No Pairing
"Even though you're growing up, you should never stop having fun." – Nina Dobrev
Saturday, January 20, 2011
Fun Town
"There they are!" Penny exclaimed to Finn, pointing at their friends from school at the party. Without a look back, they ran off leaving Elijah and Vanessa holding the party gifts and Henrik's hands.
"You want to go, too, Henrik?" Elijah asked crouching down. He couldn't tell if Henrik wanted to go and was just afraid to or actually didn't want to. Elijah looked at Vanessa for confirmation.
"Sweetheart, Daddy and I will walk you over there if you want. Isn't that little girl in your class? The one in the blue dress," Vanessa prompted.
Henrik made a face and turned away. It was times like this when Elijah was at a loss. He didn't know if he should push Henrik to play with older kids or just spend some time with him one on one.
"It's okay. We'll drop off the gifts and then we can do whatever you want! You pick!" Elijah said.
"Cool! I want to do the train first and then the claw and then...," Henrik said running off in the direction of the train.
Elijah shrugged. Vanessa shook her head and laughed as she took the gift out of Elijah's hand. She'd walk it over and do the birthday party mom thing. She might have to stand by and do a few hours about small talk. Vanessa waved to Freya and Rebekah and left.
"Where's she off to?" Rebekah asked.
"Birthday party. The older two had a class party. Hence us all being here. Think the girls are okay?" Freya said looking over at them buying tokens at the desk. They headed over to play skeet ball. Tyler, Kai, and Matt had left for Caroline's house to study for some test. Cami and Keelin had to work so Klaus was shooting basketballs in this machine with Connor, Erik, and Jeremy.
"Wow, Dad. Way to show off," Jeremy smirked as Klaus got all of the baskets in with barely any effort.
"At least I didn't do it with my eyes closed! How was the quarry last night, boys?" Klaus asked Connor and Erik.
"Good. We're probably going to crash soon, but we didn't notice any new wolves or anything out of the ordinary," Connor said taking the offered basketball from his dad.
"I must have been jumping in the water. I was freezing when I turned back. Dad, you picked us up right before I was ready to turn back into wolf form," Erik explained.
Jeremy asked, "So if I ran into you when you were a wolf, would you know it's me?"
Klaus explained, "On the full moon, we seem to slip more deeply into our wolf form so last night, it's doubtful. When we transform other nights, we would have a sense, but Jeremy, it is still dangerous for us to be around humans and especially vampires."
"But your blood is the cure? And can't the twins siphon out a wolf bite?" Jeremy pressed as it was his turn to take some shots.
"Yes, but our blood can't sew someone's head back on," Erik scoffed.
"Erik!" Connor scolded.
"It's true," Erik defended.
"It is, but we are in complete control in our hybrid wolf form. So if our eyes are glowing eye and fangs come out, we're us, just amped," Klaus said in a matter of fact voice.
"I wish I was special. Look at my dumb ancestors, all they did is get me in trouble and almost killed," Jeremy complained after he missed his shots.
"Hey, hey," Klaus said putting his arm around Jeremy. Klaus gave Connor an apologetic look and he mouthed, "Give me a minute."
Connor grabbed Erik and steered him over to the shooting game he liked where you said in the booth and it made you feel like you were in a safari.
"Sorry, Dad. It's just not easy being a loser in a house of super beings," Jeremy spat.
"Son, you are not a loser. Being a wolf can be great sometimes like on the full moon, but Jeremy, the rage, the loss of control and pain when we turn...it is agony. And you know what a vampire goes through with bloodlust. But it's more than that. When you have forever, each day is not so precious. It is only through my time with you kids and Camille that I can appreciate life. Because it does not last forever, Son, you will have things that I'll never have. You will grow old and mature. You know there is always a part of us that is frozen at our age when we will turned," Klaus said softly.
"But you and Uncle Elijah are mature," Jeremy added.
"Yes, we were more adults when we made, so was Marcel. But Rebekah and Kol, they were 16 and 17. There is a part of them that is always fighting with being an immortal child, their souls have matured...But there is always a little part of them, their brains, that remains a teen, no matter how much they fight it. Connor, he'll always be 17 forever. Jeremy, I normally wouldn't say this because a hybrid's hearing is exquisite, but Erik may never look older than 14 or 15. And like Penny, if he takes the cure, he is an untriggered wolf again with all the anger and grief that entails," Klaus shared.
"It sounds awful when you put it that way. It's just Bonnie and me, well, I thought maybe she liked me. Then, she had this other boyfriend. Now, I'm not sure, but I thought maybe if I were special, she'd like me more," Jeremy confessed.
"Humanity is the most attractive thing to a supernatural, Jeremy. It is special in its' own way. You just be you. But we can paint later, if you want to. I'm still working on that landscape of Algiers in my New Orleans series," Klaus remarked.
"Yeah, sounds fun. But I'm going to try to go find Bonnie now. Maybe I do need to just be myself? Love you, Dad," Jeremy said.
"Love you, too, Son," Klaus said back.
