Hey guys... it's been a long time coming, but I've finally updated. I hope you like it?!
How sexy is Klaus in this pic (above) BTW? ゚リヘ
Also, I haven't had the chance to edit this, so if you see any mistakes, just correct them in your head. ?
Much love to you all! ❤
TVD
Kayla's POV
"Uncle Nik? What are you doing here?" I am gobsmacked to see him as I haven't for almost 2 years.
"Kayla?" He asks, looking as shocked to see me as I am to see him.
"Wait a minute... you two know each-other?" Damon asks, pointing between Nik and I.
I don't answer Damon, I just run up to Nik and embrace him in a tight hug.
"I've missed you, uncle Nik!" I say, loosening my hold and backing up so I can see his face.
"And I you, sweetheart, but what exactly are you doing here?"
I feel my body deflate as I realise that Nic doesn't know about my Mum. I feel my eyes starting to sting with unshed tears.
"It's Mum, she's..." I try to swallow the lump in my throat, "she's dead." My tears fall freely once more.
Nik gives me a pained look, which I take for sympathy, before reaching out for me.
"Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry. Come here." Embracing me again, he kisses the top of my head whilst rubbing soothing circles on my back. Nik carries on with the gesture until my tears have stopped. Damon and Stefan stand by, awkwardly watching us.
"Let's take a seat, shall we?" Stefan offers, walking towards one of the sofas. The rest of us follow, wordlessly. Nik takes a seat next to me, I wince slightly as my butt comes in contact with the sofa cushion. Nik raises his eyebrow at me, but says nothing, keeping one of his arms around my side and Damon sits next to Stefan.
"I really am sorry about your Mum, love, but what exactly are you doing here?" Nik asks me.
"You don't know? I mean, my Mum never told you?" I ask him, receiving a confused look in response. "Damon, he-he's my Dad."
A look of horror and disgust takes over his face.
"Damon Salvatore is your father?"
Before I have a chance to say anything, Damon breaks the silence that has befallen him since I first hugged Nik.
"Wait a minute... does one of you want to explain to me what the hell is going on?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, dumbly.
"What I mean is, why the hell are you calling Klaus "uncle Nik"?"
I stare at him, taken aback.
"Did you just call him Klaus? As in the "hybrid dick" you go on about almost 24/7?" I dramatically use air quotes.
"Watch your mouth..."
"Watch your language..." Damon and Nik say simultaneously. I roll my eyes before looking back to Damon. He gives me a disapproving look.
"I have known Uncle Nik all of my life. He's not my real uncle, I just call him that 'cause he's the closest thing to an uncle I have ever had..." I start to explain bit Nik cuts me off.
"That's not exactly true, Love."
"What?" I look up at him, confused as hell.
"I am indeed you uncle, just many times removed. My families blood runs in your veins."
"Huh?" Is all I can manage to say.
"How is that even possible?" Stefan questions, asking what I couldn't.
"That story is for another day. Right now, I need to go and see my brother." Nik stands up to leave. "I'll come and see you tomorrow, Love."
"Wait... please don't leave." I stand up and grab his arm. "I need to know what you mean!"
"And know you shall. But first, I really need to speak to my brother." He walks away from me.
I really don't want him to leave yet, he is a connection to my past, to my Mum, and even if he won't tell me how we are related, I still don't want him to go.
"Can I come with you?" I ask him, begging him with my eyes.
"No." Damon answers for him.
"Please, Uncle Nik?" I ask again, ignoring Damon.
Nik glances at Damon before looking back to me.
"Of course you can, sweetheart." He grins at Damon evilly.
"You aren't going anywhere with him!" Damon says flatly.
"Please, Damon? I'll come back first thing in the morning?"
"No, no, no, no, did I mention no?!" He crosses his arms over his chest, refusing my request.
I look to Stefan, wondering what he will say.
"Stefan?" I give him my best puppy dog look, knowing he finds it hard to say 'no' to me.
He heaves a sigh before looking towards Damon.
"Maybe we should let her go - it's what she wants." He tries to reason with Damon.
"Are you serious? This is Klaus we're talking about here." He is letting his frustration show by wildly gesturing with his hands in Nik's direction.
I slowly inch my way over to Nik, stopping at his side. I look at him, taking in his amused expression as he watches Damon and Stefan.
