Pairing: Klaus/Hope (M/f) mild
One Day Before Mardi Gras
The Compound
Hope's Room
Hayley and Elijah had invited Lisina to the house to see how Henry was doing and talk. Henry and Hope were planning to go to the French Market to pick out some Mardi Gras masks to wear to the parades. Hope also suggested to Henry that he should buy a bag for all his parade "throws" that he caught during the parades like beads. It was a favorite activity of Hope's to shop for souvenirs and eat street food while overlooking the Mississippi River. Kol had promised to chaperone them, or they would not have been allowed to go.
Hayley told them about the visit, "Guys, Lisina is going to drop by for a visit. Hang here until she comes okay?"
"What? We were about to leave! Uncle Kol said he'd be able to take us, but only this morning. When is she coming?" Hope whined.
"Honey, be patient. I'm sure she will be here soon. Henry, she is anxious to have you back. How do you feel about this?" Hayley asked casually.
Without missing a beat, Henry blurted, "I want to stay here." He looked at Hope and could not imagine to going back to his previous life in the Bayou.
Hayley walked closer to Henry, "I like the suspenders, they look good. Hon, we'll try to convince Lisina that you are doing well here. I think she is just nervous and misses you. Plus, people spread all kind of crazy stories about Klaus, The Hybrid."
"But he's been nice to me! And Hope and I were at Boarding School, she was fine sending me away for months to the Salvatore School, but now I'm here in New Orleans and she wants me back. I don't get it," Henry mused.
Hope changed the subject, "Uncle Kol gave Henry the suspenders. I thought they were sharp, too. Mom don't you think Henry is doing really well here? He even is looking...bigger."
Hayley laughed and eyeballed the hybrid boy, "Honest to God, Henry, you are bulking up fast. Those workouts are paying off, kid. Look, we'll talk to Lisina. She is free to visit any time."
"I just hope she hurries up and doesn't ruin our whole morning!" Hope hissed.
"Henry, can I have a moment with my daughter?" Hayley intoned tightly.
"Henry, don't go. She's going to beat me!" Hope said in a sarcastic voice.
Henry froze as if he didn't know what to do, "Henry, go wait for Lisina in the courtyard. I am not going to beat my daughter-yet!"
Hayley waited until Henry got up and shut the door behind him, "Watch it, young lady, or you will be back on house arrest. There is no reason to be rude and act like a spoiled brat. But I didn't hold you back here to yell at you. I do want to know how you would feel about Henry becoming a more permanent member of the family. You've been an only child for a long time, but I think you have seen how close your Uncle Elijah and Henry have become,-"
"You mean, Henry might get to stay? Like as my brother?" Hope asked excitedly.
Hayley took a breath, "Honey, nothing is decided. Lisina wants him back. But Elijah and I would like to...adopt him. But I would never do anything without talking to you about it. Would you like to have Henry as a brother?"
"Yes, absolutely. Mom, he needs to stay here. You know that. Please, please, please, make that happen," Hope said eagerly throwing her arms around her mother. Hayley laughed and patted her back.
"We will see," Hayley said dryly.
"You said that when I wanted a puppy and I never got one," Hope grumped.
"Your Uncle has a phobia of pets, you know that," Hayley smiled.
"Just the messes they make. Mom, does he have OCD?" Hope prodded.
"Probably. Now, let's go down and wait for Lisina. And no more whining if she is late or I'll send you to the French Market with a sore behind," Hayley warned putting her arm around Hope.
"I thought you said I'd get grounded again?" Hope smirked.
"Well, I remembered your Uncle Kol was taking you. It might be good to get him out of the house for a while. He's already gotten in trouble three times with his pranks this morning; honey on cell phones, crap falling from the door, and stuffing napkins in people's shoes, so far," Hayley listed.
"He did that all to Uncle Elijah, didn't he?" Hope asked trying not to laugh.
"Yup, just this morning, he ain't happy...Actually, he is happy. I think they secretly enjoy Kol's mischief. It makes your uncle and father feel human again. At least until he pushes them too far. But Hope, when everyone is together and they are all bickering back and forth, you know the way they do, that's when they are the happiest, I think," Hayley confided.
Hope nodded, "That's what sucked for us, huh? Like with us being only children and having no siblings, we don't have anyone to prank us like that or fight with..."
"We'll see how today goes with Lisina. Then, maybe you and Henry could start freezing bugs in ice cubes and arguing about who let the pig out of the pen like a million years ago," Hayley mused.
"Tell her that he's happy here. Isn't that enough?" Hope pondered.