Klaus' eye fell on his little brother, Kol. He saw him watching someone. Without looking, he knew who it was. Forever 17, both a blessing and a curse.
Game Room
Dana was bound and determined to win something at the claw game. After five tries and $5 spent, she growled, "It's fixed. Waste of money."
Erik came by and tried his hand, he got a stuffed purple, octopus and gave it to her. Dana promptly ripped it's head clean off.
"What'd you do that for?" Erik asked in alarm. Sometimes the twins' temper scared him.
"You got me in more trouble this morning," Dana said trying to stuff the head back on the stuffed animal.
"We didn't rat you guys out!" Erik said truthfully. They had seen what the girls were up to, but stayed out of it.
"I didn't say you did, but-," Dana started.
"Hey, did you guys see Bonnie?" Jeremy interrupted.
"She's in the bathroom with Rachael and Davina," Dana explained pointing toward the ladies' room.
"Why?" Jeremy asked.
"I don't know. She had to pee. Why are you asking me all these questions?" Dana spouted.
"No, I meant why do girls go to the bathroom together?" Jeremy laughed.
"How the hell do I know?" Dana asked throwing the headless octopus in the garbage.
"Dana, what were you saying about me getting you in more trouble?" Erik prodded.
"Oh, not just you, all of you guys, always saying how bad it is to get the paddle. Well, Freya and Aunt Bex came in to bust our butts this morning with some new paddle and I freaked out," Dana hissed in a confidential voice.
"Was it a Jokari? Because that thing is evil. But I ain't never got walloped with it myself," Erik admitted.
"No, it was some beach toy...I wouldn't cooperate and now I'm getting it again tonight. So you never got it with the one with holes in it?" Dana asked.
Jeremy thought, "No. But Dana, sorry if we scared you with our stories, but I think the worst thing for us about getting in trouble isn't always getting punished." Jeremy led them over to play skeet ball.
Dana scowled, "Then, what is it?" She put in her token and rolled up her ball.
Erik cut in, "It's disappointing our dad. He tries real hard to make everything good for us...No one likes to get whupped, but it's better than seeing that look in Dad's eyes of him realizing that we didn't mind him again." Erik got a bunch of tickets from his machine, but just left them in and put in another token. Maybe he'd try to win Penny something.
"So it's not that we didn't want to drink with you guys the other night, but we've pulled shit like that before and learned it's not worth it. I mean I know it's different with you guys and Freya-," Jeremy went on.
"Why is it different with us and Freya?" Dana asked.
"Oh, because we really love our dad a lot," Erik said proudly.
"We love Freya," Dana defended. She was holding one of the heavy wooden balls.
"Oh," Erik said looking at Jeremy in surprise. "You ain't real nice to her. Sorry, I didn't realize it."
Dana choked, "Maybe we've been a little mean, but you know, my parents...like died." Dana gave up on even pretending to play skeetball.
Erik said, "My parents just died, too."
"Mine drowned on Wickery Bridge. Dana, it's okay to let your guard down a little. It takes some time, too. I used to give my dad a lot of attitude and Erik here ran away. It took a while for us to know Dad and learn that he did care and that...he really loved us. Just know that this is new for Aunt Freya, too," Jeremy said.
"Penny told me that Aunt Freya had a baby once, but that Dahlia killed it or something," Erik shared in a hushed tone.
"Oh, that's so sad," Dana said feeling a rush of sympathy. She had started out wanting to lash out at the boys. Now, she just felt remorse for being so impatient and mean. All Freya had ever tried to do was be nice to her and her siblings.
"Don't tell her I told you. Penny was having visions, so who knows if it's true," Erik said collecting his tickets.
"I won't. I guess thanks. I didn't realize that...I've been so horrible," Dana admitted.
Jeremy smiled, "Honestly, you're nicer than your sister."
"Want to say that to my face?" Rachael spat behind Jeremy.
"Sorry, just joking!" Jeremy said lamely.
"Well, it will be a joke when you start spitting up scorpions later on," Rachael vowed smiling sweetly.
"Bonnie, she's joking, right? Hey, let's go play laser tag," Jeremy suggested.
"Okay," Bonnie said.
"Fine, Bonnie. Abandon us," Rachael gripped.
"Rachael, put a cork in it," Dana admonished her. "We need to talk."
"You can bitch at me later, Mom said it's time to go shopping. Sorry, Erik, it's ladies only. We're also going to lunch, so enjoy the crappy pizza here," Rachael giggled.
"Are we leaving Bonnie here?" Davina worried.
Erik said, "I just saw her and Jer go in for laser tag. I'll tell her you left."
"Okay, thanks. Bye, Erik. Sorry about her," Dana said pointing at Rachael. Then, Dana realized that Rachael had called Freya 'Mom,' too. Maybe they weren't the best daughters yet, but Dana was going to prove that they could do better. She, at least, could do better, maybe Rachael was a lost cause, Dana thought as she dragged her twin away.
Near the Ball Pit
"Brother, am I that obvious?" Kol smiled. Klaus came up and put a hand on his brother's shoulder lightly. Kol tore his eyes away from Davina in the game room.
