Disclaimers: I do not own TO or the characters.
Spoilers: season 4
Rating: T
Notes: Thank you to those who read and reviewed. Welcome to my new followers/favoriter redcrushparham and percastle.
Notes 2: This is set in season 4 episode 5. Directly after Keelin says goodbye to Freya and leaves for the bus stop (And then comes back).
Enjoy! :)
1 week later – June 6th, 2019
She's halfway to the bus stop when she calls him.
"I can't do it, Jared."
Her friend sighs on the other end.
"Yeah, I figured. You're too good of a person sometimes, Keelin."
"She needs me, Jer. I can't just leave. Not when... Not when she still needs me."
"You and that Hippocratic Oath, huh? Ok, well, then I guess it's a good thing I took off work for the next few days. You're lucky my boss is an understanding man. I can be down there by tonight, if you want. I checked, — I figured I would get this call — and it'll take about 8 and a half, 9-ish hours. That good for you?"
Keelin breathes out deeply. "Yeah. That- That sounds good, but, Jared–"
"I know, Kee. I know. Listen, you go do what you need to do, and I am going to finish a few things here. I'll call you; let you know when I'm close, ok?"
"Yeah, thanks."
*Mikaelson Compound*
She goes back to the Compound after seeing Freya again. Hayley is there with Hope. The little girl is ecstatic to see her.
"Keelin!"
"Hey, sweets."
"I thought you were leaving?"
It hadn't been that long since Keelin stopped by to give her goodbyes to the family, after Freya told her that what she was helping with was finished, and Keelin was supposed to leave New Orleans.
"Well, I almost did." Keelin agrees, bending down in front of her. "But, I realized that even though what I was helping Freya with is over and done with, technically, she still needs my help."
"She went to help Daddy and Marcel." Hope states matter-of-factly, and Keelin releases a slow breath. She will never get over how perceptive Hope Mikaelson is at only 7 years old.
"Yes, she did." Keelin stands. Now is as good of a time as any to ask. "And you know, while we wait for your Auntie Freya, I have something important I need to discuss with you and your mom."
They sit down to discuss a few things. Several things that Keelin knows she will need to talk to Freya about, and once they are finished, Keelin helps keep Hope entertained and distracted from what, Keelin hopes, will not happen to her father.
*Later*
"Daddy taught me how to mix the colors." Hope is explaining. It's several hours later, nearing later-evening, and Keelin focuses on what the young Mikaelson is showing her, trying to deflect her own thoughts from the fact that she has yet to hear from Freya.
"Did he?"
Hayley has left to get some ice cream, they are going to make ice cream sundaes for desert, and so Keelin is officially alone with Hope.
They are in the bedroom that she shares with Hayley, at the little art easel in the corner where all her art supplies currently reside.
"Yep. And I can do any color ever. Pick a color, any color!"
"Okay, how about… purple?"
Hope gives her an exaggerated eye roll.
"Keelin! That's easy! Anyone can do purple! Pick something that is hard."
"Hmmm… ok." Keelin playfully narrows her eyes, pretending to think hard. Trying to think of a color that may be difficult for other 7-year-olds to mix.
"All right, then how about… lime green."
Hope nods.
"Much better." She quips. Keelin shakes her head. Yeah, this kid is definitely related to Freya.
She works to mix the yellow and blue paints. First starting with an even amount of both colors, then slowly adding a drop of yellow to the green mixture. Until eventually, she comes up with bright lime green.
"Well, look at that."
"Cool, huh?" Hope remarks as she smears the paint on the sheet of paper.
"Very cool. And handy. I bet you could make any color you wanted–" She's cut off by her phone ringing. The Caller I.D. displays Freya, and it loosens the nagging worry that's been at the back of Keelin's mind all day.
"And that would be your Auntie Freya." Keelin leans down to kiss Hope's forehead. "You stay here while I answer this, ok."
She heads to her room, leaving the door open in case Hope needs her.