"I know that, Damon, but its what she wants. She trusts him, and we have to trust that he won't hurt her."
"I would never hurt Kayla!" Nik says, looking as if he would hurt them for even suggesting it.
"If anything happens to her, it's on you, brother!" Damon says as he shoves past Stefan, knocking him on the shoulder and leaving the room.
I big, toothy smile takes over my face as I look from Stefan to Nik.
"I'll be back in a minute, I'm just going to get some PJ's and clothes for tomorrow." I bounce off towards the stairs. I am ridiculously happy to be spending some time with Nik!
As I make my way along the landing, heading towards my room, I pass by Damon's open door and see him standing in front of his large window. I feel a pang of guilt towards him. I lightly knock on his door to get his attention.
"Damon," I whisper softly when he doesn't acknowledge that he heard my knocking.
"What?" He says, without turning around, his back still facing me.
I let out a sigh as I slowly walk over to him.
"I'll be okay, you know. And I'll be back first thing in the morning." He turns to face me.
"I don't trust him, Kayla." He replies, looking worried.
"But you can trust me. I know the consequences of lying to you," I joke, trying to lighten the mood. He doesn't even smirk. "If it makes you feel any better, I will phone you every couple of hours until I fall asleep?"
He thinks for a second before answering me.
"Every hour, and as soon as you wake up." He grants me a sad smile.
"I can do that," I say, happy that he isn't still annoyed at me.
I skip to my room and throw the first PJ's and clothes that I touch in a bag, along with my toothbrush and hair brush, before making my way back to Nik.
As I walk back past Damon's room, I see that he is still standing by the window, seemingly lost in thought. I consider just keeping on going but decide against it. Dropping my bag to the floor, I run over to Damon and wrap my arms around him.
"I'll be back before you know it." I try to ease his tension.
"Make sure you are!" He gives me a quick squeeze before relaxing his hold.
"I promise!"
As I walk away from Damon, I think back to when I first arrived in Mystic Falls and what I actually came to do. How much has changed in such a short space of time. If someone would have told me that I would develop genuine affection for Damon, I would have laughed in their face, but I can feel a bond forming between us and I think I kinda love him in a way, too. Even if he can be seriously mean!
"I'm readyyyy," I sing as I enter the living-room and look at Nik.
"It's about time," Nik jokes. "I was about to fall asleep waiting for you.
"Ha ha, very funny!"
"Come on then, lets go." Nik instructs, walking towards the front door.
I run over to Stefan, giving him a brief hug.
"Thanks, Stefan! I owe you one," I whisper before letting him go.
"You remember that, and don't make me regret it." He whispers back.
"I will and I won't!" I wink as I vamp over to Nik, who is waiting just outside, and close the door behind me.
I am completely unaware of where we are going as Nik drives us away from the Boarding House. I don't pay attention either, as to which roads we take, as I'm too busy asking him question after question, wanting to know why he hasn't been to see us in so long? Where he has been? What has he been doing? My questions only stop as I notice the mansion he is pulling up outside of.
"Why are we at Lurch's house?" I ask him.
"Lurch?" He answers with his own question.
"Oh, I mean Elijah's?" I correct myself.
"Elijah is my brother." Shit! I hope Elijah doesn't say anything about the time he found me drunk. Nik has never smacked me, but he gives a mean lecture!
"Oh, right," I laugh nervously. "That's nice." I swiftly look away from him.
"How do you know Elijah?"
"I've met him around town." Technically, I'm not lying...
Walking in to the mansion behind Nik, I hear Elijah's voice call to him.
"Ah, brother. You're home. Come... we have things we must discuss." Although I can hear him, I cannot see him. Nik quickens his pace towards a large room and I follow him silently.
I see Elijah straight away, he is dressed in his typical fashion - a monkey suit - holding two wine glasses in front of him.
"Michaela?" I try to force out a smile as he says my name.
I don't know what Elijah sees in my face, but faster than I have ever seen anyone move, he places both of the wine glasses on the bar behind him, and vamps over to Nik until their faces are only inches apart from one another.
"What have you done, Niklaus?" He demands. His tone reminding me of a parental figure.
"Relax, brother... I haven't done anything." Nik replies, nonchalantly, patting Elijah's shoulder as he walks around him.
"Then why exactly is Michaela here, and where are the Salvatores?"