"I don't know, baby. We'll see," Hayley said as she kissed Hope's cheek lightly.
Elijah's Study
"Brother, you have a feather in your hair," Klaus said plucking it out.
"Kol," Elijah said abruptly.
"You know better than to open that door without pausing. You must have been in a hurry this morning," Klaus smirked.
"I had a lot to do!" Elijah exclaimed. "Lisina is supposed to be here shortly. I wanted to look over some legal options."
Klaus stood and leaned against the bookshelves lining the wall. He cleared his throat.
"We could um, just compel her," Klaus said uncomfortably.
"She's probably on vervain. But even if she is not, I don't want to go down that underhanded road. Lisina cares for Henry, as we do. She deserves a chance to be heard. But also, I would hope she would listen to what Henry's wishes are," Elijah went on.
"I think I hear her. It's time," Klaus said tilting his head. His senses were slightly sharper than the other Originals'.
Elijah exhaled.
Courtyard
After drinks were distributed and Hayley, Elijah, Henry, and LIsina were seated, there was a moment of silence.
"How's everyone in the Bayou?" Henry asked roughly.
"Good. They miss you. But it probably wouldn't be safe for us to stay there," Lisina admitted.
"Who misses me? You were the only one who cared. And what about your nursing job?" Henry prompted. "You love that."
"Henry, our kin do care. You know Crescents aren't good about showing how much they care. And my job, it's easily replaced. A nurse's aide is not my dream job," LIsina smiled.
Henry swallowed, "Li, I want to stay here. I feel safe, like I belong."
"Henry, you belong with our people. Get your shit. We're leaving! Now," Lisina growled and stood up quickly.
Hayley stood also, "Lisina, please. It's not safe for Henry to be running around outside."
Lisina stepped toward Haley, "Queen or not, back the fuck away from my kid! It's bad enough you ruined him, but you are not stealing him."
Elijah stood, but Hayley waved him off. "Henry has a right to decide. It's his life."
Henry trembled, "I am sorry, but Lisina, I want to stay here."
LIsina grabbed the young hybrid, "I am not telling you again, boy! We are leaving."
This time Elijah pushed in front of Henry. Henry gasped, "This isn't Lisina. Something is wrong!"
Hayley grabbed Lisina by the arms, "Were you compelled? Did someone come out to the Bayou? Lisina, what do you remember? Think. Henry, please go get Freya."
Lisina was disturbed, "I can't remember...It's a blur. Wait. a school friend of Henry's came by, Roman? That's it, he had curly blond hair."
Hope popped out of the shadows of the courtyard, Hayley spotted her first.
"Hope Andrea Mikaelson, eavesdropping again?' Hayley scolded.
"Mom, Roman was a student at the Salvatore School. His friends used to bully Henry. Something is weird here. Why would he go all the way out to the Bayou?" Hope inquired.
Lisina held her head in her hands, "I don't know what is happening to me! I don't remember how I got here."
Hope went over and asked Lisina if she could try something. She put her hands on Lisina's forehead.
"It's not a spell. I think she's been compelled," Hope said. Freya came in with Henry trailing behind.
They filled in Freya. Together, Hope and Freya lifted the compulsion.
Lisina moaned in pain, but encouraged them to keep going.
"There was a woman there, the boys called her 'Mother.' She had an accent, like a German one. She said...," Lisina started to faint.
"What? Lisina, think!" Hayley prompted.
"She said that all abominations must die," Lisina said weakly. "Henry, you're in more danger than we knew. You have to stay here...I'm afraid for you. These people seemed determined."
They got Lisina to rest on the couch in Elijah's office. Henry sat by her side. They talked quietly.
Klaus came in and Elijah and Hayley caught him up. "A German accent, you said? A son named Roman? Dammit," Klaus spat.
"Daddy, do you know something?" Hope questioned.
"I think I contributed to this mess," Klaus admitted. "I killed this woman's husband, August Müller, after he slaughtered at least 90 wolves in Europe. Not only was he killing various packs, he was drawing Father to us, he had to go. I allowed his wife to live because she picked up the coin."
Elijah shut his eyes, "Niklaus, what folly!"
"The son, Roman, was becoming a rabble rouser. I locked him up in a cave...I guess he got out somehow," Klaus reasoned.
"Dad! He was a friend of mine. What the hell is going on?" Hope exploded.
"Watch it, Hope. I know you are upset, but you are speaking to your father," Hayley scolded.
"Sorry, Dad, but I don't understand what is going on. Why would they try to get to Henry?" Hope asked loudly.