"Hey, there's the badass Viking witch," She greets into the phone. "Did everything go ok?"
"Yeah, it… Yes. Klaus is on his way home. I'm- I'm at the bell tower but you…" She trails off but Keelin can hear what is unspoken. She breathes out in relief, letting her eyes fall shut.
"I came back to the Compound," She explains. "I needed to…" should she say it? "I needed to talk to Hayley about something. So I came back, and ended up spending the day with Hope."
"Is everything alright?"
Keelin smiles at the underlining concern in Freya's voice. Oh, how she hopes everything is alright. She is nervous about maybe reading too much into Freya's behavior the past few days, particularly this morning, when Keelin first mentioned going back to Austin.
"Yeah. Everything's fine."
"Okay. Well, I can be home in 15 minutes."
Home.
Why does that word give her fuzzy feelings? This is here Freya lives, after all.
"Oh, no, Miss Mikaelson." Keelin interrupts. "You are not doing anything but staying there. I'll come, stitch you up, and then, we will both come back here."
"I can take care of myself, Keelin." She can practically hear the eye roll through the phone.
"Mhm. Says the woman who ran out with head trauma this morning."
Keelin steps out of the bedroom when she hears the front door shut, and Hayley call out for Hope.
"I'm leaving now. Stay there. I'll be there in less than 20 minutes."
"Keelin."
"Freya."
She motions to Hayley for the car keys, and nods when she mouths Freya?
"It's late." Freya responds, though she doesn't seem to put much into the argument. "And dark. You don't need to be out. It's not safe."
"Your concern is refreshing." Keelin quips, hearing Freya breathe out sharply in an attempt to hide her laughter. The sound responds her of the reason she is staying.
She says, "Hayley is here. I'll take her car and be there in less than 20 minutes." (and hopes the smile isn't as evident in her voice as it is on her face.) "Please do not go rogue in that time."
Keelin hangs up, finds Hayley and Hope watching her. They have ice cream tubs and toppings strewn about the counter; Hope is eagerly sampling all six flavors.
She raises an eyebrow at the amount of sweets. Hayley just shrugs, so she informs them she is going to pick up Freya, and heads out.
*Bell Tower*
It's much later — after Keelin has stitched Freya up, after Freya apologized for everything, well after dark — that she gets the call.
"You're late." Keelin states, clicking the speaker button. "And you're on speaker."
She expects a chuckle, or maybe a quip or playfully snappy comment. But she does not expect, "Is it Hope, Freya, or Hayley?"
Keelin gaze darts to Freya, confused. "It's just me and Freya. Why?"
"Are you at the Compound?"
"No. We're at the bell tower. Why?" Her voice has an edge to it, now, and Freya reacts to it, straightening up. Keelin holds out a hand, to keep her from freaking out.
"Listen, Kee. I ran into Jonathan on my way out."
Of course, she thinks. Because why wouldn't 2 weeks be enough for him to calm down?
"Jared…"
"I know, Kee." An echo follows the words. He must have this call connected through the Bluetooth speaker. "I told him he was to leave us alone. When we get back there, we'll pack up, you can spend some time with me and Linda and the boys, and then I will bring you back to New Orleans."
"What?"
Freya's attention snaps to. Keelin sighs.
"What, what?" Jared echoes before realizing, "Family crisis, right. Well, did you at least talk to Hayley?"
Keelin suddenly finds the floor incredible interesting, ignoring the fact that Freya is watching her.
"Yes. Hope wanted to go with us. She might not now that everything worked out the way it should have, but I told Hayley it wouldn't be a problem. It won't be a problem, will it?"
Her voice has an edge to it; dares him to answer in the negative. Jared exhales. He understands what she is asking — is it safe to bring this little girl with me? — but he cannot guarantee the answer.
"Look, Kee, I'm not going to swear to a disaster-free weekend, ok? I don't know if we will run into Jonathan. It's Austin, Keelin. He lives there, too. You know how many times we interacted with him without even seeking him out. He knows you're coming; he knows you are not staying. You and I both know he's going to have something to say about that."