Nik walks over to where Elijah put the drinks down and takes one of the wine glasses off of the bar, before moving to one of the modern sofas sitting in the middle of the room.
"The Salvatore's were in their home the last we seen of them," Nik tells him.
I stay where I am, swaying from foot-to-foot, feeling really out of place.
Elijah pauses for a moment, squinting his eyes in Nik's direction. It looks as though he is trying to see if he is lying to him. I'm not sure what he sees, but he relaxes his stance a little.
"You have neglected to answer my first question, Niklaus."
"Hold your horses, big brother. I was just about to tell you."
Nik takes another swig from his glass, making Elijah wait that little bit longer for his answer, then casually telling him what he had just recently told me.
"Why wouldn't she be here with me, brother? She is, after all, my niece." He grins at Elijah's confusion.
Elijah looks at Nik like he has lost his mind.
"Would you care to elaborate on that, Niklaus? And I suggest you halt the evasiveness and tell me exactly what you are implying." I snicker at the way Elijah says 'what'. Him making sure that the 'h' is heard. He gives me a fleeting look before turning his questioning gaze back towards Nik.
"As you wish, brother. Michaela is a descendant of the witch Ingrid." Nik pauses as if waiting for Elijah to make some sort of connection. He doesn't. He continues, "as in, Ingrid Andersen."
Now that name must ring a bell for Elijah, as his body goes stiff, his eyes wide.
"As in MY Ingrid Anderson? The woman I loved over a thousand years ago?"
Still standing in the same place I stood when I entered the room, I am feeling completely lost. At this moment in time, I simply cannot put 2 and 2 together.
"That's right, brother. I would like you to meet your great, great, great, great... well, you get the picture, granddaughter."
Silence falls upon us. The only sound that could be heard, was my breathing. That was until the unmistakable sound of a vampire speeding across the room. Before I, or even Nik, has a chance to react, Elijah has thrown him across the room, and swiftly follows him, picking him up by the scruff of the neck and pinning him to the wall across the room from me.
"You mean to tell me that I had a child? And you knew about it?" Elijah yells in his face. Nik knocks Elijah's hand away from him, stepping sideways and smoothing out his clothes.
"That you did, Elijah, but I only came to know of her long after she had already died."
Another scuffle takes place, with Elijah's voice escaping, "why I am only finding out about this now?" He demands.
"Elijah, brother, do you really want to fight in front of the child?" The child? Did he really just call me "the child?" The bloody cheek!
I know that Nik can't be really hurt, so when Elijah looks towards me, I just shrug my shoulders at him.
"Don't stop on my account." I tell him. But, unfortunately, he does. Damn! Nik glares at me.
Elijah stills for a moment, before straightening his clothes and putting on a calm facade.
"This conversation is not over, Niklaus. We shall resume it in private." He says before turning his full attention towards me.
"Michaela, sweetheart, would you care to take a seat?" He offers, slowly walking in my direction.
I don't really know what to say. If I'm honest, I don't even want to be here right now, this news is just too much.
"Uuuum," I look between Elijah and Nik, "no thanks. Is it okay if I call Damon real quick?" I speed walk out of the room without waiting for a reply.
The second I am outside the mansion, I pull out my phone and press on Damon's name. The phone rings once before I hear his voice.
"Kayla! Is everything okay?" His voice is laced in concern.
"Yeah... no... I don't know... I just want to come home. Can you pick me up, please?"
"What's happened?" He demands.
"I'll tell you when I see you." I tell him.
Seconds later, I hear the roar of an engine.
"We're on our way." Damon informs me.
"Thanks! I'll see you soon," I say as I end the call.
I take a deep, shaky breath before going back inside the mansion.
"Is everything okay, love?" Nik asks as I enter the room.
"Yeah, I eeerr, I just asked Damon to come and pick me up."
"What? Why? You don't have to worry, Elijah and I shall not fight again."
It's funny that he thinks that's the reason I want to go.
"It's not that, Nik. It's just all a little too much for me to take in right now. I need some time alone so I can get it all straight in my head." I tell him.
"If it's peace you need, you can take yourself off to bed. I promise you will not be disturbed." He counters.
I feel bad for leaving, knowing that Nik wants me to stay, but I have to.
"Niklaus, leave the child be. Allow her the space she needs to digest this information and I'm positive she will return once she is ready." Elijah answers for me. I nod my head in agreement with him.
