.
"I'm not upset, I'm mad!" Ava protested from under the bed, Klaus and Maddie listening in the hall by Ava's cracked door.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't pretty mad at your dad too," Bobby said, glancing over at the doorway as he knew the parents were there.
"Why isn't mom mad?!" Ava demanded. She wasn't stupid. Even if her parents weren't fully back to normal she knew her mom had softened to her dad being back; it wouldn't be long until they were back together.
"You wanna know something about your mom?" Bobby said. "As long as I've known her, she's had to forgive people." At that, Ava poked her head out from under the bed, the blankets bunched up on top of her head.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You know your real grandpa?" he asked back as she had heard stories about John.
"You're my real grandpa," Ava told him seriously even though she knew that Bobby was the Winchesters surrogate father figure.
"And I'm luck I get to be," Bobby agreed with her. "Because your real grandpa didn't get to be around much, so I used to take care of your mom and your uncles. I used to get mad at him too, like I'm mad at your dad. Because he made your momma sad a lot. She would be sad, she would be angry...but she would forgive him."
"Why?" Ava asked.
"Because he was her daddy and she loved him," Bobby told her. "And she knew he was doing what he thought was right." He shrugged. "I think your daddy was trying to protect you."
"From what?" Ava asked like it was crazy.
"From seeing how sad he was without you," Bobby told her. "He's a little like your Grandpa John. He was afraid of your momma getting hurt, so he pushed her away, even when he shouldn't have." Ava paused, taking that in.
"I'm still mad," she announced.
"And you're allowed to be," Bobby assured her. "But, don't stay mad too long. That's not what your Uncle Finn would want."
"...yeah, ok," Ava agreed, crawling out from under the bed. Maddie nodded at the door for Klaus to go in but he shook his head; he didn't want to push Ava. Maddie sighed, pushing the door open herself.
"Ava," she said, getting her attention. "Guess what, Uncle Sam and Aunt Cami are on their way home with Sean."
"Really?!" she asked excitedly.
Another week went by and the family was back in New Orleans. While they were happy to be back at their home all together in the French Quarter, they knew that this meant one heart wrenching thing; it was finally time to say goodbye to Finn the way he deserved. While they had been waiting for everyone else in the city, Elijah and Kol had a grave constructed just for Finn in one of New Orleans older cemeteries. It was a lot like the others in their above ground nature, but it was clearly newer as it wasn't as worn, making it stand out.
As Finn was laid to rest inside and the cover was being put on, Rebekah was telling Ava how they hoped that a lot of the tourists that visited the cemeteries would want to see this new grave in an old place, giving Finn a lot of visitors to leave him flowers and things like that. Ava just nodded quietly as she set the first flowers in front of the completed grave, standing in front of Kate as she avoided her parents who she was still upset with. Bobby was there next to them as the family all stood in a semi circle around the grave. Bobby, Kate and Ava, Dean, Adam, Davina, Maddie, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Hayley, and Kol. Sam and Cami would have come but said their goodbyes at home, not wanting to take tiny Sean out of the house.
"...now what," Ava said as she had never been to a funeral before.
"Well," Kate was telling her as she rested her hands on her shoulders. "This is usually the part where people say something, anything really. A story or a favorite memory." She knelt down to Ava. "Do you want to go first?" Ava just shook her head, it was too hard.
"I can go first," Davina offered, knowing how awkward it was. "Finn was really great," she started off. "He was a good friend and he saved Adam more times than I think we want to count," she said lightly as she squeezed Adam's hand. "And, losing him so fast, it made me realize we have to go and do the things we want to do. That we don't always have the time we want. So," she said, glancing over at Hayley who she had been talking this over with. "Hayley and I are opening a school like Ava went to here in New Orleans. For the covens, for the crescents," she continued, all of them knowing now that Hayley was connected to the pack here in the area. They also intended to open the school to the children of hunters, to give them a place to call home instead of always being on the road; they would also learn that not everything supernatural was a monster and learn how to defend themselves against what was really evil out there. "And, Ava, we would be honored if you would be our first student to enroll."
"Really?" she asked her, then looked at her parents. "I can go back to school?!"
"Absolutely," Maddie assured her.
"...who's next?" Ava asked after a moment, still not wanting to go. As she was asking this, they all jumped as someone appeared at the cemetery with them. "Uncle Cas?" she asked quickly.
"Hello Ava," he greeted her, looking to the others.
"Where have you been?" Dean was asking now.