"He is going to leave us alone." Keelin agrees. She exhales harshly. "It won't matter; I have my ring and can handle his… ass." She glances at Freya, finds her watching, listening intently.
"You won't be alone, Keelin. You'll have me, and Luca. Hell, if needed, Lilah will send someone out to your apartment, so he will not be able to come inside unless you say so."
"How is Lilah?"
"She's uh, well… She is doing ok. Um, she's taken a few weeks off from work but yeah. She is doing pretty well right now.."
Keelin hears the shift in his voice; wonders why Lilah would take off. She is the Police Chief, so it is not often that she takes off time in lumps of more than 1 week at a time.
"Why did she take so long off work?" His silence unnerves her. "Jared!"
Freya startles at the sudden loudness but has no time to question it as Jared is sighing loudly, and Keelin listens to the sounds only her wolf hearing picks up: tires on gravel, Jared throwing the car in park, the door singing as it's opened, and a car door slamming shut as he takes his phone off the Bluetooth speaker.
"Where are you?"
Keelin has relinquished her phone to Freya now, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. She can feel Freya playing he with her curls, her fingertips dancing across her back, and she uses the feeling to ground her emotions.
"At a park. Listen, I wasn't supposed to say anything, but I'll tell you anyway."
"Jared-"
"Logan came home on Monday, Keelin."
The fingertips become a hand, now, moved up to underneath her hair, just below her neck. She wonders briefly, faintly, if Freya even realizes what she is doing, and at the same time, Keelin hopes she does not stop because it is the only thing keeping her together at the moment.
"Logan isn't supposed to be home for another 6 months."
Her voice is low, rough. Freya is still looking at her. She can't meet her gaze; she knows there is nothing she can say right now to quell the concern she'll see in those green eyes.
"I know." He sighs out. Logan Thomas is a close friend of Keelin and Jared. He's been Jared's friend much longer, but has been Keelin's for as long as she's lived in Austin. He is married to Lilah, and they have two kids with one on the way.
Logan was going to be granted a 2-month leave in December, right around the time their second son will make his appearance.
"Look, he's ok. Logan was- He was honorably discharged and given a Purple Heart–"
"What?"
"Look, he's fine, he's-he… he got hurt but he's fine."
"You don't get honorable discharged and a Purple Heart without being seriously injured, Jared!" Keelin snaps. "What aren't you telling me?"
He does not answer right away, and it just kisses her off even more, she focuses on that more so than the worry.
She can't deal with the worry and fear right now.
"Spit it out, Jared."
Keelin supposes she shouldn't be surprised at Freya's tone when she finally speaks. Jared seems to sense that he should not argument. She remembers telling him about the witch; there are moments where you simply need to be smart enough not to argue with her.
Jared finally relents.
"It was a landmine."
"Oh, my god."
"He tackled a friend off a landmine."
"How is that fine?"
"Keelin–"
"No, Jared!–"
"– Calm down, I–"
"You just told me one of my best friends was blown up by a landmine. Do not expect me to be calm after that, Jared!"
"Keelin…"
Now this voice does stop her. She glances to her right to find Freya looking at her, with her hand raised towards her face.
"Your eyes," She lets them fall shut as the witch's fingers grazes her temple. "Are you ok?"
Keelin hadn't even realized that she tapped into her wolf side; her words growled out instead of yelled. She allows herself to soak in the calmness from the feeling of Freya twirling one of her curls around her pinkie.
"Yeah." She breathes. "Yeah, I'm ok." Then, to Jared. "I'm sorry, Jer."
"No, I'm sorry. I probably could have went about this a different way." He clears his throat. "Look, I'm sending you a photo. Once you have it, I'll explain, better, what's happened."
It takes only a couple of minutes for three photos to come through. One is of a man in an Army uniform, face scattered with bruises and cuts. The second is of the same man, same uniform, with Lilah standing to his left, arms wrapped around her husband, holding red roses.