"Take a seat until Damon arrives. Would you like something to drink?" Elijah offers.
"I'm guessing a vodka and coke is out of the question?" Nik chuckles at me whilst Elijah smirks and shakes his head.
"Your guess is correct. Besides, one would have thought you would abstain from drinking after the state you got yourself into the last time."
"Last time?" Nik queries, a frown marring his face. Oh shit. Here we go. I knew he would tell him.
I sit here, awkwardly playing with the hem of my top, listening to Elijah detail my list of transgressions from that fateful night. Nik is pissed! Just as Elijah is nearing the end of story, I hear a car pull up outside.
"Damon's here," I say, jumping up from the chair, about to run out to him.
"SIT BACK DOWN, NOW!" Nik roars, stopping me in my track.
I freeze, never hearing Nik shout like that. I am shitting myself as I do as he says. I gulp loudly as he approaches me, like a lion ready to pounce on his prey.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking? Do you realise the danger you put yourself in?" Nik demands, stopping a few feet in front of me, towering over me.
Damon and Stefan come speeding into the room. They didn't have to knock as I had left the door open for them when I came back inside. Elijah is in front of them before they have a chance to react to the situation.
I attempt to get up, so I can go over to them.
"Stay where you are!" Nik commands, pointing at the chair I am trying to leave. I obey 'cause I can feel the tension in the air and I don't want anyone to get hurt.
"Kayla?" Damon questions, wanting me to explain what is going on.
I don't have a chance to answer him, as Nik has already started speaking.
"If my niece is to be in your care, I expect her to be safe from harm and well looked after." He tells Damon. Damon immediately turns defensive.
"MY DAUGHTER IS safe and well looked after. What the hell are you implying?"
"You call being drunk in the middle of the woods, at fourteen years of age, safe?" Nik asks him, but Damon doesn't reply.
The room is eerily quiet as Nik waits for an answer.
"It wasn't his fault - he wasn't even here." I answer for him.
"Explain." Is all Nik says as he turns his attention towards me.
"Damon was away, trying to find out what happened to my mum, and I took advantage of Stefan, knowing that I could get him to give in to my whims, and lied to him to let me go out. It was my fault, not theirs." I feel horrible admitting that out loud.
Once again, an eerie silence falls upon us.
"And how was your wrongdoings dealt with?" Nik asks the one question I didn't want to answer - but 'cause he did, I have no choice.
"Both Stefan and Damon punished me." My answer is true but evasive.
"Punished how?" Nik can be such a dick!
"They both, um, sp-spanked me." I admit.
With four pairs of eyes, all focused on me, I bow my head in shame. I hate the way I feel right now.
"Well, I'd say that was a fitting punishment to suit the crime." Nik finally says, breaking the awkward silence. "For future reference, if you were to ever do something like that again, you will also have me to deal with. Is that understood?" My eyes shoot to his to see if he is serious.
"I said, is that understood?" He is!
"Yes sir." I answer meekly.
"Good! Now you may leave."
I slowly rise from the chair, unsure of Nik. My suspicions were right as I feel his palm connect with my rear.
"Aahh... what?" I say without thinking, reaching round to rub the sting out of my butt.
"Let that be a reminder of what will happen if and when you misbehave." I nod my head before vamping over, stopping between Damon and Stefan as if they are my very own bodyguards.
Putting a protective arm around my shoulder, Damon pulls me close to him.
"Are you okay?" Damon whispers to me, as if everyone else in the room can't hear him.
"Yeah, I just really want to go home now." I answer him, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
With a quick nod of affirmation, he releases his hold of my shoulder, spins me around, then replaces his hold using his other arm, guiding me towards the front door of the mansion. Nor Damon or Stefan say a word as we leave.
"I'll come back tomorrow or something," I say out loud so Nik and Elijah can hear me.
As I sit in the back seat of Damon's car, I see the brothers staring at me from the porch. I give them a small wave as Damon drives off, leaving them behind.
We arrive at the boarding house before I've even had a chance to process my thoughts. Silently, I climb out of the back seat, and make my way inside. Damon and Stefan following closely behind.
"So..." Damon attempts to break the silence.
"So what?" I ask. Damon's only reply is to raise his eyebrows at me. "I don't know where to start?" I admit, flopping down on to the sofa.