"Keep your voice down, Hope," Elijah warned, "We need to investigate. They were trying to use Lisina to lure Henry back to the Bayou, either to kill him or kidnap him. We need to find out what is going on. But I don't want him to panic. Let's keep this to ourselves until we know more."
Hope paled, "Guys, I know you are going to be really pissed, but I need to tell you something."
"What, sweetheart?" Klaus said softly.
"Roman was here yesterday. I let him in," Hope confessed.
24 Hours Before
Hope's Room
Hope came back in her room to get her sunglasses and found Roman standing on her gallery.
"Roman, oh my God, what are you doing?" Hope hissed. The handsome 6ft tall teen with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes smiled back at her anxiously.
"I felt terrible about Henry...Hope, I feel like a fucking asshole. I should have stopped my friends. They were dicks to him," Roman admitted.
"Yeah, they were," Hope conceded.
"I can't live with myself. I need to pay my respects to his family," Roman said mournfully.
Hope took a deep breath and made the decision to trust the well-built junior.
"He's good, Roman. He's here with my family. His guardian Lisina is cool with him being here. I gave him some of my blood. He's a hybrid now," Hope blurted out in a rush.
"What? Jesus, um, I don't know what to say. This is...great news. Can I talk to him?" Roman asked looking past Hope into the hallway. Hope followed his gaze and shut the door.
"Look, you are going to get me grounded again. Couldn't you like come to the front door instead of sneaking in my bedroom? Henry isn't even here. He's out shopping for clothes with my uncle," Hope added.
"Yeah, sorry. I didn't know if you'd be happy to see me. You know, after the way I treated Henry," Roman said guiltily.
"Roman, you never bullied Henry. How did you find out where I lived anyway?" Hope smiled coyly.
"I broke into Dr. Saltzman's files. I also found his emergency bourbon," Roman concluded proudly.
Hope was dismayed, "But those are supposed to be private. Don't they have a file on all of us? Lizzie told me that once."
"Yes, she's right. According to my private files I have a 'rebellious nature and a callous disregard to authority.' My dad used to try to beat that out of me with his handy cane, but I guess it didn't work," Roman quipped.
"Eww, sounds harsh. Hey, I need to go, we have a family wedding rehearsal thing at St. Anne's. I hate to leave you alone, but I'll be back in a couple of hours. Can you chill here?" Hope asked.
"Yes, I guess. I'll just duck in the closet in case anyone comes in," Roman suggested.
"We all need to be there, so you should be good. Don't read my diary, it's magically set to turn anyone who reads it into thinking they are a baboon for a day," Hope warned on her way out.
"Very funny," Roman said.
"I'm not joking," Hope called. She turned to grab the sunglasses she had come back for.
Hope came back two hours later to find her room empty and Roman skulking around the parlor.
"What the hell are you doing in here? Almost my entire family is here for my mom's wedding. My dad will wear your fucking spine for a necklace if he finds you in here," Hope whispered in a horrified voice.
"What would he do to you?" Roman asked looking into her eyes.
"Probably smash my cell and lock me in a convent!" Hope proposed.
"Hope, this is a house of horror. Since you have been gone, I found a bunch of Viking grimoires, magical knives, shrunken heads, a hand of glory, and a dead red-head over there wrapped in a sheet," Roman grimaced.
Hope giggled, "Okay, the red-head is my dad's ex. She's in a sleeping spell and no one knows what to do with her. Henry is in his room if you want to talk to him now."
"Yeah, I'd like to apologize," Roman started.
"Hope!" Klaus yelled.
"Shit, my dad is coming. You better go," Hope hissed.
"He sounds pissed," Roman acknowledged.
"Yeah, he told me to stay downstairs. He wanted to talk to me. You need to go. You can talk to Henry later. I won't say anything," Hope said quickly.
"Yes, please don't say a word. Bye," Roman said vamping away.
"Hope, what are you doing in here? I asked you to stay downstairs," Klaus fumed.
"Oh, sorry, Dad. I forgot. What did you want to talk about?" Hope asked innocently.
"Hey, want to take a last time trip out to the Bayou house with me? I'm going to put in the painting and make sure everything is ready for your mom and Elijah's honeymoon," Klaus said.
"Yeah, sounds fun," Hope said in relief.
24 Hours Later
Klaus' face was impassive. This made Hope more nervous than when he yelled.
"Dad, please say something. You are scaring me," Hope whimpered. "I thought he was just a friend from school who wanted to apologize to Henry."
"He's not a boy, Hope. He must be in his 90s by now," Klaus said tightly. "His father was almost a nazi in the sense that he hated wolves and only wanted vampires to be supreme. He gained many followers and was a very dangerous man. I pardoned the wife, Roman's mother, but if she is out there continuing the legacy of hatred...they could be building an army."