"Everywhere," Castiel told them. "I apologize for not getting to the hospital sooner," he said, confirming it was him that helped Sean. "Things have been...chaotic," he decided on the word. "Since there's no longer a leader in hell-"
"Do we need to worry?" Adam asked but Castiel shook his head.
"Not after a very brave girl took him down," Castiel assured them. "No one will hurt this family after that, that I'm sure of. I can't stay long..." He trailed off, turning to kneel to Ava now. "But, I did want to come and tell you that your uncle is ok, he doesn't want you to be sad for him."
"He is?" Ava asked. "You saw him?!"
"In heaven," Castiel assured her. "And, he's with his big sister Freya, like he always wanted." Ava nodded quietly as he stood back up. "I'm sorry I can't stay," he told them, the others nodding now as he left, the group silent. The silence was broken by Ava crying.
"Aw, baby," Madison sighed, going over to her now to kneel, Klaus standing behind her. "I know it's hard," she said as she wiped a tear away, though more kept coming. "But, you heard what Uncle Cas said. Uncle Finn is happy, he has peace," she emphasized. "He's with his big sister-"
"His sister that liked him," Ava sobbed. She was eight but she wasn't dumb. She could pick up on tensions and she knew Finn didn't get along with the rest of his siblings; he even admitted that to her in the days before he died. Maybe she didn't know the whole story, but all she needed to know what that the rest of the Mikaelsons made her closest uncle sad. "Are you even sad?!" she asked the four Mikaelsons.
"Ava," Madison said seriously but she couldn't possibly scold her right now.
"He died and they don't even like him!" Ava accused, breaking down now. "They're brothers and they don't even talk," she said, meaning Kol and Klaus. Again, she wasn't stupid, she knew something was wrong. "He wanted us to all be fixed but they...they..."
"Ok, ok," Madison stopped her as she had broken off into full sobs, picking her up. "We're gonna go home. Unless your last name is Mikaelson," she corrected herself. "Because you're going to stay and work on this," she informed them. She wouldn't normally push them right now, but Ava's heart was broken and seeing their issues was only making it worse.
Davina and Hayley left, having things to work on with opening their school while the Winchesters took Ava to the house. The remaining four stood around in silence for awhile, not sure where to start, looking at their oldest brother's grave. While Kol and Klaus had the most obvious issues to work out, they all had many lifetimes of troubles between them.
"I'm glad he's with Freya," Rebekah offered up first.
"He deserves that peace," Elijah nodded in agreement. "After everything he did to reunite us."
"...I'll never be able to thank him," Klaus agreed as well. Finn died to he could have everything in his life back. The best way to repay him was to fix everything, from things with his favorite girls to things with his siblings. That meant all of them. "I'm sorry Kol," he said first in a huge step. Rebekah and Elijah were certainly surprised; they weren't the only ones.
"For what?" Kol asked. After all, Klaus hadn't made a move on the mother of Kol's child.
"For the way I've always treated you," Klaus said. "The way I've treated all of you really but..." He looked at his younger brother, knowing he often felt on the outside, though not quite as outside as Finn. "You're my younger brother, I should have been a better big brother." He smirked a little now. "I'm not sorry for hitting you though," he tacked on; Rebekah couldn't help a small laugh.
"You shouldn't be," Kol agreed with him. "I'm the one that's sorry, about all of that. I never should have-"
"It's been nearly a decade," Klaus stopped him.
"And we have centuries worth of apologies owed between all of us," Elijah agreed with him.
"Sean down?" Maddie asked as she was sitting on the couch in the main room with Dean and Adam as Sam came downstairs. The others were still at the cemetery while Kate and Bobby took a calmed down Ava out for beignets; Davina and Hayley would also be awhile as they worked on their plans.
"Cami too," Sam joked as he sat next to Adam on the couch opposite Dean and Maddie. "They're still at the cemetery?" he asked, noting the absences.
"Ava's getting them to work on it," Madison said, sipping her beer.
"That little girl can do some amazing things," Adam joked, sipping his own drink.
"I'm surprised she didn't call you out in all of that," Sam said to Dean, having heard about Ava's breakdown in the cemetery. They had all been waiting for Dean to talk to them about Rebekah, but he hadn't yet. Sam was done waiting it seemed and Dean was silent for a moment.
"I screwed up guys," he admitted softly, picking at the label on his beer.
"I mean, that was a given," Madison joked, but as she looked over to her brother she immediately regretted it. "What happened with you two Dean?"