"Id say the beginning would be the best place." Stefan encourages me.
"Long story short," I say after a big sigh. "Elijah is my great, great - a million times removed - grandad."
"Grandad?" Damon asks in disbelief.
"Yep. And I really don't know how I feel about it." I reply honestly.
The silence in the room is deafening.
"I'm just going to go to bed. Okay?" I ask, rising from my place on the sofa and shuffling my feet as I walk towards the stairs.
"Are you sure you want to be alone right now?" Damon asks my retreating form.
"Yeah. I just need some sleep. Maybe I'll feel better about things in the morning." I tell him.
Once in my room, I turn on my music to hide the conversation I am about to have, before I pull out my phone and look for Simons number. He can get me anything I need. His phone rings out, so I call him again.
"Kayla? Is that you?" He asks. Suspicion evident in his tone.
"Hey, Simon. Yeah, it's me." I confirm.
"Hey kid! How are you? I haven't seen you since... you know... what happened to your mum."
I tell him about Mystic Falls and Damon, and also Elijah and Nik. He is as gobsmacked as I to find it all out.
"Wow kid! That's a lot to take in. Are you sure you're okay?" He has always been caring.
"I will be," I tell him. "Simon... I really need a big favour off of you. Will you do it?"
"Sure, kid. Anything for you!" I really hate the way he calls me kid, but I let it slide as I need him to help me.
"I need you to get Mary's number. Can you do that for me?" The line goes quiet as I wait for his reply.
"Mary? As in your grandma?" He asks.
"Yeah. Her." I confirm.
My reply is curt as I hate the thought of speaking to her as much as he does, but it needs to be done. I have questions that only she can answer.
"Why do you want to get in touch with her?" He sounds disgusted at the mere thought.
"I need to ask her about my my heritage. I can't exactly ask my Mum, can I?" My answer came out sounding bratty. I don't want to answer all his questions. I just want him to get me in contact with her.
After a long pause, he finally answers me.
"Okay kid. Give me a couple of hours, and I should be able to get you an address or phone number."
"Thanks, Simon. You're the best!" I say, ending the call.
I hope and prey that Simon gets me the information I need as soon as possible. My head will be wrecked until I have it.
I somehow managed to fall asleep, but not heavily as the buzzing of my phone wakes me instantly. Noticing the time - 3:10am - I am glad I managed to sleep rather than waiting so long. Opening my phone, his message appears on my screen immediately. He did it! He got me her address and phone number.
I creep over to my door and as quietly as possible, I open it to see if I can hear any noises coming from inside the house. There is not a peep. I stealthily make my way down the stairs and out of the front door, not stopping until I am far enough away from the boarding house that if anyone were awake, they would never hear me.
Calling the number Simon gave me, I hold my breath as the ringtone repeats in my ear. I know it's late here, but the UK are 5 hours behind me so I hope she picks up the phone.
"Who the bloody hell is calling me at this time of night?" An old sounding voice barks down the phone.
"M-Mary?" My voice wavers slightly.
"Yeah. Who the hell are you?" She barks again.
"It's me. Kayla."
"Kayla who? Is this some sort of bloody joke?" Her croaky voice asks through the phone.
"Michaela... As in your granddaughter."
She goes quiet for a moment. The only sound I can hear is her raspy breath.
"What do you want?" She finally speaks. "Does your bloody mother know you're calling me?" It's my turn to go quiet. She doesn't know about Mum.
"No. She doesn't, 'cause she is dead." My voice turns cold.
I remember my Mum telling me how much Mary hated her for having me, so much so that she banished her from their coven and warned her to never to get in contact with her again unless she fixes the problem. Me being 'the problem'.
"She's dead? She's really dead?" She breaks me from my reverie.
"Yes. She is." I tell her flatly.
"Where are you? You need to come here, now!" The urgency in her voice is unsettling.
"Why?" I ask her.
"You need to get here now. Where are you?" Unsure of what else to do, I hang up on her. Well, that conversation didn't go as planned.
I wait a couple of minutes before heading back to the boarding house, trying to think of my next move.
"What the hell are you doing out so late?" Nik's angry voice asks from behind me. I spin round to face him.
"I-I was just on the phone." I tell him the truth.
"Who might you be calling at such an ungodly hour? And why not call from the safety of the house?"