Hayley frowned, "Klaus, is that all you are going to say to Hope about her behavior? If so, I have a few things to get off my chest. But I think you better go to your room right now. You let the enemy into our home. And under no circumstances are you allowed to sneak a boy into your bedroom."
"It's not like I'm going to screw him or something. Jeez, give me some credit," Hope retorted.
"Hope! Get your butt upstairs," Hayley roared. Hope huffed in anger and stomped out.
Elijah reasoned, "She didn't know..."
"Dammit, she knew better. I am getting tired of her piss poor behavior and that damn attitude. Klaus, she's a spoiled brat," Hayley said.
"Hayley, we can't just keep smacking her for every little thing or she's going to get more rebellious," Klaus argued.
Elijah stood, "I'm going to tell you two discuss this in private."
"No, Brother, I am interested in your input. What do you think?" Klaus asked.
Elijah cleared his throat, "I think she is testing the limits and seeing how far she can push you all. Since you asked, I think she needs to be punished by both of you."
"A united front," Klaus suggested sadly.
Hayley nodded, "I don't like it either, but maybe if she is more afraid of getting that backside of hers cracked by us than she is now, she'll start to behave herself. She put Henry and herself in danger without meaning to."
"Let's get this over with," Klaus said heavily, "How about I'll warm up her behind with my hand and then you finish up with the hairbrush?"
"Or you can paddle her butt with the brush and then I light up her rear with the belt? Klaus, I think she needs a serious lesson this time. Something she will remember when she goes to make a stupid decision," Hayley insisted.
"No, I really don't think,-" Klaus started to argue.
Freya burst in the room, "You aren't going to believe this."
Elijah said wearily, "What now?"
"Ah, Aurora is gone! She's not in the parlor anymore. It seems that she woke up," Freya explained.
Klaus moaned, "Bloody hell. She's probably looking for her damn brother."
"Good luck with that. How do you think she'll react when she finds out he's dead?" Hayley worried.
"Not good," Elijah guessed, "With Tristan and Lucien dead, Aurora is now the world's oldest vampire."
"And the craziest," Klaus mentioned.
"I'm going to do a locator spell using some of this long red hair," Freya informed them.
"What about Hope?" Hayley brought up.
Klaus bit her lip, "I hate for her to be confined to her room all day when Finn and his family are coming for dinner. Could we just tell her that we need to find Aurora and we'll talk to her behind bed?"
Hayley nodded, "I'll talk to her."
Hope came back into the room, "Aurora, the red-hair, is gone? Oh my, I bet Roman pulled out the dagger. Mom, Dad, that's my fault. I'm really sorry! Let me help find her."
Klaus' eyes flashed orange a moment, "Young lady, you were told to go to your room. Why did you disobey us?"
Hope shifted from foot to foot, "I heard and I thought I could help!"
"You are a child, sweetheart. Let the adults take care of this. Your mum and I are going to deal with you tonight. Now, I think you need to go to your room like you were told," Klaus said firmly.
"But, Dad, I said it's my fault and I can help," Hope answered back.
Klaus didn't answer but got up and vamped towards Hope. He turned her to the side and held her bicep with his left hand, with his right, he bent her over and popped her behind hard. Whack!
Hope's eyes widened and she shouted, "No, Daddy, don't!" Klaus continued to swat her hard all over her behind. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Hope tried to protect her rear but Klaus leaned her over more and put his left arm across her back.
Whack! Whack! whack! whack!
Kol came in, "What in the devil? We have a psycho on the loose! Can you not thrash my darling niece later?" Kol hated it when Hope was in trouble. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Hope was now in tears and when Klaus released her, she immediately scowled and backed away rubbing her jeans cover behind.
Klaus pointed to the door, "Now go to your room!"
Hope looked at Hayley to see if she was sympathetic. She was not.
"Hope, you are very close to me putting your over my lap right here with your pants down for a much harder spanking. Now, forget about helping capture a dangerous vamp and get your ass in your room. Look the balcony doors, too," Hayley added.
Hope sniffed and let out a sob and ran out.
Kol scowled, "Really, Nik. She's just a kid."
"Kol, when you have your own kids, you can tell me how to discipline mine, okay? Let's go see if Freya came up with anything," Klaus said calmly.
"Fine, take it easy," Kol said. "Just trying to help."
Elijah put an arm around Hayley, "She'll be okay. I'm going to go check on Henry and make sure he is locking himself in, too."