The last photo is, again, the same man, and Lilah. He is holding a little boy, about six, and their daughter, 12, stands in front of him. He has on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, standing in front of house, looking more relaxed than he did in his Army uniform.
However, this photograph shows one very glaringly obvious difference: he is missing his right arm.
He looks remarkably put-together for having gotten blown up by a landmine.
Keelin tilts the phone to let Freya see the photographs as Jared is speaking.
"He tackled a friend off of a landmine. Somehow, he came out with only bruises, cuts, a concussion, and, obviously, he lost his right arm. He recovered in the hospital over there until he was cleared to fly home. Logan was supposed to come home today, actually, but got cleared early."
Jared pauses but Keelin says nothing, so he continues.
"Monday, when he arrived home, he called into the police station. They had it set up to where there was a fake callout to his and Lilah's house. Something about a break-in, or something. Lilah went there with two other officers, who were to clear the upstairs while she did downstairs."
He breathes out a sort of laugh, "She cleared the living room and dining room, and when she turned to enter the kitchen, Logan was standing there, in his uniform, holding a dozen red roses. He's officially home."
His voice is shaky, gravelly, hearing the words and seeing the picture. Knowing now that Logan could have been taken from them all in just the instant it took for that dangerous device to explode…
"And he's… Well, about as good as he can be right now. I'm sure there will be bad days to come but right, he is persevering; learning how to do things with one hand, one arm. He wants to see you, if you'll be up for it."
"Of course." There is no question to it.
Jared sighs.
"I have to warn you, though. Logan knows the… very basics of what's happened."
Freya rolls her eyes, scoffing. "Let me guess: Jonathan ran his mouth?"
"Um…"
Keelin presses a finger to the bridge of her nose, sighing, but finds that she is not actually aggravated with the Mikaelson.
"Freya."
"What? I know you didn't do it. And Jared has already proven he is a much better friend, so he didn't do it."
She should have known that Jonathan was not going to go back to Austin and keep quiet about what's happened to Keelin down here in New Orleans.
"Freya."
Freya does not respond this time. She just stands from the cot, and storms into the adjoining room.
"Um, ok, listen. I am going to let you go. It's getting late, and I need to find a hotel for the night." Jared tells her, sensing he had exceeded his welcome.
Keelin listens to the sounds of him starting his truck, shutting the door, and gravel crunching under the tires.
"I am about 3 hours away, and you can just call me whenever you wake up, and let me know so I can get a head start on the drive."
He connects the phone to the hands-free Bluetooth speaker, the need to be safe using the phone while driving following him regardless of whether he has his children in the car.
"Or you can just text me later with a time you want to leave, and I will set an alarm and try to be there. It doesn't matter to me, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds good. We need to get some sleep anyway."
They hang up. Keelin gets Freya's attention, and the two head downstairs to the car.
:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/
Once they arrive at the Compound, Keelin parks the car, turning Freya.
"Hey." She waves the fingers of her right hand, where Freya had been spinning her ring. "How's your head feel?"
"It's fine." Comes the immediate response.
Keelin rolls her eyes at the (very) predictable answer.
"And how did I know you were going to answer with that?" She shakes her head. One day, she will get Freya to be more open to talking about her real feelings (and to admit that her head is probably killing her right now).
Keelin gestures for her to follow, and they head inside where she warns Freya of Hope – the little girl is most likely going to be on a sugar-high from the ice cream.
And she is correct — well, only partially — as they find everyone in the kitchen, bowls of ice cream sundaes scattered across the counters.
"Hey, we're back." Keelin announces, and Hope is the first one across the room to them.
"Keelin!"
Freya steps sideways as her niece plows into the wolf. She notices Klaus watching, wonders if he sees the way Hope lights up around Keelin.
Hope became attached to Keelin quite fast. Freya did not see it coming, wonders when exactly it did happen.