I pause, unsure of what to say. I have been warned numerous times about getting in contact with Mary, and how dangerous it would be, but I needed to. Anyway, nobody ever said why it was so dangerous!
"Michaela..." Nik says my given name as a way of saying don't push my luck.
"I kinda called Mary and I wanted a bit of privacy." I tell the truth as Nik always seems to know when I am lying, and I don't want to piss him off.
"Mary? Your grandmother Mary?" I can see fury behind his eyes. I nod in response.
"I just wanted to speak to her. Ask her a few questions."
"How many times have you been warned by both your Mother and I that you are to never speak to that witch? She would bring you nothing but harm!"
"But..." Nik interrupts me.
"No buts. Get your backside in to that house before I do something we will both regret!" He pushes me towards the house.
Nik pushes the door open far too hard. A loud bang echoes through the house as the door knob comes in contact with the wall behind it.
"SALVATORE!" He roars, wanting Damon's attention.
Damon comes speeding down the stairs, stopping with a small skid in front of us, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Stefan was close behind him.
"What the fuck is going on?" He demands. His eyes wild as he takes in his surroundings.
"I have just found Michaela outside. I warned you not 10 hours ago - if you cannot keep her safe, I shall be forced to have her live under my protection."
"You were outside?" Damon asks me, still looking half asleep. I nod in response. "Sit down, and don't move," he clicks his fingers and points at the sofa. "I'll be back in a minute."
He weren't lying about being a minute. Vamping in front of me, fully dressed in his usual black jeans and black shirt - but minus his boots - he is also wearing his don't fuck with me face.
"Spill!" He demands, ignoring Nik's presence.
"I was only outside for a few minutes. I only made a quick phone call." I am on the verge of tears. Calling Mary was a complete failure and to top it off, I am in trouble for nothing.
"You only made a quick call? Oh, well that okay then." Damon says to me.
"Really?" I ask. I quickly glance towards Nik, and I can see that he is not impressed.
"No...!" Damon scoffs. "Get you ass up them stairs and wait for me in your room."
I glare at him. That was such a cruel joke - if you can even call it that?
"I suggest you make haste and do as you are told." Nik warns, an unspoken threat in his tone.
"Fine. Whatever. It's not like I want to be around you both, anyway!" I sass, stomping my way past them both.
"Michaela..." Nik calls to me. "It would do you good to curb that attitude of yours, little one." Again, Nik's unspoken threat is clear.
I let out a loud huff before lightening my footsteps and continuing on to my doom - I mean room.
Damon's POV
Running my hands through my hair, I walk over to my trusted friend - my drinks table - and grab a glass and my bottle of bourbon.
"That child will be the death of me!" I exclaim, drinking my drink in one go.
"Come on Damon, it's not that bad!" My optimistic brother says to me.
"That's easy for you to say, Stef... you're not the one who has to punish her every 5 minutes." I exaggerate.
"Come on, Damon, she's not that bad."
"Yeah, well..." I down another drink.
Clearing his throat, Klaus makes his presence known - as if I could even forget the Hybrid Dick is standing in my living-room.
"What?" I ask, not really giving a damn about what he has to say.
"We need to talk. Go and deal with Michaela, then meet me under the clock tower." He instructs.
"Yeah, how about no. If you've got anything to say - say it now." I've had enough for one night.
Anger flashes across Klaus' face before he vamps over, stopping right in front of me.
"If you care anything for Michaela, you need to know the danger she is in. If you don't, I will leave with her first thing tomorrow morning!" This sounds ominous.
With a nod of my head, I agree to our meeting place. "I'll be there in half an hour."
Klaus doesn't stick around for a second longer.
"What do you think, brother? Do we trust him? Or anything he has to say?" I ask Stefan, wanting his input of the situation.
"I don't know, Damon. Klaus maybe a dick, but he seems to actually care about Kayla. Go hear what he has to say, but keep your wits about you." He answers.
With a heavy sigh, I place my glass back on to the table and slowly make my way towards to stairs.
"You're right, brother. But first, I have some 'daddy duties' to attend to." With a nod of his head and a shake of my own, I leave Stefan behind as I make my way to my wayward child's bedroom.
I don't bother knocking, as Kayla knows to expect me. I open the door and see Kayla sitting on her bed, facing me, with the saddest look on her face. I actually feel a pang of guilt for what I'm about to do.
