Drawing in a deep breath, I shifted slightly as a stream of sunlight broke over my face, causing me to flinch. My fingers twitched, life breathing itself back into my body as I began to rise from the deep blackness of oblivion where I felt like I had almost completely lost myself, but as I gradually opened my eyes, everything became so vivid and bright that for a moment, I just stared upwards. For a moment I didn't know where I was or what had happened, my mind yet to catch up with the rest of me.
The strong scent of flowers filled my nose and I coughed slightly, my throat sore and scratchy like a dusty old instrument that had been left unused for years at the back of a cupboard. When I realised that I was moving and actually seeing, it hit me that I'd finally pulled through. I was alive, awake, and I felt so strong that I felt like I had somehow transmigrated into someone else's body. I felt like I could move a mountain, and that feeling of victory brought tears to my eyes as I wallowed under the weight of it all before I was suddenly beaming. I'm alive. I really am alive. God, what had I done to this room? I really had turned it into a floral forest, there was literally nothing left of the room before. Vines and ivy grew up the furniture, petals falling from flowers as they aged and wilted before growing back anew before my very eyes, and there was even a cherry blossom tree right in the middle of the floor, pale pink petals falling like snows of spring. It was gorgeous, and being surrounded by so much nature just made everything feel all the more surreal. There were butterflies of every kind all over the place, several of them landing on me and one in particular seemed to like the spot over my heart.
Gingerly sitting upright, I felt the stems, vines and leaves of the flowers release me, drawing back so that I could move unhindered and when I pulled my legs towards me the silk skirt of the pearly white nightdress Rebekah had loaned me rustled. It was smooth against my skin and cooling, though a little scandalous in the top with an addition of lace. At least it was long. I expected my body to feel weak since I hadn't eaten for what felt like weeks, but it seemed that whilst sleeping all my body functions had shut down in order to provide me with the best chance to heal by redirecting all my energy into fighting off the poison that had almost completely wiped me out. Thanks to my ancestors and their knowledge, I'd been able to figure out what Esther had done so at least it'll never happen again.
With surprising ease I stood up, testing the balance of my legs before walking forwards, barefoot over the moss and grass in order to go in search of someone. Anyone. These last few weeks I had been completely out, my magic burrowing itself deep within me to provide protection but now that I was awake and free, I could feel it being released once more like a layer of warmth which spread through me. As I walked I began to pull away various vines from around my arms and neck, freeing myself and brushing off petals that had fallen over me, though I still had a bunch of flowers in my hair which I couldn't yet locate.
Hearing movement downstairs, I started to move faster, breaking into a jog in order to see who it was as my pulse began to race. I was excited, eager to see someone no matter who it was, though I hoped it was Rebekah or someone I was close to. I'd missed them so much, the people who had watched over me whilst I was in a magic coma, and now there was nothing more I wanted than to see them for myself with my own eyes. Oh god my parents, I hope someone remembered to check in on them and keep up the compulsion to keep them from worrying about me. I want to see them too, I want to run into their arms and hold them close to me.
My feet padded lightly across the floor as I rushed to the front of the house, already flying down the stairs as I saw several people entering the house, and to my disappointment I knew none of them until he then walked in from the ballroom, giving out orders as a pair of what I assumed to be hybrids dragged an unconscious man in through the door. Okay, I'll come back to that, but right now my attention was solely fixed on the person who had just walked in, his name rising from my lips in a light whisper, barely more than a breath. "Nik." It was the sound of his name which made him stop ordering the others and turn quickly, now noticing me standing there on the stairway.
Klaus gaped, eyes widening as his mouth did the same before all at once a rush of emotion tugged at his features as I felt the same depth of emotions tug at my heartstrings. Shock and relief, mostly, but for me I also felt pure incandescent joy that I was finally awake and able to see him, smiling even as tears glided down my cheeks, only to give a small sob when he murmured my name in return. "Ophelia." His first step came like a fall, his body propelling him towards me like an instinctive pull as I quickly leaped down the last few steps, missing several and skipping the last three entirely in order to run to him. Seeing me move prompted him to do the same, rushing with his vampire speed to cross the distance in a heartbeat so as I took the last jump from the stairs his arms were there to catch me, letting me fall into them where I was then whisked up into a tight embrace. He twirled me around, letting my feet fly as I let loose a laugh whilst my arms wrapped around his neck and head, holding onto him securely as I practically burst with happiness. I'm alive. This is real, I really was here and Niklaus was here too, holding me. My happiness expressed itself through more tears as Klaus settled me on my feet, still holding onto me for a moment before his hands were then on my face, thumbing away the tears as our foreheads pressed together and our breathing intermingled between us. "You're awake. You're really awake, how long have you been awake?"
"Not long, I literally just woke up now. I can't believe it, I can't believe I'm finally seeing you. Do you have any idea how infuriating you are to listen to without being able to answer back?" I laughed, my hands having gripped onto the back of his coat though now I let go in order to give him a light shove. "Damn it Nik, half the time I was screaming at you but then sometimes you were so sweet and you read to me and it felt like that was one of the few things from keeping me from losing my mind…" Unable to pull myself back together, I completely forgot about the hybrids who were now staring at the two of us, probably shocked to see the immovable Niklaus being so openly affectionate with a strange girl in a nightdress with flowers in her hair. God, I haven't had a shower in forever. Do I smell?