It's been several weeks now, but even back when they were at dinner that night (when Jonathan made his unwelcome visit afterwards), Hope had insisted on sitting between Freya and Keelin, as opposed to her normal spot between her parents.
After, while they were walking home, she stayed in-between them. Since then, Hope Mikaelson has been all about Keelin.
And, Freya knows, Keelin is not faking the enthusiasm or interest when Hope has something to show her, or wants to do something with her.
Keelin adores the little girl, and it shows, in every action.
Freya remembers the phone conversation from earlier. Keelin's friend Jared had said she could pack up… and he would bring her back here, to New Orleans.
She figured, after Keelin helped her, she would simply go home to Austin. Obviously, and Freya does not doubt it one bit, Keelin would keep in contact with them, or at the very least, with Hope.
Other than Freya's seven-year-old niece, however, there would be nothing to keep Keelin in New Orleans; nothing to tie her to this place.
She has friends, and a family, and a life in Austin, so surely, Keelin would have no reason to stay… right?
"Auntie Freya?"
Freya blinks, snapped out of her thoughts. She is alone in the kitchen now, except for Hope, and Hayley, who is putting the last of the ice cream into the freezer.
Hope is looking at expectantly, and she realizes there was a question somewhere in there.
"What's up, bug?"
"Do you want to watch a movie with me?"
She agrees and follows Hope out of the kitchen, missing the smirk Hayley sends their way. As they enter the living room/room they watch movies in, Hope continues onwards to the staircase.
"Hope, what are you doing?"
"Going upstairs."
Her tone of voice suggests it should be obvious.
"Why?"
"So we can watch a movie."
" The living room is this way."
Freya points in that direction, and Hope copies her, only she points to Keelin's bedroom.
"Yeah, but Keelin's bedroom is this way."
She begins walking away, and Freya has to jog up the stairs to catch up, calling out, "Why are we going to Keelin's bedroom?"
"To watch the movie, with her, on her laptop."
Freya and Hope come to Keelin's door at the same time. Freya tries to stop her, suggesting that Keelin is tired from her long day, and they shouldn't bother her further by watching a movie in her room.
To her surprise, instead of replying, Hope simply groans, loudly, pushes the door open, and runs inside.
"Keelin, Auntie Freya is doing it again." Hope tattles as she jumps up onto the bed.
Freya opens her mouth to object, but Keelin beats her to it.
"What is she doing?"
Once again, her attention is on Hope fully, though she seems to also be doing something on her laptop, typing, and clicking.
"She's being stubborn."
Hope flops backwards against the pillows, and now, Freya just crosses her arms, and glares at her niece, who is steadily avoiding eye contact (though the smirk on her face tells Freya she knows exactly what she is doing).
"Freya Mikaelson, stubborn?" Keelin fake-gasps. "What a shocker. I never would have guessed!"
Freya rolls her eyes, shaking her head.
"Watch the movie with us, please, Auntie Freya." Hope begs. "Pleeeeeaaase." Freya looks to Keelin but finds she is not paying attention.
Or it seems, as she then asks what movie Hope wants to watch.
(She picks Scooby-Doo, of course, because some part of her has to be a normal seven-year-old.)
She watches Hope run out of the room after Keelin reminds her to change into her pjs. Keelin calls her name, and she turns back around.
"Go change, and meet us back in here." Keelin grabs her own pajamas from her dresser, and heads to the attached bathroom. "And yes, I know I don't have to do this. Yes, I am sure I don't want to just go to bed early. I wouldn't have volunteered if I didn't want the company."
Keelin pauses in the bathroom doorway, smirking.
"Any other objections?"
Freya just presses her lips together, realizing she was going to say those things, and shakes her head. Keelin closes the door and Freya heads to her own room for her own pajamas.
Later, after the movie — after Hope almost falls asleep and Freya is seconds away from it herself — Keelin closes her laptop and prepares for bed.
Hope stops her, however.
"Keelin…"
"Hey, sweets. What's wrong?"
"I wanna sleep with Daddy. In case I decide to go with you in the morning."