"Kol, it's okay. Don't be too hard on yourself," Klaus said.
"She came into my room and I sent her away. I always worried how many times I would have the strength to do that. And then I wondered how many times until she would take me up on my half hearted pleas to move on. She has now. I can tell," Kol concluded.
"It's only for a few more years, Brother. But I'm sorry. I know how I would feel if it was Camille," Klaus considered.
"Thank you, Nik. Really, I'll be fine. Our sister and the other girls, I'm not too sure, though," Kol smirked. Kol's smirk died as an animatronic bear lumbered by him. That thing terrified him.
"Why?" Klaus asked in puzzlement.
"The prohibition of 2011! The kids get hammered and now the adults must stay sober. I see Elijah's fingerprints all over this one," Kol speculated.
"Wait! Back up. I knew the girls pinched some booze, but now we're not drinking? We're bloody 21," Klaus growled.
"Speak for yourself," Kol said, "But I'm for it, just to see how long Bex can go without her Mommy juice."
"Kol, I'm sure she will be fine. It's not like our little Sister has a full-time job, toilets to scrub, and the other stresses of a modern human," Klaus rejoined.
"Shall we make a wager?" Kol suggested lightly. He knew Rebekah would be guzzling out of the bottle by tomorrow night.
"No, absolutely not," Klaus said firmly.
"What if I did all of your household chores for two weeks if you win, if you lose, you do mine?" Kol stated.
"So I bet that Rebekah can abstain until the end of her visit, is that the agreement?" Klaus prompted.
"Yes, I bet that she cannot and will be hitting the bottle well before she steps back into the jet," Kol surmised.
"It's a bet, then. I believe in our little sister and her resolve," Klaus appealed.
"I do not," Kol chuckled. He watched as Rebekah and Marcel played foosball and Marcel lost.
"You know my chores start at 6am with waking up my kids, right?" Klaus pressed.
Kol claimed, "Yes, but it doesn't matter since you will lose. Here's Elijah. Not a word."
"Brothers, I finally got Henrik to join the kids at the party. Say, I have an idea about the house. Can we find Connor? This involves him also," Elijah stressed.
Klaus found Connor and brought him over to his brothers.
"Thanks, Connor. So I'm sure you remember all the fuss we had with the smaller kids jumping over the furniture and almost killing themselves by leaping off the beds. It occurred to me, what if we designed an indoor playscape modeled after their favorite safe place: Fun Town," Elijah suggested grandly.
"No animatronics!" Kol blurted.
"What? No, of course not. I'm thinking we could build that ramp, a ball pit, have swings, those climbing walls, and other safe activities that would give them exercise even when it is cold outside. Hell, we could make an outdoor sport court and a smaller scale one in the boys' old bedroom. That is still a really large room. Tyler has two little ones on the way. Henrik is only 8 and Penny and Finn are only 10. We could even ask the kids what they want," Elijah urged.
Connor said excitedly, "And since I'm in the vo-tech now. I can help. Uncle Elijah and I have been talking about putting in a workshop for me. I could build the stuff. Actually, Jeremy can design stuff on the computer. Like CAD, computer aided drafting. He could help."
"We could all help, really. Erik would love it if we built an area for Sadie. Like a dog training park...You know the kids want another dog," Kol mused.
"Yes, we are aware," Klaus smiled. "I think this is the perfect timing. They haven't broken ground on the pool or Freya's greenhouse yet. If we gave them the specifications of a sport court, that wouldn't be so hard to add. Everyone can add their wish list. I know Penny wants a trampoline. Her girlfriend has one at her house."
"Yes, this is what I am talking about. I know we wanted to surprise the kids with what the architects did with their new bedrooms. But maybe we should have allowed the kids to design their own spaces? I think I missed a lot of things they needed. For example, Connor, just today you boys said you need a gang style shower. Two showers just isn't enough for six boys in the morning," Elijah added.
"We ain't real concerned with privacy and all. I think we're more worried about being late and Dad making us ride that crappy bus again," Connor laughed.
Klaus smiled back, "My son, I just don't want you guys speeding because you are afraid of being late. If you need a bigger barracks type shower, we'll get you one. There is space for us to add one by the bedrooms in what is now a storage area. We have a lot of planning to do."
"Yes, now do you see what I brought all of us here?" Elijah pressed.
"So we never have to come back here because our house will be ten times better?" Kol probed.
"Yes, exactly!" Elijah laughed.
Connor was already talking to his dad about building a treehouse.
"I know he's kind of old for it, but Erik saw a tree house in some movie...and he's always wanted one. As long as there was a way to get Sadie up there, I think he'd really like it," Connor said shyly.
"We can build a dog-vator," Kol said with confidence.
Klaus put an arm around Connor, "Such a good brother, this one."
"And?" Elijah prompted.
Klaus rolled his eyes and included his two other brothers in a group hug.
"It could work, lads. Kiss Fun Town goodbye!" Klaus dreamt.
Just then, an animatronic chicken came up behind them clucking, and even Klaus flinched.