"Hush now, love. It's going to be alright now. You're here, that's all that matters." He said to me softly, still rubbing at my tears and smoothing back my hair before he then let go in order to take off his coat, wrapping it around me probably for the sake of modesty, though I hardly cared at this point. "You were unresponsive for a while, I thought you were gone."
"That was Esther's fault. I tried to warn you she was up to something with all the earthquakes but no one caught on. I had to use the last of my magic to keep her from poisoning me again then that tipped me over the edge. I had to sleep fully to recover, how long have I been gone?"
"A month to the day."
"What?!" I practically shrieked, the lights around us flashing and flickering like a tremble. Klaus glanced up, watching the lights as they flickered before grinning broadly as if he'd missed it when I got mad or surprised like that. "You're kidding me. I've been gone a whole month?! Wait, what's been going on recently? I was following up until the whole Esther taking over Bekah thing, but then I blacked out."
"Seems like there's much to catch you up with, love. How about you go find something a little less revealing to wear then we can talk?" Looking down at myself and thinking of the nightdress underneath the coat I was now wearing, I couldn't help but lift my head up again and grin at him.
"What, you don't like the dress?"
"On the contrary love, I like it very much." Klaus responded smoothly as his hand pushed through my hair like he had done a thousand times before whilst I slept, and I had become so used to the feeling that I didn't push him away. "But as you can see, we're not alone here, and I would rather protect your modesty and dignity from prying eyes and enjoy your visual appeal all to myself." Rolling my eyes, I agreed that maybe a change of clothes and a very long shower was in order. Before I could draw away, however, Klaus had pulled me back into his arms, wrapping me up securely in them with his hand going to press against the back of my head. "Welcome back, sweet Ophelia."
"What, did you suddenly go soft whilst I was out Nik? You're acting like a puppy." I teased him, letting him hold me for a moment longer before then wriggling out of his grasp. Giving him a smile and his arm a squeeze, I glanced behind me at the still gawking hybrids before disappearing back upstairs. Since the bathroom in the suite I had been sleeping in was currently overgrown like a tropical forest, I had to use another guest room and intended to borrow some of Rebekah's clothes, walking around wrapped up in a towel as I attempted to find something but her room was cleared out. None of her clothes were here, which confused me. Where was she?
"I should have probably mentioned that Rebekah moved out some weeks ago." Jumping when I heard Klaus behind me, I instinctively snatched the towel closer to me to make sure it wouldn't drop as I whirled around.
"Why? What happened?"
"Well that will require some explaining, and although I am rather partial to the notion of you wearing no clothes whilst we talk, I believe you would have a difference of opinion, so I took the liberty of bringing you something to wear." Looking to the neatly folded clothes in his arm, Klaus set them down on the vanity, smirking at me in that insufferable, arrogant way he always used to. I've missed that look.
"Are you going to leave or continue standing there?"
"I think I'll stay. Wouldn't want someone to walk in whilst you were changing, would we?" Clicking my tongue in irritation I stalked over to grab the clothes, my other hand tightly gripping the towel. It took a second for me to realise these were the clothes I had been wearing the morning of the ball, when Rebekah had made me change into that dress and corset. They'd held onto them? Thank god. At least I had everything I needed.
Shooting Klaus a fiery look I went behind the changing screen with a swish of my hair which had seemingly adopted a more tamed state rather than the wild head of frizz it used to be, though now it was wet from where I'd washed it and it seemed to stay straight. Whatever miracle treatment those stylists had given me, I was now a huge fan. Making sure Klaus couldn't see me, I dropped the towel and quickly got dressed, pulling on my familiar clothes before then grabbing the towel to rub it through my hair to soak up most of the damp. "Okay I'm decent now." I announced, stepping back into view.
Offering me his hand, Klaus silently stood there waiting for me and I considered him for a moment before deciding, what the heck? Throwing the towel over the back of a chair, I walked on over to Klaus but didn't take his hand, giving it a flick and a smirk before he then led me through the house and out into the backyard, the huge gardens having been left to run wild, but it was fresh and open out here, exactly what I needed. It was almost as if Klaus had known. "So what's been going on? I mean, most of it I might know already from my visions I'd been having whilst sleeping, but there were so many they all got jumbled up in here." I tapped at my head as Klaus and I started to walk together.
He took his time filling in the blank spaces, telling me everything he knew of what had happened since Esther took over Rebekah's body, as well as other details he probably shouldn't know and only did because he had eyes and ears everywhere around here. Even though it was pitch black out here, there were numerous lights showing the way as we walked and I added to it by releasing hundreds of light orbs, letting them float around us to light the paths, because although one of us was a vampire, I was still a human and couldn't see well in the dark, so tripped several times until I decided to shed a little light on the situation.