"Okay, come on."
Keelin gives her a piggyback ride down the hallway to Klaus's bedroom. She knocks, and then enters as he says so, explaining what is happening. Hope sends her off with a hug and a promise that Keelin will wake her in the morning.
Back in her room, Keelin tries (and fails) to ignore the way her heart flip-flops as she notices Freya is still wrapped up in her comforter.
As she slips under the blankets, Freya suddenly shifts into a half-sitting position, startling her. Keelin frowns, wondering if she does this any time she feels movement around her when she is asleep. It must be exhausting to be on-alert all the time.
"Woah, easy. It's just me." Keelin whispers, as she reaches for Freya. "You're ok." She eases her back down.
"Where's Hope?"
"She wanted to stay with Klaus tonight. I'm going to wake her up in the morning to see if she wants to go with me up to Austin."
Keelin watches her for a few moments, notices her blinks are becoming longer. Freya takes a while to answer this time.
"You know you don't have to take her with you; I'm sure you have better things to do than keep up with Hope."
Keelin would take offense to the fact that Freya believes she is bringing Hope because she thinks she has to. But Freya is altering between long and rapid blinks, and it just makes her look adorable, so she can't find it in her to actually be frustrated.
(Jared would never let her live that down.)
"I know that."
Keelin continues her motion of raking her fingers upwards through Freya's hair. Every time her fingertips brush against her forehead, Freya closes her eyes before she forces them to open a second later.
(Keelin wonders if Freya realizes she could probably fall asleep with her doing this.)
"And hey." She bites her lip, working up the courage for what she is about to offer. "If you want, you are more than welcome to join us." She swallows nervously. "I think Hope would be ecstatic if you came with us."
Keelin stops there, and waits for answer.
(She hopes it isn't obvious that Keelin is asking for herself, not Hope, though she knows the little girl would be excited about Freya joining them.)
Keelin waits long enough that she begins to think Freya's finally fallen asleep, but then she inhales deeply, and reopens her eyes.
"Are you sure?"
Freya reaches up as she asks, stopping Keelin's hand from continuing its motion through her hair. Keelin freezes, unsure of what she is doing, but it becomes obvious as Freya lays their hands between them.
(Her right hand, to be exact. For the second time that night, Freya touches the stone of her ring, before spinning the ring a couple of times.
Keelin cannot stop the smile. Freya did this earlier, in the bell tower, almost subconsciously, while they were talking to Jared, and again on the car ride home. It seems to be something else she has in comment with her niece, as Hope has also done it several times.)
"I'm sure." Keelin finally answers. "Hope will have plenty of kids to play with, and no, neither one of you will be a bother." She watches Freya play with her ring (with her eyes closed). "We will cook out a few times, and Jared and Luc have a huge pool. We can either stay in my apartment, or with Jared and Luca…"
Trailing off, she realizes that Freya is most likely only understanding about 50% of what she is saying. And she lets herself smile as she sees Freya losing her battle with sleep.
"Freya, we should probably go to sleep now. Just let me know if you'd like to go, or if you want me to wake you up and ask, ok?"
Her mix of slow and long blinks turn rapid, and she gets an almost low mumbled response to the effect of yes, I want to go.
"Do you want me to go to my room?"
(Keelin does not respond with what she wants — you probably could not make it there — and instead just shuffles down further under the blanket.)
"Just go to sleep. There no reason for you to leave now."
"I will if you want me to."
"Freya," Keelin reaches over, runs the backs of her fingers lightly over Freya's face, forcing her to close her eyes, and keep them that way. "Just go to sleep."
"Mm, fine." … "Keelin?"
"Yes?"
"Goodnight."
Her lips quirk up at the endearment, and she watches as Freya (finally) drifts off to sleep.
"You'll be the death of me one of these days, Freya Mikaelson."
And with that, Keelin drifts off to sleep herself.
Finally got this done. Next will be the drive to Austin, Texas. Please let me know what you thought. :)