"You can't say anything," he told them.
"Dean," Adam nodded around, noting it was just the four Winchester siblings. Whatever was said between them would stay that way, it had always been that way with them; he still hesitated to start.
"It's not like she had a sister you could have kissed," Sam said, referencing what happened between Maddie and Klaus.
"Ha-ha," Maddie said sarcastically, flipping Sam off.
"It was worse than that," Dean said and the others looked at him in surprise. What could he have done that they all missed? "Around the time the Hollow showed up we ah...we found out Beks was pregnant." Madison audibly gasped while Adam's jaw silently dropped; Sam was just silent. They all knew what had to have happened as there was obviously no baby. "Right when we were coming up with the separation plan..." He shook his head, unable to finish, reliving the night he and Rebekah lost their baby. "That's why she decided to turn back and take one of the pieces," he said, wiping at his eyes before the tears could come out. "She didn't want you to be without your baby," he told Madison.
"Oh my God," Madison said with a heavy sigh.
"And I got pissed at her," Dean said without missing a beat. "I got pissed at her and shut her out for leaving. God, I told her," he continued, not noticing the tears sliding down his cheeks. "I told her that if she turned we were done." He took his head in his hands as he felt Madison's hand on his back.
"...there's no right way to handle that situation Dean," Sam assured him.
"Getting pissed off at her wasn't it," Dean argued.
"Maybe not," Adam agreed. "But...let's work on how to fix it."
Everyone quietly turned in that night, the air among them still sad but overall hopeful as they all worked to fix things with each other. They were happy to be reunited, forever grateful to Finn for giving them this chance together; they certainly didn't want to blow it. Rebekah was reflecting on what needed fixing in her own life as she heard a knock on her door late that night. Dean stood on the other side with a bunch of lilies in his hand.
"Dean," she said in surprise, stepping to the side to let him in.
"You hate roses," he announced as he handed them to her; she looked at him quizzically. "It's just that, ah..." He shook his head, just needing to get it over with rather than drag it out. "I always liked the name Lily for a girl, I thought it was pretty. And I thought...I just had this feeling that we were having a girl."
"Oh," Rebekah said thoughtfully as she set the flowers to the side on her bed, what used to be their bed as he was staying in a guest room down the hall. "Dean, that's really-"
"I am so sorry Beks," he cut her off. "I screwed up so...so badly," he continued.
"I ran away," she said softly.
"I wasn't listening, I was just taking things out on you," Dean continued. "...but, I'll listen now, if you want me to," he told her and she motioned for him to sit with her on the bed. Before she could say anything though, she just started sobbing, with Dean pulling her into her arms to hold her and really comfort her for the first time since that first night they lost their child.
"DADDY!" Ava screamed at the top of her lungs that night, waking up with a nightmare. Klaus and Maddie both sped down the hall, Maddie taking their old room while he was in a guest room. He got to the room first, pushing the door open and turning on the light where he saw Ava sitting up and crying.
"Ava, sweetheart, what is it?" he asked quickly as he sat on the edge of her bed, looking her over to make sure she was ok.
"Please don't leave again," she was sobbing; in her nightmare he had taken off again and she couldn't find him. "I'm sorry I've been mad, but please-"
"Shh,shh,shh," Klaus soothed her, wiping a round of tears off her cheeks before pulling her into his arms, holding her in his lap as she cried against his shoulder. He heard Maddie telling the others that had come running when they heard screaming that everything was ok, that Ava just had a bad dream. "I'm not going anywhere," he assured her as he kissed her head.
"You were gone," Ava was crying.
"I never should have pushed you or your mother away," Klaus told her, pushing back his own tears now. "I will regret that every day for the rest of my life and I will spend just as long making it up to the two of you, if you'll have me."
"Don't leave me," Ava sobbed as she latched onto him.
"Hell hounds couldn't drag me away," he murmured as he kissed her head, Maddie coming over to sit with them. Ava soon fell asleep though Klaus didn't want to leave the room. Ava laid in the middle of her bed between her parents who were still awake, watching her sleep. Madison got Klaus's attention by reaching for his hand.
"Ask me," she told him softly and he knew she meant about the engagement ring; he shook his head as he hadn't earned that yet.
"Madison Winchester," he said instead. "Will you take me back?"
"Now and for the rest of our lives," she assured him with a soft smile as he kissed her.
thanks for reading! i really hope you liked it! i'm going to write one more chapter to kind of wrap everything up, but i really hope you liked this! let me know what you think!