Learning that everything had happened pretty much as I expected it, I sighed heavily as we then took a break, sitting down on a stone bench facing an exquisite stone fountain with a Greco-Roman statue effigy of a god and goddess of some kind. "So now you have the super vampire-hunter and you want to find out everything he knows about The Five." I frowned deeply, processing the information as I sat beside Klaus, so close we would touch whenever either of us moved. He was holding my hand, our fingers laced together with his thumb brushing back and forth casually. It felt just like all those times he'd held my hand whilst sleeping, and I couldn't help but feel like this meant that he viewed me as a friend at the very least, which oddly made me feel very satisfied. Almost smug, like it were an accomplishment.
"Precisely, though I don't expect him to be very forthcoming with the information I need." He mused blandly so I sighed, suddenly feeling tired and achy so I leaned into him, using his shoulder as a headrest. "Everything alright, love?"
"My head hurts, and everywhere feels so stiff. Is this what you guys feel like after being desiccated for more than a couple days?"
"More or less. Coming back to life is never an easy business." Klaus murmured, turning his head into mine as he switched hands so that he could wrap his arm around me. "You'll feel better soon. We should celebrate, you must be starving for something to eat. Whatever you wish to have, I will ensure you receive it."
"Hm, that sounds great." Deliberating over what I wanted for a while, I glanced up at Klaus before shifting a little closer. "I'm sorry they killed you, by the way." I felt him stiffen around me so I gave his hand a squeeze. "I would have saved you, had I been awake, but I couldn't. Next time for sure, I'll definitely swoop in and rescue you from danger."
"You're going to save me, are you?" Chuckling softly I could feel him smiling into my hair. "I look forward to it, sweet Ophelia." I smiled too, feeling totally at ease and comfortable being like this. "And you shouldn't feel sorry. It was nothing to do with you, though I appreciate the sentiment."
"I'm surprised you're letting those guys live. It's not the first time they've tried to kill you. You'd think they'd take the hint that you just can't die." He chuckled richly again, pulling his arm tighter around me like a partial hug before I felt him kiss the top of my head. This was new. This affection. It was so distinctively different from the Klaus I knew before that I still wasn't entirely certain how to take it, but somehow I'd ended up returning the same measure of affection in the friendliest way possible. The understanding we'd had of each other before had somehow deepened, and this new feeling of companionship and recognition of how alike we were in some ways helped to further solidify this new bond.
"I may kill them yet. Perhaps I am simply letting them squirm for a while to make them suffer before finishing them." Well, it's not like they wouldn't have it coming. I mean, I was furious with the lot of them, but mostly Elena, Stefan and Damon. Making those stakes and deciding to kill all the Originals, including Rebekah and Elijah even though Elijah had never really hurt them directly, merely threatened them and used Elena as incentive once or twice. They were just going to kill everyone, like their hate for one of them translated to all of them and for that, none of them should be allowed to live. "You seem tense love. What's the matter?"
"Even though I wasn't able to move, I was able to leave my body and merge my spirit with the magic currents of the earth, so I could feel and see what was going on in and around town. I knew they were coming for you all with the stakes, and I seriously contemplated just destroying the whole town somehow. I didn't, because I knew you guys would get most of the stakes, though there is that one indestructible one left…I should have just burned them all."
"You couldn't have known…"
"But I did know. I knew they had the white oak, and I knew that they wanted to kill all of you. Not just you, but Bekah and Elijah too." Lifting my head in order to look directly at Klaus with frustration and sadness, my gaze felt like it was drowning in disappointment at myself. "If I had just acted sooner, then Finn would still be alive, I didn't know, Nik, I didn't know he was going to die, I didn't see it coming. I can't see everything about the future, I know that it's impossible but if I had, then I could have stopped them, and Finn would still be alive and if I'd stopped Esther sooner then Alaric wouldn't have become her new super soldier and you wouldn't have been killed and…"
"Ssh…don't work yourself up, love. Here, come here." Pulling me back towards him, Klaus curled his hand around my cheek in order to draw my head back to his shoulder. "None of it is your fault, Ophelia. Besides, I thought you have a policy of not caring or interfering about the affairs of others?" I scoffed.
"Doesn't mean I'm heartless, and those guys just piss me off. Next time they come at any one of you, I might even put them in their place myself. I'm that angry." With a smooth and quiet laugh, Klaus fussed with my hair a little before returning to wrapping my hand up in his. My glow lights floated around us, dancing in the air in the loom of the night as everything else remained eerily silent. I should really text Bekah and tell her that I'm awake, as well as Matt. Elijah would probably want to know as well, and I need to get back to my parents.
"Have you decided what you want to eat?" A smile tugged at my lips. Maybe I can hold off getting back to the real world for a couple more hours. Just for now.
"I don't know, how about you surprise me?" Arching an eyebrow as I craned my neck to look at him, Klaus smirked at me.
"You trust me with such an important undertaking?"
"Well, it's not like I haven't eaten anything for an entire month, so no pressure." Grinning at me, Klaus accepted the challenge and stood up with a rush, taking me with him with a lift of his arm and swept me around in a full circle, making me laugh at the sensation before he settled me back on his feet and together we walked back to the mansion, no longer holding hands but still walking closely together, like it had been the norm since the moment we'd first met.