Crossing the room and taking a seat next to her on the bed, she diverts her eyes to her hands in her lap.
"Is there anything you want to say before we start?" I offer her a temporary reprieve.
"I'm sorry, Damon. I know I was wrong, but I just wanted to speak to her." Her whole demeanour is so pitiful, I am struggling to stay mad at her. I am literally fighting the urge to just wrap her in my arms and tell her she is forgiven.
I don't get why her speaking to her Grandmother is such a bad thing, the only thing I'm concerned about is the way she went about it. She knows damn well not to leave without me knowing where she is going and for her to sneak out of the house, in the middle of the night, is a major no no!
"I know you're sorry, Kayla, but that doesn't excuse what you did. You knew what would happen if I found out, yet you did it anyway." I pause for a second so she can think about what I just said, but her reaction throws me. Not a second later, she has her arms wrapped around my shoulders and is sobbing into my neck.
When I get over the initial shock, I return her actions with a tight hug of my own.
"Shhhh. Kayla, it's okay." I try to console her, but I don't really know what's made her this upset? "Shhh," I repeat, rubbing small circles on her back.
After a few minutes, Kayla's sobs turn to quiet sniffles. I pull her away from my neck, so I can see her face, and ask her what's wrong.
"What was all of that about?" She doesn't answer me, so I take her face in my hands, effectively making her look at me. "Sweetheart, please tell me what's wrong?"
With a huge sigh, followed he a hiccough, she finally answers me.
"It's just all too much, is all," came her reply. That left me feeling just as confused as before she said anything.
"What is, baby?" I encourage her to open up.
"This... You... Everything..." her replies are vague, but I think I get the gist of it.
Pulling her on to my lap, I wrap my arm around her shoulders before speaking to her.
"I know it's hard getting used to being here, and all the rest of it, but everything is going to be okay." I try to reassure her.
"It's not that. I like being here, now. It's just... wrong. I have lived my whole life thinking my Mum was my only family, except my Grandma who I've never even met, and now it turns out that I have a Dad, Uncles, I even have a great, great, whatever, Grandad." She tells me.
It pains me to see her this upset, and I don't know what to say to make her feel better.
"You know, I always wanted a bigger family but it took my Mums death for me to get it." More tears stream from her eyes.
I am at a complete loss for words. There is nothing I can possibly say that will take her pain away.
"Come on, baby girl... I know there is a lot going on right now, and it's a lot to take in, but I promise that I will get easier for you." It's a lame response, but it's the best I've got right now.
We sit in silence for a few more minutes, my arm still around her shoulders, pulling her close to me, when I feel her body go stiff.
"What's wrong now?" I ask her, wondering what could have possibly made her do that.
"A-are you going to sp-spank me now? F-for going out?" The look on her face is so pitiful, I want to tell her no so I didn't have to see it.
"How long was you outside for?" I ask her, instead of answering her question.
"I dunno... no more than 5 minutes, I guess. Why?" Again, I don't answer her question. In vamp speed, I flip her over my knees and spank her 5 times. Not too hard, but hard enough for her to feel them and leave a bit of a sting.
I have her upright, and sitting back on my lap before she even has a chance to yelp.
"Wh-what the...?" Is all she manages to say.
"5 minutes - that's 1 spank per minute. Your punishment is over." I inform her.
"Huh? That's it?" She asks, confusion written all over her tear stained face.
"Yep. Unless you would like more?" I smile at her to let her know that I am only joking.
"Uh, no! No sir." She shakes her head wildly.
She looks so young and innocent right now, she reminds me of a young, human, Stefan.
"Okay then. I think it's time you should be getting to sleep, don't you? Unless you want more..." I didn't even have a chance to finish what I was about to say, when she jumped from my lap, and dove in to her bed, pulling her covers over her, all the way up to her chin.
"Good girl!" I say, leaning over her to kiss her forehead. "Don't get out of bed again, or else..." I leave the threat hanging.
As I slowly make my way towards her bedroom door, I look back at her... with her eyes closed, trying to go to sleep, I am once again taken aback by how young and innocent she looks.
"Goodnight, Kayla. Sweet dreams!" I wish her as I close the door.
"Goodnight, Damon," I hear her call after me.
After a quick warning to my brother about keeping a close eye on Kayla, I leave the boarding house to go and meet Klaus. What a perfect end to a perfect night... NOT!
